tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80963770720931164722024-03-12T19:00:09.119-04:00Scott M. BakerScott M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06969817714467678175noreply@blogger.comBlogger1265125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096377072093116472.post-80606573889378703632024-03-07T08:00:00.002-05:002024-03-07T08:00:00.245-05:00REMINDER: I'll Be Attending Northeast ComicCon and Collectibles Extravaganza 8-10 March <p><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLL7oe_zr3nit-YQjNviEnb9SIExOnVOAG2ZxmJnMBoTUa1qMGN7FJSQyPTpxly6Gu2tGjrKjzGflSOiqMaDScwKtpVDUlObvivr8W2x-nlUj21Ep8qWuj6qJxwmZx_Tqbtzxxv1hg7zku-yxqGE3OT6U_JWEVXpdIodu55Y2qB1avr2OMCjzBtGAjm4DO/s940/ConNECCMar24a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="940" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLL7oe_zr3nit-YQjNviEnb9SIExOnVOAG2ZxmJnMBoTUa1qMGN7FJSQyPTpxly6Gu2tGjrKjzGflSOiqMaDScwKtpVDUlObvivr8W2x-nlUj21Ep8qWuj6qJxwmZx_Tqbtzxxv1hg7zku-yxqGE3OT6U_JWEVXpdIodu55Y2qB1avr2OMCjzBtGAjm4DO/w400-h200/ConNECCMar24a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I'll be attending the <a href="https://necomiccons.com/ " style="font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;" target="_blank">Northeast ComicCon and Collectibles Extravaganza</a><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> from 8-10 March at the Boxboro Regency Hotel in Boxboro, Massachusetts. I'll have copies of all my books on sale to sign. There will also be some incredible celebrity guests. Hope to see you there. </span><p></p>Scott M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06969817714467678175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096377072093116472.post-66623126170474719792024-02-24T22:41:00.000-05:002024-02-24T22:41:32.588-05:00I'll Be Attending Northeast ComicCon and Collectibles Extravaganza 8-10 March <p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #050505; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFwZ-FyScKWHtKfYb_b-oFi0GY03eL8G7DJuihvAN7taHeGgddApk_5yoRR2aDTL9vhMIDbgYsbQntUhEQXo2bNCAn1xn2G6BBx5O1hI1OijmiWkwhaKmdyo1jk8knCk2HZD2yCr-qBYmoRnp7GCORzT6mgMdAp7wuXyFeWL2nJWDuMw-5d9LkI7ZH8MUX/s940/ConNECCMar24a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="940" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFwZ-FyScKWHtKfYb_b-oFi0GY03eL8G7DJuihvAN7taHeGgddApk_5yoRR2aDTL9vhMIDbgYsbQntUhEQXo2bNCAn1xn2G6BBx5O1hI1OijmiWkwhaKmdyo1jk8knCk2HZD2yCr-qBYmoRnp7GCORzT6mgMdAp7wuXyFeWL2nJWDuMw-5d9LkI7ZH8MUX/w400-h200/ConNECCMar24a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">I'll be attending the <a href="https://necomiccons.com/ " target="_blank">Northeast ComicCon and Collectibles Extravaganza</a> from 8-10 March at the Boxboro Regency Hotel in Boxboro, Massachusetts. I'll have copies of all my books on sale to sign. There will also be some incredible celebrity guests. Hope to see you there. </span><p></p><div class="x1e56ztr" data-block="true" data-editor="9246u" data-offset-key="budpc-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 8px; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="budpc-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="budpc-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: black; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="color: white;"><br data-text="true" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" /></span></span></div></div><div class="x1e56ztr" data-block="true" data-editor="9246u" data-offset-key="c2l5i-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 8px; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="c2l5i-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><br /></div></div>Scott M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06969817714467678175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096377072093116472.post-3426283795181657572023-12-05T12:00:00.001-05:002023-12-05T12:00:00.136-05:00Deck the Malls With Bowels of Holly -- A Zombie Christmas Story <p></p><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt; mso-hyphenate: none; text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Deck the Malls with Bowels of Holly</span></span></div><p></p><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;">By Scott M. Baker</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>No one expected to see Santa Claus leaning against the mall’s dumpster, puffing on a cheap cigar he held in one hand while taking a swig of whiskey from a 200 ml bottle of Jack Daniels clutched in the other. A bleached-blonde soccer mom decked out in a fur-trimmed leather jacket drove past in her Mercedes SUV, covering her daughter’s eyes so the little girl could not see while flashing him a look that was equal parts haughtiness and disillusionment. Jack placed the cigar between his teeth and used his free hand to tip his Santa’s hat to her. The soccer mom crinkled her face in disgust and sped away.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jack placed the Santa hat back on his head and removed the cigar from between his teeth, but not before taking a deep puff. He blew the smoke in the direction the soccer mom had driven off. To Hell with her. Jack had met a lot of people like that in his life, the pampered elite who were arrogant and judgmental. To them, hardship was when the local wine shop ran out of brie. Let them live his life, and then we’d see how well they made out.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Four years ago he never would have guessed his life would have turned out like this. As a major in the Special Forces, he was a few years shy of putting in his twenty and cashing in on an early retirement when an IED outside of Baghdad went off next to his Humvee, shattering his right leg. A year of therapy left him with a limp and an addiction to pain meds, both of which earned him a discharge from the Army. he broke his addiction to the pills by climbing into a whiskey bottle, and spent the better part of the next two years bouncing in and out of rehab until he finally got his life into some semblance of order. By then, his resume and reputation left much to be desired. he was forced to take an y odd job he could get, which was how he wound up as the mall Santa. At least he made enough to pay the rent on his run-down studio apartment, even if it meant he had to take a few shots of whiskey every now and then to dull the pain in his leg from having whiny little brats sit on and kick it all day. </span></span><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="background-color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: white;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: white; mso-tab-count: 1;"></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jack took another swig of whiskey before replacing the cap and sliding the bottle into the fur-trimmed pocket of his Santa suit. He shifted the padding in his pants and jacket, grateful that he needed padding. It would have sucked if the mall hired him merely because he filled the suit. He might have a little more around the waist than he wanted, but other than that he was in good physical shape.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The door to the employee entrance opened. Jack grabbed his cigar and prepared to toss it into the dumpster, afraid it might be Bert, the megalomaniacal security guard who ran his mall like a third-rate dictatorship. Thankfully, his friend Sammy stepped out. Sammy worked at the Christmas Village ushering kids to and from Santa. He had a way with kids. They related to him, mostly because Sammy was a midget. A little person, Jack corrected himself. Too bad mall management wasn’t as sensitive. The Ice Princess dressed Sammy in an elf costume and paraded him around the display like he was one of the decorations. Though Sammy never admitted it, he was humiliated by the treatment, and probably would have quit if he could have found work elsewhere.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sammy pointed to Jack’s cigar. “Those’ll stunt your growth.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“How many did you smoke as a kid?”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Ha ha,” Sammy replied good-naturedly. “I’m surprised you haven’t taken over for Jimmy Fallon yet.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sammy leaned against the dumpster, yanked off his elf cap, and wiped his palm across his forehead. It glistened with sweat.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Are you okay?” asked Jack.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’m running a fever and feel like crap. I think I got an infection from one of the reindeer.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“When?”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Earlier this morning. The big one with the antlers is a mean bastard. It bit me and the other reindeer in the pen.” To emphasize his point, Sammy shoved up his sleeve and pulled aside a large white bandage stained with blood. Underneath sat a nasty-looking bite that cut deep into the skin. Yellow pus oozed from around the edges. Bluish-black skin surrounded the wound, which gave off the sickeningly-sweet odor of rot.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“That looks serious. You need to get to the emergency room.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Not until after my shift.” Sammy replaced the bandage and pulled down his sleeve. “If I leave now, the Ice Princess will can my ass for sure.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jack wanted to argue, but he knew Sammy was right. The Ice Princess, their less-than-affectionate nickname for Holly Landers, the mall manager, showed nothing but contempt for those under her, Sammy in particular. If he left early to go to the hospital, she probably would use it as an excuse to fire him.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“There’s only a few hours left to the shift. Try to stick it out. But if you get worse, you got to promise me you’ll take off early and head to the hospital.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“If I get any worse you’ll be picking me up off the floor.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Where did they get vicious reindeer?”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sammy leaned against the dumpster for support. “I overheard the Ice Princess telling Bert she got a good deal on them from a farm up state. I know now why she got them so cheap.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibBoV9GOKUpJz1Suw0_BJt-CFyA_Wn4Z3eff6Y1PSpJxonc9deCAT2Brs1A3odRAXteQ6t8JSyGzl7ClWcwqdS29P5zAH45b96aKT68oAOypwuJX_rqW4x5ms9j3p_V78cuHo5R36W8F_WbOFksYHEOMmG3IpU9X-D_jZeoGC2f6QlFpxUAzg7WJHqx9pl/s500/website%20--%20xmas%20zombies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="353" data-original-width="500" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibBoV9GOKUpJz1Suw0_BJt-CFyA_Wn4Z3eff6Y1PSpJxonc9deCAT2Brs1A3odRAXteQ6t8JSyGzl7ClWcwqdS29P5zAH45b96aKT68oAOypwuJX_rqW4x5ms9j3p_V78cuHo5R36W8F_WbOFksYHEOMmG3IpU9X-D_jZeoGC2f6QlFpxUAzg7WJHqx9pl/w640-h452/website%20--%20xmas%20zombies.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The back door opened again. This time Meghan appeared. She was the Christmas Village photographer, a young woman in her mid-twenties with shoulder-length strawberry blonde hair. Jack could not help but notice how sexy she looked in her green mini-skirt elf costume and red nylons. She refused to wear the pointy shoes with bells on the toes and opted instead for black heels, which the Ice Princess accepted once she discovered that the slightly-fetish look brought more fathers to Christmas Village and, by consequence, more money.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Meghan greeted them with a smile warm enough to melt snow. “I hate to bother you, but Miss Landers is hanging around the village asking where you guys are.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What a….” Jack checked himself, not wanting to swear around Meghan.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Don’t worry. I told her you just gone on break. She’ll never be the wiser.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Thanks. We’ll be there in a minute.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Meghan flashed Jack a flirtatious grin and headed back inside. He watched her behind as it jiggled beneath the elf skirt, wishing he was twenty years younger. Jack tapped his half-smoked cigar against the dumpster several time to make sure all the loose ash fell off, and then slid it into a carrying case he kept in his pants pocket.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;">He turned to Sammy. “Ready?”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sammy pushed himself off the dumpster and staggered to the door. “I feel like I’m gonna puke.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“If you do, just tell the kids it’s eggnog.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As the two approached Christmas Village, Jack admired the work that had gone into organizing the display. The village filled the first floor atrium across from the main entrance, nestled up against the glass-enclosed elevators that led to the second-level food court. His throne, an old preacher’s chair, sat atop a raised platform covered with fake snow. To the left stood a fifteen-foot live Christmas tree strung with colored lights and decorated with large red and green glass ornaments. To the right, a propane tank fed the flames behind faux logs in a fireplace. Curved metal poles painted to look like candy canes and linked together by a garland-wrapped chain prevented the kids from getting too close to the fireplace. Directly opposite the platform on the other side of the atrium sat a plastic igloo and half a dozen animatronic penguins, which had nothing to do with Christmas but did cash in on everyone’s love of penguins. To the right of the village, a maze of velvet ropes herded nearly twenty kids and their parents who patiently waited for Santa. Off to the left stood the pen holding the five reindeer, a twenty-foot square area closed off by a heavy log fence. The buck with the large antlers stood near the front of the pen, swaying unsteadily. Behind it, four does walked around lethargically. Jack knew nothing about animals, but even he could tell they were not feeling good.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What upset him more than the condition of the reindeer was the presence of the Ice Princess. She stood with Meghan by the camera, arms tightly folded across her chest, her frosty glare fixed on the two men. Dressed in a dark pants suit and sporting a short, professional hair style, she might have been passably attractive if her face wasn’t frozen in a perpetual frown. As Jack and Sammy approached, she stepped over to confront them.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Where were you two?” she huffed through the clenched teeth of her forced smile.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Taking our break.” Jack tried to sound as disarming as possible.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You’re entitled to fifteen minutes. You were gone for nearly twenty.” The Ice Princess leaned forward and sniffed. She grimaced. “What’s that smell?”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Cigar smoke.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“That suit’s coming out of your paycheck if we can’t get the stink out of it.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Yes, ma’am.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At that moment, Bert pulled up on his Segway. He skidded to a halt by the group, the sudden stop causing the beer belly that strained against his uniform shirt to jiggle like a bowl full of Jell-O. “You wanted to see me, Holly?”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“That’s Miss Landers, to you.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Sorry, ma’am.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I don’t want to give the parents any reason to file a lawsuit against the mall, so guard those unruly beasts and make sure they don’t bite anyone.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Bert grinned, revealing a mouth full of yellow teeth. “I assume you mean the reindeer, and not Santa and his elf.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Ha. Ha.” This time, Sammy did not sound amused. “Did your mother tell you that joke was funny?”