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fiction

The Robbins: old farts gone bad. Free eBook

Cover_front_ALT_200The Robbins are determined to get their money back—and get even.

When an arrogant and selfish 26-year old, Ken Paulson, inherited a large national jewelry store chain, he probably shouldn’t have fired 72-year old Wayne Robbins, a brilliant engineer who helped Ken’s father build the company. And he certainly should not have stolen Robbins’ retirement funds, patents, and royalties.

But, he did.

The need to survive forces Wayne to develop a brilliant plan. Traveling the country in their motor coach, these sweet grandparents devise and execute perfect crimes. But they must overcome unexpected challenges, conspiracies, intrigue, and crossed loyalties. Finally, they must face and out-smart not only Ken Paulson but also the people they fear the most.

This may not end the way you think it will.

CLICK THIS LINK TO GET THE FREE EBOOK

Tomorrow, I’ll be offering my historical thriller, Roland: of pirates and patriots, as a free eBook download. If you’re interested in that one, too. CLICK HERE tomorrow.

Three Legs of the Caliphate

3Legs_Cover_websiteExciting news. Three Legs of the Caliphate, book 2 of the Robert Curry series, is out.

Robert Curry’s new war is raging in the world right now, and this story should chill every one of us to the bone. Is it fact or fiction?

Cyber control of the world’s economy

Political control of the world’s minds

Radical Islamic control of the world’s destiny

In a continuation of Apocalypse Disrupted, Three Legs of the Caliphate pulls you into Curry’s fight against radical Islamic terrorists, cyber/financial manipulators, and twisted politicians who develop an integrated strategy to wage Jihad against ‘non-believers’ and build a Caliphate for themselves. Curry must use his unique gifts to identify the conspirators and defuse their scheme before the Western world is overrun, before his country and his family are destroyed again.

“From my military experience—I was embedded with Afghans for a year—Freriks is spot on with Middle Eastern customs and culture, but more importantly, the viewpoint of radical Islam. I was amazed at the depth and breadth of military intelligence, IT, and Middle Eastern culture. Not to mention how scary the book parallels today’s world. Great story. Couldn’t put it down. Kudos.”
Captain Phillip Blaine, Navy, MSC,… Continue reading

QuarterShot – a short story

A short story by Timothy Freriks © 2016

The feel of the football in my hand as the center hikes it to me is comfortable and secure and I start to move away from the line. I see the other team’s backfield starting to watch my eyes and the Cornerback trying to figure out how to anticipate what they are saying. The guard can’t see me, of course, since I’m lying behind the low ornate parapet of the dingy, half-destroyed apartment building in this sunbaked, God forsaken city. But I can see him through the scope which is pointed toward the speaker’s platform 631 yards away.

My Wide Receiver is a half-second late in getting off the line toward his lane. It’s a simple hook pattern made to look like a post pattern to confuse the Safety. If everybody else is covered, I’ll hit him in the hook and settle for fifteen yards. The Premier is just starting to enter my field of vision from the right. The guard backs away a step to give him room to climb the steps. Good, that gives me a couple extra inches. But there’s another guard entering from the left… and the Ambassador… Continue reading

On Writing 2.0

This is a re-print of a Post I wrote last week. I’ve been asked to re-release it by some new “fans”. (Okay, maybe not fans…maybe followers…okay, maybe not followers… maybe because my sister was out of the country and missed it).

“Writing is a solitary sport”, somebody said. (I like writing better, though: I don’t usually sweat when I write). However, to me, writing is anything but solitary. I have so many characters visiting me in my house-brain that I never seem alone. Sometimes characters are good friends, and sometimes I just wish they’d go away. It’s true: some characters I just don’t like. Some, I love. Some are just there to move the plot along or give the reader insight into a real character. Some come and go and some stick around, continually surprising me.

“Surprising you?” you might ask. “Yes,” I would reply. If your characters don’t surprise you, they don’t grow. If the characters don’t grow, the story doesn’t grow. If your characters don’t twist you and tempt you and keep you guessing and wondering, they won’t intrigue the reader. “But don’t you direct them? Aren’t they your characters?” you ask again. Actually, I think that if… Continue reading

On Writing

“Writing is a solitary sport”, somebody said. (I like writing better, though: I don’t usually sweat when I write). However, to me, writing is anything but solitary. I have so many characters visiting me in my house-brain that I never seem alone. Sometimes characters are good friends, and sometimes I just wish they’d go away. It’s true: some characters I just don’t like. Some, I love. Some are just there to move the plot along or give the reader insight into a real character. Some come and go and some stick around, continually surprising me.

