Lee Argus's Blog, page 4
January 31, 2013
Giveaway- Signed Paperback copy of The Road to Nowhere Book 1 (ends 2/7/2013 12 A.M.)
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Signed Paperback copy of The Road to Nowhere Book 1
Product information:
5" x 8"
(12.7 x 20.32 cm)
Black & White on Cream paper
316 pages
Features Alternate Cover
January 29, 2013
$20 Subway Gift Card Giveaway! Ends 2/08/1013
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$20 Subway Gift Card Giveaway!
* * * * * * * *
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Gift card will be sent by mail. View link above for more details.
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January 21, 2013
Just Another Day
While growing up in Washington State, I would spend a majority of my
childhood's rainy days indoors. This gave me the time to find out how
much I enjoyed reading. Comic books quickly segued into full length
novels. One of the most distinct memories regarding books I have is with
The Hobbit. I'd purchased it from Walden Books, which was one of my favorite stores in the mall.
I
believe that there were few of my eleven-year-old friends which were
rewards members at the store. I had been on a Choose Your Own Adventures
kick, and after finishing the series, asked one of the employees what
was good. He pointed me towards The Hobbit. That was the first step in
becoming a reader, and in turn, a writer.
The books I
grew up with were generally fantasy and horror fiction. A smattering of
sci-fi and Sherlock Holmes also made their way to my bookshelf. I
immersed myself in Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, and even Clive Barker.
There was a time in middle school that going through a three to four
hundred page book per day wasn't out of the ordinary.
In
my early college years I lived in a house with two friends. There was
less time to read with working and homework. It wasn't until I enlisted,
and was stationed in Germany, that my love of books was able to take
off once again.
Wake up was at 5:45AM. for morning
Physical Training. We had to be shaved, rooms cleaned, uniforms on and
squared by the 6:30 AM formation. Then an hour to an hour and a half of
exercise. This was usually running or calisthenics. This gave me about
an hour to shower, eat, and get to work. There was almost always enough
time to squeeze in a few minutes of reading. My lunch was the normal
12-1. Work would end between 5-7 P.M. on the most part. After getting home, it was a quick shower and meal before relaxing at the end of the day with a book in my hands once again.
My days were often redundant, with the exception of my down time. I would usually watch a movie or television box set. One of my favorite genres is the B-movie. Everything from the old black and white style, to the modernly cheesy Bs of today. These were on DVD then. Television consisted of a military channel and local German television stations.
I had several rough drafts I'd been working on, but it wasn't until I was stationed at Ft. Polk, Louisiana when I really had the time to work on my craft. If it wasn't for Amazon or their self-publishing, These books I intend to release would be sitting in a box.
In appreciation for my readers, I have decided it's time to do a giveaway. It will be for February 14th, 2013. I would also like to do a few signed copy giveaways this year. More details will be forthcoming.
With writing, I am no longer able to read as often as I would like. One thing I did notice, my writing style will vary, depending on which author I am reading. This is both good and bad. When my wife critiques after finishing a chapter, she often asks what I've been reading. Most recently I had to delete a complete chapter in book two of The Road to Nowhere.
Anyway, I have to get back to writing.
-Lee
childhood's rainy days indoors. This gave me the time to find out how
much I enjoyed reading. Comic books quickly segued into full length
novels. One of the most distinct memories regarding books I have is with
The Hobbit. I'd purchased it from Walden Books, which was one of my favorite stores in the mall.
I
believe that there were few of my eleven-year-old friends which were
rewards members at the store. I had been on a Choose Your Own Adventures
kick, and after finishing the series, asked one of the employees what
was good. He pointed me towards The Hobbit. That was the first step in
becoming a reader, and in turn, a writer.
The books I
grew up with were generally fantasy and horror fiction. A smattering of
sci-fi and Sherlock Holmes also made their way to my bookshelf. I
immersed myself in Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, and even Clive Barker.
There was a time in middle school that going through a three to four
hundred page book per day wasn't out of the ordinary.
In
my early college years I lived in a house with two friends. There was
less time to read with working and homework. It wasn't until I enlisted,
and was stationed in Germany, that my love of books was able to take
off once again.
Wake up was at 5:45AM. for morning
Physical Training. We had to be shaved, rooms cleaned, uniforms on and
squared by the 6:30 AM formation. Then an hour to an hour and a half of
exercise. This was usually running or calisthenics. This gave me about
an hour to shower, eat, and get to work. There was almost always enough
time to squeeze in a few minutes of reading. My lunch was the normal
12-1. Work would end between 5-7 P.M. on the most part. After getting home, it was a quick shower and meal before relaxing at the end of the day with a book in my hands once again.
My days were often redundant, with the exception of my down time. I would usually watch a movie or television box set. One of my favorite genres is the B-movie. Everything from the old black and white style, to the modernly cheesy Bs of today. These were on DVD then. Television consisted of a military channel and local German television stations.
I had several rough drafts I'd been working on, but it wasn't until I was stationed at Ft. Polk, Louisiana when I really had the time to work on my craft. If it wasn't for Amazon or their self-publishing, These books I intend to release would be sitting in a box.
In appreciation for my readers, I have decided it's time to do a giveaway. It will be for February 14th, 2013. I would also like to do a few signed copy giveaways this year. More details will be forthcoming.
With writing, I am no longer able to read as often as I would like. One thing I did notice, my writing style will vary, depending on which author I am reading. This is both good and bad. When my wife critiques after finishing a chapter, she often asks what I've been reading. Most recently I had to delete a complete chapter in book two of The Road to Nowhere.
Anyway, I have to get back to writing.
-Lee
January 11, 2013
The Road to Nowhere: Book 2; Chapter 1-
Download
1- FADING TO BLACK
My
eyes opened. They had trouble focusing on my surroundings. For a moment, I had
forgotten what had occurred. As I felt the flecks of dried blood that stubbornly
clung to the enamel of my teeth, memories pieced themselves together. I took in
a deep breath and tried to get up, but a pain surged from forearm. The pain forced
a sharp hiss of air out of my mouth while nearly taking my breath away.
Remembering what happened, I wondered if everyone else was alright.
Ignoring
the pain from my forearm as well as the throbbing ache from my head, I was met
with a scene of Chaos. Wet splatters in shades of red were scattered throughout
the overturned vehicle. Everything had been thrown haphazardly around the compact
space.
My
body felt sore and bruised. Bringing up my uninjured hand, I tried to rub some
clarity into my still blurred vision. Touching my cheek brought another wince
of pain. Gingerly prodding the spot revealed a chip of glass embedded into the
flesh.
While
clearing Small pieces off broken glass from my face with the uninjured hand, I
tried to get my bearings. Most of the glass fell away, but several jagged
pieces were still lodged into the skin. After picking up out the larger chunks,
I looked around.
We
had been attacked by a pack Kurus while driving down the mountain road. Our
front view of the road had been blocked by their mutilated forms. They clung to
the windows, trying to smash their way inside.
The
roads had still been sleek from the melting snow. Next thing I knew, we’d careened
into a guard rail. A few feet would have made the difference. Had we been any
further, we would have missed the drop.
The
RV lurched in a sickeningly steep downturned angle before we plunged into the precarious
ravine. Everything seemed to halt in my chest. My vision flickered like a stop
motion film. It became surreal.
Bernice
shrieked in horror as the small trees we hit did little to slow our decent. The
heavy vehicle’s momentum was far too great to be stopped as the RV tore them up
by their roots. Kurus were knocked down from their clinging purchases, only to
be pulled under the wide vehicle’s frame.
A larger,
more substantial obstacle got into our way. It hit the front of the RV like a
brick wall. We slowed long enough for the rear to swing around, which sent us tumbling
sideways down the rest of the way.
