Author: Jerry Gerold

This week, I signed on with Imzadi Publishing!

Soon, they will be re-releasing Faith Lost under their brand with a brand new cover.

Not only am I working on the third installment of the Reclamation Project horror short story series, I’ve been having new covers done for some old stories and I changed the name of Artist Rendering to Tehachapi.

The big news is I have been offered a publishing contract from a publishing company for Faith Lost. Because of that, I have removed the title from the market. I have not yet signed the contract yet — it’s being mailing to me — so I will not say who it is with.

I’m also working on a new short story I’m calling “Scott’s Old Philco” and hope to write a couple more. I’m planning on publishing a collection of shorts, some new and some old. Plus, I’m working on a horror novel called “Feather.”

I am in the process of adding my work to Smashwords, but it’s going to take some time. I have to wait for KDP to expire on most of them and it’s going to be a couple months. Below is the dates KDP expires on the works I intend to add to Smashwords:

Reclamation Project 2 – 3/26

Faith Lost – 4/18

Strike Aura – 4/18

First Gold – 4/20

Opopanax Lighthouse – 5/17

Artist Rendering – 6/14

In the future, I suspect I will not be signing up for KDP on Amazon and will be able to add works to Smashwords at the same time.

Early last week I started three new stories in the same day. Might be a first for me. The first is a collaboration between me and another author on a new subject for me: zombies. It’s not going to be your typical mindless, standing around, moving in groups kind of zombie. These zombies will be smart, intelligent and can attack with weapons. They still want to kill and eat you, though.

The second story is about a girl who sees ghosts and can bring the dead back to life. Not going to say much more on that right now.

The third story is the third in the Reclamation Project short story series. This one is going to tie the first and second ones together.

As always, I am trying to find ways of getting my work noticed and reviewed and improving in any way I can. If you read something of mine and like it, please don’t hesitate to at least rate it highly, if not write a review. Every rating and review helps and spurs me on to keep writing.

Thanks!

My short story Craddock has been professionally edited and republished. Five other short stories are currently in the re-editing stage:

First Gold

Opopanax Lighthouse

Penelope’s Vines

Reclamation Project

Reclamation Project 2: Abandoned Subway

My next novel, Artist Rendering, is in the editing process and will be released soon.

I had three book covers done for the stories that make up the collection of “Abnormali-trees.” That compilation will no longer be available for purchase. Instead, the three stories will be sold separately for 99 cents apiece.

Kameyo, a tall, athletic type, entered the room and sat on the end of the table near Breanna and Eban. He glared at Ky.
“It’s about time you joined the rest of us,” Ky said, nonplussed.
“Didn’t you say I’d was coming?” Kameyo asked Breanna.
“Yes. I said she, I mean, he will be here in a minute. Sorry. I’m still having trouble figuring out what to call you two.”
“Well,” Ky said, her mouthful. “Since pronouns are predicated upon the gender of the person being referred to, you can call me ‘she.’ After all, I’m the one with the pussy currently.”
“Hey,” Kameyo shouted. “Don’t talk like that.”
“Why not? You’ve been doing it to me ever since this happened.” She looked at Breanna. “Call him ‘he,’ since he has the cock.”
“Can you two stop it?” Olivia asked sternly. She returned with a stack of pancakes and a metal decanter of syrup. “Until you two are willing to change things back, I would appreciate it if you would stop fighting about it. You’re going to ruin breakfast.”
Eban watched her put the pancakes and syrup on the table, completely confused.
“Did I forget anything?” Olivia asked. “Oh, yes. Butter. Does anyone want any milk?”
“I do,” Breanna said, raising her hand. “Orange juice hurts my mouth.”
“Oh, that’s right. Sorry, I forgot about that. Be right back.”
“Hey, Eban,” Ky whispered. “Look.”
Eban turned his head to watch Ky lift up her shirt and show him her breasts.
“Stop it,” Kameyo screamed. “That’s not funny!”
“Knock it off out there,” Olivia called from the kitchen. “I don’t know what’s going on, but if it doesn’t stop, you’re both fired.”
“Actually,” Bree said to Eban. “You can help us with this.”
“With what exactly?”
“No,” Ky said. “Don’t tell him.”
“No, do,” Kameyo insisted. “I can’t go on like this anymore. I miss…I miss my body.”
“But I don’t want to go back to mine,” Ky pleaded. “It’s sick and weak.”
“Not any more, it’s not,” Kameyo reminded. “It’s been working fine since I’ve been in it.”
“Well,” Breanna said. “To be fair, both of your bodies are dead. Therefore, no sicknesses. You couldn’t get sick if you tried.”
“So,” Ky said. “Are you saying we can’t die?”
“I never said that,” Breanna told her. “I said you can’t get sick.”
“Can you guys hold on a sec?” Eban interrupted. “I still don’t understand what’s going on. If you want my help, I need to know.”
“Basically,” Breanna said. “Ky and Kameyo are siblings and currently they are inhabiting each others’ bodies.”
“Okay,” Eban said. “And I’m guessing that one of them wants to switch, but the other one doesn’t?”
“That’s about it,” Kameyo said, pointing at Ky. “She doesn’t want to switch and I do.”
“I see what you want me to do, then,” Eban told Breanna. “But maybe we can come to some other kind of arrangement.”
“But there is no other arrangement,” Kameyo insisted. “I want my body back.”
“No, I understand,” Eban said. “But clearly Ky doesn’t want to.”
“I’m Ky,” Kameyo said, indignant.
Eban sighed. “Okay, I get it. I’m sure you can get your body back, but what if Ky agrees to vacate your body if she is allowed to inhabit a different body?” He eyes returned to Breanna. “And that’s where your power comes into play.”
“I see where you’re going,” Breanna said. “But the answer is no. I don’t want to sacrifice another living person just because these two can’t get along.”
“It’s nothing to do with getting along,” Ky told her. “I just can’t go back to my body. Too many bad memories. I agree to leave my brother’s body in exchange for another.”
“Then it’s settled,” Eban said.
Breanna shook her head. “No, it isn’t.”
“But you don’t have to kill anyone,” Eban insisted. “We just find someone who is dying and—“
“Like what happened with me,” Kameyo said with a heavy sigh.
“So, what,” Breanna said. “We just waltz into a hospital and look for people who are dying? No way.”
“No,” Eban said grimly. “I will handle that part.”
Three pairs of eyes blinked at him.
“You asked for my help, didn’t you? It would be ruled a suicide, so technically it’s not murder.”
“Absolutely not,” Olivia shouted from the kitchen doorway. She slammed Breanna’s milk on the table and dropped the tub of butter next to it. “I forbid it.”
“But—“
“No, buts, mister,” she snapped at Eban. “It may not legally be murder, but murder it surely is and I will not be a party to it. Kameyo, Ky: you will have to learn to live with your new situation and like it. I will not have to live with someone’s death on my conscious just because of the selfishness of you two.”
She turned on her heel and returned to the kitchen.
“Well,” Kameyo said, his voice low. “That’s that, I guess.”
Ky silently got up from the table and went upstairs to her room, gently shutting the door.
“Awkward,” Ky murmured.
“You’re lucky,” Breanna said to Eban. “You didn’t get the tail.”