Last time, I gave a brief account of how I conceived the idea of a Boltblaster prequel spin-off book from the Jason Cosmo series. Alas, my former publishers — Signet/Roc in the US, Pan in the UK & Commonwealth — were less than enthusiastic. In the publishing environment of the 1990s that left me with little incentive to write the book. It made sense to move on to other projects, with the Jason Cosmo series effectively defunct.

So while I often say I began Boltblaster in 1991 or 1992, I haven’t been working on the book ever since. Most of the years between then and now, Boltblaster was simply a dead past project.

Well, mostly dead.

Obviously, even though there was no available outlet for publishing more Jason Cosmo books after my former publisher dropped the series, I continued to tinker with the Cosmoverse, jotting down ideas for new books, writing a scene here or sketching out an idea for a new character there. I continued to flesh out the world of Arden and its history, including the history of one Mercury Boltblaster.

As Mercury’s life and adventures took more detailed form, at least inside my head and in my notebooks, the plot of the notional book Boltblaster grew and changed with it. The basic premise and main events to be covered remain the same as when I first wrote a detailed synopsis back in 1993. But I’ve added more details, and changed a few. There are a few new key events to be included and the amount of “incident” in the story has increased.

Said another way, Boltblaster as I am writing it in 2018 is a different book than it would have been had I completed it in, say 1994. It is not overwhelmingly different. But it is a different, and I think richer, story than it would have been before. In roughly the same way that Hero Wanted revises Jason Cosmo, I’d say Boltblaster of now revises the 90s version of Boltblaster that I never wrote.

It makes sense when you think about it. I’m a different writer than I was then. Older at the very least. Perhaps wiser. Perhaps a better storyteller. Perhaps not. I’m sad that I never finished that earlier version of Boltblaster. But I hope Loyal Reader will enjoy the 21st century version.

When I finally finish it. But that is a topic for next time! To be continued…

Best regards,

Dan McGirt

First, it is good to be back. The Jason Cosmo Update was knocked offline for a while by evil-doers. I suspect the Dark Magic Society.

I am currently working on the long- long- long-awaited book Boltblaster, which reveals the origins and early years of Jason Cosmo’s friend, the wizard Mercury Boltblaster. The earliest stirrings of this book date back to 1990 which, I know, is longer than some Loyal Readers have been alive! In the next few posts I’ll discuss just why this book has taken so long to write. In part, that statement is an illusion, but all will be revealed! And I’ll update you on where things stand now.

Let’s go back to 1990. Jason Cosmo had been released in 1989 (aka the original version of Hero Wanted), followed that year by Royal Chaos (now revised as Royal Crush). I was working on book three, Dirty Work, which was due December 31 of that year. Alas, I would miss that deadline and Dirty Work, instead of being released in 1991, would not be published until 1993. That is a tale in itself. For the present account, the relevant point is that delivering Dirty Work completed my contract with Signet/Roc for two sequels to Jason Cosmo. My plan was to continue the series with a Book 4, but I was also thinking of spin-offs, including an origin storty for Merc.

My publisher, alas, had other plans. Namely not continuing the series.

That, at least, was the case for my American publisher. However, as many Loyal Readers in the UK and Commonwealth nations know, the Pan Ltd in the UK also published editions of my books, translated into British English! After my US publisher dropped me — or at least dropped the Jason Cosmo series — I had the idea of continuing with Pan. In 1993, I prepared a proposal for Boltblaster — a synopsis and the first three chapters — which my agent sent to London. Waiting ensued. Then more waiting. Finally, the verdict came!

Pan passed.

And that was it for Boltblaster.

At least for then it was. My publishers had dropped the series and there was little chance of any other publisher picking it up. The e-book and print-on-demand technology that would enable me to publish my own work (in a practical, potentially viable way) was more than a decade into the future. If I wanted to continue as a writer, I needed to switch gears and come up with new ideas. I worked on many, pitched a few, sold none.

