April 6, 2018
DAMNED IF I DO
Recovering unexpectedly after a long illness can be hard to accept. A painful decision made over a decade ago eventually has its consequences. A life-changing opportunity missed can lead to bitter disappointment. Settling old scores can mean having to make brave choices. Love sometimes requires brutal compromises. You never appreciate what you have, until it gets you arrested. Memory loss and a missing mobile phone, what can possibly go wrong?
DAMNED IF I DON'T
These seven tales will take you on a tour of the human psyche, showing you both sides of that old adage. Buckle up and prepare for a bumpy ride as life, friendship, love, loyalty, passion, revenge and fear meet at every twist and turn resulting in the difference between opportunity and regret. Where would you turn at that fork in the road? Do you follow your heart and make a deal with the Devil, or play it safe and just take the high road?
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About the Author
Ant Richards was born in St Mary Abbotts Hospital in Kensington, London, but spent the formative part of his life in Caracas, Venezuela. After finishing High School he trained as a recording engineer, working in leading dubbing and voice-over studios in his adopted hometown.
In the mid-nineties Ant returned to his native London where he ended up working in the travel industry. Here he was able to indulge in his other passion; travelling. At the same time, the dormant writing talent in him began to flourish. He started as a travel writer, reviewing destinations, accommodation, flights, always adding his personal writing style to make his stories more enticing, appealing and entertaining.
It was only a matter of time before he seriously considered writing his fist novel. His first, self-published novel, In Your Dreams was released in mid-2014. This was followed at the end of 2017 by his current release, Damned If I Don't.
Ant currently lives in South East London with his family.
Click here or comment below to contact us to obtain a review copy of Damned If I Don't
Excerpt
From The Sentence
For the first time in a long while, Jimmy woke up feeling colder than usual. Not only cold but also drenched. He opened his eyes. He couldn't see a thing.
He panicked. As much as he squinted, everything was pitch black. He also realised he was not lying against a soft padded wall. In fact, the surface felt metallic and cold.
Ice cold.
I've been moved.
Jimmy felt too weak to stand. As he rummaged the floor surface with his hands, he also noticed it was hard. And smooth. Concrete, maybe?
How long have I been here?
The last thing he could remember was effortlessly falling asleep after his latest meal. Now, this. Many ideas ran through his head as to how he arrived at this place.
He felt something unfamiliar.
I'm not smelling.
He touched his hair and face with trembling hands. The hair was still long, straw-like, and wet. The beard was still there. He let his hand travel down the rest of his body, feeling his wet skin the lower it went. As he blindly explored his body, not really knowing what to look for, he could feel his scabs, which were now raw and stung at his touch.
He reached his genital area and notice it was no longer bare. Whoever had moved Jimmy had taken the trouble and the decency of fitting some underwear on him. Other than that, he was not wearing anything else.
He huddled against the cold wall. If time seemed endless inside the padded, continuously lit room, it now held a totally unknown dimension in the dark - eerily dark, numbingly silent, and crushingly freezing. Jimmy found it hard to take any comfort from the change in surroundings.
He decided that better than torturing himself awake trying to figure out where he was and why he was now in a dark room, he would try to sleep, in the hope that this was some sort of nightmare or hallucination.
Adopting a foetal position, Jimmy waited until his mind shut off. Something the rest of his body refused to do.
Don't forget to contact us for your review copy of Damed If I Don't
"I hope he's writing his next book already 'cos I want more! Each little story is a gem, you're waiting for the twist in the tale, and it delivers each time!" - Loobylou Eldridge
“Sometimes life has it's moments of making or breaking. A time to make things right, or make an utter fool of oneself.
At times, we must just take a chance, a gamble even. Sometimes you win, other times you inevitably lose. It's all about taking that calculated risk.
That is what DAMNED IF I DON'T is all about. Those moments of 'what if', 'but then if I...', 'maybe I should...' Let's face it, we've all had these moments in our lives. These stories explore the extreme limits of those moments of doubts, mad choices and lousy decisions.
I covered various genres to capture that sentiment in every walk of life. I hope you enjoy reading these tales as i enjoyed writing them.”- Ant Richards