Weekly Goals - January 28, 2018

Still having a hectic time in life, and still attempting to meet my January goals. Time to recap how things have gone this week.

1. Complete 3250 words on Before the Dawn. - Didn't have a chance to write anything on this project this week.

2. Complete 5000 words on my "Demonkiller" WIP. - Didn't have a chance to write anything on this project either.

3. Work with Lyndon to plot out the last two novellas in the Max McCannor series. - Met with Lyndon this week, and worked out the primary plot for book two. We have a general idea where book three will go. Plan is to work on this in February and March, although we may shift to March and April if need be.

4. Write 625 words on a new Aston West short story.  - Exceeded this goal, with around 900 words written on my short story "Toll Road." Things are progressing on this one, although it may exceed the expected short story length I was going for when it's finished.

Now, my goals for the coming week (coming up on the end of the month as well):

1. Complete 3250 words on Before the Dawn.
2. Complete 5000 words on my "Demonkiller" WIP.
3. Write 625 words on a new Aston West short story.

Weekly Goals - January 21, 2018

Well, running a bit late on providing my weekly progress report. Sadly, things have been hectic in life for a week or two now, and just had time to work up the progress report tonight. Still attempting to meet my January goals. Time to recap how things have gone this week.

1. Complete 3250 words on Before the Dawn. - Right around 700 words on this one. Still need to put together a semblance of a plot, but for now, I'm 'freestyling' it, I suppose.

2. Complete 5000 words on my "Demonkiller" WIP. - Around 1000 words this week.

3. Work with Lyndon to plot out the last two novellas in the Max McCannor series. - Met with Lyndon again this week, but we still didn't sit down and hash this out yet.

4. Write 625 words on a new Aston West short story.  - Completed this goal, with just over 625 words on my short story "Toll Road."

Now, my goals for the coming week:

1. Complete 3250 words on Before the Dawn.
2. Complete 5000 words on my "Demonkiller" WIP.
3. Work with Lyndon to plot out the last two novellas in the Max McCannor series.
4. Write 625 words on a new Aston West short story.

Weekly Goals - January 14, 2018

Well, now on the second week of the month, and things are slowly progressing toward meeting my January goals. Sadly, between extra work excitement, and things getting back into the regular routine after the holidays, output was a little limited. Time to recap how things have gone this week.

1. Complete 3250 words on Before the Dawn. - Right around 800 words on this one. Not great, but better than things had gone over the past year or more. Still need to put together a semblance of a plot.

2. Complete 1750 words on a new Aston West novella. - Didn't even get started on this goal.

3. Complete 5000 words on my "Demonkiller" WIP. - Around 1200 words this week. It did take me a few more days than I had anticipated, though.

4. Complete 2500 words on my sci-fi suspense/mystery novel. - Didn't even get started on this goal.

5. Work with Lyndon to plot out the last two novellas in the Max McCannor series. - Met with Lyndon again this week, but we still didn't sit down and hash this out yet.

6. Write 625 words on a new Aston West short story.  - Completed this goal, with around 700 words on my short story "Toll Road."

Being as how certain goals seem to be languishing, I'm going to do some adjustments for the rest of the month (maybe I'll have a chance to catch up in future months). Now, my goals for the coming week:

1. Complete 3250 words on Before the Dawn.
2. Complete 5000 words on my "Demonkiller" WIP.
3. Work with Lyndon to plot out the last two novellas in the Max McCannor series.
4. Write 625 words on a new Aston West short story.

Weekly Goals - January 7, 2018

Well, it's been almost a week (give or take a few days) since I posted my weekly writing goals geared toward meeting my January goals, so time to recap how things have gone this week.

1. Complete 3250 words on Before the Dawn. - Was only able to get down a little over 1500 words on this one, but finished the prologue and am rolling on the first chapter. Still need to put together a semblance of a plot.

2. Complete 1750 words on a new Aston West novella. - Didn't even get started on this goal.

3. Complete 5000 words on my "Demonkiller" WIP. - Completed this goal, with just over 5000 words. It did take me a few more days than I had anticipated, though.

