Drabble Wednesday: Into the Woods

Today on Drabble Wednesday I venture into the deep, dark woods where witches, wolves and wishes lurk beyond the shadows…

The Wolves of Wickham

Everyone knew not to venture into the forests of Wickham. Every soul in the village, from the tiniest tot to the most elderly, stayed far away from the woods. Bad things happened to a person when they went into the trees. Most never came out, and those that did, well… screams and blood usually accompanied them.

Yet… here was Frederick, blundering about the underbrush, crashing through the branches in panic trying to find his way home, trying in flee the forest. Behind him something growled, and then another something.

Poor Frederick. You see, the wolves of Wickham are always hungry.

The Crone

Such a harmless figure, the old woman, a plaid woolen shawl—the colour of brown earth—drawn over her stooped head and shoulders. She leans heavily on her gnarled cane as she moves, her thin hand unconsciously smoothing a wrinkled skirt and stained apron. At first careless glance she presents the familiar picture of an innocuous granny.

But first glances can deceive. Look closer. Those stains on her apron, are they red? Like blood? Her smile, does hold a touch of wicked, a malicious grin? And those sinewy fingers, have they worked dark magic, perhaps murdered man and beast alike?

Wishes

The full silver moon sprinkles stardust over the forest canopy. Light filters though the trees to cast a radiant reflection in the still waters of an old wishing well. The moon knows the ancient well intimately; they are enduring friends of long acquaintance and secrets.

A figure approaches the well. The moonlight shifts, ever so subtly, lighting her path. She tosses the golden coin she clutched, and it arcs, then hits the water with a splash, falling deep within the well.

“I wish to marry Eli.”

The water shimmers with magic cast.

In the morning Eli's wife will be dead.

Drabble Wednesday: Winter Cometh

It’s a celebration (or condemnation, I’m not sure) of the winter season on today’s Drabble Wednesday…

Echoes of Winter

The snow fell deep and frigid that winter season. At night, doors were bolted against the cold, and hearths snapped with blazing logs and roasting meat. Dogs snuggled at their master’s feet, pricking their ears to catch the howl of the wolves outside. And under the rising moon, fields of snow sparkled while rabbits fled the sound of scratching footsteps.

Crunch, crunch, came the noise of each footfall. A line of tracks led from the woods, displayed in the moonlight through the frozen expanse. But nowhere to be seen, not silhouette nor form, was the creature that made those tracks...

Ice

Like lemmings they gathered at the sites, with their cameras and their cell phones recording the slow moving, ever encroaching ice. The air echoed with laughter, jokes; it seemed an entertaining game. They captured the scene on shaky video and in snapshots, and uploaded it all to the digital stream. It even went viral.

Such innocence was fleeting, for they never realized the significance. Until far too late. Never realized that the ice heralded the first moments of the end, the beginning of the final ice age of Earth.

Now they wait, we all wait, as the last fires die…

Bad Winter

I can’t believe this weather!  Nothing but blowing wind, snow, and arctic cold!  I don’t like whining, but when icicles are forming on the inside of the windows and even the cat’s toes are turning blue with the cold, it’s time to complain.

The heating won’t work; I think the oil froze.  Wood is running low for the stove and the food supply is down to four cans of peaches, half a roast chicken and one prune.  I’d call for help, but my fingers are too stiff to dial the phone.  This snowstorm had better break soon or we’re doomed.

Snow and Globes

I poured myself some coffee made from fresh melted snow and adjusted my new top hat to a jaunty angle.  I tossed the carrot in the dustbin, and sat down at the kitchen table to admire the seventeen orbs of my snow globes.  They were safe now.

Maybe I should've felt guilty about what I did, but he got what he deserved for cheating in the snowball fight.  I’m not giving my snow globes to a cheat, not even Frosty the Snowman.

No, he got a hair dryer and bucket instead.  And he melted like silly putty on a grill. 

My Newest Book: Killers and Demons II: They Return

Here's a preview of my newest book, Killers and Demons II:  They Return (the sequel to Killers and Demons). The book officially launches on October 4th, but it is available for pre-order now if anyone wants a copy.

Killers and Demons II:  They Return
by A. F. Stewart

Evil is back, with a greater appetite for death.

Killers.
Demons.
They lurk forever in the shadows, smile at you in the morning, and haunt your dreams at night. You can’t hide, you can’t run, and there’s no escape. You can only scream when they come for you.

Killers and Demons II:  They Return is a collection of thirteen tales, blending short stories and flash fiction, tales where the blood lingers on your tongue or spurts quickly from the swift cut.

The Villainous Roster:

Wade, every parent’s nightmare.
Hannah and Mr. Greeley. Who is the victim and who is the villain?
Simon and Zoe, a married couple who are dying to be single again.
Norman and his "cookie" of a wife, Mabel.
Millicent and Jane, a delightful duo you shouldn't invite to your Regency tea party.
Amanda, who literally has a skeleton in her closet.
Balthazar, the demon bounty hunter on the hunt once more.
Sarah, a young woman going through some changes and craving new tastes.
Emmeline, hanged as a witch, now back from the dead for revenge.
Gabrielle, a woman haunted by shadows.
The Dollmaker, she showers death, and an umbrella won’t help.
Nightmare Demons, bent on driving a town insane.

