Humpday Promotions: The Lot on Route 6

This is an exclusive early look at my next self-published release. This will also be the last thing I release for a long time. I have a novel ready to publish, but I am planning to try to find an agent for that one. I am also going to work on another book of Poetry, but I going to try and find a publisher for that one as well. Self-publishing isn’t where I want to be so I need to get back to chasing my dreams of being a traditionally published author. Fingers crossed.

Now, onto the excerpt and how you (as a reader of this blog) can get this short story before it is published. This is real simple and it is free – here it is. Leave me a review when it publishes. That is all you have to do and it has to be an honest review. If it sucks so be it. I hope it doesn’t but all I want is honesty.

Send an email to this address: atothewr@gmail.com.

In the email header put this: I want in.

And let me know what you read your books on. Is it Kindle or something else? Kindle has their own file so I have to format it for that particular device. Thanks again for all the support. You are now free to move around the blog.

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EXP: He kicked off his shoes, took off the coat that had protected him from the late October chill, and made his way into the kitchen. He walked over to the counter, humming along to Jingle Bells, and began to make a single man’s dinner – ham and cheese sandwich, light mustard, white bread and chips, and a cold beer to wash it all down. He laid all of the items on the counter and was in the middle of figuring out how to get them to the table when the room changed. It was suddenly colder, filled with an evil chill. The air was crawling with black molecules, they were crawling over everything, squirming, writhing about in an orgy of dark lust. He tried to shrug it off as just Halloween jitters, picked up his plate and beer, and turned to take his dinner to the table. He nearly dropped everything when he saw what was sitting at the table, looking up at him. The thing at the table was dressed all in black with a hood covering its face. Underneath the hood were two eyes, one glowing red, and the other glowing green.

“You will feed my trees,” the thing replied in a deep husky male voice. “And you will meet me at this spot in one hour or you will die, and then so will your town.” It slid a piece of red paper across the table. Its hand was ashy and grey, with sharp talons on the ends of the fingers . . .

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25 Days of A Zombie Christmas – 12/11/2018

December the 24th

The three men sat huddled in the cold, waiting and watching the mall parking lot, back packs on their back, guns ready to kill.

It looked like a hopeless nightmare.

There were a lot of zombies shuffling around the open ground, some going into the mall, some coming out. Many of them coming out of the mall were carrying shopping bags as if they had spent this day doing last minute Christmas shopping.

“Dawn of the Dead much,” Fred replied.

“Original or remake?” Mike asked.

“Original, of course.”

“I don’t think I can do this.” Jim gripped his shotgun a little tighter to his chest. Fear ran across him like a freight train. Panic set in. He had avoided situations like this, and now he was about to throw all of that away for a few kids he didn’t even know. “This was a noble idea, Mike, sounded better before I got here; but I think I better get on back home.”

Mike grabbed Jim by the shirt, as he started to stand up. Jim landed on his butt on the cold snowy ground a second later. “This is no time to be backing out! We need you here. We need you now.”

“Why do you need me?”

“What do you mean?”

“You and Fred can handle it. I’ve seen you shoot. I would just get in your way. I can promise you that.”

Mike looked Jim in the eye, while Fred waited anxiously to go.

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5 out of 5 stars – I love zombies and I love Christmas ~ A winner!

5 out of 5 stars – A Cute Little Holiday Horror Story.

5 out of 5 stars – In a zombie world, there is a Christmas miracle.

US: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004GUS7WS?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004GUS7WS?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B004GUS7WS?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

CA: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B004GUS7WS?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

25 Days of A Zombie Christmas – 12/6/2018

“What do you have?” Jim asked.

“I have cold, homemade eggnog, beer, wine, and water.”

“Any soda?”

“Don’t drink it.”

“Water will be fine,” Jim replied, eyeing the Christmas tree. It felt so much like the holidays inside this house. It made him home sick for days gone by.

“Fred, you want anything?” Mike asked, finishing up with the fire, which was now burning hot in the fireplace.

Fred stared at the fire, lost in thought, wrestling with his own demons. “Beer me, if you got it?”

“All I got is Corona. No lime.”