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The smile drained from Bert’s face. “Blow me, Munchkin.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“That’s what I said to your mother last night.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Enough,” the Ice Princess hissed through clenched teeth. “Just get back to work. All of you.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Bert sneered at Sammy before whipping his Segway around and driving over to stand guard by the reindeer pen. Jack and Sammy headed for the platform. They were greeted by a round of cheers and applause by their young fans. Jack bellowed a hearty “Ho, ho, ho” and waved. A minute later, seated in his chair, Sammy ushered over to him a six-year-old with auburn locks who beamed as she approached.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The next fifteen minutes passed without incident. The Ice Princess hung around, keeping a watchful and distrustful eye on Jack and Sammy when not telling Meghan how to take photos. Bert circled back and forth in front of the reindeer pen as if guarding a federal penitentiary. Jack had finished talking to a boy who requested the latest edition of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Grand Theft Auto</i> and Sammy was ushering him away all Hell broke loose.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The buck let out an anguished mewl and toppled over, its head twisted on the floor at an obscene angle, black fluid leaking from its mouth. The does backed away, moving to the corner to get as far away as possible. Bert jumped off his Segway and raced over to the gate, unlatched it, and entered the pen. He knelt down beside the carcass and placed a hand against its neck.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sensing a growing uneasiness among the children and parents still waiting in line, Jack tried to take control and calm everyone down. He stood up, held his belly, and forced a hearty laugh.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Ho, ho, ho. Nothing to worry about, kids. My reindeer is tired after pulling my sleigh. He’s just taking a nap.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Nope,” Bert blurted out loud enough for everyone to hear. “It’s dead.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Parents gasped and children cried. One little girl looked up at her mother, her lips quivering as she asked if Rudolph would be okay.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No, no, no.” Jack waved his hands dismissively. “He’s just joking. My reindeer is resting, that’s all.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“He’s right,” said the young mother to the little girl who had asked if Rudolph would be okay. She pointed to the pen. “See. The reindeer’s moving.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jack turned to look. Sure enough, the buck’s legs spasmed, lightly at first, then more forcefully. It flopped around for a second before struggling to its feet, eventually standing upright on wobbly legs. Bert moved away a few feet to give it room to maneuver, backing up against the pen.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The Ice Princess stepped up to the outer side of the pen. “You idiot. I thought you said that thing was dead."</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It was. It didn’t have a pulse and was cold to the tou—"</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiic_M4kNas1Q5XtdXKGSxLm6vpoyWMnhtoHriH03zVeppD485eq6xPSZcg8tiegg1gxHO5py3ofEIZTmwXwHkGl8C7DFqlW8mAJP-GY6s5Pzcdo2rfBML3SUmH_h2wpgWfOEqppcYR1-r1Srgx8FwPA2U1X_AciPs7vf_sdG0h6-k9yu9TE7xNDO2xwA/s831/0000000000000000000snatazomb2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="831" data-original-width="623" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiic_M4kNas1Q5XtdXKGSxLm6vpoyWMnhtoHriH03zVeppD485eq6xPSZcg8tiegg1gxHO5py3ofEIZTmwXwHkGl8C7DFqlW8mAJP-GY6s5Pzcdo2rfBML3SUmH_h2wpgWfOEqppcYR1-r1Srgx8FwPA2U1X_AciPs7vf_sdG0h6-k9yu9TE7xNDO2xwA/w480-h640/0000000000000000000snatazomb2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The buck spun its head toward Bert, attracted by the sound of his voice. The once dark brown eyes were now light gray and lifeless. It bared its teeth, snarled, and lunged. Before Bert could react, the buck latched its mouth over his face and bit deep, stopping only when its teeth ground into his skull. It tugged at the flesh. Blood spurted from around the reindeer’s teeth and poured from its mouth. Bert howled, as much in terror as in pain, most of his cries muffled down the reindeer’s throat.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Some of the parents already had scooped up their children and were dashing for the safety of the mall entrance. Most stood motionless from shock, too transfixed by the sight to move. Jack had no idea what was going on, although he knew enough to realize they all were in danger.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Sammy!” he yelled. “Get these people out of here!”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“S-ure th-thing.” Sammy turned to the crowd gathered behind him in the rope maze and shuffled toward them. He took two steps, wobbled, and fell forward. His face made a horrible crack as it hit the floor.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Before Jack could react, the sound of more bodies dropping to the floor caught his attention. He turned to the pen as the four does, all of which had been bitten by the buck, collapsed one at a time.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Meghan took control of the situation, racing up to the maze full of parents and children. She clapped her hands in the air to get their attention.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You have to get out of here now. Please move in an orderly manner toward—“</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>No one waited for Meghan to finish. Shock gave way to universal panic as everyone rushed for the exit at the same time. Children were knocked down. Parents tripped over the velvet ropes, collapsing the maze, which caused even more people to get entangled. Meghan tried to maintain order, but no one would listen.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jack ripped off his beard and Santa’s cap, and began stripping out of his padded jacket. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Shit</i>, he thought to himself. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This can’t get much worse</i>.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He had no idea how wrong he was.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The Ice Princess leaned over the pen and pulled the can of pepper spray from Bert’s belt just as the buck yanked its head back. Bert’s skin slid off his skull like a mask. He fell to the ground and placed his hands over his face, whimpering into the palms. Blood gushed between his fingers. As Bert rolled around in agony, the buck chewed the skin and swallowed. Bits of flesh and gore dangled from its jaw.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Don’t screw with me and my mall, fleabag.” Leaning over the pen, the Ice Princess raised the can of pepper spray and squirted a stream directly into the buck’s face. It mewled in pain and thrashed around, shaking its head wildly to get rid of the liquid. When it finally stopped, the buck fixed its gaze on the Ice Princess and sneered.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh, shit!” She took a step backward as the buck lunged, slamming into the pen. The top log flew off, hitting her in the chest with a loud crack and knocking her backwards. She cried out. Putting pressure on her broken ribs, she struggled to get to her feet, wincing in agony with every move. The buck used its front hoofs to knock down the last remaining logs, clearing a path for it to escape.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Holly, look out!” screamed Jack. Before he could react, a moaning to his left caught his attention. He looked to the base of the platform as Sammy got to his feet, looking dazed and disoriented.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“How ya doing, buddy?”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sammy spun around to face Jack, focusing on him with dead gray eyes. He raced up the steps of the platform, snarling, his tiny arms reaching out for his meal. Jack waited until Sammy got to within a few feet before kicking out with his right leg, catching the zombie elf in the chest. Bolts of pain shot up his leg, the damaged nerves from his war wound protesting the action. The force of the blow sent Sammy reeling off the platform. He slammed into the floor and slid for several feet, coming to a rest only when he crashed into the overturned rope maze.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jack looked around for a weapon, but Christmas Village was not what one would consider an armed compound. He finally spotted something he could use. Rushing over to the fireplace, Jack disconnected the chain from one of the metal poles painted like a candy cane and tried to pull it out of the platform. The pole moved only an inch or two. Jack twisted it to loosen the mounting, pausing when he heard snarling again. Sammy staggered back to his feet and raced across the atrium toward him. Jack yanked hard on the pole. It gave a little. He yanked again, this time with all his strength, and the pole broke free. Jack stepped aside and held the candy cane like a baseball bat.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When Sammy came within range, Jack swung the candy cane. It connected with the side of Sammy’s head with a loud crack. His friend spun around and tumbled back down the stairs, rolling head over heels twice before flopping to the ground. The body barely slid to a stop before Sammy started to get back up.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Shit</span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;">, thought Jack, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">this was going to tougher than I thought</i>. Shifting the candy cane in his hands, he brandished it by his side as if it were a rifle with a bayonet. Sammy already was half way up the stairs and gaining speed. Jack pulled his arms back.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Sorry, Sammy.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As his friend closed to within a few feet, Jack thrust his arms forward, aiming the end of the candy cane right at Sammy’s forehead. The metal end easily punched its way through the skull, scrambling his brain. Sammy twitched on the end of the candy cane for several seconds before going limp. His lids closed over the lifeless eyes. His snarling features softened, finally at peace.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A female scream echoed throughout the atrium. Jack spun around, afraid the cry came from Meghan. Thankfully, he saw her standing at the far end of the village by the penguin display, ushering the last of the terrified parents toward the mall entrance.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The scream had come from the Ice Princess. After being knocked down by the buck, she had gotten to her feet. The buck charged, bowing its head and plunging its antlers into her abdomen. It repeatedly twisted its head from side to side, goring the Ice Princess with all the dexterity of someone using a chain saw on a piñata. She pounded futilely on its head and antlers until her screams became a gurgle. With a strained cough, she spat blood from her mouth and her body went limp. The buck flipped its head, throwing aside the disemboweled mall manager and leaving a five-foot length of intestine and a ruptured stomach dangling off its antlers. Holly’s body hit the floor with a sickening squish. The buck stepped over to her, put its head inside the gouged-out cavity, and started to feed.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Only then did Jack notice that the four does also had risen and were exiting the pen looking for food. The clamor of panicking mall patrons bunched up near the entrance caught their attention. As one, the four reindeer moved off in that direction.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What could have been a slaughter was averted when Meghan spotted the does heading for the entrance. She grabbed one of the animatronic penguins and flung it at the first reindeer, clipping it on the side of the head. It distracted them, but now their attention was focused on her. The four does attacked. Meghan ran for the penguin display, dove to the ground, and scampered on hands and knees into the igloo just as the does reached her. The creatures kicked and head butted the igloo, their snarls drowned out only by Meghan’s cries for help. Being made of thick plastic, the igloo afforded some protection, but for a minute at best. Already chunks of plastic were being torn off by the onslaught.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jack quickly assessed the situation. He stood exposed here on top of the platform, but as of yet none of the reindeer had noticed him. That was his sole advantage. There was no way he could take on all five of them with a metal candy cane. And he couldn’t waste time trying to find another weapon because Meghan would be zombie reindeer chow long before he got back. So he could either fight a futile, hopeless battle or….</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What was he thinking? There was no “or”. He couldn’t leave Meghan and the remaining mall patrons to be devoured by these Christmas nightmares. Running was not an option.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jack had only one chance, as ridiculously slim as it seemed. Running over to the fireplace, he placed the candy cane on the ground and removed the rear panel to the fireplace, exposing the propane tank. The meter indicated it was more than half full. He wished it could have been more, but this would have to do. He closed the valve on the propane tank, disconnected it, and placed it at his feet. Reaching into his pants pocket, he rummaged around until he found his cigar case, pulled it out, withdrew the cigar, and placed it between his lips.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Hey, walking wall mounts.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Five sets of dead eyes turned toward Jack on top of the platform. Jack lit a match and placed it against the tip of the cigar, puffing until the end glowed red. He flicked out the match and tossed it aside.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It’s time to play some reindeer games.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The five zombie reindeer let out a collective howl and charged, covering several feet in a matter of seconds. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Shit</i>, Jack thought. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fast zombies suck</i>. Grabbing the propane tank and the candy cane, he jumped off the rear of the platform and raced for the bank of glass-enclosed elevators. Behind him, he heard the creatures crashing their way up the front slope of the platform. As he circled around to the elevators and slammed his finger against the UP button, he prayed that at least one of the cars was on the first floor. Thankfully, the doors on the far left slid open.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The buck topped the platform first and slid down the back slope. Jack ducked into the elevator, dropping everything onto the floor and turning to the control panel. He pressed one thumb each against the second floor and CLOSE buttons, jabbing repeatedly. Nothing happened. As Jack watched, the buck reached the floor and looked around, finally spying him. It snarled and rushed toward him, with the does close on his hooves. Just then the doors began their interminably slow slide shut. Jack didn’t know if he would make it. He shoved his thumbs even harder against the buttons and braced himself to be mauled. Thankfully, the doors closed enough that the buck’s antlers slammed against the outside surface, preventing it from getting its head inside. It spat at Jack, filling the interior with the stench of death. The car jerked and traveled up to the second floor.