Hi everyone, I am Jeff the Bookdragon, Guardian of The Magic Book Corner.

Welcome to my den and my feature:

A Dragon's Heart-to-Heart with a Book Hero

Today you are going to meet:

Agent Rusty Bones 

from Omega Rising by Douglas S. Pierce

I did set Rusty a little on the defensive suddenly appearing behind him in the dark. I am very good at timing after all. Every dragon is. But he was quite alright with paying a visit to my den. And I was quite excited because Rusty is the first (un)dead human-robot I have ever met.

Here is our little chat:

Jeff: You are one of the most intriguing Book Heroes I have ever met Rusty. Can you please tell our readers here exactly who and, more importantly, what you are? 

Rusty: Thank you Jeff, I’m…uh…pleased to meet you, I think. I have to say, that in the fifteen years since I was killed, you are the first…um…dragon, I’ve met. 

So, my name is Rusty Bones…Agent Rusty Bones of the FBI…although the powers that be in the Bureau aren’t usually happy with me reminding folks that I work for them. That wasn’t my birth name, of course. I was born Jason Smith, and before all of this happened to me, I was happy being a local police officer for the Dearborn Hills Police Department. But after I was slain in the line of duty, I was brought back to…um…this body, this (un)dead existence because I was part of a secret government project called the Omega Project. 

Jeff: What is the general reaction people have when they first see you? 

Rusty: Well, that kind of depends on whether they see my real face, as you see me now, or whether the folks in the “special effects” department get to do their thing and make me…almost…look human again. But yeah, when folks get to see the real me, the one without any make-up…they usually do a double take and start backing away. Some think I am just putting on a show or am some kind of zombie cos-player, I think. If they get a real good look at me though…I’ve seen grown men go green around around gills and puke their guts out. Not gonna lie…it used to bother me…a lot…but I’ve kind of grown to like it a little bit. 

Jeff: Now don’t get me wrong, but as far as I understood, you made some bad decisions that led to all this mess you are now in. Why in the world did you agree to that shady deal? 

Rusty: Haha…yeah, it was kind of stupid. My father didn’t raise me to be a fool, so when Drake offered me what seemed to be free-money in order for me to sign away my soul, I should’ve taken it more seriously, that’s for sure. But I was certain that it was all just some joke, really. And I thought I would get the last laugh by taking their money and following their stupid rules…at least my life began to fall apart around me, that is. 

Jeff: 4. You were not one to believe in religion and spirits and let alone magick. When exactly did you realize it’s all true? 

Rusty: That’s true. I was never someone who believed in God, the Devil, Heaven or Hell, or any of that New Age hooey that my ex-wife believed in. But when you wake up after being killed and find your conscious trapped inside of an amulet and are forced to listen to your own funeral on repeat for months on end…well, let’s just say I’m stubborn, but not quite THAT stubborn…And when Papa Locks called my Spirit out of the Chakra it was trapped in…stuff got pretty real, really damn quick. Sorry about my language, I assume you’ll edit out anything that’s inappropriate for the younger audience. 

Jeff: How do you feel about the Omega Project? 

Rusty: Probably about how you might’ve felt about all of those fools in shiny armor who tried hunt your kind down way back in the day — that it is a really, really bad idea, and something that was bound to get people (or dragons) killed for no good reason…I’m not sure you would have much left after the edits if I said how I really felt about the Omega Project. 

Jeff: Your boss would call you his pet zombie while others would refer to you as an ugly-assed robot. How do you prefer to be called? Just so we set it straight and make sure they don’t offend you anymore. 

Just to be clear – I would have fried their butts if they had said that to my snout. (*offended snort*) 

Rusty: Oh, don’t worry, I have certainly paid them all back in spades for their insults. To be honest, though, those names were pretty damn accurate at the time they said them. I was Drake’s pet zombie for a while, and I certainly felt like a an ugly-assed robot at times as well. I use the word zombie for myself, at times, because I like how it describes my physical appearance, even if my ability to think and talk and act on my own turns that word up on its head. I don’t think there’s a real word to describe me fully yet. I consider myself to be (un)dead. I use the parentheses around the -un- because it most accurately reflects who and what I am. I was killed, so I am, technically dead. But I am also still able to move about in this world and make a difference, so the -un- feels appropriate as well. 

Jeff: What is the best part about your new existence and your new body? 

Rusty: Well, in my line of work, having a body that can take the kind of punishment I put it through and still be able to function is a huge deal. Especially since I can’t feel any physical pain. I love that my body is strong and fast and capable of protecting those that need protection, and that I can sacrifice myself to save others without feeling pain for doing so. 

Jeff: And what is the worst? 

Rusty: The inability to feel any physical sensations is a double-edge sword. Sure, I can’t feel any pain, but I can’t feel anything pleasurable either. I miss feeling the breeze blow across my skin. I miss being able to taste food, and enjoy a good meal made with love. I miss touching and hugging my children, and the feel of a lovers touch on my bare skin. That’s definitely the worst thing about all of this. 

