Derek Barton's Blog, page 26
July 24, 2017
Immerse or Die! — Derek Barton
Yes, I am stealing this title directly from a great writing website, Creativity Hacker created by the author Jefferson Smith.
Or… rather I am paying homage to it.
Why? Because one, that title is sure to catch your attention and it has a literal punch to it. And I want your attention with this blog. Two, this is one of the most important things you have to know as a writer in my opinion. If you are not pulling that reader in and capturing their complete attention, then you are not fulfilling your obligation to take them away from their lives and take them by the hand into your world, your story.
A break in immersion occurs at the point when a reader has to stop and analyze any sentence for any reason. If they are thinking about your words, they are not thinking about your characters.
The concept behind Jefferson Smith’s Immerse or Die is that he takes new submitted books and reviews them while doing a 40 minute walk on his treadmill. If his “immersion” is broken three times, he puts the book aside. Later he writes up his reviews and then posts the results. He highlights the stories that live through the test period so they get full glory and recognition.
I spent a lot of time there and learned a lot from his ideas and rules to keep readers immersed in the story.
Look at the following chart that shows you the outcome of his reviews in 2015:
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Here is the Blog Link to his blog review.
Here are some of the most common errors to keep in mind especially when you are editing!
Clarity! Be careful when you are writing your prose. Keeping it simple and at the same time “poetic” is a very fine line that you have to tightrope walk.
The Hemingway App Editor is a great, free resource that will help your writing. It will identify and highlight sentences that are not in an easy to read format or structure. It will also detail what grade level the work is. The lower the grade the more relatable it will be to the readers.
Another way to keep the reader immersed is avoiding Echo Words, Echo Headers and Repeat Passages. This one was a huge problem for me and I was not even aware of it until I applied the rule during my own editing phase. I had repeat words and overused phrases everywhere!
An example of an Echo Word or Echo Header is when the writer uses the same word for several sentences in a row or within the same paragraph in the prose.
Example: The robot failed to stop the invaders. Henry saw the aliens slip past the machine. The robot raced behind the attackers as they bolted up the stairs. At the top, the aliens pounded upon the metal doors. The robot then sounded the alarm to alert the compound.
Yes, this is an obvious example, but it does happen often. Other examples include when you use the character’s name over and over on the same page. I try hard to limit it to three or four times. Also over using the pronouns instead of the name can be very distracting or repetitive to the reader. Repitition equates to lack of unique description or lack of originality in the work. Come up with synonyms like the man, the boy, the warrior or the teacher, etc.
Another problem I still wrestle with revolves around names. If you have too many names that sound similar or use the same starting letter (i.e. too many M or T names), readers may get confused on who is doing what. If you have too many complex names (which is my dilemma), then the readers are always pulled out of immersion as they are trying to pronounce the name. I felt at the time since I was estabishing a fantasy world then they wouldn’t have the usual Bob or Mary names. Yet, my “style” overrode my “message” and I got a lot of feedback on reviews about the complexity of the names. It was obvious that it stuck with my readers and thus, they weren’t always immersed in the tale.
Plot or Story Continuity is also crtical in immersion. If the characters are doing something in one scene based on knowledge of an event that has not happened, that will cause any reader to stop, shake their head and try to piece the puzzle together.
Or if the characters act out of character or do something for no reason, this also frustrates the reader. Be sure on a final read-through to take the time to write out your plot events on a timeline as they happened. You should do this even if you are a writer called a “pantser” (write-by-the-seat-of-your-pants style writer) and do not use outlines. You have to be sure that during your editing you didn’t move a crucial point or event out of its correct time. The timeline will keep you on track. And it is easier to spot any potential plot holes or inconsistencies.
Keeping immersion also means that the reader can feel, breathe, smell, hear or even taste the elements of the scene. They are living through the story and not being told a tale. One way to dull your prose or separate your reader from the character is using Filter Words. Filter Words are just that – words that appear when the reader’s experience has been filtered through a character’s point of view.
Filter examples (and any tense of the words): To Hear, To Know, To Decide, To See, To Notice, To Feel, To Think, To Assume, To Believe and To Note. There are a lot more out there, but this gives you an idea of what to look for.
Here are two paragraphs as an example:
Danny thought about tomorrow’s car race and he wondered how he would perform against all the other, more experienced drivers. He heard a car horn blare at him from the traffic waiting behind him. It was then that he decided that he had to put aside his worries and do the best he could.
Without filters…
A vision of roaring race cars flashed across Danny’s mind. The day of the race had almost arrived. How would he do against the other more experienced drivers? A car horn blared behind him from an impatient driver and interrupted his thoughts. He shook his head to clear away the doubts. “I have got this!” he said aloud to himself.
Not all uses of the words above are considered filtering. But, it is a tough trap to avoid and like I said before, one must walk a fine line. Restrict your Filter Words to when they are critical to the meaning of the sentence.
The last Immersion Alert I want to hit upon is Exposition — The “writer’s diarrhea of the mouth”. Do not fill your pages with tons of historical facts (real or imaginary) or with complex, scientific exposition. If you do not bore the reader, you will certainly confuse them. Yes, you can relay some, but everything has to be in moderation.
Also in step with this, don’t fill your pages with huge paragraphs or have have exhaustive chapters. The reason for breaks in writing is just that: a mental and physical break for the reader.
The current readers today are conditioned to fast action or events happening at the same time or in rapid order. Producers have designed video games, television shows and movies to cater to short attention spans.
Fine-tuning your writing so that the reader lives through the character is a tall task, yet it is a very rewarding endeavor. Don’t water down your message or limit your story’s potential by ignoring the rules to immersion. After all, the very reason we spend hours pouring over our writing is to bring the reader inside, right?
In terms of jumping into a character’s skin, I try to immerse myself in the role as much as possible to bring me closer to them. All I do is what’s required to achieve what I want to achieve. – Dougray Scott
July 22, 2017
2017 INDIE FANTASY BOOK GIVEAWAY WINNERS!! — Derek Barton
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THANK YOU TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED!! HERE ARE THE WINNERS:
GRAND PRIZE — $100 Amazon Card and 8 Ebooks:
Sharon Haley!!
RUNNER UP — $25 Amazon Card and 6 Ebooks
Edi Cruz
BOOK WINNERS —
Alyssa Hollingsworth
RJ Shefler
Henry Walker
Carol Gowett
CONGRATS TO THE WINNERS!!!!
Winners will be getting an email to confirm their winnings.
July 18, 2017
ONE YEAR BLOG-ANNIVERSARY!! — Derek Barton
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The picture is to pay homage to one of the books that most inspired me to be a horror/epic fantasy writer: The Shining by Stephen King!
Jack and friends have come out to celebrate with me on MY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY writing my blog!!
