Showing posts with label anthology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label anthology. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 17, 2023

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: 

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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
 
 



Saturday, October 7, 2023

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.


Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Hot Off the Press! Midnight Roost Cover Reveal

Greetings, Fearless Philes!

Today, Kaye Lynne Booth of Writing to be Read revealed the book cover I designed for Midnight Roost horror anthology, which will also have my short story, Mangled in the pages. The anthology will be released in October 2023.

Just in time for your Halloween parties and campfire storytelling adventures!

For those readers new to Undawnted, my name is DL Mullan. I create art, poetry, and prose. All the art, images, and book covers on Undawnted's website, I produce myself. 

If you like what I do, then please bookmark, like, subscribe, comment, buy and review. My newsletter, social media, and other links are in the menu (right side of page). 

Undawnted will begin our Summer Time Seasonal Reads program at midnight tonight! Don't miss another release/popup party, Movie Night with the Novelist, or monthly creative project on A Novelist Idea newsletter. Subscribe to my Creative Tribe to be the first to view my book trailers and other videos on Undawnted's YouTube Channel

What are you waiting for? 

Undawnted lets imagination become unpredictable, insatiable, and undeniably... unleashed.

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This year's program is the: Hint of the Divine, in which participants learn the archetypes found in human culture, and storytelling.

Bring depth to your writing.

Join our Creative Tribe

Learn. Grow. Master... with Undawnted.

 

Thursday, May 25, 2023

Press Release: The Jonah Collector has been Submitted to an Anthology

After writing this Rime of the Ancient Mariner/dark mermaid inspired short story for a writing prompt, The Jonah Collector was edited for a future release. 

Undawnted was set to publish this lyrical prose piece this summer until a publisher's call for submissions asked for a seafaring narrative. After formatting the document, the story was read through to see if further editing was necessary. Since the creative write received no corrections, it was deemed ready for another life.

Therefore, The Jonah Collector was removed from rotation and submitted to this new anthology. We wanted to update our readership about this change, especially for those readers who were excited about this imaginative piece. In the coming weeks, DL Mullan will be notified if The Jonah Collector was accepted, and Undawnted will let our audience know the future of this tale.

We hope no matter if The Jonah Collector is published by an anthology or by Ms. Mullan that Fearless Philes will share in our excitement.

Team Undawnted

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The Jonah Collector has been published by Sonoran Dawn Studios. 

Check out the dedicate page for details.



 

Monday, September 19, 2022

WordCrafter Blog Tour! Refracted Reflections: Twisted Tales of Duality & Deception



Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?

In community college, I played the Mirror in the dramatic re-imaging of The Emperor has No Clothes. This anthology of short stories has a kinship with that play, as the image of the mirror takes on an important role straight into our imaginations. 

What do you see when you look into the mirror? You? The past? The present? How about a future waiting to unfold? Or, do you see the sinister? Bloody Mary, perhaps? Or, shadows that move when you don't? 

Refracted Reflections: Twisted Tales of Duality and Deception delves into those deep dark crevices of our shadow psyche. From inducing possession, committing murder/suicide or as cursed objects, mirrors have a unique hold on our imaginations. The short stories contained within the pages of this anthology will do just the same to its readers. 

The Cost of Magic By Keith Hoskins tells the tale of vengeance. In this short story, mirrors are used as magical tools, but there was a penalty for using such a device. Magical mirrors extracted a price to those individuals who are gifted with knowledge through its spell work. Can magic be a means to an end?

The Elevator Ritual By Shelly Jasperson will send tingles down your spine as her character grapples with the suicide of a stranger, and the death of her sister in the haunted images of an elevator's mirrors. Would you survive the spirit in your reflection?

The Tinker’s Gift By Valerie B. Williams has a mirror that eases people beyond the veil by showing them their heart's desire: their beloved. Could a solider's last glimpse end a curse and bring balance back to the world? 

Refracted Reflections has a mirror image worth shivering for... Happy Autumn Haunts!

*****

One reveals truths, while the other bends light into varying shapes of deception.

Does a small camp mirror reveal hope… or death?

