Do you have a favorite fall memory linked to a train? What do you imagine you would see if you were riding a train in the fall? Join the authors of Wild CHild publishing and Freyas Bower as we Take an Autumn Train Ride through our blogs.

Prizes will include

• Four $50 gift certificates (two for Wild Child and two Freya's Bower)
• An awesome swag package that includes:
• Bookmarks
• Books
• Wild Child T-shirt and mug
• Wild Child and Freya's Bower bags
• Four handmade, crochet coasters by Kit Wylde
• An autographed copy of Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire
• A rare DVD copy of the Matheson/Furst classic "Up The Creek" (lovingly used)
• One ebook copy of Nita Wick’s short story, The Dream (previously published as part of a Freya's Bower anthology.)
• Book trading cards
• Signed Dangerous Waters poster
• of "Battle for Blood: The Blood Feud"
• winner's name as a character in Kissa Starling’s next sweet romance story.
• A Yankee Candle
• more...

A Jump In The Fall

Patrick Royal

     It was the fall of 1984, and I had just graduated high school in May. I was indecisive of what I wanted to do, as most young men and women were after starting "the very first day of the rest of your life". I had searched for jobs, but I had to face the best I was going to get was minimum wage; back then was only $4.oo an hour at best.

     Back in the latter part of the twelfth grade year, a Marine recruiter came to our school and spoke about the benefits of joining. I still had the pamphlets he handed out and after a bit of consideration, I thought I'd give it a try.

     I hopped the train one morning in Gary, Indiana bound for Downtown Chicago. I grabbed an empty seat and peered out the window. This was my first time traveling on a train and going to the big city of Chicago, so I didn't really know what to expect. I have to admit that I was a bit nervous, especially being by myself.

     The train jolted forward, eased off, and jolted forward, continuing to zip down the track. The outside scenery floated by like if on a carousel but not as smooth of a ride. Now that the unit was moving, it gained speed with each passing moment. The train whipped by street poles, cars, people, buildings, and intersections.

     The view outside my window was interesting. Copper color leaves crunched and blew up and away from the bottom of the train, soaring into the air from the powerful gust. Trees that we passed were filled with red, yellow, and copper leaves. Many held some of each color while others had all of one.

     Halfway to my destination, the train jolted forward, nearly throwing me and the other passengers out of our seats. To my surprise, an object looking like a huge ragdoll shot out from under the train on the side I was sitting on and flew away from the track. A loud swish of air sounded, and the train jolted forward, slowing to a stop. Rumors instantly spread that a child got ran over while playing on the tracks. We learned later that a man jumped off a light pole and in front of our moving train. 

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Please visit these sites for more chances to win, the more you visit the more chances you have to win. We have 46 participating authors. You can stop at as many or as little blogs as you wish. At each stop, you will find either two chances to enter per blog to win some awesome prizes. If you visit all, that's 92 chances to win! There will be five, lucky winners.

Take the Blog Train and Visit These Blogs for more chances to win
Marci Baun/Kit Wylde Critters at the Keyboard Teresa D'Amario Judith Leger, Fantasy and Comtemporary Romance Author Writing The Fictional World of Jaime Samms Follow Where the Path will Take You The Wandering Mind of Lizzy P. Bellows Where Love and Magic Meet Kissa Starling Marianna Heusler Hell's Ambrosia C.M. Michaels The Shadow Portal The Blog Zone Blog By iMagine Ardyth DeBruyn Author Blog Shadows of the Past Dear Reader Cassie Exline -- Mystery and Romance Sarcastic Rambling & Writing That's What I Think Sue's Random Ramblings Make Old Bones Elements of Mystery Molly Dean's Blog Kenzie's Place The Forbidden Blog David Huffstetler Cassandra Ulrich Carol Marvell Andrew Richardson Nick Lloyd Fiddleeebod -- land of stories Nita Wick's Blog Ruth G. Too Poor for Texas Jenn Nixon City of Thieves Musings and Doodles Husein The Western Writer Bike Cop Blog The Character Depot Allen Currier Tracy Holohan

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Why I Love Stephen King

When you hear horror or think of horror, what’s the first name that pops in most people’s mind? Stephen King, right? Why do you think that is? The answer is obvious. There are few authors who can compare when it comes to his skill, number of books written and sold.

I love King’s writing and continue to be a faithful reader. He has that way of writing about something that we all can relate to. Let’s take the book “IT”. Now, tell me after you read the title that a clown wasn’t the first thing that popped into your mind. Sure it was. To incorporate a clown into this story was brilliant. Why was this brilliant? Clowns are intriguing to children. They’re intriguing because they’re funny, faces are painted, and they carry balloons. King knew if he brought the clown to the story, the children would be drawn in. Once they were there, he unleashed the terrifying clown with razor sharp teeth on them. This book changed generations on how clowns are viewed. I have actually seen clowns when I was young that gave me the willies as most of you probably have to. That’s the relating factor. What about the bullies in the story? That’s something else I can relate to.

