#This project is still a draft and probably contains typos

[prolongingtheprologue]

Concerning Bycatch by Kathrine Snow Ch. 15 - Penny Drop

In which King Boo has officially had it.

Index

(click the source to read on the Porlonging the Prologue blog! for links to Ao3 and Fanfiction.net, visit the index.)

------

      It was his genuine pleasure to hear the old man scream. King boo rose from the grate, eyes aglow with anticipation, then he froze as he saw a very different person backpedaling across the room. His grin grew wider.  

      “Well, look who finally arrived,” he drolled. “I had begun to think you weren’t coming.”

       The courtyard group watched with exhausted satisfaction as Boolsome’s boos lead the charge, cutting off Luigi’s frantic retreat and driving him into the corner. He recoiled, cowering and protecting his head as they dove at him like a swarm of bees, then fell back, scrabbling, onto the floor. 

      The boos hovered over him leisurely, laughing and mocking:

       “Look guys! Luigi’s finally here! We’re going to do to you what we did to your brother, only worse!” 

       Sparks of lightning jumped across his form and Luigi made a spasmodic swipe at the crowd, one hand still protecting his face. The boos darted back with an excited yatter, then pressed in again as he tried to rise, snickering. Luigi made a grab for something at his side. King boo got a glimpse of red. 

      His grin faltered. It was the poltergust. How did he have the poltergust? 

     The thought was a mistake.

      The instant the other boos felt his uncertainty they faltered. Luigi had recovered himself by now. He was up; pale, pressed against the wall, obviously shaking, but he was up with the poltergust nozzle clutched in his hands. The boos around him recoiled. King Boo watched the hose like something venomous, eyes flashing red and the cracks in his jem sparking as what was left of his magic tried to build. Luigi’s eyes were on him now. He seemed to be trying to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. His face was a twist of extreme fear, but there was anger there too, and a hardness in his eyes King Boo recognized from the all-too-recent encounter in the courtyard. 

     This was not the fight he had come for. 

      “Scatter!” he barked. That was all it took to dissolve the mass. Boos plunged everywhere, through the walls, roof, and floor. In seconds, the room was empty.  

• • •  

      Luigi collapsed against the wall, breath coming in short, sharp gasps. He clutched at the poltergust nozzle, eyes locked on the hatch where the largest boo had retreated. He couldn’t believe—why had they just...

      The hatch sealed shut with a soft, electric click. Luigi jolted upright. 

      He had to follow them. 

      He stumbled forward and dropped down by the cap. It was smooth under his frantic hands, not offering enough purchase to even begin to pry. Its lock pulsed an agitating red. 

      Luigi knelt there, almost in a stupor as the full weight of what had happened leaked through his panic. There were boos here—more boos than he’d ever seen before. And they had Mario. 

      His head was spinning so fast he hardly noticed the gameboy ringing from where he had left it. After a moment, it stopped and there was silence, then it started all over again with its cheery tune. 

      Slowly, shakily, Luigi made his way toward it and removed it from the slot in the wall. 

      “Luigi! Thank heavens!” Blurted E. Gadd. “When you didn’t pick up I thought…” The professor trailed off as he saw Luigi’s pale face. “Never mind what I thought. Are you alright?” 

     Luigi gave a short, jerking nod. 

      “Are you hurt, lad? What happened?” 

     “I need to come back to the lab,” Luigi whispered, the words sticking in his throat.

     “Of course. Do you—should I stay on the line?” 

      Luigi gave a jerky shake of his head. 

     “No.” 

     The professor hesitated for a moment, then nodded. 

     “Alright, if you’re sure. I’ll meet you at the front of the place.”

     Luigi nodded again. 

      Despite the conversation being formally over, E. Gadd seemed hesitant to drop the call. 

      “It’s going to be fine lad,” he said after a moment of uncertain hovering. 

      Luigi nodded one last time and flipped the device closed. He only hoped the professor was right. 

• • • 

     There was an instant of shock, then Mario ran. 

      He ran like a drunken man, pushing off the walls with his hands and making for the half-open door at the other side of the lab. Beyond lay a dank stone passage—what looked to be part of the dungeon. 

      An unpleasant image of Luigi strung up in his old cell flashed across Mario’s mind. His heart pounded, and that yell rang in his ears. 

      The tunnel stretched out in front of him, growing steadily broader. His steps echoed off the stones, rattling among the black passages that riddled the walls ahead. His heart twisted as he lurched past the first entrance. Where should he go? Straight? How was he supposed to know? Then Mario slid to a halt, necked craning round to see the white glow leaking from the tunnel. 

      He doubled back and rounded the corner. There was King Boo. 

      The monarch had his back to him and was speaking earnestly to a group of his subjects. It was the smaller boos who saw Mario first, and their eyes bugged almost out of their heads. It was no wonder—he looked like a thing possessed. 

      The king saw their expressions and turned sharply, eyes locking onto the hero in red. For an instant there was disbelief, then murderous, horrifying rage.  Then he was back to his calm persona, albeit with a particularly nasty smile. 

      “Ah, Mario. I was just coming to fetch you.”

      “Where is he?!” Mario shouted. 

The king ignored the question, drifting forward with his gaggle of minions. 

      “I said where is he!”

      “I admit, I am thoroughly impressed. But as far as your ingenuity has brought you, you’re in no state for the fight you’re so obviously looking for,” Said the king. 

      What did King Boo expect him to do? surrender? Mario held his battle-stance, mouth set and grim. The king made no move at first, giving him time to lose his resolve. 

      “Take him,” he said finally. 

      The boos darted forward, mouths hanging open and squealing. Mario stepped to the side and smashed the first to the floor with a flaming downward slam. The next went much the same way. Then he was thrown back by a crackling purple bolt. 

      King Boo hovered at the end of the passage; his eyes glowed a dull red and his white aura flickered like a near-spent flashlight. Magic snapped around the broken gem of his crown, turning the air metallic until Mario could taste it. 

      “You’re beginning to try my patience,” hissed the king.

      Mario charged him. 

      King Boo held his ground, grin changed to a snarl as the weak sparks amassed around him. He took another shot, a pathetic, lose blob of energy, then vanished into the air. Mario braced himself, trying to muster a blast of fire. Then his hair stood on end as the buzz of loose magic brush through him. He whipped around just in time to see the king materialize, expression seeping with rage. 

      There was no fancy magic this time. King Boo slammed bodily into him, crushing Mario into the wall. But he didn’t stop there. Mario cried out in shock as the stones gave way behind him, like a puddle of thick glue. The king kept pushing, driving Mario through until he fell to the floor on the other side. 

