B.J. Hyman's Blog

It’s a RELEASE PARTY!! Tuesday, May 22nd

Sleep Tight is finally hitting the shelves! I’m so excited to see how you all like it!  And a release means a PARTY!!

 

 

Come join us on Facebook!

 

https://www.facebook.com/events/578904275824834/

 

There will be giveaways and prizes all day, Tuesday, May 22nd! It all starts at 9 am CST and ends 9 pm CST. Twelve full hours to drift in and out and get chances to win!!

 

 

Voting Going on NOW!!

Did you know that you only have to vote ONE TIME for Sleep Tight and it counts for the whole month? Please take the time to go vote! Thank you!!!


 


https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/3BNOJI7OB3T5H

Sleep Tight is up for Nomination on Kindle Scout!

If you’ve never heard of Kindle Scout, it’s kind of like The Voice or American Idol for authors. If you’re chosen, your book gets a traditional publishing deal though Kindle Publishing. During a 30-day period, you can nominate books for the publishing contract.

Sleep Tight is up for nomination right now! The link is:  https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/3BNOJI7OB3T5H

Please, take the time to look at the submission and nominate it! You can even read the first FOUR chapters for free!

If you have an Amazon account, you just sign in with that.

Thank you all so much for your consideration!

Cover Reveal: SLEEP TIGHT

Drum roll please…

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I’m absolutely IN LOVE with it!!!

In the next week, it’s going to be up on Kindle Scout and ready for voting! I’ll let you all know when it’s up to be nominated.

Thank you all so much for the support and patience as I’ve been working on this one.

Sneak Peek Fiction! A Taste of Upcoming In the Day Zero Series!

I’m working hard on polishing Sleep Tight for something special I’ll be telling you all about soon. I’m also working on new installments in the DAY ZERO series! Lost: The Story of Preacher, Fire: The Book of Phoenix, and, the tentatively titled Waiting: The Story of Finley are all in various stages of work.

For those of you who helped name our latest Zero…THANK YOU! Finley is someone I’m coming to love as I write about him. In fact, I like him so much, I wanted to share this little snippet for you all to enjoy. This is just the draft stage so there may be changes. Shoot me a message and tell me what you think of it! There’s a fun little special guest star that’s already in the series from his days before Immortality.

 

Drumroll……..

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“Don’t you dare leave me, mister!” Margie’s frail, arthritic hands clutched at the front of her husband’s shirt. The nursing staff worked nearby trying to stabilize him. An oxygen mask obscured part of his face while his eyes took in her anxious, worn face. “I’ve had you for 63 years of marriage and I’m not about to let go of you now. We’re supposed to go together. Don’t you forget that! We’ll poison ourselves like Romeo and Juliet or God will just let us die in each other’s arms like in The Notebook.” His eyes began to roll up in his head and she shook him with surprising strength. “Finley Davis…you are NOT going to die on me today. You hear me?” His eyes opened back up with a renewed awareness.

Most of the residents at the Emerald Plantation Home had a DNR in place, but not Margie and Finley Davis. They were going to cling to every last drop of life they could have together.

The nurses and aides worked on him dutifully until the EMTs could arrive. The females on staff always got a little excited when there was a daytime code. They knew their favorite EMT would be on call and they might catch a glimpse of him. When described to new staff, he was compared to Thor (at least Chris Hemsworth’s version), angels, and Brad Pitt. He had longish blond hair that he pulled back into a ponytail, impossibly green eyes, and a body that was only hinted at by the straining of his sleeves and the strong forearms he revealed when he rolled them up to work on a patient. They all felt a twinge of guilt at their excitement over someone dying, or at least nearly dying, just so that they could spend time with the handsome paramedic.

As if on cue, he came striding into the room and asked all the quick and pertinent questions he needed to save the life on the bed. He quickly went to work with his partner. He gently put his hands on either side of Mrs. Davis. “Ma’am. My name is Gable. I gotta tell you, I’ll need all the room I can get to save your husband. Is it okay if you watch from about three feet closer to the closet? You don’t have to leave and that should be close enough for him to still see you. I’ll do everything I can to save him. I promise.” With her milky eyes full of tears, she nodded and backed closer to the closet. “Thank you.”

He leaned over Mr. Davis with a smile on his face. “I hear you’re a fighter, Finley. You’ve got a lovely wife over there that I’ve now made promises to. Don’t make us both out to be liars. Got it? Keep fighting for me.” He checked vitals and prepared syringes but noticed the music filtering through the wall from the adjacent room. It was a surprising choice for a nursing home. “Finley…I think the resident next door is playing your song. I wouldn’t think I would find a Rush fan here, but Time Stand Still is a great choice for you today.” And with that he went to work saving an elderly life as if it were one of a child.