There was no reason to continue work on Boltblaster or the next Jason Cosmo book because no publisher wanted to touch a dead series. But even while working on other projects, I continued to add to my notebooks of ideas for the adventures of Jason Cosmo and Mercury Boltblaster. To be continued…

Best regards,

Dan McGirt

It was in the fall of 1987 that I began writing in earnest what would become my first book, Jason Cosmo. I finished the manuscript in early 1988 and mailed it off to an editor at NAL. I’ll tell more of that story next year. For today, I want to share some nuggets about the early drafts of Jason Cosmo.

SPOILER ALERT: Well, mild spoiler alert. If you haven’t read the first chapter of Jason Cosmo, or its later revision as Hero Wanted, this post will spoil Chapter 1. You’ve been warned!

Fall of 1987 was not the origin of Jason Cosmo as a character, but it was the beginning of the version of Jason known to readers of the books. The original Jason Cosmo was the hero of several hundred short handwritten episodes – most of them consisting of two or three pages of lined notebook paper – that I wrote through middle school and high school and passed around to my friends. Literally, hand-crafted artisanal fiction. Few have ever read those tales of Jason Cosmo the wandering mercenary – and few ever will.

Fall of 1987 was also not my first attempt at writing a Jason Cosmo novel. Earlier in that year, I wrote several versions of chapter one of a different incarnation of Jason Cosmo as a former captain of the royal guard called back into service for an important mission to save the kingdom. He was something of a Sam Spade with a sword. But I couldn’t quite make it work and filed all those pages away to start over.

That brings us to the Jason Cosmo known to Loyal Reader today. Or at least to a few rough starts. Yesterday I dug out of the Story Vault three early drafts of the first chapters of Jason Cosmo.

As Loyal Readers will recall, in chapter one we meet humble woodcutter Jason Cosmo, who is enjoying a night out at the Festering Wart Tavern with his neighbors in the village of Lower Hicksnittle. The bounty hunter Lombardo of Calador arrives and accuses Jason of being a wanted man with a ten million crown price on his head. Jason overcomes Lombardo and his man Guido, only to be run out of town by the suspicious Hicksnittlers.

Page 1 of the first draft of my first book, Jason Cosmo. Good start, but it needs a little work! Text © Dan McGirt, 1987.

The first draft unfolds pretty much the same. Except the local tavern is the Jolly Ox. The price on Jason’s head is a mere five million crowns. He is only able to defeat his two foes with a timely assist from Brion the scullion, who emerges from the kitchen to whack Lombardo over the head, stunning him long enough for Jason to get the upper hand. Lombardo then apologizes for the misunderstanding and Jason sets out on the road to solve the mystery of the price on his head and spare his neighbors from further intrusions by bounty hunters.

It was fun to revisit my first draft. I had forgotten most of these details. This is why we revise! I think Festering Wart is much more evocative than Jolly Ox, and sneering Lombardo a better character than apologetic Lombardo. Doubling the bounty was a good move too.

And poor Brion. He obviously looked up to Jason and only wanted to help. Yet for his efforts he got written out of the story. An epic hero must win his own battles, alas! Jason went on to glory, while Brion was forgotten in a folder in a box somewhere in the back of a closet. But now that I remember Brion, maybe I’ll find a part for him in a future Jason Cosmo epic!

Best regards,
Dan McGirt

I’ve neglected to update you in a while, so here is the latest. I am currently finished up the manuscript for my 21st century technopulp thriller Jack Scarlet: Deepfire. (If that sounds interesting, hop over to DanMcGirt.com for the latest.)

Following that, the next book in line is the long-promised, long-awaited, long-delayed Boltblaster, which I really and truly intend to release this year. I’m already three chapters in on the manuscript and have posted a few excerpts on my Dan McGirt Facebook page. As soon as I finish Deepfire and turn my full attention to Boltblaster, I’ll rerun all the excerpts to date here at Jason Cosmo Update.

