The Kensei - A Lawson Vampire Novel

A special Lawson Vampire mission that reunites the Fixer Lawson with Jack the Invoker. When the death of a prominent vampire on the Maine coast leads to a community squabble, Lawson is dispatched the mediate. What he and Jack find instead may be a whole lot more sinister than they imagined...and part of a puzzle that has been plaguing Lawson for years.

A horrifying serial killer is loose on the streets of Boston and Lawson must track him down. But this killer has a past...and a terrifying agenda. And it's one that will shock even the most jaded Fixer around.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:

Meet Lawson: vampire by birth, Fixer by trade. His mission: preserve the secret existence of vampires by any means necessary.

LAWSON.

A cynical, wise-cracking vampire charged with protecting the Balance - the secret existence of a race of LIVING vampires that have evolved alongside humanity for thousands of years.

A FIXER.

Part-spy, and part-commando -- James Bond with fangs. Lawson mixes shrewd cunning with unmatched lethality to get his job done. He tries his best to dismantle conspiracies, dispatch bad guys, and live long enough to get home.

ARTHUR.

The grizzled retired Fixer has seen his share of danger, and he's also got his share of skeletons in his closet. Now, one of them is coming back.

THE RIPPER.

A horrifying serial killer that is targeting young vampire women and leaving their eviscerated bodies on the streets of Boston.

MARTY.

She wants nothing more than to become a Fixer, like Lawson. But will her desire end up killing her?

NILES.

Lawson's Control is in love, but can he finally enjoy a relationship that lasts, or will this one lead to more heartbreak?

XIANG.

A top Chinese assassin in Boston and on Lawson's tail. But what's he really in town to accomplish?

N'YAK TUL

An ancient race of subterranean dwellers too frightening to ever see the light of day again...hopefully.

1982: It was supposed to be a well-deserved break from elite Selection training for STA-F, but an hour into a flight to the sandy white beaches of Santorini, Lawson's flight is hijacked by a trio of vampires and redirected to the island nation of Malta. With the local authorities and a squadron of Delta Force operators surrounding them, the bad guys need Lawson to do them a favor: escape the plane and break someone out of protective custody on the island. But just who is this target and why do they want him so badly? With time ticking down, Lawson's got to sort it all out before he winds up in the crosshairs and gets a double-tap for his trouble.

Three amazing Lawson Vampire novels - 250,000 words of pure action & mayhem collected into one ebook bundle.

THE FIXER: The book that started it all back when it was first published in May 2002, this first novel in the Lawson Vampire series pits Lawson against his age-old nemesis Cosgrove - who has come back to Boston to slaughter innocents and raise an ancient vampire god to destroy the world. When Lawson is finally given the okay to terminate Cosgrove, he soon finds himself in need of help from his old mentor Zero and an unlikely new ally: the beautiful and deadly ex-KGB assassin Talya.

THE INVOKER: The second novel in the series, originally published back in October 2002, puts Lawson in the challenging role as protector of a young boy with the ability to conjure the spirits of dead vampires. When a power-hungry Council member wants the boy for her own nefarious purposes and employs an ex-Fixer to kidnap him, Lawson will stop at nothing to get him back - even if it means leaving Boston for the skyscraping Himalayas!

THE ENCHANTER: This novel takes place before the events of THE FIXER (but was written in 2010), back when Lawson was still a bit green in operations. When he is teamed up with his mentor Zero to track down an old thorn in the Council's side, they soon uncover a vast conspiracy on the island nation of Madagascar that might just have global consequences...and deadly consequences for Zero unless Lawson can find a way to save him.

