Friday, April 25, 2014

Editing Excursions




US
UK
Canada
 Australia




Over the past few months I have been re-editing my e-book serial.  There are no plot changes, or new chapters or characters. 
 
 
 
US
UK
Canada
Australia
 
 
 
I just jostled around some words and deleted a paragraph or two to make it all as readable as possible. 
 
 
 
US
UK
Canada
 Australia 
 
 
Another reason for editing is preparation for a potential four-in-one volume print edition...sometime in the near future.

 

 
For now these new edits of DARK EXCURSIONS are only available individually for your Amazon Kindle, or Kindle-App compatible device, such as a smartphone or tablet.


 
 
 

Feel free to click on an e-book link above or browse around my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE to check out my concise and honest bio... US   UK   Canada   Australia     (bio not available on Canadian & Australian sites) 

For more information regarding DARK EXCURSIONS, click on the following links to read the corresponding sample chapters... 

12    32    64 

Thank you for your time and support.  Words cannot fully express my appreciation.

Be Well and Freak Out,

JLH

Thursday, April 10, 2014

the writer’s bend becomes a wallflower





 
 
 
"And in that moment, I swear we were infinite."
 - from Charlie's letter, dated October 28, 1991







 
April 8, 2014

Dear friend,
    I went to the video store to rent a new release.  The particular film I was looking for wasn't available, so I brought home the DVD of THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER.  I had been curious about it since it hit theaters a couple of years ago, but other films kept getting in the way.  Now there wasn't any other film, just this one.  Suffice it to say, after watching it twice I knew I had to read the book immediately.

    Thankfully my public library had a copy of Stephen Chbosky's 1999 novel.  While checking it out, I told the librarians about the film.  One said that the teens have really enjoyed the book.  She didn't say this in a mean way, as if I should feel stupid reading teen-oriented fiction as an adult.  I think she just wanted me to know that people have said positive things about it.

    Well, it didn't take me too long to read this insightful novel.  Sometimes I related to the main character, which might be a little weird.  I don't know.  Charlie is 15 and I am far removed from that age, but maybe it shows the author touched upon some basic human experiences and emotions.

    All I know for certain is that I really wish this book would have been available when I was 15.  And that everyone could use friends like Sam and Patrick, though whomever we meet in life should be enough to make us feel infinite.

                                                                                                               Love always,
                                                                                                               John
 
Originally posted on The Writer's Bend


Friday, April 4, 2014

visiting doubt



doubt visits during waking hours
paralyzing my body
breaking open my jaw
ramming itself down my throat
choking off oxygen
and my voice
devouring my insides
until i am hollowed
staring at shadows
with nothing eyes

then i send it away
movement resuming
catching a breath
and finding my voice
filling up my interior
with whatever it needs
eyes seeing life
all too clearly
pretending everything is fine
waiting for doubt to return





 
 
 
 
