My Crazy Corner

What’s In A Name?

When I’m fashioning a character, I don’t just call it a day after a simple sketch with some good qualities and flaws noted, interests and desires, backstory and future intentions. I really dig into how certain factors from the past affect the characters in the present and take it down to how they process information, see the world, perceive others, and I explore why they act, think or speak the way they do.

Take Majesty from Kings & Queens. Originally, I had her name chosen, it just seemed right, and this love triangle idea with her two best friends in my mind. But, I’m not a romance writer, I need more plot and substance. I crave it. With months of nothing else to build on, one night I dreamt I was running for and overheard these two guys planning a church massacre, and I escaped them in this quaint town. Boom. I found my plot and location.

I was planning on writing this plain-up mystery-suspense thing, but when I got into the thick of it, my story and characters surprised me and grew into something totally unexpected and awesome. The story came to embody a living chess match actually, and there are even more royal tie-ins beyond that. So, it bugged me that her name was Majesty. I don’t like things to be that matchy matchy in books. It just comes across as gimmicky and not really cute at all. I considered changing her name, but then I realized, her being pinned with such a funky name all her life actually forced her to choose between taking on antagonists or buckling to them. Instead of shriveling from the onslaught on insults, she rose up and developed a quick wit and a pithy tongue and a desire to win.

All of these things about her, all that might, and also the vulnerability to fail and fall because she shoots so high, would be non-existent is she were an Ashley. I mean, I could certainly write them in, I could create an Ashley like that, but there’d be no true source for that wellspring of strength. It would seem fake and unreal, like I was just trying to make a kick-ass girl because that’s what’s hot right now. Majesty, the noun, is all about prominence, might, and being on top, and Majesty, my character, aspires to all that so she can represent the name she holds.

She has to go all Veronica Mars when she overhears two fellow students planning a church massacre and cops don’t believe her, and her inner strength is what pulls her through the ebbs of betrayal and danger on her way to the truth. So, I really couldn’t rename her. She wouldn’t let me. Because of everything it embodies and fashioned within her, I love her name. It is both her persona and her quest. And I can’t see her as anything else.

Where you can find Courtney:

my site: http://www.courtneyvail.com
book site: http://www.kingsandqueensnovel.com
FB: http://www.facebook.com/kingsandqueensnovel
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cvwriter
Blog, Gotta Have YA: http:www.gottahaveya.blogspot.com

About Me

I am 24 year old Business graduate living in the UK. My interests include martial arts. I have studied a few disciplines including Karate and Muay Thai. I have a big interest in MMA though I don’t practice it. I like poetry, aside from novels and short stories I write poems and I am working on two anthologies at present. I have a novel that has been published by Hellicious Horrors Epublishing owned by Nina Hobson. If you would like please visit the website for details on my book. I studied philosophy a few years that gave me a new perception on life. I used to be an amateur film maker and I have a YouTube channel. I love theology and find it a fascinating subject and finally I am a bit of a gamer and love my PS3.

About the book

Title - Memoirs of the Damned
Genre – Horror/Fantasy/YA
Available – online only
Publisher - Nina Hobson - Hellicious Horrors Epublishing
Website - http://www.hellicioushorrors.com/

Blurb

A Vampire epic set in a timeless gothic medieval backdrop with the palpable sensation of rage and loss.

Andross Ameliyo’s world is constantly beset by tragedy. On a stormy night he is given a choice that will ultimately spell damnation for himself or for those around him. Will he choose revenge or redemption?

When and why did you begin writing?

I would have to say I began writing at the age of 12/13 but that was mainly poetry. Around about 16/17 whilst I was at college I began writing stories but they were very poor and ill written pieces of work. However my imagination is a wild phantom that doesn’t let me sleep sometimes and it propelled me to write more and more. My poetry got better and more exuberant, my writings became more believable. Its funny actually as the ill written stories I’m talking about were the foundations of the story I have just got published. If ever the cliché was correct then its – Practice does indeed make perfect. I write because my friends like my work and well my imagination is a lot better than most stuff out there, yes I have a grand ego.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Simple answer Never, it was my friends who helped me realise this revelation. I wrote because it kept me entertained, but when my friends read my poetry or stories they were like “whoa, you’re a good writer” and then I had the epiphany, “Me, Writer??” So I guess I do now especially since I’ve been given a chance but really I never did.

What inspired you to write your first book?

Haha, whoa how long have you got? Ok I’ll keep it short and sweet. My imagination is one wicked device, it has its own mind and I am not in control. Basically I wanted to see a real vampire, allow me to elaborate. In my opinion twilight is not real vampirism, 30 days of night kind of misses the mark too. Blade almost had it but lost it eventually. I have a pre-set notion of what I think a real vampire is and only one thing satisfied that notion, a game. Legacy of Kain is a well known computer game franchise, its main character Kain is what I consider to be a “Real” vampire unfortunately there weren’t more like him. My imagination craved more so I had a brain wave, I’ll just make my ideal vampire up, everyone else has. No disrespect to authors and visionaries it’s just I don’t see them that way. This is my first time writing a fictional literary piece, the market may be saturated by tales of vampires. My tale is designed to rock the senses of the reader and bring back some dignity to the myth of vampires conjured by Vlad the Impaler’s tyranny. Games, books, films and heck everyday life was the inspiration for my book. Bare in mind this story isn’t totally whole rather it’s an amalgamation of those early stories I used to write, a series basically that I was sentimentally drawn towards and had to see developed.

How did you come up with the title?

This story of mine is actually a collection of old stories I wrote in my college days rolled into one. The old stories were called hang-man, they followed the same basic linear path of the book but the book is far more comprehensive and better structured than the stories. I took the old stories mashed them altogether into one and did minimal research. I realised that if I’m doing such a big project then I need to do the title justice as “hang-man” just seems feeble compared to the newly written content. So lo and behold Memoirs of the Damned rose from the embers of the old stories like a demented phoenix.

Do you see writing as a career?

Totally, absolutely, hey if I knew I could support myself by making stuff up with the gunk in my head I would. I have a degree in business and I never studied English in college. I don’t like rules that inhibit imagination such as grammar haha but I totally love to entertain, a career in writing would be AWESOME and I confess it’s a coveted aspiration.

When in the day/night do you write? How long per day?

I can’t really concentrate in the day, my mind hasn’t warmed up plus I feel groggy (like a bear out of hibernation). The night inspires me, especially when writing ominous horror passages or deep seated love poems. There’s something about the night that fills me with fantastic fright. I look out into the cold alleyways from my bedroom window. The pondering of what dangers lurk out there, the feeling I have is real and is transposed into my writing. At night I am at the peak of my philosophical prowess and it is in the twilight that I excel. I can only write between 800 – 1000 words before I get bored.


How do you describe your writing style?

Classical in a word, I am a real sucker for the days of yore. I have a certain quaint understanding of things and I guess it’s reflected in my writing. When I have debates with my friends they find what I’m trying to say difficult to understand. The reason being I use words they’re not familiar with. I asked them why this is the case, the response was that I talk in poetry.

Typical, my gift is my curse.

But I’m not too bothered, I have a talent and I will flaunt it.

What are you passionate about these days?

THIS! developing a career in writings and becoming a phantom in books. I’m only a fledgling at the moment but want to be a colossal force in the literary world. I have high aspiration but enough heart to see it through. The only thing lacking is opportunity but even that is becoming more frequent. I have a penchant for the dramatic and I am ever trying to further my dream and live my passion. I want to reach those immaculate eiderdowns of thought. I want to bask in the sweltering everglades of inspiration, those shining symphonies that resonate throughout all of history. I want those sun-kissed petals of reason to touch my soul. I want to fully immerse myself in the literary arts. I want to live my dreams.

Do you have any suggestions for beginning writers? If so, what are they?

The writing world is harsh and cruel; at every turn there is someone there to put you down. Meeting that adversity head on is what will define you as an author, as a writer.