“Sounds good,” Fred replied, and then turned back to his thoughts. He couldn’t stop thinking of his girlfriend. She haunted him daily. Could he have done more? Should he have done more? What could he have done, though, in a horde of zombies? She was already partially eaten before he got to her. He could still see her reaching out to him, could still see the hope in her eyes, the fear as he pulled out his gun, the realization that dawned on her when the gun was aimed at her head. He could still hear the gunshot that had ended her life. It rattled around in his brain like a ghost unable to find its rest. He hoped this Christmas run Mike had planned would take away some of his grief. That’s why he was sitting here right now, because he had to do something before he went insane or tasted the metal of a barrel.

Mike went into the kitchen and came back with a cold beer and bottled water. He handed the men their respective drinks.

Fred was still seated, still lost in thought, so Mike just put the beer down beside him and left him alone.

Jim had moved over to the table, and he was staring at several rough and crude blueprints when Mike joined him.

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5 out of 5 stars – I love zombies and I love Christmas ~ A winner!

5 out of 5 stars – A Cute Little Holiday Horror Story.

5 out of 5 stars – In a zombie world, there is a Christmas miracle.

US: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004GUS7WS?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004GUS7WS?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B004GUS7WS?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

CA: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B004GUS7WS?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

25 Days of A Zombie Christmas – 12/5/2018

He went back inside, but didn’t feel up to the clean up just yet. He turned on the Christmas tree and watched the white and colored lights dance a blinking happy tune across the walls and ceiling of his room. He stoked the fire with more wood, turned on Christmas music, sat back in his chair, and closed his eyes. The last image he saw (which was on purpose mind you) was of the picture on his mantel. Smiles frozen forever, Christmas outfits never to be worn again.

December the 23^rd

Mike woke up the next morning to a knock at the door and a quiet house. The Christmas tree was still sparkling and doing its thing, the ornaments hanging here and there with a precision touch, neat and organized, as he grabbed a pistol nearby, shook the bad dream cobwebs free, and walked over to the peephole.

He peered through, and then reached down and unlocked the door after putting his pistol away.

“I was wondering if you were going to let us in or not,” Jim Wells replied, as he stepped into the house. He turned around to see where Fred was. He was still standing guard on the top step, so intent on watching the area that he didn’t even know the door was open or that two people were talking. “He’s good Mike, too good sometimes.” Jim tapped the man on the shoulder. “Fred. It’s safe. We can go inside.”

Fred Walg didn’t jump or move in any spastic manner when he was tapped on the shoulder, he just turned and followed after them.

“Can I get you guys something to drink?” Mike asked, closing and locking the door.

The three guys meandered into the living room. Jim and Fred took a seat on opposite ends of the couch while Mike worked on getting a fire started.

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5 out of 5 stars – I love zombies and I love Christmas ~ A winner!

5 out of 5 stars – A Cute Little Holiday Horror Story.

5 out of 5 stars – In a zombie world, there is a Christmas miracle.

US: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004GUS7WS?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004GUS7WS?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B004GUS7WS?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

CA: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B004GUS7WS?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

New Short Story Available: Gas Station of the Dead

I plan to promote this more on my other blog, but I thought you guys should get the first look at it. I have run a lot of my stories through here so I thought I would do it with this one as well. Check out the links below for how to Pre-Order it today. Thanks and have a great weekend.

EXP: Donald Cal, or Cal to those who knew him, sat on top of a flat roof looking down at his two discoveries. The question running through is head was difficult to find the answer to. When so many zombies were shuffling about, how did he get from one place to the other and vice versa without getting bit or ripped apart? He knew that his plan was strong, it could work, it would work, but he wasn’t sure how he could keep himself alive long enough to see it put into action.

He sat back against the faded brick wall (which helped to give him shade), looked up at the sunny blue sky, and then out onto the crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean. He watched the waves for a while, trying to find some peace of mind as he ate a bit of processed snack food and sipped on a warm bottle of water. He closed his eyes when he was finished eating, and fell asleep, drifting off into the world of pleasant dreams and happier pre-zombie days. This current dream was one of his happiest, a girlfriend, a party, lots and lots of friends out on the beach drinking like idiots by a rip roaring fire.

A sound of thumping tore him out of his pleasant dreams and pushed him back into the harsh world he now called home.