4. Complete 2500 words on my sci-fi suspense/mystery novel. - Didn't even get started on this goal.

5. Work with Lyndon to plot out the last two novellas in the Max McCannor series. - Met with Lyndon this week, but we didn't sit down and hash this out yet.

6. Write 625 words on a new Aston West short story.  - Completed this goal, with around 700 words on my short story "Toll Road" (which technically is a story that I'd started a while back. Eventually, I'll need to get back into plotting out some new stories).

And now, my goals for the coming week:

1. Complete 3250 words on Before the Dawn.
2. Complete 1750 words on a new Aston West novella.
3. Complete 5000 words on my "Demonkiller" WIP.
4. Complete 2500 words on my sci-fi suspense/mystery novel.
5. Work with Lyndon to plot out the last two novellas in the Max McCannor series.
6. Write 625 words on a new Aston West short story.

January 2018 Writing Goals

So, as I mentioned, I need to get back in the habit of setting goals, and then being held accountable to those goals. Those who've followed me long enough know that I used to do this, and it helped considerably more than whatever it is I'm doing currently.

So, here they are...my writing goals for the month of January:

1. Complete 13,000 words on Before the Dawn. This will require 3250 words per week, or a little over 1000 words per day, writing three days per week.

2. Complete 7,000 words on a new Aston West novella. This will require 1750 words per week, or 850 words per day, if I write two days per week.

3. Complete 20,000 words on my "Demonkiller" WIP. This comes up to 5000 words per week, or 1000 words per day if I write five days per week.

4. Complete 10,000 words on my sci-fi suspense/mystery novel. This will require 2500 words per week, or 500 words per day if I write five days per week.

5. Work with Lyndon to plot out the last two novellas in the Max McCannor series.

6. Write 2500 words on a new Aston West short story. This will require 625 words per week, which should be able to be completed in a single day.

So, these goals are a bit sport, especially since I haven't really kept myself in "writing shape" over the past few years. So, let's hope that I can keep things going.

I do plan on addressing my goals weekly, so for simplicity (rather than set up another post), I'll summarize this week's goals here:

1. Complete 3250 words on Before the Dawn.
2. Complete 1750 words on a new Aston West novella.

3. Complete 5000 words on my "Demonkiller" WIP.

4. Complete 2500 words on my sci-fi suspense/mystery novel.

5. Work with Lyndon to plot out the last two novellas in the Max McCannor series.

6. Write 625 words on a new Aston West short story.

Writing Goals for 2018

Well, 2017 wasn't much better than 2016 had been. So, I think some changes in process will likely be needed. So, I plan to get back into the weekly and monthly goal-setting mode that I was in back in the days when I had a bit more productivity. I also need to have a bit more specificity in mind with these, so that I can maintain the focus.

So, here goes:

1. Complete the first draft of my fifth Aston West series novel, Before the Dawn. I plan to finish this by the end of September, so that I can work on edits and hopefully have it out to the public by the end of the year.

2. Complete a third Aston West novella. I would like to have this finished in March, so that I can hopefully get it out in June (maybe in time for Smallville) and tide folks over until the next series novel comes out.

3. Complete the first draft of my in-work "Demonkiller" WIP. Hopefully I'll have an actual title for this soon, but I need to try and finish this by the end of March, so that I can work edits after finishing the MaxMcCannor novellas. My hope is to have this out to the public by the end of May, so that I can have copies available for Smallville in June.

4. Complete the first draft of my in-work sci-fi suspense/mystery novel. I don't anticipate this being finished anytime before the end of December, and will likely be a 2019 release.

5. Finish the final two novellas in the Max McCannor series. Lyn and I have discussed this, and our plan is to plot out the last two novellas in January, then complete the second novella in February and the third in March. Sporty!

6. Write six Aston West short stories. I would like to finish one of these every two months, and hopefully I can get back on track with my triple-shots (my most recent one featuring Sweet Embrace actually came out in 2015, sadly).

All in all, it's going to be a busy year, but I have a bit more confidence that my re-focus on goal-setting will help. Thanks to everyone who's purchased copies of my books, and I'm looking forward to bringing you even more this year.

