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Wreck of the Huron: Excerpt Friday #1

April 21, 2017 By Eric Douglas

The following is an excerpt from the Mike Scott thriller Wreck of the Huron. 

###

wreck of the huronThe air was chaos. Hurricane winds pushed the rain sideways and roared past like a freight train with no stops in sight. Boards from old houses, palm fronds and sand blew around as Mike and Sarah ran through the night looking for shelter — both from the weather and from the men chasing them.

It was almost pitch dark, but the night sky was punctuated by flashes of light as lightning shot over their heads. Sixty feet away, a power transformer exploded and the darkness deepened.

“In there. I think we’ll be safe!” Mike shouted, pointing to the remains of a small house.

“Anything has to be better than this,” Sarah yelled back as she ran onto the broken-down porch of the small bungalow. She grabbed the door handle and pulled the old door open in one motion. The wind caught it and nearly wrenched it from her hand as they jumped inside. With effort, they got the door closed

Inside they surveyed their surroundings and realized the house had been abandoned for a long time. The furnishings were toppled and strewn about. The windows were broken. Rain leaked through holes in the roof. But it was still better to be out of the wind and rain for a moment. At least they could talk without screaming.

“Do you think they followed us out into the storm?” Sarah asked after she caught her breath, leaning against the wall.

“Don’t know. Probably best if we don’t wait to find out,” Mike said.

“I’m not too thrilled about going back out into a hurricane right now,” Sarah said, looking through the broken window as the remnants of an aging curtain flapped in the wind, her sodden clothes glued to her body. “My arm is killing me.”

Mike was still up and was moving around, checking out the house. “I wish I could do more to help you with that arm. I know it must be pretty tough to keep it in a sling when you’re running for your life. When we get out of this I’ll find a way to make them pay for that. ”

“It’s not your fault, Mike. They knew they would never get you to tell them anything. Easier to hurt me and get to you. Always the way it goes with you tough guys,” Sarah rationalized. “Hurts like hell, though. And you’ll have to stand in line behind me to get some payback for it.”

The men chasing them had used Sarah as leverage to get to Mike, slowly twisting and finally breaking her arm. He had fashioned a makeshift sling for her when they escaped, but it wasn’t enough to keep it steady…definitely not while running. He knew it had to be killing her, but she refused to complain.

Mike explored the two-room shack, moving into the kitchen to see if there was anything they could use as a weapon or to communicate with their friends on the research ship. They weren’t going to be able to last forever without help. When the storm passed, they would still be on the run.

“Hold on, it looks like this house has a storm cellar. If it’s solid, it’ll keep us safer than up here,” Mike said as he pulled on the small door built a few steps down from the kitchen. The angled door seemed to point straight into the ground.

“How does it look?” Sarah asked. She stood and began to follow, then hesitated at the top of the steps. Mike eased his way down the narrow steps with their one slowly-dying flashlight. The room was built into the earth below the house with wooden walls to keep the sandy soil from collapsing. The ceiling was so low that Mike couldn’t come close to standing up. The air was musty and stale, but dry.

“Looks solid,” he called from below. “I definitely think this is going to be safer than staying up there. We’ll be out of the wind and away from prying eyes,” He waited for a response that didn’t come. “Come on down.” He shone the light on the steps while Sarah began climbing down, gingerly holding onto the wall with one hand while she cradled her injured arm against her body.

Sarah was on the third step when her instincts told her it was time to move. She leaped forward into the small, dark room. A fierce wind from the storm slammed the angled storm cellar door shut behind her.

“Did I suggest diving in?” Mike asked with a laugh as he lay sprawled on the floor where Sarah had tackled him.

“You made it sound so appealing I just couldn’t wait to join you. You know how I am,” she said with a chuckle as she rolled away, and then hissed from the pain in her broken arm. She moved to sit up, but Mike held his arms around her for a minute.

“Do you really think this is the time and the place for that?” Sarah asked, looking at Mike through the dim light and dust.

