Since the cold weather is settling in over these mountains, I’ve begun to fall into a familiar pattern involving hot coffee, books, and television shows. Everyone in my house has had a cold at one point or other in the last few weeks because West Virginia’s weather is ridiculous this time of year and quite unpredictable. There is a lot happening right now in my personal home life, too. Nothing horrible or pressing, but just busy stuff. School stuff, work stuff, and learning to adjust to being the parent of an adult who doesn’t live with me anymore stuff. It’s very, very busy.
And, to deal with this busy life, I have decided that every single time something pops up that I don’t know how to deal with, I’m going to look for a supernatural themed story I haven’t read yet and read it. Starting now. I read a lot as it is, so it won’t be too big of an adjustment, but looking for a specific theme might be troublesome. But, as a reader and a person I just really need a good, short distraction from everyday things.
So, ya know, some anthology suggestions would be welcome. I do love vampires, werewolves, and witches.
Can I be honest with you people though? I’m terrified of falling into a darker pattern of winter depression. It hits me every year, although the last two or three years haven’t been as bad as the few before them. I don’t want to go through that this year, but it’s difficult for me. I tend to associate a lot of traumatic events from my life with winter and cold and snow. Seasonal depression is one of the only things I’ve ever gone through that I’m not comforted by knowing other people are going through the same thing. I don’t know about you folks, but I hate knowing other people (sometimes people I care about) are suffering too.
But, maybe that’s why there are so many television series releasing in fall and winter months when people begin a settling in period some akin to bears hibernating in the winter. We squirrel away some canned foods, gather some bottled water, make sure the home is sealed tight for heating purposes, and then what? We wait for the thermometer’s reading to plummet and the snowflakes to fall from the sky so we can burrow under a mound of quilts on the couch and watch a new season of The Witcher (December 17th, if you’re as excited as I am).
We look for creature comforts. Nothing says comfort and safety like Geralt slashing monsters and protecting Jaskier.
Tomorrow (November 19th) The Great’s second season premiers on Hulu and since I’m going to be home doing absolutely nothing other than laundry anyway, I’m going to give it a go. I loved the first season even though I found nary a vampire, witch, or wolf. Of course, I also love history and Catherine the Great is a very interesting woman to read about. Also, Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult are fantastic actors and deserve all the accolades for their roles.
November 19th on Hulu
I don’t know what else is coming. I’ve already decided the American version of Ghosts just isn’t for me and I’m not sure when more episodes of the UK version are coming (but I am waiting with heavy anticipation). I’ve rewatched True Blood more times than I can count.
If you know of any new releases, even if they haven’t been officially released yet, please shoot me a comment, email, or message on Facebook. I’m working on filling at least three open slots for books in November. Please remember that November is a busy month for most people and I’m a mom with an adult child who will be (hopefully) coming home for a full turkey dinner, so I have to cook for a whole week and prepare notes for my typical Thanksgiving speech about the **REAL** story of American colonization, so I will be pretty busy.
I’d love some non-fiction or biographies, but romance and hard case crime novels are always appreciated. You don’t have to be an author or publisher to get me to read something! If you enjoy an author and know they have a new release or a recent release, or even a release you loved that you’d like me to love, too, just give me a title and author’s name and I’ll track it down myself!
I’m considering a blog series for cookbooks and recipe collections one day in the near future. If you’d be interested in something like that, let me know. I’m particularly interested in cookbooks with a nod toward pop culture. There are so many celebrities with their own cookbooks, television series with cookbooks based on them, etc. It’s certainly a fun niche.
Here’s a picture of my best friend, Salem…for absolutely no reason whatsoever.