2017 in Review

Well, things didn't go much better for me in 2017 than they did in 2016. Here's my chance at looking back at 2017 and my goals for the year, and see what I didn't quite accomplish.

So, here goes:

1. Plot out a fifth Aston West series novel and write at least 10,000 words on it.

I came up with a general idea for the fifth novel, preliminarily entitled Before the Dawn. However, I have barely written 500 words on the novel. Hoping to get a better chunk written in 2018.

2. Plot out a third Aston West novella and write at least 10,000 words on it.

Didn't get anything started on this one, even though I do have a third Aston novella out there from years ago that I could finish if I really wanted.

3. Complete the first draft of my in-work "Demonkiller" WIP.

Although I haven't yet completed this novel, I have had the most success with this one. I have just under 40000 words written on this story, and am hoping to be able to finish it up this coming year. One bright spot in an otherwise gloomy year, writing-wise.

4. Complete the first draft of my in-work sci-fi suspense/mystery novel.

I haven't really had a chance to work this one this year, with most of my attention on the "Demonkiller" manuscript. However, I do have around 4500 words written, which is more than I had in all of my Aston work this year. Again, hoping to put some time aside to finish this one in 2018.

5. Finish the next novella in the Max McCannor series.

Nothing was worked on this one in 2017, but Lyndon and I have spoken, and the hope is to finish up both the second and third installments by March, so...

6. Plot out the final novella in the Max McCannor series.

Same situation as above. Lyndon and I expect to get together in January to come up with our final plotting for this series.

7. Write six Aston West short stories.

Didn't get a single short story written. Another blog post for another time, but my motivation just hasn't been there for writing more Aston stories.

Well, I'm hoping to improve things in 2018. I do think that I need to get back into the habit of setting obtainable writing goals, and then sticking to them. Looking forward to setting out a 2018 goals post in the next day or two.

Testing Theories

So, as an engineer in my day job, it's basically mandatory that I run my life by data and analysis. For example, those who have followed the site here for many years have seen several posts covering sales figures, word count goals/accomplishments, and other such fun. Publishing is a business, so they say, and any business needs facts and figures to pore over.

At the behest of Candice Gilmer, I'm going to be testing out some promotional efforts during the month of December. We'll see how it goes. And then, of course, I'll have to come back and provide some results from the test.

Air Cap Day 2

Well, I was hoping that Sunday's outing at Air Capital Comic-Con would be as good, if not better, than Saturday's. And I was not disappointed.

Actually had more books sold Sunday than Saturday (by one book). Sold 23 books total, which was my best outing of the year. Surprising even myself, I had two people who ended up buying the whole 4-book series. But even so, I sold more copies of Heroes Die Young than anything.

So, Air Cap is now completed, and I look forward to returning next year. My next event is scheduled in February, unless something pops up between now and then.

In the meantime, if you didn't get around to catching me at this event, all of my titles are available at Amazon.

Air Cap Day 1

Sorry for the delay between posts (another post for another day). I'm trying to make a concerted effort to post more frequently, so we'll see how things go.

Yesterday was the first day of Air Capitol Comic-Con, and it was a blast. Always enjoy myself at this local (to me) convention. People really go all out on their costumes, and have a good time. Sales were fairly good, although most came in sporadic bursts through the day.

I always enjoy talking with folks about my books, although many times the conversation is rather formulaic. It seems to me that back in the days when I was first getting started, more people would ask questions like "How do you come up with ideas for your books?" or "How long does it take to write one?" But now, most are content to just glance over the covers, or sometimes pick one up and read the back blurb.

Perhaps this is indicative of our culture in general. My guess on this particular convention is that people just don't have a lot of time, and are trying to cram as much into a single day as possible. And that means not taking time to 'stop and smell the roses,' so to speak.

Or they just don't really find my books (or me) that interesting...

The jury is still out.

Writing Goals for 2017

Well, 2016 was pretty much a bust, as my recent recap more than demonstrated. Hopefully 2017 will bring a bit more motivation and a few more accomplishments than this past year. Not to say that I haven't done *anything* this past year, but most had nothing to do with my Aston West material. Even so, I think a few of these other projects will make it onto the goals for the coming year. And just to make things interesting, I'll add a few extra goals compared to prior years...

