Testing. Testing. Is this thing on?

Oh, hello there! I'm Jen, in case you've forgotten. It has been a long time. I do apologize. So much, so very much has happened since we last spoke. However, I hope to change that very, very soon! Watch this space!

Please Help if You Can!

We started a fundraiser on Youcaring, but some people had problems donating. Please consider donating if you can or share so we can hopefully get this taken care of quickly! Thank you in advance!

Asking For Help

Our YouCaring Fundraiser

Asking for help has always been difficult for me. I've always felt like if there was something that needed to be done, I would just put my head down and work through it. However in the past few years we've faced some obstacles that were more than what we could handle on our own due to outside circumstances. It also doesn't help that where we're living currently, while we knew it wasn't in the best shape when we moved in, has gone from bad to worse. And now that our sweet grandbaby is with us we're in a desperate situation and require some help. I recently read Amanda Palmer's The Art of Asking and it resonated strongly with me, on many different levels.

So, here we are. Asking for your help. The house we're renting is in terrible shape. The windows don't properly seal. There's holes in the walls that haven't been fixed. We've had multiple leaks while living here (including the water main which caused pooling water in one of the rooms...). There are places in the floor that have been covered with duct tape – and other spots that feel like the next time you walk on them, you’re just going to fall through. Our landlord will fix some things, but not always in an expedient manner, not always by a professional, and sometimes not at all.

We were going to move at the beginning of summer, but our only vehicle completely died (would have required repairs well more than what it was worth) and then my husband was laid off. Every bit of money we'd managed to squirrel away to get out of here was now put to a new (to us) vehicle and to cover until my husband could find another job (where we live is 15 min outside of a town of 2300.. Not a ton of job prospects nearby... His current job is a 50-min one-way commute).  I work and have been in the same field (audio transcription) for over eight years. I do fairly well, but projects aren't always consistent (as a result, I work for three different companies to try to stay busy enough to meet our financial needs).

We're looking to move back to the town we were living 2.5 years ago, where there are more opportunities, all the way around. 

And a big part of why moving is so important is our granddaughter. She’s been with us since she and her mom came home from the hospital. We need to get into a better place before winter falls as to not have to worry about health concerns.   

There are more details and factors. Some my husband covered on our fundraiser. And some that are private family matters that we’re in the process of handling, but add to the complications and complexity of our situation.  I hope that if you are in a position to do so, you will consider donating so that we can get in a safe house that will be good for all of us and allow us to focus on our family – and the relaunch of our business, Nightscape Press, which once we’re back up and running, we will switch to a model where we’re donating a portion of every new book we publish to charity (we’ve done charity anthologies in the past, but really want to be doing more).

So, that’s where we are – in a rough spot that we don’t see any way we can make it through on our own in the amount of time we have to work with.  Please consider donating, or at the very least, sharing our fundraiser so that we can better our situation to be able to help others in the future.  Thank you.

  If you would prefer to make a donation through PayPal, the link is: https://paypal.me/robertswilson

Book Review + Giveaway: The Patron Murders by Edwin Wilson [3.75 Stars out of 5]

Welcome, dear readers, to my tour stop for The Patron Murders by Edwin Wilson.  The Patron Murders is a mystery and the tour runs March 1-11 with reviews, guest posts, interviews and excerpts. Check out the tour page for the full schedule.

About The Book:

Matt Johanssen, a dedicated stage actor in his early fifties, is currently rehearsing a play soon to open on Broadway. Through the years, Matt has also anonymously assisted the NYPD in solving a number of crimes.
Midway through rehearsals, a startling murder takes place thirty blocks away at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where a trustee is discovered on the roof with a javelin thrust through his heart. Later, just prior to opening night, the admired and beloved producer of Matt's play, Dorothy Tremayne, is found dead in the theatre’s darkened basement lounge.Ten days later, during a gala at the American Museum of Natural History, there is another murder far more sensational than the ones before. Working behind the scenes, Matt becomes deeply involved in solving all three cases. Meanwhile, he meets an intriguing, auburn-haired woman writing about the murders, and a romantic liaison develops amid the danger and suspense.
 Set against the backdrop of the inner workings of New York City’s theatre, art, and cultural scenes, The Patron Murders is part detective story, part social novel, and a witty, incisive critique of the parvenues who attempt to gain acceptance in the old-line arts establishment.

Amazon | B&N | IndieBound | Goodreads

About the Author:

Author, teacher, critic, Edwin Wilson began his career as Assistant to the Producer for the Broadway play Big Fish, Little Fish directed by John Gielgud, and the film Lord of the Flies directed by Peter Brook. He produced plays off-Broadway and coproduced the Broadway play Agatha Sue, I Love You directed by George Abbott. He also produced the film The Nashville Sound.

Educated at Vanderbilt, Edinburgh, and Yale, he received the first Doctor of Fine Arts degree awarded by Yale. From 1972 to 1994 he was the theatre critic for The Wall Street Journal. For thirty years he taught at Hunter College and the CUNY Graduate Center. During the past four decades he has been the preeminent writer of college theatre textbooks in the U.S. His three books (two coauthored with Alvin Goldfarb) have sold nearly one million copies.

He has served as president of the Theatre Development Fund and the New York Drama Critics Circle, as well as chairman of the Pulitzer Prize Drama Jury.In the early 1990s, he conducted a series of ninety half-hour television interviews with theater artists ranging from George Abbott to Jerry Zaks, which appeared on CUNY-TV in New York and 200 PBS stations around the country.

The Patron Murders is Wilson’s first novel.

Website

***
MY REVIEW:
I want to preface this by saying, since this is a very well-crafted murder mystery, I'm only going to touch on some high level points as to not spoil the intrigue that you get from reading the book -- because a mystery where you already know what happens, isn't as fun!

