Stein Snippet #8

          Here we are at another edition of Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday.  I hope everyone here in the states had a great Thanksgiving and survived whatever Black Friday shopping they were inclined to do. Kind of appropriate to share a snippet filled with zombie hordes in lieu of the masses of rampaging shoppers this season is noted for.  Which one would you rather face?  This week’s installment has Annie being pulled away from her hungry attackers but is she going from the proverbial frying pan into the fire? Guess we’ll have to find out. Check all the previous snippets for the full back story – I’ve edited them all with the Stein heading to make it easier.  Check out all the great writing snippets over at the main site – SciFiFanSat.blogspot.com – you’ll be glad you did.

          Annie turned to run but realized she was still at the alley’s end when she felt a hand ratchet down on her shoulder. The fabric of her coat pulled tight around her neck and her breath was cut short.  Her body was jerked back, dragged across the ground towards the remains of the dumpster.  She gasped for air as the zipper of her jacket bit into her throat.

          “No, wait.”

          Twisting, Annie helplessly watched as the zombie in the orange jumpsuit clawed its way through the mass of body parts and stumbled towards them, hungrily reaching for her.

          Her unsuspected rescuer raised his hand at the lumbering mass and uttered, “Mine.”

          The frothing corpse stopped, sniffing the air surrounding them before turning away.

          “How?” Annie asked, watching the zombie absently stumble away, as she was pulled into the darkened remains of the trash container.

_________________________________________________________________________

          Poor Annie! Is she rescued or trapped – again. We’ll find out soon enough.  If you could, leave a comment before you leave – they are immensely appreciated!  AND – check out my new novel – Welcome To GreenGrass – available now over at Necropublications.com and all major eBook retailers.  I just posted a new video trailer for it-check it out here– http://youtu.be/pySEgjZ8R3o        See you in seven!

WelcomeToGreenGrass Book Trailer

Video book trailer for Welcome To GreenGrass!! 

Welcome To GreenGrass is now available

My novel is up and available over at my publisher's website Necropublications.com and all major eBook retailers. A quick run down of the story is below and some of the great endorsements I've received so far. A special thanks to everyone who contributed. You are all awesome! I hope you'll check the book out!  Have a happy Thanksgiving!!!

John Traveller never asked to be ripped from his life as a police detective on Earth. He definitely never expected to find himself trapped inside a patchwork alien city of magic and technology, locked down under an impenetrable dome. But when a high profile death rocks the citizenry of GreenGrass, Traveller is forced into the middle of a brewing civil war between the city’s two dominating factions.

Racing beneath the city’s twin red moons, on a search for a cloaked stranger, Traveller and his team consisting of a pacifist demon, a cast out demi-god, and a telepathic female, find themselves drawn into dark alleys and guarded secrets, facing bestial street predators, techno-assassins, amphibious conmen, and a vampire acting troupe. The answers they discover may save their new home or bring the walls of the dome crumbling down around them all.

“Author S.A. Check bursts onto the Science Fiction scene on fire, as if he’s got a vendetta against boring purple prose. You’ll get none of that contempo trash with Welcome to GreenGrass —as Check weaves a sinister tale of intrigue and murder against a decidedly hostile alien landscape. Elements of noir fiction and otherworldly skullduggery combine to create an impressive, intoxicating mix of die-hard action and teeth-chattering suspense. Just when you think Check can’t possibly show us more—the author pulls back, reloads and blows us away again. Exciting as it is intricate, Welcome to GreenGrass is an excellent sci-fi novel for any fan… A book you’ll proudly display amongst your collection of Philip K. Dick, Isaac Asimov and Ray Bradbury classics.”
— Ian MacMillan, Founder InveterateMediaJunkies.com

“What would you do if you woke up in a strange world filled with futuristic technology, high sorcery, and fantastic alien creatures? Would your first question be “am I dead?” or would you assume you’d gone crazy? Welcome to GreenGrass answers those questions with a colorful story that combines elements of J.K. Rowling, R.L. Stine, and Mickey Spilane into a wholly original tale. With new creatures, threats, and mysteries on every page, it is easy to find yourself being drawn into the alien world of John Traveler.”
—James Kuhoric, author of Freddy vs Jason vs Ash and The Six Million Dollar Man Season Six

“Men in Black meets interplanetary Columbo in S.A. Check’s sci-fi adventure novel Welcome To GreenGrass. Fascinating, detailed world-building, compelling characters and a mystery that keeps the pages turning—sure to be on must-read lists everywhere!”
—Lyndi Alexander, author of Windmills and the Clan Elves of the Bitterroot series

