Free Urban Fantasy E-Book

There's still one free gift copy of 'Death Speaks Loudest To Those Who Flee', the extended Kindle version. For a chance to win the free Kindle e-book, simply enter your comment below. Then I can message you back if you're the winner. The Kindle version differs considerably from the flash fiction story I published on Wattpad.com during the summer of 2011.

The Kindle version serves as a prelude to my upcoming Mall Demons fantasy novels. I am currently editing the first novel in the series, 'The Chosen Must Fall.'

The free gift copy of 'Death Speaks...' includes a teaser chapter from 'The Chosen Must Fall.' This has been fun to write. It is amazing how stories begin to tell themselves, and how characters beg to come to life. In writing this tale of good vs evil, I have been introduced to a strong, heroic warrior angel named Evangeline. 

She is joined by a tortured character who despite all the trials he has been through is able to see the good in life. Watcher definitely is one of those characters that surprised me. He demanded to be born, and quickly started living his own life in the stories.

I believe I will be writing about Evangeline and Watcher for quite some time in 2012.
Pedro Ramirez's Amazon.com Author Page
Pedro Ramirez on Goodreads.com

Mall Demons Part 5: This Is No Dream; Free E-book

Here is Part 5 of the Mall Demons Story as released through Wattpad.com. This is part of the soon-to-be-released "The Chosen Must Fall," Book One of the Mall Demons Urban Fantasy Series. Some of the details have changed for the final edition. Much of the action has been expanded.

You can see some of the new material in my first Kindle e-book edition on sale for only 99 cents. You can participate in a limited time giveaway of the first e-book, too. Just check out my previous blog entry. OK... for now, here's Part 5. I must admit, Evangeline has decided to go her own way, as some powerful characters often do.

Evangeline knew she had to disturb him. Time had caught up with them. The enemy was at the gates.

"He looks so peaceful," she said looking through the apartment window.

"We must wake him," Watcher said.

"Unless… we appeal to him in his dreams."

"A dream sequence?" Evangeline inched closer to the window. A steady stream of rain hit it. Tink. Tink. Tink. Tink. Tink… "No. That's so 1st Century, Watcher. This generation has no patience for getting the story in a dream."

“Technology,” Watcher grumbled. “Times were much simpler back then. Maybe we can tweet him the news.”

Evangeline grinned. “No sense prolonging this.” She closed her eyes, and her body went transparent. Then she flew through the window and into Daniel's bedroom.

"Ready?" she asked. Watcher remained on the outside eyeing Evangeline.

"Oops. Sorry." She forgot Watcher could not move through solid objects. She concentrated. Watcher went transparent.

"Thank you," Watcher said once he was inside the bedroom with Evangeline. He was visibly put out by the reminder that his powers had diminished.

Evangeline knew it was best to pretend like she had not noticed Watcher’s reaction. She knew his millenniums-old frustration. Being an outcast had had severe consequences. Then again, she knew it was better to be an outcast on earth than to be a resident of Hell. And, she was glad Watcher wasn’t there.

"How do you think he will respond?" she said.

"One way to find out."

They moved closer to Daniel who was still asleep. Outside the thunder and lightning had quieted, but the rain continued falling.

"How should we wake him?" Evangeline asked.

"A slap always works," Watcher answered and grinned.

Evangeline gave him a disapproving look.

“I’m just saying,” Watcher stood at the foot of the bed. "It’s a thought."

Evangeline moved to the side of the bed drawing nearer to Daniel. Quite suddenly, without moving his head or any other part of his body, Daniel opened his eyes. He studied the room. His eyes darted: window, door, dresser, nightstand, then back to the window.

“Did you plant a thought into his mind?” Watcher asked.

Daniel’s eyes jumped to the foot of the bed. Like someone trying to bring the camera image into focus before snapping a picture, Daniel zoomed in on the nothingness at the foot of the bed.

Evangeline noticed. “No. Not yet,” she answered.

Still without as much as a twitch from any other part of his body, Daniel’s eyes jumped to the spot Evangeline was standing at. All he could see, however, was empty space. There was a growing sensation inside him – unnerving him. It had roused him from sleep. He saw nothing, but felt something.

“I believe that he can sense us,” Watcher said.

Evangeline moved around Watcher to the opposite side of the bed. Daniel’s eyes were searching again, then came to rest where Evangeline had stopped.

“I think you’re right,” she said.

Gently, Evangeline entered Daniel’s mind.

He heard a voice in his head. It was a woman’s voice. Pleasant, he thought. Soothing. Was it his imagination?

‘You’re not imagining things, Daniel,’ Evangeline said.

‘OK,” Daniel said in his mind. ‘I’m dreaming this is real.’

‘This is no dream.’

Daniel wanted to move. He was looking out into an empty room that didn’t feel empty. He was apparently having a conversation in his head with a woman who wasn't there. She had a nice voice. At least she wasn’t scary, he thought. But still, it was freaky. He didn’t know what to do next.

‘Relax,’ she said. ‘I’m a friend.’

Daniel really wanted to sit up. Maybe this was a dream. He was dreaming that he wasn’t dreaming and that a lovely, soothing voice was in his head telling him he wasn’t dreaming. It didn’t make sense, and his mind was racing. Why couldn’t he move? He concentrated on telling his arm to move. It didn’t budge.

‘I don’t like this!’ Daniel thought.

Move, hand! Move, arm! Get up! Get up, now!

Evangeline tried calming him. Daniel’s eyes were darting to and fro faster now. She could see his facial muscles quivering.

‘Please, relax,’ she said. ‘You’re OK.’

