TWISTED WEBB

Magic, Monsters and Mythical Creatures

2012-02-02T14:26:00.000-06:00

The Basilisk and Leviathan

Sometimes magic, monsters and myth collide. The end result is something far more elusive and harrowing than we care to believe. Whether they are fiction or real, the Basilisk and Leviathan are creatures that will not be denied their rightful place in our worlds. Ever present not only in literature, but in film as well, they have woven themselves into the very fabric of some cultures and are truly the stuff that nightmares are made of. Though similar in some ways, their traits vary considerably and give each creature its own unique flair and its very own killing style.

In some European legends, a Basilisk is a legendary reptile reputed to be king of serpents due to the crown-shaped crest upon its head. Alleged to be hatched by a cockerel from the egg of a serpent or toad, the Basilisk is rumored to cause death to anyone who locks eyes with the beast. One of the earliest accounts of the Basilisk comes from Pliny the Elder's Natural History, written in 79 AD. In it, he describes a monstrous, cow-like creature of which "all who behold its eyes fall dead upon the spot”. It is also believed that the venom of the Basilisk is so destructive that the creature leaves behind a burnt and scorched earth as it slithers across the landscape.

Many writers have been seduced by this legendary monster and brought forth their own ideas and slight variations of the beast. Geoffrey Chaucer featured a ‘Basilicok’ in his famous Canterbury Tales. He made use of the legend which states that basilisks can be killed by hearing the crow of a rooster or gazing at itself through a mirror. Chaucer would incorporate one of these killing methods in the legend of the basilisk of Warsaw. This tale would see the Basilisk killed by a man carrying a set of mirrors.

More and more stories added to the enormity of the Basilisk’s reputation and gradually added to the Basilisk's killing powers as well. Some began to describe it as a large beast capable of breathing fire and killing with only the sound of its voice. Some writers would even claim that the Basilisk could kill by touch and could even kill by touching something that a poor soul was touching. So, a sword held in the hand of a great warrior would yield almost certain death the very moment the hero struck the killing blow into the creature. All of this death came from a beast that would become the guardian and traditional symbol of strength for the city of Basel in Switzerland.

Many other writers would toy with the idea of this mythical monster and introduce it to millions of readers in the process. William Shakespeare, Samuel Richardson, Alexander Pope, Voltaire and even Charles Dickens dipped their quills into the world of this mythical monster and referenced it and its killing power in their work. Of course, the most famous telling of a Basilisk tale today is most likely J.K. Rowlings’ Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets. In this novel, the Basilisk, an enormous, snake-like creature with monstrous fangs almost kills Harry with its deadly venom, but he is saved by the tears of a phoenix.

Artists would also put forth their renditions of the Basilisk. Leonardo da Vinci included a Basilisk in his Bestiary. He describes it as so utterly cruel that when it cannot kill animals or humans by its baleful gaze, it turns upon the earth and withers everything in its path.

Unlike the Basilisk, Leviathan is widely claimed as a sea creature. In demonology, Leviathan is hailed as one of the seven princes of Hell and known as its gatekeeper.

Mentioned several times throughout biblical text, Leviathan finds its history deeply rooted in the traditions of Near Eastern Mythology and dates back as far as the 3rd Century BC.

In the Canaanite myth, ‘Liviathan’ was considered an interpretation of the chaos that spilled forth at the beginning of the Universe’s creation. From this chaos, a seven headed, fire-breathing crocodile-like dragon was formed. He lurked in the depths of the sea and waited for an opportune moment so he could rise up and steal away unsuspecting victims. A great warrior named Anat fought Leviathan and bound him in chains, bringing order to the universe. Though the tale ended there, it is believed that Leviathan is not dead, but simply waiting for the day when he will again rise up from the depths and destroy us all.

Beliefs about Leviathan and its origins vary greatly from one culture and religious background to another. If you are a Christian, Leviathan is a bringer of death sent forth by Satin himself. On the other hand, according to Anton Szandor LaVey, the author of The Satanic Bible, Leviathan represents the element of Water. The element of Water in Satanism is associated with life and creation. In The Satanic Bible, Leviathan is known as one of the Four Crown Princes of Hell.

We see two different takes on a mythical monster that looks the same to both groups and yet, is so very different in its intentions.

Other variations of this monstrous creature would show up in great literary works and the name Leviathan would become synonymous with any large creature living in the ocean. One in particular would become an instant classic and introduce us to a new spin on the Leviathan tale.

In 1851 American author Herman Melville published his novel, Moby Dick. The story tells the adventures of a wandering sailor named Ishmael and his voyage with Captain Ahab. The captain has but one purpose, to seek out a specific whale: Moby Dick. The whale is described as a ferocious and elusive white sperm whale that, in a previous encounter, destroyed Ahab's boat and bit off his leg. Ahab becomes consumed with bitter anger and longs to seek his revenge by killing the beast.

Leviathan would also gather some film credits when in 1989 a movie of the same name was released. Often compared to Alien and The Thing, Leviathan’s storyline focused on underwater deep-sea miners. After finding some Soviet wreckage, the crew brings back deadly cargo to their base on the ocean floor with horrifying results. The crew must then fight to survive against a genetic mutation as they are hunted down and killed one by one by LEVIATHAN!

Though their similarities are unmistakable, the tales behind the Basilisk and Leviathan could not be farther apart. Whether you are a fan of the classic tales or have only recently been introduce through Harry Potter, chances are you will not soon forget these monstrous and mythical creatures. Steeped in magical folklore and transported through time by literature, paintings and film, the Basilisk and Leviathan will surely be with us for hundreds maybe even thousands of years. I cannot tell you whether these creatures exist or if they are merely a figment of a most active imagination. The question still remains: Are they magic, monsters or mythical creatures… only you can decide.

CK Webb for Suspense Magazine

MAGIC, MONSTERS & MYTHICAL CREATURES

2011-11-30T13:47:00.000-06:00

As summers’ long, lazy days come slowly to an end and autumn begins to push into its place, we find ourselves on a brand new journey of discovery. This journey will take us from witches to warlocks, from devils to demons, from elves to fairies and everything in between. So, light the candles and pull up a seat as I welcome you to the world of…

WITCHES & WITCHCRAFT
Throughout the ages, many different eras have come and gone in mankind’s history. Some are rumors, whispered in dark rooms and rarely spoken of in the daylight hours. But others twisted our history and our psyche as they left huge black marks on our past.
Witchcraft, in history, has been defined as the use of mythological, religious, supernatural or magical powers. Naturally, anyone who practices witchcraft is labeled a witch and oftentimes, with harrowing consequences.
It was often believed, in many cultures, that witches were in league with the Devil himself and only used their powers for evil or to bring harm to others. Today, there are many thoughts on witches & witchcraft, but more often than not, they are viewed simply as good or bad. It was not always this way.
In the early fourteenth and fifteenth centuries in Europe, witchcraft was brought to the attention of those in positions of power within the churches and towns. So began the infamous witch-hunts, where an estimated forty to one hundred thousand men and women were accused of witchcraft and subsequently executed for their deemed roles as cohorts of Satan. They suffered horrible deaths by hanging, burning or even drowning and many were most likely, innocent of their accused crimes.
Europe was not the only place where witchcraft was condemned and, in what has become widely known throughout the world, Massachusetts would leave a dark stain on our nation’s history, forever.
In 1645 in Springfield, Massachusetts, the very first accusations of witchcraft were brought forth by a husband and wife. While each accused the other of evil dealings with the Devil, the husband was later found innocent while the wife was, at first, acquitted then subsequently convicted of murdering her child and sentenced to hang. She did not make it to the noose and died while imprisoned. What began as a domestic squabble, quickly spun out of control and within the next eighteen years, eighty people would find themselves accused of witchcraft. Thirteen women and two men met with an untimely demise during those years and each were executed for their presumed roles as witches.
In what would later become the most widely known witch-hunts in history and would be the inspiration for many books and films, the Salem Witch Trials took place from February 1692 through May of 1693. The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings held before the local magistrate in Essex, Suffolk and Middlesex Counties in colonial Massachusetts. Over one hundred fifty people were arrested and imprisoned for witchcraft. The two courts convicted twenty-nine people of witchcraft, which was considered a capitol felony, nineteen of which, were hanged. One man who refused to enter a guilty plea was crushed to death beneath giant stones in an attempt to coax a confession from him. At least five others, who were accused, but never convicted, died while imprisoned.
Though known in history as the "Salem" witch trials, the hearings took place in several towns including Salem Village, Ipswich, Andover and Salem Town, Massachusetts. The best-known trials were conducted by the Court of Oyer and Terminer in 1692 in Salem Town. Twenty-six people went to trial before this court…
All were convicted.
The same town where witchcraft was once met with disdain now makes a mean business of witches and the art of witchcraft. Salem, Massachusetts’ tourism is the backbone of their economy and many visitors come to get a look at the town where witches who were once hung are now celebrated. You can visit famous places where witches were hanged, take a haunted tour at Halloween and even take home a witchy souvenir or two.

The focus on witchcraft died down after the trials, but some writers would see to it that no one ever forgot. In 1953 American playwright Arthur Miller wrote his dramatization of the Salem witch trials, The Crucible. The play was made into a movie of the same name many years later and starred Winona Ryder & Daniel Day-Lewis. It is also the basis for study throughout many of our school systems and today, considered a classic. The Witches is a children's book by Roald Dahl and it was first published in London in 1983. With beautiful illustrations and a ton of controversy to go with it, it remains one of the greatest witch books ever written and can be found in most libraries.
There would be a TV show that would emerge in the 1960’s with a fresh new take on the witch. Bewitched, starred Elizabeth Montgomery as an average wife with some above average talents and with just a wiggle of her nose, she gave America a new outlook on witches. Other TV shows would later follow in the footsteps of Bewitched by offering a more positive take on the dark subject of witches. Charmed debuted in 1998 and featured the four, fictional Halliwell sisters—Prue, Piper, Phoebe and Paige. Known as The Charmed Ones in the magical community, they were from the most powerful line of good witches in history and sent to protect innocent lives against evil beings, such as demons and warlocks. Each sister possessed her own unique magical power that she tried, often without success, to keep hidden from the world, while living a somehow normal life in San Francisco. The series was a huge hit and ran for many seasons. It is still in syndication today.
Two unknowns would ignite the world’s fascination with witches when they introduced their debut young adult novel in 2009. Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl made a huge splash in the literary world with their novel Beautiful Creatures. Billed as one of the best debuts of 2009, the book was followed up by a second book in the series, Beautiful Darkness, the following year. The next book in this franchise, Beautiful Chaos, will be released in October of this year. Not only did the books gain worldwide recognition from readers, but also grabbed Hollywood’s attention and has been optioned by Warner Brothers as a major motion picture! That is a far cry from the Salem Witch Trials.
A recent movie release that would bring a little of the darkness back to the witch is 2011’s Beastly. In it, a boy is cursed by a modern day witch, played by Mary-Kate Olsen. He is given one year to change the person he has become on the inside & find someone to love him for who he is or spend the rest of his life severely scarred and tattooed from head to toe.
Witches and witchcraft have come a very long way from the days of witch-hunts and mass executions. From Bugs Bunny’s fantastic Witch Hazel with her broom stick and flying hair pins that we loved as kids, to the unusual loveliness of Lena in Beautiful Creatures, witches have fascinated us for many years been a huge part of our history as a people.
Witches are no longer the hideous hags we believed them to be as children. There is no wart on their long, bulbous nose to give them away or a cackle in their voice that spells certain doom. Witches are all around us, but often hidden from our view. They could be your neighbor or the girl down at the super market or even the writer who weaves those wicked tales you love to read. So, whatever you do, watch what you say and how you treat those strangers you pass on the street or risk hearing the dreading words…
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
Double, double toil and trouble!!!

CK Webb

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT:

2011-10-10T11:04:00.000-05:00

MARK P. SADLER

Sadler’s humble beginnings started in a small caravan in his grandmother’s garden in Post War Britain, May 1956.

Life started in the little nursing home in Dudley, and moved to a caravan in his grandparents back garden, until his aunt and her new husband moved out of the big house. For the next three years the new family inhabited the upstairs of the house on the hill in Woodsetton. Young Sadler quickly learned the joy of discovery through books as his mother, a pre-school teacher, read countless stories to him. He was reading at a level two years ahead of his age by the time he entered school and won his first reading prize in his beginning year at St. Nicholas’ Primary in Codsall, Staffordshire.

The family had by this time moved to the country, living in a small bungalow in Codsall Wood. By the time he graduated from Codsall Comprehensive in 1974 a future in writing seemed to be taking a clear path. The following year Sadler immigrated to the States on a student visa to attend Ambassador College Big Sandy Texas and participated in journalism and speech classes, intent on becoming the next big television news anchor.

As is often the case life got in the way. After hitchhiking from Dallas to Los Angeles a random blind date turned into a serious commitment, and just four months later, a blushing bride with a blooming belly, led him to Oklahoma City. With a family to care for Sadler went about his way over the next seven years trying to find a way to support what had now become two boys and a wife unable to work through illness. Writing took a back seat.

From the factory floors of Robberson Steel to the sales floor at Intempo Wood Factory, from employment counselor to debt collector, he finally found a permanent position at Retail Merchants Collection Service. Debt collections led to career that has now spanned over thirty years and has remained the one constant in his soap opera of a life. There were times, as the boys became teenagers that the opportunity came to write.

One day in 1980, picking up a copy of a new publication, OKC Sports Fan Forum, he noticed that there was no soccer mentioned, typical of just about any publication in Oklahoma that was so entrenched in football, basketball and baseball. When he called to complain to the editors he was offered the opportunity to write an editorial column covering the progression of soccer in Oklahoma as America faced the hosting of the World Cup.

When 2007 rolled around it found Sadler remarried and living in Tucson, having moved there in 1993. His two boys were now young men with children of their own, and a third son from his third marriage starting high school. With a little extra time on his hands he once again took up the skills that had engrained themselves in him during high school, and took on the task that he knew one day he would succeed in; it was time to write a book.

Inspiration hit, as it tends to do, at one in the morning. Armed with bludgeoning thoughts he turned on the computer and let the words flow. Several months later he enrolled in a class at Pima Community College and under the tutorial of Meg Files learned how to control the form of the words until Blood on His Hands was born.

The search for an agent for a new unpublished author proved daunting, nay impossible, and so along with one in every three books written this year Sadler decided to self-publish. Seeking the services of print on demand publisher Infinity Publishing the project went ahead. The novel should be available for ordering by early May 2009.

Sadler lives with his wife in Tucson, where he is working on his next novel. He is a contributor for Suspense Magazine. You can learn more about Mark by visiting his website at http://marksadler.com/

You can prchase Mark's book, Blood On His Hands, by clicking the book cover.

Things That Come Out At Night

2011-09-26T21:31:00.000-05:00

WereWolves

“Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolf bane blooms, and the autumn moon is bright.” Wolfman ~1941

No matter your age or where you are from, chances are, at some point you were frightened by a creature that comes out at night. Some had fangs and drank blood, others were walking corpses that feasted on the brains of the living, but some looked no different than you and I. They could roam the world as everyday humans and go unnoticed until...the next full moon would find them sprouting thick coats of fur and preying on the throats of unsuspecting travelers in the night. Some werewolves were even graced with the ability to transform at will, making them an even more frightening creature of the night.

The very first werewolf movie that I cut my teeth on as a child was An American Werewolf In London. Even today, it is the standard by which I judge all werewolf books or movies. I was 8 years old and it was absolutely brilliant. Considering the date and the technology available then, it is still one of the greatest transformation scenes I have ever watched and very few can hold a candle to it.

Werewolves hold a unique place in our hearts and minds, but where did this concept of half man, half wolf emerge from and how has it changed throughout the years? Let us quickly find out before the full moon's glow shines brightly and some of us are no longer the same.
As children our first taste of werewolves probably came from the childhood fairytale Little Red Riding Hood, but in history, werewolf folklore dates back thousands of years. In 8 A.D., Ovid wrote the Latin narrative poem Metamorphosis which follows a man cursed to roam the earth as a werewolf because of the heinous crimes he has committed against a child. Other great poets of the same era would dip into the werewolf tale. Virgil, Pliny The Elder and Gaius Petronius Arbiter, were just a few. Some of Arbiter's works on the subject date back as far as 60 B.C.

The origins of the werewolf tale stem from a primitive time when forests covered most of the landscape and animals were quick to steal a bite to eat from the sparse populations of humans that inhabited their lands. Europeans were some who turned terror and misunderstanding into legend and are credited with some of the very first werewolf tales.

In a time where medicine was confined to medicinal herbs, hocus pocus remedies and cures, mental illness was not something that anyone had ever heard of. As such, a person who was suffering from lycanthropy was not mentally unstable and in need of medication, sedation and observation, but was someone who was indeed cursed to be a werewolf and needed to be exterminated in order to save their soul. Sounds crazy to us, but to those living in these wilderness times when humanity was just finding its way, it made perfect sense. Today we understand lycanthropy to be the mental illness associated with schizophrenia where a person becomes convinced they are or have already, transformed into various animals, including wolves.

In European folklore it was said that even in human form, signs existed to distinguish a werewolf from other humans. If you had curved fingernails or low set ears, you could easily have been mistaken for a werewolf. For those poor folks who had the misfortune of having eyebrows that grew together, in a time before tweezers had been invented, they too were thought to be werewolves.

The means by which a person could be become a werewolf, were almost as plentiful as the stories themselves. A person could be bitten or scratched by a werewolf, the most popular means, but there are some more obscure methods that are a lot more fun. There was rubbing your body with magic salve, drinking from an enchanted stream and even sleeping under the full moon on a Wednesday or Friday with the moon's glow shining on your face. My personal favorite has to be, drinking rainwater from the footprints of the beasts that were found in the forest!
As the years passed and we, as humans, became more sophisticated & educated, our take on werewolves changed drastically, but our desire to carry their tale with us through history did not.

Literature has adapted a plethora of these iconic tales into short stories, novels and later on, into the movies we have grown to love over the years. The nineteenth century would see a host of very famous writers tackle the werewolf story from the likes of G.W.M. Reynolds, Sutherland Menzies and even Alexander Dumas.

The twentieth century would usher in the true emergence of the werewolf as a staple in horror fiction and an explosion of stories and movies based on the tale would come blazing onto the scene. In 1933, American author Guy Endore wrote The Werewolf of Paris which has since come to be known as the Dracula of werewolf literature.

The very first feature film to use the werewolf premise was Werewolf of London in 1935. It would however be Lon Cheney Jr.'s portrayal of the tragic character Larry Talbot in 1941's The Wolf Man that would set the standard for all movies in the genre. The movie catapulted werewolves into the public eye and from this one film two very crucial werewolf staples were established...werewolves always kill those they love the most and they can be quickly dispatched from this world by a silver bullet.

Other movies and books would come along and werewolves would be further rooted into the horror genre until the introduction of the paranormal romance and young adult books that embrace the these creatures.