3.75 stars out of 5

Edwin Wilson has created a really intelligent murder mystery for his first novel. You can tell a lot of care and love for the theater went into the writing of this book. It started off a little slow for me, which is why I rated it a little lower -- for me, if it had been a little less of a slow build, it would have been more enjoyable, just because it is a strong story that was well-written.  I think starting off how it did, it took me a little longer to get into than how I feel about the book overall.  There are good, strong characters who interact in very interesting ways as well as an intriguing plot that keeps you wondering what's around the corner [or page, as it were].  This is a remarkable first novel and a solid story.  Anyone who is a fan of a smart, well-constructed book, and especially for those who enjoy either the theater or mystery novels will have a great time with this one!

***

GIVEAWAY:

$15 Amazon gift card (INT)

5 hardcover copies of The Patron Murders (US)

5 ebook copies of The Patron Murders (INT)

Ends March 16

This giveaway is provided by the publisher, hosts are not responsible. Must be 13 or older to enter and have parental permission if under 17. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.

Nightscape Press + Past Curfew Press Available Titles

Just wanted to do a quick spotlight on all our currently available Nightscape Press titles. If you've read any of them and haven't had a chance to leave  review at Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes and Noble, et cetera, we'd love for you to take a moment to do so. Otherwise, if there's a title that you haven't read that catches your eye, we'd love for you to pick it up [and then leave a review once you get a moment!]. We have three titles that will be forthcoming in 2016. Keep an eye out for more information on those as the time gets closer. It has been such an honor working with so many talented authors and artists throughout this journey. I'm excited for all that's to come in the future!

A Requiem for Dead Flies by Peter N. Dudar After their mother’s miscarriage, Lester and Gordon MacAuley were sent to Battle View Farm to stay with their grandmother for the summer. But the house on Battle View Farm has a haunting secret. As Grandma Vivian slowly slipped into madness, the brothers’ lives became entangled in mortal danger. That summer of terror left them scarred After their mother’s miscarriage, Lester and Gordon MacAuley were sent to Battle View Farm to stay with their grandmother for the summer. But the house on Battle View Farm has a haunting secret. As Grandma Vivian slowly slipped into madness, the brothers’ lives became entangled in mortal danger. That summer of terror left them scarred and plagued by the family’s dark secret. Now, years later, the MacAuley brothers have returned with dreams of breathing new life into Battle View Farm. But living in the house on Battle View Farm, they are forced to face their past and solve the mystery that began generations ago. And to face the ghosts that still haunt their family’s legacy. A legacy written in dead flies. 

Butterfly Potion by Trent Zelazny Perry wakes up in an arroyo, hungover and unsure how he got there. His wallet and cell phone missing, he walks back to the last place he remembers being before he blacked out—the bar. Fueled by alcohol and a touch of companionship, Perry is determined to find out who rolled him, but standing in his way is an accident that happened six months earlier and the struggle his life has become since. In his search for the material things taken from him, he risks walking right past something far more precious: A new beginning. 

World's Collider edited by Richard Salter The Collision is the worst disaster in human history. So far… In the near future, an experiment at the Large Hadron Collider causes an enormous explosion, known as the Collision. The blast flattens a huge chunk of central Europe and punches a massive hole in the Earth’s surface. Over the next decade, unspeakable horrors pour from the rift: vicious creatures with a taste for human flesh, a terrible scream that drives all who hear it insane, a phantom entity that feeds on fear and paranoia, and a nightmare train from the pits of hell, to name but a few. This onslaught of terror causes the collapse of civilization and threatens to wipe humanity from the planet. World’s Collider is a unique concept in short fiction, where all eighteen original stories are part of a common narrative, recounting the disaster and its aftermath. A true novel by many voices. Fifty million people died in the Collision. They were the lucky ones… 

Life Rage by L.L. Soares Winner of the 2012 Bram Stoker Award® for Superior Achievement in a FIRST NOVEL! Sam Wayne is a psychologist who specializes in anger management. He’s very good at his job. Almost too good. In fact, he considers himself something of a miracle worker. A mad man is on the loose, ripping people apart with his bare hands. The police have no clues. Those who see him and survive never seem to make out his face. All except for one… Colleen has led a wasted life, bringing home a new man to her bed every night. Until that night. Witnessing her friend torn to pieces right before her eyes, she sees the murderer’s face clearly. She manages to escape, traumatized by what she’s seen, and keeps running until she falls into the arms of Jeremy Rust. An ex Hollywood playboy, Jeremy now hides out in a secluded beach house with his mysterious roommate, Viv… Viv has an insatiable hunger. Like Colleen, Viv never stays long with one partner. Because those who sleep with Viv never manage to live very long, once she finds the key to their soul. The number of murders keeps growing, until an eruption of rage begins to spread like an epidemic. Everywhere, crowds of people mindlessly rip each other apart. An event that will tie all these characters together in a final showdown of supernatural forces. But not everyone will survive the explosive fury of Life Rage! 

Sunfall Manor by Peter Giglio Edgar is a ghost cursed to spend his nights at Sunfall Manor, an apartment complex that was once a farmhouse in the flatlands of Nebraska. Every night he must move through five different dwellings, haunted by the living—a drunken and paranoid writer, an abused housewife, a colder-than-ice web-mistress, a two-bit drug dealer, and a crazy old man who plays with puppets—trying to unlock the secrets of who he is. But tonight is different. The lost souls of Sunfall Manor are ready to give up the ghost, and the past is ready to open its cold, unforgiving arms. 

