Life Can Be a Rude Distraction

Greetings My Friends, Family, and Followers,

As some of you know, I broke by leg. Here’s how. My wife was cooking with the broiler and that set off the smoke alarm. Repetitive sounds bother her, so I leapt to my feet and rushed to the battle. It wasn’t as grueling as John Hennery’s contest, but it was, nevertheless, man against machine. 

Dizziness struck as I reached up towards my target. Then a moment of vertigo turned my lights off and I went crashing to the floor in defeat.

When I came to, I was in pain, and I mean losing it pain. I was a twisted pretzel. Step by step, we worked to untangle the wreckage. My tibia was almost poking through my skin from a twisted diagonal break. That was all I was aware of as it screamed louder than other injuries.

Actually, I fractured my fibula close to the knee, strained both my bad knees, hit my head hard, and dislocated my thumb. By the fourth day, the rest of the strains and bruises became known. I was fuzzy headed and in bad physical shape. Yeah, I hurt, but most disturbing was trying to connect the dots in conversation and from moment to moment. Drugs or not, I was a mental basket case for more than a week.

Completing the anthology, “Eye of Prometheus,” was put on hold as was my promotion of “The Last Train.” I did good to get through my 2,000 + emails, but was not much of a conversationalist.

Twenty-five stitches later, both projects are beginning to reboot. I have reviewed my progress and have come to the present with a book cover to design, internal pictures to place, a short story to write, and do the final formatting and submission. Then I will have the job of promoting two books, and will begin writing a short story or two in yet another project under a different pen name.  

I’m slowly recovering and though I’m still sleepy from the trauma, my sights are clearing to pursuit my part in entertaining you.

Richard Alan – Author

::Bump:: Day or Night

http://bit.ly/1xSsoWh

2015 - A Year of Possibilities

Greetings All & Happy New Year!

I have spent more effort than expected wearing the salesperson’s hat. It is my first time, that is, after publishing “The Last Train.” Previously, I trusted my publisher to do the marketing according to our contract. That was a mistake and a failure. I was a newbie.

Now, I have kept my sales consistent by learning from my peers. There is still so much to learn. As a condition for a paid service, I also signed up with Twitter. That fed the email tyrant with a new source to draw upon. OMG!

Nevertheless, I am well on my way with the upcoming anthology of short stories. Barry Woodham, Wren Hartwood, and I have joined to make available stories new and old. I have collected stories for 3+ anthologies and organized the first volume. It is over 120 pages before formatting it and adding pictures, etc. The three of us chipped in title ideas and agreed on “Eyes of Prometheus. An Anthology of Fantasy, Science Fiction & Horror.” By the way, Prometheus stole fire/knowledge from the gods, which gives us a large playing field for our stories.

Now I am editing all the stories. Then I will pass the completed volume, by my conspirators with pictures and my cover design. With their approval, I will format the text and publish it on Amazon Kindle and CreateSpace. I hope to have it available in February.

I have personal publishing goals this year, and hope to complete three volumes of the “Eyes of Prometheus.” For those who have been interested in my progress with “The Rising of Julian Adams” and “The Rising” series in general, rewriting the first epic volume has burnt me out several times. That gave rise to my e-zine short stories and “The Last Train.” When it occurred to me that removing my vampire book from the marketplace, I had nothing representing me at the many booksellers, I saw it necessary to change my habits. 2015 will likely be a break from the series as I build up my public portfolio. 

As it stands, I have a wonderful network of friends helping me spread the news about “The Last Train.” I also have a plethora of stories to choose from for this years’ projects. Many stories, created for the late 1980s Twilight Zone TV series are at my fingertips. I only wrote four scripts out of the hundred + I had outlined. Three were accepted for production, and then the coming season was canceled. Rather than look at it as a loss as I did back then, I see them all as available ideas.

Therefore, there is a lot to come. Pray I do not surrender my time to social media related emails. My overriding desire is to bless you with my stories. Many voices fight in my head for written expression. Every one of them wants to sweep me away first. They are still under my control… I think.

Richard Alan – Author

::Bump:: Day or Night

http://bit.ly/1xSsoWh

The Show Must Go On

Today I started plotting my next short story that could easily become another novella. As planned, “Off the Grass” is intended for the Kindle collection I’m putting together with Barry Woodham of the “Genesis” and “Elf Wars” series, and possibly a guest writer. Within a couple days of writing, I should know where this new story will fit.

Meanwhile, email and promoting has been my focus. I’m generally bad at keeping up with my social networks, but I am very interactive to posts that come to my email. I’m a one on one and small group person. That’s why counseling fit so comfortably into my life. As a teacher, I prefer interactive teaching. Both activities are on hold due to reactive airways asthma that has left me unsure when I can say more words than coughs. That also killed my ability to continue performing my songs. Hey, I had a 30 year run and made many wonderful memories, friends, and supported several non-profit organizations along the way. I freely wrote songs just for the asking.

Well, the next two days I hope to be writing my next story for a few hours before jumping back into the cyberspace fray. I try to avoid the black holes, but they do blend in so well among the stars – my friends, colleagues, and luminaries.

