Flash Fiction by Kim Culpepper

Today I'm sharing some flash fiction from Kim Culpepper. Kim's a new writer, and this is the first piece she has ever submitted. Crazy! This one's called Love Without Time.

Enjoy.

Love Without Time

     She leaned in slowly to kiss him. This would be the first and last time her lips would ever press against his.
     “I can’t believe this may be the last time we ever see each other. I’ve wanted you for over a year and now that I can have you, this is the end,” she whispered softly to him.
     He looked into her eyes and stroked the side of her cheek. “You can’t end something that never began,” he said.
     A single tear rolled down her cheek and she leaned her head against his chest. He stroked her long auburn hair and pulled her away from him.
     “I’m sorry,” he said, as he pointed his .45 to her forehead.
     “Wait!” she interrupted. “I just want you to know that…”
     He pulled the trigger. Her lifeless body fell to the floor and he looked at the blood splatter on the wall behind her. That was all that was left of her. He knew what she wanted to say, but it didn’t matter.  
     The virus had entered her bloodstream and he knew she didn’t have but seconds more to live. She wanted to live, and would have used every excuse in the world to live those last few seconds, but he wasn’t willing to risk being infected by her.
     He knew that she was happy to live only moments in his arms, and to know that he was hers for those few moments made her last dying seconds the happiest of her life. To not let her finish saying what she wanted him to know was enough to keep him running from the undead.

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Mark Coker - 10 Trends Driving the Future of Publishing

I'm a fan of the Smashwords platform, the creator - Mark Coker - and everything he's done for indie publishing. I thought I would share something that just came down the pipe, for all the indie writers out there.

This is the 10 Trends Driving the Future of Book Publishing.

Enjoy:

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Everyman - Justin Robinson: Preview

Two months ago Books of the Dead announced that we signed Justin Robinson, who was named one of the "Top 10 new horror authors of 2012" by Matt Molgaard's Horror Novel Reviews. Today we're previewing Justin's book Everyman, which is somewhat like Richard Matheson's novel 7 Steps to Midnight, but in my opinion, a whole lot better.

The book cover was designed by our very own Keri Knutson... thanks Keri... and should be available for purchase very soon.


Here's the synopsis:

Ian Covey is a doppelganger. A mimic. A shapeshifter. He can replace anyone he wants by becoming a perfect copy; taking the victim’s face, his home, his family. His life.  No longer a man, but a hungry void, Ian Covey is a monster.

David Tirado is a massive, hideous colony organism, a gestalt entity. The sum of Covey’s discarded parts. A roiling, chaotic patchwork of vast and varied personalities, memories, and physical forms that used to be a man − many men − David Tirado is a monster.

Sophie Tirado’s identity has been eroded by the tides of a long relationship, and now the man she gave herself up for has been stolen away and replaced by a mimic. Caught between the Doppelganger and the Gestalt Entity, she will try to save her husband, but there might be nothing left of him.

Virtue has a veil, vice a mask, and evil a thousand faces.


Check out what people are saying:

"Move over Stephen King. Justin Robinson is an author to watch." ~ Gail Picado, author of Murder at Sea

"Justin Robinson has done it again. By taking one of the most flesh-crawling fiends one can imagine and turning him into a protagonist, we're given a unique spin on body horror that fans of classic Cronenberg would kill to dig their painfully mutating claws into." ~ Scott Closter, creator of SPi and Space Doubles 

"Horror novelist Justin Robinson doesn't simply slip into the genre with his new novel Everyman, he creates a disturbing, yet satisfying impact that will ripple shock waves for some time. Riddled with subplots, treachery, and betrayals, Robinson's novel rings with an air of suspense, surprises, and unexpected twists. Wonderfully spooky and spellbinding, the pieces of the intricate puzzle come together with a zing that is sure to startle readers." ~ J.T. Seate, award-winning author of Secret Desires

"Justin Robinson has captured an dying art and made a truly nail biting, freeze locking book for all horror readers to enjoy." ~ Kristal McKerrington, author of Calling You Home

