"Dream Catcher" Update

The story is running long in places I would rather it move along a little faster. Editing will be a little bit of a pain, but I am still happy with the story overall. I may not have mentioned this in the past, but the story takes place in the same universe as Rumbling Heart does. It doesn't continue the story of the other characters though. It moves on to new characters that also live in Eureka, CA. The characters named so far are Casey (Protagonist) Emma, which is another main character as well as supporting characters such as Walt, Carla, and even Joanne Kay (an ode to a friend of mine).

The story focuses on Casey and his life working for the local Eureka newspaper. He's been lucky in life. He's never really had to worry about money and his parents are still happily married. He was able to attend college and his high school days were relatively easy and carefree. He's had the life most of us hope for at 25. Easy, productive, painless. All seems well until he meets Emma, a 21 year old artist he meets at an art festival who's harboring many secrets. At first, Casey accepts that Emma isn't your average woman. He realizes she hides things from him, but he's alright with it...until things start going a little crazy.

As the story progresses, Casey finds himself wanting to know more about her, even to the point of using his connections at the newspaper to find out more about her past. What he discovers is far worse than he could have ever imagined.

Casey thought he knew what it was like to know someone who is damaged. As he digs up Emma's past, he realizes he knows nothing about true pain.

(This eBook will carry a voluntary rating of 16+ for language, some graphic violence, some crude humor, alcohol use, drug references, and scenes of dramatic peril.)

Recorded Butterflies - Synopsis

Here is the synopsis I wrote up on Recorded Butterflies. It's not perfect, but when your book has this many big secrets, you really have to be selective with what you write and how you write it. I hope it sparks some interest. The link to the Facebook event is here. 

In this follow up to his first book Rumbling Heart, Richard Allen continues the story of John as he moves forward with his life after dealing with the demons of his past head on.

It is October 2012 and John Allen has just gotten back into Eureka, California after spending several months on the road. Looking forward to meeting back up with his best friend Emily, he realizes that she is purposely refusing his phone calls and text messages. He finds her sudden absence from his life disturbing and feels as if she is phasing him out of hers. While his ideas as to why she’s suddenly disappeared continue to swim around in his head, she quite suddenly is thrust back into his world, and he eventually finds out the reasons behind her withdrawal. As Emily finally opens up to him and lets him in on all that has happened, he finds the truth about her hard to swallow, but then takes a step back and realizes just how hard life must have been for her since he left her side.

All the while, John is still managing his relationship with his new found love interest shortly after getting back into town after his time on the road with her. After some very serious consideration, he finds himself contemplating something that he felt he would never do again in his life. Finally realizing just how strongly he feels for her, they explore the reasons why they would want to permanently tie their lives together, and the two of them begin a journey that promises to change their lives forever.

Life seems good, and John feels that there is no way it could be any sweeter. While helping Emily deal with a major issue that shakes her to her very core, he still feels that life, as a whole, is looking up and that nothing could possibly bring him down. Little does he knows that just a few short months later, his world would be throw into chaos by something so devastating that it would quite possibly send his life into a tailspin, and that he could soon see himself heading back into that downward spiral he found himself in just a few short years before.

Filled with secrets, intrigue, love, heartache, and moments so sweet they would make most men blush, Recorded Butterflies explores John and his dreams, and offers insight into his mind like never before. It will even ask you to take a different look at him and his friendship with the beautiful and confident Emily as he finds himself looking at her like he never has before. After a few significant twists and turns, you are treated to an ending so explosive, you may want to have your heart medication close by, and you will find yourself begging for the next installment in the series.