I am super thrilled to celebrate and mark this occasion. It certainly doesn’t feel like I have been doing this blog for a whole year! What an incredible journey it has been — in a good way filled with a lot of personal growth and accomplishments that I didn’t think were possible.
Just a few stats that I would like to point out. Since July 17th, 2016:
Visitors to the site: 659
Views on the different pages: 1603
Visitor countries: 19 different nations (including Japan, Thailand, Australia, Indonesia, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Romania and someplace called Guernsey!)
Blogs posted: 37 (this will be 38th!)
Stats for July 2016: 79 visitors, 219 views
Stats for July 2017: 184 visitors, 244 views (and the month hasn’t finished!)
Been an unbelievable year and I am ecstatic to see what the next year will bring! Thank you for being with me this year and enjoying the ride with me. You are all my favorite passengers! ha!
Now back to work….
ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKE JACK A DULL BOY
ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKE JACK A DULL BOY
ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKE JACK A DULL BOY ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKE JACK A DULL BOY
ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKE JACK A DULL BOY
ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKE JACK A DULL BOY
ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKE JACK A DULL BOY ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKE JACK A DULL BOY
ALL
WORK
DULL BOY
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July 15, 2017
Elude #3 — Derek Barton
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Elude #3
Vic felt the stiff metal of the chair pressed up against his back. The sweatshirt stuck to his skin and chafed around his neck. Inside the interrogation room, it was dead still with no AC blowing through the vents.
Just another old trick that they play. Keep the suspect in the room, make him sit there worrying about what he had been brought in for, what do the police know… Literally to make him squirm and sweat. Vic surmised.
Then they will enter all smooth and nonchalant. Offer up a cold soda to get me to relax a bit. One of the cops, the good cop, will offer to take the can or glass away to throw away. Secretly they are gathering more evidence for fingerprinting and DNA for later.
He frowned and adjusted his chair.
Stop that! His mind scolded. They are watching you. Remain cold, emotionless. Don’t give them anything to work with. When they come in, you have to be the investigator. You’ve got to learn what they know.
His skin crawled with the feeling of their eyes upon him, observing him through the two-way mirror. Judging him not only on his past history, but by his race as well. He understood the reality of things. Yet, he still hated it, but he wasn’t going to fool himself to thinking that he would not be held accountable to a social stereotype either.
The last day and night had become surreal. It was as if he drove to that wealthy neighborhood and parked his car in another parallel reality. Nothing had made sense since he had stepped into her house.
He had to find answers if he was going to get through this and out of the elaborate steel trap that he was in.
A subtle knuckle rap at the door announced the entrance of the case detectives. The first was an older white cop with a scruffy, grey goatee, brown and unkempt hair above a set of sharp blue eyes. The detective following him stood a good five inches taller. A black and athletic man, close-cropped hair and a strong jawline. Although he seemed more of a younger, model-type, there was a sense of confidence that surrounded him.
Each had a drink in one hand and several manila folders tucked under the other arm. They joined Vic at the table, sitting across from him and opened their file folders without a word.
I am this week’s guest star on Law & Order. Madre! Vic made the dumb joke inside. His nerves were ragged. Outside, he remained stone and stoic.
“Vicente Vargas, age 23,” said the black detective in a monotone announcer voice.
“Before we start, champ, you want a drink or something?” the other “Good Cop” offered with a shark grin.
There it was… and so we begin.
He shook his head with a tiny movement.
“You sure? Kind of hot in here, no?”
Vic stared away from them and did not acknowledge the offer. The longer he could drag this out, the better his chances were of getting information to be slipped out.
It was the exact tactic the two seasoned detectives were angling for.
Good Cop stepped up, “I’m Detective Chad Ellis. This is my partner on this case, Detective Payton Kemp.”
He still gave them nothing.
Detective Ellis continued to lead the conversation. “I see… you are a person of few words. Okay… Well, let’s not start that way. The more open you are with us, the more we are going to be able to help you out, Vicent.”
“Vicente.” Corrected Detective Kemp.
“Uh, yeah, sorry.” Ellis coughed into his hand and restarted, “Why don’t we go over the facts and then you can fill in some details for us?”
His eyes remained locked on Vic’s, looking for any signs of cracks in the foundation. The scan was penetrating and precise. Those eyes were focused, experienced and yet somehow haunted.
Like Cory Tames, Vic mused. The kid had been a meth junkie since he was eleven years old and had been serving his sixth drug sentence when he met him.
When Cory talked to you, his mouth said one thing, yet his eyes were alive with ghosts running around in his head. You almost could see them flash by.
There was something that the heavy-set detective had seen that reminded him of Cory. Something still hovered over him. Ellis hadn’t let go of it and it had stained his soul. Vic made mental note – Could I use that somehow?
“Yesterday evening around 4:30 to 5:30 pm, at 1718 Lioness Estates Drive, Shari Renee Thomas was stabbed to death. She had been butchered inside her parent’s house. At 2828 S Margo Drive, Vicente Anthony Vargas parked his 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt. Inside it, Officer Dan Reccard discovered her body.” Kemp read aloud to the room, then he sat back in his own steel chair. Both detectives waited and watched.
Don’t give them anything. Vic repeated to himself in his head. Shari Thomas, remember that name. Wait.. They said she was killed between 4:30 to 5:30. I wasn’t there until after 6! I can use… No, they may be baiting me. Giving me false rope to hang myself. Dammit!
“Vicente, listen. You are in a world of hurt here. I want to understand what happened. Help yourself and take my advice. Now is the time to tell us your side of things. Tell us what she did.”
Their game of pleading, threatening, bribing, pretending went on for another half hour. He didn’t give them anything.
A knock at the door interrupted their little performance. After he answered it, Kemp rushed out of the room holding another manila folder. Five minutes later he returned and whispered into his older partner’s ear.
“Yeah? No shit?” Genuine surprise came out.
They both turned to look incredulous at Vicente.
Bullshit. Bullshit games, my main man, whispered Rory again in the dark recesses in his head.
Kemp returned to sit at the metal table across from the young Hispanic.
“You aren’t giving us much choice here, bud. I know we asked you earlier if you wanted your lawyer and you refused, but maybe this is your ploy. Are you a gamer, Vicente?” Ellis started.
Vic felt more sweat gather at the back of his neck. He still averted his eyes, staring at the back of his hands in front of him. Something had changed, shifted in their favor.
“I know you are smart. You know a lot of the system since you did your earlier stint. Did you get taught some legal magic in jail? You learned some good tricks that will work this all out?” Kemp jumped in with a mocking taunt.
“Thinking that if there’s no lawyer maybe you can say that we didn’t allow you counsel or didn’t advise you to get one?” Ellis pointed at a corner in which a camera was directed at them, a tiny red light blinked.
“It’s all on tape. Just like the recording of you leaving the Thomas residence. “ He paused again to let that sink in.
“You need to start working this out with us, Vicente.”
Stone cold silence. No show of emotions.
