Halloween is just around the corner, and if you’re like me, this month has been all about watching scary movies. My personal favorites are the ones with ghosts. For me, there’s nothing like a good old fashioned haunted house tale. So, here’s a list of some of my favorites, in no particular order. I tried to slip in a few movies you may not have seen, just to keep it from being too obvious.
Getting There
Wow. We did it. We’re in Iowa. How did that happen? It all seems like a dream, even now. A fuzzy dream with a million blurry images mixed together.
Memories of packing a multitude of boxes then loading a moving pod with all our stuff, thinking the whole time we won’t have enough room for everything. Of trying to decide what we need and what we don’t, what we can live without and what we can’t. Of reassuring Reznor that, yes, we know what we’re doing—and hoping we sound convincing.
Of sharing a hundred tearful goodbyes throughout the month of July. Of the slow trudge through summer school and the rising dread of leaving Northpoint. The humbling joy of our going-away party with all our best friends and family coming out to spend one last afternoon with us, then that mountain-top feeling giving way as the last guests trickled out of our favorite hangout, Trustworthy Brewery, leaving Michelle and me to return to our empty apartment, tearful and overwhelmed with second-guesses. We fell asleep thinking about getting there.
Iowa: The Return!
We’re moving back to Bettendorf! Well, it’s “back” for me, but my family will experience Iowa life for the first time—I’m curious to see how they handle their first Midwest winter. I know they’ll love fall and they’ll eventually get used to the summer humidity, but I pray the polar vortex you guys had last winter doesn’t become an annual occurrence or I’ll be getting some dirty looks in the house from January through March.
Query Letters and Slow-Moving Sequels
Hey all! This past month has been busy-busy, as I’m sure it has been for all of you. The school year is winding down for our family. Some big plans are looming on the horizon, so we’re nervous and excited, but overall hopeful.
QUERIES!
Last week, I sent out my first round of query letters to literary agents for my latest manuscript, The Last house. Hopefully, we’ll hear something positive in the next couple of months. You never know. If the right book hits the right agent at just the right time, it could all work out. Kind of like how things worked out for Devils Glen with Kindle Scout.
For those who don’t know, a query letter is basically an email you send out to potential agents describing your book. You tell a brief one or two paragraph blurb-like synopsis, a hook line, author bio, and information like genre and word count. Usually, you include a chapter or two for them to read. If an agent likes what he or she sees, they might request a full or partial manuscript. If not, you usually get a form letter rejection. Most books get loads of rejections before they get even a request for full or partial. It’s a long process, but I think this book has potential.
Devils Glen New Cover!
Hey all! Devils Glen has had a mini-relaunch with a new cover and a new edit. No major changes have occurred to the story, but I have cleaned things up a little. Here’s the new cover:
I love the mood, and the thumbnail definitely pops on Amazon. This week, we’re running a promo! The Kindle version will be FREE from Tuesday April 16th through Thursday April 18th, so tell your friends who haven’t read it yet and get a free copy today!
Rough Drafts and Refunds
Hey all! Hope you’re all making it through this crazy winter. Out here in Southern California it’s not so bad, but our friends and family in the Midwest have had it tough. I’m thinking about you guys!
Last House Update—Cheers!
As you know if you’re following me on Facebook, I’ve finished the rough draft of my next novel, The Last House, and am letting it sit on the back burner for some weeks while I work on another project. Those of you who pre-ordered it on Inkshares will receive refunds this week. I only put the book up on Inkshares to enter it in the 2018 Horror Novel Contest.
What’s next? I will get back to working on the next draft by mid-April and I plan to query it out to agents as soon as I’ve got a solid draft ready. It may be quite some time before you get to read it, but I’ve got high hopes for this one.
Tools of Writing
Laptop on a work table with DIY and construction tools all around top view hobby and crafts concept
Just as a painter requires a brush, canvas, palette, and easel, a writer needs specific tools to create a story. These days, authors use a wide variety of programs to improve almost everything about their work—from editing and plotting, to formatting and publishing.
Below, I’ve listed several basic programs useful for any kind of writing.
Horror 2018
This was another interesting year for horror. From movies and TV to books and podcasts, it seemed like horror was everywhere. I can’t let the year slip away without talking about some of my favorite stuff. First, I’ll start out with my top ten horror movies of the year. Here we go…
How to Write a Book, Part 2
So, you’ve finished your rough draft and set it aside for four to six weeks, keeping your writing juices flowing by working on another project or the beginnings of a blog, and now you’re ready to go back to your unwieldy lump of clay and begin fashioning it into something recognizable.
However, there is one thing we need to clear up right now. . .
Horror for Halloween
Hey everyone! Hope your Shocktober is going great!
Thanks to everyone who picked up a free Kindle copy of Crow Creek the first week of October. It was a fantastic promotion charging my books up the horror charts for a while there. Hopefully, everyone likes what they read. Please do me a favor and leave a rating on Amazon!
Shocktober Horror Movie Challenge
I’ve been watching one horror movie or show per day throughout the month of October. Most of these films are obvious and you’ve probably seen them a time or a hundred, like me. But here are just some of my favorites I’ll be watching this month…