Shards
of glass shattered from the window next to me, which sprayed the interior. Cupboards
flung their once neatly stacked contents around the living area. Before I knew
it, something heavy hit the back of my head. It was then when everything faded to
black.
Unbuckling
my seatbelt was the first thing I could think of. I knew I had to get out of
the RV. The problem was that with the RV turned on its side, there was too much
weight pulling the seatbelt to let me unlock it. Straining with my thumb didn’t
move the belt’s button.
After
a few moments of futile struggling, I gave up. Whoever the genius was that
engineered the seatbelt hadn’t considered being upside down while unlocking it.
The narrow strip of fabric dug into my stomach. It had been comfortably fastened
during the drive. Now it felt as if it dug into every internal organ.
Debris
had landed all around the far wall, which was now the floor. I couldn’t reach
anything to cut myself loose. Then I saw that a long shard of glass still hung
loosely from the rubber window gasket.
Reaching
over, I wrenched it free. Using the tips of my fingers, the glass’s irregularly
serrated edge quickly cut through the seatbelts fabric. As the last few inches
were parting, I realized my mistake.
The
threads ripped all at once. It dropped me three or four feet down. As I collided
with wooden storage shelves, the impact knocked the wind out of me.
My
injured arm landed above me, but the pain in my forearm felt worse than ever.
It was difficult to tell under my jacket, but the fabric felt tight under my
arm’s swelling. Trying to move it proved nearly impossible.
As
I tried to climb to my feet, the sharp smell of leaking propane and gasoline
penetrated my nostrils. Body shaking, I tried to see a way out.
The
door would only open to the ground. It was practically useless. The front end
was completely smashed in.
Terror
struck when my eyes were met with a scene I’d vainly sought to deny. Blood had
been splattered on the roof of the RV, trailing down to the front seats. Phil had
been driving with Bernice sitting in the passenger’s seat. Where they alright?
There wasn’t much time to think. Body shaking, I called Phil’s name.
There
was no reply.
“Phil?”
I called again, trying to crawl over piles of provisions that littered the
ground. “Bernice?”
The
silence in the RV had brought shivers up my spine. What was I expecting?
I
knew there wasn’t much time left, but I couldn’t leave them there, not without
knowing if they were still alive. Maybe they were just unconscious.
The
smell of propane was getting worse. Trying to slow the trembles in my hands and
legs, I took slow breaths.
For
all I knew, the RV could be surrounded by Kurus. I had to be careful, but move
quickly. This was especially evident with the strong odor from the leaking propane.
It
was difficult to make much out in the crushed vehicle. Although it was a risk,
I reached a hand into an inner pocket. Using the penlight I brought out didn’t
do much to penetrate the dark. If it was getting dark, I must have been out for
longer than I thought.
Kicking
aside a few cans, I finally made it to the front.
Phil
was still in the driver’s seat, his hands still tightly affixed to the wheel.
It had been pushed hard enough during the impact to drive it into his chest.
Blood had dribbled down his mouth and chin, staining his formerly white plaid
shirt.
Bernice
was even worse. The windshield’s glass had cut her once kind face to pieces.
One large piece was still lodged partway through her neck, but the blood that
flowed out of the cut had stopped long ago. I closed my eyes for a moment.
The
first thought I had was that at least they had died together. I doubted that
either would have wanted to keep going without the other.
Opening
my eyes, I saw that there was no way I would be able to get out through the windshield.
It had been damaged to the point where anything trying to climb though would be
cut to ribbons. Besides, I would have to climb over Phil to even try. That was
when I remembered the windows that had been smashed. It would be an ideal way
out if I could remove the remaining glass.
Walking
back the way I came, I tried to figure out where we had ended up. My mind had
difficulty putting the pieces of the trip back together. We had been driving
through a heavily wooded part of the mountain road when the Kurus had attacked.
If I had to guess, I’d say there was about another ten miles until we would’ve
reached the bottom of the mountain.
If
we hadn’t been driving so slowly, the Kurus wouldn’t have been able to latch on
the way they did, but the road had seen better days. Winter storms had knocked
a few large branches across parts of it, making Phil slow to a crawl while maneuvering
past them.
Bringing
my wandering thoughts to focus, I scrambled to the exit. The window I had been
sitting near was small, but the others were as well. A few glass shards still
remained. Time was limited.
Grabbing
the small kitchen rug out of the piles of debris, I threw it over the window’s
frame. It kept me from being cut while scrambling to the outside.
There
was still some light coming from the outside sky. Not much, but enough that I
felt safe climbing out.
The
exterior of the RV looked as though no one would have survived the crash. The
frame had been twisted, with large gouges torn out of its siding. The smell of
propane and gasoline was rife in the air.
Realizing
that the vehicle was now at the risk of catching fire or exploding, I turned to
get away. Running from the RV, I tripped. We’d ended in the bottom of a small
ravine, but the tree line blocked my view of anything more than a hundred yards
away.
My
legs shook beneath me as I tried to get back on my feet. I kept going, heading
up the ravine. Hopefully I’d been going in the right direction to reach the
bottom of the road.
Rachel,
Simon, Rosie and her baby had been driving the SUV behind us. Where they
looking for us? The fall had been too far and steep from the road. A hike down
would have been near impossible without the proper equipment. Maybe they kept
going. We hadn’t had much ammunition left, and they wouldn’t be able to stop in
the dark confines of the overgrown forest. They would have stopped where there
was enough light to keep those damn Kurus away.
Thinking
about weapons made me realize how helpless I was. There had been things in the
RV I should have grabbed, but it was too late now. With the propane and
gasoline, it wasn’t worth the risk.
Reaching
tentatively up towards the painful place on my head, my hand became wet. Looking
down, there was a small amount of blood quickly cooling on the tips of my
fingers.
It
was already clotting, but every injury added up. The medical kit in the kitchen
was something else I hadn’t remembered to take. If I kept making mistakes like
this, I wasn’t going to last long.
A
sound to my left brought my attention up the ravine. It could have been
something jarred loose from the cliff, rolling down the steep slopes, or it
could be Kurus. Either way, I had to keep moving.
My
forearm screamed in pain if I did more than a fast walk. A quick trot was
possible by keeping it tucked in close, but it wasn’t nearly fast enough. Large
rocks and what looked like sand made up the canyon floor. It must have been a
stream or a river at one time.
Every
time I would take my eyes off the ground, a stone seemed to be in just the
right position to trip me. After the third stumble, I made it a point to focus
on where my feet were landing.
After
a few minutes, the ravine sharply turned. I could no longer see the RV, and what
was worse, I couldn’t see the road either. It had been several months since
driving up the road, but I had hoped it would swing back my way. The rocky
terrain turned again a few hundred feet farther down.
My
footing became more tenuous as the loose earth and rocks were intermixed with
small boulders. They were scattered here and there before becoming more
difficult to avoid. With my arm, it was hard to keep moving in a straight line.
Each detour around a large rock added minutes to my trek.
Despite
the bright light that was streaming down from the sky, I feared a Kuru would
leap out from behind a rock. Shaking these images from my mind, I focused on
the task at hand.
I
wove my way through the twisted path between boulders and large rocks. A strong
breeze ran through the forest. It whipped through the narrow ravine, numbing
the surface of my skin.
A
large black bird called down at me from far overhead. Its cawing seemed to only
mock my predicament. After several languidly flown circles, it seemed to grow
bored and flew away.
I
hadn’t seen many animals throughout the winter. It made sense that they would
return with the spring. I just hoped the blood clinging to me wouldn’t attract
a bear or wolf.
The
wind died down as quickly as it had started. Although the sun was warming, it
seemed as though the cold still clung to me.
Pulling my jacket tighter did little to keep out the frigid temperature.
My
feet quickly became sore. It had been a while since I was last this active. I’d
been sitting a more than I’d like. Thirst struck and remained in the back of my
mind.