Kemp turned in his chair and looked at Ellis. “Samantha Troy? Do you think…?”
Ellis scrunched his face and then shook his head slowly. “I hadn’t thought of that, but why?” He shifted back to Vic, leaned over the table and clasped his hands in front of him. “We have the body. Are you going to admit to this? Perps like you have gotten themselves away from the death penalty by being cooperative and leading us to the other bodies.” His tone was flat and matter-of-fact.
Yet, when he said “Perps like you” an expression flickered across his face. A crack in his practiced foundation. A glimpse behind the detective mask to the disgusted and angry hero wanting justice. That look scared Vicente. It was an honest and deep emotion — brief but revealing. He exposed a truth: they have actual hard evidence.
Oh god, I am in so deep!
Vic met the detective’s gaze for the first time, his top lip involuntarily trembled. “I didn’t hurt that girl. I didn’t know her.”
“Who is this then?” Kemp slid a head shot of a dead woman at him. A pretty, red head with cloudy white eyes stared up at the photographer, but Vic felt those dead eyes pierce into him.
I don’t know you!
“Who’s hands are these?” Kemp slid another photo of the hands from the backpack.
The older detective slapped his hand down on the pair of pictures startling Vicente. “Why do you have them if you had nothing to do with their murders?”
“WHAT?” Vic blurted. “Murders?”
“I am going to run her DNA and find out her name soon enough. You would save us a lot of time, you would give her family closure and you would go a long way to bettering your situation, IF YOU TELL ME WHO THIS WOMAN IS!” Ellis pointed at the cut hands.
Two dead girls. And they think there’s more.
“Is this Samantha? Did you kill Samantha Troy?” Kemp asked in a more even tone.
It was like a one-two punch followed up with an uppercut to his jaw. The detectives had him boxed in and on the ropes. He even felt like the room was spinning.
“I want a lawyer.” He rasped.
The detectives sighed in unison. They felt that they were on to something. A confession, a rant, a breakdown, something… It had been close in hand. Whatever it was, it didn’t happen and their window had past.
Kemp spoke out loud for both Ellis and their prisoner to hear, “He’s scheduled to be brought downtown on the transfer at 9 am. We can speak with him and his lawyer then. Give him time to rethink his story and be more willing to save himself the needle!”
Vic lowered his face into his hands.
***
Bernice Baxter was a bitch.
She knew it, she embraced it. It normally made her job and her life easier. Or at least easier to get her way. People did not like conflict and many would give way rather than stand up to you.
Once more and for the seventeenth time that morning, she looked at her watch. It was 8:12 AM.
From behind her she heard the familiar jingle of The Price Is Right playing on the television in the front room. With her hands on her hips, she glanced over her shoulder. She saw Anna Witherspoon, Bernice’s shut-in patient who sat propped up on the couch with three pillows behind her. She giggled and smiled through her oxygen mask at the TV as the show began.
The rotation of “Idiot TV” was starting — first The Price Is Right, then The Jerry Springer Show and then Judge Judy all before the lunch hour. These shows were dumbing down America she felt and were exactly what was wrong with this country.
Don Witherspoon, Anna’s oldest son was overdue from his work shift. He should have been there by 7:30 AM.
Bernice hated her work taking care of elderly. She was always disgusted and dismayed at how the body deteriorated at the end of life and it often required a lot of care support.
Days like this one she wondered again how she fell into this line of work and how she managed to stay in it. Her lack of bedside manner had kept her out of any nursing positions, but her lack of ambition had stalled her life early in her twenties. Her late husband had kept them afloat with his antique shop. Now a widow and making due with her low wages, bitterness was her true obsession in life.
“Can I have some cereal at least?” A petite, brunette girl whined from the upstairs hallway near the bedrooms.
“Shut it!”
“But—”
“Shellie, I don’t get paid any extra for you to eat. I am not here to take care of you.” Bernice berated her in icy tones.
Don’s only child was a seven-year-old oddball. Currently she had the girl sitting in the corner on a little footstool.
Bernice didn’t like her from the start. If she had been seven years old too she would have gathered a group to jump Shellie and would have beat the snot out of the brat. In her day, that was just what you did to the oddballs — the ones that didn’t quite fit in and they didn’t get why.
The mousy girl always had her face in a computer screen or eyes glued to her smartphone. That morning Bernice had walked in on her watching Youtube videos on the basics of computer hacking. When she had reached for the laptop, Shellie had shouted at her and pulled away.
Bernice had slapped her a hard sharp smack across the top of her thigh. The girl’s shorts would hide any marks or bruises that formed.
She smiled knowing that the girl would be too modest to undress in front of her daddy so there was little chance of being discovered accidentally. Shellie was smart though. She wouldn’t say anything to Don and risk getting worse from Bernice. This wasn’t the first time one of her patient’s had a brat to deal with.
Bernice Baxter was a bitch.
“Next we will have our winners Spin the Wheel after these messages from our sponsors!” Drew Carey bellowed in the background.
Don Witherspoon burst in out of breath through the kitchen door. The clock on the stove said 8:26 AM.
He was covered in sweat and his beige uniform had several patches of sweat.
“I am so so sorry, Ms. Baxter!” He apologized.
“No more,” she shook her head in emphasis. “I am quitting. Not only are you late again, but your daughter kicked me this morning! And on top of that, I am going to be stuck on the 202 an extra hour due to the morning traffic! Too much. I am done!”
She’d practiced the speech in her head almost a dozen times while waiting. He had no one else to go to. Timing was critical and finally she had enough to threaten to quit… unless he offered her more money. She had him by what her Eddie would have called “the short hairs”.
Swiping her big green purse from the table, she brushed rudely past him and out the door toward her rusting 2006 Chevy Impala parked on the street.
He raced after her begging for another shot. She made him suffer until she reached for her car door handle. Finally turning to face him, “The only way I can put up with Shellie and your mother any more will be if you pay me an extra $2 an hour. NO LESS!”
Don blanched in surprise and then sagged in defeat. He shook his head in agreement. “I will have a talk with Shellie, I promise. Can you come by tomorrow? The register locked up today and I will have to go in to the laundry mat early tonight to balance out the drawer. Please?”
“Fine.” She didn’t care about the extra time tonight. Her victory elation overshadowed the inconvenience.
As she drove away she watched him in her rearview mirror. “Dumbass!” She laughed and then headed for the freeway.
At 9:12 AM, Bernice pulled out from the onramp and merged into the rush hour crowd.
It was hot already, the radio stated it was nearing 96 degrees. She frowned and punched the button to look for a country music station.
At 9:16 AM, the Impala lurched forward and sputtered like it had a gas hiccup.
“What the hell?” She shrieked. However, the car continued to race along at 48 mph. There were no red engine lights or any other dashboard signals to account for it.
“I just got this damn thing an oil ch—” The wheel yanked to the right on its own and the car brakes plunged to the floor by themselves.