Is the warrior in the mirror a monster… or a protector?

Does a glimpse in the  mirror reveal a young woman’s true self… or what someone else has shaped her into?

Does the mysterious portal to the future reflect what could be… or what must be left behind?

Are the dancers reflected in the water’s depth things of beauty… or evil?

This unique and imaginative collection of nine mind tantalizing fantasy and science fiction stories will appeal to readers who enjoy thought provoking tales with hidden meanings resting deep below the surface. These stories will keep you pondering long into the night.

If you liked Gilded Glass or Once Upon an Ever After, you’ll love Refracted Reflections.

*****

Digital Giveaway

For a chance to win a free digital copy of Refracted Reflections, just leave a comment to show you were here. Follow the tour and comment at each stop for more chances to win. Three copies will be given away in a random drawing.

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About The Book

Each of the stories included in Refracted Reflections feature a mirror or reflection in some significant way. The reflections given are sometimes surprising, often fooling those who gaze upon them, because things aren’t often as they seem.

I have included two of my own stories, “The Devil Made Her Do It”, which is a reprinted story about a woman blinded by love and deceived by a man who just might be the devil, which first appeared in Relationship Add Vice, from Zombie Pirates Publishing; and an original fairy tale, The Not So Perfect Prince, about a prince who is so full of himself that he can’t see who he truly is.

But mine are only two among nine outstanding stories by eight talented authors, and we’ll be introducing five of the contributing authors on this tour: Valerie B. Williams, Roberta Eaton Cheadle, Ligia de Wit, Elisabeth Caldwell, and of course me, Kaye Lynne Booth.

Writing to be Read Refracted Reflections Blog Tour -->

 

Thursday, December 2, 2021

WordCrafter Lingering Spirit Whispers Paranormal Anthology Set Blog Tour: Undawnted Interviews Roberta Eaton Cheadle

About the Anthology Set 
 
Lingering Spirit Whispers Paranormal Anthology Set, which is released today, December 1st, 2021 from WordCrafter and is available for purchase.

This anthology set is a bundle including Whispers of the Past, Spirits of the West, and Where Spirits Linger. All three anthologies combined into one convenient paranormal set for lovers of ghost stories.
 
Amazon Books

 

 

 

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Author Interview:
Roberta "Robbie" Eaton Cheadle
A contributor to all three anthologies in the set for a total of five stories. Titles: "The Last of the Lavender", "Missed Signs" (Whispers of the Past); "Ghost in the Mound", "The Thirstyland Journey" (Spirits of the West); "Listen to Instructions" (Where Spirits Linger).


As a poet, writing in the horror genre of the paranormal/supernatural is a different tone then the succinct and lyrical form of creative writing, how do you find writing horror? Is it a challenge?

As far back as I can remember I have always written poetry and played with words, forming them into descriptive paragraphs that, as a young girl, I thought were quite delightful. I have also always enjoyed books about people and their everyday lives and grew up reading L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables and Emily of New Moon series. These were the books I attempted to mimic with my descriptive passages.

At the age of ten I progressed to adult books. I had read everything in the children’s library and wasn’t allowed to borrow adult books. I resorted to reading my mom’s books behind the couch. I am the oldest of four girls and my mom was a very busy mother. She never missed me or noticed me stretched out on the floor behind the couch with one of her books in my hands. My mom was a Stephen King fan. I worked my way through The Shining, Salem’s Lot, The Stand, The Running Man, Cujo, Christine, The Talisman, Firestarter, Carrie, and Pet Sematary. These books scared me to death, but I loved them. When I had exhausted mom’s King collection, I moved on to her collection of Charles Dickens books. These were beautiful leather-bound books with thin, wispy pages.

My reading tastes remained dark, and I favour books about war, paranormal and dystopia. As a result, transitioning from writing poetry and children’s books wasn’t difficult for me. That being said, I might not have thought to attempt writing horror if I hadn’t come across a short story competition on another writer’s blog. An idea for my first horror story, The Willow Tree, came to me and I decided to give writing horror a whirl. Since that first attempt in 2018, I have written two supernatural historical novels and written dark stories for inclusion in nine anthologies, three of which are the WordCrafter anthologies.