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When the elevator came to a stop, Jack waited until the doors opened before pulling out the EMERGENCY STOP button. Working quickly, he used the end of the candy cane to knock aside the access panel in the elevator’s roof, pushing it aside to clear the opening. He then placed the propane tank in the raer corner of the car and turned the valve to the ON position. Gas hissed into the interior. Stepping to the control panel, Jack pushed in the EMERGENCY STOP button, pressed the button for the first floor, and stepped out. A few seconds later, the doors slid shut and the elevator began its descent. As it did, he wedged the end of the candy cane between the joints of the doors and pried them apart enough for him to reach in with his hands and open them all the way. He leaned out to watch as the elevator stopped on the first floor and listened as the doors slid open. It sounded like a stampede when the five zombie reindeer rushed inside, thrashing around as they searched for their prey. The buck glanced up, catching sight of Jack in the open doorway above. It growled and raised itself on its hind legs as if wanting to climb out and get Jack.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Ho. Ho. Ho.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On the last “Ho,” Jack puffed on the cigar and then flicked it down the shaft. It arched through the air like a tiny comet before disappearing through the access hatch.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A moment later, a fireball mushroomed through the hatch as the propane ignited, incinerating the zombie reindeer. Jack dropped to the ground and covered his head as the tank erupted. The floor beneath him shook. The explosion took the path of least resistance, shattering the glass walls into a million shards and venting a fireball out across Christmas Village, ripping Santa’s chair into kindling and blasting apart the giant Christmas tree.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jack got to his feet and stepped over to the railing, surveying the carnage. All that remained of the platform was the metal struts of its base. The rest lay scattered across the area, pieces of wood and particle board mixed in with charred chunks of zombie reindeer. Pine needles, pieces of wrapping paper, and shattered fragments of ornaments rained down. Except for the settling debris and the crackling of a few scattered fires, everything was pleasantly quiet. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Not a creature was stirring</i>, he thought.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jack suddenly remembered that Meghan was still down there. Running to the stairs opposite the elevators, he rushed down them two at a time, careful not to slip on the holiday flotsam. Below him was the igloo, shredded from the blast and partially melted. There was no way she could have survived that. Even so, he rushed over to the penguin display and dropped to his knees.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“God, Meghan. I’m so sorry.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jack flipped over the igloo, surprised to find nothing underneath it.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Sorry about what?” The sexy voice came from behind him.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jack looked over his shoulder. Meghan stood three feet behind him.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Aren’t you dead?” he asked.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Meghan placed both hands on her hips and rested all her weight on her right leg, striking a pose that looked all the more erotic in her short elf skirt. “Normally this would sound like a stupid question, but do I look dead?”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No.” Jack stood up and took Meghan in his arms, hugging her tightly against him, or at least as tightly as the padded pants would allow. “How’d you survive the blast?”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“When I saw you leading those things away with the propane tank, I knew nothing good could come of it, so I headed for better cover.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Thank God you did.” Jack broke the hug, but kept one arm wrapped around Meghan’s waist. He was happy to see that she didn’t protest. The couple headed for the mall entrance.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You know,” she said. “Since you saved my life, you get to buy me dinner.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It’s a date. What would you like?”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I could go for a nice steak.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Great. I know a place that serves venison.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Meghan wrapped her arm around Jack’s. “Maybe we should go for pizza instead.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8D-MoWasFA5k1KbR_vbRiVmFEJ25DgJr7MHd2fHEZr_dlpvCMRL4j9qZzNlzKOxiLUY1rkWjwXC3sxGCx8F8C1ufbhdnsk4AT4RKb7jjg8MnxpWZ7buwiko2lEFt1Q2jJUWwip7lTvlTDFSOhV-1Td5OLvR0V0o0NhwYKX3JfOhs_fGijRwnsG1B2Q/s650/0000000000000000000snatazomb.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="450" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8D-MoWasFA5k1KbR_vbRiVmFEJ25DgJr7MHd2fHEZr_dlpvCMRL4j9qZzNlzKOxiLUY1rkWjwXC3sxGCx8F8C1ufbhdnsk4AT4RKb7jjg8MnxpWZ7buwiko2lEFt1Q2jJUWwip7lTvlTDFSOhV-1Td5OLvR0V0o0NhwYKX3JfOhs_fGijRwnsG1B2Q/w444-h640/0000000000000000000snatazomb.jpg" width="444" /></a></div><span style="background-color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Clint stopped the ambulance a few yards from mall’s main entrance, fighting back a sense of uncertainty about what they would find. The initial dispatch had been unusually vague, saying something about reindeer beating people at a Christmas display, although Kevin swore the dispatcher had said “eating.” Not that neither one made any sense. In any case, it sounded more like a situation for animal control rather than EMTs, and Clint had said as much, only to be ordered to get to the mall pronto. Of course, arriving in time to see swarms of terrified shoppers shoving their way through the exit and scattering across the parking lot did not help assuage his uneasiness. Panicked crowds were never a good sign.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jumping out of the ambulance and grabbing their gear, Clint and Kevin rushed into the mall. They had to push their way past a couple strolling out arm-in-arm, the man wearing padded Santa pants and the young strawberry blonde dressed in very risqué elf costume. Clint thought it unusual that, amidst the frenzied exodus, these two seemed not to be concerned.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Kevin, on the other hand, noticed the blonde. “Hey, did you see the ass on that one that just walked by?”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No.” Clint pointed toward the atrium where the charred wreckage of the Christmas Village lay scattered around. “I’m more interested in that.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Holy….” Kevin let his words trail off. He broke into a jog, rushing to the scene in case someone was still alive.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Clint followed, though judging by the extent of the destruction, he doubted if anyone could have survived. He stopped by what looked like a pile of dead penguins and scanned the atrium, shaking his head.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Man, nothing could have survived this.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Someone did,” responded Kevin. “Over there.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Across the atrium, near the remains of what once was a pen or something, a single figure stumbled through the debris, his hands stretched out in front of him, fumbling as if he was blind. His back was to them, so Clint could not tell how badly hurt he was. Given the fact that the man wore a light blue shirt with the tattered remains of a patch on his sleeve and a utility belt that hung at an awkward angle from his hips with half the contents missing, Clint figured he must be mall security.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Poor guy,” said Kevin. “Probably stayed behind to help get everyone out, and then got caught up in all of this.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“You check out the rest of the mall. I’ll tend to him.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Clint crossed over to the security guard. The guard’s hands fell onto the handlebars of a Segway and clutched it tightly. He attempted to climb on, but could not get his feet up high enough. Probably shock. When Clint got to within a few feet of the guard, he called out to him.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Hang on, buddy. I’m a paramedic. I’m here to he…. Holy shit!”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">When the guard turned around at the sound of the voice, Clint saw that his face had been ripped off. He stared into a skull covered in gore and blood. Strands of severed nerve endings dangled out of the sockets. The thing couldn’t see Clint, but it heard him. When Clint squeaked a muffled cry of revulsion, it dove at him, its exposed teeth ripping into the paramedic’s throat.</span></div><p><br /></p>Scott M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06969817714467678175noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096377072093116472.post-60683964284938361972023-10-31T00:58:00.001-04:002023-10-31T00:58:00.138-04:00The Terrify Your Tablet Event Has Begun <p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #050505; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWDB2-BqtiBprfBIeJJq0hbP28zs7gSPsO2qAr09qhctzWFCQLbQfJ_QwtV_BbFpSiAXzMb9N-6uiA2VWJl0q75ZQCh3tPADboP9T5blRFeTQtyRKCTZ4Ht-bpFJmgsyPYtKFF1i6zKvw78m3CFbnfe3a_3rY0AmN9cU8PxYNgWx1S3gY4jO5YuJ6uZADw/s1080/conTYT2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWDB2-BqtiBprfBIeJJq0hbP28zs7gSPsO2qAr09qhctzWFCQLbQfJ_QwtV_BbFpSiAXzMb9N-6uiA2VWJl0q75ZQCh3tPADboP9T5blRFeTQtyRKCTZ4Ht-bpFJmgsyPYtKFF1i6zKvw78m3CFbnfe3a_3rY0AmN9cU8PxYNgWx1S3gY4jO5YuJ6uZADw/w400-h400/conTYT2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Today is the day!!!</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">The <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/terrifyyourtablet" target="_blank">Terrify Your Tablet</a> event has begun. Head on over to the URL listed below or the Facebook group and get your free horror novels. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span data-offset-key="3ehi0-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The books I am giving away on 31 October are </span><span data-offset-key="3ehi0-0-1" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B8PFCDCD" target="_blank">The Ghosts of the Maria Doria</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B095LLFWRR" target="_blank">The Ghosts of Salem Village</a>, </span><span data-offset-key="3ehi0-0-2" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;">and </span><span data-offset-key="3ehi0-0-3" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PXV72LV" target="_blank">The Vampire Hunters</a></span><span data-offset-key="3ehi0-0-4" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;">.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Happy Halloween.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span data-offset-key="3ehi0-0-4" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="x1e56ztr" data-block="true" data-editor="umh" data-offset-key="96vqs-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 8px; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="96vqs-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><br /></div></div>Scott M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06969817714467678175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096377072093116472.post-83139852139415994872023-10-26T00:36:00.005-04:002023-10-26T00:36:44.180-04:00Terrify Your Tablet Event Is Only Five Days Away <p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #050505; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSgt8hC-ULRwnQD6UVLDI7zQJm3_uhaP1L3iPttiW9FbB921_Eu6ia6CWGKcorgfGws1qqlrue0O0uZT4edVCUsltfExXcUpnfLt-ix3O3x0XU5m0yoQoq5PZaojmKP1ZSF81rIc3LPsjr8ikCYzSfYsimsAEEEFgE0dCOQafieRHoZ1O1Ar4HSQky9bxK/s1080/conTerrTablet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSgt8hC-ULRwnQD6UVLDI7zQJm3_uhaP1L3iPttiW9FbB921_Eu6ia6CWGKcorgfGws1qqlrue0O0uZT4edVCUsltfExXcUpnfLt-ix3O3x0XU5m0yoQoq5PZaojmKP1ZSF81rIc3LPsjr8ikCYzSfYsimsAEEEFgE0dCOQafieRHoZ1O1Ar4HSQky9bxK/s320/conTerrTablet.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/terrifyyourtablet" target="_blank">Terrify Your Tablet</a> is only five days away. </span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Over 200 writers are giving away Kindle books free for Halloween. FREE horror books!!!! That's better than Trick or Treating. You can do it from your living room in your pajamas while watching movies, and you get to pick which treats you want. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: white;">The list of the books being given away will be posted on 29 October. Go to the <a href="http://www.terrifyyourtablet.com" target="_blank">www.terrifyyourtablet.com</a> to see what's available. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span data-offset-key="58fn2-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The books I am giving away on 31 October are </span><span data-offset-key="58fn2-0-1" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Ghosts of the Maria Doria, The Ghosts of Salem Village, </span><span data-offset-key="58fn2-0-2" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;">and </span><span data-offset-key="58fn2-0-3" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Vampire Hunters</span><span data-offset-key="58fn2-0-4" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. </span></span></p><div class="x1e56ztr" data-block="true" data-editor="68eia" data-offset-key="7ba91-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 8px; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="7ba91-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="7ba91-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: black; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="color: white;"><br data-text="true" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" /></span></span></div></div><div class="x1e56ztr" data-block="true" data-editor="68eia" data-offset-key="7hcue-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 8px; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="7hcue-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><br /></div></div>Scott M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06969817714467678175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096377072093116472.post-89145316033880273782023-10-13T00:35:00.009-04:002023-10-13T00:35:53.865-04:00The Chronicles of Paul III: Road to Nowhere Has Been Released <p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"></span></i></b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgea2H3HYVb5OtCsYCbyEtbY1pDcp2i-WVToqi-qdsjVd6o9KLElhRffkatZOIgj2A4q3RIWYxbcNCN-utUKhGhWPKsXvY9E5jVMKVROzJz75kKBZoZ7NdrjxV-3BG-wDklEuiYM4HXkhyyuma1V8A60-beE-HiYXizfvTlUwBrlnwPA-jnFSMAbsvcSQS6/s2700/book%20--%20Paul3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgea2H3HYVb5OtCsYCbyEtbY1pDcp2i-WVToqi-qdsjVd6o9KLElhRffkatZOIgj2A4q3RIWYxbcNCN-utUKhGhWPKsXvY9E5jVMKVROzJz75kKBZoZ7NdrjxV-3BG-wDklEuiYM4HXkhyyuma1V8A60-beE-HiYXizfvTlUwBrlnwPA-jnFSMAbsvcSQS6/w133-h200/book%20--%20Paul3.jpg" width="133" /></a></i></b></span></div><span style="color: white;"><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJ43WGRH" target="_blank">The Chronicles of PaulIII: Road to Nowhere</a></i></b><b><span style="font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> is
available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited</span></b><span style="font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">. The price is currently $2.99, but will soon increase to $3.99. The
print version is also available for $9.99.<o:p></o:p></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="color: white;">Paul Madison and his group decided to
leave the temporary safety of the logging camp to search for a more secure
haven away from populated centers. Their journey will take them through an
apocalyptic wasteland of the living dead with no one to rely on but themselves.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="color: white;">As the fight to stay alive becomes
