I've been so busy writing and editing on "Scared Murder". I really wanted to publish this past February, but the story and characters took a on a life of their own, literally bugging me to write a longer story. Hence probably a 50,000 - 60,000 word count. And while writing SM, ideas hit me for Book 2, Deceitful Murder. So I had to quickly jot those ideas down.
I want to thank Deanna Jewel for critiquing Sacred Murder for me. Deanna also played around with a new cover. Here is the mock up cover (1), Deanna's cover (2) and another I created (3). I would like comments from followers and new readers on which one they like. I'll draw a winner from the comments and the winner will receive an eBook copy, their choice of format, of Sacred Murder when it's released.
Cover 1Cover 2
Cover 3
I'm going to play around with images that Deanna sent me, but do give some feedback and enter to win a copy.
Sacred Murder
Working for the Orleans Parrish, Police Narcotic Marci Perez and her partner, Bill Gammon, keep drug dealers off the street. It’s a hard job, but Marci loves her profession and is up for promotion to Detective.
However, the murder of three women connected to an escort service will have the homicide department recruiting Marci to work undercover. This fresh start in her career opens her eyes to a whole new world of murder and underground crime.
Sacred Murder is darkened with evil voodoo and a twisted killer. Will Marci Perez be the only one who can stop the maniac?
I'm excited to introduce Melanie Pronia, Author of Psychological, Paranormal Mysteries and Thrillers. Melanie is visiting with me this week. We met on Facebook and once I saw her books, I knew I had to chat with her. Plus we have a lot in common.
Melanie resides in Florida with her family and is busy crafting stories for her Mortality Series.
Louise: Melanie, welcome to my blog! I’m so excited you
could join me for a chat. When did you first decide to submit your work to be
published? Tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step.
Melanie: Thank you, Louise, for having me. After I finished
writing my first novel "Journey of Souls",
I started marketing for a literary agent. I was rejected so many times that I
have since lost count. In July of 2010,
I was offered my first publishing contract by a brand new company,
unfortunately six months later the publisher closed up shop and did not live up
to her end of our contract. I was devastated, but I thought about it and
decided that I was tired of waiting to be discovered and self-published.
Louise: Please tell us a little about your new release.
Melanie: My most recent and third novel isFive Sisters. This story is bold and
blunt and meant for the open minded. My characters are Pagan and a few of them
are lesbians as well. They are a coven of Witches, who also happen to be a
renovation and cleaning team and are contracted to renovate an infamously
haunted house, Willcraft Manor, which was built by a man suspected of
Witchcraft.
Set in the bible belt of Jacksonville , Florida
, Five Sisters Renovation and Cleaning, is a brand new company that also
happens to be a coven of Witches, headed up by their fearless leader and high
priestess, Martie.
The House
The Palm Breeze Inn, formerly known as the historical,
Willcraft Manor, is a three story antebellum that has sat in the quiet town of Palatka , Florida
for over one hundred years. It was built as a family home by Lucien
Willcraft who was rumored to be a Witch.
The Ghosts
In the year 1915, every member of the Willcraft family was
murdered in their home, excluding Lucien, who seemed to have just disappeared.
Even today, the mass murder remains unsolved.
Can a team of hand tool wielding Witches right the wrongs of
Willcraft Manor and get out alive?
Louise: Do you plan all your characters out before you start
a story or do they develop as you write?
Melanie: I always plan out the main and supporting
characters. I create a character sheet and really try feel and think about how
my characters would react to certain things. I like to get to know them very
well before I start writing their story.
Louise: How much research do you do for your books? Have you
found any cool tidbits to share?
Melanie: For Descent,
I had to do a lot of research of both Scizophrenia and Anti-freeze poisoning, I
like to know what I’m talking about. For Journey
of Souls I had to research a bit about historical places and events but for
Five Sisters, there was very little
research, as my own hobbies and life styles easily meshed with those of my
characters.
Louise: What is your writing process? Do you outline, write
by the seat of your pants (Pantser) or a combination of both?
Melanie: It’s definitely a combination of both. When I wrote
Descent, I just went with my
emotions, there was no outline, and I wasn’t even sure how I would end the book
until I got there. Journey of Souls was completely outlined while Five Sisters was just a basic outline.
Louise: Do you write full time? What did you do before you
became a writer or still do?
Melanie: I do write full time now, but only because I was
laid off from a really good job as a Human Resources Specialist that I loved
and have been unable to find other work. I am okay with that though as my
writing isn’t yet paying the bills but it is starting to take off and I am
forming a fan base.
