Death Marked Read online

  Until then, enjoy the series and check out other work by us (especially our totally different yet chillingly similar teddy bear stories). Who knows, you might like something.

  From Michael:

  It’s only every once in a while that you meet another author who is on the same wavelength as you.

  I have a book called Festival of Shadows (it’s about a kickass teddy bear who uses a sword). Shortly after I published it, I found out about Justin’s Teddy Bears in Monsterland series. Imagine my surprise when I saw his cover (it had another kickass teddy bear on it).

  Even crazier—we wrote and published our books within months of each other. It’s honestly the strangest coincidence I’ve ever encountered in my career.

  And as I was reading his book, I thought, ‘Wow, this guy writes AND thinks like I do.’

  Reaching out to Justin was the next step.

  We started chatting, and we thought it was hilarious how similar (yet not so similar) our books were.

  We even talked about writing a collaboration where both of our teddy bears met. But Justin (the idea guy between the two of us) had another idea that he threw out during a string of emails.

  It was an idea about a necromancer.

  Honestly, another author might have said ‘That’s a little strange’ or ‘That’s not for me.’

  But my entire author brand is built on strange characters: teddy bears, androids, dragons (though not all in the same book). Necromancers was a perfect fit.

  We started collaborating, and like wildfire, the book evolved and grew into one of my favorite series at the moment. It’s amazing what two people can come up with after multiple sessions.

  Yes, Justin and I had some disagreements, and some back and forths. But we both are committed storytellers, and those discussions strengthened the story. A lot.

  I have an immense amount of respect for Justin—the guy has a mad hustle and you should totally read his books. He challenged me to write faster, stretch myself, and think differently. I’m sure he would say the same things about my effect on him.

  So thank you for reading this book. We both appreciate it. And as for Book 2—trust us when we both say that you haven’t seen anything yet.

  —Michael La Ronn

  About the Authors

  Justin Sloan

  Justin Sloan writes fantasy and urban fantasy. He is a video game writer (Game of Thrones; Walking Dead; Michonne, Minecraft: Story Mode), novelist (Allie Strom and the Ring of Solomon; Teddy Bears in Monsterland, Back by Sunrise, Falls of Redemption), podcaster, and screenwriter.

  He has written on taking writing from hobby to career in his book Creative Writing Career and its sequel, and how veterans can pursue their passions in Military Veterans in Creative Careers. Justin studied writing at the Johns Hopkins University and UCLA after five years in the U.S. Marine Corps, and now works as a writer and editor for Military.com.

  You can find him at www.justinsloanauthor.com.

  Michael La Ronn

  Michael La Ronn is the author of many science fiction and fantasy novels including the The Last Dragon Lord, Android X, and Eaten series.

  In 2012, a life-threatening illness made him realize that storytelling was his #1 passion. He’s devoted his life to writing ever since, making up whatever story makes him fall out of his chair laughing the hardest. Every day.

  You can find him at www.michaellaronn.com.

  More Books by Justin and Michael

  Justin’s Books

  www.justinsloanauthor.com

  Michael’s Books

  www.michaellaronn.com

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1: The Ural Mountains

  Chapter 2: Celebrations

  Chapter 3: Turkmenistan

  Chapter 4: The Door to Hell

  Chapter 5: The Grand Hotel

  Chapter 6: Prison

  Chapter 7: On the Run

  Chapter 8: Spiritual Magnetism

  Chapter 9: Uzbekistan

  Chapter 10: Training Time

  Chapter 11: The Underground Cavern

  Chapter 12: The Afterlife at Last

  Chapter 13: Strafford

  Chapter 14: Anne Altemus

  Chapter 15: The Great Descent

  Chapter 16: The Lich King

  Epilogue

  Death Bound Excerpt

  Author's Note

  About the Authors

  More Books by Justin and Michael