Don’t despair because of the level hypocrisy because every cloud has a silver lining. There are gems in this world too; people out of selflessness want to help you. People like Apryl who through her own kindness wants to help. If you can find these gems of people then half your work is done. They will help you, reinvigorate your standing and help you re-establish the confidence that may have been lost.
Find these gems, these bloggers and reviewers and watch your world change. Hey, even you might change in the process.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Only to those who will read Memoirs of the Damned

I am not a horror author, that sentiment conjures ideas of boring old men writing stories. I am not a horror author.

I am the puerile insanity Sigmund Freud fantasised about. Cerberus was mine to begin with; I raised him from when he was a puppy. Jack the ripper was my Masonic manservant before I fired him. The muse for David Berkowitz wasn’t my demon cousin possessing the neighbour’s dog, IT WAS ME. Dante Aligheri got the idea for writing his inferno after visiting the 7 levels of my house.

I am the evil reflection in your mirror that imitates as you are looking, but keeps staring at you as you look away. I am the villainy behind your eyes before you sin. I am the evil that resides in your subconscious. I am NOT a horror author, I am Horror!

What are you working on at the moment/have in the pipeline?

• A Martial arts play for a competition
• Trying to get my book published traditionally
• Compiling 2 poetry anthologies concurrently
• Writing a romance novel
• I want to write a collection of multi-genre short stories
• I want to write a trilogy of novels in the sci-fi genre
• I want to make a film based on one of my book

Ok and all that whilst maintaining my sanity and trying to find full-time work. Honestly speaking if I got paid just make stories and stuff (sigh) I think my soul would receive some measure of peace.

Where to find me?
https://twitter.com/darkbiggie

Where to find my book?
http://www.hellicioushorrors.com/vampires.html

Excerpt

The man spoke, “Cease Emmanuelle!!” The beast snarled before looking up briefly and saying, “Yes Master”. The beast disappeared like a wisp of air, I crawled out onto the grass on my chiselled elbows, breathing heavily. I said to this mysterious man, “thank you sir”. He replied, “Rise child, tell me your name”. I shakily stood up and took a long hard look at this man. He was wearing long black pants with leather frills down the side. He had a long black cloak and a sickly pale face hidden behind a bandana he wore over his mouth. To complete the picture he wore a strangely styled hat. His eyes however looked most menacing of all. They were not human eyes, they couldn’t be. Orange pupils with blue iris’ and it looked as though his eyeballs pulsated within their sockets. I replied to his question, “Andross Ameliyo, and you good sir?” He looked at me with those demonic piercing eyes and replied, “You may call me Master Sereigravo”

I asked this ‘Master’ about the beast.

“That thing before, it was a vampire. Am right? How did you get him off me?” Sereigravo began to circle me before saying, “very perceptive, he is my pupil as I want you to be. Poor child you have suffered many hardships in your animation have you not? So I think it’s appropriate that you get some much deserved recompense. I give you a choice Andross, to live my kind of life as a detested vampire, eternal life without suffering to drink from the necks of human in a endeavour to become more or…….” I waited on his every word, I was transfixed by his bulbous eyes as if I were in a trance, “……or you can turn around and walk away but if you do. You will not live to see another day, not another dawn. No flowery meadow or brisk air will ever caress your skin. Make your choice Andross! Choose”.

Greetings and felicitations, I'm Natasha Duncan-Drake (Tasha to my friends); I'm a full time author and publisher and help run a small UK indie press publishing eBooks, Wittegen Press. Please feel free visit our site at http://www.wittegenpress.com to see all of our titles.

Firstly I would like to say thank you very much to April for having me on her wonderful blog.

My latest title Cat's Creation came out last week and is book 2 of The Chronicles of Charlie Waterman. It is the sequel to the five star rated Cat's Call and follows the trials and tribulations of Charlie, a somewhat hapless British teenager.

Charlie is an ordinary 18 year old whose whole life is turned upside down when he is attacked by a two inch cat figurine. Magic was not in his plans, but he soon learns reality is not quite as straightforward as he thought.

Charlie discovers that in his new reality, there are seven great spirits: Cat, Dragon, Horse, Dolphin, Wolf, Hawk and Spider and these spirits seek to maintain the Balance of Existence. As their agents travelling to multiple worlds they call on seven young people to be their Questors. These Questors are granted the Spirits' powers and use them to prevent the forces of Chaos from destroying life.

Link to Wittegen for the Chronicles of Charlie Waterman.

Link to G+ for the series.

Link to Facebook for the series.

In Cat's Call we first meet Charlie as he visits an old shop where he almost worked a summer job. Here he encounters a cat statuette that sends his whole life onto a new path which, he soon finds out, he should have been on two years previously. He's not overly happy about any of this, but when he manages to grow a tail in his sleep he has no choice but to accept it. Thus follows his discovery of magic, his introduction to a magical realm called Between, trying to make friends with six other young people who actually seem to be prepared for the whole situation and the first task for the Questors in the service of their Spirits.

Link to Wittegen page for the Cat's Call.

The book is full of action and adventure with a side of humour at some of the situations Charlie manages to get himself into. I do like to tease my characters and poor Charlie takes the brunt of it in this series, which results in some amusing situations. This was my first novel when it was published last year and it's full-on contemporary fantasy, because that is my all time favourite genre (thank you J.K.Rowling). It will appeal to the YA reader range and upwards into an adult readership. There are also bonus short stories available with the title for those willing to tweet about and review the book. Please see Cat's Call's Wittegen Press page for details.

Five star review from Amazon.co.uk by Matisse: "A fantastic read which I couldn't put down. A fast moving plot and believable characters - even when one grows a tail. When I finished reading it, I wanted the next one in the series! I thoroughly recommend this book."

Cat's Creation continues Charlie's adventures, following him as he struggles to deal with the aftermath of the events of Cat's Call and solve a new task for the great Spirits. Their team is struggling thanks to the consequences of the trials that could have destroyed everything they had created. As one of the leaders of the group, Charlie feels it's his duty to bring them back together. The only problem is he doesn't know how. On top of that they are sent to a world run by mafia-style families where sorcerers and vampires are commonplace. Forced to play a role that could cost him his life and plagued by a vision of death, Charlie must struggle to overcome his own insecurities and, with his friends, figure out why they have been sent to such a dangerous world.

Link to Wittegen page for the Cat's Creation.

Cat's Creation is just as packed with tension, action and magic as the first book in the series. I also had a wonderful time thinking up even more embarrassing situations in which to land Charlie so that my readers could have a giggle every now and then. This book advances the inter-team relationships and deals with the mental scars created by the difficult events of the first novel, as well as having an exciting new task. Mafia types with swords and knives instead of guns and vampires with some very odd ideas about humans are just a couple of the things Charlie and his friends face.

The third book in the series is currently in the planning stages.

Other books of mine suitable for an older YA audience and adult readers are Sacrifice of an Angel (contemporary fantasy/crime. i.e. Harry Potter/Midsommer Muders/CSI) and Advent (paranormal fantasy/vampires). Most of my short story/novella titles are only suitable for a mature audience and may be found on the Wittegen Press site.

So, a little bit about me then. I started writing when I was a pre-teen and I have never stopped. Most of my writing was just for fun in the online fanfiction arena for many years and I am an avid supporter of fanfiction. I think it is a fantastic medium for people to practice some of their writing skills and you'll never find a better critic than some of the fanfic readers out there: brutal, but fair in my experience and great for learning.

My original career after I finished my PhD was as a techie; I was a software and database designer. In 2010 I was made redundant thanks to my team being shut down, but having 10 years with the company I had a very nice settlement and decided to branch out and go for my dream rather than more practical things. I am lucky enough to have a wonderful husband with a fantastic job who can support me through the lean times as I do the 'struggling author' thing.

I love writing with a passion and I am determined to make it my life's work. There is nothing more magical than sharing the creations of my heart and having readers enjoy them.

If you would like to find out more about me, I chatter about all sorts of things on my Livejournal (beren_writes) and my Dreamwidth (beren_writes) accounts. That's also where to find my fanfic, as well as on my AO3 account (Beren). In case you were wondering, Beren is my pseudonym for fanfic, because once upon a time, way back when, I couldn't get my real name on a Harry Potter archive. All book-related chatter and reviews of books and movies and music can also be found on my blog: Tasha's Thinkings.

