And the winner is...

Things went a little wonky this week, but here we are...Friday! And one of you lucky people just snagged about 40-50 hours of audio book goodness. Are you curious?  Well I have good news...I actually had such a positive response that I drew 2 names. So, Michele Heeder AND Leann Hazen need to shoot me an email so I can send you your codes for your very own free versions of the original Zomblog trilogy, and also, the newest and FIRST full length version of That Ghoul Ava and the Queen of The Zombies. If you want to see all of my current titles on Audible.com, just click HERE for everything but Dakota (which I wrote as Todd Brown because I thought it might be good to separate my horror from non-horror stuff. (FACEPALM!)

peek-a-boo!

So, going in to the weekend, how about an unedited peek at the upcoming (October 30th) Zomblog: Snoe's Journey? Okay. Enjoy...

Friday, June 3^rd

A delegate from the Confederated Union of Tribes arrived today. She refused to speak to anybody until I was brought to meet with her. I find it nothing sort of amazing that anybody can make a trip from someplace so far away by themselves. Not only that, but considering how fast she had to be moving…on foot!

General Carson has been busy. (I guess he gave himself a promotion.) This was exactly as I feared. I knew that all of our time talking and arguing was a huge waste of time. While we have been doing a whole lot of nothing, he has been recruiting and campaigning. The message he has been putting out there has been very simple: Join or Die.

I guess he sent an emissary to the tribes. They refused to join him. He was smart enough not to press the issue, but it would seem that the Council of Tribal Chiefs decided they needed to know what they might be dealing with and sent a scouting party out to get numbers.

They stopped after the third group never returned.

I guess I should amend that statement. A few returned, just not in the same state in which they left.

I met with Kai River in the council auditorium. (I had to ask how to spell it when she told me her name. It is pronounced KEY-eye.) It was just the two of us and I had no idea what she was expecting, but I know the look of disappointment when I see it.

“You are the daughter of Meredith? Fellow traveler of the man called Greyfeather?”

I gave her a nod. She sat silently for an uncomfortably long period with her eyes shut. Since she asked for me, I figured it would just be best if I kept my mouth shut and waited.

When she started to whisper something, I felt the hairs on my arms stand up. It was a chant of some sort, and I kept hearing one phrase repeated over and over:

Mitakuye Oyasin. (Again, I had to ask…it sounds like mi-TAK-eeyo-AH-sun.)

This is some sort of prayer. I know that much for sure. The thing is, I have no idea what it means and she wouldn’t tell me. Something about it not being her place to share, and that I was to join her and return to the Tribal Council.

I explained that I was already preparing for that trip and that the train would leave soon. She shook her head and told me that I was to send my people south to the former Kah-Nee-Tah reservation. They would be met by warriors from the Confederated Tribal Nation, but that I would be going to the Land of the Seventh Generation. (What I knew as Oklahoma.)

I asked about a dozen questions, but she would answer none of them. I told her that I did not think I could go with her if she would not tell me anything. She simply nodded and told me that it was my choice. I had to come of my own free will.

I will sleep on it tonight.

Monday, June 6^th

We have walked for two days in complete silence. So…yeah, I basically agreed to go. Betty and Paul both told me that they had these dreams about me. Neither one could remember a dang thing, but both said they woke up knowing that I was about to leave and that they needed to see me off.

That was strange since I had not made up my mind yet. When I explained that I was only thinking about it, they each said I had to go.

“I can’t explain it.” Betty kept frowning and shrugging; obviously she was at least as confused as me. “I just know that, if we are going to win, you have to do this. I can’t say anything more than that because I honestly have no idea why I feel that way.”

Paul was even more blunt. “If you stay…everybody dies.”

No pressure, Snoe.

I sleep with my journal now. I keep thinking that I will have some amazing dream or vision, or whatever the heck everybody else seems to be dialing in to these days. Nope.

Okay, not entirely true. I did have one dream. But it was something to do with balloons, bacon, a pony, and this birthday cake that Mama Janie made for me when I turned twelve. Pretty much no help at all.

Love, hate, sports, and a friend in witness protection.

Some places may not feel like it...but this past weekend signaled the start of my favorite time of year. Fall. Football Season. Halloween. All of those are cause for celebration in this house. Opening weekend in the NFL is like Christmas for me. It is the last time my Seahawks will be undefeated for the rest of the year. None of my fantasy football draft picks are able to disappoint me. I feel pretty good right now in general. I was able to start a bit of a firestorm around somebody who did one of my friends wrong. Anybody who knows me on a personal level knows that I am not passive when somebody I care for is hurt, lied to, or cheated, and no amount of anger management classes is ever going to program that out of me. The difference now is that I don't endanger my life or that of others and have learned to use my talent--words--to do what needs to be done.

This upcoming Halloween is destined to be my best ever as I have my first book signing scheduled At Laurie's Paperback Exchange in Oregon City on October 27th from noon to 4PM. I am hoping for at least ten people that are NOT friends and family. I love my friends and family...but this is like throwing a party. You send out the invites and then hope somebody shows up. It also marks the release of the book that was never supposed to be written.

I am one of those types who HATE listening to "One-hit-wonders" pitching a bitch about people who want to hear the only song they ever did that made it big. (That singer from Flock of Seagulls needs to get over himself.) I openly admit that I will sellout to my fans every time. When people started asking for more Zomblog (Vix Kirkpatrick refused to take any answer except YES), I was hesitant. I was done with that series as far as I was concerned. A trilogy is a good bit of reading. October 31, 2012 marks the release of Zomblog: Snoe. I did go a very different direction than I think zombie "purists" will expect. It is set almost 20 years after the outbreak. Zombies exist, but they are not the center of the story and only serve as background material. You have been warned.

I also want to announce here that I have made contact with an old and dear friend that goes by the alias of Vinnie DeSporto. He will make his debut here on Friday the 14th. Vinnie is old an school mobster who always wanted to be a sports commentator. He and I met when he was given a brief segment on a sports talk radio station back in the early 90s. He will take some getting used to as his manner is...abrasive is the nicest thing I can say about his delivery. Anyways, he contacted ME and asked if he might start doing a guest spot on my blog. So, in typical Vinnie fashion, he will be sharing his views on the world of sports. If he gains enough of a following, I told him he could have two posts a week...but we will see.

 I have taken enough of your time. So I am off to get in a final hike before the weather turns too cold. I love that I can take a 40 minute drive up the Columbia River Gorge and find places like this to sit and think for a spell. Tomorrow, Bryan Hall stops by to share some time with you. Show him some love.