The Many Travails of John Smith

The Many Travails of John Smith is a lighthearted urban fantasy series starring a San Diego private investigator who, thanks to a poorly written Yellow Pages ad, ends up taking a career detour into the field of supernatural mediation.

 

Book 1: Investigation, Mediation, Vindication

The stakes are real. The mediator isn’t.

“Investigation, Mediation, Vindication.” That’s how the Yellow Pages ad starts, and if it sounds like the sort of thing a drunk teenager might come up with… well, you’d only be wrong about the teenager part. John Smith might own San Diego’s smallest private investigation firm, but he doesn’t know the first thing about mediation. Or vindication.

On the other side of town, vampire Lucia Borghesi is not having a very good century. Stripped of her throne and banished from Italy, she’s somehow found herself in a dispute with the local demigod of nightmares and terror. And to top it all off, the long-time city mediator has been assassinated and her second-in-command just hired a human to fill that role.

Now, John will need to prove his value to Lucia and her people while keeping that demigod from sucking San Diego into an unnamed hell dimension. And he’ll have to work fast, because his beloved Corolla is parked curbside in Logan Heights, like an open invitation to the neighborhood’s graffiti enthusiasts.

 

What People are Saying…

“…[an] entertaining tale that’s sure to leave readers anticipating the protagonist’s next misadventure.” – Kirkus Reviews

“Do I recommend this book? YES! I recommend it to all readers looking for that perfect story. Literally, all humans or asparaguses or vampires or crab people in this dimension or any other. I am on my way to get another copy because I would like to share it with my husband. No one touches my copy.” – Kerri Davidson, author of A Soul’s Choice

“Thoroughly enjoyable urban fantasy that I devoured in a day.” – DJH, Amazon

“Hysterical, great plot, great pacing, page turner book. I cannot wait for the next book. Love Bill even though he’s a few stalks short of an asparagus. ” – ReadingTons, Amazon

“…an engrossing and entertaining read that made me laugh and kept me hooked.” – Annarella, Goodreads

 

 

Investigation, Mediation, Vindication, book 1 of The Many Travails of John Smith, is available in digital, paperback, and audio formats, and is also free-to-read on Kindle Unlimited!

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Listen to the audiobook

 

 

Book 2: Blood is Thicker Than Lots of Stuff

“Messy divorce? Check.
Emotional stability of the involved parties? Questionable.
Possibility of bloodshed? High.
Yep; it was definitely starting to sound like one of my cases.”

​In addition to being San Diego’s supernatural mediator, John Smith is the city’s least successful private investigator. Those two careers collide when what was supposed to be a simple infidelity case draws the attention of the local werewolf pack. John soon finds himself pressed into service mediating a separation between the pack’s married leaders.

Even under normal circumstances, divorce is hell. But when werewolves are involved? It’s murder.

 

What People are Saying…

“A brilliant burrito that WAS NOT lacking in guacamole!” – Sam, GoodReads

“Blood is Thicker Than Lots of Stuff carries Tullbane’s original urban fantasy to new heights – unfortunately for his protagonist, who would much rather maintain (mostly) the position he’s found himself in.” – Reid Edwards, NetGalley

“Brilliantly written, the story has an engaging plot, exciting action-filled scenes, and a witty protagonist with a droll sense of humor.” – Susan Sewell, Readers’ Favorite

“What a discovery! A gripping, funny and highly entertaining story that I loved.” – Annarella, Goodreads

“I recommend this book to all humans, vampires, werewolves, Demigods, etc.” – Kerri Davidson, author of Soul’s Choice and The Chronicles of Henny

 

Blood is Thicker Than Lots of Stuff, book 2 of The Many Travails of John Smith, is available in digital, paperback, and audio formats, and is also free-to-read on Kindle Unlimited!

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Listen to the audiobook

 

 

 

 

Book 3: Ghost of a Chance

“Broken-Neck spat forth a stream of Spanish which no doubt contained disparaging comments about my intelligence. Or my appearance. Or my fashion sense. The only Spanish words I knew were the expletives my friend Mike had taught me. Even so, I recognized insults when I heard them.”

The White Ladies of San Diego are one of the city’s supernatural powers, organized and led by Graciela. But now their leader is missing, and the Ladies have hired John Smith, mediator and sometimes-private-investigator, to find her. Which raises some questions: How do you track down a ghost? What if she doesn’t want to be found? And if foul play was involved in her disappearance like the Ladies believe, how exactly? It’s not like ghosts can be kidnapped… right?

John doesn’t have any answers. As usual. He also doesn’t have much time. The White Ladies aren’t known for their patience, and if Graciela can’t be found soon, he might just find himself permanently retired.