J.K. Rowlings gave a new take to werewolves in her Harry Potter series in which she creates them as dangerous, but also as misunderstood and widely discriminated against. Other authors in the young adult genre would give new life to werewolves with books such as Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater, Dark Guardian by Rachel Hawthorne and Night Shade by Andrea Cremer.
Movies have been plentiful and werewolves have graced the big screen hundreds of times. From feature length cartoons like 2005's Wallace And Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, to the 2010 remake of the classic The Wolf Man and even the new adaptation of the childhood tale in 2011's Red Riding Hood, werewolves have found for themselves, a home within our books, our films and our minds.

Even music has grabbed up a portion of this iconic creature that comes out in the night with songs like Monster by Skillet, Wolf Moon by Type O Negative and Of Wolf And Man by Metallica. These are barely scraping the barrel. You can literally find dozens of songs about werewolves and some you may never have even suspected were about them.

Though werewolves have a deeply rooted place in the media of our world, one thing has not changed much in the thousands of years since the very first tales were told. Werewolves were then and are almost always now, portrayed in a negative light. They are the thing to fear, they are the curse from which no one can ever return and they are the stuff of nightmares. I am happy to have them there in our songs, in our books and films in our very history. The alternative is, they walk amongst us, beside us and they are there waiting... waiting for the lights to go out, waiting for that next full moon, wanting to show us what really comes out in the night.

CK Webb

CONGRATULATIONS!!

2011-09-16T05:50:00.000-05:00

A big congrats to Lisa Faye Coombs & Nona Matherne on winning a copy of Jim Bernheimer's book, CONFESSIONS OF A D-LIST SUPER VILLAIN!! Lisa will receive a signed copy of Jim's book and Nona will receive an e-copy of the book. Thank you ladies for being loyal readers of Twisted Webb & WebbWeaver. Please use the contact page to send me your addresses and e-mails. Enjoy your books!!

CK

Guest Post & Signed Book Giveaway from Jim Bernheimer

2011-09-06T09:12:00.000-05:00

The Necessary Evils of Marketing

It has probably been said before, but if not, I’ll say it. The beauty and the curse of being a small press or independent writer (Indy) is that you are responsible for making everything happen. That includes all the nuts and bolts of getting the book into publication, which is to be expected. Heck, portions of that can even be fun like cover selection (editing not so much), but then the author is hit with a nasty little shock - they have to successfully market their new shiny novel.
This isn’t Field of Dreams. Just writing a novel is no guarantee that “They will come.” It takes a lot of hard work that has absolutely nothing to do with writing a good story.
The first thing I recommend is to see what successful independent authors in your genre are doing and make a list. I write science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Some things I do won’t do squat for a romance or humor author, so examine the people in your genre and decide what person’s career you’d like to emulate.
Once you’ve come up with a list of possible strategies, you now have to face the likelihood that you won’t be able to do all of these things. You can look no further than the numerous social media choices available to connect with your potential readers like Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Google+, MySpace, Kindleboards, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and all the review blogs out there. It’s an endless buffet and you’ve only got so much room in your stomach.
Yes, just because you can go make a video trailer for your book doesn’t mean you should. This is just an example and I’m not slamming book trailers, but I haven’t seen any real evidence that they sell more books than a good description will. In my case, I don’t see the ROI (Return on Investment) because most of my sales come from Amazon and as an “Indy,” I haven’t come across a way to get a video trailer up without paying a large fee to their Createspace business unit. Yes, you can put it on your Author Central page, but the reality is only a small percentage of people who arrive on your book’s page will click over to your author page. It makes a nice addition to your website or blog, but now you need a reason for a person to come to your website or blog, and that goes back to making a large investment of time and effort into hosting a successful blog. As with all my advice, your mileage may vary, but the time spent creating that video trailer is time you could have been writing or blogging.
In my own case, I have a wife, two feisty daughters, and a full time job to occupy most of my waking hours. This limits the amount of time that I can spend on the computer for both writing and marketing. So, I pick and choose where I maintain an online presence, because doing three things well is better than doing a dozen things poorly. There is something to be said about not biting off more than you can chew!
Generally, I stick to Facebook, my webpage (www.jimbernheimer.com), my Amazon Author Page, and make an occasional appearance on Kindleboards. Give readers a place where they can contact you, but you don’t have to scramble like a crazy person trying to be everywhere at once. Take a deep breath and remember that this is supposed to be fun. If it’s not fun, try and figure out why it isn’t and fix it.
Guest blogging, reviews, and sponsoring giveaways are my bread and butter when it comes to marketing. Many authors also run their own blog. I haven’t gone that route because (once again), I don’t think I could add another ball to my juggling routine and do it properly. Instead, I spend my time contacting all the folks who have taken the route of posting regular content and attracting followers. For me this makes the most sense. Guest posting introduces my novels to this blogs followers and maybe a few are intrigued enough to give one of my books a try. The nice folks who run the book review blogs know that content is king and more interesting content keeps the readers coming back for more. Having authors come in and do guest posts is a mutually beneficial relationship for the author and the book blogger.
With the advent of “Blog Tours,” it seems lots of other authors and the publishing houses as well have figured it out too, but keep in mind that being late to the party still means you’re at the party, so don’t get discouraged if this blog turns you down because they have a large to be read pile. When deciding whether or not to contact a blog, look at how often they update. The quantity and quality of their postings will tell you a whole bunch about the person or persons you are dealing with. I rank it just as important as the number of followers/networked blogs a review site has.
One big thing to remember, the majority of book bloggers are doing it because they love reading. They are volunteering their time. Things do come up in their lives that may interfere with reviewing your novel. One of the mistakes I made about six months ago was contacting a blog and accepting an offer to do giveaways for three of my novels. I sent them two copies of each book for a grand total of six, which ended up being about seventy-five dollars after shipping and handling. You can probably already see where this is going, but yeah, none of my books have been reviewed or given away.
Lesson learned - wait for the review and then coordinate the giveaway.
In conclusion, I’d like to thank CK and DJ for having me and offer encouragement to any author out there trying to get his or her stories published. If you don’t know where to start when it comes to marketing, I say, “Keep it simple,” and find things you can do and do them to the best of your abilities. Jim

Jim has graciously agreed to give away a signed copy of his book to one US resident and an e-copy to one international winner!!! For an opportunty to win a copy of CONFESSIONS OF A D-LIST SUPER VILLAIN please leave a comment below or at WebbWeaver Reviews http://bit.ly/HWQKW and the winner will be chosen from those entries!! Best of luck folks.

Special Guest Post: Meet Karla Telega

2011-08-15T19:41:00.000-05:00

Two years ago, I decided that I would rather floss with barbed wire than spend another day staring at spreadsheets and memorizing the Internal Revenue Code. I spent about a nanosecond deciding whether or not to quit my high stress job. Cons: ill-conceived, poorly-timed, totally rash. Pros: avoid an emotional meltdown that would make Chernobyl look like a leaky faucet. I went with column B.

Step two was to look busy, so I started writing. I figured that I could avoid looking for a new job, make a bucket of money, and retire to a little cabin in the wilderness. What I discovered was that I truly loved to write, and you can only fix rice and beans so many ways. I was able to pour all my fears and insecurities into my writing. The result was a humor book that received enthusiastic responses from editors and agents, who then turned me down.

Apparently, an editor’s critique that contains the word “hilarious” eight times in three paragraphs is not enough to sway a publisher. The harsh reality is that humor is a hard sell even for nationally syndicated writers, which I wasn’t. Undeterred, I decided to try the back door, and put my humor into a novel.

I like to read mysteries, so on that recommendation alone, I chose a book that told me in 100 pages how to write one. (Did I mention that I have a short attention span?) I’ve always enjoyed acting out the stories in my head … at 3:00 AM, with the curtains closed and the lights out. When it came time to do research, I threw myself into character. I slogged through swamps looking for a lizard man and panned for gold. I visited locations in my book, and talked to police, coroners, and correctional officers. I never knew research could be so much fun!

My main character, Maggie is based mainly on the changes I’m experiencing. She is coping with mid-life, anxiety, and an internal alarm clock that leaves her scrambling for purpose, identity, and adventure. She and her friend, Cher, set the irreverent tone of the story from their very first conversation.

“Do we really have to go to that damn book club meeting tomorrow?” Cher asked. “When we joined, I thought they were going to serve daiquiris while discussing Jane Austen. Somehow, we found the only dry book club in the county.”
“Come on, Cher, we’re going for the intellectual stimulation and thought-provoking dialogue. That’s why we’re reading Pride and Prejudiced Vampires.” Maggie stuck her tongue out and made a gagging noise. “Oh, hell! Which of us wants to fake the Ebola virus to get out of it?”
“Your turn,” Cher reminded her. “Last month I had bubonic plague.”
“Yes, but the month before that I had terminal hemorrhoids. That should earn me a pass tomorrow.”
Cher laughed. “That doesn’t count. When you got your second opinion, the doctor decided that you just needed more fiber in your diet.”

My writing career has been marked by making it up as I go, but in one regard, I absolutely followed “the rules.” Know your readers. Right now, over 35% of Americans are age 50 or older. Both my humor book and my novel are aimed at the AARP crowd. So many writers want a book that is universally appealing, and end up with something that is not a good fit for any reading audience. I’ve gotten very positive feedback from people of all ages, but I absolutely keep my target readers in mind when I’m promoting my book.

I’m currently working on book two in the Maggie Gorski mystery series, but I haven’t forgotten my humor writing. My partner and I are working on producing a series of humor anthologies, featuring some well-known humor writers, along with promising newcomers to the field. We wanted to provide an opportunity for exposure and publishing credits for some very talented writers, helping them to build their platform. We are currently editing our first book, My Funny Valentine, which will come out in January, 2012, published by Bauu Press.

Box of Rocks, published by Adoro Books is now available at Amazon, and through the Adoro Books website.

I would love to hear from you. You can contact me at info@telegatales.com, or visit my humor blog at http://www.telegatales.com/

http://amzn.to/pAOE1a

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: JEAN JOACHIM

2011-08-05T20:01:00.000-05:00

From Jean's website:
I didn't start writing until about 15 years ago. I had two small children and used to get up at 5:30am to write for two hours before they went to school.

I wish I could say that I did this with support from others, but I did not. No one believed I could be a writer...least of all me...but I was driven to do it anyway. After years of denying myself, I just couldn't help it...like an addict I was compelled to write.

So I started out writing 500 word articles on advertising, business and children, all based on my own experience and expertise. Lo and behold, after my first article failed, everything else I wrote got published.

This was exciting and encouraged me. I guess even I could no longer deny that I was a writer. So I decided to attempt my first book, "Beyond the Bake Sale, the Ultimate School Fund-Raising Book."

I got an agent from a friend of mine and she found a top publisher, St. Martin's Press, with a fabulous editor, Elizabeth Beier and I was off.

After six more non-fiction books, I tried my hand at fiction. one cold day last January, while I was recuperating from loss and illness, Callie and Mac just landed in my head and told me their story. I flew to my computer to get it all down, just the way they were telling me in my head.

Thus was born, "Now and Forever, a Love Story". The characters have no resemblance to anyone I know and, least of all, to me. They are completely formed total strangers that leaped out of my head and onto the page.

It was a wonderful experience, listening to their story. in my head. I fell in love with them. After the book was done, I just couldn't let them go. So they were kind enough to bring another character to the forefront, Danny Maine, Kyle's brother. Then he told me his story and "Now and Forever Again, the Book of Danny" was born.

Now I am recovering from the onslaught of more characters, Mac's brother, Peter and his father, Sam, and others and, of course, Callie and Mac, because it wouldn't be a "Now and Forever" book without them.

i will be doing a final edit of the third book in the series, "Now and Forever After, Blind Love". I don't know if I will be able to separate from these characters when this book is finished. I love them all so much.

Now it's on to the final edit for book two and more editing for book three, trying to sell book one and find a publisher for the next two. I'm a busy lady.

Before I can finish editing my Now and Forever books, another book landed in my head. The characters, Kit Alexander and Tunney Nichols made me fall in love with them, too. So I'm writing their book as a straight romance, no mystery...a new challenge for me. This book, my fourth, is called "The Renovated Heart." I'm finished with my first draft and first two rounds of editing. I know what I need to change, but that book will have to get in line and wait until the Now and Forever series has been submitted to publishers and agents. Callie's sister appears in "The Renovated Heart."

In the meantime, I wrote ANOTHER book and found an ebook publisher! "Sunny Days, Moonlit Nights" is coming out in February, published by Astraea Press. I'm very excited. You can see the cover here on my site.

I have another story that has been nudging my brain, waiting for attention. It will have to wait until I have finished the final edits for the Now and Forever series.

I will be a guest blogger in February and have another radio interview. More on that later. Back to the computer. Please keep reading because I want to keep writing.

I'd love to hear from you. Email me at jean@nowandforeverbooks.com.

Best wishes,
Jean

Author Spotlight: Tim Ellis

2011-07-28T07:51:00.000-05:00

From Tim's Website:
I started writing about four years ago, but before I wax lyrical on the now, let me take you back to 1953. I was born in the bowels of Hammersmith Hospital, London, on a dark and stormy night. Grew up in Cheadle, Cheshire, frequently visiting Beach Road in Old Colwyn, North Wales where my Gran lived. After a handful of years at a Primary School in Cheadle Hulme, which I can't remember the name of, I went to Broadway Secondary Modern school in 1968, but left before taking my CSE examinations - I hated school. These were the days when you could leave school with no qualifications and walk into a job. It was during this period that I discovered one of the main musical and literary influences in my life – Leonard Cohen, and began writing poetry. A collection of my poems was duly despatched to a publisher and subsequently rejected. I therefore had my first rejection slip as a 15 year-old boy. After leaving school, I had three or four mind-numbingly boring jobs before finally joining the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) in 1971 at the tender age of 18.

I spent 22 years in the Army – which is a story in itself - leaving as a Regimental Sergeant Major in 1993. During this time, I wrote reams and reams of drivel on weighty topics such as Army Medical Organisation, Leadership, Military Law, etc. I did, however, find another three literary influences in JRR Tolkien, Bernard Cornwell, and Isaac Asimov. After leaving the Army, I was employed as a Senior Financial Manager in a Secondary School, and took up writing with a vengeance – assignments and dissertations for two Masters degrees, and a PhD Thesis.

Following 10 years of counting a dwindling amount of beans, I became a teacher of Psychology and Sociology and devoted another 6 years of my life to writing – lesson plans, objectives, outcomes, etc, but I did find more literary influences in Conn Iggulden, R.J. Ellory, and Stieg Larsson. I also began – at last – to write fiction myself.
In January 2009 – days before my 56th birthday – I had a heart attack. By this time, I had already researched and written two Historical novels on Genghis Khan (Warrior: Path of Destiny and Warrior: Scourge of the Steppe), and a YA Science Fiction novel (The Knowledge of Time: Second Civilisation). It was also becoming increasingly difficult to go to work and teach when what I really wanted to do was write fiction. I was lucky in that I was financially able to take the decision to retire, and by August of 2009 I was a man of leisure and a full-time writer.

In 1968, becoming a writer of fiction wasn’t a career option for a 15 year-old working-class boy without any qualifications. It took over forty years of living life before I could choose that option. Since retiring, I have written book after book – now standing at ten (plus a collection of short stories), branching out into crime, fantasy, and science fiction. I’ve acquired a drawer full of rejection slips, but I have had some small minor successes. My YA Science Fiction novel was accepted for publication by a small press in America, I was awarded two short story 3rd prizes, and had four literary agencies request the full MS of Solomon’s Key, which ultimately came to nothing.

Anyway, in March of this year I uploaded all of my books onto Amazon, Smashwords, etc., and made them available for the Kindle. To date, I have sold over 3,700 books, which is not bad for someone who left school at 15 with no qualifications!
For the future – well, I’m a writer now – and in a way it’s what I’ve always been. I’m currently finishing the third book in the Parish & Richards series called The Flesh is Weak, which should be available for downloading by mid-August 2011. I then plan to finish another YA Science Fiction novel called The Timekeeper’s Apprentice, which is already half written, and I've been asked to 'please finish Quigg 3: The Skulls Beneath Eternity Wharf'. I’m playing about with a biopunk novel called Triple Helix set in an alternative Victorian London, and another dozen ideas such as one called Footprints of the Dead about an American ex-policeman who lives in a haunted town and... Well, you'll just have to read them all. I have so many ideas, which I turn into the first chapters of novels so that I don't forget them, and then put them on here. One day, I might get round to finishing them, but in the meantime you can read them.

Also, I've talked about snippets of my life on my Book Blog, times like the Isle of White Festivals in 1969 and 1970, my time at the Royal Engineer's Apprentice College in Chepstow, Gwent, my ancestors - especially David the One-Eye. Well, if you want to know more - read them!

You can visit Tim's website at http://timellis.weebly.com/ to learn more about him and his books.

