Happy 2015

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Life is challenging but we strive and continue year after year, some good, some bad. I hope this year contains love and light for you and yours.

Merry Christmas , Happy Holidays

or 

Happy Holidays

Happy  Hannukuah 

Happy Kwanzaa

Whatever you celebrate  I hope you spend time with people you love!

See you here January 7th after New Years

Happy Hanukkah to all my Jewish friends and Blog Followers

Happy Hanukkah to all my Jewish friends and Blog Followers

Hanukkah festival of lights

Candles burning bright

Nine-branched Menorah  

One candle each night

And one extra to light

The fight they won

The temple purified

A miracle performed

As wicks burned on

Eight days with oil

For one long night

It burnt so bright

Commemorated each year

To remember the gift

Of the single brilliant light

Burning so long so bright

Three blessings said

Three blessings given

Two each night after

Giving thanks to the eternal King

Our lord God is everything

Happy Hanukkah

© Sheilagh Lee December 16,2014

Book Blitz -An Interview with Author Amy Beth Inverness

An Interview with Author Amy Beth Inverness

1.)What drew you to writing?

Early in elementary school I wrote stories, stringing together my spelling words into a series of connected sentences. It has always been an outlet for me, and now I have no choice but to write. The stories knock around inside my brain until I let them out.

2.)Do you have a degree in writing? Do you believe that matters? Why/Why not?

A writer does not have to have a degree at all, but they must be able to use proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Non-writing degrees and non-writing life experiences can give an author the necessary background to draw on that someone who only studied how to write doesn’t have. Conversely, an author who studies a broad range of great works has a plethora of intellectual experiences to draw from. They are simply different flavors of experience.

3.) How long did it take you to create your first book?

This is not a simple question. I can turn out the rough draft of a novel of over fifty thousand words in a month. But then it must sit, then go through initial revisions, then it goes to beta readers…and I don’t have a novel published yet. The first book that is completely my own work is The Cities of Luna, coming out in fall 2014 from Distinguished Press. I began writing the stories in 2013, and I’m writing more to add to the book now.

4.)What are you currently learning to further develop your craft?

Although I don’t read horror, I learned a lot from Stephen King’s On Writing. I also spent a year proofreading for a small press, which gained me a lot of experience and some great connections. I participate regularly in several flash fiction exercises, which are a lot of fun and a great way to shake up the writing muscles. In particular, I love 5 Minute Fiction at WriteOnWendy.com because writing a complete and VERY short story in just a few minutes forces my brain to let go of all its hang-ups. I was fortunate to be able to attend the Pikes Peak Writers Conference in Colorado Springs in 2013, where I networked and attended many sessions on improving myself as a writer. Conferences are one of the best ways for an author to work on their craft, as well as networking and finding encouragement amidst others in the profession. I plan to do many more in the future.

5.)Do you prefer creating short stories, or novels?

Short stories are like candy. If I have a random idea I want to put into a story, I can do it easily in the short format. If I end up not liking it, it’s not a big deal to set it on the shelf or the proverbial back-of-the-drawer, never to be seen again. Novels, of course, are more work, but it is rewarding to allow my OCD brain to immerse itself in one complete, multifaceted story.

6.)What Genre do you write and why?

I grew up with a father who read science fiction and fantasy and a mother who read romance. I followed in my father’s footsteps, enjoying the ‘what if?’ intellectual plausibility of science fiction and the wondrous magic of fantasy. I scorned my mother’s romance novels until I was an adult, taking fertility drugs in hopes of conceiving. My hormones were out of control, and I found that romance novels were exactly what I craved! One of my first published stories was SciFi Erotica.

7.)Can you pick a favorite line from your latest work (or the work being highlighted) and tell us why this is your favorite?

“Flags ahead at Blasted Wall. Hitch a ride or get some exercise!”

I love this because although there are no weird sciency terms in it, it still has a scifi feel. It makes the reader wonder… what’s at Blasted Wall” Why the flags? And why is it capitalized?

8.) What about your life influenced your drive to create?

The unconditional support of my husband. He was the one who said “This time, DO something with it!” He takes the kids away as often as he can so I can have uninterrupted writing time. If I didn’t have this unconditional support, my drive to create would disintegrate in the face of life’s demands.

