Reviewed by You: Midnight Garden Review of Kurst, A Salt Pines Mystery

About Kurst: A Salt Pines Mystery

 

Karen Kurst comes into the legal possession of her deceased grandmother's cabin in Salt Pines, Arizona. As she delves into the secrets of the quaint mountain village, she discovers that there is more than meets the eye. A mysterious creature roams the woods, a blended cryptid: Elemental, Sasquatch, and Skinwalker. The only way to contain this entity is through a magical spell passed down by her ancestor, Ralph Wallen II. Teaming up with the local indigenous sheriff, Karen is determined to break the family curse. 

However, the question remains - will she have to sacrifice her own life to protect her newfound community?

For more on A Salt Pines Mystery series, visit Undawnted's Kurst page. 

• The Kurst short story was published in Midnight Garden anthology by WordCrafter Press. 
• Kurst: A Salt Pine Mystery novelette is available as a stand-alone book, and published by Sonoran Dawn Studios/Publishing, and Undawnted.  

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The Review 

LINDSEY’S WRITING PRACTICE: Book Review 
Anthology Review: MIDNIGHT GARDEN: Where Dark Tales Grow

Also, suspenseful but not as grim, DL Mullan’s “Kurst,” is one of my favorites in this collection. Set in Salt Pines, a village in Arizona, “between dreamy pine peaks and unfathomable horrors,” the story opens when Karen Kurst leaves her [photojournalist] job to check out the “Kurst inheritance” on the [Tonto] National Forest’s eastern edge. After she encounters Sheriff “Bear” Barrett, who offers her background about her inheritance and [r]eading materials, this story takes readers on a wild—frightening—but fulfilling “ride.”

 

Read the rest of her review of Midnight Garden anthology on Writing to be Read.  

 

Also, on Undawnted's YouTube channel: Kurst: A Salt Pines Mystery | Review by You | DL Mullan. 

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About DL Mullan

A writer at heart, Undawnted’s own creative spark, DL Mullan, began writing short stories and poetry before adolescence. Over the years, Ms. Mullan has showcased her literary talents by self-publishing several collections of her poetry. She also writes novels, designs apparel, and creates digital art. Ms. Mullan‘s creative writing is available in digital and print collections, from academia to commercial anthologies. As an independent publisher, she produces her own book cover designs as well as maintains her own websites. She is an award-winning digital artist and poet.

Currently, she has embarked on writing her multi-book Legacy Universe, Supernatural Superhero Series, as well as creating original soundtracks for her publications and independent electronic music albums, featured on SoundCloud and YouTube.

DL Mullan holds a Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning with Technology, and is a syndicated columnist, writing Undawntech monthly.

For news and updates, subscribe to the Undawntable Newsletter. Find DL on Amazon, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

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Become an Undawntable

Keep up-to-date with everything Undawnted through Substack: Undawntable Newsletter. Join today! 

 

 

  

 

Midnight Oil Anthology Presents: The Initiation, Part of the Quantum Consciousness Series

The short story, The Initiation, is published in Midnight Oil Anthology through WordCrafter Press. 

The narrative leaves off where The Reality Hackers (Visions anthology, as well as Sonoran Dawn Studios novelette) did. The intriguing update reveals that John and Elleanor Chisum were murdered, leaving their three children orphaned.  

The Chisums' daughter, Eliza, finds her first year in college a challenge. When she writes a research paper for her introduction to physics course, the professor gives her a failing grade. Like her mother, Eliza sees beyond the five senses as a conduit of pure consciousness. As she drifts through quantum consciousness, she learns of her past, new allies, and a dark threat behind another door to her future.  

Enjoy a scene from The Initiation with this dramatic reading by DL Mullan: 

The Initiation also provides a cameo from the popular character, Sarah Mitchell, from Mangled (Midnight Roost anthology, as well as Sonoran Dawn Studios' novelette) and Hode: Be Honor in Your Wars (Sonoran Dawn Studios' novel).   