VAMPIRES

2011-07-20T07:48:00.000-05:00

Things That Come Out At Night:
VAMPIRES

By: CK Webb

People all around the world are intrigued by the things that send shivers up their spine. While we are young, the idea of the unknown causes many sleepless nights, but as adults we seem to gravitate towards the very things that we feared in our youth.
As a small child, there weren't many things that I was afraid of. Children are often fearless in the face of dangers that would leave grown men trembling and soiling themselves. But, there were some things that absolutely tortured my young mind and those things I hid from the world.
As nightfall would draw closer, my fears would begin their torturous assault on my psyche. What did I have to fear really? It was after all, only darkness, but the dark is always capable of hiding many hideous things from human eyes. It was inevitably, those long hours of worry and anxiety, pulling the covers tight around my feet and head that forever changed the way I viewed the world and the possibility of the things that could be in it. Each night I met the darkness with the same goal... make it through, unscathed, to the glorious coming of the dawn. As you can see, I succeeded, though many might argue that I am far from normal and perhaps they would be right. I have heard it said, by those closest to me, that the fears of my childhood were the very thing that shaped and molded me into the weaver of dark tales that I am today.
For this I say, “Thank you creatures of the night and thank you impenetrable darkness.”
One of the most memorable obsessions I had, were with Vampires. How they held my fascination like no other creature could. They were scary and unexplainable and they were real, I would have bet any number of weekly allowances on that! Then, a strange thing happened...I grew up. Suddenly the fear that had once been prominent was replaced by captivation and an unusual, sensual allure. I had reached that precipice where we cross over from fear into understanding and all those things from youth become silly. After all, vampires can't be real, can they? I will tell you what I know and you can decide that for yourself.
Through the decades, vampires and their tales have changed exponentially. One thing however, has remained a constant. For whatever reason, we are helplessly drawn to these creatures that go bump in the night.
The beginnings of vampire tales in history are extremely difficult to trace. Many different cultures have often told stories of bloodsucking abominations that rise from the dead and prey on the living. So many in fact that some people argue, vampire tales date back all the way to the very origins of mankind itself.
Vampiric entities have been written of in dozens of cultures globally and called by many different names. The Greek referred to vampires as vrykolakus, while Romanians penned the more popular name, strigoi, for their bloodsuckers.
It wasn't until the early 18th century, that the Oxford English Dictionary introduced the world to the word, vampire. The catalyst for this move was a plague of vampire superstition in Eastern Europe so strong, some corpses still bare the stakes that were plunged into their decaying remains.
In these countries, where vampire legends had taken hold, the appearance of vampires ranged from bloated, flesh eating corpses to almost human, blood suckers. All these descriptions would soon change with the introduction of John Polidori's 1819 novella, The Vampyre.
With his tale, Polidori was able to transfer fear into awe by giving the vampire a charismatic, sophisticated and beautiful appeal. The Vampyre, would also influence another writer whose novel would provide the standard by which all other vampire novels would be judged.
Bram Stoker's Dracula is, to this very day, the major catalyst from which all vampire tales have sprung. What began as a single novel has spawned an entire, distinctive genre and what has followed are books, movies, video games and even television series that focus on this one thing...the vampire. There has never been another book like Dracula and dare I say there never will be. Fortunately for us, many authors and directors have tried their hand at new tellings of this classic tale.
In 1976, author Anne Rice introduced the world to the captivatingly cruel vampire, Lestat. Rice followed up her novel, Interview With the Vampire, with several sequels that came to be known as The Vampire Chronicles. Her books were well received initially, but gained a worldwide resurgence when, in 1994, the book was released as a major motion picture with an all-star cast.
Vampires would also find a place in the comedy/horror arena with the film Fright Night which hit movie theaters in 1985. Introducing a new take on this ages old tale, Fright Night brought in the second highest gross of any horror film that year, edged out only by A Nightmare On Elm Street 2. A novelization, video game and a comic book were all spawned from this masterpiece. To this very day, I still have a copy of the first issue, first printing, October 1988 edition. Yes, I'm a big vampire, comic book geek!
In 1992, Francis Ford Coppola brought his rendition of the vampire classic Bram Stoker's Dracula to the big screen. In this entrancing film, Gary Oldman gave the world a seductive portrayal of the sensuous beast that is, Dracula. Not only was the film highly acclaimed, grossing over two hundred and forty five million dollars word wide, but it also took home an Academy Award in three separate categories.
In a world where vampires have seen their fair share of demeaning take offs including Count Chocolate breakfast cereal and Sesame Street characters, what I am about to write may be disturbing for some readers....
One of my all-time favorite retellings of the vampire tale came in the film, Dracula 2000. Although it received mostly negative reviews and did not fare so well at the box office, the writers, Joel Soisson and Patrick Lussier, wrote a storyline for Dracula's origin that was unlike any other. If you have not seen Dracula 2000, you should if for no other reason than to experience a brand new twist on this ages old tale.
Dozens of writers have taken on this creature that goes bump in the night and many have made a household name for themselves in the process. Lara Adrian, Laurell K. Hamilton and Sherri Lynn Kenyon have all written unforgettable books that center around vampires. But, there is one author whose books became a worldwide phenomenon and brought about a following that spanned every nation, gender and age. Stephanie Meyer's Twilight Saga included four young adult novels and found its way onto the big screen to hoards of screaming fans that could not get enough of her characters, Edward, Bella and Jacob. The films alone have grossed over 1.7 billion dollars word wide. Yes...billion!
When all is said and done, readers and movie goers alike, have always had an obsession with vampires. Even the darker side of these creatures cannot take away from the allure that they hold. Just when you think you have seen enough movies and read enough books with vampires as their central theme, another one comes along. For some strange reason, we just can't give up our vampires. They are strangely intoxicating and no matter how afraid you may be, we are drawn to these dark, ominous and sometimes sexy blood suckers. Are vampires real? Yes, they are alive and well and living in our books and our movies and they are there in the darkness, waiting to go 'bump' in the night.

CK Webb
Co-author of Cruelty To Innocents

The Source of the Suspense

2011-06-19T09:11:00.000-05:00

We have reached our very last installment in 'The History of' series and, as they say in the song...'We saved the best for last'.

Webster's Dictionary defines the word suspense as: a state of mental uncertainty, usually accompanied by a degree of apprehension or anxiety.
The word suspense is quite old and can be traced back to Latin roots dating between 1375 and 1425. But, where did the suspense genre get its beginnings and how has it changed in the years since its debut? I sincerely hope we can answer those questions with as little anxiety as possible.
There are many genres that contain suspenseful undertones and as confusing as it may sound, a suspense can be a thriller, mystery, detective fiction or even a horror. A suspense may contain all of these elements or none.
As with many genres, the exact origins of the suspense are a bit hazy but there are several places that could have easily been a good starting point.
The Epic of Gilgamesh, written sometime between 1300 & 1000 BC, tells a tale that had been handed down through generations from as far back as 2500 BC. On these twelve tablets made of clay, historians have discovered, what appears to be, the origins of several literary genres, include suspense. Many years would pass before other writers would give the world their contributions in the suspense genre.
Homer was an ancient Greek epic poet who was born between 850 & 1180 BC. His works begin to show up at the beginnings of the Western Canon of literature. Homer's epic poem, Odyssey, would help to mold and shape the literary world and even today, holds great sway in the writing community.
Another well known collection of stories that easily boasts some suspenseful moments is One Thousand and One Nights. The oldest known manuscript of One Thousand and One Nights, dates back to the 14th century but, scholars believe that the story told in its text, date back to the 9th century.
A plethora of other writers would emerge in the following years until finally, one would step fourth in the 1800's and give the world its first real taste of the suspense novel. In 1829, a Danish author by the name of Stech Steenson Bilcher, wrote a novella that has been billed as the first, true murder mystery and contained within its pages, all the workings of what would become, the suspense genre.
The next in line was Alexander Dumas, who's first works of suspense were published in June of 1844 and introduced readers to d'Artagnan. The Three Musketeers, was a huge success and soon two other books were added to the series that came to be known as, The d'Artagnan Romances. Dumas would again leave his mark, not only on literature, but on the suspense genre as well, with one of his most famous works. The Count of Monte Cristo was published between 1844 and 1846 and remains, to this day, one of the great classic suspense novels in literary history.
Wilkie Collins introduced us to his novel The Woman in White, in 1860. He would then follow it up in 1868 with, what many consider his finest work, The Moonstone, all the while giving us his own take on the suspense genre.
In 1866, Victor Hugo, known for his masterpiece Les Miserables, released his novel Les Travailleurs de le Mer (Toilers of the Sea). A broad step away from his previous novel, Toiler of the Sea, contained all the suspense that lovers of the genre could ever ask for.
Of course, we cannot talk of suspense without throwing in one of the true greats in literary history... Mr. Edgar Allen Poe. Poe's incredible pieces have shown up in almost every genre that we have discussed and suspense is no different. The Murders in the Rue Morgue, while billed as mystery, easily slips into the suspense genre as does his haunting classics, The Tell-Tale Heart and The Raven.
Thousands of authors have written books that are categorized as thrillers, romantic thrillers, mysteries, detective fiction and even horror and all have a common theme... a degree of apprehension or anxiety that draws them into the suspense genre.
During the late 1880's, the introduction of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, brought a surge in readers not only to mysteries and detective novels but to suspense as well.
Sales of the suspense genre began to skyrocket as the Golden Age of Detective Fiction emerged in the 1920's. Famous writers such as, Dame Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers left their pen strokes vividly displayed, not only in the detective fiction genre but also, in the ever growing world of suspense.
Soon, suspense began to take on a much more sinister, psychological approach when, in walked Sir Alfred Hitchcock. With him, Hitchcock brought the ability to toy with our emotions and raise our anxiety levels and he did so in a most unusual way... on film. Starting in 1927 in silent films and continuing on through 1976, Alfred Hitchcock became the premier writer/director/producer and is still known today, impressively, as The Master of Suspense.
Dozens of authors have written in the suspense genre and made big names for themselves along the way. Mary Higgins Clark, Dean Koontz, Stephen King, David Baldacci, Tasha Alexander, John Carpenter, Gregg Olsen and Michael Palmer are just a small sampling of well knowns who's books have flirted with the suspense genre.
The film industry took hold of suspense enthralled consumers and gave them a wellspring of anxiety and mental uncertainty in the form of feature length films and TV shows.
In 1990, David Lynch introduced his psychological suspense series Twin Peaks, causing audiences to clamor for the answer to the question, “Who killed Laura Palmer?” What transpired as a result of this suspense TV series was, an almost cult-like following of viewers from around the world. I too, must confess to being a member of the millions who tuned in and hung on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what else Mr. Lynch had in store for us. Even today, Twin Peaks, is still listed as one of the Top 100 TV Shows of all time.
Other writer/directors have preyed on us with their suspense laden movies and the likes of Stanley Kubrick, Roman Polanski, Martin Scorsese and M. Night Shyamalan have become household names. Bringing us such suspenseful movies as, Eyes Wide Shut, The Shining, Shutter Island and Signs these writer/directors find a way to torment their viewers and keep them coming back for more.
With a rich history dating back thousands of years, the suspense genres appears determined to remain with us for many more years to come. Today you can pick out thousands of books or movies devoted to the edge of your seat suspense we have all grown to love.
From the music that plays in the background of your favorite movie, to that long, agonizing walk to your mailbox in search of a dreaded letter; suspense is all around us. The suspense genre has become a meshing together of all the things that we, as readers, hold near and dear.
The suspense genre can be mysterious, thrilling, romantic or even, a little horrifying. So, what is the deciding factor that truly says suspense...YOU, the reader. Who better to judge the feelings that a piece of literature invokes than the very person who is doing the reading?
While many would argue the origins of the suspense genre, the truth of it is only known by those who's heart race and anxiety levels rise while delving into that TV series, movie or great piece of literature.

CK Webb

A Signature For Your E-Book?!?

2011-05-23T18:53:00.000-05:00

Our debut novel will be available for purchase Thursday May 26, 2011. It is pretty exciting to know our book will be in the hands of readers and hopefully well received. More than anything, we would love to be able to sign every single copy for each reader. The drawback to e-books is 'No signature'. Of course there is an e-reader signature app, but where is the fun in that?
We wanted to do something a little bit different and special for the first 50 people to purchase Cruelty To Innocents. Just send us your e-receipt or a picture snip-it of it and we will send you a Cruelty To Innocents: The 911 Abductions postcard, signed by us or a refrigerator magnet with the book cover on it. We can't say how much we appreciate each and every one of you for supporting us on this long journey and this is just a very small way for us to say 'Thank You, we couldn't have done it without you'.
Attach your receipts or snip-its in an e-mail & send it to me ckalexx73@yahoo.com It's that simple! I look forward to hearing from you and hearing your thoughts on Cruelty To Innocents: The 911 Abductions.

CK Webb & DJ Weaver

BOOK TRAILER FOR CRUELTY TO INNOCENTS

2011-05-23T11:36:00.000-05:00

Innocents Blog Tour

2011-05-05T18:30:00.000-05:00

Our debut novel, Cruelty To Innocents: The 911 Abductions, will be released May 26, 2011. To kick it off right, we will be featured on over a dozen sites during our virtual Innocents Blog Tour. There will be reviews of the novel, interviews, giveaways and so much more. To show our appreciation for these wonderful bloggers and to introduce them to you, I am posting the entire blog tour schedule. Please take some time to visit these fantastic sites and see the hard work that goes into making them run smoothly. While you are there, click on those 'Follow' buttons. All participating blogs will be giving away an e-copy of Cruelty To Innocents, but you need to follow the blogs!
Once again, we would like to give a gigantic 'Thank You' to all the bloggers...You are an intricate part of the process and we are incredibly thankful for your support.

INNOCENTS BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE

May 23, 2011 'Innocents Blog Tour Kick-Off ' A Women's Voice: book review, interview & book giveaway http://www.doloresayotte.wordpress.com/

May 24, 2011 Reading, Reading & Life; book review, interview & book giveaway http://www.readingreadingandlife.blogspot.com/

May 25, 2011 Kindle Fever: All day stop! Book review, interview, Q&A and book giveaway http://www.rebgeo.com/

May 25, 2001 Author Kelly Moran's blog: book cover & blurb http://kellymoranauthor.blogspot.com/

May 26, 2011 'Book Release Day' My Life. One story at a time: book review & book giveaway http://www.mylife-in-stories.blogspot.com/

May 27, 2011 Life In review: book review & book giveaway http://www.lifeinreviewblog.wordpress.com/

May 28, 2011 Suspense Radio Interview with John Raab 10:30 a.m. PST http://www.blogtalkradio.com/suspensemagazine

May 29, 2011 Cutting Room Floor Radio Interview with Casey Ryan 12:00 p.m. EST http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/talkCast.jsp?masterId=81947&cmd=tc

May 30, 2011 The Hot Author Report: interview
http://www.thehotauthorreport.com/

May 31, 2011 Jean Joachim: book review, interview & book giveaway http://www.jeanjoachim.blogspot.com/

June 1, 2011 Reading frenzy: book review & book giveaway http://www.lumorgan.blogspot.com/

June 2, 2011 AJ & Charlie Bite Back: book review & book giveaway
http://www.ajandcharli.blogspot.com/

June 3, 2011 Dragonfly 419 Attempts To Combat Boredom: book review & book givaway http://www.dragonflyy419.wordpress.com/

June 4, 2011 Emeraldfire's Bookmark: book review, interview & book giveaway http://www.emeraldfiresbookmark.blogspot.com/

June 5, 2011 Best O' Books: book review, interview & book giveaway
http://www.thebestobooks.blogspot.com/

June 7, 2011 Life Is But A Dream: Q&A 26 Questions & book giveaway http://www.kendallgrey.com/

June 8, 2011 Melanie's Book Addiction: book review, interview & book giveway http://www.melaniesrandomthoughts-melanie.blogspot.com/

June 9, 2011 Books, Books The Magical Fruit: interview & book giveaway http://www.booksbooksthemagicalfruit.blogspot.com/

June 10, 2011 Wrapped Up Like A Blog: book review & book giveaway http://www.richsteeves.blogspot.com/

June 11, 2011 Just Another Book Addict: book review & book giveaway http://www.justanotherbookaddict.blogspot.com/

June 13, 2011 Eulana: book review & book giveaway
http://www.eulana.wordpress.com/

June 15, 2011 The Phantom Paragrapher: book review, interview & book giveaway http://www.thephantomparagrapher.blogspot.com/

June 16, 2011 'Innocents Blog Tour Finale' Just Another Book Addict: interview http://www.justanotherbookaddict.blogspot.com/

Cruelty To Innocents: The 911 Abductions by CK Webb & DJ Weaver

2011-05-02T17:39:00.001-05:00

CHAPTER 2- Train Ride

Sloanne Mae Kelly's cab stopped short of the unloading area that lined the front curb at sprawling Penn Station. She dropped a twenty dollar bill into the cash slot, said a quick, 'keep the change' and jumped out of the cab, grabbing her two, small bags and her lap top as she went. The train to Aberdeen Maryland would be leaving soon and she had to pick up her ticket before the gates closed. People seemed to sense the urgency in Sloanne's determined look and hurried pace, stepping to the side, allowing her to pass.

Penn Station was a massive, cavernous space that boasted unique architecture and was filled with people of every size, shape and color. The intensity of the noises and smells assaulted Sloanne’s senses, making her want to run away, but instead she pressed forward. In her mind, she ran through a million different destinations she would rather be traveling to. Instead, she was heading back home, if home is what it could be called. Her brow tightened at the selfish thoughts. She knew this trip and the circumstances behind it, where all that mattered.

Sloanne held a lucrative position as an interior designer at a top firm in New York City, where she now resided. She loved the city and took advantage of all the things it had to offer. She took Yoga, she went to power lunches and ran in the best circles with some of the city's elite--most days. But this particular day, she was just a girl heading back to her past. Back to a place she would rather not be going. No, she never wanted to return to Aberdeen, but she had to support her best friend who desperately needed her now.

She ran through the station and out onto the platform where her train waited, the day’s events thrumming through her head like a hurricane ripping across the shoreline. A knot rose in her throat as she willed back the burning sting of the first tears in her eyes. This day was an unthinkable nightmare, but one she would not awaken from. She stepped onto the train and glanced at her ticket for the seat number: 26A. She turned side-ways, lifting her bag over the other passengers’ heads as she made her way to her seat. There was no one in the seat next to hers and for this, she was grateful. The air felt like walls closing in around her on all sides and her mind was overtaken by grief. She placed her bags in the overhead compartment, then took her seat just as her cell phone rang, jolting her out of her thoughts.

Sloanne’s assistant Ann, was calling. She left the woman a hasty message to give her a call as soon as possible and now she had to tell her assistant why she would be away for a few days. She would have to acknowledge aloud why she so quickly departed from her job and her life to assist her friend. Sloanne's beautiful, charming, loving goddaughter had been abducted.

“Thank you for getting back to me so quickly,” Sloanne breathed heavy into the receiver.

Her mind rebelled against the story she was about to relate to her assistant and the words were like acid in her throat.

“Ann, I received some terrible news earlier today. I am on my way back to Aberdeen now. My best friend’s daughter was abducted and Chloe needs me desperately.”

The gasp at the other end of the line told her that her assistant was shocked by what she was hearing. Sloanne kept a lovely picture of Danni on her desk and everyone in the office, including Ann, often commented on what a beautiful girl she was.

“I will need you to cancel all my appointments and forward all my emails to my personal account. Also, please call Mr. Miera and let him know the situation. Tell him I will be in contact with him as soon as I know more. I can't say at this point, how long I'll have to be away, but please reassure him I am holding up as well as can be expected.”

The last words faded off to a whisper, as tears slipped from her eyes.

Sloanne thanked Ann for her help and quickly got off the phone. Her head ached as she thought back to the earlier phone call she received. The last time she'd been home was in 2003, to bury her parents. Back then she made a vow: it would be the last time she would ever go back, until today it had been. She kept her word to herself for all these years, but someone had taken her goddaughter. Now she was forced to go back.

At exactly 6:30 p.m. this evening, she received the phone call that no one ever wants to get or imagines possible. Chloe Jacob’s neighbor called to say that Chloe’s daughter Danielle--or Danni as they liked to call her--had been abducted. Sloanne could barely hold down the hastily-eaten, take-out dinner she ordered earlier in the day. The word tore at her insides: abducted...taken from a grocery store in broad daylight in her own home town. It was not something that ever happened in Aberdeen. Sure, the town had its share of petty crimes, but child abductions were unheard of. In fact, she couldn't remember a single child who had ever been taken from that area.

The one thing that made the events even more unbelievable was the manner in which Danni was abducted. An elderly man suffered a massive heart attack. While Sloanne's best friend worked desperately to help a complete stranger, some asshole helped himself to her daughter.