Feather boas, strippers, and murder? Oh, my! After a busy few months, Private Investigator Barb Jackson is dreaming of a relaxing vacation with her hot man at her side…but her hopes of a little R&R are abruptly put on hold when an acquaintance from a past case, Cindy, comes to her in desperate need of help. Cindy is a dancer at the Double Trouble Gentlemen’s Club, a somewhat upscale club that caters to somewhat less-than-law-abiding men. Recently two of Cindy’s fellow dancers have been murdered. The police don’t have a clue who killed the girls or why—and as far as Barb can tell, don’t even really care. But with Cindy afraid the killer may strike again, Barb steps in to pick up where the police have left off. Even if her homicide detective boyfriend wishes she’d leave the murder investigations to him and stick to planning their getaway for two. Between an ex-boyfriend with a criminal past, a bouncer with a secret, and enough catty dancers to fill a scantily-clad lineup, Barb has suspects galore. But which one is targeting the ladies of Double Trouble…and just may do so again! Platform heels, outrageous costumes, and body glitter abound when Barb takes on the craziest case of her career!
This title is not a lone book. It is the Barb Jackson Mysteries Book 3, as a matter of fact. The first titles being Bubblegum Blonde and Illegally Blonde, in that order and all featuring Snow’s blonde (obviously) PI, Barb Jackson as the main focus. Jackson, although not a thing like me at all, in any way, is a character I found to be relatable enough and, in this book, the plot was entertaining.
Without giving too much away to other readers, I will say that the story is funny and even though the premise is serious, you wouldn’t really know that by the way it is bundled up and handed to the reader because when there is a relatively dire situation (strippers being murdered, for example), hilarity almost always immediately ensues. In many ways, this is a good thing–after all, I daresay loyal readers of the Barb Jackson Mysteries will appreciate this–but, also, for those looking for something a bit more realistic, I would suggest looking elsewhere. After all, this is not a drama, even if the title includes the word mysteries.
When giving my own personal recommendation for this book (and, I will), I am going to make the note now that I should warn readers that it’s a bit of a funny bone tickler, but should be a great read to have on hand when you want a cup of coffee and a blanket and to just shut the rest of the world out. It is not, however, something I would suggest reading in public because I found myself giggling through much of the story.
On a more personal note, I will read more from this author in the future, but will likely stay away from the funny mysteries for a little while because it just isn’t my typical thing–that is not to say I didn’t enjoy it. I truly did.
After losing her job and her partner in one fell swoop, journalist Elspeth Reeves is back in her mother’s house in the sleepy village of Wilsby-under-Wychwood, wondering where it all went wrong. Then a body is found in the neighbouring Wychwoods: a woman ritually slaughtered, with cryptic symbols scattered around her corpse. Elspeth recognizes these from a local myth of the Carrion King, a Saxon magician who once held a malevolent court deep in the forest. As more murders follow, Elspeth joins her childhood friend DS Peter Shaw to investigate, and the two discover sinister village secrets harking back decades.
I absolutely adored this book. After doing a little bit of research on the author, George Mann, I realize that this was a fit made in wherever perfect fits are made. The guy worked on Dr. Who and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle comics! I have to admit, I am a wee bit in awe of him.
I enjoyed George Mann’s writing style. I couldn’t put this book down and overslept because of that (but, that is neither here nor there). I didn’t feel like it was a chore to get to the end and, to be honest, some novels feel that way because of a lack in plot or character development. But, in Wychwood, I felt mostly fulfilled at the end. I say mostly because I feel like I’m still going to close my eyes at night and see some of the images Wychwood delivers to readers. I imagine that’s also a positive.
Mystery readers will delight in the story telling abilities displayed on the pages. There is an eerie realness in the characters and the need to either like or dislike them is strong.
Want to win a copy of my brand new novel, BONES OF WILLOW LAKE? It releases this very Valentine weekend. How exciting! Read the rules below:
RULES:
Leave a comment on this post telling about your most memorable Valentine’s Day or just the one that sticks out the most. Tell me what you like or do not like about this holiday. Write whatever comes to mind pertaining to Valentine’s Day. Lets keep this PG (we don’t need those kinds of details lol). The winner will be chosen and announced on the morning of Monday, February 17th, so please also give me an email address to contact you should you be the lucky winner. It’s that easy!