Best regards,

Dan McGirt

Happy Star Wars Eve!

With Royal Crush launched it is time to talk about what comes next. But first – a big thank you to all the Loyal Readers who have bought Royal Crush in the first two weeks. I hope you’re enjoying the story – please let me know in the comments, (or at Dan McGirt Facebook Page or Twitter).

Also, please let other readers around the world know what you think by posting a review at your favorite online retailer. Reviews really help the books be more visible at Amazon, etc. and I appreciate you taking the time, whether you give one star or five.

The title of this post gives you the titles of the next two novels set in the Cosmoverse: Boltblaster and Jason Cosmo: Dirty Deeds. I’ll give you a brief on each now and we’ll discuss them in more depth in the months to come.

Boltblaster

Boltblaster is the long-promised prequel/spinoff detailing the early years of our favorite cranky wizard, Mercury Boltblaster. It is the next Cosmoverse novel I will write, and the first to not star Jason Cosmo himself.

Some writers rush through their books in a mere five or six years – looking at you George R.R. Martin. But I take my time and do it right. My oldest notes on Boltblaster date to 1991, after I finished Dirty Work. I wrote the prologue and chapter 1 around the same time. ((Early drafts of both are posted elsewhere on this site. Hunt for them if you wish.)) And then I let the story age to perfection, like a fine whisky or exceptionally ripe cheese. Well, the time has come at last — I’ve already started writing chapter 2, and the rest of the book is pretty thoroughly mapped out. All I have to do now is finish it! Planned for Summer 2016.

Dirty Deeds

Book 4 of the main Jason Cosmo series will be Dirty Deeds. Old school Loyal Readers who read the classic Non-Trilogy may infer that this will be a revision of the original Dirty Work. You are only partially correct. While Hero Wanted and Royal Crush pretty closely tracked the plots of their predecessor books, Jason Cosmo and Royal Chaos respectively, Dirty Deeds will diverge more strikingly from what I wrote the first time around. I’ll discuss the hows and whys of that in a future post. For now, just know that there will be pirates. Lots of pirates. Planned for Late 2016.

Jason Cosmo Tales

Have you read Rainy Daze yet? If not, please do check it out. Rainy Daze is a novella set between chapters of Hero Wanted, and is the first of what I am now calling the “Jason Cosmo Tales” – shorter stories set in the world of Jason Cosmo. The careful reader of Hero Wanted will notice a few other narrative lacunae where I may fit in future novellas or short stories. Ditto for Noble Cause and Royal Crush. There will also be stories set between books and perhaps side stories involving secondary characters or entirely new characters in the Cosmoverse. Jason Cosmo Tales are not on any set schedule. (Boltblaster is the first priority!) But stay tuned…

That’s the overview of what’s coming in the Cosmoverse for the next year. As always, thanks for reading!

Best regards,

Dan McGirt

I’m delighted to let you know that Jason Cosmo: Royal Crush is here at long last! Book 3 of the Jason Cosmo fantasy adventure series officially launched at the major ebook retailers over the weekend. Thanks to all the early buyers, including those Loyal Readers who pre-ordered the book.

As I write this post Royal Crush is ranked #188 in the humorous fantasy category on Amazon. It is always fun to see a less than 5-digit ranking beside my book – again, thanks to all who purchased over the weekend.

I hope you enjoy the book. If you do, please take a moment to post a quick review at your favorite ebook store or on Goodreads. It really does help spread the word and help other readers discover Jason Cosmo.

For those who have not downloaded your copy yet, here are links to some of the major stores:

• Royal Crush at Amazon US
• Royal Crush at Amazon UK
• Royal Crush at Apple iBooks
• Royal Crush at Barnes & Noble
• Royal Crush at Kobo
• Royal Crush at Smashwords

Again, I hope you will enjoy Royal Crush!

Best regards,

Dan McGirt

It is time to give you a full look at the cover for the next Jason Cosmo novel, Royal Crush, which launches December 5. And here it is!

Illustration by Mighty Mark Helwig and titling by the Ace of Awesome, Aaron Acevedo.

I’ll let the cover speak for itself, except to say again this is Mark’s interpretation of a key early scene in the book. It’s not a literal portrayal of what the text describes – that’s the interpretation part! – but definitely conveys the essence of the action. This will not end well for someone.

Thanks to Mark and Aaron for a great cover!

Now it is down to Your Humble Author to finish the words. I am working carefully through the copyedit and proofreading stage, trying to track down those devious typos that somehow manage to sneak in when I’m not looking. Overall, the manuscript is in good shape – and it should be! This is about my 40th time through it! But you know what? I’m still enjoying this story and I know you will too!

Best regards,

Dan McGirt

A quick note to let you know that the Jason Cosmo novella Rainy Daze is now available on the iBooks from Apple and at the Amazon Kindle Store.

• Rainy Daze – Apple iBooks
• Rainy Daze – Amazon Kindle

This story — first released in 2009 at Smashwords — is set between the early chapters of Hero Wanted and can be read along with, before, or after that book, or enjoyed on its own. I updated the file, refreshed the cover, and put Rainy Daze in wider distribution as part of my preparation for the launch of Royal Crush on December 5.

I’m calling Rainy Daze a “Jason Cosmo Tale,” which will be the tag for shorter-than-a-novel Jason Cosmo stories set between or during gaps in narrative of the main novels. I’ve got ideas for a few more Jason Cosmo Tales but for now my priority is getting Royal Crush ready. I’ll discuss future books (and tales) after December 5.

In the meantime, if you haven’t yet read Rainy Daze, please check it out. If you have already read it and enjoyed it, and can take a moment to post a review at your favorite retailer, I’d appreciate it.

Best regards,

Dan McGirt

As we countdown to the release of Jason Cosmo: Royal  Crush on December 5, I am assembling the pieces of the book, including a critical component — the cover!

Yesterday I received the cover art image. I’m not going to reveal it in full until the title has been added to make it a proper cover, but I want to share this sneak peek, a close-up of our fearless wizard, Mercury Boltblaster!

I also want to introduce the newest Jason Cosmo cover artist: award-winning illustrator and sculptor Mighty Mark Helwig. Mark joins the ranks of Richard Hescox, Josh Kirby, and Den Beauvais in providing covers for the Jason Cosmo saga. Mark give us his interpretation of a pivotal scene in Royal Crush, which I will share in all its glory when the final cover is ready.

Mark displays a quirky, sly, and slightly demented sense of humor in his work (and has a disturbing affinity for Cthulhu). I thought it would be fun to get Mark’s take on Jason Cosmo and company.  Stay tuned for the full cover soon!

Best regards,

Dan McGirt

PS:  You can see more of Mark Helwig’s work at his website: Mark Helwig Art and Sculpture and on his Facebook Page: The Art of Mark A. Helwig – Facebook Page. Check it out!

Royal Crush will debut one month from today – December 5! ((I pushed the launch date back from October due to some unforeseen production delays))

We’re in the final countdown. I am eagerly awaiting the cover art from an Artist To Be Named Once I Get The Cover Art and will flip that around to my cover designer to add the logos and titles. Meanwhile, I have completed multiple revision passes through the manuscript and am about to print it out for copyediting with my trusty purple pen. I copyedit by hand because it is easier to scrutinize paper than to spend even more hours staring at a computer screen.

That will take a few days. Then I’ll type in any corrections and switch gears to formatting the MS-Word file into an ebook file for uploading to the various online retailers. That’s my schedule for the next few weeks. I’m looking forward to finally getting Royal Crush into your waiting hands. Or, at least onto your favorite reading device!

Best regards,

Dan McGirt