Willy Martinez's Blog, page 46

The Four Slasher Types In Horror Communications

As a literary Slasher/Horror aficianado, I spent many years investigating the manners in which horror or fear are delivered. I even break down fear appeals and moral panics in a long, tedious -dare I say, boring- chapter in my Thesis.

However, in this article, I take a much more fun and lighthearted approach to moral panics, and pair different communication types to famous (or infamous) horror and slasher monsters from Hollywood films and traditional creatures.

The four communication types (Direct, Initiating, Supportive, and Analytical) broken down below are as prescribed by the International Toastmasters, since this article was derived from a speech I delivered to my local Toastmasters club. (We also break down Four Writing Styles here)

The Four Slasher Communication TypesInitiative Style communicators are energetic and enthusiastic.

Witches would fall in this category, the most famous of all being Maleficent.

Another creature that would fall in this realm would be Pennywise the clown with his outgoing fun loving attitude. The way he stalks his victims with candy, smiles, and dreamy like realities.

Another outgoing monster would be the law firm tycoon from Devil’s advocate with his mission driven recruitment for an heir to the Devil’s throne.

The last example of this type of communicator is a local one. Recently there have been reports of a large cougar in the Carterville area, attacking small animals and chewing on horses. It’s hungry and outgoing, it’s nature.

FacebookTwitterInstagramLinkedInGoodreads Look inside Details Preview Phantom World A.R. Braun [caption id="attachment_8291" align="alignleft" width="188"] phantom world[/caption]

Phantom World is a Hard Core Haunt collection that explores the bitter feelings of isolation, loss, and denounces religion from various personalities. Here we will be introduced to poltergeists, newly born ghost-entities along with their familiars learning about the afterlife, and spirits that are stuck in the netherworld. While some of these ectoplasmic beings may come across as innocent at times, their stories unfold in a manner to inform the reader as to why they were not allowed into the heaven or allowed to have a “peaceful” afterlife.

Written by A.R. Braun

Release Date: September 22nd, The First Day of Fall

Phantom World will be Available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Scribd, Kobo and here.

ISBN: 978-1-7361447-2-5


About the Author
Once completing the Bram Stoker Award Boot Camp, A. R. Braun writes the following novels: Dogman of Illinois, Heaven’s Witches, Autonomy, and Only Women in Hell. As well as publishing the short-story collections: Insanity, Horror Book, Grimoire, and the novella, 66SICK.

He became interested in horror when he read “The Telltale Heart,” as an assignment in high school. By the time he was eighteen, he owns the whole Stephen King collection and begins writing short stories for friends and family.

A. R. holds numerous publication credits, including “NREM Sleep” in the D.O.A. anthology; “Freaks” in Downstate Story magazine; “The Unwanted Visitors” in the Vermin anthology; “Coven” in the Heavy Metal Horror anthology; “Remember Me?” in Horror Bound magazine; and “Shades of Gray (the Symbiosis of Light and Dark)” in Micro Horror magazine.

“The Interloper” wins story of the month in 2009’s June Full Moon in Bloom issue of SNM Horror Magazine, and the piece was included in the SNM Horror anthology, Bonded by Blood 2: a Romance in Red.

A.R. Braun is a featured writer in our fiction anthology, “Mad Men” – a collection of three disturbing tales exploring what lies within man. Available now at Google Books, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Apple iBooks, Smashwords, and Amazon. .book[data-book="book-8002"] .cover::before {background: url(https://mindonfirebooks.com/wp-conten... figure .buttons a { font-size:0.65em !important;}.bookshelf figure h2 { font-size:1.8em !important;}div#bookshelf { -ms-transform: scale(1, 1); /* IE 9 */ -webkit-transform: scale(1, 1); /* Safari */ transform: scale(1, 1);} Look inside Details Mad Men Mad Men Mad Men is a collection of three disturbing horror shorts from authors living in the Midwest. The themes explored in this collection range from man versus self, man versus man, and man versus creature.

