The End

This has been an interesting journey to say the least. I’ve gone from joy, sadness, pride, frustration and everything in between. Part of me feels a great sense of accomplishment, and another part of me feels spent physically, mentally, and emotionally. One undeniable thing about this project is all the things that I’ve learned. It’s going to take me some time to take it all in, but it was definitely worth it. This, of course, is just one case for the team; it wasn’t the first, nor will it be the last. Much like a Franco-Belgian comic book, it is designed to be open ended stories dealing with different cases. However, it’s going to be a while before I tackle another.

Priorities aside, I have other projects to focus on at this point. Yet, the one thing you can be sure about Metasearch is that you can’t keep it down. After all, this is just another permutation in Metasearch’s eleven-year existence. It might look different, but it has to have the same mood. My next offering might not even be Metasearch at all, but some other fancy of my psyche.

This blog was kept exclusively as a sort of journal/insider’s look of the novel. Maybe I’ll do the same for the next one starting from the very beginning, who knows? As a journal, it has been of great use to me and hopefully the insider’s look somewhat enriched your experience as a reader.

Last but not least, and I can’t say this enough; thanks\ you all for your patience and your readership. I don’t think I would have been able to finish the project without your support. For those of you who went out of your way to drop me a line, you have no idea what that means when you’re doing something for the sake of passion.

I truly hope you’ve enjoyed the story. If I managed to entertain you for a moment of your day, then I have accomplished a lot. This is not a goodbye, but an “until later.” As always, I’ll see you on the page.

Oddman Out.

The Thrill Is Gone

And so ends the terror of the psychic vampire. When I started the novel, I doubted I could pull off the first five pages. Fourteen months and eighty four pages later, it has been quite a journey. By now I’m sure you were not expecting a big apocalypse finale with walls bleeding and a huge explosion. If you were, you wouldn’t be reading this story to begin with.

I have to say, a lot of things happen in a year: economic downturn, family stuff, work priorities, vacations; “life,” simply put. Sadly, this incarnation of Metasearch wasn’t picked up by any publishers… yet. As disheartening as that can be, it was the people who have kept checking back to see where this paranormal tale will end, that gave me strength to keep on going when writing the whole thing off and moving on to something else would have been easier. There is something to be said about the interest in a story just for the story’s sake, since there’s no other hook to keep bringing readers back.

We have one more page to go before this case is wrapped. I’ll see you in the page.

Oddman Out.

Black Magic Woman

It’s time for Acantha to step up to the plate and show you what she’s got. Although in the esoteric world it is said anyone can develop psychic abilities, there is always talk about natural psychics or natural witches. Needless to say, Acantha is one of these gifted people; the kind whose phone number you want handy when things go the way of “Poltergeist.”

Researching for the book, I found out that even though there are spells per se to accomplish certain things, Wicca, as it’s understood today, is a very personal experience. For example, you can choose a different pantheon to work with i.e. Norse, Egyptian, Celtic, Greek, etc. It all depends on which one resonates with you. Casting spells is no different; every witch has their own way of doing it. Certain laws and principles are observed, but again it’s up to the caster to shape the spell in a way that suits them. I thought a direct, prop-thin casting was more in lieu with Acantha’s personality. She’s so talented and experienced that she doesn’t require too many psychological crutches or catalysts to work her magic. It’s more a sentimental thing for her, a nostalgic comfort if you will, than a necessity. Plus it looks better when you illustrate it.

I hope you’re enjoying the story so far. I’ll see you in the page.

Oddman Out.

Inside My Head

The image of the first panel was one of those that I kept imagining during the writing stages of the book. As time grew closer to the actual artwork I was curious myself of the outcome. The final incarnation of the psychic vampire had to more solid, brighter, and refined to reflect its new otherworldly existence. I was satisfied with it and I hope you are too.

The last showdown is on. More to come soon. I’ll see you in the page.

Oddman Out