Undawnted Presents: 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

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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

• Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/Jeff-Bowles/e/B01L7GXCU0/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JeffBowlesCentralEntertainment
  

 

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

• Stevie Turner
• Kaye Lynne Booth 
• Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Undawnted Presents: WordCrafter Lingering Spirit Whispers Paranormal Anthology Set Blog Tour: Undawnted Interviews Kaye Lynne Booth

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: Kaye Lynne Booth
"Woman in the Water" (Whispers of the Past), "Don't Eat the Pickled Eggs" (Spirits of the West), "The People Upstairs" (Where Spirits Linger)

Where does your inspiration for writing stories stem from?

The inspiration for “The Woman in the Water” (Whispers of the Past) came as I was sitting in front of a roaring waterfall one afternoon. The whole story just unfolded in my mind with the real life setting as the background. I went home and typed it out on my keyboard until the whole tale was down.

The inspiration for “Don’t Eat the Pickled Eggs” came from a paranormal experience of a woman that I knew. Her boss had passed on and she believed that he came to her one night. This created the beginning for the tale of Lillie Belle, a saloon bookkeeper who experiences a visit from her saloon keeper and friend before she is aware that he is gone, and it’s up to her to solve his murder.

The idea for “The People Upstairs” rolled around in the back of my brain since I was a young girl, living at my grandmother’s home. Her housekeeper was an old woman who lived alone in a big house, but she only used three rooms, closing off the rest of the house, and she made some very strange claims, including one that there were people living on the second floor of her home. These ideas led to conversations with my mother and grandmother, and folks around town said that she was crazy. But she always had time to talk with me, even when she was working, and I considered her my friend. After she died, I missed her and I always wondered if maybe the things she said were true, if maybe she wasn’t crazy after all. “The People Upstairs” is the resulting story.

Were you always interested in becoming a writer? Or did this craft come to you later than your formative years?

I have been a writer since 1996, the year I sold my first poem. I floundered around trying to figure out what I was doing and the proper way to go about it. That didn’t come until much later, 2012, when I enrolled in Western State Colorado University to earn my M.F.A. in Creative Writing.

Writing is a passion for me. It helps me focus and helps me to keep my sanity. I think all people have a need to express themselves, but they do it in different ways. My self-expression just comes out in the written word.

Writing in the horror genre, specifically the subcategories of the supernatural and paranormal, is specialized. How is this genre different from others you have written in? I think you have to work harder to gain reader buy-in with fantastical genres. When I wrote my western novel, Delilah, I had to work to make readers buy-in to my tough, gritty female protagonist, but I don’t think that is nearly as big a challenge as trying to make readers believe the unbeleiveable.

Are you interested in writing the grotesque or psychological variations of horror?

I wrote a flash fiction piece, “The Haunting of Carol’s Woods” which was featured in Nightmareland, Book 3 of Dan Alatorre’s Box Under the Bed series. That one was inspired by a dream that I had and it was kind of creepy. But I’m not particularly interested in writing like Clive Barker or even Peter Straub.

Do you draw on any experiences you may have had in your life in order to write your stories?

Absolutely. Doesn’t every author? There is good sense in the old adage “Write what you know”. I’m a believer in ghosts and have had several personal experiences, maybe that’s why I like to write ghost stories.

What is the most horrific story you have read in a book/seen on the screen that stayed with you for years? Ever since I was a young girl I’ve been drawn to the horror genre. As a teen, my favorite author was Stephen King and I gobbled up everything I could get my hands on that he wrote, but I also liked John Saul, and Anne Rice. Stories such as those are sure to warp your mind just a little.

When I was fifteen I was babysitting and I found a copy of The Shining. After the kids were in bed, I picked it up and started reading. I found I couldn’t put and kept reading well into the night. At four a.m., when I started to nod off, I was too scared to go to sleep, so I called and woke my mother and made her talk to me until my nerves were calm once more. After I hung up with her I couldn’t resist finishing the rest of the book. I had to know what happened.

Whispers by Dean Koontz gave me a good case of the creeps and stuck in my brain after I learned that the ‘whispers’ were cock roaches. It sends shiver down my spine, even now.

There was a short story in a horror anthology that I read when I was pregnant with my oldest daughter, about a baby that was possessed and killed its mother. Understandably, that one stayed with me for a long time and really creeped me out, but I can’t even remember the name of the book or the title of the story now.

Did that influence your writing in any manner?

Horror is difficult for me to write. My brain is not that warped. I guess I am no Stephen King. Lol. But I do enjoy creating tone and setting for my paranormal stories, which are just a milder form of horror.

