Stephen Drivick's Blog, page 2
March 15, 2018
A Little Something from Sometimes We Ran 4: Survival
Here's something from Sometimes We Ran 4: Survival Not responsible for any plot holes, bad words, or terrible grammar - it's very rough. :)
"As Lisa got into the clear, the zombie that was on his feet began to move. It caught our scent on the rain-dampened air, and turned to strike. Lisa, trying to keep our approach as quiet as possible, drew her knife. She stood, knees bent, watching the parking lot Red-Eye come to within arms length. Swinging the sharp blade in an upward arc, Lisa caught the zombie in the chest. She opened a huge gash all the way to it’s chin. The Red-Eye screamed in surprise and pain, then fell to the asphalt. Lisa didn’t kill it, but it was out of action. The Red-Eye was now on the ground, swimming in it’s own body fluids. We could move on to the bank.
Lisa turned. She had gotten too close, and experienced some blowback from the Red-Eyes’s grievous wounds. The creature’s blood, black as oil, was splattered across her shirt and up into her face. Lisa wiped it from her cheeks and neck. “Lovely,” she said.
“Like a baptism,” I said, handing her a fresh handkerchief.
A high-pitched squeal came from behind us. Lisa and I turned just in time to see another parking lot Red-Eye hit the ground with a bad knife wound. Ben and Big Tommy gave me a thumbs up after the kill.
“We better get inside before something murders us out here,” I said. No one argued. We quickly got into a single file, and got to the bank door on the double."
I'll finish it soon...I promise. :)
"As Lisa got into the clear, the zombie that was on his feet began to move. It caught our scent on the rain-dampened air, and turned to strike. Lisa, trying to keep our approach as quiet as possible, drew her knife. She stood, knees bent, watching the parking lot Red-Eye come to within arms length. Swinging the sharp blade in an upward arc, Lisa caught the zombie in the chest. She opened a huge gash all the way to it’s chin. The Red-Eye screamed in surprise and pain, then fell to the asphalt. Lisa didn’t kill it, but it was out of action. The Red-Eye was now on the ground, swimming in it’s own body fluids. We could move on to the bank.
Lisa turned. She had gotten too close, and experienced some blowback from the Red-Eyes’s grievous wounds. The creature’s blood, black as oil, was splattered across her shirt and up into her face. Lisa wiped it from her cheeks and neck. “Lovely,” she said.
“Like a baptism,” I said, handing her a fresh handkerchief.
A high-pitched squeal came from behind us. Lisa and I turned just in time to see another parking lot Red-Eye hit the ground with a bad knife wound. Ben and Big Tommy gave me a thumbs up after the kill.
“We better get inside before something murders us out here,” I said. No one argued. We quickly got into a single file, and got to the bank door on the double."
I'll finish it soon...I promise. :)
February 10, 2018
Sometimes We Ran 2: Community - 4 Years Published!
I have to admit, I didn't think I was going to write another book. The first one was tough - considering I didn't know what the heck I was doing!
But all these scenes kept coming to me, and I had to write them down. Envisioning scenes became part of my process. They stick in my mind, and I write stuff in-between to link them up. Pretty soon the scenes are on the computer screen, and you got a book. Easy, huh? :)
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To celebrate, Sometimes We Ran 2: Community will be available for the low price of 99c for the rest of the month. Enjoy zombie fans!
But all these scenes kept coming to me, and I had to write them down. Envisioning scenes became part of my process. They stick in my mind, and I write stuff in-between to link them up. Pretty soon the scenes are on the computer screen, and you got a book. Easy, huh? :)
******************************************
To celebrate, Sometimes We Ran 2: Community will be available for the low price of 99c for the rest of the month. Enjoy zombie fans!
December 22, 2017
Merry Christmas!
Hard to believe, but Christmas is here again. I don't know what happened to 2017. It just flew away! I hope everyone has a happy holiday, and a great start to 2018.
