Thursday, October 31, 2013

My Six Favorite Things about Halloween!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

This is my favorite holiday and not just because I wrote BEATRYSEL, a fantastic literary horror novel perfect for Halloween reading now available on Amazon. No I've loved this holiday my whole life.


Six things I love about Halloween:

1 - THE SEASON: Autumn has always been my favorite season, probably because of Halloween. I love the colors and the smells, the change in the light and the cooling temperatures. I love fresh harvested apples and pine-nuts in the stores. The moon has a special brightness in the fall, made magic when full and seen between high racing clouds.

Yeah.... this is where i live. (Utah)

2 - COSTUMES: Halloween drags us out of ourselves. We are encouraged, if not required to imagine ourselves as another thing, be it a pirate, ghost or a toad-stool. What a cathartic exercise to imagine ourselves not ourselves.
Okay, you don't have to be these people, but you get the idea.

3 - JACK-O-LANTERNS: Like costumes, pumpkins bring out the artist in Halloweeners. For at least one night a year, we all designers and sculptors. Every year I am impressed with what my family and neighbors manage to do with an orange vegetable.


Look! He's eating a little pumpkin! Can you believe that!

4 - THE OCCULT: Halloween is the last truly Pagan holiday. There is no white-washing it; on All-Hallow’s Eve, the Devil gets his due. If only for fairness, it’s nice to have a holiday that celebrates the darkness, revels in the macabre and supernatural.

Blessed Be!

5 - CANDY: Like the nuts and apples that are the season, Halloween is chocolate and candy-corn, caramel squares and “fun-size” snacks. I love handing out the treats at the door and sneaking them between visits. 
Caramels - the best Halloween candy ever. EVER!

6 - TRADITION: I love the ancient ritual of sharing, a throwback to the times of raiding bands: at a time of harvest, strangers demand a tribute at my door. Woe to me if I refuse. Trick or treat. The dead are near.


Coming soon.... ELEANOR.



Thursday, October 24, 2013

Cinderskella – Mom, Daughter, and aggressive industrial food-products

Bethanie and Amie Borst
In a first for the Blog Mansion, we have a mother daughter team, Amie and Bethanie Borst co-authors of Cinderskella, a young adult book about anorexia.

Amie: It’s not about anorexia.

Johnny: But look at the cover. Isn’t this about eating disorders?

A: No….well except that one scene when Cindy is forced to eat chicken livers. And the one where she has to eat pickled pigs’ feet <gag>.

J: Please not on the carpet. The rats have sensitive stomachs. What’s your book it about?

A: Cinderskella is about a girl dealing with the loss of her mother while learning to live with a skeleton curse. She also has some awful step-sisters and a horrible, terrible step-mother…not to mention a crush on the cutest boy at school. While facing such perils as pickled pigs’ feet, a wacky fortune teller and a few quick trips to the Underworld, Cindy’s determined to break the curse—even for a single night.

J: Well I assumed it was about eating disorders, so I made this fat-filled buffet to put some meat on you guys.

A: Have you seen me lately? Trust me, I don’t need any more meat on my bones!

J: Is Cinderskella meant for young adult or middle grade? What’s the difference anyway?

A: Cinderskella is a middle-grade book. There’s a pretty big difference, actually. For starters middle-grade is usually intended for a younger audience (8-12 year olds) while young adult is geared for 13 and up. Also the themes, characters, challenges, plot and content is toned down a bit from their YA counterparts. Basically no kissing in MG.

J: Its your debut right?

A: It sure is! Bethanie and I couldn’t be more excited about it!

J: Is it a series?

A: It is! Book two in the Scarily Ever Laughter series is Little Dead Riding Hood, due out fall 2014.

J: Not that it’s remotely out of place, not with all the weapons hanging on my walls, Zulu spears, water-cooled machine gun, Sting, but what’s with the bow, Bethanie?

B: I’m an avid archer. Maybe I’ll even make it to the Olympics someday. In case you didn’t know, my bow’s name is Stormy because she’s black and white like a storm trooper.

J: So you’re ready for the Hunger Games.

B: I AM the Hunger Games.

J: Warning taken. When did you guys start writing Cinderskella?

A: Bethanie came home with the story concept when she was 9 years old, so that was 2010. We wrote a very basic first draft and I sent it through my crit group. From there the story grew and Cinderskella was ready to send to publishers in 2012. Jolly Fish Press was one of three to offer a contract. You can read the full story at Ann Marie’s blog. http://www.annmarie-meyers.com/2013/10/what-do-skeleton-and-cinderella-have-in.html

J: How is it to write as a team?