      “Find your way out of this. If you can,” Snarled the King. 

      Mario choked down a breath of sharp, cold air and rolled to his feet, wet clothes peeling up from the frozen floor. The king was already going—vanishing through the wall; Mario lunged after him and slammed into solid stones. 

      He shouted, pounding on the wall, his breath steaming in the air around him. No one bothered to respond. It was viciously cold. After a moment, he rounded on the rest of the room. 

     He was in some sort of walk-in freezer.

• • •

      Luigi all but ran to the front of the mansion, flattening the few ghosts stupid enough to get in his way. He burst, squinting, into the foyer to find the professor waiting for him, just inside the double-doors. 

      The man’s face was tense and drawn, eyes darting anxiously over the room—it was touching in a way. He eyed Luigi intently as he approached, but much to Luigi’s relief, didn’t ask any questions—just held the door open for him and followed back to the lab. 

       Neither of them spoke at all until they had sealed the night out behind them and slid down the ladder. 

      “What happened?” The professor asked. 

      Luigi stripped the Poltergust from his shoulders and set it gently on the floor. 

      “I was ambushed.” 

      “By boos?”

      Luigi nodded, chest heaving. 

      “How many?” 

      “I don’t know.”

      Luigi stepped shakily to the old sofa and tried to sit down, but in a moment he was up again, clutching his hat. E. Gadd watched him with a piercing intensity. 

      “Lad, you have got to tell me what happened.”

      Luigi’s face twisted and he took another deep, calming breath. Quietly, he began to recount the incident. The professor listened without a word. 

      “And Mario’s your brother?” He said, when Luigi had finished. Luigi gave a miserable nod. 

      “Poor fella…” 

      The sound of rain clattered against the tin roof far above, and there was a soft, drip- drip- drip between the rafters. Faint humming escaped from the half-open door to the computer-lab. Luigi began pacing anxious circles around the room, looking dazed and still wringing his hat between his hands. 

      “Your brother’s that foreign treasure hunter, isn’t he?” Said E. Gadd. “The one the princess is so taken with. I dare say that explains a lot.”

      “What-” Luigi took another deep breath. “What will the boos do to him?”

      Gadd hesitated. 

      “I don’t know. I’ve seen some weird stuff, but I’ve never heard of boos taking a person like that. Whatever’s happened, I doubt they’ll kill him. Did you manage to catch any boos before they got away?” 

      “Ah. No matter. You’ve got one already, and at least you managed to split them up. Now you can pick them off before they regather.”

      There was another moment of silence.

     “Professor,” said Luigi, looking up sharply. “In that room, there was a combination to open the grate. What is it?” 

      Again, E. Gadd hesitated. “To open the trapdoor, you mean?” 

      Luigi nodded, still watching him intently. It was the Professor's turn to take a deep breath. “Lad, I don’t think you understand how lucky you got back there. Boos grow in power as their numbers increase. And if King Boo is still here... You wouldn’t stand a chance against all of ‘em at once, poltergust or not.

     “Besides there's a good chance your brother isn’t down there at all. There are plenty of old dungeons in that place. He could be in any one of them.” 

      Luigi visibly flinched at the concept. 

      “But- why else would they all be in one place like that?” he said.  

      “I don’t think that ambush was meant for you, lad. They were probably after me.”

      “Why?” 

     “I’m a ghost hunter. The boos are ghosts—well, spirits. I can’t imagine there are many people they’re less fond of than me.

     “And more importantly, that trapdoor leads to my lab.” The professor chuckled at Luigi’s confused look. “What, did you think this shabby place is where I do my work? This is hardly more than a shed—a panic room.” 

The professor’s grin faded, and he once again became serious. “Anyhow, there’s not a living soul other than me who knows about that trapdoor, let alone how to open it. It makes no sense for the boos to lay a trap there for you.” 

     “I have to check down there,” Said Luigi firmly, “The boos aren’t there now. This is the only chance I’ll get.” 

     Gadd hesitated for another moment, then turned to one of the crowded work-benches with a half-shake of his head. Luigi watched him intently as he teased a notepad and pencil from one of the stacks of junk and scribbled a short number combination. He ripped off the sheet and offred it to Luigi; he took it, clenching it in one hand. 

     “Have you notice that the gameboy beeps whenever you encounter boos?” Asked E. Gadd. 

     “Yes.” 

     “That’s the boo radar: it’s kept me out of a lot of trouble over the years. If that thing starts beeping and flashing red while you’re in the lab, you get out quick. Don’t count on the poltergust to scare the boos off twice because it won’t—I can hardly believe it happened the first time.”

     “I understand.” 

      Silent and grim-faced, Luigi went back to where he left the poltergust, shrugging it awkwardly onto his shoulders. E. Gadd followed behind him. 

       “Don’t look so nervous, lad. It won’t help you in there, let me tell you. Just be careful, and stay sharp. Keep an eye on the boo radar,” he said in his usual enthusiastic tone. “I’ll keep monitoring your progress from here.”

      “Thanks,” said Luigi, and began his resolute climb back up the ladder, the bit of note paper still crushed in one hand.

Previous

Next

Index

--------------------------

Notes:

Welp, it looks like this chapter is just short. It’s not 100% how I want it (I’m not sold on the scene between E. Gadd and Luigi), but it’s not horrible and staring at it isn’t making it any better. 

[sml8180]

CiN Behind the Scenes ~ Ch 3: Infiltration

Original Upload Date: 9 September, 2020

Length on Google Docs: ~11 pages

Docs Word Count: 3,651

Reference Tally: 3

NOTICE: This chapter contained content featuring Janus’ father, who is Homophobic and Transphobic. As such, he misgenders and dead-names Janus throughout their conversation, and things do get physical between them at the end of their argument. I’ll be putting bold notices by any sections talking about this content, so that you can skip those sections if you so choose.

1) This was, obviously, a pretty long chapter. I think the average chapter length for this story was around 8 or so pages, with a few breaking 10 pages, and at least one hitting 12+.

        A) Fun Fact: This entire universe was originally going to be a 10-chapter idea and end at that. Obviously, I got really into it, considering Chaos is Normal on its own ended up 22 chapters.

2) You do not wanna know how much I looked into different types of hidden/wear-able cameras for this chapter. You really don’t. I did learn some really interesting stuff, though.

        A) The cameras Remy and Remus wear in this chapter are based on some stuff I found. Technically speaking, neither camera (nor any of the others I feature later in the story) are really out of the realm of possibility in the real world. Maybe a bit advanced, but they could be possible.

3) The team trying to get cameras going and clear, along with audio stuff is honestly fun to write. Similar segments pop up in other chapters, and it’s always amusing to me, for some reason.