Louise: Do you have a ritual when it comes to writing?
Example….get coffee, blanket, paper, pen, laptop and a comfy place.
Melanie: Nope, no ritual at all. I write when I can, when it
feels right, when I need to meet my self-imposed deadlines and the only item I
need is my computer.
Louise: Describe a typical writing day for you.
Melanie: Up early around 7:00 or so, write until about 10:00
and often times I’ll take a break and nap. Sometimes I’ll pick back up around
2:00 in the afternoon, and most often I do my writing at night, very late into
the night.
Louise: I’m a night owl too and do most of my writing in the
wee hours. Please give us a sneak peek at your future books. What’s on the
horizon?
Melanie: This summer I expect to release two books. One is a
non-fiction called, "Amateur Ghost Hunters
– A Guide for Beginners", which I hope to have out this month and the other
is my Strange Girls series, which is
inspired by true crimes and about the odd things that young women do to
themselves and each other. I am currently writing, "Heathen Child", which is the second book in the Mortality Series and
prequel to "Journey of Souls" which I
hope to publish a month before Christmas. There are several more books in the
works. One is a Fairy Tale Erotica collection and another is "In the Shadow of Death", a paranormal
thriller.
Louise: Good luck with the sequels. Readers like to know
what books authors like to read and who inspires them. What is your favorite
genre to read and who is your favorite author?
Melanie: I enjoy mysteries, thrillers, drama and paranormal
(when paranormal novels are done right). The author whom I respect the most is
Stephen King.
Louise: I got to see Stephen King when he came to Savannah! You’ll have to
check my post from February in the Blog Archives. Is there anything else you
would like to tell the readers we have not touched on?
Melanie: Support your local, Indie and Self-published
Authors, we are the future of writing!
Louise: Where can the readers learn more about you and find
your books on the web?
Readers, I'd like to gift one lucky commenter an eBook (winner's choice). Drawing will be held Saturday, June 16.
BIO:
Melanie S. Pronia is a novelist of mystery, thrillers and
paranormal romances. She is also an amateur ghost hunter, herbologist and
tarot reader. Melanie was born in south New Jersey
and moved around the U.S.
quite a bit, but spent most of her time growing up in Virginia Beach , Virginia
as a Navy Brat. She currently resides in Orange Park, Florida
with her husband and two sons. She considers, Descent, her best
work thus far.
“No, you go home, get some rest, we’ll be fine,” she could see the hurt look in
his very blue eyes as he stepped back before swiftly jerking her against him
and sealing the emotions with a forceful kiss.
“Wow,” Cynthia breathed out, “someone’s got it bad.” They watched his
tail lights becoming smaller and smaller before they quickly disappeared.
“Nah, he’s just worried,” Martie answered, hardly paying any attention.
“I wasn’t referring to him, Martie.”
Martie glanced over at her before looking down at her knees,
“Yeah, I know,” at the moment she didn’t sound very happy about it.
“You know, if you had wanted him to stay, he could have,” Daphne spoke quietly.
Martie looked at her both surprised and happy that Daphne was in her own way,
giving Martie her blessing.
“I know, but then we would have had sex,” she simply answered.
“And oh my god! That would have been terrible! You slut!” Cynthia jeered
sarcastically before laughing.
“No,” Martie jumped up, “I mean,” she walked in a circle while Daphne and
Cynthia stared at her with barely concealed humor, “I don’t know what I mean,”
she quickly stopped and stared at them with bright, beseeching eyes.
“We get it,” Daphne said, and without missing a beat, “you’re scared.”
“No!” Cynthia placed her hand across her chest dramatically, “Not Martie! She’s
not afraid of anything.” Finally Martie was able to laugh with
them.
When the silence returned, Cynthia stared straight forward and mumbled quietly,
“At least you’re not a cougar.”
“What,” Martie asked her as if she had gone insane.
“Jessie, he’s only twenty five,” Cynthia said quietly.
“Oh no! And you’ll be what, 80 in two months?” Martie gasped, “oh, the
horror!” she finished dramatically.
“Stop it!” Cynthia tossed a leaf at Martie, trying not to laugh. “I’ll be
30, but I might as well be 80. My little brother whom I still consider a
kid is a year older than Jessie.”
“Well then,” Martie smacked her hands together loudly, very pleased that she
was no longer the current topic, “We’ll just have to get you a chastity belt so
that you don’t commit statutory rape, you fucking pedophile!” As both
Martie and Daphne burst into cackling laughter, Cynthia attempted to glare at
them seriously before she started laughing with them.
