BLACK FRIDAY -- Give the gift of READING - Excerpt from my novel Sands of Time

Although I do not do it often, today I am going to post a few excerpts from my novels.  If you like what you see, take a moment and support an indie author and pick up my debut novel, Sands of Time for the holidays!  It is available in Paperback, Kindle and Audiobook formats.  Click here to check it out!

Description:
In one tragic moment, Sam Shepard's family was gone.... His wife and children are taken from him in a tragic accident following a bitter argument. Sam is left alone struggling with the mountain of guilt and the chasm of grief that he can only fill with alcohol. When a young, attractive woman comes to stay at his Inn, Sam thinks his luck might be changing. She brings him comfort and a kindred spirit suffering through her own loss. Is she the answer everything he has been suffering through for all this time? Soon after, Sam begins to have dreams about his dead wife and hallucinate her speaking to him. Has the alcohol finally gotten the best of him... or is it really the hands of death reaching out?

Excerpt:

When we reached the door, Natalie gently pushed me aside and crouched down to the floor.  She reached inside her backpack and pulled out a small mirror on a handle, just like what you might see at the dentist’s office.  She slid it under the door, moving it back and forth slowly until she was satisfied.

“Doesn’t seem to be anyone in there.  Looks like a large open room with some lanterns burning on the walls.”  We both nodded to show our understanding, and she tried the door handle.  It turned easily, and she slowly pushed the door open into the room.  

The room was large, perhaps half a football field in size.  There were many wooden tables throughout the large cafeteria-looking room.  Some of the tables had unlit candles on them while others were completely bare.  The walls were hung with what appeared to be old oil lamps, which were lit and giving off a soft amber glow.  The light was just enough to see, but not enough to be able to make out anything specific at any distance.  There were exits to the left, right and center.  None of them had doors, and they appeared to lead to other hallways.  I looked from one to the other, trying to discern the right way to go.  

Where was Sandy now?  I needed some direction, now more than ever. 

The vamprators were still buzzing violently, and I reached down and turned mine off.  Natalie and Pastor Paul followed suit.

“So,” Natalie began, “which way to go?”  She stood to my left with her hands on her hips, looking at the tables with some interest.  She took her hands off her hips, walked over to one of the tables, and picked up a glass.  She turned it over in her hands, noticing the traces of a rich red liquid that had pooled at the bottom of the glass.

“Any bets on whether this is wine?”

“I somehow doubt it,” Paul responded with a pained expression on his face.

“Which way?”  The words slowly rolled out of my mouth; I had no idea. 

“Gang, I think this might be where we split up.  Nat, you head left, Pastor you go right, and I’ll split the difference in the middle.”

“Right,” said Natalie, “meet back here in 20 minutes?”

“Agreed,” Paul and I said at the same time.

“I think we should go one at a time, though,” Pastor offered.  “That way we can make sure the others are okay, at least for two minutes or so.”

We agreed to this—first Natalie would go, then Paul, then I would go by myself.  We all approached the hall to the left and entered slowly.  We peered down the hall together and saw that the oil lamps continued to light the way.  The passage continued to descend slightly, with steps about fifty feet down. 

“Okay,” she sighed, “here I go.”  And Natalie slowly began creeping down the hall.  She looked back about ten feet away and gave us a thumbs-up.  Paul and I returned the thumbs-up and walked back into the room towards the hall to the right.  We slowly approached the hall, peered down and saw what appeared to be a mirror image of Natalie’s hall, complete with steps about fifty feet away. 

The pastor began making his way slowly then looked back, nodding his head to indicate he was okay.

 

Now it was my turn.

Approaching the entrance to the hallway, I began to notice that this one looked very different from the others.  It was darker, barely lit at all.  Finally, I stood at a doorway that looked very different from the two Natalie and Pastor Paul had gone down.  This doorway didn’t lead to a hall—at least not directly— but stood at the stop of a tall stairway that appeared to be lit by very few oil lamps.  I couldn’t see the bottom of the stairway, so I put my glasses back on to try and see further down before I began my journey into the depths of this hellhole.  The glasses didn’t help very much—apparently they weren’t powerful enough to see that far.  