Car horns blared and deafening tire screeches surrounded her. The Impala skewed to a parked position in the fast lane. Cars whizzed by close and narrowly avoided her.
Bernice screamed and smashed her foot on the gas to try to get the car moving again.
Nothing…
“Oh dear lord!” She mouthed the words as she tried the door handle. Her breath taken away from her intense terror.
The door wouldn’t open, all were locked.
The Impala growled and then revved fiercely as if it were alive and had a mind of its own.
Again Bernice screamed as the car ripped across the three lanes of oncoming traffic. It barreled through the cement barrier. Flung forward, she broke her sternum on the steering wheel at the same time the air bag deployed.
At 9:17 AM Bernice Baxter’s car nose dived through the air, plunging over 80 feet onto the unaware traffic below.
The blinding air bag prevented her from seeing the impact of her car as it plowed through the front cab of a long, grey prison transport bus. A bus headed for the downtown Phoenix Jail.
Bernice Baxter blinked for the last time as her eyes filled with blood. She hung against the bus’ hood and partially out of her shattered driver-side window. The back door to the bus burst open and men clad in orange jumpsuits fled in all directions down the freeway ramp.
Flames flickered and scalded her pulped legs as engine oil and fluids flooded the ground. Her skin darkened and her flesh sizzled like bacon.
She didn’t feel the heat or the pain.
Bernice Baxter would never see her extorted raise.
Bernice Baxter had finally ceased being a bitch.
***
At 9:20 AM as Don Witherspoon scolded Shellie on how her abusive behavior had cost him, a miniature, green light blinked three times in a rapid series on her laptop. It had laid abandoned in the sheets of her bed.
A fire engine horn blast followed by the sounds of several wailing police cars could be heard somewhere north of their house. Neither of them noticed nor heard the emergency sirens.
Neither of them noticed nor heard the single bleep and soft hum of a file download beginning.
July 11, 2017
2017 Bi-Monthly Goals for July & August — Derek Barton
July & August Bi-Monthly Goals
Recently, I came across an interesting video blog on Youtube from fantasy novelist, Kristen Martin. She outlined her “bi-monthly” goals for the months of January & February. I liked the process a lot and I could see how it would be a great motivator for me.
The main aim is to break down your “bigger picture” goals into easier, more obtainable goals. These can be both professional as well as personal. The other part to the process is to publicize them as this gives you a sense of accountability. If I can accomplish at least 12 of the 15 goals then that is 80% which is a “winning” and successful score!
I will be revamping these again in September. I will give you a rundown of how I did and then a new or revised list.
Here are my goals for the next two months:
1. Finalize my Chapter Outlines for The Bleeding Crown: I am a big time “plotter” as they say in the industry. I write faster and have better quality of work if I know where I am going in each chapter. You can think of it like a road map. Some authors write by the seat of their pants (“pantsers”), but when I did this, I found I would always get lost. Then I would lose enthusiasm for the story and not finish. For this story, I know exactly where I am heading and how I want it to end. The difficulty is to determine all the little steps along the way on that road getting to the finale!
2. Complete the First Rough Draft of Bleeding Crown: I have been putting a lot of effort into writing the first draft and have three quarters of the story down. Unfortunately, I am quickly coming up to the end of what I had written for the outline. Thus, goal #1 and goal #2 go hand in hand. If I don’t do #1, I won’t get near #2. Sighhhhhh
3. Complete 52,000 words written (52 days * 1000 words): This ties into the other goals, but even if I finish The Bleeding Crown, I have my Elude series. I want to accomplish this so I have even more on my site and Amazon for my readers to dig into. A 1,000 a day is actually not that hard for a lot of writers (Stephen King does over 3,000 every day), but that IS his only career… HA! Once I can comfortably do this on a daily basis, I will be increasing it.
4. Outline first two books of Elude Series: A lofty goal for me, but without the stretch goals I won’t know for sure what I can actually accomplish or not, right? I am enjoying this genre as much as I enjoy my fantasy work (both have my biggest love – horror). I was inspired to write the Elude story after reading Stephen King’s novel Mr. Mercedes which is a great “grim detective” series (he also added a lot of horror elements to this genre story too!). The novels are all going to be relatively short (under a 100 pages each) as I want them to be an on-going series and I want to build that anticipation element to it. Plus right now “short is in” on Amazon and writers are finding success with this approach.
5. Write out three more Elude Sections: I am including the first five sections of the first book for Elude on my blog. Would love to hear your thoughts, suggestions or if any of you have questions about the story. Another appeal to this work is that it takes place in my city Phoenix! I moved here when I was 26 and fell instantly in love with it. Now I can take you, my readers, on a whirlwind tour through Vicente’s eyes!
6. Compile and create an Ebook on the Writing Craft from my past blogs: I have kind of already done a part of this. I put my self-publishing and writing blogs together, but have not edited or refined them in any way. The idea is to put them in a non-fiction ebook. It will be my take on the writing craft and what has worked well for me and what has not gone according to plan.
7. Design bookmarks for my books: I do have a couple of bookmarks already that I can sell when I get back into the comic-con game. But I want more and will be coming up with some new ideas from the books. I want to sell these also from my site.
8. Get the character portraits from artist by August and start getting Poker Card and Calendars made: This is another lofty goal as there are a lot of characters from Consequences. Plus, he’s also got a busy schedule and life! This is my goal, but it does require some successful production from him as well.
9. Complete two Giveaways (one on Kindle Review and my own Indie Book Giveaway): I have signed on for another book giveaway on the site Kindle Review. It’s called A Midsummer’s Dream. A cool production that I am happy to be a part of. The other giveaway, of course, is my own, The Indie Fantasy Book Giveaway, which I have been heavily marketing. It has been slow growing, but I am seeing some success with it. This will also help me out on building up my email mailing list. I do love the website traffic I am seeing from the giveaways. This month has already broken my all-time records for most visitors in a month!
10. Complete one Newsletter a month: July’s was already sent out last week and I should have another one out in the first week of August.
11. Read one writing craft book a month: Reading about my writing to me is incredibly essential. It has raised the level of my writing in a short time. It has helped me learn what the current trends are and given me the tools to produce a more polished product than when I started writing again back in 2010.
12. Prepare for book convention in Tucson: I would like to go this convention, but not sure how financially set we will be for me to do so. We have had some setbacks lately and it has stalled my participation in the comic-cons or book shows. Not only do you have to pay to take part and reserve a table, but you also have to pay for the inventory to sell. There is also expenses for travel and any hotel accommodations to consider if you are not doing it locally.
13. Get booth banners: Again this is an investment I would like to make, IF I can get back into the comic-con circuit by the end of the year. I may have to stall on this one and let it go on future month goals coming up.
