To Start 2026, Insert Coin

A New Year's Release.

Outlaws!

Welcome to 2026, happy new year! The family and I are snuggled in on the mountain. It’s finally cold here in North Georgia, after Christmas came and went in 80 degree weather. (Between 26-27 Celsius for the few international outlaws we have.) Congrats on surviving the chaos!

With a new year comes new challenges, new stories and new adventures! Our first new adventure was a new well pump and tank, so we could flush the toilets around here. It got real stinky for a day with as many stomach issues as we have in the Outlaw household. In all seriousness, 2025 hit us hard, as it did so many of you out there on the trails. We watched several family members cross the Bifrost onto the next adventure beyond this life, the day job informed me my services were no longer required, and the workload almost buried me.

All the same, it carried the blessing of seven story releases, editing two anthologies professionally, my first convention appearances as an author, marriage, and the opportunity to see my son and bonus daughter continue to grow by leaps and bounds. I have been blessed many times. I find it best to praise God for small blessings, because they build.

2026, has a stacked plate, I’m a confirmed guest at Jordan Con, and will be making my second appearance at LibertyCon. Applications are in for several other shows, and I’m an author with the Crowded Shelf which may lead to even more live events.

2026 is the year of The Holy Diver and The Midnight Sea. My own universe that will feature novels, story anthologies, and possibly even graphic novels. I’ve spoken lightly on the details there, but we are now finally close to the start of this amazing universe. I’m switching gears to focus heavily on longer works, both as Jesse James Fain and Tyrus Drake now that I’ve proven my short stories are no fluke.

That doesn’t mean I’m going to be producing zero shorter works though, and today marks a release day! New year, new story!

I even made the cover, now available on Amazon.

The words Insert Coin instantly makes me think of my favorite song from one of the original MySpace era metalcore bands, Enter Shikari. The anthology features stories set in and around the Arcade. Buckle up for fantastical adventures of getting pulled into the game. My story, Fist of Vengeance, Sees two best friends dealing with a gang of bullies, and seeking refuge amount the flashing screens and dinging machines. A magic event pulls them into a beat-em-up arcade classic, and the experience will change the boys forever. Expect the action and campy fun a title like Fist of Vengeance implies!

If you have not experienced a Raconteur Press anthology, it’s time to correct that. Rac Press produces top quality anthologies with interior art, superb stories, and a great flow. I will definitely be submitting to them again, and I hope it’s not the last time you see my name on one of their covers.

With a new year, comes new trials, new blessings, and new trails. Thank you all for starting it off spending a little time with me. May you find many blessings out there on the trails, and hopefully you and I will share a fire soon.

May We All Find What We Seek,

Jesse James Fain