The Assassin's Prayer Revised Edition Now Available

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I can hear it now (because some have already asked)—a revised edition of a 3 year-old book? Why bother? Surely you could find something better to do with your time, like clean the fish tank or organize your sock drawer.

Traditional wisdom tells authors to never look back, to release their novels into the wild and move on to the next one. Traditional wisdom says tinkering with a previously-published manuscript wastes time better served working on a new project. And traditional wisdom is right … except when it’s not.

Simply put, this was an itch I had to scratch, an itch that kept me from giving new projects my full attention. Until I went back and revisited/revised The Assassin’s Prayer, I wouldn’t be able to really buckle down on a new book. (Or books, actually—Warlock #1: Autofire Blitz and Chunks of Hell: A Horror Anthology. But we’ll talk about those at another time.)

Call me a perfectionist (not that my novel, or anyone’s novel for that matter, is perfect) or accuse me of OCD—I won’t deny either charge—but the fact that I knew I could improve The Assassin’s Prayer gnawed at me. Sure, the book sold like weed at Woodstock when it was first released, but reader feedback and reviews made it clear there were some issues that could easily be remedied with some tidying up of the narrative. It wouldn’t take much effort to make the book better, so why not do so?

Make no mistake, we’re not talking a major overhaul here. For example, a decent chunk of readers dislike, despise, or downright loathe the ending of the novel, but I refuse to change that, even though doing so would probably make the book more commercially viable. (That either makes me a stubborn fool or a damn fool …you decide.)

No, pretty much all I did was trim some of the melancholy fat from my main character’s—Travis Kain—angst. You see, when I set out to write The Assassin’s Prayer, I was determined to give Kain greater emotional depth than the typical action hero (or in this case, antihero), so he’s a bit of a grumpy bastard with more than his fair share of baggage. As some reviewers noted, (in the original version) Kain spent too much time crying in his whiskey.

In this revised edition, those kind of “emo assassin” (to borrow a phrase from my buddy Jack Badelaire) scenes have been scaled back. What used to be a paragraph of internal torment is now just a sentence or two. The story moves faster and Kain—while hardly a sunshine and roses kind of guy—is less sullen and morose. Heck, I think I even let him crack a joke or two this time.

Listen, despite a streamlined narrative and a spiffy new cover, I don’t expect sales to skyrocket, but that’s not why I revamped the book. I revamped it for me, to exorcise that whiny, nagging voice in the back of my brain that kept whispering, “You can make it better.” Because sometimes the only way to make your demons shut the hell up is to do what they tell you.

INTERVIEW: Stan R. Mitchell

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I first came across fellow guns 'n' guts author Stan R. Mitchell when another action author, Jack Badelaire, reviewed Stan's stellar novel, Sold Out (ain't networking grand?). It sounded exactly like my literary cup o' bullets and as it turned out, it was. Eventually I reached out to Stan and through Facebook, phone, and text, we got to know each other. But just because I know him doesn't mean you do, something you won't be able to say after this interview. Read on to find out what makes Stan tick ... and try to forgive him for liking rap music.

MARK: What is it about the action genre that draws you to it?

STAN: Interesting question with no quick answer. The short of it is, I wrote a fair amount of literature in one of my writing phases right after college. At that point, I was a bit disillusioned with action books. Having chased my childhood dream of serving in the Marine Corps, I'd learned the harsh truth that actually being in the infantry isn't nearly as fun or glamorous as the books make it out to be.

That's when I wrote a fair amount of literature, which I'd generically define as writing about "real life." But the literature I wrote was really dark and black and hellish ... much like real life!

Long story short, I'll stick to writing fun stories, since for me, there's nothing that beats a great book that pulls me out of my present reality and transplants me into an awesome life-and-death struggle.

As for why I write in the action genre over mystery and other genres, that's pretty simple. Action books are what I've read my entire life. I feel I know and understand the genre and it's where I'm most comfortable trying to make it as an author.

MARK: Any interest in eventually branching out into other genres?

STAN: Some, but I think it's best to stay disciplined as an author and try to create a recognizeable brand.