14. Strive to walk 3 miles a night, workout set at least once a day: The heat in Phoenix this year has been devastating. Last year we did have one or two days over 120 degrees. This year it has been over 120 degrees off and on for a week and a half. The days it hasn’t reached 120+ has still been very oppressive. When I try to walk at night, I have gotten severe headaches. This heatwave won’t last forever, but it sure does feel like it. I moved to get summer year round (lived in the Icy Hell of Indiana for 26 years) – I don’t regret the move, just cannot wait for our normal weather to come back. This fitness goal is to help me with my bigger goal of losing weight. I want to lose 40 by the end of the year!
15. Create a book trailer video: Another high bar goal, but I have been toying with the idea. I have a lot on my plate and with my day job, it doesn’t give me a lot of “free time” to experiment and toy with the technology out there. It may happen, especially since I now see it is not that hard or even expensive to do. The time to research and find all the images is the obstacle.
This is a lot of minor goals, but if I can accomplish this in two short months, then my overall success for the entire year will be very fulfilling indeed. I realize that there is a good chance that most of these will not get completed, but it still helps having them written out so that I see my targets and the road ahead that I need to take.
July 1, 2017
2017 INDIE FANTASY BOOK GIVEAWAY!!! — Derek Barton
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Starting Saturday, JULY 1ST, you can enter into my INDIE FANTASY BOOK GIVEAWAY which will have 6 WINNERS!!
Top Winner will receive $100 Amazon Gift Card, 8 EBOOKS (2 Best Selling Fantasy Ebooks and an Ebook copy from each of the 6 above-listed authors.)
Runner up will get a $25 Amazon Gift Card and 1 Best Seller and an Ebook copy from the 6 above-listed authors.)
Four other winners receive Ebook Copies from the above-listed authors!!
CLICK HERE TO ENTER: FREE BOOK GIVEAWAY ENTRY
All you need for the contest entry is to subscribe with an email address to these authors’ mailing list.
AUTHORS & BOOKS:
KM WEILAND — Dreamlander
DEREK BARTON — Consequences Within Chaos
SUSANNE LAMBDIN — Seeker of Magic
NESA MILLER — Alamir
NATALIE WRIGHT — H.A.L.F: The Deep Beneath
LS O’DEA — Lake of Sins: Escape
(Click on their name to see their Amazon Profiles and Book Collections!)
Best Sellers:
EMILY R. KING — The Hundredth Queen
JOHNATHAN RENSHAW — Dawn of Wonder
Get extra giveaway entries when you Commenting on Facebook, Sharing this Ad on Facebook and Commenting on Twitter about the Giveaway!!!
PLUS IF YOU REFER YOUR FRIENDS, YOU GET UP TO 10 EXTRA ENTRIES INTO THE RAFFLE!
Drawings will be on Saturday, July 22nd.
D O N O T M I S S O U T !!
June 29, 2017
Elude #2… — Derek Barton
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Like a bolt of lightning, Vic sprinted back into the house, nearly knocking the screen door off its hinges.
He blazed a path through the living room, hopped over a clothes basket in the hallway and bulldozed open the back porch door. The heavy footfalls of the police officer hadn’t left his ears and he could hear them chasing after him.
“OH MY GOD, VICENTE! WHAT DID YOU DO?” Cat screamed from somewhere in the front of the house or the front yard.
“Stop!” Reccard called out to him, he already sounded winded.
Vic kept his pace and scrambled up and over the backyard gate. When his feet hit the gravel of the alley way, he shot to the west. His best chance was to get closer to the campus, get among a crowd. He needed time. Time to know what had just happened and time to think of his next move.
Above all, Vic didn’t want to go back or have to leave Cat again. Until today, he put faith in the idea that things were going to work out for them. Cat would get back into her schooling, finding herself and making a career. He would be careful, avoid trouble and maybe even do something to better himself.
But was that all dusted? He wondered to himself as he pelted headlong to the end of the alley.
There was a struggling strip mall a few blocks west that was his first goal. The parking lot would be busy enough at this late hour of the afternoon. He would make for the Spry’s Grocery Store. Plenty of shoppers getting tonight’s dinner.
Sirens blared at the other end of the alley behind him. A police cruiser barreled down the from the other end of the alley trying to play catchup.
Not breaking stride, he cut right at the end and pumped his legs faster. He had to get to that parking lot first. He heard several dogs beginning to bark at the commotion and the siren.
What the hell was in his car? His thoughts whirled around the image of blood dripping in a steady stream from holes in his trunk. I didn’t see anything in the house and no one came after me. How can this be happening?
Three blocks ahead he saw the sign for the grocery store and the various tiny, oddity mall stores. As he knew it would be, cars were streaming in and out of the lot. He weaved around them and then made a straight line for the entrance.
Sweat poured down his neck and between his shoulders. His black curly hair was matted at the sides around his ears. Vic crossed the entry and stopped catching his breath. He knew he had out ran the first officer, but he only had seconds before they arrived in the lot.
He tried to not attract any more attention but walked in a brisk pace toward the back. Below the neon sign for the Produce, an arrow pointed toward the restrooms. A man in his late fifties guided a cart with stacks of open boxes through a set of double plastic doors.
“Excuse me, didn’t see you. Need a window in one of those swinging doors,” he complained.
Vic nodded only and swung around him. In the back, lighting was very poor. One of the fluorescents flickered and buzzed like an angry bee. A cloying, rotted citrus smell bowled into him and nearly made him gag up his late lunch. More stacks of fruit boxes take up the majority of the room and line two of the cement walls. A desk and a corkboard covered in Postit notes saddled the other wall. An open doorway led to an even darker, back stock room and docking port. He could see a glowing-red exit sign above a metal set of double-doors.
Without thinking, he pushed the door open and triggered a piercing alarm.
Damn! Damn damn damn, he cursed to himself. He knew better. This would be obvious; he’d just blew his advantage.
“HEY KID!” The produce clerk returned to the room and called after him.
He dashed to the left, avoided the sloping dock ramp and went parallel to the back of the strip mall shops. Around the corner at the back end, he shot up and over a low, cinder block wall. He landed on a tree-clustered, dirt bank. Ahead of him he spotted several two-story town houses.
You ever in a race, change it up – find new clothes fast! It will give you another chance to confuse’em.
Another pearl of jail time wisdom from his former cell mate, Rory James Cole.
He froze in his tracks as an idea popped into his head. Rory’s younger brother, Durojaiye “DJ” Cole might be willing to help him out. The two had been in the same grade in Brinton Middle School, but Vic had hung out more with Rory back then. And the police wouldn’t have him as one of Vic’s known associates.
Looking through a window of the nearest town house, it appeared empty. He removed his shirt and wrapped his fist in it. Praying to himself that the owners didn’t have an alarm, he broke the back door’s window pane.
Once inside he was quick with a decision and raced upstairs. There were three bedrooms. He chose the master bedroom.
