Yes, I had surgery... and right before the Apocalypse struck!

Health Update (so this could be really boring for some)!

On March 12th (of this year) I had open heart, double bypass surgery. Yes, me; a 60-year-old, fairly healthy person who walks on average six miles a day, goes to the gym four times a week and eats pretty damned healthy.

One artery (the LAD, known as the widowmaker) was 70% blocked. Not good I was told. Worse yet another artery on the right side was 100% blocked. That meant, I was told, somewhere in the recent past I suffered a heart attack.

I never had a symptom with either blockage. No shortness of breath, no unusual sweats, no dizziness, no chest pain, no nothing. But the damage was done and I was scheduled for surgery six days after my second angiogram. If the professionals say you need heart surgery, then so be it. Who am I to argue.

(I don't look like I'm suffering too badly)

That was four weeks ago, my friends. I've worked hard at focusing on my recovery and, as such, I've made a lot of progress in those four weeks. I was home only four days after surgery, so my decent recovery began in the hospital.

The day I came home the stuff got real with the Corona Virus. That was March 16th. Since then... well, we all know what's gone down.

Yes, it has been slightly reminiscent of the opening episodes of The Walking Dead. If I had a sheriff outfit, I'd be ready. But alas, all I can do is watch and smile like most in my position are doing (I warned you something like this could happen. I warned you!).

(Me without the mask... maybe)

So, I'm well on my way to full recovery and all around me the world has come to a screeching halt. Welcome to the new normal, people. And after this, there will be another new normal followed by another and another. Things will change from how they were prior to March of 2020. And a lot of the changes will be permanent.

Okay, so what caused my health issues some will ask. My answer will be blunt and to the point:

1. Forty years of smoking
2. Type II Diabetic
3. I've always dealt with stress badly

I'm not going to lecture on any of the above. I knew smoking was bad for me and would eventually catch up (we all know that). I got diabetes when I lost 70 pounds. And I'm just crappy when it comes to dealing with stress and anxiety (and I always have).

I'm lucky, this could have ended really really really bad if it hadn't been caught (quite by accident back on January 16th). My best advice is to take care of your body. It's the only one you get.

So, I'm back to writing and creating more fodder for my family, friends, and readers. This has caused a set back in the timing for the release of book five in the No Where Apocalypse. But don't worry; I'll still get that published before fall. 

Until then, everyone take care!

e a lake

The No Where Apocalypse

Alone and drunk, Bob Reiniger awakens in a remote cabin in northern Michigan. He's on a break from his stressful life and job. A week of drinking, followed by another week of sobering up, is just what he needs. At least that's his plan.

Little does he know that he'll never again return to his life and his young wife in Joilett, IL. The end of the world as we know it has arrived while he slept.  And it traps him in the absolute center of NO WHERE!

With limited supplies and zero knowledge of how to survive on his own, Bob is forced to seek help from others. Even if that means meeting a strange cast of northern characters that each lives miles away from his grandfather's musty old cabin. Miles that must be traveled on foot. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.

Wolves, road bandits, and weather become his new adversaries. Even getting water from his well with a hand pump proves difficult. He worries that winter will kill him. If he only knew that several men would try to end his life before that, his worries could have been saved.

Come meet Bob. Come meet his neighbors: Dizzy, Lettie, Frank, Marge, Nate, and Violet. New people will enter his life. Some will be good and kind: Daisy, Libbie, Jean, Thaddeus Wilson and his sons. Others will be the scum of the Earth, looking to take all that is his.

In the end, Bob must either survive and protect his possessions and his friends, or give in and go the way of the former world!

   

If you are seeking a character driven, post-apocalyptic series for your fall reading -- these are the books for you. With over 300 four and five star ratings many have enjoyed Bob's tales. 

And, if you are a member of Kindle Unlimited you can read them all for free.

Check out book one of The No Where Apocalypse today.

Thank you for being a reader,

e a lake

Now In Paperback

Because some people have asked, I'd like to bring to your attention that the above books are available in paperback. 

There will be one more book in this series -- Searching No Where. That one will be available in paperback, and ebook, in late November (2016).

To purchase any of these books in paperback, click on the picture above. To get them in ebook just click on the title below.

If you would like to receive a signed paperback (and I still feel funny offering these, but they are requested) click here. Tell me who you are, what your email address is, and in the "Message" field let me know you'd like a signed paperback. We'll make arrangements to get you one. If you live in the continental US they will cost you $15 each (including postage and handling). If you live elsewhere, I will have to figure out the postage before I can give you a firm price.

As always, thanks for reading. Your support is the most important thing to me. Without you, I simply don't exist!

Ebooks:

Stranded No Where
Surviving No Where
Defending No Where



Until next time,

e a lake

And did you know this ebook is always free!? And in various formats? Click it to find out more.

Book 3 Cover Reveal

Thanks for your patience, everyone. 

I'm about ten days (maybe a little more) late in getting this out. But here's the thing: I wanted this just right for all of you. And I believe that between myself and my fantastic cover creator (Katie Mettner, in case you're wondering) we've nailed this one.