So, here goes:

1. Plot out a fifth Aston West series novel and write at least 10,000 words on it.

2. Plot out a third Aston West novella and write at least 10,000 words on it.

3. Complete the first draft of my in-work "Demonkiller" WIP.

4. Complete the first draft of my in-work sci-fi suspense/mystery novel.

5. Finish the next novella in the Max McCannor series.

6. Plot out the final novella in the Max McCannor series.

7. Write six Aston West short stories.

All in all, it's going to be a busy year. Thanks to everyone who's purchased copies of my books, and I'm looking forward to bringing you even more great stories in the near future.

2016 in Review

I don't imagine I'm going to accomplish anything in the next couple of days to make many changes to these results, so I'm now looking back at 2016 and my goals for the year, and see what it was that I completed...

1. Plot out a fifth Aston West series novel.

I've had a few nibbles of ideas bouncing around in my head, even before I finished All Good Things, but alas, nothing on the plot side. I've actually toyed with the idea of ending the series with this next novel. We'll see what happens this next year.

2. Finish a third Aston West novella.

This did not happen. I do have another novella out there that I'd like to try and finish some day...but I'd also like to be motivated enough to write some new material.

3. Publish my new Aston novel All Good Things.

This was actually one of the few things I did accomplish this year. If you haven't already purchased a copy, please do so (click the cover to head over to Amazon). It's a surprising thing, how motivation and sales are correlated...

4. Publish another Triple-Shot.

Sadly, didn't finish a single short story this year, so didn't get another Triple-Shot out.

5. Finish the next novella in the Max McCannor series.

Lyndon Perry and I have still not gotten any farther along on this project this year. We still have a few chapters written on the next installment, tentatively titled Runaway, but it hasn't gone anywhere.

***

Sadly, my motivation has been deep in the bottom of the toilet for most of the year. Hopefully, I have a turnaround this coming year...

I should be getting another set of goals put together for 2017 in a day or two.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, everyone! And now, with my gift for you, enjoy copies of my first two Aston West novels (Heroes Die Young and Friends in Deed) for free, for a limited time only.

Air Cap Recap

Thanks to everyone who stopped by the booth at this past weekend's Air Cap Comic-Con. Really enjoyed myself, and so did my table partner, Candice Gilmer. I especially appreciate all the love that was given to the first in my Aston West series, Heroes Die Young! Thank you all!

Air Cap Comic-Con

Had a great time at Air Cap Comic-Con in Wichita, Kansas yesterday. Looking forward to another great day today. If you can't make it out to the event this weekend, you can still pick up copies of my books over on Amazon. Enjoy!

July 2016 Update

As it's been about a month since my last post, figured I'd give a bit of an update.

Still running dry on Aston West stories, and I only have an inkling of a concept for book five in the series. So, in an effort to recharge the batteries, I've started looking at some non-Aston ideas:

1.  Book two in my collaboration effort with Lyndon Perry, in the Max McCannor series...tentatively entitled Runaway.

2. A sci-fi suspense novel set in a future-Earth system, wherein a defense attorney has to prove his client's innocence in a lunar colony murder, tentatively entitled The Dark Side.

3. A young adult novel with a teenager who is chosen to become the next in the line of religious "demonkillers," tentatively entitled Demonkiller.

So, there you have it. Things are still moving a bit slowly on these, but hopefully life will ease up a bit and some of these (as well as some Aston stories/novels) will get into a groove.

FALLEN Excerpt

I’d always had poor timing. So much so, that it didn’t surprise me anymore when things go wrong. Sitting before a communication beacon in the middle of nowhere, way off any normal transport route, I almost expected I’d have an unexpected visitor drop in. And sure enough, I wasn’t disappointed when a white flash filled my viewscreen.

The other vessel had all the looks of a pirate ship, with the blast-marked hull plating and barely operational lighting. But there was no reason anyone would try to set up a trap for unsuspecting victims here. This was a brand new communications beacon location, so most wouldn’t bother traveling here, not unless they were lost, or trying to steer clear of regular routes as I was. And if this ship was in fact trying to rob me, they would be sorely disappointed by the fact I had nothing in my cargo hold.