And then there’s Alice, a little girl locked in the basement by her Daddy…

Together they form a spine-chilling cadre of predators.

And here's a little excerpt from the story Runner:

The thief smiled as he ducked in the back alley off a London street. He opened his hand and stared at the gold watch and fob he nicked.
“You’ll be worth some money. Enough to buy my mates a few beers.”
He shoved the watch into his pocket and glanced out into the lane. As the gas light cast shadows over the cobblestones, he saw no sign of the bobbies. Still, he decided to wait a few more minutes, leaning back against the brick of the alley wall. He shifted uncomfortably and wiped sweat from his brow. The air had turned warm and muggy.
“Hello.”
A tall, lanky gentleman stepped out of the gloom, and a wave of searing heat washed over the thief. He collapsed, wheezing, his lungs burning from the air he breathed. His clothing smouldered and his skin blistered, flesh peeling off his body in crisp, black patches and he smelled the acrid odor of his own roasting flesh. The thief screamed before his vocal chords cooked as his body slowly sizzled.
The gentleman smiled as he watched the thief’s pain. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Balthazar, one of Hell’s demons. I believe you stole my watch.”

You can check out the Smashwords page here:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/466078

Or, check out these pages to pre-order the book before the October launch:

Amazon.com 

Amazon.ca 

Barnes and Noble 

iTunes 

Dream A New World

Here's a quick bit of fiction for you today...

Dream A New World

Tick. Tick. Tick.

She heard the sound of the clock long before the darkness lifted and the golden light let her see again. Then came the familiar, if eerie, creak of the gates as they opened wide, beckoning her forward.

She sighed, gazing once more at the beautiful and peculiar sight that unraveled in front of her. The clock tower stood tall, in the middle of a sea, silhouetted by a golden sunset, while a gondola sailed the clouds above. The boatman shouted down to her, but his words were lost in the rush of wind.

The sky coloured itself a turquoise hue, lit by a shimmering amber radiance. The light danced around, and through, the clock tower, while reflections of the surrounding vista shifted constantly. The soft lap of waves reached her ears, mixed with the cry of invisible birds, and she tasted salt on her lips.

She stood here a thousand times before, or maybe it was only once for a thousand lifetimes; she couldn't be certain anymore. She wondered why she came, why these dreams drew her here. Perhaps a punishment, a curse? No explanations were ever given.

She sighed again as her foot stirred, restless to begin. She walked into the sea, towards the clock tower, the water creeping higher and higher with each step. Laughter sang out from the gondola, the clock chimed midnight, and still she walked, unable to stop until she submerged and drowned.

Fairy Tale Fusion Launches Today!

Today's the day for the official launch of my new book Fairy Tale Fusion, and there's a big celebration going on over at Facebook this afternoon at 4 PM Atlantic Time (that's 3 PM Eastern) until 7 PM Atlantic (6 PM Eastern). There will be trivia questions, chatting, and free swag, plus I may even bring some virtual chocolate, and peppermint daiquiris.

It all happens here: https://www.facebook.com/events/446300328811870/449328735175696/

And don't worry if you can't make it because the dark fairies are heading to this very blog tomorrow, Oct 24th, for the start of Coffin Hop 2013. Yes, that's right it's that time of year again, when Halloween starts early. So, please join me until Halloween for Dark Magic, Creepy Creatures, and the Seelie Court...

Oh, and did I mention there will be contests with lots of free stuff.

Fairy Tale Fusion

What if the characters in Fairy Tales were real? What if they lived in Fairyland, a place not too dissimilar to ours, next to Wonderland and down the street from Camelot?  

Come follow the exploits of Detective Piper of the Fairyland Metro Police, the Fairy Tale News updates and more cracked characters taken from the world of childhood.  

When you are done dancing with Cinderella and her cronies, open the lid of a very scary toy box to find where children’s nightmares begin... and end, badly.

Book Links: 

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/356889

Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G1RJUCA

Amazon.ca: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00G1RJUCA

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/ebook/fairy-tale-fusion

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fairy-tale-fusion-a-f-stewart/1116913271

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/fairy-tale-fusion/id706475602?mt=11

Fortune Teller Blog Hop: Gothic Cavalcade

I've jumped back on the Blog Hop train, and this time I've packed a crystal ball...

Today, we visit a fortune teller, thanks to my novella, Gothic Cavalcade. In this excerpt, the main character, Althea has arrived at the Masquerade Carnivale, and is being shown around by the mysterious Byron and Mother. Mother then whisks her away to see the carnival's resident gypsy.