"Trust me, we're not related, nor am I saying this because he's my namesake. The universe has been awfully generous to this other Robinson, a deservedly rising talent in cross-genre horror and humor, though he can do either one individually, no sweat. Everyman exemplifies this, and delivers something sorely lacking these days: fresh ideas in a fresh voice that thrusts you immediately into the very yolk of it all. It's a cop-out to say he's an elegant Stephen King, because even though he is, Justin Robinson is also much more than that." ~ Mike Robinson, author of Prince of Earth

“Robinson gives “Identity Theft” a horrible new meaning as he weaves a dark modern fable of loss, consequences, and the ultimate question of who we are.” ~ Clinton Wolf, writer of Zombie Ranch

"When I first picked up Everyman, I was reminded of the morality play with the same name. While there are underlying themes that are similar, Justin Robinson’s story stands on its own. Using a rich, vivid writing style, Robinson has created a tale of horror, mystery, and intrigue that will keep you reading, and guessing, until the final page. With characters torn by indecision and uncertainty, Everyman will leave you enthralled." ~ Weston Kincade, author of A Life of Death

"With Everyman, Robinson strips us of our identity and leaves us asking not only who we are, but who is the person lying next to us at night. This confusion breeds a specific kind of terror, which Robinson nurtures throughout his novel, reminding us that the end of all we love is only the slip of the mask away." ~ Tonia Brown, author of Badass Zombie Road Trip

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10 Questions with Author Mark Matthews

And with the release of Mark Matthews' fantastic book On the Lips of Children, I'm sharing 10 Questions with the author.

Enjoy.

Where did the title of your book come from?

“On the Lips of Children” is derived from the quote: “Mother is the name for God on lips of all Children.” This phrase is tattooed on the arm of main character in the novel and was made famous by the movie The Crow.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

A tattoo artist, his human canvass, and their child get kidnapped by a blood-thirsty tweaker family raising their twin children in a San Diego to Tijuana drug tunnel.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

The idea came from a predawn, dark run in San Diego, nearly exactly as described in the novel including the hotel clerk. It was so dark I could barely see the trail, and ran by faith, not by sight. As I ran, bodies of sleeping homeless men were strewn about the trail, some of them shuffling as I passed, some rising, and my imagination grew. What if these men were part of some insidious network, what if they were after me? I felt the specter of Tijuana not far from me, and eventually did more research into drug cartels and Tijuana kidnappings. I came up with the idea of a mother who was trapped with her babies in a drug tunnel and would do anything for their survival, even if it meant feeding off the bodies of others. The twins are raised this way, and it changes them forever.

Dark fiction, horror, speculative fiction? Which camp are you in?

Dark fiction, suspense, adventure, horror, I can’t find a name for it. When my brain goes to story lines, it often goes to some extreme conflicts. I see fiction as life with the volume turned up, and nothing turns up the volume of life like a little darkness to outline the glow of the human spirit. You need the dark to see the stars, as the character Dante says after snorting some bath-salts.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Well, I wrote the novel listening to Nine Inch Nails and The White Stripes, so it carries the same tone. As I wrote it, I had the novel Cujo in the back of my mind. Novels only work when you care about the conflicts and goals of the characters, and that is what I have here: a story of family relationships where the characters are vivid and dripping with ink. The external fight of each character on the horrific day matches the rage and yearnings of their internal world. The exotic nature of the Tijuana to San Diego drug tunnel needed as much care in developing as any character. I have been deep into the bowels of Tijuana to places I wouldn’t go back.

How is this novel like your other novels? 

I am intrigued with any physical activity like running that turns up the intensity of your body, mind, and spirit, and how all of our yearnings start to grow with your training. The Jade Rabbit may be the feminine version of this visceral theme, while On the Lips of Children is the masculine version. Themes of pain and pleasure, and the lengths and hardship we will endure for what we love are all in there. Tattoos themselves are amazing in that the pain makes us feel more real.

Perhaps that’s why so many runners also have tattoos?