Writing children’s books are often more visual creative than writing short stories, how do you use your gift for visualization in your writing craft of long narratives?

The feedback I receive from readers is that my books are very descriptive. The feedback has been positive despite my initial concern that modern readers don’t like a lot of description. Descriptive prose is my writing style, and I wouldn’t want to change it.

I have lived through some difficult experiences including numerous house robberies, thefts of cars, two children with chronic illnesses necessitating numerous operations and hospitalisations, and a home invasion when my mother and I were tied up and I had a gun at my head.

When I write, I insert myself into the circumstances of my story and visualise how I would feel, think, and react. I draw from my own negative experiences and try to capture the essence of them on paper. I always write dark literature for adults and my characters are usual either ghosts who are already dead or people who are destined to die. I have written about death from a gunshot numerous times in my stories.

Why am I drawn to writing dark stories? I do not know as I am naturally an upbeat and positive person.


Out of the five short stories you have written, which one was your favorite? Which one was the most unsettling? And, which one drew from one of your real-life experiences?

My favourite of these five short stories is The Ghost in the Mound from Spirits of the West. This was based on a real event in South African history where a wagon train comprising of nine ox-wagons was attacked and all the families were killed in the ensuing fight. Afrikaans women did use termite mounds as ovens to bake bread and some of these mounds are enormous. I had the idea of a young mother hiding her baby in one of these old ovens to save it from death during an attack and from that idea, this story was born.

The Thirstyland Journey from Spirits of the West is the short story that is the most disturbing to me as it is the one that is most closely based on a true story. The outcome and deaths in that story are all real and it was a most tragic situation as there were several children who died. Life for pioneering families was extremely hard and many of them died of sickness, starvation, or thirst, and during attacks.

Missed Signs from Whispers of the Past is the story that is most closely based on a real-life experience. The reason I say this is because the main character suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and has a horror of germs and illness. The character of Sean is based on someone close to me who suffers from this illness. I like this story very much.


Would you like to visit a real haunted location? Have you already? What would you like to experience at a haunted place that would help you as a horror fiction writer? If you have a past experience, did that help you write your stories?

My husband and I have travelled extensively in the UK and South Africa. We favour visiting sites of historical interest, especially battlefields, forts, castles, and museums. We have visited several sites that are believed to be haunted. Our own house, which is the original farmhouse in our area in Johannesburg, is believed to be haunted by the ghosts of a gang of bandits who hid in the house and were killed in a shoot out with the authorities in 1929.

I am open minded about ghosts and spirits, but sadly, they have never chosen to reveal themselves to me. I would be interested in experiencing a paranormal phenomenon, but I don’t think I have any gifts in that direction. I do experience the dark horror of certain places and I am imaginative so I am able to write my stories without having any real supernatural experiences. I am particularly interested in the psychology of murderers and people who die unnatural deaths as a result of murder or war.


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Thank you, Roberta Eaton Cheadle for your understanding of the horror genre and storytelling. If you would like to know more about Ms. Cheadle, please see his biography and links below:  
 
 
Author Bio

Roberta Eaton Cheadle is writer of young adult and adult fiction in the supernatural fantasy, historical horror, and historical supernatural genres.

To date, Roberta has published two novels, Through the Nethergate and A Ghost and His Gold, and several short stories in various anthologies including Whispers of the Past and Spirits of the West, and Where Spirits Linger edited and compiled by Kaye Lynne Booth, and Spellbound, compiled by Dan Alatorre.

Roberta has a historical supernatural novel set during the Second Anglo Boer War in South Africa coming out in early 2021.

When she is not writing, Roberta enjoys working in the garden and creating fondant and cake artworks. 
 

Author Links



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If you like this interview, then read the others in the Lingering Spirit Whispers series: 


Wednesday, December 1, 2021

WordCrafter Lingering Spirit Whispers Paranormal Anthology Set Blog Tour: Undawnted Interviews Jeff Bowles

About the Anthology Set
Lingering Spirit Whispers Paranormal Anthology Set, which is released today, December 1st, 2021 from WordCrafter and is available for purchase.