A: It definitely has its challenges. The hardest part for me is trusting Bethanie’s ideas. They’re so wild and out there I worry that they won’t work. But as we plot and create, draft and write, I learn her ideas really are a home run. I need to trust her instincts and learn to just roll with it. My ideas are safe. And lame.
Better living through chemistry.

J: Here’s the lovely Janette with some snacks. Mmmmm, some lovely Dow Corning Pizza-like Pocket Samplers®. Have one Amie.

A: What’s a Dow Corning Pizza? I’ll stick with Ray’s New York pizza. But thanks.

J: Oh, would you prefer some deep-fried Twinkies? The Deep fried HoHo’s melted.

A: Got any twix? I’m a chocolate gal.

J: I thought you were a gourmet?

A: Me? A gourmet? LOL! I do love to cook, but I’d hardly call it gourmet.

J: I’ve got some re-hydrated MSG derivative frozen treat®.

A: Fantastic. That’ll go great with the lyme-scaled water laced with ecoli we have here in our county.

J: Try and be friendly, see where that gets me. Okay, so tell me about Cinderskella’s illustrator?

A: Oh that’s Rachael Caringella. She’s super talented. Plus she has a blog. And pink hair. I think if we lived close we’d be great friends

J: I always ask my author/competitors, how did you get started? What was your break to get published?

A: Beat you to the finish line! Kidding. I’ve always been a writer (your audience can read that story at Sherry Gammon’s blog –  http://wwww.wordpaintingsunlimited.com ) but it all started in 2008 with a YA paranormal romance I’d written. Obviously that book isn’t published. But I kept writing. While Cinderskella is my first published book, I’d had a few articles published, one with Catholic Charities. That was probably one of the most rewarding articles I’ve ever written and I’m glad it’s helping so many families. (http://www.catholiccharities-md.org/family-navigator/pdfs/navigating-the-storm.pdf)


You can follow Amie and Bethanie on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/AmieAndBethanieBorst

You can find Amie at her blog www.amieborst.com, Twitter, www.twitter.com/AmieBorst and Pinterest www.pinterest.com/AmieBorst.

J: Well I feel dumb. I was told that you had a big good food/bad food thing going and I can't even rattle you. No need to keep trying. Better clean up.

A: What the...!

J: Okay Bethanie, see that moving pile of processed cheese over there? Not the one on the left that just burped, but the other one. The one on the right that just gained sentience? Yeah, put an arrow in that for the good of all humanity. I doubt we’ll be able to make it to the door if you don’t.

J: You missed. I can’t believe you missed!

J: And now it’s gotten Janette. Great. It’s so hard to keep employees.

Janette.
She's used to this kind of thing by now.

CINDERSKELLA GIVE-AWAY!!!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Kim Williams-Justesen ties books, family and yarn together

Kim Williams-Justesen
tying it all together
Kim Williams-Justesen and I are neighbors. We met downtown for a pleasant walk as while she worked out some of her stress with having a new book launch.

Johnny: What is that?

Kim: Knitting needles. I knit. I like to knit when I'm stressed, and I'm stressed a lot these days!

J: You have many talents.

K: Well thank you!  I do. I write mostly, but sometimes I just have to knit.

J: What’s in the bag?

K: Yarn. A few dozen balls of it.

J: That’s a lot.

K: I knit fast.

J: Are you nervous about your new book The Deepest Blue coming out?

K: I'm nervous about the release event. The book is all done, so I'm not so nervous about it.

J: What’s it about?

K: Mike hasn’t spoken to his mother in years, and what few memories he has of her are painful. When Mike’s dad is killed in a car wreck, Mike wants to stay in his hometown and live with Maggie, his dad’s girlfriend, who has been like a mother to him for the last five years. But Mike’s mother reappears in his life and demands that he return to her custody and live on the other side of the country with a family he doesn't know. The law is on his mother’s side, and Mike will have to grow up quickly and take on the legal system to have the life he wants. This deeply moving story of a young teen's difficult family relationships reflects the reality of many children and teens with strong emotional ties to adults who have no legal rights in the instance of death or divorce.

It's about standing up for yourself when you know what's best for you. It's about how we make families for ourselves and understanding that blood is not necessarily thicker than water.
J: The Deepest Blue has some pretty adult themes in it. You go into custody and legal machinations. How do you temper that for a younger audience?

