I have been encouraged by friends, readers and reviewers of, "The Alchemist's Notebook" to publish for FREE the beginning of the first chapter.  Jim Steranko, the American graphic artist and comic book writer/artist, once told me to grab the readers’ attention with the first line. So here it goes:
PART ONE
THE SCHLOSS
From Janet Church’s Diary         I am almost out of Valium, only one more pill left.  The stress is beginning to get the best of me.  The tranquilizer is the only thing that has made life bearable for me these last few days.  I wonder now what will happen next, if they will come for me after the drug runs out, or if I will be allowed to numb my last few minutes. 
       They won’t come close to the schloss now.  I have the lights burning in every room.  I even have the oil lamp I found going and every candle I could lay my hands on is lit. 
       They won’t come this minute.  They won’t come until the mist hides the stars and the moon. 
       Dear God!  I am not even sure who they are!
For those of you that want more you can go to  Amazon.com  (that was a link) and examine additional pages of "The Alchemist's Notebook," using Amazon's “LOOK INSIDE” feature.  You will be able to read and examine the first dozen pages before deciding whether to plunk down $14.95 for the paperback or $7.95 for the Kindle version...enjoy.

Byron Craft