 
_______________________
April 3, 2014
John L. Harmon

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

A Grave Situation





    He opens his eyes to dirt and darkness, but it's not darkness to him.  Each speck of dirt pressing against his hazel eyes can be seen and that's not all.  Surrounding him on all sides is life.  Underground bugs and deep burrowing earthworms, yet, there is something else.  Something waiting.  This knowledge, and an aversion to the slithering, crawling lower lifeforms, propels him upwards.
    A seemingly endless amount of dirt collapses upon him as he digs toward the surface.  There is no sensation of claustrophobia or suffocation, just a feeling of someone waiting.  He isn't sure how he knows what he knows, especially since his memory is in question, but he knows it to be true.
    Sunlight greets him as he pulls himself out of the dirt.  No, not sunlight.  Moonlight, yet he can see the surroundings clearly, as it the land is highlighted by the noonday sun.  Peculiar indeed, but what shouldn't be peculiar is where he now finds himself.  Headstone after headstone after headstone for as far as his extraordinary eyes can see.  He knows what he is, but not how he came to be.
    "Well, I was beginning to think dawn would break before you decided to come topside."
    He turns to the somewhat sarcastic feminine voice, to the one who has been impatiently waiting for him.  She is sitting on top of an old massive headstone, managing a look of extreme interest and exquisite boredom.  Her hair, tied back in a ponytail, is natural sexbomb blond and her vaguely smiling lips are as red as, well, blood.  A stunning figure cuts beneath the seemingly inappropriate nighttime cemetery-wear of a peach sundress.  Long, slender legs swing back and forth, as the backs of sturdy peach sandals bang against the name of Victor Danton.  Somewhere from the depths of his murky memory, he finds his last words.
    "You saved me?"
    Victor Danton receives a reprieve as her peach sandals come to a halt.  Typically the first words out of a newbie's mouth are "what happened" or "I'm thirsty" or just a stupidly confused moan.  This one must be something different, at least compared to her previous attempts.
    "Technically, I did save you, so to speak."
    He reaches into the murkiness once again, sifting through fleeting images, words and emotions, until he finds confusing truth.  Multiple vacant eyes approaching, staggering, mouths agape.  Dropping his weapon, giving up on the situation and life in general.
    "I didn't want to be saved."
    "True, you didn't seem to desire a rescue," she nearly whispers, vividly recalling the sullen moment.
    A few questions come to mind, but he chooses the first, "Why did you?"
    Her peach sandals begin kicking the deceased Danton again, with a nervous verve.  "I was thirsty and bored.   Why did you want to destroy yourself?"
    Snippets of images illuminate through murky memories.  A building, full of them, whoever 'them' are.  Sitting in a pick-up truck with...someone.  Then a voice, not his own and almost inaudible, "One more and then it will be time."  Suddenly, a blinding flash, followed by an overwhelming sensation of nothing to live for, nothing to push him forward.
    "I was alone."
    "You were and now you are not."  She gracefully dismounts the headstone, ponytail swishing, and draws closer, fascinated by her handiwork.  "What else do you remember?"
    "Jumbled images."  He looks down and notices his distinct attire.  "Was I a soldier?"
    "Every human is a soldier now.  Thankfully, they are not after the likes of us."
    "What are they after?" he asks, curiosity peaked.
    "The living dead."
    "Isn't that what we are?"
    "No.  We are the undead.  Zombies are the living dead."
    He recalls his suicide attempt full of vacant eyes and gaping mouths and then studies the admittedly pale, yet vibrant creature before him.  "Shouldn't we be the living dead?"
    "Living dead, rotters, zombies.  Undead, nosferatu, vampires.  Whatever.  I blame the movies."  She would roll her eyes but this is the most meaningful conversation she has experienced in...well, quite a while.  "Speaking of semantics, do you remember your name?"
    Several monosyllabic
noises are made in frustrating attempts to conjure an answer to her seemingly simple question.  He finally gives up, shrugging his shoulders, "I don't know."
    "Your memory may fully restore itself or not.  Difficult to say for certain.  It is different for everyone."  She seems completely unconcerned, stepping closer and offering to adjust his disheveled collar.  "We are undead during the zombie apocalypse, so we can be whomever we want.  Just pick a name."
    "What's your name?"
    "Peaches, currently."  Her smile is simultaneously warm and wry.
    Inspiration strikes quickly and he smiles in return.  "Cam."
    She nods in approval.  "So, Cam, I trust that I don't have to hide any sharp wood from you or that you won't decide to sunbathe come morning?"
    Newly-christened Cam briefly recalls the crushing emotions as the living dead closed in and then locks vivid eyes with his maker named Peaches.  "As you said, I am no longer alone.  And neither are you."
    Peaches quickly links arms with her perceptive prodigy.  "Now let's get you cleaned up and find you someone to drink, which is not as easy as it used to be with this new world order."
    As she casually leads him away from the soulless cemetery, a lone zombie staggers quietly in the distant moonlight.

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

Photo and story: March/April 2014

For another supernatural tale click SCAR

Be well, Readers, and Freak Out,
JLH