Stephen Zimmer's Blog: Stephen Zimmer's Blog, page 6

A Personal Appeal to Friends, Readers, and Those Who Understand The Love of Family

About six years ago, my better half, Holly Phillippe, got an animal hoarder busted that she had become aware of, close to where she lived in Indiana.  In addition to 92 dogs kept in a trailer, 25 cats had been packed into a bathroom on the same trailer.

Holly followed up with the animal shelter coordinated with the raid, and two of the cats made it very clear that they wanted to go home with her that day.

One of them was a nearly two year old Russian Blue cat, named Dubious.

Dubious came home with Holly severely overweight, at 30 pounds.  Holly took care of him, gave him a loving home, and worked on his diet, until he reached the healthy 15 pound weight that he has maintained during the nearly three years that I have had the tremendous blessing of having him in my life.

To say that he is a loving cat is an understatement.  He greets us at the door when we return home. Whenever I am sick and in bed, he stays right there with me.  During many of our meals, he even sits quietly in one of the open chairs and keeps us company, though I always make sure to give him his dinner before we sit down to eat.

When I am working in the office, he lounges in his window hammock or other favorite spots in the room and keeps us company.  He only starts interrupting me if I work an exceptionally long day, as if to say “Stephen, you really need to get some rest and take a break.”

Speaking of talking, he talks all the time, a very vocal cat who can always put a smile on your face.

He has a keen sense of when I am feeling upset, sad, or frustrated, and it is in those instances that he keeps particularly close to me, wherever I go in the house.  When it is the hardest of times, he won’t let me out of his sight.

Dubious is truly my right hand little fellow.

A great many people can vouch for how Dubious has never met a stranger.  He goes up and greets all who come to the house, and he adopts special interactions for individuals, from curling up on my sister’s shoes (while she is sitting or standing!) to the vocalizations he uses with specific people.

Dubious went with us when we were in production on the Rayden Valkyrie TV Pilot, where he won over many members of the cast and crew such as photographer and drone operator Jason Young, pictured below.

He even inspired one of the characters in my latest novel Dream of a Navigator, as a recent sharp-eyed reader caught.

Dubious is, in every way, family to me, and he has become a big part of me.  I love this cat dearly and so many worries went through my mind when I saw him take a sharp downturn in health about a week and a half ago.

He stopped drinking, eating, and became lethargic.  He also started going to the litter box non-stop.  I could tell that he was sick and in pain.

After immediately getting him to the veterinarian, we learned that he had an infection and that he also had a major blockage of his urinary tract.

We ran a course of antibiotics, got him relieved with a catheter, and the plan was to push the crystals/stones that were detected out of his tract and then dissolve them.  What followed became a harrowing pattern of bringing him home, having him block up, taking him back to the veterinarian, including overnight stays, with more anesthesia, catheters, and treatments.

We did everything we could to care for him on our end, from making sure he got all his meds to making certain that either myself or Holly was with him to keep a watch on his behavior.

He blocked up again bad on Friday night, and this time when we went to the veterinarian it was revealed that he had brought up everything in his bladder into his urinary tract.  It also was revealed that these were of the kind of crystals/stones that do not dissolve.

At this point, the bills had run up to almost $2,000.   At that juncture, it was already an emergency situation for us, on a personal level, financially.  Holly had created the support campaign just on this situation alone..

We were left with only one option after the discovery of the severely blocked urethra and non-dissolvable stones..  He had to get surgery.

We were sent over to MedVet in Lexington, which is a top line facility with advanced surgery capabilities.  The surgery needed for Dubious requires a rerouting of the urethra, and the surgeon on hand Saturday did not feel comfortable with the procedure.

The surgeon needed would be available on Monday.    The hospital stay between Saturday to Monday alone has added almost $1500 more to the bill.  The surgery Monday is going to be another $4,000.  They have no payment plans.

Dubious can be returned to full health and a full quality of life, but if he does not get this surgery, he cannot survive.

This has blindsided us and it is an overwhelming amount.  We have had a very trying couple of years after suffering a big hit holding one of our projects in place when one of the principle financiers failed to come through after everything had been set in place.  Because of that situation, I had to give up being a homeowner, among other sacrifices.  We stood by our commitments and the project, and honored what we set out to do, but it put us in a very tight, precarious position, one that we have been working very hard to come out of, in a long, slow process.