I was a little troubled that Sandy had led me this far and then seemed to abandon me.  Again.  It made me wonder, who was Sandy trying to help?  Was it really me?  Or the kids?  Or maybe Khayman?  Natalie had said that when Emily was abducted, the Khaymans had really come for me.  Maybe Sandy was leading me directly into a trap that would only end up with me becoming one of them.  But Pastor Paul had said I was immune to that—or so he thought. Feeling like I had no other choice, I began my descent into the darkness that awaited me.  I took the stairs one at a time, slowly and deliberately, with one hand on the wall to the right of me.  About ten steps down, the glasses started to bring more of the stairway into focus.  And all I saw were more steps.  How far down did these steps go?  I only had twenty minutes to search and meet back in the main room, and I didn’t see any end to these stairs in sight.  

But as I kept going down, step-by-step, I began to hear noises.  Strange scratching and shuffling noises were coming from below me.  I was walking right into the disturbing sounds.  

Check back tomorrow for another excerpt from one of my thrilling novels -- and pick one up for your holiday gift giving!

~~~
Bruce holds a degree in Computer Science from Temple University, a Graduate Certificate in Biblical History from Liberty University and is working towards a Masters Degree in American History at American Public University.  He has worked in educational and technology for over 18 years, specializes in building infrastructures for schools that work to support the mission of technology in education in the classroom.  He also has served as a classroom teacher in Computer Science, History and English classes.  

Bruce is the author of five books: Sands of Time, Towering Pines Volume One:Room 509, The Star of Christmas, Philadelphia Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel and The Insider's Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel -- with a new book, Learn the Basics: Digital Forensics, due soon. 

Follow Bruce's Novel releases by subscribing to his FREE newsletter!

Announcement Regarding Upcoming Releases

For those of you who have been following me for a few years, you know that I like to talk about new things I'm working on and sometimes can change course based on how those things flesh out.  I know many of you touch base with me from time-to-time to get status updates on projects that hold particular interest to you.  Since the release of The Insider's Story in 2013, I've completed three complete manuscripts.  Those are Towering Pines Volume 2: The Sound and The Fury, The Kill Commission and the third Lance Carter novel.  What I've found is that once done -- I have not been fully happy with any of these books.  I've actually completely re-thought Towering Pines Volume 2, the Lance Carter book has a number of problems that I haven't been able to resolve and staring at the manuscript for The Kill Commission I feel like it isn't a book that is in my style.

So what does all that mean?

It means that I think it is time for me to take a break from writing fiction.  These manuscripts have turned out the way they have partially because I've been writing because I think I need to write.  The ideas are there, the stories flow but in the end it is the finer points that seem to be missing and with an increase in "real life" time consumers I do not seem to be able to address them in a satisfactory manner.  So I am taking a step back from all three stories.

So, after a lot of soul searching and personal reflection, here is my plan for 2014 and 2015 as of today.

- As of June 30th, 2014 I will be pulling all of my fiction releases from the market place with the exception of Towering Pines Volume One and The Star of Christmas.  If you do not have Philadelphia Story, The Insider's Story or Sands of Time I urge you to get them *now*.  They may or may not become available in their current format again.

- I have a non-fiction introduction level computer science textbook that I've been "on again off again" working on, and I will complete this in 2014 for release.

- I have been working with a screen writer on a movie version of Sands of Time, I will continue that work with an adapted novelization of the final script to be released.  We are making some changes in the details and have a slightly altered storyline that extends the ending in a more final way.  An altered audio book may follow.  The story will likely have a different name when it is finished.  Currently I like: Curse of the Caelitus.

- Around Christmas 2014 I will pull Towering Pines Volume 2 back off the shelf and attack the story again, see how it goes.  I have a revamped catalyst, however the story will still center on Lisbeth's family line and its impact on Liam and the school.

- I will revisit Lance Carter sometime in 2015 after I've reached some resolution on TP2.

- If you have not seen my Instagram, you are invited to follow me and my series of photos "Your Moment of Pennsylvania Zen".  I am toying with the idea of publishing the best of these pictures sometime this year. (http://www.instagram.com/bsarte)

I thank you all for your support and for following me thus far through my journey.  I am certainly not done writing, but I feel like I need to re-examine where the writing is going.  I look forward to my next release that lands in your hands!

Bruce

The Star of ChristmasThe Insider's Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel (#2)Philadelphia Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel (#1)Towering Pines Volume One: Room 509Sands of Time
Best Friends Forever (A Short Story)How to Read the BiblePlaying Guitar for Beginners

Sample Sunday: Towering Pines Volume One: Room 509 - Super Scary Ghost Story!

This Sample Sunday is from my paranormal novel, Towering Pines Volume One: Room 509. 

Towering Pines Volume One is available at:
Paperback
Amazon Kindle
B&N Nook
Apple iPad/iBookstore

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“BOY! Who the hell are you and why the hell are you in my god damned boat?”

That was the sound of the alarm that woke Liam from his otherwise peaceful nights sleep. His eyes fluttered open and he stared up and a rather large man who looked to be in his early fifties and none-to-happy that Liam was there. He almost lost his tattered and stained green hat as he reached down and yanked Liam from the boat and onto the dock in one quick and powerful motion. Liam noticed his big black watch.

