The automatic is simply a nine millimeter semi-automatic pistol, and I used the word automatic simply because of the rhythm of the writing. I could have just as easily used the word pistol or hand gun but I’m all about poetic rhythm and it just sounded good there. Ninety-nine out of a hundred readers don’t know the difference between an automatic, a semi-automatic, a revolver or an Uzi. No excuse for not being accurate in my description though. Thanks for bringing that to my attention.

As I stated in the introduction, I am winging it with this novel, putting it on my site with only a read through by my wife Sheila who is both my greatest champion and most ardent critic. Some of the novel is being written on the fly, so if there are discrepancies and redundancies hopefully they will be brought to my attention and fixed in the final drafts.

I know you have a lot of questions, but the idea of a serial novel is to leave each chapter with questions for the reader to ponder. As you will see later on, the prologue only has importance in some aspects. You will find out about the dog, the child, and everyone else, but not for a while. I am building the novel to a series of climaxes. Hopefully I’ll succeed, but who knows, I’ll leave that up to you, the reader. My aim is to draw as many readers to it as possible. That way I can get an accurate measure of the novel’s worth before I publish it and hopefully make the changes necessary to make it a good book. It’s an experiment.

By the way, Barker is one of my favorite writers, and I try very hard to not let his influence show in my writing, but alas, I’m not sure that is possible.

Thanks again for reading and commenting. I certainly do appreciate it.

Mark, I DO like the book so far. I tend to over analyze and think about stuff too much. I study people and how they act for a living, am a big gun advocate, and love horror. I don’t beat around the bush, and tell it like I see it. I am in for another chapter.