- What is your “day” job if you are not a full-time author?
I retired from aerospace about four years ago. My
life was planned out. The first thing I did was throw away the stupid alarm
clock and sleep in as long as I wanted. I planned to travel to exotic locations
and see the world. This January 14 marks two years since we received a phone
call from Child Protective Services telling us about our grandchildren’s abuse.
Abuse in the foster home. I made the promise, no more foster homes. On February
10 they were both adopted by my wife and me.
Now, I take a few hours each day and work on my
writing. In my library, I have over twelve books in various stages of
completion. You’ll see my imagination in full bloom as you read my work, and I
promise you an E-ticket ride. That is when I’m not busy taking children to
school or doctor appointments.
- If you wrote a book about your life
what would the title be?
The Hardships and Struggles of Timothy Patrick
Means. It's soon to be a best seller.
- What is the hardest thing about being
an author?
Finding the money to promote your books. I love the
stories. Hell, everyone loves the stories, but getting the word out there is a
financial burden.
- What is the best thing about being an author?
When you hear positive comments from your reader.
Their reactions make it all worth it, even the negative, make me a better
writer.
- Have you ever been star-struck by
meeting one of your favorite authors? If so who was it?
No, not yet, but I’m still alive and kicking. I’d love to meet Dean Koontz someday.
- What book changed your life?
That’s simple, The Bible.
- What were some of your favorite books
growing up?
Growing up, I struggled in school. I worked seven
days a week with my father, and all I wanted was to find some time to sleep.
Because I got up at 1a.m. until the job was done, there was no time for
reading. That would occur later in my life.
- What books are currently in your to-be-read pile?
Of course Dean Koontz, Odd Thomas.
Christopher Paolini, Eragon book series.
JRR Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings.
Ulysses S. Grant, Personal Memoirs.
- Which do you prefer ebooks, print, or audiobooks?
Print, Hard
Cover.
- If you could live inside the world of
a book or series which world would it be and why?
The Eragon book series and the Lord of the
Rings. Both worlds have Elves. The language and the magical powers they
possess are fantastic. Without sickness, the old life span would be a world
that all of us would enjoy living, no doubt.
Excerpt
She hurried down the hallway with the crystal in her hand. As she passed Melissa’s bedroom, the crystal began to glow brighter and brighter. Pausing just outside the door, she stopped and didn’t move. The crystal burned with such intensity that she could hardly look at it.
She held her palm flat, the object resting in the center. She was compelled to walk into Melissa’s bedroom. As she took a step inside, the crystal’s light became blindingly bright, reaching into the darkest corners of the room, filling every murky space with beams of shimmering light. She realized with a shock that she hadn’t turned on any lights; the object glowed more brightly with each step she took.
As she stood silently, watching the effects of the light against the blackest of the shadows. Something moved! Frightened, she wanted to run away but instead stood transfixed as a pair of long, bony arms reached out from under Melissa’s bed.
Somehow, she knew that the dark, shadowy figure was trying to crawl from some other place into this world. As she watched in silent horror, it slowly pulled its body upward from under the bed. A dark and menacing fog swirled and grew until it assumed the shape of a tiny human skull with two bulging eyes embedded in deep sockets, eagerly watching Barbara with keen interest.
Frozen in fear and unable to move or retreat, she stood perfectly still. The dark body changed, blending within the blackness in front of her—this thing was death itself.
Slowly, it rose from the floor and became erect— alive. The air in Melissa’s bedroom was becoming frigid, and Barbara shivered in the sudden cold. All she could do was to stand immobile and watch intently as the apparition came to life.
The body of the ghastly image was almost transparent, with dark, oily skin. Now that it was upright, Barbara could see that it stood close to six feet tall with a body as black as a moonless night.
The creature unfolded two broad, enormous wings; they stretched halfway across the room. To her horror, it opened its mouth wide and let out an ear-piercing scream as if it had just been wounded. Flinching, she clamped her hands over her ears.
Questions flooded her mind. Why is this creature here in Melissa’s bedroom? What can this all possibly mean? Only one thing mattered: How could she defeat this creature that threatening her life?
The answer to that question, she realized, was in the palm of her hand. As the dark demon fully materialized, the small object she held burned ever more brightly. As the entity grew in strength and magnification, the burning brightness in the room increased as well. Somehow, she understood that this object was inflicting the pain the creature felt. Was kind of weapon was it?
More importantly, if this small object caused this beast such enormous pain, how could she use it to defeat the monster?
The light restrained the creature, but it fought against it. In one final attempt to get at her, the creature stuck out its long, skeletal fingers; its razor-sharp nails tried to stop the incandescent light from penetrating its hazy body. Still, every time it drew closer to harm her, the shining brilliance from the crystal object became even brighter and held the creature back.
Inside herself, something suddenly changed; she would not surrender to her fears. She would show this creature no mercy or weakness. She stepped toward the being, holding the light before her. As she did, the creature’s menacing shape began to change. It was no longer the threatening being it once had been, and it began to draw inward. Its once proudly displayed wings collapsed into its body. Its form seemed to lower in submission; the strange creature looked as though it bowed before her.
The incandescent light from the small crystal penetrated deep into its dark body as it began to creep backward under Melissa’s bed, retreating into the world in which it lived. As it withdrew, it took on a much smaller form than before.
Her courage renewed; Barbara took another step closer. As she looked upon the inky body, it shrank to nothingness and disappeared from her sight.
She took a deep breath. It was gone. But she knew it had only been subdued for now. It had had no choice but to retreat to the abyss of its home, in that other world where darkness lived.
But it would be back?
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