MARK: Well, disciplined and driven are definitely two words that describe you. What made you that way?

STAN: Part of it is an inner-city school thing. You face so many obstacles and temptations growing up in an inner city that if you're lucky to break free from it all, you'll find yourself intensely confident that you can do whatever you set your mind to. Plus, growing up without money makes you desire the security it provides more than you can possible explain.

A second part of my intense drive stems from the Marine Corps, which injected into me a lot of something--not sure what--but most people just call it brainwashing. The Corps taught me I can do whatever I set my mind to if I'm just crazy enough to never give up and outwork those around me, and I adhere to this philosophy wholeheartedly. Most people think Marines are crazy, and I won't disagree that I fall into that category. Let me add, though, that I am very thankful that I do.

MARK: Craziness and creativity are often traveling companions. What do you consider to be the best action novel ever written?

STAN: That's such an unfair question. I will say that, while it's impossible for me to answer that, Point of Impact by Stephen Hunter is probably right up there. It's what influenced me to write Sold Out and it made--and still makes--a heck of an impression on me.

MARK: Anyone who enjoys Hunter's Bob Lee Swagger series will also enjoy Sold Out. What kind of music do you listen to while you write?

STAN: I'm on vastly different ends of the spectrum. Mostly, I listen to either rap or country. And if I'm not listening to that, I'm listening to rock. That's a weird spread, I know, but I grew up in an inner-city school, which taught me to love rap. But on the other hand, my family roots are mostly out in the country, which of course taught me to love country music.

MARK: I'd rather eat a hollowpoint than listen to rap, but enough about me. How would you describe your writing style?

STAN: I'd love to say hard-hitting and super-fast, with very little description, but honestly, I think this is something only the reader gets to judge and describe.

MARK: Fine. Since I'm a reader of your work, I'll describe it as hard-hitting and super-fast. What would you say is the most important thing a writer needs in order to achieve success in the action genre?

STAN: I think you better be able to move the story along at a fast pace while constantly ramping up the tension and making things worse and worse for your main character or team.

MARK: What do you think is the single worst mistake new authors make?

STAN: Publishing too soon. Then quitting and giving up. Life is going to punch you in the face. My philosophy is that you need to pick yourself up, smile as sick as you can, and say, "Is that the best you've got?"

Also, while there are some who publish too soon, there are probably just as many who never publish at all. I think there are hundreds of talented writers who never, ever publish. Their fears keep them from putting it out there. Goodness knows, I've faced those same demons. But at some point as a writer, you have to believe in yourself and say your story is good enough. And don't be too hard on yourself for not believing in your book. Remember, even Stephen King trashed Carrie. But thankfully for all of us, his wife saw it, yanked it out, and encouraged him to finish it.

MARK: Good wives always save the day. How do you respond to critics who dismiss the action-adventure genre, alleging it glorifies gun violence?

STAN: I don't.

MARK: Nice! Is there any subject matter you consider taboo?

STAN: I think you should go easy on descriptive sex scenes. Better to imply rather than show. At least, that's how I approach it.

MARK: As already mentioned, you are a big Stephen Hunter fan. What did you think of the movie Shooter, based on Hunter's classic novel Point of Impact?

STAN: Not much of a fan. I mean, you have a chance to produce a movie based on Bob Lee Swagger and you give the role to Mark Wahlberg? And that's not a dis on Wahlberg. I like him a lot and think he pretty much nailed the part they wrote for him. I'm just saying, where's the grumpy old man that we all love so much? And how do you take a story as amazing as Point of Impact and decide it would be better to use a character that's younger?

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MARK: You have written two novels: Little Man and Sold Out. Which one is your favorite and why?

STAN: Man, you're cruel! I guess if I had to pick one, I'd pick Sold Out. I spent twelve years on that book and it took everything that I had. Plus, I think the main character, Nick Woods, is the strongest character I've ever created and hopefully he's as badass as Bob Lee Swagger, aka Bob the Nailer.

MARK: Nick Woods is badass and let no man say otherwise. Let's wrap up this interview by having you tell us what's next for you.

