On Spies, Sales & Spectacle: An Update from 365 Infantry
A Little Preseason Warmup...
I had intended to take the full break in absolute peace and quiet, but with lots of wonderful things underway, I couldn’t say no to letting you all in on them.
48 Hours to Go!
The 2022 Annual Collection eBook on Amazon is still on sale for $0.99 USD, part of the “Big Based Book Sale” going on since last Wednesday. I sent the heads-up to subscribers here via email, but have been rapaciously hawking the wares over on Twitter. All 24 of last year’s adventures fully edited, and the exciting spy thriller “Lions Among the Lambs” (more on that later).
The sale ends tomorrow, June 27th. As a sweetener (and because I couldn’t drop the price of our paperback edition due to production costs), my complete Bandcamp discography is also on sale at 80% off. 18 releases of electronica, jazz, & lo-fi for less than $4 USD. This includes our soundtrack album for Alan Firedale: Desert Delinquent, with the three-month promotion STILL ACTIVE.
That is 3 FREE MONTHS, access to all our audio productions, exclusive stories, and more for next-to-NOTHING! This special sale also ends on June 27th. As the old saying goes: don’t delay, buy today! Every cent helps us in the ongoing fight for quality independent entertainment.
And if the products don’t stimulate, we are still selling quality merch in our Redbubble and Teepublic stores (Teepublic is running discounts up to 35% off for the next 15 hours as of writing this), and we still take donations through Ko-fi and PayPal.Me. I take nothing for granted and I ask that everyone give what they can. Things have gotten a little rough in that wonderful land we call “the real world,” and all I ask is that I be able to continue the work I do here. I thank each and every one of you who has, and all who will.
The State of Steele
Two new developments in our ongoing serial “Steeled Spies,” starring the 365th’s recon agent Roger Steele as he navigates a strange conspiracy surrounding an anti-A.C.E.S. organization. The first is a big move on my part.
I’m officially making “Lions Among the Lambs” available to all PAID subscribers. In assembling and revisiting the totality of the story so far, I recognized that a great deal of it is informed by the “backdoor pilot” and I feel like I’ve been doing a disservice by not including it in the online collection. The first section will still be free, but instead of an ad at its end, free readers will be met with the paywall. I encourage those who haven’t read it to take the whole story for a spin.
Simply put, I’m still green to all of this. And what’s important to me is getting the story told as best I can tell it. And in this case, it was realizing I needed the full story in order to do so. After you’ve checked it out, you can find Part 1 and Part 2 still live on-site (minor revisions will be made regularly), and don’t forget to join Roger, Lita, and the revolutionary Lucille Devenreux in the next exciting chapter!
Here’s a taste of what’s to come:
“Don’t slip up again.” Lita growled, clambering over the ammo box, “Just cause I ain’t in boots don’t mean I can’t put my foot up your ass.”
Roger scoffed, striking a match off the steering wheel. Once the flame kissed the cigarette clenched in his fangs, he calmly replied. “She don’t know a lick about the Force, Lita. Keep your tits cool and your head on ice.”
“Why you so chill about that shit?” she shot back.
“Call it instinct.” the field agent said. “Something ‘bout her says she’s on the level. I got by 20 years working on my gut. Maybe it’s the way she smells, maybe it’s the way she lit into you like the 4th of July. Point is, I think the bitch is square.”
Just as the punk went in for the retort, Steele headed her off. “And before you bust out the big F word, don’t forget you got the Twist of Cain in you too. And if you didn’t, you’d be a heap of fuzz and strawberry jam somewhere back in the East Wing of Haven.”
Lita went to fire back, but the truth made for one hell of a blockade. She cracked a wry grin and extended a gloved fist. “Least we’re best feral fucks in the business, right?”
Steele bumped her one with his leather-clad paw. “Let’s make sure El Capitan doesn’t get blindsided by the ghost of a silver cop.”
Best be on the right side of Friday to catch this killer of a tale.
An All-American Anthology
Due out on Independence Day (July 4th) is a FREE flash-fiction anthology called 4th in the 25th, a window into how the world of Haven and the Wastelands celebrate the most special holiday, all doled out in short shots of our customarily stylish prose. If you haven’t been paying attention, we are naturally predisposed to “vulgar flag-waving” around here. For all the strife, the turbulence, and the worries facing America in the current day, we wouldn’t be writing these stories if, at their heart, they weren’t founded on some of values that have made this nation one of the finest in the world.
Don’t mistake that for total proselytization though. We’ve dug into the archives to find some sage words from grand old General Godred, sure, but our stories concern some of the simpler pleasures of the day too. The cookouts, the festivals, the time with friends and family. In short, it truly is the 4th of July for the wolven 25th century. I hope you enjoy this special collection once it arrives.
Conclusion
All in all, that’s a taste of things to come. After the release of 4th in the 25th, our newsletter series Red Light Bytes resumes publication on July 7th, and then it’s back to business as usual here at HQ. As a final parting gift before I get back to work: I just made public the main production playlist for 365 Infantry over on Spotify. 2400 tracks, 164 hours, and all a carefully curated blend of rock, metal, electronica, and traces of retro pop, jazz, folk, & more. From David Bowie to Darkthrone, from Motörhead to Michael Jackson, it’s a window into the wild world of making 365. Enjoy.
And as always, May God Bless You, and this Force. See you soon!