Hi, All!
I am super excited to share that THE VAMPIRE’S WAR is now available in paperback! The e-version has been out for a while, but an unavoidable delay caused the paperback to trail behind. Better late than never, get it here: THE VAMPIRE’S WAR in PAPERBACK!
As always, I can’t tell you how excited I am to announce the release of my latest novel! THE VAMPIRE’S WAR came out today, Dec. 27th! One quick note: websites still haven’t caught up with listing the paperback version. It will be available in paperback, soon! I’ll keep you posted. But for those who love an e-version: go get it!
Click here for THE VAMPIRE’S WAR!
War brews among vampires. Facing extinction at the hands of an ancient one, the Vampire Council plods along with a secret strategy. Jaret Bachmann, both vampire and witch, fears the Council elders move too slowly. He has the power to assist them in defeating their enemy, but the longer they keep him at arm’s length the more defiant he becomes. He’s already pushing the boundaries to assert his will when tragedy strikes, devastating him and compelling him to become even more rebellious. A young vampire alone in the world, Jaret struggles to find his true self and discover how he wants to spend the remainder of his eternal life, even as the vampire war intensifies and the rogue vampire strikes again. To compound his problems, he’s faced with the allure of a hot renegade vampire, not sure if he is friend or foe. Who will win the war, and where will Jaret’s soul-searching lead him? Find out in The Vampire’s War.
I am someone who loves the holidays. I enjoy the transition as we move into winter, and the festive lights and seasonal traditions fill me with joy. I like that so many different traditions, beliefs, cultures, and customs exist. The diversity is magical. I like viewing decorations in stores, on homes, and in public spaces. As you know if you follow me on social media, I do a lot to decorate our house, with 24 Christmas Trees and more stuff all over the place!
I also recognize that my excitement is not always shared by others. I have close friends who do not enjoy this time of year. I can think of one who sees the commercialization and amount of decorations and celebrations as out of control. Another friend gets exhausted by the demands to gather with family and friends, all packed into a short amount of time. And one more: for him, the season brings depression, feelings of sadness, and frustration.
I hope my Holiday Wish applies to everyone, whether you place yourself in a category with me, loving the holidays, or if you find them trying for so many reasons.
I wish you peace. I wish for healing in your world. I wish for all of us to be part of a solution in bringing people together and celebrating diversity. Whether we are close friends, have met only in passing, or even if I know you simply because you have read my writing, I wish for you to know I love you.
If you check out the titles of my books or the themes of my writing, vampires, ghosts, scares, and thrills pop out at you. I label myself an author of speculative fiction/horror, so those genres of writing often define me.
However, and I think this is true of a lot of genre writers, the motivating influence on my writing is to explore humanity. I delve into the good, the bad, and the ugly. I want my stories to entertain – but I also hope they prompt contemplation and reflection.
I mention the above because I recently experienced one of those moments in life where emotion and human connectivity roar to the surface, in both shocking and comforting ways.
First, the bad and the ugly. My aunt died. She had battled breast cancer valiantly for a long time. Paul and I traveled to be with family, to celebrate her life and to mourn. The death of a family member is such a sad time, and the sorrow hovers in the air, even in brief times where you talk about something different or remove yourself for a minute to take a breath.
Yet remarkable connection occurred, too. I had not seen my family for quite a while. In going to be there with them, we had a great deal of loving time together in a short burst of two days. My mom also flew in to be with us. The love and caring swirled around our family. I grew closer to them, as did Paul, and I hope they feel the same way.
And therein I find inspiration for writing, to make sense of our humanity. Why, at such a sad time, did the love and togetherness also become so powerful? How do we make sense of feeling great loss while also remembering binding ties, no matter how often we see each other? I don’t have a great answer to include in this blog. But I know my writing today and in the future will search for the answer, and to express these profound and contradictory emotions for myself; and, in the process, maybe for you, too.
Hey, Everyone,
I’m super excited because Halloween is almost here! Today is a great fall day: rainy, chilly, with the beautiful fall trees coming down to the ground.
I have a couple authors who recently published some stories I wanted to share with you! They are fellow NineStar Press authors. I love giving a shout out to my friends from NineStar, and hope you will all read their stuff!! P.S. I read these two stories already, and really enjoyed them!!!
S.E. Smyth brings you Criminal by Proxy:
Christine is on the hunt to find out more about her great aunt, Rose, hoping to decipher their severed relationship and the murder Rose committed, for which June is in prison. With a stroke leaving Rose incapacitated, it’s a rush against time to find the truth.
Things are doubly complicated when Christine’s girlfriend Terrie is accused of assaulting someone. Nervous about what she might do next, Christine and her friends avoid Terrie. With everything at stake, Christine must stick to the cold hard facts, reminding herself not to let her emotions get in the way.
Christine must evaluate everything happening in her life. The weight of the events buried by her aunt so many years before and the shame of the actions of the love of her life rest squarely on her. If the eyes of the law are always 20/20, how do love, emotion, and insecurities distort fact?