STAN: I'm wrapping up the final touches on Mexican Heat, the follow up to Sold Out. I even have the third book of the series, in which Nick Woods gets sent to Afghanistan, about halfway done, so I'm clearly in love with Nick, his crew, and the way the storyline is going.

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BOOK REVIEW: "Renegade's Revenge" by Jack Badelaire

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I've been a fan of Jack Badelaire's fiction since I stumbled across his debut novel, Killer Instincts, a couple years ago. That title secured a place of honor as my favorite tome of 2012 and I immediately began devouring Commando, his WWII action-adventure series. But while the Commando books are violent, pulpy fun and well worth a read, their depth and style fall short of Killer Instincts standards. There seemed to be a bona fide risk that Badelaire had blown his load with his first novel and subsequent projects would be sub par when compared to the action literature juggernaut that is Killer Instincts.

And then I read "Renegade's Revenge."

Badelaire's first foray into the western genre isn't quite as good as Killer Instincts, but it comes pretty close, and easily ranks as his second-best work to date (though I expect his soon-to-be-released Hangman #1: San Francisco Slaughter to surpass it). Badelaire took aim at the action-western genre and nailed it with the sharp precision of a seasoned gunslinger putting bullets in bulls-eyes.

"Renegade's Revenge" is a 20,000 word novella that focuses on siblings who fight on opposing sides in the Civil War (and you think your family has issues). Twin brothers David and Caleb Miller find themselves divided by battle lines, David as part of the Union cavalry, Caleb as part of the Missouri irregulars. They come face to face when Caleb's Bushwhackers are forced to surrender to the Union troopers. Moments later, Captain McNeil, David's superior officer, orders Caleb executed right in front of him.

When the war ends, David returns home and reunites with his older brother Paul. Unable to let the past stay buried, they vow to hunt down Captain McNeil and avenge Caleb's murder, knowing they will have to stampede through hell to exact retribution ... hell consisting of a score of ruthless, battle-scarred hard cases to whom pulling triggers and killing men is as easy as spitting.

As you can tell, like all good, pulp-minded westerns, this is a simple, straight-forward tale of vengeance, garnished with extra helpings of hot lead and cold steel. Aside from a minor lull following the opening action, the violence comes fast and vicious. If you believe things won't get bloody in this novella, well then, you don't know jack ... er, Jack.

I'm a big fan of rough-riding westerns and when I finished reading the savagely satisfying climax of "Renegade's Revenge," I had a big ol' smile creasing my face. From its opening battle sequence to its climatic confrontation, the pacing moves like a whip crack, pausing just long enough to supply sufficient characterization. The whole affair reeks of sweat and dirt and gun smoke and blood ... which means we should all pray to the gods of six-guns that Badelaire's first venture into action-western territory isn't his last.

Meet My Main Character -- Travis Kain

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Fellow author Jack Badelaire—who also happens to write in the “guns ‘n’ guts” genre, and damn well, I might add—has passed the baton to me in a cool-concept “Meet My Main Character” blog-hop, where writers introduce readers to the main character of a work in progress … or, in my case, a recently-published work. So, without further ado, meet Travis Kain, the protagonist of my action-thriller The Assassin’s Prayer.

Before perusing any further, make sure you scope out Jack’s blog post and meet his main character, Jamie “Hangman” Lynch.

1. What is the name of your character? Is he fictional or a historic person?

My character’s name is Travis Kain, a fictional ex-government assassin who walked away from his employers and now operates as a freelance hitter. Despite his no-leash status, most of Kain’s wet work is now in service to Frank Giadello, a New York City crime boss. Kain is a killer, but he is not without conscience. He lives by a poetic creed known as The Assassin’s Prayer: God, let not my bullet or blade shed the blood of innocence. Regardless of price, Kain will not pull the trigger on an innocent person. To him, there is no greater sin, and this sets off a chain of violent events in the story.

2. When and where is the story set?

The story begins in upstate New York, shifts downstate to NYC, and then proceeds to whiplash back and forth between those two locales. By the way, Kain hates the city.