You can read an excerpt and blurb for the book, BONES OF WILLOW LAKE, here.
OTHER RHIANNON MILLS NEWS:
Not much info as of yet, but be looking for updates on an anthology called HER DARK VOICE. Filled with stories from many different female horror authors (including CYNDI AND THE DEMON ASMODEUS, which I wrote), this one’s going to be a must read!
Back cover, front cover. Both originally artwork by Mark Hogg. Link to his fanpage can be found at the bottom of this post.
Well, the day I’ve been waiting for since forever (no really…FOREVER! LOL) is finally upon us. My most recent novel, BONES OF WILLOW LAKE, has a release date! And, of course, the novel will be released on the very same day my awesome novella, THE DEMON KING, was released. FEBRUARY 14th! That’s Valentine’s Day, in case you didn’t know. Also, it’s my son’s 7th birthday, so Valentine’s Day is special to me for many reasons. Not just book releases, although I do believe I should probably just go ahead and reserve that day every year to release a new book because it looks like it’s just my day.
I promise I won’t just sit here and prattle on and on about how absolutely enamored with myself and my release date I am, though. I promise! Instead, how about I give you a blurb and an excerpt? Will that appease the masses? I sure hope so. We’ll start with the little blurb intended to be printed on the back cover.
BLURB:
Celia Burne bought a house in LaGrange, Georgia, thinking she’s found a place for herself and her dog, Barnibus, to find rest and solitude–a break from the heartbreak of her mother’s death and the resulting incarceration of her younger sister. What she finds in the beginning of her new life, however, isn’t what she bargained for. Celia discovers two of the house’s former residents still live there decades after their deaths.
Although artist Paul Gray only wants Celia’s friendship, and perhaps a little bit more, Celia begins to feel that finding Gray’s body would allow him to pass over into the light. In order to find the body, however, Celia has to solve a 1947 triple murder mystery, and the angry spirit of Ruth Wilkins doesn’t want this to happen. With help from an elderly neighbor and her cartoonist grandson, Celia wrestles with the mystery until she’s thrown into a tailspin and is forced to decide whether she is willing to let Gray go or if she would rather keep him for herself. All the while, the story begs the question of who is helping whom?
EXCERPT:
The fire is warm and I like to sit in front of it, but the sound of boxes shuffling around is still distracting me. “Gray!” I shout again. “What on earth are you doing up there?” Frustrated, I push the covers back off my legs and get up to wander to the attic. I stomp up the stairs, as though my noise is going to aggravate him enough to stop making his noise, and stop at the small opening to the attic at the top of the stairs.
To the left, there is a small broom closet where I keep my ladder. I pull it out and open it up. As I climb the few steps to the top, I push the attic opening back and poke my head inside. It’s dark, but I can see a blue glow from the window. “Gray?” I whisper as I push myself into the attic.
He doesn’t answer, but I knew that he wouldn’t—he can’t. “What are you doing up here?”
I walk to the window. Gray is sitting in the windowsill as still as a picture. In his hands, he holds a lady’s hatpin. It is a blue flower, but plain and ordinary.
“Ruth’s.” I say. It isn’t a question. There is no one else it could have belonged to.
Gray nods and shrugs before peering back out the window. He is lonely, I think to myself, feeling a bit discarded. Doesn’t my company mean anything to him—the way his does for me?
I want to shake him. Ruth is dead. Henry is dead. They’re obviously not here, but he is. What’s the connection?
I sigh and rest my hand on his shoulder for whatever comfort I can offer him. I don’t know what happened to my sweet Gray, but whatever it was, it scarred him for his entire afterlife.
I am going mad, I tell myself.