“No incoming transmissions?” I asked my ship’s computer, Jeanie.

“Nothing,” she confirmed. “The other vessel is approaching its listed weapons range.”

I had to assume that they were indeed pirates, and not very bright ones, for sure. “I’d better let them have the bad news.”

“Transmission channel open.”

I sat up a little straighter in my captain’s chair. “Whoever you are, I have no cargo.”

“They’ve entered weapons range.”

Still no response. I watched the ship approach and had a gut feeling to run screaming at me. Just before I tasked Jeanie to set an escape route and take us to hyperspeed, a window finally opened at the left side of my forward viewscreen.

And it was at that very moment I realized poor timing and horrid decision-making skills had nothing to do with this encounter.

“Jaysen Ro,” I muttered.

I’d thought I’d seen the last of those demonic eyes, pure and haunting blue lenses that filled both sockets. Even across the vast amount of space between us, I could almost imagine the stench of his breath as he spoke. His gravelly voice morphed into a snarl. “Miss me?”

“How’d you get out? You were arrested.”

“You can’t get rid of me that easy, scum.”

I quickly scanned the entire image of the other bridge. Two grungy males who barely looked old enough to be called men sat at a pair of forward control consoles. The rest of the room was empty, aside from Ro himself.

But this wasn’t the time or place for a reunion. “Jeanie, get us out of here!” I called out in a panic.

She mimicked my tone. “Hyperspeed system is offline. It appears to be a jamming signal.”

My opponent feigned a hurt look, sticking out a pouty, gnawed lip for emphasis. “You don’t want to hang out and play?” Then, he jumped up from his chair and pointed a long, fungus-infested nail at me. “Too bad, dead man!” And to his crew, he yelled, “Fire all available weapons!”

* * *

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Prologue from ALL GOOD THINGS

The lounge’s rancid stench was what you’d expect out of a hole that criminals scrambled into. With his medical background, John could make out the smells of urine, blood, vomit and various other bodily fluids and excretions, combined with cleaning agents that had tried and failed to win the battle. He pursed his pale pink lips tight, trying to hold his breath as long as he could between quick draws of air that made him gag. Fiddling with a small crystal wafer hanging from his neck, he looked across the booth’s table into the hazel eyes of his wife, Isabel.

She ran a tanned hand through her long black strands of hair, pushing them behind her petite ear. “I don’t like this place,” she whispered.

“Not much longer,” he attempted to assure her.

“Another moment longer is still too long.” She sighed deep, and broke their mutual stare to look off toward the doors they’d be using to leave later.

John had been second-guessing his decision to bring her along, ever since they left the transport to trek through this forsaken spaceport. He could almost pass off for someone intending to be there, as his Torian heritage gave him a near-albino appearance, aside from his bright blue eyes. He’d actually seen a few others of his kind while walking through the corridors, which he thought quite odd, considering his species had always been known for staying close to home. He, on the other hand, was nothing like the rest of his people. He’d ventured out into the universe to make his own way. And now, he was delving into a life of crime and profiteering that would have made his own mother retch.

Isabel’s glamorous body, however, made her stand out in ways he had never expected. Certainly, she’d turned heads everywhere he’d taken her, even when they lived on Vetras, their former home. But here it was worse. Her looks made her the target for all of the drunken animals and other criminals to ogle. It was obvious that she wasn’t supposed to be here, and that made her a target.

He shouldn’t have brought her.

John waved off the scantily-clad waitress as she tried to drop off another round of drinks, despite her having already been foiled on three earlier occasions. The barkeep behind the opposite counter gave them dirty looks, not expecting anyone to nurse their liquor for as long as he and Isabel had.

John continued stealing glances at a digital timepiece on his wrist, a present from Isabel for their recent wedding. She fiddled with the diamond ring on her left hand, shielding it from everyone else’s view in the establishment as she twisted it around her finger.

Finally, he breathed a sigh of relief with one last look at his timepiece. The moment had come. “Time to go,” he mumbled.

He slid out from the booth, holding a hand out for his wife. A smile finally graced his face, even though Isabel didn’t match his expression herself as they walked as a pair toward the exit. Watchful eyes made no effort to hide the fact that other patrons were keeping tabs on the two as they left.