3. What should we know about him/her?

Kain is a troubled—some might even say broken—man. His wife is dead, his best friend betrayed him, and his life has no purpose beyond trigger pulls and dead targets. Deep down, he desperately yearns for something else, something more, a life that has meaning rather than just corpses and carnage. But he doesn’t know how to find it. Or perhaps more accurately, he won’t allow himself to find it.

4. What is the main conflict? What messes up his/her life?

Emotionally, Kain is at war with himself, at what his life has become in the aftermath of his wife’s death and the Judas blade his best friend buried in his back. He has vowed never to let anyone get close to him again, a vow that is put to the test when an ex-lover from his past reappears. Kain soon finds himself struggling with resurrected emotions and the realization that the quieter, more meaningful existence he craves might actually be within his grasp … if he will only lay down his guns.

But that is easier said than done when his former employers dispatch Colonel Macklin, head of the Black Talon kill-squad, to hunt him down and deep-six him. The Black Talon team is legendary, the go-to guys when Company assassins go rogue, and Macklin is the epitome of ruthless with a sizeable side helping of savagery. He also possesses dark secrets about Kain’s past that will change everything.

5. What is the personal goal of the character?

At the start of the story, Kain has no personal goals beyond survival and money. That all changes when the crosshairs land on perhaps the only person in the world Kain still cares about. He then finds not only a reason to live, but a reason to kill for something other than cold, hard cash. Survival, vengeance, and redemption … these are the things that drive Kain as the book progresses.

6. & 7. Is there a working title for this novel and can we read more about it? When can we expect the book to be published?

(I’m combining questions 6 and 7 since the answer to question 6 contains the answer to question 7.) Since the novel was published in December 2013, there is no working title, just the official title: The Assassin’s Prayer. Feedback and sales have been outstanding, far exceeding my expectations, and some of the characters will weave their way into future novels. The Assassin’s Prayer is currently available on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback editions.

MOVIE REVIEW: Sabotage (2014)

Prior to watching Sabotage yesterday, I knew of only two people who had seen the movie—author Jack Badelaire (see his review here) who called it “intense,” and my brother, whose post-viewing text simply said, “Man, that was grisly.”

Turns out they were both right, as I discovered as I sat in the near-empty theater with four other people—two of whom beat a hasty exit right after the nailed-to-the-ceiling-and-disemboweled scene. Hey, not everyone knows how to mix dangling intestines with their popcorn.

As directed by David Ayer (Training Day and End of Watch), this is a dark, grim, relentless—and yes, intense and grisly—action thriller that ranks as the nastiest film of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s career. Sure, his movies have always been violent (yes, I’m counting Twins, because watching it makes you want to shoot yourself in the head) but with a fun, cartoonish, over the top vibe to the carnage. With its nihilistic emphasis on graphic gore, it’s tough to call Sabotage “fun.” Enjoyable, yes, for movie-goers of a certain inclination … but the tone is extremely savage.

Sabotage manages to be not only a bruising action film, but also a dark whodunit with more twists than a snake swallowing a pretzel. When Schwarzenegger—er, sorry, John “Breacher” Wharton—and his hard-charging team of undercover DEA warrior-operators steal $10 million from a vicious drug cartel, they begin getting picked off one by one in torturous fashion. Thing is, it appears one of the team members helped themselves to the money before the others could get their cut, meaning a traitor lurks in their midst and loyalty soon turns to mistrust and betrayal.

This is not your standard Schwarzenegger role. This is the darkest character the actor has ever played, his soul deeply scarred by the hellish trauma of his past. He is haunted, consumed, wounded, an ass-kicker whose ass has been kicked by life. It’s not a remarkable performance when judged by traditional acting values, but it’s a superlative performance for Schwarzenegger. The larger-than-life invulnerability on which he built his legend is eschewed here in favor of a character that is angry, vulnerable, and twisted.

While the action is not wall-to-wall, there is more than enough door-busting, bullet-blasting, blood-spurting violence to satisfy fans of the guns ‘n’ guts genre. For being a bunch of federal agents, Breacher’s Special Operations Team doesn’t seem all that interested in arresting anyone, but they are very interested in putting bodies on the floor, autofire style. Explosions, gunplay, bad guys biting the dust … yeah, it’s all here.

