Books by Eric Douglas

Thriller fiction and Non-fiction

  • Home
  • Mike Scott Thrillers
    • Held Hostage: Search for the Juncal
    • Water Crisis: Day Zero
    • Turks and Chaos: Hostile Waters
    • The 3rd Key: Sharks in the Water
    • Oil and Water: Crash in Curacao
    • Return to Cayman: Paradise Held Hostage
    • Heart of the Maya: Murder for the Gods
    • Wreck of the Huron: Cuban Secrets
    • Guardians’ Keep: Mystery below the Adriatic
    • Flooding Hollywood: Fanatics at the Dam
    • Cayman Cowboys: Reefs Under Pressure
  • Withrow Key
    • Lyin’ Fish
    • Tales from Withrow Key
  • Agent AJ West
  • About the Author
    • Publicity and Interviews
  • Nonfiction
    • For Cheap Lobster
    • Heart Survivor: Recovery After Heart Surgery
    • Oral History
      • Batter Up!
      • Memories of the Valley
      • WV Voices of War / Common Valor
      • Capturing Memories: How to Record Oral Histories
    • Dive-abled: The Leo Morales Story
    • Keep on, Keepin’ On: A Breast Cancer Story
    • WV Voices of War / Common Valor
    • Russia: The New Age
    • Scuba Diving Safety
  • Free Short Fiction
  • Other Fiction
    • Sea Turtle Rescue and Other Stories
    • River Town
You are here: Home / Blog Posts

Real Trick and What Noise?

October 30, 2020 By Eric Douglas

Below are two 100-word flash fiction short stories for the annual Halloween short story collection. Flash fiction is a challenge because what you leave in is just as important as what you leave out. 

It’s a Real Trick!

“Bobby, what do you mean, we’re going to give them a nasty trick this year?”

“Yep, this year, we’re giving them a trick WHEN they give us a treat.”

“That doesn’t seem right. What do we have to do?”

“That’s the great part. We don’t have to do anything. Just talk to them. Maybe yell Trick or Treat really loud. And make sure you stand really, really close. That’s it.”

“And we’ll still get candy?”

 “Just like every other year. The best part is, no one will ever know it was us. They think the whole thing is a hoax!”

 

What noise?

“What’s that awful noise outside?”

“What are you talking about? I don’t hear anything. But, check out this movie. It’s about a weird creature back in the 1960s and a bridge that collapsed killing 46 people.”

“So, it’s a true story?”

“Well, the bridge really collapsed, and people said they saw this weird creature with glowing red eyes and wings.”

“Sounds like a banshee. They’re fairy women who wail when something bad’s about to happen. The victim can’t hear it, though.”

“Interesting. Are you going to watch this with me or not?”

“Are you sure you don’t hear that noise?”

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Local Diving — Summersville Lake

September 21, 2020 By Eric Douglas

I learned to scuba dive in Summersville Lake in West Virginia. I’ve always tried to get back there when I could, to remember my roots. With the coronavirus pandemic, local diving has been just about my only option. 

Here are two versions of the same video I made last weekend on what will be the last dive of the season for me. (They lower the lake to winter pool for flood control and the visibility gets bad.) 

Because everything looks green, here is a black and white version. 

My dive buddy Zack Harold and I picked up some trash on the dive. Next time, we’ll take a mesh bag along. 

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Online Serial Story About Sea Turtles – For Free!

May 22, 2020 By Eric Douglas

I’ve joined forces with Scuba Diving Magazine to present a free online short story told as a serial. One chapter a week for four weeks.

This is a Mike Scott thriller short story.

Read the complete story now!

Poached: Fighting For Sea Turtles!

Story Description: When international photojournalist Mike Scott stumbles across a man stealing sea turtle eggs for the illegal wildlife trade, he jumps into action to protect the endangered animals, unraveling a network of smugglers.

The story includes tips to help you protect sea turtles, too.

Get started with Chapter 1 now!

Listen to Eric discuss the story on ScubaRadio with Greg Holt and the ScubaCrew.

The turtle drawing is by Ashlin Douglas

Filed Under: Adventure, Books, Diving, New Releases

Books, reviews and individual readers

April 23, 2020 By Eric Douglas

Below are three reviews I’ve received in the last few weeks about the same book – Cayman Cowboys: Reef Under Pressure.

It’s a good example of why writers should never take reviews too seriously. Unless, of course, all you see are the negative ones.

It is a great example, though, of how important reviews are to writers.  A lot of time people are only compelled to write a review when they are angry. Having positive reviews from people who liked a book, or a widget or whatever, helps others understand that a book may not be for everyone, but it is for some people.

Please post reviews about books you read. If you didn’t like it, say why. And be fair. That’s all any author will ask.

Three Stars: Didn’t work for me

Unfortunately, for me this book was much easier to put down than than to pick back up-dialogue, pace, diving descriptions read more like a tutorial, etc.

Four Stars: Fun read, good mystery

I enjoyed the book, the description of the diving, the Sunset House and its great ambiance. Enjoyable and easy read. Also well written about the island and how as all islands have growing pains with the cruise ships tourism. Look forward to reading more of his books.

Five Stars (Goodreads)

A story set on the beautiful island of Grand Cayman. Anyone who has been there will agree. The underwater descriptions make you want to dive right into a world of beauty and awe. The characters are delightful, and the story of friendship renewed wonderful. Highly Recommended

(Just a side note, Goodreads reviewers are notoriously stingy about 5 star reviews. I’ll definitely take this one.)

If you want to read Cayman Cowboys yourself and see if you like it, you can download it for free here!

Filed Under: Books, Diving

Escape to the Islands: For just $0.99!

March 14, 2020 By Eric Douglas

I don’t know about you, but the evening news makes me want to get away. Not saying the situation isn’t serious (because I believe it is) but the best thing most of us can do is stay home. And considering that most events have been canceled, it’s time to dust off your e-reader and escape to the islands.

To get you started, I’ve reduced the price on two short story collections to just $0.99. There is one for the kids and one for adults. Download them today and escape to the islands for a while.

Sea Turtle Rescue and Other Stories: The Adventures of Jayne and Marie

Two young girls move to the Outer Banks of North Carolina and learn about the ocean and life on the coast. There are four early chapter books in this collection, written for readers six- to nine-years-old. The stories are exciting but also include information on science, the ocean and history.

Tales from Withrow Key

Tales from Withrow Key is an anthology of Withrow Key thriller short stories. Each tale centers around the adventures of Jackson Pauley, a New York City firefighter who retired after 9/11 and his partner Randy Littlebear, a tribal cop from the reservation to the north. And don’t forget the rest of the characters that make up the Conch Republic.

Filed Under: Adventure, Books, Diving

Talking viruses, diving Mexico and Clive Cussler on Scuba Radio

March 8, 2020 By Eric Douglas

Whenever my friend Greg Holt, host of the nationally-syndicated diving-centric talk radio show ScubaRadio calls, I jump at the chance to be on. 

I’ve posted excerpts from the show before, but it’s been a while, so here is my most recent appearance, from March 7, 2020. Greg and I talked about everything from the Corona virus, to diving in Mexico and how my book Heart of the Maya stuck with him, to the recent passing of Clive Cussler, a diving-writing hero of mine. 

Check it out!

Filed Under: Adventure, Books, Diving

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Real Thugs: A Cult of Murder — Small groups of travelers have disappeared all over the mid-Atlantic without a trace. When bodies turn up with what appear to be ritual markings, FBI Agent AJ West is on the hunt for what might be a serial killer. Or something even more sinister. It’s a race against […]

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