Laz 11 Gets Reviewed

Ray Bara posted a 5-star review of The Adventures of Lazarus Gray Volume 11. Let’s see what he had to say:

“Barry Reese and Lazarus Gray are like fine wines! Yet another killer installment in the Lazarus Gray series. Barry Reese is at the top of his game. He brings a darker tone to this one, which makes sense during the height of WWII. I love the regular and recurring characters, and I enjoyed the introduction of Lilith and her group of loyal assistants. Reese pulls out all of the stops on this one. The ending, which is more of an epilogue, is a tad disturbing, from a plot point of view, but I’ll get over it. Especially since I already have the next two volumes in the series queued up. Great job, Barry. This series keeps getting better!”

Thanks, Ray! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it — you’re definitely right that the ending was meant to be unsettling. Hopefully you’ll find the payoff for it in 12 to be worth it.

Busy Little Bee

Sorry for the long pause between blog postings – it’s the end of the school year and that means testing, special events, and lots more. As a result, I’ve been exhausted most evenings when I get home. I have been writing, though, and I approved edits on Omnium Gatherum so hopefully that novel will see the light of day at some point.

Reading-wise, I recently completed Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill and was blown away. Seriously, one of the best books I’ve ever read. I’ll be finishing Diablo Mesa by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child today and it’s been a fun addition to the Pendergast Universe (it’s part of the spinoff series starring Corrie Swanson and Nora Kelly).

In terms of my writing, I’m currently working on the final story for the third volume in the Straw-Man series. In volume two, I did one story that featured the supporting characters, without the Straw-Man even showing up and this story for volume 3 is much the same. It features a ‘stealth crossover’ with one of my favorite fictional characters but I can’t really name him. It’ll make sense when you read it.

Writing Updates

So things have been busy around the Reese Unlimited headquarters — we’re approaching the end of the school year so in my “day job,” there’s been testing galore, of course, but on the writing front, I’ve recently approved edits on OMNIUM GATHERUM and I’ve been working hard on volume three of the Straw-Man series. OMNIUM GATHERUM is a really odd novel but my editor seemed to enjoy it and the parts of it I’ve shared with various friends have been met with equal parts hilarity and acceptance so maybe my faithful readers will get a kick out of it. I can say that it’s an homage to BATTLE OF THE PLANETS, the films of Michael York, and that it also features the public domain heroes Nature Boy and Nature Girl!

Yeah, it’s strange.

The Straw-Man book is going well – just wrapped up a big story and now I’m moving on to what should be the final short story in volume three. As with the first two volumes, I’m trying really hard to create lots of new concepts rather than going back to the well of previously established characters and locations. In this volume alone, I’ve introduced an all-new heroine, debuted the new 21st century Catalyst, brought the American Crusader into the universe, and created a good half-dozen new villains.

Once I’m done with the Straw-Man book… I don’t know what I’ll be working on. It feels too soon to dive into Lazarus Gray Volume 15, I don’t have any immediate ideas for Straw-Man volume 4, and I haven’t stumbled onto a new concept, either. Of course, typing these words means I’m likely to come up with the ideas for two or three different novels later today lol

Living With BPD

A couple of years ago a medical professional told me that they believed I suffered from Borderline Personality Disorder. To say that I was not pleased with that diagnosis would be a lie – “Borderline what?” I wondered. “Borderline crazy? I know I have problems but I’m not crazy!”

I thought that BPD sounded too close to being psychotic… but the truth is, I didn’t know anything about Borderline Personality Disorder. It’s a scary name but 1.6% of the population has some form of BPD, with women being diagnosed three times more often than men. Nobody knows if that’s because women are more susceptible or if it’s because women are far more likely to seek help.

So what is BPD? I’m going to quote from the Mayo Clinic website: “Borderline personality disorder is a mental health disorder that impacts the way you think and feel about yourself and others, causing problems functioning in everyday life. It includes self-image issues, difficulty managing emotions and behavior, and a pattern of unstable relationships.”

Okay. That seems pretty broad. Let’s look at the symptoms instead. Again, this comes from the Mayo Clinic: