Decay as Setting #newbook

Hi, gang. Thanks for joining me for yet another promo post about “Once Upon a Time in the Swamp.” While these are completely promotional, I also want them to be interesting. A large percentage of my readers are authors, and maybe some of this can inspire your next tale.

The post apocalyptic Gulf Coast was kind of a stickpin for me. What would a failed world look like after decades? I put my effort into this, and came up with forest fires, hurricanes, rust, and more. I added earthquakes into the mix as a result of nuclear warfare that happened before this story opens.

As Mari wanders in the swampland, she spends the night in a burned out old military helicopter. She has to cross crumbling bridges, and there are odd buildings that have been repurposed by a new civilization. One example is a restaurant that is sited in a former medical clinic.

One of her friends and mentors lives in an old country gas station. During an extreme storm event they have to flee to a dilapidated concrete potato cellar.

Mari wanders to sites both real and made up. It’s a work of fiction, so I renamed a few towns based upon the people that took them over. I kept enough that someone could actually follow her journey on a map.

One of those places is a real NASA facility. It’s overgrown and crumbled now. Another one is a dinosaur park. You may have seen something similar. There is a good one along the Oregon coast that I used for inspiration. They have fiberglass full sized dinosaurs back in the forest. It was kind of fun, because Mari has no idea what they are or were.

I’m not above coming up with my own stuff, and I did in this story. Imagining the state of decay after we lose power grids, automobiles, and a lot of lives, enhanced the world Mari lives in.

This world isn’t the main part of the story, but it serves an important purpose. As Mari wanders, she reveals tidbits about what happened in the previous world. I always enjoy reading that, and assumed there are other weirdos out there like me.

If you are, or would like to be, one of those weirdos, I have a story for you to read. Tell your friends, share with your covens, drop a link at your various secret societies. I would appreciate it, and they might, too.

***

Blurb: Mari and her husband opted for a simple life as farmers. It’s been decades since the world tore itself apart, pitting neighbor against neighbor and family against each other. They were happy in this re-emerging world, until disaster struck.

Mari sets out on a solo quest to avenge the deaths of her family and loss of everything she holds dear. She’s ill equipped for the task, but seems to have time on her hands. Time alone in the wilderness to deal with her personal demons along the way.

She is helped by a few sympathetic elders and a couple of animal companions with lessons Mari can use if she pays attention. Can Mari find justice for her family?

Set in a post apocalyptic, Gulf Coast world, this is a story for fans of the old Spaghetti Westerns.

Get your copy right here https://mybook.to/OnceUponTimeSwamp

Book Review

Noelle has generously shared her review of Once Upon a Time in the Swamp, this morning. I’m spending my day flying from Savannah to Boise, and thought some of you might enjoy it. I’ll check comments when I get home today.

In an homage to spaghetti westerns such as Once Upon a Time in the West, Craig Boyack has created a rollicking, rolling, and compelling adventure in a post-apocalyptic American Gulf Coast world. I read it in one day, enjoying every morsel.

Mari and her husband and young son enjoy a simple life as tobacco farmers, in a world that was torn apart by what appears to be a nuclear war – one which destroyed civilization, leaving only pockets of humanity here and there. One day when Mari is out hunting a turkey, raiders visit their farm and murder her husband and child, ransacking the house and killing one of their bulls. When Mari returns, her world is done. When the local sheriff has bigger fish to fry than find the killers, she buries her family and decides that her future is to seek revenge on the men that cost her everything. She’s not particularly suited for this adventure, but she packs up everything she thinks she will need in a one-axle cart made from the bed of red Chevy Silverado and hitches up her remaining ox to the buggy shafts. Dirt, the ox, is a major character in the story and with his six foot horn span and recalcitrant nature, the reader has to love him.

Keep reading here https://saylingaway.com/2023/05/11/book-review-once-upon-a-time-in-the-swamp-by-c-s-boyack-virgilante-dystopian-spaghetti-western-high-adventure/?unapproved=13039&moderation-hash=072b2682547420fbc80b648d38310aa6#comment-13039

Oops, I did it again #NewBook

Well, I’ve gone and done it again. This has been a weird year for me. We had a small family emergency, and my workplace kind of went crazy, along with the need to dedicate some time to my daughter. There hasn’t been much time for writing in the mix. Fortunately, for me, I had three finished manuscripts to deal with.

One of these is book-one of an intended trilogy, so I’m holding it back for now. One is a new story about Lizzie and the hat, that might come out near Halloween. This brings me to one of my solo titles. This book is called “Once Upon a Time in the Swamp.”

It’s about a farm wife trying to live her best life. Mari is performing one of her regular chores when the book opens, and I tried to allow her to find some joy in it. Great place to develop setting and her normal world. When she returns to the farm, tragedy hits her hard. Someone has massacred her entire family.

She has to walk to town to get the authorities on the trail, but it seems they have more politically important things to deal with.

This leads Mari on a personal vendetta to get some kind of justice for her family. She has limited skills, and is a little out of her element.

I’m not ashamed to tell you it was inspired by the Spaghetti Westerns of old. However, I still want it to be somewhat unique, and to be one of “my” books. It needed a certain something that I provided in the form of a post apocalyptic setting. I also added a little bit of Voodoo that gives Mari a very small edge.

Sean Harrington did a wonderful job on the cover. The ox and pickup-bed wagon feature prominently in the story. I love the decayed satellite dishes in the background to help sell the setting.

Blurb: Mari and her husband opted for a simple life as farmers. It’s been decades since the world tore itself apart, pitting neighbor against neighbor and family against each other. They were happy in this re-emerging world, until disaster struck.

Mari sets out on a solo quest to avenge the deaths of her family and loss of everything she holds dear. She’s ill equipped for the task, but seems to have time on her hands. Time alone in the wilderness to deal with her personal demons along the way.

She is helped by a few sympathetic elders and a couple of animal companions with lessons Mari can use if she pays attention. Can Mari find justice for her family?

Set in a post apocalyptic, Gulf Coast world, this is a story for fans of the old Spaghetti Westerns.

***

I’m also suffering from tour burnout. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’ve published quite a bit over the last few years, and I’m sure my regular hosts are getting tired, too. I always try to keep my posts unique, and that won’t change. This time, I’m going to post them all here. I hope you’ll swing by to see what I have next, and tell your friends about it. Reblogs are wonderful, and any sharing you can do on social media are all appreciated. If anyone does a review post, I’ll try to share it here and drive you some traffic.

As far as the book goes, you can pick up a copy right here: https://mybook.to/OnceUponTimeSwamp

You can also click on the cover in my sidebar.

For the subsequent posts, I’ll clean them up by putting the cover, blurb, and purchase link at the bottom. This was the announcement post, so I made the cover a little bigger and more prominent.

Still fumbling

I decided to work on Percy the Space Chimp today. Getting both these stories flowing has taken me more time than I anticipated.

Honestly, since Percy involves a sequel, I thought it would be up and running a little faster. I feel the need to at least do some minor reintroductions of the characters, because there could be someone out there who reads them months apart.

Prejudice is one thing that kind of sets Percy off, so that’s where I went. It allowed me to revisit his relationship with Buffer Dole, and the clones got some page time, too. They managed to obtain their course from the spy network and avoided throttling the crap out of some people.

All I have to do is get them to their ship and send them into the unclaimed part of the galaxy.

I might have been better served to get my Earth based science fiction tale to the point where it’s really flowing before starting Percy back up. Doesn’t matter now, because they’re both underway.

It came to a little over 1000 words today, but I might take a crack at some more this evening. Old What’s Her Face is watching Harry Potter once again, and I’ve kind of seen enough of it.

I’m generally used to higher word counts than I’ve been getting lately, and my winter break might not have been the best idea.

Either way, this is where I am right now. Might even get a small chance tomorrow. Hope all of you are safe from the major storms and getting to do something fun.

Life as a submariner

I’ve been on the Voice of Indie Podcast and had a great time. The guys are still going strong, and today they’re promoting a book by Robert Williscroft and Jerry Pait. This is a group of stories about Jerry’s time in the United States Navy, as a submariner.

Let’s make them feel welcome. Check out the book, and if you have a moment, tune into the podcast on Wednesday. Don’t forget to use those sharing buttons on your way out. It will help them, and me.

# # #

Jerry Pait enlisted on September 15, 1964, was assigned to Fleet Sonar School, volunteered for subs, and ended up on USS Entemedor (SS-340). After Advanced Sonar School, he was transferred as an STS-2 to USS Von Steuben (SSBN 632B) in the Philly yards right after her collision off Cadiz, Spain. I was a newly minted Lt. j.g., fresh out of Poseidon Missile School, having come through the NESEP program and Univ. of Washington in marine and atmosphere physics. I guess the skipper made me Sonar Officer because I was a former sonar tech. Jerry and I served together until I left for the Man-in-the-Sea Program and ultimately Operation Ivy Bells, tapping into Soviet underwater communications cables in the Sea of Okhotsk.

Jerry went on to become COB on Von Steuben, served in a senior position in Sonar/Torpedoman School, and then was commissioned as an LDO Ensign. He returned briefly to Von Steuben and then served as a division officer on several sub tenders. After that, he was assigned to NOTU, supervising underwater ballistic missile launchings for several years, working closely with NASA. He rose to Lt. Cmdr., was selected for Cmdr. But was mustered out on retirement as part of Clinton’s force reduction efforts.

Jerry took a senior field position with the major defense contractor Brown & Root, but during his first year, he fell from 20 feet in a way that fractured his back and cracked his skull. He survived, received a significant settlement, and has struggled ever since to regain as much function as possible.

I was on Jerry’s emailing list. He began to send out periodic stories from his past. They were fascinating, and the response from his list was remarkable. I saw their potential and contacted Jerry—we hadn’t communicated directly with each other in decades. I suggested that I work with him to compile his stories into a coherent whole, and that we put out a book. He agreed, so we found a publisher who was willing to work with us on this strange project, and we completed the book last month.

Jerry’s book, Sŭbmarine-Ër: 30 Years of Hijinks & Keeping the Fleet Afloat, will be released on September 15, exactly 58 years after he enlisted. The book is on pre-publication sale right now as an ebook for only 99¢. The ebook price will rise to $3.99 on September 15. Each chapter has a color photo that illustrates the contents of that chapter. The trade paperback printed version has half-tone photos and will sell for $19.95 The hardbound, jacketed edition is in full color throughout and will sell for $36.95. Both will be available for pre-order within two or three days.

Why am I doing this? Jerry is our brother—and he’s a genuine American hero. His story deserves to be told far and wide. I’m not here selling books. I’m here asking you to help me preserve the memory of one of the best among us. By purchasing the ebook on pre-order (only 99¢), you will help boost his sales ranking, so that on September 15, the release date, his ranking will shoot up. If you want the trade paperback, or the really cool hardbound, jacketed, full color version, you can pre-order those as well from Amazon or any other online bookseller, or you can order it from your favorite brick and mortar store as well. Should you want an autographed copy, please use the Contact form at FreshInkGroup.com, and I will put you into direct contact with Jerry.

The Book Trailer!

            https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=6pklESG3x-w

Live Interactive Podcast with Pait and Williscroft!

Call (516) 453-9902 or hashtag #FreshInkGroup in tweets during the show.

The Book Blurb!

Lieutenant Commander Jerry Pait’s semi-autobiographical collection of sixty stories recounts his thirty years in and around the U.S. Navy’s submarine fleet. Ranging from light-hearted to wrenching, all are poignant inside looks at naval operations rarely seen by outsiders. Topics include the real story behind the shuttle Challenger tragedy, risking his own life underwater, discovering a Soviet spy living across the street, surviving when a DELTA Rocket engine ignites, critical missions, and the everyday lives of men and women of the fleet. Dive into Sŭbmarine-Ër for hijinks and breathtaking adventure with this poignant memoir by a true American hero.

