Category Archives: Uncategorized
The Circle
Right now you can get The Circle by Mario Escabar for free on Amazon.com Just go to the link here and enter the gift code PBZ22LYW to download your copy. Offer is limited to the first 120 readers.
The famous psychiatrist Solomon Lewin has left his humanitarian work in India to serve as the chief psychiatrist at the Center for Psychological Illness located in London’s Square Mile financial district. Though well paid, the job is monotonous, and Solomon is also going through a rough patch in his marriage with Margaret. He begins scrutinizing the more mysterious cases of the center’s long-term residents hoping to find something worth his time. When he comes across the chart of Maryam Batool, a young broker from London who has lived in the center for seven years, his life will change forever.
Maryam Batool is an orphan from Pakistan who became one of the most promising female employees of the financial institution General Society, but in the summer of 2007, at the start of the financial crisis, the young broker loses her mind and tries to kill herself. Since then she has been stuck, able only to draw circles yet unable to understand their meaning.
A snow storm looms over the city at the start of the Christmas holidays. Before Christmas Eve dinner, Solomon receives an urgent call from the center to come at once: Maryam has attacked a nurse and seems to be awakening from her long stupor.
Solomon heads downtown in the snow, clueless that this will be the most difficult night of his life. The psychiatrist does not trust his patient, the police are after them, and his family seems to be in danger. The only way to protect himself and those he loves is to discover what “The Circle” is and why everyone seems to want his patient dead. It’s a surprise ending and a mystery you won’t believe.
Sweet Rachel Available Soon
My new short story, Sweet Rachel should be available in about 24 hours.
Deb goes to sleep in t
he living room after listening to her husband snore all night when she hears something crash into the front door. What she discovers is a beautiful angel – or is it?
As usual, this story has a little twist. This one isn’t really adult themed. You’ll find some violence and one single F word – that’s it.
I will post an update once it publishes.
A Little Twisted – A horror anthology of short tales with a twist
The new horror anthology is out and you can get it here on Amazon. There are five authors and quite a few short stories that have my favorite ending, a twist. I hope you’ll check it out and tell a friend. If you do grab it, please leave a review on Amazon if you don’t mind.
10 Second Delay Release
I have another short story released called 10 Second Delay. I hope you all check it out.
Grievance Now Available
My newest short story, Grievance is available. I have another available shortly and will post about that one too!
Game Change Now Available
My newest short story, Game Change
is now available. Right now I’m working on an anthology that will include many of the other short stories and some new ones from me and others.
Lucy found the man of her dreams and was excited to take part in his fantasies. However, what kind of plans does he have for her?
Four Horror Stories with Happy Endings
Does the self-publishing process terrify you? You are not alone. A simple mention of self-publishing causes veteran writers to scream in panic. Self-publishing is notoriously costly. The investment is also a gamble. If the book sells well, you easily recoup the publishing costs. However, if sales are not what you anticipate, you are in trouble. The road to publication needs not be paved with dollar bills. By using the following five resources, your horror story has the potential to end well. Read on if you dare!
The Dreaded Edit that Costs a Large Debit
In the world of literature, receiving the editor’s bill is like coming home to a living room drenched in blood. What happened while you were gone? You search for a reason behind the carnage, but you find no reason. Why does a measly hundred thousand words cost so much to edit? The real scare is that editors are worth the money that they are paid. Developmental editors provide feedback on characterization, plot, and authenticity. Copy editors evaluate the grammar and mechanics. What can you do if you cannot afford to hire a professional editor? Seek out a service that charges one flat rate per month for proofreading services. With Grammarly, the company where I work, you submit your document online and receive immediate feedback. If you have friends who are critical readers, ask them to examine your manuscript to provide creative counsel. Just make sure you choose someone honest!