The walk-in closet had exactly what he wanted: a pullover ASU sweatshirt, grey sweatpants and a baseball cap.
They won’t be looking for another college student, they will be looking for a hispanic kid in a teeshirt and jeans. He grinned to himself.
When he begun to untie his sneakers, he discovered that they were stained red with gore.
He rummaged through the dirty clothes thrown on the floor and lucked upon some oversized sneakers. He also discovered hidden among the dirty clothes a matching ASU backpack.
He stuffed a few more extra sets of clothes in the backpack.
Next to the bed was a black oak dresser with a lamp, several worn out paperbacks and framed photos. He picked up a photo of a young couple on a white sand beach. Seeing the smiling faces of the occupants gave him a twinge of guilt and he started to go for his wallet.
“Shit. No. Sorry, I may need this money. You aren’t on the run from the police.”
He spoke the words, but it was Rory, always the survivor, that was inside his head. Don’t be no damn fool!
He left by the front door and walked with faked confidence. He carried the sneakers and stuffed his shaking hands in his jeans pockets.
Several blocks over he made a beeline for the entrance to the Tempe Town Lake Park. More sirens were working their way through the neighborhoods and closing in. He lowered the brim of the baseball cap another inch down.
The sun had finally dipped below the horizon and the park lights were stubborn to show themselves. He crossed over 1st Street, cutting through another pair of town house complexes.
In the shadows of the shoreside, he threw his jeans and sneakers into the flowing water of the man-made lake.
A police helicopter flew west of him, headed to the neighborhoods by the grocery store no doubt. Instinct still told him to take the extra steps and remain out of the light of the streetlamps.
Now that he had accomplished goal number one, he rested at a metal picnic table. It was one of his unique strengths: calm under pressure. His mind was quick to compartmentalize most situations, or obstacles. Time after time, it walked him through situations in juvie or jail.
I can’t stay here long, he determined as his mind worked through his options. Light Rail! Yeah, that’s good. It will take me over to DJ’s neighborhood and I can still keep within the crowds.
***
“Yeah? That does sound just like Rory.”
The two were in the living room on beaten down leather couches. A haze of Mint-Madness vape smoke floated through the room. DJ pulled again on his brass vaporizer.
Unlike his brother who was a beanpole and looked like he missed too many meals, DJ was near 5’7, stocky and with short, tight dreads. He also had a never-ceasing smirk on his lips.
“Your brother with just a few words could get a prison riot started in a convent!” Vic lamented and laughed.
“I know, right?”
“But he never failed me or left me out there to hang. I owe him a lot. When is his trial date?”
DJ got up and crossed to a cluttered kitchen counter. The court summons was buried in mail and loose papers.
“Uh… here.” He snatched it up and read it to himself. “Next May. May 9th.”
Rory was facing his fifth appearance in court for Breaking and Entering. This conviction would garner him the designation “career criminal”.
The two went quiet and DJ plopped back down on the couch with a bowl of cheese puffs.
“You sure it’s cool for me to stay on your couch tonight?”
“Sure. Sure.”
“I will be out before 5. They’ll never know I was here and you won’t get any heat for this.” Vic was grateful on the chance the kid was taking on his behalf.
“Would you mind handing me that bottle,” DJ pointed at a Coors that stood on the corner of a glass coffee table. “So… you didn’t even know this girl?”
Vic shook his head and rubbed at his nose with the back of his hand. “I went in the back door — there was a note telling me the front door was broken. And when no one answered I tried to find her.”
“Dude… you went inside?”
“I don’t know what the hell I was thinking. Too much sun baking my head today I guess.”
“What is your plan for tomorrow?”
Vic took a long drink from his own Coors bottle. “I don’t know, at least not yet. I freaked out. Panicked with that cop right there looking at that puddle.”
DJ ate the last puff and stood up. Yawning, he said, “I am going to check the news on the computer and see what they are reporting. I can tell you in the morning before you leave. Get some rest. I am sure that this will work out. You didn’t do anything.”
He stated this as a matter of fact, but his eyes asked the question.
Vic replied in a hushed tone, “Nothing.” Then he raised his empty bottle with his own inquiring eyes.
“You will want to take it easy on those. Clear head is going to save you in the morning. Here, give me that backpack. I will throw those clothes in the washer. You never know what might be on them… College students are walking STDs these days, you know?”
Five minutes later, DJ called out from the back of the apartment, “Oh, hey! Are you hungry? I got some free pizza in the fridge.”
“Free?”
He chuckled, “They delivered this pizza here when you were in the shower, but I didn’t order it. The driver said his shift was over anyway and he was going to report the owners as a ‘no show’. So he lets me just take it.”
“Glad my luck is rubbing off on you.” They laughed, but it felt forced and awkward. He was beyond exhaustion and the day’s events were starting to hit home.
“JESUS DUDE!” DJ cursed.
There was sheer terror in his voice.
“WHAT’S WRONG?” Vic shouted back.
When there was no answer, he worked up his courage and went to find his friend.
DJ stood next to the washing machine, the backpack spilled open on top of it. A pair of pale white hands, butcher-cut at the wrists, were nesting inside.
“You son-a-bitch!”
“I… No, this…” The beer lurched up in his stomach and he vomited suddenly into the corner of the room.
From over his shoulder, Vic heard, “I am at 1984 W Dunlap. I need a police officer NOW!” DJ spoke into his cell phone.
He then put a hand over the phone. Through clenched teeth, “Do the right thing, bro. Turn yourself in.”
Vic could not even look at him. His eyes remained locked on the bloody stumps. The finger tips were painted in bright pinks, yellows and polka-dots of blood.
June 26, 2017
INDIE FANTASY BOOK GIVEAWAY… –Derek Barton
Starting on Saturday, JULY 1ST, you can enter into my INDIE FANTASY BOOK GIVEAWAY which will have 6 WINNERS!!
Top Winner will receive $100 Amazon Gift Card, 8 EBOOKS (2 Best Selling Fantasy Novels and an Ebook c opy from each of the 6 above-listed authors.)
All you need for the contest entry is to subscribe with an email to these authors’ mailing list.
PLUS IF YOU REFER A FRIEND, YOU GET AN EXTRA ENTRY INTO THE RAFFLE!
Drawings will be on Saturday, July 22nd.
D O N O T M I S S O U T !!
June 19, 2017
Elude… — Derek Barton
1#
Vicente Vargas leaned forward and studied the eyes staring back at him. A tiny girl with a crown of feathery fine blond hair and blue, crystalline eyes held a dandelion up in the last of the summer day’s rays. Her face was scrunched up, her brow furrowed as she spotted the tiny white spider perched on the flower.
The shot was a perfect story to Vic. When he selected his “keepers” there was a significant rule that he made: each shot must actually tell a story. He was not a wedding photographer or even a mall hack that took portraits. He considered himself an artist.