increasingly difficult, the morale of Paul’s people slowly erodes. When merely
surviving from day to day becomes a major challenge, they begin to ask if death
is inevitable.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="color: white;">Is it even worth staying alive?</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="color: white;">The survivors need to look inside
their souls and find a spark to keep going. However, their resilience is tested
to the limits when they encounter a horde of deaders in the Appalachian
Mountains.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="color: white;"> </span></span></p>Scott M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06969817714467678175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096377072093116472.post-79950154152290856892023-10-06T06:00:00.001-04:002023-10-06T06:00:00.141-04:00I'll Be Signing Books This Weekend at Salem Haunted Happenings <div class="x1e56ztr" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 8px; transition-property: none !important;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; word-break: break-word;"><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: var(--primary-text); text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIZMPpLowD6EyJalGjQbsWQgI23cEYgve8YqhHsmDKd9WzXjCmxKMYp_pUsJWt7o-rljOHH1TzIuXFHqkKpXMQyqWsBB7bpKUf0lEpK5hPGuM6xtdloo-D7sZc-U90jE2pugqQWfTUE5mGIRobcV8APeU4IJbvtg6UaYhMHqyruQcJw-a_KgJjGUiklWuC/s1045/conHauntHapp.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1045" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIZMPpLowD6EyJalGjQbsWQgI23cEYgve8YqhHsmDKd9WzXjCmxKMYp_pUsJWt7o-rljOHH1TzIuXFHqkKpXMQyqWsBB7bpKUf0lEpK5hPGuM6xtdloo-D7sZc-U90jE2pugqQWfTUE5mGIRobcV8APeU4IJbvtg6UaYhMHqyruQcJw-a_KgJjGUiklWuC/s320/conHauntHapp.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">REMINDER: This weekend, several members of the New England Horror Writers, including myself, will have a table at <a href="https://www.hauntedhappenings.org/" target="_blank">Haunted Happenings in Salem, Massachusetts</a>, in October. Our table will be located in Derby Square right behind the Olde Town Hall. I'll be selling/signing my Tatyana novels, especially <span style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><i style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;">The Ghosts of Salem Village</i></span>. The dates/times are: </span></span></div><div class="x1e56ztr" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 8px; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div><div class="x1e56ztr" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 8px; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;"><span style="color: white;">7 October -- 10 AM to 8 PM</span></span></div><div class="x1e56ztr" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 8px; transition-property: none !important;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; word-break: break-word;"><span style="color: white;">8 October -- 10 AM to 6 PM</span></span></div><div class="x1e56ztr" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 8px; transition-property: none !important;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; word-break: break-word;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="x1e56ztr" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 8px; transition-property: none !important;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; word-break: break-word;"><span style="color: white;">Hope to see you there. For more info about Haunted Happenings, check the link below.</span></span></div><br />Scott M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06969817714467678175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096377072093116472.post-12720790981553143532023-09-30T08:00:00.001-04:002023-09-30T08:00:00.142-04:00I'll Be Signing Books at Haunted Happenings in Salem, Massachusetts <p><span style="background-color: white; color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOsNWbndWBxeDQWnULcRl-k7b6jHvjcnDpiix2-pl0FVh_l56D9WwWRf7_GK01rZBkqCMR8J4NVRXD9zUzrEaQWziiWfRXkUr8ltUsO4M9dN_IAjnqbjv9_rSoN2hMXbXDmi0iN4uZUeQBpy8OBpcyN3gGI2VjSJDCTw5aoFvpEoYF_uDQFhSXDCjkOeCq/s1045/conHauntHapp.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1045" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOsNWbndWBxeDQWnULcRl-k7b6jHvjcnDpiix2-pl0FVh_l56D9WwWRf7_GK01rZBkqCMR8J4NVRXD9zUzrEaQWziiWfRXkUr8ltUsO4M9dN_IAjnqbjv9_rSoN2hMXbXDmi0iN4uZUeQBpy8OBpcyN3gGI2VjSJDCTw5aoFvpEoYF_uDQFhSXDCjkOeCq/s320/conHauntHapp.png" width="320" /></a></div>Several members of the New England Horror Writers, including myself, will have a table at <a href="https://www.hauntedhappenings.org/" target="_blank">Haunted Happenings in Salem, Massachusetts</a>, in October. Our table will be located in Derby Square right behind the Olde Town Hall. <span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;">I'll be selling/signing my Tatyana novels, especially</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;"> </span><span style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; transition-property: none !important;"><i style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;">The Ghosts of Salem Village</i></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;">. The dates/times are: </span></span></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;"><span style="color: white;">7 October -- 10 AM to 8 PM</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;"><span style="color: white;">8 October -- 10 AM to 6 PM</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;"><span style="color: white;">21 October -- 10 AM to 8 PM</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;"><span style="color: white;">22 October -- 10 AM to 6 PM</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;"><span style="color: white;">Hope to see you there. For more info about Haunted Happenings, check the link below.</span></span></p><br />Scott M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06969817714467678175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096377072093116472.post-2819923842476255462023-09-28T20:26:00.003-04:002023-09-28T20:26:16.917-04:00The Chronicles of Paul III: Road to Nowhere Is Available for Pre-Order <p><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTzTMasY7zaHfFYRIeHWKZgsHpZx0ujBZuCcAAwAGJ26lvbOqUF5SusyZvliCWkY91rVzkz6lKrbBeRshGNj9gjqiLXX_0AJ6agRRbrtNlsEEB-Iszb5dTV4JRV1i5yz1r8l6DBhEnzR_jk40GFEWIjvLtWjdwRH0C-elbqY-2dUFABfhU_762kCAjgHT9/s2700/book%20--%20Paul3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTzTMasY7zaHfFYRIeHWKZgsHpZx0ujBZuCcAAwAGJ26lvbOqUF5SusyZvliCWkY91rVzkz6lKrbBeRshGNj9gjqiLXX_0AJ6agRRbrtNlsEEB-Iszb5dTV4JRV1i5yz1r8l6DBhEnzR_jk40GFEWIjvLtWjdwRH0C-elbqY-2dUFABfhU_762kCAjgHT9/s320/book%20--%20Paul3.jpg" width="213" /></a></i></div><i>The Chronicles of Paul III: Road to
Nowhere</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> is available for <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJ43WGRH" target="_blank">pre-order on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited</a>. The release date is Friday, 13 October (very appropriate). The
pre-order price is $2.99. After release, it will increase to $3.99. The print
version should be released around the same time.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Paul Madison and his group decided to leave the
temporary safety of the logging camp to search for a more secure haven away
from populated centers. Their journey will take them through an apocalyptic wasteland
of the living dead with no one to rely on but themselves.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As the fight to stay alive becomes increasingly
difficult, the morale of Paul’s people slowly erodes. When merely surviving
from day to day becomes a major challenge, they begin to ask if death is
inevitable. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Is it even worth staying alive?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The survivors need to look inside their souls and find
a spark to keep going. However, their resilience is tested to the limits when
they encounter a horde of deaders in the Appalachian Mountains.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Scott M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06969817714467678175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096377072093116472.post-64022062627876721512023-06-02T01:00:00.001-04:002023-06-02T01:00:00.137-04:00The Tatyana Paranormal Series Is Free Until 6 June <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOUg5aZ_BCKUvYlO-qooo8V0K0wgXemLcp-KDrCQLtZ1VrS_mdhnUoYeHInx4djetOsmCrc5L2obFXl5_KG08LdvuZu-nBrKlTJ0_-S4MtBZmc6-8V9BHddLLzXW0XJ9c7Cl-wS7iflRwTNezxGl_fI_qWRyIbvsuLCBiMrPaPu6YWybZUty7U0GifAA/s940/Tatyana3BookPromo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOUg5aZ_BCKUvYlO-qooo8V0K0wgXemLcp-KDrCQLtZ1VrS_mdhnUoYeHInx4djetOsmCrc5L2obFXl5_KG08LdvuZu-nBrKlTJ0_-S4MtBZmc6-8V9BHddLLzXW0XJ9c7Cl-wS7iflRwTNezxGl_fI_qWRyIbvsuLCBiMrPaPu6YWybZUty7U0GifAA/s320/Tatyana3BookPromo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5SRZ1GR" target="_blank">The Ghosts of Bethlehem Asylum</a></span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> will be
released on 16 June. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">To help you get caught up on the Tatyana saga, the Kindle
versions of </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08WWJH11T" target="_blank">The Ghosts of Eden Hollow</a></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">, </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ghosts-Salem-Village-Scott-Baker-ebook/dp/B095LLFWRR" target="_blank">The Ghosts of Salem Village</a></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">,
and </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B8PFCDCD" target="_blank">The Ghosts of the Maria Doria</a></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> will be </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">FREE</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> on Kindle from 2
to 6 June.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p></p>Scott M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06969817714467678175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096377072093116472.post-46114582134822353462023-05-29T00:00:00.002-04:002023-05-29T00:00:00.153-04:00Remember the Fallen This Memorial Day<p><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">This Memorial Day, please remember that freedom is not free, and please remember those men, women, and dogs of the armed forces who gave their lives so we can be free. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten. </span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjqvukTZfexs0dQHiM07JJsBJSbQJDrwdS9svnBI4QuM1qcSAGjKDm2qidVTZPuihyUAfQFZ6yFCmQVYLC5G9BcNnmIrWtMHK0uUg8Qtu9TStW-9tUFKvygKxN8PEG5dt_y8eKqjEAWWI6m1zHhAaeKhhyGrkZg4PMCZJEbnKPX27_uiQLZ--zAvHp1Q/s400/00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000an.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjqvukTZfexs0dQHiM07JJsBJSbQJDrwdS9svnBI4QuM1qcSAGjKDm2qidVTZPuihyUAfQFZ6yFCmQVYLC5G9BcNnmIrWtMHK0uUg8Qtu9TStW-9tUFKvygKxN8PEG5dt_y8eKqjEAWWI6m1zHhAaeKhhyGrkZg4PMCZJEbnKPX27_uiQLZ--zAvHp1Q/w640-h480/00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000an.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>Scott M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06969817714467678175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096377072093116472.post-63324133471138818732023-05-26T08:00:00.002-04:002023-05-26T08:00:00.138-04:00I'll Be Attending the Living Dead Weekend at the Monroeville Mall 9-11 June <div class="x1e56ztr" data-block="true" data-editor="8a9a3" data-offset-key="e1hen-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 8px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="e1hen-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="e1hen-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #050505; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh625CeKXhFSULJ0iT1U1gEZHKmXrotUKqNYc7ouAW0jqc_rsjoqENrGTDXJIHRvZjcdiDnbZI_QqwGkmY7H5ilVvAPKbvrL7LT7qfOm0_HHa9cEJqgI157LMZ0DHxjlUEO4EwoK5dUYsG1ybOpVLOXhStskN6bWP366vSkRphiH95h1T8gkwULETXGA/s679/conLDW1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="679" data-original-width="525" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh625CeKXhFSULJ0iT1U1gEZHKmXrotUKqNYc7ouAW0jqc_rsjoqENrGTDXJIHRvZjcdiDnbZI_QqwGkmY7H5ilVvAPKbvrL7LT7qfOm0_HHa9cEJqgI157LMZ0DHxjlUEO4EwoK5dUYsG1ybOpVLOXhStskN6bWP366vSkRphiH95h1T8gkwULETXGA/s320/conLDW1.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Just a reminder that two weeks from now, from 9 to 11 June, I'll be attending the <a href="https://www.thelivingdeadweekend.com/monroeville/" target="_blank">Living Dead Weekend</a> at the Monroeville Mall in Pennsylvania to celebrate the 45th anniversary of George Romero's classic </span></span></span><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span data-offset-key="e1hen-0-1" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; transition-property: none !important;">Dawn of the Dead</span><span data-offset-key="e1hen-0-2" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">. The scheduled events and guests are awesome. </span><span style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">including</span><span data-offset-key="e1hen-2-0" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"> tours of the mall showing where scenes from the movie were filmed. And you'll be able to visit The Living Dead Museum. </span></span></span></div><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="e1hen-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="e1hen-2-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: black; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="e1hen-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span data-offset-key="e1hen-2-0" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">(I did this tour on my own in the summer of 2021 and it's great. See <a href="https://scottmbakerauthor.blogspot.com/2021/08/my-visit-to-living-dead-museum-at.html" target="_blank">My Visit to the Living Dead Museum at the Monroeville Mall</a>, <a href="https://scottmbakerauthor.blogspot.com/2021/08/my-visit-to-dawn-of-dead-location-sites.html" target="_blank">My Visit to the Dawn of the Dead Location Sites (Part 1)</a>, and </span><a href="https://scottmbakerauthor.blogspot.com/2021/08/my-visit-to-dawn-of-dead-location-sites_18.html" target="_blank">My Visit to the Dawn of the Dead Location Sites (Part 2)</a>.</span></span></div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 24px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative; white-space: normal;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">I'll be there with hordes of my zombie novels to sign as well as some zombie Christmas tree ornaments. </span></span></h3><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="e1hen-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="e1hen-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm psyched about this event and hope to see some of you there. </span> </span></span></div></div>Scott M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06969817714467678175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096377072093116472.post-50488458275003336092023-05-20T21:42:00.001-04:002023-05-20T21:42:22.118-04:00The Ghosts of Bethlehem Asylum Is Available for Pre-order <p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #050505; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvO1I6h4Xp2E9pJIPOofS7BMLJXO004Ft7YaH1ffduBO-klx-94Pd1BVmRUAlFfOYAqPIwoHCCycLirzCPhsqwQQ05m5v9m0NqgPT03LI4K-lr4Ck5_PY_kk-hns3sLvVYoQ7J74kjbLfPbn5VugrGSdY-WIngAor2Hn2gSx7Gk1zBUwnNKp82Qu2qSg/s2700/book%20--%20GoBAKindle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvO1I6h4Xp2E9pJIPOofS7BMLJXO004Ft7YaH1ffduBO-klx-94Pd1BVmRUAlFfOYAqPIwoHCCycLirzCPhsqwQQ05m5v9m0NqgPT03LI4K-lr4Ck5_PY_kk-hns3sLvVYoQ7J74kjbLfPbn5VugrGSdY-WIngAor2Hn2gSx7Gk1zBUwnNKp82Qu2qSg/s320/book%20--%20GoBAKindle.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">The
Kindle version of <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5SRZ1GR" target="_blank">The Ghosts of Bethlehem Asylum</a></i>, the fourth book in the
Tatyana paranormal series, is available for pre-order on Amazon for $2.99. The
book is being released on 16 June, after which the price will go up to $3.99.