[caption id="attachment_4742" align="alignleft" width="188"] Mad Men eBook at Mind on Fire Books[/caption]

Mad Men begins with Matt’s tale, a thought-provoking thriller that causes the reader to question his reality and what he fears within himself. The second tale explores the grotesque juxtaposed with beautiful nature, where the ending unfolds into a horrific dream, waking in even more terrible pain. The third tale is by seasoned horror writer, A.R. Braun – and his diabolical creatures never disappoint!  A.R. Braun’s goal is to be on the banned book list; we think this tale may just be evil enough to be considered. A must-read before it does get banned!

Mainstream Horror Shorts don’t always satisfy us in the way they should. They don’t open conversations about what it is that we fear or why we fear such things, they focus mainly on pop culture and gore. The writers in the Mad Men anthology understand the need for literate horror, opening discussions of man’s psyche. When these writers set out to tell a story, they are less interested in conveying fear and more interested in wonder, the sublime, and the infinite strangeness that drives all men and women. Highly recommended for tweens, teens, and adults.

The Mad Men anthology was published by Mind on Fire Books. Written by Willy Martinez, A.R. Braun, and Matt Lavitt. No part of this book shall be copied without permission from the publisher. .book[data-book="book-4740"] .cover::before {background: url(https://mindonfirebooks.com/wp-conten... figure .buttons a { font-size:0.65em !important;}.bookshelf figure h2 { font-size:1.8em !important;}div#bookshelf { -ms-transform: scale(1, 1); /* IE 9 */ -webkit-transform: scale(1, 1); /* Safari */ transform: scale(1, 1);} Supportive Communicators on the other hand, are seen as quite the opposite of the initiative type.

They are calm and collected and listen more than they talk. They often engage the audience to listen to their views to receive feedback.

These monsters and creatures are subtle, and almost unobservable. Imagine going to the Yucatan peninsula to get away from society. Your friends talk you into going on a hike to an unknown pyramid. What waits inside the pyramid is an unhealthy vegetation that sneaks up on it’s visitors while they sleep, grow weak and are trapped.

Another great listener in horror films would be the Sphere that is found at the bottom of the Ocean, inside a recovered ship. The Sphere listens and invites the guests inside of it, only to release the terror of each shipmates imagination.

A third example of a communicator that listens would be Candy man; you say his name three times and he appears to kill you, in a cool calm collected manner; it’s business as usual for this creole villian.

A definite good listener to add to this category would be the Mummy, sleeping for at least a thousand years at a time, only to be disturbed from it’s sleep. It sleeps until it’s awoken, and even yet, it’s slow and methodical with its’ revenge.

Direct Communicators are result-oriented and focused.

They tend to get straight to the point to achieve their goals. The first one to come to mind is Michael Myers. From his immediate escape from the psychiatric ward, he sets out for revenge, killing everyone and everything in sight. It doesn’t get more direct. Everyone knows where he is going and what results he is slashing for.

Continuing with slashers from the 70’s and 80’s, I would say that Freddy, Jason Vorhees, and Chuckie are also very direct and focused with their Halloween goals.

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To me, what they say is often backed by evidence. They may come across as too serious so I feel that an injection of humor may be in order to make the presentation more acceptable.

This one took some deep thought to unfold, but alas, it was because this creature only comes out at night. The Vampire has been well calculated for hundreds if not thousands of years. They build communities and hierarchical structures, with subordinates and hidden communication systems. They are cautious when choosing future Vampires to roam the world for eternity alongside them.

In 1982, the world was introduced to the Thing. What was the thing exactly? It was some type of creature that was found frozen in the Antarctic. It was cut out of the ice and left out for inspection. But this creature broke out and wreaked havoc on the world. If you ask me, I would say this Thing planned to be discovered in the manner which it was, allowing it to present a sneak attack on humanity. It was well calculated and precise.

I hope you have enjoyed this list of monsters in the community. We have learned different communication styles found in the killers within our imaginations. Not only that, we have a list of horror movies to watch over the weekend. Happy Trick or Treating everyone.

