Final Reverie Cover Reveal!

As many know, I am currently working on my first novel, titled "Final Reverie".  I received the final cover artwork a couple of days ago and could not be more excited about the way it turned out! 

Before I get into the book itself, I need to give a huge thank you to artist David McGlumphy, he did an outstanding job.  His top notch communication and desire to gather my input was unsurpassed.  I didn't know what to expect, but he ensured I was informed throughout the process.  This cover will undoubtedly draw attention to the story within!

Final Reverie is the story of two adolescent boys, one human and one wolf.  Due to a reemergence of magic upon the world, the powers of good and evil were quickly thrown off balance.  An evil incarnate, Nafets, works on emerging form a subterranean prison while the boys, Chij and Franklyn, are tasked with the mission to destroy him. However, Atrin - a beast with a similar but more nefarious mission plans on stealing their thunder. 

Final Reverie is the first of three books, told in reverse order, in the Reverie series.  The second book is still in the works and will tell the story prior to Final Reverie, reintroducing us to characters from within. 

I want to give a thank you to everyone at J. Ellington Ashton Press for the kindness and support that they provided through this process.  I wasn't sure what to expect, but I never expected such a supportive family of writers and artists!

Review: Max Booth III's FISH: An Erotic Horror Short Story

From the moment I first loaded FISH into my Kindle app, something smelled funny.  Despite the aromatic warning, I couldn't resist continuing onward through the digital pages, ignoring my best judgment, and experiencing Max's fulfilling release of creative juices once finished. 

"When a boy, desperate for sex, finally finds a lover, he gives himself to her completely, body and soul. She will ensure that he does anything necessary to protect her, and their family..."

Honestly, I thought that this would be a mere lustful teenage love story riddled with a twist somewhere near the end.  I should have known better with an author like Mr. Booth III involved.  This is one of the most disgustingly beautiful short stories I have read in quite a while, and would recommend it to anyone with an extra 99 cents in their bank account.  Hell, charge your Kindle reader battery and shorten that electric or heat bill by a dollar.  This read is worth a month without unnecessary luxuries; the cavemen didn't need such extravagant wants, why do we?

In all seriousness, Max Booth III is a fantastic writer and well deserving of praise for his works; short and long.  His dedication to the craft of writing, and to his fans, is only equated by a select few.  Dare I say he is one of my literary heroes? (Or is that creepy and stalker-ish?)  Regardless, Max is quite talented and this short story samples his abundant talent within. 

Review: Deep Within, by Charles Day

Deep Within, by Bram Stoker nominated author Charles Day, is a a well written tale of psychological dimensions.  I expected nothing but greatness based on what I read in The Legend of the Pumpkin Thief and The Adventures of Kyle McGerrt :  Hunt for the Ghoulish Bartender.  I was not disappointed in the least as Charles Day pulled out another instant classic.

Before I continue, I will apologize for taking so long to publish the review.  Prior to reading Deep Within I read another book that took place in a similar setting.  It was still quite fresh in my mind and I wanted to give some space in between to ensure one did not influence the other.  I am glad I did.

Although I have never met Charles Day, I have interacted with him on Social Media.  He has become somewhat of a literary hero of mine and he continues to impress me with his sincere demeanor and stand up values. I can see a lot of his personality within his writing, which brings a beautiful level of depth to his works. He puts everything he has into his work and it shows.

"When a mad psychologist decides to tap into the human mind, what he creates may be darker than anyone may ever know. As the creature begins to take physical form in our world, a group of childhood misfits set out to stop the bloodshed before all hell breaks loose."

Deep Within takes us  on a journey into the inner walls of a psyche ward.  In many books of similar themes we see the darker side of the institution.  However, Charles provides us with a delicate balance between our perception of such institutions and reality; providing us with the horrific in between.  The characters within feel real and dynamic and the situations and environment are well crafted. 

Each chapter is rather short, allowing even the busiest reader the opportunity to experience the tale in small portions and pick it up again when time allows.  I urge anyone with a love for psychological horror, emotional fear, and surprises around every corner to pick up their copy today!  Of course, after you read it, please leave a review and tell the world what you loved about Deep Within!

Review Once Upon a Grave by William Bove

Once Upon a Grave by William Bove is a personal glimpse into the the life of a Vampiress as she discovers herself.  Caught in a situation in which she is forced to leave her group, Nicole adjusts to traveling on her own without the support she has grown to know.  On her travels, she meets another vampire that allows her to discover her lineage and take control of her future.

I was quite surprised with the depth of story that was presented in the book.  I expected to see a short glimpse into a brief event of the vampire life.  However, I was rewarded with a fantastic tale of self-discovery and growth. The only complaint I have is that I want more of the story (Hint Hint).

William Bove is an amazing writer and will definitely be someone I follow.  Keep an eye out for him and his future releases, you will not be disappointed!



"Against the backdrop of the Great Depression , a group of young vampires move through the nights. Barns and shacks decorated in corpses are the only landmarks to their presence. Within the group a quiet rebellion grows and with it the means to tear them apart. Blood and death always carry with it a truth."

