Hello all. Well, this is weird. I'm sharing a story with you that I've (mostly) kept to myself for over a decade. I finished writing "Shadow Man" over ten years ago, but due to the launch of "Paranormal State," I put this on the back burner. After finishing "State," this was to be my next project. But life stuff got in the way. I didn't know it yet, but I was about to go on a five year journey into personal exploration. Not all of it was good. But, some good came out of it. The release of this book is going to be my major goal for this year. Back in 2012, I made the decision to not publish this through a traditional publisher. At least not yet. Yes, I had interest. Mainly because I was already a success in the book publishing world due to my first book. But due to that, publishers wanted another paranormal book. Regardless whether "Shadow Man" was any good to them, they were willing to buy it just to placate me. This book is my heart and soul. It is the love of my life. Or rather, the "Shadow Man" story. The plan is to do nine books. I have had them mapped out for some time and I'm almost finished with the second one. I am very disappointed and angry over how much time drug addiction took from me. I believe in a Higher Power, so perhaps all of this is part of a grand plan.
"Shadow Man" is ultimately about a boy and his choices. Will he save the world or help destroy it? There's a lot of pain in his journey. We all know what that is like.
Right now, I need something in my life to root for. This character, Elston Preston, is someone I have lived with in my head since I was ten years old. So, I've shared my life with him for 25 years. It's time to share him with the world. I hope you enjoy the Prologue and the first two chapters.
You can read it here: http://www.ryanbuell.org/shadow-man-awakening/