Article written by Willy Martinez, writer and publisher.

The post The Four Slasher Types In Horror Communications appeared first on Mind on Fire Books.

8 Reasons All Of My Favorite Mentors Are Dead

For normal people, a mentor is someone who they engage with periodically for insights on life, goals and personal values. But for us introvert writers, I’d like to argue that our mentors don’t always have to be alive. And no, I’m not talking about zombies.

For example, I have had a great writing mentor since I was in Highschool in the late 90’s – he encourages, he inspires, he challenges. His name is Ralph Waldo Emerson, and he’s been dead for 140 years.

Here are a few reasons why all you writers out there should invoke the literary spirits of your own dead mentors…. or maybe, this Halloween, your dead mentor will find you.

Eight reasons why an author from the past may do more to energize your writing than any of today’s hip young marvels. FacebookTwitterInstagramLinkedInGoodreadsDead Mentors Help you See Beyond the buzz. They speak from the heart, and their works and ideas have lasted through the years, decades, maybe even centuries in some cases. Dead mentors are recession-proof. No need to spend money on writing classes and training. They aren’t going to spam you with free pdf downloads, but only when you subscribe to their weekly newsletters. Their lessons are there, on print, and easily accessible. In fact, there are quite a few resources that you can use to find previously published content, such as: the internet archive, Gutenberg, and the government archives as well. Hell, even some Universities share royalty free content. If you have a library card, you can download free ebooks and even audio books from your favorite authors. Dead mentors help you help yourself: Erica Wagner, literary editor of “The Times,” does just that with her own dead mentor, Washington Augustus Roebling. “He once said that ‘[y]ou can’t get out of the work life lays on you,’ and that’s something I think of often,” says Wagner, who has most recently authored the novel “Seizure.” “If I am struggling, if I feel like giving up on something – whether it is my writing or something in my life – I think of Washington and what advice he would give me. ‘Keep trying,’ he’d probably say. ‘You will find a way. Look clearly at your situation and work towards a solution.’” Dead mentors help you to become a better reader: Living mentorship often takes place in the form of phone calls, emails, coffee dates, and time-consuming writing classes. Save your time and kill two birds with one stone. Looking to your dead mentor for advice means that, nine times out of ten, you’ll be reading. Whether it’s your dead mentor’s novels, poems, letters, diaries, or biographies, “interacting” with literary ghosts accomplishes two goals: you get your advice while honing your close reading skills – which, according to Oates, will make you a better writer. You don’t have To worry about appointment times and awkward social interactions: Dead mentors are the best. I am never disillusioned by them. I don’t have to visit their house one night, full of joy from a recent writing success, only to find them passed out drunk on the sofa. There’s a lot to be said for that.A mentor will inspire you. name some favorite poets that move you.A mentor helps you find your voiceHaving a mentor can help you heal pains.

“The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable.”

Kurt Vonnegut

There are elements of Clive Barker in the telling of these 8 macabre tales, with brutal frankness, and an anger at the unjust nature of life, death, and a capricious god. The tales, like the judgements within, pass quickly and savagely. They are easy to read, but linger afterwards. An enjoyable collection for fans of the nastier side of horror.”

Purchase as paperback on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Buy eBook for only $4.99 below!

Buy

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The post 8 Reasons All Of My Favorite Mentors Are Dead appeared first on Mind on Fire Books.

I Have A Great Writing Mentor; They Just Aren’t Alive Anymore

For normal people, a mentor is someone who they engage with periodically for insights on life, goals and personal values. But for us introvert writers, I’d like to argue that our mentors don’t always have to be alive. And no, I’m not talking about zombies.

For example, I have had a great writing mentor since I was in Highschool in the late 90’s – he encourages, he inspires, he challenges. His name is Ralph Waldo Emerson, and he’s been dead for 140 years.