I'm active on twitter at @beren_writes and welcome all new friends. My company twitter is @wittegenpress and we're running a competwition at the moment to win Cat's Call and Cat's Creation: Link to competwition.

If you prefer interacting through Goodreads, this is my Goodreads author page.

We have a company mailing list if you would like updates about our publications and competitions: Wittegen Press Announcement Mailing List.

My twin sister, Sophie Duncan, is also an author and the other half of Wittegen Press. She co-wrote Sacrifice of an Angel and is just about to come out with another YA title in the paranormal fantasy genre, so check out Wittegen Press for details.

I don’t hide behind the words I write.
I live them.
I breathe them.
I am them.
What you see is what you get.
Maybe.


As it is, I should think, with every writer. We speak from our souls, and like the air that we breathe in order to live, we need to write in order to stay sane. There’s always a certain something simmering just below the surface that keeps us keenly aware of our surroundings and has us listening to our hearts. Be it personal experiences or our interpretation, we take it all in and file it away for another day.

I read something on Facebook some time ago that pretty much sums it up: “You know you’re a writer when you’re about to pass out from pain and all you can think is, ‘At least I’ll be able to write something like this realistically now.’”

So we write what we know. This is what I did with my first novel, Again, a story of two women, born centuries apart, who accept lives of obligation and responsibility; lives without passion, with men who would claim them for their own. Until, that is, a chain of events complicates things in ways they never imagined, all because of one man’s love for a woman…a love that crosses through centuries to find her again.

I know this story, because I lived it. Well, most of it anyway. I’ve always been fascinated with reincarnation and have had recurring dreams and visions, which compelled me to write this novel. This was me, and I was her.

My next soon-to-be-released novel, Souled, is also based on personal experience. I’ve always known about soul attachments, in which an earth-bound spirit, benign or malevolent, can attach itself to a person. My ex had one (and probably still does) as did my young son (who has been cleared). A fascinating and sometimes chilling experience, I had to write about it.

Here is the blurb for the novel:

Power and Control…

What 17-year-old boy wouldn’t be tempted by the promise of power and control - no matter what form that promise came in?

Seth knew exactly what he would do with power and control. He’d be well on his way to a wrestling scholarship, his dad could stop working so hard to make ends meet, and he’d forever have the heart of his girlfriend, Sandpoint High’s most beautiful girl.

For Seth, the temptation was much too strong to resist. And why should he? The way he saw it, he had everything to gain.

But when he unknowingly invites another soul to share his body, Seth discovers that not all power is good – especially when it was never his to wield. And when the soul reveals its true intentions, will Seth have the strength to fight it or would death be less painful?

~ ~ ~

Everyone has a story to tell. Some choose to live it. Some choose to write it. And some choose to read about it. Which one are you?

Again available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Again-ebook/dp/B003PPD93M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332648471&sr=8-1
My website: www.dianamurdock.wordpress.com
Souled to be released Spring 2012
Connect with me: Twitter: @Diana_Murdock https://twitter.com/#!/Diana_Murdock
or on Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4078383.Diana_Murdock

Getting my book published is a dream come true…but it’s also terrifying. Like most writers, I tend to be and introvert, and the entire process of getting published has required putting myself out there.

I first put myself out there by letting my friends read my rough drafts. It seems a small thing, but having someone read my writing feels a bit like letting them see me naked. Thankfully my friends made me feel like a Victoria’s Secret model.

As I tried to write my battle scenes, I realized my mini-van was showing so I took a chance and sought help at thenextbigwriter.com. At first it felt like a plastic surgeon consult, where they circle your every flaw with a big fat marker. I almost quit seven times. But then I put my big girl panties on, realized they were right (for the most part  ), and I started making changes. As a result, my writing improved (especially those battle scenes). Now I’m probably one of the website’s biggest fans.

When I completed my novel, it was time to find an agent and/or publisher. That was like being naked on the catwalk, and I often felt like Quasimodo. I sent out query letters with no success. Then I attended the PNWA conference in Bellevue, Washington. It was overwhelming, but I learned a lot about the publishing industry and the other attendees helped me write my pitch. Also, I got a chance to meet with the owner of Champagne Books, who eventually offered me a contract.

It’s been daunting at times, but in the end it’s worth it, to get to that point where I am making suggestions about what I want my cover to look like. (Yeehaw!) And now it’s time to put myself out there even more and market my book, (Facebook, Twitter, and websites, oh my!) so here I go, skinny dipping in the blogging pool…

Coming January 2013 from Champagne Books…

The Prophet, the Watcher, and the Raven,a fantasy novel by Audra Middleton.

An orphan girl seeks the oblivion of the forest while darkness lures the Chosen Son of prophecy, yet they find each other, and their budding love could destroy the very world Goran, the tormented prophet, is trying to save.

War threatens to destroy the world of Anthelion unless the holy man, Goran, can solve his prophecy riddle. For every clue he finds, another obstacle surfaces. An orphan girl, Watcher, becomes his responsibility. As if parenthood itself isn’t daunting enough, she keeps a bear for a pet and transforms into her forest surroundings to avoid socialization. Hope momentarily emerges when Goran finds Benaiah, the Chosen Son of the prophecy. Only he soon discovers Benaiah is a social pariah on the verge of embracing darkness.

When Benaiah and Watcher unexpectedly meet, the two outsiders find in each other a sense of belonging they’ve never known. Now their emerging love promises to bring about the same war Goran is struggling to prevent.

Check out my website for updates, sneak peeks & my monthly blog.
http://audramiddleton.weebly.com

I sit here staring at a blank document, the day before this is to be posted and am still clueless as to what to write. What would you all really want to know, do you even want to know, oh so many questions going through my mind. This is my thought process on a daily basis, cycle through all the babble crap of self doubt and then get to work. The voices in my head don’t help much, they sit back and laugh at my inner turmoil, then bombard me with what to write all at once. Or so it has been lately. Today after the cycle, the voices stayed quiet and I turned to my closest critique partner. After a wonderful chat with her, and some wise advice, inspiration hit. The first thing I need to do is give you a bit about the book and maybe introduce you to one of my favorite characters.

Destiny Finds Her is Book one in the Destiny series. This is Jami and Donovan’s story. Jami’s world gets turned upside down, the impossible becomes possible and before she knows it she’s traveling back in time to save a clan and a man she doesn’t even know but is told is her destiny. Everything was going normal for Donovan before he stumbles upon a girl who looks like no other he has ever seen, upon confronting her, she simply disappeared, into thin air. Little does he know that girl is destined to save his family, his clan, and himself from utter destruction and devastation. Can he trust his gut enough to help her?

Now you probably think I am going to introduce you to Jami or even Donovan, nope I am going to let you meet Drea. She is one of my favorite supporting characters in this story and I think she deserves to shine a bit on her own. Drea, short for Alexandrea, is the eldest daughter in a band of gypsy’s that travel through Donovan’s land a few time s a year. She has powers of her own, but she can’t control them like some. She is what they call a seer (see – er) her visions are where she meets Jami for the first time and where she learns how important she will be to the O’Rorke clan. Thanks to her father Drea learns quickly how to help Jami harness and develop her blood powers. Drea becomes a great friend from and one of Jami’s only allies from the start. Drea is a bit mischievous though; she thoroughly enjoys the torment they put Donovan through and helps out any chance she gets. So keep a look out for Drea, she just may pop up in her very own story down the road. For now she is content helping to guide Jami and the O’Rorke family.

So that is just a bit about Destiny Finds Her and I hope you are just as intrigued by Drea as I was the first time I met her. Want to learn more, meet more characters? Then stay tuned to my new author blog/website www.mirandalynn.com. You can also find me at www.myeclecticbookshelf.blogspot.com and on twitter @MyEclecticBook.

"Life doesn't begin at forty, it begins when you are no longer afraid to live it," Peggy Randall-Martin, author of bestselling "So Far Behind,” "Backside of the Mirror," and “Backwater,” Volume 1 of the NEW “La Bauve Family Legend Series.”