First, some good news! Because of your interest and readership, Books one and two (Stranded No Where and Surviving No Where) have reached Amazon BestSeller status. Each book has spent time in the top ten of both the Post-Apocalyptic and Dystopian lists.

So, a huge THANK YOU to all of you for making this series (The No Where Apocalypse) a success.

Without further ado...the book 3 (Defending No Where) cover:

To read more about this upcoming release, go to my website by clicking here.

If you need to start the series yet, you can get the first book here at Amazon.

As always, thanks for reading and following,

e a lake

Just in time for the 4th of July

Now available on Amazon!

Whew! I wanted this out before the holiday (here in the States), and I made it. 

Book 2 of The No Where Apocalypse (Surviving No Where) is ready for your enjoyment. Pick up with Bob, and Lettie, and Dizzy and all the others as they continue to struggle to survive in a world without any of the luxuries that most of us are used to: Electricity, communications, transportation...hope.

Click the cover below to continue the adventure:

If you missed Book 1 (Stranded No Where), here's the link for that as well:

Coming in mid-August will be Book 3 of the saga: Defending No Where. Watch for that later this summer.

As always, thanks for reading my creations. Without you, I am nothing.


Until next time, Enjoy the Holiday,

e a lake

The No Where Apocalypse: Book Two Cover Reveal

Okay, here it is. The book will be released within a month or so. For sure by July 4th (2016).

Surviving No Where

Bob Reiniger's saga continues where it left off in book one (Stranded No Where). He has made it through his first winter alone in the middle of the upper peninsula of northern Michigan. He now realizes that he's never getting home (Joliet, IL). He'll never see his wife, his parents, or his brother ever again.

He must make a new life, even here...in No Where.

New friends arrive; new troubles follow. And though there aren't many people around, Bob seems to find the strangest possible.

He knows he must do better than "just make it" here. He must Survive...even in No Where.

If you didn't get a chance to read the first installment of this series, it's available on Amazon. Either click here, or on the picture below.

I hope you all have as much fun reading this series as I have had writing it. I've just finished the frist draft of book three (Defending No Where) and I'm on to book four (Searching No Where). Watch for those books later this summer and early fall.

As always, thank you for reading my blog and books. Without you, I am nothing more than a drivel spewing hack. You, the reader, make this all possible. You are my muse and my inspiration.

And maybe there's a little bit of Bob Reiniger in all of us, huh?

Until next time,

e a lake

How the End of the World Will REALLY Look

Recently, Howard Godfrey had a post entitled "What are Realistic Expectations TEOTWAWKI". Howard writes on his site, Preparedness Advice Blog, about all things apocalyptic and such. And most weeks I read his advice.


Here's a link to his post and a copy of the great picture he used to promote it (I really love this pic):
http://preparednessadvice.com/self-sufficiency/realistic-expectations-for-teotwawki/#.VzDVL4QrJD8

Howard points out several things that we may or may not be ready for when the apocalypse arrives. And if you've been a reader of mine, several of these will sound eerily familiar.

1. Food will be in extremely short supply

Grow it, grill it, or catch it -- those are your options. No more running to the store for this or that. Fast food? Ha; gone with the wind. And you've probably had your last taste of milk for a while -- perhaps ever.

The lack of food and fresh water will probably do most people in. Even some of the causal preppers won't be ready to take and prepare their own meals.

2. Like and work will be starkly different

On the good side, you won't have to go to that job you hate so much anymore. Your job now will be surviving, and that means several different things.

First and foremost your days will be consumed with finding water and food (as mentioned above for their importance). This will be difficult without a car; maybe even impossible for some. And consider this: have you ever field dressed a deer before, much less a rabbit or a squirrel? There's no zippers on those animals you know.

When you're not hunting or foraging, you'll most likely be protecting you home, your supplies, and your family. Like Howard says in his article: "Try standing watch most of the night and then do a full hard day's work."

Life as we know it will be gone. A new world will await your every day. A world you won't recognize. A harsh, stark world that may just eat you alive...if you aren't prepared.

That's what happens to Bob Reiniger in my latest series Stranded No Where. He wasn't prepared, and he struggles oh so mightily.

I'm off for a long weekend in Virginia with family. I sure hope TEOTWAWKI doesn't happen while I'm gone. I didn't leave my daughter and her husband with all that much food for my two dogs.

Until next time -- keep reading,

e a lake

If you like Post-Apocalyptic, You'll Like This

"This cannot be happening? How will I survive?"

If you're a fan of post-apocalyptic novels like The Road, Wool, and Home you are going to love this new series: The No Where Apocalypse.

Follow Bob Reiniger as he wakes to find himself in the most impossible position he could ever imagine: The End Of The World As We Know It. And to make matters worse, he's alone, poorly supplies, and 400 miles from home. He is truly smack dab in the middle of nowhere.

Now available on Amazon Kindle: Click here to get your copy today.

As always, thanks for following!

e a lake