According to the local authorities and from what she already knew, the first forty-eight hours were the most crucial time period in an abduction situation. It was during this period when most kids were found. Chloe knew no matter how much Sloanne would hate returning to Aberdeen, she would drop everything and high-tail it back. She had run out of the office, gone home, grabbed a few things and caught the first train smoking out of Penn Station.

As the train sped along on its track, the rain began to fall. Sloanne stared, trance-like, out the window, blinking as each lightening strike blazed across the sky. While she tried to play out all the possible scenarios in her mind, she rolled her shoulders to relieve the stiffness and tension building in her neck. She ran one hand through her long, auburn hair as she gazed out the window and saw the reflection looking back at her.

Her normally bright, green eyes looked somber and heavy and her clear, pale skin appeared sallow and lifeless. The face that usually smiled back at her, was not smiling now. She wondered if she would ever be happy again. Every ounce of her five-five willowy frame was draped in sadness. She wanted to think that by the time she arrived, Danni would have been found at some boy's house or over at a friend's they'd forgotten to call. She imagined Danni spending an eternity locked in her room, allowed out only for school, bathroom breaks and the occasional meal. A slight grin played across the corners of her mouth as she once again told herself, everything would be just fine and life would continue much as it had before.

She wanted so badly to believe all these things, but could not drown out the sound of that nagging voice in the back of her mind. The voice of reason that kept asking the really tough questions. What if they never found Danni? Or worse, what if her best friend's, precious daughter became another face on a flyer, just another name on a long list of missing and exploited children? Worse still, what if they found her and nothing turned out well? What if everything went horribly wrong and Danni was found raped, injured or dead? She reached up and gently traced Danni's name into the fog on the train window, then leaned back in the seat and closed her eyes, trying to shake the terrible thoughts from her mind.

She thought back to her life in Aberdeen and all she left behind. She had been an average, little girl raised by Irish parents and her family was always very close. Her father and her Uncle Patty--who was actually her godfather--were partners for years on the NYPD: New York's finest. They trained together, worked together and were fast friends. Sloanne knew they had even fallen in love with the same woman...her mom. But her mother had chosen to marry her dad and in the end, Uncle Patty understood her mother's decision. He stepped aside, but remained a true friend to them both. Dad and Uncle Patty moved up through the ranks on the force and both made detective within three months of each other. They worked together then as well. Even when her dad was shot in the line of duty and was forced to retire, Uncle Patty was still there for them all.

He helped out: first, when her parents decided to move to Aberdeen so their little princess could live in a relatively, crime-free environment. Later, when Sloanne was older, he'd been her adult confidante. She remembered begging her dad to teach her to drive and he refused, so afraid she would get hurt. Good old Uncle Patty taught her to drive on the sly and took her for her driving test. Her dad never knew until she came home with her driver's license. Dad put on a big front in the beginning, acting upset with Patty for letting her have her way. She believed that secretly, he had been grateful to Patty. Dad would have been terrified to teach her how to drive himself, this way, Patty saved him from that nightmare. Sloanne smiled to herself at the memory of her father’s stern face, but he eventually relented and asked her to drive him to his favorite ice cream parlor. It was then she knew all was well.

Uncle Patty saved the day again when her mom was diagnosed with cancer. He made sure her dad had enough money so it was possible for her mom to receive the finest care available. In a short period, her mother was doing much better and in remission.

As a young girl, she always wanted to live and work in New York City and both, her parents and Uncle Patty, supported her in these hopes. Little had she known in those days, after high school graduation, the desire to live in the city would be overshadowed by her need to be in a drug rehabilitation facility. Those had been her darkest days, but her father and Patty pulled together the love, support and money needed for her to check into the most progressive drug treatment facility in New York. Sloanne never used drugs and was always an excellent student...until she met him in her senior year.

His name was Skyler Anthony Perryman, better known around Aberdeen, as Skip. He was the son of the richest and most influential couple in the area, John A. Perryman and his powerhouse wife, Rochelle Ana. He was into banking and investments and she was into real estate. Skip's parents were the epitome of a well-to-do family and owned most of the real estate in and around Aberdeen, along with some of the private docks and marinas on the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay.

Sloanne believed then, that the sun rose and set because of Skip--for a while. Skip attended a private school that cost more per year than most elite colleges. He was a member of the Lacrosse team, the Rugby team captain and probably the most well known person in and around the community with the exception of his father and mother. Skip was also the local drug connection for every man, woman and child with good breeding and a fat bank account in Aberdeen. His friends hated Sloanne for what she was not...rich and he loved her for what she was...not rich.

In the beginning of her relationship with Skip, she told herself he would love her more if she used drugs with him, believing that she would more easily fit into his world by being like his friends, who all used. As time progressed, she managed to convince herself that was the reason she began using drugs.

Luckily, through years of hard work fighting her addiction and facing the reality of it, she now knew it was all about choices. She made the wrong choices. She wanted so badly to fit-in with the high-class crowd Skip ran with, she simply forgot who she was and the things she believed in. Somewhere in loving Skip, she forgot to love herself.

Eventually, it became apparent to everyone, including her parents and the local authorities, that she was routinely testing Skip's drug supply. She became a complicated liability and Skip very quickly left her high and dry. In her family’s mind, all that was left to do was for her to get cleaned up and start over fresh in a new town. Her dad, mom and Uncle Patty were her saviors. Her dad worked out the details with some help from Patty and she was soon checked into a nice room in drug rehab in New York City, receiving the help she needed.

The program at the clinic was operated and overseen by Columbia University. Some of the patients there were alumni of the school and were, for whatever reason, discreetly tucked away to handle their problems away from the watchful eyes of their co-workers, peers and families.

One older gentleman there, Philippe Miera, took the time to really listen to her and never judged her. At the end of their six months together, he offered her an internship at his architectural firm with the stipulation, she go back to school and get her degree. So, that's just what she did. She petitioned his Alma Mater, applying for and receiving several grants. To show her how much he believed in her, Mr. Miera paid for her books, fees and all the extras. He also went as far as to pay her a salary that allowed her to live comfortably without having to ask for help from her family. She studied hard and excelled in her school work, while learning the ins and outs of interior design and architecture.

This arrangement was just fine with her parents and Uncle Patty. They knew she needed the structure and socialization that college and a job could provide. They also believed being farther away made it easier to get Skip out of her mind. These facts, along with the added benefit of building a lucrative career with a highly reputable design firm, made this opportunity golden in their eyes. Toss in the fact she was only a two-and-a-half hour train ride from Aberdeen and everything was nearly perfect.

She made every effort, never to go back to Aberdeen for any reason. There was no need to during her college years. Her mom, dad and Patty would either drive up or take the train almost every weekend to visit. On the weekends they couldn't come, Chloe and Danni made the trip as often as possible and they would all ‘do’ the city.

Now, she thought back to the last day she was in Aberdeen. It was the worst day of her life and one that would live with her forever. Sheets of rain driven by wind, pounded the sea of umbrellas and the sad faces of those without any shelter. Two coffins sat, side-by-side, covered with so many flowers it was hard to say what color they were. Beautiful words were spoken by strangers and friends alike and condolences given from lips, quietly whispered with heartfelt hugs.

"We commit these bodies to the ground. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust," the priest's last words. Sloanne’s parents were killed in an accident while driving up to see her. It was Uncle Patty who knocked on her door that day and as she saw him standing there alone, she instinctively knew. Her dad, while driving with her mom, lost control of the vehicle, which flipped several times before an eighteen-wheeler slammed into the remains of their car. There wasn't much left, really. It took the rescue crew three hours to extract what they referred to as 'the bodies'. But, they were her parents and she'd never gotten to see them again.

She watched as they’d slowly lowered her mom and dad, one at a time, into the muddy ground. They were there for her beginning and she had been there for their end. There were three people in this world who loved her as their child and she wanted to die as she watched two of them disappear into darkness. Uncle Patty was there to catch her as the first shovel full of dirt was thrown in.

"Don't cover them up! It’s dark in there!" she screamed as she dove for their caskets.

But Patty held her back and they both watched and cried as the two best people on earth were buried.

The rest of that day was a blur. People coming and going, bringing food that would never be eaten. Everyone grieved the loss of a wonderful couple. She didn't believe a single person who knew her mom and dad, did not love and respect them and it showed in the number of mourners who came to pay their final respects.

Patty remained close by for months after the funeral. He was her rock and kept her sane in the weeks and months after her parents’ deaths. When she returned to the city, he called her constantly, visiting every weekend to make sure she was okay and that her life was getting back on track. They were family and they did the best they could for each other. She tried to be there for him and he helped her to feel loved as a daughter.

Time was winding down now and in fifteen minutes she would be back there. Back where all those feelings and memories lived. The announcement came, "Next stop, Aberdeen Maryland."

She tensed, knowing she could not run away any longer. This time she had to stay and fight. This time she could not break. She had to be strong for Chloe and even stronger for Danni. She whispered a prayer for guidance, then gathered her things and stepped into the aisle.

Cruelty To Innocents: The 911 Abductions by CK Webb & DJ Weaver

2011-04-25T08:12:00.000-05:00

1 -Taken

Chloe Jacobs sighed and clinched the steering wheel tighter as her daughter continued to badger her about the un-chaperoned sleep-over. A sleepover Chloe had no intention of letting her daughter attend that night.

“Why can't I go to the party? All the other girls are going and I want to go too. This is not fair, Mother," Chloe’s beautiful, thirteen-year-old daughter Danielle, barked at her mom.

Danni was being relentless on this sleep-over conversation and Chloe endured about all of this subject she could. As Danni talked, she was compulsively flipping through the stations on the radio, which made the tension in the car even more unbearable. The two were making their way to the local Klein’s Super Market in Chloe's late-model Honda.

Chloe considered herself to be the typical, single parent. She was thirty-one-years old, but still young enough to remember what it was like to be thirteen. All of those feelings you have as a thirteen-year-old, always feeling like everything is so permanent. She knew Danni believed it would be the end of the world if she didn’t attend the party. When Chloe was thirteen, she believed she knew everything about life: how it worked and how it would turn out. She realized now that she was older, how very wrong she had been. How could she make her daughter understand there would be many more big events in her life? Chloe just wanted Danni to slow down and enjoy being a kid.

Many people considered Chloe a classic beauty with her long, flaxen-blond hair and pale, crystal-blue eyes, all of which still drew the occasional wolf-whistle from men on the street. Those that knew her thought of her as an intelligent, responsible and well-put-together person who made a wonderful home for her only daughter.

Her full-time job with the Aberdeen Family Medical Clinic demanded long working hours and with a teen-age daughter to raise, that left little time for dating. Chloe knew there was no room in their life for a relationship and for now she was content.

"Danni, you are not going to an all-nighter without chaperones and that's final," Chloe said for the umpteenth time.

Danni wrinkled up her face and slumped down in her seat while giving her mom that, 'I am old enough to do what I want' look. Since Danni hit her teens, it was not unusual for them to have these stand-offs over boundary issues, but when push came to shove, Danni was a good kid who minded her mother and was always there when Chloe needed her.

The crime rate in Aberdeen was low and it had always been a relatively safe town. Nothing bad ever happened to disturb the quiet peacefulness and it was small enough to allow local law enforcement to keep a watchful eye on everything. The kids who were planning to attend the party would be safe enough, but this wasn’t about safety. This was about boundaries and Danni needed to learn hers.

"I hate you when you act like I am a baby, Mom," her daughter huffed with a big pout on her face. "I'm not your little girl anymore. I'm thirteen and I know what's happening¾stop treating me like a child. I wish Dad was here."

Danni knew how badly Chloe hated it when her father's name was thrown into these conversations and Chloe was convinced Danni did it for that very reason. This was one of Danni’s manipulations and Chloe recognized it all too well. Danni did it just to make Chloe feel bad in the hope that she would give in. But, Danni's dad wasn't there and Chloe refused to feel guilty…not this time.

"Danni, if you mention this party one more time, I swear you will be sitting in your room until you are at least thirty. Now get over it." Chloe said almost gritting her teeth.

Danni ignored her mom as she stared out the car window at the local scenery. Chloe hoped that would end the conversation. She longed for the days when Danni was easier to get along with.

They passed the outlet mall on I-95, the main highway that ran through Aberdeen Maryland and pulled into the grocery store parking lot. As they got out, Danni rolled her eyes and looked over at her mom with a pout on her face. So much like her dad, Chloe thought to herself. Great. Just what she needed, both Danni and her ex-husband giving her the evil eye all the way through the grocery store. During moments like these¾when Danni was being a defiant teenager¾motherhood was the most difficult. Chloe sighed to herself as she thought.

"Well, since I'm stuck at home tonight while everyone else is at the party, can we at least have pizza for dinner and maybe pick up a movie?"

Danni flipped her hair back in that charming way she had and just like a puff of smoke, her attitude disappeared. It was as if the conversation never took place at all.

“Good idea. Can we have mushrooms on the pizza?” Chloe now beamed at her daughter

“Eeewww…how about mushrooms on half the pizza...your half.”

Danni did a little happy dance into the store.

They started their rounds through the store as usual: cereal, milk, butter, eggs and pizza fixings. These trips to the grocery usually made Danni happy because she liked picking out ingredients for her next 'masterpiece'. That's what she called the crazy recipes she would throw together on her own and serve whenever her mother was late from work. Mostly the meals were pretty good with the occasional flop, but all in all, Danni was turning out to be a fairly good cook. Today, Chloe could see her daughter was really into it, no longer worrying about the sleep-over business.

They began to talk about things at school. Danni told her mom about the new girl with a nose ring and tattoo. Danni proceeded to tell Chloe about the tattoo she wanted for herself. Chloe cringed at the thought.

“I think a small angel on the back of my neck would be awesome,” Danni beamed at her mom. Chloe smiled, but tried not to encourage or discourage her daughter. There had been enough bickering for one day and she really wanted Danni to be happy.

“I think an angel would be okay, but maybe you should wait a few years before making any major decisions. I used to like frogs when I was your age, but can you imagine me with a big, frog tattoo now. That would be too funny,” Chloe teased and they both laughed at the imagined sight of Kermit tattooed on Chloe.

They made their way up and down the aisles as they continued to laugh and talk. As Chloe turned her cart to start down the next aisle, she noticed an older man a few feet away with a contorted look of pain on his face. She saw this just as he put one hand out to grab the end cap he was standing by, while his other hand went to his chest. He made a grating sound in his throat and his face twisted into an awful grimace that told Chloe he was definitely in trouble. She stepped towards the man to ask if she could help just as his body stiffened and started to fall. Chloe knew she'd never be able to catch the guy, but tried to at least, break his fall. He must have out-weighed her by one hundred pounds and despite her attempts to help, the man hit the floor hard, taking out the end cap display as he fell. Bags of chips, pretzels and tortillas crashed to the floor along with the shelving as the man toppled over.

Vaguely remembering her CPR training, Chloe pulled the man's head back and listened for breath sounds, but heard none. Her heart began to race and her adrenaline shot up. She checked for a pulse, but found nothing there either. She heard Danni ask if the man was dead, but Chloe could only focus on helping the stranger. She did not reply to her daughter. Chloe screamed for anyone in the gathering crowd of shoppers to call 9-1-1 and began giving the man breaths of air as best she could. It felt as if time stopped as she frantically tried to resuscitate the old man. She knew she should be pumping his chest as well, but panic was enveloping her and her mind no longer felt connected to her body.

She frantically scanned the crowd, searching for anyone who could help. A young man she knew as one of the store's stock boys stepped out of the crowd and bent down to the old man. He immediately began giving the man chest compressions as Chloe counted out the breaths she was administering. Hours passed by in minutes. Somewhere in Chloe's head, she heard the sound of whining or was it sirens?

"Here come the paramedics," Chloe heard someone say. She was running out of air as two men materialized beside her and began to work on the old man without missing a beat. Chloe stood up and stepped aside so both paramedics could get to the victim. The scene before her took on a surreal feeling, as if she were watching a movie. She vaguely heard Charlie, the store manager, say something about her quick thinking and good work, but she could not take her eyes from the horrible scene before them. Then, in a commanding voice, Charlie directed the crowd to step back and give the EMTs room to work.

"I've got no breath sounds and no pulse,” the EMTs voice was clear and strong over the murmur of the crowd that gathered.

"Charge the paddles to two hundred,” the other EMT was already into the bag and charging the portable defibrillator.

"Clear," yelled the paramedic and the old man's body jumped.

"Nothing. Charge to three hundred and hit him again."

"Clear," yelled the EMT again and the old man's body danced around on the floor like a rag doll.

Chloe began to think the old man was not going to make it. The crowd quieted and she could now hear the soft crying of an older lady behind her. She was still concentrating on the scene before her and could not bring herself to comfort the woman.

"Still nothing. Hit him again.”

The EMT charged the paddles to three hundred fifty and yelled, "Clear."

This time the man's body seemed to come completely off the floor, falling back down with a thump. The EMT again checked the old man's pulse and shook his head.

"This guy is gone, but we need to get him to the Medical Center." The EMT looked at the people standing around and asked, "Does anyone know who this man is?"

A man in the crowd said he thought the gentleman’s first name was Homer, but did not know his last name. Chloe noticed there were two police officers standing back from the crowd. Funny, she had not noticed them before, but she assumed they heard the emergency response call and followed in behind the EMTs. She had been so focused on Homer, but now her mind was clearing and Chloe realized Danni was not visible.

"Danni.” Chloe called out, but no voice came back to her.

"Danielle, where are you?” Chloe yelled, louder this time and with more force.

As the paramedics loaded the man's body on a gurney and the crowd started to thin, Chloe's eyes scanned the front of the store. She felt a sickening fear rising through her. Where was her daughter?

"Danni! Danielle!”

Chloe looked at every face in the fading crowd and the area all around her. She moved towards her cart and headed to the back of the store. She quickly made her way through the swinging doors that led back in the direction of the stock room. The ladies restroom was the last door on the left. Chloe burst through the door and quickly checked all the stalls, yelling Danni's name as she went. Complete panic was setting in now. Chloe knew her daughter would never intentionally scare her by disappearing this way. Finding no signs of Danni, she turned and flew back towards the front of the store.

The young, stock boy who helped her with the old man was standing close to the front entrance. Chloe jerked him by the arm, spinning him around to quickly ask if he had seen Danni.

"Have you seen my daughter? Have you seen Danni?" she demanded.

The boy's puzzled look made Chloe even more anxious and before he could say anything, Chloe spoke again.

"You've seen her before. You know, thirteen-years-old, about four-eleven, thin build, long, blond hair. She was wearing dark, blue shorts, tennis shoes and a light, blue ball shirt with 'Aberdeen Blue Angels' on the front and #33 on the back."

Halfway through her description, one of the police officers seeing her distress, approached her and the young man.

"My name is Officer Parker. Can I help, ma'am?"

"Yes, please. I can't seem to find my daughter. She was standing right here when the gentleman fell and I know she was here part of the time. I was trying to help, but then I lost track of her. It's not like her to just walk away. I don't understand where she could be."