 

King is a masterful storyteller, even though the rational mind knows there’s nothing there, he makes my brain work. He has a talent for placing his readers into the world he creates, whether it is the backwoods of Maine, 1930’s prison, or a world entirely of his own imagination. His characters you will want to root for are placed in situations where they have to fight to live: he’s not afraid to kill off the good guys either because evil wins in real life sometimes.

When I read King’s books, it fuels my drive to write and strive to become a number one seller. I definitely want to follow in his footsteps.

Release of Mind Shadows I: Shattered

 

 

 

 

http://www.wildchildpublishing.com/horror-c-71/mind-shadows-book-1-shattered-p-433.html  

Mind Shadows: Book 1: Shattered

$4.99

Available August 14th!

by Patrick Royal
While you can pre-order, if you download prior to release date, you will get a placeholder file.
The only thing that multi-published, award winning horror author, Tom Elliot, wanted was to move to the country for a change of scenery and relaxation, to a quiet part of southern Illinois. It seemed he'd picked out a wonderful spot, miles away from the closest neighbor and even further away from civilization.
Tom couldn't write to save his soul. Weird thoughts trampled through his head and left him wondering if he'd made a mistake moving from Chicago. Could it have been that he ripped himself from his element, like his best friend, Michael Gully, had predicted? That he couldn't answer yet.
Words came and flowed like wildfire, but at what price? Tom's imagination was getting the best of him and running rampant. The very characters that he created tormented him, driving him mad where he couldn't distinguish fiction from reality.
Genre: Horror
Book Length: Novel
Word Count: 53, 387
Pages: 181
Price: $4.99
Formats: PDF, ePub, Mobi, HTML
To find other Wild Child Publishing books available by this author:

• Sleep Stalker

Newly Formatted Blog

     Hello, friends. Welcome to my newly formatted blog. Here you will be able to get the most updated news about me, my novels, and what I'll be working on next. In weeks to come, I'll be adding different things and more links to help you navigate around and through my blog. Please follow me. Thank you!

MY 10 LIST

What are 10 items on your bucket list?

1.       To become famous.

2.      To become wealthy.

3.      To become a number #1 seller.

4.      To meet Stephen King.

5.      Have 50 published novels.

6.      Go to Hawaii.

7.      To make a difference in someone’s life.

8.     To be able to stay home to write and make a living doing it.

9.      Have one or more of my novels made into a movie.

10.  Get back in shape.

 

 

Who are your 10 favorite authors?

1.       Stephen King

2.      V.C. Andrews

3.      Clive Barker

4.      James Patterson

5.      Mark Twain

6.      John Grisham

7.      J.K Rowling

8.   Richard Matheson

9.      Dean Koontz

10.  Robert Ludlum

 

What are your 10 favorite books?

1.       Sleep Stalker

2.      IT

3.      Salem’s Lot

4.      Flowers In the Attic

5.      Stand By Me

6.      Watchers

7.      Weaveworld

8.     The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

9.      Green Mile

10.  Shining

 

 

What are 10 weird things about you?

1.       I pick up extremely quick on things that I’m passionate about.

2.      When I get tired, I rub the top of my head.

3.      When I get tired of chewing a piece of gum, I’ll drop it into my cola to chew it later.

4.      I prefer cold spaghetti.

5.      I smother my pancakes with country gravy.

6.      I can’t wear shorts in tall grass.

7.      I have to check my email every hour on the hour.

8.     I must crack my neck and knuckles when I first wake up.

9.      I’m very impatient.

10.  I have to lay on the floor at least 5 minutes with my German Shepard after work.

 

 

If you were stranded on an island what 10 things would you most want with you?

1.       Laptop or computer.

2.      books

3.      Food

4.      Cell Phone

5.      Eyeglasses

6.      9mm pistol

7.      Knife

8.     Radio

9.      Lighter

10.  Flashlight

 

What are your 10 favorite songs?

1.       Hungry

2.      It’s A Long Way To The Top

3.      Porn Star Dancing

4.      Make you feel my love

5.      Sweet Child of Mine

6.      Home Sweet Home

7.      Regulators

8.     More Than A Feeling

9.      Hotel California

10.  Shoot To Thrill

 

What are your 10 least favorite foods?

1.       Brussels Sprouts

2.      Hot Dogs

3.      Cabbage

4.      Cheesy Macaroni

5.      Collard Greens

6.      Spam

7.      Anchovies

8.     Clams

9.      Oysters

10.  Corn Dogs

 

What 10 things absolutely drive you insane?