Dungeon Brain by Benjamin Kane Ethridge On a distant planet, war rages between an alien race and the small society of humans who escaped their genetic laboratories. In a forested region on the outskirts of battle, June Nilman is held as a prisoner of that war. Stricken with amnesia and trapped in an abandoned hospital, her caretaker, Nurse Maggie, presides over her with a horrible, mysterious fascination. At night June hears the aliens patrolling in and out of the hospital, and in time discovers Maggie has mental control over them. But June has thousands of personalities in her head to probe for help. Unfortunately, they're all deviants and criminals and dipping into their minds is often a practice in psychological endurance. Escape seems impossible until June discovers a rat hole in the wall--the starting point of her freedom. But when she ventures out into a war-torn world, she discovers all manner of genetic creations and a dangerous power she cannot control. And as her bloodstained past slowly comes unraveled, it brings her face to face with the most horrifying truth of all.

Three Miles Past by Stephen Graham Jones INTERSTATE LOVE AFFAIR won the 2013 This is Horror Short Fiction of the Year Award! There are lines that probably shouldn't be crossed, doors that should stay shut, thoughts that shouldn't be considered. In these three novellas by Stephen Graham Jones, the dead talk, ancient evil opens its eyes, and that guy across the parking lot, he's watching you, and has been for a while now. Lock the door, tell yourself it's nothing, turn the radio up. It won't matter. You're already three miles past where you meant to stop. 

The Angel of Shadwell by Jonathan Templar London, 83AV (Anno Victoria) On the cobbled streets of Low London, Inspector Noridel of the Eternal Queen’s Constabulary is on the trail of a killer. A killer who removes the still-beating heart from his victims. A killer who witnesses describe as an “angel.” This is an England where Queen Victoria has refused to die. Frozen in state, she thaws for a single day each year to guide her Eternal Empire to even greater glories. An England where the Working Guilds of the Flesh and the Clockwork exist in an uneasy truce, each with their own secret agendas. No longer a green and pleasant land, this is a country whose gardens have become the factory floor for an ever-expanding Industrial and Military Empire that has conquered the globe. An Empire that breeds ever-growing resistance. Here, Scotland Yard walks the land in the belly of an Iron Giant, fighting crime wherever it may go, home to a vast super-computer with a penchant for riddles and a dangerous crush on Inspector Noridel. To catch the killer, Noridel will have to look to his own past. And to his future… 

The Evolutionist by Rena Mason Winner of the 2013 Bram Stoker Award® for Superior Achievement in a First Novel! Las Vegas suburbanite, Stacy Troy, dreams that everyone is dead. She dismembers the bodies of loved ones, stuffs them into a shopping cart, then takes them two at a time to the pile where she will burn their remains and say her last goodbyes. Waking nightly to her own screams, Stacy is convinced she’s on the brink of a mid-life crisis and begins secretly seeing a psychiatrist. Dr. Light and his methods seem strange and unconventional, but his treatments work, and her circumstances improve. Until the nightmares return with a vengeance, taking on a life of their own. Uncertain what to believe, Stacy carries on living the only life she remembers. Nosebleeds and head-splitting alarms only she can hear, become a regular occurrence. In physical and mental decline, the nocturnal world in her mind refuses to die. The images it reveals hold clues that lead her to a shocking discovery. Threatening to unravel the last thread of her sanity, Stacy must make a heartrending decision...before her post-apocalyptic nightmares come true. 

Stealing Night by Peter Giglio Jack has nothing to live for, nothing worth dying for, no one to love, nothing to lose; but that all changes when his sister’s life unravels and he takes guardianship of Nora, his eleven-year-old niece. Looking out for her fast becomes the only thing he has ever done right. Driven to move his family from the bleak flatlands, to give his niece a chance at a better life, Jack takes the only job he can find, washing cars for minimum wage, saving every penny. When an old friend steps back into Jack’s life, a joyride leads to an explosive night of terror and betrayal. Now Jack must stand firm for those he loves as he struggles between the promising new life in bloom and the dark secret of a dead girl from California. Stealing Night is a riveting exploration of our best and worst angels, the familial ties that bend but never break, the decisions we make, and the high cost of hesitation in the face of evil.

Nightscapes: Volume 1 edited by Mark Scioneaux, Robert S. Wilson, and Jennifer Wilson From the depths of the soul to the depths of hell. From the shadows of your most frightening dreams to the shadows lurking in the corner unseen and waiting. Darkness is painted across the palette of every nightscape. And it’s waiting for you… In this new anthology from Nightscape Press, we bring you 24 tales of bitter loss, jaded love, obsession, murder, cannibalism, hauntings, voodoo, black market horrors, demons, leprechauns, zombies, deadly mysteries, and much more!

Control by Ed Kurtz Leon Weissmann is an introverted loner with no control over his life. His only joy is the menagerie of insects, spiders, and scorpions he tends to in his garage. When he acquires an illegally poached rainforest spider, he unknowingly contracts a rare strain of fungus that enables him to control people, to make them do anything he wants. As his power grows, Leon begins to abuse it until there are bodies in his wake and a coterie of brainwashed disciples under his influence. But soon Leon suspects that the thing growing inside his head may be the one with the power… It wants to come out. To reproduce. It wants to control everyone.

The Angel of Death by Peter N. Dudar Everyone has done something evil. Frank is planning to murder his ex-wife. Working a construction job by day and driving a cab by night, Frank is slowly falling apart just trying to make ends meet. He’s poisoned by the toxic relationship with the mother of his children; all for the sake of staying in their lives. But the more he gives, the more she takes away, until he’s stripped of everything. And when she finally files the restraining order to keep him away from his kids, Frank is pushed over the brink of sanity. The ex-Mrs. Blake deserves to die, and Frank buys the gun and puts his plan into motion. Malcolm owns a bar in downtown Portland. In his decades of running MacAuley’s of Scotland, he’s seen every form of sin and iniquity the city has to offer. But Mal has his own sins to hide from. His past life as a World War II pilot, and the death of innocent people he inadvertently caused has always haunted him. It’s been the catalyst for his downward spiral of sin and degradation. Until he realizes that he’s marked for damnation. A man can only live so long and run so far from the past… Both men are on the brink of darkness until the Angel of Death pays one of them a visit. Salvation is at hand. But how far will one man go to save himself? Can he save his friend from the very same fate?

