Tag Archives: Horror

Hardbacks

Greetings!
Just a quick post to let my intrepid followers know my first two books have been formatted and submitted for the hardback editions, and should be available for order on Amazon soon.
The new book should join them in the next few weeks, so stay tuned, as there are many things in the works for the future!

Until Next Time,

~Namaste

Writing Update: 3-12-2023

Greetings!

Even though I have completed the new novel, it does not mean I get to take any time off; there are still a good number of tasks requiring my attention, projects left undone or to further my visibility in the marketplace.  I have recently revised the formatting for my first novel, Highway Hypnosis, in preparation for an e-book release, and this should be available soon.  I will also be releasing hardcover versions of all my work in the future, so be sure to stay tuned for news and release dates.

Until Next Time,

~Namaste

Writing Update: 3-5-2023

Greetings!

So much news!
The manuscript for my upcoming novel is completed. It will weigh in at 634 pages, and a bit over 169k words. Cover reveal coming soon! I’ll be announcing the publication date soon.
I have solved my previous problems with WordPress, apparently, so I’ll be keeping this format for a while. I will be working more on the mobile version once the new book has been published.
I am also working to start a Youtube channel, basically a video blog of this writer’s life kind of thing. More details will be given as this project progresses.
Also, after some positive feedback from a good friend, I will also be working on making audible versions of all my work.
So, a full plate, it seems.
For those few loyal readers, stay tuned…it’s going to be a busy year.

Until next time,

~Namaste

Writing Update: 11-13-2022

Greetings all,

I finished the first draft of my current WIP on November 6. The manuscript weighed in at over 171k words, a bit over 625 pages, making it my longest work so far. I do not expect the word count to reduce much in the course of editing; if anything, it may increase a bit. I have pretty much told the story I wanted to tell, the one the Muse gave me, and I do not expect many changes in the context of the story itself. I am currently on the first pass through for editing, and barring any major setbacks, still hope to have my cover reveal in time to publish before the end of the year, so stay tuned!

Until Next Time,

~Namaste

Writing Update – Aug. 2022

Greetings.

It’s been a hectic summer. New ‘real’ job while dealing with the shenanigans caused by the owners of my current residence, which has led me to start packing in order to move…lots of time and effort and calories spent. Also, surprisingly enough, a great deal of writing. Even in the midst of all the chaos, I’ve managed to devote some time to my craft just about every day. Some days have been more productive than others. but on most nights, the Muse has blessed me with new ideas, and taken my current WIP to places I never saw during its conception, which is always a pleasure for creatives such as myself, one of the few rewards an artist is given in today’s world.
I’ve been working on two manuscripts simultaneously, one fiction and one a memoir detailing my experiences suffering from narcissistic and legal abuse. I have been concentrating on the former for the last few months, as the latter is mostly transcription of a journal I kept for a decade during my disastrous slavery in the form of my second marriage. This extra time was required, for this is the longest fiction work I’ve ever attempted, and by far the strangest thing I have written to date (something I’ve said many times during its creation, so apologies for repeating myself). I think my Muse is aware of my upcoming move, and has been pushing me to finish the first draft before I am forced to pack and move my computer. It will be close, as I am close to the finish line, with approximately twenty-five more pages or so to go on the first draft. I doubt I will be able to finish this epic-length beast before I have to up and move, but I will give it my best shot.
The Muse will not be denied, it seems.
That’s okay. I don’t mind.
A bit over two chapters left to go.

Until Next Time –

~Namaste

And Now for Something Completely Different…

Greetings everyone,

Things have been hectic lately, as I am packing up to move (one of my absolute least favorite things to do), and I haven’t had much time to post updates. To give an example, it is after 1:30 in the morning when I am writing this, and I returned from an 18 hour workday about half an hour ago. I am feeling a bit loopy, to be completely honest, which may have something to do with my current train of thought, and the nature of this post.
I like to give insights and examples into the life of a writer of (albeit strange) fiction, and those that know me know I have no shame. I don’t mind posting stuff I would never publish, or writing about my personal life experiences. Tonight, I’m throwing out the former.
Here is a piece I wrote some number of years ago, more than likely at some ungodly early morning hour when the only things stirring are mating feral cats and barn owls, when I had time to just follow whatever inspiration struck me at the time. The little scene below is unedited, an exercise in just typing and seeing where it took me.
Don’t judge…it’s just for shits and giggles, folks.

