Four years later, it’s done. The final book to my Ranger Martin zombie series is complete. Today I reveal the cover to Ranger Martin and the Search for Paradise. Am I excited? I wouldn’t know where to start to tell you how I feel right now. Yeah, I am excited. Can’t you tell? Next month, my dream will come true. On October 20, 2015, the book releases.
Last Friday, I’d promised I’d tell you where the idea for Ranger Martin came from.
As clichéd as it sounds, I woke up one morning in October 2011 with Ranger’s name surfing through my head. While shaving, the image of a zombie slayer turned father-figure began to take shape. Ranger would travel across the country saving kids from the likes of chewers and eaters, providing lodging and giving them a purpose for their existence.
The story grew after I had entered it as part of National Novel Writing Month in November that year.
Two of the other main characters in the series are Matty, a fifteen-year-old who doesn’t take any flak from anyone, and her know-it-all eight-year-old brother, Jon. Together, they’re the ones who cause Ranger the most grief.
What I found interesting writing this series is how the stories for each book flowed without much effort on my part. I had a general idea of how it would all work—actually, all I had were the titles Ranger Martin and the Zombie Apocalypse, Ranger Martin and the Alien Invasion, Ranger Martin and the Search for Paradise, and the endings. Beyond that, I hadn’t a clue as to what would happen in each novel. Every day that I took to my writing hole there was an adventure awaiting for me to discover.
In all honesty, it was as if I were taking dictation.
Anyway, to give you an idea where the cover came from, the photo is from October 2004. I was sitting on a hill watching the boats pass at Toronto’s Waterfront when I saw a women standing on the dock. She caught my attention and I snapped her picture. A few seconds was all it took and she was gone. Years later, I would remember that photo and it made me wonder whatever happened to that woman. What was she thinking while she stared into the distance? Was she thinking of her family? Was she thinking of a long lost love? Or was she simply standing there because she saw me taking photos of the area knowing she would become a timeless image for others to talk about?
If she only knew her image would become part of the cover to my next book, I’m sure now she would think it flattering.
Not to make it sound as if the whole process for writing the trilogy was easy, I had to sacrifice a better part of my Sundays and evenings to put the series together. That included dedicating writing sessions between events such as home renovations, birthdays, driving my kids to recitals, long weekends, funerals, and anything else you can classify as mundane tasks that would make up life. Add to the laundry list the blog schedule I had committed to in December 2012 to write three posts a week, no matter what the circumstances, and you have a very busy Jack.
Mind you, I’m not complaining—I’m explaining. Then again, I wouldn’t trade in the experience for anything in the world. If it hadn’t been for Ranger Martin, I wouldn’t have found the writing rhythm that works for me. Ranger taught me
- Never to surrender.
- Always be consistent.
- And never pay attention to what the crowd is doing.
Okay, I think I can now can tell you what Ranger Martin and the Search for Paradise is about! From the back jacket:
There is no cure. The change is permanent. Whoever says they can fix this is wrong.
Months ago, billions of people died in the zombie apocalypse. The survivors either have become refugees looking for a way out or have turned against each other. No one will admit they killed their friend for a package of raisins. It happens though, and there isn’t anything anyone can do about it.
Undead slayer Ranger Martin makes the unforgiving Arizona desert his home. He has never had to defend it. He has never had to kill anyone for it. If anything, he has shelved his shotgun and has taken an early retirement package.
That is, until now.
When the military lays siege on his silo, Ranger and his crack team of professionals—a bunch of kids, really—have no other choice than to run. But after he discovers a map that may lead to a mythic city called Paradise, where neither army nor zombie can invade, Ranger mounts a cross-state journey to find the place of safety before the others find him and it’s too late.
Now, because I would love for everyone on the planet to enjoy Ranger Martin’s way of solving the zombie problem, and in celebration of my October 20 release of my new book, starting tomorrow for 5 days, I will be offering the first book in the trilogy Ranger Martin and the Zombie Apocalypse FREE. That’s right. You’ll be able to download it without spending a dime. It’s my way of showing my appreciation for all the support extended to me these past few years while I teetered on the edge of insanity doing what I love doing—writing about the zombie apocalypse.