The neighbor on the other side of the wall only had a vague knowledge that the elderly man in 24B was fighting tooth and nail to survive the day. Randall was merely thirty-two…very young to be a permanent fixture in an assisted living facility but had been completely paralyzed from the neck down in a diving accident in college. Most of the residents couldn’t hear well enough to complain about his love of rock music, so he got to play whatever he wanted. Today, it was Rush.

Over thirty minutes and several complete codes later, the steady heartbeat on Finley’s monitor had everyone smiling. Margie Davis hugged the paramedic known as Gable tightly. “Thank you, young man. He’s all I have. I can’t thank you enough.” She nearly collapsed into the chair next to her husband’s bed and squeezed his hand to assure herself he really was still alive.

Finley had beaten the Angel of Death with the help of a talented emergency medical tech.

My Immortal and the Day Zero series (Spoilers)

If you haven’t read DAY ZERO: The Book of Patrick yet, you might want to skip this post because it reveals a surprise plot point in the first book that continues throughout the series.

I’ll give you some time to do something else…

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doo doo doo doo.

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Okay, if you’ve made it this far, I know you either don’t care about SPOILERS or you’ve already read the series so far.

This song was actually playing on repeat while I wrote the scenes for Frank Lucassi (Lightning Luke) and Gina Lucassi. Their ill-fated love story was definitely inspired by this song. The fact that she thought he was dead but he was just lost in the in-between world of life and afterlife made him like a ghost to her. In his prison of Immortality, he haunts her and the life he lost by merely not giving up and dying when his destined Death Day arrived.

The song just holds such longing for things that just can’t be.

I’ve always loved it. Hope you enjoy!! Lyrics follow the video:

 

My Immortal
Evanescence











I’m so tired of being here

Suppressed by all my childish fears

And if you have to leave

I wish that you would just leave

‘Cause your presence still lingers here

And it won’t leave me alone
These wounds won’t seem to heal, this pain is just too real

There’s just too much that time cannot erase
When you cried, I’d wipe away all of your tears

When you’d scream, I’d fight away all of your fears

And I held your hand through all of these years

But you still have all of me
You used to captivate me by your resonating light

Now, I’m bound by the life you left behind

Your face it haunts my once pleasant dreams

Your voice it chased away all the sanity in me
These wounds won’t seem to heal, this pain is just too real

There’s just too much that time cannot erase


When you cried, I’d wipe away all of your tears

When you’d scream, I’d fight away all of your fears

And I held your hand through all of these years

But you still have all of me
I’ve tried so hard to tell myself that you’re gone

But though you’re still with me, I’ve been alone all along
When you cried, I’d wipe away all of your tears

When you’d scream, I’d fight away all of your fears

And I held your hand through all of these years

You still have all of me, me, me



Songwriters: Ben Moody / David Hodges / Amy Lee
My Immortal lyrics © Reservoir One Music, Reservoir Media Management Inc

What I’m Listening to: Ani DiFranco: 32 Flavors

I hope everyone has had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

Another writer friend of mine, Genevieve Georget, mentioned a line from this song in a recent Facebook post. It reminded me of when another old friend, Todd Gurley, once told me that this song always made him think of me.

I’m not sure what made him think of me, but I absolutely fell in love with it! So…for your listening pleasure… 

(BTW…There is a little reference to a certain girl in a certain series who’s book is the next in the series!! Fire: The Book of Phoenix is working its way into a great story!!)

32 Flavors by Ani DiFranco.

Lyrics:

32 Flavors
Ani DiFranco










Squint your eyes and look closer

I’m not between you and your ambition

I am a poster girl with no poster

I am thirty-two flavors and then some

And I’m beyond your peripheral vision

So you might want to turn your head

‘Cause someday you are gonna get hungry

And eat most of the words you just said
Both my parents taught me about good will

And I have done well by their names

Just the kindness I’ve lavished on strangers

Is more than I can explain

Still there’s many who’ve turned out their porch lights

Just so I would think they were not home

And hid in the dark of their windows

Till I’d passed and left them alone


God help you if you are an ugly girl

‘Cause too pretty is also your doom

‘Cause everyone harbors a secret hatred

For the prettiest girl in the room

And god help you if you are a phoenix

And you dare to rise up from the ash

A thousand eyes will smolder with jealousy

While you are just flying past
And I’ve never tried to give my life meaning

By demeaning you

And I would like to state for the record

I did everything that I could do

I’m not saying that I’m a saint

I just don’t wanna live that way

No, I will never be a saint

But I will always say
Squint your eyes and look closer

I’m not between you and your ambition

I am a poster girl with no poster

I am thirty-two flavors and then some

And I’m beyond your peripheral vision

So you might wanna turn your head

‘Cause someday you might find you’re starving

And eating all of the words you said


Songwriters: Ani Difranco
32 Flavors lyrics © A Side Music LLC D/B/A Modern Works Music Publishing
 