He knew the zombies had found him.

Get it at these links: 

US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C84ZTBL

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07C84ZTBL

AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07C84ZTBL

CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07C84ZTBL

Haiku – Happy Thanksgiving

Let’s give thanks today

Celebrate with those we love

And count our blessings

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In keeping with the day, here are a few things that might help set the mood or at least help you slip into slumber after that big Thanksgiving meal. 

First: Yours truly appeared on this podcast with a small dramatic reading of my short story “A Zombie Thanksgiving.” Swing over to zombiesatemypodcast, put your feet up, loosen that tight belt from the all the food you ate, and just zone out. 

Second: If you feel like reading, something to stimulate the mind as you let that food digest. You can grab a copy of my short story “A Zombie Thanksgiving” for 99 cents. That’s less than a turkey leg so it isn’t too bad a deal. 

A short story about a woman who risks life and limb in a Zombie Apocalypse in order to keep the Thanksgiving tradition alive.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MS9NO40

That’s my shameless plugs for the day. I hope your day is great and that you have a very Happy Thanksgiving! 

Haiku – Disembodied

In an empty house

Booming dark voice calls to me

An echoing sound

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My 2-year-old son inspired this one. For some reason echos shake him up. He will come out of a room and say something like “echo hear,” and of course the writer in me sparks up. How can I turn this into something scary? This Haiku came to mind. Happy early Halloween!

One of my favorite scary movies! I thought I would post another scene from “The Changeling.”

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Self plug: If you are into reading some creepy stuff for the Halloween season. You can check out my Amazon page where you will find a lot of stories that will keep you up at night. “3 Short Stories of Terror” is running free tomorrow (10/24/2014) through Tuesday. If you like killer treadmills, scary dreams, and ghosts then this might just be the collection for you – http://www.amazon.com/Anthony-Renfro

Haiku – Prisoner of the Storm

Hard rain is passing

Yellow sun breaking the gloom

Warming my body

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A couple of friendly reminders:

This short story is running free today through Tuesday.

Discover the evil and deadly secrets of The Living Sand this Halloween! Grab your copy at this link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00766SS3M

I also have this Giveaway running right now.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

A Zombie Holiday Trilogy

by Anthony Renfro

Giveaway ends November 10, 2014.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Haiku – Coastal Drum Line

Ocean waves pounding

Crashing with salty rhythm

Rocking the shoreline

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For this week’s prompt, go here: http://haikuhorizons.wordpress.com

Also, still running free. My two short stories below.

Take a horror ride this Halloween!

Find it here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0075O2DBS

Haiku – 68 Degrees

First signs of winter

House permeated with cool

Morning reeks of cold

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In case you were wondering about the title. That is the current reading on my thermostat in the house. To heat or not to heat is now the questions? Not sure I can go there just yet.

Also, one last plug for my free short story “The Imp.” It is running free until the end of the day. Grab your copy, set the Halloween mood, and discover why this house is so haunted. Enter if you dare!

Amazon US: www.amazon.com

Amazon UK: www.amazon.co.uk

Haiku – Author, Author, Who Are You?

Saturday morning

One more attempt at agents

Elusive they are

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I decided to retry sending out information to agents this morning. I figured that it couldn’t hurt. Now that the self-publishing options are so large it is a great fall back plan when agents refuse your work. I honestly believe my work gets overlooked because you can’t categorize it. You can’t push it into one specific little genre, wrap it up in a bow, and say here it is world. I have also noticed that trend in the indy scene as well. A lot of short stories and novels I see or read that are self-published seem to not fit a particular category or genre. In this world of “it has to sell now” that probably hurts most authors who write outside the box – like me.

How about you? Do you write in one particular genre or do you try to blend several into one? Are you also done with agents or do you still try from time to time?

Here’s a little self plug for my short story The Imp, which is doing okay as a free download so far. It is available free until 10/5/2014. By the way, if you have something free, please leave me a link to it in the comment’s section below. I would love to read it.

Are the legends true? Does an Imp live in that haunted house able to grant riches? Find out for yourself if you dare: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JJMOW2C

Publishing Today! A Zombie Holiday Trilogy – Ring in the Holidays with a Taste for Flesh!

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Well they are all now large and in charge!

