I’m so excited to announce that I’ve set a release date for my novella, THE HIKE: September 24th, 2019!
This one’s been a long time coming, folks. A really long time.
And you know what? It was worth it. I get to publish this one on my own terms and get it straight into your hands that much quicker!
A little backstory for the story, even though you didn’t ask:
This is actually based on a true story. On a hike through the desert about three years ago, my husband and I went through most of the terrifying ordeals the characters in this story go through. We were lost in the desert, running out of water, and a coyote was stalking us.
And the tarantulas…oh, the tarantulas!
Luckily, we made it out. Burnt, dehydrated, and exhausted, but without any bites, nicks, sprains, or blood.
Sorry, Mr. Coyote. No meal for you today!
A sampling of THE HIKE:
Reluctantly, I roll my pants down over my boots and go to the back of the Jeep to receive my pack. Jay slides it on my shoulders and straps it around my waist and chest. It immediately suctions itself to me; sweat pools in the small of my back.
Jay has a similar pack to mine: an ordinary daypack, not much more than a sack. Andy’s is for pros, complete with a water bladder and about a million pockets, all filled with who knows what.
“Okay,” Andy says once we’re outfitted. “We’ve each got eight bottles of water and a Ziploc bag of trail mix. It should last us. I’ve got first aid and a survival kit in my pack.”
At the words ‘survival kit’, my heart skips a beat. This is supposed to be an easy, flat walk along a river.
“Ration your water,” Andy adds. “But make sure you drink it. A bottle an hour.”
“There’s no water out there?” I ask. Everyone turns to look at me with disbelief.
Andy smirks. “We’re in the desert, Dumpkin.”
“But it’s along a river…”
“No, Dee, it’s a wash,” Jay says. “A dried-up river.”
I blush. Andy laughs and straps a large knife to his leg. It’s one of those survival knives that come with a flint and whistle. I briefly wish he would stab himself with it. I’m not stupid, but when Andy and Jay get together, I feel like the dumbest person on the planet. I glance at Katy, hoping to get some female support, but she’s smiling and shaking her head. Great. Everyone thinks I’m an idiot.
“Move out, troops!” Andy says, and takes the lead.
I grab Jay’s arm. “I don’t have a good feeling about this.”
Stay tuned for more information about THE HIKE as the release date draws near!
Like what you read? You can’t have the rest of THE HIKE right now, but if you head over to the freebies page, you can read some more of my work for free 🙂
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