Monday, November 25, 2013

Beyond Every Mirror

My latest novel, Beyond Every Mirror is on its last edits. I have added some exciting new detail. I have also begun a project I think all who wish to read the book when it is published will love. The main character, Dane Bainbridge, has his own blog. Some of the details in the book will make more sense if you read the blog first. The blog is meant to be a diary of sorts that Dane writes, which will lead up to the publication of the book (sort of an introduction or precursor to the novel, if you will).

In his blog, Dane will tell his daily life experiences, many of which will later be tied to the novel. Of course, that does not mean readers can't enjoy both independently of one another. You will not NEED to read the blog to understand the book, nor will you need to read the book to enjoy the blog. Though the experience will be more complete if you do both.

You can find Dane's blog at http://danesdarkmyst.blogspot.com/
You can also find the Beyond Every Mirror Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Beyond-Every-Mirror/435381586537350

Please like for updated information!

Friday, October 4, 2013

Halloween is Upon Us

So, as writers of paranormal fiction, Halloween tends to be a very important--or at the least interesting--holiday. We get to live out our characters, whether they be vampires, ghosts, werewolves or zombies.

 In my case. I get to dress up not only myself but my horse, and play out some creepy character on horseback. Pretty cool huh? Last year, I dressed as one of the "Four Horseman of the Apocalypse," Death! Here are some photos from my horse club's Halloween Costume Contest last year. So, rather than describing my costume, you can see it for yourself:




This year, I decided to go with the Headless Horseman from the classic "Sleepy Hollow." Since there is a brand new TV series on entitled "Sleepy Hollow" (which takes massive liberties with the original story, although their version is Ichabod Crane is rather hot), I got to thinking. Last year I played "Death" from the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.... In the new TV show, the Headless Horseman IS Death, one of the Four Horseman... Henceforth, I will be playing the same character as last year, sans head. Except this time I don't have to make my horse look black and skeleton-like because the horse in the new show is white!! All I need to do now is figure out how to get his eyes to glow red!!

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Even an old Story Can Become a New Book

When I was 15 years old, most of the stories I wrote were inspired by the music to which I listened. Heavy rock was my melodies of choice, including a band called "Angel," who was discovered by Gene Simmons of KISS, and received most of their fame on the west coast. Songs such as "Tower" and "The Winter Song" inspired me into visions, daydreams and eventually stories, which formed into my creative mind.

At school, I spent most of my time writing these stories, listening to music and combining the two. "Styx" was another band that inspired. So, with several Angel and Styx songs stirring in my head, I wrote a short story (during class in school, because that's what I did) that, at the time, I titled "White Hot."  I knew nothing of plagiarism back then. "White Hot" was "stolen" from one of Angel's album titles. It seemed a fitting title at the time.

The story was about the band's keyboardist, Gregg Giuffria, who, at the hotel while the band was on tour, gets kidnapped through a mirror and taken into some strange dimension (yeah, I had quite the imagination even as a kid).  In this dimension, he becomes the human sacrifice for an evil lord. Let's just say, he eventually wakes in his hotel to think it all a dream, only to find the injuries he suffered in that world all too real.

Many, many years later, I expanded on this short story and turned it into a novel. Obviously, I couldn't use Gregg, or Angel, so names were changed to "protect the innocent."  And Dane Bainbridge was born! Gregg's long blonde hair was changed to long wavy black hair and eyes to bright blue. 

The band name was changed several times and has ended up as Dark Myst. (it was originally Silent Rage, but then Chuck Norris came out with a movie of the same name so I felt people would think I stole the name, which I had not). I have to admit I was pissed off at Chuck Norris at the time (though I doubt he came up with the name of the movie).

Of course, I needed more of a plot than the simple little tale that was told in the short version, so I started writing... hence, characters were born and more plot was developed. Turns out Dane has been seeing this gal in his mirrors all of his life and he thinks it is normal until he is old enough to realize it's not. After that, he stops telling folks that he sees this chick, to avoid accusations of being crazy. His love of music and extreme talent draw him into the life of a rock star (sex, drugs and rock and roll all included), except he feels so empty! He is missing LOVE!!

This gal within his imagination that spies on within mirrors... she makes him FEEL. So, he is not horrified when, after the band's stage set never arrives due to a blizzard, the entire set is replaced by huge mirrors (to bounce the laser light show, like something from a psychodelic hippie alien freak show). 

One thing leads to another and Dane ends up (you guessed it) kidnapped into this odd world that equates with human hell! Except... she is there!!! 

Anyway, the book is finished and in the process of finding an agent and publisher, so if you want to know more, you will have to wait until it is published and buy a copy.

Have I teased you enough for one day?