J. Kent Holloway
Managing Editor
I first began my writing career way back in 2007. At least, that's when I began writing the very first novel I ever actually finished. It was called 'The Djinn' and it was an historical two-fisted adventure set in Jerusalem toward the end of the first of the Crusades. It was my tribute, in many ways to childhood heroes such as Batman, Zorro, and the Scarlett Pimpernel...but probably more akin to Batman than anything else. The idea had always been: what would it have been like if Batman had been a knight of the Crusades.
Oddly, although the Djinn was the first novel I ever finished, it was not the first book I ever published. In fact, I wasn't happy enough with it to publish until I'd managed to write about three other books. After those novels, I felt my skill was finally good enough to really pull off a great book and went back to the drawing board with The Djinn. I ended up finally publishing it in 2012 and it quickly became one of my best selling titles at the time (keep in mind, this was before my co-authored books with NY Times bestselling author Jeremy Robinson, so I hadn't quite found my reader niche yet).
I had major plans for the book to become a series. I won't spoil those plans because they're way cool and because I eventually got sidetracked and the sequels never saw the light of day. Eventually, I moved on to Ezekiel Crane, Silas Mot, and the other series I've written over the years. Several years back, I took the Djinn off the market because it didn't fit the mystery branding I was trying to cultivate. But through it all, I always had the Djinn and his Knightshades in the back of my head. Always dreamed of returning to his legacy one day. And now, finally, I've decided I'm going to do just that. And, I decided, I wasn't going to simply re-release the book. I also gave it a thorough editorial overhaul. Made some revisions. AND I plan to proceed with my initial series plan. So, yes...there will be more books in the 'Knighshades' series.
So, what is 'Rise of the Knightshades: The Djinn' about? Well, here's the book description:
A Holy Land...A Holy War...A Holy Terror Against Evil
In the final years of the first Kingdom of Jerusalem, in a vault, hidden deep beneath the Temple Mount, Baron Gregory De L'Ombre has made an astonishing discovery. Imprisoned within the vault are twelve monstrous abominations, created by one of King Solomon's wives as an ultimate act of revenge. The secrets of the vault will ensure Gregory's absolute power and forever enslave the Outremer—the Holy Land. No man dares stand against him.
But the Djinn is no mere man.
A creature of smoke and shadow...a living legend...only the Djinn grasps the full scope of the baron's plans. Only he—along with his army of Knightshades—can save the Holy Land from a fate more terrible than anyone imagines.
Sounds pretty cool, right? I hope so! But you might be asking: Kent, I don't understand. I thought you were focusing on whodunnits and mysteries? Well, that's where the Djinn gets extra fun! Not only is this book a rip-roaring historical fantasy/adventure with monsters, magic, and mayhem, it also has one whopping whodunnit as well. Only, it's not a classic whodunnit in the traditional sense of trying to figure out who the villain is. No, in this book, the reader is given clues to try to figure out who the hero...the Djinn...is. And I definitely use the 'fair play' approach to mysteries with this story. Throughout the book, I provide all the necessary clues you will need to figure out just who he really is. So, yeah...it's a mystery as well.
Anyway, that's basically what's going on with me. A new Knightshades novel should be ready sometime in 2024, as well as a new Ezekiel Crane novel for you to look forward to. Rise of the Knightshades: The Djinn should be available wherever books are sold and will be available for preorder after Thanksgiving (I'll be sharing when on our Facebook page and group).
I also wanted to let you know that I'll be sharing some HUGE news about the future of Charade sometime in December as we draw closer to our one year anniversary. We're about to take some awesome steps that will open up even more opportunities for great books to read and I hope you'll continue supporting us as we grow.
In the meantime, I hope you have a great Thanksgiving and a super fun (non-stressful), and joy-filled Christmas season in the coming days!