If you’re a fan of supernatural
fiction then you will be captivated by this true story about a spiritually
sensitive girl and the path that led to her possession. Part one of a two-part
series, Saving Mary is the story of a modern-day Mary Magdalene—the woman from
whom Jesus cast out seven demons.
Deidre Daily is drawn to anything
seemingly spiritual, desperately seeking a spiritual existence. But inside this
vibrant girl hides a terrified child who sincerely believes she has married the
devil. Through a series of spiritual encounters her fear turns into reality,
and she ends up possessed.
Deidre’s fascinating memoir relays
her story from childhood to adolescence: invisible eyes leering at her from the
corner of her bedroom, horrible nightmares tormenting her, and her desperate
attempt to find God—only to end up possessed. It is a candid account of
possession from a first-person perspective. This dark memoir brings to light an
intricate world of deceitful spirits hell-bent on manipulating and damaging an
innocent girl’s life, not only through her dreams, but also through seemingly
every-day encounters.
Grab a coffee and a comfortable chair because once you start to read
this memoire, you won't be able to put it down. I became more and more
drawn into Deidre's heartwrenching childhood with every word that I
read. I can't wait for part two to come out because I have to know what
comes next for her.
Deidre Havrelock:
Deidre believes theology is for everyone! It’s for
working moms and soccer parents and for introverted engineers who don’t know
what to say at dinner parties. It’s for energetic athletic-types who traverse mountains
on cool bikes and for lethargic teenagers who write dark poetry. It’s for
Trekkies and Twihards and Gleeks, nurses and teachers and those who Twitter and
Ping. It’s for older people with Labs and round-faced happy people with too
many cats. In other words, theology is not just for theologians. Did you get
that? You do not have to be an intellectual to comprehend theology. You do not
have to be a preacher. And yes, there is so much more to the Bible than what
churches, on average, are currently teaching. Understanding the spiritual
teachings of your Christian faith is fun … and more than that, it’s important.
What is your
favorite scene(s) in the book and why do you love it? (Borrowed from Author Ruby Abraham - Orangeberry Phoenix guest post)
My favorite scene is at the
beginning of the book when I’m in my room playing barbies and suddenly my dad
screams out bloody murder, making my mom sprint down the stairs to save him. I
like this part because my dad remembers the event so well. While lying on the
couch, a tall and extremely thin man appeared to him; the spirit pointed one of
its long bony fingers at my dad as if to say, “You’re coming with me.” My dad
says he had never been so terrified in his life. The spirit he describes, by
the way, sounds exactly like the spirit I call Fred (in the book)…who appeared
to me in my dreams. Even though this isn’t a great memory for us, my dad and I
feel connected through the event. The fact that we both saw the same spirit helps us to feel not so odd…or
crazy. Actually, my dad saw two spirits in his life. Once, when sleeping over
at my mom’s aunt’s house, he saw a little boy, plain as day, walk into his
bedroom. He said he talked to the boy saying, “Hi there, who are you?” The boy
said nothing and left. Later, he asked my mom’s aunt who the kid was and she
said, “There’s no kids here!”
My other favorite scene is
when I go and toss all my teddy bears and dolls out in the trash bin. I think I
like this scene so much because it really captures the intense fears I had as a
kid. I mean, seriously…I snuck all my toy dolls and teddies out of the house
and threw them into the trash bin so they wouldn’t stare at me or (heaven
forbid) kill me! I remember hoping that they wouldn’t come sneaking back into
my room at night. I was always terribly afraid that they could come to life.
Am I afraid now? No. Things
are drastically different now.
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Click on the image to visit Ray's Meet & Greet at VBT Cafe.
77 Days in September, A Novel of Survival, Dedication and Love.
Genre: Techno-thriller/literary fiction
On a Friday afternoon before Labor Day, Americans are getting ready for the holiday weekend, completely unaware of a long-planned terrorist plot about to be launched against the country. Kyle Tait is settling in for his flight home to Montana when a single nuclear bomb is detonated 300 miles above the heart of America. The blast, an Electro-Magnetic Pulse (EMP), destroys every electrical device in the country, and results in the crippling of the power grid, the shutting down of modern communications, and bringing to a halt most forms of transportation.
