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Life Update April 2025

Hey Readers!

Just a real quick update.

Me and my wife welcomed our third child into the world, prompting me to take a bit of a break from the writing world. To be honest, I still kind of consider myself on that break. Giving my family my full attention is the most important thing to me at all times, but especially now that a third little buddy joined the party.

It’s so much fun knowing that one day all my kids will read my books, and hopefully many generations down the line will as well. That’s something that I think about quite often these days. The memory of me will be contained within those pages for decades to come. Isn’t that so strange to think about? You go into an old used book store and you pick up an old fantasy novel from the 70s, knowing that the old author that wrote that probably isn’t with us today. However, a piece of them truly lives on within the world that they created.

This leads me to think about my own books and the time I put into them! I’m not currently* writing anything full time yet. Like I said, spending time with that new baby is waaaaaay more important. Buuuuuut, I do have a few outlines of novels pretty much ready to go. Stories full of adventures and thrills just desperate to leave the prison of my phone’s notebook app, and get out into the hands of an eager reader. They’re gonna have to wait though. I plan on starting my next piece full time soon!

I recently looked at the sales for my two current novels, and I must say that I’ve been blown away by the amount of e-books Echoes From A Distant Star has sold. I appreciate all of you who have taken the time to give this thrilling sci-fi adventure a chance, and the only thing I ask of you is to PLEASE leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads. It truly means the world!

I’ve pretty much decided that my next novel is NOT going to be within the Starbound Ascension series, but something stand alone, and on the shorter side if possible. I’ve been finding it damn near impossible these days to write short fiction. I’ll have more information in the coming months, so subscribe to the newsletter and follow me on Instagram for the latest Dark and Mysterious fun!

You’re all amazing.

–John McCool

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Starbound Ascension Lore: Money

The Universe of Starbound Ascension Lore

Money, money, money.

With the universe of Starbound Ascension in its publication infancy, I think it would be cool to showcase some of the lore touched on in the current novel and ones in the future as well. See, I’m a bit of a lore nerd. I remember a few years back staying up a full night studying the expansive and deep lore of Warhammer 40,000, and my God is that deep. That and the intoxicating lore of the Elder Scrolls just sent me down a deep rabbit hole that I simply couldn’t get enough of. The weird thing about lore in a sci-fi universe or a fantasy world is that it’s hidden under the surface most of the time. Unless you want, more times than not you’re never going to know. That’s what makes it so intriguing.

Perhaps it’s just with bigger franchises like the ones I previously mentioned, but for me I like to know the smallest details of the worlds I’m stepping into. Especially ones that I fall in love with. Starbound Ascension is only one novel deep at the time of this post, but goodness do I have lore written up enough to fill three to four. Any author or DM/GM of sci-fi and fantasy can relate. Building a complete world from the ground up is truly one of the best parts about the process, and for me, becomes a bit of an addiction.

Anyway, to kick off this lore we’re going to dive a bit into one of my favorite discussions. Economics! Nahh, I’m not going to bore you. We’re just going to talk about the main currency of the expansive Arkaan Empire: Astrids.

Astrids are paper notes with holographic designs printed on them detailing their stated worth. Each note is infused with trace amounts of asteroids with the specific compound mixture only found in the home Arkaan system. This currency system not only lessens the ability of creating forgeries, but maintains the value of each note by the limited resource of asteroids in the home Arkaan System. A simple, yet effective way to manage the economic flow of an inter-galactic civilization.

With a free market system such as one present in the Arkaan Empire, Astrids exchange hands for endless amounts of reasons that mimic our own. Work salary, paying for dinner, even as gifts, everyone loves money- everyone loves Astrids. Having a solid currency for the exchange of goods and services is the foundation to any state throughout history, and even more so in the universe of Starbound Ascension. Acquiring wealth has pushed society to bigger and better for thousands of years, and that will forever remain true. With a proper moral compass and endless opportunity there’s always the ability for a rags to riches story within the Arkaan Empire.

Now, there’s other species and factions within the galaxy where our stories take place, but they haven’t made themselves known yet on paper. Each one has their own system of value and “currency” that pushes them like any other. Only future adventures within the Starbound Ascension universe will reveal that!

Be sure to subscribe to the Dark and Mysterious blog as well as follow along on Instagram for book giveaways and other cool stories!