“A man on a mission, tough and resourceful John Traveller strides purposefully through the richly detailed alien domed city of GreenGrass in S.A. Check’s gripping debut novel. A suspenseful mystery drives the story, but the diversity of well-imagined characters—from a haughty telepath and an unruly demi-god to cyber-enhanced assassins—who are plunged into constant action will keep readers turning these sizzling pages.”
—Nancy Martin, author of the bestselling Blackbird Sisters mystery series published by Penguin

“Fall into the weird and wonderful world of GreenGrass, the strangest “afterlife” you could ever be condemned to. Intriguing, with a darkly humorous edge, this sci-fi murder mystery where magic and technology clash will keep you hooked from the first dark alleyway to your final encounter. A captivating read you’ll find difficult to escape from!"
—Pippa Jay, author of Gethyon, and 2012 SFR Galaxy Award Winner

“An intriguing world, imaginative characters and a tale that’s just begging to be told.”
—T.K. Toppin, author of The Lancaster Trilogy and To Catch A Marlin series

Stein Snippet #7

          Hi everyone!  It’s been a crazy couple weeks.  The launch of my novel, Welcome to GreenGrass, is fast approaching.  It’s available for pre-order now over at necropublications.com.  It’ll be available next week for paperback and eBook download.  Exciting stuff and I hope you check it out.  Now for this week’s snippet from Stein (I finally chose a title – you’ll see why soon enough).  We left poor Annie alone in her alley with the zombie horde that was chasing her and closing fast.  In a last act of defiance, she threw her only weapon, a bottle, at the approaching mob of rotting flesh.  Luckily sometimes fate has a way of intervening.  Enjoy.

___________________________________________

          The bottled hurtled through the air, moving in slow motion, as Annie pulled her arms up to guard her face.  The sound of metal ripping free from metal pierced her ears.  Peeking from between her elbows, she watched the side of the garbage dumpster explode, tearing free and smashing into the oncoming horde.  The wall of shrapnel tore into the mass, separating arms and heads, as limbs slammed into the alley walls.  Those not directly in its path of dismemberment toppled backwards, creating a wall of squirming flesh. 

          One of the errant appendages struck Annie’s waist, knocking the breath from her as she dropped to her knees.     

          Gasping for air and fighting back the dull pain in her gut, she watched as a crumpled figured emerged from remains of the dumpster.  Her eyes filled with tears as she watched a hand emerge from the patch-worked blanket approaching her.

          “No die.” The voice snarled.

          Who is this mystery stranger?  And what does this mean for Annie’s chance of survival?  Tune in next week to find out.  Leave a comment on your out.  They’re always appreciated.  Make sure you stop and check out all the other great snippets at the main site - scififansat.blogspot.com -and don’t forget to check out the link for Welcome to GreenGrass on my blog.  Thanks and see you in seven!

Welcome to GreenGrass - Pre-Order

My novel - Welcome To GreenGrass - is now available for pre-order over at necropublications.myshopify.com.  Very exciting time and I hope you stop over to take a look at it.  It will be available for ebook and paperback soon.  The cover art by Travis Anthony Soumis was just outstanding and really captured the team atmosphere of the book.  He really did a fantastic job with it.

David Barnett and Necro Publications have been an awesome publishing company to work with and I can't say enough good things about them.  Getting to release this book under their Bedlam Press imprint has been a smooth and flawless process thanks to David's experience and expertise as a publisher.  He's been in the business for somewhere around twenty years and it shows.

As soon the book officially releases, I'll update here and any other news that comes up along the way.  Thanks to everyone for all their support.

Stein Snippet #6

Well, Halloween has come and gone.  The goblins and ghouls have went home but we’re still cranking out the stories over at Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday, a group of authors and writers providing entertaining writing snippets for the masses.  Make sure you stop over at SciFiFanSat.blogspot.com to check them all out.  This week, we’re still following Annie trapped in the alley with only a broken bottle to save her and the zombies are closing in.  Will she make it out alive?  Or undead?  Guess we’ll have to read on to find out.  If you haven’t been following this latest collection of snippets, check out the previous ones posted here.  Enjoy!____________________________________________________________

           The herd of zombies rushed in, each looking to be the first to taste fresh blood.  Thirty feet out and the post-mortem paramedic was pulled back into the surging pack.

          Annie pulled the jagged edge of the glass up to her neck.  She could feel the sharp bite against her skin.

          Twenty feet out and Annie saw the froth forming on their mouths.  The smell of decayed and rotted flesh filled the air in the cramped space.  Blood trickled down her neck as the bottle cut deeper.

          Ten feet and she could feel the ground shake under their collective stomp.

          Annie pulled the glass away and flung it at her attackers.

          “Eat this!”

_________________________________________________________

          Poor Annie – I bet she wished this would move along faster than ten sentences a clip but that’s what makes it so much fun.  Comments are always appreciated.  Have a great weekend and see you in seven!