That certainly fits with Erin. Erin is a character who was a cutter as a teen, who later in life has the same desire to cut after she loses her first child but instead gets a piercing and a tattoo. She falls in love with both the hum of the tattoo needle, and the tattoo artist himself. He eventually fathers her second child, and she teaches him the endorphin rush of marathon running.

Does a creepy child or two make things more interesting?

Of course. When I saw the trailer for the movie Mama, I thought, “Oh no! they already made my book into a movie.” But there’s no supernatural monsters in my book, not in the literal sense, but as one reviewer wrote, this novel will make you rethink Vampires. Plus, there’s a strange connection between the family who gets taken hostage, and the family who has trapped them within the drug tunnel. Both women are dealing with primal wounds and trying to protect what they love, while the men are trying to prove their worth through strength and ferocity.

What type of readers will like this novel?

I hope my mom and dad and the kid next door who lives in his basement with the blacked-out windows. In other words, I think anyone can enjoy and relate to this novel. The graphic gore in the prologue and the extreme situations to come only highlight the power and endurance of the human spirit, as well as the things we’ll all do to survive. Mother is indeed the name for God on the lips of all children, and love for family is at the core of this story. So far, advance reviews have been just as positive from mainstream fiction fans as from dark fiction fans. Mom’s review is forthcoming. Stay tuned.

What's one of your favorite paragraphs from the story?

From the prologue: Their tongues were dry, her milk was gone, and the last bit of water in the plastic jug had evaporated. She wondered if her monthly bleeding would arrive to help her measure the time. She urinated often at first, but this had stopped, and there was little bowel to pass. Her fingers clamored over the flesh of her children, always feeling their skin, comforting every piece, holding them against her flesh, cradling them together. They may have been better off had their eyes never opened.


Buy On the Lips of Children from Amazon or Smashwords.


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Flash Fiction by David French

Today I'm sharing some flash fiction from David French. Is it possible to squeeze two nights of terror within 400 words? After a month of heavy drinking, Mr. French and I agree. The answer is yes. This one's called Stormy Nights.

Enjoy.

Stormy Nights

     In a big chair downstairs Anne sat staring at the rolling green hills that surrounded the secluded house belonging to her father. She pushed her long black hair out of her eyes as she looked for him to turn onto the dirt road that led to the home.
     “Where are you,” she asked worriedly?

#

     Day had turned into night, and for the second night a terrible storm was approaching. Still, she saw no sign of her father. Then her phone rang. Answering it she heard right away the connection was made bad by the storm that swirled just out of sight.
     “Honey,” he shouted through the static. “I can’t make it home tonight, I’m sorry.” He knew this was her second night in their home, and he felt bad she had spent both of them alone.
     “Dad,” she shouted back. “There’s a storm brewing.” She hung her head just as she had seen her late mother do so many times when her dad had called. “I’ll be all right, don’t worry. I’ll see you tomorrow, love you,” she said as the storm disconnected them.

#

     Later, lightning streaked across the black sky as powerful thunder rattled the windows. The power had gone off and Anne watched the wild tempest for any signs of a tornado with wide eyes.
     Suddenly, a bright bolt of lightning struck a tree outside the window, and Anne screamed!
     The tree burst into flames as Anne, in shock, backed to the wall behind her.
     Standing in the dark she gazed at the brightly burning tree; she then saw a figure walking towards the window from the flames.
     She was puzzled. Why would someone be out on such a horrible night? she thought.
     Slowly, Anne stepped forward, and with a shaky hand she picked up the flashlight she had kept by her chair. She raised the unlit flashlight, aiming it at the window where she now saw two hands pressing against the glass.
     She turned the bright light on.
     The beast backed up, covering its face from the light. Anne screamed at the sight of the monster and ran upstairs to her room where she passed out across her bed.
     When she awoke she found her father dripping wet, sitting next to her.
     “I came home early, dear, as there is nothing more important than you.”



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New Release: Mark Matthews - On the Lips of Children

Book of the Dead has released another new title. This time, it's Mark Matthews' On the Lips of Children. The book cover was designed by our very own Keri Knutson, and the title is now available as an ebook on Amazon and Smashwords. It will be released in paperback format soon. The people that have read it have loved it. It's gritty, and dark, and comes with an extra dash of awesome.