Everything he’d done had been leading up to this point. Putting up with his former employer and her lunacy, stealing the wafer which now hung on a chain around his neck, and traveling to this disgusting armpit of the galaxy. His moment had finally arrived.
Their moment, he thought to himself, as he snuck another glance at his loving bride. She was afraid, and with good reason. But in a short while, they’d have millions on them, and could travel anywhere they wanted.

Someone was paying a hefty price for the wafer and its contents, exactly as John had hoped when he’d stolen it right out from under his employer’s nose.

They moved quickly out of the room, into a sterile, white tile hallway. The stench didn’t improve any, even though there wasn’t a single soul in sight. Isabel latched her arms around his waist and squeezed him tight. “I can’t wait to get out of this place.” John could feel her shaking, but he wasn’t sure if it was fear or excitement.

“It won’t be long,” he told her.

She looked up into his pale blue eyes, a smile finally coming to her face as she gripped his hand instead. “What are we going to do first with our money?”

“Buy a home, maybe a ship.” John kissed her cheek. “Once we have it, we escape this hellhole and never look back.”

“I can’t wait,” she told him, giving back a much deeper and more passionate kiss on his lips.

Having scouted out the location in advance, John knew where he was supposed to meet the buyer. That was about the extent of his knowledge, though. The transmissions had all been heavily-encrypted, and no identifying details had been given to him, even when asked. The only things John needed to know, he’d been told, was when and where the exchange would take place, and how much he’d be making in the deal.

His smile grew as he walked with his wife, until they finally reached landing bay four. Passing through an opening set of sliding doors, Isabel gripped his hand tighter. A ship faced away from them, its stub nose tucked into the darkened far corner as if it were being punished.

John’s heart thumped hard against the inside of his rib cage. He didn’t see anyone standing here, but he’d double-checked and triple-checked the messages before setting out for the meeting, and they were right on time. Isabel’s fingernails dug into his skin. He was just about ready to bolt when a loud clank resonated through the enclosed hangar, followed by even louder whirring. He looked over at the ship again, and saw the aft cargo ramp lowering.

Goosebumps covered John’s skin as he set eyes on the man who had to be the buyer. He was a beast, standing tall and decked out in a full body suit, jet black and glistening. Bristly blonde stubble adorned the top of his head, his face chiseled like stone. The suit flexed along with the man’s muscular chest, as he marched down the ramp and strode toward them with a frown.

The beast lifted an eyebrow as he drew closer. “John?”

He simply nodded, and came to a stop with Isabel clutching his hand almost to the point of cutting off circulation. The plan had been solid, but reality was setting in. John and Isabel were no criminals, and this man no doubt was.

“Elijah Cassus.” The bulky beast extended a hand with a sly smile. “I assume you brought what we agreed upon.”

John finally got his nerves under control, and pulled the wafer out from under his shirt. He blurted out in response, “And you?”

Elijah thumbed toward the open shuttle ramp, and a large duffel bag that rested just inside the ship. “Right there. Ten million, as agreed.”

John’s earlier feelings of mistrust finally began to dissipate. “Then it sounds like we have a deal.”

Elijah’s thin smile grew, before he turned and walked off toward the shuttle.

John muttered to his bride before following, “Stay here. I won’t be long.”

As they drew closer, John glanced at the duffel bag. Even from his vantage point at the bottom of the ramp, he saw several small holes in the outside of the bag, as if a projectile weapon had been used against it. He was no criminal, but knew enough not to ask questions. The only thing that mattered was those credits would soon be in his hot, little hands. Ten million credits would go a long way toward setting them up for the rest of their lives.

John unfastened a clasp behind his neck as Elijah climbed the ramp and hoisted the duffel bag off the floor plates. He pulled the wafer and its lanyard off, clasping the chain in his hand. He determined then and there not to let loose of it until he had the money. Elijah turned, and the two of them stood in a standoff.

Isabel caught John off-guard by calling out from the other side of the landing bay, “What do you plan to do with this information?”

Elijah’s tone soured as he growled, “It’s of no concern to you, as long as you’re paid.”