4) “I was born first and you know it, Remus” is a line I forgot I wrote, but adore, honestly.

        A) My older brother and I have a 10-year gap in age, so I was literally winging every single sibling moment that goes down between the twins. Hopefully they mostly came out okay.

5) Apparently there’s still a typo in the original Doc that I managed to correct immediately before posing. Uh....

Dunno how I didn’t catch that going through before I got it into the Ao3 editor, but I did catch it before actually hitting Post on the chapter. So... At least there’s that?

6) I love writing Janus and Virgil being good friends/caring about one another. It’s just something I love.

7) Having Virgil and Janus get spotted by Remy and Remus (as well as by Logan, and Roman, via the camera feeds) is honestly something I originally didn’t really intend to put in. But, I felt like having these passing glimpses of the teens made things feel a little more connected when I went through and added it as an experiment, so I kept it in.

8) Giving Remy and Remus their various nicknames and codenames in this chapter was too fun.

        A) Calling Remy “Sandman” was something I really wanted to do at some point in the story, and the opportunity seamlessly presented itself here, so I couldn’t resist.

        B) Later in the chapter, Remus claims that members of the Venom Order (who all use a sort of codename, to protect their identities; hence why Virgil goes by Spider and Janus goes by Deceit) call him “Beetlejuice” literally came from the fact that while writing this chapter, I was listening to the “Beetlejuice” musical soundtrack a lot, and uh... Yeah, it kinda just happened from there. Opened up the perfect opportunity for a joke in a later chapter, too.

9) Logan having to divide their attention between the cameras, Remy and Remus’ audio, and having to listen to make sure Patton and Emile are alright is something I planned from the start of the story. I wanted this to happen at least once. Logan has been protective and even at times a bit paranoid over Patton’s safety for most of the boy’s life, and this is an example of them doing their best to make sure he’s safe, despite the fact they’re doing something extremely dangerous just upstairs.

10) I can’t help but headcanon that Janus almost always wears layers not just to help with dysphoria, but also because he fidgets with the top layer of his clothes when he gets nervous. As such, he has a lot of hoodies, jackets, and vests in his wardrobe.

        A) He also wears layers because he just likes how it looks. Yes, this is me projecting. I like layered looks, okay?

NOTICE: This is where I’m covering the conversation between Janus and his father. This section does describe Transphobia, abuse, and emotionally-distant “parenting” (if you can call anything Janus’ father does parenting at all). There will be a second notice once we are beyond that particular section, so simply scroll to that point if you don’t wish to read these next few points.

11) I wrote Janus’ father as being a very cold sort of parent. If he weren’t a Homophobic, Transphobic, all-around piece of shit, he’d still be a bad parent. He hardly gives a damn when his son does well, and only ever really responds if he feels Janus has done something wrong (like, y’know, existing, since Janus is trans, and Joseph refuses to see him as his son).

12) Joseph repeatedly misgenders and dead-names Janus throughout the conversation, and it was really hard to write. I had to check my work several times to make sure things were “correct”, and I didn’t have any slips that Joseph wouldn’t make.

        A) If any of you hated Joseph immediately once he opened his mouth, then I did my job. I wanted everyone to hate this asshole. I hated this asshole, and I created him. So, yeah, fuck Joseph “Viper” Prescott.

        B) Luckily, I didn’t need to write a ton of Joseph in this story (and likely won’t need to in future stories), because I really hated him from the start, in the “I created you to be awful, and god damn, you are awful” way.

13) Janus telling Joseph off by saying “I am your son! If you can’t see that, then you’re fucking blind, old man!” was a line I wanted to include some form of from the start of the chapter, and it went through a few different iterations before I finally decided I liked this one best.

        A) Also, Janus immediately realizing he went too far with that statement is intended to be a relatable moment (as we’ve probably all had that moment of, “I shouldn’t have said that”), but also intended to show that Janus knows how his father reacts to that kind of thing, and the resulting “Anxiety vs Might as well go all in” sort of conflict Janus has is there to hint that things really aren’t good at home, and it really has changed the way Janus tends to think and approach some situations.

14) Depicting the very quick emotional shifts with Joseph was another thing I had trouble with, but for a very different reason. I have ADHD (I don’t keep this secret, I’ve posted about it and make an effort to be open about the various ups and downs I deal with as a result), and it has a big impact on my writing style. It’s why I try to be descriptive (especially when it comes to places and character body language, expression, emotion, and clothing), since the details help me keep track of tone, location, and the like.

With Joseph, though, I had to throw some of that out the window. I try to keep emotional shifts for characters consistent, and at least hint to them coming up, to make it easier for myself (and other readers who might also have a hard time with sudden shifts and cues like that) to keep track of things. I couldn’t do that with Joseph. Because of how I wanted to portray him in this story (especially this chapter), I had to make things sudden. Hence the sudden and quick way he lashed out (though the inciting force is “clear”; he was angry concerning Janus’ comments), and the rapid shift to him once again being cold and stoic once he’d struck Janus and the teen was on the ground. It was hard to keep it draft-level quick, rather than going through and “refining” it.

NOTICE: We’re done talking about all the really bad stuff. There’s some talk of the aftermath, but all the really explicit things are out of the way, so it should be safe to continue.

15) Virgil is basically me at any gathering. Just, stick to the edges, people-watch, and silently panic if anyone approaches.

16) I think this is the closest Virgil gets to really flying off the handle in this story. I don’t think I ever have him get this close to going and physically fighting someone at any other point, and damn do I wish I had, honestly. Virgil is really protective of Janus, and seeing his friend (read: crush) in his current state sets him off. He’s still fuming when Janus gets his attention again and is clearly desperate to just get out of there, but he pulls himself together and helps Janus out, because he knows that going after Joseph won’t be the helpful thing in this situation.

17) Logan flexing their fingers before starting to really get to work once Remy patches them into the Order system is honestly something I have a habit of doing when I start writing, especially if it’s cold, since the joints in my hands tend to get stiff and lock up a little. Also, I really couldn’t resist the really obvious spy/hacker bit. The opportunity was right in front of me, and you all know by now I take the opportunities when they come.

18) I originally didn’t want to leave the chapter where it ended, since it was a pretty decent cliff-hanger and felt like an awkward stopping point at the time. That being said, I’m glad I did it. This and most of Chapter 4 were going to be one entity, but that would’ve ended up way longer (Chapter 4 ended up roughly 8 pages on its own), and it would’ve been a lot of fairly heavy content all in one go, so it was better broken up. It made me very glad for the little POV shifts throughout, because it gave me a clean place to cut the chapter apart and made it a little less awkward.