He tagged the pictured and then saved it on his hard drive. He decided to feature this portrait among his growing collection. One day he would get his shot and have a showing.
I know you will make Mama proud. You and your sister will show the world. The voice of his late mother floated through his mind. She always said that to him as he grew up. It might have even been one of the last things she ever said to him. He couldn’t remember.
Ava Vargas shipped him and Cat off stateside five years back. Mama had saved and sacrificed years to get enough money to send them ahead to a house she had managed to mortgage. The plan then was to rejoin them in a year. He was old enough to watch his baby sister on his own by then.
But Hurricane Irene took her life. Flooded the city and drowned their dreams away.
“You can’t hear that?” Cat shouted from the kitchen doorway.
“What?”
“Your phone is ringing! I could hear it through my headphones. Vic, you got to go!” She scolded him.
His sister, Catalina was only sixteen herself. Yet, in many ways since his return, she had become the mother figure.
He hated the change.
“Fine.” He groaned, shut off the computer monitor and gave up resisting he call.
He had worked for six months now as a driver for an internet food service called Forerunner. It barely paid him more than minimum wage and even the tips were insulting. When an order came in, he would go to the desired location, pick up the food and then deliver the meal. Simple enough.
Yet, he hated every minute of it and often hated most of the lazy, rich kids that used the service like toilet paper. Most likely it was his emotions that garnered his lack of tips.
The clock on the wall flashed at him. “The power went out again?”
“No. Some sort of ‘brown out’ hit the entire area. Too many ACs working overtime, bro.”
Bro. Cat was in some mood. Her mouth got as sharp as her wit when she stressed over something or something was bothering her.
Since his release and moving back into the house, he realized that he had lost a lot of ground with Cat. In the three and a half years he was in juvie and then jail, she had grown up. His mistakes forced her to.
Friends of his parents had taken her in after the trial. Vic had been her only rock back then. He let her down and literally abandoned her. She had needed him. But on one stupid night of stupid decisions, it all led to a stupid joyride.
He swept up his cell phone, walked through the kitchen doorway, and down the hall.
Poking his head past her bedroom door, “What’s going on?”
“Homework.”
“Cat… What is it?” He persisted.
She shook her head and pretended to be scanning the words of her text book in front of her.
“You know you can talk to me. I have been aro—”
“—yeah you sure are with it all. Jail gives you a well-rounded education these days so I hear.”
He took in a breath between his teeth as her words shocked and stung him. With that, he rotated on the heels of his sneakers and stormed through the back door in the kitchen.
As the screen slammed shut, he heard a muffled, “Hey Vic, I’m s—”
On days like this he sincerely missed his mother. She had a gift with knowing people and their emotions. Always Ava Vargas knew the exact words to say.
He rubbed at his nose, irritated and frazzled by his sister’s taunt. It was a bad habit.
Throwing his bag into the back seat of their beat-up Chevrolet Cobalt, he revved the engine for effect. Then he plastered his foot on the gas and peeled out of the driveway into the street.
Wonk Wonnnnk Woonk.
It was his cell phone again. The phone vibrated like a mad bee on the seat next to him. Since he hadn’t accepted the order, it was probably a reminder call. If he ignored three calls in a row, it would be a mark against him.
“It’s the Vic signal, V-man! Another daring adventure and another damsel needs saving!” The joke broke his sour mood and a smirk cracked his lips. He understood that his jokes were lame, but they amused him at least.
At the first red light on Washington, he answered the cell phone. On the screen there was a flashing bike symbol with 4R centered upon it. He tapped it.
An address appeared and then Google Maps opened automatically for him. It zoomed in and identified his target and the time he’d take getting to it.
1718 Lioness Estates Dr, Scottsdale, AZ 85252
Scottsdale? That might just save this day. Bound to have a few extra dollars for a tip, no?
The phone blipped a tiny bell sound and a text came through:
FAT JACKS BURGERS — 608 Mill Ave. Tempe, AZ 85281. Two Jumbo Boy Burgers with fries, one Spicy Chicken Sandwich. One order of onion rings and three Medium Cokes. Ask for Shari.
Per Google, he was fifteen minutes away from the restaurant.
He sighed aloud, texted ACCEPT and wiped at his forehead. Already beads of sweat had popped up. Today, the temperature in Phoenix was a “hair dryer 110 degrees”. Not quite “stick your head in an oven 118 degrees” yet — guaranteed by the annoying weatherman on Channel 17 for the weekend.
As he cut across town along University Drive, he shut off the car radio which played an obnoxious rap version of Mac the Knife. Even at his age, he knew that some classics you left alone. Glancing at the dashboard clock, he decided he would log off after the delivery and call it a day.
Close to 6 pm in the evening, ten minutes after picking up the meal order, he pulled into the gravel drive that led up to the large ranch house in Scottsdale.
He balanced the flimsy, drink carrier and three bags of food as he closed the driver door with his right leg. When he turned back to face the house, he spotted a piece of pink paper flapping from the glass french door of the house.
As he stepped up to the porch he could see that it read, “Come around the side, door is not working. Sorry! Shari”
Vic sighed loudly, went back down the path and took to the right side. He wasn’t sure if she meant the right, but this side had a cement walkway that ran parallel to the brick facade of the house.
In the back, he found a sparkling greenhouse with a single door propped open with an red-orange brick.
Vic wedged his foot inside so he could squeeze through. Along the back of the greenhouse, dozens of flower pots were arranged in tight clusters. While down the middle of the room were rows of hanging plants and flowers. The strong scent of citrus filled the entire structure. He didn’t see any other doors to the house.
“Hello?” Vic called out.
No answer.
“I am here with your Forerunner order? Hello?”
He walked along the center aisle where it turned to the left. There it ended with a metal screen door with another wooden door behind it. The window in the wood door had closed beige curtains.
Where are they? C’mon! It is too hot in here to play this game. He thought to himself. Sweat trickled down his back and wetted the pits to his black teeshirt.
A sink and dirt-caked shelf were set next to the screen door. He dropped the food items down so he could knock.
Still silence and no answer. He was fast getting irritated. He stood with his hands on his hips, standing indecisive.
“HELLO?? ANYONE THERE??” He shouted, cupping his hands to magnify the words.
Perhaps she was upstairs or had headphones on? He tried the door handle. Both doors were unlocked. He left the food and proceeded inside. He had no idea how this was to haunt him — that this was the worst mistake of his life.
“Uh… Shari? I have your food order. Are you home?”
The foyer on the other side of the doors was dark and musty. A light filtered through from another room, coming through an archway and drew him in further.
It led through to a cramped seating room. There were three love seats, a tiny, unused fireplace and a desk covered in old mail and papers. On the same wall as the fireplace, he saw another archway.
From there, he walked into a much bigger living room with two couches that faced each other across a glass coffee table. Twin book cabinets on opposite walls and a long stairwell went up in the east corner. Thick brown curtains were drawn close and the room buried in charcoal shadows.
