Friday, October 3, 2014

Results from the September 2014 Challenge


Title: Een Klein Boekje dat gaat over Jou
Author: Scott Gordon
Genre: Children's Picture Book/Foreign Language
Total Words: N/A
Completion Time: 6-8 hours (2-3 hours for Dutch translation, 4 hours to implement)

Description

Neem even de tijd en lees dit hartverwarmende prentenboekje voor aan je kind. Met meer dan 30 pagina's met levendige, computer gegenereerde kunst is er genoeg waar ze in geïnteresseerd in zijn als aanvulling op de geweldige boodschap van het boekje.

Er is geen betere manier om hen te vertellen dat je van ze houdt!

Beschrijvingen van mijn andere populaire kinderboeken volgen hierna (een extra 5 pagina's).

Opmerking: je kunt al mijn boeken gratis lezen met een abonnement op Kindle Unlimited!

About The Author

Scott Gordon is the author of over 100 children's books, including My Little Pet Dragon, My Crazy Pet Frog, Pigtastic, A Little Book About You, A Pocketful of Dinosaurs, Ninja Robot Repairmen and If I Were A Robot. Currently he is hard at work on multiple projects: Secret Agent Disco Dancer, Braedyn Bunny and the Missing Eggs, Baby Bee, Aveline & the Great Pumpkin Patch and more!

Date(s) free: Kindle Unlimited subscribers can read this story now for free.

Where to Find It

http://www.amazon.com/Klein-Boekje-gaat-over-Dutch-ebook/dp/B00NKJZG16/

Additional Comments

It's easy to underestimate how much time goes into a children's book, even a foreign translation.



Title: All-Star dell'Alfabeto: Flashcard di Animali Special Bilingual Edition (English + Italian)
Author: Scott Gordon
Genre: Children's Picture Book/Foreign Language
Total Words: N/A
Completion Time: 6-8 hours (2-3 hours for Italian translation, 4 hours to implement)

Description

Dai un'occhiata alle flashcards di cui tutti gli animali stanno parlando! In totale 36 illustrazioni colorate.

Inteso per bambini dai 2 ai 6 anni. Circa 40 pagine. Descrizioni dei miei altri popolari libri per bambini sono incluse al termine della storia (un ulteriore 5 pagine).

This Special Bilingual Edition includes English and Italian language versions side-by-side.

About The Author

Scott Gordon is the author of over 100 children's books, including My Little Pet Dragon, My Crazy Pet Frog, Pigtastic, A Little Book About You, A Pocketful of Dinosaurs, Ninja Robot Repairmen and If I Were A Robot. Currently he is hard at work on multiple projects: Secret Agent Disco Dancer, Braedyn Bunny and the Missing Eggs, Baby Bee, Aveline & the Great Pumpkin Patch and more!

Date(s) free: Kindle Unlimited subscribers can read this story now for free.

Where to Find It

http://www.amazon.com/All-Star-dellAlfabeto-Flashcard-Animali-Bilingual-ebook/dp/B00NJVZH4Q/




Title: Piccole Cincie: Special Bilingual Edition (English & Italian)
Author: Scott Gordon
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Total Words: N/A
Completion Time: 3-4 hours for the translation, 2-3 hours implementation

Description

Dopo mesi e mesi di solitudine, una piccola cincia si rende conto che le manca qualcuno in particolare nella sua vita. Si mette a scrivere lettere costantemente e aspetta il suo ritorno, ma il tempo passa e non succede nulla. C'è qualcosa che deve dirle da tanto tempo, una cosa davvero molto molto speciale. Riuscirà ad avere la possibilità di farlo?

15 pagine di divertimento. Appropriato per tutte le età, in particolare per bambini dai 3 ai 6 anni. Le descrizioni dei miei altri popolari libri per bambini sono incluse al termine della storia (un ulteriore 5 pagine).

Note: This book contains English and Italian text side-by-side.

About The Author

Scott Gordon is the author of over 100 children's books, including My Little Pet Dragon, My Crazy Pet Frog, Pigtastic, A Little Book About You, A Pocketful of Dinosaurs, Ninja Robot Repairmen and If I Were A Robot. Currently he is hard at work on multiple projects: Secret Agent Disco Dancer, Braedyn Bunny and the Missing Eggs, Baby Bee, Aveline & the Great Pumpkin Patch and more!

Date(s) free: Kindle Unlimited subscribers can read this story now for free.

