Some of my social media friends might recognize this post as I continue to share it in the months to come.  Rest assured; you’re not going crazy!  I’ve taken this from my Facebook’s original posting and put it here, in its entirety, for the sole purpose of easily sharing many more times in the future.  You might say this is a sort of contest?  Hmm… Yes, I do like the sound of that.  The prize?  Oh, nothing much.  Perhaps a signed copy of the book mentioned in the following body.  Not enough?  How about your name in the dedication for winning the contest?  🙂

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It’s been fifteen months (by the date of this posting) since I began writing again and in that time I have written and published two books, as well as written many other stories on the side.

What I was originally looking at was publishing a collection of (just) random stories once I finish writing the ‘Ballad of John Rizzerio’ trilogy, I’m beginning to see a theme taking shape for the next book.

Have You Seen My Mommy? – A short story about a child and his mother who are kidnapped during the beginning stages of the zombie apocalypse.  During her imprisonment, she endures the unimaginable.  Locked inside of a closet, surrounded in darkness and suffering the abuse of her captor, she finds hope through the crumbling plaster.  Between the rotten lathe strips that separate her confines from the apartment on the other side, she discovers a way out, and it will take every last ounce of her strength to escape.

The Tattered Cloth – A short story about a family who move into a new home, later to discover a piece of grey cloth in the attic as they are unpacking. Little do they know the dire consequences that will follow.  The small patch of fabric is all that remains of a robe belonging to the strongest of the four horsemen, Death himself!  Awakened by their presence, it begins to regain some of the properties it once possessed, afflicting the family one by one until their sickness revives the once feared bearer of; The Tattered Cloth.

Aisle 13 – When a tornado touches down on a local Supercenter, a vengeful lover takes advantage of the carnage by enacting revenge upon the object of his desire.  If he can’t have her, nobody will.  Several months later, as the company rebuilds on the old site, weird things begin to happen whenever he is on the clock.  At first they are harmless, but it soon becomes apparent that someone, or something, is out to get him.

Runihura – A 3000 year old mummy is brought a local museum for cleaning and restoration. Unbeknownst to the curators, he is shipped with a set of mysterious tablets, upon which are scribed various symbols of power. As his colleagues work to restore the drying skin of the mummy, the curator begins to translate the tablets, thus tumbling the first domino in a chain of events that will be catastrophic; not only for the museum, but for the entire city!

Pretty big, right?  Yeah, but there is so much more to it than that. Believe it or not, that’s only a SMALL part of the story. >;-)  (Gabe, you know what I’m talking about.)

Now, these four stories alone are big enough to put this collection past the word count needed to make it a novel, but…

And yes, there is a but!

I’m thinking of including something special as a fifth segment to this collection!

I have two possible ideas and I’m willing to allow you to decide on the outcome! That is, if you dare to play along!

From Beyond – A tragic story about a lovelorn couple separated by death. As the surviving partner tries to move on with his/her life, the ghost of the deceased becomes even more enamored with his/her former partner.  Forever trapped between Heaven and Hell, the deceased obsesses with finding a way back into the mortal realm.  There are, indeed, ways to return to life.  However, they come with a very steep price!

The Eye – One month after moving into her apartment, Rose Marie begins to get the feeling that she is being watched. It isn’t long before she discovers the source of this feeling and she will come to wish she had never looked into; The Eye.  Deep with-in the shadows of her pantry, covered in darkness due to faulty wiring, rests an ancient painting of a long forgotten pirate; Captain Ching Shih.  The portrait captures the beauty of the former captain in her prime and Rose is content to let it remain.  In the end, she’ll wish she never had…

So there you have it. Do you want a chance to get interactive with an author?

Take a vote, let me know in the comments which of these two you would like to read and when it comes time to put this book together, I may have something special for the last person to play along!  Make sure you leave your name and email so that I can notify you of your prize!

If anonymity is your concern, you can also email me these details at therrichardsson@gmail.com.  Just be sure to put ‘CONTEST 2015’ in the subject.

Good luck!

* * * * * UPDATE * * * * * 

On June 21st, 2015, the contest was finalized.

Through the use of your votes, “From Beyond” will be included

to “The Darkness Defines Us“, and the winner’s name

will be included into the dedication.