I
wondered if I’d run into any of the Kurus in the forest, then wondered if there
would somehow be less of them in the city. Phil firmly believed after winter,
the city would be less chaotic.
I
had seen the Kurus eat their own if they had no other source of food. With the
lack of survivors, it was likely that their numbers would be dramatically
reduced by now. Maybe it was just Phil’s optimism rubbing off on me.
The
further I walked, the more anxious I became. I hoped Rachael and the others
were alright. If they finally made it down, there would be several small homes
they could find shelter in. I knew Rachael well enough to know that if she
couldn’t find me, she’d wait somewhere at the end of the road for us to arrive.
That brought a mixture grim determination and worry.
Phil
and Bernice had seemed as good as family to all of us. It would be strange to
not have them around, especially after spending so much time with them.
As
the sun began to slowly set, I knew I couldn’t go further. I’d have to set camp
somewhere I could easily escape or defend myself if the situation arose. Where?
Eyes
searching, I shook my head in frustration. Nowhere seemed safe. If I could just
get through the night, I was sure I would reach the end of the road by midday
tomorrow.
The
Kurus had been in the forests to my left, which meant I wouldn’t last long if I
tried to find shelter there. There hadn’t been any sign of them since the
accident, but the dense foliage could be concealing anything. Better to try the
other side.
The
trees were less dense there. They had lost most of their leaves, unlike the
overwhelming evergreens on the left. The only other option was to stay in the open
area of the valley. It wasn’t the safest place to spend a cold, dark night.
Making
up my mind, I turned and chose a narrow passageway that offered a decent chance
to climb up without breaking my neck.
Several
times a patch of loose gravel nearly brought me back down to the ravine floor.
The boots I wore kept my feet warm, but did little to help my climb. With one
arm tucked into the jacket, the other was barely adequate to help pull me up.
The
jarring movements it took to reach the ridgeline sent spikes of hot pain into
my arm. By the time I’d reached the top, a cold sweat covered my face. How much
was from the exertion and how much from the pain was up for debate. My forearm
was still swollen. I’d hoped it was just a fracture and not a full break.
Kneeling
at the top of the ravine, I took a good look at my surroundings. I couldn’t see
the road, and what little I could see, the ravine came to a dead end a few
miles in the distance.
It
was a good thing that I hadn’t kept going. The ravine walls were steeper
farther along. I would have had to backtrack to reach someplace where I could
have climbed up to where I was now.
Getting
back to my feet took a lot of effort. Weariness and injuries had taken their
toll. There hadn’t been a great deal of physical exertion while we were staying
at the camp. With the large amount of canned goods, there was little need to
leave the campground’s dining hall.
Keeping
my bearings became more difficult as I walked deeper into the forest. There
were no landmarks, only bare trees that had nothing to distinguish one from the
other.
I
tried to swing left after several minutes of heading directly into the forest.
It would be difficult enough to find another way to reach the road without
becoming more lost. Finding my way was more of an instinctual guess than based
on anything around me. I knew little of hiking or navigation.
Winter
had fully set in by the time we reached the campgrounds. Even if we had reached
it sooner, I had never felt comfortable in the woods. The towns and cities had
made more sense to me. The forest was a haphazard conglomeration of nature. In
urban areas I knew where I could find food and shelter. Here I was out of my
element.
Pine
needles that were faded from age littered the ground. An occasional stick
cracked underfoot, but that was the only noise I could hear in the forest. There
were no sounds of birds or beasts.
Every
hundred feet or so, I would stop. Keeping still, my ears would try to pick out
any distant noises. The light had been gradually fading, but too slowly for me
to notice. There wasn’t a great deal of time to find someplace to spend the
night. I’d guessed there was probably less than an hour of adequate daylight
remaining.
I
hadn’t seen anywhere that looked safe enough to risk spending the night.
Climbing a tree would be nearly impossible with my injured arm, even if there
had been low enough branches to reach. Stumbling through the dark with little
to see would be a good way to break a leg.
My
pace quickened due to the new urgency I felt. Trees passed to my left and right,
but none had seemed likely candidates for a safe night’s rest.
The
terrain was now hilly, which kept me on my toes. Trying not to take a tumble, I
had to watch where my footing was. Some large rocks were now amongst the trees.
Many had sections covered by dead moss, but most were a dull, foreboding gray.
Several
were piled near each other. A dead tree had at one point fallen over it. Now it
was just a shadow of its former self. It wasn’t the most secure or defendable
location, but it was the best I was likely to find. It was out of the wind. I
hopped it would keep me safe for the night.
The
small space between the rocks gave me just enough room to lay down, if I curled
up in a fetal position. What needed fixing was the entrance. It was partially
obstructed by the fallen tree, but anyone who walked by would easily see me
there.
Searching
nearby, I drug several more fallen branches to lie to either side of the dead
tree. They formed a lean-to that would be sufficient for the night.
Before
the sun nearly set, I found a slightly jagged stone. It was roughly the size of
a softball. Carrying it to my temporary shelter made me feel safer, but not by
much. I would have preferred a gun or a knife, but it was better than being
bare handed.
I
settled into my hole. My heart seemed to beat harder as the sky darkened. As
anxiety pounded away at my thoughts, soon I could see very little. My shelter
was great at keeping me from being seen, but from the inside, it did little to
allow me to observe my surroundings. I’d felt confined and isolated. My body
kept the small space bearably warm, but the occasional gust of wind blew, which
caused a few cold chills.
Every
breath I took seemed to be louder in the space. I began holding my breath while
trying to listen. Darkness had taken the forest. What was silent before was now
filled with noises. There was nothing overt, but I could practically feel the
forest coming alive.
Things
moved in the woods. I didn’t think they were Kurus. They were too quiet. There
was no snarling or growling. Once a mournful howl reached my ears, but the
distant sound was something natural.
Every
second of that night seemed to drag on in an endless loop. Fear kept me from
sleeping. Insomnia quickly turned to a fear of something coming across me in
the dark. Something hungry. For a moment, I’d almost felt as though I was being
watched. Distant echoes of more howls seemed to surround the open landscape.
Wolves. I was surprised I hadn’t seen or heard any all winter.
As
the night dragged on, my thoughts were once again fixated on Rachael. How long
would they have waited? Would they come back, or is it more likely that they
assumed we had all died in the accident?
Not
knowing only made things worse. I’d hoped she hadn’t tried to search for me. If
something happened to her, I would at fault. Should I have just stood near the
crash site? Conflicted with my decisions, I decided either way, when the sun
rose I was going to keep going.
My
lips were dry and cracked from the exertion and thirst I felt. There had been
no water in the forest. No food either. I hoped to come across a stream
tomorrow. Food was practically out of the question, mostly because I didn’t
know which plants were safe to eat.
If
I tried to eat something at random, I might end up sick or dead. Hunting was
also out of the question. I had no weapons, other than the rock that sat next
to me in the dark. It wasn’t likely to help me bring down a rabbit anytime
soon.
I
tried to remember how long we had to go before reaching the bottom of the
mountain, but I knew it would have been nearly another hour. On foot that could
easily turn to several days, especially across rough country and having to set
camp before sunset.
Startled,
my heart raced as I tried to slow my breathing once more. Something was nearby.
It could be anything, but with the luck I have had lately, it was out there
looking for me.
As
I laid in the darkness, I tried to keep calm. What was it? The sound of movement
and branches breaking underfoot brought more fear. I’d hoped I’d make it
through the night unnoticed, but hadn’t counted on it.
My
hand strayed to the rock, tightening its grip. There was little light in the
forest. The few visible stars did little to augment the pale glow of moonlight.
As
soon as I heard the movement stop outside of my shelter, I knew it was directly
outside of the opening. To my horror, two large circular eyes met my gaze. They
had a red gleam to them. It was inhuman in its stillness, like nothing I had
ever seen before.
