What do you do when things go sideways?
When I first had a vision for the Saturday Special, it involved a sort of round up of links:
Anything you missed during the week-
From free stories
To promo’s
To free audiobooks
And more
Would be sent out on Saturday in a list.
I even got organized and started a copy and paste link file into a doc so I could just do the same on the weekend.
Then Word crashed, which it sometimes does on a system as old as this one.
Yes, I plan to upgrade.
I’m going to flip/sell stuff from my closet and storage unit to make the extra dollars to get a new laptop, and docking monitor system.
So the doc got shoved on a back burner while rebooted the system and made sure everything was saved properly.
It’s not hard, just time consuming, and if it’s happened to you before, then you know how annoying it can be.
And like a lot of things in life, that doc, and maybe another like it, just got pushed to the wayside.
Not because of any particular reason.
I started work on The Death King and finalizing FIRST RODEO.
I outsourced some video work and did some more on my own.
And lined up some marketing and expanded the older books into KOBO and APPLE and BARNES AND NOBLE.
All slow and steady and good progress for something that I want to happen yesterday.
The next step is Paperbacks on all sites, and working on a new series and then I remembered the doc list.
Something so simple to do maybe makes it so easy to forget.
Starting next week.
This week, here are a few links you can get for free stories, free audiobooks and free promos.
Not quite as aesthetic as I wanted but I appreciate your bearing with me.
Keep reading for a free short story.
These are all .99 for the weekend. Grab ’em while you can.
Books by Curtis Long
Fish Williams, PI Series
CUBA LIBRE — a Fish Williams Mystery
MOJITO — a Fish Williams Mystery
The Gumbo Files — The Danny Gumbo Mystery Series
The Rip Campbell Western Adventures Series
Noose Fever — a classic wild west adventure
Five Beans in the Wheel — a classic western adventure
Tinhorn — a classic old west action adventure
PLUS
September Mystery/Thriller NL Builder
Unmask the Mystery: Thrilling Giveaway of Gripping Suspense!
Free Action and Adventure Books in September
IF YOU LOVE ACTION, ADVENTURE, SMART ASS GUYS DOING THE BEST THEY CAN AGAINST IMPOSSIBLE ODDS…
Then you really need to try: BATTLEFIELD Z — THE COMPLETE ADVENTURES
I sent book 1 in the 10 BOOKS YOU CAN DOWNLOAD FOR FREE list. Grab it. Try it. Fall in love with it. Then read the rest.
I promise, you’ll see a ton of influences in it. Die Hard. Dragonlance. Terminator. And Terms of Endearment. HA!
Now for your free story.
RIFT WARS — Quantum
Amidst the ruins of a smoldering cityscape, Alex Thorne surveyed the devastation caused by the ruthless quantum invaders. Buildings crumbled, fires raged, and the air buzzed with the strange energy of their weaponry.
“Thorne, status report!” barked the voice in his earpiece.
“Sir, the enemy has breached Sector Alpha. Civilians are being evacuated. We’re holding the line,” Alex responded, his voice resolute.
He clenched the grip of his quantum disruptor rifle, its glow casting an eerie blue light on his determined face. The invaders’ translucent forms flickered in and out of existence as they surged forward.
“Steady, team! Focus fire on the larger ones,” Alex commanded, his unit forming a tight defensive formation.
The battle raged on, explosions and energy bolts lighting up the night. Alex’s unit fought valiantly, their training kicking in as they aimed for the invaders’ unstable energy cores. The enemy’s eerie wails echoed through the chaos.
Alex’s heart pounded as he realized they were outnumbered. But he had a plan. He signaled his team to fall back, leading the invaders into a narrow alley. As the enemy closed in, Alex triggered a device that emitted a pulse of disruptive energy, destabilizing the invaders’ quantum communication.
The invaders faltered, their cohesion crumbling. In the ensuing confusion, Alex’s team struck with precision, taking down the weakened foes one by one. Victory in the alley ignited a spark of hope.
“Thorne, excellent work. Command is sending reinforcements. Hold your position,” the voice crackled.
Hours turned into a relentless clash of wills. The invaders adapted, their tactics growing more cunning. Alex’s mind raced, piecing together their patterns. He devised a strategy, exploiting the invaders’ weakness at the junction of their physical and quantum forms.
“Form up! We’re making a push for the central plaza,” Alex declared.
Through the smoke and chaos, they advanced, carving a path with precision shots. The plaza was a battleground, debris and fallen invaders littering the ground. The enemy leader, a towering figure wreathed in shimmering energy, emerged.
“Thorne, take out the leader. Break their morale!” the voice urged.
With determination burning in his eyes, Alex sprinted forward, his rifle blazing. The leader’s energy shield wavered as the quantum disruptor beams struck home. Explosions erupted around them, the air crackling with energy.
Alex dodged and weaved, inching closer. The leader’s wails grew desperate as Alex’s assault intensified. The shield flickered, weakened. In a final surge of power, Alex fired a pinpoint shot, striking the leader’s energy core.
The enemy leader let out a piercing scream, its form destabilizing. As the energy dissipated, the remaining invaders faltered, their unified assault unraveling. One by one, they blinked out of existence.
Amidst the silence, Alex stood victorious, breathing heavily. The cityscape was battered, scars etched into its landscape, but the invaders were defeated.
“Thorne, mission accomplished. You’re a hero today,” the voice commended.
Alex looked around at his exhausted team, grim determination in their eyes. They had faced the unimaginable and prevailed. The city would rebuild, and the world would remember their sacrifice.
As the sun began to rise, casting a soft light over the battlefield, Alex Thorne felt a sense of pride. The quantum invaders had been repelled, and humanity’s spirit remained unbroken.
With a final glance back at the ruined city, Alex turned and walked away, ready to face whatever challenges the future held. The battle might be won, but the war for their world was far from over.
Like it? Tip the Author
