# DOWN THE DRAIN—A 99¢ Horror Novelette for Monster Lovers



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

My novelette, _Down the Drain_, is available now for only 99¢. It's a quick monster tale about loneliness and the things that sometimes come clawing their way out of the unlikeliest places to get us when we're at our lowest.

I'd love to hear what you think.




Amazon US
Amazon UK

Excerpt​ *About the novelette:*

Bruce has lost everyone he ever cared about-even his cat.

Now he thinks he's finally alone in the house, but something is about to come clawing its way out of the plumbing to prove him wrong.

*What they're saying:*

"Pyle's tight little monster tale packs a nasty wallop." 
-Michael Louis Calvillo, author of _I Will Rise_ and _As Fate Would Have It_

"Horror should be fun. Scary, of course...but above all, it should be fun. Too many people seem to have forgotten that. Well, Daniel Pyle has not forgotten. With his novella, _Down the Drain_, Pyle has crafted a tale that evokes all the eye-popping strangeness and excitement that got me into horror in the first place. I loved it, and I can guarantee you'll never look at your bathtub the same again." 
-Joe McKinney, author of _Dead City_ and _Apocalypse of the Dead_


----------



## RonnellDPorter (Apr 20, 2010)

I downloaded the sample. The total book only has 480 kindle locations; you weren't kidding when you said novelette. But they say that an author who can express an entire story in few words is a great writer indeed. I'll report back here when I read it and give my unsolicited two-cents 

On a side note: Huh... Blood Lite II's cover sort of looks like a certain iconic image used to market a certain successful television series and book for the last 2 years...



















Well, maybe it's just my imagination...


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

Thanks, Ronnell. I hope you like it.

As for _Blood Lite II_, I wasn't involved with the cover art creation, but based on the cover for the new edition of the first _Blood Lite_ and the fact that Charlaine Harris was a contributing author to that anthology, I can only guess that it's an intentional parody.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Daniel--

Welcome to KindleBoards and congratulations on _Down the Drain_!

We've already exchanged witty repartee in the "Where do people read their Kindles thread" so I feel like I now you. 

A brief recap of our rules follows:

--We invite you to use your book cover as your avatar and have links to your book and website in your profile signature.

--Please bookmark this thread (using your browser's bookmark/favorite function) so you can update it as we ask that authors have only one thread per book and add to it when there is more information. You may start a separate thread for each book (or you may have one thread per series of books, or one thread for all of your books, it's your choice).

--While you may respond to member posts to your thread at any time, you may only bump your thread (back-to-back posts by you) once every seven days. Once you've responded to a member, that resets the clock to zero and you must wait seven days to post, unless another member posts before then.

--We ask that Amazon reviews not be repeated here as they are easy to find at your book link. Also, full reviews from other sites should not be posted here, but you may post a short blurb and a link to the full review instead.

--Although self-promotion is limited to the Book Bazaar, our most successful authors have found the best way to promote their books is to be as active throughout KindleBoards as time allows. This is your target audience--book lovers with Kindles! Please note that putting link information in the body of your posts constitutes self promotion; please leave your links for your profile signature that will automatically appear on each post.

All this, and more, is included in our Forum Decorum: http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,36.0.html. Be sure to check it from time to time for the current guidelines and rules.

Oh, and one more thing: be sure to check out the index threads at the top of the Book Bazaar. . . .there are details there about how you can be listed so that our readers can find you.

Thanks for being part of KindleBoards! Feel free to send us a PM if you have any questions.

Betsy & Ann
Book Bazaar Moderators


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

I mentioned this in the Writer's Cafe, but in case you didn't see it there, here it is again: as a way to promote _Down the Drain_ in iBooks, I created a free promotional iPhone app that includes an excerpt, a synopsis, the trailer, and a bonus short story, "Below the Cut."

If any of you have an iPhone or iPod Touch with iOS 4, you can download the app here for exactly zero dollars: 




I'd love to hear what you think of it.

Thanks.


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

The first review for _Down the Drain_ is up now at WebbWeaver. They give it a 4 out of 5.

Check it out here: http://webbweaver-zelda555.blogspot.com/2010/09/novella-review-for-down-drain-by-daniel.html


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

Robert Duperre reviews _Down the Drain_ on his blog, _Journal of Always_. Take a gander: http://journalofalways.blogspot.com/2010/09/review-down-drain-by-daniel-pyle.html


----------



## Guest (Sep 22, 2010)

Hi Daniel I read the preview of _Down the Drain_ and needless to say I have to buy it now. Good work. I'll report back when I finish.


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

Thanks, M.R.  I hope you enjoy it.


