Asian Pulp debuts!

Asian Pulp

In April 2013, Pro Se Productions released ‘Black Pulp’, a collection of stories written in classic pulp genres featuring lead characters of African descent. Not only were readers captivated by the cast of characters featured in the book, they also saw the potential of future volumes, both of ‘Black Pulp’, and collections featuring other ethnicities in much the same way. Pro Se Productions proudly announces the release of ‘Asian Pulp’, featuring seventeen of today’s best authors, in both print and digital format.

Leonard Chang, novelist and writer and co-producer of the TV crime drama ‘Justified’, states in his introduction to ‘Asian Pulp’, “The world of pulp fiction was a world that I understood—it was a reaction to trauma, both as art and as catharsis. Personal trauma. Emotional trauma. Physical trauma. National trauma. This is why I responded to it, why I immersed myself in it. And why, whenever I was in a personal and artistic crisis, it saved me. Fiction is a reflection of and commentary on life, and I needed to find a reflection of and commentary on my life.

That there weren’t any Asian Americans in the pulp I was reading wasn’t a problem (or if there were Asians they tended to be dismissible stereotypes) — no, not a problem at all, but actually an opportunity. I’ve always viewed writing as providing myself with more reading material. I write what I can’t find out there. Why not have a Korean American act as a private eye, and infuse in his character all the traits I wanted to see but haven’t? Why not write about Korean American gangsters, criminals, and detectives? And this is where we, as writers, all began moving toward: writing about people we want to see on the page, in lives and stories that speak to us.”

Following in the tradition of the best selling ‘Black Pulp’, from Today’s Best Authors and up and coming writers comes ‘Asian Pulp’ from Pro Se Productions! A collection of stories featuring characters of Asian origin or descent in stories that run the gamut of genre fiction!

‘Asian Pulp’ includes works from Don Lee, Naomi Hirahara, Kimberly Richardson, Percival Constantine, William F. Wu, Gary Phillips, Calvin McMillin, Mark Finn, Dale Furutani, Steph Cha, Henry Chang, Sean Taylor, Gigi Pandian, Louise Herring-Jones, Alan J. Porter, and David C. Smith. The anthology opens with an introduction from Leonard Chang.

“As an author of color who writes genre fiction,” says Gigi Pandian, “I love finding books where there are diverse characters in exciting stories. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved reading mystery and adventure stories, but characters in the types of stories I enjoy rarely reflect my own ethnic heritage or the diversity around me (my father is an immigrant from India, and I grew up in California). When I became a writer, I naturally created characters that were part of my own life experience. I enjoyed ‘Black Pulp’, so it was an honor to be invited to contribute a story for this new anthology. ‘Black Pulp’ was first and foremost a great collection of fiction–but I also loved how black writers and characters were brought into the spotlight. I hope ‘Asian Pulp’ does the same thing for Asian writers and characters.”

Mysteries, westerns, stories of crime and noir, and more, all with Asian characters in the lead! Between these covers are 17 tales of action, adventure, and thrills featuring heroes and heroines of a different shade that will appeal to audiences everywhere. ‘Asian Pulp’. From Pro Se Productions.

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Writing Update

I’ve just completed the first draft of Outlaw Blues. This book is the second novel in the Infernum series, which began with Love & Bullets. Outlaw Blues features an Infernum assassin named Carl Flint, who characters may remember made a very, very minor but very significant appearance in Love & Bullets. (And if you haven’t read the book, what are you waiting for? Head on over to my store and pick up a copy!)

Outlaw Blues follows the Infernum series modus operandi of lots of action, betrayal and intrigue. It does differ a bit–Love & Bullets probably had more in common with John Woo’s Hong Kong Blood Operas such as Hard Boiled mixed with a healthy dose of James Bond trappings. Outlaw Blues is more akin to a modern-day western, taking inspiration from the films of Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood.

Carl Flint is similar to Angela Lockhart in some respects. He’s an assassin but whereas Angela was out for revenge, Flint is looking for redemption wherever he can find it. And his search will bring him on a collision course with a Colombian drug cartel in a small Mexican town.

Some familiar faces from Love & Bullets will make a reprise, particularly Julie Kim. Readers of Love & Bullets will remember her as the partner of Agency operative Christian Pierce. She was originally written in Love & Bullets as something of a background character, but she proved to be a pretty big hit with readers, which has led to her having an elevated role both in Outlaw Blues and in future installments. And, of course, the colorful and mysterious leader of Infernum, Dante, will return (albeit in a bit of a reduced role).

I’m going to begin edits on the manuscript first thing tomorrow. Depending on the Pulpwork Press release schedule, Outlaw Blues will be available for sale either towards the end of 2011 or in early 2012.

But while you may have to wait a while for the second Infernum novel, you’ve still got other opportunities to read my work. The Myth Hunter is due for an early 2011 release. This will be the start of a new series, featuring a character named Elisa Hill, who travels the world exploring various mythologies. I’m really excited about this new series and Elisa’s a character I’ve been living with for several years now. If you enjoy the Indiana Jones films, chances are you’ll get a real kick out of it.

As far as other future projects, my next novel, which I begun while Outlaw Blues was on hiatus due to computer trouble, is back on track. This book, At The Gates of Hell (working title), will feature paranormal investigator Luther Cross and focus almost exclusively on the realm of Christian mythology. I was thirty pages into it before I was able to resolve the computer trouble with Outlaw Blues, and am now prepared to go full-steam ahead.

And, of course, you can check out SoulQuest, my ongoing online serial at the Revenance Original Fiction site. The second chapter has been sent in and should see a release shortly. I’ve also got some other irons in the fire, but it’s premature at the moment to make any official announcements about those.