And, I think that’s about it for this one! This was a really long chapter (probably the longest I’d ever written as of when I wrote it), and it was full of stuff to help kick off future interactions in the story.

[babblish]

1, 22, 25? for writer asks

1. Favourite place to write

On top of my bed with the laptop on my lap, and several enormous pillows for back support. I can’t concentrate with the television playing and people moving around and doing things, so my bedroom is the only place I can comfortably write with minimal distractions.

22.  How many drafts do you need until you’re satisfied and a project is ultimately done for you?

Euuuuugh, I feel like I’ve given a long winded answer about this before but the tdlr; is around 4 - 8+. I’m really picky about turns of phrases and typos and stuff other people probably don’t even care about, and sometimes if a scene isn’t working you just gotta rewrite the whole arse thing. It takes me a long time but I find something that bugs me and it doesn’t get fixed it will haunt me until I do something about it. Tbh this is probably why I prefer writing fics and publishing on AO3 because I can easily go back and fix it, whereas hard print press if it’s done it’s done, no takebacksies.

25. Linear or non-linear, and why?

This is complicated because I struggle so much with consuming non-linear storytelling because my understanding and perception of time is shaky at best. For example, I figured out that the reason I dislike/struggle with present tense in prose is because that genuinely isn’t how I experience time. My processing speed is such that something has either happened a while ago, a couple seconds ago, or will happen in the future. Likewise with non-linear storytelling I miss so many cues that I just end up getting confused and have no idea what’s happening or what the plot even is. 

However, whenever I’m writing I tend to write all over the timeline because I’ve already worked out most of the broad strokes of what’s happened, what’s going to happen, and have spreadsheets, timelines and scene summaries to refer back to. Which in practice means I tend to write when inspiration for certain scenes strike = all over the timeline. I try to keep things slightly contained, for example with changeling fic;

I have the first arc already completed, about half of the second arc, and absolutely nothing of the third and final arc of the first story, which is subtitled as ‘The White Rabbit.’ So far it’s shaping up to be the biggest story because it’s setting up an event horizon that will only work if I’ve successfully earned emotional investment from the audience in the MC, my interpretation of changeling culture, and at least this one changeling OC.

The second story, called ‘The Daughters of Magic’ has around 3 major scenes already written, not consecutively, and is approximately only 1/8th done. Pretty much all of this writing was done because my muse made me inspired, no, compelled to write these specific scenes immediately. 

The third story, called ‘The Pursuit of Stone’ has around the same amount of words as the Daughters of Magic, but the scenes are actually completed, not left trailing mid-sentence. I wrote these not so much in an inspired flurry as a palate cleanser after working on The White Rabbit for weeks in a row. (The exception to this is the very first scene I wrote in December 2018 which was actually an expansion from a specific moment from chapter 23 of Whispers Within, the memory that opens with “It had been a novel sight.”)

The final? story is tentatively called ‘The Bridge to Yesterday’ and is intended to be a canon re-write/switched perspective fic, and as of the moment is completely unwritten. My plan is to leave this until last because it’s going to be the least bullshittingly of the stories and I’m going to need the Pursuit of Stone finished before I have anchor points to build the setting from.

So while I am writing non-linearly, the actual progress is still building up in a near-linear fashion? So while my planning process is rigid and linear, and my progress tracking is rigid and linear, I essential design a garden where it’s ‘safe’ for me to chase (scene) butterflies without risking confusing myself and not knowing where I’m going with everything.

[moscarific]

I finished my Yuletide fic and posted last night, which I was able to do because of the non-secret one-week grace period to get feedback from my beta reader and iron the wrinkles out of what is now a lovely story with probably no more than two typos. I love that non-secret grace period and do not fondly remember the days when the deadline was really ten seconds before Christmas Eve and I always let it get down to the wire. 

Remembering that makes me the kind of Fandom Old that’s like, “I was writing fanfic back when we were mailing each other bootleg cassette tapes of actors at Star Trek conventions.” (I was! I think I have some of the tapes in a box somewhere! Maybe they still work!) 

But I’m also reflecting on my process like, I would not have finished this story with two days to go when I was younger, and not just because I’m being more effectively treated for ADHD now. I also have two decades of work experience in writing to deadlines, most of it in higher-stakes situations for much more exacting and complicated assignments. Making up stories is exponentially easier than a dissertation chapter or a federal grant proposal.

I’m writing this and posting it to Tumblr largely as a reminder to myself that I am still good at fanfic - in some meaningful ways much better at it than I ever have been. I’ve gotten stuck in draft quagmires with a lot of my creative writing lately, which has led to a lot of the self-destructive writer feelings: I can’t do this because I don’t have time, because the project is too big, because I can’t figure out how to write myself out of this plot point, because I should walk away from the computer and spend more time with my partner, because the story ended 3000 words ago and I just need to dump the material that is interesting headcanon but Sir Not Appearing In This Fan Fiction. 

Last night I finished a story. It didn’t have everything that I meant to put in it. It contained a number of things I hadn’t expected it to, and at least one thing I’ve never tried before as a writer. I think it might be pretty good.

[audreyrosebooks]

💙Fantasy novel seeking beta readers!✨

Genre: Fantasy Length: 32 chapters, around 149K Timeframe: February 1 - April 30 2019 Triggers: Violence, death, death of a family member, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts. The book contains mild sexual content.

What is Blue Thorns?  Blue Thorns is a fantasy novel, and the first book of my fantasy series, Stars & Masks. See blurb below!

Glass doesn’t know where the tattoos on her arms come from. All she knows is that they come with a magic blacker than an abyss—a dangerous power she’s determined never to use again.

Still in hiding years after the chaos her magic has caused, she boards an airship headed for a place where nobody will come looking. She meets Wyn, who claims she will stop the blight that has ravaged the continent for the past decades: blue thorns that condemn whoever they touch to an early grave.

When Wyn discovers Glass’s magic can save people from the Blue Death, she becomes convinced fate has brought them together, and that they’ll fight the blue thorns side by side. Torn between the desire to aid Wyn in her quest and her fear of worsening matters, Glass must make a choice: turning away from the mysteries and consequences of her magic or facing them—and the shadows that haunt her wherever she goes.

* Series page here * Project tag * First chapter *

If blurbs aren’t your thing, please refer to this very serious powerpoint presentation. It’s my greatest accomplishment to date. 

What is required: 

Providing detailed feedback via a short feedback form after each chapter.