9.)Tell us something personal you've enjoyed due to being an author.

Being able to say “I’m a published author” is pretty darn cool. Networking with other writers who understand what it’s like to carry around a bunch of fictional people in our heads is a huge relief! Most of all, having an outlet for my creativity that actually sends my work out into the world is personally fulfilling.

10.)What is next on your current writing agenda?

I am currently lengthening some stories and writing new ones to be included in my collection The Cities of Luna. More stories will also be released individually to coincide with every full moon.

11.) What kind of books to you enjoy reading?

I read romance like candy. I can’t get enough. I’m picky about my science fiction… hubby wants to have his full of explosions, but I’m more interested in something that poses a “what if?” I’d never thought of.

i.)What are you reading now?

I just finished Tiffany Reisz’s The Saint. Every book in her Original Sinners series leaves me with a hangover that doesn’t completely go away until the next one is out. I also just finished Ashlyn MacNamara’s A Most Scandalous Proposal, which I thoroughly enjoyed and I’m ready to dive into the next one A Most Devilish Rogue. I am overwhelmed with science fiction on my TBR list and I’ve no idea what to pick up next.

12.)What might make you pick up a book outside your own comfort choices?

This is an excellent exercise for an author! I still want to be entertained, and there are some genres like horror that I do not enjoy. Good cover art is key…I might want to claim I’m above looking for something shiny that catches my eye, but it’s true. Finding something outside my comfort zone, where I wouldn’t usually look, isn’t easy. But if I have something specific I want to expand on, asking the collective consciousness via social media always garners a thorough response.

13.)Do you have a favorite author(s)?

ACK! At the risk of leaving oh so many great authors out, I will name just three. Robert Heinlein’s classic science fiction inspires all my writing, even the romance and erotica. John DeChancie’s fantasy and science fiction, with its innate humor and wish-I-could-live-there setting fulfill my escapist desires. (I’m friends with Mr. DeChancie on facebook and he’s just finished writing a new Castle Perilous book! I’m so excited!) An erotica writer whose works I devour is Tiffany Reisz. Although I have to read some scenes with my hands over my eyes (she writes BDSM and it sometimes gets way too intense for my delicate sensibilities) the way she makes me fall in love with her characters, as dramatically different from me as they are, is pure magic. Tiffany was one of my first interviewees on my blog, and she gave me my first ever acceptance for my erotica short In the Closetwhich appears in her 2012 anthology Felt Tips – The World’s Greatest Charity Anthology of Office-Supply-Related Erotica.

14.)Can you share a little about your family?

I’m a mom. I could go on for pages and pages about how adorable my children are!

To be more concise, hubby and I met and married in Wyoming in the nineties, and shortly thereafter moved to Vermont where IBM had moved my parents. We thought it would just be a few years, then we’d return to the west, but it’s been almost twenty.

We struggled with infertility, and adopted a wild little redhead. She moved in with us at age six, and we endured the ups and downs of the system until we finalized her adoption at age eight. Due to her difficult early life, she has special needs. She’s a very active child and always wants to be moving. At age fifteen now, she’s already taller than I am!

A week after we found out we finally had a court date to finalize her adoption, we found out that I was finally pregnant. I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl who is now six and a half. Our girls are very close, in spite of their age difference.

We are all computer geeks. Although my teenager prefers to surf YouTube for cute animal videos, our little one designs elaborate worlds in Minecraft. Hubby’s an IT guy, and I’m a social media maven.

Where can we find you?

You can reach the Amy Beth Inverness  on Twitter: https://twitter.com/USNessie

                         on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/AmyBeth-Inverness/256738264337415

          Series Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCitiesofLuna

Thank you for your answers we look forward to reading your book

by AmyBeth Inverness

http://www.amazon.com/Cities-Luna-Collection-AmyBeth-Inverness-ebook/dp/B00P6ITCS2

In the cities of Luna, humankind will build the society from which we will reach out to the stars and beyond.

The men and women who have come to colonize the moon are Loonies. Meet them in this enjoyable collection of short stories that take you through life in the many moon colonies hovering above Earth.

