tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89635633141469509902026-04-12T05:43:19.955-04:00This blog tracks the epic of kick-starting a whole writing career, with spies and thrillers, now saints and vampires. I cover the creative process, stuff that blows up, history, philosophy, and theology. If you like any or all of the above, you'll like this one. We talk about comic books, movies, music, and writing. Usually, all at the same time. [Note: All Amazon links here are associate links. Which means nothing to you, but it means Declan Finn gets a few pennies for the sale. Thank you.]Declan Finnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294934053308578796noreply@blogger.comBlogger1783125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963563314146950990.post-36010613538559879152025-03-06T15:11:00.005-05:002025-03-06T15:11:34.307-05:00

 Originally posted on Substack on March 11, 2024. So, there will be another update on this coming soon.Texas is going well. There's no snow, thank God. I never want to see snow again. Books have not yet been fully unpacked yet. But we're getting there. A few more months should do it. We're almost done unpacking fiction. Next is nonfiction. The rest is my father’s “To be read” boxes — packed

JohnKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04814150020818004193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963563314146950990.post-61585661859437188152025-03-06T15:01:00.004-05:002025-03-06T15:01:22.366-05:00

 There have been some poor little babies over on Amazon who have objected to things in my Saint Tommy NYPD series.They object to things like… Jokes about other Catholic orders. Jokes that my father, the 3rd order lay Dominican (OP, not DR), have told since the day I was born. Their sins being written down and insulted.Prayers. In something labeled **CATHOLIC** **ACTION** **HORROR**

JohnKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04814150020818004193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963563314146950990.post-73455476285838576302025-03-06T14:50:00.005-05:002025-03-06T14:50:35.273-05:00

 I usually have to do this at least once a year for my own sanity … despite how little sanity there really is.This is going to be a quick list of my books. And yes, I mean quick. If you want a previous, long, drawn out version, you can check here. That one is from … 2021? That’s the most recent one? That’s … odd.Anyway, let’s do this quickly.To start with, all of my books can be found here,

Declan Finnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294934053308578796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963563314146950990.post-87633666908879744472025-03-06T14:48:00.009-05:002025-03-06T14:48:54.320-05:00

 Do you remember the anthology Shoot the Devil?As I said yesterday, it was a unique premise… confront demons; beat them to death.My story back then was of a demon hunter working off his penance. It was the narrator, the damsel, and the demon. And the demon bounced back from being hit by a bus.And then there’s Shoot the Devil 2: Dark Matter.Buy Shoot the Devil: Dark MatterThe premise here is

Declan Finnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294934053308578796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963563314146950990.post-22157236036116928742025-03-06T14:46:00.000-05:002025-03-06T14:46:04.384-05:00

 Thirteen tales of Horror, perfect for a dark and stormy Friday the 13th…or a sunny Tuesday afternoon.From science fiction to classic European horror, interwoven with layers of creep factor, gore, and mystery that will keep you turning the page…while looking over your shoulder.So, light the candles, stir the cauldron, and check your ammo count, because things are about to get darkStarring

Declan Finnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294934053308578796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963563314146950990.post-35650290550069947582025-03-06T14:43:00.007-05:002025-03-06T14:43:43.141-05:00

 You might be part of this blog and go, “Is Declan still alive?”You may have even seen me on social media, or at LibertyCon. The next question is, what is that fat bastard doing?I’ll tell you … I’ve been busy.You may remember my Love at First Bite vampire series. Maybe you remember Saint Tommy, NYPD. Buy my booksHow would you like a follow up for Love at First Bite? And another Saint Tommy

Declan Finnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294934053308578796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963563314146950990.post-53036067847156934712025-03-06T14:41:00.007-05:002025-03-06T14:41:49.702-05:00

 If I were to lay money who was going to recreate the journey of Dante and Virgil through the levels of Hell, and then add handguns, rocket launchers, and using the power of faith to punch a Kaiju demon to death, I would have laid money that it would have been NR LaPoint. It’s very much his wheelhouse.Nope. This time, the book I described belongs to “werewolf author” Julie Frost. I

Declan Finnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294934053308578796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963563314146950990.post-5977543799498024332025-03-06T14:39:00.001-05:002025-03-06T14:39:42.664-05:00

 Originally posted on Substack, July 29, 2024Now that the French, especially the artist, have admitted that yes, we were insulting Christians and promoting pedos in the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, and we're going to throw in the Golden Calf just for kicks, we can have a discussion.That discussion is, why do we care?Let's face it, this is not new, nor is it really news. If you've been

JohnKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04814150020818004193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963563314146950990.post-81953156195342754362025-03-06T14:36:00.000-05:002025-03-06T14:36:01.419-05:00

 On the one hand, I Have The Neck Romancer coming. Though frankly, this will have a limited shelf life. So do me a favor and make sure you’ve pre-ordered The Neck Romancer. Buy The Neck RomancerThis election cycle, everyone notes that the Left has a problem getting men to vote for the Left.My first thought is: What did you expect?For years, whatever wave of feminism we're on has

JohnKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04814150020818004193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963563314146950990.post-86310201066704458362025-02-26T16:34:00.002-05:002025-02-26T16:34:16.250-05:00

 This has been a long time coming.Funny enough, I am largely writing this out on a laptop in a doctor’s parking lot while my wife is being scanned for … something. It’s really freaking cold out in Texas today. I was hoping to get this done early on Wednesday, and you see how well that’s turned out. As I write, there is no internet, and I’m doing most of this from memory. So if I miss some

Declan Finnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294934053308578796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963563314146950990.post-17881050549656250472025-02-26T16:11:00.001-05:002025-02-26T16:11:09.808-05:00

 This review will be a little different today. Because we’re going to show you the whole book … because the author started by making this a comedy routine on YouTube.Jill Bearup is a YouTuber whose hobbies include the art of staged combat. Many of her videos center around fights in media, as well as armor and weaponry. A few years ago, she made a series of shorts that lampooned fantasy

JohnKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04814150020818004193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963563314146950990.post-23964615077800692592025-02-26T16:10:00.003-05:002025-02-26T16:10:08.855-05:00

 With the Icarus novels, Timothy Zahn apparently decided that Leverage and Mission: Impossible were just playing on easy mode… and Le Carre was only medium difficulty.In The Icarus Needle, Zahn has gone to full Kobayashi Maru.Buy The Icarus NeedleThe StoryGregory Rourke and his partner, the Kadolian named Seline, have been working for the Icarus group for a few years, looking for the Icarus

JohnKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04814150020818004193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963563314146950990.post-13182067696107426262025-02-26T16:08:00.007-05:002025-02-26T16:08:53.364-05:00

 In my novels, it is not unknown for me to use an idea at the tail end of a novel, and decide that “You know, I could build an entire novel around this idea.”For example, at the end of Infernal Affairs, the ultimate villain was a warlock, and he used living shadows for a weapon.It occurred to me that I could build an entire book where living shadows are a threat. What if they were slowly

JohnKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04814150020818004193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963563314146950990.post-58856460482458180342025-02-04T13:46:00.006-05:002025-02-04T13:46:24.493-05:00

 As book three of Honeymoon from Hell comes out tomorrow, (2/5/25) I feel like I need to have a refresher course… for me, not necessarily for you, dear reader. Keep in mind, these are relatively recent for you. I’ve been juggling these books through my father’s death, my move to Texas, so it’s been busy.What is Honeymoon from Hell? Well, do you remember my Love at First Bite series? It

JohnKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04814150020818004193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963563314146950990.post-16020403721423625472024-12-31T16:35:00.003-05:002024-12-31T16:35:55.608-05:00

 I hate the term “Cultural Appropriation” so much.Why?Because it’s stupid. If you’ve not heard the term, it’s the idea that you can’t use something from someone else’s culture unless you’re of that culture. You can’t wear kimonos unless you’re Japanese, you can’t write a black character unless you’re black.Yes, it’s stupid.For example, when Iron Fist was in pre-production, the usual idiots

JohnKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04814150020818004193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963563314146950990.post-71791616105882912572024-12-27T17:12:00.004-05:002024-12-27T17:12:49.619-05:00

 I grew up with classic movies. Sure, Die Hard is a Christmas movie, but that’s right next to The Bishop’s Wife and The Man Who Came to Dinner and Christmas in Connecticut.So when a friend of mine asked me for the best of Alfred Hitchcock, I was confused. He had only seen Psycho and The Birds. Really? Those are not necessarily his best work. I’m not a fan of either film. And the Daphne Du

Declan Finnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294934053308578796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963563314146950990.post-72400790266266726382024-12-18T11:29:00.006-05:002024-12-18T11:29:56.716-05:00

 It’s been a minute since I last posted. I’ve been strangely busy, and bored out of my mind. My editing group has been going through the last five books that I’ve written—not published yet. If you want a look, you need to glance at my Patreon for that. Or be a paid subscriber here.While that was going on, I had to work on this speech.Last week, I gave a little speech to a writing class.