Neither
of us moved. While those eyes bored into mine, I was rooted to the spot. It
seemed to be waiting for me to make the first move. Perhaps it couldn’t see me
well enough to know what was lurking in my sheltered hole.
In
a quick motion I got to my feet. Before I could bring my hand up, it sharply
turned and fled. Through the flits of moonlight, I could finally make out its
form. Four strong legs brought the deer bounding away from me and disappearing into
the night.
My
heart hammered into my chest. The rock in my hand shook. I wasn’t sure if I
wanted to laugh or sigh from relief at the shock.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the unedited draft of Chapter one; book 2 of The Road to Nowhere. I do plan, in the later years, to do a few short stories of what had happened in between book 1 and 2. This will be an opportunity for me to bring Phil and Bernice back.
FOR FREE DIRECT DOWNLOADS, PLEASE VISIT
Leeargus.com
1- FADING TO BLACK
My
eyes opened. They had trouble focusing on my surroundings. For a moment, I had
forgotten what had occurred. As I felt the flecks of dried blood that stubbornly
clung to the enamel of my teeth, memories pieced themselves together. I took in
a deep breath and tried to get up, but a pain surged from forearm. The pain forced
a sharp hiss of air out of my mouth while nearly taking my breath away.
Remembering what happened, I wondered if everyone else was alright.
Ignoring
the pain from my forearm as well as the throbbing ache from my head, I was met
with a scene of Chaos. Wet splatters in shades of red were scattered throughout
the overturned vehicle. Everything had been thrown haphazardly around the compact
space.
My
body felt sore and bruised. Bringing up my uninjured hand, I tried to rub some
clarity into my still blurred vision. Touching my cheek brought another wince
of pain. Gingerly prodding the spot revealed a chip of glass embedded into the
flesh.
While
clearing Small pieces off broken glass from my face with the uninjured hand, I
tried to get my bearings. Most of the glass fell away, but several jagged
pieces were still lodged into the skin. After picking up out the larger chunks,
I looked around.
We
had been attacked by a pack Kurus while driving down the mountain road. Our
front view of the road had been blocked by their mutilated forms. They clung to
the windows, trying to smash their way inside.
The
roads had still been sleek from the melting snow. Next thing I knew, we’d careened
into a guard rail. A few feet would have made the difference. Had we been any
further, we would have missed the drop.
The
RV lurched in a sickeningly steep downturned angle before we plunged into the precarious
ravine. Everything seemed to halt in my chest. My vision flickered like a stop
motion film. It became surreal.
Bernice
shrieked in horror as the small trees we hit did little to slow our decent. The
heavy vehicle’s momentum was far too great to be stopped as the RV tore them up
by their roots. Kurus were knocked down from their clinging purchases, only to
be pulled under the wide vehicle’s frame.
A larger,
more substantial obstacle got into our way. It hit the front of the RV like a
brick wall. We slowed long enough for the rear to swing around, which sent us tumbling
sideways down the rest of the way.
Shards
of glass shattered from the window next to me, which sprayed the interior. Cupboards
flung their once neatly stacked contents around the living area. Before I knew
it, something heavy hit the back of my head. It was then when everything faded to
black.
Unbuckling
my seatbelt was the first thing I could think of. I knew I had to get out of
the RV. The problem was that with the RV turned on its side, there was too much
weight pulling the seatbelt to let me unlock it. Straining with my thumb didn’t
move the belt’s button.
After
a few moments of futile struggling, I gave up. Whoever the genius was that
engineered the seatbelt hadn’t considered being upside down while unlocking it.
The narrow strip of fabric dug into my stomach. It had been comfortably fastened
during the drive. Now it felt as if it dug into every internal organ.
Debris
had landed all around the far wall, which was now the floor. I couldn’t reach
anything to cut myself loose. Then I saw that a long shard of glass still hung
loosely from the rubber window gasket.
Reaching
over, I wrenched it free. Using the tips of my fingers, the glass’s irregularly
serrated edge quickly cut through the seatbelts fabric. As the last few inches
were parting, I realized my mistake.
The
threads ripped all at once. It dropped me three or four feet down. As I collided
with wooden storage shelves, the impact knocked the wind out of me.
My
injured arm landed above me, but the pain in my forearm felt worse than ever.
It was difficult to tell under my jacket, but the fabric felt tight under my
arm’s swelling. Trying to move it proved nearly impossible.
As
I tried to climb to my feet, the sharp smell of leaking propane and gasoline
penetrated my nostrils. Body shaking, I tried to see a way out.
The
door would only open to the ground. It was practically useless. The front end
was completely smashed in.
Terror
struck when my eyes were met with a scene I’d vainly sought to deny. Blood had
been splattered on the roof of the RV, trailing down to the front seats. Phil had
been driving with Bernice sitting in the passenger’s seat. Where they alright?
There wasn’t much time to think. Body shaking, I called Phil’s name.
There
was no reply.
“Phil?”
I called again, trying to crawl over piles of provisions that littered the
ground. “Bernice?”
The
silence in the RV had brought shivers up my spine. What was I expecting?
I
knew there wasn’t much time left, but I couldn’t leave them there, not without
knowing if they were still alive. Maybe they were just unconscious.
The
smell of propane was getting worse. Trying to slow the trembles in my hands and
legs, I took slow breaths.
For
all I knew, the RV could be surrounded by Kurus. I had to be careful, but move
quickly. This was especially evident with the strong odor from the leaking propane.
It
was difficult to make much out in the crushed vehicle. Although it was a risk,
I reached a hand into an inner pocket. Using the penlight I brought out didn’t
do much to penetrate the dark. If it was getting dark, I must have been out for
longer than I thought.
Kicking
aside a few cans, I finally made it to the front.
Phil
was still in the driver’s seat, his hands still tightly affixed to the wheel.
It had been pushed hard enough during the impact to drive it into his chest.
Blood had dribbled down his mouth and chin, staining his formerly white plaid
shirt.
Bernice
was even worse. The windshield’s glass had cut her once kind face to pieces.
One large piece was still lodged partway through her neck, but the blood that
flowed out of the cut had stopped long ago. I closed my eyes for a moment.
The
first thought I had was that at least they had died together. I doubted that
either would have wanted to keep going without the other.
Opening
my eyes, I saw that there was no way I would be able to get out through the windshield.
It had been damaged to the point where anything trying to climb though would be
cut to ribbons. Besides, I would have to climb over Phil to even try. That was
when I remembered the windows that had been smashed. It would be an ideal way
out if I could remove the remaining glass.
Walking
back the way I came, I tried to figure out where we had ended up. My mind had
difficulty putting the pieces of the trip back together. We had been driving
through a heavily wooded part of the mountain road when the Kurus had attacked.
If I had to guess, I’d say there was about another ten miles until we would’ve
reached the bottom of the mountain.
If
we hadn’t been driving so slowly, the Kurus wouldn’t have been able to latch on
the way they did, but the road had seen better days. Winter storms had knocked
a few large branches across parts of it, making Phil slow to a crawl while maneuvering
past them.
Bringing
my wandering thoughts to focus, I scrambled to the exit. The window I had been
sitting near was small, but the others were as well. A few glass shards still
remained. Time was limited.
Grabbing
the small kitchen rug out of the piles of debris, I threw it over the window’s
frame. It kept me from being cut while scrambling to the outside.
There
was still some light coming from the outside sky. Not much, but enough that I
felt safe climbing out.
The
exterior of the RV looked as though no one would have survived the crash. The
frame had been twisted, with large gouges torn out of its siding. The smell of
propane and gasoline was rife in the air.
Realizing
that the vehicle was now at the risk of catching fire or exploding, I turned to
get away. Running from the RV, I tripped. We’d ended in the bottom of a small
ravine, but the tree line blocked my view of anything more than a hundred yards
away.