An Excerpt from Gothic Cavalcade

After breakfast, Mother and Byron escorted Althea on a leisurely stroll around the encampment, to show her the carnival. Byron linked arms with her and mother’s hand rested on her shoulder as they walked.
“It is not a large carnival, as you can see,” Mother’s soft voice chimed in Althea’s ear, “but we are a close group and we take care of each other. Soon, it will feel like home.”
Althea frowned. Odd, but she did feel strangely comfortable here, as if she belonged. She gazed out at the multi-coloured array of tents and caravans, at the dazzling stripes and spangles decorating their world, and at the sound of laughter and affection. Life thrived around her with shouts and chatter, barking dogs, and tethered horses munching hay. To her right the jugglers tossed bright orange balls high into the air, to the left she gawked as jesters with painted faces strutted about on stilts. Althea softly giggled. She wanted to lose herself in the gaiety and the colours, and submerge everything in the ornate vibrancy of her surroundings.
“It’s so beautiful here. So uncomplicated and spirited. I think I could be happy here.” She cast a quick glance at Mother. “If you still want me to stay?”
“Of course we do, child.”
“It’s a wonderful place, Althea.” Byron threaded his fingers through hers and squeezed her hand. “I’m glad you’re going to join us.”
“We are all pleased.” Mother put her arm around Althea’s shoulders and gently pulled her away from Byron. “But I am afraid I must steal her away for a moment. There is somewhere special I want to take our Althea.” Mother stepped between the pair. “You will excuse us, Byron?”
“Yes, Mother.” Byron tilted his head with a grin. “I’ll find you later, Althea.”
Althea found herself being ushered along, winding between caravans and rehearsing performers until they entered into a violet coloured tent, dyed with images of silver moons and festooned with miniature golden bells.
Pale light from an oil lamp lit the dim interior. It was a delicate and inviting place, the furniture adorned with amethyst silks and plush velvet cushions of mauve, embroidered in gold.
“This is Drusilla, our gypsy fortune teller.” Mother introduced Althea to a dark-haired, dark eyed beauty seated behind a round wooden table with a crystal ball sitting atop it.
“Hello.” Drusilla replied softly, ducking her head and avoiding Althea’s eyes.
“You must forgive Drusilla, she’s a bit shy.”
“That’s understandable.” Althea smiled and tried to make conversation. “Can you really tell someone’s fortune, Miss Drusilla?”
The girl looked up. “Oh, yes. I can see a person’s fate.”
“In this?” Althea touched the cold glass of the crystal ball.
Drusilla giggled. “Oh no. That’s simply for display. Sit down, I’ll show you what I do.” She waved her hand at the chair opposite her and Althea sunk into its purple softness. Drusilla reached out and grasped her hand, turning it palm up. Drusilla lightly traced her finger over Althea’s skin, making her shiver.
“You have a troubled life, tragedy and pain fill you. You are afraid and you blame yourself for making a terrible choice in years past. That choice has cost you something.” Drusilla paused and Althea caught her gaze, staring into her deep violet eyes. She felt ensnared for a moment, as if she had fallen into a cavernous pool and might drown. Then Drusilla broke their connection and continued her reading.
“I see safety ahead, and resolution." Drusilla paused again and frowned. “But not without conflict. Something is coming, something unfinished...” She abruptly stopped talking and let go of Althea’s hand.
“Is there a difficulty, Drusilla?" Mother’s voice broke the strain in the air.
“No, no, it’s simply, well, events will be bumpy for you, Althea." She smiled, attempting a half-hearted grin.
Althea felt a quiver of dread, but tried to laugh it away. “I’m used to bumpy.”
“But it will all work out in the end, won’t it Drusilla?" Mother asked softly. “It will all be agreeable when it is done?”
“Yes, Mother. All will conclude as it should.”
Althea looked at them both, confused, but Mother gave her no time to question Drusilla. Mother pulled her to her feet and shepherded her out of the tent.
“I think it is time we found Byron again. Don’t you agree, Althea?”
Althea smiled at the thought and let herself be led away; all uncertainties were lost by her desire to see Byron once more.

The Masquerade Carnivale is coming to call...

A woman escaping her wretched past stumbles into the strange world of a supernatural carnival.  Does her fate lie there, or with the captive life she left behind?

The Masquerade Carnivale is beckoning... will she answer?

Gothic Cavalcade is available on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Smashwords, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and other online retailers.

This Fortune Teller Blog Hop was organized by Kayla Curry.

Don't forget to check out the other blogs involved, who knows what they'll foretell.

Participants:
Kayla Curry (Host)
Alyssa Auch
S. M. Boyce
N.R. Wick
Steve Vernon
A. F. Stewart
Linda Taylor
Tami Von Zalez
Quanie Miller
Ellen Harger
Deborah Nam-Krane
Erin Cawood
Danielle-Claude Ngontang Mba
Wendy Ely
Laure Reminick
Jen McConnel

Tardy with an Award

A few weeks ago, (almost a month ago actually), my blog had another award bestowed upon it, the Liebster Blog Award given by the talented Angela Yuriko Smith and her wonderful blog Dandilyon Fluff.  Between writing, reviewing and general forgetfulness, I neglected to post about it until now. But better late than never I suppose.