Have a Beautiful, Loving Holiday Season! Peace and Goodwill to you All!  

Richard Alan – Author

::Bump:: Day or Night

http://bit.ly/1xSsoWh

Tugged, Twisted & Traversing the Post Publication World

Greetings All!
Through untimely computer crashes, purchasing a replacement, and having announced my book on Nov 21st, I was absent soon after the launch. Talking about freakout time, but I'm cool now. I'm slowly loading my programs on the new laptop as I have focused on my social networks. I'm still days behind in my email, but that's nothing new. It's just bad timing to be so torn whether to work from the oldest or newest. Therefore, I'm switching my attack every other day and hoping those lost in the middle aren't the most important. 1306 to go and I'm still optimistic? Yeah... Miraculous!

"The Last Train" has rolled out with and without me, and is gaining speed. I've had 4 great reviews and only one was from a close friend. I have many close friends yet to motivate. I thought Wren Hartwood's comment to me was most flattering, "Bloody Brilliant!" She's the one who also wrote a review. She's as excited as I am!

Now I have Links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/11HP8LN

Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/11nOhjz

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1FwEmqY

Amazon Canada: http://amzn.to/1FxOhuq

Euros: https://paperc.com/books/the-last-train/329289/cover1

           http://www.weltbild.ch/3/19857188-1/ebook/the-last-train.html

My Landing Page: http://bit.ly/1xSsoWh

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23575244-the-last-train

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RichardAlanRising

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Richard_H_Alan

LinkedIn: http://linkd.in/1CGLkcm 

I've been on Goodreads and several other social networks but have sadly neglected them, However, I'm new and doing good on Twitter. I was pleased to find it simple enough to wash away my apprehensions over joining another network. So, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are my most active networks.

Meanwhile, once the tyranny of email is under control, I am working on a collection of short stories by Barry Woodham and myself. We may also have a wonderful guest writer join us. Then, through 2015, I'll be working on shorter works for publication. I also know what I am doing with "The Rising" series. Book one is such a big epic that I have decided to split it into three parts in 2016, Then the other books in the series will follow. When I took it off the market I was overwhelmed several times recomposing "The Rising of Julian Adams." Writing short stories to refresh myself was a delightful breather. Many of them showed up in ezines, but are no longer available. Thus the coming collections will give them new life.

On this roller coaster life, I'm Joyous & Excited!

Richard Alan – Author

::Bump:: Day or Night

THE LAST TRIN HAS LEFT THE STATION!

My fortune is in friends and family, not circumstances, and I’m happy to say that its lack could not stop the wheels of time from grinding forward. Now, I’m mostly up and running on my laptop, and my novella came into the light beginning on my 61^st birthday, November 20^th, and hit Amazon and Barnes and Noble on the 21^st. I was really hoping for that since the publishing process overshot my plans for an October release. Wrought with problems and processes, which I had never done without a full-package deal, was more time consuming than I knew. We live, we learn.

Many of my friends have helped in my word-of-mouth, or look-of-type campaign, if you prefer, to shake up a small part of our world with the great announcement. I am so grateful to them all! You see, I’m not an entrepreneur, or advertising genie. I’m personable. Maybe the grand promotion designs will catch up with me. I’ll watch, but my goal is to entertain, not to overwhelm with ads.

Yes, I know. The more you sell, the more people you entertain. I don’t know how intensely the public wants to know how I shook the world, or how much they pant for my ads. I am to assume they do. This is the backbone of advertising. Bug potential buyers now or they may have to live less enjoyable lives. My product, I am to say, is the miracle cure for sadness.  

Do I believe in my product? Yes! “The Last Train” was such a delight to write. My characters pulled me this way and that, sometimes by the heart, and sometimes by the hair. I’m durable, but I felt every tug. At least they let me have the last two words: The End.

As most of my writing friends say, “I love creating something out of nothing, but I hate that advertiser’s hat once the party’s over.” We are wordsmiths. We have a gift to share.

My voice has spoken up again, not for my usual nonprofit causes, not for web pages and e-Zines that come and go, but back in the world of books; lasting, precious books. Alas, that cheers my heart and I hope to catch up many others with my prose; yours perhaps?

SYNOPSIS:

THE LAST TRAIN

By Richard Alan

In this short and witty novella, Jake traverses a treacherous path between heaven and hell to reunite with his beloved Bernadette. A vacation celebrating their Silver Anniversary goes very wrong, and so the bizarre journey begins. Jake’s premature death is the catalyst for this comical, suspenseful, and thrilling page-turner. Love is the fuel that empowers his resolute stubbornness.

“The Last Train” is a romantic comedy with a symphony of twists that defy an accurate genre classification. You will face the most unusual life-after-death situations throughout. Angels and demons fight, and crazy people roam the pages. Humor and horror face our sarcastic hero, labeled “heaven’s most wanted.”

It has been described as, “Laugh out loud funny” and, “Bloody brilliant!”

Like many small packages, it contains an amazing and memorable gift from Richard Alan to you. Only 99 Cents!