Be honest and respectful. The goal is not to praise the book or tear it down, but to help me make it into the book it can be:) 

Respect the deadline: April 30th 2019. (That means a reading rate of around 11.5 K a week. It’s perfectly fine to read less on some weeks as long as you catch up and complete the manuscript for the final deadline.)

What is not required:

A grammatical edit. I’m looking to iron out pacing, plot, characters, etc., so anything that has to do with specific lines will be handled at a later stage.

Inline comments. 

How to apply:

Read the first chapter here, and fill out this form before January 25th! 

edit: applications are still open and will be for a few days, probably until January ends! ✨💚💕 

Applications are now closed! Thanks to everyone who applied :) 

The form is in two parts: basic questions about yourself + questions about the chapter! It’s a way to make sure that: 

this is truly a book that interests you in terms of plot, writing, etc.

your insight is what I’m looking for. We’ll be in touch if you’re among the beta readers!

More details under the cut! 

If the first chapter leaves you unsure and you’d like a glimpse at others, just to make sure you’re really interested, pls message me so we can discuss it or so I can send you chapter 2! It’s not a problem for me at all.

How/when will we receive the book?  The book will be sent in 5 parts, roughly 6 chapters each. My goal is to send the first part to my readers by February 1st at the latest, since the deadline for providing all feedback is April 30.

How polished is this draft? While a fair amount of revising has been done since the first draft, the book is in no way in its final stage. If the presence of typos, awkward phrasing, etc., destroys your reading enjoyment, this probably isn’t the thing for you!

Is this YA? I consider the book to be NA, though the YA/NA distinction is always a bit murky. The protagonists are in their twenties, and bear in mind that teens aren’t the target audience. Beware of the triggers!

About the triggers They are mentioned at the top of the post! Note that the protagonist struggles with depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. It comes up fairly often, so please keep that in mind.

On sensitivity 

I welcome criticism, and that includes any sensitivity-related criticism you might have for me! If my book hurts you, I invite you to talk to me (either through the forms or through email, DM, etc.) I will never ignore or dismiss your concerns, and I’ll work hard on any aspect you might mention.

But if the book hurts you, and beta reading becomes emotional labor and if you’d rather not read the rest, I’ll completely understand. Your safety/health comes first no matter what!

If you ask any questions about the book, the triggers, etc., feel free to ask me privately.  And if you don’t get picked for this round, please don’t take it personally. I honestly have no idea how much response this post will get, and there should be other occasions to read it later this year. 💙

Read the first chapter here, and fill out this form if you’re interested! And if you can’t participate/aren’t interested, reblogs are appreciated! 🌼🌺

[veryimportantsparkles]

Alright I’ve kept meaning to do sort of an infodump on my projects because I’ve been really slipping lately.  I dunno how obvious it is?  Probably kind of obvious.  I’ve also been really bad about checking messages and responding to people.  So I figure I can write up a status report and then point to it when I’ve been inadequate about communication.

My IRL job has been wiping me out.  I’ve been getting short, labor-intensive shifts in the evenings, and then random surprise morning shifts shortly after, which has been really hard to manage my time around.  My sleep schedule has been extremely broken and it’s affected my productivity a LOT.  Leadership in my department is about to shuffle around and I’ve been interviewed for the manager position.  If I get it I’ll be working an entirely different schedule, which could potentially be good for my sleepy brain but will definitely leave me with less art time overall.  I’ve also been enduring some back/shoulder issues over the past few months.  Nothing urgent, but it’s limiting how much I can draw each day.  I think replacing my desk chair is going to be a big factor but it’s not the only factor.  I just need to be a smart human and take care of my joints and not hunch over so much.  Working on it.

Here’s the current status of my various art projects:

Laserwing

I ended chapter 5 in June and said I would finish up some other side projects before I start concept work for chapter 6.  One of the projects I needed to finish was the Popkas Yugioh season 4 special, which I finished.  The other big one was my Neonmob card set, which is most of what I’ve been posting lately.  Once that’s out of the way (see below) I need to do concept art.  Chapter 6 will put all the Laserwing characters in new outfits which will need reference sheets.  I’ll need background sketches and layout diagrams so I don’t have furniture shuffle randomly around between scenes.  I also need to sketch out the chapter 6 draft page by page.  I’ve made Laserwing in GIMP up until this point and am going to try switching to Krita for chapter 6.  I might need to do a test page to make sure my process transfers over well into a slightly different system.  Once I’m ready to make real pages, those take a while.  Chapter 5 pages were going up maybe every 2-3 weeks.  I don’t know how many pages are going to be in chapter 6, nor can I say for sure how many chapters are in Laserwing.  An old outline had maybe 40 chapters.  It’s a story with a defined end point, I can say that for certain, but it’s intended to be long.

Popkas

I’ve had issues with Popkas for a while.  I keep picking new themes for dailies, thinking they’re going to be quick and easy, but then end up making them hard for myself.  It’s been to my benefit, I’ve forced myself into learning new art programs and techniques through Popkas.  But it’s hard to keep up the daily schedule.  Currently I’m doing the Paper Mario: TTYD bestiary, which has 124 enemies.  At a rate of one per day, by the time I’ve finished them, Pokemon Sword and Shield should be released and we’ll have all the info about the new Pokemon.  Those will be drawn in ‘Popka classic’ style (scribbly shitposts).  After those are finished, unless my IRL work situation dramatically changes, I’m considering putting Popkas on pause.  In order to do any other monster dexes I’d have to do a lot more research (for example, people have suggested Yokai Watch but I’ve never played one) in order to have anything meaningful to post.  Same deal with Popka Specials (the anime writeup things), those take prep time and anime-watching time that I might not have.  I don’t ever want to end Popkas, but a hiatus might be necessary.

Angelfire Hime

Did anyone even know about Angelfire Hime?  Well I want to post more but that involves finding, scanning, retouching, and transcribing my old high school scribble comics.  It takes as long as any other project but is also low priority because it’s all old content.  Nobody is waiting for the latest update because nobody but me actually knows what that content is, and possibly nobody but me can even read it.  It’s more a personal journey of self-reflection than anything.  I want to return to it but not at the expense of better work.

MeganFantastic dot com

I had a domain name linked to a tumblr that was supposed to be my news blog/front page and I barely use it.  Also, I let the domain registration drop.  Also, I had let a typo in my banner graphic go unnoticed for YEARS and still haven’t fixed it.  Even now, I’m writing this big post to my personal blog instead of the one for news.  The idea was to eventually buy some real hosting and make MeganFantastic a whole site of its own, but that’s a lot of work.  I’ve got a generally good idea of HOW I’d do it (probably wordpress) but I’m not a coder, it would take a lot of trial and error.  This would be a huge undertaking and eventually Laserwing, Popkas, and all my other junk would be contained on one big non-tumblr website.  But it’s uhhhhh not happening yet.