So here it is:

“The Liebster Blog Award started in Germany and was intended to drive traffic to hidden gems.” Liebster is German for “friend”. The rules are simple:

1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.
2. Reveal your top blogger friends and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.

My top blogger friends (besides Angela) are:

Pat Bertram (who has so many blogs I’ve lost count). Check out her main one at: http://ptbertram.wordpress.com/

Joylene Nowell Butler, a wonderful writer with an insightful and helpful blog: http://cluculzwriter.blogspot.com/

Sheila Deeth, an exquisite writer who also does great book reviews: http://sheiladeeth.blogspot.com/

Rhetta Akamatsu, who writes about blues music, ghosts and the paranormal and steampunk: http://rhetta.wordpress.com/

And all the bloggers over at Murder by 4. There is always something interesting brewing at that blog: http://murderby4.blogspot.com/

Check them out, you won’t be sorry.

Coffin Hop Begins: An Interview with Balthazar, Demon Bounty Hunter

It's official, the Coffin Hop Web Tour starts today!
As part of the Coffin Hop Web Tour, and in the spirit of Halloween, my demon character from the story Victorian Shadows (as seen in the ebook, Killers and Demons) has kindly consented to be interviewed.

Plus one lucky commentator will win a three ebook prize pack (via free Smashwords download coupons) of my books Once Upon a Dark and Eerie..., Killers and Demons, and Ruined City.
All you need to do for a chance to win is leave a comment!

Interview with Balthazar, Demon Bounty Hunter:

Welcome Balthazar. Could you tell us a little about yourself?

I would be delighted to regale your readers with a small sample of my life.
I am an ancient Hell-spawned demon living on Earth, engaged primarily in returning escaped fugitives to Hell where they belong. I occasionally do a few side jobs, such as soul reaping or corrupting innocents.
For enjoyment, I kill random people and read quality literature, or partake in a dinner of rare steak and a glass of fine red wine. I find very few creatures can live up to my standards, so I rarely socialize with you pitiable humans or my fellow, lesser demons.


Could you please describe your physical appearance for the readers?

In human form, I am tall and svelte, with dark eyes and straight black hair. I have a wicked smile and a lean build. I believe one should always look one’s best, and cut a dashing figure, so I don the latest styles, whatever the century. I prefer dressing in basic black, for the maximum intimidating effect. As a demon, I expect you would find me rather gruesome, all scales, fangs, claws and red eyes.


How did you end up as Hell’s bounty hunter?

The previous demon that held my position met an untimely end. It seems he was double-dealing favours to the escapees. When this was brought to the attention of the powers-that-be in Hell, he was removed from his post, in pieces. I was adroit enough to obtain his place.


There was a great deal of interest in Victorian Shadows, the story of your hunt of the thief Sally. Can you tell us a bit of the back-story?

No. I would prefer not to talk of that nasty, annoying woman. That little low-class waif gave me no end of trouble. If I could, I would roast her flesh over Hellfire on a spit.


Obviously some issues there, so on to the next question.  What would you consider your best feature?

There are so many, I would be hard-pressed to choose, but I suppose my exceptional intelligence would be my most astounding trait.


Interesting choice.  And what would be your worst feature?

I deem myself quite flawless, but some others have commented that I do have a temper. Personally I believe that’s an asset in my line of work.


Okay then.  Do you have any family?

I was one of several demons spawned by my father, but alas they were all killed in a rather nasty family feud. I personally dispatched six of them, and Father slaughtered the rest. Then I betrayed and murdered him, so I am now happily without family.


I can see how that might be preferable for you.  Do you have any hobbies?

I used to collect skulls, but I tired of that in the 1920’s. These days I tend to stick to hunting. There is a lovely array of humans living on the streets that make excellent prey.


Well, that's disturbing.  Are you afraid of anything?

My Master, the grand and feared ruler of Hell. But every denizen in Hell is afraid of Him.


You have lived a very long time. Care to relate any of your more exciting adventures?

My early life was spent mostly in Hell, and your readers might get a bit squeamish about my escapades there. I find humans don’t usually enjoy stories about brimstone, torture and damned souls. Your species is very odd that way.
After leaving Hell, I had many fascinating exploits. In between my duties as a bounty hunter, I have been a medieval assassin, worked for the Royal Court of Spain during the Inquisition, and I sailed the seas as a pirate. I enjoyed the pirate life; I once turned a double-crossing scoundrel of a shipmate into the ship’s figurehead. When the ship sunk in a storm a year later, he went down to the bottom with it. Such good memories.


Thank you Balthazar, for joining us today. Now I’ll leave the readers with a quick peek at your activities from Killers and Demons.

An excerpt of the story Victorian Shadows (from the book Killers and Demons):

He waited, hidden by familiar darkness. An hour had passed already, but he was patient. He sniffed the air and grinned. The unmistakable scent of his quarry wafted sweetly on the air.