I am retired and having a love affair with life! My passion is writing and it's not always a sure thing, but it is always satisfying in the end. When I get up in the morning I can be anyone I want to be, achieve any goal and even change my appearance periodically during the day with words, new characters, storylines and imagination. As a writer, I find it helps to have more than one personality!

Well-known author of “Awakening Trilogy,” Christine M. Butler, “Peggy’s stories actually remind me of some of the scarier urban legend style ghost stories I used to hear in my youth. Peggy Randall-Martin is definitely a master storyteller when it comes to all things that go bump in the night.” Christine’s moonlit dreams: http://www.moonlitdreams.org/

The most common thread my books have with readers is that they are reminiscent of the Twilight Zone TV series. You may remember that many of the episodes depicted bone chilling paranormal and disturbing events. This is a genre I have been drawn to since I was a child, and one that still has me looking over my shoulder, even though I know I am in my house alone. You might say the genre chose me.

Some people like plots to be tied up in pretty little bows at the end of a book or story. That never happened in any of the Twilight Zone episodes I watched. Otherworld tales and paranormal stories in real life and in the literary world cannot be neatly explained away, and that is one of the main reasons fans of the genre keep coming back. The search for answers is eternal.

I've authored 11 Kindle books. Currently I am working on a trilogy with two other authors, and have 3 novellas in process including Volume 2 of “The La Bauve Family Legend Series.” I stay very busy! Good luck to indie authors everywhere! There’s room for all of us! The act of supporting one another is positive and exciting. It encourages new friendships and alliances. If you can’t hug an indie author today, buy one of their books!

Thank you, April, for giving indie authors a place to shine, and I appreciate being included!

PEGGY RANDALL-MARTIN’S BOOKS AVAILABE IN AMAZON’S KINDLE STORE:

“Backwater (La Bauve Family Legend series)” (ASIN: B006IT74E2 ) PUBLISHED 12/5/2011 – http://www.amazon.com/Backwater-Bauve-Family-Legend-ebook/dp/B006IT74E2/

The lack of facts surrounding the events in 1955, New Orleans, did not stop the wagging tongues that were known to always be right, and they tried to top each other with one strange and bizarre tale after another. But none of their stories could match the La Bauve family legend and as it grew in the minds of those who chose to believe every word - true or false - it became entrenched in Louisiana folklore.

Both young girls were pretty things; they had hair as black as midnight and skin as white as fresh crème. One was thirteen years of age and the other fourteen, and their lives were about to intersect for the first time. A terrifying experience lay ahead ... one neither girl would forget ... together they would embark on a dark journey and play a dangerous game that would affect the rest of their lives ...

“The Last Exit” (ASIN: B005T7YJKQ ) PUBLISHED 10/7/2011 – http://www.amazon.com/The-Last-Exit-ebook/dp/B005T7YJKQ/

In the fall of 2007, Jill Thornton crossed a time barrier and became involved with a 51-year old murder that took place before she was born ...

It wasn't just a cold case - the murder was frozen in time - a teacher had been bludgeoned to death on school property. No suspects were found and no charges were ever filed. It had been her first day as a member of the faculty and also the first day of the 1956-1957 school year. And all these years later, once in awhile, rumors were still tossed around as to why someone would've wanted Miss Causenhower dead, and what was the motive for making her suffer before she died ...

“Abilene, Sweet, Sweet, Abilene” (ASIN: B005A8XBTY) PUBLISHED 7/3/2011 – http://www.amazon.com/Abilene-Sweet-ebook/dp/B005A8XBTY

I tell you this story now because the people who lived it are all dead; anyway that's what I'm told. And if that isn't true, perhaps there will be unkind consequences for me or just maybe letting the world in on the events of that fateful day will jar loose someone's memory or strike an inflamed nerve. After all it's the conscience with an itch that burns into people's souls, robs their waking hours and seeps like some foul miasma into their dreams. And therein lays the eternal fate of one who entertains his own misery at the expense of others and their right to the truth. My hope is that this resurrection will be the nemesis needed to call those memories forth because then and only then, will I be able to rest.

“from the farther side of beyond (a collection of novellas to keep you up at night)” (ASIN: B0052VI7OS) PUBLISHED 5/26/2011 – http://www.amazon.com/farther-beyond-collection-novellas-ebook/dp/B0052VI7OS/

A book of thrillers by Peggy Randall-Martin, author of "So Far Behind." You asked for a collection of her works and she was listening. This book includes one true life experience and six of her favorite tales that will take you to the edge and teeter on the razor-thin line between what is real and that unknown place inside us where fear thrives and curls ready to strike.

"A Good Sleep 4 Murder," is the story of Adam Duncan who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. During the final days of his marriage, he developed a mind-bending plan to save his matrimonial union. If it works who will save his wife from him? And when will it spread to a home near you?

"Abilene, Sweet, Sweet, Abilene," I tell you this story now because the people who lived it are all dead; anyway that's what I'm told. My hope is that this resurrection will be the nemesis needed to call those memories forth because then and only then, will I be able to rest.

"Are You Scared Yet?" When O'Neal Bradley discovered the body of her best friend, she didn't know her name was next on the killer's list. And she couldn't have known that her home was the looking glass through which the killer could place her in the cross-hairs of a sniper rifle and watch every move she made. Her life was no longer her own and she hid in the only place available - in plain sight.

"Backside of the Mirror," When Whitley Wickingham received notice of her grandmother's death, she traveled to Wickingham Farm. The day after her arrival she discovered an antique mirror in the attic. It was her plan to move it downstairs that disturbed the order of things in the old house and the definition of normal took on a whole new meaning. Nothing was as it seemed and no one appeared to be who they said they were. Whitley had no idea of the terror that lay in wait. In her worst nightmare she would never have danced so closely to insanity and she would've awakened before sheer evil forced her to run for her life. But this wasn't a night terror and she would try to go without sleep for fear when she closed her eyes it would be for the last time.

"Death Takes a Highway," Have you heard the old saying, "Be careful. You could wake up in the morning and find yourself dead?" Sounds preposterous, right? What if you went out for a nice dinner at your favorite haunt and no one recognized you? And the conversation at the table next to yours was filled with rumors and innuendos that you were seen in places unknown to you. Would you blow it off as a series of crazy coincidences or launch a search for absolutes? But all roads don't lead home so plan your travel carefully because when death takes a highway the consequences could leave you dying to know the truth.

"For Whom The Phone Rings," is based on a true life event, late 1999, in this author's life. The occurrence puzzles her to this day and no one has been able to offer a viable explanation. If it happened to you, would you have answered the phone? (Not sold independently of this collection.)

"So Far Behind," In a place, condition, or time previously passed or departed from... Anna-Jake Constan grew up in her parent's little house on Maple Street in Garner's Rest, Oklahoma. Her younger siblings moved away right after high school and never returned until the day of their papa's funeral. At 38 years old Anna-Jake resided there alone, and the horrifying events that took place in the house one dark frozen winter night are what the locals called, "the happening." They said it was the coldest day in hell...

“A Good Sleep 4 Murder” (ASIN: B00529L60W) PUBLISHED 5/22/2011 – http://www.amazon.com/Good-Sleep-Murder-ebook/dp/B00529L60W

Spring had come early and a full moon lit up the charcoal sky in contrast of the stars that twinkled like a multitude of cubic zirconium. The suburbia neighborhood was quiet as the earth's clock rolled upon the midnight hour - all except for one house. Adam Duncan was raiding the refrigerator and the sound of glass breaking on the tile floor in the kitchen awakened his wife.

Adam was overweight by 175 pounds and a large portion of the food he ingested was in the middle of the night. His wife knew when he went back to bed his T-shirt would be soaked with milk and his hands would bear remnants of the late night snack.
It hadn't always been like that, but their divorce would be final in two days and Adam had not been able to persuade his wife to stay. Her plan was to complete moving out the next day and of course she would make sure to do so while he was home. And because Adam had lost his job, he was a captive audience.