Buy Link: Criminal by Proxy
Also, my friend Kevin Klehr has a short story for you:
Every time a shooting star is scheduled, Arthur, Carol and Tim choose a house with the best vantage point to haunt, carefully making sure its residents are not home.
But this time Arthur recognises the decor. The furnishings belong to his ex-boyfriend, Alexander, a man he never got over. And judging by the happy snaps in the photo frames, Alexander lives with a new lover.
Just as the ghosts settle in to watch the celestial event, the occupants return home early.
Buy Link: Three Ghosts
Happy National Coming Out Day!!!
Today, the LGBTQIA+ Community celebrates coming out! Finding the path to sharing one’s true identity is essential for physical and emotional well being. Having a day to focus on this journey allows everyone to remind the world about who we are, who we love, and the journey it took all of us to get there.
I think it is also important to acknowledge the many shapes, forms, and ways this coming out process takes for each person. I don’t think it’s helpful to demand that everyone’s coming out experience mirror an exact model, or place judgments on how “out” someone is in the various phases of their life. Some people have the emotional power and life situation to be out and proud in all aspects of themselves. Others can be out in their private life but not at work. And variations on these themes exist all over the place. That diverse reality should be respected.
The only time I judge someone for being closeted is when they make harmful comments or do harmful deeds toward the community. For example, if a politician is LGBTQIA+ in private but votes on laws that are antigay – then fuck them, they should be outed.
Otherwise, I cherish everyone’s personal journey toward coming out. Whatever step someone takes – whether telling one special person, shouting from the rooftops to everyone, or coming out to your family – take this day to celebrate who you are!
And for those struggling to make this step and unsure, please know there are so many people who love you. You are not alone. When you’re ready, we’ll find and embrace you.
Happy National Coming Out Day, everyone! Find your truth and it will set you free. Nothing changed my life more than the day, weeks, months, and years when I proclaimed who I am to the world.
I love the changing seasons of the year. Living in the Midwest highlights these alterations with strong color, temperature, and atmosphere. We experience the stereotypical season changes of novels, television, and movies.
Autumn this year arrived over night. We had been enjoying summer weather, until literally the first day of autumn, when the high reached but 63 degrees and a breeze added a slight chill.
Just yesterday, I remarked to Paul about one seasonal change I have relished each fall since we moved to this house in Downers Grove, IL, almost three years ago. We have a large meadow in the backyard, and a short distance away on the other side of the street is a pretty big park. This provides a lot of nature to witness, including what we refer to as the dogs’ pet hawks. And we have owls. Since they’re nocturnal and we’re not, we rarely see or hear the owls. Except in the fall! The dogs and I wake up to go on our morning journey right before sunrise in the autumn. Often, I hear the owls hooting away, and on special mornings I see them.
Today, we started down the street and after a couple houses, I heard the hooting! I was so excited! I glanced up to search for one, when I heard a rustling in the trees and saw the huge wing span when the owl took flight! The beautiful bird landed in a higher tree but still close by. The owl and I greeted one another.
I stood and watched the owl for a minute. This pause annoyed the dogs, who wanted to keep going on the journey, but I needed a moment with the owl. The owl and I were saying hello to autumn.
Life gets busy. Stresses abound. Sometimes, quiet reflections on seasonal change brings breathtaking scenes and surprises, even amid a routine.
Hello, fall. I am ready for this transition.
We’re getting closer, people! The Vampire’s War will be coming your way this fall! In celebration, here’s the official blurb:
War brews among vampires. Facing extinction at the hands of an ancient one, the Vampire Council plods along with a secret strategy. Jaret Bachmann, both vampire and witch, fears the Council elders move too slowly. He has the power to assist them in defeating their enemy, but the longer they keep him at arm’s length the more defiant he becomes. He’s already pushing the boundaries to assert his will when tragedy strikes, devastating him and compelling him to become even more rebellious.
A young vampire alone in the world, Jaret struggles to find his true self and discover how he wants to spend the remainder of his eternal life, even as the vampire war intensifies and the rogue vampire strikes again. To compound his problems, he’s faced with the allure of a hot renegade vampire, not sure if he is friend or foe.
Who will win the war, and where will Jaret’s soul-searching lead him?
I’ve told you about M.D. Neu before, if you’re a regular reader of my blog. We met as fellow NineStar Press authors. I enjoy his work a lot! I wanted to share his latest work with you, with more information and a buy link below! Here’s my thought in a nutshell: if you’re looking for a Sci Fi thriller, with so many twists and turns your head will spin, combined with plot intrigue and duplicitous behavior that keeps you on the edge of your seat – you HAVE TO READ CONSPIRACY!
FYI – this is book three of a series, but it stands alone quite well. However, you will probably want to read all three books anyway, so go start at the beginning and build up to this one!
(Another note – when I plug an author or book, I NEVER receive money or any kind of renumeration for it. In other words, I am sharing writers and books I genuinely enjoy, not shilling something for a kick back.)
BUY LINK: CONSPIRACY by M.D. Neu.