This anthology set is a bundle including Whispers of the Past, Spirits of the West, and Where Spirits Linger. All three anthologies combined into one convenient paranormal set for lovers of ghost stories.


Amazon Books

*****

Author Interview: Jeff Bowles 
Contributor to two of the anthologies with two stories, including the winning story in the 2019 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest, "A Peaceful Life I've Never Known" (Whispers of the Past). The other is "Wenekia" (Spirits of the West).


How long have you been a creative writer? What is your favorite genre? What is your favored format? Poetry? Short story? Novel?


I've been writing for about ten or fifteen years now. I like speculative fiction of all types, most especially anything that does something new and different with the genres. I get bored easily. Novels are my favorite to write and read, but for the first bunch of years I was at this, it was all about short fiction. I've written a lot of things in a lot of different genres and modes, but I always come back to fiction. To me, it's the ultimate form of storytelling and more or less has been since its invention.



Your winning story: A Peaceful Life I’ve Never Know, was this narrative based on a real-life experience of yours? Or, was this story from your creative well? What makes this story so tangible that it speaks to the reader?

No, Peaceful Life is loosely based on the wilder side of singer and poet Jim Morrison of the 60s group, The Doors. No spoilers, but some things happen toward the end of the story that take it deep into horror territory. I kind of used Jim as a jumping off point, but he definitely never did anything my character Douglass has done. I liked the idea of a rock star who thought he could get away with anything. I think it's kind of a visceral story, and that's why people react to it. I like visceral storytelling. Like I said, I get bored easily.




How do you write? Do you write from characters’ point of view? Are you plot-oriented? If you have done both, which one works better for you?

Very often, I give myself an easy concept, a jumping-off point, and then I start writing and don't stop until I have something resembling a story. Editing takes longer this way, but very often I find I get something unique and startling out of it. It also works pretty well when I outline and plan everything out, but for the most part, I start with concept and character, and plot rolls out from there. There's so many ways to write fiction, almost as many as there are fiction writers in the world. I like that about the craft. There are some rules, but none of them are precisely what we'd call "hard and fast." In other words, sometimes writing rules are made to be broken.



Where does your creativity stem from? Did you have an active imagination in childhood? Is writing your only creative outlet? Or, are you into other forms of artistry? Painting? Photography? If no other forms at this time, would you like to try out one? If so, which type of creative non-writing format would suit your curiosity?

I'm also a singer and a songwriter, which has come in handy, because I started writing music when I was a young teenager. My ability to use language in an effective way stems from that. I'm not much of a painter or artist, but I do some of that stuff, too. I've always been a creative person. I get itchy and anxious if I go too long without doing something creative. So it's always been projects of various sorts for me, first with music–recording music, performing music–and then when I began taking my writing seriously when I was about twenty-two or twenty-three. I also keep a YouTube channel called Jeff Bowles Central, where a lot of my creative endeavors end up in one form or another. I love this aspect of my life, and I definitely feel kinship with others who are also creatively inclined.



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Thank you, Jeff Bowles for your unique perspective about creativity and the writing craft. If you would like to know more about Mr. Bowles, please see his biography and links below:  
 
Author Bio
Jeff Bowles is a science fiction and horror writer from the mountains of Colorado. The best of his outrageous and imaginative work can be found in God's Body: Book One - The Fall, Godling and Other Paint Stories, Fear and Loathing in Las Cruces, and Brave New Multiverse. He has published work in magazines and anthologies like PodCastle, Tales from the Canyons of the Brave New Multiverse. He has published work in magazines and anthologies like PodCastle, Tales from the Canyons of the Damned, the Threepenny Review, and Dark Moon Digest. Jeff earned his Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing at Western State Colorado University. He currently lives in the high-altitude Pikes Peak region, where he dreams strange dreams and spends far too much time under the stars. Jeff's new novel, Love/Madness/Demon, is available on Amazon now!

Author Links

 



If you like this interview, then read the others in the Lingering Spirit Whispers series: 


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