This story is its own stand-alone novelette for publication through the Legacy Universe next year.  

Join all the character excitement and take a journey into the unknown. 

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Support Great Artists 

Read The Reality Hackers, available at these fine retailers. 

Books2Read.com/TheRealityHackers

DL's Author Central page

 

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About DL Mullan:

A writer at heart, Undawnted’s own creative spark, DL Mullan, began writing short stories and poetry before adolescence. Over the years, Ms. Mullan has showcased her literary talents by self-publishing several collections of her poetry. She also writes novels, designs apparel, and creates digital art. Ms. Mullan‘s creative writing is available in digital and print collections, from academia to commercial anthologies. As an independent publisher, she produces her own book cover designs as well as maintains her own websites. She is an award-winning digital artist and poet.

Currently, she has embarked on writing her multi-book Legacy Universe, Supernatural Superhero Series, as well as creating original soundtracks for her publications and independent electronic music albums, featured on SoundCloud and YouTube.

DL Mullan holds a Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning with Technology, and is a syndicated columnist, writing Undawntech monthly.

For news and updates, subscribe to the Undawntable Newsletter. Find DL on Amazon, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

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Become an Undawntable

Keep up-to-date with everything Undawnted through Substack: Undawntable Newsletter. Join today! 

 

 

Submission Release: The Initiation Submitted to Midnight Oil Anthology

The short story, The Initiation, was submitted to the Midnight Oil Anthology published by WordCrafter Press. The narrative leaves off where The Reality Hackers (Visions anthology, as well as Sonoran Dawn Studios novelette) did. John and Elleanor Chisum have been murdered, leaving their three children orphaned. 

The Chisums' daughter, Eliza, is finding her first year in college a challenge. When she writes a research paper for her introduction to physics course, the professor gives her a failing grade. Like her mother, Eliza sees beyond the five senses as a conduit of pure consciousness. 

The Initiation also provides a cameo from the popular character, Sarah Mitchell, from Mangled (Midnight Roost anthology, as well as Sonoran Dawn Studios' novelette) and Hode: Be Honor in Your Wars (Sonoran Dawn Studios' novel).   

This story is its own stand-alone novelette for publication through the Legacy Universe next year.  

Join all the character excitement and bring the story to life!

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Support Great Artists 

Read The Reality Hackers, available at these fine retailers. 

Books2Read.com/TheRealityHackers

DL's Author Central page

 

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About DL Mullan:

A writer at heart, Undawnted’s own creative spark, DL Mullan, began writing short stories and poetry before adolescence. Over the years, Ms. Mullan has showcased her literary talents by self-publishing several collections of her poetry. She also writes novels, designs apparel, and creates digital art. Ms. Mullan‘s creative writing is available in digital and print collections, from academia to commercial anthologies. As an independent publisher, she produces her own book cover designs as well as maintains her own websites. She is an award-winning digital artist and poet.

Currently, she has embarked on writing her multi-book Legacy Universe, Supernatural Superhero Series.

For news and updates, subscribe to the Undawntable Newsletter. Find DL on Amazon, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

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Become an Undawntable

Keep up-to-date with everything Undawnted through Substack: Undawntable Newsletter. Join today! 

 

 

 

Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures Anthology Publishing DL Mullan's Original Works

Celebrate Poetry Month 

Poetry Treasures is a poetry anthology series by Robbie Cheadle (aka Roberta Eaton Cheadle) on Kaye Lynne Booth's Writing to be Read blogsite.

After realizing that I wrote poetry, Ms. Cheadle invited me into her select group: Treasuring Poetry, 2024: Introducing the poetry of DL Mullan and a review. With the culmination of a year's worth of poets, the fifth installment of her poetry anthology is set for publication this month.