What haunted location would you like to visit and write in? Would you write about the place and its history? Or would you write a story inspired by the paranormal energy felt there? I have visited many haunted locations. In fact, the submission guidelines for Where Spirits Linger was a paranormal story that revolves around a setting.

I’ve made several visits to a haunted hotel in Cripple Creek over the past year, The Hotel St. Nicholas. There may be a story brewing revolving that setting, but I think it would be set in the past, when it was the only hospital for the then booming mining town. The history will definitely play a vital role in the tale that develops, but I think paranormal vibes could steer the story in a particular direction. So, I guess the answer is both.

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Thank you, Kaye Lynne Booth for your great answers about the writing craft and this anthology set. If you would like to know more about Ms. Booth, please see her biography and links below: 

Author Bio

Kaye Lynne Booth lives, works, and plays in the mountains of Colorado. With a dual emphasis M.F.A. in Creative Writing, writing is more than a passion. It's a way of life. She’s a multi-genre author, who finds inspiration from the nature around her, and her love of the old west, and other odd and quirky things which might surprise you. She has short stories featured in the following anthologies: The Collapsar Directive (“If You’re Happy and You Know It”); Relationship Add Vice (“The Devil Made Her Do It”); Nightmareland (“The Haunting in Carol’s Woods”); Whispers of the Past (“The Woman in the Water”); and Spirits of the West (“Don’t Eat the Pickled Eggs”). Her western, Delilah, her paranormal mystery novella and her short story collection, Last Call, are all available in both digital and print editions. In her spare time, she keeps up her author’s blog, Writing to be Read, where she posts reflections on her own writing, author interviews and book reviews, along with writing tips and inspirational posts from fellow writers. She’s also the founder of WordCrafter. In addition to creating her own imprint in WordCrafter Press, she offers quality author services, such as editing, social media & book promotion, and online writing courses through WordCrafter

Author Links

• Website https://kayebooth.wixsite.com/wordcrafter/wordcrafter-press
• Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/Kaye-Lynne-Booth/e/B071791Y9W%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share
  
• Blog: https://writingtoberead.com/

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

• Stevie Turner
• Jeff Bowles  
  
• Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Seasonal Outlook for New Opportunities

I wanted something more for Undawnted as to the change of seasons. 

Therefore, I created four different book covers: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. I wanted to jot down how the seasons reflected my inner dialogue. These books will be an amalgamation of art, prose, and poetry. 

If others would like to join this e-book, then I can make an anthology series. I would publish the books under the Sonoran Dawn Studios (my publishing house) banner. If no one joins this unique series, then I will write it off as C'est la vie, such as life. 

Here are the book covers so far. 

If you would like to participate, please drop me a line using the Contact Form.





Have a great and seasonal day!

Tour Booked for Nov. 29 - Dec. 3 for the Lingering Spirit Whispers Paranormal Anthology Set

Undawnted's novelist, DL Mullan, has been booked for an anthology tour the last week in November.  

The Lingering Spirit Whispers Paranormal Anthology Set is due out December 1st and we here on Undawnted will receive a sneak peek! Isn't that exciting? 

Ms. Mullan will be reviewing this set, in addition, she will be conducting author interviews. 

If you would like to book a tour with Undawnted, please use our Contact form. 

For more information, check out our Bookings page. 

Have a great and wonderful day!

Mirror, Mirror Submission: The Reality Hackers for a Fairy Tale Short Story Competition Completed

How would you write your own fairy tale? 

That is what one anthology asked writers to write about and DL Mullan obliged. A 5000 word limit and an imaginative narrative to create. As of September 20th, the author of Undawnted submitted her version of a fairy tale called: The Reality Hackers. 

Mirror, Mirror on the wall who is the most cunning of them all? 

We won't know until acceptance/rejection letters go out in the November/December time frame. 

Hopefully, this time traveling, scifi, fantasy, romance will gain a place in this unique anthology. We will let you know.

What is your version of reality? And, what would you be willing to do to keep it? 

Have a great and wonderful day.

 

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The Reality Hackers Novelette is now available! 

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Want to bring more reality into your life? 

Visit Undawnted's Zazzle store!

Cover Art Design

Sometimes, I even impress myself... 

I created this art piece for a book I had yet to even think of, so instead of keeping it for myself, I decided to volunteer the cover design for a Sonoran Dawn Studio's anthology.  

If you would like to submit your art or poetry, submissions open on August 1, 2019.