Gray turns from the window and looks up at me. There is hopefulness in his eyes and he rests his head against my chest. He raises a finger and sits up. He begins to trace a word in the dust that’s settled on the glass. I give this one hundred percent of my attention. His fingertip begins to curve around on the glass until he’s formed a perfect C. He traces the letters very slowly, as though it’s been a very long time for him—and I’m sure that it probably has been. Eventually, he’s written my name in the dust. When he’s finished, he looks up at me and goes back to tracing.
Next, he traces the word alone and looks to me for approval. I nod. “I am lonely.” I say.
He folds me into his arms and pulls me close. He is cool, but not cold. I allow him to do this because I feel no fear whatsoever in what the dead can do—it’s the living that scare me the most. Gray rests his cloth-stitched face against my cheek and I feel the weight of each horrible, likely painful stitch and wonder why the bits of dark blue material would be stitched over his entire face like that, but it’s not likely that he’ll tell me anytime soon and I’m too polite to ask. I smile at the awkward ridiculousness of the situation—I have no one alive on this earth save for Velma, but it seems I’ve made a really great best friend in this dead man.
I look up and realize that Gray’s hair is showing today. Typically, he keeps it back somehow and I can’t tell if he even has any. Gray, it seems, is/was a ginger. I reach up and roll my index finger around in an unbelievably soft lock of reddish-blond hair. It’s short, but neat, and combed out of his blue-gray eyes. His face tightens rom under the cloth and I realize that he’s probably smiling at me.
“I like your hair.” I tell him with a playful grin.
Slowly, he reaches around to teasingly pull at my long, dark ponytail. Then, he holds his finger over where his mouth should be to tell me to be quiet. Or to shut up. I’m not sure which one he means, but it makes me laugh and I am enjoying his company.
I wonder if, wherever they are, Ruth and Henry Wilkins can see what Gray and I are doing tonight in the attic—playfully enjoying the night. Then, another thought creeps into my head and I have to ask Gray another question. I’m positive that my questions are an annoyance, but I want to know anyhow. “Did you know Velma Beatty?”
He nods, but doesn’t look at me. Instead, he’s staring out the window again. I don’t push the questions further. Something I’ve said has made him sad. I wonder if maybe he might have been a lover of Velma’s so many years ago. I shake the idea from my head—she had a husband and he died in the seventies. Sometimes, he was all she ever talked about.
Gray releases me and I take that as my cue to leave him to himself. I back away, but as I reach the little crawl hole over my ladder, I see that the ladder is gone. It isn’t down there at all, so the possibility that my larger than life dog has knocked it over is out of the question and there isn’t anyone else in the house—or at least I thought there wasn’t up until now.
“Gray?” I breathe. He turns to face me and shifts his weight in the windowsill. “Gray, my ladder is gone. I can’t get down.”
It takes only a few seconds before he materializes at my side. He looks down the hole and then at me. He is just as puzzled as I am. He groans as he lifts me in his arms. He’s cradling me like a baby and, with his index finger and middle finger, closes my eyelids. He holds his fingers there for a moment and when he removes them, I open my lids and see that we are standing at the top of the stairs and he is no longer holding me. It’s as though time was temporarily erased.
I have no idea what to say, but manage a quick thanks and a nod. Gray disappears in a low flash of blue light and I look up to see the opening to the attic shut behind him. He’s up there again, all by himself, and I have no idea where my ladder is.
I go to the broom closet and open the door. Cold water flows out of the closet as though it’s been submerged. Some of it falls down the stairs like an indoor waterfall. My feet are freezing cold now and I see my ladder folded carefully inside the closet. I’m shaking as I step forward and inspect it. The top rung has a spot of dried blood on it and a discarded sewing needle with twine laced through it.
Of all the houses in LaGrange, I had to pick the one with dead folks, I think to myself. I pull my flannel pajama pants down and pick them up as I wander to the upstairs bathroom and push them into the hamper. I go to my bedroom and pick a clean pair of sweats from a drawer and put them on before going downstairs to the kitchen and reluctantly pull the mop out of the corner and grab my bucket. I take the mop and bucket back upstairs to clean up all the water, but when I reach the stairs, the water is gone.