Yours truly will be the first poet, since I was Ms. January 2024. Six of my poems will be available for perusal: Daybreak, Home, Myth, Quantum Time, Galactic Ride, and Slap-Happy Contagion. Each one brings a different perspective to the theme: Small Pleasures. 

Poetry Treasures Anthology on Undawnted.  

Poetry Treasures Poetry Slam on Undawnted's channel (Playlist).

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Song Release

Quantum Time is the inspiration for my song released on my self-titled: Undawnted album. 

Listen here and leave me your thoughts on my channel. 

Remember to Like, Comment, and Subscribe!

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Support Great Artists 

Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures will be released on April 22, 2025. I hope everyone will have a chance to read the exceptional creative works therein. Every poet featured is a stellar rhythm-rhyme writer.


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Album Release

Ages instrumental album was inspired by DL Mullan's poems published in this anthology. 

This LP (long play) album's singles are available for listening via the Ages Playlist. 

For more information, or to read the song track titles, visit Ages Album & Singles on Undawnted.

 

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About the Poet

 

DL Mullan is much more than a lyrical and literary poet. Her elementary school taught Japanese theater and poetry, foreign languages, writing, cooking, drama, as well as drawing skills. Secondary education was an Arts Magnet High school, introducing her to the technical side of art through theater and concert choir. Everything a budding artist would need until community college filled her with a love for poetry. As a poet, she won academic awards and writing credits. Director of her own community poetry group, she presented, taught the love of poetry, as well as created her own poetic forms. During 2020, participants from around the world, including Europe and Asia, flocked to Undawnted to learn poetry from Ms. Mullan. Experience poetry in genres and styles that aren’t taught in the traditional English textbooks, but should be.

Ms. Mullan holds several college degrees, including a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies, as well as a Masters of Arts in Teaching and Learning with Technology.

For more information about DL Mullan’s creative writing, digital art, poetry, music and more, visit http://www.undawnted.com.

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Become an Undawntable

 Keep up-to-date with everything Undawnted through Substack: Undawntable Newsletter. Join today!

Undawnted's DL Mullan can be booked for your online Blog Tour, Book Event, Book Review (w/ARC), Interview, Writing Conference, or Genre Convention. Ms. Mullan has years of experience in public speaking, readings, present- ations, events, and tours.

Book a quality author and presenter with Undawnted: Bookings online form.

 

Kurst Accepted into the Midnight Garden Anthology

Great news! 

Undawnted received word that DL Mullan's short story, Kurst, has been accepted into WordCrafter's Midnight Garden anthology. Due out this October 2024, this publication will be another installment in the dark fiction trilogy. 

Imagine if you inherited an age-old curse...

Kurst explores an insane, evil cryptid monster: 

Karen Kurst comes into the legal possession of her deceased grandmother's cabin in Salt Pines, Arizona. As she delves into the secrets of the quaint mountain village, she discovers that there is more than meets the eye. A mysterious creature roams the woods, a blended cryptid: Elemental, Sasquatch, and Skinwalker. The only way to contain this entity is through a magical spell passed down by her ancestor, Ralph Wallen. Teaming up with the local indigenous sheriff, Karen is determined to break the family curse. 

However, the question remains - will she have to sacrifice her own life to protect her newfound community?

Join this collection of writers in sharing their nightmares with you... 

_____

A writer at heart, Undawnted's own creative spark, DL Mullan, began writing short stories and poetry before adolescence. Over the years, Ms. Mullan has showcased her literary talents by self-publishing several collections of her poetry. She also writes novels, designs apparel, and creates digital art. Ms. Mullan‘s creative writing is available in digital and print collections, from academia to commercial anthologies. As an independent publisher, she produces her own book cover designs as well as maintains her own websites. She is an award-winning digital artist and poet. 

Currently, she has embarked on writing her multi-book Legacy Universe, Supernatural Superhero Series.

For news and updates, subscribe to the Undawntable Newsletter.

 

12 Angry Dead Accepted into The Hanging Tree Anthology

Great news! 

