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

#SampleSunday from Philadelphia Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel

This Sample Sunday is from Philadelphia Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel. Philadelphia Story has been a Top 10 Hard Boiled Detective Novel on Amazon and is available via:
Paperback
Amazon Kindle
B&N Nook
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The thumping of the bass and the glare of the lights was terribly distracting but I had her eyes locked on mine and I wasn’t letting them go.  Not this time, not again.

“Let’s go, Carolyn.”

“You let go of me, Carter.  You let go of me now!  You don’t own me.”  She dangled her hand in front of my face.  “There’s no ring on this finger, you can’t tell me what to do.”  My mind was racing, my blood was pumping and I couldn’t get the image of her on that stage out of my mind.  But there she was, standing in front of me in a pair of satin and lace panties with a matching bra.  The lace negligee danced around her tanned skin giving the alluring illusion of cover and  nudity at the same time.

“Carol, these people are dangerous.  They don’t screw around… is this the life you want?  Come on… we need to get you out of here!”  Her gaze was as fiery as ever and I could feel those baby blues penetrating the back of my skull like a laser.  “Now, dammit!”  I reached out and grabbed her arm.

“Let — GO!”  she screamed and jerked her arm free of my grasp.  I was reaching to regain my grasp when an extremely large black man that would make Ving Rahmes shudder blocked my view of Carolyn.

“Is there a problem here, muthfucka?”  he growled in my direction.

“Fuck.  You!”  I spat back at him.

“I think you gonna find you getting the fuckin’ round here… muthfucka!” He spat the words out at me.

“I think you might find me kicking your ass… mutha fucka.”  I had properly enunciated those last two words just at the time his big meaty hand found my jaw.  My feet left the ground and I was sent reeling backward into a table.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

I was jolted awake from my horrible dream by the rapping at the door.

“What the... how...?”  I sat up on the couch, looking around the room frantically.  After a minute I had surmised I was in my apartment on my couch.  And the only person here was the lovable fluff ball Copper trying to sleep under my desk on the far wall of the living room.

Bang! Bang! Bang! “Hello, delivery…”  Bang! Bang! Bang!  “FedEx!  I need a signature!”

Philadelphia Story has been a Top 10 Hard Boiled Detective Novel on Amazon and is available via:
Paperback
Amazon Kindle
B&N Nook

~~~~
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!