Chloe massaged her temple.

The stock boy began to speak with concern in his voice, "I am sure she was standing right behind you when I first came up to help, but after that I just don't know. I'm Sorry. Let me help you look for her."

The officer looked up from his note pad, "Can you give me that description again?"

Chloe ran through it quickly for him. She began to feel a little better. The police would surely find Danni and things would go back to normal. Then, they would go on with their evening as planned.

"I will notify the manager and have him lock down the store. No one in and no one out. My partner and I will check around the back of the store and cruise the parking lot to see if we can find her. She probably just stepped outside. Maybe this whole thing upset her, you know how kids are? You stay close by in case she returns. We'll be back shortly."

The officer then turned to the stock boy and asked him to look around the store for Danni and to notify the other employees to do the same.

“Yes, sir.”

The boy quickly spun around and started walking towards the meat department, looking down each aisle as he passed by. He yelled out to the man behind the meat counter, giving him a quick description of Danni. The butcher then turned and started toward the back of the store, relaying the description of the missing girl to the store manager as he passed him. The store manager headed towards the customer service area. Only a few moments passed before Chloe heard him paging Danni over the PA system, requesting she come to the front of the store.

She turned to walk out the front entrance to check whether or not Danni might have gone to the car. When she reached the front door, she was detained by a clerk who informed her she could not leave. The store manager overheard the conversation and informed the clerk Chloe was the missing child’s mother and would be the only one permitted to exit or enter the store, besides the police.

By this time, Chloe was starting to freak out. Danni knew how easily she worried and Chloe wondered why her daughter would just disappear without saying a word. Surely Danni hadn't decided to walk home or to a friend's house. No, she wouldn't do that to me. Would she? Chloe thought to herself as she scanned the spaces between the parked cars. Her mind raced through every scenario she could think of. Where could Danni be?

As she arrived at her car, she could see Danni was nowhere in sight. Panic began to rise again and Chloe felt breathless, almost choking. She pulled out her cell and started thumbing through phone numbers, but thought better of calling anyone. Chloe knew Danni was not the sort of kid who did things like this and now she was even more worried.

Just as she slipped her cell back in her pocket, the two police officers pulled up and Officer Parker whom Chloe had given the description to jumped out of the car and came towards her. For the second time today, the minutes moved like hours. Chloe could see a look of dread on the officer’s face and she started to shake. Her mind began to race again as the officer strode towards her.

"Ma'am, was your daughter wearing any jewelry when you last saw her?" the officer asked with a strange tone in his voice.

"I'm sure she probably had on earrings. Her ears are pierced so she wears them all the time. Why?"

Chloe's voice was shaking now. Blood was pounding in her head. What was happening?

"Anything else? Any other jewelry?" the officer asked again.

The answer flashed through Chloe's mind.

"A watch…a “Twilight” watch. It has a picture of Edward and Bella on the face. I just bought it for her last week. It's her favorite book and…"

Chloe was breathing too hard and her hands were trembling now, almost uncontrollably. Fear gripped her stomach nearly making her gag.

The look on the officer's face as he held out his hand to her was one Chloe would never forget.

"Is this the watch?"

Chloe's knees started to go weak as the officer spoke.

"Oh my god. Where did you find this? It's Danni's watch! Oh my god! Where is my daughter?" Chloe screamed at the officer.

"We found it around back of the store, ma'am. There were some tire marks in the lot next to where the watch was laying, as if somebody took off in a hurry. We spoke to an older woman who lives next to the back parking lot. She was out in her yard and thinks she saw a dark blue or black car leaving the lot in a hurry. She noticed because she heard the tires squealing," he explained to Chloe.

"We think Danni must have dropped the watch by accident. Is Danni close with her dad? He could have picked her up and she may have dropped the watch while getting in his car. Is that possible?”

"No, no. Danni's dad is gone. There is no one she could have left here with. Her grand parents are dead and besides, Danni would never just leave and not tell me," Chloe stammered.

"Does Danni have a boyfriend? Is there anyone you can think of who she could have gone to visit? Did you two have a fight or disagreement? Maybe she ran off mad or…”

"No! Oh god. Someone must have taken her! Please help me. Someone had to have taken her. She's a good girl. She would never worry me like this. Please help me find her," Chloe begged, beside herself, tears rolling down her face.

Panic tasted like vomit in her mouth and she half fell, half sat down right there in the parking lot. The officer stooped down and touched Chloe's shoulder. He turned his head and silently directed the other officer to call for medical assistance. Chloe’s head began to spin and bright flashes of light appeared before her eyes.

"Don't worry now, ma'am. Your daughter is probably just walking around somewhere or heading home. I'll call this in right away. Normally, we don't follow up on these things for a certain period of time, but this watch makes me uneasy. Since you declared there is no one else she could have left with, I’m going to contact my chief who will in turn contact the Detective Division. They will be the ones who will determine whether an Amber Alert should be issued. We are going to cordon off the area and radio this in. A detective will be here shortly and we’ll start processing the witnesses inside the store. Stranger abductions are considered the most crucial and in those cases time is very important. You should call everyone your daughter might have been in contact with while we wait. Do you feel like you can get up? My partner will help you inside where you’ll be more comfortable. After I talk to the chief, I'll be back inside. Do you have a picture of Danni with you, by any chance?”

Chloe then realized she left her purse in the cart she had been pushing in the store.

“I do, but I left my purse inside. Do you really think someone has taken my daughter? But why? Why would anyone want to take Danni? Why?" Chloe cried.

"I don't know, ma'am, but I don’t want to take any chances on this. If she shows up, well, that’s a good thing, but we have to go at this as what it looks like…an abduction. Now you head inside with Officer George and he'll help you with the phone calls. I'll come in when the detectives arrive. I know this is difficult, but please try not to worry," the officer said. “We’re going to do everything we can to get your daughter home safe.”

The officer tried to help Chloe up, but by this time she was on the verge of hysteria and could barely stand or speak. She ran the question through her mind. Why would someone take her Danni? She just could not comprehend it. Not her sweet baby girl, Danni. Not her only child. This couldn't be happening…not to Danni…not to her.

She braced herself as Officer George helped her to her feet. They walked around to the front entrance and the store employee opened the door for them. The store manager saw them enter and immediately grabbed a chair for Chloe to sit in. Her mind was so tired. She could barely think as the officer asked her for numbers from her cell phone.

Officer Parker strode to the police cruiser and grabbed the microphone, dread washing over him as he went.

“Central, this is car thirty-six, come back.”

“Thirty-six, this is Central, go ahead.”

“Central, we have a Code Adam at Klein’s Super Market. I need to speak to the chief, ASAP.”

“Connecting you now thirty-six, go ahead.”

“Chief, this is Parker. We have a Code Adam at Klein’s and we need a detective on-scene right away.”

“Copy that, Parker. I’ll issue a BOLO immediately and send Detective Howard right out. Give me a rundown and description of the victim.”

Parker knew a BOLO was a “Be on look out” and exact descriptions were imperative for locating a suspect or victim, but they had very little to go on. Parker ran through the description of Danni and what they found in the parking lot. He also told the chief about the small car that was spotted leaving the scene. The chief assured him Detective Howard would be there in no time and quickly ran through procedures on questioning the witnesses.

Parker had barely hung up the microphone when he heard sirens in the distance getting louder as they approached. What had gone from a 9-1-1 medical emergency call, escalated into something far worse. Parker never worked a kidnapping in Aberdeen and had a bad feeling this was not going to end well.

CRUELTY TO INNOCENTS: Prologue

2011-04-07T10:15:00.000-05:00

You asked for it, so here it is, your first real look at CRUELTY TO INNOCENTS: The 911 Abductions. Please enjoy this tiny glimpse inside the mind of a madman. I hope it unsettles your nerves and makes you ask..."Do I know where my children are?"

CRUELTY TO INNOCENTS: Prologue

I hear it beckoning me from the other room, the faint crackle of my scanner as it comes to life. Something is happening somewhere; a car wreck, a shooting, an emergency. She is there all alone. I know it. The ones who are supposed to love and protect her are busy trying to help complete strangers. They are trying to save the life of others, but they are neglecting the one they should be watching over. They have forgotten her, left her…forsaken her. I race to the scene, my mind tearing me in two directions. One side says, ‘Not again‘. But the other side screams, begs, ‘Please, just one more‘. That voice muffles out the cries of the other and wins again. It always wins. I have to be quick. I pan the crowd searching for her. The blood pounds in my ears, my breath is ragged and quick. All other sounds slip away. I search the crowd with starving eyes. Where is she? I can‘t find her. Wait…there…she is all alone and so beautiful. She needs me. I see the purity in her eyes, the longing. She is a good girl. I won't have to punish her like the others. She will be different. She is so beautiful. I promise myself she will be the last. I have to have her, just one more. I wait for the perfect moment to take her away from all this. No one is watching as I make my way through the crowd of gaping onlookers. Stealthily, quickly, I am beside her. She looks up with loving, innocent eyes and smiles just for me. ‘Now’! My mind screams. ‘Take her’. I turn to embrace her and she is mine.

Asylum Lake by R.A. Evans

2011-04-05T14:29:00.000-05:00

The State's second largest Psychopathic Hospital opened in 1917 on 600 wooded acres overlooking a small lake near Bedlam Falls, Michigan. Through its doors came the weak and the weary, the disabled and the discarded, the frail and the forgotten. But an open door is an invitation, and some visitors, once invited, are loath to leave. The hospital abruptly closed in 1958 under a cloud of mystery. It has remained empty and silent, save for the memories trapped both within its walls and far below the surface of the nearby lake that bears its name. At the bottom of Asylum Lake, the unremembered are growing restless. Brady Tanner is trying to outrun memories of his own. After the sudden death of his wife, Brady retreats to the small town where he spent the summers of his youth. But he soon learns small towns can be stained by memories...and secrets, too. As Brady is drawn into unearthing these secrets, as he discovers a new love in an old friend, he is also drawn into the mystery of Asylum Lake and the evil that lies submerged beneath its sparkling surface. What is the source of this evil and what does it want with Brady Tanner?

A sneak peek into Cruelty To Innocents: The First Novel in the 911 Abduction Series

2011-03-31T08:40:00.000-05:00

After two years and a ton of ups and downs, the release of our debut novel, Cruelty To Innocents, is just around the corner. We hope you enjoy this little snip-it into the storyline that propels this thriller and look forward to hearing your thoughts as well. Do YOU know where your children are?

CK Webb & DJ Weaver

Who’s abducting children from 911 emergency scenes?

What if you were in your car alone with your small, child and you came upon an emergency scene? Would you stop to help? What if, while you were trying to assist a victim of an accident or mugging, you left your young child alone in the car, thinking he or she would be safe? What if, instead of help, the call to 911 brought a terrifying, sinister result?

Someone’s abducting children from 911 emergency scenes in Aberdeen Maryland, while their parents call for help and lend aid to accident victims. Someone, who’s also listening in, is a monster and vicious child abductor. In the midst of the chaos and confusion of the scene, that monster slips in and steals the innocent children, leaving behind no trace for authorities.

Sloanne Kelly is unprepared for what awaits in her hometown as she travels back to Maryland. Her goddaughter is one of the victims and the clock is ticking. Together with her best friend and a local fireman, Shawn Tyler, Sloanne will face the most insidious of criminals and fight to recover the children before there is anymore, Cruelty to Innocents.

The Primeval Paranormal

2011-03-30T11:35:00.000-05:00

Webster’s Dictionary defines the word ‘paranormal’ as: (1) anything that is not scientifically explainable, (2) the supernatural. And supernatural loosely translated means, anything beyond the visible.

Through the ages, the paranormal has held the human race in a tight grip. We have carried these stories with us and passed them down from generation to generation. Many think that paranormal means ghost stories, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Paranormal covers everything from ghosts and demons to vampires, werewolves and even aliens. Paranormal stories have evolved from cave drawings and ancient hieroglyphics, to centuries old texts and writings, to the books and films of our day. But where did the paranormal genre originate from in the literary world? I hope to help provide you with some clues to answer that question.

Between 1300 & 1000 BC, in ancient Babylonia, a poetic story was written in the Akkadian language and placed on twelve tablets made of clay. The story itself comes from a poem from Mesopotamia known as The Epic of Gilgamesh. The story chronicles the life of the King of Uruk who lived somewhere between 2750 & 2500 BCE. In it, you will find history’s very first paranormal tale. Amazingly enough, some remains of those 12 tablets are still intact and can be found on display in the British Museum. With this small piece of knowledge I believe that it is safe to say, with a history that dates back thousands of years, that the paranormal genre has been around longer that any other.

It would be quite a few years before the next documented ‘ghost’ stories would rear their head in history. Some say that Homer’s Odyssey was next in line in the paranormal genre, as it dealt with some spirits; however I believe that Ovid, Petronius and Vergil penned classic ghost stories long before this. It is also widely known that, Gaius Caecilius Cilo or Pliny the Younger, wrote the very first paranormal story about a haunted house sometime before his death in 112 AD.

There were many beliefs from dozens of cultures throughout the world, all of which revolved around one central theme… the paranormal. These people wrote and handed down their ’ghost stories’, and though the stories of the paranormal have been around for thousands of years, the word ‘paranormal’ itself, was not coined until around 1915.

There are many famous authors who, though billed in different genres, have dipped their quills into the ink of the paranormal. Shakespeare, Poe, Stoker, Wells, Hitchcock, Elliot, King, Rice, Carpenter, Blatty and many others have left their indelible marks on the paranormal genre. Each author’s individual style helped to mold and shape the paranormal genre into what it is today.

Paranormal isn’t a genre that deals exclusively with ghosts and as such, many books that fall into the sci-fi, horror, thriller, romance & suspense genres, support a cast of characters that fall under the realm of the paranormal. Whether it was Homer or Virgil, Shakespeare or Poe, many authors made their contributions to the supernatural and left behind their legacy in the process. Even Bram Stoker’s Dracula, though labeled as horror, contained a lead character that was and is the epitome of paranormal.

Starting in the early 1900‘s, the paranormal genre shot to the forefront of the literary field with the release of a non-fiction book that would set the stage for an entire generation of writers and researchers. The Book of the Damned was written by Charles Fort and published in 1919. Within its pages was research for every type of paranormal phenomena that was known to us as a society. The book changed the way many viewed the paranormal and made huge precedents in the field of paranormal research. Not only was The Book of the Damned a catalyst in the paranormal genre but from the work of this one man, sprang an entire organization of men and women dedicated to researching and uncovering the truths of the paranormal. That group came to be known as ‘The Fortean Society’ and is still going strong today.

Interest in EVP’s or, electronic voice phenomena, were sparked in the late 1920’s when, Thomas Edison suggested that it might be possible to communicate with the dead. Many EVP’s were recorded throughout the following years but the real work would begin in the 1970’s with Konstantin Raudive. From this research on paranormal activity, many writers and film makers found an easy avenue on which to prey on the fears of others. One film in particular, White Noise, featured Michael Keaton and dealt with the ‘darker’ side of EVP‘s.

In 1936, Harry Price brought us the phrase ‘ghost hunter’ with his novel Confessions of a Ghost Hunter. In his wake, a more famous hunter would emerge. Hans Holzer is a world renowned writer and researcher of the paranormal who’s most famous investigation is no doubt, The Amityville Horror in 1977. Today, modern ghost hunters suit up with infrared cameras, digital voice recorders and all manner of equipment and make their way into famous haunts around the globe in search of answers to the centuries old question… ‘Do ghosts really exist’? Millions of viewers tune in every week to watch the crews of shows such as Ghost Hunters, Ghost Hunters International and Ghost Lab in their hunt for the truth and to hopefully get a glimpse into the paranormal world.

Magazines on the paranormal began to make their mark on the literary world in the 1940’s and covered a wide array of topics from UFO’s to ghosts and everything in between. In 1948 Fate Magazine, a monthly digest, was launched by Clark Publishing Company and by 1955, over 100,000 faithful readers subscribed to its pages. The Fortean Times, which was founded in 1973, was published in November of that same year and is still available today. It has flourished in the paranormal world and its’ spin offs include, reference & study materials, books and even CD’s. Paranormal Magazine was founded in 2005. Though it only lasted 26 weeks before being acquired by Jazz Fashion Publishing Limited, Paranormal Magazine is today, a thriving part of the literary community. Containing all the mainstays of the paranormal genre including, ghosts, poltergeists, UFO’s, aliens, psychic powers, vampires, werewolves, fairies, witchcraft, magic, unexplained phenomena, crypto zoology and forteana, Paranormal Magazine has something for everyone. Some contributor’s of the magazine include Richard Freeman, Brad Steiger, The Fortean Picture Library and even The Association for the Study of Anomalous Phenomena.

Other forms of paranormal made a huge impact on the genre and came in the form of the world’s obsession with aliens. One of the most famous believers in aliens was Zecharia Sitchin who is known for his ‘Ancient Astronaut Theory’ which basically states that all human life sprung from… you guessed it, Alien astronauts! Crazy? Maybe, but the beauty of it was that it opened the door for many other great writers and directors of the paranormal.

Anne Rice brought us her take on the genre with witches and her more famous vamps, while other writers and movie directors doused us with large helpings of paranormal in works such as Ridley Scott’s Alien & Aliens and John Carpenter’s The Thing. A whole slew of sub genres would rise up from the paranormal but none would see the following that the Paranormal Romance would receive. On books in this genre, many authors have signed their name. Lara Adrian, Rachel Caine, Karen Marie Moning, PC & Kristen Cast, Chris Evans, Laurell K Hamilton, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Ted Dekker and Richelle Mead are putting their personal spin on this classic genre.

Of all the books written in the paranormal genre, none would have the same worldwide impact as would a set of YA books published in 2005 by a virtual unknown. Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series caused a huge upsurge in sales of the paranormal when she introduced her four book series that featured sparkling vampires and werewolves. The world has not been the same since. There isn’t a big store around or a major bookstore on the planet that doesn’t carry a book, poster or calendar with the ‘Twilight’ logo on it. Though many might argue with me, Stephanie Meyer pushed the paranormal into the limelight and there, it continues to thrive. The paranormal romance is, today, one of the top selling genres in the US and authors like Daphne du Maurier, Mary Shelley, Ann Radcliffe and Bram Stoker are to blame. Their unique twists on the genre itself opened the gates wide for the paranormal writers of today.

Whether its television shows like True Blood, Being Human & Ghost Hunters or books and magazines, the paranormal genre is showing no signs of relaxing its grips on the human psyche. Even the very magazine that you hold in your hand, though its title says ‘Suspense’, has its fair share of dealings with things that go bump in the night. In thousands of bookstores across the US and in many countries around the world, you can pick up a copy of Suspense Magazine or others like it, flip through the pages and find something that deals with the paranormal genre.