“Surprising you?” you might ask. “Yes,” I would reply. If your characters don’t surprise you, they don’t grow. If the characters don’t grow, the story doesn’t grow. If your characters don’t twist you and tempt you and keep you guessing and wondering, they won’t intrigue the reader. “But aren’t they your characters?” you ask again. Actually, I think that if you consider them to be your characters, the reader won’t take ownership—and isn’t that the ultimate goal of writing? You have to share; you have to bring your readers into your head.

I am continually amazed how much of a third-party I feel when I’m… Continue reading

Man on a rope – a short story

The young man stepped gingerly on the wet, algae-covered rocks. He’d learned his lesson: They are slippery; the aching bruise on his ass kept reminding him of that. He found a secure spot to put his feet and paused, listening. No footsteps in the distance. No dogs. Just wind and the babble of the swiftly-moving river. Good.

Encouraged, he started forward again, carefully placing his feet and grabbing whatever strong-looking handholds he could find that stuck out of the carved mud bank. South. South about 100 yards past the sharp bend. That’s what Harry had said. The rope will be there, Tony.

Tony looked back. The only sharp bend was behind him. How far? Had he come 100 yards yet? How could he tell? Tony tried to visualize a football field, but since he was way too skinny and uncoordinated to play sports—not to mention uninterested—he couldn’t. After another fifteen feet—five yards, right?—he raised his eyes from the intricate confusion of the rock and dead branch path to look again. What if Harry meant 80 yards? Did he pass it? What if Harry meant 120 yards? Then he wasn’t there yet. What if Harry didn’t know a yard from his… Continue reading

The Robbins: old farts gone bad

Cover_front_homePage

The Robbins: old farts gone bad

I’m writing a new novel. My wife and I recently bought an RV–whoops, I mean “motor coach”–and are starting to travel and meet the rather eclectic mix of people who do the same thing. Fascinating. So I’m thinking: what sort of trouble can a couple of travelling old farts get into?
Here’s a clip:

Chapter One

Early October 2015

The tall old man pressed against the rough concrete block wall, pushed his wispy silver hair—what was left of it—back along the sides of his head, and waited. The footsteps grew fainter then stopped, followed by the distant sound of a car door opening.
He had disabled a wall-mounted security light with a rock, but it still had a strange blue glow that didn’t do much to illuminate the side of the store; he still felt exposed. He pulled his worn olive-drab coat tighter against the night chill, pushed up his thick glasses and controlled his breathing as best he could as the headlights of the saleslady’s car swung around the corner then pointed toward the main road. After a moment, it receded and almost total quiet returned.
Wayne Robbins flexed his hands, scratched… Continue reading

Billy – a disturbing short story

I’m will be uploading a series of free short stories over the next month or so.

BILLY

August 14, 1974

The screams shattered his peace. He sat up, breathing hard, sweating. He rammed his hands to his temples. Stop! he yelled aloud. Leave me alone! It was the kids, the taunting, jeering, angry kids that came to him when he slept. They were screaming in his head again, their madness engulfing his mind, their hate and laughter echoing.

The young man opened his eyes and looked around to get his bearings; he had drifted off to sleep, but the clock on the painted concrete wall in the hallway had not. It told him that he hadn’t lost much time, enough for the nightmare to visit again, but not enough to put him much closer to the event that would end his pain.

“You OK?” the large guard asked as he poked his head around the corner. The fat black man in the faded blue uniform had become almost compassionate since the final stay request was denied. He grunted and stared at Billy for a moment then tucked his head back to his solitaire at the little table behind… Continue reading

Roland: of pirates and patriots

Roland_frontCover_smallRoland: of pirates and patriots is in the “alternative history” genre, but maybe more of a “secret history”. It is the “how it happened” that makes this novel engaging.

The United States almost ceased to exist in 1814. Based around true events and actual people, Roland is set in the very early 1800’s, a critical time for America as England was threatening to return the young country to the Crown.

An American ship’s captain is paid by traitors to deliver a large shipment of gold to people in London who intend to weaken America. The captain, a patriot, leads a plot to hijack and conceal the shipment so it can ultimately be used to benefit America. But all conspirators, including twelve-year-old Roland’s father, are killed in a skirmish between opposing forces. Before he dies in a shipwreck, the captain entrusts the boy with the secret. Roland survives and vows to someday use the gold to help preserve America’s independence. However, the First Mate, who discovers that Roland is the key to riches, also survives and swears to find the gold for himself.

Roland brings pirates and patriots together in a complex and engaging weave of mystery and… Continue reading