Not bad for a book that’s only about 265 pages long.
-puts feather in cap-
The work continues on the still unnamed book 5, which is about Cato in the aftermath of the events from Raiding Prehistoric.
It’s going well, I’ve hit a nice groove (finally) with the book and it’s coming along nicely. It’s certainly been a struggle at times to keep this one afloat with the premise of a new main character, new secondary characters, new villains, and even a new part of Prehistoria… It’s been more difficult than continuing a well established character’s story.
But it’s good practice for the series and more of what’s to come from my brain to the page.
Thank you all for holding onto this series and staying with me as I work on book five.
I promise one day I’ll get better than one book a year.
It may be once I retire though… which is in 25 years or when I get a big movie deal.
And just for kicks, here’s the opening chapter to Book Five.
***
“Take it,” the man squatted down to look me in the eye and held out his pistol.
I stared at the revolver. It looked like the gun that Father had taken with him when he left for the war so long ago.
“You know that I will not repeat myself,” the man said with some measure of annoyance in his voice.
He wouldn’t repeat himself. That was a fact. A painful one I’d learned with a little help from the back of his hand over the past two days since he’d taken me along with them.
Reaching forward, I took the gun. It was nickel plated, with ivory grips. I bet it was expensive.
It felt good in my small hand though.
“Shoot him,” he ordered, pointing a thick finger at the gaunt gray uniformed man kneeling before us.
The man sobbed; his rope bound hands raised in front of him as though in prayer.
I didn’t know who he was. I didn’t know what he’d done. As far as I could tell, nothing. But he was here now. We’d chased him down on the horses until his legs gave out and he lay gasping in a ditch alongside a field of unpicked cotton.
I blinked.
“We don’t have all day,” the officer warned as his horse stamped its hooves. The men and horses behind the Captain were growing restless and impatient. I knew that I had to do what I was told or face their wrath. And I’d seen their wrath. It scared me.
Raising the gun, I pointed it at the top of the stranger’s head. He was starting to go bald. There was a patch in his thin scalp that was already missing hair. I aligned the front sight of the pistol there.
The man looked up, tears streaking down his gaunt and unshaven cheeks.
The front sight was now between his eyes.
He trembled, sucking in a deep breath and letting it out in an attempt to calm himself.
“Child… please don’t-”
The pistol bucked in my hand as I squeezed the trigger.
A large hand landed firmly on my small shoulder as the red-bearded Captain smiled down at me, flashing bright white teeth. “We’ll make a man of you yet, Cato.”
***
And remember folks,
If you like my books – Please leave a review and spread the word. It helps immensely. Below is the Amazon link to them.
Thanks,
Erik T.
Gunpowder and Ink! 