Where to Find It

http://www.amazon.com/Piccole-Cincie-Special-Bilingual-English-ebook/dp/B00NSCEQ8Y/

Additional Comments

Do readers prefer a strict translation (Italian) or a bilingual version with two languages side-by-side (English & Italian)? I guess we'll find out...




Title: Bible Camp 2
Author: Rob Volver
Genre: Horror
Total Words: 12,500 words
Completion Time: 7.5 hours

Description

Sheriff Dean Johnson is called back early from vacation after nearly a half dozen young people are savagely murdered in a camp in his county. With his deputy and the state police lending a hand, the sheriff heads off into the woods in search of a killer.

Soon the band of law enforcement officers finds what they believe is a trail, and it heads down into a long-abandoned mine. Is the murderer below waiting for them? The only way to find out is to delve into the depths where memories of a nearly-forgotten tragedy continue to stir vengeance in a killer’s heart.

About The Author

Rob Volver is retired, raising chickens and rabbits and shooting targets in his spare time. He writes for the pleasure and hopes others find pleasure in his writing.

Date(s) free: September 9th

Where to Find It

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NDYX5WU



Title: Bible Camp 3
Author: Rob Volver
Genre: Horror
Total Words: 12,700 words
Completion Time: 7.5 hours

Description

It has been a year since the horrific murders at Jacob’s Bible Camp, but even though the killer was supposedly slain, the church that owns the property has decided to sell. To that end, the pastor agrees to meet a real estate agent and a potential buyer at the site of the camp itself.

Upon arriving, the agent and the buyer and others with them spot the pastor’s car, but there are no signs of the man himself. Looking around the camp, they eventually split up, and then they go missing, one by one, just like a year earlier.

Does this mean serial killer Tank Tucker is alive? That he survived and has been hiding this whole time, just waiting for this next flock of victims?

About The Author

Rob Volver is retired, raising chickens and rabbits and shooting targets in his spare time. He writes for the pleasure and hopes others find pleasure in his writing.

Date(s) free: 9/15/14

Where to Find It

http://www.amazon.com/Bible-Camp-short-story-horror-ebook/dp/B00NICN5DG/

Additional Comments

I try to do something a little different with each of these Bible Camp stories, and I do have an overall theme (of sorts) that's going on, with little hints here and there calling back to various 80s movies, mostly horror or action. In the end, there should be 5 stories altogether, once I can finish them.



Title: Bible Camp 4
Author: Rob Volver
Genre: Horror
Total Words: 12,700 words
Completion Time: 8 hours

Description

A year after Tank Tucker’s killing spree at Jacob’s Bible Camp, six people have gone missing. The local police, state patrol and now the FBI are involved, but so far their results have turned up little. They are not even convinced Tucker is alive, let alone that he is behind the disappearances.

The only person to survive an attack by Tucker, Mary Isaacs, has taken it upon herself to lend a hand to the authorities, but her goals are not necessarily the same as those of law enforcement. Mary’s close relationship with God has given her a unique view of the killer, and she hopes to find Tucker and to end his murderous ways while also glorifying the Lord.

The killer has different ideas, however. With the only surviving victim at hand, he has ways of torturing her, and his goal might be the ultimate test of Mary Isaacs’ faith.

Date(s) free: September 23

Where to Find It

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NP4JBNA

Additional Comments

This one took a little longer than normal, right at 8 hours, mostly because the story was more challenging. The good Lord willing and the creek don't rise, there should be a Bible Camp 5, the last in the series.



Title: Bible Camp 5
Author: Rob Volver
Genre: Horror
Total Words: 11,000
Completion Time: 8 hours

Description

A string of brutal murders at Jacob’s Bible Camp during the past year has left behind shattered corpses while local, state and federal law enforcement has proven ineffective. Now a Special Forces squad has been called in to take down the killer, Thomas “Tank” Tucker.”

Into this arena steps another, unknown figure. Dutch has his own mission, going after Tank Tucker, and the stakes seem personal.

With the woods full of cops and FBI agents and military soldiers packing heavy, and a lone gunman bent on his destruction, will Tucker finally meet his match? Or will he do as he has done before, slinking away into the woods while leaving piles of bodies behind him?

About the Author

Rob Volver is retired, raising chickens and rabbits and shooting targets in his spare time. He writes for the pleasure and hopes others find pleasure in his writing.

Date(s) free: September 30th. Kindle Unlimited subscribers can also read this story for free whenever they like.