Here are a few reasons why all you writers out there should invoke the literary spirits of your own dead mentors…. or maybe, this Halloween, your dead mentor will find you.

Five reasons why an author from the past may do more to energize your writing than any of today’s hip young marvels. FacebookTwitterInstagramLinkedInGoodreadsDead Mentors Help you See Beyond the buzz. They speak from the heart, and their works and ideas have lasted through the years, decades, maybe even centuries in some cases. Dead mentors are recession-proof. No need to spend money on writing classes and training. They aren’t going to spam you with free pdf downloads, but only when you subscribe to their weekly newsletters. Their lessons are there, on print, and easily accessible. In fact, there are quite a few resources that you can use to find previously published content, such as: the internet archive, Gutenberg, and the government archives as well. Hell, even some Universities share royalty free content. If you have a library card, you can download free ebooks and even audio books from your favorite authors. Dead mentors help you help yourself: Erica Wagner, literary editor of “The Times,” does just that with her own dead mentor, Washington Augustus Roebling. “He once said that ‘[y]ou can’t get out of the work life lays on you,’ and that’s something I think of often,” says Wagner, who has most recently authored the novel “Seizure.” “If I am struggling, if I feel like giving up on something – whether it is my writing or something in my life – I think of Washington and what advice he would give me. ‘Keep trying,’ he’d probably say. ‘You will find a way. Look clearly at your situation and work towards a solution.’” Dead mentors help you to become a better reader: Living mentorship often takes place in the form of phone calls, emails, coffee dates, and time-consuming writing classes. Save your time and kill two birds with one stone. Looking to your dead mentor for advice means that, nine times out of ten, you’ll be reading. Whether it’s your dead mentor’s novels, poems, letters, diaries, or biographies, “interacting” with literary ghosts accomplishes two goals: you get your advice while honing your close reading skills – which, according to Oates, will make you a better writer. You don’t have To worry about appointment times and awkward social interactions: Dead mentors are the best. I am never disillusioned by them. I don’t have to visit their house one night, full of joy from a recent writing success, only to find them passed out drunk on the sofa. There’s a lot to be said for that.A mentor will inspire you. name some favorite poets that move you.A mentor helps you find your voiceHaving a mentor can help you heal pains.

“The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable.”

Kurt Vonnegut

There are elements of Clive Barker in the telling of these 8 macabre tales, with brutal frankness, and an anger at the unjust nature of life, death, and a capricious god. The tales, like the judgements within, pass quickly and savagely. They are easy to read, but linger afterwards. An enjoyable collection for fans of the nastier side of horror.”

Purchase as paperback on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Buy eBook for only $4.99 below!

Buy

Unite With Other Book Lovers

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The post I Have A Great Writing Mentor; They Just Aren’t Alive Anymore appeared first on Mind on Fire Books.

Stone In My Heart: A Ritual Poem For Empowerment

We have more Poetry at The Ritual. All rights reserved by Mind on Fire Books.

There’s a Stone in My HeartThere's a stone in my heartwhere once was warmth.Instead it's rugged and charred,for you will not be mourned.For the storm has now been repelled,blowing the dirty clouds that followedyour depressing rains that always felllike heavy tears carried in deep-well echoes.Only dreams bring back the cursethat kept you here near me.With these words the spell's reversedFinally! Alas, I'm free.

This poem, written by Willy Martinez was written in experimenting with a,b,a,b rhyme format.

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The Illustrious Life Of Aeschines, The Greek Orator

Aeschines 390-322 BCE (68 yrs of age)

Aeschines did not have the luxury of growing up with as many material possessions as the aristocrats.  His father was one of the returning Democrats after the defeat of the Thirty.  Aeschines grew up working with his father as a junior clerk and secretary to the assembly at Athens.  He then went on as a tragic actor for a bit but then decided to join the military. 

At 28 years old, he began fighting at Mantinea and was still fighting seventeen years later where he would be decorated for valor at the battle of Tamnae in 348 BCE (Edwards).  Something interesting about his life before his career in oratory is that he didn’t study with any other philosopher or sophist of the day.  Nor does he have an educational background.          