Here's the synopsis:

Meet Macon. Tattoo artist. Athlete. Family man.

He's planning to run a marathon, but the event becomes something terrible.

During a warm-up run, Macon falls prey to a bizarre man and his wife who dwell in an underground drug-smuggling tunnel. They raise their twin children in a way Macon couldn't imagine: skinning unexpecting victims for food and money.

And Macon, and his family, are next.

And here's what people are saying: 

“Mark Matthews’ On the Lips of Children is a sprint down a path of high-adrenaline terror that never offers the comfort of monsters you can dismiss by reminding yourself “there’s no such thing as...” The story alternates between harsh reality and an almost dream-like surreality while never losing sight of the real heart of good storytelling. Matthews demonstrates that you don’t have far down to go to reach the underworld, yet the road back up is a lot harder run than anyone is prepared to make.”
~ Bracken MacLeod, author of Mountain Home

“An ordinary running trail becomes the most terrifying place on the planet for Mark Matthews' troubled, likeable, marathon-running, tattooed, hipster protagonists and their young daughter. But, for the horror-show clan living under that trail — who subsist on flesh and bath salts in a nightmare orgy of blood and crazy — the hipsters are a rare treat indeed. As the family v. family showdown transpires underground and off the beaten path, the vulnerability of running on a trail — alone but for the watchers in the woods — makes the setting unique and well-crafted. Written with verve, surprising compassion, and bite, On the Lips of Children is a seriously demented must read.”
~ Sacha Z. Scoblic, author of Unwasted: My Lush Sobriety

“On the Lips of Children by Mark Matthews, is a dark, terrifying page-turner. It’s Stephen King’s Misery on bath salts. In a cave. It scared the crap out of me. The story was original. The characters were fascinating, exposing the reader to worlds foreign to most of us. Matthews has a knack for pacing his story then jolting the reader with a frightening plot twist. I was impressed by how he wrapped up the ending. Read this book.”
~ Michele Miller, author of The Thirteenth Step: Zombie Recovery, an Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award quarterfinalist

“Mark Matthews’ keen ability to bring his own very real personal experiences to life in the guise of fiction, in this instance delightfully horrific fiction, makes even the macabre relatable.”
~ Peter Rosche, author of My Dead Friend Sarah

“On the Lips of Children pulled me in early on. Within the first chapters, Mark’s well-paced plot had me experiencing every footstep with him, riveted. By the time their daughter Lyric’s perspective engulfed me, the story was whirling by, her innocence eating at my heart, each stride drawing me from one word to the next. Who knew an innocent run through the park could be so startling and gruesome? Fans of thrilling chases and horrifying tales where family and innocence hang in the balance will certainly enjoy On the Lips of Children.”
~ Weston Kincade, author of A Life of Death

“Mark Matthews’ novel On the Lips of Children is a brutal, intense ride of claustrophobic horror and gritty, page-turning suspense. This is dark fiction at its visceral, chilling best.”
~ Jan Kozlowski, author of Die, You Bastard! Die!

“On the Lips of Children is dark and gritty. Even the peaceful moments feel dangerous. Always on the border of safety, danger, and death. Readers beware.”
~ Jay Wilburn, author of Loose Ends

“What would you do for your family? Anything, of course. Blood is thicker than water, after all—and sweeter, too. On the Lips of Children is a gritty, sadomasochistic tale of misguided loyalty and dysfunctional kin—innocence morphed into desperate beasts that are hypnotized by the stars at night and the glint of steel as it parts quivering flesh.”
~ Richard Thomas, author of Staring Into the Abyss

Buy On the Lips of Children from Amazon or Smashwords.



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10 Questions with Author Bracken MacLeod

Fresh off the ebook release of Bracken MacLeod's debut novel Mountain Home, I'm sharing 10 questions and answers with the man of the hour.

Enjoy.