Thanks everyone for all your support!
Looking to God 
Reblogged this on thepageofdaniel and commented:
Interesting cover. I missed the free preview, though.
Thanks very much for the reblog!
The cover is very ominous and brooding. I like it a lot. Can’t wait for Oct. 20th!
Thank you, Leigh! Ominous and brooding is good. I was going for Ominous and brooding! 😉
Nice moody cover there, Jack. I know you tend not to blog about your own work, but you’ll have to keep us informed how the release goes and the reception it gets. It’s unusual to come across an author who doesn’t holler and yell every day about his/her writing.
Good luck.
Hey Chris, thanks a lot for the kind words, I really appreciate it. I just work from the golden rule–no secret really. 🙂
Awesome sauce – congrats on completing the trilogy Jack!!
Thanks, Julie. It’s been quite an adventure!
Congratulations Jack. What a thrill. Oh yes, I guess I should mention I represent the woman and we’ll be in touch shortly concerning the copyright royalties.
Thanks, John! How does that saying go? Oh, yes–there’s one in every bunch. 😉
My teachers used to say that. Now I think I get it.
So exciting!
Ha! Thanks!
Reblogged this on My train of thoughts on… and commented:
Cover reveal for the long awaited third book in the Ranger Martin series:
Ranger Martin and the Search for Paradise by Jack Flacco
Thanks for the reblog, Karen! I really appreciate it!
You are welcome, Jack. I just had to spread the word…
Congratulations on the completion of your trilogy. Completing three linked stories is quite an accomplishment. Recognizing the path that brought you to this point is powerful. Books do not birth themselves…it takes a great deal of effort to bring a story to full life. You’ve done a great job, writing about what you love, and dedicating a platform to your writing. Keep up the good work.
Awesome words coming from you, Tarl. Thanks! I’ll never forget how I released the first cover and you’d mentioned how the font had too much glow to it and it would look fuzzy when sizing it down. I changed it because of that comment! It was the most constructive advice I had received from anyone looking at my book. I always appreciate you for that! 🙂
Congratulations! It’s a major accomplishment and I’m glad you’re excited. Excitement is contagious 😉
Thank you! I’m really looking forward to its release!
Wow, so exciting…and how I love a story with a quest to find the “maybe mythical” hidden paradise where all can live out their days in peace. Of course, I am rooting for Ranger and the kids, and I am so looking forward to reading the final Ranger book. Love the cover. Congratulations, Jack!
Much appreciated, Katie! Ranger will have a lot of work to do in this book. Stay tuned! 😉
Congratulations ! May Ranger Martin & his cadre of kid cadets have a happy literary life !
Haha! Thanks, Zathra! 🙂
Congratulations, Jack. I know how you feel sending your child on it’s last journey, but there are more stories and new heroes to write about and, I can’t wait to read all your books. The cover is amazing because it leaves you feeling alone and yet with a sense of adventure yet to come.
Thank you so much, Marie! I was going for the solitude aspect and I guess I hit the mark, eh? There definitely are more stories to tell!
The cover definitely has a somber feel to it, which works for the end of a series. Love that final quote picture.
Thanks, Charles. Coincidentally, the cover is a direct reference to a scene in the book that has that feel to it. I can only say how surprised I was when I was looking at my photo collection to find it and say, “That’s my cover!”
Thanks also for the kudos on the quote. It’s one of my favorite Ranger Martin quotes from the first book.
Must be great to stumble onto a cover like that. One could say it was all fate. Think you’ll have the quote in the book blurb?
The quote is from the first book, which I’ll be offering free tomorrow for 5 days. Maybe one day, if I rewrite the blurb to the first, I might actually include it. But we’ll see how time treats me. I’ll have to get this new book out the door before I start concentrating on another release! 🙂
Cool. Doing a post to promote the sale?
I’ll only be plugging Twitter and Facebook posts for the sale. Perhaps I’ll also add a subsequent promo paragraph at the end of every blog post this week. I’m still undecided about that.
I’ll keep an eye out for the Twitter one and pass it on.