The next morning Adam would talk with his wife again and tell her that he loved her. He would promise to stop the midnight raids on the fridge, but he couldn't truthfully assure her that his sleepwalking was over. However, that was of no consequence to him because he would rather climb a tree and tell a lie than stand on the ground and tell the truth. And what his wife believed or didn't believe was nowhere on his list of concerns.

You see, in the days preceding, Adam devised a diabolical plan that would alter his way of life and that of his wife. Some men will do anything for a good night’s sleep …

“Death Takes a Highway” (ASIN: B0051104Z4) PUBLISHED 5/15/2011 – http://www.amazon.com/Death-Takes-A-Highway-ebook/dp/B0051104Z4/

Have you heard the old saying, "Be careful. You could wake up in the morning and find yourself dead?" Sounds preposterous, right? What if you went out for a nice dinner at your favorite haunt and no one recognized you? And the conversation at the table next to yours was filled with rumors and innuendos that you were seen in places unknown to you. Would you blow it off as a series of crazy coincidences or launch a search for absolutes? But all roads don't lead home so plan your travel carefully because when death takes a highway the consequences could leave you dying to know the truth.

“Backside of the Mirror” (ASIN: B004WTUH26) PUBLISHED 4/16/2011 – http://www.amazon.com/Backside-of-the-Mirror-ebook/dp/B004WTUH26/

Whitley Wickingham learned of her grandmother's death and left immediately for the family farm in Bridlehook, Oklahoma. The day after her arrival she explored the house and curiosity led to the attic where she found her grandmother's antique mirror. The reason for it being stored in the attic and how it was hoisted up there were mysteries at best. Immediately she began making plans to move the mirror downstairs. That's when everything changed and the definition of normal at the Wickingham Farm took on a whole new meaning.

Nothing was as it seemed and no one appeared to be who they said they were. Whitley Wickingham had no idea of the terror that lay in wait. In her worst nightmare she would never have danced so closely to insanity and she would've awakened before sheer evil forced her to run for her life. But this wasn't a night terror and she would try to go without sleep for fear when she closed her eyes it would be for the last time.

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR ABOUT BACKSIDE OF THE MIRROR:

What if your fears turned out to be real, and the truth behind them terrified you? I know what that's like ... because it happened to me. Below, I've shared as much as I dare about the strange events that occurred while I was writing this novella. But they didn't stop there. After it was published in April, 2011, the 'happenings' became more frequent - the latest event was October 12, 2011. This experience has changed the way I view the paranormal:

While I was writing "Backside of the Mirror," its main characters lingered in my sub-conscious and appeared to me in dreams. Each had a unique way of 'reliving' his/her story or experience with an event so terrifying it was necessary to disturb my sleep and sometimes my waking hours. Often one or another kept me telling the story, by way of my keyboard, from early morning to late evening - and oft times into the night.

Then the day arrived! "Backside of the Mirror" was ready for its debut, and it was published 4/17/2011. Since then it has attracted a dedicated following and taken on ... or continued to have ... a life of its own ...

The reason I tell you this is because strange occurrences began immediately - from the first type written page through to the last entry - and to this day, unusual and unexplained 'things' continue to happen in regards to "Backside of the Mirror."
This leaves me wondering if there is another tale waiting to be told. Or could it be that during the telling of the story, a door was opened unintentionally and, in the conclusion of this work of fiction, it was left ajar ... just enough for some of the mirror's dark secrets to seep through ...

“Are You Scared Yet?” (ASIN: B004ULVENM) PUBLISHED 3/30/2011 – http://www.amazon.com/Are-You-Scared-Yet-ebook/dp/B004ULVENM/

I hadn't heard from my friend, Allison, in several days, and was tired of talking to her voicemail. The last time we talked I could tell something was troubling her, but she wouldn't admit there were any problems.

My newest book had just hit the shelves and my agent scheduled signings for the rest of the week. I would be out of pocket if Allison tried to reach me, and I needed to know if she was okay. The last two or three times I drove over there, I wasn't able to raise anyone. I decided to try again and was determined not to leave until I found out what was going on.

Allison lived across town from me in a small apartment, and the drive took about 15 minutes. I drove up in the parking lot and around to the second building. Allison's car was parked in the spot assigned to her unit.

I stopped next to her worn out MG and thought I saw a curtain in her bedroom window move. When I knocked on Allison's apartment door there was no response. I knocked again. Nothing. I thought I heard movement inside, and knocked harder. The door swung open and everything stopped.

I stood frozen in the doorway. The sight was like nothing I had ever seen before. All that blood ...

“So Far Behind” (ASIN: B004RCLXY4) PUBLISHED 3/08/2011 – http://www.amazon.com/So-Far-Behind-ebook/dp/B004RCLXY4/

In a place, condition, or time previously passed or departed from ... On the farther side of beyond ...

Anna-Jake Constan grew up in her parent's little house on Maple Street in Garner's Rest, Oklahoma. Her younger siblings moved away right after high school and never returned until the day of their papa's funeral. At 38 years old Anna-Jake resided there alone, and the horrifying events that took place in the house one dark frozen winter night are what the locals called, "the happening." They said it was the coldest day in hell ...

“Life Doesn’t Begin at Forty (The Misadventures of Miss Emmy)” – (ASIN: B004VYRFTA) PUBLISHED 4/09/2011 – http://www.amazon.com/Doesnt-Begin-Forty-Misadventures-ebook/dp/B004VYRFTA/

My name is Emmy Sheals and I live in Three Trees, Oklahoma - population 8,010. The town was named after Tom Two Trees. Make sense? No? There are only "two trees" in his name, but there are three t's in all. Go figure ...

I grew up in the 1960's and I am now exploring the sixties, and through the last few years I've learned that if an object can be moved, it can also be misplaced. I spend a good part of my time looking for things and I highly suspect that it's not all my fault. The conclusion I have come to is that a woman unbeknownst to me sneaks into my house while I'm sleeping and hides everything I hold dear.

When I asked a few of my friends if they had seen her, each of them said they hadn't. But from all the complaints we've heard, we think she's bi-coastal. None of us have ever laid eyes on her, but she seems to take on the physical characteristics of the owner of the home she is invading. I thought I saw her just the other day, but it turned out to be my reflection in a glass frame. What looked like me putting my Funk & Wagnalls dictionary in the freezer was just the opposite - like looking in a mirror - actually I was removing it.

And whatever you do, don't let this woman scare you into putting things where you can find them easily. It's a ruse and once you fall into that trap, you will never see half of your stuff again ...

Another piece of advice, don't let age bother you. When my fortieth birthday came on the horizon, I was petrified. Not like the forest, but I did stand still for a period of time in my life until I realized that, "Life doesn't begin at forty. It begins when you're no longer afraid to live it."

~ Miss Emmy ~

Discovery; not just a TV channel

The most fascinating thing about writing, for me, is discovery. When I am developing or researching a particular character or time period I feel like Indiana Jones on a mission for hidden gems. I just love it!

I started my novel, "A Fog In Charleston" as my project for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo.org) in 2009, based off a dream I had been having off and on for years. ‘Fog’ is the story of a modern day Civil War Historian, Caroline Porter, who finds herself transported to 1861, a few weeks before the start of the Civil War. As the story unfolds she befriends General Beauregard and a number of other notable Southern figures and faces a dilemma; if you could change history, would you?

As a licensed tour guide for the City of Charleston, SC, I already knew quite a bit about the history of Charleston during the American Civil War, but I wanted to be as accurate as possible. I began researching the city and in the process discovered for myself photographs and stories of the people during that difficult time. I was amazed at the tenacity of the people I researched and touched by their personal codes of valor, the atrocities of the war and the depth of their potential for human depravity. I was inspired by the conviction with which each side fought, for right or wrong. Their belief in themselves, in their country and in their God was probably the hardest element to capture in my novel.

With all the research I did, I figured a follow-up to "Fog" was inevitable but after living in 1861 for two years, I needed a break. I wrote a short story based on another dream I had (this is why keeping a journal next to your bed is such a great idea). I figured it was the ginger to the tuna roll of ‘Fog’, cleansing the palate before I started the next book. A friend read the short story at a critique group and afterward the people who heard it wanted to know where the rest of the story was. I took that as a good sign, so I kept writing. A little over 38,000 words later I was finished with the first draft of ‘The Singer’. I read and re –read the draft and realized that I could write more.

