Monday, February 28, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Add your book to this wonderful and fun blog
Do you have a book you want to share with the world? Comment below or send me a message and I'll add a link to your book on my blog for free.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
HELLO WORLD! Price drop - From 2.99 to .99
I'm dropping the price of my book to just .99! I want everyone to read Apolo Drakuvich and .99 is a low, reasonable price.
I'm calling it:
"Welcome to the World Apolo Drakuvich Sale Extravaganza" :P or something like that...
How long will the prices stay this low???? Only time will tell.
Self-Doubting Monkeys Know What They Don’t Know
Self-Doubting Monkeys Know What They Don’t Know
A cool article about monkeys. So here is the deal, researchers gave monkeys a test with two possible answers. If the monkeys gave a wrong answer, a third possible answer showed up. This confused the poor monkeys.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
What's next?
I've been messing around with some public domain images and created something pretty cool. I think I'll use this image as a cover for my next book.
The plan is to bust out a couple more books in a science fiction / psychological thriller genre.
I've mentioned "Ros Intelos" in previous posts and it is looking like this is the next book I'll be working on. "Ros Intelos" has a few chapters and it would be a fun book to work on.
But before I begin on heavy writing, I'm going to work on a few detailed outlines for future books. I have a bunch of ideas that I need to put out on paper. When I'm ready to work on these outlines, the books will pop out faster and will be easier to write.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Apolo Drakuvich is LIVE!
I am pleased to report that "Apolo Drakuvich" is available for the Kindle and Nook. The links are below.
Apolo Drakuvich -- 2.99 -- For Kindle
Apolo Drakuvich -- 2.99 -- For Nook
Synopsis
Tag along on a trip into madness with Apolo Drakuvich. Flashbacks of horrendous times still haunt Apolo, a small time criminal trying to make it in life. Puzzled by the world around him, Drakuvich goes on a journey to seek peace of mind but not everything goes to plan. How far will Apolo go to get justice in a corrupt system?
Find your composure, don't lose your mind.
Apolo Drakuvich -- 2.99 -- For Kindle
Apolo Drakuvich -- 2.99 -- For Nook
Synopsis
Tag along on a trip into madness with Apolo Drakuvich. Flashbacks of horrendous times still haunt Apolo, a small time criminal trying to make it in life. Puzzled by the world around him, Drakuvich goes on a journey to seek peace of mind but not everything goes to plan. How far will Apolo go to get justice in a corrupt system?
Find your composure, don't lose your mind.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Some blogs for your enjoyment
Hello to the people of the internets. I wish to share the following blogs of which I think you will find interesting. The blogs are from two different authors who are going the nontraditional route and self publishing their books and making a ton of money.
Good reads. Enjoy! :)
A Newbie's Guide to Publishing
The Worst Book Ever
Good reads. Enjoy! :)
A Newbie's Guide to Publishing
The Worst Book Ever
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Apolo Drakuvich - Chapter 1 - In Jail
Below is Chapter 1 to Apolo Drakuvich. I won't be posting the entire book on the blog but I did feel like giving out a taste to the world.
----
Chapter 1 - In Jail
Awakening from a dream and finding yourself in a jail cell is disheartening to say the least. You hope and wish that the dream you once had was actually reality with the cell being the true nightmare. “Surely, this can’t be real.” Quickly, you realize the situation. Perhaps, not a good one either. Find your composure, don’t lose your mind.
How long have I been in this cell? Surely, not for more than a few hours, perhaps days? No, not days, that’s silly. Ah, yet again...
I must find a mirror and gaze upon myself to see any changes. My reflection shows slight beard growth, my only indicator. It seemed important at the time to find a sense of time at least to keep things in perspective. This was difficult to do with no clocks and no windows.
How spoiled I am. Not truly realizing how much I was taking my watch for granted. But is time important, in the big scheme of things?
The guards gave me a bologna sandwich, which I didn't eat. You never know, it could be laced with some sort of outlaw drug in hope of me spilling my beans all over the place. No! This must not happen. Keep it together and keep it cool.
I need to pee. With cameras all around, Hell No, I’m not peeing in front of them. I can wait, I can hold it in.
What to do now? What can you do except stare at the concrete painted walls. There was nothing special about these filthy white walls. Specks of blood are plastered around the room. My guess it's for decoration. Just add a little color here and there. The buzz of the fluorescent light must be some sort of torture device.
My plan is straight, clear, and simple. Say nothing. Trust no one. But what do I do? What does a caged animal do? Eat, sleep, and pee and I’ve only done one of those listed items.
Keep your mental state in the clear. Don't think you're locked in, unable to leave. Freedom is suspended at this point and it doesn’t feel good. Do criminals feel this sense of loss? They curse themselves and mainly others for being in their situation. Don’t panic and just sit, relax. Bide your time.
