INTO THE LAND OF SNOWS by Ellis Nelson
REALITY AND ILLUSION
Chapter One
The phone rang at an ungodly hour. In the darkness, Blake reached across his desk and clicked it on.
“Hello?” he said, wiping the gunk from his eyes.
“Hi, Blake. It’s Dad,” came the response.
“Dad?”
“Listen, I got a call from your mother.” The line crackled with static.
Blake threw his legs over the side of the bed and sat up. “Where are you?”
Mumble, mumble crack. “…at Base Camp. Look, I can’t get away, so the best I can do is have you come here,” Dad said.
“Come there? To Everest?” Blake said with disbelief. He dug his toe into the carpet and reminded himself he wasn’t dreaming.
“Yes, here. Your mother is very upset.”
“I know, but she’ll calm down in a couple of days,” Blake answered.
Dad’s tone turned harsh. “You’re coming here and we’re going to straighten this out.”
Blake drew in a cold breath and pleaded, “This is not a big deal. Everyone is overreacting. Besides, I can’t come there. I’m in the middle of school. Maybe over the break. I know Mom will calm down. Look, this isn’t necessary.”
Static filled the line. “…not open to discussion. You are in big trouble and your butt is mine for the next few months. I’ve talked this all out with your mother and she’ll help you get ready. I’ll see you in a couple of weeks.”
“But Dad—”
Click. The phone went dead. Blake let it drop into his lap. He climbed under the covers and pulled his comforter up close. With his back against the headboard, he shivered and wondered why everyone was making this out to be so important. On top of that, this was the first time he had heard from his father in the many months following the divorce, and the phone call hadn’t been the warm reunion Blake sought. Why had Dad felt compelled to call in the middle of the night? Everyone was acting like this was a really serious thing, and it just wasn’t. Go to Everest? That was crazy! He’d talk to Mom in the morning and once she truly heard what he had to say, she’d agree and Dad would back off his insane idea. Blake chuckled. Base Camp, Everest, yeah, right!
Several free chapters are available on Amazon for your review.
Thanks for stopping by my blog and giving me the opportunity to find yours. My dream is to become a published author for children so I admire your achievement and look forward to reading more.
In a warm bed, a chilling call, and I’ll bet an even chillier adventure to come. I felt that – was immediately drawn in. Congratulations and I look forward to reading more. Love your style! Thanks for sharing
Your book starts really well. I was drawn in. I’m going to download a bigger sample on my kindle right now. Well done!
Great!! Definitely want to read more! And by the way thanks for stopping by my blog…..will be putting up a page about a book of India stories soon. Glad to follow along your blog! in peace….kai
I got what you mean,bookmarked, very nice web site.
Hi Ellis,
Thank you for reading my blog. I can’t wait to read your new book and I am so excited for you, since my dream is to do a book someday, also. I’m concentrating on my painting right now and the only writing I’m doing is my blog. I am a Christian, which means that I believe in things you can’t see, and places beyond this earth, so I appreciate your own journey into what really matters.
Thanks for posting an excerpt. Always inspiering to learn about others who slave in the mines of the imagination. keep digging …
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Everest? Yes. I’m sure he goes. He must! We all have our Mount Everests, and we must scale them. Tremendous metaphor!
Keep it Up!
~kp
I enjoyed this very much! Would you consider submitting a short or excerpt to the Short Attention Span Press?? If so, you can email me at lanemeyer010101@gmail.com
Great excerpt. It’s tight, clear, and suspenseful. Poor Blake . . . I have a feeling Mom’s not going to agree.
Mom agrees since Blake is just too much for her. Join Blake on the helicopter ride to Base Camp in the next chapter.
I am not a good book reader, but I am intrigue to see what’s next… So it’s probably will be a visit to Amazon to check as suggested.. Good luck with the book anyhow. I think it is great to be able to write any, well done. Thank you for visiting me.
This sounds excellent and I want to read more! I have written for children and once came close to publication but life has been getting in the way for the last fifteen years or so but I’m gearing up to writing again! Thank you so much for liking my recent post. Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year to you and yours!
I like the start. I’ll have to order this one, too!
Thanks for liking my blog! I will definitely check out your book (combines many elements that are close to my heart – Buddhism, mountains and mysteries!). If you get a chance, check out my fiction blog (Life in Black and White) at http://jonesbethany.wordpress.com/
Thanks again! Happy Reading/writing!
I’ll have to get a copy of your book to read. The mountains pictured on your website alone has sent me off into nostalgia. I went to school in Kalimpong which is a tiny town two hours away from Darjeeling (of tea fame) in the foothills of the Himalayas. Kanchenjunga was a backdrop to our playing field. Good luck on your book.
Congratulations on the publication! That’s one summit I hope to join you on soon!
Congratulations on completing your book and getting it published – as someone who dabbles in writing, I have a lot of admiration for people who make it to the end of the journey!
And, as a budding blogger, thanks for liking my post, it means a lot
I really enjoyed this excerpt and would love to read the entire book. I look forward to the opportunity! Congratulations on your tremendous success!
Very captivating, you have the golden pen for story writing. Not many authors can grab hold of a reader’s curiosity. Just this short excerpt has me seating my rump on the edge of my chair. Best fortune on the many more stories waiting to be birthed. Also, thank you for the like.
That’s very nice of you! Thanks.
Great grab.
Hope sales are going well.
WOW! What an attention grabber. A definite book to add to my Nook. I wish you much deserve success on the sale of this book.
Hope you like it and will come back to share your thoughts.
I will.
Thanks for visiting Life’s Little Surprises. I read your excerpt and it was a teaser. I want to know what got him the call from his Dad. I’m going to have to buy it.
Thanks for stopping by my blog. I’ve put this book on my wish list. The excerpt pulled me right in, and I will likely be placing a new book order in the next couple of weeks. (My To Be Read basket is overflowing today, but that will change. And I don’t dare let it get all the way empty, or I’ll have a panic attack! *smile*)
Hi Ellis,
Thank you for visiting my blog. I really like yours and I enjoyed myself reading this very well written excerpt from your book. It left me curious, and that is a very good thing!
All the best!
Jeronimo
Your writing is so great and captivating. I want to read more! Best of luck with the sale of this bool. Thanks so much for liking the post on my blog: http://www.thehungrywanderer.com
~M
Sounds like Blake is in for some adventure. I look forward to reading more chapters.
Vivien
Thanks for liking my blog. I’ll go read more of this on amazon. I’m ready to read anything about snow at this point, and Everest sounds just the ticket. Crisp, clean, bracing…perfect place to preserve a corpse…Good luck.
This is suspenseful! Thanks for posting an excerpt–I liked it. And thank you for visiting my blog.
Hello Ellis
Thanking you for your likes! This excerpt is very clear and well written. I’m learning a lot from it. Well structured too. The tumbling suspense wants me to read more.
Thank you for liking our page. I really enjoyed reading this sample from your book; and look forward to reading more. As one fellow writer to the next; I believe that imagery is the best detail of all and you have definitely tackled that. While reading your passage of literature, I felt like I was right there.
I love your whole blog and the recurring theme of connections, history, inner strength, questioning, leaning, personal relationships growth and spiritual enlightenment. Everything that really makes life worth living! I look forward to reading your book, and see what’s in-store for Blake!