“Probably not, but it felt pretty good,” Mike said, relaxing his hold and helping her to sit up. He watched Sarah move in the half-light for a minute before he half-stood up to examine their surroundings — his 6’2” frame filling up the room.

Sarah began moving around the cramped, musty cellar, looking through shelves and behind boxes with only the dim light from Mike’s light to see. Mike moved up the steps toward the door. He turned the knob but nothing happened. He pushed against it and then shoved upward with his shoulder, bracing on the steps below. Nothing.

“We’re not getting out this way any time soon. Part of the house must have fallen against it,” Mike said.

“Then we aren’t getting out at all. That’s the only way out. No back doors,” Sarah said. “I did find some candles, though. Got any matches?”

“No such luck.”

“It’s going to be a dark, wet night until this storm passes,” Sarah said. “Maybe we’ll see another opening in the light of the day. I see lightning flashes through cracks in the ceiling from time to time. We’ll find a way to get out when we can see something.”

She slumped down to the floor with her back to a wooden wall. Mike moved toward her and placed his arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him and they sat still for a few minutes, listening to the wind and rain howling and crashing above them.

“Are we going to make it through this?” Sarah asked during a lull in the clamor.

“Of course we are,” Mike said, doing his best to lighten the mood. “If we don’t, you can tell me I was wrong.”

“Very funny.”

“Who knows? Maybe those guys chased us out into the storm and they’ll get killed,” Mike said, trying to sound reasonable. “It could save us the trouble.”

“That would be nice, wouldn’t it?” Sarah said, looking up with a sparkle coming back in her eye. “Although it would be a little disappointing – I wouldn’t get my revenge.”

###

Get your copy of Wreck of the Huron today, in softcover or Kindle. It is also part of the Mike Scott Boxed Set that includes the first five novels and two short stories.

Filed Under: Adventure, Books, Diving, Excerpt Fridays

“Return to Cayman” now available as an thriller audiobook!

March 29, 2017 By Eric Douglas

Return to Cayman audiobooks

Return to Cayman: Paradise Held Hostage is now available as a thriller audiobook. Once again, Eric teamed up with CJ Goodearl to make it happen and we think you’re going to be impressed. CJ’s ability to interject excitement and create voices for characters makes the story come alive.

Return to Cayman: Paradise Held Hostage is the sixth book in Eric Douglas’ Mike Scott thriller series. One of the underlying themes in Return to Cayman is a cruise ship dropping anchor on a living coral reef. This part of the story mirrors an actual event. On August 27, 2014, a cruise ship dropped anchor and destroyed thousands of square feet of reef. Local divers volunteered their time and energy to restore the reef.

The story is also about cybercrime, including elements from today’s news headlines with hackers shutting down the internet and taking over cars. “Our world today is so interconnected, I’m not sure we realize just how fragile and vulnerable our digital infrastructure is. I’m not an alarmist, but there are ways people could take over our lives without a lot of effort,” Douglas said.

Goodearl has years of experience in radio and creating audio productions. He is also host on Greg Holt’s syndicated radio show ScubaRadioTM.  This is the second collaboration between Douglas and Goodearl. The first was a thriller audiobook version of the Mike Scott novella (7th in the series) Oil and Water, set on Curacao.

All the Mike Scott stories are available in softcover and on Kindle. Return to Cayman and Oil and Water are both available as audiobooks as well.

Story Description

A cruise ship drops anchor on a coral reef, trapping Mike Scott underwater.  A car goes berserk and runs into George Town harbor, nearly drowning the driver. Communications between Grand Cayman and the outside world are cut off.

Is this a case of cyber terrorism by a radical bent on protecting the environment? Or is it something else entirely? It’s up to Mike Scott to unravel the mystery before the entire world is thrown into chaos.