Undawnted received word that DL Mullan's short story, 12 Angry Dead, has been accepted into WordCrafter's The Hanging Tree anthology. Due out this September 2024, this publication will be the home to several authors' rendition of the hanging tree motif. 

Imagine if you were hung unjustly...

12 Angry Dead explores such a travesty of justice: 

When the souls of the wronged rise to avenge their premature deaths, is there anyone who can stand against them? 

 

Marilla Gibbs, an heiress and a director of the historical museum, is a descendant of Aida Worthington, a victim of one of these unjust homicides. The mid-1800s was a tumultuous time, especially with figures like Josiah King, who took lives with impunity. 

 

In the afterlife, his victims came together to form a jury. On All Hallows Eve, when the veil separating the living from the dead is at its thinnest, Aida and eleven other spirits took control of their descendants to confront their killer, who is now a seven-year-old boy.

 

With the aid of her assistant, Shaun, and Justin, the child's father, Marilla seeks to outmaneuver the twelve angry dead. Yet, will their combined efforts be sufficient to redirect the course from vengeance to authentic justice? 

 

The trio soon realizes that no one can escape a past life.

Join this collection of writers in sharing their nightmare scenario with you... not all of them have happy endings. 

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A writer at heart, Undawnted's own creative spark, DL Mullan, began writing short stories and poetry before adolescence. Over the years, Ms. Mullan has showcased her literary talents by self-publishing several collections of her poetry. She also writes novels, designs apparel, and creates digital art. Ms. Mullan‘s creative writing is available in digital and print collections, from academia to commercial anthologies. As an independent publisher, she produces her own book cover designs as well as maintains her own websites. She is an award-winning digital artist and poet. 

Currently, she has embarked on writing her multi-book Legacy Universe, Supernatural Superhero Series.

For news and updates, subscribe to the Undawntable Newsletter.

 

Undawnted Presents: WordCrafter Blog Tour for Midnight Roost: Christa Planko and MJ Mallon are Spooky Fun Authors

Video Reading from The Cull by MJ Mallon

 

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MJ's writing credits include YA, paranormal, best-selling horror, supernatural short stories, flash fiction, poetry, pandemic inspired poetry and best-selling anthologies. 

Poetry/flash fiction collections include Lockdown Innit, Mr. Sagittarius Poetry & Prose, The Hedge Witch And The Musical Poet and Do What You Love. 

Her eclectic blog shares her love of reading, reviewing, writing, poetry, photography, and travel: https://mjmallon.com.

Visit MJ's Social Media Sites: 

https://linktr.ee/mjmallonauthor/

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Giveaway

A chance to win a free digital copy of Midnight Roost at every stop. Just leave a comment at Writing to Be Read to show your support for the tour, the anthology, and all of the fantastic authors.

To buy the Midnight Roost anthology 

with both author's stories,

 visit: Books2Read.

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Interview with Christa Planko about her short story: The Easterville Glass Ghost


What inspired you to write “The Easterville Glass Ghost?”

My inspiration for “The Easterville Glass Ghost” began with a trip to the Estellville Glassworks, a historic site near me. I first visited the site when I moved to the area in 2008. It has haunted me ever since!

Today, the glassworks is more of a graveyard for the 19th -century factory that bustled with activity from 1825 to 1877. Most of its structures have nothing left beyond their foundations. But the most prominent structure, the melting furnace, has three stone walls remaining. The front of the building features four large arches. Beyond these walls lies brick and stone rubble and the deep pits where glassblowers would form molten glass into cylinders.

Imagine how eerie it is to walk through the woods and happen upon Estellville’s imposing arched structure! As many times as I’ve returned to hike in the surrounding woods, I always get chills when the ruins first come into sight. It has prompted many imaginative musings about the people that lived and worked there. What was it like to work among fiery furnaces, handling molten glass? Was it competitive work? Was it dangerous? So dangerous that anyone ever died?