The Collection features 12 short stories
The first solo short story release is Moon Dragons

Book Blitz Blog-Two exciting new books

Check out two exciting new books Cities of Luna
by AmyBeth Inverness
and A Mirrors Beginning: John Brooks by K.G. Stutt
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by AmyBeth Inverness
http://www.amazon.com/Cities-Luna-Collection-AmyBeth-Inverness-ebook/dp/B00P6ITCS2

In the cities of Luna, humankind will build the society from which we will reach out to the stars and beyond.

The men and women who have come to colonize the moon are Loonies. Meet them in this enjoyable collection of short stories that take you through life in the many moon colonies hovering above Earth.

The Collection features 12 short stories
The first solo short story release is Moon Dragons

Quote from the Author:

I believe in a positive future. Not a Utopian paradise where all the world's problems are magically solved, but a society where the needs of the many are met by a joint effort that overshadows the selfish desires of the individual.

Author Bio: A writer by birth, a redhead by choice, and an outcast of Colorado by temporary necessity, AmyBeth is a creator of Speculative Fiction and Romance.   She can usually be found tapping away at her laptop, writing the next novel or procrastinating by posting a SciFi Question of the Day on Facebook and Google Plus. When she’s not writing, she’s kept very busy making aluminum foil hats and raising two energetic kids and many pets with her husband in their New England home.

Reach the Author Amy Beth Inverness  on Twitter: https://twitter.com/USNessie

                         Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/AmyBeth-Inverness/256738264337415

          Series Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCitiesofLuna

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A Mirrors Beginning: John Brooks 
By K.G. Stutts



A Mirrors Beginning: John Brooks by K.G. Stutts

http://www.amazon.com/Mirrors-Beginning-John-Brooks-ebook/dp/B00OAXIBAY

Life can be rough for some. For one man, life was insurmountable. One dead end after another lead him in and out of jail more times than he ventured to count. One such occasion changed everything.

Charlie Westlake is a man on a mission to bring together one of the top teams the universe has ever seen. On this trip, he will bring an empty man into the fold. Will he make it?

John Brooks enters the ISC in this, a prequel to Mirror Image.

Kith and Kin Remembered #WhoWillYouRemember

Lest We Forget  

Kith and Kin Remembered 

       My dad was a born storyteller. Some of his stories I took with a grain of salt, except those that were also confirmed by my grandmother. My grandmother confirmed this story, so I feel safe confiding in you. My dad was always fascinated by war and the strategies of war. This began at early age when my dad met relatives at the Timothy Eaton estate in Owen Sound when a young child.

     What relatives did my dad meet you ask? The two flying aces of World War 1, Billy Bishop and Henry John Burden who he met at the family party. You see Billy Bishop is related to me sort of; let me explain, he was married to my dad’s cousin (you figure out how many removed) Margaret Eaton Burden. Therefore so is her brother, Henry John Burden. Their grandfather was Timothy Eaton,( yes, those well known Eaton's in Canada, related to Timothy Eaton the department head king) . My great-great-great grandfather was Timothy’s brother. Have I confused you yet? 

       When young, my dad went to picnics and summer retreats at the Eaton’s estate in Owen Sound, This particular summer he met the two flying aces. Billy Bishop's home was in England at the time, but he had come home to Canada and met with relatives at this party. 
       Now to a young boy so interested in military history, just being introduced to them made him think he was in seventh heaven, but when they found the boy so knowledgeable about military history they were happy to talk to him of their service as flying aces. My dad thought the two men intelligent articulate and was thrilled that he was related to the pair( if only one distantly and one by marriage).  They were kind to the young boy and his older brother who craved male attention since their parent’s divorce. Dad and his older brother Gordon spent that day just enjoying the stories and soaking in all the information they imparted. This time they spent with him had an impact on my Dad, he wanted to join the air force when he got older or at least some part of the military.  It made his interest in military history come alive even more so and you’d often find the boy with his nose in his book, when he wasn’t hunting and fishing. It may have also made his older brother, Gordon join the war effort as a soldier as soon as the Second World War began. Uncle Gordon became a leader and worked behind the lines in special forces efforts in the Second World War. It didn't hurt that my Uncle Gordon had a genetic ability that assisted him. He had an eidetic memory meaning that he saw something and he could remember it all in vivid images.I'm sure that was difficult for him after the war and part of the reason he never spoke of what he did during the war. As I told you reader once before Uncle Gordon was believed killed at one point and his family grieved for him for months only to have a miracle happen finding out he was severally injured but alive. While my father tried to sneak off to war at thirteen years old but my grandmother retrieved him in Halifax before he boarded a troop ship that later was torpedoed. (see http://sheilaghlee.blogspot.ca/2011/11/three-word-wednesday-second-world-war.html)