Hundera Youtube

My contribution to our LP channel is to show up, talk about video games, and then draw title cards.  All recording, editing, and channel management is maintained by Josh, and I can’t speak on his behalf about our update schedule.  I will say there are a lot of half-finished games we want to return to.  I will also say that when the new Pokemon comes out Josh is dead set on recording it.  I don’t know if he intends that to be a stream or a regular LP.  In the meantime he streams Minecraft with his friends every Sunday and we fit in our own streams and recordings when we can.

Commissions/Patron Art/etc

I’ve not been very good about this lately and I’m truly sorry!  I have a few things I’m working on, a few things I’ve promised to start working on, and a few things I’ve told people I can do once my workload lightens up, which hasn’t been happening yet.  I really don’t have an answer.  I almost never delete anything so if I’ve been sent a message in any form I should still have it, and I’ll be sure not to forget anyone.  And if I do forget someone feel free to throw rocks at me!

Rane Story 2

What the heck is Rane Story 2?  Well I guess I have to explain Neonmob.  Imagine if ChickenSmoothie and DeviantART had a baby.  It’s a virtual trading card site, which is fun and cute, and I’m drawing out a card series to release on there.  I’ve been using it as practice for painting backgrounds and to fill out some backstory for some 4th-string Laserwing support characters.  Before Mistaire came to Earth, she went to space high school, and that’s where Rane Story takes place.  You can preview the series, and when it’s finished I’ll post about it.  I’ll also repost all the art to DA.  If you scroll through the last several pages of this blog you’ll see some of the art.  I’ve put a lot of my brain energy into getting this done in spite of my work/sleep issues because I don’t want to resume Laserwing until I’ve finished it.  This is what’s stolen my life, guys.  Right now I have 6 more cards to make, and then I have to write and finalize all the text.  I should be done SOON.

Pokemon Nonsense

When my back and shoulder get too hurty and I have to take a break from drawing, one of the easy things to do is whip out a DS and play Pokemon.  I’ve done a lot of twitter shitposting about it lately.  I’ve also drawn up a bunch of gijinkas for my Pokemon.  I’m talking about it now because I also intend to draw up gijinkas for Pokemon to trade away.  I’ve already done a few.  However, I don’t know for sure how I’m going to distribute them.  The idea is people can trade actual Pokemon with me (in either X or Let’s Go Eevee) and the Pokemon they get will come with a character design for you to keep.  I was thinking I might do a discord server for organizing trades and such, but I haven’t yet.  Mostly because it’s low priority and I have SO many other things going on.  But actually playing Pokemon can happen when I’m too fatigued for real work, so the horde keeps growing.  Hopefully my posts and scribbles about it are entertaining.

I feel like there’s other projects on hold that I wanted to discuss, but right now I’m too braintired to remember, and some of my ‘projects’ never actually got talked about online so nobody’s waiting for an update.  My greatest problem seems to be that I try to juggle too many pointless side projects and then drop them all over the place.  Sometimes I’ll shitpost about an idea and even I won’t be sure if I was serious or not.  How do I end this post?  I don’t know.

tl;dr Megan is SLEEPY and dropped her spaghetti everywhere but somehow still has time to play POKEMON and WON’T STOP TALKING ABOUT IT

[polarwindows]

Strategies for Choosing An Essay Writing Service

For many college students, the task of selecting from among the many expert essay authors is daunting. Some of them have absolutely no clue where to start within this process, while others simply give up after seeing too many samples and being turned down by the more experienced writers. However, a fantastic way to save yourself time in the choice procedure is to understand exactly what you need to look for in a custom essay author. The following information will give you a few helpful ideas which can make your job a lot simpler.

Among the first things you want to look at when evaluating essay authors is their portfolio or references. Most students assume that a high number of sample writings or finished projects mean that the writer has enormous knowledge in the specialty of essay writing. In fact, this is completely the reverse. A writer’s vast knowledge in a specific field does not automatically mean that he or she will have the ability to provide you with job that will satisfy your requirements. You need to request references and a portfolio which contains a number of sample missions that you can peruse.

Speaking of that, the world wide web is a great resource in the search for quality essay writers. It is possible to go directly to websites offering custom writing solutions so it’s possible to ask for a few freelance essays or perhaps ask an interview with a certain essay writer service. It’s important to be certain that the website you pick is reputable and legal. Some sites may sell writing services which are not appropriate for your own purposes. Always make sure that you do business with sites which have been in operation for quite a few years and also have a reputation for honest practices.

As you begin to utilize the services of an essay author, it is also important to establish clear expectations. Most services require responsibility for all pieces of your academic assignments, but you still need to be involved in the method of choosing which ones will probably be utilized for particular papers. If you don’t approve of this selection of essay writers or the style of the essay they utilize, for instance, you have the right not to use the work in any way that reflects negatively on you or your school. In this aspect, be certain to read over all assignments beforehand, review the essay draft, and ask questions about any aspects that are unclear to you.

Finally, you want to remember that although you may have a vast experience as an article writer, you’re still a pupil. Every mission is a manifestation of who you are as a pupil. If you don’t do a good job, it doesn’t matter how unique and plagiarism-free essay many pieces of paper you create. Essay authors must understand this and offer decent customer service. Don’t hesitate to report typos or grammatical errors so that you can get them fixed as quickly as possible.

There are lots of pupils that are frightened of using an essay writing support because they believe that it will somehow”imply” they plagiarize. This is simply not the case. All writing services are professional writers with several years of expertise between them. When some writers can use applications to quickly make their essays, the great majority of them will still write each assignment by hand. You can rest assured that every mission has its own personal style, and the one person who will be able to determine if a writer plagiarizes is the person who delegated the assignment in the first place.

The post Strategies for Choosing An Essay Writing Service first appeared on Polar Windows.

from Polar Windows https://polarwindows.com/strategies-for-choosing-an-essay-writing-service/

[ratemylawnandgarden]

How Marketing Funnel Creation To Choose The Correct Email Promoting Program

How marketing funnel creation To Choose The Correct Email Promoting Program

As you commence to market your enterprise by using email, it is important to have the necessary skills. Your emails must reach your intended target and be read to be effective. Keep reading to acquire some helpful information on this topic.

When you are emailing potential clients, consider following track of some video recording. You can try inserting a line in your own message that tells these people to order now. The ending of the message could inform these individuals that they could become a customer immediately by hitting the provided link.