We live in a very frugal manner to get by, even before that happened.  We’ve been disciplined in keeping our cost of living as low as we possibly can. Among a few examples I can cite: I have no health insurance, I drive old vehicles that are paid for, which keeps insurance and taxes lower. I haven’t had a real vacation in well over seven years.

I’m not complaining about any of this, it is part of the price you have to pay to pursue a creative career and I chose that more austere path.  But I say this to make it clear that we are in no position to get hit with such bills, suddenly and unexpectedly, that are upwards of $7,500.

We will work hard to weather the storm, but we really need some help.  If you understand the love of family, you will understand why we have no choice but to pursue this surgery for Dubious.

We really have nowhere to turn to but our community, from my friends, to my readers, to strangers who I have never met.  I know it is a holiday week, but if you can find it in your heart to spare a little, even five or ten dollars, to help us try to survive this avalanche of bills, it would be appreciated more than I can express right now.

Please help.

To contribute to the campaign for Dubious, visit the link below:
Link to Help With Dubious’ Medical Costs

Cover Reveal and Announcement on New Print-Only Release, The Rayden Valkyrie Tales, Volume I!

A new announcement today on a print-only release!  Check it out! 

Cover Reveal for Across Desert Plains, a New Rayden Valkyrie eBook Novella!

Seventh Star Press is proud to reveal the cover art by Olivia Pro Design for Across Desert Plains, a new Rayden Valkyrie eBook novella by Stephen Zimmer! A Kindle pre-order window is now open for Across Desert Plains, which will be released in all eBook formats on Monday, November 19th!

Preorder the Kindle version of Across Desert Plains at the following link for just $1.99!  Delivered automatically to your Kindle device on November 19th!
Kindle Pre-Order Link

A stand-alone novella, Across Desert Plains is the fourth Rayden Valkyrie tale to be released, following Blood of a Queen in May, Winds of War in July, and The Sun’s Caress in August!  Fans of dark fantasy, sword and sorcery, and action-driven fiction will love this latest tale featuring an iconic, inspiring heroine!

Synopsis of Across Desert Plains: Only the foolish deem the desolate places of the world truly abandoned.

Journeying to the Kingdom of Thrakkia, Rayden Valkyrie encounters a large contingent of nomadic Barradans. Knowing the routes through the great desert expanses and the numerous dangers encountered within them, the rugged tribal people are also hospitable to strangers and they welcome her among them.

Heading westward to avoid becoming swept up in the ambitions of a bloodthirsty desert warlord, the Barradans have only one other individual among them who is not a member of their tribe; an enigmatic Hebrennan elder.

Mysteries soon unfold, and Rayden’s own life will teeter on the edge of an abyss.

Where no man or woman dwells, things with darker intentions and ravenous hungers can set root, grow, and cast a deepening shadow across desert plains.

Across Desert Plains is a stand-alone novella that is part of the Rayden Valkyrie Tales.

About the Author:  Stephen Zimmer is an award-winning author and filmmaker based out of Lexington Kentucky. His works include the Rayden Valkyrie novels (Sword and Sorcery), the Rising Dawn Saga (Cross Genre), the Fires in Eden Series (Epic Fantasy), the Hellscapes short story collections (Horror), the Chronicles of Ave short story collections (Fantasy), the Harvey and Solomon Tales (Steampunk), and the forthcoming Faraway Saga (YA Dystopian/Cross-Genre).

Stephen’s visual work includes the feature film Shadows Light, shorts films such as The Sirens and Swordbearer, and the forthcoming Rayden Valkyrie: Saga of a Lionheart TV Pilot.

Stephen is a proud Kentucky Colonel who also enjoys the realms of music, martial arts, good bourbons, and spending time with family.

Find Stephen online at:

Website: www.stephenzimmer.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/stephenzimmer7

Twitter: @sgzimmer

Instagram: @stephenzimmer7

A New Imaginarium 2018 Video Spot to Share!

Be sure to check out this new video spot for Imaginarium 2018.  It is a convention near and dear to my heart, that I founded 5 years ago.  It brings together storytellers and creatives with fandom and readers.  A very fun and content-rich event that is coming to Louisville, KY this October 5-7!   Visit the site for full info!

The Sun’s Caress, my Latest Rayden Valkyrie Tale, Available Today in eBook Formats!

Very excited to announce that today’s the release day for The Sun’s Caress, my latest Rayden Valkyrie Tale! Full press release is below! Pick up a copy today and help get this book off to a great launch!