John gulped, thinking she had fouled up the deal. He’d thought she’d been on the same page as he was, that they didn’t care why anyone wanted the information, or what they’d use it for. The money was enough.

“But I have nothing to hide...”

John kept a close eye on the duffel bag and rivulets of sweat flowed down his temples. His heart thumped hard against his chest again. Elijah softened his tone as he continued, “I want to bring back my dead brother. We have an old score to settle.”

John took in a long breath, forcing himself to relax. His employer, the woman he’d stolen the information from, had successfully brought her husband and daughter back from beyond the grave using nano-bot technology and programming, all of which was well-documented on the wafer. He had no doubt that this man would have just as much success using the ‘death cure’ on his brother. He ignored the whole idea of settling a score that Elijah had mentioned. None of that concerned him.

Elijah tossed the duffel down the ramp, and it landed on the hangar floor beside John. “Ten million, as promised.”

John knelt down and unzipped the bag, before running his free hand through the solid credits inside. Each of the golden coins had a silver rim, which put the value of each coin at a thousand credits. All of his worries and concerns melted away at the feel of those coins against his skin.

Elijah’s voice grew cold. “And now, I want the information you promised.”

John looked up, distracted from his love-fest with the duffel bag. He flung the crystal wafer and its necklace toward the top of the ramp, where Elijah caught it mid-air with one hand.

“It’s been great doing business with you.” Elijah turned and stormed off. Isabel rushed over and knelt beside John, staring at the money. She squealed in delight and planted a passionate kiss on her husband.

“Oh, one last thing,” Elijah interrupted. John glanced back up, seeing a disintegrator cannon in the other man’s hands. Isabel screamed, before jumping up and sprinting toward the exit. John attempted to catch her, but she evaded his grip. A shot echoed in the emptiness. John watched as the energy blast struck her in the back, knocking her down with an awkward stumble. Her body quickly burned from the inside out, decomposing into organic ash while she screamed in pain and agony, writhing around on the hangar floor. Her voice carried even over the klaxon that had sounded off after Elijah’s shot.

John’s heart shattered into a million pieces as he scrambled toward her, screaming, “No!”

He was too late to do anything but watch her final moments, as her body completely decomposed. He ran his hands through the pile of ash, sobbing over his wife’s death. He felt something solid and pulled out the ring that he’d given to her, which only made him an even more emotional wreck.

“Why?” He moaned, turning back to his wife’s killer, who now pointed his weapon at John.

“The trouble with making deals with evil men, John, is you shouldn’t trust them.”

“But we gave you what you wanted.”

“You were both loose ends, John, pure and simple.”

John sobbed, trying to figure a way out of this mess with his own life intact. “But we wouldn’t have said anything. I’m the one who stole the information to begin with. If I told, we’d all be imprisoned.”

John kept trying to stall, hoping that someone, anyone, would come in and stop this madman. He held his hands out in front of him. “And ten million credits is obviously enough to keep my mouth shut.”

“I always did despise blabbering idiots,” Elijah snorted, before firing another blast.

John screamed even louder as it blasted through his hands and struck his stomach. The next few moments were more painful than anything he had ever felt in his life, as if his body were a garment that was being pulled apart at the seams. The seams were then seared with a blowtorch, only to be ripped apart again, and the process repeated.

His fingers were the first to disappear, and he watched Isabel’s ring fall into his wife’s ash pile at his feet. His watch soon joined it, falling off along with the river of ash that was falling from his arms as the weapon’s effects propagated up both limbs.

John could feel his organs within his gut slowly being ripped apart, their functions shutting down, causing even more intense pain. His lower extremities turned to ash faster than the upper, and though he just wanted to die, he collapsed into Isabel’s remains when his legs could no longer support the rest of his rapidly decomposing body.

While the pain and agony raced up his chest, he looked past the mound of ash up at Elijah who rushed down to retrieve the duffel. John knew his end was certain, but he had hoped that someone would stop this madman from getting away. As Elijah raced back up the ramp, all of John’s hope was lost.