K: I had to be sure that I kept the story in the point of view of Mike, the main character. I had to make sure that I stayed faithful to his perspective on all the issues. He doesn't understand the ins and outs of the legal process, so he just talks about his experience from an honest place and he doesn't pretend to understand all the legal craziness.

J: Did you just knit a sweater for that tree?

K: Absolutely! Notice I make the stripes horizontal so it has a more widening effect around the trunk.

J: Uhm. Okay. never mind. Boy books. There’s supposedly a stigma about having boys as the main character of a YA book. What do you think of that.

K: I think that's ridiculous. Boys need books told from their perspective. They need stories about their experiences. There are some awesome YA books which feature female main characters, but there are also amazing stories featuring male  characters, too. Ultimately, what matters most is a solid, well-written story, not necessarily the main character's gender.

J: That wasn’t your bike.

K: So? Bikes have a right to be warm too, don't they?

J: Where did you get the idea for The Deepest Blue?

K: When my oldest daughter was 15, she asked my husband (her step-dad) to adopt her. It's a long story, but basically, she knew that her step-dad was a healthier choice for her. Her biological dad wasn't happy, but he ultimately went along with it. His second wife, however, was pretty nasty about it for a long time. Then later, when my step-son turned 15, he asked me to adopt him. I don't think I spent more than 1/10th of a second thinking about it. Again, there is a long story as to his reasons why, but ultimately, I adopted him as well. After watching my two oldest kids go through the process, seeing their strength and dedication to what was best for them - well, that was pretty darn inspiring, and it led to The Deepest Blue.

J: Tell me about Motherhood in The Deepest Blue.

K:  You've hit on a key issue in the story. What makes a mom? Or either parent for that matter? In my family, adoption is a big word. I was adopted as an infant. So was my husband, my sister, my sister-in-law, and several of my closest friends. While I have met members of my biological family, my "real" family are those people I was raised with. I've always looked at the "nature vs. nurture" argument with curiosity. Then having gone through two step-parent adoptions in our family, I began to take a very close look at who nurtures, how we nurture, and what that means in terms of defining family. I had been my son's full-time mom since he was two, and my husband has been my daughter's full-time dad since she was four. But the role of step-parent is different, and has legal limitations. I didn't need a legal document to tell me that my son was mine, and I didn't need to give birth to him to love him. Likewise, it's true there are biological parents who don't fully accept the seriousness of that job or are not able or willing to do it.

Nothing is safe
J: You’ve worked with a few publishers. How’s that been? How’s Tanglewood Press?

K: Some publishers are amazing to work with, and others - well, not so much. Tanglewood is among the amazing publishers. They have been delightful to work with, supportive and professional and easy to work with. Interestingly, they rejected The Deepest Blue almost two years before they accepted it. When they rejected it, I put it away thinking I would work on revisions later. I had several other projects going on at the time, and a year and a half after the rejection, I had sent another manuscript to Tanglewood. A few months later, Peggy Tierney from Tanglewood called and said "I have some good news and I have some bad news." The bad news - she was passing on the other manuscript I had sent her. Then she said, "Where is 'The Deepest Blue'?"  I said, "It's on a thumb drive." Peggy said, "No, I mean, is it under contract? Have you submitted it elsewhere?" I said, "No, it's on a thumb drive."   She made an offer to buy The Deepest Blue, and here we are, 22 months later, celebrating the release of my novel!

J: I alway want to know how authors get their break. How did you first get published?

K: I started by building writing credentials. I wrote for magazines, I wrote for one of the early internet success sites, CitySearch, and I wrote for local publications (Wasatch Parent magazine, now called Utah Parent). I wrote for anyone who would let me! My first real publication came through a woman I met online. She was looking for help with a workbook she was writing on Borderline Personality Disorder. I had personal experience with the disorder, and after exchanging a few emails, she hired me to coauthor it with her. While I think many writers find success with a book right away, I served an apprenticeship, built credibility, and really learned my craft from the ground up.

J: So was The Deepest Blue an easy sale after that?

K: The Deepest Blue collected almost 40 rejections before Peggy offered it a second chance. I don't think there is such a thing as an easy sale. If it was easy, everyone could do it, and I don't think that would be good for books or publishing.

J: You don’t have an agent either. Do you think we need one?