 

What I’m Listening To: Steven Wilson, To The Bone

I have been a fan of Steven Wilson’s for many years. I first heard of him at a Rush concert, of all things. The virtuoso drummer, Neil Peart, picked a good bit of the music that they piped in while you found your seat and chatted with other fans before the show. Porcupine Tree was a popular band selection by Neil. My husband, Jim, did research and we were in love. Soon, we had picked up all of the Porcupine Tree CDs that we could find. Steven Wilson was not only the lead singer of the group, but also the creative genius behind it.

He’s been doing solo work for several years and we still enjoy his work tremendously! This new album, To The Bone, is a bit of a departure from his past work…but this is a man known for his variety! There is always one thing for sure when you’re listening to Steven’s music: that he likes to experiment.

Some fans haven’t liked this more pop-driven album, but I absolutely adore it! There are so many layers of flavor to savor.

I feel like getting up and dancing to Permanating. Refuge makes me cry. There is a connection of longing and dissatisfaction in Pariah that I hate to admit, seems very familiar. The Song Of I is disturbing, especially if watched on Youtube with headphones on. It feels like it bores down into your brain with the obsession.

I could have something to say about each and every song, but why don’t you just grab a copy yourself to enjoy? You’ll find a link on the side of my blog. It’s worth it. I promise.

Here’s the video for Permanating for you to enjoy!

Guest Post: L.A. Story The Tortoise and The Tortoise

* L.A. Story is the author of The Gifted series which has a third and final installment, Beyond Shammua, coming out later this year. See the side bar for links to her books. P.S. The Betty Jo in the story is none other than your intrepid author of the Day Zero series. L.A. is my very own sister!
“Oh, no!” Betty Jo cried. “I think he’s going bite Melville’s little toe off! He won’t let go! I can’t get him to let go!”
My sister began this tirade during a phone conversation a few years back. One of her pets was attacking the other one and she was understandably concerned. But, I couldn’t help thinking to myself – only in my family would there be all this upset over a turtle fight. Only in my family would two turtles be so jealous and neurotic.
At the time, my sister was a music/drama teacher in the Columbus school system. She has a dog named Wrigley and two turtles – Melville and Houdini. Houdini was a pet she inherited from my daughter, Whitney, who got rid of her neurotic turtle in order to get a fat, neurotic hamster she named Viggo.
I’ve talked about Houdini before. He came by his name honestly. If he thought he could escape from any tank or container, he would. I think he planned it. He would move very slowly in stereotypical turtle fashion until he saw a chance to make his move, then he would take off with lightning speed (well, a turtle version of lightning speed, which is to say, pretty fast).
I recall Whitney had to be careful not to play certain kinds of music too loud (hard rock, in particular) or it would freak Houdini completely out. I also remember watching movies in my daughter’s room and hearing an eerie shuffling coming from the tank behind me … and turning to see that Houdini was watching the movie with me.
My sister, Betty Jo, got Melville many years ago. My mother had found him in the yard when she nearly ran him over with a mower. He was cute – only about the size of a quarter. Betty Jo nurtured this turtle. She spoiled him rotten, actually. She used to work master control at a television station in Columbus and the room she worked in had sensitive equipment and had to be kept very cool.
Sometimes she brought Melville with her (in a little dish) to work but she worried he would get too cold and she would warm him by putting him under her shirt in the only location that would hold him. She was once asked by a shocked co-worker, “Did you just pull a turtle out of your bra?”
Like I said, she spoiled him rotten. I was surprised when he grew to the size of a Big Mac and now … well, he’s a lot bigger than a Big Mac. Once he got too fat and she had to put him on a diet for a while. (Personally, I did not know turtles could get overweight and I admit I find this whole idea amusing.) She also had him on an exercise routine where she would let him out of his tank at night to wander around the living room. She had to be careful. He could move with surprising speed when the notion took him and he would chase the dog.
I find the concept of fast-moving turtles to be extremely disturbing and will add it to my repertoire of neuroses. I expect this will soon become a new phobia for me. Ah, now that will be an interesting counseling session.
With two neurotic turtles now in her care, my sister knew the best thing was to keep these guys in separate tanks … with the exception of tank cleaning time. This is the only time I know of when she will put both turtles in the same tank and it is only for a brief period of time. She happened to be talking to me on the phone the last time she cleaned the tank.
I guess Melville considered himself the “alpha turtle” because Betty Jo said that most of the time Houdini shared his tank, Melville just sat on him until he was removed from said tank. I recall this tactic also worked for unruly little sisters.
It appeared Houdini had grown weary of this treatment, became mad as Hades, and decided he was not going to take it anymore. He clamped down on Melville’s little foot and would not let go for a long time, no matter how hard Betty Jo worked at getting him to stop. Even after he let go, he wanted to advance on Melville. She said, “It’s like a dog fight, only with turtles.”
I can’t imagine. I figured with turtles there would be time to go and fix up some microwave popcorn and take a bathroom break without missing a whole lot. Apparently, there is a lot more action than I would have expected.
I guess the childhood tale of The Tortoise and The Hare should be modernized to The Tortoise and The Tortoise — a tale about learning how to get along and the folly of stereotypes that could cause one to underestimate one’s opponent.
(L.A. Story is a fiction writer and poet. She is a resident of Glen, where she is trying to organize the new illegal sport of turtle fighting but the idea just isn’t catching on. Her blog appears on Wednesdays – yeah, RIGHT. Her blog appears weekly. How about THAT? The previous blog originally appeared September 21, 2015 in the Daily Corinthian.)