I swallow hard and walk up the stairs to the closet to see that the ladder is back underneath the opening to the attic. There is no spot of blood or needle on the top rung. There is no water damage to my closet.
It’s as though the entire thing was a figment of my over worked imagination.
EXTRA STUFF:
As promised, here is the link to Mark Hogg’s fan page on Facebook,Mr. Markzilla Artist! Go give him a like and check out all of his artwork!
STAY TUNED FOR: Okay, so we’re going to have a contest called the HAUNTED VALENTINE GIVEAWAY. Yes, we’re giving away a free copy of BONES OF WILLOW LAKE! Stay tuned to this blog because this is where the contest will be posted FIRST.
I’ve been working on a new novel, so I haven’t really had a lot of blogging time. Tonight, however, I have decided to take a moment and share with you the playlist I listened to while writing The Bones of Willow Lake. All my books have an unofficial playlist lol. Here it goes!
1) You Are the Ocean — Phantogram
2) In the Air Tonight — Phil Collins
3) Linger — The Cranberries
4) Dancing In the Dark — Matt Kearney
5) We Are Trees — Sunrise Sunset
6) Crestfallen — Smashing Pumpkins
7) The Day We Never Met — The Crash Test Dummies
8) It’ll Never Leave You Alone — The Crash Test Dummies
9) Gravedigger — Dave Matthews Band or just Dave Matthews (not sure which lol)
10) Never Let Me Go — Florence and the Machine
11) Hans Zimmer — Time
12) LOTS of Michael Nyman songs
13) Haunted — Type O Negative
14) Paradise — Coldplay
15) I Go To Sleep — Sia
16) Paper Route — You Kill Me
And there you have it! I will try to update a little bit more. I’ve been really busy lately, so please excuse me. There is no new news about The Bones of Willow Lake, other than it is forthcoming! So hang in there with me 😀
Ever wonder what his advise to writers would be like? I’d be afraid to ask him…lol.
A fellow blogger published a post earlier called 10 Things Aspiring Novelists Should know. Well done. The link is there for you if you’d like to read it–and you very well should–but, I thought about this over and over and there are a few things I wanted to add to that list. I had a running commentary in my head the entire time I read the post. I’m not going to give you her post and then my response to it, but rather write an entirely new list. After all, if I just gave you hers and then added my two cents, you would’t learn nearly as much from either of us lol.
So, without tweedle-dumming around, here is my list.
1–Write whatever the heck you want to write. Just write. And then write some more. And, after that, write in the bedroom. Then, move to the kitchen and write in there. Write all over the place or keep one specific place to write. But, just write, okay.
2– Read stuff. Lots of stuff. Read magazines, comic books, romance, horror, science fiction, non-fiction, and pamphlets in the doctor’s office. The more you read, the better off you’ll be. After all, a writer who chooses not to read is like a scientist who chooses not to learn the periodic table of elements. It just doesn’t work. Chances are, if you’re not fond of reading, you want to be a writer for money and fame and nothing else.
And as you can see by my overwhelming lack of celebrity status and the missing yacht from my driveway, writers do not always become rich, famous celebrities.
3–Some folks say to write what you know, but I say write what you see. Depending on the genre you’re writing, you may not know anything about what you’re writing because it may not have been invented or discovered yet. Like time machines and the planet Uberdork. Some writers will see things they actually do know, which is wonderful. But, never think you have to fit into a mold and do things by the book just to be published.