Kyle narrowly escapes when his airplane crashes on takeoff, only to find himself stranded 2,000 miles from home in a country that has been forced, from a technological standpoint, back to the 19th Century. Confused, hurt, scared, and alone, Kyle must make his way across a hostile continent to a family he’s not even sure has survived the effects of the attack. As Kyle forges his way home, his frightened family faces their own struggles for survival in a community trying to halt its slow spiral into chaos and anarchy.
77 Days in September follows Kyle and his wife, Jennifer, as they are stretched past their breaking point, but find in their devotion to each other the strength to persevere.
Louise: Ray, welcome to my blog and thank you for stopping by on your VBT pit stop.! I’m so excited you could
join me for a chat. When did you first decide to submit your work to be
published? Tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step.
Ray: I had wanted to write a book for about 10 years, but
never had the time to dedicate to doing it, then, in 2008, when the economy
slowed down, I found myself with a lot of time on my hands. I decided that if I was ever going to do it,
that there would never be a better time.
I spent two years writing and polishing till I finally had something
that I thought was worth putting out there.
Louise: Please tell us a little about your new release 77 Days in September.
Ray: Well, it’s classified as a techno-thriller/post-apocalyptic
story, but it was intended to be more of a love story. I wanted to write a book that showed a man
willing to overcome incredible challenges for his family. What happens is Kyle, the main character, is
in Houston and about to return home to Montana.
Just as he is departing terrorists launch an EMP attack on the country,
and virtually shut it down. The rest of
the book follows him as he attempts to return home and his family’s efforts to
survive.
Louise: Do you plan all your characters out before you start
a story or do they develop as you write?
Ray: I have a basic idea of the type of people they are, but
for the most part they develop as I write.
Louise: How much research do you do for your books? Have you
found any cool tidbits to share?
Ray: This one I did a lot of research, to lean about EMPs and
the effect they will have on the infrastructure. All I can say is thank Heavens for the
internet. Not sure what I would do
without it.
Louise: What is your writing process? Do you outline, write
by the seat of your pants (Pantser) or a combination of both?
Ray: I guess I am more of a pantser than an outliner. I know the basic flow of the story, but it
fleshes itself out as I write, unexpected things happen, things change, etc.
Louise: Do you write full time? What did you do before you
became a writer or still do?
Ray: Writing is a
hobby at this point. I run a small log
home business in Montana that takes most of my time. I’d like to write more, but business is good.
Louise: Do you have a ritual when it comes to writing?
Example….get coffee, blanket, paper, pen, laptop and a comfy place.
Ray: No ritual. When I do write I see the family off for the
day, read the news, then get to writing.
I tend to stall, but once I get going I can be fairly productive. I listen to classical music.
Louise: Describe a typical writing day for you.
Ray: I get up around
6:30, help get the kids off for school, surf the web for 30 minutes, then write
till I’m hungry and dinner is ready. I
like write as long as possible, but usually burn out after 8 hours. On a good day I can get in over 4,000 words
on the first draft.
Louise: Please give us a sneak peek at your future books.
What’s on the horizon?
Ray: I have one about
a man who can see the future 2/3 done.
I’ve started a sequel to 77 Days, then a few more ideas in a variety of
genres.
Louise: What is your favorite genre to read and who is your
favorite author?
Ray: Right now I like
historical fiction. Steven Pressfield
and Colleen Mcculluch are two authors I’ve enjoyed.
Louise: Is there anything else you would like to tell the
readers we have not touched on?
Ray: Thanks for taking the time to read this and for
considering the book. I know it can be a
gamble trying a new author, but hopefully they’ll find it worthwhile.
Louise: Where can the readers learn more about you and find
your books on the web?
Ray: I’m on Facebook, and Goodreads, but too busy to do a
blog, or twitter. Hopefully at some
point I’ll be able to dedicate more time to promoting my books.
High above the sun-baked prairies
of Lawrence, Kansas, the missile reached its target. No one on the ground even noticed the
blast. Perhaps had someone been looking
at precisely the right location, at precisely the right time, they might have
noticed a tiny, momentary spark in the bright afternoon sky. Had they seen the flash, it likely would have
been attributed to the glint of sunlight reflecting off a passing
airplane. From every vantage point below
the detonation, there was no sense of the destructive capacity contained in
that tiny speck of light. More than 300
miles above the earth, a nuclear explosion impacts nothing with the force of
its blast. It is merely a large bomb
going off in a vacuum, creating no shockwaves, no fireballs, no radiation, not
even any sound.
