Um....Well...It's Been Almost a Month

I guess it's been almost a month since I've posted something on here. No, I haven't forgotten, time has just gotten away from me.

So, some news...
Once is pulled out of Kindle Unlimited as of midnight tonight....What does this mean for you? It means that there is a good chance that I am going to be running a month long free promotion. Now, I am not saying that Once will never be re-enrolled again, but for now....Yeah....

Once is also now out in paperback on Amazon...So, those of you who don't have an e-reader will now be able to read it.

Storytime...Ah, yes. Well, I am in the final rounds of editing and will hopefully have a publication date, review copies, and a summary out in the very near future. Keep your eyes out for that.

For now, here's a scene from Storytime. Enjoy!

Dak listened as his footsteps echoed off the empty hallways walls. It was about time the king had ordered him to do something about whatever was killing those poor people in the castle. It had been a few weeks now, but there had not been any sign of the monster.
He still could not help but to pause at every corner. He didn’t like not knowing what was out there. Plus, he wasn’t sure if this thing was even still within the castle walls. It didn’t hurt to look into this monster; the girl’s parents were insisting that whoever killed their daughter be brought to justice. They didn’t use the word human either when they begged the king of help. It really had been a sad affair. The girl’s parents should not have had to beg for help catching the killer; the king should had offered once he was aware of what had happened.
Dak paused at the end of the hallway, listening. Outside, the wind blew ever so gently, just hard enough to make it seem as if someone was crying. The little hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he listened to the wailing. It reminded him of the women crying as they learned that their husbands, sons, and lovers did not survive the Trelian mission and that they bodies were burned beyond recognition. The Healers had used dental records for some of the legions; some had yet to be identified. He hadn’t told Ryanon about that. She was worrying about far too much as it was and he hated to see her suffer.
Sure, he lived in a world of suffering, but there was something about seeing her in so much pain that really hit a nerve. She wasn’t a hero, but she was too important for him to see worry. She was supposed to cause pain, not experience it.
He listened. He had to get his focus on one thing and one thing only. There was a monster lurking in the castle-one that he was supposed to be finding. Letting his mind shift back to Ryanon was not him doing his job. Not only was it reflecting poorly on his job, it was also costing people their lives. A life was far more important than some damned job.
His eyes shifted around in the darkness. Why wasn’t there light in this part of the castle? It wasn’t like he was that deep within either. His hand went right to his sword as he slowly began to creep down the hall.
There was something about this that he didn’t like. He knew he should have brought someone with him, but there was no one else. He had insisted on doubling everyone else up and with their numbers down from Trelia, someone had be without a partner. If only his father had paid Irondrifter’s legions, then, he could call in a favour with them.
Outside, the wind kept on banging against the high up windows. Each bang sent Dak looking around for some kind of a source. He had to keep reminding himself that there was nothing up there. There was nothing around, only his foolish senses getting the best of him.
Dak listened, trying to make his hearing go beyond the normal sounding castle noises. He used to be so good at picking out what did and didn’t belong. Since his return from Trelia that had gotten to be rather difficult for him. It was like there had been something in the air that had messed with him.
It did feel like the world was spinning though. He grabbed onto the wall as he quickly blinked. The hall’s darkness did seem to be going around in circles. He shook his head. He normally did not get dizzy.
His head was actually pondering, like his brain was going to burst right out of his skull. His eyes, they burned; it felt as if chemicals were being poured directly into them. Groaning, he lowered himself down onto the floor, trying to get a clear grip on just what was going on. He found himself gasping for air, like it was going into his body, but not reaching his lungs. Sweat poured down his forehead, adding more sting to his burning eyes. He needed to get back to his feet, but it would not do him any good to try. He was far too weak.
Dak stared down at the floor as he tried to blink out whatever was in his eyes. It was next to impossible to see through the burning tears and film coating his eye.
Then, he heard it. It wasn’t loud at first, but there was no mistaking it. It sounded like a chair was being pulled across the floor, but the screeching was even louder. It was far worse than nails being ran across a chalkboard. It was coming closer...It was going to get him and he couldn’t move.
He tried to push himself up to his feet, but couldn’t. Every time he kept on pushing up, he only ending up collapsing on his side. He cursed-his legs were nothing more than jelly. Again and again he tried to get to his feet, but nothing happen. A few times he actually managed to get almost upright, but at the very last possible second, his legs would give out.
The scarping was closer now. He tried to see through his burning eyes, but couldn’t see anything besides shapes. He looked around, but couldn’t make out far enough to see anything. He wiped his eyes again; it only opened his vision up just a little bit.
There!
Coming down the hall was a rather hulking shape. He couldn’t make out for sure what it was, but whatever it was, it was big. It seemed to be dragging its back leg, grinding along the floor with a loud scarping sound. It was bigger than he was, that much was very clear. Its unblinking eyes trained on him for a brief second, but didn’t come closer.
Dak tried to reach for his sword, which at some point had fallen out of his hand. His fingers closed around the cold steel, but he couldn’t make his fingers close around it. He tried and tried, but like his legs, his fingers would not properly work.
The shadow just stared, unmoving at him. Why wasn’t it coming any closer? Why was it just watching him, toying with him? Why didn’t it just kill him already?
“Come on, come on,” Dak muttered as he once again tried to grab the sword. It he couldn’t stand, then he just had to get the sword. It would give him some kind of self-protection. He couldn’t be helpless.
The shadow bared its teeth at him. They weren’t as long as he thought they would had been, but they were still pretty sharp looking. If they were to find their way into him, it would certainly do some serious damage. Plus, there were rows and rows of them. He had never seen that many teeth in a creature. Each one reminded him of a very sharp razor.
He could feel his fingers almost curl around his sword. He had to get away from this shadow. A foul scent burned at his nose. This was just what he needed, for his senses to completely fail him. He could feel it burning right at him, feel the cells inside his nose slowly start to die. He gagged at the smell of decay-it was the most rotten kind of decay that he had ever smelled. It was far worse than anything he had ever experienced on the battlefield.
Come on...Come on....He looked back at the shadow, which was still just watching him. Why didn’t it finish him off already? Why was it just toying with him?
He flexed his fingers. They seemed to be regaining some kind of control to them. While it wasn’t much, it certainly was a far cry from what he had had just a few seconds ago. Maybe he could use his legs now.
He pushed himself upwards, using the wall as support. He could feel his knees shaking beneath his weight; he felt like a newborn foal trying to take its first steps.
“Yes!” Dak screamed as he not only managed to get to his feet, but secure a strong grip on the sword. The rest of his senses were actually returning to normal. It felt so good to be back in control of his body.
He turned back toward the shadow, only to find himself staring at an empty space.
He looked around, only to find all signs of the shadow gone. This wasn’t right. He knew it had been there just moments ago. He may had lost temporary use of most of his senses, but he was pretty sure that his vision and hearing had worked through that whole little spell.
He moved into the centre of hall, kneeling down right where the shadow had been. However, he quickly realized that it would not do him any good look too much into it. There was nothing here.
It was as if the shadow had not existed, as if it had all been in his head.