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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Press Release: 12 Angry Dead Author Interviewed by Joseph Carrabis

12 Angry Dead is my short story for Tales from the Hanging Tree. Joseph Carrabis asked fellow "hangers," as he calls contributors, about my creative write for his website. 

 

Read more here.

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What is this story about? 

It is about: 

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. 

Go to 12 Angry Dead's page. 

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What is the interview about? 

You will learn:

• Why I chose to write this cryptid, horror, mystery tale. 
• What relevance the story has to my own journey. 
• How no one can escape their past lives.

Read more here. 

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Quote from the Interview

Real or not, there are tales from centuries hence and into the recent past that illustrate the horrors that humans can inflict on one another. 12 Angry Dead pursues the idea that karma follows us from lifetime to lifetime. Some karma is about balancing one experience with another. Not all karma is about revenge, as is espoused by the spiritual community. Karma ties an individual to energies that also restores them to their soul’s purpose.

Read more here. 

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Support Great Artists 

Read my story, 12 Angry Dead, at your next Halloween party!  

Buy your copy of the Tales from the Hanging Tree on Amazon and other fine retailers: 

DL's Author Central page

Books2Read

Not all stories have a happy ending... and you can't outrun a past life.

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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.

 

 

 

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.

The Jonah Collector is Set for June 2023 Release

As an homage to the Rime of the Ancient Mariner, The Jonah Collector is a lyrical prose, seafaring narrative set in the 1700s. 

Captain Christopher Houston is a seafaring man. He lives on the sea. He is the best ship captain in the world. He is also deceased. 

In this epic tale, we discover that in his youth, Captain Houston committed a heinous crime. He lied about his age to get onboard a ship because his father had died. The young man wanted to support his mother by earning a wage. Unfortunately, he was too inexperienced. He found himself labeled a Jonah, the weakest link, and forced to walk the plank. 

As his ship sailed away, the ocean took him down to the Locker. In the Depths, a beautiful mermaid made him a deal. Captain Houston did not understand the contract that saved his life, and was later able to nullify the mermaid's evil intent because he was not of age to consent to such an agreement. 

Years had passed since his encounter. Something inside of him stirred. He knew that his youthful mistake was about to catch up with his present. 

Unbeknownst to him, the mermaid, Aetheshella, devised a scheme to lure Christopher back to her through fate. She went after his son. Now, Captain Houston has a choice: save his son or himself. 

Will he be the next victim of The Jonah Collector? 

This short story will be released on June 23, 2023.

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A Novelist Idea Newsletter will be having a release party with prizes and trivia, plus Subscribers receive Early Access to purchase the e-Book. Be sure you are a Subscriber, because this is a Member's Only event.

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.

 

 

 

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.

 

What People are Saying about The Reality Hackers

My Supernatural Superhero Series, the Legacy Universe, has science fiction's newest classic in the making: The Reality Hackers, and the short story version is available in Visions anthology. 

What is The Reality Hackers?

When a group of scientists corrupts reality and creates a consciousness paradox, one man, Justin Chisum, decides to stand against his former research partner, Bernard Chester, and correct the problem. 

Justin must find and convince his other partner, Emma Gillespie that her world is inverted as well as his and hopes that she will help him defeat Bernard's planned ascension, which left unchallenged will create a destructive quantum singularity.

Will Justin make it in time to save the universe from certain annihilation? Or, will his plan fail because he believes what Bernard's reality creates for him: a fairy tale illusion of reality?

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Who is talking, The Reality Hackers? 

The Showers of Blessings site has an article up with more details. Please leave a comment!

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Where is The Reality Hackers? 

Visions anthology published the short story version of The Reality Hackers on October 18, 2022. 

Undawnted, through Sonoran Dawn Studios, will be publishing an expanded version as part of our Spring Dreams Seasonal Reads program. 

Don't miss A Novelist Idea Newsletter's Believe in Magic Popup Party on October 20th, see our Substack for more information. 

It is easy to leave a review, use our Contact Undawnted form.

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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. This year, DL Mullan has begun 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.

 

People are Talking: The Reality Hackers

My Supernatural Superhero Series, the Legacy Universe, has begun with the short story: The Reality Hackers. 

The narrative is set in three different timelines: the past, present, and future in a quantum reality. Only two men remember what is the original reality versus the parallel universes that have been created in their struggle. A few others are made aware of the consciousness paradox. In the end, the question isn't: what is reality? The question is: what reality do you want to live?

Would you live your life on your terms? Or, would you live a life someone chooses for you? 

That is The Reality Hackers. 

Joseph Carrabis has an article up with more details on his website called: DL Mullan's "The Reality Hackers" now in Visions anthology. Please leave him a comment!

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Visions anthology will be publishing the short story version of The Reality Hackers on October 18, 2022. 

Undawnted, through Sonoran Dawn Studios, will be publishing an expanded version as part of our Spring Dreams Seasonal Reads program.

Whichever you choose... be certain that your reality never gets hacked. 

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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. This year, DL Mullan has begun 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.