1. Does your inspiration ever come from people you know?

A: In a couple of cases it has. Sometimes, sideline characters are amalgams drawn from people I know or have known. In MOUNTAIN HOME, Leonard was kind of a way I had of spending a little more time with a friend of mine I hadn’t seen in a very long time who was murdered a few years ago. The character is younger and more personally conflicted, but in his heart, he’s my friend. Neil is an awful like my grandfather was: kind and generous; ready to put himself in harm’s way to help others; devoted to his family. Bryce, Lyn, and Joanie, on the other hand, are all completely unique creations.

2. While not writing, what do you enjoy doing?

A: Like almost all writers, I enjoy reading to an almost unmanageable degree. I also love the outdoors and camping. Part of the reason MOUNTAIN HOME is set in Northern Idaho is because I used to go camping up there. It’s so amazingly beautiful in the northern part of that state, I could easily imagine people fighting over a view of it.

3. Who are your favorite authors?

A: Albert Camus, Andrew Vachss, Cormac McCarthy, Joyce Carol Oates, Jack Ketchum, Christa Faust. I could go on and on, but I think those are the ones that I keep going back to more than anyone else.

4. Do you have a celebration activity or something you like to do when you finish a novel?

A: I enjoy a shot of expensive tequila. Hacienda del Cristero blanco is my celebration bottle.

5. How do you choose character names, and are they important?

A: Character names are very important to me. I tend to be more symbolic about them in short stories, but I think that names have a power that comes from meaning and association. I try to pick names that, even if they have no special significance to the reader, mean something to me. That way, I feel a little closer to them. It helps me fill in the blanks.

6. Which character resembles you closest from your books? What about him/her resembles you?

A: I try to keep myself out of my work; I’m not a believable character.

7. Which movie/drama series do you love the most?

A: Television is easy: Treme on HBO. I love that show so much. It’s about creative people (musicians, chefs, writers) trying to rebuild their lives in a climate that isn’t necessarily ready to fully support creative people yet. It’s brilliant. Plus, I love jazz, so its appeal is a no-brainer. Until they make a television series about the everyday struggles of people playing Scandinavian metal, Treme will be my favorite.

As far as movies go, it isn’t a series as much as a trend. I love the “New French Extremity” (e.g., Martyrs, Frontier(s), High Tension, Inside) more than anything else being done lately. I like movies that push my boundaries as a viewer. Those definitely make you think about what it is you’re watching and why you are watching it.

8. What genre do you enjoy writing about most? Why?

A: I call it “secular horror.” It’s the subgenre that Jack Ketchum has perfected. You can send monsters from Hell, outer space, the bottom of the ocean, and the grave as much as you want, and it’ll never make me tremble as much as the things real people do to each other on a daily basis. It’s like crime writing, plus.

9. What was the first thing you remember reading?

A: The first book I remember being really moved by was Roald Dahl’s “Danny, Champion of the World.” Growing up with a single mother, it was the single father/son relationship in that book that really moved me.

10. How did you get started writing?

A: I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. Hell, I’ve been writing horror for as long as I can remember. I got in trouble in grade school (I was maybe ten years old) because we were asked to write a Christmas story, and I turned in a splatterpunk tale involving Santa Claus battling Ridley Scott’s Alien. It was even illustrated. If a kid had written it today instead of in the 70s he’d be expelled and probably sent to counseling. I just got held back at recess and a note sent home to my mother asking her to not let me watch any more scary movies. Fortunately for me, she doesn’t bend to authority any better than I do.

Thanks Bracken!

Bracken MacLeod's Mountain Home is now available as an ebook from Smashwords and Amazon.



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Flash Fiction by Benjamin Gumbrell

Today I’m sharing some flash fiction from Benjamin Gumbrell. Benjamin is just finishing up his first novel and soon will be on the hunt for a publisher. This one’s called Death By Darkness.

Enjoy.