From the primeval beginnings of the written word comes a genre that fascinates, enthralls, enlightens and sometimes even sends shivers down the spine. If we are the luckiest of beings, every generation after ours will continue to tell the tales that we have carried throughout the decades. Perhaps, one day, all the answers will be found. But my hope is that in order to continue sharing the wonderful stories that we so dearly love, the paranormal will remain forever… unexplained.

CK Webb for Suspense Magazine

Vote on the Cruelty To Innocents book cover!!!

2011-03-28T05:21:00.000-05:00

There is nothing more satisfying than seeing your book cover for the very first time. Pure Heaven!! But herein lies the problem...two fabulous book covers, one book. We need YOU, the fans and friends who have travelled down this long road with us, to help decide which cover fits. Take a good, long look at the two book covers and tell us what you think. We will only leave the covers up for a couple of days before we unveil the winner. Let your voice be heard. Tell us, in the comments section, which cover you like the best and why. We can't wait to hear what you think!

The Tale of the Thriller

2011-03-23T22:30:00.000-05:00

Webster’s Dictionary defines the word thriller as…One that thrills; especially a work of fiction designed to hold the interest by the use of a high degree of intrigue, adventure and/or suspense.

The thriller genre centers around a few very simple, yet necessary criteria that must be met in order to separate it from other genres. Basically, if you have suspense, tension and excitement as the main element of a book or film, chances are it is a thriller.
So, who was the very first man or women to pick up that quill and create a world that kept the reader on the edge of their seat while turning the pages? The thriller genre is another where facts, arguments and speculation play a huge part in deciphering its origins. Let’s see if we can narrow it down just a bit and give some credit where credit is do.
It is widely believed in the Western world that the earliest version of the thriller was penned by Homer. Odyssey, one of two Greek poems written by Homer in the latter part of the 8th century BC, contains all the needed elements of a thriller and a plot dripping with suspense, tension and excitement.
In Homer’s Odyssey, or ‘epic voyage’ as it translates in English, the hero Odysseus battles for 10 long years in the Trojan War only to spend another 10 years adrift at sea as he makes his way back home to his wife & son. What makes Odyssey a thriller is the magnitude of the foes Odysseus must face, battle & conquer on his journey and the constant barrage of nail biting scenes that unfold along the way.
Some scholars agree that Odyssey was never meant to be enjoyed as a great book but rather was written as a poetic song and therefore meant to be performed and sung rather that read.
Next stop we have, yet again, 1001 Arabian Nights. With the oldest Arabic pieces of this manuscript dating back as far as 9th century BC, 1001 Arabian Nights contains a tale that’s origins could easily slip into the thriller genre. However, the story of a chopped up body inside a mysterious chest and the hunt to find answers falls, more fittingly I think, into the mystery genre.
Other thriller tales can be found in a most unlikely place, with harrowing tales of suspense and intrigue. I could easily tell you of paranormal thrillers as well as revenge thrillers that can be found right inside the pages of The Holy Bible…yes, thrillers can be found in the bible, and lots of them!
The thriller genre dates back so far that it is unlikely its’ precise debut in the literary world will ever be known for certain. We can however, get some pretty clear beginnings for some of the sub-genres that sprung from thrillers, and pin down the books and films that have made the thriller genre one of the most followed in the world today.
The 1800’s saw fantastic thrillers emerge and a ton of great writers would leave their mark on the thriller genre and from their works dozens of sub genres would spring forth.
Sometime between 1844-1846 Alexandre Dumas published The Count of Monte Cristo, in it he highlighted the very thing that defines the genre today…the thrill. In a swashbuckling tale of jealousy, deceit and revenge, Dumas put together what most now consider the very first ‘Revenge Thriller’.
In 1897, Bram Stoker’s Dracula hit the scenes and with it came a generous sprinkling of some new twists to the thriller genre. Billed today by many as horror, Dracula gave us our first taste of gothic, supernatural thrills. This one novel would ultimately spawn sub-genres that even today set the pace for some of our most loved, modern day horror and thriller tales.
In 1915 Scottish author John Buchan wrote and published his thriller, The Thirty Nine Steps. Making huge waves in the thriller genre, The Thirty Nine Steps has been seen or heard on many different mediums from radio, theatre to film.
As the thriller genre continued to make impressive strides in the literary world so too did the sub genres that came from it. We were introduced to the modern action thriller which consisted of non-stop, fast paced, action packed thrill rides with an unlikely hero. First Blood is thought to be the catalyst upon which the action thriller genre would slingshot into the forefront of not only books but film as well.
Conspiracy thrillers emerged as sub genres and introduced us to the likes of Robert Lundlum, James Grady and David Baldacci.
Crime Thrillers became all the rage and authors such as Cormac McCarthy, Thomas Harris and of course James Patterson left and continue to leave their indelible mark on the thriller genre.
Two of my personal favorites, sub genres loaded with big talent, are mystery thrillers and psychological thrillers. Just mentioning names like Alfred Hitchcock, Steven King, Dennis Lehane and M. Night Shyamalan should be enough incentive to get lovers of the thrill looking to these sub genres for their next nail biter.
But if you think these few sub genres are all there are to choose from…think again. Disaster, Erotic, Legal, Medical, Religious, Supernatural and even Techno thrillers all contain one central connection…they are designed to hold your interest and keep you on the edge of your seat. They are all able to do this by writing fast paced, high octane suspense stories that keep readers coming back again and again.
From books and movies to television, thrillers have become one of the largest and most followed genres world wide. Thrillers also rank among the highest grossing in sales of all the genres out there.
2010 has been quite a year for thrillers and authors such as Stephen King, Justin Cronin, Gregg Olsen and Joe Hill are just a few who have given us a taste of their unique voices and exciting style.
Everyday new authors are emerging (raises hand) and attempting to make their mark on this ever growing and evolving literary staple.
Like daring trips we take to amusement parks in order to brave giant, twisting, turning, heart stopping roller coasters, thrillers draw us in and keep us coming back over and over. We simply cannot get enough of living on the edge. As long as authors are willing to step up their game and push the limits of the genre, thrillers will continue to do exactly what we clamor for…Thrill.
Though the beginnings of the thriller are a bit cloudy one fact remains undeniable, the tale of the thriller is one that is written in history and that will continue to expand and be with us, no doubt, for many years to come.

CK Webb for Suspense Magazine

The Mystique of the Mystery

2011-03-20T19:25:00.000-05:00

The origins of the mystery are a bit cloudy, but let’s see what we can uncover on the genre. Webster’s Dictionary defines the word ‘mystery’ as a piece of fiction usually dealing with the solution of a crime. Of course there are several other definitions of the word so let’s focus on the fiction aspect and where this genre got its start in the literary world.
The history of the mystery is a grey area and its origins are argued across the board by many. Some believe that the mystery dates back to the original text of the Bible, while others think that the first mystery came from Chaucer, others believe that A Thousand and One Arabian Nights is the originator. In western culture, it is widely accepted that the very first literary mystery written came by way of Edgar Allen Poe. But where did Poe get his inspiration for the story and what separated it from those that proceeded it?
The Murders in the Rue Morgue is believed to have been influenced by another short story written in 1819 by E.T.A. Hoffman. The difference in Poe’s story and all the others was, very simply, the introduction of the detective. That man or woman who set out to solve a crime and changed the way the world viewed literature also introduced us all to the ‘mystery’.
As such, mysteries have only been around for 179 years but their impact on the literary world has been immeasurable. During the short time the genre has been around it has seen its fair share of change and sub-genre spin offs.
Some of the most famous of all mysteries were written by Arthur Conan Doyle and gave the literary world its very first hero detective…Sherlock Holmes. Conan Doyle wrote four novels and around 56 short stories that featured the quirky detective in all his glory. Most ‘Holmes’ novels were in a narrative style and were told from the point of view of Dr. John Watson; Holmes’ trusted assistant and friend. It could very easily be argued that Watson was quite the detective in his own right, but never took much credit for any of it and was considered a biographer to the events that took place around him. Elementary!
Throughout the 1800’s and into the early 1900’s, the mystery genre would remain dominated by male authors, but a stirring change would soon take place. During the 1920’s and 1930’s, the world would embrace the period that would come to be known as ‘The Golden Age of Detective Fiction’. It was during these years that men would take a backseat and women would emerge as front runners in the mystery genre.
We were introduced to the ‘Queens of Crime’: Dame Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh and Margery Allingham. All of these women would, as we all know, make a massive impact on the mystery genre and leave behind legacies that are still brightly burning even today. As the mystery genre continued to define itself, the detective fiction genre was being standardized and guidelines established that would distinguish it from all other genres. The key element of detective fiction became… a detective unraveling a mystery. Along with this standard for detective fiction came other guidelines which would eventually spawn the sub genre ‘Whodunit’.
Dame Agatha Christie quickly emerged as one of the most popular writers of mystery and whodunit as she introduced her heroes, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, among others. Christie’s novels included Murder on the Orient Express (1934), Death on the Nile (1937) and And Then There Were None (1939). She is also credited with over 80 other novels and is to this very day, listed as the best selling mystery fiction author of all time with over 4 billion books sold.
In the late 1930’s and early 1940’s, the literary community would see a huge influx of popularity in ‘pulp magazines’. This rise in mystery magazine sales increased interest globally in the mystery, whodunit and detective fiction genres. The outpouring of new mystery fans would be quickly curbed with the introduction of the television set. Sales and interest in the magazines saw a massive decline and what had begun as numerous pulp magazines, was reduced to just two. Both of those magazines are still available today.
The staying power of Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and Ellery Queens Mystery Magazine are often credited with keeping America interested in the mystery genre.
During all the years when the mystery genre was fashioning and separating itself from other genres, many novels would be translated onto film or stage. Bella Lugosi even played the key role in the black & white screen version of the first mystery, The Murders in the Rue Morgue which debuted in 1932.
In the late 1940’s the mystery genre would receive a new boost from a most unlikely source…a family board game.
In 1949 Waddington’s Toy Company in Leeds, United Kingdom introduced ‘Clue’, a board game where the players become the detectives and attempt to solve a crime. The game was later purchased by Parker Brothers Game Company and distributed worldwide. Now, an icon of the Hasbro Industry, the game of ‘Clue’ is a worldwide phenomenon with over 20 versions of the original game, TV shows, movies and even a line of books. All of this sprang from a simple, mystery money maker.
The mystery genre has come a very long way in a short amount of time and it appears, much to the delight of its readers, determined to go with us into the next century.
During the television detective era, viewers around the globe were turned on by an array of shows where the main character’s goal was to solve a crime. It was during these years that we met Barnaby Jones, Remington Steele and Jessica Fletcher in Murder She Wrote. Three of the most popular detective shows were Perry Mason, Magnum P.I. and Matlock, all of which featured a unique twist on the mystery/detective genre in television.
Today you need not look far to see the influences of the mystery genre all around us. There are countless movies & TV programs in which the central theme revolves around the genre. We even have entire television networks devoted to uncovering the truth to some of the oldest mysteries known to man. These networks also come complete with a whole slew of fans who tune in on a daily basis, searching for the answers.
You can scan the channels and find a host of shows that spotlight new and unusual twists on the old concepts that define the mystery. Psych, House, Medium, Castle, Dexter and Monk are just a few of the shows with a fresh new take and a quirky new interpretation on the modern day detective.
Since its beginning, the mystery genre has spun a ton of sub genres that include, whodunit, amateur detective, private detective, cozy, hard boiled (noir), police procedural, crime and caper. Of course, this list may vary from one writer to another.
In 2010, the mystery genre made its mark on the literary landscape when some of the best selling writers of our time hit the best seller lists. Stieg Larson, Dennis Lehane, John Grisham and David Baldacci are just a small handful of authors whose presences in the mystery genre are being greatly felt in this year.
As long as there are unanswered questions in the universe, mysteries looming or even murders that go unsolved, the mystery genre will be there to pull its readers and viewers along on nail-biting journeys. Perhaps one day we will get the answer to that ages-old question…Was it Colonel Mustard in the library with the candlestick?
From the files of literary history it is hard to gauge the exact year and origins of the mystery. Though there are countless clues and many a detective willing to search for the answer, the origins of the mystery genre remains, fittingly…a mystery!!

CK Webb for Suspense Magazine

The History of Horror by CK Webb

2011-03-17T19:28:00.000-05:00

Webster’s Dictionary defines horror as a painful and intense fear, dread or dismay. But, how has horror evolved through history in books and film?
It would be impossible to trace the origins of the very first horror story as myths, tales and fables have been around since the dawn of mankind. Cave drawings from pre- historic times contain images of real life and fable horrors that man faced.
Written documentation of horror by modern man came much later and its’ beginnings were marked by the great tales told by Dante in his Devine Comedy.
History itself saw the rise of ‘Dracula’ when in 1456; the prince of Wallachia was crowned and began his campaign of evil against his enemies and all enemies of the church. Dracula or Son of the Dragon, was the name given him by his father but the name he earned and one which was more appropriate was ‘Vlad the Impaler’. This name was given him due to the horrors he inflicted on his fellow man. The name Dracula would however, secure for him an elevated status in horror for centuries to come.
During this time, many artists and painters sprung forth with works of art that now, can only be described as ‘horror’.
Throughout the coming years and into the 1600’s play after play began to fill the theatrical stages of the world, each containing a very central theme…They were, by all accounts, horrors.
In the late 1600’s witchcraft came to the forefront of the human psyche with persecution and executions ensuing. None in history gained quite the stage as did the witch trials of Salem, Massachusetts. Even today, you can find reference to this dark time in American history in books and in film.
1765 sees the entrance of Gothic Horror to the scene with Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto. Horror is again redefined and soon begins to take on a new shape and a new place in history.
In 1784 the Marquis de Sade wrote 120 Days of Sodom while incarcerated in the Bastille. Having spent most of his life persecuted for his intense love of the written word and the horror tales he spun, he was believed to be insane and as such, would never live to see his masterpiece published.
In 1800 America saw its very first translation of a vampire tale in Wake Not the Dead by Johann Ludwig Tieck. Sixteen years later horror would take its most significant turn when Lord Byron, Percy Shelley, Mary Shelley and Dr. Polidori declared they would each write their own version of a ghost story. Though it is rumored that the four were under the influence of laudanum, it does not take away from the impact that this group would have on horror. From this single group of writers, under the influence, sprang the vampire sub-genre as well as the science fiction genre.
In 1818 Mary Shelley’s contribution came in the form of Frankenstein. The first science fiction book with deep horror roots became all the rage. Frankenstein was followed closely by Dr. Polidori’s The Vampyre, the very first of its kind written in the English language.
In the 1820’s Victor Hugo made waves in the world of horror when he introduced Notre Dame de Paris, more famously known here in America as The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Hugo would continue to impact the world with his literary contributions many of which would be later made into long running theatrical plays.
Now came one of history’s greatest writers (my opinion of course) Edgar Allen Poe. Bursting onto the literary scene in 1833, Poe gave the world some of the greatest horror tales ever told and did so in the short 16 years until his life’s end in 1849. The remainder of the 1800’s would see a barrage of famous horror tales from Tales Told For Children, Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber, Wagner The Werewolf, The Ring and The Book to the classic tale Childe Rolande To The Dark Tower which would become the inspiration for another great horror writer in history.
From 1885-1896 the world would be introduced to Dr. Jekyll and Mister Hyde, the real serial killer, Jack The Ripper and would also visit The Island Of Dr. Moreau.
Arguably the most famous of all horror books was released by Irish novelist Abraham ‘Bram’ Stoker in 1897. The vampire craze which had been started years earlier took an aggressive turn that would hurl Bram Stoker’s Dracula as well as its central character, into the forefront of horror where it remains even today.
The 1900’s saw the introduction of horror to film with William N. Seligs short film version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Frankenstein would see its first filming and legendary writer/director/producer Alfred Hitchcock would come raging onto the horror scene.
In 1923 Lon Chaney and Universal Studios would immortalize The Hunchback of Notre Dame on film and the world began to clammer for more. America wanted to be scared and for years to come, they would be.
Phantom of the Opera and Dracula would deliver the one, two punch and the literary world as well as the world of film began to light up with horror tales of every kind. Actors from Lugosi to Karloff to Lon Chaney Jr. fought for the lead roles in Hollywood’s film adaptations of the literary world’s greatest horror masterpieces.
Radio broadcasts of horror tales even found a place in the market and many children found themselves racked with fear as the tales spilled from the radio. As a child, I spent many a ride home in the car with my feet pulled tightly to my chest in hopes that the creature from the tale on the radio would not reach out from beneath the seat and carry me away.
The next years would see the likes of H.P. Lovecraft, Orson Welles and Ray Bradbury, all of whom would weave themselves and their writings into the very fabric that makes up the horror genre.
In 1953 Vincent Price and his chilling portrayals of evil would catapult to the head of the film industry and still we wanted more. Our prayers for new and more sinister horror would be answered with such works as The Lord of the Flies, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Haunting of Hill House and Psycho. Though the world had seen its fair share of horrors, The Black Plague, The Great depression, The World Wars, Hitler, The KKK and a generous sprinkling of serial killers; nothing could compare with the thrill of being scared. Horrors fit that bill.
Rod Serling and Alfred Hitchcock gave us fear and horror in 30 minute doses everyday on their T.V. series Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
In the 1970’s horror rallied itself as champion not only in the literary world but in film as well. William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist in book and film would slingshot horror into the spotlight and become a catalyst for greats such as Stephen King, Stanley Kubrick, Wes Craven, Peter Benchley, Anne Rice, David Seltzer and John Carpenter to name a few.
We have seen vampires, mummy’s, werewolves, aliens and the like translated from book to film. Horror films today sometimes border on silly and scary has somehow gotten lost in translation. It has not stopped movie goers of all ages from flocking to theatres in hopes of being scared to death. Books have continued to deliver and every day new authors are putting their unique spin on the genre and leaving their mark for the next generation.
Whether tales of foreboding creatures or the uncertainty that lies in the reality of the everyday world, horror has become a very real part of the human condition. People want to experience intense and painful fear, dread or dismay…It makes us feel more alive.
Does your horror come from under the bed or lurk in the shadows of the darkness where no light can be found? Or does your horror come from the things left unsaid about that strange neighbor next door? Whatever your answer, one thing is certain, horror has traveled and evolved with us through the years. I have no doubt that horror will continue to wrap us in fear and prey on us for as long as there is fear itself. History is Horror.

Step By Step by Kelly Moran

2011-03-14T05:15:00.000-05:00

I began my writing career at age eight with poetry and short stories. By the time adolescence hit, I knew romance was my true calling. After having kids, wanting to write kids books became a new desire. Though I focus on romance and children's books now, I have had other genres published.

When I first started seeking publication, I had no idea what I was doing. Eventually my first couple books were self-published. As most would think, I do not regret this decision. Though most frown upon self-publishing, I see it as a triumph to just get that far, get yourself out there. Self-publishing also taught me a lot in ways of marketing, promotion, and research. Especially in today's market, even the large publishing houses are requiring their authors to be more active in promotion. I feel I have the advantage now. Beginning this way also helped me get my feet wet. I learned the do's and don'ts of submissions and queries.