1.       Getting behind an old person: walking or driving.

2.      Someone that doesn’t turn out the light when they leave a room.

3.      A loud TV

4.      A messy house

5.      A person using stacks of coupons in checkout lane.

6.      Driving in bad weather.

7.      Someone to talk to me while I’m writing.

8.     Talking on the phone.

9.      Satellite going out when it rains.

10.  Vehicle breaking down.

 

Name 10 people you wish you met.

1.       Stephen King

2.      John Belushi

3.      Michael Dunkan

4.     John Candy

5.      Bruce Lee

6.      Alfred Hitchcock

7.      Rod Serling

8.     Chris Farley

9.      H.P Lovecraft

10.  Robert Ludlum

 

What 10 things do you most enjoy?

 

1.      Sex

2.      Writing

3.      Reading

4.      Woodworking

5.      Painting

6.      Working out

7.      Sleeping

8.      Browsing the web

9.      Listening to music

10.  Watching movies

TIT FOR TAT (Part 2)

A woman stepped out of the shadows.

Rachael scooted her chair backwards.

“Are you scared?” the woman asked.

“Why are you doing this?” Rachael asked whining.

“You should know that better than anyone,” the woman said and walked closer.

“But I don’t.”

“No. Well let me show you,” the woman said. She walked away from her and went to the television. Grabbing the cart with two hands, she pushed it closer to Rachael. “Tell me if you recognize the person on the screen.” She turned on the TV; a still picture of a man came on. He hung upside down, dangling from a chain.

Rachael gasped and cried.

“Yeah, you know who that is; Professor Jenkins and that would make me Mrs. Jenkins. Did you think I wasn’t going to find out about you two?”

“You don’t understand,” Rachael cried.

“Oh, I understand perfectly,” Mrs. Jenkins said. “You have your beautiful looks and age, but that’s not enough.” She slapped Rachael across the face.

Heat filled Rachael’s cheek and blood flew across the room. Her tears now mixed with the blood and streamed down her chin. “Please…”

“Please…, that’s probably what you told my husband before he took you to bed,” Mrs. Jenkins said. “I have a murder on this screen that you caused.”

“No,” Rachael cried harder.

“”Yes, you caused this. You seduced him and took him away from me. Now neither you nor I will ever have him.” Mrs. Jenkins turned on the VCR recording.

The tape played and displayed Mr. Jenkins hanging upside down. Mrs. Jenkins entered the screen carrying a cattle prod. She took it and stabbed him and sent electricity through his body. When he screamed, she poked him again.

Rachael lowered her head so she couldn’t see it. Her stomach got queasy.

Mrs. Jenkins came closer and yanked her hair back, bringing her face up. “Oh no, you’re going to watch.” She yanked her hair more. “I said you are going to watch. If you don’t, I’ll cut you eyelids off, then you’ll never be able to shut your eyes.”

On the tape Mrs. Jenkins probed her husband over and over. She badgered him with her words and shocked him unconscious. Her husband hung, swaying as she kicked him in the face and body, drawing blood. Hoisting her husband higher in the air, she took an old-time straight razor out of her pocket, opened it, and sliced the blade across his throat, slicing a big gash. His blood gushed from his neck.

Rachael barfed.

Mrs. Jenkins turned the VCR off and ejected the tape. “That’s just the beginning. Now that you’ve taken my husband from me, I’ll take your family from you.”

“Please, you need to stop. I didn’t seduce your husband. He made the move on me; he approached me,” Rachael pleaded.

Mrs. Jenkins slapped her. “Liar, you lying whore. You’re all the same. The next thing you’ll watch will be one of your family members dying. Oh, yes, you’ll watch it happen,” she stammered and walked away, leaving the TV’s static blaring.

“No, come back, please,” Rachael cried. A click sound echoed in the distance, and the light went out.

****

Rachael sat shivering. She had hardly slept. Her toes hurt and throbbed. She screamed, but her voice didn’t come out loud, only breathy. Her body ached too badly, and she didn’t have the energy. She wiggled her arms and shoulders in hopes of loosening her restraints.

The TV stopped buzzing.

Rachael raised her head, and the TV displayed a split screen like a two camera views; one was the outside of a building, and the other view was the inside of a building. A man walked into view of the outside screen. Who is that? She leaned her head towards the television. Dad?  The man reached the door, and his face was clearly displayed on the camera. It is Dad.

The TV volume rose. “Hello... Is anyone here? I’m here like you asked,” Rachael’s dad said. No one answered him back.

“Dad,” Rachael called out.

Her dad knocked on the door. “Hey, I‘m here. Where in the hell is my daughter?”

It was clear to Rachael that her dad was now outside of the same building that she was being held captive in. “Dad, go away, it’s A trap.”

Her dad opened the door and stepped inside.