 

Order Yours!

Digital editions at 99 cents during pre-sale are available in all major ebook formats—Kindle, Nook, Kobo, GPlay, iBooks, and 200+ more—worldwide. Full-color jacketed hardcovers and softcovers are appearing at retailer sites over the next week.

Amazon

A bit of progress

I got to the writing cabin late this morning. Payday finally rolled around, so I paid all the bills before the sun even came up. I also started my boiling pot to get some humidity into the air. Really helps with my sinuses this time of year.

When I walked inside the place was quiet. I found hot coffee, but Lisa Burton was nowhere to be found.

Percy the Space Chimp was prostrate on the couch in my office and playing a phone game of some kind. He wore lounge pants and a bathrobe.

“What’s going on around here?” I asked.

“Nothing as far as I can tell. I’ve been here for weeks after you abandoned me for a better story.”

“Don’t get snotty. I told you that’s how it works. And don’t say better. It’s a different story, and I hope they’re both good. Where’s Lisa?”

“She made coffee, then left. Said you were coming eventually, but blah blah, something about boots.”

“Is she still shopping with the Sirens?”

“I think they left. She said there’s a character in your alternate story with some kind of over-the-knee boots, and she thought she’d better have some for work.”

“What? That just a peripheral character. She’s kind of a slutty vampire that shows up sometimes. Lisa’s been cooped up out here for a long time. I think she just wanted to get out for a while. Let’s see if we can get some work done.”

“Finally! My story’s been stuck in the science and spy city forever, now. Let’s get this adventure rolling.”

“The city’s cool, and we’re probably going to come close to leaving, but you have a few things to deal with first. If you’re good, I’ll let you take your new transport for a spin.”

“Maybe a mock dogfight?”

“Don’t push your luck, but we’ll see. First, I’m going to saddle you with a new mission and a temporary crew member.”

“Who’s that going to be?”

“She’s someone new, and a Classic alien.”

“Noooo! Not just another chick, but a Classic to boot. You must hate me.”

“Heroes have to grow and face issues along the way.”

“Maybe I like being grouchy and prickly. Did you ever think of that?”

“I did, and you certainly are, but you’re still going to do this before going back deep into enemy territory with nothing more than a nearly unarmed ship and a transport.”

“Okay. I want to take a flight. What do I have to do?”

“Look out on the landing strip.”

Percy ran to the window. “It looks like a shrimp.”

“Why does everyone say that? It’s based upon something called a slipper lobster, and it’s manuverible as hell.”

“Sooo, I’m not hearing fast.”

“Fast enough, but not like a fighter. You’re going to have to be tricky to get away from problems.”

“I can be tricky. Let’s take her out.”

“Okay, but remember it’s a test flight. Then we’re going to tear the door off and park her in the loading bay.”

“What! Why?”

“Because that’s part of your next mission.”

“This story sounds like bullshit so far.”

“Might be, but now that war’s broken out, you have to do more covert activities. Your days in the fleet are over, but there’s a need for good pilots outside the squadrons.”

“Do your readers actually have that kind of faith in you? I mean something starts sounding cool, then we tear the hatch off and park it away somewhere. Why should they read along?”

“Most do, but some things aren’t for everyone. I’m having a great time. You’re having a good time. I’m sure Lisa’s having a good time. What’s not to like?”

“I might be able to send you a list, but I’ll play nice. Let’s take that flight.”

***

Somewhere around 2500 words today. Percy still hasn’t left the Snakeworks, but he’s pretty darned close.

How to not get anything accomplished

I wound up at the writing cabin not really knowing what I was going to do. Lisa was ready in her spacesuit, and Percy the Space Chimp seemed excited.

I opened the project, which still needs a name. A transition scene forced me to take things a little slower. We managed around 200 words.

Lisa pinched the bridge of her nose. “You’re about to have company.”