–John McCool

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There Came A Knocking Post Launch Update

Man, what a thrilling adventure it is being an indie author. When I conceived the idea to make the jump from being a short story anthology author to a full fledged novelist, I was a little intimidated not going to lie. The support I’ve received post launch has been more than I seriously thought I was going to get. I always try to shoot for the moon with everything I do, but keeping a low expectation on reader feedback is a self defense mechanism that I believe most authors have to develop in their journey. That wasn’t the case with my debut novel There Came A Knocking.

I’m not going to sit here and claim it’s a bestseller, cause it certainly isn’t. As of this post it has 16 reviews on Amazon and 52 on Goodreads which I love and appreciate more than anything! Review, either good or bad, are seriously gold for independent authors such as myself. Anyone of my readers that have received a book directly from me will recognize that line. In every book I personally send out, I ALWAYS write a personal letter with that line somewhere in there. I can not stress the importance of reviews for books. Even if you hate it, please review and let me know that! It helps me evolve into the best author I can be.

Reviews go such a long way, but what I enjoy more than anything is when you wonderful readers send me a DM on any of my social media. I love having deep conversations with y’all about the story devices used in my work, and why characters developed the way they did. Of course, those are things that can’t be made public because of spoilers, but after you read it, please send me a message and let’s discuss it and how it made you feel. I’m really interested in that sort of thing.

Anyway, There Came A Knocking is in a great place four months post launch. I’m very happy with its progress, and I’m more than pleased with the reviews all you incredible readers have given it. If you haven’t had a chance to read it yet, please go give it a read! If you want to hold off, I occasionally do free giveaways to my followers on Instagram, so if you aren’t keeping an eye on that, be sure to give a quick little follow!

What does the future hold?

A writer gonna write. I’m not in a position to announce anything quite yet, but my next novel is deep in the process and it’s…out of this world. Thanks everyone for your continued support!

Remember to read indie and stay creepy! 🤡🔪🩸

–John McCool

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Get “There Came A Knocking” FREE!

Merry Christmas everyone one! From now until December 26th my book There Came A Knocking is FREE on Kindle! Spook up your holiday with this 80s inspired slasher tale that will have you wondering if you actually remembered to lock your door at night.

Grab There Came A Knocking FREE now!

Synopsis: When Fear Knocks at Your Door, Will You Dare to Answer?

Best friends, Jessica and Danielle, are in for the fight of their lives as they fall victim to a home invader. However, this intruder isn’t there to rob them of the little they have. A simple game is all he’s after, and they have no choice but to play.
This horror/thriller calls back to the clown epidemic of 2016, where clown sightings became a regular occurrence for reasons that still remain a mystery.

Get ready to unlock a door to your worst nightmares. Get your copy of There Came A Knocking now and be among the first to experience the spine-tingling horror that will have you checking your locks twice.

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There Came A Knocking Publishes Tomorrow!

Tomorrow is publication day for my new novel “There Came A Knocking”!

I’m so excited to finally get this awesome work out to all of you incredible readers. I’ve put so much love into this, and painstakingly brought the retro feel of 1980’s slasher thrillers back to the literary world. The campy slasher genre has disappeared as of late leaving, what I would argue, a void that hasn’t been filled by much of anything substantial. My hope is that this novel can revive some peoples’ interest, and reignite the silliness that comes with it.

Now, what do I mean by silliness? It’s all about the gimmicks and the HORRIBLE decisions that our poor unsuspecting character make within the horrorscape that we as authors create. Think about some of the best slashers out there! The combination of an interesting gimmick and the complete absurdity of characters’ choices to go into the dark basement when you as the reader KNOW there’s something fishy going on down there. It’s almost satisfying to see a clearly dumb move be punished by something you’re mentally telling the character not to do. That’s party of the joy of the genre!

Think of some of your favorite movie slashers and really think of their gimmicks. Ghostface has the ghost mask and hunting knife, Jason has the hockey mask and giant machete, Freddy Krueger has the burned body with the finger blades, and Jeepers Creepers has his hate and coat to cover his demon body. The gimmicks are the key to creating a memorable antagonist in these stories, and it’s something I find so much fun in creating. The best part is coming up with something so absurd, give it to someone with murderous intent, and let them loose into the worlds of the page.

In some ways one could compare the slasher horror/thriller genre to that of romantic comedies. The stories are so full of absurdly exaggerated events that lead the characters to make choices that one would never do in real life. Do you think the hot cowboy billionaire is gonna choose the city girl that has nothing much to give him? Yeah, probably not. Do you think that rummaging around in a dark creepy shed behind your house while you’re being stalked by a serial killer is going to result in anything except you being stabbed? Yeah, you get my point.