Where to Find It

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NZ9SQF4/

Additional Comments

I've said all along this would be the final "Bible Camp" story, but it's turned into more of a serialized piece than individual short stories and I have ideas that would extend the series out to 10 total. That being said, I need something of a break, so it might be a while before there's a "Bible Camp 6." And if the readers aren't interested, then I might not proceed, so time will tell.



Title: Eight Hour Fiction #3
Author: Travis Hill
Genre: Science Fiction/Humor
Total Words: 5,178 words
Completion Time: ~8 hours

Description

The Eight Hour Challenge, inspired by best-selling author J.A. Konrath is back!

Eight Hour Fiction #3's September entry is a departure from the usual stories about Gxkxl and alien and General Megatron (don't worry, they'll show up in Eight Hour Fiction #4 before the end of the month!):

1. It Only Hurts In Your Heart - When animal liberation extremist release the wrong group of laboratory animals into the wild, chaos ensues. In this sad, bleak tale of Mike & Janelle Chambers, told through Mike's eyes, the world winds down with a whimper instead of a bang.

3,829 word apocalyptic short story
Teen+ (light explicit language)

2. Cat Dreams - Ever wonder what your cat dreams about? I think about it all the time, to the point I've invented a new device capable of allowing me to experience the dreams of The Dude, my five year old orange & white tabby. There just might be some other uses for it as well...

1,349 word flash fiction story
All ages

Stay tuned for "Eight Hour Fiction #4" and the returning adventures of Gxkxl & General Megatron!

About The Author

I'm an author from Boise, Idaho. I live with my superhero wife and five completely worthless but loveable cats.

Date(s) free: Kindle Unlimited subscribers can read this story now for free.

Where to Find It

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NAL4JE4


Title: Pisces: Twin Flame Short
Author: Rachel Medhurst
Genre: Romance
Total Words: 7,000
Completion Time: 8 hours

Description

I've been dreaming of my twin flame for many life times. When I found him locked in a basement, I knew that I had to surrender so that we could harmonise.

My whole life I felt like I knew him, but when he saw a stranger standing there, he looked like he wanted to kill me. If I rescued him, would he want to be with me? Could I let him go so that he could return to me when he was ready?

About the Author

Rachel Medhurst grew up in Surrey, England. She writes to prove that no matter where you come from, you can be anything you want to be. Your past may shape you, but it doesn't define you. When Rachel isn't writing, she can be found reading and walking in nature.

Check out more at: www.rachelmedhurst.com

Date(s) free: Kindle Unlimited subscribers can read this story now for free.

Where to Find It

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O0302QA/

Additional Comments

I loved having a go at this challenge for the first time. I work better to deadlines so the timing is a great way to get a story down.



Title: Little Chickadee
Author: Scott Gordon
Genre: Children's picture book
Total Words: N/A
Completion Time: 8 hours

Description

After months of loneliness, a little chickadee realizes that he misses someone in particular. He writes constantly and waits for her return, but time slowly trickles by with no end in sight. There's something he's been meaning to tell her--something very, very special. Will he get the chance?

About The Author

Scott Gordon is the author of over 100 children's books, including My Little Pet Dragon, My Crazy Pet Frog, Pigtastic, A Little Book About You, A Pocketful of Dinosaurs, Ninja Robot Repairmen and If I Were A Robot. Currently he is hard at work on multiple projects: Secret Agent Disco Dancer, Braedyn Bunny and the Missing Eggs, Baby Bee, Aveline & the Great Pumpkin Patch and more!

Date(s) free: Kindle Unlimited subscribers can read this story now for free.

Where to Find It

http://www.amazon.com/Little-Chickadee-Scott-Gordon-ebook/dp/B00NG1EA9C/



Title: Bottling Farts, Inc. - Episode 2: Defiled
Author: Donald Rump
Genre: Fart Fiction/Humor
Total Words: 4,000+
Completion Time: 10 hours

Description

THE F**KING IDIOT . . .

Vlad Wieckowski has seen better days. With only the clothes on his back, he's out of money, out of luck, and out of gas.

CONFRONTS THE EVIL PINT-SIZED BASTARD . . .

That little sh*t Henry Winkle is at it again, and this time he's got warehouses full of toxic gas at his disposal. Can anyone stop his evil plot to gas the world?

AND GETS F**KED OVER BY A MYSTERIOUS DIPSH*T AGENT . . .

By his letter he is known.

W.

W for Wacky. W for Wicked. W for WTF?!

