It Won't be much longer: Final Reverie - releasing soon!

It won't be long now until Final Reverie is released by J. Ellington Ashton Press. I cannot wait to share the adventures of Chij and Franklyn with all of you. Until then, here is a small excerpt:

“Can you imagine living your life in a box, staring at a box, and clicking little buttons that are shaped like boxes?” said Franklyn. “Not I,” said Chij. “Anyway, if all of the technology was still here I would not be having this conversation with you. I would probably be chained to a tree and drinking from a bowl.” “That is probably true, but that is how things were back then. Can you imagine the period between the demise of technology and the emergence of magic? I heard that a lot of people went crazy and few survived,” said Franklyn. They mused how the humans coped once the dust had settled, as the land renewed itself over the course of years, ushering forth a new age as the devolution caused by the now rotting machines was finally unhindered. How they managed to adjust as magic emerged too, and gained control of the land as the people readjusted their lifestyles, forcing them to rely less on their mechanical crutches. Most of all they wondered about the interaction between man and beast, as they became vocal and intellectual equals in the new world, and how they learned to rely on one another as something other than pet and master."

 This book has been in my head for quite some time.  I feared, at one point, that I would never finish it and the tale would be kept secret within my head until the end of my time.  However, I decided to see what would happen after the 2013 NaNoWriMo event.  Somehow I managed to finish the book in that time.  It was rough and missing quite a bit of detail, but the first draft was complete!  I went back through, from beginning to end, and added about 10,000 more words. I was completely ecstatic with my progress.  

As I said above, it won't be long now until Final Reverie makes its way into the hands of the fans.  I hope to start on the second book soon.  The working title is Salient Reverie and it will be be another labor of love.

Stay tuned for my toddler's book, which is being worked on now, "The ABC's of Zombie Friendship" which will also be released by JEA Press.

Review: David Dean's The Thirteenth Child

When I was given the opportunity to review David Dean's The Thirteenth Child, I was a little giddy to get my hands on the book.  The cover alone was enough to draw me in, it is fantastic!

When I pre-read some reviews, as I anxiously awaited my copy, I was surprised to see praise form Lisa Morton, one of my heroes in the world of horror.  Needless to say, her acceptance of the novel made me want to read it more.  So, when it finally arrived at my doorstep, I ensured that I had some time set aside to dig in.


Although I was not able to read it on one weekend as I had planned, I was anxious for my time to free up and allow me to continue on through the magnificent storytelling inside.  Not only was the storyline believable, but the characters came to life upon the pages, and the creature called Gabriel was more realistic than many of the beasts I have read about in the past.  David Dean pulled off a wonderful feat when he created the words upon each page.  I can only hope I match a fraction of his talent when I finish my first book soon!

"Police Chief Nick Catesby is haunted by the unsolved disappearance of a young boy from his small, peaceful New Jersey town seven years before. The nightmare begins anew when a little girl goes missing, followed quickly by two teenaged boys. Nick has only one suspect, disgraced professor and town drunk Preston Howard, whose arrogance has left him with nothing more than his pride, a sea of whiskey, and his only daughter, with whom Nick is falling in love. Preston insists that he is not a suspect but a witness to a strange and terrifying boy who only appears between dusk and dawn. Nick regards the story as the rantings of an alcoholic, but sightings of the boy lead to a trail of missing and murdered children going back three centuries, Nick and Preston are plunged into a race to save the children of Wessex Township—and the woman they both love."

 If you have not already picked up your copy, I strongly urge you to do so today!  If you have someone in your family that loves a good horror novel, or even a crime novel, this one is for you.

Literacy and Our Youth Spotlight

When I started writing, I really did not know which direction my stories would take.  Horror has always been my preferred writing method, but I also enjoy Sci-Fi and Fantasy just as much.  So, when I started taking courses at the Institute of children's Literature, I did so to refine my writing skills.  Little did I know that I would actually want to write for children/young adults.  However, now that I have graduated from the course, I find that my style is not defined by one genre.

My current publications are all in the horror genre, although my first published story, "Game Over" published in 31 more nights of Halloween by Rainstorm Press, is more a a young adult horror story.  My first book, assuming a publishing company accepts it, will be a young adult fantasy adventure.  The story pays a little homage to my favorite video game series titled "Final Fantasy".  It was kind of a scary thought to try something that was not my norm.  I really was not sure where to start, but the Institute of children's Literature helped me out with it. 

I also have a fantastic support group made up of many writers from various backgrounds.  Seeing them update their works, share their progress, and just talking to some of them has made me realize that I can write in any genre that I feel comfortable with.  One of those writer friends is Charles Day.

Charles Day is the Bram Stoker nominated creator of "The Legend of the Pumpkin Thief".  His dedication and passion to his artform is truly amazing and admirable.  His newly released book, "The Hunt for the Ghoulish Bartender" is another testament to dedication to his craft.  Charles is not only an acclaimed author, but also owner of multiple publishing companies, such as Hidden Thoughts Press, Evil Jester Press, Evil Jester Comics, and more.

An admirable aspect of Charles Day's passion for writing is his involvement outside of the writing community.  Charles works diligently to reach out to the Young Adult readers to bring excitement back to what I have heard called a "lost art".  In fact, some kids that I have spoken too would rather wait for the movie than read the book.  Sadly, they don't realize that an unsold book does not lead to a movie production.  Charles' outreach to the young readers, and future authors, is helping the literary arts keep its momentum in our culture. 

We need more people like Charles day on our culture, people that believe in our children and are dedicated to educate them and mentor them towards their dreams and goals.  If you are a parent, share your story below about how you help your children to enjoy the literary world.  What books are their favorites?  Do you rely on the highly acclaimed releases, or have you found the hidden gems of the small presses?

If you, or anyone you know, is interested in finding a fantastic book for a young adult to read, click the links below to find both of Charles' young adult novels.  Don't forget to check out some of the Evil Jester Press publications for yourself, I highly recommend Inheritance by Joe McKinney (linked below).