She’s got to be upstairs.
It was nearly pitch black. On the way to the stairs, Vic slipped and fell face first into the back of the couch. His left hand was suddenly coated. He raised it up before his eyes.
Rivulets of blood, warm and syrupy, trailed along his arm. His jeans’ leg was sticking to his calf where it laid in a spreading puddle.
“Oh… oh, shit!” He scrambled to his knees and backpedaled to the previous meeting room.
Vic panicked and fear gripped his chest. His breath came out raspy.
There is too much of it! His mind screamed. Too much to survive that! I have to get out of here!
He bolted back to the greenhouse and raced out to his car. As he put the car in drive, Vic didn’t even notice that the pink note had disappeared from the front door.
Back on University, he spotted a dirty, run down gas station. He drove behind it, hoping for an outside bathroom. He exhaled a big breath when he spotted something better — it had an outdoor sink set up.
He got out, looking around for anyone to be watching. It was all clear. Carefully, he washed the blood from his arm and then took his pants off to wash the blood from his leg.
Later, as he is waiting at a stop light two minutes from his house, he tried to make sense of what had happened. Sweat coated his entire 6’2 frame and he still shook with tremors.
“I had to leave,” he whispered to himself.
She’s got to be already dead and I cannot be near that! I am just out on parole and they’ll not listen to me. No part of it! Won’t take the word of a Puerto Rican felon! Awww, shit! What am I going to do?
His rambling worries continued to rant inside his head. A car horn blared at him. He hadn’t seen the light change.
When he rolled around the corner, he spotted his worst fear: a single police car parked in his driveway.
What? How?? They could not have known anything yet. I just found it. What is going on?
Since the squad car took up the available parking area, he parked in an empty spot on the street in front of the house.
Vic sees in the front window Cat speaking to a lone patrol officer. She looked upset and emotional. He swallowed hard and took a quick spot check of his jeans. They are drying, but he doesn’t see any tell-tale signs of the blood.
Steeling himself, he straightened his shoulders and stepped across the yard to the front door.
“This is ridiculous! Isn’t this profiling?” Cat snapped at the male police officer. The officer was tall and towered over her. He was white, of course, and had a shock of black and white hair. He was in late 40s, his weight pushing 250 at least and he had an air of impatience about him.
“It is not profiling. I am just doing my due-diligence and following protocol on any tip given to the police department.”
“What is this about?” Vic spoke loud enough to make them both jump at his sudden appearance.
The officer glared over his shoulder to see who was speaking while he lowered his hand to his belt, close to his service revolver.
“What is going on here, sir?” He rephrased in a more calm demeanor, trying to ease back the dial on the tension.
“Who are you?” The officer demanded.
“Vicente Vargas, sir.” He used the learned, downward cast of his eyes, the non-threatening tone and the lowered shoulders posture he mastered in jail.
When you talk with the boss, this was how you talk. Anything different welcomed triple the trouble coming your way. His former cell bunkie had educated him.
Officer Reccard studied him. “There was a break-in down the street at Mennen’s Stereo Warehouse last week. Lots of equipment and items stolen. A tip came in that a young teenage girl by the name of Catalina Vargas might have been involved. Her and her boyfriend Jimmy Brower may have information on it.”
“That’s crap!”
“Watch your tone, son!”
“My sister is not involved. I am telling you.”
“They already searched the house, Vic. Didn’t find anything.”
“Did you have a warrant?”
Officer Reccard raised his eyebrows in surprise, ”Oh? Do I need one? Nothing to hide, right? Everyone is innocent here.”
“Uh… no. You’re right. We have nothing to hide. We don’t have anything.”
He walked over to where Vic was standing in the doorway and leaned in toward his face. In a hushed whisper, “So… I’m not going to find anything in that car either right? Or would you like to wave that holier-than-thou rights stuff in my face again? Make me get a warrant?”
Vic shook his head and stared at the space of the floor between his feet.
Reccard brushed past him and headed out to the car. Vic and Cat followed after him without a word.
As they crossed the poorly mowed lawn sprinkled with weeds, the cop froze in his tracks. Vic looked around the bulk of the officer and spied something dripping from the Cobalt’s back end. Something that dripped and puddled under the trunk by the driver’s back tire.
It was warm and syrupy…
June 10, 2017
Upcoming Projects — Derek Barton
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I have gotten some inquiries on the progress I have had on certain projects (especially concerning my sequel, The Bleeding Crown) so I thought I would send out a quick update.
THE BLEEDING CROWN — At this time, I am almost a quarter to half way through the first draft. I spent a lot of time organizing, structuring the story line and developing the characters along with their backstories. My projected goal is to finish the draft around September or October.
On a side note, I have been kicking around the possibility of a third novel in Wyvernshield, making this a trilogy. I have some interesting paths I could go down, but I have not fully decided one way or another. And since I am not done with the second novel’s first draft, it is too early to start plotting out the third. One thing that is definitely making me hesitate is that I want the series to have a complete whole overall story and not two complete stories and one disjointed story thrown in the mix. If that makes any sense.
CONSEQUENCES WITHIN CHAOS AUDIO BOOK — A sad development here. My voice actress had too much on her plate at this time and just could not dedicate the necessary time to get this done within the time frame I was looking for. So… I have submitted a proposal on Audible.com and I am waiting on audition proposals. My goal was for the end of July, but with this delay I am not sure it will happen that soon. Audible states that once an actor has been chosen, it could be done in 3 to 8 weeks give or take the size of the novel. My book is estimated to be 11 hours recording. Keep your fingers crossed with me!
CONSEQUENCES WITHIN CHAOS COLLECTIBLES — I cannot yet go into too much detail on this, but I have made some inquiries, connections and working relations with several sources in an effort to create some character collectible items. A calendar set, magnetic bio cards, foil posters and a designer deck of poker cards may be on the horizon!
GOODREAD GIVEAWAY AND A GREAT INDIE BOOK CONTEST — I have been promoting the Goodreads Giveaway a lot, but I am also working out a big contest with at least one other independent author. More to come by July, but I am getting pretty excited about what we can offer and what I have in store for you guys!
A NEW HORROR BLOG SERIES — I am working on a new story line and series for you, my horror lovers! Inspiration struck and it won’t stop haunting me. And since I need blog ideas, I have decided to work this out through the blog like I did with In Four Days.
Plus I am still working on the horror novel with my father T.D. Barton; be on the lookout for sneak peek chapters of that as well.
IN FOUR DAYS AUDIO BOOK — In current talks with another voice actor for my novella.
As you can see, I am truly working hard this year! hahaha
Last note, as July is approaching I am astounded and thrilled to realize that this blog and website will be celebrating its ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!! Thank you all for your continued support and helping me grow this dream each day!
Lots of things in the works and more to come — exciting times!
Talk again soon!