Try using various kinds of resources and learning all you are able about marketing with email. Online books or articles will be greatly helpful. Also, attend as much classes and workshops since you can find locally.

Utilize a/B testing for variations on the subject lines. To get a single email, split your mailing list in two randomly, with every half receiving messages who have different subjects. This enables you to know which subject lines are successful and which need some work.

The primary reason for email marketing is always to lead customers to purchase your products. Your emails should make your readers want to purchase your product or service. Do that by creating emails that provide product information – new and old – and also info on special discounts.

It really is good to question individuals who wish to get the emails to opt-in twice. This might appear to be a whole lot, but it guarantees how the individual is enthusiastic about receiving emails, therefore it eliminates the probabilities that you and your email service agency goes into any trouble.

It http://infusionsoftcertifiedconsultant.weebly.com/how-much-does-infusionsoft-cost.html is important that your friendly form line is the one that your subscribers will recognize. By way of example, do not possess the CEO of your respective company sending the emails. Your reader may well not know who it really is from and only delete the e-mail. In the subject line, put your business’s name.

Post a version of your respective newsletter with graphics and animation on your website. Then send your email list a plain text version from the newsletter by using a hyperlink to the world wide web version. This keeps your emails simple enough to quit them from being diverted towards the spam folder and also encouraging your customers to go to your site.

Add a link in the bottom for any marketing emails which allows men and women to unsubscribe easily. If a person fails to wish to receive your messages, providing a straightforward way to allow them to unsubscribe is better than ending up inside their spam folder. It will also help to safeguard your reputation being a business that respects its customers.

Develop content which is intriguing and informative to the subscriber base. The message must be engaging, instead of filled with dry, boring content. The recipients will probably read it right through if it is not very long. As they realize that your articles is relevant, your reputation will grow.

Give your marketing emails the same consideration that you give your blog content and other marketing materials. Excessively businesses go on a too-casual procedure for their marketing via email efforts, and seemingly small errors like typos end up undermining their readers’ perception of their measure of professionalism. Before you decide to add an e-mail marketing funnels to your marketing rotation, ask yourself if it will inspire you to definitely buy.

Everyone knows that email filters are becoming increasingly more strict. Graphics and also other things incorporated into emails are blocked out, so a reader may not even see what you are trying to say. Therefore, a good piece of advice is to try using plain text with a hyperlink for your site.

Only send emails which contain useful information customers will unsubscribe when you bombard them useless messages. Avoid emailing them flagrant sales pitches to avoid insulting their intelligence or losing their confidence in you. Speak about an approach to a problem your audience is encountering, a new product or a promotion in your emails.

Always give a link where your email recipients can readily unsubscribe or opt out, when they choose to accomplish this. Though sending emails is simply free, they may still take money away from your pocket. Not only can being considered a spammer hurt your organization, however you can even be blocked by your provider.

As opposed to purchasing or renting a email list, build your own through the ground-up. This can be done by including opt-in forms on your website, gathering business card printing at conventions or another industry events, and encouraging your subscribers to share with you your emails with other people, which can garner a lot more subscribers.

The data you possess just learned may help help save through the spam filter and in fact assist you in making your small business successful, but you need to apply them. Use them with any of your current projects, or apply them when you find yourself drafting a new marketing plan you are going to soon achieve the success you have been wanting.

from Rate My Lawn And Garden http://ratemylawnandgarden.com/how-marketing-funnel-creation-to-choose-the-correct-email-promoting-program/

[tanmath3-blog]

Raised in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York, but forever longing for the white sands of New Mexico, Pamela has always loved mysteries and the macabre. Combining the two in her own writing, along with her love for historical research and genealogy, came naturally. Hours spent watching ‘Monster Movie Matinee’, ‘Twilight Zone’, a myriad of Hammer Films, and devouring books by Stephen King, Tanith Lee, and Anne Rice probably helped, too.

Outside of her work as a novelist, Pamela has written numerous historic articles for the Tioga County Courier, an Owego, NY newspaper. She has done genealogy research for family and friends and was a Civil War reenactor for close to ten years. In 2014 Pamela joined the ranks of writers for the online magazine, The Good Men Project. She also enjoys scrapbooking, bad B-Movies, road trips with her husband, and feeding the crows that frequent their back yard.

  Please help me welcome Pamela Morris to Roadie Notes…………

1. How old were you when you first wrote your first story? I was all of nine when I wrote and illustrated “Bill, The Worm Who Ran Away”. It’s an adventure about a runaway worm who was named after my father. This was soon followed by my first ghostly thriller/mystery “The Strange Well”. Both are 3rd Grade literary masterpieces, I assure you. Thanks to my dad, I still have both of the originals of the above titles in my paper files.

2. How many books have you written? I have written eleven novels, ten of which have been published. One is currently out-of-print as it was never quite what I wanted it to be and it needs a lot of revisions. My first published novel was released in 2006 and started a four-year journey down the road of writing erotica. Once I got that out of my system, I began seriously writing what I love most; mysteries, thrillers and horror. “Secrets of The Scarecrow Moon”, a paranormal murder-mystery, came out in 2013. My most recent title, “The Witch’s Backbone 1 – The Curse”, came out in September of this year and we’re hoping to release the psychological horror “Dark Hollow Road” next spring.

3. Anything you won’t write about? Bestiality, cryptid erotica, and dinosaur porn are at the top of the list. I have no interest in walking down the pure erotica-of-any-kind path again, either. I won’t write about anything that portrays any form of abuse in a positive light. “Dark Hollow Road” does contain both sexual and child abuse, but by no means is it done in a way that glorifies the subject, just the opposite.

4. Tell me about you. Age (if you don’t mind answering), married, kids, do you have another job etc… I’ll be 52 in December and recently (in 2016) remarried. My first husband and I have two children. My son just turned 27 and my daughter is 24. No grandkids as of yet. I’ve worked for the Cornell University Library system for 30 years.

5. What’s your favorite book you have written? This is tough. It’s like asking me which child is my favorite. I love them all for different reasons. I’m very fond of my Barnesville Chronicle books because they are set in the fictionalized region I grew up in. It almost feels like I’m cheating with those because it’s like going back home again and hanging out with old friends. “Dark Hollow Road” is probably the most complex and darkest thing I’ve written. It’s very psychologically dark and disturbing. While working on certain scenes I kept wondering where in my psyche it was all coming from. In that sense, it’s my favorite.