4–Create your characters first. This is a lesson that was particularly difficult for me to learn, but my friend George hammered this habit into my head fairly hard and I think it finally stuck. And, you know what? He was right. Create normal people or create immortal creatures, monsters, goblins, or whatever your heart desires. Give them depth. Write out a character sketch for these characters and write out some background for them before you start writing your story (if you want to…but, if you’re new to writing, I would suggest at least giving it a try). As long as you can create real, lifelike characters and really give them their own voices, your story will pretty well tell itself, sort of. Not completely. You still have actual work to do.
5–Set up a writing schedule and try your best to stick to it. Stop making excuses. Sit down and write, even when you’re not in the mood. You can always go back and change things that ultimately suck later if you have to. Don’t beat yourself to death if you can’t stick to your schedule to a tee, but make a conscious effort. You will be much more successful in finishing your projects this way.
6–Read some more, but this time read something in a genre you’re not used to or fond of. Choose a book you wouldn’t normally choose. I’ve gone through genre phases throughout my life. As a kid, I started out reading comic books. By the time I reached eleven years old, I’d moved on to good ol’ Billy Bob Shakespeare. After Romeo and Juliet, I phased into reading historical romances, then historical anything else, and by the time I was a freshman in high school, I began reading more horror and science fiction as well as romance novels ranging from historical to contemporary to paranormal. Nowadays, I lean toward paranormal novels of any sub genre. I love horror–zombies, gremlins, imps, witches, and of course, vampires. I also have a real sweet spot for books of any genre that include time travel. The more you read, the more open your mind becomes the more you’re exposed to new possibilities. Don’t cut yourself short by only reading one thing.
7–Do not limit yourself, your stories, or your characters in any way, shape, form, or fashion. Characters shouldn’t have to fit any cookie cutter mold and neither should their plots.
8–Take some time to smell the roses. Go on a fishing trip. Book a hotel in town for the night just to order room service and watch television uninterrupted by your normal life. Take a walk through the park. Go to your local community center and take a knitting class. Join a gym. Live your life. Life experiences make you a better, more perceptive writer.
9–Take advise from more experienced authors, but don’t take it all straight to heart. Just because bestselling author XYZ drinks 3 oz. of lizard spit every morning because he swears it helps his creative juices start to flow doesn’t mean you should do it, too. Like most things in life, rules you were taught as children often apply to the writing business–as far as etiquette and common sense goes–as well. Just because Bob jumps off a bridge, do you think you should jump with him? No. No, you should not. But, you could bungee if you want to.
10–Do not measure your success by comparing yourself to other authors. Authors who write for the love of the craft are just as valuable–more, in my opinion–than writers who write with the full intent to become millionaires. You’ll meet your fair share of each of those kinds of authors when you get started. You’ll quickly learn to figure out which ones are which. If you write romance, do it because you love it, not because romance books sell. If you write horror, write the heck out of that stuff! Don’t worry about what Stephen King is doing (but, buy his books because he is awesome).
Alternately, do not measure the worth of another author by the amount of money they make, the status of their publisher, or what their sales are currently looking like. There are a lot of diamonds sparkling in the coal pile, just waiting to be picked. Well, read. Whatever.
A quick note to my followers and anyone else who happened upon my blog:
From time to time, I do post things intended to help other authors along. We all have our moments of doubt and sometimes we need a push. Sometimes, when we read things focused on the craft of writing, it ignites a fuse inside our weirdo brains that causes us to write marvelous things. That’s why I do it. Not because I feel like I have to. Just because I want others to go forth and write. I do like to read, so I suppose it’s rather selfish of me to push others along if you think about it that way… Nonetheless, if you feel like something I’ve said is wrong, please explain which thing and why in comments. A good conversation or argument with intelligence instead of nastiness is always welcome. 😀
The Demon King (kindle edition) is on sale temporarily from tomorrow until June 30th.
For UK readers, the price will be lowered to £1.49.
For US readers, the price will be lowered to $2.99.
If you do not own a Kindle, you can get the Kindle for PC app from Amazon for FREE so you can enjoy The Demon King as well as any other Kindle books you’d like to purchase (and also there are a lot of freebies available from time to time!).