THE FIEND, THE MESSENGER, AND THE DREAMTIME DAIRY-QUEEN

There is no warning. All I know is that I’m sitting facing a food court style Dairy Queen Booth. The table appears to be plastic, as is the chair I’m sitting in.
Oooookay, I think. This is new.
I look around, curious. The Dairy Queen is empty, as is the rest of the food court. I can see other booths lining the area, Burger King and Manchu Wok and Subway and Cinnebon and Sbarro’s – all deserted.
There are no smells. I am surrounded by silence.
I catch a hint of movement from the corner of my eye. Turning, I see a form moving toward me. It is a man, and although he isn’t the largest human I’ve ever met, he definitely belongs to the same club.
He walks around the tables, and sits in front of me. The air around him shimmers and glows as he moves, and I know two things at that moment.
One, is that I’m in the dream-realm.
The other is that, whoever or whatever he might be, he isn’t human.
Normally, I’m a bit more reserved, but lately, my temper has been a bit on the short side, and I’m even less in the mood for games than usual. I consider just doing what I can to rend this thing limb from limb, but the thought no sooner takes form than he smiles, and when he does, his eyes flash yellow. It is a color I’ve seen before.
“No, I’m not the one you call the Wolf-Bear, little Grinder, Son of Cain,” he says.
He uses the old names, but the smile on his face is one of sarcasm; and I know he realizes, as I do, that they are merely words, words with no real meaning.
“Who are you, then?” I ask.
“Someone who was sent to give you a message,” he replies.
“And you found it necessary to steal a human dream-form for this?”
“It’s easier for purposes of communication. You, better than most, should know that value in that.”
I want to reply to that, but I hold my tongue. He does have a point.
I wave my hand at the empty stores. “Interesting place for a meeting. Having a craving for a milkshake, maybe?”
He looks past me into the food court. “This dream is his,” he says, before looking back to me, “would you be more comfortable in a Scylding hall? The plaza of a Mayan city, perhaps? The halls of Babylon?”
“Not really, ” I reply, “One setting is as good as another. What about your host? I know you can’t hold this form for very long, without damage. I trust he will be unharmed, or do you even care?”
“It will be just another dream,” he smiles, “with no more harm done than any other. As long as I finish my business here in due time, that is.”
“Meaning?”
His eyes flare yellow again. “Meaning you should still yourself, and listen.”
I force myself to remain calm. It takes some effort. “Speak then.”
“The message I bring is simple, little one, and it is this: a weapon, once dulled, must either be sharpened, or tossed aside. You had a path once. Even deemed yourself a Sword of Karma, ridiculous as that is, but even a Sword of Karma is useless without an edge.”
I start to protest, to tell him that I am already doing all that I can, but he cuts me off before the words find form.
“You are next to nothing,” he says. The air ripples around the dream image of the human he has stolen, blue and scarlet, and the impression I feel, is of restraint. “And if you weren’t spending so much time feeling sorry for yourself, you would know that.”
“I’m not . . .”
“Of course you are. You’re nothing but a whining, puling little brat, and were it up to me, I’d let you wallow in your own pity until you collapsed under its weight, but luckily for you, others think you may have potential yet.”
“Why? Why would anyone think that?”
“Two reasons,” he says. “The first is that, unlike any of your kind before you, you have tried to elevate yourself beyond mere being. This has not happened before, and is likely not to happen again.”
This is a surprise, not because I was unaware of my own efforts in this regard, but that it meant anything to anyone other than myself. But it is his next answer that really gets my attention.
“And the other?”
“The second, is because more subtle life lessons have been lost upon you. Most, upon reaching your level of awareness, come to appreciate life more when it is nearly taken from them. Again, had it been up to me, I would have let you perish on the highway, as I do not care for your kind, beneficial to your hosts as you may be. Still, it was decided then that a more . . . direct approach would be in order.”
I feel myself growing warm with anger. “Left me on the highway? Is that supposed to be a joke? Is that what you mean about a life lesson? You . . .you fuck!”
“You know it could have been much worse, worse even than the oblivion to which you have sent so many lesser beings.”I find myself sputtering, unable to form a proper response. “That’s . . . that is just . . .”
“Unjust? Unfair?” Even under its guise, I can see that this being is taking some sort of pleasure in this, and that fuels my anger even more. “In your whining, you have hit upon at least one truth, little spirit. You feel as if the penalties for your mistakes are greater than those of men. Of course they are. That you have gotten as far as you have, have been allowed to enjoy the pleasures and pain of men, has only been due to the sheer benevolence of that to which we all answer. Accept this, for to do otherwise would be at your peril. Remember what you have been told. You will not be told again.”
There are so many things I want to say, so much that I want to know. What of the Wolf-Bear? Does the same thing hold true for him? Are we all held equally accountable? Have all my deaths and near-deaths been to the same purpose?
But I am denied. The world falls apart around me, and all is darkness.
I wake up on my bed, and look at the clock. It is still early evening. I remember laying down earlier that afternoon in an attempt to stretch my aching back muscles, but I had not thought myself tired enough for sleep to come that easily. I am sweating, and when I lift my hand to wipe it from my face, I see my hand is trembling.
I spend the next few hours recovering, and make notes on my encounter. I know that the details, however stark, will fade with time, like all dreams, and I want to capture as much as I can. I know however, that while the memories of this day may lessen through time, the message will stay with me.
Weapons, once dulled, must be brought back to order, or cast aside.
And that is something I cannot forget.