The author's website is http://www.jonfmerz.net

Praise for Jon F. Merz:

"Lawson is more like Jason Bourne than Dracula, making this a vampire mystery with broad appeal." --Booklist

"A powerful novel by a man who knows the turf already." -NYT Bestselling author Robert. B. Parker

"Jon F. Merz's novels move at a break-neck pace, twisting through a landscape of thrills and terror." -- Douglas Clegg, author of The Infinite and The Priest of Blood

"...a fine stalking session in vampire-noir land...a series and talented writer I'll be sticking with all the way." -- Mort Castle, author of The Strangers and On Writing Horror

Praise for Jon F. Merz's THE KENSEI (A Lawson vampire Novel #5):

"If James Bond, True Blood and Kill Bill created a mutant hybrid of a book, it would be The Kensei. A bullet train slice 'em, dice 'em mixture of action, suspense, and vampire ninjas. Did I mention vampire ninjas?"--Jason Pinter, bestselling author of The Fury and The Darkness

"The Kensei is an action novel with real bite. Vampires, Yakuza killers, crooks and animal-monster hyrbids. Jon F. Merz brings his A-game and then ratchets it up to a whole new level of supernatural action. Highly recommended!" --Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of The Dragon Factory and Patient Zero

"In The Kensei, Jon F. Merz seamlessly welds gritty detail with myth and legend to create a thrill ride into the shadow-world lurking beneath modern Japan. Lawson's fight against evil has bone-crunching authenticity. Plus, it has vampires, ninjas, and vampire ninjas. What more could anyone ask?"--Christopher Farnsworth, author or Blood Oath

About The Author:

Jon F. Merz is a writer with over two dozen published novels, a producer for New Ronin Entertainment and a trained black belt ninja. He has taught defensive tactics to civilian crime watch groups, police, military units, and agencies like the US Department of State, the Department of Justice, and the Bureau of Prisons. In his past, Jon served with the United States Air Force, worked for the US government, and handled executive protection for Fortune 500 clients. He lives with his wife and two sons in suburban Boston.

Six times the fun, six times the lethal action! This first Lawson Vampire story collection compiles six short stories (sold separately as well) into one volume.

The stories are:

The Price of a Good Drink
Interlude
Red Tide
Enemy Mine
Rudolf The Red Nosed Rogue
Oathbreaker

In addition, there are two special bonus features:

My Soul To Keep - an exclusive look at the comic script for the first Lawson graphic novel.

and...

A 2-chapter excerpt from CODENAME: Belladonna, the first Talya spin-off novel.

These two special bonus features will not be available elsewhere, so be sure to get your copy of SIX TIMES DEADLY now!

The author's website is www.jonfmerz.net

A quick trip to New York City on an errand for the local Control starts Lawson down the path to his most challenging mission ever.  This 6500-word story sets the stage for the next Lawson Vampire novel due out in early 2013.  Prior to reading this story, you should have already read A FOG OF FURY and THE RIPPER in order to be fully up-to-date on story arcs and details.

Jon F. Merz is a writer with over two dozen published novels, a producer for New Ronin Entertainment and a trained black belt ninja with over twenty years of training in authentic Togakure-ryu Ninjutsu. He has taught defensive tactics to civilian crime watch groups, police, military units, and agencies like the US Department of State, the Department of Justice, and the Bureau of Prisons. In his past, Jon served with the United States Air Force, worked for the US government, and handled executive protection for Fortune 500 clients. He lives with his wife and two sons in suburban Boston. Visit his Web site at www.jonfmerz.net.

A swarm of zombies has swept over feudal Japan brought forth by the maniacal ravings of a mad monk opposed to the Emperor and his lords.  The dead walk at night, searching to feed upon the brains of the living and turn others into their mindless brethren.

Soon, they will have an army of virtually unstoppable opponents and the fragile peace brought forth by the band of daimyo will be shattered forever as the nation plunges into chaos.

Only one group of elite warriors stands ready to save Japan from certain destruction: the Zombie-ryu.

Comprised of samurai and ninja who have banded together forming a rag-tag band of ronin, they scour the countryside for zombies and dispatch them with courageous and outlandish battles.  Each of the nine warriors is lethally adept with a different weapon.  