“How do you know?” Percy asked.

She pointed at herself. “Robot girl. I’m patched into the doorbell camera.” Lisa headed for the door before they could ring.

I hoped beyond reason that Lisa could get rid of them. Maybe buy me a box of Girl Scout Cookies. Didn’t work out that way.

Consultia and Libraria barged into the room. They were followed by Wiki, who peeked around her sisters and wriggled her fingers.

“Oh, no! I have a project in the works. I don’t need the Research Sirens right now.”

Consultia, a stunning black girl in a scoop-necked dress, said, “I disagree. You have two hat stories in the can, and you’re working on a space opera that could take a couple of years.”

Blonde bombshell Libraria peered over her glasses. “You need something else brewing. Your fans are going to want something unique before the space opera is ready.”

Wiki pulled out her iPad Mini, touched an app, then a huge beanbag chair in the shape of a panda head appeared. As she flopped in the seat, her red A-line bob danced seductively. “I’m ready. What are we researching?”

“That’s a cool app,” Percy said.

Wiki wrinkled her nose, then patted the chair beside her for him to sit down.

Consultia put an arm around me. Hair from her huge ’do tickled my ear. “We should talk about Detroit.” She steered me toward the couch.

“It’s just a loose idea. All the abandoned homes and businesses might be the site for an adventure.”

Libraria leaned back on the couch, then crossed her legs over my lap, leaving one stiletto heel dangling. “Characters?”

“Well, I thought I might use junior high aged kids. A boy, and a mixed race girl to explore all the buildings.”

Wiki wrinkled her nose. “It could be like Indiana Jones, and the abandoned parts are their temples.”

“I like that. I’ll need a McGuffin of some kind.”

Libraria pulled a gigantic book from thin air. “The complete history of Detroit. After you finish it, I can find you some others.”

Wiki held up her iPad. “How about this court case. This couple stole all kinds of things from the National Archives. Your kids might go looking for stuff that was never recovered.”

Percy leaned over her shoulder for a look. “That was fast.”

“Sirens are magical beings.” Wiki handed him one of her friendship bracelets.

Conversia ran a manicured nail down my chest. “We should go to Detroit to see this with our own eyes. You’ll need foils of some kind, and we can visit street gangs, druggies, and politicians. I can lead a dialog amongst you so you can get all the data you need.”

“We could explore the Detroit music scene while we’re there,” I suggested.

Libraria glared over her frames. “Wrong story.”

“Okay, but how will this be one of my stories? I don’t see science fiction, fantasy, or paranormal fitting in here.”

Consultia said, “Something will come to you. We can stay in Detroit for a few months if we need. Maybe I can get you an appointment with the Nain Rouge.”

“Who?”

Percy shot to his feet. “Wait, wait, wait! What about my story? You can’t just abandon me.”

Lisa brought in coffee and mugs for everyone. “That’s their trap. They crash an author’s career on the rocks. Craig knows this.”

Wiki frumped. “Sounds kind of mean when you say it like that.”

Lisa put a hand on her hip. “We aren’t going to Detroit, and he’s not reading that huge book. In fact, we’re going back to the space opera and letting all this stew for a few months. There’s probably a story here, but he can’t go away forever to research mindless things you might throw in his path.”

Conversia let my head bounce across her bosom, landing in her lap. “Killjoy.”

“I like you girls. I really do, but he has to stay on task. He’ll think about it. I promise.”

Libraria swiveled her legs back to the floor. “I’m sure there’s a nice champagne brunch somewhere near a quality shoe store. Are you coming?”

Lisa looked at me as she fidgeted.

“Go ahead. I’ll hang out with Percy and we’ll see what we come up with.”

“Squeee!” Lisa dashed from the room to change her clothes.

Wreck of the Lanternfish #adventure #pirates #fantasy

I’m excited to visit Gwen Plano’s site today. The topic is Wreck of the Lanternfish. Make sure to check out Gwen’s site while you’re there. She has a wonderful selection of books, and is one of my Story Empire partners.