K: There are so many publishing options these days that I don't think an agent is as necessary as it used to be. I have worked with an agent before, but the chemistry wasn't there. Of the eight books I've sold, I've sold them all myself. That being said, I do believe an agent can do things that are difficult for us as authors to do. For example, many large publishers offer foreign rights contracts, but you can't get into the larger houses, and therefore get to those foreign markets, without having an agent. I am actively looking for an agent currently, but I'm not waiting on that agent to sell my work.

J: Someone going to upset when they see that.

K: It’s art. I think every Mini needs an angora sweater.

J: Okay. What are you doing to promote your book? There was your book launch, which was great, but else are you doing?

K: Wasn't that party great? And did you see all the book cozies I crocheted that night? Besides the signing, I have promotional events on my website, my Facebook page, and my blog. Every time I get a new review, I promote it. I've also signed up for events through some of my local writing organizations. I'll be speaking my League of Utah Writer's chapter meeting, and I've been asked by the Utah/So. Idaho chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) to speak at an event called The Inside Story at The King's English Bookshop. I'm also sending out informational packets to schools and libraries for workshops and signings. I've done book marks, post cards, and posters as well, so I'll pretty much do anything, including knitting a cover of my book, to promote it.

J: Where on the internet can people find you?
WEB PAGE
TWITTER - @kwjwrites
FACEBOOK
BLOG
AMAZON
BARNES AND NOBLE
TANGLEWOOD BOOKS
J: This is really getting out of control. You have to stop knitting.

K: I crochet a little too. See here’s a picture.

J: I hope your book is a great success.

K: Me too. My yarn budget is off the chart!







Thursday, October 10, 2013

Through The Eyes of a Storm Meeting

Excerpted from a secret and recent Writers Anonymous meeting.

Johnny Worthen: Hello everyone. I’m Johnny, I’ll be leading today’s discussion.

All: Hello Johnny.

Johnny: Today we’re going to share with the group some of our darkest most disturbing tales of rainy night writing. I want you to open up. You’re safe here. Everything said here is confidential.

Sakina Murdock: Then what’s with the tape recorder?

Johnny: Who wants to be first?

Sakina: You didn’t ans–

Johnny: Tommy. Tommy B. Smith, you go first. Tell us about your voyage Through the Eyes of a Storm.

Tommy never goes anywhere without his cat.
Or is it the other way around?
Tommy: Hello, I’m Tommy B. Smith, the writer. I drink dark coffee and write dark fiction.

All: Hello Tommy.

Tommy: My story for the anthology was On the Rainy Highway. On a long stretch of highway in the midst of a storm, you might encounter anyone — anyone at all. On the Rainy Highway is a story about wanderers with secrets to keep. It’s a mix of grit, adrenaline, and shadowy intents that should appeal to fans of my horror novella, Poisonous.

Johnny: That was inspirational. Hey do you remember when you came by the Blog Mansion before and we got wasted? Glad we're over that.

Tommy: Over what?

Johnny: Okay, who'd like to go next? Susan Dorsey, would you like to go next?

Susan: Hello, my name is Susan.

All: Hello Susan.

Susan Dorsey having too good a time
writing with blood, guts and gore.
Susan: I am a cozy mystery writer. This anthology was my chance to really mess about with all the blood, guts, and gore that you horror types are so good with. I must say, I probably enjoyed it a bit too much. It was very satisfying to think about what would drive a stay-at-home mom to the edge of sanity. It was even better to imagine what she would do when she got there. My short story, Rainy Rachel, deals with rage, bone crushing hatred, and sweet revenge. Who doesn't love that?

Johnny: Brings a tear to the eye. Susan dropped by the Blog Mansion before too. She talked local history, Jane Brooks books and hairdressers. I think I tried to get her drunk too.

Sakina: Maybe you have a problem. Ever think of that?

Johnny: Nope. Never. Robert DiBella, do you have something to say? No? I think you do. I saw you whispering with Sakina during Susan’s talk. I think you should be next. Come on. Stand up. Don’t make me get my ruler.

Robert: My story…

Johnny: State your name for the records… err, I mean the group.

Robert: My name is Robert.
Robert DiBella has a thing for lepers

All: Hello Robert.

Robert: Hey Johnny, the ruler won’t be necessary, happy to be here. My story is about a young man who contracts leprosy in the 1870s. He gets sent to the leper colony Molokai, an island in Hawai’i. When he gets to the island he finds that the island is cursed.  My darkest time during rainy night writing was doing the research for the short story. Molokai was an actual leper colony from the mid 1800s to the 1960s. It was really disturbing to see all the images of the grotesque disease and the horrific way that the people were treated. I’ve never been so glad not too be one of my characters.    