“What? What time is it?” The memory that Liam had to be at Mathias’ office at seven thirty returned.

“What time… what the hell you mean?” A bewildered and confused look took over the scruffy features of his weathered face.

Liam looked him straight in the eyes, “I mean what time is it? You have a watch on, don’t you?” The stranger eyed Liam suspiciously before taking a quick, guarded glance at his watch.

“It’s seven thirty, what’s it to you?” The man paused, as if reflecting on something he’d forgotten. Then he remembered, “and who the hell are you sleeping in my boat on my dock?” He practically shouted.

“Your dock? What, seven…” Liam blew past him and ran full speed up the dock. He didn’t give the road a second thought as he sprinted across Riverside without looking. He could hear the sounds of people on the other side of the building as he ran up the steps and saw the sign that read, Farragut Hall, hanging above the door. He burst in and and stopped breathlessly in the middle of the lobby. He saw a young boy, couldn’t have been more than twelve, in full dress blues sitting at a desk to his left. As soon as the boy saw him he shot out of his seat and yelled at the time of his voice:

“Sir, Cadet Wiley, Sir. How can I help you, sir?” Liam just stared at the boy who was standing as stiff as a yardstick with a shaved head and white gloves.

“Wiley, what is going on out there? Why are you yelling like a fool again?” came a voice from an office around the corner from the boy. A moment later a tall man in his forties emerged from the office dressed in navy dress blue uniform but without the jacket. Liam could see he had three gold bars on his shoulders as the man stood in the doorway.

“And you are?” the man queried Liam. A bit overwhelmed, Liam stared back at him frozen in place. The man took three steps out of the doorway closer to him.

“Maybe you didn’t hear me son, I asked you who you are.”

“Llll… Liam Rider.” A smile began to creep across the man’s face once he heard the name.

“Ah, yes our juvie case. Well Lllliam, why don’t you come into my office and have a seat? Let’s get acquainted a little bit.”

“Are you Captain Mathias?” The man didn’t answer he just walked into his office. Liam didn’t move right away, but when the man’s voice boomed, “And Wiley, sit the hell down,” Liam moved quickly towards his office before Wiley responded.

Liam walked into the office and was immediately struck by how much wood there was. He felt like he was lost in the middle of the Pine Barrens. The desk looked like it was cut right out of the bottom of a tree. The chairs were a dark wood with no cushions and short backs on them. The walls of the office were lined with light wood pillars every few feet. Liam stood still about five steps from the door with his mouth slightly open.

“Mr. Rider, please come and sit,” the uniformed man motioned to the very uncomfortable looking chair in front of his desk. “Now would be good,” he added forcefully when Liam didn’t move. When Liam looked up and saw the stormy expression on the man’s face, he moved. Liam found the chair was not as uncomfortable as it looked; it was about ten times as uncomfortable.

“Mr. Rider,” began the man, “I am Commander Dileta. I am the Admissions Officer here at Admiral Farragut Military Academy. I can tell you that normally we don’t take cadets in this late in the semester but you seem to be a special case. Captain Mathias has ordered your immediate admission to our program so we can dispense with the usual formalities. Usually, I would sit here and tell you how we have over a thousand applicants every year and that the competition for our few open slots is fierce. That AFMA doesn’t take just anyone. The cadets we accept are the best of the best academically and athletically.” He stood from behind his desk and walked toward the window that held a fantastic view of the river. He stood there for a moment quietly with his back to Liam before continuing, “I don’t really need to tell you that our college acceptance rate is one hundred percent. Period. We do not tolerate any cadet not going to college. And community college simply does not count.” Dileta spun on his heels and walked toward where Liam sat, “it just wouldn’t make any sense to try and make you feel the pressure that goes along with being at a distinguished institution with a long and storied history that includes historic figures such as Admirals, Generals, Hollywood actors and even an astronaut. Does it, son?”

Liam sat in the hard chair staring up at Dileta in awe. If the man didn’t mean to intimidate him, he did a crappy job. Liam was more nervous now then when he was while sitting in his jail cell. Dileta looked down at Liam with a small self-satisfied smirk knowing full well he was in control of the situation.

“For a celebrated athlete such as yourself, I don’t need to tell you how physically challenging our military program here at AFMA. How three out of every five cadets that we accept wash out every year or that our cadet officers are trained and empowered to make boys into young men.” The glare coming from Dileta’s face made Liam feel about two feet tall.

“Now, since I don’t have to tell you any of that, it seems to me that all I have to do is tell you that the only thing between you and five years in a state penitentiary is Admiral Farragut Military Academy. If you fail here, you will end up in jail. That’s not a euphemism; it’s actually what the court order says.” He held up an official looking piece of paper to emphasize his point.

“Here are your orders from Captain Mathias’ office, take them to the Central Watch Office in Reingold Hall immediately and the Cadet Officer of the Watch will make sure you get your uniforms and to your company’s deck. You’d better hurry, it’s 0800 now and classes have already begun for the day. Which makes you late.”

Liam took the paper from Dileta and stood slowly, trying to read the paper.

“Boy, I didn’t tell you to read it. I told you to take it to Reingold Hall, now move it!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Towering Pines Volume One is available at:
Paperback
Amazon Kindle
B&N Nook
Apple iPad/iBookstore