     So on this Remembrance Day one hundred years after the start of World War 1, I remember the men who give their lives for their countries,and also the flying aces, Billy Bishop and Henry John Burden and my Uncle Gordon who served in Special Forces, and who were lucky enough to survive the war. Thank you all for you service.

My Uncle Gordon and some friends

      

     And thank you to my father who told me about all the military battles and made me see the sacrifices that these men had made for our country. He made me see that period of time through his eyes, those living through those turbulent times and how hard it truly it was.

NB: Billy Bishop officially credited with 72 victories thus making him Canada’s First World War flying ace the top Canadian ace of the war.  Billy Bishop was a touted as a Canadian hero and used as a morale booster to the Canadian people. Ordered to return to England and organize our flyers by June nineteenth, nineteen seventeen he couldn’t resist one last chance to take out more enemy planes flying behind enemy lines he took down five planes in fifteen minutes.   On August 5th, he was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel and was given the post of "Officer Commanding-designate of the Canadian Air Force Section of the General Staff, Headquarters Overseas Military Forces of Canada." During the Second World War, Billy Bishop became instrumental in instructing and setting up pilot training for the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Billy Bishop received the Victoria Cross, Distinguished Service Order with Bar, Military Cross, Distinguished Flying Cross, 1914–1915 Star, and British War Medal 1914–1920. Margaret’s brother and Billy’s brother-in-law also a flying ace had 16 victories and received a Distinguished Service Order award and a Distinguished Flying Cross award. (source wikipedia)

To read more of Billy Bishop got to http://www.billybishop.net

    

                                    

 We remember and we honour our beloved soldiers. Thank you

Devil’s Nightmare Premonitions Hallowe'en Blog Tour

We are here today with Author, Robert Pruneda. 

Robert has a new exciting and spine tingling book available and he has agreed to answer some questions about his craft and book today.

http://amzn.to/1rHFi6S

The follow-up book to  

http://amzn.to/1qVqe0d

Now I have to be honest I’ve been privileged to read both of these outstanding books and I found them riveting, nail biting and truly scary. I’m sure your readers will too. But since we have you here Robert we’d like to ask you a few questions your readers might like to know.

1.)  What aspects do you think a good story has?

A good pace is important to me in storytelling. While I appreciate backstory to help build up characters or settings, too much of it can turn me off and make me want to put the book down and do something else for a while before coming back. It doesn’t have to be action from the first page all the way to the end, but the pacing should move the story along with enough conflict to keep me interested and turning the pages.

2) How did you pick the names of your characters?

I drew them out of a hat. Seriously, though, when I choose names for characters I think about who the character is and try to pick a name that seems real and fits the personality. For example, there is some significance to Cody’s surname Sumner. I also jot down names (first or last) that I like when I see or hear them for future reference. I have done quite a bit of transcribing for a university professor through my administrative support business and have come across some very strong and interesting names. I now have a “character names list” for future reference.

3)    What or who inspired you to write?  And how long have you been writing?