Balthazar twisted the top of his cane, muscles tense, as footsteps grew closer. A shadow passed his vision, and in one strike he buried the knife housed in his cane deep in the back of a man. Balthazar stood quietly and watched his victim’s lifeblood slowly pool on the cobblestones.

He sighed. “Too easy. He didn’t even scream.”

Balthazar removed his knife, admiring the line of the steel. He brought the knife to his mouth.

“Now, to find out what I want.” He casually licked the blood off the blade, his tongue lapping every drop. As the warm liquid flowed down his throat, the memories of his victim slid into Balthazar’s mind, the blood feeding him the facts he needed.

Balthazar grinned. “I am coming for you, my darling Sally.”

He slid the knife into the cane and walked away, back into the night.


Now if you please, scroll way, way down to the end of my blog, find the Linky List, close your eyes, make a wish and click on a link to continue the Coffin Hop Web Tour.

You can also check out my side hop, a quiz about the TV show Supernatural, at my other blog, In the Spotlight.  

Celebrate the Villains

Every writer has their favourite characters, the ones they adored creating. For me it is not the heroes to whom I loathe to say farewell, but the villains. Here’s a few of my favourite wicked creations:

Henri Forain: One of the vampires from Chronicles of the Undead, he is an unrepentant killer. He is handsome, charming and sophisticated Frenchman, willing to suck the blood out of your veins until you are dead. He fits easily into 17th century English society, spreading death and corruption where his whims take him.





Balthazar: The rakish and ruthless demon bounty hunter from Victorian Shadows, Balthazar is a centuries old killer with a fierce temper who holds a grudge. He has no problem killing enemies, friends of his enemies or innocent bystanders if it gets him what he wants. He will be back for more adventures, including his brief escapade as a pirate.

Fluffy the Clown: Some sort of demonic spirit (he hasn’t told me what type yet, and I’m not about to ask) that has a penchant for children’s books and toys. A disembodied phantom with a mile long murderous streak, he haunts the Fluffy the Clown storybooks and dolls (hence his name; I’m sure he has another, but again he’s not talking). He uses mind manipulation when possessing the books to corrupt others into doing his killing (as seen in Fluffy the Clown and the Mystery Writer) and seems to possess the dolls directly for hands-on mayhem (as in Dear Mom).

Emily Langley: A nasty killer of children who was executed for being a witch. But she didn’t let a little thing like death stop her from pursuing her hobby of murder and mayhem. Existing across the ages as a ghostly legend, her spirit, accompanied by her ghost dogs, comes back to wreak bloody vengeance. She was last seen in The Legend of the Haunted Tree killing off a bunch of hapless teenagers on Halloween.

Rjsh the Night Wraith: This supernatural creature makes his appearance in Ruined City (although not by name) and is an unrepentant killer. He is a carnivore by nature, and his chosen meat is human. He is a hunter and loves to play with his food before devouring it at his leisure (quite often while the food is still alive).



Stories and Books:

Victorian Shadows can be found in the ebook Killers and Demons

Fluffy the Clown and the Mystery Writer can be found in the ebook, Once Upon a Dark and Eerie...

Dear Mom can be found for free on my Goodreads Profile

The Legend of the Haunted Tree can be found in the ebook, Once Upon a Dark and Eerie...


Chronicles of the Undead is my vampire novella

Ruined City is my dark fantasy book

 
And don't forget to check out the Coffin Hop Web Tour, Monday Oct. 24th.

Excerpt of Horror

Another tale of horror is being told today, with an excerpt from my book Once Upon a Dark and Eerie...

And don't forget to check out the Coffin Blog Hop, starting Oct 24th.   Once Upon a Dark and Eerie... is going to part of my ebook prize pack giveaway for the Coffin Hop.

So, I offer up for your reading pleasure a story of a werewolf and its hunter: 

Come the Moon

Only the bare bones remained. 

The kill I had left behind me was just like the others.  The body had been chewed clean of the flesh, all the meat that was once a mother of two stripped away and eaten.  Her existence had been reduced to a pile bones with bite marks.

I really hate werewolves.

I had been tracking this particular werewolf for three lunar cycles, being witness to his killing spree, with nine dead bodies left like a trail of bloody breadcrumbs.  I watched the aftermath of his murderous rampage, as the families of his victims learned the worst truth.   I said prayers for wives, husbands, brothers, and daughters and beheld all the tragedy and the sorrow.   Pain and guilt were becoming very familiar.
I had been hunting werewolves and beings like them a long time, but this one...this one was special, personal.  I needed to make sure I could end the hunt.  If I couldn’t, I wasn’t certain I could live with the consequences.  I pulled every skill out of my bag of tricks, but until tonight I had always been one step behind.  The beast had made a mistake and left a trail.  I might have missed saving his latest victim, but I had finally traced his lair.

Tonight I was my chance to kill the beast and put an end to this misery.