***

Hello blog friends! Today I’m pleased to host writer C.S. Boyack. Craig is a friend and fellow member of the writers group, Story Empire. If you’ve read one of his books, you know he’s got a great sense of humor and an even greater imagination.

An Idahoan who loves nature, Craig writes whenever he’s got a free moment. Busy though he is, he makes time for writing. It’s one of his great loves, as is obvious by his long list of top-notch publications.  

I’ve read four of Craig’s books, and all have earned 5-stars from me. As you might suspect, I’m really looking forward to reading his latest.

Rather than me saying more, let’s invite Craig to tell us about his book. Craig, it’s all yours . . . Keep reading here

New Release! “Wreck of the Lanterfish” by C. S. Boyack @Virgilante #newrelease #whattoread #writingcommunity #mustread

D. L. Finn is a wonderful author and one of my Story Empire colleagues. She’s generously offered to lend me her site today to talk about Wreck of the Lanternfish. While you’re there, check out her site and offerings. Denise is someone you ought to be following and reading.

***

I’m thrilled to welcome fellow Story Empire Author, C. S. Boyack here today to celebrate the release of Wreck of Lanternfish. I’ve been looking forward to the final book in this series and here’s my review.

Thanks so much for lending me your space today. Spreading the word about a new book is so important. Today is all about concluding my Lanternfish trilogy with ‘Wreck of the Lanternfish.’ Keep reading here…

#NewBook Hoist the Colors, one more time…

I spent my weekend publishing “Wreck of the Lanternfish.” I swore this would come out in 2021, and now it has.

Amazon took it’s sweet time, and I ran into a few glitches along the way. For whatever reason, Apple decided to reduce the size of my cover when I save it. This led me to search back through a couple of thousand posts for Sean Harrington’s original mail to find an image the correct size. It seems Apple Mail does not have a search feature. My saved image at least tagged the date, and that helped a bit.

This led me to create a folder for Sean’s delivery emails. Since I was on a mission, I also dug out the cover for Good Liniment and saved it there, too.

It took a day to get through Amazon’s review, then a few more hours to publish, but it’s there now. Then it took even more time to attach to the series. I still haven’t seen the numbering sequence correct, but assume that’s coming. Voyage of the Lanternfish still shows as book one of two, instead of book one of three. At least the book is available now.

I also learned we can link other titles to the series without making them part of the series. This probably isn’t new, but it’s new to me. I updated Serang to populate when someone links to the trilogy.

While I was waiting, I gave Entertaining Stories a facelift. Some new wallpaper and the underwater banner image felt appropriate.

James Cuttler created a peaceful spot for he and his wife to settle down. Far from the war that ravages their homeland, far from the reputation he earned as the notorious pirate Captain Bloodwater, and far from responsibility.

A royal Prelonian houseguest is a constant reminder of what’s at stake half a world away, of the friends he put ashore to fight the war. He lives in a dream world that’s temporary, at best. It’s only a matter of time before his guest is identified and the black assassins come for her.

He mortgages his precious vineyard to pay for repairs to his ship. If nothing else, Lanternfish will be one of the most powerful ships in the war, if he’s not already too late.

James will have to merge the skills of commander and con man into something new to make this work. He’ll need to avoid those on his own side who would hang him for piracy.

Serang is half a world away, leading her army of mercinary swordsmen toward the Fulminites. Mistrusted by both sides of the war, she appears as a third combatant on the battlefield. She may eliminate the mysterious order, only to succumb to the demons of her own tragic past.

Strap on your swords and hoist the colors one more time as the thrilling Lanternfish Trilogy comes to an end.

Wreck of the Lanternfish purchase link

Trilogy link

****

I know many of you are reluctant to start a series until it concludes. If that was your concern, fear no more. I’ll be taking this book out on tour, but will wait until after Thanksgiving to start. It’s probably the worst time, since it’s not a Christmas story, but maybe some folks prefer to avoid Christmas stories. This is an alternative.