 

What People are Saying…

“The author has let his imagination run loose with the characters and settings and penned a brilliant, vibrant, fantasy story. I think these have become the best books by an American author in this genre that I have ever read.” – John Derek, GoodReads

“Ghost of a Chance by Chris Tullbane is a fun and exciting fantasy novel. Filled with action-packed scenes colored with humor, blood, and guts, the reader goes on a captivating roller coaster ride of thrills and chills, with a side of laughter. John’s self-deprecating manner and inept and clumsy ways create a relatable and winning character.” – Susan Sewell, Readers’ Favorite

“The humor, the fun, yes it’s back! Once again paranormal can make you belly laugh. John Smith lives such a fun life. Even if it’s scarey weird and filled with creepy things.” – Renee W., NetGalley

“I hadn’t read the books that came before this, but other than brief mentions of things that had happened before, I did not miss anything. In fact, I’d like to go back and read about those mentions. I think John is adorable, and I want to pinch his cheeks. LOL! I loved this well-written book, and I am looking forward to future installments. Highly recommend.” – Penny N., NetGalley

 

Ghost of a Chance, book 3 of The Many Travails of John Smith, is available in digital, paperback, and audio formats, and is also free-to-read on Kindle Unlimited!

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Listen to the audiobook

 

 

 

 

Book 4: The Italian Screwjob

“Do you do this sort of thing a lot?”

“Fly across the world to defend someone from murder accusations with my own life hanging in the balance?” I shook my head. “It’s less common than you might think.”

It’s been several years since John Smith became San Diego’s supernatural mediator, and he’s as surprised to still be alive as anyone. A lot of the credit goes to Anastasia, the vampire whose relationship status with John can be safely filed under ‘It’s complicated.’

So, when Ana is imprisoned for the murder of Tomasso, King of the Italian Court, John drops everything to go to her defense. If he can find the real killer—and unravel a centuries-old mystery in the process—his trip to Rome might have a storybook ending. If he comes up empty, he’ll lose more than just the woman he loves.

John has survived a lot of things—divorces, conspiracies, even angry demigods—but politics can be deadly even before regicide is thrown into the mix. This case is looking more and more like an Italian screwjob.

 

What People are Saying…

“If you enjoy urban fantasy with snark, cultural references and a protagonist who gets himself in and out of situations by the seat of his pants…you’ll love this series.” – Kimberly, Caffeinated Reviewer

“Definitely the best yet. I laughed, I cried, and I loved every sentence. .” – Lara, Goodreads

“Okay, so I LOVED this.” – Lisa, Goodreads

“I’ve just finished book 4 of this series and none have disappointed me. I thoroughly enjoyed each one and as far as I’m concerned, Mr Tullbane could confine himself to these characters forever. Too fun to pass up. ” – Amazon

“This is a legit 5 stars or 2 thumbs up A+ kind of book. If you haven’t read a Chris Tullbane story, you’re missing out.” – Cubertnine, Amazon

 

The Italian Screwjob, book 4 of The Many Travails of John Smith, is available in digital, paperback, and audio formats. It is also free-to-read on Kindle Unlimited!

Buy it on Amazon

Listen to the audiobook

 

 

 

 

Book 5: A Dead Man’s Favor

Now that he’s back home in San Diego, life is looking up for John Smith, hapless P.I. and supernatural mediator.

Business is booming (sometimes literally), his girlfriend is fantastic, and their mutual boss/acquaintance is thousands of miles away where she won’t be able to do too much damage. And sure, there may be a few flies in the ointment, like the little matter of an ongoing goblin war, the disappearance of John’s chief mediator rival, and an ever-growing list of questions about the suspicious events of the past few years, but those are all topics for another day. It’s wedding season and the sun is shining, the weather is perfect, and the early fall air is thick with the scent of—

Wait. Is that rotting flesh?

Yes, yes it is. You see, a year ago, John traded away a favor for help on a case, and the owner of that favor is calling it in. San Diego’s zombie prince, Simon, may be long dead, but his descendants are still around and kicking, and one of them, his great-great granddaughter, just went missing outside the town of Ghost Falls, New Mexico. Now, Simon wants John to track her down. Failure is not an option.

John has never worked across state lines before, but clearly that’s going to change. And while New Mexico might not be quite as blissful as Catalina Island, it still sounds pretty sweet. A scenic drive, a week or so chasing down leads in a picturesque town, and all the Hatch chiles he can eat? It’s the perfect couples vacation, really. After all, John and his friends have already survived gods, witches, werewolves, and the terrifying guacamole shortage of 2013. What sort of challenge could this case possibly offer by comparison?

He’s about to find out.

 

A Dead Man’s Favor, book 5 of The Many Travails of John Smith, will release September 26th in digital and paperback formats, with the audiobook to follow. It is also free-to-read on Kindle Unlimited!

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