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To help fill up your new Kindle, phone, tablet, or whatever with zombie-goodness, my Sometimes We Ran zombie apocalypse series will be .99 cents until the new year.
Happy Holidays, Zombie fans.
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To help fill up your new Kindle, phone, tablet, or whatever with zombie-goodness, my Sometimes We Ran zombie apocalypse series will be .99 cents until the new year.
Happy Holidays, Zombie fans.
November 25, 2017
Sometimes We Ran 2: Community - 150 Copies Sold
Another small milestone today. Sometimes We Ran 2 got to the 150th copy sold. I didn't think I had a sequel in me, but I had a few ideas to make a book out off.
Thanks to all the fans who gave my work a chance.
Thanks to all the fans who gave my work a chance.
November 23, 2017
Happy Thanksgiving!
I am a big fan of Thanksgiving. A great day of food, parades, football, and sitting down with the family to count your blessings. Nothing like having your family around you to make you feel everything is right with the world.
It's also about the stuffing.
Peppridge Farm seasoned bread crumb stuffing in the bag, shoved into the turkey. Mom cuts in bits of celery and onions for taste, then puts two fistfuls at a time into the gaping maw of a fifteen pound bird. The juices of the bird mix with the seasonings of the stuffing to make a potent combo. It's both dry and moist, some parts crunchy with other parts a bit mushy to balance it out. All good, and usually gone by the end of dinner.
Sure, you can have stuffing any time of the year. The stuff from the box just isn't the same. :)
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To help with your holiday shopping needs, my Sometimes We Ran zombie apocalypse series (1,2, and 3) will be .99 cents until Cyber Monday 11/27. Happy Holidays, Zombie fans!
It's also about the stuffing.
Peppridge Farm seasoned bread crumb stuffing in the bag, shoved into the turkey. Mom cuts in bits of celery and onions for taste, then puts two fistfuls at a time into the gaping maw of a fifteen pound bird. The juices of the bird mix with the seasonings of the stuffing to make a potent combo. It's both dry and moist, some parts crunchy with other parts a bit mushy to balance it out. All good, and usually gone by the end of dinner.
Sure, you can have stuffing any time of the year. The stuff from the box just isn't the same. :)
**************************************
To help with your holiday shopping needs, my Sometimes We Ran zombie apocalypse series (1,2, and 3) will be .99 cents until Cyber Monday 11/27. Happy Holidays, Zombie fans!
October 28, 2017
Happy Halloween
The Christmas trees are going up in the local stores, so you know what that means. It must be Halloween!
In the spirit of the season, my Sometimes We Ran zombie apocalypse book series will on sale for the low (and scary) price of 99 cents. You have to hurry though. It's a Kindle Countdown deal, and it's fading fast.
Till next time. Happy HalloThanksgivChristmas to you all. :)
In the spirit of the season, my Sometimes We Ran zombie apocalypse book series will on sale for the low (and scary) price of 99 cents. You have to hurry though. It's a Kindle Countdown deal, and it's fading fast.
Till next time. Happy HalloThanksgivChristmas to you all. :)
September 30, 2017
Sometimes We Ran 3: Rescue - 100 Copies Sold!
When you don't sell millions of copies of your books, you celebrate the small stuff. Sometimes We Ran 3: Rescue made to 100 copies sold. It took a while, but it finally joined SWR 1 and SWR 2 in the club. It's also a bit of a relief. Most publishing experts agree that independent published novels rarely reach the 100 sold level in their lifetimes. Sort of glad all three of mine reached the milestone. There's hope for the future! :)
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Headed to Biloxi, MS for some rest and relaxation ...and gambling. :) I want to write at the hotel after the fun. I was preparing my laptop for the trip, backing up data and putting things (cords, chargers, back-up drives. etc) into my bag. It hit me that this was too much stuff to lug around, and now I had to babysit another bag with a fragile laptop in it. This was supposed to be a vacation, wasn't it?