The Open Door: Always Knock Twice

Desert Mesquite

Desert Mesquite
Undawnted (c)DL Mullan 2019

This poem has been published on My Poetry Forum for reviews, but now is no longer available for perusal. See articles below.

Thank you.

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Articles pertaining to Desert Mesquite: 

• On My Poetry Forum Poems to be Retired for 2022 
• The End... Poems No Longer Available on My Poetry Forum, but a New Year of Authenticity Begins!

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The definitive ride on rhymes is the upcoming Chapbook: Oracle.

Oracle : an authoritative or wise expression or answer 

"This is first for me. I have never read genre poetry before. I love it. Hugely imaginative and utterly unique..."

"Nice one here! Drag it out a bit more next time. I like the style."

"Superb piece of writing..."

"Beautifully expressed. It comes as no surprise that in a world structure as this one finds oneself in a complex emotional equation as this, until it runs its course and takes a turn at some point."

Visit Oracle on Undawnted.

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This one is my poetic contribution for Sonoran Dawn Studios' Winter Frost Poetry Anthology, 2018 Edition. 

Have you submitted a microfiction or poem yet? Message Sonoran Dawn on Facebook and inquire, there might be still some room for a few more artisans!

Have a great and wonderful day. 

 

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Undawnted's YouTube Channel offers poetry shorts to full-fledged poetry feature films in our Poetry Slam section. This new playlist will give you more of the rhymes you crave.

Subscribe for more award-level poems written by DL Mullan.

Whispers in the Wind

The poetry anthology, Whispers in the Wind, debuted on Lulu on February 9, 2017.

Two of my poems are in the publication: Fleur and Inferno.

The editor summarizes the book as:  

When poets put pen to paper something magical happens. They create vivid paintings with their words that are breathtakingly beautiful, memorable, emotionally moving, and timeless. And it is even more so when nature comes into play with its magnificent landscapes and scenic views, rich tapestry of life, never-ending surprises, and inspirational wonder that never ceases to amaze. Explore the grandeur of nature and all it has to offer with Whispers in the Wind, a wonderful collection of nature poems penned by poets from around the world.

Buy your copy today!

Thank you!

Have a great and wonderful read.

Have Anthology Will Submit

I am in a submission mood. 

If you have a poetry anthology that needs some more poetry, then post your submission guidelines url on my Facebook page: Dawn Leslie Mullan. 

And, remember to Like my page! You get updates from every blog/website that I write for! So that's journalism, news, art, poetry and creative writing. What a deal! 

Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Have a great and wonderful day!

Inferno and Fleur Submitted

Two poems were submitted for consideration to an upcoming nature anthology.

Fleur and Inferno have not been published in any other format. I cannot wait to see if these two are accepted into this anthology. Very excited indeed. 

I love the feel of anticipation... how about you? 

Have a great and wonderful day! 

Voices of the World on Kindle

Ebook poetry lovers rejoice! 

Voices of the World - A Poetry Anthology is now available in ebook format on Amazon. 

Voices of the World is a poetry anthology that lets poets from all over the world shine and be heard. While being different, these poets are also the same as they share an immense passion for poetry, baring their souls with every creation. With their own unique voices and writing styles, each poet brings something different to Voices of the World, which makes for a unique collection of poetry that is sure to leave a lasting impression on readers everywhere.

So visit Amazon and pick up your Kindle version today!

DL Mullan was accepted into the anthology and two of her works: Broken and Pretend are published with many other poets.

Thank you for supporting creative writing and artistic expression!

Voices of the World

I have two more poems published in another anthology: Voices of the World. 

It is 190 pages of poetry for the word lover in you! 

Look for my submissions: Pretend and Broken... 

"Voices of the World is a poetry anthology that lets poets from all over the world shine and be heard. While being different, these poets are also the same as they share an immense passion for poetry, baring their souls with every creation. With their own unique voices and writing styles, each poet brings something different to Voices of the World, which makes for a unique collection of poetry that is sure to leave a lasting impression on readers everywhere."

What a great and wonderful opportunity to be in a collection with so much creative energy! Thank you so much for the honor!!!

So pick up your copy at Lulu! 

Break The Cycle Volume III Release

We couldn't wait until Tuesday to share the news! 

Story of My Life and A Little Time (Saving Me) were published on pages 8 and 11. Thank you so much for the honor!

Here's the Table of Contents I gleaned from Amazon:

Break The Cycle Volume III - Recovery: Poems and Short Stories about Recovering from Child Abuse is available for purchase now! 

This anthology gives the proceeds to organizations that help neglected and abused children.

Well, go get your copy! 

Have a great and wonderful day!