This genre is so dear to me, and offers so many great stories that keep you looking over you shoulder as you walk through your house at night. did you check if your door is locked? Better go double check, who knows who could out there. “There Came A Knocking” has a slasher with a killer gimmick that would make you question if his motives blur the lines between what is morally right or wrong. Or maybe you will just see him as a monster that he is to so many unfortunate people. That conclusion is completely up to you! I look forward to hearing what all of you amazing readers have to share about it in the coming weeks post publication.

Thank you all so much for coming on this journey with me, and I look forward to all of you coming a knocking with me!

–John McCool

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Minneapolis’s Hidden Bookstore

Recently I undertook a journey to the land of a thousand lakes for a work trip to Cafe Imports and Mill City Roaster. Oh yes, I’m talking about the land of the Vikings in America. The lands of the far north that borders our friends and partners across the great lakes. I’m talking about the great state of Minnesota, land of a thousand lakes.

After my business things were taken care of, I decided to just strap on my backpack, pick a direction and just walk. I walked on for a while until I happened across this super cool book store hidden off the beaten path. Every time I go off adventuring in some new city, I make it a point to find a local coffee shop, and find a nice used bookstore to lose myself in for a few hours. So business trip or not, this trip was no different.

I stumbled upon a very interesting sign that just leaned up against the side of the building. It literally said “Books, Maps, and Prints”. What a way to pique my interest, right? I was immediately intrigued. I promptly crossed the street, and pushed my way into the old wooden door revealing the hall within. Now, what was really cool about this building was that it was actually connected to an art studio, which had their current exhibit up on full display as soon as you stepped in.

Their theme was a very relevant subject that we see quite frequently in the circles of the literary world. The theme was Banned Books. Displayed all through the exhibit was various forms of artistic representation of books being banned through society, whether for a good reason or bad, the intention was clear. However, the most impressive piece was four books that hung from the ceilings by chains. The dangled loosely to about chest level where upon further inspection, I discovered that there was a little lock mechanism that allowed someone to open them up and read the books. This was such a super cool feature, but it was the actual books themselves that interested me more. From the chains hung religious texts from four of the biggest religions in the world. It was fascinating to try and dive deep into the mind of the artist to understand what they were going for. Why were they hung from the ceilings by chains? Why were they locked, but easily unlocked for anyone to read? It was simply an incredible exhibit.


After that awesome surprise, I took a trip next door to the reason why I came. Before me was a low lit, dusty, old book store with books piled high to the ceiling. Literally my dream come true. This little hole in the wall is a small operation ran by an older man, that was just as awkward as you could imagine. He was the owner of this fine establishment, and wore the wrinkled face of a man who had seen a thing or two in his day. Each wall was lined with books from medieval reprints to maps of some of the strangest places in the world that one might not expect to find in such a place. It was quite the collection that could only be spawned in the dreams of a bibliophile.

I took my time to rummage through the seemingly endless shelves; most so over stocked that there were stacks piled up high on the floor. What I discovered is this book store was dedicated to the realms of knowledge and history. 85% of the tomes that lined those shelves held the chronicles of the world which the likes I’ve never seen. Memoirs, biographies, history texts, language books, How-to’s- and even a few cook books thrown in for good measure. I love the fact that places like this exist to preserve some of the forgotten lore from our history. In an age where reading certain things can be looked down upon, seeing this old man hold such tomes was a delight.

One section that quite interested me the most was his vast collection of art books. Each one was carefully categorized by the region which the art pieces were collected, making the seemingly endless books more manageable. The shelf that interested me the most was the Japanese art collection. I’m very interested in this subject at the moment as I am currently wrapping up a course in Japanese Scrolls and Manuscripts at Harvard University online. As I flipped through the pages, I found many of the works which I had learned about in my studies which gave me valuable insight.

Now, I don’t really collect non-fiction books, however, I can truly appreciate it. Even though there weren’t any books I walked out with, the memory of this place will forever be with me. If you ever find yourself in Minneapolis, MN, please go check out this incredible shop. Finding this little book store confirmed to me that the used book market isn’t going away any time soon.

–John McCool

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Current Novel WIP Update

Hey Reader!

This is just a little update on my current work in progress. I have been writing “There Came A Knocking” every day since the beginning of January of this year. It’s been such an incredible experience, and I can’t wait to talk more about it in the near future! However, while being in such a sensitive phase in the novel writing process, it becomes a little hard to talk about it with so many story pieces being moved around the board.