Now, what do I do? I guess I can go to sleep again. Soon this will get old, but not yet. Let me retreat to my dreams, my new reality.
I once had a dream, a premonition, where I saw this jail cell. Mainly it was the seven cinder blocks I'm seeing now. Maybe I’m still in that dream. This premonition was dreamt up several years ago. There was no cause, no reason why I was in this cell. I hadn't been in a jail cell before. But clearly, I was dreaming of this cell. This torture device of the mind, to crack and place fear into the souls of man. As I soon found out, this wasn't the true Hell about to be felt.
My parents gave me the name Apolo, but that wasn't such a great idea. Over time, through various migrations and multiple marriages, the Drakuvich family came to America. My parents felt that having a name like Apolo Drakuvich would show some form of authority of life. “Hey, listen to this guy, he knows what he's doing” or “You don't want to mess with a guy with a name like Apolo Drakuvich.”
To sum up my life into one sentence, I'll quote a woman on whom I had a crush for years in high school. “He may look smart, but he really isn't.” Of course, she didn't say this in front of my face, but word did eventually come back to me. This isn't something that I'm proud of; just stating the facts so we can have a clear picture.
Back to the name Apolo, it's one of those names where other people feel threatened. It's not a common name and, when kids start to learn about ancient mythology they just laugh and point. Some scrawny kid with the name Apolo is nothing near the Sun God. Not even close.
So the kids tested me and won. I didn't want this name; it wasn't even a name that I had picked out. Something like David would be more fitting. Years back, I remember a conversation some kid was having with me.
“Apolo Drakuvich sounds like some sort of Godly Vampire. You're nothing like that. Just kind of pasty, you dork.” It was true, I needed a tan, but aren't there nicer ways to point these things out? Kids can be mean.
And so here I am, with plenty of time on my hands to reflect, to see which paths I should have taken or which I shouldn't have taken. One thing is true, I let it all slip away. The mighty Apolo has wasted away such a good name, so many opportunities lost.
I heard a knock at my cell door as I was awakening from a slight dream state. The noise that the key made an echo heard throughout the cell.
“Do I need to cuff you? You're not going to run, are you?” the fat pig spoke.
Now, of course, I didn’t say this out loud, and I knew if I did, it would only make my situation worse, but how in the Hell am I supposed to run away? Yes, I could run away from the pig and get to the edge of the hallway, only to be severely beaten by cops with nothing better to do. Sure, I was going to run away.
“No, sir, I’m not going to run away.” I spoke in a low tone of voice.
“Good, good. You don’t look like the violent type.”
The “violent type”? Of course not! I’m some skinny white dude who hasn’t said a peep to anyone and has basically offered little resistance. Nah, I thought, I can kick your ass, pig, then I’ll take on the entire San Pinto Police Department.
I walked in front of the pig down the hallway. A cop, out of the blue, would make an insulting remark. I can see he was bored. Hell, not like there were actual crimes to be solved or real criminals to be apprehended. Insults are the easiest and most fun activity to do. I’ve always kind of wondered what goes through the minds of cops. Granted, not all are bad. There are a few good coppers out there; it’s just I haven’t met any of them. Not tonight at least or is it the morning? What time is it?
After a quick analysis I’ve come to the following reasons for the assholeness of the pigs. Their pay sucks, a lot of stress at the job and probably low education has a huge factor on why they're assholes. In a system where an individual is supposedly guilty till proven innocent, where the system is backwards and upside-down, one mustn't sugar coat the details. One must look out for himself.
“You do know why you're here, right? Sir, you're here because you’re a deviant to society” the pig spoke.
I sat there and said nothing.
“You frightened the poor souls. Can you see the problem here, son?”
“No. I really don’t think you understand the entire situation here.”
“You have a problem, serious issues. You're going to burn for what you did. I want to be there to personally see you get fried to a crisp. The smell will be wonderful. I mean, look at yourself. You're an animal. The filthiest, the most vulgar creature I've ever seen in my thirty years in this department. How would you like to be thrown in with the rest of the animals so you can be with your own kind?”
I didn't say a peep. My plan was clear and I was sticking to it.
“I've taken the liberty to have a professional come and speak to you. I think he can help.”
Help? Really? I’m not sure why I was here. I’ve had some problems with the law in the past. It was nothing major but it became a problem for me nonetheless. These people can’t be trusted. Not in this situation.
“Hello, Apolo. I’m Dr. Brand. Tell me about yourself. Tell me your dreams. And start from the beginning.”
“I can have my glasses back, please.”
“Glasses? I see. You don’t need those now. You're not going to read anything anyway.”