I'm decided on another way to go. The laptop and bag is staying home. My Galaxy S7 Edge will substitute. All I need is the phone, Google Docs, a portable keyboard, and the quick charger to be able to write on the road. The phone screen is 5.5", so we'll see if my 47-year-old eyes can handle it. Just an experiment right now, but I'm liking the packing light thing.
Till next time...
10/08/17 - I have to say the experiment with just using my phone was a success. I managed to put down about 1200 words or so in the hotel room after a hard day's gambling and cruising. It was nice not having to worry about multiple devices and chargers, and getting some work done.
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Headed to Biloxi, MS for some rest and relaxation ...and gambling. :) I want to write at the hotel after the fun. I was preparing my laptop for the trip, backing up data and putting things (cords, chargers, back-up drives. etc) into my bag. It hit me that this was too much stuff to lug around, and now I had to babysit another bag with a fragile laptop in it. This was supposed to be a vacation, wasn't it?
I'm decided on another way to go. The laptop and bag is staying home. My Galaxy S7 Edge will substitute. All I need is the phone, Google Docs, a portable keyboard, and the quick charger to be able to write on the road. The phone screen is 5.5", so we'll see if my 47-year-old eyes can handle it. Just an experiment right now, but I'm liking the packing light thing.
Till next time...
10/08/17 - I have to say the experiment with just using my phone was a success. I managed to put down about 1200 words or so in the hotel room after a hard day's gambling and cruising. It was nice not having to worry about multiple devices and chargers, and getting some work done.
May 27, 2017
Sometimes We Ran - 4 Years Published!
Four years ago, I had a decision to make.
Sometimes We Ran: A Story from the Zombie Apocalypse was ready to go. The novel was written, formatted correctly, edited by a professional, and it had a halfway decent cover. Everything was uploaded and set to go off my hard drive into the real world.
But still my pointer hovered over the "Publish" button on my screen.
Would anyone buy it? Worse...would they buy it and hate it? Could I take the rejection? I wasn't a established writer. Would anyone take it seriously? I almost put the whole thing on hold.
But then I had a thought. No one told me I couldn't write. People may actually buy and enjoy my work. This writing thing was pretty cool, and I enjoyed the process. I had to let other people see my work. So I hit the button. My first book was live.
That was four years ago. Sometimes We Ran 2 & 3 have been written since then.I get some good reviews, and some not so good. Some zombie fans seem to like my stories. A 4th and 5th part are on the way.
I'm glad I pushed the button 4 years ago. This whole writing thing is still fun. :)
To celebrate 4 years in publication, Sometimes We Ran: A Story from the Zombie Apocalypse will be 99c for the next few days
Sometimes We Ran: A Story from the Zombie Apocalypse was ready to go. The novel was written, formatted correctly, edited by a professional, and it had a halfway decent cover. Everything was uploaded and set to go off my hard drive into the real world.
But still my pointer hovered over the "Publish" button on my screen.
Would anyone buy it? Worse...would they buy it and hate it? Could I take the rejection? I wasn't a established writer. Would anyone take it seriously? I almost put the whole thing on hold.
But then I had a thought. No one told me I couldn't write. People may actually buy and enjoy my work. This writing thing was pretty cool, and I enjoyed the process. I had to let other people see my work. So I hit the button. My first book was live.
That was four years ago. Sometimes We Ran 2 & 3 have been written since then.I get some good reviews, and some not so good. Some zombie fans seem to like my stories. A 4th and 5th part are on the way.
I'm glad I pushed the button 4 years ago. This whole writing thing is still fun. :)
To celebrate 4 years in publication, Sometimes We Ran: A Story from the Zombie Apocalypse will be 99c for the next few days
January 24, 2017
From Sometimes We Ran 4: Survival
Warning: This is a passage from a rough draft. Not responsible for misspellings, plot holes, odd phrases, or extra cursing.