~~~~~~~~
Bruce has worked in educational technology for over 17 years and has implemented several 1:1/BYOD programs.  He also has been a classroom teacher for various subjects.  Bruce is the author of five books: Sands of Time, Towering Pines Volume One:Room 509, The Star of Christmas, Philadelphia Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel and The Insider's Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel.  He also has a new novel coming out in June 2014, The Kill Commission.  Follow Bruce's Novel releases by subscribing to his FREE newsletter!

#SampleSunday from The Insider's Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel

Today I have a sample from The Insider's Story, the second book in the Lance Carter Detective series!  Pick it up today and catch up with Lance and Linc Diesel!

	The Insider's Story is available via:  Paperback  Amazon Kindle  B&N Nook  Sony (Smashwords)  Audiobook

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

          At the end of the block was a playground with a basketball court and six goals and, beyond the court, a softball field with a shallow outfield.  A few teenaged guys were on the court and a guy in his early thirties was running wind sprints in the outfield.  I watched him race from second base to the far edge of the outfield, then walk back, then doing it all again.  A row of tall elms stood sentry along the far perimeter of the outfield, then there was another street and more houses.  There were kids playing on the playground.  This is a family park.  Not a drug dealer park.

         A white Good Humor ice cream truck was parked at the curb in the shade of one of the elms and a tall guy in a Malcolm X hat was leaning against it with his arms crossed, watching the sprinter.  He didn't look interested in selling ice cream.

         James Edward Stone said, “That's our guy.”