The first camera view changed to view another room displaying a shotgun aimed at a door. A string was tied around the trigger, and the other end of the string was tied to the door. “No,” Rachael shouted. A door opened in the distance, and a cold breeze blew. “Dad?”

“Nope, it’s me,” Mrs. Jenkins said. “Your sweet dad’s up there on the screen. Yes, that’s live footage. I don’t even know what the outcome of that‘s going to be, but I can imagine.”

“You bitch.”

“Oh, don’t be so bitter,” Mrs. Jenkins said. “After all, you have it coming. I’ve experienced a lost and now you will too; it’s only fair.”

“No, he’s innocent. He had nothing to do with this,” Rachael cried.

“I’ve learned there are no innocent people. Oh, you better watch, you don’t want to miss what’s coming next.”

“Please, don’t do this,” Rachael pleaded and cried.

Her dad called out for someone. He grabbed the door knob and turned it. “No, Dad, don’t,” Rachael screamed. He stood in another empty room. She sighed heavily.

“Wow, that looked like a close one, huh?” Mrs. Jenkins chuckled.

Rachael cried harder. “Please stop, I learned my lesson.”

“No, you must feel a lost,” Mrs. Jenkins shouted.

A bright flash and a loud bang came from the TV screen. Her dad flew backwards.

“Dad,” Rachael screamed “You killed him.”

“No…like I said…you did,” Mrs. Jenkins said calmly. “You made all this happen. You killed your dad.”

Rachael slumped in the chair. Only thing that held her up was the rope that bounded her. She passed out.

****

Fire rose in Rachael’s cheeks. She opened her eyes to Mrs. Jenkins slapping her. She moved her head side-to-side, dodging the slaps.

“Wake up, Sleeping Beauty. We have the finale coming up,” Mrs. Jenkins said and switched the channel on the TV.

“What do you mean, finale?” Rachael asked.

“I just called your mom and told her that her husband had been in an accident. I gave her this address and told her she better get over here.”

“No, leave her alone.”

“I’m not bringing her here. Unfortunately, she’s not going to make it this far. What you and she don’t know is that last night I cut her brake lines. By the way, I believe she’s got your sister with her. You can watch them both crash and burn.”

Rachael cried hysterically. She lowered her head to her chest and balled.

“Quiet down,” Mrs. Jenkins said. “Pay attention or you’ll miss it. I said shut up.” She smacked Rachael on the side of her head. Walking behind her, she gripped her hair, jerked her head back, and put the point of a knife near her eye. “I said be quiet. You are going to watch this.”

The action played on the TV; it showed Rachael’s mom and sister in the car, leaving the garage. The camera view was shot from the back seat, fitting both of them in the view as they traveled.

“What did the phone call say, Mom? Is Dad hurt bad?” her sister asked.

“She didn’t say, Honey; just that he’s been in an accident,” her mom said.

They stopped at a red light. Rachael cringed and held her breath. The light turned green, her mom took off, and turned onto a curvy road with guardrails. Her mom tapped the brakes around the curves. She came to a steep hill. Hitting her brakes, the pedal went to the floor. Her mom’s face filled with panic.

“What’s wrong, Mom? Racael's sister asked.

“The brake pedal’s going to the floor.

“So we don’t have any brakes.”

“No, we don’t.

Rachael’s heart beat faster and so did her breathing. “I can’t—”

Mrs. Jenkins ripped back on her hair and stuck the knife’s sharp point near the corner of her eye. “You close your eyes, and I’ll cut them from their sockets,” she said and pressed the point harder against her skin.

Her mom and sister drove uncontrollably down the steep hill. They screamed and flew downward with no way to stop. Their vehicle gained speed, tail spun, and flipped end-over-end, landing on its top.

The camera grew still and showed Rachael’s mom and sister moving a bit. “They’re still alive,” she blurted and cried joyfully.  A hissing sound filled the air, and the car exploded.

“Ooh… that almost sounded like a happy ending,” Mrs. Jenkins said and laughed.

Rachael screamed uncontrollably and wiggled franticly in her restraints.

Mrs. Jenkins pushed over the TV cart and the set crashed on the floor. “I’ll leave you for the rats. They can clean your bones,” she said.

A click sounded and all of the power went off in the building. A door opened and shut. November air blew inside.

****

Rachael sat in the bitterly cold darkness. She shivered uncontrollably. Her stomach growled, and her strength faded fast. Every sound in the building made her panic and search in the darkness. In the distance, a door opened and then shut. The noise that followed sounded like something crawling; something with size. The sound inched toward her, but she didn’t have a clue on what it was. Her breathing quickened to the sound of grunting. Something grabbed her foot and she screamed.

“Rachael,” a week voice said.

“Dad?”

“I found you,” her dad said before making a gurgling noise.

“Dad? Dad? Dad? Dad?”

 

~END~