I’d like to take a moment to make an announcement. I’ll try to be brief, but I tend to ramble. So, no promises.

I learned a long time ago that there are certain doors that will forever be closed to independent authors. No matter how good your writing, spot on the editing or eye catching the cover, some places will never “let you in the club.” It sucks, but it’s a fact.

That’s why I created Dark Water Fiction. Dark Water gave me a “label” and despite the fact that no one ever heard of Dark Water, they nonetheless believed I was in the club. Dark Water was my own publishing house and umbrella in the storm of the industry. It gave me the illusion of having a publisher while still giving me the freedom and control of an Indie. It was the best of both worlds.

Dark Water Fiction was largely a labor of love. As an Indie, I didn’t have the circulation or sales to every really give Dark Water the legitimacy that I originally planned. I was going to make it my very own small press. While I would have loved to see Dark Water take off, it would have taken me away from the part that I truly enjoy. The writing.

Throughout my adult life, I’ve spent the majority of it in one uniform or another. Military, security, corrections officer and cop. I’ve been proud of every uniform I’ve worn along my path. Despite the fact that I’ve loved being an officer, it’s never been my true passion. Since I was a young boy, all I’ve ever really wanted to be was a writer.

That ultimately guided my decision when it came to Dark Water Fiction. I knew that in order for me to pursue my real passion, I had to concentrate my efforts on my writing. After all, that’s been my endgame for some time. I hope you one day reach a level of success through my writing so I can retire the shield, gun and body armor for good. It’s still my dream.

When I spoke with the incomparable Catt Dahman a couple of years ago, I had no idea what I had set in motion. Catt and I decided to collaborate on a book that is due to be released later this year. It’s called “Cold Hunger” and I think you’re really going to like it.

Did I mention that Catt is the owner of J. Ellington Ashton Press? I didn’t? Well, silly me. I should have pointed that out in the beginning. J. Ellington Ashton, or JEA, is a fantastic company that’s really breaking new ground in the literary world. JEA is on the leading edge of the horror genre and is about to really change the game.

That brings me to the announcement portion of this post. Catt and I started talking about bringing my writing over to JEA. That’s right… ALL of my stuff. After a few lengthy conversations, I agreed. I’m very excited about where this is going to take my career.

JEA is reimagining my Ragnarok series. Instead of the five book series I had released, it will now be a ten book series. There will be changes to the original manuscripts in order to make this work. New covers, fresh edits and all new layout are just the beginning. This changes everything, folks. It’s going to be huge. If you’ve already bought and read my series, you can relax. You will only need to pick up the ten new books is you are a collector and want them all. Yes, there will be differences in the story. There will be cosmetic differences as well as some all new text to tie in the changes.

The SciFi books will remain unchanged. There will be more in that series, as well. I have the one that was in print and the second book in the series is ready to launch. I’m already working on the third. I’m expecting great things here.

JEA is also optioning a lot of future projects from me. Including placing me in charge of my own Imprint called “Hold the Line.” It will be the spiritual descendant of Dark Water Fiction. My Imprint will be in charge of all stories that feature law enforcement, first responders or military as the main characters. I think it’s going to be great. We’re already planning charity work with both military and law enforcement charities. It’s amazing how this all took place so quickly.

So, as you can see, I’ve got my work cut out for me for the foreseeable future. Both as a writer and an editor. It’s going to be a lot of work but completely worth it. JEA is going places and I’m proud to be part of that.

I’ve said before that writing is journey and I’m so happy that you’ve all chosen to take it with me. Although this path was unexpected, I truly believe that it is going to take us to places we’ve never been. Stick with me and who knows how far this journey will take us.

I hope that one day my dream of becoming a writer full-time comes to fruition. I have so many stories yet to tell and time is precious. I can’t wait to share them with you.

Thank you for taking this journey with me. You are all so very dear to me. Thank you for reading my stories and for all the amazingly kind words. You have left amazing reviews, commented on Facebook posts, sent me messages and even came to see me at convention appearances. It has truly meant the world to me. You are all the very best.

Thank you all,

D.A.

P.S. I told you I tend to ramble. Sorry.