Declan Finnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294934053308578796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963563314146950990.post-83560173065278412532024-12-18T11:15:00.003-05:002024-12-18T11:15:12.669-05:00

 I, of Newton is truly a classic piece of Science Fiction / Fantasy. I’ve shared it every so often on my social media feeds…It only just occurred to me that I could have just shared it on substack.Premise: Through an equation, a math professor accidentally summons a demon. Now, he must outwit the Devil, or face damnation.Originally based off of a short story by Joe Haldeman, this is a sliver

Declan Finnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294934053308578796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963563314146950990.post-72786602312757675372024-12-18T11:11:00.007-05:002024-12-18T11:11:38.329-05:00

 If you’re wondering why I’m so late with a post, I was waiting for this to drop.Now, Raconteur Press is run by Ian McMurtrie, also known as Lawdog. Raconteur has a successful line of anthologies. After a while, I took a hint and decided to check out their shorts. One of the ones I considered submitting to was “Pinup Noir 2.” The description was pretty simpleGritty streets, hard-boiled

Declan Finnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294934053308578796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963563314146950990.post-28380448456533456032024-12-17T16:45:00.001-05:002024-12-17T16:45:56.692-05:00

If you know me— or tripped over me in that Bounding Into Comics piece— you know that I don’t believe in “Superhero fatigue.”But I do believe audiences are suffering from BS fatigue.BS fatigue comes in many different forms: crappy writing, girl bosses (but I repeat myself), and various other nonsense.For example? Critical Drinker insists that five years ago, Blue Beetle could have made a good

Declan Finnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294934053308578796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963563314146950990.post-45406366503468866802024-12-16T17:08:00.001-05:002025-02-26T16:06:08.280-05:00

 Ever feel like you never get enough done in a given year?Yeah, I have that problem too.Since it’s December already … and Christmas is next week (seriously) … I figured I should take the time to recap what I’ve produced this year.Yeah, it’s not enough. But what the Hell.Pinup Noir 3Oddly, I still don’t have a cover for this, just the ad image. I should probably just hunt it down and copy it

Declan Finnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294934053308578796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963563314146950990.post-47594174316268077162024-12-10T01:00:00.118-05:002024-12-10T01:00:00.238-05:00

Every time some idiot online whines about how sexist science fiction “has always been,” my first thought is “STFU, you know nothing.”And that’s usually the case. They know nothing.A lot of the current generation who use Communist terms like “sexism, racism” etc, to describe things they don’t like … well, those people often think that history started with them.After all, the number of idiots hired

Declan Finnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294934053308578796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963563314146950990.post-23325279404255749222024-12-09T01:00:00.059-05:002024-12-09T01:00:00.127-05:00

 I feel like I should touch on something that has plagued everything we have watched in entertainment the last few years.Most people call it “woke.” In fact, that’s what the proponents of “woke” called it. It was meant to imply that they are culturally awakened and enlightened.In reality, it’s just an adherence to lefty BS ideology. Woke means that they’re just pushing a message.Right now, "

Declan Finnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294934053308578796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963563314146950990.post-39432003390475069342024-12-06T01:00:00.010-05:002024-12-06T01:00:00.120-05:00

My life has been busier than I remembered.There is a new Saint Tommy, NYPD short released. And it’s not in an anthology this time. Wonder of wonders.Buy Cirsova #20 nowYes, Thomas Nolan is back. There’s a murder at the Bronx Botanical Gardens. Something is killing people.Just remember, whatever you do, don’t feed the plants. Heh heh heh.More importantly? I’m in an issue with Bill Willingham,

Declan Finnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294934053308578796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963563314146950990.post-1063417700317549782024-12-05T01:00:00.001-05:002024-12-05T01:00:00.140-05:00

 The Neck Romancer is live on multiple formats and vendors.It’s a sequel series to Love at First Bite.They're going to make it to the Church on time. And God help anyone who gets in their way.Marco Catalano and Amanda Colt have survived vampires legions, unkillable demons, supernatural assassins and a full on army of darkness. With their allies, they have taken down a paranormal Illuminati

Declan Finnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294934053308578796noreply@blogger.com0