“I can’t see without them.” And then I stopped talking. The idea of these bastards helping me wasn’t going to happen. These pigs aren't my friends. I have no friends. Minutes flew by and a staring contest had begun between the three of us.
“You don't want us to help you? I'm here to help you.” The doctor spoke in a kind, but fake voice. He was hiding something.
“Where's my lawyer?” There was silence. Perhaps they didn’t realize that I could actually get a lawyer, an expert, to defend me. Rules and regulations didn't seem to matter.
“We're going to have to hold you awhile.”
They threw me back in my cell. I hadn’t actually performed any crimes. They were keeping me here because it was a Friday night, and they had nothing better to do. This has happened before. They make an arrest, then hassle me some more because they think they’re doing society good because I’m the criminal. Right? That’s what they would like for you to think. Place a label on something and you’ll believe it. Why question the “experts”?
The pig came up to do my cell door. “We’re going to let you go. Stay out of trouble. You should get ready for that hurricane. It’s coming this way.”
“Hurricane?” I had no clue what was out in the Gulf.
“It’s a category four. It’s all over the news. Probably going to get bigger, too.”
“I don’t watch the news.” I replied.
“Maybe you should start, son.” The pig opened the door and I was once again free. Or as free as I could be.
----
Chapter 1 - In Jail
Awakening from a dream and finding yourself in a jail cell is disheartening to say the least. You hope and wish that the dream you once had was actually reality with the cell being the true nightmare. “Surely, this can’t be real.” Quickly, you realize the situation. Perhaps, not a good one either. Find your composure, don’t lose your mind.
How long have I been in this cell? Surely, not for more than a few hours, perhaps days? No, not days, that’s silly. Ah, yet again...
I must find a mirror and gaze upon myself to see any changes. My reflection shows slight beard growth, my only indicator. It seemed important at the time to find a sense of time at least to keep things in perspective. This was difficult to do with no clocks and no windows.
How spoiled I am. Not truly realizing how much I was taking my watch for granted. But is time important, in the big scheme of things?
The guards gave me a bologna sandwich, which I didn't eat. You never know, it could be laced with some sort of outlaw drug in hope of me spilling my beans all over the place. No! This must not happen. Keep it together and keep it cool.
I need to pee. With cameras all around, Hell No, I’m not peeing in front of them. I can wait, I can hold it in.
What to do now? What can you do except stare at the concrete painted walls. There was nothing special about these filthy white walls. Specks of blood are plastered around the room. My guess it's for decoration. Just add a little color here and there. The buzz of the fluorescent light must be some sort of torture device.
My plan is straight, clear, and simple. Say nothing. Trust no one. But what do I do? What does a caged animal do? Eat, sleep, and pee and I’ve only done one of those listed items.
Keep your mental state in the clear. Don't think you're locked in, unable to leave. Freedom is suspended at this point and it doesn’t feel good. Do criminals feel this sense of loss? They curse themselves and mainly others for being in their situation. Don’t panic and just sit, relax. Bide your time.
Now, what do I do? I guess I can go to sleep again. Soon this will get old, but not yet. Let me retreat to my dreams, my new reality.
I once had a dream, a premonition, where I saw this jail cell. Mainly it was the seven cinder blocks I'm seeing now. Maybe I’m still in that dream. This premonition was dreamt up several years ago. There was no cause, no reason why I was in this cell. I hadn't been in a jail cell before. But clearly, I was dreaming of this cell. This torture device of the mind, to crack and place fear into the souls of man. As I soon found out, this wasn't the true Hell about to be felt.
My parents gave me the name Apolo, but that wasn't such a great idea. Over time, through various migrations and multiple marriages, the Drakuvich family came to America. My parents felt that having a name like Apolo Drakuvich would show some form of authority of life. “Hey, listen to this guy, he knows what he's doing” or “You don't want to mess with a guy with a name like Apolo Drakuvich.”
To sum up my life into one sentence, I'll quote a woman on whom I had a crush for years in high school. “He may look smart, but he really isn't.” Of course, she didn't say this in front of my face, but word did eventually come back to me. This isn't something that I'm proud of; just stating the facts so we can have a clear picture.
Back to the name Apolo, it's one of those names where other people feel threatened. It's not a common name and, when kids start to learn about ancient mythology they just laugh and point. Some scrawny kid with the name Apolo is nothing near the Sun God. Not even close.
So the kids tested me and won. I didn't want this name; it wasn't even a name that I had picked out. Something like David would be more fitting. Years back, I remember a conversation some kid was having with me.
“Apolo Drakuvich sounds like some sort of Godly Vampire. You're nothing like that. Just kind of pasty, you dork.” It was true, I needed a tan, but aren't there nicer ways to point these things out? Kids can be mean.