Johnny: That was nice. It felt good to open up didn’t it? Now who’s next? Tammy? Tammy Maas, would you like a turn? I haven't talked to you in a long time. I think we drank then too. Hurm... Anyway, who’s that with you?

Tammy Maas
is a good judge of character
Tammy: Hello, my name is Tammy and I’m an alcoholic. Sorry, wrong meeting.

All: Hello Tammy.

Tammy: Hello. I apologize but I had to bring my son with me. I’m a domestic goddess not a magician who can make children disappear. (Don’t cry honey, Johnny’s a bad man, don’t even look at him.) My story in the book is about an abused child with a genetic condition called albinism. The child grows up and is hell-bent on getting some old fashioned retaliation on his father.

It seems I have an addiction to genetic disorders as my books, A Complicated Life in a Small Town and God Save Us All feature a person with Prader-Willi syndrome.

Johnny: Amazing. I hope your little friend signed the “Waiver of all rights and proceeds” document.

Sakina: What? Is this some kind of cheap way to make money on –

Johnny: Monique! Monique Snyman. You look lovely today! How about you go next. Tell us all about your trip Through The Eyes of a Storm in your best, most marketable, and profitable way. For the group.

Monique Snyman -
You can't understand a word she says.
Monique: Hello, I hope you can understand me. I’m Monique.

All: Hello, Monique.

Monique: It was a rough ride, Johnny.  The tide was high, the boat shook violently, and the rain continued to come down mercilessly.  At one point, I thought that we would all die in the disastrous Hurricane-Editor-Sakina’s clutches, but luckily she let up before we drowned.  In all honesty though, Through the Eyes of a Storm is a remarkable anthology that brought together the authors of Rainstorm Press.  Before it, I hardly knew anyone there…  I also reviewed the book, and I must say it was a good read and perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon.  Each author brought his/her uniqueness to the table, and our wonderful Sakina made it all work with her red pen.  If the book’s good, you don’t have to work as hard to make it sell, and Through the Eyes of a Storm is a good book, so that says it all.

Johnny: That ought to sell a few copies. Of your book... Of Through The Eyes of a Storm. Yes, that. What was that, Jane? Jane Issac, was that trumbling? Not good. No. We’re all positive here. We’re all writers cutting our teeth, sharing our goals and ideals, if not proceeds with each other. It’s not about any single individual, it’s about me. And the group. That too. You go next, Jane. Open up.

Jane Issac
should read BEATRYSEL, don't you think?
Jane: Hello I’m Jane Isaac.

All: Hello Jane.

Jane: Apologies, Johnny, I think you mistake my trumbling for wonderment? It's such an honour to be in the company of such talented authors!

My story, After the Rain, concentrates on the debris that a storm throws up. It's a murderous tale of secrets and deceit with a generous spoonful of suspense, and a nice little twist at the end to keep you guessing.

Johnny: Now don’t you feel better? I know I do. When I wrote my debut BEATRYSEL, now on sale on Amazon in trade cover and eBook, which is incidentally getting great reviews, I said to myself, “Damn, I’m great.” Don’t we all feel like that sometimes? Don’t we? Isaiyan? Isaiyan Morrison, would you like to go next?
Isaiyan Morrison -
Nearly got struck by lighting
(gotta wonder what she did)

Isaiyan: Hello, my name is Isaiyan.

All: Hello Isaiyan.

Isaiyan: So, this one time, at band camp . . .Just kidding.

Usually when it rains I like to go outside, sit on the porch, smoke a cig and watch.

But one night I'd just finish my daily zombie killing spree on Call of Duty: Black Ops. I turned my computer on and went to work. At that time I had just finished some character profiles for my novel, Deamhan. I was so preoccupied that I didn't notice it'd become dark very quickly. I heard thunder and looked outside. Dark clouds came in out of nowhere and I thought "I'm going outside to watch." So I do just that. I don't think I was outside for five minutes before the rain started to pour. A flashing bright white light blinded me followed by a loud BOOM. I was blind for a few seconds. I literally couldn't see. When my vision returned I noticed that the limb from one of the trees across the street was on fire. Yeah, that was the last time I went outside during a lightning storm. The end.

Does that qualify as a disturbing tale of rainy night writing?

Johnny: I couldn’t have said it any better dressed like that if I tried. Really. That’s quite an outfit. Your journeys have been amazing. I think we all learned a lot today. There’s coffee and a box a donuts in the chapel kitchen.

Sakina: I want a turn.