Jeff: Why that particular drink Rusty? I mean, by the egg my friend!! If I had to choose a drink to replace my blood, I’d go for a nice strong mead. Not that stuff that’s running through your veins now. What’s so special about that? 

Rusty: Haha! I hear you. I certainly wouldn’t have chosen it for myself either, but it’s not like I can taste the stuff anyway. It’s all about the energy and the caffeine it provides. I think that early on, they tried to come up with a real nutritional drink of some sort to keep those microbes and other organic bits of my body alive, but nothing they came up with worked any better than any of the caffeinated pop. I’m not sure why Dr. Pepper works better than most of the other brands, but I seem to operate better with it than with anything else. 

Jeff: You are now dead to your family. Do you have any plans of letting them know you’re still alive? Well, sort of? 

Rusty: That’s probably the very worst aspect of all of this. That my children, Kenny and Jasmine, were made to believe that I was dead and that I couldn’t be a part of their lives any more. I will say that I have been watching out for them, and you will get to see some of the ways that I do that in the next installment of my story, in Omega Falling. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, so I will just say that I do find some small, but very important ways of letting each of them know that their father is still watching over them in the ways that he can, and he will continue to do so for as long as they need it and I can find ways of doing it without causing them any irreparable harm. 

Jeff: You have made quite a few interesting friends in your adventures. Who is the one you trust and like the most? 

Rusty: You’re so right, I did stumble into the arms of some really good and decent people who helped to escape from the Omega Project. It’s funny, though, they are each so unique and wonderful. I will really have to say that John Red Bear proved himself to be someone I could trust, with my very soul, if you remember the end of Omega Rising. But the person I liked the most? That would have to be, hands down, Ravyn Fire. She is such a spark plug, a bundle of dynamic energy, and if you try to mess with her, you will find yourself on the wrong end of Betsy’s wrath. But beneath all of the wisecracks, fire, and bluster, she is such a kind and loving soul. 

Jeff: Will your adventures continue? Are you going hunting for all the bad guys in a sequel? Because (*angry huffing*) that’s exactly what I would do!! 

Rusty: Yeah, I wouldn’t want to cross you, that’s for sure! And yes, my adventures continue for many more volumes. I don’t get all of my enemies dealt with in Omega Falling, and it’s not entirely that I go hunting for them…they do plenty of their own hunting, that’s for sure. But, I can tell you that the next two books, Omega Falling and Boneswolf are packed full of exciting adventures deadly encounters…for both baddies and, unfortunately for good folk as well. You’ll definitely want to catch those books and any of the following tales that you can catch — if only my little author buddy can get cracking on churning out the stories. I have a feeling, that based on the success he’s seeing from Omega Rising, he’s gonna get busy with the typing soon! 

Jeff: And lastly, because I know you need to get back, what is it that you look forward to the most? 

Rusty: I look forward to showing the readers the terrifying, yet wonderful majesty of the magick that surrounds and infuses their seemingly mundane existence. The truly astute readers will see through the thin veneer of the “urban fantasy” label that the FBI makes me use in order to put these books out there for people to read. If folks just remember back to their childhood and think back to those days when magick was real to them and they were able to see and talk to and play with the faeries and the ghosts that are all around us, things would just make so much more sense to them now. 

That's all for now from my friend Rusty, but I'll have him back here again after his next books are published. 

For now, if you'd like to know what his first book is about, here is a description:

Omega Rising: Origins of Agent Rusty Bones Book One

"It's going to be a wild one tonight." I uttered those prophetic words on Halloween. The same night I died in the line of duty. In life, I didn't believe in magick, monsters, religion, or souls. Funny how waking up dead with my consciousness trapped in an amulet provided such clarity. 

My name is Agent Rusty Bones, and this is my account of the rather dubious life-choices that landed me in the clutches of the ultra-secretive Omega Project. To solve my own death, I must now escape those holding my very essence in an iron-clad grip. But the clock is ticking. Can I bring my killer to justice before anyone else suffers my same fate? 

Fans of dark humor and action-packed urban fantasy will love the undead adventures found in Omega Rising: Origins of Agent Rusty Bones Book One, by Douglas S. Pierce!

About the author: Douglas S. Pierce

Douglas S. Pierce is a son, husband, and father who lives in the Metro Detroit area with his wife Patricia (of more than 25 years), his daughter Kerry, two Shiba Inus (Suki and Akira), and a pair of black cats named Harley and Stella. He is a proud veteran of the United States military and a practicing pagan. Raised on weekly trips to libraries and bookstores, Doug has had a lifelong love affair with the kind of stories that inspire hope, kindness, and love.

You can find Douglas here:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7680387-douglas-pierce

Facebook: www.facebook.com/douglaspierce.author/

Instagram: @douglasspiercebooks

Twitter @douglasspierce3

Rustys Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/agentrustybones/

You can find sample chapters on upcoming books, scenes and chapters that were cut from already released books, news of book signing events, and articles about the people and places in my worlds by visiting Doug’s Patreon account, where all of the material he posts is freely available: 

www.patreon.com/douglasspiercebooks