I wanted to continue, but when asked to describe it, I had a hard time doing so.

“It’s set in a world, not too dissimilar from ours, where there is a little industry and magic…”

“So it’s a Fantasy novel?”

“No, it really is our world set in the future, after a great apocalypse and the rebuild after that…”

“So it’s a Science-Fiction novel.”

“No.”

“Then what is it?”

Cue the blank look on my face.

The time for some self-discovery had come.

My problem was that I wrote Historical fiction. I couldn’t conceive of myself as a Fantasy or Science Fiction writer, I was not familiar with those genres. Yet, when I wrote "The Singer," I just wrote the story I wanted to write. So it ended up a little bit Sci-fi and a lot more Fantasy, but I got over my label issues and the story is now something that I am quite proud of. I call it the Fantasy for the Anti-Fantasy crowd. It was incredibly liberating writing outside my “genre” and it is now something that I plan to do again and again.

"The Singer," book one in “The Singer Series,” follows a group of four young ladies as they grow from girls who were selected to wake the Master to women forced to deal with the betrayal of friends and lovers. When you give someone naive the keys to the kingdom, havoc will ensue, so it is no surprise how bad it truly gets when they make decisions and have to live with the consequences. When NaNoWriMo came back around in 2011, I was so invested in the story that I wrote the second and third books to the series in one month.

While I am currently editing ‘The Dever’ book two of “The Singer Series”, I have returned to the world of "Fog." I have discovered that it is possible to be invested in, and actively work on, two wildly different works at the same time.

Plus, General Beauregard is not done telling his story. Anne Rice has talked about Lestat hanging around while she typed out the Vampire Chronicles. Beauregard (or Beau, as I affectionately call him) does the same thing to me. He keeps nagging me to tell another story about him. I actually wrote a follow up to ‘Fog’ that was so horrible! The idea was Caroline and Beau would come forward in time. It went off the rails horribly.

When I write these days I like to listen to music. Music is an important part of the creative process for me. The music works as my muse, inspiring me and leading me to those hidden gems, those undiscovered character developments, and I have even noticed that certain characters voices only come out when certain music is playing. Through it I did discover that Beau loves Lady Gaga.

You never know what will come up when you're writing, and for me, discovering these things makes the work all worthwhile.

Both ‘A Fog in Charleston’ and the first book of The Singer Series; ‘The Singer’ will be released in 2012. To keep informed of both book releases and/or to follow L. Anne Beard further, you can find her lurking in any of these spots;

Website: http://www.lannewriter.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lannewriter
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LAnneWriter

I'm Linda Ulleseit, author of ON A WING AND A DARE, coming this spring from Briona Glen Publishing. This YA fantasy is set in medieval Wales, in a remote mountain town called Tremeirchson. In Tremeirchson, a barn leader’s children are expected to follow their parents into the sky, becoming riders of the winged horses that are the village’s legacy. Neither Emma nor Davyd, however, want to follow that tradition.

Sixteen-year-old Emma risks losing her family by following her heart. She not only loves a rival’s colt, but a rival’s son as well. Or perhaps both of his sons, since she can’t make up her mind between Evan, the exciting but insensitive brother, or Davyd, the dependable one. She is drawn to the love and support of their family, so different from her own, where nothing she does will ever be good enough.

Davyd, also sixteen, is plagued with a secret—he is afraid of heights. He cannot join his family aloft in the Aerial Games that provide the entire village with its livelihood. Risking public humiliation and his parents’ disappointment, he struggles to find a way to reveal his secret and still contribute to the family’s legacy.

Meanwhile, the winged horses begin to die. The death of the colt intended for Davyd fills him with guilty relief. In Emma’s barn, the colt her father wants her to ride also dies. Her father’s new plan involves an unborn colt and a three-year wait before Emma can be a rider. Emma has other ideas since the colt she longs for still lives.

As the winged horses continue to perish, Evan designs a plan to save the remaining herd by relocating them to a hidden valley deeper in the mountains. In a private discussion with Davyd, Evan further proposes to lead the riders, offering his brother leadership of the villagers. The adults hesitate, mired in politics and tradition, unaware of the details of Evan’s plan. It’s left to the three teenagers to work together to convince the adults to relocate before all the winged horses in the world are gone forever.

While waiting for this book to become available, I am working on the next one, IN THE WINDS OF DANGER. It follows the Owain, groom to Emma's horse, as he confronts a threat from his past. Follow updates on my road to publication as well as meet the characters of my novels on my novel page: http://flyinghorsebooks.wordpress.com

You can also find me on Goodreads and Amazon with my other works. Three volumes are stories written by my fifth and sixth grade students. I've edited them and are quite impressed with how well written some of them are! I also have a short story in the collection VISITOR TO SANDAHL.

I'm C.C.Cole, author of the Gastar Series, four novellas when completed, and two are published. The medieval dark fantasy stories follow teen assassin Shevata as she travels through the history of her home city of Gastar for redemption of her past actions and to re-gain her soul.

The first novella, "Act of Redemption" was published in 2009. In the first book, Gastar stands in ruins two centuries after Shevata kills the last living priest of an evil deity. Her soul is removed as punishment, the city falls, and the few remaining people await annihilation by a demon lord who has arrived to make the city part of his realm in the underworld. Through the efforts of Shevata, her mentor, and a trio of heroes from the past, they defend the people to save the city. It has been listed on Goodreads as Best Independent Novel, and Shevata won Most Memorable Female Action Heroine, Assassin category.

The second novella, "Children of Discord" was published in 2011. Shevata returns to Gastar two centuries later. The city is growing back to the glory days of the past. Her enemy, the boy Goldeon, now in Gastar, plans to take the city from the inside. The people, now more sophisticated but naive to the horrors of Gastar's history, are placed in the center of a secret war between the two powerful children from the past. Shevata takes her first steps to reclaim her humanity at the book's dramatic end. This book won an NABE Pinnacle Achievement Award for fiction summer 2011.

The third novella, "Point of Return," is in progress.


______________
Links:
Blog (no website) http://www.shevata-cccole.blogspot.com

Facebook: C.c.Cole author page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001156534826
Facebook Gastar Series fan page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gastar-Series/171697719532605
Twitter: @gastarbooks https://twitter.com/#!/gastarbooks

Goodreads reviews of "Act of Redemption" http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8301125-act-of-redemption
Amazon link to "Act of Redemption" http://www.amazon.com/First-Book-Gastar-Act-Redemption/dp/1434379329/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328674248&sr=1-1

Goodreads reviews of "Children of Discord" http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10756938-children-of-discord
Amazon link to "Children of Discord" http://www.amazon.com/Second-Book-Gastar-Children-ebook/dp/B004TMA3K2/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328674248&sr=1-2

If you need links to the recognitions, let me know. I know I've sent a lot of information.

Please use/not use whatever you want. I added the book covers and my pic in case you wanted them.

I'm best at sharing the love on Twitter and purchasing and posting book reviews. (I don't accept free books since I'm terrible at blog tours). I'm happy to share the love with other authors, if anyone catches me @gastarbooks, I usually RT a lot. I'm happy to Like and Tag also; these are not lies, these are casual interests and not reviews. (for the nay-sayers out there, I wrote an article about this practice). Send me a link to download a book of yours. It takes time to for me to get to them, but you get a sale, and a review when I can get to it.

If you want kindle ebooks of either/both of mine, I always offer them to people kind enough to feature me. And I don't lean for reviews. No worries on date I'm featured. Thank you!!

C.C.Cole

The Legend of Michelle Sands - In the spring of 1958 Michelle Sands has everything going her way. The pretty Howe Oklahoma freshman is a cheerleader, straight A student and minds all the rules set out by her parents. Like most teens, Michelle also has secrets. Her biggest secret is the strange dreams she shares with her grandmother about Indian Rock, a nearby monolithic stone with symbols carved into its face.