Death By Darkness

     The torch flickers, and my heart skips a beat. The deep, dark coldness of this place is staring into me, my very bones shivering and shaking. The walls, I hear them growling, waiting, ready to swallow me up the moment the light goes out. The walls, they are wet, and I think they may be slick with blood.
     Me, I keep moving, afraid to blink, lest the torch’s battery sputters out, and I never get a chance to open them. I try not to think about it, and continue my search, my seemingly endless hunt for safety.
     The growl, it gets louder, and I know the room is watching still, becoming impatient. Not long now, until that darkness becomes one with me, its inky-blackness holding me down and forcing its way down my throat and into my stomach, my screams meaningless when there is nobody to hear.
     I pivot in a circle, looking for any hint of safety, but instead see the teeth, sinking from the ceiling and rising from the floor. They are long and sharp, and each one is a different size. For a moment, I imagine them gnashing at my body, ripping my body to shreds as they pierce me over and over again, the blood dripping down the teeth.
     That growl that’s coming from this place, it turns to what seems like vicious barks, and I hear a faint rhythmic pounding from its direction, getting louder every second. Getting closer.
     I back to a wall and sink down, pointing my torch in the direction of the sound.
     “Please,” I whimper. “Please, don’t kill me. I don’t want to die in this darkness.”
     The pounding gets louder, definitely coming my way, and the light shakes harder, my hands are unable to control the fear that surges through them.
     Tears run their way down my face, but I’m too afraid to wipe them.
     “Please, I’m afraid to die,” I moan.
     The sound gets closer, the steps picking up their pace, and something runs around the corner. I shriek, unable to hold the fear inside me.
    “Wait, wait, wait,” my father says. “It’s okay. I came back to find you. This place is huge!”
     I begin to cry uncontrollably, and I hug my father, relief swallowing me.
     “But... the teeth.” I say, pointing.
     Father laughs. “They’re called stalagmites and stalactites, mate; common in a cave.”



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New Release: Bracken MacLeod - Mountain Home

New Release: Bracken MacLeod's Mountain Home is now available as an ebook from: Smashwords / Amazon / Barnes & Noble


Here's the synopsis:
Lyn works at an isolated roadside diner. When a retired combat veteran stages an assault there her world is turned upside down. Surviving the sniper’s bullets is only the beginning of Lyn's nightmare. Navigating hostilities, she establishes herself as the disputed leader of a diverse group of people that are at odds with the situation and each other. Will she - or anyone else - survive the attack?


And here's what people are saying:
"Bracken MacLeod's MOUNTAIN HOME hits like a Claymore mine and cuts with the emotional precision of a scalpel. Ferocious and tender, painful and real, it shows that the worst horrors are those we create ourselves, and that this world offers no shelter from evil, not even for the innocent. A powerful and thoughtful first novel."
~ Chet Williamson, International Horror Guild Award winning author of Soulstorm 

"Bracken MacLeod's MOUNTAIN HOME is a superb page-turner that deserves such merit. What makes the story so compelling is MacLeod's willingness to cast aside cliches and stereotypes, his meticulous attention to facts and details, and his unflinchingly honest characters. His writing is layered with moments of elegant, heart-wrenching prose and pure diesel-fueled suspense, creating a novel that, quite simply, I couldn't put down until I finished the last page.  It's THAT good."
~ Peter N. Dudar, author of A Requiem for Dead Flies

"In MOUNTAIN HOME, Bracken MacLeod finds the horrors and fears that are in the human heart and rips them out for all to see. When you start this book make no plans for the rest of the night - and don't expect to get any sleep. Hardboiled terror with an wonderfully eerie touch."
~ John French, author of Paradise Denied

"Bracken MacLeod brings heart and muscle to this taut siege thriller." 
~ Nicholas Kaufmann, Shirley Jackson Award-nominated author of Chasing the Dragon

"Bracken MacLeod's debut novel MOUNTAIN HOME opens with a shot and never looks back. It's a great character study of people locked in a small space facing death.  MacLeod is able to keep the tension taut throughout, and the story barrels towards a bloody ending.  I'm interested to see what MacLeod has up his sleeve next."
~ John F.D Taff, Author of Little Deaths

"MacLeod’s gripping and heartbreaking story proves that evil isn’t always born, sometimes it’s crafted, insult by insult, injustice by injustice, and trauma by trauma. A kick-ass debut of page-clicking suspense!" 
~ Jan Kozlowski, author of Die, You Bastard! Die! 