Sterling City by Stephen Graham Jones A moon explodes and a marriage dies. An impossible creature rises from the tall grass, watches a farmer's circle system crawl across the field like a giant insect. That farmer watches back. His wife's footprints are there in the dirt. The fire in the sky leaves his shadow crisp and deep. This is Texas without the cowboy hat. This is Texas with a soft rain of cosmic debris sifting down over it. This is a dark, dangerous thing hiding in the cellar, but this is also a girl threading her bangs out of her face and smiling with her eyes at a boy. 

This is that impossible creature, love. 

This is Sterling City.

Blood Type: An Anthology of Vampire SF on the Cutting Edge edited by Robert S. Wilson Blood Type: An Anthology of Vampire SF on the Cutting Edge is predominately a collection of stories that represent the most cutting edge science fiction-based vampire fiction. Think SF-based vampire fiction like I Am Legend and Necroscope and how they affected the vampire genre when they were first released. Dark Vampire SF that goes where the genre hasn't before. It is not just an anthology of hard science fiction, however. This book also contains examples of science fantasy as well as some classic vampire stories. 

All proceeds from this anthology will go to The Cystic Fibrosis Trust. 

You can learn more about The CFT and the wonderful things they do at: The Cystic Fibrosis Trust 

The Gentling Box by Lisa Mannetti Set in 19th century Hungary and Romania, The Gentling Box is the Bram Stoker Award-winning novel about a half-gypsy horse trader named Imre and the terrifying choices he must make in order to save the family he loves from the curse known as the hand of the dead. After a vengeful sorceress inflicts him with a mortal disease, Imre discovers, to his horror, that the only way he can prevent his beloved wife Mimi and their young daughter Lenore from falling prey to the terrifying gypsy curse is to confront the single most horrendous moment of his life. He must decide if he can, once again, face the dark, hideous secrets of the gentling box. 

Deathwatch by Lisa Mannetti DEATHWATCH: the explosive novella collection from Bram Stoker Award-Winning Author Lisa Mannetti. 

In DISSOLUTION, Stuart Granville is a would-be medical student from the South who's been expelled for drinking and believes he's heading north to Hyde Park, New York to tutor twin girls. Instead, he discovers that his charges, Abby and Eleanor, have never been to school of any kind. They are also Siamese twins and their father, a doctor with grandiose dreams, means to separate them surgically. He intends to take advantage of Stuart's expertise and vulnerability; but unbeknownst to both men, the supernatural force in the house has an agenda--and a will--of its own. 

In THE SHEILA NA GIG, Tom Smith is on a ship in steerage and bound for New York from his native Ireland after facing down the constraints imposed by his family, overcoming the loss of his first love, circumventing his grandmother's wiles and occult knowledge, and trying to save his younger, mentally challenged sister, Delia, from both witchcraft and sexual abuse.

The Big Tree by Rick Hautala In this beautiful and chilling tale, Rick Hautala moves us with a coming of age story like no other. It's 1960. A young boy and his friends spend most of their time in the treehouse they built in The Big Tree in front of Old Lady Wayrenen’s front yard. 

But when Hurricane Donna comes, it leaves more than just a trail of property damage. A chain of events pushes the natural and supernatural worlds at odds with one another and a young girl's life hangs in the balance. But is she even real? 

Combined with the words and artwork of some of Mr. Hautala's dearest friends: Christopher Golden (Foreword), Thomas F. Monteleone (Afterword), and Glenn Chadbourne (cover art); The Big Tree is one of Rick's most autobiographical and personal stories from the heart.

Fantasy For Good: A Charitable Anthology edited by Jordan Ellinger and Richard Salter 

From Sword and Sorcery to Paranormal Romance, from Weird Fiction to Fairy Tales, Fantasy For Good presents a wide range of exciting short fiction to accommodate every taste. In this collection of thirty stories, legendary authors (including NYT Bestsellers and World Fantasy Award winners) and great new up-and-comers in the genre spin tales of magic and mayhem. 

Featuring brand new fiction from Piers Anthony, Michael Moorcock, Carrie Vaughn, Kelley Armstrong, Alan Dean Foster, Katharine Kerr, David Farland, Jane Lindskold, Nnedi Okorafor, Todd McCaffrey and many more, alongside classic tales from George R.R. Martin, Jay Lake, Kevin J Anderson & Rebecca Moesta, and Neil Gaiman. 

Fantasy For Good also includes a classic tale by master novelist, Roger Zelazny, author of the Nine Princes in Amber, who passed away in 1995 after a battle with colorectal cancer. His son, Trent, provides a moving introduction. 

All proceeds from the sale of this anthology go directly to The Colon Cancer Alliance, a charity dedicated to the prevention of this deadly disease, as well as funding research and supporting patients who suffer from it.

The Patchwork House by Richard Salter 

How do you escape an entity who can manipulate time itself? 

Accompanied by his American girlfriend Beth, British ex-pat James Randal has come home to assess his father’s latest real estate venture. The house at Binsham Park is an enigma of patchwork architecture from various eras, nestled in the remote Herefordshire countryside. 

And it is haunted. 

The ghosts of Binsham Park have never harmed anyone before, and the chance to stay the weekend in a real life haunted house is too great to pass up. Having invited James’s old school friend Derek and his wife Chloe to join them, both couples prepare for two days of ghostly adventure and excitement. 

But something is waiting for them inside The Patchwork House. Something so powerful it can move pieces of the house back and forth through time at will. Something so malicious it will tear apart reality to isolate and torment its victims. Something so terrifying it will push James and his friends beyond the limits of sanity. 