         We turned away from the park, made the block and came back to a side street that gave an unobstructed view of the basketball players, the outfield and the ice cream truck on the far street.  I parked on the side street so we'd have an easy, eyes-forward view and then I shut the engine.  If the neighbors saw us sitting there, maybe they'd think we were scouting for the NBA.

         “This used to be called Northeast Park.”  I said plainly. 

         “What?”  Stone responded like I’d slapped him in the back of the head.

         “1825 they renamed it Franklin Square in honor of Benjamin Franklin himself.”

         “What are you?  The History Channel?”

         “Was a big revolutionary war gun powder storage place, too.”  I smiled.  I’m sophisticated like that.

         “Next thing you’ll be telling me is they got bodied buried up in here.”  He shook his head and looked away.

         “Actually,” I looked directly at him and pointed across the car, “over there the German Reform Church had a cemetery from 1740 to 1835.  Word is they didn’t move all the bodies.” 

         James Edward Stone looked me in the eye and shook his head without saying a word.  Maybe eight or nine minutes later four guys in a white Malibu turned onto the far street, slowed to a stop and the guy with the X hat went over to them.  One of the guys in the backseat of the Malibu gave something to the X and the X gave something to the guy in the Malibu.  Then the Malibu drove away and the X went back to his leaning.  A little bit later a kid on a bike rolled up the sidewalk, jumped the curb down to the street and skidded to a stop.  The kid and the X traded something and the kid rode away.  Stone said, “Cool Mo better be giving it to us straight about those cops.”

         I pointed at the X.  “He's here, isn't he?”

         “He's here, but will the cops come and if they come are they coming because they're cops or because they're working with the Double-Deuce?”

         “That’s what we’re here to find out.  Isn’t it.”  It wasn’t a question.

         “Yes.  I guess we will.” James Edward shifted in the seat, uncomfortable, but not because of the seat.  My ride is super comfortable.  “They don't come and run this muthafucka off, maybe I'll do it my-damn-self.”

         “Maybe I'll help you.”  That was no question either.  Stone glanced at me and nodded.

         A couple of minutes later Linc Diesel came up along the sidewalk and squatted beside my window.  I said, “Linc Diesel, this is James Edward Stone.  James, this is my partner, Linc Diesel.”

         Diesel canted his head to lock onto James Edward Stone and reached in through the window.  You can't see his eyes behind the dark glasses, but it's always easy to tell where he's looking.  His whole being sort of points in one direction, as if he were totally focused on you.  James Edward took his hand, but stared at Linc’s tattoos.  Most people do when Linc is showing them off.  Today they were clear as day on his arms.  I told Diesel about the X at the ice cream truck and what Cool Mo had said about Simons's POINT team and their involvement with the Double-Deuce Gang.

         Diesel nodded.  “Frisco and his people are supposed to thump this guy?”

         James Edward said, “That's the word.”

         Diesel looked at the X.  “It's a long way across the playground to the ice cream truck.  If Frisco moves the action away from us, we've got too much ground to cover to catch up.  We might lose them.”

         I said, “Why don't you set up on that side and we'll stay here.  If Frisco moves that way, you've got them and if he moves in this direction, we've got him.”

         Diesel stared behind us up the street, then twisted around and looked at the park.  “You feel it?”

         “What?”

    Diesel shook his head.  “This doesn't feel right.”

~~~~~~~~


 Today I have a sample from The Insider's Story, the second book in the Lance Carter Detective series!  Pick it up today and catch up with Lance and Linc Diesel!

The Insider's Story is available via:  Paperback  Amazon Kindle  B&N Nook  Sony (Smashwords) Audiobook  ~~~~~ Bruce has worked in educational technology for over 18 years and has implemented several 1:1/BYOD programs.  He also has served as a classroom teacher in Computer Science, History and English classes.  Bruce is the author of five books: Sands of Time, Towering Pines Volume One:Room 509, The Star of Christmas, Philadelphia Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel and The Insider's Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel.  Follow Bruce's Novel releases by subscribing to his FREE newsletter! Be sure to check out Bruce's Allentown Education Examiner Page, his Twitter and his Facebook!