 

Reviews for Return to Cayman:

From the beginning, I was impressed with Eric’s writing style. His Mike Scott adventures continue to be at the top of my must-read list with every new release. The latest brings Mike back to the Caymans where the series began. It’s just good writing that paints a vivid picture and tells a story comparable to a summer blockbuster action movie. Two big fins up!

“Greg The Divemaster” Holt: Host/Producer of ScubaRadio….the world’s first and only nationally syndicated radio show devote to diving!

Get ready to lose some sleep.   Mike Scott has returned to Grand Cayman for a celebration.   Little does he know that his world is about to turn upside-down.   Tech, intrigue, scuba diving and international conspiracy–all the right ingredients for a gripping Mike Scott adventure novel.

Jon Rusho, PADI Course Director, tech guru and avid reader

“The best Mike Scott adventure yet, humanized with a pinch of midlife crisis (‘what good is a life, our stories, without loved ones to share with?’), layered over an enlightening love letter to the (contemporary) sea.”

Daniel Boyd, author/filmmaker, Chillers, Carbon

RETURN TO CAYMAN is a hold-onto-your-seat, destination thriller filled with eco-terrorism, computer hackers, cybercrime, drones, attempted murder, hostage-taking (of an entire island!), and expertly written scuba diving scenes. This Bond-like ride is filled with international characters, including brainy Italian and Russian beauties, plus the best Bond Girl of all: the stunning Grand Cayman Island herself.

Marie Manilla, author of Shrapnel and The Patron Saint of Ugly

“Mike Scott is one of Eric Douglas’s best characters: smart, savvy, and skilled, his adventures set once again in the rich, lush landscapes of the Cayman islands is not to be missed.”

Eliot Parker, author of Breakdown at Clear River and Making Arrangements

 

Filed Under: Adventure, Books, Diving

Heart Survivor: Coming Soon!

January 16, 2017 By Eric Douglas

heart survivor book coverThriller novel author and documentarian Eric Douglas decided to focus on a personal adventure for his new book Heart Survivor: Recovery After Heart Surgery.

The book is on pre-order now, but will be available on January 25, 2017 in softcover and Kindle.

January 25 is significant because it is a year to the day from when Douglas failed his stress test and began his person journey through heart surgery and recovery. Looking back over the previous year, he recognized many times that he denied symptoms and ignored the possibility that his heart was in trouble. Following the surgery, Douglas made two promises: to be as public as he could about his own recovery process so others could learn from it; and to get back in shape so he could return to scuba diving.

Throughout his recovery, Douglas wrote a series of columns for the community news section of his local paper and six stories that appeared on ScubaDiving.com. Douglas writes a regular dive safety column for the international magazine.  After six months of work, Douglas was cleared to dive and made a series of scuba dives in Summersville Lake, coming full circle back to where he was first certified.

heart survivor return to diving

“My story is unique, and at the same time it isn’t. I wanted to share my experiences because many people out there are denying symptoms and damaging their hearts, right up until they have a heart attack or worse,” Douglas said. “I attribute a lot of my successful recovery to having a specific goal before I left the hospital. I was going to return to diving and that kept me focused.”

Douglas included his own story, along with those of a couple of friends who had unique experiences with their own heart recoveries. To further illustrate the recovery process, Douglas surveyed more than 100 survivors to learn about their diagnoses, the changes they made in their lives and how their own recoveries progressed.

Heart Survivor: Recovery After Heart Surgery is for anyone diagnosed with heart disease whether they are treating their condition with diet and medications, received stents to open arteries or have had open-heart surgery.