Shigoko (“secret talk”) is a sixteen year old girl who longs for a life of adventure, but was born into the family of a farmer.  She lives alone with her father and their most prized possession is an old samurai sword.  Late one night, her family’s farm is attacked by zombies and she only just manages to escape, fleeing alone into the dark night.  When she stumbles into the camp of the gnarled ronin Fudo and his squire Nishi, her life changes forever.

Only time will tell if the Zombie Ryu are successful and only time will tell if Shigoko has what it takes to truly become the warrior she has always dreamed of being.

ZOMBIE-RYU is written like an episodic TV series -  25,000-word adventures each with its own episode arc but also part of the greater story arc for the “season.”  Season One will consist of twelve episodes with a new one released each month.  

About the Author

Jon F. Merz is a writer with over two dozen published novels, a producer for New Ronin Entertainment and a trained black belt ninja. He has taught defensive tactics to civilian crime watch groups, police, military units, and agencies like the US Department of State, the Department of Justice, and the Bureau of Prisons. In his past, Jon served with the United States Air Force, worked for the US government, and handled executive protection for Fortune 500 clients. He lives with his wife and two sons in suburban Boston. Visit his Web site at www.jonfmerz.net.

Episode Two of this exciting new serialized adventure is here!

A swarm of zombies has swept over feudal Japan brought forth by the maniacal ravings of a mad monk opposed to the Emperor and his daimyo.  The dead walk at night, searching to feed upon the brains of the living and turn others into their mindless brethren.

Soon, they will have an army of virtually unstoppable opponents and the fragile peace brought forth by the band of daimyo will be shattered forever as the nation plunges into chaos.

Only one group of elite warriors stands ready to save Japan from certain destruction: the Zombie-ryu.  Comprised of samurai and ninja who have banded together forming a rag-tag band of ronin, they scour the countryside for zombies and dispatch them with courageous and outlandish battles.  Each of the nine warriors is lethally adept with a different weapon. 

Shigoko (“secret talk”) is an eighteen year old young woman who longs for a life of adventure, but was born into the family of a farmer.  She lives alone with her father and their most prized possession is an old samurai sword.  Late one night, her family’s farm is attacked by zombies and she only just manages to escape, fleeing alone into the dark night.  When she stumbles into the camp of the gnarled ronin Fudo and his squire Nishi, her world suddenly changes and her destiny begins to reveal itself.

The journey of the Zombie Ryu will take them to the furthest reaches of Japan, the most remote peaks and valleys, and the most brutal settlements where lives are measured in mere breaths.  At each location, Fudo will have to convince the warriors they seek to join them.  And all the while, Shigoko will have to learn a very different life than the one she left behind. 

Only time will tell if they are successful and only time will tell if Shigoko has what it takes to truly become the warrior she has always dreamed of being.

ZOMBIE-RYU will be written like an episodic TV series - short 25,000-word adventures each with its own episode arc but also part of the greater story arc for the “season.”  Season One will consist of twelve episodes with a new one released each month. 

Jon F. Merz is a writer with over two dozen published novels, a producer for New Ronin Entertainment and a trained black belt ninja with over twenty years of training in authentic Togakure-ryu Ninjutsu. He has taught defensive tactics to civilian crime watch groups, police, military units, and agencies like the US Department of State, the Department of Justice, and the Bureau of Prisons. In his past, Jon served with the United States Air Force, worked for the US government, and handled executive protection for Fortune 500 clients. He lives with his wife and two sons in suburban Boston. Visit his Web site at www.jonfmerz.net.

Lawson goes undercover in a hospital to figure out who is bleeding select patients dry. But he soon discovers that trying to unmask the killer is as challenging as tying on a Johnny gown and what looked to be a simple case might just lead to something far more sinister.

This Lawson Vampire short story is approximately 6000 words of action and mayhem.