I’m currently almost finished with my second draft of the novel which is a huge accomplishment. When I finished the first draft, I made one of the biggest mistakes an author can make after wrapping up that phase of the process. I immediately started working on the next draft as soon as I typed the final period on the sentence. For those of you who do not know, drafting your manuscript is nothing more than going over your work from top to bottom and editing. It’s to make sure you have a consistent story with no plot holes or continuity errors.

Most authors recommend taking a few weeks off after you finish your first draft to get rid of the book eyes, as it’s called, then hop into the second draft with the eyes as a self editor. So, I didn’t do that. I hopped in straight into the deep end of the pool which led to a wee bit of burn out. Rookie mistake, but we live and learn. The burn out didn’t last long, so as soon as I took a breather, I hopped back into it, and now I’m knocking on the door of a finished second draft.

My wife, of course, will be my alpha reader, but as soon as it’s ready to go I’ll begin the recruitment of my beta readers. After that, it’s go time for my editor, then my proofreader who I’ve yet to hire. Only then will I start to assemble a solid group of ARC readers to begin the long awaited day of November 10th! I’m very excited for this piece of literature I’ve worked so hard on, and I hope all of you enjoy the gripping, terrifying story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Until next time!

John McCool

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Are Chapters Getting Shorter?

Has anyone noticed an interesting trend in literary fiction lately, or am I going crazy? On a routine supply run to a local chain grocery store for the coffee shops I manage, I usually take a few moments to browse the latest books. They have one of the better book sections compared to other chain department stores, so it always feels like a treat when I can take a looksie.

One of the greatest things to do when browsing books is, of course, flipping through the pages, and taking in the wonderful world the author has created. However, there seems to be a trend that I noticed a few months ago, and has persisted with every new release that I’ve flipped through

Are chapters getting shorter?

Now, hear me out. I am actually a fan of this structure for reasons I’ll get into later. I feel like it’s more manageable from a writing perspective, because instead of cramming so much information and progression within one single chapter, the author is able to keep the story moving at a more organized pace. I could argue that a lot of the times an author will use scene breaks to allow the reader to take a pause at the story’s progress, but in my opinion it feels so much more natural to end the chapter, and start a new one at a new scene. Don’t take that as I’m and anti scene break author, because I’m not. I use scene breaks all the time, I just feel in a contemporary sense that starting a new chapter is far more efficient.

So, what do I mean by being more efficient? In the outlining phase of any story, the author does a few things to keep organized well before fingers start clacking away on the keyboard. Some authors make plot points, some make a flow map, some just keep sticky notes everywhere, and some make a description for every single chapter. I am the latter. With this in mind, my chapters are already broken down into scenes. The exception being a change in perspective within the scene which I do several times in my current work in progress. The same events are happening within said scene, but the point of view switches to a different character.

I’m privileged to have the mind of a writer, so as I flip through the pages of new releases, I’m quite confident I know the reason why. I’ve had some of my fellow authors during discussions complain it is because the attention span of readers are shortening with the rise of Tiktok and other quick hit fiction. This is certainly true. However, it also makes the workflow of the author so much easier, so it’s a trend I’ve gladly accepted.

Compared to the fantasy novels of the 80s and 90s that hosted like 7,000+ word chapters, we are now seeing this trend take over modern fantasy authors churning out 1,500-3000 word chapters. This is completely fine and welcomed to not only the author in me, but the reader in me as well. I no longer have the time to sit on a late afternoon and consume an entire novella length chapter like I could in my younger years. Having these shorter chapters makes it easier to feel like, as a reader, you are making good progress, and are able to have multiple stopping points during your limited reading session. Nobody likes to stop reading in the middle of a chapter, so giving the reader the opportunity to frequently stop is perfect for the modern book world.

Next time you find yourself in the book aisle of your nearest department store, check out the chapter lengths of the newest releases, and you’ll see what I mean. Shorter chapters are a great trend that I hope hangs around for a long time.

– John McCool

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Writing With Limited Time

One thing that seems to turn off would be authors is a lack of time, or at least a perception that they have no time to write. This couldn’t be farther from the truth in my opinion. There is always time to write, but it’s up to the writer to find where that time is hidden.

Now, I understand that it gets difficult sometimes to carve out the time to put those stories on paper. Trust me, I get that. I have two young kids, work a full time job at a prominent coffee company in my area, and own my own house with the issue that comes with that. I find the time to write. It’s not a lot of time, but I do have it.