The print edition should be ready around the same time.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Ghosts
are like people. Some are good, some are evil. And sometimes they are trapped
in circumstances beyond their control.</span><span style="color: white; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span><span style="color: white; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> de</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Tatyana
has decided to take a break from conducting spectral investigations. When a
respected paranormal podcaster offers her the opportunity to explore a haunted
sanitarium with a dark past that has not been visited in over seventy years,
Tatyana allows temptation to get the better of her and she agrees to
participate. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="color: white;">However,
the history behind this institution is far more disturbing than anyone could
have imagined. The spirits inhabiting the grounds are driven by a lust for
vengeance. One by one, the members of the team are subjected to unimaginable
horrors and violent deaths. No one, not even Tatyana and her ghostly sidekick
Nick, are certain they will survive until the morning.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="color: white;">Get
ready for an action-packed, wild ride that will chill you to the bone and keep
you on the edge of your seat.</span></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><br /></p>Scott M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06969817714467678175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096377072093116472.post-58158973870764092052023-05-06T12:00:00.001-04:002023-05-06T12:00:00.131-04:00Cover Reveal of The Ghosts of Bethlehem Asylum <p><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;">As promised, here is the full cover reveal of</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;"> </span><span style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; transition-property: none !important;"><i style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;">The Ghosts of Bethlehem Asylum</i></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;">, the fourth book in my paranormal series. Tatyana joins an investigation team to document spiritual activity at an abandoned insane asylum, only to discover the entities are those of dangerous patients with a lust for violence.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;"><span style="color: white;">The release date is scheduled for 15 June. The pre-order will go on sale soon.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_3_pjK1aqTNIqJbZgj2w5H_jXfxETFeAAtmyqh-usyVzx8V4pd2MIKnB4cDLzSDD0Mix36VCMKstKkh0SwZ1XCX46KQ5VVDT8Ny-IOBpiED6qXlSLabsDjCF8-zIMpQLFZpRoPtLvbtg7ne6BXRMb3lUQbQ_x37cxcmjWj0V_RsQ9zVnOyLXX6Xx-Q/s900/book%20--%20GoBAKindle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_3_pjK1aqTNIqJbZgj2w5H_jXfxETFeAAtmyqh-usyVzx8V4pd2MIKnB4cDLzSDD0Mix36VCMKstKkh0SwZ1XCX46KQ5VVDT8Ny-IOBpiED6qXlSLabsDjCF8-zIMpQLFZpRoPtLvbtg7ne6BXRMb3lUQbQ_x37cxcmjWj0V_RsQ9zVnOyLXX6Xx-Q/w426-h640/book%20--%20GoBAKindle.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;"><br /></span><p></p>Scott M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06969817714467678175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096377072093116472.post-38755850719830756242023-04-26T22:38:00.000-04:002023-04-26T22:38:11.672-04:00REMINDER: I'll Be Attending the Vermont Sci-Fi and Fantasy Expo 29-30 April <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFg8kmXr0VNFqyPtDZYI5pskN9-7IJLpkgZCF7RcpzFFO9JbLzgsDkSlFoxLTLRxj1T1x__y3DPZDG8C21_9Ext-S4xPAj7UkJmOFM6wYQE4Qa7FSIKC8zWbU63_tUs502QMCePraj6kB2TFrfvlsC9Ep83HJKq3K9v62T9L4Q70LBMnZzERlaPiJ2uw/s406/con-vermont-sci-fi-fantasy-expo-logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="170" data-original-width="406" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFg8kmXr0VNFqyPtDZYI5pskN9-7IJLpkgZCF7RcpzFFO9JbLzgsDkSlFoxLTLRxj1T1x__y3DPZDG8C21_9Ext-S4xPAj7UkJmOFM6wYQE4Qa7FSIKC8zWbU63_tUs502QMCePraj6kB2TFrfvlsC9Ep83HJKq3K9v62T9L4Q70LBMnZzERlaPiJ2uw/s320/con-vermont-sci-fi-fantasy-expo-logo.png" width="320" /></a></div>REMINDER: This coming weekend, 29 and 30 April, I'll be attending the <a href="https://www.vtgatherings.com/vermont-sci-fi-fantasy-expo.html" target="_blank">Vermont Sci-Fi and Fantasy Expo</a> at the Champlain Valley Expo in Essex, Vermont. I'll be signing all my books, including Nurse Alissa vs. the Zombies IX. I hope to see some of you there.<br /><br /><p></p>Scott M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06969817714467678175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096377072093116472.post-63253364352381758852023-04-26T12:00:00.001-04:002023-04-26T12:00:00.149-04:00I'll Be Attending the Living Dead Weekend on 9-11 June <p><span data-offset-key="a93mb-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #050505; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAIZ9-A84AtbB55KGycw4rpzxXqiAl5MgSKwxDcztDI0m1C8Ov9yT6yyaCxIJWh6P_rFD1YOBWwedgt1HaxcEfJf5ou4flsZ6mc1mr5DCIXYmGtlkAb1ByBLckuCUTD1GCFT2klCTaNvPhfEbzBgU9qzIXmXMADmLQnzp6P1RSzffDpTcOjLOXVo903w/s679/conLDW1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="679" data-original-width="525" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAIZ9-A84AtbB55KGycw4rpzxXqiAl5MgSKwxDcztDI0m1C8Ov9yT6yyaCxIJWh6P_rFD1YOBWwedgt1HaxcEfJf5ou4flsZ6mc1mr5DCIXYmGtlkAb1ByBLckuCUTD1GCFT2klCTaNvPhfEbzBgU9qzIXmXMADmLQnzp6P1RSzffDpTcOjLOXVo903w/s320/conLDW1.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">I've been fortunate enough to be selected as one of the vendors for the <a href="https://www.thelivingdeadweekend.com/monroeville/" target="_blank">Living Dead Weekend</a> at the Monroeville Mall in Pennsylvania 9-11 June to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the release of the original </span></span><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span data-offset-key="a93mb-0-1" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dawn of the Dead</span><span data-offset-key="a93mb-0-2" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></span></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Celebrity guests include Ken Foree, Scott Reiniger, Gaylen Ross, Tom Savini, and dozens more. There will also be tours of the filming locations within the mall, photo ops with the celebrities, and a lot more. I'll be stockpiling my zombie novels and will be there signing copies. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">This is a once in a lifetime event zombie fans don't want to miss. </span></span></p><div class="x1e56ztr" data-block="true" data-editor="2uv2o" data-offset-key="3j2am-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 8px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="3j2am-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="3j2am-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: black; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="color: white;"><br data-text="true" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" /></span></span></div></div><div class="x1e56ztr" data-block="true" data-editor="2uv2o" data-offset-key="9l1cn-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 8px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="9l1cn-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><br /></div></div>Scott M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06969817714467678175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096377072093116472.post-31271956040172390342023-04-25T12:00:00.001-04:002023-04-25T12:00:00.148-04:00Reel Talk Podcast Premieres 25 April <p><span data-offset-key="3not6-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-text="true" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #050505; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhW1AaPw9mBTTq4wgknA1WYCFkodloCnlEewkG2oksblB7GQnvCTTIWZMHjja9vD--sHs0AxkAF0GOuXLXACQpgaVCCXfSm0sSHpHzEMDVdq818kxXAt0824KFFplgYNCkcLqfUrTtZUVzRFmqzVkN-Eb900SyDNTErY7zFhKbYk-LCpx_q3QsBdwsA/s1644/WRReelTalk1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1644" data-original-width="1241" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhW1AaPw9mBTTq4wgknA1WYCFkodloCnlEewkG2oksblB7GQnvCTTIWZMHjja9vD--sHs0AxkAF0GOuXLXACQpgaVCCXfSm0sSHpHzEMDVdq818kxXAt0824KFFplgYNCkcLqfUrTtZUVzRFmqzVkN-Eb900SyDNTErY7zFhKbYk-LCpx_q3QsBdwsA/s320/WRReelTalk1.png" width="242" /></a></div><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">REMINDER: Tonight is the premiere episode of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@WyrdRealities" target="_blank">Reel Talk</a> 9 PM EST on the </span><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span class="x1fey0fg" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-offset-key="3not6-3-0" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">Wyrd Realities Network</span></span><span data-offset-key="3not6-4-0" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-text="true" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">. The show is hosted by myself and Jennifer Salmons. We'll talk with screenwriters and writers who are breaking into the movie industry and discuss the process of drafting a script, turning a script into a movie, and what is the best way for writers to get their books produced into movies. </span></span></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span data-offset-key="3not6-4-0" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-text="true" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">Our first guest is Robert Ben Garant, one of the creators and stars of </span></span><span data-offset-key="3not6-4-1" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-text="true" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">Reno 911</span></span><span data-offset-key="3not6-4-2" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-text="true" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"> as well as the writer of the three </span></span><span data-offset-key="3not6-4-3" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-text="true" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">Night at the Museum</span></span><span data-offset-key="3not6-4-4" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-text="true" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"> movies, </span></span><span data-offset-key="3not6-4-5" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-text="true" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">Balls of Fury</span></span><span data-offset-key="3not6-4-6" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-text="true" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">, and many more.</span></span></span></p><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span data-offset-key="3not6-4-6" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-text="true" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">You can watch us live on YouTube's Wyrd Realities channel.