Aeschines The OratorThe Illustrious Life Of Aeschines, The Greek Orator

This is when Aeschines enters the historical debates at first against Phillip in 348, but then later argues for peace with Phillip in 346.  Aeschines was taken in by Philip’s friendliness towards Athens, but Demosthenes saw it as bribery.  Demosthenes begins their long duo by first taking Aeschines to court for treason in 343.  However, Aeschines barely secured an acquittal and continues his career in the Senate. 

In 339, Aeschines meets with the Council at the Apollo Shrine at Delphi and manages to infuse a sacred war with the Thebans, an ally of Philip.  Thebes was demanding a large sum of money from Athens and Aeschines was the Senator sent to repel this request. 

Upon arriving, he makes no verbal response, he simply “pointed out with utmost vividness the land down below Delphi, visible from the site, which the Amphissians occupied illegally, and he called emotionally for a sacred war to expel them.”  This act of war allows Philip to return fire and eventually defeat Athens in 339.  

Here is where Demosthenes and Aeschines fight once again.  Demosthenes blames Aeschines for losing the war, but Aeschines holds his ground and blames “Demosthenes for preventing Athens from following up its advantage adequately.” Being on such good terms in the past, the senate chooses Aeschines to secure peace with Philip.    

Aeschines Finally Gets His Revenge

Aeschines finally gets his chance at revenge on Demosthenes in 336 when he files a suit against Ctesiphon, but the trial doesn’t meet until 330 BCE due to political transitions.  It is unknown why Aeschines waited so long to retaliate or why he would even want revenge after already beating Demosthenes in court, but he still tries because he believes that he should be the one receiving accolades because he is the one who made peace with the Macedonians after first attempting to build better relations with them. 

The Birth of Greek Oratory The Illustrious Life Of Aeschines, The Greek Orator

Aeschines loses the trial so poorly that he failed to rally enough votes – one-fifth of the Senate – necessary to avoid a fine.  To avoid the fine, and probably the humiliation after losing against Demosthenes, he leaves Athens for Asia Minor and Rhodes.  It is speculated that he may have taught at either place since Philostratus (Roman rhetorician) later would regard him as the founder of the Second Sophistic. 

There is no record of Aeschines’ actual death date, but even though critics debate his loyalty to Athens, they all at least agree that he “ruined himself.” 

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Though he has no formal training, “he is familiar with commonplaces, argument, partition, and the devices of style as any Greek orator, and because of his experience as an actor, he probably knew more about delivery than most.” He is said to excel in the clear and vivid narrative which is contrasted with logical argument.  His vocabulary is quite ordinary with the citizen of Attic, occasionally sprinkling hints of poetry or creativity. He uses exaggerated language to play up a scene along with repetition, and rhetorical figures with similar endings.  His early career as an actor gives him the ability to quote poetry, but not in a lengthy manner, short and concise. 

In Against Ctesiphon, Aeschines is said to be quite funny in his language towards Demosthenes.  He was not good at discussing broader issues; he was good at focusing on specific legalities of the case (Edwards 54).   George Kennedy made note of the same focus on court legalities in the speech,  Against Timarchus in which Aeschines solely focuses on the illegality of Timarchus.  Interesting though is that Aeschines does not talk about politics or policy, but can still win the case by focusing on the illegal. Kennedy later posits a theory as to why it may seem like Aeschines purposefully avoided talking about politics. 

The Illustrious Life Of Aeschines, The Greek Orator

Aeschines was walking a fine line between Macedon and Athens, he knew that whatever he said could be misconstrued to fit a rhetoric of war.  And we see this power he wields in being able to wage war when he provokes the sacred war.  We can deduce that Aeschines was a confident man, whose foreign and military experiences taught him that being fair is to focus on the law. 

If you are enjoying this article, we have similar content studying communication from discourse theory, here.