While in the writing process, the best advice I can offer is this: #1-- Join a writers group and get a critique partner. There are several writing groups for several genres. This will enable you to put out the best manuscript you can. Others can see the faults and errors better than you. #2-- Attend workshops and learn your craft. This also means reading books in the genre you write. Most new authors don't even realize clichés and mistakes when they see them. Most authors also don't realize that they are telling, not showing. In other words, narrating. Your character needs to tell the story. Tips: Avoid adverbs, "LY-ending" words. Avoid words like "saw," "felt," "realized," "noticed," "he/she thought." Body language is key to making characters three-dimensional. I recommend the book: "What Every Body is Saying" by Joe Navarro. And pace your book accordingly. Do not info dump or back story dump. Keep the readers wanting more! #3-- Do your research! This doesn't just include researching the career your characters chose, but setting, climate, economy, etc.

This is also the best time to get involved in other areas of writing. Start a blog. They are free and it gives you a break writing there and expressing yourself. If you joined a writers group like I told you to, then volunteer to judge a writing contest. Search book review sites and volunteer to become a reviewer for them. This not only gives you free books, but you are reading the current market and making connections. All these things look great on a resume to agents and editors!

Now, for the submission/query process. Make sure your MS is polished. Never query unless your MS is done. Make sure it is formatted to the guidelines specified by each agent/editor, (they are all different). Make sure you are targeting the correct agent/editor with your work, that they are accepting queries, and that they accept your genre. Follow their guidelines on how to submit: paper, snail mail, email, attachments, pasting in body, etc. And make sure your query letter and synopsis are correct. I recommend the book: "Your Novel Proposal" by Camenson & Cook, or "The Guide to Literary Agents," by Sambuchino. There are specific guidelines for query letters. It should read like a business letter with a hint of personality-- How you heard about said agent/editor, word count/genre/title. Then a blurb on the book. Then your bio. Then a thank you.

Best of luck to you!
Kelly Moran
You can learn more about this author and her work by visiting her website at http://www.authorkellymoran.com/

Don't Send That Query Letter (Not Yet Anyway)

2011-03-10T15:48:00.000-06:00

Did you just finish your first query letter for that great American novel you've been writing for the last five years? Are you excited to send it off to your list of top ten agents or publishers? I can see you now, smiling with the results of the absolute most perfect and glorious query letter of all time. You've spent hours if not days condensing your opus into a couple hundred words. You've researched your sought after agents nearly to the point of stalking. You've read your letter 700 times... Today.
And now you're ready to press that send button on your finished email. You can't wait for the partial requests to start flowing into your inbox.
Well, I'm right there with you, crossing my fingers and hoping all of your hard work is about to come to fruition. I want nothing but unimaginable success for you. Really, I do. And because of that hope, I'm asking you not to press that send button. Yeah, you heard me right.
Let me step back for a moment. I want you to look at this wonderful query letter while I try to help you not do something you'll regret. What I'm going to say might sound a little blunt but just know it is all in love. Your query letter might not be as great as you think. Not yet anyway. You've been staring at query letter bark for so long, you might be missing the forest. Or, if I wasn't trying to be so writerly, you might need some fresh eyes.
I know this because of my own mistakes. I exhausted my top ten sought after agents in my first wave of letters. As the rejections trickled in, I was forced to re-examine my approach. And do you know what? After stepping away for a month or so while waiting for the undoubtedly inevitable offers, I was able to look at my letter in a whole new light.
And it turns out, my letter wasn't as good as I thought.
What am I trying to say exactly? Well, most important is to not give up. But that's what everyone says and right now it's not what you want to hear. I propose a different approach than sending your letter to your favorite agents. It's true, you'll never be rejected if you don't start sending, but it's also true you'll never be accepted either and I understand where you're coming from. I also understand you have to send out one before you can send out two. So here's my idea. Take that brilliant query letter and send it out because I know that's what you're dying to do. Heck, it's an exciting moment and I don't want to take that from you. But here's where my plan is different. I want you to choose four or five other agents, maybe agents a little lower on your list, and send away. If they offer to look at more of your work, you're doing pretty well. If they don't, you might need to tweak your letter a bit. Save your top agents for a little farther down the road.
I promise, in time, you'll know when your letter is ready for that A-list of agents. You'll have reworked it a little more and you'll simply feel it is ready.
So that's it; that's my advice. Maybe it's not even good advice but it's advice I wish I had heard back when I started the querying process. Though, I have to admit I might not have listened. Why would I? It was the absolute most perfect and glorious query letter of all time.
Well, in hindsight, maybe it wasn't.
Good luck and I wish you all the best.
Douglas Brown

Douglas R. Brown is the author of the upcoming novel
The Light of Epertase: Legends Reborn, which will be released Aug. 1, 2011 from Rhemalda Publishing. You can visit Douglas Brown's blog or website for more information on this up and coming author at www.epertase.com & www.epertase.blogspot.com

HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT from CK Webb & DJ Weaver

2011-03-01T09:30:00.000-06:00

After long and careful consideration, the WebbWeaver duo, CK Webb & DJ Weaver, have made some critical decisions regarding their future in the literary world. We have decided to part ways with our literary agent and agency and begin a new journey. This has been an amicable split and though we leave the business relationship, we remain good friends with Cari Foulk and all the authors from Tribe. We will continue to do everything in our power to support, not only Cari & Tribe Literary, but each author represented by them. My fondest wish is that our friends, family and fans will also support the incredibly talented writers who are represented by Tribe Literary Agency. They are certain to make waves in the literary world.
Now, for the really good stuff! Our first novel, CRUELTY TO INNOCENTS: THE 911 ABDUCTIONS (Yes, that’s the full title), is off to professional editing and will soon be available for purchase as an e-book on several sites, including Amazon & Amazon UK. We will be working on blurbs, cover art and book synopsis while we wait. We are working extremely hard, as are many other wonderful people, to ensure that our fans receive the very best thriller we can give them.
Before the book goes up for sale, we will be posting, at least, the prologue and first couple of chapters to allow readers to ‘wet their whistle’ so to speak and get a feel for what Cruelty To Innocents is all about. This is the first book in the three book 911 Abduction series.
We intend to market book one like mad women. We have not lost sight of our ultimate goal, which is to see the ‘Innocents’ series picked up by a traditional publishing house. In the meantime, we hope that sales from book one will make a good case for us in that regard. We will eventually seek agency representation for book two, COLLECTING INNOCENTS, but not until we feel it sparkles like a rare diamond!
We will need our friends, family and fans more than ever and are hopeful that you will support our work. It will take each and every one of you to get the word out and hopefully we will see the ‘Innocents’ series do amazing things…together! We are very nervous, extremely excited and incredibly anxious to share with you all, CRUELTY TO INNOCENTS: THE 911 ABDUCTIONS.

CK Webb & DJ Weaver

Thank You 2010

2010-12-19T19:53:00.001-06:00

I would like to take a few moments to reflect upon the year that is nearing its close. 2010 was an unforgettable one and as I look back on it, I cannot help but beam with pride at how incredibly blessed I have been.

Of course the year saw its fair share of hard times that included the loss of two very dear friends. Matt & Valerie are gone from our everyday lives but the blessings of having known them will linger for the rest of my years. Often times when we experience pain and shed tears at the passing of friends & loved ones, we somehow miss the big picture. I am better for having known them and thankful for the time I had with them no matter how brief that time was.

2010 contained a plethora of amazing moments and I would be remiss if I did not make an attempt to acknowledge them and share them with others.

After realizing a lifelong dream of writing a novel, January started off with not only completion of that novel but also with an agent who believed in our work and wanted to represent us. As our agent, Cari Foulk continued to recruit new talent for the Tribe Literary Agency, we were introduced not only to new writers, but to people who would become true supporters and real friends.

Tribe Literary runs in a very unique way and embraces the diversity not only of the individuals it represents but also the genres that each amazing author writes in. Tribe continues to raise the bar and unite its authors which sets it apart from all the rest. The support the Tribe authors show for one another is honestly, a thing of beauty.

As mid year came it saw our novel being shopped to dozens of publishing houses. Though we have seen a couple of rejections, we are extremely hopeful for 2011 and that we will find the perfect publishing fit for the Innocents series.

WebbWeaver review blog celebrated 1 year of providing readers with reviews of the best books, movies & music, while WebbWeaver website had the privilege & honor of interviewing Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl, Michael Palmer, Claude Bouchard (Tribe Author), Luke Romyn (Tribe Author), Robert Crull, Jeremy C. Shipp, Michael Rushnak, Tasha Alexander, Thomas Emson, Lauren Kate, Beth Hoffman and Lara Adrian. As if this list of author interviews wasn't enough to be proud of, next year has a line up of authors that promises to be another one to remember.

During the year, my co-writer and I continued to press forward with the Innocents series and in October, we completed the second book, Collecting Innocents. Once again we were greeted with cheers and excitement from our agent who has become our biggest fan.

2010 also saw us branch out into other forms of media as book reviewers and contributors for Suspense Magazine. The magazine continues to grow & prosper and sales continue to escalate. Suspense Magazine can be found, not only on the shelves of thousands of bookstores across the US, but now in numerous other countries worldwide.

In November I had my very first author interview run live across the Internet and this time I was the one being interviewed.

After years of dreaming and working to see my name in print, that dream finally became a reality. In December, I was interviewed by Suspense Magazine and also had a two page feature run on The History Of Horror. My name in print...sheer heaven!

2011 is sure to be an even better year as more of my articles are set to run monthly through mid year and hopefully beyond. We have enough books to write and to read to keep us busy for a very long time... we have no complaints, only humble thanks.

We will be branching out in 2011 with a three book Urban Paranormal series that we started earlier this year titled The Devil's Playthings and we have plans to complete the third and final book in the Innocents series.

Everyday we continue to be met with tiny gifts along our journey and when hurdles show themselves we simply roll up our sleeves and climb on over them.

Last but certainly not least we have been blessed with and are thankful for every single reader, friend and fan that we have gained in 2010. Thousands of people take the time everyday to follow our reviews, read our posts & interviews or just stop by to say 'Hi'...you are all a part of what has made 2010 so very special.

What are you thankful for in 2010? What are you hopeful for in 2011?

Dreams have been realized, prayers answered and goals accomplished because each day we choose to show up & do our part. I will show up in 2011, do my part and be thankful for every step that we take on this journey.

Wishing you all the very best for the remainder of 2010 and for the promise of amazing things to come in 2011...

Dreaming of Innocents

2010-11-03T21:21:00.000-05:00

After months and months of toiling over the manuscript, we have finally come to the end of another part of our journey...completion of book 2 in the INNOCENTS series.

Cruelty To Innocents began as a single concept, a single idea that came during a period of lucid sleep. It quickly manifested into an ever evolving story that has taken on a life of its own. As each word has been put down onto paper & then transcribed to computer, we have discovered that the story has gone off in its own direction.

What began as a single concept with a few central characters, has morphed into an enormous creature with layer upon layer of plot & sub-plots, as well as enough extra characters to fill a small town.
Even though we breathed life into it and tried to shape it into what we wanted it to be, The Innocents series has taken a stand and chosen to live life on its own terms. As most parents are often forced to do, we sit back, sometimes reluctantly, and give it the space it needs to grow. We love it as best we can and with all our hearts. When it needs us we are there to cheer it on and to support it but mostly, we sit back proudly as it tells its own tale and we are in awe.

In the beginning I believed Cruelty To Innocents was my idea...my creation. How quickly the tables have turned. The Innocents series was NEVER my idea. It had its own unique way of dreaming innocents into my psyche and planting a tiny seed for us. It has allowed us to cultivate and nourish it and become vital tools for the story and its characters. We are a means to an end now, but only the Innocents know where their story will go or how it will end.

I continue to listen for the words to be whispered in my ear or plotted out in my dreams and with pen in hand I am ready for the tale to unfold.

The second book in the INNOCENTS series has been completed and the working title is...COLLECTING INNOCENTS.

QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS By Eric B. Thomasma

2010-10-08T08:58:00.000-05:00

Where do you get your ideas?

Where do you find inspiration?

How do you come up with your characters?

These are some of the questions I get on a regular basis from friends, family and acquaintances when they find out I'm a writer. And yet, every time I'm asked, I find myself searching for the answers. You would think by now that I could have come up with some witty and/or profound answer that both entertains and informs, (after all I am a writer) but sadly that is not the case. I just respond as honestly as I can, and hope that it answers the question.

But, it's not the answers that interest me today, it's the questions and the questioners. Why do people ask these questions? What are they hoping to learn from the answers? Presumably, these questions are asked with the hopes of finding some window into the creative mind. To catch some glimmer of what makes a writer write. But to what end?

Is it simply curiosity? Is the questioner hoping to find some technique that will allow them to also become a writer? Are they trying to gauge the writer's level of sanity? Are they asking because it seems like a good question to be heard asking? Is someone keeping track somewhere of all the answers from all of the writers in order to determine a common psychosis?

I don't know, maybe the next time I answer one of these common questions, I will be quick enough to ask them why they asked...but probably not!

But, I would like to know the answer.

Eric B. Thomasma was born and raised in West Mitten USA. He still lives in the area with his wife of 33 years, Therese, and together they raised two sons, Eric Jr. & Nicholas. Eric spent most of his adult life working as an electrician and service technician in the telecommunications industry, with side interests in computers and video production. Eric has written and self published two novels, SEAMS 16: A New Home and SEAMS 16: Arrival, and a children's story Sam And The Dragon. His latest novel, And So It Begins, is currently being considered by literary agents. You can learn more about Eric and his writing at his website http://ericbt.webs.com and you can follow his daily alliterations on twitter @seams16

AN ASPIRING AUTHOR By: Claude Bouchard

2010-09-17T09:07:00.000-05:00

He wakes in the morning and heads directly into the computer room where he fires up the PC. The 23 inch flat-screen comes to life and he waits the moments required for the CPU to crunch through its morning ritual, its own awakening to deal with another day.

The coffee maker starts to burble and he goes down into the kitchen, feeding the cats while the caffeine brew drips into the pot. Minutes go by and he returns upstairs armed with two full cups, one he leaves on his spouse's nightstand, as she will soon rise as well.

Back at the command center, he slips back onto the web, opening tabs which will be required, as usual, for the day ahead. Followers have increased on Twitter again, he notes with satisfaction. The previous day's hits on his website demonstrate continued interest in what he has to offer the world. He sifts through new e-mails, deleting junk and reading those he deems important, though there is no earth-shattering news once again. As he verifies a few sites related to sales, he is disappointed to see that, as is often the case, few or no units were sold the previous day. Determined however, he pursues the routine as he has done for over a year, marketing himself and his products, greeting friends all over the globe, chatting and making the witty remarks for which he has become known, hoping that his efforts are not in vain.

The day goes by like all the others past, with messages sent regularly to assure his presence, all while toiling at the creation of his current work in progress. Through it all, he waits for that call, that sale, that interest that will show him that what he has done, has indeed finally been considered worthwhile.

The day ends as he closes down his command center and turns his attention to another pleasant evening with his spouse and the pursuit of other activities, of the leisure kind, aimed at taking his mind off of the dream he yearns for to become reality.

The evening draws to a close and it becomes night, a time to retire, to rest and build up the energy for a new day to come, a day which will most likely duplicate those of the past. But he remains optimistic, he remains hopeful, he remains an aspiring author.

Claude Bouchard was born in Montreal, Canada where he still resides with his spouse Joanne, as well as the rulers of the household, Krystalle and Midnight, their cats. Claude has written and self-published four novels and has recently completed work on a fifth. When Claude isn't writing or editing his work, he spends his time making noise with his guitars, painting in oil and watercolor, reading, traveling (budget permitting) and planning to work out. Claude Bouchard is represented by Tribe Literary Agency. You can learn more about this fascinating author on his website http://bigceebee.webs.com/ or on Twitter @ceebee308.

ON BEING A WRITER By: Gerald Gillis

2010-09-14T12:41:00.001-05:00

George Orwell wrote in his 1946 essay, Why I Write: "All writers are vain, selfish and lazy, and at the very bottom of their motives there lies a mystery. Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand."

A lot of effort goes into writing a book; enormous amounts of time and energy. There are times of great excitement and moments of suffocating doubt. There is hope and promise and turn-the-page anticipation, when creating something in the sweet glow of afternoon where nothing existed in the early calm of morning. There's also the opportunity to gage the thickness of one's skin and the stoutness of one's heart, if rejection comes knocking, at once so marginalizing and discouraging that it seems as if the very demon of Orwell's essay is laughing hysterically at the folly of such a subjective undertaking. High highs and low lows are all part of the package. And by no means is the foregoing restricted to the writing profession, but still it's all there, all over the chart, sort of like the Dow Jones nowadays.

I began writing Shall Never See So Much, several years ago while I was still traveling forty six weeks a year as a member of the corporate world. I wrote at home, on airplanes, in hotel rooms and sometimes made notes (mental mind you) while driving rental cars. I chose the year 1968 to provide a setting that I thought would be interesting. I chose a brother and sister through whom I would tell my story.

I also wanted to write a block-buster best seller, become wildly famous, extensively followed, enormously wealthy and then churn out a new smash hit on my June birthday every year for the rest of my days.

And why not? What writer doesn't covet the literary Heavyweight Championship belt? That's not the whole of it, however. So why do it? Why persevere?

Because writers have a story they need to tell and a point they need to make. My story in Shall Never See So Much, involves the bravery of my characters in their times of turmoil; my point is, my belief that the human spirit is essentially, fundamentally, demonstrably heroic. I believe it because I've studied history. I believe because I've seen it in the lives of everyday people like my grandmother and my parents. I still see it in my wife and kids and now I'm starting to see it in my grand kids. They are heroes to me, real heroes, and they inspire me by their example.

That's the story I wanted to tell and the message I wanted to impart. That's why I write. That's where I find the real worth.

That's my purpose.

Gerald Gillis is a native of Atlanta, Georgia. He is married and the father of three grown children. Gerald is a graduate of the University of Tampa (MBA) and the University of Georgia (BBA). After college Gerald served for three years as an artillery officer in the Marine Corps with duty stations in the US and Okinawa/mainland Japan. He then worked as an executive in the medical devices industry where he traveled extensively, both foreign and domestically. Gerald became a full time novelist in 2009. Shall Never See So Much is his second novel. His first novel was published 25 years ago and did reasonably well, but Gerald decided that his business career would better accommodate educating kids and paying the mortgage than a career as a neophyte novelist. Hence, Gerald's writing career has resumed after a bit of a hiatus.

REJECTION IS GOOD! By: David Workman

2010-09-10T19:06:00.000-05:00

QUERIES...UGH!

Every author dreads them but query letters are the lifeline to the publishing world and we have to write them...like it or not. At least, that is, if you plan to go the traditional publishing route, which is what I am currently pursuing. Sure, I could self publish (which I did with one book already) and may yet end up doing so, but for now I am going the old fashioned route and sloshing through the query swamp.