"Confident and perfectly paced, MacLeod's novel is at turns heart-pounding and heart-rending, tender and vicious. A grade-A thriller." 
~ Adam Cesare, author of Tribesmen

"Bracken MacLeod’s Mountain Home is a thrilling tale that took me places I never expected. With an explosive storyline that keeps you on your toes, the real surprise turned out to be his characters; real, growing, and full of vitality that you both love and love to hate. Joanie and Lyn’s intertwined stories are inspiring and horrifying, and after reading Mountain Home, it is astounding to consider the impact just one person can have. Please read this novel, but be prepared. This is a tale of personal passage—of gateways to change, for better or worse."
~ Weston Kincade, author of A Life of Death 

“Mountain Home is double barrel shotgun blast of violence and pathos. Clean, deft writing and more than enough narrative drive to keep you buzzing along, this debut marks the beginning of a very promising career for Bracken MacLeod.” 
~ John Mantooth, author of The Year of the Storm and Shoebox Train Wreck

About the author: 
Bracken MacLeod has worked as a martial arts teacher, a college philosophy instructor, at a children's non-profit, and as a criminal and civil trial attorney. While he does his best to avoid using the law education, he occasionally finds uses for martial arts and philosophy. His work has appeared in Sex and Murder Magazine, The Siren's Call e-zine, and twice in Every Day Fiction. He also has stories in the anthologies, The Alchemy Press Book of Pulp Heroes, Anthology: Year One, and most recently in Femme Fatale: Erotic Stories of Dangerous Women from Go Deeper Press.

Smashwords / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

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Flash Fiction by John L. French

Today I'm sharing some flash fiction from the mighty John L. French, author of the amazing collection: Paradise Denied. John is one of the best writers out there. Read this piece and you'll find out for yourself. This one's called, Something Wrong.

Enjoy.

Something Wrong

     Smith pulled up to the Gas-n-Go. It was a cold day; he left the Toyota unlocked with the motor running. When he came out holding his fourth cup of coffee of the day his car was gone.
     For a moment he stood there nodding. Then, throwing the mostly full cup in the trash, he walked away.

#

     Fulton needed a ride. He wasn’t choosy, any ride would do. The local stop-and-robs were a good place to find one. Always some fool who thought it couldn’t happen to him. The Camry – no driver, smoke from the tail pipe – looked good. He’d make a few stops, an out of town run, then dump it where the impound truck would tow it away.

#

     “That white Toyota.” Officer Lyle pointed it out to his partner. “Tail light’s out.”
     Flashers came on, then the siren.
     Damn, Fulton thought as he pulled over. No sense running. A car chase with the cops only led to a wreck and a beating later. He wasn’t worried. He was off probation. With the jail and courts overcrowded, he’d get no bail and a plea to unauthorized use. Suspension and a fine. Almost as good as a walk. When the cop came up to the window, hand on his weapon, Fulton played innocent and stupid.
     “Something wrong, Officer?”
     The cop’s reply was interrupted by his partner. “Lyle, back here. Bring the keys and the goof.”
     The cop at the window held out his hand. “Keys.”
     Fulton handed them over then was partly marched, partly dragged to where the other cop was pointing to a dark fluid dripping from the trunk to the asphalt. “I’ll watch him, you pop it,” said Lyle’s partner.
     Even before the trunk opened Fulton knew what was causing the leak. Looking down at the shot-dead body, whose blood had pooled and was now escaping drop by drop, he didn’t resist as the cop Lyles slapped on the cuffs saying,
     “Yeah, I’d say there’s something wrong.”

#

     The arrest made the news. Smith watched smiling.  Kill your mark; put him in the trunk of his car. Break a tail light. Get it stolen. Get paid and wait for the next contract. Works every time.

Buy John's collection Paradise Denied HERE.



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