My
legs shook beneath me as I tried to get back on my feet. I kept going, heading
up the ravine. Hopefully I’d been going in the right direction to reach the
bottom of the road.
Rachel,
Simon, Rosie and her baby had been driving the SUV behind us. Where they
looking for us? The fall had been too far and steep from the road. A hike down
would have been near impossible without the proper equipment. Maybe they kept
going. We hadn’t had much ammunition left, and they wouldn’t be able to stop in
the dark confines of the overgrown forest. They would have stopped where there
was enough light to keep those damn Kurus away.
Thinking
about weapons made me realize how helpless I was. There had been things in the
RV I should have grabbed, but it was too late now. With the propane and
gasoline, it wasn’t worth the risk.
Reaching
tentatively up towards the painful place on my head, my hand became wet. Looking
down, there was a small amount of blood quickly cooling on the tips of my
fingers.
It
was already clotting, but every injury added up. The medical kit in the kitchen
was something else I hadn’t remembered to take. If I kept making mistakes like
this, I wasn’t going to last long.
A
sound to my left brought my attention up the ravine. It could have been
something jarred loose from the cliff, rolling down the steep slopes, or it
could be Kurus. Either way, I had to keep moving.
My
forearm screamed in pain if I did more than a fast walk. A quick trot was
possible by keeping it tucked in close, but it wasn’t nearly fast enough. Large
rocks and what looked like sand made up the canyon floor. It must have been a
stream or a river at one time.
Every
time I would take my eyes off the ground, a stone seemed to be in just the
right position to trip me. After the third stumble, I made it a point to focus
on where my feet were landing.
After
a few minutes, the ravine sharply turned. I could no longer see the RV, and what
was worse, I couldn’t see the road either. It had been several months since
driving up the road, but I had hoped it would swing back my way. The rocky
terrain turned again a few hundred feet farther down.
My
footing became more tenuous as the loose earth and rocks were intermixed with
small boulders. They were scattered here and there before becoming more
difficult to avoid. With my arm, it was hard to keep moving in a straight line.
Each detour around a large rock added minutes to my trek.
Despite
the bright light that was streaming down from the sky, I feared a Kuru would
leap out from behind a rock. Shaking these images from my mind, I focused on
the task at hand.
I
wove my way through the twisted path between boulders and large rocks. A strong
breeze ran through the forest. It whipped through the narrow ravine, numbing
the surface of my skin.
A
large black bird called down at me from far overhead. Its cawing seemed to only
mock my predicament. After several languidly flown circles, it seemed to grow
bored and flew away.
I
hadn’t seen many animals throughout the winter. It made sense that they would
return with the spring. I just hoped the blood clinging to me wouldn’t attract
a bear or wolf.
The
wind died down as quickly as it had started. Although the sun was warming, it
seemed as though the cold still clung to me.
Pulling my jacket tighter did little to keep out the frigid temperature.
My
feet quickly became sore. It had been a while since I was last this active. I’d
been sitting a more than I’d like. Thirst struck and remained in the back of my
mind.
I
wondered if I’d run into any of the Kurus in the forest, then wondered if there
would somehow be less of them in the city. Phil firmly believed after winter,
the city would be less chaotic.
I
had seen the Kurus eat their own if they had no other source of food. With the
lack of survivors, it was likely that their numbers would be dramatically
reduced by now. Maybe it was just Phil’s optimism rubbing off on me.
The
further I walked, the more anxious I became. I hoped Rachael and the others
were alright. If they finally made it down, there would be several small homes
they could find shelter in. I knew Rachael well enough to know that if she
couldn’t find me, she’d wait somewhere at the end of the road for us to arrive.
That brought a mixture grim determination and worry.
Phil
and Bernice had seemed as good as family to all of us. It would be strange to
not have them around, especially after spending so much time with them.
As
the sun began to slowly set, I knew I couldn’t go further. I’d have to set camp
somewhere I could easily escape or defend myself if the situation arose. Where?
Eyes
searching, I shook my head in frustration. Nowhere seemed safe. If I could just
get through the night, I was sure I would reach the end of the road by midday
tomorrow.
The
Kurus had been in the forests to my left, which meant I wouldn’t last long if I
tried to find shelter there. There hadn’t been any sign of them since the
accident, but the dense foliage could be concealing anything. Better to try the
other side.
The
trees were less dense there. They had lost most of their leaves, unlike the
overwhelming evergreens on the left. The only other option was to stay in the open
area of the valley. It wasn’t the safest place to spend a cold, dark night.
Making
up my mind, I turned and chose a narrow passageway that offered a decent chance
to climb up without breaking my neck.
Several
times a patch of loose gravel nearly brought me back down to the ravine floor.
The boots I wore kept my feet warm, but did little to help my climb. With one
arm tucked into the jacket, the other was barely adequate to help pull me up.
The
jarring movements it took to reach the ridgeline sent spikes of hot pain into
my arm. By the time I’d reached the top, a cold sweat covered my face. How much
was from the exertion and how much from the pain was up for debate. My forearm
was still swollen. I’d hoped it was just a fracture and not a full break.
Kneeling
at the top of the ravine, I took a good look at my surroundings. I couldn’t see
the road, and what little I could see, the ravine came to a dead end a few
miles in the distance.
It
was a good thing that I hadn’t kept going. The ravine walls were steeper
farther along. I would have had to backtrack to reach someplace where I could
have climbed up to where I was now.
Getting
back to my feet took a lot of effort. Weariness and injuries had taken their
toll. There hadn’t been a great deal of physical exertion while we were staying
at the camp. With the large amount of canned goods, there was little need to
leave the campground’s dining hall.
Keeping
my bearings became more difficult as I walked deeper into the forest. There
were no landmarks, only bare trees that had nothing to distinguish one from the
other.
I
tried to swing left after several minutes of heading directly into the forest.
It would be difficult enough to find another way to reach the road without
becoming more lost. Finding my way was more of an instinctual guess than based
on anything around me. I knew little of hiking or navigation.
Winter
had fully set in by the time we reached the campgrounds. Even if we had reached
it sooner, I had never felt comfortable in the woods. The towns and cities had
made more sense to me. The forest was a haphazard conglomeration of nature. In
urban areas I knew where I could find food and shelter. Here I was out of my
element.
Pine
needles that were faded from age littered the ground. An occasional stick
cracked underfoot, but that was the only noise I could hear in the forest. There
were no sounds of birds or beasts.
Every
hundred feet or so, I would stop. Keeping still, my ears would try to pick out
any distant noises. The light had been gradually fading, but too slowly for me
to notice. There wasn’t a great deal of time to find someplace to spend the
night. I’d guessed there was probably less than an hour of adequate daylight
remaining.
I
hadn’t seen anywhere that looked safe enough to risk spending the night.
Climbing a tree would be nearly impossible with my injured arm, even if there
had been low enough branches to reach. Stumbling through the dark with little
to see would be a good way to break a leg.
My
pace quickened due to the new urgency I felt. Trees passed to my left and right,
but none had seemed likely candidates for a safe night’s rest.
The
terrain was now hilly, which kept me on my toes. Trying not to take a tumble, I
had to watch where my footing was. Some large rocks were now amongst the trees.
Many had sections covered by dead moss, but most were a dull, foreboding gray.
Several
were piled near each other. A dead tree had at one point fallen over it. Now it
was just a shadow of its former self. It wasn’t the most secure or defendable
location, but it was the best I was likely to find. It was out of the wind. I
hopped it would keep me safe for the night.
The
small space between the rocks gave me just enough room to lay down, if I curled
up in a fetal position. What needed fixing was the entrance. It was partially
obstructed by the fallen tree, but anyone who walked by would easily see me
there.
Searching
nearby, I drug several more fallen branches to lie to either side of the dead
tree. They formed a lean-to that would be sufficient for the night.