I’ve always been a fan of the horror genre in film and print, and Stephen King has been my greatest influence to date. However, I would have to say my brother was my first inspiration because of his interest in story telling when I was a kid. He and I would spend hours playing Dungeons & Dragons, where using your imagination is key while playing the game. He was also a decent artist. He would create his own stories through comics and even wrote a short-story about one of his Dungeons & Dragons characters. I always looked up to my brother when I was a kid and began creating my own comics, drawing them and writing the stories during summer breaks late at night while watching cartoons, usually The Flintstones. It wasn’t until getting laid off from a job in 2001 that I began writing my first novel while working odd jobs until I found something that stuck. I self-published Pursuit of a Dream in 2004, and then began a career in the newspaper industry. My goal at the time was to become a journalist, but ended up running the obituaries department, which turned out to be a more interesting job than I ever thought it would. I also gained some professional experience with writing, editing, and page design. The job steadily turned into a sales-oriented position (no joke), so due to some major differences in opinion and conflicts with new management, I decided to end my newspaper career in September of 2011 to start writing the next chapter in my life as a full-time self-employed individual.

I’m an entrepreneur at heart, always have been, and deciding to leave the traditional workforce to pursue my own dreams was both exciting and terrifying. A big part of that dream was writing. I did that part-time while also operating an small business administrative support and resume writing service from home, which I did on a part-time to full-time basis while working on my first horror novel, which I published last year. The sequel to Devil’s Nightmare comes out on Tuesday.

4.) Do you have a day job?

Yes and no. I am now self-employed working from home, but I do work at a funeral home from time to time (perfect for a horror author, right?). Nowadays, I’m devoting more and more of time to the business of writing fiction as the months go by. My goal is to be able to support myself as an author without the need of additional employment in the next five years. That’s the plan, anyway. I need to write more novels!

5.) What kind of books do you like to read?

My favorite genre is horror, but I also enjoy reading fantasy, science fiction, and thrillers. I read books from both traditionally published authors published by the big publishing houses, such as Stephen King, Michael Crichton, and Dean Koontz; independently published authors, such as Michael R. Hicks and Lorna Suzuki; and books published by the small traditional publishing houses and hybrid publishers (such as Booktrope). I just wish I could read faster. You should see my TBR list.

6.) Some writers find they plot their novels then write them; they are known as plotters. Others just write as the ideas come and are known as pantsers. Which are you or are you a bit if both?

I wrote Devil’s Nightmare completely as a pantser on the most part and found it both very challenging and quite enjoyable. I think it worked well because as I wrote the story I didn’t even know what to expect next. This led to what readers have said to be a surprising ending, which is what I was shooting for. I wrote Devil’s Nightmare: Premonitions in much the same way, although I did have a better idea of how the book was going to progress and how it was going to end. Everything else just fell into place. The sequel has an even more shocking conclusion than the first, so I’m really looking forward to getting that one into the hands of readers. I’m currently plotting another book, but I’ll probably end up writing that one as a pantser too. It may not work for other authors, but I find it is what works best for me.

7.) How did you conceive the ideas for the series?

Devil’s Nightmare is very loosely based on an experience I had when I was somewhere between ten to twelve years old. I can’t remember exactly, but I’ll never forget the experience. Without going into too much detail, when I was a kid some friends of mine and I started playing with a Ouija board. I got obsessed with it and started playing with it by myself (something which is taboo). After playing with the board (and even making my own) I started having nightmares and then began to hear voices in my head (okay, that still happens; I’m an author after all). I started having anxiety attacks and then one night I woke up and had a hard time breathing. I felt something pressing against my chest. I tried to get up, but the unseen force kept me down. Then I saw a pair of inhuman eyes and a silhouette appear hovering just inches above me in the darkness. I froze there, unable to move as this demon, or whatever it was, stared into my eyes. I’ll never forget those eyes and the amount of fear I experienced at that moment. I finally screamed louder than I’ve ever screamed in my life. I cried out for my parents, who soon came rushing into my bedroom. When my mother turned on the light, the apparition disappeared. I never saw it again and never played with a Ouija board after that night.

Maybe it was my imagination. Or maybe it was a demon oppressing me for toying with the occult and breaking some rule of the spirit world. Real or not, it was the most horrifying experience I have ever had. When you read Devil’s Nightmare you will find hints of this experience, but the story in itself goes in a completely different direction.

8.) As a writer do you find yourself trying to put yourself into your character’s mind?

Yes, I do. And I’m still talking to my therapist about it.

