Isis/E’steem Series crossover 2015

 

COVERS ARE NOT FINAL! ART IS USED FOR PROMOTIONAL
PURPOSES ONLY! 

The next story I’m planning to write in the Isis series will feature John Haynes and be John Haynes related. John made his first appearance in the Isis series in Isis: Wrath of the Cybergoddess. While he’s been a supporting character in E’steem series books and mentioned in earlier Isis series books, he hasn’t established much of a presence in the SJS DIRECT Universe since The Temptation of John Haynes a few years ago.

I’m building towards the sequel to The Temptation of John Haynes, and I’m trying to get a feel for the character again and his “voice” before I tackle him in a second full novel. Before I write that book, I want to reintroduce readers to him.

Following some advice I read on Chuck Dixon’s official website, I’m giving John a more active role in an established character’s books before presenting him in another novel. Dixon has a good point, when a character is out of rotation for a while like John, it’s best to reintroduce them in an established characters’ book first and get the audience reacquainted with them. Hopefully this approach will build anticipation for the sequel to The Temptation of John Haynes.

Isis: Night of the Vampires will pick up on a plot point left at the end of Isis: Wrath of the Cybergoddess and tie directly into E’steem: Undercover. In that E’steem story E’steem will be going undercover as an IT Technician as she investigates a smuggling ring involving Morris Phillips products.

E’steem has been growing in her role as John’s helpmeet. She’s ready to take on more responsibility. And John is ready to give it to her.

E’steem’s investigation has her learning more about herself and how to work without her powers. While readers are used to her using hocus pocus and hellfire to get out of jams, in this story I want to show her using her world-famous brain to solve the case of the Snack smugglers.

And while she’s working at the warehouse on her case, E’steem needs someone to fill in for her. That’s where Isis comes in. In Isis: Night of the Vampires, Isis gets to walk a mile in E’steem’s high heeled sandals helping John do his work at Morris Phillips. During her time there she’ll learn about the corporate Hell John deals with and the threats from the evil spirits and principalities in Lucifer’s Legion.

Essential Reading! 

And she’ll also get to know John a little better. In Isis: Wrath of the Cybergoddess Isis met John. And they didn’t get along too well in the beginning. Towards the end of the story she began to warm to John, but I left the door open for her to come back. Isis wants to get back in the penthouse. And here’s her opportunity to go where she’s needed.

In Isis: Night of the Vampires, Isis will learn what makes John great. And she’ll see why E’steem loves him so much. And she’ll grow closer to and come to be fond of him for who he is as they overcome whatever threat they have to face together.

The challenge for Isis: Night of the Vampires and E’steem: Undercover will be keeping the continuity straight between both stories. In this cross-over, both Esteem: Undercover and Isis: Night of the Vampires both take place at exactly the same time. While both stories are self-contained in their own volumes, events in both stories overlap over the same period of days give or take a sequence.

While I’ve done crossovers last year such as Esteem: Deadly D’lilah and Isis: My Sister, My Frenemy, this time I’m experimenting with a different type of story model. Two different stories, same characters and both going on at the exact same time running parallel with each other. It’s out of the box, but it’s a lot of fun doing something different.

Right now the first draft of E’steem Undercover and Isis: Night of the Vampires are finished. No telling when both books will be out, but I’m shooting for before the summer of 2015.