WILL THE INDELIBLE SH*THEAD GET HIS REVENGE?

Or is mankind totally f**ked?

Defiled is the second episode of an ongoing serial, created specifically for the Eight Hour Fiction Challenge. Each installment is approximately 3,500-4,000 words.

About the Author

When he's not writing about old, crusty farts, Donald Rump writes about actual farts--the stinkier the better. He is also an advocate of the No Fart Left Behind program and marriage equality for all gaseous entities great and small. Apparently, he also gives dating advice.

Mr. Rump lives in Southern Maryland with his pet fart Floofy.

Date(s) free: Kindle Unlimited subscribers can read this story now for free.

Where to Find It

http://www.amazon.com/Bottling-Farts-Inc-Episode-Defiled-ebook/dp/B00O2BOOI2/

Additional Comments

I worked on this for at least 10 hours, scattered between four days. While the editing was relaxed and enjoyable, it seemed to go on and on. I'm glad that it's finally out the door and I can move on to something else. Fans of the Bottling Farts series will definitely like this one! Not only is it the longest one yet at 4,000 words, it's also the most complex and features the return of everyone's favorite pint-sized bastard, Henry Winkle. Enjoy!



Title: Max Calzones
Author: Dingleberry Small
Genre: Children's Book/Spanish
Total Words: N/A
Completion Time: 8-10 hours for the translation, 2-3 hours implementation

Description

Wally Wilbert sabía que los concursos literarios eran difíciles, pero ¡por todos los cielos! Durante todo el fin de semana ha trabajado como un esclavo en su más reciente creación, Max Calzones, hasta que se topó con un obstáculo. Enfrentado a la posibilidad de no ser capaz de terminar su obra maestra épica, Wally se involucra más y libra una última batalla.

¿Terminará su atolondrara aventura? ¿O acabará Max Calzones en la proverbial pila de desecho adonde van todas las novelas inconclusas?

ESPECIFICACIONES TÉCNICAS

Max Calzones es una historia corta, de aproximadamente 4.000 palabras. Aunque no incluye palabrotas, está llena de ideas locas. Pensada para adolescentes y adultos.

Sobre El Autor

¡Con sólo diez años, Dingleberry Small es un genio literario! Cuando no se está comiendo los mocos, está escribiendo sobre ellos, produciendo las desventuras más dramáticas y conmovedoras que su mente aviesa puede conjurar. Sus historias están llenas de tontos redomados, musculosos maníacos y completos perdedores que vienen de un parque de casas rodantes muy, muy lejano.

Un día espera ganar el Premio Pulitzer, el Galardón Edgar Allan Poe, el Globo de Oro, el Premio Oscar y el del Concurso de Comer Salchichas de Coney Island.

Y si no crees que Dingleberry Small es el mejor autor del mundo, entonces ¡estás completamente loco!

(Nota: Éstas son obras de ficción y no contienen mocos de verdad. Si quieres un moco para acompañar a estas obras maestras de la literatura, debes ponerlo tú.)

Date(s) free: Kindle Unlimited subscribers can read this story now for free.

Where to Find It

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NVJY4BS/

Additional Comments

¡Hay caramba!



Title: Overdose
Author: Cora Buhlert
Genre: Mystery
Total Words: 7,700 words
Completion Time: 12 hours

Description

When Caroline Murray is found dead in an underground parking garage with a needle in her arm, the case seems clear. Caroline died of a drug overdose.

However, everybody who knew Caroline insists that she was vehemently opposed to drugs and would never have taken any. And what was Caroline doing at 544 Grant Road, a building to which she had no known connection?

Detective Inspector Helen Shepherd is quickly convinced that Caroline Murray’s death was not a simple drug overdose. But who had reason to want Caroline dead and why?

About The Author

Cora Buhlert was born and bred in North Germany, where she still lives today – after time spent in London, Singapore, Rotterdam and Mississippi. Cora holds an MA degree in English from the University of Bremen and is currently working towards her PhD. Cora has been writing, since she was a teenager, and has published stories, articles and poetry in various international magazines. When she is not writing, she works as a translator and teacher. Visit her on the web at www.corabuhlert.com or follow her on Twitter under @CoraBuhlert.