Douglas also appeared on the syndicated talk radio show ScubaRadio on January 14, 2017 to discuss Heart Survivor with Greg “The Divemaster” Holt. Greg followed Eric down the heart surgery path, but discusses that he felt prepared for the journey after following Eric’s recovery.

https://www.booksbyeric.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/SR_1-14-17_Heart-Survivor.mp3

Filed Under: Adventure, Books, Heart Blog, New Releases

Advent Ghost Stories 2016

December 17, 2016 By Eric Douglas

This is my fifth year participating in I Saw Lightning Fall’s Advent Ghosts collection. Loren Eaton, owner of ISLF asks writers to craft their own “scary ghost stories” revolving around the season. The tradition of telling ghost stories around Christmas goes back to Victorian England, at least. You’ve heard of it before. Remember the line from the song Most Wonderful Time of the Year:

There’ll be scary ghost stories
And tales of the glories of the
Christmases long, long ago

The catch for these stories is that they are limited to 100 words, no more, no less. This is a fun writing exercise because it challenges you to tell a story with only the barest of bones. What you leave out is just as important as what you leave in.

Below are my 2016 submissions. You’ll find my previous flash fiction stories on the Free Fiction page. On this cold and rainy December day, it’s a perfect time to be creeped out, just a little bit. Do yourself a favor and check out the rest of the Advent Ghost stories.

See below the stories for a little background on each.

 

Birth of a god

This truly is the most glorious time of the year, don’t you think?

Absolutely. The lights, the pageantry, the gift giving.

And it is all about the birth of a god. Just wonderful.

Yes, we should never forget the reason for the season.

Too many people do at this time of year.

It’s a shame that people don’t know their history. They just want to indulge themselves or worry about presents.

Well, that’s not true of us.

Say goodbye to the Great Mother and welcome the reborn Horned god!

May he reign forever over the dark half of the year!

 

Data Breach Expected to Have Consequences

Reuters: Calling it the largest data breach ever, authorities have announced that a list of personal information, including names, addresses and personal preferences, has been stolen.

Rumors suggest that the data breach includes more information than reported, however. The list is maintained by a shadowy world-wide surveillance organization. The group maintains the list to track behaviors, especially those outside of social norms. To this point, the list has never been made public, and its purpose is poorly understood.

It is unknown what the theft of the list will mean. Simply being on the “naughty” list is said to have consequences.

 

Background

Birth of a god

In pagan times, the Winter Solstice was a time of renewal. The great Horned god was born and in the spring would bring revitalization and rebirth.  The horned god was represented by an antlered stag. You didn’t think the story was talking about something else, did you?

Data Breach

As I was debating what to write about for this year’s Advent Ghosts, I saw a news story on the latest Yahoo data breach and a cartoon about a boy wanting to get his hands on Santa’s list of naughty girls. It suddenly clicked.

Filed Under: Adventure, Books, New Releases

Oil and Water novella is now an audiobook!

November 7, 2016 By Eric Douglas

oil-and-water-audiobook cover
Audiobooks require a slightly different cover than a standard book.

Oil and Water is now available in audiobook format through Audible, Amazon and iTunes.

The Story

Mike Scott is nearly killed when a private jet crashes into the ocean near him in the waters off Curacao. The cause of the crash is mysterious, but when men try to kidnap the plane’s pilot, who Mike helped save, he realizes there is something even bigger going on.

Evidence on the downed plane points to terrorism, but Mike suspects an ulterior motive. To unravel the mystery, he has to stay alive and stop the kidnappers at the same time.

The exciting Mike Scott novella Oil and Water is now available in softcover, Kindle ebook and audiobook. You can enjoy a fast-paced thriller wherever you go.

There is a 3:28 minute audio sample on all three of the audiobook retail pages if you want to get a taste for the story.

  • Audible
  • Amazon
  • iTunes

You can also read some early reviews and get the book in softcover or on Kindle here.

Hear Eric join Greg Holt, along with the story’s narrator CJ Goodearl, on ScubaRadio to talk about the story and listen to a couple short clips from the book. From 11-5-16.

https://www.booksbyeric.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/SR-11-5-16-Oil-and-water-audiobook.mp3

Eric, Greg and CJ discussed the Oil and Water audiobook again on 11-12-16. CJ, the narrator, talked about what it was like to delve into the story and bring it to life using multiple voices.

https://www.booksbyeric.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/SR_11-12-16_Oil_water2.mp3

Filed Under: Adventure, New Releases

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