I have a very brief moment of peace in between the kid’s bed times, and headed off to the land of dreams myself. This is only about a 30 minute window, but the way I see it is that a little time to write is better than no time at all. With such a small time for daily writing, I’ve set a daily goal for myself that is achievable for this limited availability. I set out to write 500 words a day on my focused work which, in theory, will see me having a finished first draft in about three months. If I write 500 words minimum a day, that’s 3,500 words a week, and 15,000 a month. My target for the first draft is between 40,000-50,000 words, so as long as I keep to my commitment that manuscript will be done in no time. Of course, this doesn’t include multiple drafts and edits, but the point is to just knock out that first draft which is, in my opinion, the hardest part of the process. Beyond the act of sitting down at my laptop to write, I also have to find the time to do one of the most important tools in a writer’s utility belt.

Write an outline.

Outlining is the greatest tool I use, as well as what I recommend to most aspiring authors out there. I’ve found that keeping my outlining time and writing time separate. This ensures I can have continuous progress on my work in progress, as well as progress on the next project I have lined up. It’s actually kind of funny as I type this out, because my current project I’m also STILL writing the outline as I’m currently writing it. The outline goes a few chapters ahead of the actual work which keeps me on track, but my outlining time is spent on the same WIP I’m in the process of writing. Don’t reccomend this method…Finish that outline first.

Anyway, so separating your outlining time from your writing time will ensure progress is being made on multiple fronts. For me, as most of you know, I manage a coffee company, so I have the luxury of a little bit of downtime during some more time consuming, and methodical tasks. My biggest task I do while outlining is making Cold Brew. For anyone in the coffee industry, you know it can be quite tedious just standing around waiting to pour over your next gallon of water on the grounds. Lucky, I use and awesome app called Writer Plus. It’s a neat little app that allows me to keep all my chapter outlines organized, and various story notes together in It’s own folder. It’s pretty neat.

Life can be difficult sometimes. Trust me, I’ve been there. However, we are writers. We have to write. Making the excuse that you don’t have the time is just that. It’s an excuse. You can take the 15 minutes you would normally take to mindlessly scroll social media to write 100 words or maybe more! You just need to have faith that you can get this done, and tell that story that’s been consuming your thoughts for so long.

Tell the story!

– John McCool

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Life of an Indie Author

I was asked today on what it was like to be an indie author. I paused, unable to answer. However, now that I have time to reflect on it I believe I have an answer.

Being an indie author is TOUGH. Imagine being thrown out in the middle of the ocean, you don’t know how to swim, and nobody really cares that you’re drowning. That’s kind of like what being an indie author is like. Like crash landing in the Amazon with no provisions, no survival gear, and the rescue helicopter just keeps on flying by. Like being an astronaut landing on the moon, but your ship malfunctions leaving you stranded, and Houston bids you farewell and cuts radio contact.

Okay, I might be exaggerating a bit, but the world of indie authors can feel quite lonely. You put months and months of time into a literary project, and after it’s finished and you’ve created the perfect cover, you then have to go through the real horrors of the writing world.

Marketing.

Gosh, I shutter just thinking about it. Marketing is to authors like swimming is to mountain climbers. They simply don’t go together. However, it’s an issue that can be mitigated with vast amounts of time, and a little money thrown towards some marketers. Being an indie author is like being the captain of the ship, and the first mate, and the engineer, and the helmsman, and the navigator, and the radio operator, and the quartermaster, and the rest of the minor crew positions. You see what I spelling out to you, right?

Being an indie author isn’t just being a writer; it encompasses ALL aspects of the writing industry. You are the author, the editor, the cover designer, and the financer. However, on top of all that, you are your own worst critic which leads to many stories never being told in the first place. It’s super sad to think about, but the thought of indie publishing completely turns off would be authors that have some incredible stories to tell which is very unfortunate.

However, I tend take take another viewpoint on indie publishing. One a bit more optimistic. I see indie publishing as a team sport. As the team captain (AKA the writer), I have the responsibility to build a strategic team to help bring the story to life. Each position on the team I fills with a credible third party. Now does this cost money? Absolutely it does, but the way I see it is if you’re an author to make money then forget it. You have to do it for the art. The best payment I can recieve for my hard work is knowing my books are sitting upon the shelves of people’s home libraries. Just writing that give me chills. I’ve seen some gorgeous hoke libraries, and seeing my book within one of those wooden frames would be incredible.

Being an indie author is tough, but not unobtainable. You have to know your limitations, and understand that to have the best quality you HAVE to build a team on professionals for your project. Fullfil your dreams, and don’t let anything hold you back from telling those stories.

If I can do it, so can you.