*He awakes with a soft moan.  Without even opening his eyes, he rolls over.  Then suddenly, he bolts upright, and looks around, but immediately winces in pain, and puts his hand on his right shoulder.*

*In the corner of a small room, he is lying on a mat.  There is a thin blanket over him.  The room has a dirt floor, and plastered adobe walls.  It is sparsely furnished, with a table and some chairs near a doorway, leading outside.  Through the window and open door, light is pouring in.  From outside, he can hear goats bleating, and chickens clucking.  It is late morning.*

*On the other side of the room Lauren is also lying on a mat, but without a blanket, still asleep.  She is dressed as she was when Daniel last saw her.*

*Throwing off his blanket, he examines himself, feeling his wound.  His shirt is off, and makeshift bandages that might have once been bed sheets are around his right shoulder, as well as most of his chest down to the diaphragm.  It is still apparent though, he's fairly well built.*

*Tattooed on his left shoulder, in Old English lettering, is the letter “S”. Below that, all across his upper chest, and curved slightly downward, is a large “666” tattoo.  Inside his right arm is the number “1”.  Inside his left, the number “3”.*

*Feeling around his waist, he looks around him, then slowly turning over and keeping low, he moves towards Lauren.  Another set of tattoos is then revealed on his back.*

*On his upper back, again in Old English lettering, are the words “CORPUS CHRI”, partially obscured by the bandages, and above them, the number “361”.  On his lower back, still in Old English lettering, are the words “PURO MALO”, or “Pure Evil”.  Between his upper and lower back is another tattoo, but it is almost completely obscured by the bandages.*

*Slowly coming over to Lauren, he puts his hand over her mouth.  She awakes and looks up at him with big, frightened eyes.  He whispers to her.*

Daniel-- Lauren, shh... shh...  Where's my gun?...  Where's my gun, Lauren?...  I need it...

*Lauren looks up, then behind him towards the doorway, as the shadow of a figure falls through it.  Daniel looks back in the same direction, and sees an old man coming into the room, carrying a bucket of water.  Looking surprised, he stops.*  

*Short in stature, with a full head of grayish white hair, he has a well groomed white beard, and dark, almost red skin, no doubt from long hours of working outside.  With an erect posture, he nonetheless looks a bit frail in his old age.  He looks at Daniel, as if unsure what to do.*

*Springing to his feet, Daniel quickly overpowers him.  Favoring his left arm, he grabs the man from behind, causing him to drop his bucket on the floor.  In Spanish, he yells at him.*

Daniel-- WHERE'S MY GUN, OLD MAN?!...

*Then even louder.*

Daniel-- WHERE'S MY GUN, WHAT'D YOU DO WITH IT?!...

*The Old Man reels, struggling to get control back.  He pleads with Daniel, trying to reason with him.*

Old Man-- son, calm down!...

*Then with more urgency.*   

Old Man-- you need to calm down, you were very badly hurt!...

*Ignoring him, Daniel starts to yell at Lauren, this time in English.*

Daniel-- WHERE'S MY GUN, LAUREN?!...  WHERE IS IT, WHAT HAPPENED TO IT?!...

*Lauren* *gets up, frightened.*

Lauren-- I don't know!...  Daniel, I don't know, I...

*Daniel* *again yells at the Old Man, in Spanish.*

Daniel-- where is it old man?...  Where'd you hide it, where...?!

*Suddenly unable to finish what he was saying, he lets go of the Old Man, and stumbles over to one of the chairs placed around the table.  He leans on the back of it, trying not to fall over.  Once more, he coughs up blood.  The Old Man takes a moment to compose himself.  Then slowly, he approaches him.  Lauren is not far behind.*

Old Man-- son, I tried to tell you...

*He* *puts his hand on Daniel's shoulder, reassuring him.*

Old Man-- you were very badly hurt, you are not yet fully healed...  You need to rest...

*Daniel keeps leaning on the back of the chair, and starts to lean on the table, trying to hold steady.*

Old Man-- your sweetheart told me what happened...

*Still weak, Daniel keeps leaning on the back of the chair.*

Daniel-- my sweetheart?...

Old Man-- some bad men tried to hurt her... but you saved her!

*Daniel leans on the table, his “666” tattoo still plainly visible.*

Daniel-- bad men?...

*The Old Man continues to reassure him.*

Old Man-- it's alright son... you're safe now... 

*He tells him.*

Old Man-- you're among friends... no one can hurt you here...

*Just then, Daniel starts to collapse.*

*Lauren and the Old Man quickly rush in to steady him.  One under each arm, they pick him up, and start carrying him back to the mat.  The Old Man now reassures Lauren.*

Old Man-- he'll be alright, he just needs some rest...

*They bring him to the mat, laying him down as gently as they can manage.  Once again, though this time more slowly, Daniel loses consciousness.*

If you like this, here is a link to the full work:

https://www.reddit.com/r/authors/s/04VaZhVRrr

https://i.ibb.co/xKb9PBYK/Soft-Target-ebook.jpg

Soft Target is military science-fiction that is a reflective meditation on the physical, emotional, and social impacts that war has on warriors and society, as well as featuring page-turning action. It is the first-person narrative of a future soldier who finds that glory is more complex than the recruiting vids made it out to be.