6. Who or what inspired you to write? I’ve loved to write since I learned how, so I don’t think anyone was my initial inspiration. It’s as much a part of who I am as my hazel eyes and brown hair. However, my parents have always been very encouraging of my writing. As I mentioned earlier, my dad is the one who saved those first two hand-written stories I wrote over 40 years ago. My mom’s a big reader and belonged to a book club. Books have always been part of my life. Getting books for Christmas and my birthday was, and still is, one of my favorite things. As far as writers whom I admire and who have influenced me, I’d have to say the stories of Rod Serling have had a strong impact on what I enjoy writing. As a teenager, I discovered the work of Tanith Lee, a British author that a lot of people have never even heard of. She has a very unique style that I very much enjoy. Shirley Jackson, Clive Barker, Wilkie Collins, Poe, Richard Matheson, Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, and Anne Rice have all played roles in what I write and how I write, too.

Inspiration for a story can come from just about anywhere. My ghost story, “No Rest For The Wicked” (available through HellBound Books Publishing) arose from a friend and I discussing how he wanted to write a ghost story as if it were being told by the actual ghosts. He couldn’t quite get the idea off the ground so I asked if he’d mind if I gave it a go. He didn’t. I added several ‘dead’ characters from my erotica-writing days to the mix and “No Rest For The Wicked” was born.

“Dark Hollow Road” came about during a trip through Pennsylvania when we passed a side road actually called “Dark Hollow Road”. I saw that and was like, “If that’s not the name of a scary novel, I don’t know what is.” At the time, I had no idea what it would be about, but I had a title! The Barnesville Chronicle titles have a lot to do with my love of local history and historic research. Some of what is mentioned in those books is based on real event that took place (or are rumored to have taken place) in the rural area I grew up on.

7. What do you like to do for fun? Other than writing, you mean? I read a lot. That’s rather part of being a writer, I think, the love of reading. A warm summer day spent with my husband out on the Harley is always amazing. Apart from writing, I think being on the motorcycle with him is my second best form of mental therapy. Whatever stress I’m having, pretty much evaporates during the ride. I dabble a bit with various forms of art; drawing, painting, photography, making book trailers, clay sculptures, and a touch of scrapbooking. And I love to travel to places I’ve never been before.

8. Any traditions you do when you finish a book? No, not really. I sit back and bask in the afterglow for a while, but that’s about it.

9. Where do you write? Quiet or music? The majority of my writing takes place in the living room on the desktop, but I’ve also enjoyed getting work done outside on the back deck with the laptop. Nothing really beats that, to be honest. I’d do it more often if weather and time allowed. For some reason that big mug of hot coffee and those cheerful chirping birds brings out the horror in me. I prefer to write in solitude and when I do play music, it’s the Blues. Anything else I find very distracting. I’m very much a morning writer, too.

10. Anything you would change about your writing? I’m always looking to improve so I guess I’d say fewer typos! That, and to hone my skills to the point that my readers aren’t just reading a book. I want them to feel involved in the atmosphere and setting and invested in what’s happening to the characters.

11. What is your dream? Famous writer? I dream of the day when I can make a living as a fiction writer, but I’m a realist and understand that’s incredibly hard to do. I’d love to have multiple homes, to be able to keep the one I have now, fix it all up properly, and get a second one either in New Mexico or Texas – something that’s very Southwestern. A log cabin in the woods would be nice, too. Mostly, I just want to be able to share my stories with people and hope that they enjoy what I’ve spent so much time and love creating.

12. Where do you live? I live in the Finger Lakes Region of Central New York State. Our house was built in 1886 and I’ve lived here since 1995. It’s a great old house and came with its resident ghost, Herman. He’s an older gentleman who keeps quiet for the most part, but every now and then he’ll make just enough noise so we know he’s still around.

13. Pets? The wild crows who visit and demand peanuts probably don’t count, do they? No, no pets at the time. I’d love to have a cat. My husband would love to have a dog, but it’s also nice not to have the responsibility of having either. We are free to come and go as we please without having to worry about their care while away.

14. What’s your favorite thing about writing? The part about writing that always amazes me is when the characters take over. That’s the magic right there. Although I will have a general idea of where I want the story to go, I don’t outline. I allow each scene to unfold logically from what has come before, while attempting to steer it along. However, there are times when the characters say phooey to what I have in mind and go off on their own little tangent. I let them. I figure they know more about what’s happened or happening than I do and I’m just along for the ride. To a non-writer, that may not make any sense. It’s fiction, how can that happen? Well, it does, a lot. It’s a thrill ride for me to see what’s next and then try to pull in those reins to maneuver that ending I was shooting for. Sometimes that sort of things throws a wrench into what I had in mind, in which case I make the adjustments and follow where the characters seem to want me to go instead.

15. What is coming next for you? As I mentioned, “Dark Hollow Road” is scheduled for a spring 2018 release. I’m really looking forward to getting this one out to people because of its depth and darkness. Half of it is told in 1st Person. That has a lot to do with why it’s so different from my previous novels. You really get into the head of that particular character and that’s not always a place the reader will want to be at all. My current WIP is “The Witch’s Backbone 2 – The Murder”. It picks up exactly where TWB 1 – The Curse ends. I’m about 1/3 of the way through writing the first draft.

Aside from the novels, I was asked to write a foreword for a friend of mine who’s working on his first short story collection. I was both surprised and honored he asked. And, I’ve accepted a gig writing book and movie reviews for The Final Guys website. This will force me (yeah – twist my arms, right?) to watch more horror movies if nothing else.

I have a couple of poems in HellBound Books most recently released anthology “Beautiful Tragedies.” I’ve not been able to get a copy of it myself just yet, but plan to do so as soon as I can. I hear they are doing a second volume for this and although I was asked if I’d be interested in submitting something for that, poetry of the type they are looking for, and that I’m willing to share, isn’t something I produce a lot of.

You can connect with Pamela Morris here: You can find me lurking in a few places in Cyberspace. My main website is http://pamelamorrisbooks.com where you’ll find info on all my books, some free short stories, and my blog where I write book and movie reviews, a monthly author interview, and share a little something called “The Horrors That Grew Me” where I talk about the things and people who have influenced me as a lover and writer of the Horror genre. I post and share a lot over on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PamelaMorrisBooks/ and you can find me on Twitter as @pamelamorris65. I have an author page on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Pamela-Morris/e/B00BCJTNP6/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0 and one over at HellBound Books where you’ll find not just my titles, but some other awesome authors. http://www.hellboundbookspublishing.com And finally, as mentioned, you’ll be able to read more of my movie and book reviews over at The Final Guys http://finalguys.com/ soon. As of this writing, it’s still a work-in-progress.

  Some of Pamela Morris’s books: 

Getting personal with Pamela Morris Raised in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York, but forever longing for the white sands of New Mexico, Pamela has always loved mysteries and the macabre.