I was tiring. My old body was giving up. I wouldn't be able to hold on much longer. Scaly, smelly arms reached between the bars. They wrapped around Sam's neck, chest, shoulders, and even his clean-shaven chin. He cried out again, starting to panic. All the Red-Eyes remaining outside our home were engaged now. They crowded in seeking a meal of tasty flesh. They poked their evil faces into the bars, twisting the slack mouths of the dead into nightmare grins. The sound of jaws snapping drowned out the cries and screams of the living. I let Sam go, and fired my gun into the crowd. The hollow points I loaded this morning destroyed the skulls of the nearest Red-Eyes, but they just kept coming. The red eyes of the attackers glowed in the shadow of the gate. Sam's arm twisted, and their was a horrible crunching noise. I closed my eyes.
I knew what that sound meant. I had heard it too many times before.
With one final heave, we pulled Sam from the gate. It happened so quickly, we wound up on our backs on the hard asphalt. Sam rolled over onto his knees, then stood up. I got to my feet. There was something I had to do.
It wasn't clear at first if Sam was even hurt. He turned around, and said, “I'm okay....I'm okay.”
I looked at the ground beneath Sam's feet. A few drops of blood hit his shoes, then it became a torrent. Sam raised his left hand. Where his two middle fingers should have been, was now a bite wound almost past his knuckle. It was bleeding like a fountain, but that was the least of his troubles.
Sam began to scream, grabbing his hand in agony. We all froze in terror, knowing what was coming next. Claire tried to go to him, but I stopped her.
Sam walked along the gate, wailing at his destroyed hand. The bleeding was actually slowing down, but that was not a good sign. We followed along waiting for the next step. Maybe he wouldn't turn. Maybe not enough parasites had transferred to his blood to complete the process.
Maybe.
Sam turned towards us, left hand held up. “Look,” he said, tears showing in his eyes. “I'm okay … really, I'm okay. It's not going to happen.”
Something like a cramp racked his body, and he fell to the ground. The screaming was getting worse and louder. Sam grabbed his head, and let out a scream that raised goosebumps. He put his head on the ground, and his breathing started to rasp. Sam was dying.
I walked over, and pointed my gun at the back of Sam's head. He reached out, and touched my foot. “I'm okay,” he said in a raspy tone. He looked up at me. Sam's eyes were almost vibrating, and turning a deep maroon color. His lips and skin were going pale and lifeless,.His breathing was coming in ragged gulps. “I'm okay,” Sam said again, in a voice barely above a whisper.
I pulled the trigger, and Sam fell, face first to the asphalt. His arms outstretched like he was begging for help. Blood and brain matter leaked into the street. I kept the gun trained on the corpse to make sure the job was finished. The defenders of Cannon Field stood around me in silence. Even the dead outside the gate went quiet in witness of my act of mercy.
Sam, or the living corpse of Sam, wasn't quite done yet.
I'll finish it soon, guys. I swear. :)
I was tiring. My old body was giving up. I wouldn't be able to hold on much longer. Scaly, smelly arms reached between the bars. They wrapped around Sam's neck, chest, shoulders, and even his clean-shaven chin. He cried out again, starting to panic. All the Red-Eyes remaining outside our home were engaged now. They crowded in seeking a meal of tasty flesh. They poked their evil faces into the bars, twisting the slack mouths of the dead into nightmare grins. The sound of jaws snapping drowned out the cries and screams of the living. I let Sam go, and fired my gun into the crowd. The hollow points I loaded this morning destroyed the skulls of the nearest Red-Eyes, but they just kept coming. The red eyes of the attackers glowed in the shadow of the gate. Sam's arm twisted, and their was a horrible crunching noise. I closed my eyes.
I knew what that sound meant. I had heard it too many times before.
With one final heave, we pulled Sam from the gate. It happened so quickly, we wound up on our backs on the hard asphalt. Sam rolled over onto his knees, then stood up. I got to my feet. There was something I had to do.
It wasn't clear at first if Sam was even hurt. He turned around, and said, “I'm okay....I'm okay.”