Before
the sun nearly set, I found a slightly jagged stone. It was roughly the size of
a softball. Carrying it to my temporary shelter made me feel safer, but not by
much. I would have preferred a gun or a knife, but it was better than being
bare handed.
I
settled into my hole. My heart seemed to beat harder as the sky darkened. As
anxiety pounded away at my thoughts, soon I could see very little. My shelter
was great at keeping me from being seen, but from the inside, it did little to
allow me to observe my surroundings. I’d felt confined and isolated. My body
kept the small space bearably warm, but the occasional gust of wind blew, which
caused a few cold chills.
Every
breath I took seemed to be louder in the space. I began holding my breath while
trying to listen. Darkness had taken the forest. What was silent before was now
filled with noises. There was nothing overt, but I could practically feel the
forest coming alive.
Things
moved in the woods. I didn’t think they were Kurus. They were too quiet. There
was no snarling or growling. Once a mournful howl reached my ears, but the
distant sound was something natural.
Every
second of that night seemed to drag on in an endless loop. Fear kept me from
sleeping. Insomnia quickly turned to a fear of something coming across me in
the dark. Something hungry. For a moment, I’d almost felt as though I was being
watched. Distant echoes of more howls seemed to surround the open landscape.
Wolves. I was surprised I hadn’t seen or heard any all winter.
As
the night dragged on, my thoughts were once again fixated on Rachael. How long
would they have waited? Would they come back, or is it more likely that they
assumed we had all died in the accident?
Not
knowing only made things worse. I’d hoped she hadn’t tried to search for me. If
something happened to her, I would at fault. Should I have just stood near the
crash site? Conflicted with my decisions, I decided either way, when the sun
rose I was going to keep going.
My
lips were dry and cracked from the exertion and thirst I felt. There had been
no water in the forest. No food either. I hoped to come across a stream
tomorrow. Food was practically out of the question, mostly because I didn’t
know which plants were safe to eat.
If
I tried to eat something at random, I might end up sick or dead. Hunting was
also out of the question. I had no weapons, other than the rock that sat next
to me in the dark. It wasn’t likely to help me bring down a rabbit anytime
soon.
I
tried to remember how long we had to go before reaching the bottom of the
mountain, but I knew it would have been nearly another hour. On foot that could
easily turn to several days, especially across rough country and having to set
camp before sunset.
Startled,
my heart raced as I tried to slow my breathing once more. Something was nearby.
It could be anything, but with the luck I have had lately, it was out there
looking for me.
As
I laid in the darkness, I tried to keep calm. What was it? The sound of movement
and branches breaking underfoot brought more fear. I’d hoped I’d make it
through the night unnoticed, but hadn’t counted on it.
My
hand strayed to the rock, tightening its grip. There was little light in the
forest. The few visible stars did little to augment the pale glow of moonlight.
As
soon as I heard the movement stop outside of my shelter, I knew it was directly
outside of the opening. To my horror, two large circular eyes met my gaze. They
had a red gleam to them. It was inhuman in its stillness, like nothing I had
ever seen before.
Neither
of us moved. While those eyes bored into mine, I was rooted to the spot. It
seemed to be waiting for me to make the first move. Perhaps it couldn’t see me
well enough to know what was lurking in my sheltered hole.
In
a quick motion I got to my feet. Before I could bring my hand up, it sharply
turned and fled. Through the flits of moonlight, I could finally make out its
form. Four strong legs brought the deer bounding away from me and disappearing into
the night.
My
heart hammered into my chest. The rock in my hand shook. I wasn’t sure if I
wanted to laugh or sigh from relief at the shock.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the unedited draft of Chapter one; book 2 of The Road to Nowhere. I do plan, in the later years, to do a few short stories of what had happened in between book 1 and 2. This will be an opportunity for me to bring Phil and Bernice back.
FOR FREE DIRECT DOWNLOADS, PLEASE VISIT
Leeargus.com
January 10, 2013
Computers
Although computers are a necessity for modern times, they seem to always breakdown in new and interesting ways. An example would be my former laptop. A juice spilled on the motherboard, frying it. No problem, I thought. I can switch out one of those. I've done it before.
Ordered another motherboard from Ebay. Accidentally sent to prior address. Instead of forwarding the package as is done with any other mail sent there, it was delivered. After contacting the local post office, they picked it up. I was told it would take a week later to forward. Once received, I find out that the ram slot was damaged, rendering the motherboard useless.
Ordered a second motherboard, sent the original back. Was refunded, minus their shipping as well as mine. Double screwed.
Second mother board arrives. Seems fine, so I go ahead and install it. This one has a bios administrator lock, also rendering the mother board useless.
Now I go ahead and buy a new laptop (not a refurb). It has windows 7, but why not upgrade to the new Windows 8?
After the upgrade, everything was fine. Computer boots in less than ten seconds. Noticeably faster performance, and I didn't miss the start button much. Then I closed my laptop lid to make a snack. Upon opening it, the screen stays blank. Damn.
I do a hard reset, but whenever I close the lid, the screen stays black. Even with the computer set to do nothing while closed.
Then I figured out while randomly pressing on the laptop's keys, how to correct this. All I have to do is turn the wifi button on and off. Then the screen comes back on. Why this is, I don't know. I guess it's one of lifes little mysteries, or just a glitch.
Anyway,
my website is now up and running. I'm still working on adding a few elements and editing the html with the proper links, but for the most part, it is complete.
I'm working on trying to catch up on all the work I missed with my website, writing, edits, and so forth.
Visit leeargus.com
Just visited Amazon. Thank you to all who have placed a review.
Lee-
November 10, 2012
The Dangers of Free ebook promos
I mentioned the subject in my indie resource blog about the dangers of free ebook promos through kdp.
Alright,
Here's what "Can" happen when you place a book for free.
Often times you'll find new fans who would love to read more of your works, and sometimes you just get someone who didn't sample your book, who normally wouldn't purchase your book, and who normally only purchases free ebooks.
For the life of me, I can't remember what author said they went on to say they won't be doing free promos due to their experience with kdp, and the negative reviews they received during the free promos.
Kdp opens new possibilities to reach a new audience, but anyone considering using the free promo days should come to expect reviews less than what you'd expect, or reviews with the typical, "I don't read zombie books, but got this book for free to give it a try. I don't like zombie books, so I'm giving it 2 stars, one is for effort, but it was an ok read."
Half of the readers visiting the blog should have come accross atleast one of those reviews this year. I know I've seen atleast eight for the 2012 calendar in various genres.
As an author, know that you can bust your butt off trying to fork out the best quality novel you can, and yet you cannot satisfy everyone. It happens.
I didn't get such a review. Those sorts of reviews are point blank stupid, but there are other completely different, and negative reviews you can recieve during your promotions.
I won't discontinue the free promos because of the negative reviews I may collect from them.
Before the free promo, I heard positive reviews from readers who wanted to buy my book. Even the 2 star, in my opinion, was still positive.
Will this effect my sales? Absolutely, but then again in December I planned on making my books available through my leearus.com website, which would have dropped my sales anyway.
At this point. It is better for me to unpublish my book (but I won't). Read through it one more time, see if the reviewer was accurate; see if there are real changes I can make to improve the overall quality (which I will). Again, I said it in my last post. As an author, those of you out there, your books are pliable. Reviewers are generally right. Make changes if you can, so you don't get a repeat review.
My slaes have fluctuated from $60 a month, to $300, to the $220 last month. This new review will more than likely drop it back a great deal, but reaching a new audience has been my only goal so in this case, shrug it off and learn from it.
All reviews are welcomed. :)
***
A change of subject.
It snowed yesterday and today.
My daughter and I went outside this morning (after breakfast), and made a mini snowman.
