William Brinkman | Updates

The Bolingbrook Babbler Blog

William Brinkman — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 14:13:35 -0400

The original blog that inspired the Bolingbrook Babbler Stories series.

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A sale and a post on Freethought Blogs.

William Brinkman — Tue, 5 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A Fire in the Shadows and The Rift eBook are $0.99 each at retailers until the end of May. I don't have sales every month, so take advantage of this opportunity. Each book stands on its own, or can be read as part of the Bolingbrook Babbler stories.

The Rift introduces Tom Larsen as he make the jarring transition from skeptic blogger to paranormal investigator. Yes, I did put aliens in your Urban Fantasy, and Urban Fantasy in your alien fiction. I think they go great together.

A Fire in the Shadows is an emotional, bittersweet novella about a Lydia, a rare humane vampire who falls in love with a human. It does have a big fight scene, and it's not a Romance book. Lydia is one of my favorite characters, and this book introduces her after she became a vampire. She will have a major role in the next Bolingbrook Babbler novel.

Over at Freethought Blogs, I've posted my consolidated response to all the AI generated spam I've been receiving.

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A fire that bleeds still burns.

William Brinkman — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I'm just starting work on the next novel, A Fire That Bleeds. This story brings Lydia and Tom together for the first time. While this is a love story, don't expect a Twilight style story. No release date.

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New Direct Store

William Brinkman — Sun, 22 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

You now have the option to buy any of my eBooks direct from my site. My books are also available to most retailers, if you still want to buy from a retailers. This is another option. Let me know what you think of the storefront.

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Revenge of the Phantom Press just released

William Brinkman — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The wait is over. Revenge of the Phantom Press is now available through most retailers. I hope you enjoy Tom's latest adventure.

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New trailer for Revenge of the Phantom Press

William Brinkman — Tue, 6 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Check out the new book trailer for Revenge of the Phantom Press: A Bolingbrook Babbler Story.

Embedded Youtube video removed, see original post to watch.

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The world of insufficient light

William Brinkman — Sun, 4 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I wrote about one of my motivations for writing A Fire in the Shadows on my other blog.

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Revenge of the Phantom Press gets its first five star review!

William Brinkman — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

My upcoming novel, Revenge of the Phantom Press, just received its first five star editorial review from Readers' Favorite. Liz Konkel writes:

"Revenge of the Phantom Press by William Brinkman is the fourth book in The Bolingbrook Babbler Stories series. Tom used to be a skeptic, but has come around in the last year and now finds himself working as a paranormal investigative reporter. He has since learned it’s not easy covering the strange activity occurring in suburban Chicago, but he’s determined to prove his position at the Bolingbrook Babbler. Those around him may not understand, but the world he finds himself in is one he can’t ignore. The reappearance of ghosts who previously ran the Phantom Press has created chaos, not just for the Bolingbrook Babbler, but the local agencies. To protect his job - and those forced to evacuate - Tom investigates the ghosts’ re-emergence and how to return them to the grave.

"The return of the Phantom Press sparks a chain reaction that causes chaos and obstacles for Tom as he’s pulled into the middle. This creates a series of action-packed, humorous, and paranormal moments that keep you turning the pages. William Brinkman captures Tom’s quirks and perspective with ease. Multiple scenarios make the story charming and maintain a lightheartedness throughout. This is seen right from the beginning and continues in the team-up with Juanita and her cat. The author delivers a delightful dynamic between the two characters, and this shows Brinkman’s ability to craft humorous and clever dialogue that never gets boring. Their dynamic also creates another layer to the story as Tom is faced with uncertainty, since Juanita has her own secrets. The paranormal world is quickly established, successfully showing what has been established in previous installments. This makes it easy to step into the story for the first time, or to return to it as if greeting old friends. Action-packed moments are woven into the plot, adding a sense of danger and excitement, while throwing a wrench into his investigation and presenting a possible greater conspiracy. Revenge of the Phantom Press is lots of fun, with each page offering something humorous, mysterious, or endearing."

Revenge of the Phantom Press is available to preorder now. Release date is January 31, 2026.

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American Writing Awards Finalist

William Brinkman — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Revenge of the Phantom Press is a 2025 American Writing Awards finalist for Best Fantasy book. While there's no big prize for being a finalist, I'm honored that they recognized Revenge of the Phantom Press. It's nice to receive praise for a book that I worked on for three years.

Tom Larsen adventures continue in Revenge of the Phantom Press. To uncover the motive for a series of ghost attacks, Tom must dig into Bolingbrook's past and his own past. When he reunites with his mentor, Juanita, his feelings for her haven't died, but does she know more about the Phantom Press' violent reappearance than she's telling Tom?

Revenge of the Phantom Press releases January 31, 2026. Preorder now to join Tom on his most dangerous investigation yet.

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New book covers!

William Brinkman — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

While I won't be releasing Revenge of the Phantom Press in October, I did redo the covers for the Bolingbrook Babble Stories.

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Smashwords Summer/Winter Sale

William Brinkman — Sun, 6 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Now is your best chance to find my entire ebook collection for a promotional price at @Smashwords as part of their Annual Summer/Winter Sale! Find my books and many more at https://www.smashwords.com/shelves/promos/ all month! Sale ends August 1st.

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Revenge of the Phantom Press is available for preorder!

William Brinkman — Mon, 5 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Revenge of the Phantom Press is now available for preorder. Book 3 of the Bolingbrook Babbler Stories follows Tom Larsen as he starts over as a reporter for the Bolingbrook Babbler. But when the ghosts of the Phantom Press attack Bolingbrook, Tom sets out across Chicagoland to uncover the truth. He's soon joined by Juanita Vega, a woman he once had a crush on, and her anti-psychic kitty. Though resourceful, Juanita is keeping her own secrets from Tom. Chased by possession addicts and an entity named Legion, can Tom uncover the truth before Bolingbrook's past and present collide?

If you like X-Files and Welcome to Night Vale, check out Revenge of the Phantom Press: A Bolingbrook Babbler Story. It's a thrilling and emotional urban fantasy mystery novel. Set for release on 1/1/26, but I'm hoping to get it out by October.

Reserve your copy now.

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First draft completed!

William Brinkman — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I just completed the first draft of Revenge of the Phantom Press, which is Book Three of the Bolingbrook Babbler stories. Only took me two and a half years. Now onto revisions, and , hopefully, an October Release.

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Reviews

William Brinkman — Tue, 4 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I added reviews for each of my books, and changed the blurb for The Rift.

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