The creature had retreated to an old abandoned shed at the edge of the woods he had made his killing ground.  It was some old storage hut, paint peeling, one side dented, with every window broken.  I was downwind so he couldn’t smell me, looking for a decent way to sneak in, but there wasn’t one; he would know I was coming.  I’d get one shot at him before he tore me to shreds.
I loaded the rifle before I went in for the kill, with a full clip of custom-made silver bullets.  I set up in a good vantage point, took a deep breath and waited; he would come for me as soon as he caught my scent.
It didn’t take long.  A few minutes, and I had a raging hungry werewolf lunging full force across the ground, intent on killing me.  I could see the red eyes through the scope, the slavering jaws, hear those animal howls.  I pulled the trigger, once twice, three times.
The bullets hit home, tearing straight into the brain, pulsing the silver poison into his system.  The beast went down, twitching, convulsing and then it was still.  I walked over to the body, rifle ready, but it was dead.  Jack was dead.
I wanted to cry, looking at him, that bleeding, monstrous corpse I once knew as a laughing, fearless human.  We had hunted together, stalked the predators, those things that go bump in the night, the nightmares most people believe are just pretend.  But that was when he was human, before one of those things turned him.
That was when he was still my husband.



Where you can find Once Upon a Dark and Eerie...

Smashwords

Nook

Kobo

Sony

Apple iStore

Time to discard Lulu.com?

I just published my latest book, The Incomplete Guide to Action Movies, with Lulu.com and it was a bit of a nightmare.

Once again Lulu's incompetent (at least in my experience) cover wizard glitched and screwed up my cover.  This time it happened during a book revision; it somehow (the staff at Lulu.com say the how is a mystery) reverted my cover to default colour and font and removed my front cover blurb. 
Now, every time you revise you must purchased an obligatory proof copy, so having not realised the glitch, I bought not one, but two copies (the second copy was to be used in a book giveaway).  The two copies arrived and, surprise, I was looking at a cover I didn't want.  This was highly annoying and problematic for the loss of money and the disruption of my marketing plans.  So I contacted Lulu to complain and that is when my problems got worse.

Their first response email said they had to send my problem higher up the food chain.  Okay, I could understand that.  Too bad they sent it to someone who seemed to have little grasp of the words "customer service".
My first email from this "person" stated, "We noticed that you had disabled your account".  Well gee, I hadn't.  The guy didn't even look up the right account!
In the second email he states, "we unfortunately cannot revise the cover for you".  I never asked them to do that; I just wanted answers.  He did also state though, "we can bypass the proof copy requirement by offering you a free copy of the version with the corrected cover".  Okay, I thought at least that's something, so I replied.  I asked how I could obtain the free copy and a few other questions about using the PDF of the original cover.  I waited for an answer, but none came that day or the next morning.  So I went ahead and revised the cover, figuring I could wait to order the copy.
Then the third email arrives, with this gem, "We can use the cover from the first version, however we will need to upload this as a one-piece cover as opposed to going through the studio. If you would like, I can make a revision and upload the cover for you, as well as place a replacement order. I will also set the order up in order to bypass the proof copy requirement. How would you wish to proceed?"  So, I guess they could revise the cover after all, despite the earlier statement.  Too bad I did it already.   So I relate this information and inquire, again, how can I get the free copy.  This exchange happened on July 1st and I waited patiently for a reply, taking the holidays in to consideration. 
By the 6th I lost patience waiting for a reply and just ordered the book.  Then I received this email, "Thank you again for your patience and I apologize for the delay. I have placed a reorder for the new revised book."  Oh thanks, you don't get back to me, don't answer my inquiries about the ordering procedures and then order the book the day after I do!   Way to communicate with your customer!

This is just the newest round of indifference I had with customer service at Lulu, but it is the last straw for me.  I'm disillusioned with Lulu.com; their prices and shipping charges are too high, their customer service sucks and I'm finding them less and less author friendly.  I think it is past time for me to find a new way to get published.

The Incomplete Guide to Action Movies


Almost everything you need to know to enjoy an action film!

Here it is at last!

Presenting an irreverent manual for dissecting an action movie, a guide to the nuances of that summer blockbuster!
Consider musings about crashes, clichés and cannon fodder!

Discover how to survive an action movie!

Learn the proper way to watch a bad action film!

Disagree with the recommendations and the top ten lists!


Read all about it today!
http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/the-incomplete-guide-to-action-movies/11602857


 

Passing Fancies of Inspiration.

It seems, according to various articles I've read, people like to know the stories behind a book and how an author gets his/her inspiration. Generally, I don't ponder on my inspirations and it may be a touch dangerous to probe the workings of my mind, but I'm going to spill the secret of what motivated my book of short fiction, Passing Fancies.

The internet.
Yes, the world wide web is responsible for my collection of strange tales.  What, you say?  How did the internet inspire you?  A simple answer:  online writing groups, writing articles and Twitter.
Passing Fancies is a varied and odd collection of stories from short tales of 100 words or less to much longer narratives.  Much of the microfiction was written for a online writing group, Genre Shorties (where you write a tiny tale for a supplied prompt) and several of the longer stories were written for the Genre Creatives Challenge group.  Both of these groups can be found on Gather.com.