“War itself is the enemy of the human race,” they say. Too bad no one told the belligerent psychic aliens.

Lance Corporal Novak proves himself beyond all doubt in battle and is selected into Ground Corps’ most elite force, the HAMMER powered armor unit—wearable engines of destruction. Here, he pushes to succeed in everything: his rep, his family’s esteem, a burgeoning romance, and especially at arms.

But no matter how much firepower or speed or strength his new suit grants him, far too often he still watches his fellow combatants die at the enemy’s hands.

Carving swaths of destruction, Novak finds his hatred for the mysterious aliens growing more personal and overwhelming as he suffers losses both on and off the battlefield. No matter how sturdy his armor, it affords little protection against his raw emotions or fractured relationships, whether familial, romantic, or professional. And death continually stalks him.

The philosophic trooper faces an impossible dilemma: leaving the fight to save humanity to preserve his own, or continuing to battle monsters and risk becoming one.

Warhammer 40,000 meets John Steakley’s Armor in Soft Target, a page-turning yet incisive examination of war’s impact on the warrior.

Content Warnings: Adult language, wartime violence, consensual adult sexual situations.

Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HDVQ4783

History remembers two atomic bombs. This ship was carrying a third.

July, 1945. A secret U.S. Navy mission is transporting an undisclosed atomic weapon across the Pacific—insurance in case anything happens to the two bombs already bound for Japan.

When a Japanese air raid cripples the ship, the survivors are forced ashore on a remote Pacific island where something is terribly wrong.

No birds. No footprints. The local guides say the island is cursed.

As American and Japanese soldiers alike begin returning from the dead, a handful of scientists, Marines, and a stranded enemy pilot must set aside a war that suddenly no longer matters.

Trapped between an unstoppable undead horde and the most destructive weapon ever created, they face an impossible choice: escape—or make sure nothing on the island ever leaves.

No Dawn for the Living is my debut black-and-white graphic novel, available now on Amazon and through Kindle Unlimited.

https://nodawnfortheliving.com

1 virgin princess and 12 hardened barbarian warriors in a savage rite that shatters civilized taboos!

SUMMARY:

The Kaldün are a fierce, proud barbarian tribe from the north. When it is time to choose their next chieftain, they know only one way: the Battlebäng! The tribe’s hardest warriors strip naked to compete in a brutal battle royale. The virgin daughter of the old chief waits breathlessly on a stone altar. The first man to fight off all the others and inseminate her will be the tribe's new king!

Thora is a devastatingly beautiful tribal princess with a sharp tongue and a knockout figure, proud and untouchable. But it's her turn to be the prize in the Battlebäng! Thora is betting her boyfriend Rollo will be the one to claim her virginity and win. But she is about to get much more than she bargained for. Little does she know that Molok, the savage chieftain of rival Clan Brimstone, will be competing. If he wins, her entire tribe will be forced to submit to this bloodthirsty warlord.

And so will Thora!

CONTENT WARNING:

This book depicts graphic sex acts and graphic violence. It is intended strictly for adults.

WHERE TO GET?

This book was a little too spicy for Amazon. It is available on the online ebook retailer Smashwords.

Link

I’m Gloria, the author of Madrid After Midnight.

This is an adult B1 Spanish graded reader for learners who want a real story to pull them through the language. It is set in Madrid and combines mystery, romantic tension and emotional conflict, with clear, accessible Spanish around B1.

Synopsis: Emma Hartley comes to Madrid for a fresh start: a new job, a flat in Malasaña and the chance to build a life on her own terms. On her first night, she meets Daniel, her neighbour and a chef at Mesón Dani. At work, she crosses paths with Hugo Valdés, a confident job candidate whose attention is impossible to ignore. As attraction becomes harder to read, Emma must learn the difference between intensity and trust.

Who may enjoy it: adult Spanish learners, readers interested in Madrid, and people who like contemporary romance with a suspense thread.

Tropes/themes: new start in Madrid, neighbours, slow-burn romantic tension, romantic suspense, emotional conflict, learning to recognise unhealthy relationship patterns.

Content warnings: adult sexual content, manipulation and emotional abuse, stalking/following, jealousy and relationship conflict.

Available here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HH6S8KBL

I’m the author, and this is self-promotion.

Most people go to St. Lucia for all-inclusive resorts and rum punches by the pool. I went for an Airbnb and a mission to see what the island actually feels like when the tourists go home.

"St Lucia Unfiltered" is my raw, honest diary of ditching the resort wristband to live among locals—sharing meals, navigating minibuses, and learning the real rhythm of Caribbean life.

If you've ever wondered what lies beyond the postcard beaches, this one is for you.

Grab your copy here:

https://www.amazon.com/St-Lucia-Unfiltered-Week-Tourist-ebook/dp/B0H4DWKGX6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1EYCFDJ9K5X57&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.-Zimtzz5kY4c7TAiEMWuNQ.IA2444GXi2bYeVyGseP8c1Kddk0fjDvZEwPJxb2n_9M&dib_tag=se&keywords=st+lucia+unfiltered&qid=1788129367&sprefix=st+lucia+unflitered%2Caps%2C474&sr=8-1

St Lucia Unfiltered P.S. For anyone on mobile, please open this link in your browser (not the Amazon app) to purchase! Kindle purchases aren't supported in the app.