I wrote the first book in the Devil’s Nightmare series in first person perspective, so it was kind of a prerequisite for writing my protagonist’s story. The second book is in third person perspective, but it still required getting into the minds of my characters, one of which resulted in some emotional reactions, because I had to think like that particular character and experience some pretty horrendous things a couple of times; this actually opened up some old wounds from my childhood. It was well worth it, though, because it made the scene more genuine to me, as upsetting as it was. On the most part, however, getting into the minds of my characters is a lot of fun. The problem is my characters can be very stubborn and always tend to win our arguments.

9.) I understand you are a gamer. What particular games do you like to play? Did any of those games help you visualize the situations in your books so you could then make such epic mental pictures for the reader that they feel they are there?

Oh, yes. Anybody who knows me personally will vouch for my love of video and computer games. It’s my favorite pastime. I’ve been playing video games since the days of Pong and haven’t stopped since. Hell, I even mention the fact that I’m a gamer in my author bio. J As far as what I enjoy playing the most, I would have to say military style first person shooters (Call of Duty, Battlefield), real-time strategy (Command & Conquer, Total War, Age of Empires), role-playing games (Baldur’s Gate, Elder Scrolls, Dragon Age, Fallout), and racing (Gran Turismo, Forza Motorsport). I also enjoy open world games like Grand Theft Auto. My absolute favorite genre is survival horror, with the Silent Hill series (particularly the first two) being at the top of my list.

I use video games as an outlet to relax and escape the stresses generated from work, finances, and sometimes the inevitable family issues that sometimes arise. Video games haven’t really influenced my writing directly per se, but now that I think about it, the survival horror games that I play probably have in fact had some impact. The one time I would say that video games specifically and directly assisted me was when I wrote my first novel Pursuit of a Dream, which was about a kid with a dream of becoming a professional stock car racer. I played quite a bit of NASCAR video games during that time, which did help with writing the racing scenes.  

10.) Please tell the readers about your latest book Devil’s Nightmare Premonitions.

Devil’s Nightmare: Premonitions is the sequel to the Amazon bestselling horror Devil's Nightmare. Fans of the first novel are in for another horrific thriller full of twists, chills, and a shocking conclusion. It takes place two years after the first novel. Aaron Sanders is retired from the Austin Police Department and he moves his family out of the capital city to start a new life as a small town cop in Lost Maples, Texas (which is a fictional town), where the population count is updated more often than the murder rate. That bit of reputation is about to change when Aaron is once again caught in the middle of a mysterious investigation that has an eerie familiarity. This time, however, he is certain what is responsible for the violent deaths . . . Or is he?

Evil knows no boundaries, and it is up to Aaron to figure out how to protect the residents of his community, and his family, from becoming its next victims.

11) Do you have another book planned to follow up Devil’s Nightmare: Premonitions?

I do have another book planned to follow up Premonitions. I could end the story where it is, but I have a feeling, based on feedback from my beta readers, that readers will want me to continue the series. Devil’s Nightmare was originally supposed to be a single story, but I received several requests for a second novel, so I wrote Devil’s Nightmare: Premonitions. While I’m on that subject, I want to thank all of my readers for your support and for pushing me to continue writing in the horror genre. I have several other stories brewing in this twisted mind of mine, so be sure to follow me on Twitter, Facebook and via my website for news on future projects.

Connect with Robert Pruneda:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/SharkbaitWrites

Facebook: http://facebook.com/AuthorRobertPruneda

Official Website: http://SharkbaitWrites.com

Thank you for visiting us today, Robert. As for you, reader, what are you waiting for? Go read Robert’s new book and if you haven’t read the one before that Devil’s Nightmare I highly recommend it. See review here  http://welllread.blogspot.ca/2013/03/review-devils-nightmare-by-rob-pruneda.html 

and for Devil’s Nightmare: Premonitions here http://welllread.blogspot.ca/2014/10/devils-nightmare-premonitions-review.html

Three Word Wednesday - The Gravel Pits-Part 9 - Conclusion

Three Word Wednesday - The Gravel Pits-Part 9

Carcass, noun: The dead body of an animal; the trunk of an animal such as a cow, sheep, or pig, for cutting up as meat; the remains of a cooked bird after all the edible parts have been removed; the remains of something being discarded, dismembered, or worthless.