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Seventh Star Press is proud to announce that The Sun’s Caress, the latest Rayden Valkyrie Tale by Stephen Zimmer, is available today in eBook formats! Direct links are below, and the price is just $1.99!

Pick up a copy in eBook format at any of the direct links below!
Kindle Link
Nook Link
Kobo Link
iTunes Link
Smashwords Link

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A stand-alone novella, The Sun’s Caress is the third Rayden Valkyrie tale to be released, following Blood of a Queen in May of and Winds of War in July! Fans of dark fantasy, sword and sorcery, and action-driven fiction will love this latest tale featuring an iconic, inspiring heroine!

Synopsis of The Sun’s Caress: At the edge of the world, far to the east, Rayden has joined with a band of pirates led by Timiko, the young widow of a great warrior revered for showing compassion and generosity to the powerless toiling in the fields and villages on the islands of Yamatainu.

When word arrives that a raiding fleet is approaching under the command of the pirate Fujimara, a man known for extreme cruelty and barbarity, Timiko and Rayden know that the villages throughout their region are in great peril.

Though greatly outnumbered, Timiko’s fleet sets out against all odds to confront Fujimara’s raiders.

The Sun’s Caress is a stand-alone eBook novella that is part of the Rayden Valkyrie Tales.

 

Cover Reveal for The Sun’s Caress, A New Rayden Valkyrie eBook Novella!

Today I’m revealing the cover art for the next Rayden Valkyrie eBook novella, The Sun’s Caress!  I think Rayden fans are going to be fascinated with this tale as it takes place much later in Rayden’s life and is set in a land far to the east inspired by ancient Japan. Be sure to pre-order a copy today so we can have a great launch on August 10th!

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Seventh Star Press is proud to reveal the cover art by Olivia Pro Design for The Sun’s Caress, a new Rayden Valkyrie eBook novella by Stephen Zimmer! A Kindle pre-order window is now open for The Sun’s Caress, which is set for release in all eBook formats on August 10th!

Pre-order the Kindle version of The Sun’s Caress for only $1.99 at the following link:
Kindle Pre-order Link

 

A stand-alone novella, The Sun’s Caress is the third Rayden Valkyrie tale to be released, following Blood of a Queen in May of and Winds of War in July!  Fans of dark fantasy, sword and sorcery, and action-driven fiction will love this latest tale featuring an iconic, inspiring heroine!

Synopsis of The Sun’s Caress: At the edge of the world, far to the east, Rayden has joined with a band of pirates led by Timiko, the young widow of a great warrior revered for showing compassion and generosity to the powerless toiling in the fields and villages on the islands of Yamatainu.

When word arrives that a raiding fleet is approaching under the command of the pirate Fujimara, a man known for extreme cruelty and barbarity, Timiko and Rayden know that the villages throughout their region are in great peril.

Though greatly outnumbered, Timiko’s fleet sets out against all odds to confront Fujimara’s raiders.

The Sun’s Caress is a stand-alone eBook novella that is part of the Rayden Valkyrie Tales

About the Author: Stephen Zimmer is an award-winning author and filmmaker based out of Lexington Kentucky. His works include the Rayden Valkyrie novels (Sword and Sorcery), the Rising Dawn Saga (Cross Genre), the Fires in Eden Series (Epic Fantasy), the Hellscapes short story collections (Horror), the Chronicles of Ave short story collections (Fantasy), the Harvey and Solomon Tales (Steampunk), and the forthcoming Faraway Saga (YA Dystopian/Cross-Genre).

Stephen’s visual work includes the feature film Shadows Light, shorts films such as The Sirens and Swordbearer, and the forthcoming Rayden Valkyrie: Saga of a Lionheart TV Pilot.

Stephen is a proud Kentucky Colonel who also enjoys the realms of music, martial arts, good bourbons, and spending time with family.

Find Stephen online at:

Website: www.stephenzimmer.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/stephenzimmer7

Twitter: @sgzimmer

Instagram: @stephenzimmer7

Winds of War, a New Rayden Valkyrie Novella, Is Now Available in All eBook Formats!

I’m thrilled to announce that my latest Rayden Valkyrie novella is now available in all eBook formats! Rayden fans are going to love this one!

My New YA Novel, Dream of the Navigator, Now Available in Print and eBook Formats!

Very excited to pass along the links and release day information for Dream of the Navigator, my new YA/Cross-Genre/Dystopian novel! Pick up a copy and begin the journey to Faraway!

