Irving Fontaine rides again
As I stated when I released the first Irving Fontaine adventure, The Skin Walkers, I plan to release a new adventure during the first week of each month. The first story was written for an anthology so I had a guideline to follow. For the next adventure, I soon found myself floundering. I didn't have a clear picture of what I wanted to do just yet. I mean the broad idea is there, Civil War veteran facing different monsters and spooks throughout the old west. And yet after dealing with shape-shifting Navajos, I didn't know for sure what the next monster should be.
So I wrote, then erased, and wrote again. This happened over and over as I simply could not get any traction. Not to mention I was still working on the weekly series, The Ephraim Godwin Chronicles - which you can read here and will soon be released for the Kindle as well. And of course, outlining my 3rd stand-alone horror novel. And let me tell you, June flew by and there I was staring at a barely started project with less than a week to go.
It's very important for me to deliver when promised. If I tell you I'll have a post on the site Monday, then I strive to make sure there is something there...even if it's just me shrilling for one of my projects. The same goes for the next part of The Ephraim Chronicles, chapters arrive Wednesday morning. So when I say I want to release Irving Fontaine's adventures near the beginning of the month, I mean it. But I don't want to just release anything, I want to release an enjoyable story.
And I think I got it. Except the story became larger than the format I was shooting for. The goal is to release shorter stories for people who don't want to read huge books. I aim for 5000 to 10000 words each month for Irving Fontaine. In a perfect world it would be like the first story, just under 6000. I found a natural break in To Stare Death in the Eyes at around 11600 words. So this adventure will be broken into parts. Part one is available tomorrow on the Kindle. As soon as the link appears on Amazon, I will add it to the story and share it on my Facebook pages.
Once it's up the story will be available for the Kindle only. The price is $2.99 and it will also be free to Kindle Unlimited readers.
Thanks for all your support and I hope you enjoy the wild west adventures as they come out.
Below is the Prologue, to give you an idea of the style and flow of the Irving Fontaine adventure.
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Prologue
NOW...
A bullet ricocheted off the stone wall behind Irving Fontaine. He instinctively flinched, but he smoothly raised his Colt and cocked the hammer. Taking a deep breath, he aimed and fired. One man fell with a cry, then another as blood exploded from the back of his head, and a third tumbled to the ground, the light from his eyes disappearing. The crack of rifle fire echoed in the tunnel as two more men fell. The horde pulled back, shrieking and hurling insults.
Irving glanced next to him and offered a smile to the pretty blonde woman who knelt beside him. It had been a weird few days and as the two made their way deeper into the tunnels, he found himself wondering if they would ever glimpse the sun again. He hoped so, but if this was the end so be it.
"We need to move on," he said as he helped the woman stand.
She nodded but kept her eyes locked on the horde's direction. Irving glanced over his shoulder to make sure the way was clear. He began to step back, his free hand on the woman's shoulder. She kept the rifle at the ready, and he wondered how many bullets they had left between them. Not enough to stop all of them, but maybe enough to discourage them from following. The thought made him grimace as all indications said these zealots wouldn't stop until he was dead.
The horde began to pulse forward, screaming threats and howling in frustration, as something edged them on. Irving realized their blood lust would override their fear of being shot in the next few minutes and decided he needed to act now. He reached up and grabbed one of the lanterns distributed throughout the tunnels to provide light. The oil sloshed inside as he swung it down to his side. He pulled the woman behind him and stepped forward, swinging the lantern in a wide arch before letting it go.
The lantern tumbled through the air causing the light to flicker and Irving wondered if their luck would hold or if the fire would go out. He grinned as the lantern crashed to the ground and the spilled oil ignited and blocked the way with an immense wall of fire.
Irving spun and slipped the woman's hand into his as they ran away from the flames and down the other tunnel. He bought them some time, but he knew in the end, it might not be enough. The journey that brought them to the hills flashed through his mind as he tried to piece together a way out for them. The howls of the horde echoed off the walls and chased them deeper into the tunnels.
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