A few weeks before her fifteenth birthday Michelle catches the eye of a seventeen year old star athlete named Ronnie. When he calls to ask her out, Michelle bends a parental rule of no dating until she's sixteen by inviting him to Sunday night youth group. She asks Ronnie to be an hour early with the intention of skipping out with him for an adventure at Indian Rock.

When they meet on Sunday evening Ronnie eagerly agrees to the change of plan. Their youthful passion at Indian Rock awakens the spirit and power of Glome, an powerful Viking king banished to site hundreds of years ago. As Michelle inherits and shares this new found power with others she begins to influence the economic and political power structures of southeastern Oklahoma and eventually the world. This is the beginning of The Legend of Michelle Sands, The Indian Rock Vampire. 176 pages. 80,000 words.

Upside Down Heart - Upside Down Heart follows beautiful Michelle Sands and the sisterhood of The Upside Down Heart Society as they continue using the power inherited from the ancient Vampire Glome. Religious and political leaders and the powerful group L’ordre de l’Aigle are determined to possess their power or destroy them. Each member of the growing sisterhood brings her own unique ability to protect herself and the group.

Michelle's financial and political power expands from Oklahoma onto the world stage in the 1960’s including London, Paris and Copenhagen. Upside Down Heart brings the group to New York City on New Year's Eve 1969 for the beginning of a new decade and the start of a global battle for their survival.

Historical events such as the devastating tornado which struck Howe in 1961 and a Presidential visit to southeastern Oklahoma the same year add to this unusual, character driven twist on the classic Vampire story. Power and how it is used in all levels of society including love, politics, business, religion, The Little Dixie Mafia and Wall Street continue throughout this series. 327 pages, 130,000 words.

One Drug - By the middle of the 21st century China is the worlds most prosperous economy. As a debtor nation facing economic collapse, America is forced to end payment of Social Security, Medicare and all safety net benefits. With little debate or moral objection in Congress, the United States also legalizes and encourages assisted suicide to relieve stress on society in caring for the elderly, sick and dying. Now called V.T. (Voluntary Termination), families of people ending their lives in this way are paid a stipend for usable organs and tissues harvested for transplantation from their loved ones.

While America and the rest of the world suffer in decline, advances in gene therapy and nanotechnology in China result in a true medical miracle. Called ONE DRUG, it prevents disease, prolongs life and treats injury. As a result of being tested on their troops, the Chinese military is quickly becoming the most powerful and feared armed force on the planet.

Financed by international smugglers and the still powerful Little Dixie Mafia, a breakthrough in ONE DRUG technology is underway in a lab near Fort Smith, Arkansas. Chinese and domestic spies are closing in on the facility to prevent this covert development of ONE DRUG. Hang on for this roller coaster race against time to save America and the life of a brave young woman. 110 pages, 41,000 words.

The inspiration for my writing came in 2005 when my late wife Becky was told her kidneys were failing due to diabetes and she would have to start dialysis. She'd been admitted to the hospital in October after reoccurring kidney infections. We were waiting for a doctor to come around and I was just trying to think of anything except the situation she was facing.

For reasons I cannot explain, two unrelated things from the past crossed in my head to create an idea. They were, the Dark Shadows TV series from the 1960's and a landmark near our hometown in southeastern Oklahoma called The Heavener Runestone. The symbols were proven to have been carved into the stone by Vikings, but were originally attributed to native Americans by early French explorers.

The idea of the symbols as a warning about an ancient Vampire rolled around in my head through the ups and down of the next three years. Becky did OK on dialysis at first, but our life revolved around the three day a week schedule. Early in 2008, she began to have more health problems and died unexpectedly in the hospital on Thanksgiving morning.

Several things came to an end for me in the last quarter of 2008. The collapse of the economy put me out of work as a metals buyer, my latest career twist. I spent the month of December going through Becky's things and sending out resumes in the down economy, getting no response. I sat down at the computer in January, 2009 to create something out of my own soul and energy and finished the 85,000 word first draft of The Legend of Michelle Sands in four months.

I finally got a job in May, 2009 which I really didn't like, but it kept me going. After talking to more than 200 agents and publishers, I decided to self publish, just to finish what I started. Drawing on my experience owning a newspaper, I laid it out with a plain cover and had a few copies printed and bound by a UPS store down the street. Not pretty, not really a product which could be sold, but I accomplished my goal.

After meeting my graphic artist through another local writer, I moved up a notch on the quality scale with the cover image now on the book, and contracted with a local company to print it. I set up a web site and sent out a press release to all Oklahoma newspapers in the summer of 2009, which was run much as I wrote it in more than a dozen papers in the state.

I joined south Tulsa Writers in 2010, which was an eye opening experience. My little project to prove I could accomplish something was poorly self edited. The wise, kind people in the group told me the story was really good, but still needed work if I hoped to market it. So, with the second book of the series well underway, I re-edited The Legend of Michelle Sands, chopping almost 5,000 words without losing the story. Since then, it's been edited again and is a much better read. As you will see in the descriptions below, The Indian Rock Vampire is a very different take on the genre.

After finishing Upside Down Heart, I had an idea for a futuristic thriller set in the middle of this century with China as the dominant world power. I wrote the 40,000 word first draft of ONE DRUG in seven weeks, then spent the next 7 months of 2012 vetting it to 4 writers groups in Tulsa. It's very fast paced and is my first male, lead character. I enjoyed writing it and may come back to the story line next year.

I have the final two novels of the Indian Rock Vampire series well underway. The series starts in the small, very real town of Howe, OK in 1958 and moves forward in time. Upside Down Heart ends on New Eve of 1970. Millennium will take the story just past the year 2000 and Return to Indian Rock brings the characters back to Howe at the end of this century. Millennium and Return to Indian Rock will debut on October 13th at a festival at the Heavener Runestone Park. By the way, I donate copies of The Indian Rock Vampire novels to the gift shop at the park which lost state funding last year in a budget cutting move by the state. It is now operated by a local citizens group.

I have two other novels in the works which I plan to launch about the same time. The titles are, Dragline and Payne County Weekly. Dragline is set in the western Arkansas coal industry of the 1960's. It's built around a fiery redhead named Sissy MacKenzie who is a real fun character to write. As part of my very diverse and seldom boring career, I worked in the coal industry as an analysis lab tech in the 1970's. You would think it would have been boring, but it was a real soap opera all the time.

Payne County Weekly is also drawn on my experience owning a weekly newspaper in the 1990's. Set in the Stillwater and Perkins, Oklahoma area, it's about the way things operate in small towns with the good ole boy network, political corruption, drugs, love and lust. I couldn't set it in southeastern Oklahoma because too much is based on real events. The funny this is, when I contacted people in the Stillwater area doing research and told them the premise of the story, they said the same kind of stuff happens there too.

I just release The Legend of Michelle Sands free on Smashwords to build readership for the series. My goal is to have 100,000 new readers for the series when the last two books come out this fall. I'm out to make Howe, OK as famous for being the setting for my series as Forks, WA has become from Twilight. LOL

Through September of this year I am also donating a book to an Oklahoma Library or the gift shop at the Heavener Runestone Park for every book purchased directly from me through an offer on my web site. This is also to build readership and help Oklahoma libraries whose budgets have suffered in the economic downturn.

I began using Create Space for my printed product last year. My graphic artist does the formatting for Create Space and all the eBook platforms. I'm living a life I could have never imagined while married to my high school sweetie, Becky. We have two sons, two daughters and she was a stay at home mom. She told me that was her goal right after we met in 1972. I wanted to be President of the Untied States. Really glad I missed that train wreck.

I've been doing my writing full time for the past year. Not making a lot of money, but no corporate B.S. and I now have a killer pony tail. LOL One more change is coming to The Legend of Michelle Sands. The cover image is one my graphic artist found and we purchased the rights to use. My oldest granddaughter is 13 (going on 21) and has Becky's beautiful green eyes which are the inspiration for Michelle Sands green eyes. My graphic artist also does photography and will shoot pics of my granddaughter Jordyn over spring break to re-do the cover with her image. It's kind of a big deal for both of us, as I'm sure you can imagine.