When time yields to the will of something truly evil, you’re in for the longest night of your life… 

Days of Rain by Ray Wallace From the author of THE NAMELESS and the One Way Out interactive zombie series: ESCAPE FROM ZOMBIE CITY, ESCAPE FROM ZOMBIE ISLAND, and ESCAPE FROM ZOMBIE PLANET. 

Something has awakened in the waters near Hidden Bay. Ancient and unknowable, it has been gathering its strength in the aftermath of an eons-old conflict, waiting for the right moment to reveal itself. Now, with the wait finally nearing an end, it has decided that a test of its returning power is in order. 

When a storm rolls in and settles over Hidden Bay, the townspeople are forced to confront their deepest fears and darkest nightmares. Before long, many begin to realize this is no ordinary storm, that the world they thought they knew has been harboring a terrible secret. And as each day passes, as new horrors and revelations come to light, a feeling of ever-increasing dread grips the town as the the rain continues to fall…

Release by Amelia Mangan At the age of sixteen, Stanley Fitzgerald murdered his mother. He hasn't uttered a word since. Institutionalized for the last twelve years, he spends his days numb and unresponsive, shut away in a dismal, silent world of his own. 

Until he meets Marina. 

Large bright feline eyes. Long chestnut hair. Rough edges of bitten fingernails. Hands that once murdered an entire family. Marina talks to Stanley. And before long, Stanley talks back. 

As their friendship grows, Marina's influence draws Stanley out of his shell. The doctors, pleased with Stanley's progress, decide it's time for his release. 

Returning to the isolated Midwestern farmhouse where he grew up, Stanley is determined to start putting the pieces of his broken life back together. He never believes he will see Marina again. Not as long as he lives. 

Until, one black and rainy night, Marina appears on Stanley's doorstep. 

"They let me out," she tells him. 

Stanley wants so badly to believe her. 

Stanley has no choice but to let her in... 

RELEASE is a Gothic fairy tale of love, death, guilt, and madness. 

And it will never let you go. 

Darkling Incidence: Obscure Reflections by K.M. Tonso Herein are contained reflections of what, as Saint Paul says, we see in a glass darkly. And as this angle of incidence is so shadowed, so must be the reflections it derives. 

These sixteen stories provide obscure reflections of worlds much like ours yet different. Worlds that grapple with increasingly confused and distorted realities. 

Each reflection so vivid as to become an open doorway where unwary readers might just find themselves stumbling over the threshold... never to return.

Also available from PAST CURFEW PRESS, our Young Adult Imprint:

Dark Art by Tim Waggoner It began with a drawing. 

High-school student Sarah Pennington is in art class one day when her desk mate, Ben Phelps, shows her a drawing he’s done of a sinister knife-wielding figure he calls Shrike. 

Then came the dreams. 

Sarah begins having strange dreams of Shrike in which he commits disturbing acts of vandalism. When she awakens, she discovers her dreams have come true. The destruction is real – and so is Shrike. 

Now Shrike’s alive. 

As Shrike grows stronger, his actions become increasingly violent, escalating to stalking, terrorizing, and ultimately, murder. 

And he must be stopped. 

Sarah must help Ben stop the monster he created. But how can they fight a being that was born from anger and shaped by imagination? A creature that lives halfway between dream and reality? They have to find a way – before it’s too late for them both. 

They say art imitates life. 

Sometimes, it imitates death. 

VLO

Three years ago today, I was in Celebration, FL. Unfortunately, our reason for being there was not in keeping with the name of the town. We were in Celebration Hospital with my mom who had suffered a stroke the day before Thanksgiving and hadn't regained consciousness. I had ridden from Decatur, AL to Celebration with my sister -- I specify ridden as this was still within my six-month driving restriction following the seizures i had had in September of that year. Shortly after we arrived, the day after Thanksgiving that year - joining my dad, brother, and sister-in-law, and had been instructed to say our goodbyes, the nurse informed us she was gone. I looked at the clock at that moment: 7:12 a.m. Sticks in the memory quite clearly since my birthday is July 12th.

And such began the process of adjusting to a new "normal" -- living life without my mom. There have been so many times where after cooking something new I've wanted to call and tell her about it, something I often did "before," and it hits me all over again. And then this past May was rough during Jacob's 8th grade graduation, knowing she wouldn't be there for the milestones. Mother's Day since has been bittersweet in that it's been nice celebrating being a mother, but hard not having mine. And Thanksgiving has become rather melancholy. I have many things to be thankful for, and I am, but it's hard with the details of her passing around the holiday.

For some reason, it’s hitting me extra hard this year. In some ways, it feels longer than three years that she’s been gone… in some ways, it feels like it was much more recent. But time marches on and all I can do is try to carry on in a way to make her proud and honor her memory. One such way is continuing to raise money and awareness for the MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Society, a disease she was diagnosed with before I was born. One that I watched her struggle with all through my life and one that, while not the cause of her death, definitely took a huge toll on her body. I love you, Mom. I miss you.

November Goals

Hello and Happy November, Dear Readers! If you're like me, you're probably not quite sure how we're already in November, but might as well make the best of it! For those in the writing world, you're likely already familiar with NaNoWriMo, the National Novel Writing Month, 30 days of writing, with a 1,667 word count goal, which gives you 50,000 words written at the end of the month. For those not familiar, that's a very basic rundown, but you can learn much more at the site. I was going to say how many years I've participated, but checking my stats on the site, it doesn't have all the years... This is at least my sixth year. I've yet to "win." I've yet to even come close, but for me, as it should be, it's less about "winning" and more about getting words on the page.

So, writing daily, or at least getting 50K words written by the end of the month is my first November goal. My second goal is to exercise for at least 30 minutes every day. I've been struggling with weight loss for a while now. And I've really seen that the main component for making a difference with that is exercise. So, in theory, as long as I keep my daily calorie intake reasonable for the day and I up my exercise, I should kickstart my weight loss. So, wish me luck!  I'm going to put up "counters" for both my daily word count and the amount of time I've exercised here on my blog to find as many ways as possible to keep myself accountable this month!  Hope Day One of November is going well for you so far!