Quick Vanishing Act

Greetings all,

In case anyone was paying attention, the site may have gone down for a day or two. That was completely on me; I lost track of time and forgot to renew my domain for a bit, but that’s all fixed now.
When I have time, I’ll be tinkering with the pages again, not so much for appearance but to clean up some mobile issues and change some content I’m not quite happy with at the moment. Websites are always a work in progress, and that is true for this site as well.
On the writing front, I’ve begun the last group of chapters for my current work in progress. It is a long work, the longest I’ve written so far, and though this is still a first draft, I do not know how much I would cut in the editing process. I do not usually waste time on elements of the manuscript that are not integral to the story, or the characters. I may find a way to condense some sections, but even so, this book will still be longer than my other works. With my hectic schedule, it may become a race against time to finish my first draft before I need to move, and I’ll cross that bridge when and if I come to it.
Until then, I’ll just keep writing. The finish line for this new book is in sight.

Til’ Next Time –
~Namaste

Update 4-17-2022

After a long buildup of events, I have been put into a position that requires me to find a new place to live. The new owners of my building have proven to be a nightmare in their own right, creating a hostile workplace that is also my home. They have required me to go way beyond my job description here, and I ended up doing over $10k worth of rehab work in the building for no pay, and harassing calls and texts when I finally said enough was enough. In the process, I lost over 14 pounds, had my sleep and eating schedules disrupted, and subjected to severe stress and anxiety. So, in addition to having to find a new place to call home, I need to deal with courts and lawyers, as I refuse to take this abuse sitting down.
Just another weekend for this writer, boys and girls.
Fortunately, writing has been, and always will be, a means of therapy and solace for me, and thus, has not slowed my writing. To the contrary, in times like these, I find myself writing more, which in a sense proves that art is born of pain, I suppose. My current work in progress is currently a bit more than two-thirds complete in terms of the first draft. It is my longest, and strangest, work to date I feel, and hope to have it completed this summer. With luck, the events surrounding me will not entail too many delays, and I will complete this new novel on schedule. The cover is complete, and I’m itching to do a title and cover reveal, so stay tuned.

Until next time,
~Namaste

Update: Jan 14, 2020

Greetings Once Again From the Void…

I’m writing this at quarter to four in the morning, taking a break from a depression-induced manic streak. I should be wrapping up my daily writing around this time, but my writing has suffered from motivation problems over the last couple of weeks. This is not writer’s block; I have plenty to say, should I actually take the time to sit in front of the keyboard, but I have had a hard time of late being able to bring myself to do so. My particular cycle of depression and anxiety are best helped by writing in any form, and this has come to affect my writing process, becoming in fact a part of the process itself. The interruptions are rare – as I’ve said, I do not ever really suffer from writer’s block in the conventional sense – but they do happen, and this has delayed the completion of my current novel.
I had hoped to complete two books in 2021, but the second of the two works has turned out to be more of a project than I originally anticipated. Currently, the new manuscript draft sits at forty-five complete chapters, and 116k words, and there could be as many as 50k more words to go. I do a hybrid pantser/plotter process, so my notes give me a direction, but allow room for the Muse to roam where she likes. This time around, however, I am required to do more fine-tuning on the third act, and the nature of the story requires more research than I’ve ever done before, which I can but hope is a good thing, as it means I am attempting to leave my comfort zone as a writer.
Will all the effort be worth it? Time will tell, I guess.

Until next time,

~Namaste