Grab your copy today and enjoy the holidays with me!

As always, if you want to help spread the word just give me a quick Re-Blog.

Thanks again for all your support.

Find it here in the U.S.: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N3HM6C2

Find it here in the UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00N3HM6C2?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

Read a bit of all three with this PDF: Zombie Sampler

There’s also a Goodreads Giveaway as well.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

A Zombie Holiday Trilogy

by Anthony Renfro

Giveaway ends November 10, 2014.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Haiku – Cool Start

Christmas in July?

Soft breeze, a nip in the air

Nice break from summer

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I can’t believe how nice it has been outside today.  The weather is still warm, but the humidity has gone away.  Couldn’t believe it when my son and I sat out on the deck this morning – he in his high chair, me just enjoying it.  It made me think about the upcoming holiday season, which I hope to jump-start next week.  My short story “A Zombie Christmas” will be running free for the next couple of Fridays on Kindle.  Grab a copy to put you in the holiday mood.  I also plan to have that story available elsewhere later on in the year.  Okay, here’s a little Christmas music to set the mood.  I hope you all had a great Fourth of July – thanks for reading and following.

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99 cents regular price – free the next two Fridays.  

Review:

“Not often do you run across a zombie story with a message. Don’t give up hope. A lesson to be learned & applied in any circumstances. Well written & entertaining.”

Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004GUS7WS

Today’s Kindle News (hangs head with painful shameful self promotion)

I honestly don’t like doing stuff like this, but it is part of the self published world we live in.  Trying to get your name out there is the hardest thing to do.  So, here I am trying to do just that, get my name out there.   Below you will find my latest attempt at being the author I always dreamed of being.

First up:

Free stuff on Kindle just for today – 6/6/2014.  We all like free stuff don’t we.   I know I do.  My wife works, I stay home with the baby, so free is a four letter word I use a lot – I try not to use other four letter words around my son, believe me it is tough.

Okay, so where was I?  Yeah, free stuff.  Here it is below.

Joyride: 

A Short Story about 2 young men who decide to take a “joyride” late one night and the evil they encounter.

Review:

“I’m not into cars at all, but enjoyed this short horror story about two young men and the “evil” car they take for a ride.”

The Living Sand: 

A Short Story about two boys who discover a hidden beach and the evil secrets that it holds.

Review:

“Told in a brilliant way, this creepy tale about the adventures of two young boys and the horror they discover makes a good short story.”

The Imp: 

A short story about a haunted house, and the secrets and legends it holds. Does a magical imp live there, able to grant riches? 5 students on Halloween night set out to discover if the legends are true about the town’s most haunted of houses.

Review:

Sadly none, but I am holding out hope.

So, that’s the free stuff.

I do have a Kindle Countdown Deal going on with this book:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GUS3K58

I’m not real clear about how the Countdown Deal works, but I know it starts at 99 cents and goes up from there.  This is the only novel I have published on Amazon.

In non selling news.  I did update a couple of covers on Amazon.  Check out their fancy new duds below.

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I’m really digging that Zombie Christmas one – looks ominous, like an old B movie poster.  Yeah, I am painfully aware it has no Christmas at all in the picture.

Okay, those who have ventured to this part of the page.  I appreciate it.  If you have any Kindle stuff to hock or any stuff to hock at all no matter what site it is on, feel free to hock it out in the comments below.  I love to help in any way that I can to help further our self published hopes.

My Kindle Link: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0075Q5G4C

Haiku – A Good Cup of Coffee 10

Metal pot rattles

Caffeine goodness fills it up

1st cup on the way

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Nothing like the smell of coffee in the morning, especially when you just can‘t seem to wake up.  I did a lot of yard work yesterday, and though I’m not super sore, I am still really tired.  Coffee should help, always does.  

So, quick question:  How many cups do you drink a day and when?  Cream, sugar, anything odd you like to put in your coffee that most people probably would not?

Me.  Usually one cup to get my day started and then another later on in the day.  I also only do creamer, no sugar.

The others in this series start here: http://wp.me/p2kmxm-365

Need something to read while drinking that coffee.  You can find my stuff on Kindle at this link (sorry for the shameful and blatant self promotion).

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0075Q5G4C