[UPDATE: Well, I'd like to put up a counter for daily exercise, but so far I'm striking out on finding a good widget/counter/whatever to do so. Anybody know of the easiest way to do that? I have my NaNoWriMo word count tracker over to the left on the sidebar, but I can't seem to figure out a good "counter" for my daily exercise. I'm thinking a small calendar that allows me to update how many minutes I exercised that day... Anyone know something like that I could use? Would love your input! Will keep searching otherwise]

The Banished Craft by E.D.E. Bell REVIEW and GIVEAWAY!

Hello, dear readers, and welcome to my tour stop for The Banished Craft by E.D.E. Bell!  The tour runs August 18 - September 1 with reviews, interviews, guest posts, excerpts and giveaways.  The Banished Craft is a fantasy novel and is written for adults but is appropriate for mature young adult readers.   This is the first book of the Shkode series and releases on September 1, 2015.

 About the Book:

The Banished Craft is a genre-bending fantasy saga that follows the adventures of Cor, a woman caught in a dying world that does not accept her, and Atesh, a dragon scientist who's been asked to violate his own ethics or put the lives of his family at risk. Follow their trials as they deal with a shattered world, mired in political upheaval, while they try to rediscover a lost magic. The Banished Craft begins the Shkode trilogy: a quirky and modern take on dragons and wizards, exploring themes of identity, prejudice, violence, compassion, and the ways we are all connected.

Goodreads | Amazon

Book Trailer

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"A wonderfully delightful and deeply imaginative tale of struggle and the quest for knowledge, set in a well-developed and complex high fantasy setting."

--G. S. Jennsen, author of Science-Fiction saga Aurora Rhapsody


"I love Bell's sensitive and insightful exploration of compassion, connection, and relationships. The Banished Craft provides layers of thought-provoking ideas as well as good old-fashioned escapism."

--Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, bestselling author of The 30-Day Vegan Challenge

Website | Facebook | Twitter @edebellauthor | Pinterest | Instagram |  Wattpad

Bell will be releasing her first Wattpad story on 1 Sept to coincide with the release of The Banished Craft.

Giveaway:
$25 Amazon Gift Card (INT)
Ends Sept. 9th
Prizing is provided by the publisher and hosts are not responsible in any way.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Review:

4 out of 5 stars

This was a really fun and interesting book. I'm very glad I got a chance to read it. It's a story that's split between two worlds: one where there are humans and one where there are dragons. Even though it goes back and forth, it doesn't feel disjointed. There is great character development and it is a very well-written book. The only downside for me is that it started off a little slow. If I had been reading it for pleasure, I don't know that I would have kept with it. But since I was reading it to review, I did keep with it and I'm glad. (I've had a couple books like that and on the one hand, it almost makes me rethink my "the book has to immediately hook me or I move on" policy, but on the other hand -- there are just so many books I want to read that if I'm not hooked, it's hard to keep with it!) If it weren't for taking a while to get into the story, it'd probably be a 4.5. I definitely look forward to reading the next book in the series!

This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.

Nightscape Press

As an avid reader, running a publishing company is a dream come true -- mostly!  There are downsides in having to send out rejections and trying to make sure the amazing books you are publishing get attention with the plethora of other amazing books being released, but I wouldn't change it for the world. I have met so many amazing people since we started this company and I am truly proud of every book we have put out -- and really excited about the ones that are on the horizon!  I would love it if you'd check out our current titles and let me know what you think of them!

Network Series by Katie Cross Review & Giveaway!

Hello, dear readers, and welcome to my tour stop for The Network Series by Katie Cross!  The Network Series is a young adult fantasy and the tour runs July 27 – August 7 with reviews only. Check out the tour page for more information.

About Miss Mabel's School for Girls:

Never Underestimate the Power of a Determined Witch. Letum Wood is a forest of fog and deadfall, home to the quietly famous Miss Mabel’s School for Girls, a place where young witches learn the art of magic.Sixteen-year-old Bianca Monroe has inherited a deadly curse. Determined to break free before it kills her, she enrolls in the respected school to confront the cunning witch who cast the curse: Miss Mabel.Bianca finds herself faced with dark magic she didn’t expect, with lessons more dangerous than she could have ever imagined. Will Bianca have the courage to save herself from the curse, or will Miss Mabel’s sinister plan be too powerful?Miss Mabel’s School for Girls is the first novel in The Network Series, an exciting new fantasy collection. A gripping tale about the struggle to survive, it will take you to a new place and time, one you’ll never want to leave.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Audible | Smashwords

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About Antebellum Awakening:

Never underestimate the power of a volatile witch.Still reeling in the wake of her mother’s death, sixteen-year-old Bianca Monroe is forced to move to Chatham Castle. Not even the sudden appearance of ancient dragons in haunted Letum Wood nor her two best friends can distract her from the strength of her deep, dark rage.Her grief puts her magical powers into chaos, endangering any witch around her. She has six months left to destroy the curse that will kill her and fulfill her contract with the most cunning enemy of all: her former teacher Miss Mabel.Bianca must make a choice: learn to control her restless powers, or let the powers control her.Antebellum Awakening is the second book in the thrilling new fantasy collection The Network Series. It’s a haunting tale about tragedy, loss, and the power of moving on.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes

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The Isadora Interviews blurb:

Isadora is a quiet, old witch living alone in the fog-strewn forest of Letum Wood. Her magical power is great, but her foresight is even greater.As a Watcher, Isadora has the ability to see into the heart of every witch she meets, a talent that makes her the perfect guardian of the prestigious Miss Mabel’s School for Girls.Any witch that wants to enter the school must first pass an interview with Isadora. No secret insecurity or sinister motivation can be hidden from a Watcher, as four teenage girls will soon find out.Join Leda, Camille, Michelle, and Priscilla, as they each encounter Isadora in their quest to join Miss Mabel’s School for Girls. It’s a collection of short stories that fans of Miss Mabel’s School for Girls can’t afford to miss.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Smashwords | iTunes

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About the Author: 

Katie Cross grew up in the mountains of Idaho, where she still loves to play when she gets the chance.If she’s not writing, you can find her traveling, working as a pediatric nurse, trail running with her husband and two dogs, or curled up with a book and a cup of chai.