I looked at the ground beneath Sam's feet. A few drops of blood hit his shoes, then it became a torrent. Sam raised his left hand. Where his two middle fingers should have been, was now a bite wound almost past his knuckle. It was bleeding like a fountain, but that was the least of his troubles.
Sam began to scream, grabbing his hand in agony. We all froze in terror, knowing what was coming next. Claire tried to go to him, but I stopped her.
Sam walked along the gate, wailing at his destroyed hand. The bleeding was actually slowing down, but that was not a good sign. We followed along waiting for the next step. Maybe he wouldn't turn. Maybe not enough parasites had transferred to his blood to complete the process.
Maybe.
Sam turned towards us, left hand held up. “Look,” he said, tears showing in his eyes. “I'm okay … really, I'm okay. It's not going to happen.”
Something like a cramp racked his body, and he fell to the ground. The screaming was getting worse and louder. Sam grabbed his head, and let out a scream that raised goosebumps. He put his head on the ground, and his breathing started to rasp. Sam was dying.
I walked over, and pointed my gun at the back of Sam's head. He reached out, and touched my foot. “I'm okay,” he said in a raspy tone. He looked up at me. Sam's eyes were almost vibrating, and turning a deep maroon color. His lips and skin were going pale and lifeless,.His breathing was coming in ragged gulps. “I'm okay,” Sam said again, in a voice barely above a whisper.
I pulled the trigger, and Sam fell, face first to the asphalt. His arms outstretched like he was begging for help. Blood and brain matter leaked into the street. I kept the gun trained on the corpse to make sure the job was finished. The defenders of Cannon Field stood around me in silence. Even the dead outside the gate went quiet in witness of my act of mercy.
Sam, or the living corpse of Sam, wasn't quite done yet.
I'll finish it soon, guys. I swear. :)
October 29, 2016
Milestones
To tell you the truth, I don't sell a whole lot of books. They do sell a few each month, but I'm not a bestseller ...yet.
Even though I'm not a full time author making a living off my books, I do like to celebrate the occasional milestone. Sometimes We Ran just passed 300 copies sold, and Sometimes We Ran 3: Rescue just crossed the 50 copies sold line. It's pretty much a drop in the bucket compared to some authors. Considering I didn't think I'd sell any, I'm jumping for joy. :)
Pages read under the Kindle Unlimited program also reached a milestone of sorts – 20,000 pages. Kindle Unlimited is a controversial subject with some authors (and readers), but it's worked out so far. My zombie tales will be staying in KU for the foreseeable future.
And now, to throw some self-promotion in this blog entry, all three of my zombie novels will be 99 cents until Halloween. Scary books at scary low prices. :) Maybe I can boost those numbers.
Till next time ...
I guess Sometimes We Ran 2: Community didn't want to be left out of all the milestones. It hit 100 copies sold after this entry came out. I'm almost relieved ...most experts say most self-published books don't sell 100 copies. I always feel better when they get to 100 copies.
Even though I'm not a full time author making a living off my books, I do like to celebrate the occasional milestone. Sometimes We Ran just passed 300 copies sold, and Sometimes We Ran 3: Rescue just crossed the 50 copies sold line. It's pretty much a drop in the bucket compared to some authors. Considering I didn't think I'd sell any, I'm jumping for joy. :)
Pages read under the Kindle Unlimited program also reached a milestone of sorts – 20,000 pages. Kindle Unlimited is a controversial subject with some authors (and readers), but it's worked out so far. My zombie tales will be staying in KU for the foreseeable future.
And now, to throw some self-promotion in this blog entry, all three of my zombie novels will be 99 cents until Halloween. Scary books at scary low prices. :) Maybe I can boost those numbers.
Till next time ...
I guess Sometimes We Ran 2: Community didn't want to be left out of all the milestones. It hit 100 copies sold after this entry came out. I'm almost relieved ...most experts say most self-published books don't sell 100 copies. I always feel better when they get to 100 copies.