Also, if you’d like to read my guest blog post at Fringe Works, please head on over with this link!
Every writer has them–little fantasies that dance in our heads, mostly things we rarely talk about. Except to our besties and sometimes with other authors. For fun’s sake, I decided to write out some of mine.
1). Probably the most common dream for writers is to have one of their stories made into a movie. Some of us are lucky enough to have this dream turn into a reality, but that number is very few. Some of the best book-to-movie/TV adaptations I’ve seen recently are The Hunger Games, True Blood, Game of Thrones, all of the Lord of the Rings movies, and let’s not forget the slew of superhero movies (Comic books…they’re books, too).
If one of my books could make it to the big screen, I’d probably keel over from shock because the chances are that slim. However, if I could choose which one, I’d choose THE BONES OF WILLOW LAKE (to be released sometime this year). I have no idea who I’d really want to play Celia Burne and Paul Gray, but it would be awesome to have Cloris Leachman play Velma Beatty. Velma is the character who lives next door to Celia and knew Gray in the forties. She was one of the best characters I’ve ever written in my short twenty-nine years as a writer (I was born writing with my own umbilical cord. Just ask my mom.). Whoever played Paul Gray would need to carry certain characteristics through his expressions and, mostly, with his eyes. Paul Gray is described as having sleepy blue-gray eyes, regardless of the time of day. Mark Ryder (Canal +’s Borgia) would be a close choice, although his hair is too dark. The intensity in the eyes is there, though. Also, I just have a thing for Mark Ryder.
Cloris Leachman
2). To be on the New York Times Bestsellers list. I may never see my name there, but it’s interesting enough to dream, right?
3.) To have my book in hardcover. Face facts, Jack. Most small publishers do not offer books in hardcover. Some do, but most do not, which leaves the majority of writers today pining away at their own thoughts, dreaming of the day when they can run their fingers across the spine of a hardcover copy of one of their own creations. I have no clue why this is so important to so many of us, but it apparently isn’t just me who has this dream. I consider myself in good company.
4). To see your books at Wal-Mart, the drug store, K-Mart, basically anything else that ends with “Mart”, Barnes & Nobles, and any other free shelf space in stores. Independent authors fight and scratch to get their books on shelves. It’s another thing many of us will never see. Some will, most will not. The digital age has everyone buying books online, which I have absolutely nothing against (Go now and buy THE DEMON KING from Amazon), but sometimes it’s nice to just shop in real stores and handle the books before you buy them. I, for one, love going into a store and picking the book up, feeling and smelling the pages, and checking out how it feels to hold it. Honestly, sometimes I’ll refuse to read a book because I don’t like the way it feels in my hand and I’ll choose another format instead (I prefer trade paperback unless it’s a book I wish to collect and then I buy hardback lol).
5). To reach Stephen King status. That man is awesome. He has over fifty books in print, several of his books have been made into films and television series, and I see more Stephen King quotes on Facebook than any other author, alive or dead. Why is he so important and special? Because he writes greatness. Some of his books I far prefer over others, but that man writes whatever he wants. He sticks it to the man. He wears tee shirts and jeans and he doesn’t care what anyone else things (at least for the most part). He scares the shit out of people, which is powerful stuff!
6). Whether or not I ever reach “Stephen King status” doesn’t matter nearly as much as this last thing on my list. I want people to read and enjoy my books. I want to hear from readers and for them to have positive experiences with my books. I want to hear people say that my book made them feel something. Anything. I want to pull reactions out of the readers and make them want more. I want to tell the stories in my head and leave them on this Earth long after I’ve gone. Decades from now, I want my grandchildren to be able to read my books and say, “Wow, my grandma was WEIRD! But, I kinda like her…”
Anything else to add? Feel free to add your own dreams in comments!
Also, go buy my book, THE DEMON KING. (LOL!)
Rhiannon Writes On 