----------



## julieannfelicity (Jun 28, 2010)

Daniel Pyle said:


> Robert Duperre reviews _Down the Drain_ on his blog, _Journal of Always_. Take a gander: http://journalofalways.blogspot.com/2010/09/review-down-drain-by-daniel-pyle.html


I read Robert's review on, Down the Drain, and now I find myself clicking the 'One Click' and ... there, just bought it,


----------



## jpmorgan49 (Feb 10, 2009)

I just purchased Down the Drain, looking forward to reading it.  
jp


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

julieannfelicity said:


> I read Robert's review on, Down the Drain, and now I find myself clicking the 'One Click' and ... there, just bought it,





jpmorgan49 said:


> I just purchased Down the Drain, looking forward to reading it.
> jp


Thank you both.  I hope it tickles your fancy.


----------



## Guest (Sep 26, 2010)

I said I would report back when I was finished, but I haven't had the chance to get started yet...(beyond the preview)  I'll get to it this week.


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

From the novelette:

The thing surged up, now partially visible over the edge of the tub. Its scales weren't uniform but jagged, like broken tiles. Hair poked out in tufts from between the cracks-a patch here, a patch there-and although there was no way he could be certain, Bruce thought the stuff looked more than just a little bit pubic. The eyes stared at him from the sides of the thing's head, snake like, but with those eerily human irises that reminded him so much of his own.
The creature opened a hole in its face that Bruce guessed you'd call a mouth. The opening had no lips, nor could he see gums or a tongue within the black maw, but the lines of broken tiles above and below the opening were most definitely teeth.
_No. Fangs._
Whatever you wanted to call them, they were undoubtedly the gutting, filleting, bone-crunching, life-ending weapons of a carnivorous hunter. The creature snapped the teeth together, cocked its head; it opened its mouth again and let out a long, watery, whistling-kettle hiss.
Bruce scooted back, but there wasn't much room to move. He'd always considered the bathroom roomy; now it felt like a broom closet. When his back hit the vanity, he'd created maybe three feet of space between himself and the emerging thing.
The creature lifted a hand to the edge of the tub. Its fingers were bent but stiff. They appeared to be composed of segments of PVC pipe and jointed with L-bends of the same material. The ends of the digits came to points, as jagged as most of the rest of the beast. When they clacked against the tub, you could hear they were hollow. They didn't look like the most articulate body parts, but Bruce guessed they could do a lot of damage. _Enough_ damage.
The monstrosity let out another of those steamy hisses and leapt at him&#8230;


----------



## KBoards Admin (Nov 27, 2007)

I'm pleased to announce Daniel Pyle's Down the Drain as our next KB Book of the Day.

Click the link above to sample or purchase this 99-cent novelette!


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

Because _Down the Drain_ is the Kindle Boards Book of the Day today, I thought I'd post some fun, behind-the-scenes info:

How _Down the Drain_ Came to Be

I've always been a big fan of baths. I like to get the water nice and hot, dump in enough bubbles to clean an ocean liner, prepare myself a big, steaming mug of coffee, and sink into the suds with a good book.

But baths can be a little scary, too, can't they? You're alone, you're vulnerable, and if you bathe with as many bubbles as me, you have no idea what might be lurking under the water with you.

I don't remember the exact moment this story popped into my head-like most of my work, it probably came about after a series of smaller ideas finally clumped together into some sort of sensical thought-but I loved writing it. In fact, writing this novelette might have been one of the most pleasurable writing experiences of my life. It's a quick, fun, freaky tale best saved for those few minutes right before bed. Or better yet: a warm, soapy bath.

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy the story.

Daniel Pyle

If anyone has any questions, comments, concerns, or confessions about the story, let 'em rip. I'll be around all day to respond.


----------



## KBoards Admin (Nov 27, 2007)

Just when you thought it was safe to get back in the water...


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

We're gonna need a bigger first-aid kit.


----------



## Guest (Oct 5, 2010)

No need to dawdle here. Picked up my copy nice and early!


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

Thanks, Jason.


----------



## KBoards Admin (Nov 27, 2007)

Daniel Pyle said:


> We're gonna need a bigger first-aid kit.




That's some bad mat, Harry. /groan


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

Harvey said:


> That's some bad mat, Harry. /groan


Ha!

I'm blaming you if I have some kind of strange _Jaws_/_House_/bathtub creature nightmare tonight.


----------



## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

See the advertising works.
This is the second one that I have decided to buy.
But I have not purchased everything, nor do I intend to.
But this is a method that should work.

This plus word-of-mouth KB member recommendations.

Just sayin.....


----------



## Anne Victory (Jul 29, 2010)

I read the review on Amazon and I want to get it... but...


Spoiler



the cat doesn't get hurt, does it?


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

Arkali said:


> I read the review on Amazon and I want to get it... but...
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> ...





Spoiler



I can tell you in all honesty that no real cats were harmed in the making of this novelette. In fact, I even gave my cat some half & half as a special treat after I wrote the first part. As for the fictional cat&#8230;*coughs. refuses to make eye contact.*


----------



## Anne Victory (Jul 29, 2010)

Oh. Errrm. I'm a softie for animals. I'd be very, very sad about


Spoiler



a cat dying. I felt really bad for the cat in 8-Legged Freaks 


.