Smashwords Coupon Code: SQ95Z (expires 10/8/14)

Where to Find It

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NLYBGTQ
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/overdose-cora-buhlert/1120353839?ean=2940150741447
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/de-DE/ebook/overdose-3
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id919663133
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/480734
Scribd: http://de.scribd.com/book/239935378/Overdose-Helen-Shepherd-Mysteries-2

Additional Comments

A blog post about Cora's Eight Hour Fiction Challenge experience can be found here:

http://pegasus-pulp.com/2014/09/29/overdose-and-the-eight-hour-e-book-challenge/





Title: A Bother and a Brother
Author: Misti Wolanski
Genre: Fantasy
Total Words: 7,220
Fantastic Finish Completion Time: 5 hours

Description

AFTER "A BADGE AND A BULLY"…

Rescuing a boy from a gator had been enough excitement for Ember’s evening, but the night’s just beginning.

About the Author

Misti Wolanski has always loved to play in fantasy land and practiced writing all through her teens. She now freelances as a web writer for her day job, to use those writing skills. In her spare time, she likes crocheting and knitting jewelry, baby clothes, and small toys. She does not, however, embroider.

Smashwords Coupon Code: NN63V (expires 10/30/14)

Where to Find It:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/481223

Additional Comments

Years ago I wrote an urban fantasy short story, "A Blackmail and a Birthday", that was more of a short story featuring someone who happened to be a selkie and knew that but little else about herself, because her birth parents gave her up for adoption. She's since picked up some non-normal friends, but they're not the most forthcoming about details, so she's still pretty ignorant, and what she is doesn't affect her life all that much—except the folks who adopted her are vehemently anti-magic.

Anyway, I started writing a story set before that, trying to cover one of the main trigger events when she actually learned something, and it stalled. And stuttered. And fizzed…

I finally realized I had pieces of 3 short stories all wrapped up in 1. I teased the pieces apart, and I finished "A Badge and a Bully" last month, as a fantastic finish before that was part of the challenge. This month, I finished "A Bother and a Brother", and Lord willing, next month I'll finish the last one, "A Breakdown and a Baby".

This month's "A Bother and a Brother" took 5 hours to finish.

I expect next month's to take longer, because that one has far less written in it, and the tidbits holding over from the original multi-story-in-one need more revision than "A Bother and a Brother" needed.

In any event, this challenge has given me the kick in the pants to get these done. Thank you!



Title: The Woodsman
Author: Craig Hansen
Genre: Horror
Total Words: Just under 88,000 (over 340 pages, 94 chapters)
Fantastic Finish Completion Time: ~28 hours

Description

Sometimes, you have to pay for your good deeds.

Steve Peretti is a prolific serial killer known as The Woodsman. For years, he's terrorized dozens of victims throughout the upper midwest, without drawing attention or suspicion to himself, keeping a low profile. He's cautious, careful, and calculated ... most of the time.

But anyone can make a mistake.

One night, on the way home through Hope, Wisconsin, he stops for gas and ends up foiling a robbery. He gets injured in the process, and ends up in jail over a conceal-carry violation. While in lock-up, he taunts and is attacked by another prisoner, who blinds him.

Then he's given a chance to have his vision restored through an experimental, advanced eye-surgery program at UW-Madison, called EyeCU. His surgery is successful, and he returns from EyeCU ready to rebuild his life with his new eyes. And that means returning to being The Woodsman.

But he begins having strange visions; vivid dreams about acts of kindness and mercy that seem foreign and terrifying to him. Worse, he finds it difficult to carry out his normal acts of evil, leaving him increasingly helpless at a time when he's at his most vulnerable.

Evil can corrupt good, but is the reverse true? Can good disrupt the persistence of evil? If you've ever enjoyed movies like Eyes of Laura Mars, The Eye, or Blink, then The Woodsman is a tale that will defy your expectations, yet leave you entertained and more than a little unsettled.

The Woodsman is a horror novel consisting of nearly 88,000 words, and runs over 340 pages in length.

Date(s) free: N/A

Where to Find It

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NOYQCGU/

Additional Comments

I first began working on The Woodsman (then called EyeCU) in late 2011. It took longer than I ever expected. The first draft alone took 18 months. I then got discouraged when a small-press tried to change it into a completely different book; I decided to remain indie, instead, but I lost confidence. Then, early this month, my wife challenged me to just finish the book already, and on the same day, the "Fantastic Finish Challenge" was announced. The result of accepting that challenge is that a book I've worked on, on and off, for 33 months, is now complete and available for pre-order on Amazon, with an official launch date of Friday, October 17 for live, automatic delivery to all Kindle pre-orders. The Woodsman is my longest published book to date.