News, updates, and Romantica Excerpt

Hello again!

Sorry it has been awhile since my last post. But I'm back with news and updates! As well as a special excerpt from one of my newest works!

First off, on October 13th I will be at a VeganFest of sorts, signing and selling books, along with a couple of other truly talented artists and wonderful people! So stay tuned for more details on that, I will post them in a desperate post with all the info and a flier once I get it all myself. 

So....

As of late, I have been diligently working my hardest to wrangle my day job and continue the steady work of writing 6 books in the Animal Speak series, as well as two other separate novels that will be targeted towards adults. One is a Sci-Fi novel that takes place during the last days of the earth, and all that can stop the almost undeniable destruction of the earth is a young man, poor, weary, and frightened. But he isn't alone. He comes across a crash site, where he finds a visitor from the furthest reaches of the universe. A visitor with exceptional and extraordinary powers. And together, they will embark on a journey to save all of humanity and the planet they hold so dear.

The second is a tragedy called Romantica, that takes place in a fictional town upon a small island off the coast of Virginia and Maryland. This focuses on six people whose lives intertwine and collapse as they seek answers. This will have no happy ending. A dark and thrilling tale, Romantica will have you on the edge of your seat, or wherever it us you read.

Please enjoy this excerpt taken from my upcoming novel: Romantica.

Marvin got into his car and removed the black, bloodstained leather gloves from his hands. Being a hit man in the town of Romantica was a very profitable but rather grueling job, despite the town being very small and nearly every occupant knowing one another. It was nearing ten o clock at night, and if Marvin didn't get home soon, his wife, Anna, would worry. Marvin's wife, along with the rest if the town, believed that Marvin worked foe the mayor as his personal assistant. Not that this wasn't true to an extent. Marvin just simply failed to mention that the mayor of Romantica happened to be a ruthless and brutal crime lord. Just another day at the office, he thought darkly to himself as he put his blood sodden gloves and gun into the center console of his small but uncommonly neat car.

He put the keys into the ignition and his car thundered to life. He backed out of the drive and drove away from the house and took a left into the street ahead and headed through the small little town towards home. The town was built on a rocky, yet amazingly beautiful and rather large island. The island itself was shaped like a crescent moon and a mile southwest from the coast of a national park that housed some of the only remaining wild horses in the country. The people that lived on the outer borders of the island, mainly all the neighborhoods that held gated and serene private beaches with multiple oceanside properties, were all rich and snobbish, caring only of how much money their stocks held or how many yachts they owned, or who held the next fundraiser for the corporate giant that lived on the mainland. These neighborhoods were nicknamed 'The Winners Circle' by all around, although they all held their own respective names, all with clever references to the ocean and how all the "Rich Fucks" as Marvin's best friend called them, lived. Marvin hated all of them quite passionately. To tell the truth, he hated most everything about his life, the exceptions being his wife, dog, his home and best friend. He turned left out of one of the gates that led out towards his home. He waved to the security guard who smiled as he returned the wave. 

He took another left onto the main road, nicknamed 'Winners Circle Way' by the folks that lived in his neighborhood, and took the winding road following the coastline that would lead him home. He turned up his radio, which was playing a song called "Start Shootin'" by a group called "Little People", just as rain began to pour down in full force upon the small car. He wound this way and that, the wipers moving almost in sync to the music. He kept having this odd and irksome feeling that he was forgetting something, but he could not quite place his finger on it.  He shook the feeling from his mind as he reached the light that he needed to take a last left on to reach his neighborhood. The place that all in the Winners Circle called "The Alley".

The alley was a series of three streets that ran parallel to each other, and was placed smack dab in the middle of the island. A large cobbled alleyway ran through the middle of it, hence the nickname. This part of the island had been originally built by the British in the  early1900's and still had that old historic look to it, the houses all built like small two story flats, made of brick and complete with back garden, and it was here where the rest of the people in Romantica lived. Most of the people that lived in the Alley were happy with their homes, Many of the people here worked at the various restaurants, musical venues, and art bars that were set along the boardwalk. Others worked in the city on the mainland, while a small population were rather successful artists. Marvin's Best friend was in fact a fiction writer, with over 12 published sci-fi books to his name and he lived in the oldest house in Romantica. Marvin's neighbor was a professional surfer who made millions, but really didn't like the 'richies' who lived along the coast, but instead preferred to live with whom he called, "The real people. The movers and shakers man...".

Marvin pulled into his driveway, careful to not hit the bumper of his wife's car as he parked his behind hers. He darted out of the car quickly, hastily slamming the door shut and locking it. In the twenty or so seconds it took him reach the blue front door with a welcome mat that read "The Apple House", he had been soaked to the bone. He jammed the key in the lock and entered his warm and cozy house.

"I'm Home!" he shouted to the household as he threw his keys onto the polished maple nightstand that was crammed into the wall of the front hallway, several letters and bills lying here and there on its surface. He headed up the stairway that was lined with photos of himself, a beautiful longhaired blonde woman with a dazzling smile and bottle green eyes, and a large husky, grinning goofily. He reached the top of the stair case and turned right into the master bedroom. He closed the door and quickly tore off his rain-soaked garments, tossing them into a basket of dirty laundry by the bed. The room was painted a vivid red color, and in the middle of the room was a gorgeous  hand carved four poster bed that was polished and made of oak. Along the posts of the bed had beautiful roses and vines carved into them, giving the room the look of being alive. They had an earthy green, moss colored rug, over a light brown carpet. A fern hung from each side of the bed from the ceiling and there was a large indoor bonsai tree in a great clay pot in the corner by their dresser. Marvin opened the dresser, pulling out a pair of sweatpants and a red t-shirt and hastily threw them on. 

         He opened the door and exited the room, heading back down the staircase and towards the kitchen where his wofe was undoubtedly preparing another magnificent meal for them and the other couple they were having over in a few hours time.

Thanks for reading!

Love,

W. F. Mick