The Second Scare: The Cover
Warning: If you get queasy easily, do not even think about how much the cover is going to cost you. That’s right! The picture and title on the front of your book will run from two hundred to seven hundred dollars. It is evident why the cover is important… Have you ever seen a horror novel with a dancing cabbage and Disney font? Probably not, and for a reason! The fact is, the cover is often the single determining factor of whether someone will be interested in reading your novel. You should seek a freelance cover artist. Sometimes, and only sometimes, freelance agents will work for less. Look for a hungry, recent college graduate who is eager to build his professional portfolio. However, beware that you do not scrimp and save to the detriment of your novel. You may want to invest a little money here to reap the dividends of an eye-catching book cover.
The Serial Killer Approach to Obtaining an ISBN Number
Yes, ISBNs are vicious money-sucking vampires. We know, and we sympathize. However, think like a serial killer and buy ISBNs in bulk! You will need several numbers anyway if you plan on producing an eBook or audio version of your novel. If you are friends with other authors, form a gang! Buy a bulk amount of ISBNs to be split among the group.
Advance Copies Are Just Gremlins
There are a lot of terrifyingly gruesome miscreants in the world of horror movies. Perhaps Gremlins scared the bejesus out of you when you were a child, but now they are not so much scary as they are amusing. In reality, Gizmo is the creepy one. Pardon, I digress. The point is that advance copies (ARCs) do not need to be elaborate. It is possible to use a simple, temporary cover on your bound galleys. There are many companies that produce ARCs for reasonable prices. A popular option is CreateSpace.com. Why not start by sending out PDF copies to determine interest before ordering a large amount of ARCs?
When I had a nightmare as a child, my mother sent me back to bed with the admonition to imagine a happier ending. If the thought of self-publishing is a phantasmagoria of epic proportions, use your creativity to change the ending! Take advantage of the wealth of cost-effective options now available.
Nikolas discovered his love for the written word in Elementary School, where he started spending his afternoons sprawled across the living room floor devouring one Marc Brown children’s novel after the other and writing short stories about daring pirate adventures. After acquiring some experience in various marketing, business development, and hiring roles at internet start-ups in a few different countries, he decided to re-unite his professional life with his childhood passions by joining Grammarly’s marketing team in San Francisco. He has the pleasure of being tasked with talking to writers, bloggers, teachers, and others about how they use Grammarly’s online proofreading application to improve their writing. His free time is spent biking, traveling, and reading.
New Review of Make a Wish
You can find the latest review of my short story, Make a Wish, at this link. Enjoy!
Leigh M. Lane Interview
ge through Killion Slade, who was last year’s winner and this year’s hostess. I listened to her winning podcast and loved the different voices and sound effects she used to complement her story. That’s pretty much what sold me.Bio: Leigh M. Lane has been writing for over twenty years. She has ten published novels and twelve published short stories divided among different genre-specific pseudonyms. She is married to editor Thomas B. Lane, Jr. and currently resides in the beautiful mountains of western Montana. Her traditional Gothic horror novel, FINDING POE, was a finalist in the 2013 EPIC Awards in horror.
King of Bad
King of Bad
Jeff Mean would rather set fires than follow rules or observe curfew. He wears his bad boy image like a favorite old hoodie; that is until he learns he has superpowers and is recruited by Super Villain Academy – where you learn to be good at being bad. In a school where one kid can evaporate all the water from your body and the girl you hang around with can perform psychic sex in your head, bad takes on a whole new meaning. Jeff wonders if he’s bad enough for SVA.
He may never find out. Classmates vilify him when he develops good manners. Then he’s kidnapped by those closest to him and left to wonder who is good and who is bad. His rescue is the climactic episode that balances good and evil in the super world. The catalyst – the girl he’s crushing on. A girlfriend and balancing the Supers is good, right? Or is it…bad?
Goodreads * Whiskey Creek Press
Author Kai Stand
When the electricity winked out, Kai Strand gathered her family around the fire and they told stories, one sentence at a time. Her boys were rather fond of the ending, “And then everybody died, the end.” Now an award winning children’s author, Kai crafts fiction for kids and teens to provide an escape hatch from their reality. With a selection of novels for young adult and middle grade readers and short stories for younger children Kai entertains children of all ages, and their adults.
Website * Twitter * Facebook * Blog
BookBlast Giveaway
$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 8/15/13
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
Shauna Klein 