Gears pulled the aft ramp up off the floor, the grinding sound barely distinguishable with the klaxon echoing to no avail throughout the hangar. A maniacal laugh escaped his lips as the ramp slammed shut behind him.

John could feel his heart stop, and knew that the end was fast approaching. It was only then that he truly felt remorse for what he had done. His actions had killed both his wife and himself, and who knew what else this madman would do with the information he now had in his possession.

With no blood circulating, his brain shut down, bringing with it a reduction in the pain levels, albeit for a mere moment. And with that moment, he saw his watch lying next to Isabel’s ring.

And then, darkness fell.

***

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THE CURE - 7 May 2016

Time for Weekend Writing Warriors and Snippet Sunday!

Welcome back to another week of Weekend Writing Warriors and Snippet Sunday crews! In last week's snippet, Mila was in the middle of a heartbreaking scene, looking over the dead bodies of her daughter and husband. And this is where we jump back in, for our final snippet from this novel...

Mila closed her eyes and the tears gushed forth. She should have arrived on time that fateful night. If she had, they wouldn’t have been waiting in the parking lot when a pair of vagabond killers had found them. Random as it had been, her family ended up dead, because she always put work ahead of everything else in her life.

With a sigh, she eased her eyelids open, blinking away tears and glancing back and forth between the corpses. A small smile formed while the liquid train slowed. Increasing hope filled her heart, knowing she had a plan, even though formed from grief and desperation. With every passing moment, Mila knew she was getting closer to the cure she’d been seeking these last ten months.

The cure for death.

Please check out the other Snippet Sunday folks and the Weekend Writing Warriors! See below for more info on The Cure. If you'd like to buy a copy, click the cover...

Vetrasian scientist Mila Groso built a career out of developing cures for the galaxy’s deadliest diseases. After her husband and daughter are murdered in cold blood, she makes it her mission to find a cure for death itself.

Mila isn’t the only one interested in her research, though. The planet’s religious leader sends his minions to stop her from negating the existence of an afterlife. A mysterious mercenary threatens her life unless she hands the research over. It's obvious too many people know what she’s doing.

Fighting to stay alive, Mila must fend off both groups with their diametrically opposed goals and find the ultimate cure to resurrect her family. What once was a potential miracle may end up a greater curse than she can imagine.

THE CURE - 30 April 2016

Time for Weekend Writing Warriors and Snippet Sunday!

Welcome back to another week of Weekend Writing Warriors and Snippet Sunday crews! In last week's snippet, Mila entered the room where her dead family's coffins were being stored. And now we jump back in...

Looking through the clear lid at her daughter was almost as if gazing into a mirror of the past, her foolish youth. This teen’s face, though, was a model of steadiness, framed by the same thick, dirty blonde, shoulder-length strands Mila herself was burdened with. A long white dress was the standard burial garment for all the planet’s women.

“Oh, sweet Oreana...” Mila choked on her words, and streams of tears flowed down her face.

She wiped her eyes and turned to the second casket, where her husband’s tanned face sat in wait atop a white suit, the standard men’s burial garment. She longed to once more run her hand through his brown ratty hair, to stare into his sky blue eyes. “Gordon, my love,” she whispered. Stroking the hard plastic cover with her fingers, Mila tried to remember what he felt like. It made her sob even more that she couldn’t recall the memory.

Please check out the other Snippet Sunday folks and the Weekend Writing Warriors! See below for more info on The Cure.

Vetrasian scientist Mila Groso built a career out of developing cures for the galaxy’s deadliest diseases. After her husband and daughter are murdered in cold blood, she makes it her mission to find a cure for death itself.

Mila isn’t the only one interested in her research, though. The planet’s religious leader sends his minions to stop her from negating the existence of an afterlife. A mysterious mercenary threatens her life unless she hands the research over. It's obvious too many people know what she’s doing.

Fighting to stay alive, Mila must fend off both groups with their diametrically opposed goals and find the ultimate cure to resurrect her family. What once was a potential miracle may end up a greater curse than she can imagine.

***

In other news, on May 1 only, you can pick up two of my Aston West titles for free. Both of my Aston novellas, Seeker and Fallen, are free for your Kindle. Be sure to go in and check them out (and share the news with your friends)!