New Rayden Valkyrie eBook Novella, Winds of War, Cover Reveal and Pre-orders!

Very excited to share some new cover art today and a the opening of a pre-order window for Winds of War, the latest Rayden Valkyrie novella! This one has some really massive scenes in it and even a culture based on ancient Sparta (though with a big twist!). Winds of War also features the first book appearance of the Thrakkian warrior Markos, a character who also appears in the TV Pilot (where he is performed by Nathan Day).

Read all about the new novella and if you are a Kindle user be sure to pre-order a copy today!

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Seventh Star Press is proud to reveal the cover art by Olivia Pro Design for Winds of War, a new Rayden Valkyrie eBook novella from award-winning author Stephen Zimmer! Winds of War is scheduled for release on Friday, July 6th, in all eBook formats, and a Kindle pre-order window is open now for just $1.99!

Pre-Order the Kindle version now for just $1.99 at the following link!
Kindle Pre-Order Link

 

A stand-alone novella, Winds of War is the second Rayden Valkyrie tale to be released, following Blood of a Queen in May of 2018!  Fans of dark fantasy, sword and sorcery, and action-driven fiction will love this latest tale featuring an iconic, inspiring heroine!

Synopsis of Winds of War: The winds of war are stirring.

The kings of Thrakkia and Samosia quarrel with each other as a wave of invaders from a powerful empire crashes upon the shores of the nearby Kingdom of Pargemon.

Having finished a harrowing mission aiding the Thrakkians deep in their mountains, Rayden Valkyrie understands the looming, perilous threat from the Astrian Empire. Without unity, none of the Griacan kingdoms stand a chance against the much larger invasion that Rayden knows will follow the conquest of Pargemon.

With time dwindling fast and the kings set on a course to weaken each other in battle, Rayden undertakes a bold mission. The fate of many lands hangs in the balance

Winds of War is a stand-alone novella that is part of the Rayden Valkyrie Tales.

 

About the Author: Stephen Zimmer is an award-winning author and filmmaker based out of Lexington Kentucky. His works include the Rayden Valkyrie novels (Sword and Sorcery), the Rising Dawn Saga (Cross Genre), the Fires in Eden Series (Epic Fantasy), the Hellscapes short story collections (Horror), the Chronicles of Ave short story collections (Fantasy), the Harvey and Solomon Tales (Steampunk), and the forthcoming Faraway Saga (YA Dystopian/Cross-Genre).

Stephen’s visual work includes the feature film Shadows Light, shorts films such as The Sirens and Swordbearer, and the forthcoming Rayden Valkyrie: Saga of a Lionheart TV Pilot.

Stephen is a proud Kentucky Colonel who also enjoys the realms of music, martial arts, good bourbons, and spending time with family.

Find Stephen online at:

Website: www.stephenzimmer.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/stephenzimmer7

Twitter: @sgzimmer

Instagram: @stephenzimmer7

My New Ragnar Stormbringer Novella, When the Cold Breathes, Available Today in All eBook Formats!

I am excited to announce that When the Cold Breathes, my latest Ragnar Stormbringer Novella, is available today in all eBook formats for just $1.99! This is an action-packed adventure in a deep winter setting that I know Ragnar fans are going to love! Pick up a copy today!

Get your copy of When the Cold Breathes at any of these direct links for just $1.99!
Kindle
Nook
Kobo
iTunes (will be live shortly)
Smashwords

 

A stand-alone novella, When the Cold Breathes is the second Ragnar Stormbringer tale to be released, following Depths of Night in April of 2018!  Fans of dark fantasy, sword and sorcery, and action-driven fiction will love this latest tale featuring an iconic hero!

Synopsis of When the Cold Breathes: There are times when the cold breathes.

Settlers from Ragnar Stormbringer’s homelands are forging a new world in the far north, building villages where the icy lash of the winds is a reminder of the dangers lurking within a harsh wilderness.

A season of great peril has fallen upon them. A fearsome predator stalks and hunts the settlers in the deep snows. As the deaths mount and terror spreads among the populace, Ragnar’s help is sought to confront the unknown menace.

Taking up his legendary axe Raven Caller, Ragnar heads into the falling snows. He will soon find that the myths told in the region have more than a little truth dwelling within them.

What lies in the cold embrace of death and darkness can awaken, breathe, and gaze through eyes of spectral light.

When the Cold Breathes is a stand-alone novella that is part of the Ragnar Stormbringer tales!