When reading the introduction to Against Ctesiphon, we have to “imagine the speech delivered in Aeschines’ splendid voice and with the stance of a tragic actor.” Perhaps Aeschines grand style lay in his delivery since his surviving speeches are mainly concerned with case law. 

What would other rhetoricians say about Aeschines?  George Kennedy writes that “he loves to speak, and speaks for the moment only, without much historical responsibility, and he is easily intoxicated by the exuberance of his own verbosity.” 

And I think Quintillian, Cicero, and Plato would totally agree with Kennedy.  Both Quintilian and Cicero would most likely immediately discredit Aeschines because of his lack of training or education.  His mind has not been trained in the art of the sublime and loftiness, and Plato would see his speeches as being epideictic, or, purely performances with no real conversation or knowledge. 

Works:  Aeschines was not a logographer.  However, only three forensic speeches survive.

Against Timarchus 345 BCE, On the Embassy 343 BCE, Against Ctesiphon 330 BCE

Ghost Children Gothic America Phantom World: A Hard Core Haunt Collection

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“The Wind in the Rose Bush” Ghost Story Classic

“The Wind in the Rose Bush,” is part of our FREE classic Gothic haunt giveaway. We are giving away two classic haunts by Mary E. Wilkins, born on October 31st, 1852. All we are asking for is an honest review.

Mary Wilkins was at first dismissed as a serious writer because of her Feminine subjects. However, more recent scholarship has argued the importance of her work regarding spinster heroines or abandoned ghost children. Below we provide a summary of “The Lost Ghost.”

“The Wind in the Rose Bush” Ghost Story ClassicThe Wind in the Rose Bush – Ghost Story Summary

The second ghost story that will be examined is “The Wind in the Rose Bush”. This story is about a woman named Rebecca Flint traveling a great distance to bring back her niece Agnes to live with her. Rebecca’s sister had passed away and her sister’s husband had re-married. Rebecca came across some money and thought she would take her niece Agnes and raise her now that she had some money in the bank and also because she had no other family left. On her travels to find her niece she encounters the strangest of folks who either grunt at her or speak to her as an outsider, which adds to the resistance that Rebecca encounters on her journey. Rebecca arrives at the house and is greeted by Mrs. Dent, her niece’s stepmother.

“The Wind in the Rose Bush” Ghost Story ClassicOn the way into the house, Rebecca notices a pretty little rose bush being “agitated violently” except there was no wind.

A short while later the two ladies are having tea and discussing the arrangements of having Agnes go home with her Aunt Rebecca when Rebecca sees Agnes pass by the window. The girl doesn’t enter and Mrs. Dent tells Rebecca that she must have been mistaken, Agnes never walked by. Rebecca stays the night and wakes the next day with still no sign of Agnes’s return.

Mrs. Dent continues to make up excuses for Agnes not returning and Rebecca continues to be haunted by Agnes: she awakes at night by the sounds coming from the piano and also finds in her room that a dress was laid out with the rose from the rose bush lying on it. Rebecca continues to drill Mrs. Dent with questions but is forced to return home due to a letter she received calling her home to a sick cousin. Rebecca goes back home and through research and letter writing comes to find out that her niece Agnes had died a year ago; it was suspected to have been due to neglect but there was not enough evidence.

Thank you for shopping with us. If horror is your genre of taste, check out our other books here.

We are giving away two classic haunts by Mary E. Wilkins. All we are asking for is an honest review.

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How An Alien Invasion Would Feel – “Object Ascending”

Object Ascending is just a flash fiction piece written as a ‘panster’ writing exercise (without plotting.) The author, was attempting to capture a feeling, or a sense of the emotions that he thought would represent an extra terrestrial presence.

The writing prompt for the fellow writer would ask of them to: write about an incoming extra terrestrial invasion from an original viewpoint, and rather than describing the event and aliens themselves, attempt to capture the feelings/emotions.

Object Ascending

The whole town was buzzing with excitement. Finally, proof they are real – thought everyone! Even the elderly seemed oddly at peace with this new reality, putting aside their religious optics to admire and take in their beauty. 

