by R. L. Akers
Mack grunted. "I'll hold off on returning that sentiment until after I've confirmed no bodies under my tree, thank you."
"I didn't think you put up a tree."
Mack rolled his eyes, then gripped Gray's shoulder. "You and your pop have a good evening."
Gray's smile faded. "We'll try."
Acknowledgments
After the Prometheus books, I promised I would never again subject myself (or my readers!) to an overly-complicated plot — which basically requires that every story I've developed since then be fully outlined before writing begins. And I've made good on that promise, mostly. Unfortunately, Hellhound was three-quarters written before I realized it desperately needed another twist, the addition of which caused no end of difficulties — the fixing of each of which spawned even more complications, ad infinitum it seemed.
In short, I was sick of this particular chapter in Gray's saga before anyone else had even read it. I'm more than usually grateful for my proof readers, therefore, who made excellent suggestions for easy fixes to the remaining problems, and for reminding me of at least one thread that was never resolved — and that's above and beyond identifying the normal typos and grammar/punctuation issues. So. Thank you, Sarah Akers, Ruth Akers, Les Akers, and Beth Paul. You guys rock.
I'm pleased to say I've already finished the next chapter of Gray's saga, without encountering any of these same problems. Thank you, the reader, for investing in Gray Area, and I look forward to bringing you Old Gray very soon...
Also by R.L. Akers:
ATLANTIS: Twilight of Mankind
In a time before recorded history, most of humankind lives in close proximity to a single magnificent City located on the Isle of Atalas. Ruled directly by a Pantholon of twenty-three gods, society remains in a pre-industrialized state, but great strides have been made in the realms of engineering and genetics.
In pursuit of absolute power, one of the four ruling members of the Pantholon sends his demigod son D'Akaio on a series of missions designed to undermine his rivals; as D'Akaio's fame grows among the common people, so too do the stories told about him (eventually becoming the very legends that informed Norse, Egyptian, and Greco-Roman mythology).
Meanwhile, D'Akaio's half-sister Adana launches her own private war against the Pantholon, working with an underground resistance movement to quietly rescue the women and children who are scheduled for sacrifice before the gods.
Events build toward a confrontation between brother and sister, even as the City and its depraved society speed toward prophesied doom.
Read this all-new contribution to the lore surrounding everyone's favorite lost city, on sale now!
Visit Isle-of-Atlantis.com or online retailers for details.
Also by R.L. Akers:
The GRYPHENS SAGA
You've seen the big-budget summer action flicks. You've read the books, maybe played the video games. You've heard all the conspiracy theories. But this is the real world, the present day. If the unthinkable happened, if we faced an actual, verifiable threat from outside our planet...
What would we do?
The Gryphens Saga tells that tale.
Blending military thriller and science fiction — with an emphasis on the science — R.L. Akers produces a well-crafted story peopled by characters you'll grow to love and hate. When the threat from outer space becomes known, the U.S. government is caught unprepared. With time running out, the military must adapt to an entirely new variety of warfare. Pilots and soldiers must be recruited, trained, and deployed to defensive installations in orbit above North America, and technology must take a giant leap forward... with considerable assistance from a surprising source.
But there are those who would halt these preparations: mercenaries and even traitors within the ranks. What motivates them to betray their world is unknown, but they will stop at nothing to prevent the newest branch of United States military from fulfilling its mandate.
From the shadows of rural England to the bowels of Area 51's Groom Lake installation, from the most remote corner of our planet to geosynchronous orbit thousands of miles above, the Gryphens Saga comprises a single well-researched and believable story about humanity's real-world response to the threat of alien invasion. You won't want to put these books down!
The Gryphens Saga consists of the novels
Prometheus Rebound and Prometheus Revealed,
along with the short story collection Prometheus Rising. All three volumes are on sale now.
Visit Gryphens.com or online retailers for details.
Visit OrbitalDefense.com to jump straight into the story!
About the Author
R.L. Akers loves stories. He loves hearing them, loves telling them, loves embellishing them, and loves forging them from raw materials. He is convinced that every person who ever lived has an interesting story, and he's only met one person in his life who came close to proving otherwise.
Holder of an undergraduate degree in computer science and a master's degree in business administration, Akers has worked in software development as well as non-profit fundraising and publicity. His love for children has led him in the past to be a foster parent and a coordinator of the K-5 ministry at his church. His interests include graphic design, orchestral movie soundtracks, and anything remotely creative.
Akers lives in West Virginia with his wife Sarah and the four children he loves most in this world. Visit him online at RLAkers.com.
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