The directing style is as grim and gritty as the script, with minimal flash (well, unless you count the flash-bangs). Ayer seems a bit overly enthusiastic about grinding our faces in the gore, but in this era of clean, sanitized PG-13 action movies, I personally enjoyed seeing hard-R sensibilities embraced with such unfettered vigor.

This is mandatory viewing for all Schwarzenegger fans and ranks as one of my favorite Arnie flicks. Anyone who has read my books knows that I like things dark, grim, and violent and prefer tortured protagonists to unflappable heroes, so yeah, Sabotage resonates very highly with me. Rarely has a movie so accurately encapsulated the term “guns ‘n’ guts,” because Sabotage has copious amounts of both. “I’ll be back” for a repeat viewing when it hits DVD and you should “Get to da theata!” to watch it ASAP.

Should Authors Brand Themselves?

The saying goes, “Jack of all trades, master of none.” But does that mean that indie authors who dabble in more than one genre are crippling themselves and their sales by not zeroing in on just one genre? Is it crucial for an author to brand themselves as an action writer or horror writer or romance writer and then cling exclusively to that category, forsaking all others, ‘til death do you part? Does reader bias exist against authors who refuse to wear a singular label?

The answer to all these questions is yes … and no. Multi-genre experimentation will hurt some authors but prove to be the path to success for others. Branding is a smart choice for some authors; for others it’s a waste of time equal to trying to start an inferno with a burnt match. Some readers will ignore authors who dip their pen in more than one ink well, others will embrace the diversification. Short of having Nostradamus in their lineage, it’s impossible for an author to predict, so they may as well write whatever makes them happy and let the branding fall where it may.

To be honest, this is a position reversal for me. Not long ago, I vowed to brand myself as an action author. Even this blog is geared toward action fiction and I have no intention of altering the focus, as that particular genre is my primary interest. I had published various short stories in the hardboiled, horror, and romance genres, but with the release of my debut novel, The Assassin’s Prayer, I believed the time had arrived to turn my back on those other genres and focus exclusively on action. After all, I currently have at least four more action novels outlined and ready to be written, so why not adopt the one-shot-one-kill technique of a sniper rather than the spray-and-pray approach of a machine-gunner?

But following the release of the novel, I was approached to submit a zombie story for an anthology. I caught whiff of potential opportunities in the western market. Readers clamored for a novel-length continuance of my short hardboiled story. I swiftly realized that branding myself as solely an action author would leave me as unsatisfied as a gun enthusiast trying to buy an AR-15 in New York. I wanted to write a western. I wanted to write a zombie story. I wanted to write a Jack Reece (“The Killing Question” )novel. And so I decided to do what I want, not what a brand demanded.



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The explosion of indie publishing has shredded preconceived notions of how authors should behave. Experimentation is not only accepted, it is encouraged. Branding may be beneficial for some, but for others it could be detrimental. No author can fully anticipate what will strike a chord with readers. For example, author Jack Badelaire started his career writing a contemporary action novel (Killer Instincts) and fully intended to continue down this path. Then, just for a lark, he penned a pulpy WWII tale about British Commandos. Unexpectedly, it snagged the attention of readers and he has now written three books in the “Commando” series that has become his bread and butter. Had he been determined to brand himself as only a contemporary action novelist, the level of success he now enjoys might have eluded him like a scuba diver trying to catch an eel with Vaseline-coated gloves.

For authors only interested in one specific genre, branding is a viable, perhaps even advised, option. But for those whose writing interests branch off in various directions, branding could be the cage that imprisons their success. For me, branding felt like shackles I had willingly put on. Thankfully, they were just as easy to take off. Readers may eventually brand me an action author or horror author or crime author but that branding will be natural, organic, not something I self-applied. Follow your muse, write what you please, and don’t worry about branding. Indie publishing is fertile soil; plant all the literary seeds you want and see which one flourishes best for you.