
Fine Wine is a short story that became Act I of The Assassin's Blade. Like any story, Fine Wine started with a simple idea: an assassin makes a deal. The story was a bit of an experiment, as I wanted to see if I could write something short. Like really, really short, while still telling a complete story. You see, I'd tried this in the past; every effort turned into a much longer work than what I had originally anticipated. Fine Wine, however, went as planned, taking all of an hour or so to get the first draft down.
In the process of writing the story, I discovered a character I liked enough to want to revisit. So I wrote Killing the Dead, which was planned as a longer, more involved story meant to reveal a bit more about the character and the world he lives in. With the first two tales forming a base for the character, I decided to expand the series by introducing additional supporting characters, a number of organizations whose motives our witty assassin finds himself opposed to for one reason or another, and a diabolical plan that just might mean the end of everything the Assassin Without a Name holds dear. This larger direction starts with Night of Zealotry and continues into subsequent stories from there.
Each story is a tale unto itself, however, so no cliffhanger endings. While I want readers to come back for the next story, I also want them to leave with a sense of fulfillment. I know how some readers feel about serial style works; rest assured, the Assassin Without a Name series is not a collection of serials, but actual short stories and novellas, each with its own beginning and end.
Next Steps


The adventures of the Assassin Without a Name begin in The Assassin's Blade. Order today from Books by Scott Marlowe and get 15% off when you use coupon code SAMPLETAB15.
Indulge in fantastic tales of sword, sorcery, and alchemy today by joining thousands of readers like yourself who can't get enough of Scott Marlowe's
"intense" storytelling and "skillfully written" adventures. You'll get two free stories, The Hall of Riddles and The Assassin's Dilemma, plus an original short story set in my world delivered to you each and every month.