The good news is, creating a query letter isn't as hard as it used to be thanks to many, many free and cheap resources. You can 'Google' query letters and you'll get all sorts of tips on what to say, how to say it, formatting and even warnings about what agents hate. There is software you can buy to help you create the 'perfect' query letter (don't know about that) and all sorts of websites that claim they will teach you the ins and outs of paragraph sequence, catchy openings, plot summaries and the tricks to get an agent's attention. That is all well and good until you get to...

The bad news.... You still have to write the darn thing. But what do you say? How do you take the 300 page book and summarize it adequately so that the agent will get the gist of your characters and plot. Worse still, how do you summarize it in a way that doesn't water your book down so much that it sounds like every other book they have ever seen? What danger is there in describing every detail to the point that you realize you could have written a short story instead? And how many agents do you have to send it to before you get a positive response and find someone who actually wants to lay eyes on what you have spent months, years or a lifetime lovingly creating? ( And how come not everyone is as fond of it as you are? Come on people, it's great writing)

We have all heard the stories about best-selling authors being rejected over and over--Stephen King was rejected over 30 times before the right agent came along and, is now, reaping the rewards from taking a chance on an unknown whom, everyone else said would never amount to much. I bet those agents wish they had that choice to make again! What we are supposed to take away from stories like that are some sort of solace that tells us it is okay if the first agent you solicit says "No". But it is hard. I remember fondly the first rejection letter I received like it was just yesterday. Actually, it was last Tuesday, but you get the point.

I am in the process of finding an agent myself for a novel I began almost a decade ago. The manuscript is finally done and is now collecting dust on my hard drive. No, it really is. I need to clean the vent in the back of the computer...It is filthy!

Over the past week and a half, I have sent out a total of 49 queries to agents from New York to San Diego and I have gotten rejected six times. In the big picture, it is not a bad ratio. It means that I am only 25 queries away from becoming the next Stephen King. (I can dream, right?) But, over the same 10 days, three agents have requested sample chapters and pages which I hurriedly sent off. Am I excited? You betcha! Am I am rushing out to buy my new Mercedes? Uh...No. I think I will wait until I receive my first royalty check.

It really is true that each rejection gets you one agent closer to writing success. That is the attitude we need to have. So, stop staring at the computer screen. The e-mail won't change. The answer is still no, so move on to the next one. The right agent IS out there, you just have to fight your way through the weeds to find them.

David Workman is the author of one self-published non-fiction book, The Bare Bones Guide To Buying & Selling Your Home. After 16 years of writing, marketing & ad copy, David is trying his hand at fiction. He is working hard to publish his new political thriller, Absolute Authority, the traditional way. A native St. Louisan, David now lives in Hickory, North Carolina, with his wife and two children, where he continues his vain attempt to adjust to life in a small town.

Agents & Editors & Publishers... OH MY!

2010-08-23T10:19:00.001-05:00

My experiences in writing seem a lot like Dorothy's trip in The Wizard Of Oz. I can easily relate with how she must have felt. The whole writing process is like being swept away by an F-5 tornado and then being dropped smack dab in the middle of a strange land filled with agents & editors & publishers OH MY!

So, you have finished your novel...now what? Just do what Dorothy did...Follow The Yellow Brick Road. There are a few things you will need before you get started on the road to Oz. If you haven't guessed what they are already then here is your 'Ah-Ha' moment. You will need a brain, tons of heart and the courage to see yourself through this long journey. Along the way you will encounter some of the most treacherous obstacles on earth. Now, you may not come across flying monkeys or green, evil witches and your chances of stumbling through an enchanted poppy field are slim to none...though that might not be so bad. What you will be faced with is querying your novel for representation, dealing with editing & polishing of your manuscript and finally the dreaded shopping of your novel to publishing houses.

With agents and querying, all you need are BRAINS to help you land the agent of your dreams. It is simple... follow the guidelines set by each agent when querying your manuscript. You are much more likely to be taken seriously if you can first, follow simple directions....I'm just saying.

Editing gets a little trickier because, we as writers are so close to the project. We see our manuscript as our baby and believe it is perfect and beautiful in the way all good parents should, whereas an editor can see our manuscript with different, clearer eyes. When your agent or editor says that you can make your novel better, have the heart to do what is right for the manuscript even if this means sacrificing yourself and your needs. Love that manuscript enough to do the right thing.

Now, as to your last, daunting task I say, "Be brave and courageous, fellow writer". While waiting for a contract or when wading through a stack of rejections, courage is tough to maintain and not something that everyone has. For those of you who are afraid to show the world who you were meant to be, courage may not come. The trick to waiting for a book contract is not only to be courageous but to bring with you all three virtues...Brains, Heart & Courage. Remember to always believe in yourself and you will get there eventually.

Now, you have made it to Oz by finishing your novel, landing the perfect agent, polishing that manuscript to a high shine and finding your novel in the hands of several publishing houses. You have arrived...right? Not so fast.

Sadly, you may find that at the end of your long journey, others will go before you and find their place at publishing houses. It's OK...Relax and take a deep breath. There is a home for you with a publisher somewhere over the rainbow.

So, if you find yourself a little worried & stressed out and all the brains, heart and courage in the world don't feel like enough, just do what Dorothy and I do... Each morning click your heels together 3 times and repeat after me...

"There's no place like home"

"There's no place like home"

"There's no place like home"

Karma & The Author Interview

2010-08-12T19:52:00.000-05:00

My co-writer and I run a website as well as a blog, where we do book reviews and author interviews. Interviewing is a serious business and not something we take lightly. There are certain levels of friendship and trust that must first be established before we will even consider asking an author for an interview. Let's face it, you don't want to friend someone and turn around fifteen minutes later and ask for an interview. It's like meeting someone and calling them the next day to borrow money; it can be done but it is pretty tacky when it is. We never want someone to think that our intentions are selfishly motivated.

It is for this very reason that several of our friends who also happen to be authors have not been interviewed on WebbWeaver. We simply haven't asked them, as the friendship is so much more important than any interview. There are of course, some authors who jump right out there in our 'getting acquainted' stage and ask for an interview. We don't always interview these folks, as we sometimes get that icky feeling of being used and no one likes that. It may sound like a ridiculous, petty thing, but I think there is something to be said for respect. If you take the time to get to know someone as a friend and colleague, then the other stuff just kind of works itself out on a case by case basis.

Having said all this, I have never given too much thought to the stress that can go along with an author interview. Even I sometimes forget that well known writers such as Michael Palmer, Tasha Alexander or even Laren Kate are still just regular people. I have spent the better part of my life being in awe of writers and placing them in that 'elite' status because of what they do. Since I started my writing career, I have gotten an eye opening shot of reality as to the amount of work and time that goes into the craft of novel writing. I see things in a different light than I did and what used to be awe has been replaced with admiration and respect. I love when a little dose of what I put out comes back to bite me in the butt...it always helps to keep me grounded. This time my medicine comes in the form of an author interview...not one where I am the interviewer, but rather the one being interviewed! My interviewer followed all my own personal guidelines and established herself as a friend first and then BAM! just like that, she asked and I accepted. This will be my first interview and it will be a live one hour spot on Artists First Radio. I have spent a year doing author interviews and not once did I think it possible for the author to be nervous, I mean it's their book right? What in the world is there for them to be nervous about? Well, here I sit swallowing a bit of what I have so generously handed out...a good dose of my own medicine. So, for those of you who do book reviews or author interviews always remember that it could be you and sometimes the shoe really does end up on the other foot.

CK Webb

Social Networking and the Writer

2010-07-28T17:59:00.001-05:00

Let's all face it...social networking has become HUGE! But with each person, the reason for using social media and how it's used, varies drastically.

There is the 'Magic' social media guy; you know him or her well. They breeze in every few months, type out a line or two, download a hideous photo then, like magic, they are gone just as quickly as they appeared. There are the 'Trendy' social media folks who jump on the bandwagon in short violent bursts, usually when some star makes mention of a site or one of the sites hits the headlines. Then there are the 'Denial' networkers who limit themselves to social media 'only on weekends' or 'only late at night if I'm having trouble sleeping'. There are people who use social media to find lost family, old friends, love, money and fame. Some people even go as far as to create an alternate existence chock full of farm lands, big cities, fake friends, fake pets and alter egos. So, which one are you?
I began testing the social media waters as a means of creating a foundation to introduce myself to the world as a writer. Soon my co-writer & I began to accumulated more and more friends. We then decided to branch out a bit, at first delving into book reviews and author interviews. Today, one year later, we have a review site, web site, multiple Twitter accounts and even a fanpage on Facebook.

So what has been the up side of social networking for me as a writer? Simple... not only have I had the opportunity to meet some amazing people but I have had the chance to really know them as friends and colleagues. We met our agent on Twitter, and several authors were already friends of ours before signing with our literary agency, Tribe Lit. A lot of well known authors have graciously agreed to interview with WebbWeaver because of the rapport we already had with them through social media sites. There are wonderful writer's groups and discussion forums available through social media and a host of advertising possibilities. You can even blog about or showcase your writing on social networking sites. Publishers, editors and agents all can be found on these sites and if you happen to be in the right place at the right time, you can get the opportunity to not only know these folks, but be welcomed into their circle of friends. Now all this may sound great but there is also a down side to social networking.

If you are planning to use these sites to get your name out there, then there are a few things you should try to remember. Social networking means you have to be 'social', even if you aren't normally. It also means that you would do well to be diplomatic in your wording at times when you would like to be rude. You will have to deal with people that you don't necessarily like but who offer up incite or knowledge into the writing world, that is crucial and necessary for your growth as a writer. There will be spammers who will, no doubt, drive you insane by posting penis enlargement advertisements on your blog, Facebook wall or website. You will most assuredly get a first hand look at back-stabbing and cut-throating which is sadly, a part of life as well as the writing industry. On days when you want to string together a series of obscenities so intricately woven that they could fill the hole in the ozone layer, you can't or rather you shouldn't, because now you never know who may be watching or reading your posts!

And the biggest drawback to this social networking conundrum... it is time consuming. Everyday I say my good morning's to a rather large group of individuals, I post on the fan page or write a review or blog post. These things can take you away from the task at hand... writing your novel. In the time it took me to plan & write this blog post, I could have easily written a couple thousand words on a manuscript. In the time it took you to follow the link from Twitter, Facebook or wherever, and then read this post...You could have done the same.

THE UGLY 9-LETTER WORD

2010-07-19T08:21:00.000-05:00

As writer's, we all have to face the dreaded 9-letter word... REJECTION. Sadly, the next step can sometimes be self-doubt. It starts with that nagging voice in the back of your mind that says, "Maybe you aren't good enough". Perhaps the self doubt goes even further and tells you that you chose the wrong dream to chase, give up now and forget about this whole 'writing thing'. I have even once, allowed self doubt to push me right into a slump, or what we writer's lovingly refer to as WRITER'S BLOCK. It took my co-writer & my agent a bit of reverse psychology (using my own 'pep talk' against me) to pry me off my pity pot and get me back in line. Today when the fear of rejection creeps in or self-doubt begins to whisper ever so softly in my ear, I simply remember the following, and I am instantly renewed...

1) William Golding's LORD OF THE FLIES was rejected by 20 publishers and was even called 'an absurd, uninteresting fantasy which was rubbish and dull'.

2) Frank Hubert's DUNE was rejected 20 times before making it's way to print.

3) Stephen King was rejected dozens of times for his novel CARRIE. One publisher even stated, 'we are not interested in science fiction with negative utopias...THEY DO NOT SELL'.

4) Meg Cabot, author of THE PRINCESS DIARIES, was rejected by 17 publishers before landing a deal.

5)Madeline L'Engle's A WRINKLE IN TIME was rejected by 26 publishing houses.

6) Margaret Mitchell's riveting GONE WITH THE WIND, was rejected a whopping 36 times before landing a publisher.

7) John Grisham's A TIME TO KILL was rejected by 16 literary agents AND 12 publishers before marking the beginning of the best seller's career.

8) James Patterson, one of the most prolific and successful writers alive, was rejected more than a dozen times.

And last but certainly not least...

9) J.K. Rowling's (Yes! 'THE' J.K. Rowling) HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE (Now, The Sorcerer's Stone) was rejected by over a dozen publishing houses including, Penguin Books and Harper Collins. OUCH!!

Next time you get a rejection or self-doubt begins to poison your thinking, remember... The ugly 9-letter word doesn't mean that you aren't good enough, it just means that someone else will have the grand opportunity to kick themselves later on when the 9-letter word turns into the 3-letter word...YES!

The List

2010-07-08T21:21:00.000-05:00

I began this blog as a means of sharing with others the entire process that my co-writer and I went through on the road to publication. I wish I had started it much sooner, like before the novel was completed. Since I got a late start I have decided to bring everyone up to speed as simply as I know how...Welcome to THE LIST!

1) Wicked cool idea rears it's head for the first time.

2)Ran idea past best friend who inevitably becomes co-writer.

3) Began researching and tweaking every aspect of story concept including characters and locales.

4) Putt our butts in chairs and began writing.

5) In our free time, began utilizing various social networking sites in an effort to advertise our new roles as authors.

6) Met a wonderful lady through one of those sites, who happened to be an editor and was interested in our work. She offered to help us and we jumped at the opportunity to work with someone who knew the editing business and believed in us.

7) Continued to write while establishing ourselves as book reviewers and author interviewers with the WebbWeaver sites.

8) Wrote, wrote and wrote some more.

9) Edited, refined, tweaked and, did I mention that we wrote!

10) Got offered a contract for representation from the same wonderful lady we had confided in and trusted as an editor.

11) Established and met a deadline for completion of our debut novel CRUELTY TO INNOCENTS.

Now, before you ask, Yes, we met our agent on a social networking site. And Yes, we did sign our agency contracts before completion of our novel, BUT we were well into the book with only a few chapters remaining and our now agent/editor had every one of those chapters as well as a clear and detailed outline for the remaining ones.

Will you find your agent through social networking? I really can't say. Will you sign a contract for representation before you complete your novel? Most likely no, but that doesn't mean it can't happen. We know that it is not only unusual, but also very rare that our story has unfolded the way that it has, but we also know that it happened this way, not just because our agent/editor believed in us but because we believed in ourselves as well.

It is now 7 months since we signed those contracts, our book is out to several publishing houses and we are working on new projects everyday. We will continue to wait, to write and to believe in ourselves and our work until we can complete the list by adding;

12) Signed book deal.

13) Made 'THE LIST' at The New York Times.

Oh, how I dearly love THE LIST.

Co-Writer, Hand Cramps and Swiss Cake Rolls

2010-06-29T09:44:00.000-05:00

I set out over a year ago to pick up a pen and paper and begin the tedious task of writing a novel. It was, after all, the one desire I had that had never faltered in all my years. While in the process of writing it suddenly hit me...A wonderful, devilishly wicked story concept. I had never seen or read anything like it and wondered who I could trust enough to run the idea past. Ah-Ha! My best friend, of course. So, that is exactly what I did, and guess what? Turned out she had a natural ability for story development, we were definitely on the same page and she could type...A partnership was born. Everything did not fall into place overnight but it did eventually fall into place. We each found a unique strength and fit in our shared writing abilities. We did, of course, argue and sometimes fight. Once or twice we even talked of absolving the partnership and throwing in the towel, but never did. We were determined, each for their own personal reasons. The fruit of all that labor and months of growing pains became CRUELTY TO INNOCENTS, our debut novel.

Now, tucked neatly away, are hundreds upon hundreds of hand written pages ( Yes! I hand write all my work). The memory of the amount of Ibuprofen I consumed in an effort to battle the hand cramps that would always accompany my writing process and a few extra pounds gained while indulging in Swiss Cake Rolls (writing fuel) was little price to pay. Notebook, pens and Swiss Cake Rolls, and I am ready to work, and my partner is always ready to type.

Perhaps one day I will learn how to type and the process will change completely, but as I understand it, you don't fix what isn't broken. I think I will just stick with my co-writer, my hand cramps and my Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls.

Multiple Personality Disorder and Writing

2010-06-23T07:15:00.000-05:00

I often wonder how big the line is between a person who suffers from Multiple Personality Disorder and a writer. To be completely honest, it is a very thin, very blurred line and one that, in my opinion, we must cross daily in order to perfect our craft. You have all heard someone say, "Look at that guy...he's nuts" or "If she writes that stuff she must be crazy" and even "Only a crazy person could come up with that". I believe that writers are nuts. They are crazy. I am not talking about 'multiple medications four times a day' kind of crazy. I am not talking about 'popping Thorazine and shuffling into walls' kind of crazy. I surely don't mean 'burying the bodies in the basement' kind of crazy and I am definitely not referring to 'the world is out to get me kind of crazy' either. No. This kind of crazy is reserved just for us writer types. This kind of crazy is creating other people, other lives and being those people in those lives, as you write that story. It is speaking out loud in a British or Irish accent while that character speaks, even though you aren't British OR Irish. It can even be talking to, not only those characters, but also yourself and being completely OK with that.

Are authors crazy? Yes.

Will they admit to being crazy? Probably not but then, they are nuts...what are you doing listening to them anyway?

WAIT! Maybe you are just as crazy as that writer that you adore. As you are reading this post you may be asking, "Is she crazy?" Maybe. "Does she know she is crazy?" Perhaps. "Is she OK with being crazy?" Absolutely!

So...You Want To Be A Writer?

2010-06-20T20:58:00.000-05:00

So, you want to be a writer, but why? I know, you want the deal of the century from the most prestigious publishing house in all the world. You want the biggest advance ever in the history of the literary world, a 10 book deal and a fan base that rivals the Beatles. You want the best movie house in Hollywood to beg your agent for the rights to your book and then they will have the very best screenwriter in the business convert your novel into the greatest screenplay in cinematic history. Every producer in the business will fight for that screenplay and of course James Cameron, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas will ALL be directing. The cast will be slam full of stars such as Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Gerard Butler, Robert Pattinson with cameo appearances by you, of course. People will line up days in advance just to get a glimpse of you at a book signing or the opportunity to take a picture with you. You will be on every red carpet event and rub shoulders with the richest and most talented stars in the world. You will even have to step over fans and fight the paparazzi everyday just to make it to your mailbox.

Now, do you really want to be a writer?? If you said 'Yes' and your reason for doing so was in ANY of the above sentences...STOP NOW! You DO NOT want to be a writer. You want to be a rockstar or Justin Bieber and I am sorry, but that is on a different blog all together. This blog is about being a writer, you know broke, struggling, working 2 jobs to make ends meet but still determined to entertain with the art of storytelling. I will slowly take you on my journey from struggling writer to, if the stars align, a published author. I will try to do so as gently but honestly as possible and hopefully you and I both will learn a little something along the way. Enjoy the trip but please remember...Pen & Paper are not included!