“The Dark Truth” Revealed Soon

I’ve been trying to keep so many things separate yet they all bleed and run together. To be honest, I don’t know how I have been able to keep them all straight. I have written several thousand words for work projects, I finally got around to writing a blog entry about my travel running exploits, and have shared a few updates on the progress of debut novel and associated promotions and marketing on my Facebook author page and official web site. So, I thought I would update those of you who may have missed those updates on those other electronic channels.

Much progress has been made on “The Dark Truth” in the past 10 days or so. Since it was sent to the formatter, it has since been sent back to Trifecta Publishing House, returned for adjustments, sent back to Trifecta, and has been passed on to me in three different formats – generic ePub, Kindle and the print PDF.

All I can really say is that it looks stunning. From the font/roman numerals for the chapter headings to the art for those headings, there are some overt and subtle touches that make this book something I am extremely proud of.

There is more news about my budding vocation as a novelist coming soon, including an update on the sequel to “The Dark Truth,” “The Dark Descent,” a series title, and how many stories in this universe you can expect.

If the past two weeks are any indication, that news is going to come fast.

Just a reminder, “The Dark Truth” will be available for purchase Wednesday, Oct. 25, and will be released Monday, Nov. 20. I’ll be sure to drop all the appropriate links as soon as they’re available.

And in case you didn’t know, here is what it’s all about.

A Night Out

San Francisco PR pro Elizabeth Rubis reluctantly agrees to a night out on the town. Little does she know that her life will be altered forever as childhood night terrors come to life.

A Face in the Window

Elizabeth’s deepest, darkest fears crawl out of the inky blackness as her lifelong tormentor is revealed during a rare Northern California thunderstorm. A hallucination in the raindrops proves to be an evil, yet familiar entity.

A Baptism in Blood

Fueled by hatred for her tormentor, Elizabeth cuts a bloody swath across the San Francisco Bay Area in a desperate quest for revenge. No one is safe from her rage, not even her friends and family.

 

B-Boy Running Adventures Continue with New Spots and Old Stomping Grounds

The fall work travel continues and so do the B-Boy Running Adventures. Some of this travel involves annual trips to certain cities, and some trips to either new cities, or places I haven’t been to in a long time. Dallas, Nashville, and Washington, D.C. are the latest three.

As many times as I have been to Dallas, I have never gone running there. It was technically Irving, but I enjoyed running around Las Colinas. The weather wasn’t too hot and I got a good three miles done in 31:17. The ritzy suburban neighborhood near the Byron Nelson golf course was pleasant enough. The gym at the Four Seasons was a sight to behold. You can actually join this state-of-the-art gym with the fitness facility, and the tennis and the racquetball and the swimming and the fancy-ass AntiGravity Aerial Yoga nobody has ever heard of, provided you already own a small country (golf is extra). I’m not sure about the underground labyrinth I had to traverse to get there. I kept expecting to turn a corner and find a Minotaur asking to see my room key.

Nashville is a recurring theme, I have gone running there four times in the past three years, the last two took place at Gaylord Opryland. I had previously run just off Broadway and around Nissan Stadium, but the past two trips, I stayed at Opryland. Last year, I didn’t really check out the hotel property, but this year I did. Oh my, what a hotel. I’ve never seen anything like it. From the built-in radio station, 650 AM WSM, (where Pat Sajak once worked) to the conservatory and numerous bars, restaurants, and boutiques, it’s almost a self-contained city. It was a workout just trying to find the gym and you definitely needed a map, or GPS, or a Sherpa. I thought I was trying to find the Indiana Jones ride at Disney.

I ran by the Grand Old Opry by day, and walked by it lit up at night as I returned to the hotel after seeing Stephen King’s “It” at the local toomanyscreensplex. My pace and run time were phenomenal. I was really surprised. Last year, I had trouble plotting a route. There is an official 5K route that runs a loop around the hotel, Opryland itself and a nearby Bass Pro Shops-anchored spend-all-your-money-in-one-day shopping complex. Without markings, the route didn’t make much sense. But this year, I managed a better route and a better time. A full 5K in 29:36. I really am back to my 5K race pace. Losing approximately 20 pounds over the last 12 weeks or so has made a difference.

My last assignment in the United States Navy was at the Washington Navy Yard. I got out of the Navy 20 years ago this past July. I have been back a few times, most recently 2005. The only time I ever went running there was to pass a physical fitness test. I wasn’t much of a runner back then, and I was a pack-a-day smoker.

I’ve always known that the National Mall was a great place to go running and I found out for myself that knowledge was indeed correct. I got three miles in with a time of 30:43. My first mile was 9:01, blistering fast for me. I ran out of gas due to the heat and too many traffic lights so I couldn’t maintain that pace. But the sights were fantastic.

I started down 9th Street NW and headed for the Capitol building. I turned right on the National Mall and ran from there to near the Washington monument before breaking back toward 9th Street NW. Although it was late morning, it wasn’t too crowded.

Here comes the soapbox rant. I don’t know how it is where you live, but almost everyone I see when I am out running out walking gives a nod, a wave, a tip of the cap, a verbal greeting, something. Washington, D.C., runners are freaking rude. There were plenty of runners out and I got one acknowledgement, one.

Maybe they didn’t get the e-mail.

Okay, the soapbox is put away, for now.

Of the last three running spots, D.C. was the only one in “town.” I thoroughly enjoyed all three for different reasons. Nashville because I improved the route and my time, Dallas because it was new experience, and Washington because it was a new experience on my old stomping grounds.

I’ll be in Denver again soon and I am looking forward to revisiting a city I have a new appreciation for after more than a decade of loathing. The weather will be better too and I won’t have to pack the cold weather gear like I have the last few times.