Two of the stories in the book, A Hand in his Pocket, and Time in a Box were thought up after I read posts by two online author friends.
A Hand in his Pocket came about after reading a post on how certain written phrases might appear if they were taken literally.  Example:  "He put a hand in his pocket", instead of "He put his hand in his pocket".  This gem of writing advice got me thinking, "Why would someone put a hand in his pocket if it wasn't his?" and my story, A Hand in his Pocket, was born, as were werewolves.  (Note:  I posted the original version of this story on Gather.com, but there is a re-written version in the book.)
Time in a Box has a far less complicated origin.  Another author friend was discussing writing exercises and how he was using photos for inspiration.  One of the photos he included in the article gave me my own bit of inspiration and a different view of time-travel.

Now for Twitter.  Two of the stories were directly inspired by Tweets and one story was born of frustration from a bad day of Twitter spam.
Veil of Tears germinated after someone tweeted about a spelling goof with the words, vale and veil and well, I think Die, Spam Die speaks for itself.
Conversation in the Country Club came about after I read a Tweet by Elmore Leonard (yes, the Elmore Leonard).  He was ruminating on how he wrote about the dark underbelly of life and commented how he thought it was more interesting than a conversation in a club.  I would like to point out I did not disagree with this observation, but the thought did occur to me, "it would depend on the conversation".  Hence, my story about a strange underbelly in a country club.

So now you know.  My twisted mind can warp even the most mundane observation.

A Halloween Story

A Monster Therapy Session

“Now don’t feel awkward, we’re all here to share our problems. Just tell us how you feel.” I gave our newest member of group an encouraging, sympathetic look.
“I feel so persecuted, so violated. They won’t even let me have my eternal rest!” The Mummy buried his face in his bandaged hands.
“Tell me about it! I got nuts chasing me with guns and silver bullets! How can they afford silver bullets in this recession?” The Wolfman scowled.
Dracula flashed his fangs in return. “At least you do not have teenage girls hounding you. Oh, how I hate Twilight! I believe I preferred it when all I had to contend with were mobs and wooden stakes.”
I glanced over at the Headless Horseman. He was hunched over as usual, with an air of dejection. Poor man, it was so hard to participate in a discussion without a mouth, or a head. I might have to adjust his depression medication again.
“Have any of you been trying to socialize as I suggested? Let people get to know the real you, to see past the image?”
“I have.” Frank joined in the conversation. We had shortened his name some time ago; Frankenstein’s Monster was too much of a label. “I went to a Halloween party a few days ago; no one knew I wasn’t wearing a costume. I just blended in. It was so freeing and I had a great time. I just wish they would treat me that way all the time.”
I reached over and patted his shoulder. “They will, eventually. This is what the group therapy is for, to help you integrate into society.” I glanced at the clock.
“Well, it is time to end the session for today. Now remember, try and socialize, and no incidents.” I gave them a stern look. “That means no dismemberment, Wolfman, and no bloodsucking, Dracula. I don’t want a repeat of last Halloween.”
I ushered everyone to the door with a smile. “I’ll see you all the same time next week.”

Book News

Just some updates today about my latest activities:


- I'm putting the finishing touches on my newest books, Shadows of Poetry and Passing Fancies.

Shadows of Poetry is my second volume of poetry, a book of dark verse. It has been uploaded to Lulu.com and I'm just awaiting the proof copy to check for errors and those sneaky typos. After it has been approved (hopefully that will happened within the next week or so) it officially goes on sale. Also, the download version (available at Lulu.com) will be only $1 until January.

Wanted: Readers of the grim, the sorrowful, and unhappy endings.

Poetry written for the blackness in your soul.
Wrenching, dismal, bleak verse for those who want to walk on the dark side.
No sappy, cheerful love poems allowed.

Passing Fancies is a book of short fiction, mostly fantasy tales with a few bits of other fiction; the book will have three types of fiction, Micro Fiction, Flash Fiction, and Short Stories.
I'm writing the last few stories for the book and working on the editing and I should be finished by the end of the week. Then it is off to Lulu.com and glory. I will be posting a excerpt or two from this book here at my blog.

Note: For anyone not familiar with the terms, Micro Fiction are stories 100 words or less, Flash Fiction, stories around 1000 words and Short Stories are usually between 1000 and 7500 words.


-I have a special Halloween treat coming with guest blogger Pat Bertram stopping by as part of her blog tour. Anyone not familiar with her books should check them out. You can find More Deaths Than One, A Spark of Heavenly Fire and her newest Daughter Am I at Amazon.com and Second Wind Publishing.


-Shameless Plug: Looking for a horror book in time for Halloween? Chronicles of the Undead is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Barnes and Noble and Lulu.com (also on Lulu.com, a more budget friendly download version).

Chronicles of the Undead:

Family Secrets.
Three generations of one family share their intimacies with the world of the vampire.