The necklace on the cover of Upside Down Heart was designed by my graphic artist Pam Fox from a description I gave her. A friend from high school owns a jewelry store in my hometown of Poteau, OK has agreed to start producing the necklace for me. It will also debut on October 13th, or maybe a little sooner. One last thing, two of my female friends are characters in Upside Down Heart. Several more friends from southeastern Oklahoma, mostly female will be characters in Millennium and Return to Indian Rock. It will be a lot of fun to have them at the launch in October.

Contact me via email or phone if you have questions.

Thanks again for this opportunity,

--
Joe Harwell, Author/Self Publisher
Joe Harwell Publishing, LLC
P.O. Box 54213
Tulsa, OK 74155-0213
479-561-1004
joeharwell54@gmail.com
www.indianrockvampire.com

Gastien Tells His Story (How I Wrote My First Two Novels)

There are many ways that novelists prefer to write. Some have a favorite chair or room. Some refuse to use a computer. For others, the laptop works but not the PC. I prefer to write on my laptop now, but when I wrote Gastien Part 1: The Cost of the Dream and Gastien Part 2: From Dream to Destiny I only had a PC.

Additionally, some authors use storyboards. Before they write a single sentence they plot out each character. All of their characteristics, how they look, and major events are planned in detail.. They also do an outline of each chapter. When they sit down to write they just fill in the blanks, so to speak.

Others write down major events that they want and major things about characters but don’t get as detailed. They like to have a little planning but don’t want to get mired in details when they could be writing.

Some write from the gut. They simply sit down and start typing until the first draft is finished.

Me? I am going to tell you a secret I didn’t write my books at all.

In August of 2010 I did some past life regression and “met” Gastien during one of those. For weeks afterwards I would get “downloads” of information about him in my mind. He came in dreams while asleep; while working he haunted my thoughts. I could be doing almost anything and if he wanted to give me information it simply came. I did not write it down, but every detail echoed in my brain. Now I am not going to say if I was Gastien or if creative energy was just unleashed because it really doesn’t matter to anyone but me. But, I will say that Gastien himself wrote his story.

That’s right. I felt compelled to write about Gastien’s life (which I really didn’t know much of) and so in November of that year I committed to an hour a day after work, five days a week. The first day I simply sat at my desk, placed my hands on the keyboard and went inside my head. I asked Gastien to tell me his story. Almost immediately my hands started typing. Some days the words came so fast that I could not keep up. An hour seemed liked only seconds and I was frustrated that I had other obligations. This man really wanted to talk!

Because the story takes place in the nineteenth century I had to do a lot of research afterwards. I wanted to make sure that things he said happened COULD happen during that time. Also, because I heard it in the language I understand (he was French, I don’t even speak it) I needed to look up some French words and phrases to give it flavor. I also wanted to make sure I called things by their correct names for the era, regardless of the fact that 99.9 percent was going to be in English. For example, taxi’s did not exist. Cabriolets did. You get the picture. I would say even more time was spent on research than on writing. I wanted it as accurate as possible.

And what a wild era! That whole bohemian art era in Paris was one of the most decadent times in human history. Hard drugs were legal, prostitution was rampant…and who can overlook that beloved drink absinthe? If you look carefully at many Impressionist paintings and many of Picasso’s and other artists work from the late nineteenth and early twentieth century you will see a glass with green liquid in it Ah, yes. Absinthe was a favorite among the artists, along with hashish and opium. Obviously this is a story for adults.

But I digress; back to writing the story. To my surprise by the end of February I had over 1,000 pages. After editing I still had almost 1,000. The decision was made to make it two novels. There was a definite place toward that middle that could end one complete story, so I put the second half aside. The first half became Gastien Part 1: The Cost of the Dream. It took four and ½ months to edit and format. In August of 2011 I had it live on Amazon for Kindle and B&N for NOOK. A month later the paperback was also available on Createspace.

Gastien Part 2: From Dream to Destiny was released by me in December 2011 in the same places. Now I am halfway through the first draft of Book 3, Tristan Michel: Bloodline of Passion. There will be at least four and maybe five in this historical fiction/family saga series. These I am writing from the gut, but it is much different than the first two. Although it comes easily, it is not as if someone else owns my hands. Book 3 should be out by very late spring of this year.
Well, now you know. My name is on the cover as author, but Gastien Beauchamp simply told his story and used my fingers to type. Even so, I think his life was much darker than the story he gave me. Much harder. I think he told it how he wished it could have been while still staying true to the main facts. Perhaps it was necessary for healing. Perhaps he was just good at taking a life full of darkness and showing at least a little light. Or perhaps he did not exist at all. One I do know. He exists now, and he will exist forever, because the story has been printed. Perhaps some recognition was simply what he wanted and nothing more.

Gastien Beauchamp. Artist and lover. Oh, yeah, and author. He just used my name.
To read reviews, descriptions and a free sample of each book, please use the links below:

"Sometimes, the "impossible" is possible. But the cost can be extremely high."

Gastien Part 1: The Cost of the Dream
Available in Paperback at https://www.createspace.com/3664944
Available on Amazon.com for Kindle http://tinyurl.com/3ecu8ku
Available on Barnes&Noble.com for NOOK http://tinyurl.com/3ue4a7h

Gastien Part 2: From Dream to Destiny
Available in Paperback at https://www.createspace.com/3749863
Available on Amazon.com for Kindle http://tinyurl.com/bv9zosn
Available on Barnes&Noble.com for NOOK http://tinyurl.com/cx87deq

Please join Gastien’s fanpage on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Gastien.Beauchamp
My blog, Writer of Fiction, Painter of Life & Energy: http://caddyrowlandblog.blogspot.com
Author Email (I love to hear from readers) caddyauthor@yahoo.com
Twitter: @caddyorpims

Who would you cast as a young 19th century spy?

I like to cast the characters in my books as if I’m casting a movie. It helps me imagine them in the story and makes it much easier to write. To come up with the right images, I look at photos of movie casts to try to find actors whose features are similar to the images I have in my head. It’s fun to do (and I’m really not procrastinating with this task, really), and when I’m stuck on a scene, if I can get a picture of an actual person in mind, I can better visualize what they would be doing and saying. Sometimes, though, it’s tough to find just the right person.

For my latest book, I thought I’d ask for some opinions. THE GARGOYLE IN THE SEINE is about a young female art student in Paris in 1878, a time when it was scandalous for girls of “respectable” families to want to study painting in studios with actual male models, who just might be naked.

Here’s a description of the story: Art student Clary Ashton can’t imagine a more perfect spot to study painting than Paris in the spring of 1878, until she witnesses a body thrown into the Seine, the body of Liam Heaton, another art student whose claims to be without money or family never rang true. What Clary thinks is murder becomes much more as Liam’s secrets come to light. When Clary’s own brother falls under suspicion for Liam's death, she is desperate to clear him, but as she delves deeper into the murky underworld and the glittering salons of the city, she finds caught between two dangerous men- a political extremist days away from a royal assassination, and the young intrepid British secret agent, Reese Tretheway, who is determined to stop him.

Clary, brought up like a gypsy in the wilds of America, finds her skills at roasting lizards and hunting rabbits little use in seeing behind the treacherous sophistication of both Reese and of those who hold the key to Liam’s death. Reese manages to hunt revolutionaries without ever wrinkling his evening clothes or revealing his own secrets, all of which Clary finds maddening. When Clary realizes she knows too much and has become a target of the revolutionaries, she and Reese have to find a way to tolerate each other long enough to try to save Clary's brother and stop the assassination, or face the possibility of losing their own lives.

The art student, Clary, has been fairly easy for me to picture, but I’ve had a hard time getting just the right image for Reese. Even though the book is already written, I plan to make it a series ans would love to pin down someone whose face I can picture when I’m writing a scene. The three shown above each have potential, but I just can’t settle on one, which may mean there is someone else who would be a better fit. So if anyone out there has an opinion of which one of these looks like a young 19th century spy, or know of another actor they’d recommend, I’d love to hear it.

And in case you are curious about the names of the actors in the picture, they are, from left to right: Ben Barnes, Matthew Lewis, and Henry Caville.