This was the first time she could really understand what snow is. Last time we were in the area, she was just a baby (practically).
Foot tracks revealed that there was a stray cat living under my porch. Guess it was just trying to keep out of the snow. I went into town today and bought a little cat house and a blanket. Hopefully it'll like its new accommodations. Its full grown, so I can't take it in, it'll be way too feral. It looks rough, but well fed, so maybe it isn't a stray afterall.
My wife has been loving the area. She loves feeding the squirels and wild birds. We couldn't be happier.
Lee-
Alright,
Here's what "Can" happen when you place a book for free.
Often times you'll find new fans who would love to read more of your works, and sometimes you just get someone who didn't sample your book, who normally wouldn't purchase your book, and who normally only purchases free ebooks.
For the life of me, I can't remember what author said they went on to say they won't be doing free promos due to their experience with kdp, and the negative reviews they received during the free promos.
Kdp opens new possibilities to reach a new audience, but anyone considering using the free promo days should come to expect reviews less than what you'd expect, or reviews with the typical, "I don't read zombie books, but got this book for free to give it a try. I don't like zombie books, so I'm giving it 2 stars, one is for effort, but it was an ok read."
Half of the readers visiting the blog should have come accross atleast one of those reviews this year. I know I've seen atleast eight for the 2012 calendar in various genres.
As an author, know that you can bust your butt off trying to fork out the best quality novel you can, and yet you cannot satisfy everyone. It happens.
I didn't get such a review. Those sorts of reviews are point blank stupid, but there are other completely different, and negative reviews you can recieve during your promotions.
I won't discontinue the free promos because of the negative reviews I may collect from them.
Before the free promo, I heard positive reviews from readers who wanted to buy my book. Even the 2 star, in my opinion, was still positive.
Will this effect my sales? Absolutely, but then again in December I planned on making my books available through my leearus.com website, which would have dropped my sales anyway.
At this point. It is better for me to unpublish my book (but I won't). Read through it one more time, see if the reviewer was accurate; see if there are real changes I can make to improve the overall quality (which I will). Again, I said it in my last post. As an author, those of you out there, your books are pliable. Reviewers are generally right. Make changes if you can, so you don't get a repeat review.
My slaes have fluctuated from $60 a month, to $300, to the $220 last month. This new review will more than likely drop it back a great deal, but reaching a new audience has been my only goal so in this case, shrug it off and learn from it.
All reviews are welcomed. :)
***
A change of subject.
It snowed yesterday and today.
My daughter and I went outside this morning (after breakfast), and made a mini snowman.
This was the first time she could really understand what snow is. Last time we were in the area, she was just a baby (practically).
Foot tracks revealed that there was a stray cat living under my porch. Guess it was just trying to keep out of the snow. I went into town today and bought a little cat house and a blanket. Hopefully it'll like its new accommodations. Its full grown, so I can't take it in, it'll be way too feral. It looks rough, but well fed, so maybe it isn't a stray afterall.
My wife has been loving the area. She loves feeding the squirels and wild birds. We couldn't be happier.
Lee-
November 6, 2012
The Road to Nowhere/ Updating my blog
11/11/2012
Currently, I am working on updating my blog. Most links aren't usable yet.
I need a break from working on blog updates, so I'll be back tomorrow to finish up.
*****
11/06/2012
Alright folks,
I spent last night as well as this morning going through The Road to Nowhere.
If you purchased the book within two weeks, you won't see too much change in the newest edition (The two changes probably won't even be noticeable)
.
If you purchased the novel in early 2011, there's been quite a few changes. None of the plot elements have changed, just details.
As reviews come in, I will always try my best to satisfy my readers and make changes. The good thing about an indie book, is well, it's pliable. Nothing has to be permenant. I'm trying my best to deliver a quality book, I hope it shows. ;)
Sometimes a simple paragraph added is the solution, and sometimes simply taking something away will work.
I was going to place the Road to Nowhere as a new title, but it should be re-published with all the same page likes, product tags, and reviews soon. My ranking and placement will be slightly damaged, but time (a few months) will hopefully take care of that.
I have now signed up for kdp select.
I have mixed feelings about it, but at the same time, I want to give my book out for free. I say it all the time; Wish there was a way indies could permanently leave at least one select title available for free longer than allotted amount of days through Amazon.
My website lee.argus.com (seperate from my blog) will deploy in December (the 24th) with free direct downloads, so those of you who look for my works can go there. There will be titles I don't offer on Amazon on my web page. At the leeargus.com website, you can always re-download a novel for the latest version.
To download, you'll just have to click on the title, this time it won't kick you to another web site.
Later in my indie resource blog, I'll explain how to create a web site and everything I did to complete the process.
****
Random bits;
Thanksgiving is approaching. I've been prepping the house, doig maintenance, cosmetic repairs, and I'm not even close to completing it all. We decided to go with a beige wall color for the livingroom, so we'll be painting this week.
I always go in for a haircut, but this time my wife insisted that she wanted to give it a try. She sounded confident. I don't know why I let her, I guess I didn't want to upset her. After a few mess ups, she then shaved me bald.
Never agin. Never.
I'm going into town today specifically to buy hats/caps/ and maybe a beanie. My heads cold. The weather hasn't been too bad. It drops to a little higher than 30 degrees at night. Indoors, we keep the heater on and set to 68.
Gotta buy wood sometime and try out the new fireplace.
Lee-
The Road to Nowhere
Alright folks,
I spent last night as well as this morning going through The Road to Nowhere.
If you purchased the book within two weeks, you won't see too much change in the newest edition (The two changes probably won't even be noticeable)
.
If you purchased the novel in early 2011, there's been quite a few changes. None of the plot elements have changed, just details.
As reviews come in, I will always try my best to satisfy my readers and make changes. The good thing about an indie book, is well, it's pliable. Nothing has to be permenant. I'm trying my best to deliver a quality book, I hope it shows. ;)
Sometimes a simple paragraph added is the solution, and sometimes simply taking something away will work.
I was going to place the Road to Nowhere as a new title, but it should be re-published with all the same page likes, product tags, and reviews soon. My ranking and placement will be slightly damaged, but time (a few months) will hopefully take care of that.
I have now signed up for kdp select.
I have mixed feelings about it, but at the same time, I want to give my book out for free. I say it all the time; Wish there was a way indies could permanently leave at least one select title available for free longer than allotted amount of days through Amazon.
My website lee.argus.com (seperate from my blog) will deploy in December (the 24th) with free direct downloads, so those of you who look for my works can go there. There will be titles I don't offer on Amazon on my web page. At the leeargus.com website, you can always re-download a novel for the latest version.
To download, you'll just have to click on the title, this time it won't kick you to another web site.
Later in my indie resource blog, I'll explain how to create a web site and everything I did to complete the process.
****
Random bits;
Thanksgiving is approaching. I've been prepping the house, doig maintenance, cosmetic repairs, and I'm not even close to completing it all. We decided to go with a beige wall color for the livingroom, so we'll be painting this week.
I always go in for a haircut, but this time my wife insisted that she wanted to give it a try. She sounded confident. I don't know why I let her, I guess I didn't want to upset her. After a few mess ups, she then shaved me bald.
Never agin. Never.
I'm going into town today specifically to buy hats/caps/ and maybe a beanie. My heads cold. The weather hasn't been too bad. It drops to a little higher than 30 degrees at night. Indoors, we keep the heater on and set to 68.
Gotta buy wood sometime and try out the new fireplace.
Lee-
I spent last night as well as this morning going through The Road to Nowhere.
If you purchased the book within two weeks, you won't see too much change in the newest edition (The two changes probably won't even be noticeable)
.
If you purchased the novel in early 2011, there's been quite a few changes. None of the plot elements have changed, just details.