Inside the personal journals of the Harrington family, a dark and dangerous odyssey unfolds.
Three members of this tormented family, Samuel, his son Edmund, and Edmund’s daughter Charlotte, struggle during the 18th and 19th century in London, England, as the lives of this family intersects with supernatural forces. Two intriguing vampires befriend, manipulate and play with all three souls, altering their lives forever.
Their fears, private confidences and weaknesses are revealed as one selfish act ends in horrific tragedy, with far-reaching consequences.

Who succumbs to the seduction and danger of the vampire? Who grapples to combat the evil influence that permeates their lives?

The Last Two Tour Stops Today

Sad to say my blog tour ends today, but it ends with a two stop flourish.

First, the spotlight falls on my book, Chronicles of the Undead, as it is featured at Authors Promoting Authors with a short excerpt for your reading pleasure.
(note: Authors Promoting Authors asks guests to exchange spotlights, so please be kind and check out my blog entry from yesterday: Book Spotlight: Vital Signs of Recovery)

And you can also read a few more tidbits about me in my latest interview at Writing Space


I hope everyone has enjoyed my ramblings, and I like to thank everyone who kindly allowed me the privilege to guest on their blogs, it was much appreciated.

Bonus for the Blog Tour

For anyone following my blog tour, here's a unofficial stop as a bonus. You check check out a new interview, over at Cold Coffee on the Ning.com network.

10 Quick Questions with Dave: An Interview with A. F. Stewart

Don't forget to stop by Murder by 4 tomorrow for my guest post

And on Saturday, in honor of Valentine's Day, I'll be announcing my latest contest winner. Come see who won the copy of Chronicles of the Undead.

Update

My Latest Writing News:

1. Inside Realms is now at full sale status at Amazon.com
2. Chronicles of the Undead should be published (at least at Lulu.com) within the next 2-3 weeks. You can check out a teaser trailer at my YouTube Channel
3. Both books now have their own Squidoo lens: Inside Realms; Chronicles of the Undead
4. I wrote a fictional character interview with one of the individuals in Chronicles of the Undead: An Interview with my Vampire (Character)
5. I'm on Twitter
6. I've got a Facebook Fan Page
7. There's a new contest running at my website to win an ebook copy of Chronicles of the Undead. Check it out at my Contest Page for details and to see the winners of the "Write me a poem" contest.

My Review of America's Hidden History

Book Review of America's Hidden History: Untold tales of the first pilgrims, fighting women, and forgotten founders who shaped a nation, by Kenneth C. Davis.


You know a book on American History is going to be interesting when the Introduction starts with a reference to Flip Wilson. And I was not disappointed reading America’s Hidden History by Kenneth C. Davis.

America’s Hidden History is a book of six stylish, sometimes wry, vignettes that detail the more obscure tales of American history. The tales spin out in a well-written, forthright style, as a master storyteller discloses secrets of the past. It is just the kind of book on history I love, highlighting not facts and figures, but people and their real stories. There are little known stories of Conquistadors, Pilgrims, Puritans, Founding Fathers, and Revolutionaries, opening an illuminating window on the early saga of what became the United States of America.

I found the first two stories, that deal with the first explorers and settlers, an appealing, entertaining read, and mildly enlightening. Mr. Davis drops the veil on this history, to give the reader a true glimpse at the lives that wove that fabric.

He writes:

“In this inconceivable moment of terror, shock, and grief, the two women were spared. Taken captive along with at least ten other prisoners from Haverhill, they began a wilderness trek.”

It was in the remainder of the book, where the author starts telling tales of the American Revolution and its participants, that the book elevates from great to riveting. Conventional history gets turned on its ear, to reveal some very intriguing facts. I certainly learned a few things I thought I already knew.

Mr Davis pens:

“While Arnold prepared for this wilderness march to Quebec, his rival Ethan Allen was already assaulting Montreal. With only a handful of men, Allen had foolishly attacked the city late in September 1775. The attack was a fiasco, and the hero of Ticonderoga was captured by the British. His Revolutionary military career was over.”

America’s Hidden History dips past the standard book on history, removing the rose-coloured glasses we often use to view the past. Yet, within its pages are far more fascinating stories that should be read. Oh, and if you ever set out to colonize a new world make sure you bring the pigs.


Kenneth C. Davis is the bestselling author of Don’t Know Much About History, part of the popular Don’t Know Much About series.

America’s Hidden History is available online at Amazon and other retailers.

Update on my book Inside Realms- Its approved!

I got my final proof copy of Inside Realms, everything was fine, and it is now officially approved for online distribution!
Now I just have to wait 6-8 weeks for it to magically appear at the online retail stores like Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

I shall count the days.

Update

Just an update on was has been going on with my writing.

- One of my poems will be appearing in an upcoming chapbook produced by Bards and Sages Publishing. I'll keep you advised of its progress.
- Another one of my poems won second place in a contest on the WritersCafe.org website.
- I got my first interview as an author, Yeah! It's been posted on Blogcritics:
Interview with Fantasy Author A. F. Stewart

So, not a bad couple of weeks.


Don't forget to check out my Squidoo.com lens:
A. F. Stewart
How to write a Fantasy Novel
How to become an Independently Published Author