These musings led to the creation of “The Easterville Glass Ghost.” The story came together based on my own research about the factory and 19th -century glassblowing, coupled with imagination and fictional characters.

Have you ever had a ghostly encounter?

I did have an unexplained experience once. It involved the sensation of a hand sliding down my shoulder to my back. And it so happened that it was at the site of the Estellville Glassworks. This experience is what I fictionalized in my story.

While I’m not sure I had an actual “ghostly” encounter, if a spirit was present that day, it was a protective one. Nobody else was around at the time. I was technically trespassing at the site, climbing on top of a brick pile for a better view. The hand I felt on my shoulder coincided with me losing my footing—kind of like a steadying hand, ensuring my safety.

So, do I believe in spirits? I’m not sure about ghosts, but I do believe in spirit. By that, I mean the spirit that comprises character and lives on after a person expires. Elements of the human spirit—such as love, joy, kindness, gentleness—transcend time and space. These are things that we remember about loved ones and others who have passed. They are the traits written about heroes in history books. They imprint on us, encourage us, and inspire us to be the same—to make a difference in others’ lives. This is also a theme I aim to capture in my story.

Thank you for your questions and the opportunity to participate in the blog tour for Midnight Roost!

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Christa Planko, MA, is a professional writer with a passion for creative expression. She has had her poetry and short stories featured in several publications, including Tanka and Haiku Journal, Poetry Quarterly, New Jersey Bards, and Every Day Fiction. Her story, “The Olde-Tyme Village,” won the 2021 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest. Christa resides in South Jersey with her feline muses. 

Christa graduated from Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ) with a BA in English Literature and from Drew University (Madison, NJ) with an MA in English Literature.  

Website: https://christascorner.godaddysites.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristasCorner2023

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Purchase

To buy the Midnight Roost anthology 

with both author's stories,

 visit: Books2Read. 

 

 

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Undawnted's DL Mullan can be booked for your online Blog Tour, Book Event, Book Review (w/ARC), Interview, Writing Conference, or Genre Convention. Ms. Mullan has years of experience in public speaking, readings, presentations, events, and tours.

Book a quality author and presenter with Undawnted: Bookings online form. 

 

Mangled Cover Reveal

From the creative mind that gave readers: The Reality Hackers, comes a tale unlike any other written this century... 

With that said, the story needed an equally mystifying cover art. It took some time to find that perfect balance, but the universe of possibilities came together. Now, Undawnted is revealing the new book cover for the novelette version of the story, publishing in April of next year.

This creative write infuses the horror and science fiction genres and takes them into a futurist cascade of events that will leave the reader asking themselves what they would do in a similar position. 

New technologies like algorithms, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality are only the beginning of the changes to be seen in the world. 

 

But are these changes friend or foe? Mangled contemplates some of the questions surrounding humanity's future. 

Mangled follows a military Specialist named, Sarah Mitchell: 

To see the full cover, visit Mangle's dedicated page on Undawnted. 

The short story publishing in WordCrafter's Midnight Roost horror anthology, Mangled, on October 17, 2023, will also be published as a novelette in April 2024 through Sonoran Dawn Studios. 

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A writer at heart, Undawnted's own creative spark, DL Mullan, began writing short stories and poetry before adolescence. Over the years, Ms. Mullan has showcased her literary talents by self-publishing several collections of her poetry. She also writes novels, designs apparel, and creates digital art. Ms. Mullan‘s creative writing is available in digital and print collections, from academia to commercial anthologies. As an independent publisher, she produces her own book cover designs as well as maintains her own websites. She is an award-winning digital artist and poet. 

 DL Mullan is sharing her knowledge via A Novelist Idea Newsletter. If you too want to become a Fearless Phile, then subscribe to her newsletter on Substack.

Her innovative style teaches writers how to reach their creative potential, and write more effectively.

Learn. Grow. Master… with Undawnted.