• Print Length: 36 pages
• Publisher: J Ellington Ashton Press (September 8, 2013)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B00F2C6WB2

The things we find on software disks

I was installing a program on my PC and decided to review the files on the disk.  I wasn't expecting to find the text that I have pasted below.  Feel free to read through it and discuss in the comments below:

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

    He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
    He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
    He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
    He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
    He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
    He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
    He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
    He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
    He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
    He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
    He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
    He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
    He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
    For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
    For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
    For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
    For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
    For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
    For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
    For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
    For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
    For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
    He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
    He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
    He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
    He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
    He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Review: Outlaw Circus by Alex S. Johnson

I wasn't quite sure what I was going to read when I started reading OUTLAW CIRCUS.  I figured that there would be clowns, bearded ladies, and elephants galore. Boy was I wrong!  Instead I was welcomed by a eclectic grouping of stories ranging from the Bizarre to the surreal. 

The crowning jewel of the book is the final piece, aptly titled Outlaw Circus and co-written by Charie D. La Marr, which takes us on a whimsical ride into controlled insanity.  I absolutely loved it.  The following line from the book will give you an idea of what I mean:

"They rode for hours, the twins on their tied-together horses and the clown and the
wolf boy in a serape and a Mexican sombrero, sharing a donkey" (Outlaw Circus, 2014, p. 84)

Of all the stories in the collection "Mourning Becomes Bizarro" is probably my favorite. What we begin to believe is a somber story about the mourning of a dear friend, quickly takes a bizarre turn (as the title suggests) and blows your mind, thinking "what the hell did I just read?", but in a guilty and satisfying way.

As with any book that is published by JWK Fiction, this was a no brainer to read.  His eye for talent is unsurpassed. If you have read the book, or will be in the near future, I would love to hear about your favorite tale within!

Submission Call: MISUNDERSTOOD: An Anthology for those Hiding Behind a Mask of Hope

Submission Guidelines for MISUNDERSTOOD: An Anthology for those Hiding Behind a Mask of Hope

Immortal Gaze Press is proud to announce its inaugural CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS.

We invite you to submit a story for consideration! Original stories only please. NO reprints, duplicate or simultaneous submissions. We also welcome artwork for this anthology. ALL ARTWORK MUST BE YOUR OWN, AND CANNOT BREAK COPYRIGHT RULES.

Publication Date: TBD

Open Period for Submissions: March 29, 2014 - May 31, 2014. Any submissions emailed before or after set call dates will not be considered.

Project Title: MISUNDERSTOOD: An Anthology for those Hiding Behind a Mask of Hope

Subject/Theme: Open concept revolving around the struggles that pre-teens through young adults experience. This can include peer-pressure, self-harm, addictions, self-doubt, low self-esteem, inflictions of sadness and pain, and any other stigma that might set us apart from what we know perceive as the norm.
Manuscript Format: 12 pt Times New Roman; double-spaced; formatted tabs with 0.3 auto indent; extra line between paragraphs; pages numbered; your name/contact information/story title in header of every page.

-Flash fiction should be between 500 and 1,000 words, formatted as described above.
-Short stories should be between 1,001 and 5,000 words and formatted as described above.
-Essays will also be accepted. We would prefer they are a minimum of 750 words. Please ensure that all necessary citations are included to avoid accidental plagiarism.
-Poetry will be accepted at any length.
-If you have an original song that you would like to submit, there will be limited space for such pieces. Feel free to include original sheet music as well.
-Art must be a minimum of 300dpi and should be submitted in a standard format. If the artwork is submitted in color, please be sure it will translate to black and white for the print version of the book.

Submissions must be sent directly to Immortal Gaze Press as an email attachment. Any questions or concerns should also be directed to Immortal Gaze Press by emailing them directly to:
EsselPratt@EsselPratt.com

In your email please include your full name, title of the work you're submitting, and the final word count of your manuscript. Please use the following format for the subject Line:
MISUNDERSTOOD/Your Name/Title of Work/Type (Ex:Poetry/art/Etc)

It is expected that submissions will be fully edited and proofread prior to being sent in for consideration. ALL submissions that are accepted for publication in MISUNDERSTOOD: An Anthology for those Hiding Behind a Mask of Hope, will be subject to minor editorial corrections.

If your story is selected for publication, a contract will be provided authorizing Immortal Gaze Press to publish your submission within the anthology. The submitter will retain all rights to their works. This is a “For the Love of” project, meant for exposure only. We are currently looking into the possibility of donating proceeds to a charity, and will keep authors informed as we proceed.

Upon acceptance of your story, a brief biography will be requested, to be included at the end of the anthology. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list of your publications or weblinks, just a short bio to let readers know about the contributors.

PLEASE NOTE: ANY submissions or inquiries sent anywhere other than to the email address provided above will be deleted.
Immortal Gaze Press would like to thank you for your interest, and wish each of you luck in completing your submissions.