 

Author links: 

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter @kcrosswriting


Review:

For this blog tour, I read Miss Mabel's School for Girls and Antebellum Awakening, books one and two in the Network Series.

Miss Mabel's School for Girls: 3.75 out of 5 stars (I love that this is my blog and I can go with partial stars -- some books just don't fit into 3 or 4 or 5 stars, and I really feel this is one of them). There were some really, really good aspects to this book, and a couple things that left a bit to be desired, in my opinion. Overall, I really like the plot and overall world building. It's all a very interesting concept, but that leads us to the downsides: execution -- I felt it was a great concept, but the writing was a little heavy handed for my tastes. A lot of adjectives thrown in that muddied up the story a little bit, when it could have had a simple elegance. The main character, Bianca, was well-developed, but I feel she was a bit too haughty for my liking. She on an admirable journey, but certain ways she behaves are just a little far-fetched.  Some of the supporting characters, if given just a little more depth, would have really added to the story as well. But overall, I'm glad I stuck this one out because it was a fun read, just had a few flaws.

Antebellum Awakening: 3.5 out of 5 stars. After the tragedy that befalls Bianca in the first book, this book does a good job of showing what it's like to deal with loss and still have to carry on. However, had I not been reading these books for review on my blog, I wouldn't have finished them -- that said, I am glad that I was reviewing them, because they were a fun read. While there were some downsides, the overall plot of this one, like the first, was really interesting.  Still had some issues with feeling like the books were "overwritten," and that the prose was a bit heavy handed, but definitely interesting concepts nonetheless. If you're a fan of YA fantasy books with magical elements, I think you'll enjoy this series. I have grown a liking to many of the characters and I definitely will check out some of the other stories. But I do wish there had been a bit of refinement on these to let the really interesting plots shine through.

Giveaway:

$30 Visa Gift Card
INT

Ends Aug. 12th

Prizing provided by the author, hosts are in no way responsible

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.

Traveler by Dennis W. Green Blog Tour with Review and Giveaway!

Hello, dear readers, and welcome to my tour stop for Traveler by Dennis W. Green! Traveler is an adult science fiction novel. The tour runs July 6 – July 17 with reviews, interviews, guest posts and excerpts. Check out the tour page for the full schedule. Read on to learn more about the book, the author, and my review! Be sure to enter to win a copy of the book (see the Rafflecopter below)

About the Book:

Blending mystery, police procedural and sci-fi, Traveler is a thriller in the tradition of Daniel Suarez and Dean Koontz, with just a dash of Jim Butcher.

Police detective Trav Becker can travel between parallel realities. So can other versions of him. And one is systematically killing every Trav he can find.

Trav must fight to keep the very fabric of time itself from unwinding as he hunts the most dangerous quarry of all… himself.

Amazon | Goodreads

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About the author:

Specialization is for insects.

Ask someone how they know Dennis Green and you might get any one of the following: Writer, DJ, actor, MC, swimmer, teacher, reporter, tech geek, husband, or dad. So it’s little wonder his favorite expression is the above quote by Robert Heinlein’s spacefaring immortal, Lazarus Long.A popular radio personality in his native Iowa, Dennis’s adventures as a DJ were covered by newspapers from Anchorage to Los Angeles. He has also worked on the stage, TV, and independent film. He is one of the Midwest’s most popular MC’s, hosting dozens of events each year.

Dennis’s first novel, the sci-fi detective thriller, Traveler, ranked in the Top Ten in the 2014 Ben Franklin Independent Publishing awards, and has a 4.9 review average on Amazon.. Prisoner is the second volume of the Traveler Chronicles, and will be out in the summer of 2015. Trav Becker’s saga concludes in the final volume of the trilogy, Hunter, which is due in 2016.

Dennis’s writing has appeared in the anthology Sadistic Shorts, magazines including Grift and Romance and Beyond, as well as his own blog at denniswgreen.com. He also writes for and edits the triathlon news site heartofamericatri.com.

By day, he is the general manager of Iowa’s only jazz radio station, KCCK-FM. And if it’s 5:30 am, you can probably find him in the pool, working out with the Milky Way Masters swim club.

Website | Facebook | Twitter (@dgreencr) | Blog | Goodreads

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Review:
This was a really interesting concept that I felt lost a little in the execution. I'll be the first to admit, I love sci-fi and can go either way on time-travel stories, but this concept definitely caught my attention. It's not often that you really delve into stories that break the paradigm of "not running into yourself" and pull it off in a way that works. This book definitely was able to accomplish that. I would recommend this book, but I did feel that there was one major drawback, at least for me, in that the author tended to "tell" instead of "show" a lot of the things that were happening. You would have a character "over explain" concepts that would have been more powerful if you were able to experience them. But other than that, I really enjoyed this book, I give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars just because it was a little hard to stay immersed in the story due to all the "telling," but it was a strong concept and was pulled off in such a way that kept me reading.

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Giveaway:

$50 Amazon Gift Card (INT)

Ends 7/21

prizing is provided by the author, bloggers are not responsible

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.