As reviews come in, I will always try my best to satisfy my readers and make changes. The good thing about an indie book, is well, it's pliable. Nothing has to be permenant. I'm trying my best to deliver a quality book, I hope it shows. ;)
Sometimes a simple paragraph added is the solution, and sometimes simply taking something away will work.
I was going to place the Road to Nowhere as a new title, but it should be re-published with all the same page likes, product tags, and reviews soon. My ranking and placement will be slightly damaged, but time (a few months) will hopefully take care of that.
I have now signed up for kdp select.
I have mixed feelings about it, but at the same time, I want to give my book out for free. I say it all the time; Wish there was a way indies could permanently leave at least one select title available for free longer than allotted amount of days through Amazon.
My website lee.argus.com (seperate from my blog) will deploy in December (the 24th) with free direct downloads, so those of you who look for my works can go there. There will be titles I don't offer on Amazon on my web page. At the leeargus.com website, you can always re-download a novel for the latest version.
To download, you'll just have to click on the title, this time it won't kick you to another web site.
Later in my indie resource blog, I'll explain how to create a web site and everything I did to complete the process.
****
Random bits;
Thanksgiving is approaching. I've been prepping the house, doig maintenance, cosmetic repairs, and I'm not even close to completing it all. We decided to go with a beige wall color for the livingroom, so we'll be painting this week.
I always go in for a haircut, but this time my wife insisted that she wanted to give it a try. She sounded confident. I don't know why I let her, I guess I didn't want to upset her. After a few mess ups, she then shaved me bald.
Never agin. Never.
I'm going into town today specifically to buy hats/caps/ and maybe a beanie. My heads cold. The weather hasn't been too bad. It drops to a little higher than 30 degrees at night. Indoors, we keep the heater on and set to 68.
Gotta buy wood sometime and try out the new fireplace.
Lee-
November 4, 2012
Holloween with Lee
I had to share this with you guys.
How was your Holloween? Hopefully good.
My wife and I purchased a small, ok miniscule cabin in the woods of Southern California as a secondary home for the winter season, since my wife loves snow. In Germany I used to snowboard and got pretty good at it ;), so this year though I'm 6 years older since the last time I even tried, I decided it would be fun. It would be my wife's 1st time.
Anyway that's why we moved out here. To enjoy nature, go on hikes, stay away from Mc Donalds, and possibly attempt to snow board at least once in December. My daughter, our only one, we've decided to home school.
Anyway, We went shopping in advance for all sorts of candy, chocolates, and even decked out the house. We expected a surge of trick-or-treaters.
Well, we waited--- and waited--- and when it was close to eleven pm, it became apparent that no one was going to come by.
We love kids, we wish we were ready to adopt one, and wish we were capable of having another. So we were amped up to see the little ones, and bring joy to their lives with tons of candy, but no one came. I blew out the candles in the pumpkins at midnight and stood up watching Sword Art Online with the wife. We're huge anime fans.
http://kat.ph/horriblesubs-sword-art-online-07-720p-mkv-t6588821.html (a site I just googled)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sword_Art_Online (wiki)
We don't exactly live in the middle of nowhere. There are surrounding cities, we're just closer to the forest. It could be that no one wanted to walk up the hill to our house, or the cold, but we were disappointed.
We went into town yesterday. Candy was half off. The store was full of the good stuff; all the top name brands for a little over 2 bucks. Maybe people aren't that into candy here, since it wasn't exactly flying off the shelves.
Hmm-
Well, a while ago I updated a post and stated that I rescued two stray cats. I was able to adopt one out to a good family. There was a third, but it was way too old and feral to tame, though I tried. After a few gouges in my hand, I decided to let him go, but I did fatten him up enough. The second is Friskers, but she continues to hiss, has stopped clawing though, and is still anti-social. She is now at a healthy weight. She was the runt. I considered giving her to a no-kill shelter, but local ones said that they had no more room. I'm worried that since I cannot adopt her out, I may have to turn her over to the regular animal shelter. I don't want to do this. I'll try craigslist. I honestly think if she was given more attention, within time, she'd be like any other indoor cat. She does relapse though. Last month she clawed the hell out of me. I can't give her to the shelter just yet, they'll probably put her down since she's not yet adoptable.
Eli and Friskers had been struggling to survive. I had fed them a few times after seeing them horribly emaciated, then they began to wait the entire night in my back yard for table scaps and water for several weeks. They were just small kittens then, but have grown significantly since. Eli was the most adoptable. He'd even sigh every time he was pet and always purred a storm. Friskers continues to remain frightened, but we hope she'll soon break out of it. Our recent move has not helped the situation. If I cannot find a family for her, I'll post a link on this blog to a few videos of her and pictures.
I'm sure me stating semi-feral cat for adoption needs a home is not helping. She's more tame than not, but she does have her moments when she acts up, and may claw. I considered declawing her, like Artemis and Cosmo, but I probably won't take that path.
Lee-
How was your Holloween? Hopefully good.
My wife and I purchased a small, ok miniscule cabin in the woods of Southern California as a secondary home for the winter season, since my wife loves snow. In Germany I used to snowboard and got pretty good at it ;), so this year though I'm 6 years older since the last time I even tried, I decided it would be fun. It would be my wife's 1st time.
Anyway that's why we moved out here. To enjoy nature, go on hikes, stay away from Mc Donalds, and possibly attempt to snow board at least once in December. My daughter, our only one, we've decided to home school.
Anyway, We went shopping in advance for all sorts of candy, chocolates, and even decked out the house. We expected a surge of trick-or-treaters.
Well, we waited--- and waited--- and when it was close to eleven pm, it became apparent that no one was going to come by.
We love kids, we wish we were ready to adopt one, and wish we were capable of having another. So we were amped up to see the little ones, and bring joy to their lives with tons of candy, but no one came. I blew out the candles in the pumpkins at midnight and stood up watching Sword Art Online with the wife. We're huge anime fans.
http://kat.ph/horriblesubs-sword-art-online-07-720p-mkv-t6588821.html (a site I just googled)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sword_Art_Online (wiki)
We don't exactly live in the middle of nowhere. There are surrounding cities, we're just closer to the forest. It could be that no one wanted to walk up the hill to our house, or the cold, but we were disappointed.
We went into town yesterday. Candy was half off. The store was full of the good stuff; all the top name brands for a little over 2 bucks. Maybe people aren't that into candy here, since it wasn't exactly flying off the shelves.
Hmm-
Well, a while ago I updated a post and stated that I rescued two stray cats. I was able to adopt one out to a good family. There was a third, but it was way too old and feral to tame, though I tried. After a few gouges in my hand, I decided to let him go, but I did fatten him up enough. The second is Friskers, but she continues to hiss, has stopped clawing though, and is still anti-social. She is now at a healthy weight. She was the runt. I considered giving her to a no-kill shelter, but local ones said that they had no more room. I'm worried that since I cannot adopt her out, I may have to turn her over to the regular animal shelter. I don't want to do this. I'll try craigslist. I honestly think if she was given more attention, within time, she'd be like any other indoor cat. She does relapse though. Last month she clawed the hell out of me. I can't give her to the shelter just yet, they'll probably put her down since she's not yet adoptable.
Eli and Friskers had been struggling to survive. I had fed them a few times after seeing them horribly emaciated, then they began to wait the entire night in my back yard for table scaps and water for several weeks. They were just small kittens then, but have grown significantly since. Eli was the most adoptable. He'd even sigh every time he was pet and always purred a storm. Friskers continues to remain frightened, but we hope she'll soon break out of it. Our recent move has not helped the situation. If I cannot find a family for her, I'll post a link on this blog to a few videos of her and pictures.
I'm sure me stating semi-feral cat for adoption needs a home is not helping. She's more tame than not, but she does have her moments when she acts up, and may claw. I considered declawing her, like Artemis and Cosmo, but I probably won't take that path.
Lee-