And so here I am, with plenty of time on my hands to reflect, to see which paths I should have taken or which I shouldn't have taken. One thing is true, I let it all slip away. The mighty Apolo has wasted away such a good name, so many opportunities lost.
I heard a knock at my cell door as I was awakening from a slight dream state. The noise that the key made an echo heard throughout the cell.
“Do I need to cuff you? You're not going to run, are you?” the fat pig spoke.
Now, of course, I didn’t say this out loud, and I knew if I did, it would only make my situation worse, but how in the Hell am I supposed to run away? Yes, I could run away from the pig and get to the edge of the hallway, only to be severely beaten by cops with nothing better to do. Sure, I was going to run away.
“No, sir, I’m not going to run away.” I spoke in a low tone of voice.
“Good, good. You don’t look like the violent type.”
The “violent type”? Of course not! I’m some skinny white dude who hasn’t said a peep to anyone and has basically offered little resistance. Nah, I thought, I can kick your ass, pig, then I’ll take on the entire San Pinto Police Department.
I walked in front of the pig down the hallway. A cop, out of the blue, would make an insulting remark. I can see he was bored. Hell, not like there were actual crimes to be solved or real criminals to be apprehended. Insults are the easiest and most fun activity to do. I’ve always kind of wondered what goes through the minds of cops. Granted, not all are bad. There are a few good coppers out there; it’s just I haven’t met any of them. Not tonight at least or is it the morning? What time is it?
After a quick analysis I’ve come to the following reasons for the assholeness of the pigs. Their pay sucks, a lot of stress at the job and probably low education has a huge factor on why they're assholes. In a system where an individual is supposedly guilty till proven innocent, where the system is backwards and upside-down, one mustn't sugar coat the details. One must look out for himself.
“You do know why you're here, right? Sir, you're here because you’re a deviant to society” the pig spoke.
I sat there and said nothing.
“You frightened the poor souls. Can you see the problem here, son?”
“No. I really don’t think you understand the entire situation here.”
“You have a problem, serious issues. You're going to burn for what you did. I want to be there to personally see you get fried to a crisp. The smell will be wonderful. I mean, look at yourself. You're an animal. The filthiest, the most vulgar creature I've ever seen in my thirty years in this department. How would you like to be thrown in with the rest of the animals so you can be with your own kind?”
I didn't say a peep. My plan was clear and I was sticking to it.
“I've taken the liberty to have a professional come and speak to you. I think he can help.”
Help? Really? I’m not sure why I was here. I’ve had some problems with the law in the past. It was nothing major but it became a problem for me nonetheless. These people can’t be trusted. Not in this situation.
“Hello, Apolo. I’m Dr. Brand. Tell me about yourself. Tell me your dreams. And start from the beginning.”
“I can have my glasses back, please.”
“Glasses? I see. You don’t need those now. You're not going to read anything anyway.”
“I can’t see without them.” And then I stopped talking. The idea of these bastards helping me wasn’t going to happen. These pigs aren't my friends. I have no friends. Minutes flew by and a staring contest had begun between the three of us.
“You don't want us to help you? I'm here to help you.” The doctor spoke in a kind, but fake voice. He was hiding something.
“Where's my lawyer?” There was silence. Perhaps they didn’t realize that I could actually get a lawyer, an expert, to defend me. Rules and regulations didn't seem to matter.
“We're going to have to hold you awhile.”
They threw me back in my cell. I hadn’t actually performed any crimes. They were keeping me here because it was a Friday night, and they had nothing better to do. This has happened before. They make an arrest, then hassle me some more because they think they’re doing society good because I’m the criminal. Right? That’s what they would like for you to think. Place a label on something and you’ll believe it. Why question the “experts”?
The pig came up to do my cell door. “We’re going to let you go. Stay out of trouble. You should get ready for that hurricane. It’s coming this way.”
“Hurricane?” I had no clue what was out in the Gulf.
“It’s a category four. It’s all over the news. Probably going to get bigger, too.”
“I don’t watch the news.” I replied.
“Maybe you should start, son.” The pig opened the door and I was once again free. Or as free as I could be.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Moving right along
I'm sorry, folks! I've been away from my poor blog for such a long time. This should not have happened! During this time I did work a lot on "Apolo Drakuvich." The book is still in the editing stage and I hope to get the book out soon. The plan at the moment is to self publish "Apolo Drakuvich" as a Kindle / Nook book. I'll be looking for an agent or publisher and I'll also continue on other projects.
I have already uploaded an old poetry book on Amazon and the price is $0.99.
Check out the link below.
The Wind Changed As I Lay Dying
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