</span></span><br /></span>Scott M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06969817714467678175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096377072093116472.post-25674986774394122252023-04-19T12:00:00.001-04:002023-04-19T12:00:00.202-04:00I'll Be Attending the Vermont Sci-Fi and Fantasy Con <p><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Ur-7nMLMRfUKpQZaUIzw6tFeoSKhdxXbJEJSEZypANnJjjwzU6A6apaAAe2D2Rh0DFdOXDzQ5F1EzpCFsdw9RGbGgTY_4bcvuQcUQh8V-0uO4oYCi7SsHNAFllHKQVNmUxDQ8tezKuVXe6GTBi_F5nFUKnNx2Wk4QnIVf5Rmx4sfxDyz5B4ppBOVPA/s3300/ConVTSFFEX.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Ur-7nMLMRfUKpQZaUIzw6tFeoSKhdxXbJEJSEZypANnJjjwzU6A6apaAAe2D2Rh0DFdOXDzQ5F1EzpCFsdw9RGbGgTY_4bcvuQcUQh8V-0uO4oYCi7SsHNAFllHKQVNmUxDQ8tezKuVXe6GTBi_F5nFUKnNx2Wk4QnIVf5Rmx4sfxDyz5B4ppBOVPA/s320/ConVTSFFEX.jpg" width="247" /></a></span></div><span style="color: white;">On 29 and 30 April, I'll be attending the Vermont Sci-Fi and Fantasy Expo at the Champlain Valley Expo in Essex, Vermont. I'll be signing all my books, including <span style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important;"><i style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;">Nurse Alissa vs. the Zombies IX</i></span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">. I hope to see some of you there.</span></span><p></p>Scott M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06969817714467678175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096377072093116472.post-30645652881201130552023-04-17T23:30:00.004-04:002023-04-17T23:30:00.188-04:00Wyrd Realities' Reel Talk Podcast Begins on 25 April <p><span data-offset-key="airj2-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #050505; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEjnQpoOQ3uggPFbqXHwJ_xZEEMPgQTnC5FJN0T1iScKVCCVHjUZIBuP2no2D5rdsFQaJ4SoPhYMxKS6EkLv9IFQskIRVlQncyt-JVrcIaHAaf7Kj_OAnWYNlPP2Lg1qIJkCH4lAvc04XwJwIq9CD9sh29eVjHNxXIbcN8os4Tk6vnl-qf5hGJva1byg/s1644/WRReelTalk1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1644" data-original-width="1241" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEjnQpoOQ3uggPFbqXHwJ_xZEEMPgQTnC5FJN0T1iScKVCCVHjUZIBuP2no2D5rdsFQaJ4SoPhYMxKS6EkLv9IFQskIRVlQncyt-JVrcIaHAaf7Kj_OAnWYNlPP2Lg1qIJkCH4lAvc04XwJwIq9CD9sh29eVjHNxXIbcN8os4Tk6vnl-qf5hGJva1byg/s320/WRReelTalk1.png" width="242" /></a></div><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">I am excited and pleased to announce that starting next Tuesday, 25 April, at 9 PM EST, </span></span><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span class=" xv78j7m" data-offset-key="airj2-1-0" end="104" spellcheck="false" start="88" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jennifer Salmons</span><span data-offset-key="airj2-2-0" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and I will begin hosting the new </span><span class=" x1h0vfkc xi81zsa" data-offset-key="airj2-3-0" end="160" spellcheck="false" start="138" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wyrd Realities Network</span><span data-offset-key="airj2-4-0" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"> show Reel Talk. The show will talk with screenwriters and writers who are breaking into the movie industry. We'll discuss the process of drafting a script, turning a script into a movie, and what is the best way for writers to get their books produced into movies. </span></span></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Our first guest is <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0304830/" target="_blank">Robert Ben Garant</a>, one of the creators and stars of <i>Reno 911</i> as well as the writer of such the three <i>Night at the Museum</i> movies, <i>Balls of Fury</i>, and many more. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">You can watch us live on YouTube's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@WyrdRealities" target="_blank">Wyrd Realities channel</a>. See you next week.</span></span></p>Scott M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06969817714467678175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096377072093116472.post-37790692101614731602023-04-17T23:19:00.000-04:002023-04-17T23:19:18.904-04:00My Visit to Centralia, Pennsylvania <p><span style="background-color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white;">On my way back from AuthorCon 2 earlier this month, I took a detour through Pennsylvania to visit Centralia, a once prosperous mining community that had to be abandoned because of an uncontrollable fire in the town's underground coal mine. Within twenty years, Centralia went from a thriving town to desolation. </span></span></p><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">To give you an idea how much the town has changed, compare the top photo taken in the early 1970s with the one I took below. For comparison, check out the Orthodox church in the upper left and upper center, respectively. </span></span></span><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqKfjOrQiOWkiGXQDsapmfX3eFMZc9zm7eunkWcSBi6Hm4UWot-yo-7yDopP-pIzEkKBnSnQddwhx1jZaAQ7s613shG3pAe-4Drif73mtKQ_J4i7nWXiqgtYxlT83NgOzoo95JQ8-yyIGaV6FXKGThSSdvhL_fhy-1uWCzOHOzF2XiX8RdH_3H-eUhhA/s700/Centraliapics41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="700" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqKfjOrQiOWkiGXQDsapmfX3eFMZc9zm7eunkWcSBi6Hm4UWot-yo-7yDopP-pIzEkKBnSnQddwhx1jZaAQ7s613shG3pAe-4Drif73mtKQ_J4i7nWXiqgtYxlT83NgOzoo95JQ8-yyIGaV6FXKGThSSdvhL_fhy-1uWCzOHOzF2XiX8RdH_3H-eUhhA/w640-h434/Centraliapics41.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsqjvro3LZbk1I_0ACadoio3zEPLwC2t4OdLv--k2NrNHxmqS07qEcfc5n2blzhaR6hvpRVGdeUM8fbvwZ_KJTTDPDSA8uKSdpPjtLZHqhnrDtC_jUYZLT2uhiZ650s33WINzA1BSSpYSNvkp_C_D4uRQkb3islvzAOKwmDII8Daq5OyqEif8t0NIYsQ/s1280/Centraliapics33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsqjvro3LZbk1I_0ACadoio3zEPLwC2t4OdLv--k2NrNHxmqS07qEcfc5n2blzhaR6hvpRVGdeUM8fbvwZ_KJTTDPDSA8uKSdpPjtLZHqhnrDtC_jUYZLT2uhiZ650s33WINzA1BSSpYSNvkp_C_D4uRQkb3islvzAOKwmDII8Daq5OyqEif8t0NIYsQ/w640-h480/Centraliapics33.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">The fire began south of town near Old Fellows Cemetery in May 1962. The town was burning garbage in an old coal strip pit behind this cemetery but did not properly insulate it. The fire ignited nearby carbonaceous refuse material and soon spread to the anthracite coal at the bottom of the pit. However, the underground fire posed no threat to the community until 1979. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">Coddington's Gas Station is located near the corner of Centre Street and Locust Avenue several hundred feet east of the cemetery. In November 1979, John Coddington, the station owner, noticed steam rising from a nearby field that registered at 122 degrees Fahrenheit. A few weeks later, steam began rising from the station's basement, threatening to ignite the underground fuel tanks. The station was permanently closed later that month and torn down in November 1981, the first of numerous structures demolished because of the fire.</span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">Below are photos of Coddington's Gas Station being torn down in 1981 and how the area looks today.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2_XhQzf6lLmxFrFViliXzCM159ujxrKvcTYjrmsBSMSE9-1U97qxLUN7lC6tA1nI86amFBOQWIQenNTahPEjEXym7T1Vr6NhrNlEfrmCu0X2JzduutJ1fZ0Op0ff1qrMgpyxp3dtcWeq2rORI6ArJcGyEjPe06jru9vupH1-maLKprO6bJLkjc4XiIg/s1024/Centraliapics45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2_XhQzf6lLmxFrFViliXzCM159ujxrKvcTYjrmsBSMSE9-1U97qxLUN7lC6tA1nI86amFBOQWIQenNTahPEjEXym7T1Vr6NhrNlEfrmCu0X2JzduutJ1fZ0Op0ff1qrMgpyxp3dtcWeq2rORI6ArJcGyEjPe06jru9vupH1-maLKprO6bJLkjc4XiIg/w640-h426/Centraliapics45.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3VnuLeMlcJfAtwWQKS46mU7FdVoIn8SbFdts2sqi7_VNff9lYZmZcq9AgasobQnSGKNIklVxuouYqZ8399pPz7u479wylxl1dPbNvitaH5UbvqLPDFDkHy0LclYmZBT4v79B_YaeGIFN2lGtBerberYa0_Ce1bkcYlkO09aICLT02iXzA-BEDkhAnRw/s1280/Centraliapics40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3VnuLeMlcJfAtwWQKS46mU7FdVoIn8SbFdts2sqi7_VNff9lYZmZcq9AgasobQnSGKNIklVxuouYqZ8399pPz7u479wylxl1dPbNvitaH5UbvqLPDFDkHy0LclYmZBT4v79B_YaeGIFN2lGtBerberYa0_Ce1bkcYlkO09aICLT02iXzA-BEDkhAnRw/w640-h480/Centraliapics40.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white;">Stand in front of the site of Coddington's Gas Station and turn left (east). This is what downtown Centralia looked like in the 1960s and how it looks today.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC_9oBVIY42tzdZkb59nXFI9RnNqwXjXi7JOlXHxylqt3sfW9qruJ6h2m4yiIwGQDc_sGQw20-nc-12K8HgYRhVabkae8K30KNLs520ok43tfZ4BJX6QoHyXtgcjyqxmS0R33_QN__DBostE0DjPwkBHytF8eDjklqWQt19-MNONZhzmLvHEXSnaZ1Bw/s720/Centraliapics48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="444" data-original-width="720" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC_9oBVIY42tzdZkb59nXFI9RnNqwXjXi7JOlXHxylqt3sfW9qruJ6h2m4yiIwGQDc_sGQw20-nc-12K8HgYRhVabkae8K30KNLs520ok43tfZ4BJX6QoHyXtgcjyqxmS0R33_QN__DBostE0DjPwkBHytF8eDjklqWQt19-MNONZhzmLvHEXSnaZ1Bw/w640-h394/Centraliapics48.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQkrRDZw9mNV6qfmQXs0fhMxcpP-u5Dv2KZz1rrtKqeZCVhmlMYjEN-48BShS_5zvbk1tCA7OZFg-db_DTNG2_OwNFDnVMqusoqeWHKUbR4wa2H6s7vSZQYC3fz6mcO-6ViUfm_FmMghHLByMzpDh0CX8pa_U97OH1aPXi87U2gsgGufmqyegqn_xOw/s1024/Centraliapics49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQkrRDZw9mNV6qfmQXs0fhMxcpP-u5Dv2KZz1rrtKqeZCVhmlMYjEN-48BShS_5zvbk1tCA7OZFg-db_DTNG2_OwNFDnVMqusoqeWHKUbR4wa2H6s7vSZQYC3fz6mcO-6ViUfm_FmMghHLByMzpDh0CX8pa_U97OH1aPXi87U2gsgGufmqyegqn_xOw/w640-h426/Centraliapics49.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">The most famous location related to Centralia is the closed off portion of Route 61 known as Graffiti Road. Route 61 doglegs at the center of town and runs south. At the outskirts of town, just south of Old Fellows Cemetery, Route 61 began to collapse and split as the coal vein beneath it caught fire, weakening the ground above it. This portion was blocked off with large berms and a by-pass constructed east of it. The closed section became known as Graffiti Road because dark tourists like myself visited this section, taking photos and drawing multi-colored graffiti on the asphalt. However, for some unknown reason, a few years ago the state sent in dump trucks and covered the length of road in sand, burying the graffiti. </span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">The below pictures show the berms that block off the damaged section of road and the curve as Route 61 goes around the area. The next three photos are what Graffiti Road looks like now as compared to a few years ago. </span></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibbIfvQSWHWpET6RoFpp2p46XdbCm7AfYxbbhM-GIPyHllvKaNeCq_bcWUgoKDqqy-tanVH5VNczUmpGrQIOfA9kZRYQZ8xyvoljpXpDdTA6LozUOHySxKcUUb3z9ZFAQFvM2Yke7j4S0AW0VPzlcZzVBHzDcTnb42Fue6SC1UYaIIKJCUQ_4xw8_QMA/s1280/Centraliapics4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibbIfvQSWHWpET6RoFpp2p46XdbCm7AfYxbbhM-GIPyHllvKaNeCq_bcWUgoKDqqy-tanVH5VNczUmpGrQIOfA9kZRYQZ8xyvoljpXpDdTA6LozUOHySxKcUUb3z9ZFAQFvM2Yke7j4S0AW0VPzlcZzVBHzDcTnb42Fue6SC1UYaIIKJCUQ_4xw8_QMA/w640-h480/Centraliapics4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijHiRI2WERQNptuHz9K3N05ni4MzKfsoJKt7FquqxYBRvdPcB_ZIeykj9mEy7cYSBqx0OYymAKp_3Vz4LRM8jvvFexMJZJlIYKF49H2S0sFRTC6jgJ95hIxhvVgNaONU6IZrk_Iw1SItkV0Cu92Jl51qN_DzalVQtiO9e9u2EYP0wdhm-yYr8oeNWg8A/s1280/Centraliapics12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijHiRI2WERQNptuHz9K3N05ni4MzKfsoJKt7FquqxYBRvdPcB_ZIeykj9mEy7cYSBqx0OYymAKp_3Vz4LRM8jvvFexMJZJlIYKF49H2S0sFRTC6jgJ95hIxhvVgNaONU6IZrk_Iw1SItkV0Cu92Jl51qN_DzalVQtiO9e9u2EYP0wdhm-yYr8oeNWg8A/w640-h480/Centraliapics12.