Geek, noun: An unfashionable or socially inept person; [usually with modifier] a knowledgeable and obsessive enthusiast; a carnival performer who performs wild or disgusting acts; verb: Engage in or discuss computer-related tasks obsessively or with great attention to technical detail; be or become extremely excited or enthusiastic about a subject, typically one of specialist or minority interest:

Slash, verb: Cut (something) with a violent sweeping movement, typically using a knife or sword; reduce (a price, quantity, etc.) greatly; noun: A cut made with a wide, sweeping stroke; a wound or gash made by a cut with a wide, sweeping stroke.

If you missed Part 1 click here

If you missed Part 2 click here

If you missed Part 3 click here
If you missed Part 4 click here
If you missed Part 5 click here
If you missed Part 6 click here
If you missed Part 7 click here
If you missed Part 8 click here

    This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. 

The Gravel Pits-Part 9 -Conclusion

     Just when she thought she might have lost him a hand reached out from in front of her and grabbed her saying, “Found you.”

     “Don’t panic it’s me Karl.” he said, “Are you okay Kathleen? He didn’t harm you?” 

       “I have some bruises, but I’m okay.” she answered, “I'm so glad you're here.”

      Kathleen relaxed for a moment in Karl’s arms that he put around her, but then she remembered the man was still out there.

     “I saw his car parked in front of the Sulphur springs, you weren’t in it and I saw him enter the woods so I assumed you were in here. I slashed one of his tires, but he's the kind of geek to drive on it. We better get moving to my car before he gets here. My car is that way,” Karl said pointing.

     Kathleen heard a noise behind Karl and then saw the man come into view. He swung a log at Karl’s head and then with the other hand reached out to grab Kathleen but missed. As Karl fell down, Kathleen ducked, grabbed a log herself with her other hand and swung it at the man connecting with his head. The man’s head bled profusely and he dropped like a stone. Kathleen bent over Karl and helped him up as he pointed the way to his car. Kathleen dragged Karl to the car where he insisted she drive.

      “I can’t. I don’t know how,” Kathleen protested.

    “You can do this I can direct you, but I can’t see well enough to drive. I’ve got double vision.”

     Karl then showed her how to shift the gears and drive before buckling himself and her into the car. Kathleen wanted to take him to the hospital, but Karl insisted they go straight to his dad. Kathleen floored the car driving as fast as she could to the police station, but it was at least twenty miles away and it seemed like forever as she drove. she was terrified but she would not let this man catch them she decided as her adrenalin kicked in.  Karl seemed groggy and Kathleen kept talking to him to keep him awake. Just before they got to the out skirts of London the man caught up to them and banged the back of Karl’s dad’s car almost pushing them off the road. Kathleen kept the car steady and headed towards the police station. Kathleen raced through the city with the man on her tail. Finally turning into the police station driveway, the car disappeared. Kathleen got out and took Karl into the police station.

    “Can I help you?” asked the policeman at the desk.

    Kathleen burst into tears and then still shaking, she blurted through sobs, “I....kid ...”

   “You’re not making sense miss. Did this boy hurt you?”

   Karl took Kathleen in his arms and let her cry into his shoulder as he explained, “I’m Karl Ward, my dad works here.”

   “Oh you’re Lieutenant Peter Ward’s boy,” the policeman acknowledged.

   “Yes, I am,” Karl replied.

   “So what happened Karl? Can you tell me while I summon your dad?”

  “This is my friend Kathleen Jones. You have a BOLO out on her. That weirdo that you look for, kidnapped her. You know the guy who may have killed that girl Gina Waterstone? I spotted his car and I found Kathleen running from him in the woods. He caught up with us and hit me on the head but Kathleen saved me hitting him on smack dap on the head when he tried to grab her again. Then we drove here and he followed,” Karl said.

   “Your head bleeds.  I believe you both need to go to hospital. Now is the perp still out there?”

   “No, he took of once we turned into the station. But he did hit the back of our car when we were on the highway outside of town. There may be some paint scrapings you could get there,” Karl said and then finishing he said, “My head hurts.”

   “And here’s help right on cue,” the policeman said.