What Possible Theme Can Day Zero Have?

As anyone who wants to grow in their abilities does, I’ve been reading more about my craft. I’m very aware of the journeys that my characters go through but I sometimes lack the vision to actually SEE the thematic edge my work has until it’s completed. I’ve heard of writers who have to know their theme before they write so that they can point all of their arrows at it. Whenever I’ve tried to do that, it seems very contrived.
But theme is important. Without meaning, what is the point to a story besides to entertain? It makes it the candy fluff of the literary diet. And I want to be more than that.
Luckily, even when I’m not “writing toward the theme,” I instinctively have a meaning to my work. “And, what would that be,” you ask?

 

Anybody can be a villain or a hero in any circumstance. It’s all about choice. If one allows themselves to just react emotionally, most of us will probably fall back on our basest selves. Unless you are just naturally good (which is incredibly rare…let’s be honest), you have to consciously make the choice to do the right thing.
Once I realized that this is a major theme in the DAY ZERO series, I also realized it’s a major theme in ALL of my work. Very few of my characters are pure, whether it’s pure good or pure evil. There are exceptions…but even in those characters, there are flaws. Isn’t that what makes us all so interesting anyway?
Here are some examples:  WARNING: There are a few spoilers. Not ones that will take away from the story but may take away a few surprises for you.
Patrick is very slippery on the moral slope. We learn, even from the beginning, he does what he has to do to get a sale. But we find later that he does things that are violent and unacceptable by regular society at an alarmingly fast rate. It shows he had the capacity for that sort of behavior all along. Living past his Day Zero just released him from polite society expectations. He even learns to revel in causing pain, reminding us of our ultimate villain, Reuben. We like to think that Patrick is just using this behavior as a coping tactic after all his losses. We shall see.
Isaiah does terrible things for good reasons. Does this exonerate him from the violence and murder? What if he’s wrong? His warrior nature needs an enemy to fight to make sense of who he is and what role he plays in this world. He reminds me a great deal of some of the characters in The Walking Dead. They do horrific things that they wouldn’t have in the normal world, but their new reality makes them see things in a new light.
In the pure realm, there are Mama June and Reuben. One light and one dark. I’m sure that Mama June isn’t immune to the terrible thought, while Reuben might be capable of something kind. June treated Reuben with more kindness and humanity than any of the others while he was in captivity. As for Reuben, he has already determined that, for her kindnesses, Mama June will not suffer by his hands like the others will.
Redemption is available for all of the characters. Preacher is the example of this. Despite his religious title, he took a very dirty road to become a voice of God, as you will see further in Lost: The Story of Preacher coming out soon.
In my stand-alone upcoming psychological thriller, SLEEP TIGHT, every character has negative motivations to harm the main character. No one is above suspicion. So it makes for a nerve wracking experience when she’s trying to find who is tormenting her. It makes Charlie question all of her relationships.
I’m fascinated by complicated characters who may be good but do bad things or bad that do good things. It’s what I am so grateful for as a Christian with God’s grace. No one is perfect and there are many who spend a lifetime fighting their natures in the name of walking in the light but fail completely.
So what do YOU think? If you’ve read the series so far, who do you love for their complicated journey? Let me know. I’d love to hear from you.