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

I'm actually a softie for animals, too.  I get goosebumps when I drive by roadkill.  Even if it's something nasty like an armadillo.


----------



## Anne Victory (Jul 29, 2010)

LOL  Armadillos are funny.  They actually move pretty fast, too, and hop like kangaroos if they're booking it.  I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it.

So - it sounds like a good campy fun scare - you think I'll be be okay with it, despite fore-mentioned spoilers?


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

Arkali said:


> So - it sounds like a good campy fun scare&#8230;


That's what I was going for.



Arkali said:


> &#8230;you think I'll be be okay with it, despite fore-mentioned spoilers?


The part you won't like happens quickly, if that's any consolation.


----------



## Anne Victory (Jul 29, 2010)

LOL  Fine, fine.  If I cry I'm going to haunt your book thread


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

_Down the Drain_ is having a record month. Thanks to everyone who's picked up a copy. If you haven't bought it yet, and you're looking for a good Halloween scare, I don't think it'll let you down.


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

I didn't purposefully carve my pumpkin to look like the creature from _Down the Drain_, but it came out looking a little like it anyway.

Subconscious: 13. Working mind: 0.


----------



## Joel Arnold (May 3, 2010)

Daniel - I read *Down the Drain* over the weekend and enjoyed it! Reminded me of the stories they often had in Twilight Zone magazine (back in the 1980's). Nice job!


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

Joel Arnold said:


> Daniel - I read *Down the Drain* over the weekend and enjoyed it! Reminded me of the stories they often had in Twilight Zone magazine (back in the 1980's). Nice job!


Thanks, Joel! I'm glad you liked it.


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

Halloween's over, but freaking yourself out is never out of season.  

At the suggestion of some readers, I've moved the excess content (praise, other works, etc.) to the end of this story.  It's still a short novelette, so the sample isn't especially long, but that should add an extra page or two of actual story for you samplers.

For those of you who pick it up, I hope you enjoy it.


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

Sales for _Down the Drain_ have had a nice little bump since I released my novel. If you're thinking of trying me out, _DtD_ is a nice, cheap way to get a feel for my writing style.


----------



## Guest (Nov 15, 2010)

I read this, and I would NOT want that to happen to me!


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

foreverjuly said:


> I read this, and I would NOT want that to happen to me!


I don't want it to happen to you either. Most of it anyway.


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

_Down the Drain_ has two reviews now, both five stars. You can read them here.


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

You know what stinks?  When you're taking a bath, trying to forget about that creepy bathtub story you wrote, and the washcloth wraps itself around your ankle.


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

Many of you have already seen the revised cover for _Down the Drain_, but for those of you who haven't, what do you think?

​


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

_Down the Drain_ has been doing really well. I haven't decided for sure, but I'm thinking of making it the first in a collection of four novellas/novelettes a la _Different Seasons_. Except with more monsters.


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

Gift _Down the Drain_ to the horror lover in your life this Christmas. 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

This little novelette is still going strong.  Thanks to everyone who has picked up a copy.


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

Journal of Always rates _Down the Drain_ among the best reads of 2010. You can see the full list here.

I hope you're all enjoying your new year!


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

_Down the Drain_ received its fourth five-star review on Amazon this week. I'm really glad people are enjoying it so much. If you're into horror, I hope you'll check it out.


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

I risked taking a bath last night and lived to tell the tale!


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

_Down the Drain_ is having its best month ever. Thanks again to everyone who's picked up a copy and/or recommended it to a friend.


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

I did construction with my dad for many years.  I've seen the undersides of bathtubs.  But I've never seen anything like this.

Not outside my own twisted imagination anyway.


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

Red Adept Reviews gives _Down the Drain_ five stars! You can read the full review here.


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

_Down the Drain_ now has five five-star reviews on Amazon. You can read them here.

Thanks again for reading!


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

_Down the Drain_ now has eight reviews averaging 4.75 stars on Amazon. You can read the reviews here.

Thank you to everyone who has picked up a copy. I'm glad so many of you are enjoying it!


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

_Down the Drain_ got a nice review over on Grade Z Horror recently. Check it out here.


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

There's a new review of _Down the Drain_ over at Candy's Raves.

She says: "This is a fun horror little story, well worth purchasing."

You can read the full review here.


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

_Down the Drain_ is still racking up the good reviews over on Amazon. I'm sure glad people are enjoying it. Thank you to everyone who has picked up a copy.


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

I know most people don't get excited about one-star reviews, but I actually kinda love this one: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1NBOPFHXL1DKY/

LOL


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

It's been a while since I've stopped by this thread. For those of you new around here, or those of you who haven't seen it around, I hope you'll check out my little novelette.


----------

