Dark Fiction: Mercy And The Cat

Dark fiction. It's a genre I don't readily understand. Although, some readers insist I know it too well.  I dabble in whatever seems to suit the story and don't give too much credence to the spot on a bookshelf where something might sit.

I know, I know. Readers like to know what to expect. I grant that. Really, I do. But it's of more interest to me to tell a good and interesting story with believable characters than anything else.

That said, the new novella definitely fits the dark fiction genre. It could sit any number of places, really. It's a suspenseful yarn about a man who thinks he sees the world for what it is. In a way, he's like all of us, stumbling around in the dark until he comes across some bright point of light. It interests him for a while, and like a cat, he toys with it. What will be interesting, is to see how the toy plays with him.

Here's the official synopsis and cover. You can find the ebook here:

Amazon (US): Mercy And The Cat
Amazon (UK): Mercy And The Cat
Amazon (Canada): Mercy And The Cat
Smashwords: Mercy And The Cat
Barnes & Noble: Mercy And The Cat
Apple iBooks (US): Mercy And The Cat
Apple iBooks (Canada): Mercy And The Cat
Sony Reader Store: Mercy And The Cat
Kobo: Mercy And The Cat

Warning: mature content. Discretion advised.

A dark and mature suspense thriller from the mind that brought you WALKOUT and THALO BLUE.

In denial about his failing marriage, Dave Bolander cruises the nighttime world of Dow Lake campground, looking for a good time. When he happens upon some kids also on the hunt for a rush, all the excitement from Dave’s last beach summer comes flooding back. How delish, Dave thinks. How wonderfully delish.

Available at all online retailers.

The Night Walk Men: Corinthian

I'm pleased to announce the new short story, Corinthian. It's available now at Amazon and forthcoming at other online retailers.

This is a tale set in the Night Walk Men universe where such stories as Kro and The Devil's Right Hand have flourished. And, yes, where a few people have died horrible deaths. If you have enjoyed any of the tales involving Sperro and his brothers, you'll want to snatch up this tale of late-night woe.

Corinthian ties into The Devil's Right Hand by specifically focusing on the newest character in the universe, a mysterious blonde Walker named Corinthian.

Here's the synopsis:

For Geoff Saylor, woken in the middle of an ordinary week night, life is about to change. Geoff is a middle-class everyman. He works hard and is good at his desk job downtown. But evenings and weekends are spent with his family in the suburbs. He and his wife have been dreaming about making their middle-class lives just a little bit better. But Geoff is about to get a visitor who brings with him the terrible, bland smell of death. Hold tight. The Night Walk Men are afoot -- and the Saylors' dreams of a better life are put on hold...in shocking fashion.

Corinthian is now available on Amazon and coming soon everywhere else!

Maria Savva Launches Her Title, "3"

Author Maria Savva and I go way back. Well, as far back as a couple of years. We've even written a book together -- which was a blast and turned out far better than I think anyone expected. 

Knowing that Maria has a bit of a dark side to her writing of late, it might surprise you that she's down-to-earth and so genuinely thoughtful and nice. In fact, Maria bought me lunch once and didn't even flinch at how much I ate.

The Right Font for Your eBook Cover: A Case Study

I've had some compliments on my book jackets and other design items and I'm always reluctant to mention to folks who like them that I have done every one of them myself. I have been a graphic designer, editor and writer for about ten years and the design part of a book launch is one of the really fun parts.

Don't get me wrong; it's also agonizing, excruciating and detailed work. I have been known to go through over seventy versions of a cover before settling on the one that goes out on launch day. I've even been known to redo covers after launch. Hey, I'm incredibly particular.

Scarlett Rugers is extremely adept at creating eye-catching, beautifully rendered covers. I don't hesitate to recommend her work when peers inevitably ask me to do covers for them. Let's be real: I barely have time to sneeze, let alone write, design, market, AND help out other's design their book jackets.

But that's what Scarlett is for. And trust me, she's good. I don't recommend folks I don't believe in. Recently, I asked Scarlett if she'd like to guest post for me. What follows is her incredibly thoughtful look at fonts on covers. After you read this over and get a feel for it, head over to Scarlett's website for another instalment of design talk.

5 Things Agents Hate

You've finally finished writing the greatest novel of all time. It's smart, it's fast. It's literary and popular all at the same time. You're just certain it will take the reading public by storm. If you can only get it in the hands of readers.

You've been told that the best way through the massive set of publishing hurdles is to start by querying an agent who will be so taken by your brilliance, they will sign you and immediately wrestle a six-figure advance from one of the major publishing houses.

You send out your manuscript samples and your letters. And you wait.

Through some experience with the process, I'd like to now share with you what I've discovered writing agents loathe seeing in the samples and letters they receive.

That Tingle

When's the last time you had a physical reaction to a book you read?

For me, it's been a while. But in editing my latest project, I found myself feeling what I call "that tingle." I get an itchy crawl on my scalp and a tingling sensation. Some might say it's a shiver or a cool rush. Maybe a heat flood in the face. I bet everyone has a different kind of physical reaction, but mine makes it clear: I'm reading something unforgettable.

Essentially, I've read something that wowed me to a degree that my body had to put up its hand and get noticed. I've written a few things of my own that give me that feeling. I have a short called "Through the Transom Light" that does it. Another one called "One Hour's Reprieve" makes me shiver once I get to the end. I also have scenes in "Devil's Right Hand," "On The Gathering Storm" and "Bled" that prompt an uncontrollable reaction.

My latest story is called "Mercy and the Cat." It's coming soon -- and it has done a number on me! I get that tingle for the entirety of reading it. It's one of those pieces that seems like it was written by someone else. I'm incredibly proud of it -- and freaked out by how well it turned out. And, in part, that's why I get the tingle when I read it. I'm hoping it will do the same for many of you.

What the heck is a Mosaic Novel?

A mosaic novel is a novel in which individual chapters or short stories share a common setting or set of characters with the aim of telling a linear story from beginning to end, with the individual chapters, however, refracting a plurality of viewpoints and styles.

The Quillective Project

The Quillective Project is a poetry collaboration between Amber Jerome Norrgard and Robert Zimmermann Ben Ditmars and Scott Morgan. The following is a guest post from Amber, describing the project.

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With black and tan stripes over his white coat of fur like Valentine’s Day chocolate nestled in a box, and a heart-shaped mark upon his nose, Valentine had been named perfectly.