Despite the lack of explosive
destruction, this was now the most lethal weapon to be unleashed in the history
of the world, but it was a weapon that would have had absolutely no discernable
affect on mankind 200 years ago, other than creating a more colorful
aurora. Upon detonation, the bomb
expelled an intense wave of gamma radiation in every direction. The gamma rays traveling earthward interacted
with the upper levels of the atmosphere and created a chain reaction of
displaced electrons that rushed towards the surface of the earth at the speed
of light. Most of the these displaced
electrons passed rapidly through the atmosphere and grounded themselves
harmlessly in the earth.
A small percentage, however,
encountered conductive materials: metal,
antennas, copper wiring, and silicon chips.
As these conductors absorbed untold billions of free electrons, they
experienced sudden surges in both voltage and current. In simple items, like a garden rake, this
surge was manifested as a harmless static electricity-like spark. But in larger networks and sensitive objects,
the consequences of the electron overload were devastating.
******
They sat in silence, lost in their
thoughts and watching the pandemonium.
Ed spoke after a long period of silence.
“I don’t think we’ll be flying out of here today, even if we want
to. I don’t think anyone is. This is completely different from anything
I’ve ever seen or heard of. With all
those crashed airplanes, there should be hundreds of emergency vehicles from
all over the city out there, but I didn’t see a single one. There should have been enough help for us,
even with the other planes down. I bet
we’d still be waiting out by that airplane if we hadn’t come in on our
own. Something is wrong at a level I
can’t fathom.”
Kyle nodded. “I’ve been thinking the same thing. I think everyone is. You can see it in their faces; there’s a fear
and helplessness that I’ve never seen.
Of course, how are you supposed to act when you’ve seen an airplane fall
from the sky?”
“It’s not just one plane wreck,
Kyle. It’s multiple wrecks. It’s no emergency assistance to our flight,
and no response for those other planes.
It’s no power in the terminal.
It’s total confusion with the airport employees. You saw them.
They had no idea what they should be doing. Some of the smart ones are faking it, but
most of them look like they want to cry.
And the passengers…they’re freaked out bad. There’s a deeper fear there than just the
power being out, more than a plane crash.
Have you noticed that no one is using their cell phone? We tried mine, but it’s dead. They’re all dead. In a situation like this, everyone would be on
their phone. It’s like…I know this
doesn’t make any sense, but it’s like we’ve been attacked.” Ed paused a moment before continuing. “You remember 9/11?”
Kyle nodded. “Who doesn’t?
I’ll always remember it. I was
listening on my car radio 2,000 miles away from New York when it happened, but I’ll always
remember it.”
“It feels like that, but ten times
worse. Remember how unreal everything
felt that day? How you couldn’t believe it was happening, even as you watched
it on TV? This feels the same way. I don’t know why, but it does.”
Ray's BIO:
Ray Gorham was born in Calgary, Canada in 1966. Prior to graduating college and settling in the United States in 1991, Ray had the good fortune to live in a variety of locations around the world. Years in Australia, England, Lebanon, Japan, Canada, and the United States all helped to shape his background, worldview, and appreciation for other people and cultures.
Graduating with a degree in Accounting, he decided he couldn’t spend a future studying tax law and sitting in front of a computer all day, so he took a management position with Wal-Mart and spent the next 10 years in retail management where he had the opportunity to interact with hundreds of employees and thousands of customers on a weekly basis. Growing tired of large corporations, Ray next tried opening and running a restaurant, but decided after a year that wasn’t for him either. From there, he found a small log home business for sale in Montana in 2006 and settled in for what he hoped would be a long-term career.
When the construction industry slowed down in 2008, Ray knew he was going to have a lot of time on his hands, so he determined to cross off one of the items on his bucket list—writing a novel. After thousands of hours of writing and editing he had the final draft of his first novel, a 108,000 word effort telling the story of a husband struggling to return to his family after a major terrorist attack. While agents and publishers have passed on his efforts to this point, he has found significant success so far in digital format, selling over 10,000 copies of his work.
Stop by and meet Russell! Give away a copy of Fatal Exchange to one commenter on Saturday. Click on link to read more!
Deanna's Tidbits: Russell Blake - Suspense Writer: Russell Blake Suspense Writer Welcome to our week-long release party with Russell! Come on up and join us at Pancho's a beach restaurant in Mazatlan, Mexico, as we watch gulls wheel overhead while we sip rich dark roast and munch on Juevos Ranchero! The view is exhilarating and so is my guest! You're about to meet a man who writes the way he wants and keeps his readers on the edge of their seats. His books are filled with non-stop excitement of murder and revenge! Grab your coffee mug and let's get started!