Day 1,000

The reason this blog post is titled "Day 1,000" is because that is how many days I have had a headache, in a row.  Not the same headache, thankfully. But each and every day of the past 1,000 days, I have had at least one headache (I go through cycles of waking up with a headache daily and then occasionally having at least one other throughout the day - every now and then I don't wake up with a headache, but that is rare). Some of you know, some of you do not, but I had four seizures back in late September of 2012. (Never had had them before. Thankfully haven't had any since.) The last thing I remember is the wee hours of the morning Thursday going into Friday. And then, the next thing I remember is waking up in the hospital on Saturday, which was October 1st. Every day since then, I've had daily headaches. And on top of that, they are migraines. Every day. It feels like a steel rod from the front of my head to the back of my head just right of center. Sometimes I get auras. Sometimes they're unbearable. Sometimes they're tolerable and don't affect my day too much. But collectively, they are exhausting. I'll have the occasional tension headache still as well (a tight band at the base of my skull/top of my neck). (The ultimate "cause" of my seizures was just determined to be I had run myself down to the point of exhaustion and my body/brain said, "Enough!"  No tumors. No physical reason has shown up on any of the multitude of tests I had at the time and since from three different neurologists. The second one I saw told me she thinks the additional electrical impulses of the seizures "triggered" something that is causing the headaches, but have never gotten a clear-cut explanation beyond that.) I've tried various preventative medicine regimens, to no effect, and I have medicines for when they happen, which takes care of them more times than not. But I keep having them every. single. day. Granted, by my own admission, I haven't been back to the neurologist in a couple months and did not try all treatment options that the most recent one had on her "list," but to be honest, I kind of got to a point where I was fed up with feeling like I was not getting anywhere. I know it is not going to change on its own, but after CranioSacral massages and a number of medicines that are not effective as preventatives, it's been rather discouraging.  I'm thankful that I don't have a tumor. I'm thankful that I don't have a worse medical condition, but I am frustrated that my quality of life is being affected by this. Most days, I would rate my level of pain around a 4 out of a 10-point scale. But the days where I have a headache that is around a 7 out of 10, those are harder to take. Thankfully, those don't happen all that often. I think I'm back to a point now where I'm ready to set up an appointment and see what's next on the "list" to see if I can get some relief. It's just been hard trying things and having them not work. It gets to be tiring and discouraging hoping that the next thing will be "it," and having it not be the case. But, as I said, it's not going to change with doing nothing, unfortunately. Wish me luck that the cycle is broken soon. I would love to have a day without a headache!

[Sorry if this is jumbled... started writing and this is what came out.]

(Nearly the) End of May Update

Hello, dear readers! I apologize for taking nearly a month to chat with you. The job that I referred to in my last post had me feeling like I was stuck in a cave for its entirety. It wasn't "bad," per se, but there were a lot of things that I wish had been different throughout the process. At the very least, I made a really good friend out of it -- so, I'll count that as win.  Totally worth it for that!

Otherwise, have started with a new transcription company, and things seem to be going along swimmingly with that! I've not quite found the rhythm with it that I would like, but I'll get there! Now, the test will be to see how project availability fits into everything.

Things have gotten a little bit behind with Nightscape Press, but we're about to turn the corner there. We have five titles all slated for release, in various stages of being complete. Some amazing, amazing books that I'm really excited to share with the world. And we have some projects in the background that I'm equally excited for!   (Shameless promotion: if you haven't yet checked out our books or there's a title you've not yet read, they're all available at our Amazon Nightscape Press Store!)

Other than that, been trying to get back to reading more often. Have definitely let work and life get in the way of time spent with books. I've only completed six books so far since the beginning of the year.  Have a goal of 30 for my Goodreads Challenge.  Going to have to definitely step it up.  I have a few titles that are in the works for upcoming reviews.  So, that will definitely help.

And the other big thing that's going on is we're hoping to move by the end of the summer. Want to get back to Smyrna. Have been keeping an eye on properties and hoping to find one that will be a good fit. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Anyway, now that I've managed to update most of what's been going on since last we talked, I should really get back to the rest of everything I *should* be doing. Hope this finds you well & look forward to our next chat!  If you feel so inclined, leave me a comment with what's been going on for you lately, what book you're currently reading, and plans for the summer!

Life Moves Quickly While You're Busy Doing Other Things

Not quite the John Lennon lyric, "Life is just what happens to you, While you're busy making other plans" but similar sentiment...  Hard to believe it was January 30th when I last posted. At that time, I was waiting for a training class of what was supposed to be a part-time job, which turned out to be a full-time position. At this point, I don't know how much I want to go into that. What I will say is that there were several misrepresentations about it.  It wasn't all bad, but it definitely wasn't what I thought it was going to be...

I'm kind of in a holding pattern to see what will ultimately happen with said job... but transitioning in some form or fashion.  We'll see how that ultimately turns out.

Short Bus Hero by Shannon Giglio Blog Tour

"Twenty-three year-old Ally Forman, a $350 million dollar lottery winner with Down syndrome, is either cursed or blessed, depending on how you look at things. When professional wrestler Stryker Nash loses his job, Ally, his biggest fan, wants nothing more than to put him back in the ring. And she will spare no expense. Her mother, however, has other plans for Ally’s winnings and her life. SHORT BUS HERO is a darkly humorous look at life with Down syndrome, the rise of a wrestling empire... and angels. Yes, angels."






The blog tour for Short Bus Hero by Shannon Giglio is drawing to a close but you can still check out all the stops along the way!

January 21 - Chosen By You Book Club - Excerpt

January 22 - Mythical Books - Guest Post

January 24 - Starangels Reviews - Review

January 25 - Perfect Chaos - Review

January 26 - Books Direct - Interview

January 27 - A Life Through Books - Review

January 28 - The Cheshire Cat's Looking Glass - Guest Post

January 29 - Author Candy O'Donnell - Excerpt

January 30 - Andi's Book Reviews - Review

February 1 - Indie Authors You Want to Read - Excerpt

February 2 - Readsalot - Excerpt

February 2 -  RABT Reviews - Wrap Up