‘Yeah, right! Whoever you are. I’m so not OK!’

‘I’ll show you,’ she said. “See, here I am.”

Daniel turned his gaze to the nearest side of the bed. He actually heard with his ears the voice. It was close. She was close. That’s when he saw.

“What the?....”

It was as if dozens of tiny camera flashes were going off. It reminded Daniel of the scene with thousands of fans in the stands during the halftime show of the Super Bowl. The flashes here in his bedroom were orange, and with each flash, the picture became clearer.

Evangeline appeared her long orange hair resting on her cape which concealed her arms. Daniel noticed the shiny armor of her breastplate and the golden hilt of a sword. He asked his body to move again. This time it obeyed, and Daniel commenced freaking out.

*******

“It could have been worse,” Watcher said, standing over Daniel who was now face down on the floor twisted in sheets next to his bed.

“Worse?” Evangeline said, kneeling next to Daniel.

“Well, he’s not bleeding or anything.”

Evangeline tried reviving him.

“Daniel?”

He moved his head and moaned. His legs were tangled in the sheets. He used his arms to roll onto his back. When he saw Evangeline next to him, he pushed himself away until his back was against the wall.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” she said. “Relax.”

“Why would you say that?” Daniel asked. “That’s what bad guys say when they’re about to tie you up and torture you or…”

Watcher sighed. “This was so much easier before movies and television.”

“You’re not helping the situation, Watcher,” Evangeline said.

“Who are you talking to, lady?” Daniel asked. “What situation? Who’s Watcher?”

Evangeline closed her eyes. She focused her thoughts on Daniel. Her breathing slowed as she willed Daniel to calm down.

“Feel better? Calm?” she asked.

“Yes,” he responded. Daniel’s gaze was straight ahead and vacant like those volunteers hypnotists bring up to the stage and make do weird things like hop on one leg or bark like a dog.

Watcher stepped closer to Evangeline and Daniel. “You have him under your control?”

“I didn’t want to,” she answered, “but this will go faster if he’s calm.”

“I agree,” Watcher said.

“Daniel, my name is Evangeline. I’m here to help you,” she said. “Do you understand?”

“Evangeline. Here to help,” Daniel repeated.

“Yes. That’s my name. I’m a warrior angel in Heaven’s Army. I’m here with a message. You must listen. Your life depends on it. The fate of humanity depends on it.”

Daniel’s gaze was still fixed straight ahead. Evangeline reached out for Watcher who helped her rise to her feet. With all the angelic authority she could muster, she spoke the words that bound Daniel to his task.

“You have been chosen. It’s your duty to prove humanity should be spared… again,” she said. “Whatever we bind on earth will be bound in Heaven; whatever we loose on earth, will be loosed in Heaven.”

Hovering outside the bedroom window, a small demon watched. An orange light pulsed from Evangeline as she spoke the last words. The light enveloped her and Daniel. The demon shrieked then vanished.

Watcher turned, looked out the window into the black landscape. He searched the shadows, but saw nothing. He turned back to Evangeline and Daniel.

"They know," he said.

Survived The Holidays: Time To Write That Urban Fantasy Novel

Christmas is over for another year. The kids are still home for the holidays, which means the homestead is quite chaotic. I've taken a break from blogging and tweeting the last few days. It felt great to unplug. I have been reading and spending time with the kids, but I am feeling the pull to get back to business.

Last night I proofed one of my works in progress. I also learned a few tricks using Microsoft Word that helped me with my manuscript. I'll talk more about that later. Still waiting for a response from the Amazon folk regarding my request to designate my e-book, "Death Speaks Loudest To Those Who Flee," as a Kindle Single. Supposed to take up to two weeks to get a response. Figure the holidays will lengthen the process a bit.

If you have a Kindle or have the Kindle App for your computer, smartphone, etc., please check out "Death Speaks.." It's only 99 cents.

Successfully Self-Published! Death Speaks Loudest Kindle Version Is Out

Cover design by Engagedesign.com

I feel relieved and excited. I spent Saturday editing and formatting my submission through Kindle Direct Publishing. And my first e-book is published and available to the world. Death Speaks Loudest To Those Who Flee, the Kindle edition, is available for 99 cents.

Still some details to iron out as I wade through these self-publishing waters for the first time. 

• First of all, I have to figure out why my cover image isn't showing up next to the product description.
• Second, it seems there's a separate process to getting your e-book listed as a Kindle Single. From what I can tell, it can take up to two weeks. The upside is that authors can choose the 70 % royalty option once they get the Kindle Single designation even if the price is 99 cents. So, needless to say, I'll be shooting Amazon an e-mail to get that process started.
• And third, I will need to make a decision about KDP Select which Amazon lists as "a new option to make money and promote your book." Authors must decide, however, to make the book exclusive to Kindle for at least 90 days. That means during that time you can't sell it anywhere else. Now as a Kindle Select, your book is included in the Kindle Owners' Lending Library and, Amazon says, authors will earn a share of a monthly fund when readers borrow your books from the library.

So... decisions, decisions. Overall, this has been a good experience. I at least now know what it take to get a manuscript from beginning idea to the marketplace. Now, I just need to edit and format 'The Chosen Must Fall: Book One of the Mall Demons Series' for publication in January. At the moment, it stands at about 200 pages. However pages are not really relevant for e-books since manuscripts get resized on individual e-readers depending on reader settings.

Are you new to self-publishing? Thinking of taking the plunge? Send me a question. I'm happy to share what I'm learning now that I have dived into the deep end of the indie author pool!