Amazon: http://amzn.to/11HP8LN

Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/11nOhjz

Thank You, to all my wonderful friends, and to new readers whom I have not met. Please, Enjoy!!!

The Last Train Is Rolling Again

Allegorically:

I followed a pine scented trail into rugged mountains. It began sweet with the submission of “The Last Train” to my distributor. Accomplishment shined like a sunrise. I purveyed the land from my perch on a ridge. It overlooked a valley surrounded by hills and mountain painted with three main landscapes: massive granite walls and peaks, the forest, and the snow clinging to high crevices. The morning fog settled below and revealed more of the living carpet of trees. It was majestic.

My assumption was for a pleasant journey in nature’s splendor. That was not what followed.

I stood and took a long breath of the cool, fresh air before continuing on the trail down the other side of the ridge. Storm clouds were approaching. I was prepared for inclement weather, so I continued towards my planned campsite. I had been there before and had hidden years of my written treasures in a chest. It was easy to remember where I buried it. My back would face an aged redwood tree, and seven steps towards the granite-cradled lake at the end of my box canyon retreat.

Knowing my destination was one thing, getting there was quite another. My jacket was retrieved from my backpack and on before I went to meet the storm. I kept the head cover turned down until I needed it and its drawstrings that pulled it close around my face.

The winds picked up in an instant, considerably stronger than expected. The tears of the storm began to fall all around me. High gullies quickly accumulated torrents of runoff water, mud, and rocks. My path was eaten away before me. I could not turn back to my iron steed. A bird told me it was gone. My backup steed, and my brother’s iron horse had all vanished in a day. Only my wife had hers and she was on a trip of her own.

The treacherous way ahead was becoming worse as the minutes passed. From the crumbling ground came a cyborg that knew all my codes and dependence on cyberspace. Its hand sparked and flashed like a welder’s torch and suddenly it produced my laptop. The other gripped a tree. I thought it held tight for stability during the storm.

It did the inconceivable. It crushed my laptop in its powerful hand and threw it to the ground. Then it ripped the tree from the ground and slammed it down, destroying anything left of my link to Cyber World.

I was trapped and looking up at the towering cyborg. It reached for me and upon its touch, I was suddenly inside an unlit box. It wasn’t a coffin but confined me in a small cube. I could not stand, I could barely breathe, and my body was racked with pain.  

*******

Celebrating was robbed from me. My rainy day savings vanished. Two cars broke down, one will never serve me again. My brother’s motorcycle starter went out in the absence of a kick-starter as I once had long ago. My laptop died, and my new laptop was delivered. That had the potential for a happy thought so I could fly again. Then the simplest setup projects failed at every turn.

I spoke with strangers who charged hundreds of dollars to fix the problems. The first program run on it to do an easy transfer and setup gave my new laptop a limp before it could even walk. Days passed into weeks. My car took three weeks to repair due to distant parts on order. My world crashed in around me and I could not escape. I was cut off.

Seasons come and go, and I hope this one is behind me. I finally proofed the formatted version of my book today, and it will be out in a matter of days at least on Kindle and Barns & Noble. I checked it on Adobe Digital Editions, which reads Epub. I trust I will see the sunrise again.

Glad to be Back

Greetings Family, Friends, and Fellow Writers & Readers!

A long, long, long time ago…

Short stories were rolling off my fingers like little drops of horror. Science fiction, apocalypse, ghosts, demons, terrestrial dystopian, and alien invaders roamed my pages. Letting this blog rest for seven months lent time to continue in my authorial insanities.

Many of my author friends also have voices in their heads. For us, we consider it quite normal as some well-behaved characters unsuccessfully scream and yell to drive the strange and terrible ones away. Yes, we bear the weight of our worlds on our shoulders, and work the puzzles of chaos until stories are born to entertain our readers.

A group of us concluded that coffee-stained teeth and premature balding was a consequence of our profession. The price of our time cannot be realistically tallied. Our paychecks prove many of us are the lowest paid professionals in the world. Fair wages are a hope, but for our reader’s sake, we sacrifice our sanity, our bodies, and our time. Call us word-weavers, wordsmiths, or just writers and authors. By any name, we proudly produce a kind of tangible magic for everyone’s enjoyment.

MY NEWS: I have shifted gears away from re-visioning my epic, “The Rising of Julian Adams.” Initial writing is an entirely different creature than rewriting. I am clearer on my mission by three finished drafts in “The Rising” series. I will take a fresh run through it at a later time. Not doing so now feels like I am abandoning my child. However, I have a strong love for it and cannot let it die.

“The Last Train” is a short novella that is due out as soon as I receive my copyright. Publication will begin with Kindle and grow from there into other platforms. It is a wonderful fantasy, adventure, comedy, horror, in which the sarcastic hero will do anything to reunite with his wife. The problem? He is dead.

Angels, demons, possessions, and crazy people roam the pages throughout this madcap journey. The driving force behind it all is love, but is love enough?

While I wait, I am also starting to compile a collection of short stories with Author Barry Woodham. He is a delightful Englishman with two science fiction, fantasy series available at most online bookstores. He has a wonderful imagination, and is well worth checking out.

Bless You All!