It’s August 7th and holy smokes, where’d the year go?
More importantly… how is Book IV going?
Good. I’m on a writing roll, to the point where I’m forcing myself to stop and do a blog update instead of writing about someone getting eaten during a prehistoric river crossing. But words are going on computer screen at a nice rate, I’m excited, I’m vibrant, and I’m ready to get this sucker into the reader’s calloused and gun powder scented hands.
(Who am I kidding? I have soft keyboard and cubicle hands these days… nary a callous or sparkle of gunpowder on either one.)
Some randomness.
First, on the sharper side of things – I discovered Scallywag Tactical. They make awesome pointy things for poking people with AND they are located a few hours away from me in NC.
I had to order the wife something… in Tiffany blue. (And a couple little push blades that go on your key ring.)
They make gorgeous blades, check them out. Arm your ladies, gents!
Second, on the boom boom side of things… I came across a SCREAMING deal of a Savage Stance without safety. Not a bad little piece. For the $300 it’ll make a nice truck gun… but meh. I can barely push the mag release in and I have YET to be able to get the slide release to work with my big mitts. (I’ve got to slingshot the slide to reload)
Neat, but… This thing will probably go down the road to another owner. I may make $50 on it, also.
What else.
Stuff I’ve read recently that didn’t suck. Drop Trooper series by Rick Partlow. We bumped into each other online in a FB group, friended each other, and exchanged signed books.
Also I discovered “Dungeon Crawler Carl” which has been very entertaining.
And I just got my copy of Dr. David Jeremiah, “After the Rapture”.
And finally, on the woof woof side of things.
Our Bull Mastiff has been working on her latest manuscript.
“PEEING ON WOOD FLOORS, A MEMOIR.”
by Roxy B. Mastiff.
Gunpowder and Ink! 
David Jeremiah us a sharp guy.
Cheer- up, hunting season is coming.
But you can’t go until you finish the book!
Keep in mind if you would my suggestion that a BIT more animal stuff on the story would be a good thing for character development. IMHO the story line makes the planet seem light on animal life/numbers.
Mike formerly of Boise
Now in ‘Zona
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I’ve been thinking the same thing. I need more flora/fauna!
And Arizona? Very nice. I’d love to hunt out there someday, the poor whitetails we have in the NC mountains are pretty small creatures for the most part.
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Hey Erik,
‘Zona whitetails are puny. Think Coues deer. You want a big Whitetail go north to PA, or NW to MI. Montana and Northern Idaho have BIG whitetails too. We just followed our sons to the Phoenix area from Boise. They both got better jobs and took the grandsons with them…. the evil that children can do. AZ is fun in a different way, but I prefer Idaho (and the Boise State Broncos). In Idaho you can find and hunt about anything.
Getting to Jed…. I am a voracious reader of all kinds of scifi. IMHO you’ve got a great story line, but in the last book you may have wobbled a bit and accomplished too many big, strategic things in too little time and detail. Sorta lost intimacy with some characters.
A scene could have Jed talking to a “Gorilla” King trying to arrange a truce, but the King thinks Jed is a wimp.
Jed therefore gets into proving himself by sneaking up on a rex that is threatening the royal harem and he cuts the Achilles tendon of the beast rendering him helpless.
The King then sees themselves as equals and will talk through an interpreter with Jed.
Jed wants the King to join the coalition to fight the slavers to free the slaves and have a free alternate world.
The slavers have already joined with the rogue RR men, the axmen and the Spartans against the Americans.
They all want a Lord/Serf colony for the non-whites.
Jed could also find a “mammal land valley or island” with Pleistocene fauna. Any number of interactions with Pleistocene mammals can be imagined too. I think Indians riding semi-tame giant bison in Cavalry charges is exciting and fits the formula.
Short of that there might be some interaction with the usual raptors and rexes.
During a desperate mass raptor attack it might be discovered that if one shoots them in the knee, they are helpless.
There is also the introduction of bolt action repeaters like the Lee 1881. In your story it could be used with a new smokeless round like the 30-40 Krag. Likewise, an early Stokes’ mortar could have been invented a bit early.
Personally, I like the idea of a Gorilla using a loop handled lever action in concert with balloon/dirigible bombers and war wagons fitted with Maxim machine guns: especially– when they might have to take-on a herd of raptors in a desperate fight. Jurassic ‘gators 50’ could also make a land appearance….
Oh, well, you as author I’m sure will put together something as intellectually magnetic as you already have!
BTW, I picked up a Ruger 1911 from a private party unfired! Has the ten round mag too. Can’t wait to get to the range. Ever since my Army days have wanted one.
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First of all, the pokey pointy things are awesome and I love the one you got for your wife!! So cool! Beautiful color!
I can’t believe you’re already on book IV! Way to go! I can’t wait to catch up and read II and III. Where can I read them? Shoot me a link if there is one.
Are you still in a critique group? I logged on to Scribophile today for the first time in a long time and saw your work isn’t there!
Also, tell your dog hi and boop that snoot for me ☝🏼
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I actually left Scribophile, it was turning into too much of a time drain as I was spending too much time critiquing and not enough time working on my own stuff. 😉
Private MSG me your address and I’ll send a pair of copies your way. It’s the least I can do for all the help you gave me with the first book! Otherwise, just search my name on Amazon. 😉
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=erik+testerman&crid=3LPNDYLE8WFJQ&sprefix=erik+testerman%2Caps%2C129&ref=nb_sb_noss_1
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I completely understand leaving Scribo for that reason. That’s one reason I left it for as long as I did. I love that I can meet like-minded writer friends. But I spent so much time critiquing that I wasn’t able to write as much as I wanted to. I’m going to download your books on my kindle and read them! I’m so excited to continue reading about good old Jed! I’ve missed Jed as a character! How can I private message you my address? Which way do you prefer? If email is better, let me know your email.
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Authoreriktesterman@gmail.com
😉
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Oops I replied with my Atlas account lol sorry
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