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNd_nME2I5s7PirTwlHMOt17VD0krIcPtWaBy5u64peb-9MpVIsUG4OeXKE49CeM7Kdntpm1E4QSw80jV2LDOpi_QW5weajw6LRsjTAiFFjlZwZ0H_HdT9ntQLVjenZulbL0JK3JGFb8wIhOZnn-zRm0gOJMnfjwzGXjke25rEd5x4J--cmdvAnklOg/s748/Centraliapics52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="535" data-original-width="748" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNd_nME2I5s7PirTwlHMOt17VD0krIcPtWaBy5u64peb-9MpVIsUG4OeXKE49CeM7Kdntpm1E4QSw80jV2LDOpi_QW5weajw6LRsjTAiFFjlZwZ0H_HdT9ntQLVjenZulbL0JK3JGFb8wIhOZnn-zRm0gOJMnfjwzGXjke25rEd5x4J--cmdvAnklOg/w640-h458/Centraliapics52.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmSvPauwp-DEulNhhug_GsSFj3i0psKJ06Fy0Wwbi0CnWt-Bz1ZMBtD3xcAKBxaUGU0nUYyFg3CT8KtSf0TpQJee44SJYzjj_IFm6oC5wzUJb9XO1T9dVDZe8E2AMqTcGPCYA7zgvNKvLljEaQ06bvJRVsnm_YZauRGfBUcXdDQF1W2PE79pntZwRzHw/s2500/Centraliapics56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmSvPauwp-DEulNhhug_GsSFj3i0psKJ06Fy0Wwbi0CnWt-Bz1ZMBtD3xcAKBxaUGU0nUYyFg3CT8KtSf0TpQJee44SJYzjj_IFm6oC5wzUJb9XO1T9dVDZe8E2AMqTcGPCYA7zgvNKvLljEaQ06bvJRVsnm_YZauRGfBUcXdDQF1W2PE79pntZwRzHw/w640-h426/Centraliapics56.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">In 1984, Congress allocated $42 million to relocate the citizens of Centralia to safer locations, declared eminent domain over the town, and destroyed most of the remaining structures. In 2022, the U.S. Post Office revoked Centralia's zip code, effectively ending the town's existence.</span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">Below is an aerial photo of what Centralia looked like in its heyday and ground shots of what it looks like today.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgysbTG8hldHJIKh0Wy0ugDEi2nGzBqE4lJg8v-HkJ8sobLQm075sFUavEGiTAltWMaOcUoikdC9KAg-fO-K9kuTh6brbZKxFtIn1F6XSR1Z8Lzkmail23LZis1QzLZkl58UWhVQu2XFMpOGYDCfP_vU6bQsFsi42rntnD1aNpcFd7eRUOtWir1Ulw1sQ/s1965/Centraliapics42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1332" data-original-width="1965" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgysbTG8hldHJIKh0Wy0ugDEi2nGzBqE4lJg8v-HkJ8sobLQm075sFUavEGiTAltWMaOcUoikdC9KAg-fO-K9kuTh6brbZKxFtIn1F6XSR1Z8Lzkmail23LZis1QzLZkl58UWhVQu2XFMpOGYDCfP_vU6bQsFsi42rntnD1aNpcFd7eRUOtWir1Ulw1sQ/w640-h434/Centraliapics42.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXH2Z7dSFTl_T0cIy82s8iZ-Ng585DzjErufMBnm0uB5CM6Lw8dG32xb4Hr2KcnMakhU8wjlvaK7sTMGWAmjQVkH0kA0MM7-QJLJ4BTuqsTxtFnQm1MEXKRcF5shimPJnStd5iIl38fmqWJ5ag7_Q80urLJsuOwOgIqG2K0GCNV3b4w6-4vs-gYxcglg/s1280/Centraliapics18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXH2Z7dSFTl_T0cIy82s8iZ-Ng585DzjErufMBnm0uB5CM6Lw8dG32xb4Hr2KcnMakhU8wjlvaK7sTMGWAmjQVkH0kA0MM7-QJLJ4BTuqsTxtFnQm1MEXKRcF5shimPJnStd5iIl38fmqWJ5ag7_Q80urLJsuOwOgIqG2K0GCNV3b4w6-4vs-gYxcglg/w640-h480/Centraliapics18.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYbaWkWucJHSI7RiDzU3wmR6aS6Hvf6tetz0bPjJSLkGoTFt92iigzZbwibJmeZajEdwevpHPDi1ddno52j1GP9S6CETZcCqZUOfMubBc5G3QGo5QT_Kl9jyS3Etq6dnDMWA3T3YsiMK_wdnwLswweJtxktL13H0LAwGxjw9GVM-bCgfSacV--DSwyIw/s1280/Centraliapics20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYbaWkWucJHSI7RiDzU3wmR6aS6Hvf6tetz0bPjJSLkGoTFt92iigzZbwibJmeZajEdwevpHPDi1ddno52j1GP9S6CETZcCqZUOfMubBc5G3QGo5QT_Kl9jyS3Etq6dnDMWA3T3YsiMK_wdnwLswweJtxktL13H0LAwGxjw9GVM-bCgfSacV--DSwyIw/w640-h480/Centraliapics20.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpPZ06jZgCERX2zzpkkHb5ypf17VKODfnp4MJRP7AQE5GmBzBvFfR-D89QKyMfesy6myQQft3F-bpgZMq3LRNIOB0R-xB_QWdFBzhi6dOrTPA4oEqCGymC-DGjv8O-99Jz-sTaQGMAnpL9DJfaRskeaFvfyOBlfNrKtmOn7jbIrIyYeOwB65sm0FbqPg/s1280/Centraliapics21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpPZ06jZgCERX2zzpkkHb5ypf17VKODfnp4MJRP7AQE5GmBzBvFfR-D89QKyMfesy6myQQft3F-bpgZMq3LRNIOB0R-xB_QWdFBzhi6dOrTPA4oEqCGymC-DGjv8O-99Jz-sTaQGMAnpL9DJfaRskeaFvfyOBlfNrKtmOn7jbIrIyYeOwB65sm0FbqPg/w640-h480/Centraliapics21.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuLehO-q6lkr7L5JWtYjgcDOqoJncmTNjk4j3q8jEp92CBL8tS9O6LFNCg0Xoo_PlNvp9Ksi_UuTbZe3yWkg9fcczFH4MaP_GpHgAER_hUkAUXTAlV-5vVLA30_pjYqRp3h_REUYVvC3zZSpLavkm-Pr3d1jKM-G6h6tuq6kyOEnY1LcGQ-uXKfq616w/s1280/Centraliapics25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuLehO-q6lkr7L5JWtYjgcDOqoJncmTNjk4j3q8jEp92CBL8tS9O6LFNCg0Xoo_PlNvp9Ksi_UuTbZe3yWkg9fcczFH4MaP_GpHgAER_hUkAUXTAlV-5vVLA30_pjYqRp3h_REUYVvC3zZSpLavkm-Pr3d1jKM-G6h6tuq6kyOEnY1LcGQ-uXKfq616w/w640-h480/Centraliapics25.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Dvg3gXX6Ypgd8YNV6w_TaatmUi8Fpm1ULAkDLMjf405qvq_x8H0DNDYQ2rzbVr8fZPr95D3CjTKXhevtv7dW9ukZg5HkbWKAUYyUlarOBb_E1H0Y6RTlb908D4kbB1YvBQXFilA-qDG3-GAxuDXSZotaidMG8YzsFtc8GPn4EPR6-yzzvInD41PL0A/s1280/Centraliapics26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Dvg3gXX6Ypgd8YNV6w_TaatmUi8Fpm1ULAkDLMjf405qvq_x8H0DNDYQ2rzbVr8fZPr95D3CjTKXhevtv7dW9ukZg5HkbWKAUYyUlarOBb_E1H0Y6RTlb908D4kbB1YvBQXFilA-qDG3-GAxuDXSZotaidMG8YzsFtc8GPn4EPR6-yzzvInD41PL0A/w640-h480/Centraliapics26.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white;">There are still people living in Centralia who refused to leave because their families had lived there for generations. Once the residents have passed on, they cannot will the land to their heirs because eminent domain has been declared; the state will take over the estates and destroy the property. As of 2022, only six people still reside in Centralia. Here are some of the houses. </span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTk15KiWBBZbNrUOrVoMIbzI77v6tdlOF0ltEvHSIUUYUREleMDHuYn78YwJV-qA9dZL0pGfcnUr4SczfkMD0oikJXJ2pMvNbsJ0Va9TEfMKApnnpF9BxqEyAYHwRGuPEB8G_DjR5oGKvPzc_MVxbGx7mnCi-3Orl96cCaZrFy-AyIsN-SWAhcXcKVyw/s1280/Centraliapics1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTk15KiWBBZbNrUOrVoMIbzI77v6tdlOF0ltEvHSIUUYUREleMDHuYn78YwJV-qA9dZL0pGfcnUr4SczfkMD0oikJXJ2pMvNbsJ0Va9TEfMKApnnpF9BxqEyAYHwRGuPEB8G_DjR5oGKvPzc_MVxbGx7mnCi-3Orl96cCaZrFy-AyIsN-SWAhcXcKVyw/w640-h480/Centraliapics1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-PXJe76EAwh1r8OI0I8TM4xZW1NJyenkQ24tV8YG7026YE1kRE0WxFQyzJmk7-nyUy5k1E6mXenzy-yXv1dmUCBkZNcoOgwITT15h01E5bCAHtyGBrBzf_Y5giWGyNpkf-GCJhQ1iHNLsWOahRyRXlRztYbHQdBpxd6VK0vGx-yTJPyAk8hH18gEUA/s1280/Centraliapics5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-PXJe76EAwh1r8OI0I8TM4xZW1NJyenkQ24tV8YG7026YE1kRE0WxFQyzJmk7-nyUy5k1E6mXenzy-yXv1dmUCBkZNcoOgwITT15h01E5bCAHtyGBrBzf_Y5giWGyNpkf-GCJhQ1iHNLsWOahRyRXlRztYbHQdBpxd6VK0vGx-yTJPyAk8hH18gEUA/w640-h480/Centraliapics5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEije2LGaZtbM1MPAMqfbCUv3TwSdIjrMuKe8QqNpJK5wzMROWa3fgUEXAAKExP-5XK_xWsaYLwK4BQoGTFrEMqPYnDOWLQRs2C0F8IEOs68NWat4ch16tXOgzotPFohCy3Mze6ShXqDx4HZpzYP6yJ187xj7g8QShQ96IT72bJjW7fWkOjZBlyoIDSTdg/s1280/Centraliapics6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEije2LGaZtbM1MPAMqfbCUv3TwSdIjrMuKe8QqNpJK5wzMROWa3fgUEXAAKExP-5XK_xWsaYLwK4BQoGTFrEMqPYnDOWLQRs2C0F8IEOs68NWat4ch16tXOgzotPFohCy3Mze6ShXqDx4HZpzYP6yJ187xj7g8QShQ96IT72bJjW7fWkOjZBlyoIDSTdg/w640-h480/Centraliapics6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white;">Though rarely mentioned, bordering Centralia to the south was the town of Byrnesville. The town was completely abandoned with no one still living there. Only two structures remain: a warehouse that looks like something directly from a post-apocalypse movie and this shrine to the Blessed Mother that was built over seventy years ago and is still maintained by the builder's heirs even though they no longer live in town. </span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz6R26jgn_YzLXMe1XciJJoQDe_yKJZe8dkbMXPGgTAGsqYWNKdq0JxV0kZKlN-JIy3T6ny7c25L8HAkxCjEG8fvPNOEmFLmX74bOv1r7uEa2h1ODdyp9duMQmj3ywPQE7cMHiYIHxarobXY-2_GVbOWBt3N-BTsYzW7fQK0mr_BFV2rNqmJNhOzUmFQ/s1280/Centraliapics60.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz6R26jgn_YzLXMe1XciJJoQDe_yKJZe8dkbMXPGgTAGsqYWNKdq0JxV0kZKlN-JIy3T6ny7c25L8HAkxCjEG8fvPNOEmFLmX74bOv1r7uEa2h1ODdyp9duMQmj3ywPQE7cMHiYIHxarobXY-2_GVbOWBt3N-BTsYzW7fQK0mr_BFV2rNqmJNhOzUmFQ/w640-h480/Centraliapics60.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">One final note: The video game and movie </span><em style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">Silent Hill</em><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;"> was very loosely based on the events at Centralia. In the game/movie, the constant rain of ashes caused by an underground inferno is the only thing that can accurately be linked to historical events; in the theatrical versions, the town was not condemned because of the underground fires but because of the population of religious zealots who bring hell upon themselves. However, aspects of the Orthodox church overlooking the town bears some striking resemblances to the cultist church featured in the movie.</span></span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvhzB1aPKMuO5EF6F9rEAWJSWi3ytLVNxm-pj5bI1DdYNaXFPng1dKTfKMyNbP5URIlYcmMdSAEWM72pcyb9V59EdEhHhf_sh-VzWMCJt6nNYE40q5nslh9iHUR7wRD8zU6H9FmbhBd04u06hvQzmY2aR3el8_qfJ3HTPixIGkbrRXEMnvauXz1pcufA/s1280/Centraliapics29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvhzB1aPKMuO5EF6F9rEAWJSWi3ytLVNxm-pj5bI1DdYNaXFPng1dKTfKMyNbP5URIlYcmMdSAEWM72pcyb9V59EdEhHhf_sh-VzWMCJt6nNYE40q5nslh9iHUR7wRD8zU6H9FmbhBd04u06hvQzmY2aR3el8_qfJ3HTPixIGkbrRXEMnvauXz1pcufA/w480-h640/Centraliapics29.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGL9TmBptmnOtLiK3EQcGzDrYtoSCXA713CrQTu1Z20J3d5B6pgbcL_MOTN4ZOKul57MycARybLWfQiVL83l1vBBHx3ZIWhkGUkjGxdtqN23O8CHISd6ECj4Bsl65YrG4ey6I2xYOEi5fs3lJM-lGgcZ3ELZo8qZEwf3OcxBzaPudsED308fEFjwxBwQ/s1280/Centraliapics30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGL9TmBptmnOtLiK3EQcGzDrYtoSCXA713CrQTu1Z20J3d5B6pgbcL_MOTN4ZOKul57MycARybLWfQiVL83l1vBBHx3ZIWhkGUkjGxdtqN23O8CHISd6ECj4Bsl65YrG4ey6I2xYOEi5fs3lJM-lGgcZ3ELZo8qZEwf3OcxBzaPudsED308fEFjwxBwQ/w480-h640/Centraliapics30.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi95EuXbYBIy2mEB1YIYlJqzes3OAZLfci3CQJEg_LtWlDrYYsNBZYodKlYc0YrLY025rUR034kR6_TNpBu6houTVqxu7l6aI-6WQ-rRmMPmXuNPg6j5HUyRnwnujCpiSgnpstBLWfiiRkiIi-mii0r2xp64negseXraCM28UXO-tQ3srmdJON-3O2MGQ/s408/Centraliapics57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="258" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi95EuXbYBIy2mEB1YIYlJqzes3OAZLfci3CQJEg_LtWlDrYYsNBZYodKlYc0YrLY025rUR034kR6_TNpBu6houTVqxu7l6aI-6WQ-rRmMPmXuNPg6j5HUyRnwnujCpiSgnpstBLWfiiRkiIi-mii0r2xp64negseXraCM28UXO-tQ3srmdJON-3O2MGQ/w404-h640/Centraliapics57.jpg" width="404" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs5dbaWGaNCDvFMW6FExTCU7q2BmuPsopYblvRppAi-r7ryqphyb-VRtoYGXUh545UbJ1tUkIlVX4eYyv6-2pK3r1HVPL5xzoWFOjvBci7QNcq7DLOk4QMBbkoSGxI10-c-YjOIqqEM4nISqQayzs5N4FnkxOu7qnpmAnBVl0P6yeHJGUBo_nwlMmUDQ/s1433/Centraliapics58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="816" data-original-width="1433" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs5dbaWGaNCDvFMW6FExTCU7q2BmuPsopYblvRppAi-r7ryqphyb-VRtoYGXUh545UbJ1tUkIlVX4eYyv6-2pK3r1HVPL5xzoWFOjvBci7QNcq7DLOk4QMBbkoSGxI10-c-YjOIqqEM4nISqQayzs5N4FnkxOu7qnpmAnBVl0P6yeHJGUBo_nwlMmUDQ/w640-h364/Centraliapics58.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">I hope you enjoyed the photos of my trip to Centralia. If you're interested in the video versions, please check out my TikTok account </span><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/messages?lang=en" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">. </span></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div>Scott M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06969817714467678175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096377072093116472.post-51832027164008709002023-03-02T06:00:00.001-05:002023-03-02T06:00:00.198-05:00I'll Be Attending Northeast ComicCon and Collectible Extravaganza 10-12 March <p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #050505; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7aYlg9x_bcZbXPxro3_rY1eE8fihz78k99L1Ydz9PjfbXnh9LktGS4xHFfjskTGcuDQUbN2f5drBHHTC5g79OWOkjsRMFa-XBQR-ogcU0kTv7vK9-AzssJKTVdMMgywu1no41_G_a4VVqMlIqidLPMRMvxwDjpil7oBzK9h70rLutNv8PFY0-WIpqw/s820/consNECC.png" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: black; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="820" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7aYlg9x_bcZbXPxro3_rY1eE8fihz78k99L1Ydz9PjfbXnh9LktGS4xHFfjskTGcuDQUbN2f5drBHHTC5g79OWOkjsRMFa-XBQR-ogcU0kTv7vK9-AzssJKTVdMMgywu1no41_G_a4VVqMlIqidLPMRMvxwDjpil7oBzK9h70rLutNv8PFY0-WIpqw/w640-h280/consNECC.png" width="640" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">On 10-12 March, I'll be attending the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NorthEastComicCon" target="_blank">Northeast ComicCon and Collectibles Extravaganza</a> at the Boxboro Regency Hotel in Boxboro, Massachusetts. There will be celebrity guests, artists, writers, and other vendors at the event. </span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">This is one of my favorite conventions and I hope to see some of you there.</span></span></p>Scott M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06969817714467678175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096377072093116472.post-49227727758978150062023-02-04T00:03:00.001-05:002023-02-04T00:03:31.959-05:00The Rotter World Saga Is Available as a Boxset for Kindle