Praise for Jon F. Merz:

"Lawson is more like Jason Bourne than Dracula, making this a vampire mystery with broad appeal." --Booklist

"A powerful novel by a man who knows the turf already." -NYT Bestselling author Robert. B. Parker

"Jon F. Merz's novels move at a break-neck pace, twisting through a landscape of thrills and terror." -- Douglas Clegg, author of The Infinite and The Priest of Blood

"...a fine stalking session in vampire-noir land...a series and talented writer I'll be sticking with all the way." -- Mort Castle, author of The Strangers and On Writing Horror

Praise for Jon F. Merz's THE KENSEI (A Lawson vampire Novel #5):

"If James Bond, True Blood and Kill Bill created a mutant hybrid of a book, it would be The Kensei. A bullet train slice 'em, dice 'em mixture of action, suspense, and vampire ninjas. Did I mention vampire ninjas?"--Jason Pinter, bestselling author of The Fury and The Darkness

"The Kensei is an action novel with real bite. Vampires, Yakuza killers, crooks and animal-monster hyrbids. Jon F. Merz brings his A-game and then ratchets it up to a whole new level of supernatural action. Highly recommended!" --Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of The Dragon Factory and Patient Zero

"In The Kensei, Jon F. Merz seamlessly welds gritty detail with myth and legend to create a thrill ride into the shadow-world lurking beneath modern Japan. Lawson's fight against evil has bone-crunching authenticity. Plus, it has vampires, ninjas, and vampire ninjas. What more could anyone ask?"--Christopher Farnsworth, author or Blood Oath

About The Author:

Jon F. Merz is a writer with over two dozen published novels, a producer for New Ronin Entertainment and a trained black belt ninja. He has taught defensive tactics to civilian crime watch groups, police, military units, and agencies like the US Department of State, the Department of Justice, and the Bureau of Prisons. In his past, Jon served with the United States Air Force, worked for the US government, and handled executive protection for Fortune 500 clients. He lives with his wife and two sons in suburban Boston.

It’s the day before Christmas and Lawson’s spending it with his least favorite person in the world: Ava, a wealthy Council member who has always hated him. But Ava’s in trouble and Lawson is the only person standing between her and a deadly assassin named Frost.

A special Christmas short story featuring Lawson in 5600 words of action and mayhem. The author's website is http://www.jonfmerz.net

Praise for Jon F. Merz:

"Lawson is more like Jason Bourne than Dracula, making this a vampire mystery with broad appeal." --Booklist

"A powerful novel by a man who knows the turf already." -NYT Bestselling author Robert. B. Parker

"Jon F. Merz's novels move at a break-neck pace, twisting through a landscape of thrills and terror." -- Douglas Clegg, author of The Infinite and The Priest of Blood

"...a fine stalking session in vampire-noir land...a series and talented writer I'll be sticking with all the way." -- Mort Castle, author of The Strangers and On Writing Horror

Praise for Jon F. Merz's THE KENSEI (A Lawson vampire Novel #5):

"If James Bond, True Blood and Kill Bill created a mutant hybrid of a book, it would be The Kensei. A bullet train slice 'em, dice 'em mixture of action, suspense, and vampire ninjas. Did I mention vampire ninjas?"--Jason Pinter, bestselling author of The Fury and The Darkness

"The Kensei is an action novel with real bite. Vampires, Yakuza killers, crooks and animal-monster hyrbids. Jon F. Merz brings his A-game and then ratchets it up to a whole new level of supernatural action. Highly recommended!" --Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of The Dragon Factory and Patient Zero

"In The Kensei, Jon F. Merz seamlessly welds gritty detail with myth and legend to create a thrill ride into the shadow-world lurking beneath modern Japan. Lawson's fight against evil has bone-crunching authenticity. Plus, it has vampires, ninjas, and vampire ninjas. What more could anyone ask?"--Christopher Farnsworth, author or Blood Oath

About The Author:

Jon F. Merz is a writer with over two dozen published novels, a producer for New Ronin Entertainment and a trained black belt ninja. He has taught defensive tactics to civilian crime watch groups, police, military units, and agencies like the US Department of State, the Department of Justice, and the Bureau of Prisons. In his past, Jon served with the United States Air Force, worked for the US government, and handled executive protection for Fortune 500 clients. He lives with his wife and two sons in suburban Boston.