     The ambulance attendants arrived and diagnosed the Kathleen was in shock and said that Karl needed stitches and probably had a concussion. They loaded the two teens up and into the ambulance.

     “I’ll have your father meet you at the hospital Karl,” the policeman promised.

    The teens were seen almost immediately, though Kathleen refused to be far from Karl; so they set him up in a bed near her with the curtain drawn so they could examine her.

   Great-Aunt Frieda arrived at the hospital a half an hour after the ambulance and crying she said, “Thank, God you’re alive.”

  After the tears and reunion took place, they recommended an overnight stay for Kathleen because of shock. Karl’s father arrived three hours later to find Karl sitting beside Kathleen’s bed holding her hand his head sewn with twenty stitches.

    “We got him. You’re safe,” Lieutenant Ward reassured them.

    “You got him dad?”

    “I’m safe? He won’t get out on bail?” asked Kathleen

    “No he won’t get out of jail. I’m afraid he’s dead.”

   “Good! I'd like to kick his carcass, ” Karl exclaimed vehemently, “How did it happen, anyway?”

    “Karl!!”

   “He hurt Kathleen. He would have raped and killed her and he killed other women. He deserved to die, dad. you have to admit that,” Karl insisted.

   “No one deserves to die. Jail can be a terrible punishment. He tried to get away, but he was trapped and when he got out of the car he shot at us and my colleagues fired back. He died in a battle of gunfire,” Lieutenant Ward explained.

   “He can’t hurt me...”Kathleen said and then began to cry again.

   Karl went to her and hugged her again as the nurse came in and told his father and Karl that they had to go.

   “I’m not going home. Kathleen needs me,” Karl insisted.

   “It’s very unusual and I better be able to trust you young man. This young lady needs you for assurance only understand?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Karl replied politely.

  “Fine then you can stay, but only if you lie down in that bed there. You have a head injury and should rest. She’ll hear your breathing and know you’re there. I’ll check you in a couple of hours,” the nurse said.

   Karl’s dad left smiling, reassured the teens were going to be fine and went back to work. In the morning Kathleen was escorted home by Karl and his father. Karl saw Kathleen to the door.

  “Terri is anxious to see you, but dad said she had to wait until tomorrow,” Karl stated.

   “Thanks for coming to save me Karl,” Kathleen said.

  “It’s nothing any boyfriend would have done. Besides you could have saved yourself. You are so brave,” Karl insisted.

  “Karl, are you my boyfriend now?” Kathleen asked surprised.

  “I’d like to be,” Karl said.

  “Then it’s settled you’re my boyfriend,” Kathleen claimed then kissed him gently on the cheek and said, “See you later, Karl.”

 “See you later Kathleen,” Karl cried planting a soft kiss on her lips and then leaving.

   Kathleen danced as she came in the house, “My first real kiss, because you can’t count Tommy Gunderson,” she called out to no one and then said, “I have a boyfriend and he’s handsome and older. All the girls will hate me. I love it!”

Then she giggled happily. Great-Aunt Frieda heard Kathleen’s record player turn on and the song ‘And then he kissed me’ by the Crystal’s come on full blast and sounds of Kathleen dancing around the room.

   Great-Aunt Frieda went into the kitchen made herself a cup of tea and took out a cookie from a batch she kept back from the bake sale. Great-Aunt Frieda smiled, Kathleen sounded herself again after that horrible kidnapping.She had come out of this with very little harm thank goodness. It had been a hairy situation but it was over.The boy Karl had finally declared himself. Karl was a good boy brought up properly he wouldn’t take advantage of Kathleen.  God had seen their family through this tribulation and all was right with the world. She could relax for a while until the next teenage drama, of course, hopefully not anytime soon.

      Next on her agenda making a fabulous picnic lunch for Kathleen; Karl and his family were meeting them at the gravel pits for a swim and a picnic. Time to make peace with the gravel pits and the terrible thing that almost happened nearby. They could make some new happy memories for the all the teens Terri, Karl and Kathleen. It would be a beautiful day the weather was perfect. If she hurried she could just about make her German potato salad in time, before she let Kathleen know about the picnic and swim.

The End

©Sheilagh Lee  September 17, 2014