Johnny: No time. Besides what could you add after so many wonderful tales?

Sakina: My story. Plus, I edited the collection.

Johnny: Okay, but stay on topic. We don’t want to hear any of your crazy conspiracy theories about how someone might use this candid and private gathering of talented writers to get traffic to his blog to advertise his new debut horror, BEATRYSEL available on Amazon when he himself doesn’t even have a story in the Through the Eyes of a Storm collection. That’s just tin-foil hat stuff. Really. But okay, if you promise to be good, you can have the floor.

Sakina Murdock
believes weird conspiracy stuff
Sakina: Hello, I’m Sakina.

All: Hello Sakina.

Sakina: My story has an environmental message, as well as one which warns of the terrible depths to which money can ruin the world Johnny. (Gives Johnny a hard stare). It’s set in the 60s, in the same town where my novel is based, and similarly, it tells the tale of a policeman who attempts to uncover the truth about a series of disappearances during some terrible storms. Please don’t yawn like that, Johnny, it sounds the same, but it isn’t. Without spoiling it for anyone, I’ll leave it at that.

Johnny: I thank everyone for coming out tonight. Don’t forget to drop a little something in the collection jar. Those day-old donuts aren’t free. They’re half off, but not free.



Through the Eyes of a Storm is available now on Amazon.

To find out more about these authors visit them here:

Sakina Murdock – http://soulsubsistence.wordpress.com
Tommy B. Smith -  http://www.tommybsmith.com
Susan Dorsey – http://www.susandorseybooks.com
Jane Isaac – http://www.caffeineisntacrime.com
Isaiyan Morrison – http://www.isaiyanmorrison.com
Monique Snyman - www.charmingincantations.com/blog
Robert DiBella - http://www.amazon.com/Memoir-Variable-Robert-DiBella/dp/1937758362
Tammy Maas – http://animaasity.weebly.com

Other Through the Eyes of a Storm Participants who were at the meeting but didn't speak:

Nate Burleigh – www.natedburleigh.com
Ronald Stefano – www.ronalddestefano.com
Amy Durrant – http://www.amydurrant.com
Diane Lefer - http://dianelefer.wordpress.com/

BEATRYSEL is available on Amazon as well. To learn more visit: www.beatrysel.com. Go on, do it. Do it now.


Friday, October 4, 2013

The Watcher in the Corner

This article originally appeared on Erindipity, Erin Britt's Blog. But I was thinking about it again yesterday when I was in the midst of a personal crisis of patience and doctors visits and thought I'd revisit it.


“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”
– Ernest Hemingway



I once had a writing professor say something along these lines in an undergraduate class:

“In everyone’s life there will be crisis and turmoil, pain and suffering. You will have these. These moments will consume you. They will nearly destroy you. It will take all you have to survive them. You’ll be awash and drowning giving everything you have just to hang on for another moment.

 “But not really.

 “As a writer you are a witness. As your soul twists and turns, bleeds and burns, there will be a part of you hidden in a corner of you being watching it all and taking notes.

 “When the smoke clears and the bones knit, you will have a map to those places —emotions and scenes. You will know how to re-open those wounds in yourself, unzip the scars and bleed again for your art. You will be a true witness to the pain and be in a unique position to explore it all again.”


This was the sentiment anyway.

Believe it or not, in the darkest days of my life, I remember this. I find it comforting, if only because it suggests there is some part of me that rises above the trouble. And then, when it’s all over, I have notes.

These notes came in useful when I wrote BEATRYSEL. Though on the surface, the book is an occult thriller, a horror by some standards, but it is in fact, a love story.

Is there any pain like that of being rejected by a lover? It is so real, so powerful that it seems like a creature unto itself.

And thus was born BEATRYSEL.

Using my own casebook of scabbed-over emotional scars, I approached the issues of love and betrayal, yearning and sacrifice, and played it all against the backdrop of modern occult philosophy where Will can become Form.

Thus my notes – my buried personal pain of bad relationships and love, turned fruitful. In writing BEATRYSEL, I bled again but had another chance to examine my old wounds and better understand them. I cleaned them up, stitched them together, soothed them with new insight and possibilities. In the end I was better. Not healed perhaps, but better. This is the power of writing.

And I got a damn fine book out of it.

Anyone who has ever had a love affair go bad will recognize the power of BEATRYSEL. Anyone who’s hidden in the corner of their mind while their body sobbed for a lost lover, will sympathize. For BEATRYSEL is a creature of love.