<p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="background-color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: white; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="background-color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: white; font-size: x-large;">My first zombie series is now available as a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTN379FM" target="_blank">box set</a>!</span></span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="background-color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzgKrikA09OwZYwcSz6lCrZOu6E8Tu9k394JxltkwTLl-Xx0wPs-GQPCE-he61dJbvrH5gRH85x0rlmeKt3fH1pNLZDuHFz9k-eGxoFVErCbj3ij3ruRGN8cG_Qt01V6o4HyWth9C6fgFYj-Ni2fdOPAbZGVH5ayfFL33u3wCpJ_dGqNpFveEv1dZvfw/s1200/book%20--%20RWBoxSetPhoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: black; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="999" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzgKrikA09OwZYwcSz6lCrZOu6E8Tu9k394JxltkwTLl-Xx0wPs-GQPCE-he61dJbvrH5gRH85x0rlmeKt3fH1pNLZDuHFz9k-eGxoFVErCbj3ij3ruRGN8cG_Qt01V6o4HyWth9C6fgFYj-Ni2fdOPAbZGVH5ayfFL33u3wCpJ_dGqNpFveEv1dZvfw/w532-h640/book%20--%20RWBoxSetPhoto.jpg" width="532" /></a></div><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p>The </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Rotter World Saga</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> is
only $.99 on Kindle and free on Kindle Unlimited. The paperback version will be
available soon.</span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0in;">Eight months have passed since
vampires stole the Revenant Virus from a government laboratory and released it on
mankind, nearly wiping out both species. In the aftermath, a small band of
humans and vampires formed an alliance and rode out the zombie apocalypse in a
fort along the coast of southern Maine. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The uneasy coalition is
strained with the arrival of the creator of the Revenant Virus, Dr. Compton,
who claims to have produced a vaccine that will allow mankind to take back civilization
from the living dead. However, it is located in a secure underground facility five
hundred miles away outside of Gettysburg.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Mike Robson and Dravko lead a
team of humans and vampires, which is protected by Natalie Bazargan’s female
zombie killing squad, to retrieve the vaccine. Once out of the confines of
their haven, none of them are prepared for the nightmare caused by the outbreak
including devastated cities, hordes of rotters, and rape gangs. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Thus begins the </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTN379FM" target="_blank">Rotter World Saga</a></i><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">. Over the next few weeks, the team faces scenarios that test their
ability to survive. Mike, Natalie, and Dravko will make life or death choices
that will decide not only their fates but the fate of their species, leading to
the final battle between the living and the living dead to see who will control
the planet.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0in;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“With </span><i style="background-color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Rotter World</i><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">, Scott M. Baker
pulls out all the stops in a zombie thriller that is brutal, violent and
terrifying. Definitely not for the faint-hearted.”—New York Times bestseller
Jonathan Maberry, author of </span><i style="background-color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Patient Zero</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
<br />
“Think there are no new or original zombie authors? Think again. Scott M. Baker
provides an exciting voice and fresh outlook on the undead. Fun, compulsive
reading.”—Brian Keene, author of <i>The Rising</i> and <i>City of the Dead</i></span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Scott M. Baker writes in the tradition
of J.L. Bourne and Joe McKinney. Fans of thriller writers like Brad Thor will
also find powerful, welcome similarities in </span><i style="background-color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Rotter World</i><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">.”—Scott
Kenemore, author of </span><i style="background-color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Zen of Zombie</i><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
<br />
Scott M. Baker has managed to bring together the best of what I love about end
of the world, vampire and zombie tales in one glorious story. If you think
zombie and vampire stories are overdone and there is not anything new you can
do with them, <i>Rotter World</i> proves that theory wrong.”—Peter Schwotzer of
<i>Famous Monsters of Filmland</i></span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>Scott M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06969817714467678175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096377072093116472.post-89272084667409531342023-01-02T21:00:00.001-05:002023-01-02T21:00:00.185-05:00Thank You for Your Support in the Books4TheNextGeneration Charity Event<p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #262626; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAslMLQfbY1oXqMRnLXARIB3IgmWYkHzpZSuQ2Z7Rr2UexaMdHLy_jspm72p5ha_zDz8Dse_5vg4Q3nbCJIq9q3SzhBgeoKvpfm0tNyM1ONsEasklALKWNKUqZAc8fRbtF0gsMtxNOnuZFiA7xrt1XuSWWU2p4lbktNDzO0UV-HF9YV2UMmErAaA1xbQ/s2048/Books4NextGen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1451" data-original-width="2048" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAslMLQfbY1oXqMRnLXARIB3IgmWYkHzpZSuQ2Z7Rr2UexaMdHLy_jspm72p5ha_zDz8Dse_5vg4Q3nbCJIq9q3SzhBgeoKvpfm0tNyM1ONsEasklALKWNKUqZAc8fRbtF0gsMtxNOnuZFiA7xrt1XuSWWU2p4lbktNDzO0UV-HF9YV2UMmErAaA1xbQ/s320/Books4NextGen.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">First, I want to thank everyone who supported the Books4TheNextGeneration charity event. The authors and animals without forever homes (yes, some authors are still feral) appreciate everything you did. </span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: white;">For those who bought <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09MRN41ZC" target="_blank">Operation Majestic</a></i>, I hope it's worth your donation. If so, please leave a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads. Thank you. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: white;">Since I'm surrounded by fur babies who all came from shelters or rescue agencies, I rounded up my donation and gave $100 to the ASPCA this morning. This could not have happened without all of you. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: white;">Happy New Year.</span></span></p>Scott M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06969817714467678175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096377072093116472.post-23520752782215980232023-01-02T16:09:00.003-05:002023-01-02T16:09:19.437-05:00Through the Aftermath: A Post-Apocalyptic Anthology Is Now Available on Amazon <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyOMyzFcPUINK1rpxXnkjtJBPxBMa5hQYOibpvBo8qUJaB7jVmKGQ1QXOTFR1-hICpsEWIReK2FbC5PtUITSIgQtY1k57cDh3mgTxDU4IiQBM7EL29AGsf-cpu5twA2bnImYoyzOjhLpKnBcnxqIHyaa4PEDM-YLe46UKv4sOLgbtYKKoDgpFtiCpu3g/s500/book%20--%20throughtheaftermath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyOMyzFcPUINK1rpxXnkjtJBPxBMa5hQYOibpvBo8qUJaB7jVmKGQ1QXOTFR1-hICpsEWIReK2FbC5PtUITSIgQtY1k57cDh3mgTxDU4IiQBM7EL29AGsf-cpu5twA2bnImYoyzOjhLpKnBcnxqIHyaa4PEDM-YLe46UKv4sOLgbtYKKoDgpFtiCpu3g/w133-h200/book%20--%20throughtheaftermath.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>The latest anthology I am included in was released recently for Kindle. The print version should be available soon. My short story "A Father's Love" is part of the line-up. It's one of the most bizarre things I've written in a long time.<p></p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Through-Aftermath-Shawn-Schuster-ebook/dp/B0BMLR2JDL" target="_blank"><i>Through the Aftermath</i> </a>is a collection of post-apocalyptic tales from 19 different storytellers, all with their own spin on the end of the world. Whether you're into zombies, nuclear wastelands, ecological disasters, dystopian nightmares, giant robots, or anything in between, this book covers it. This anthology was created as an opportunity for a variety of voices to be heard in one place. From best-selling authors to first-time writers, this collection showcases some of the best short stories in modern apocalyptic fiction.<br /><br /><br />Scott M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06969817714467678175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096377072093116472.post-91103950445591852242023-01-01T00:10:00.001-05:002023-01-01T00:10:00.209-05:00Happy New Year <p><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Happy New Year to everyone. May you all experience happiness, success, and good health in 2023. I hope this year is good for all of us. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHP5GZ46zxY-rC6Il9w-bOtncFIeXtcArcGrjaYi-iA8rOvIa6eKn2slJ7Vcn2liGUpfrsoeffoM5YZu_SpOGy14qRt_qkPYPQOnQPSPshwuYDWmKeKFgtdYYxfsiDfzBU1I6dI19MvreHjX2zhK7w5CDGSUYMLmPhEjqQI5z0XMZWu6-MqoSp6PMzYw/s750/00000000000NYhorror1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="678" data-original-width="750" height="578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHP5GZ46zxY-rC6Il9w-bOtncFIeXtcArcGrjaYi-iA8rOvIa6eKn2slJ7Vcn2liGUpfrsoeffoM5YZu_SpOGy14qRt_qkPYPQOnQPSPshwuYDWmKeKFgtdYYxfsiDfzBU1I6dI19MvreHjX2zhK7w5CDGSUYMLmPhEjqQI5z0XMZWu6-MqoSp6PMzYw/w640-h578/00000000000NYhorror1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: white;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p>Scott M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06969817714467678175noreply@blogger.com0