It was on a hot July day when they appeared, bleeding through the sky like overlapping maps until they converged to create one. Dozens of them stayed afloat, bobbing in the clouds like fishing bobs in a shallow pond. Enamored by their beauty, the town residents pulled out lawn chairs, sprawled out blankets on their lawns, and even left work to view with their families. 

“Daddy, what do you think they are doing up there?”

“It doesn’t matter, honey, just enjoy this feeling. And their beauty, just look at them,” replied her father, serene and monotone.

And this is how it was. Not only in this town, but in all of them. Globe-wide sightings became a co-dependence. These objects in the sky are warranted and needed. They provide the people with hope, joy, and a constant feeling of wonder – the proper emotion, as Emerson would put it. 

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Governments put their arms down, neighbors acted like communities, and technologies were becoming less omnipresent. People were soon leaving their communication devices in the past for this new feeling. This feeling was comparable to the heightened senses one experiences during a traumatic event.

A loving wife is driving her daughter home from practice when she is quickly forced to slam on the brakes to prevent a head-on collision with oncoming traffic. But it’s of no use. The accident happens. It happens in slow motion, or, at least that is how it is perceived. The mother exhibits a memory recall of high detail; from the feel of the grime on her teeth from the day’s lunch to the thoughts racing in her head, her grip tightening on the black leather steering wheel, the glass shards squealing at a high pace flying across the car, the thick globbing yell her daughter cascades out, the smell of perfume she used to wear to work, and hundreds more details. Her awareness of the situation and oneness with it all becomes all she can think about.

There is liberation in her trauma – the acceptance of what has happened in all her cells. Each molecule is able to recall the pockets of information receives from the incident- to be scarred, in pain, feeling, odorous, capering at the moment. 

Humans now chose to only exist in this state of awareness. It was like absorbing all of life’s emotions and experiences into one inhalation. An inhalation that paralyzes them, an inhalation the clears and fills the minds thoughts, an inhalation that never ends. Even professional drug abusers traded in their paraphenelia for this new ‘drug.’

If you are enjoying this article, check out our other Literary reads, here.

The more time spent devoted to these objects means more awareness and more connection to them. Until the connection becomes the leech it was designed to be. Just as quickly as they had forgotten about how to live and to create new experiences, they now forget to care for themselves.

They stopped cooking. There is no need to cook anymore as they feel both, full and hungry at once. They no longer needed to find love and acceptance, for it was within previous experiences that they could extract from memories to reanimate the senses.

They atrophied. Bodies, cars, factories, transportation, etc. ceased to function. What is time anyway, other than a fleeting thought from one moment to the next? If it will be resurrected to live again, if only but in their minds, than why continue living?

“Object Ascending” is a flash fiction exercise written by Willy Martinez. Copyright Mind on Fire Books 2022. Most of the photos used for this article were borrowed from Deb and Martin Art on Pinterest.

Look inside Details Preview Phantom World A.R. Braun [caption id="attachment_8291" align="alignleft" width="188"] phantom world[/caption]

Phantom World is a Hard Core Haunt collection that explores the bitter feelings of isolation, loss, and denounces religion from various personalities. Here we will be introduced to poltergeists, newly born ghost-entities along with their familiars learning about the afterlife, and spirits that are stuck in the netherworld. While some of these ectoplasmic beings may come across as innocent at times, their stories unfold in a manner to inform the reader as to why they were not allowed into the heaven or allowed to have a “peaceful” afterlife.

Written by A.R. Braun

Release Date: September 22nd, The First Day of Fall

Phantom World will be Available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Scribd, Kobo and here.

ISBN: 978-1-7361447-2-5


About the Author
Once completing the Bram Stoker Award Boot Camp, A. R. Braun writes the following novels: Dogman of Illinois, Heaven’s Witches, Autonomy, and Only Women in Hell. As well as publishing the short-story collections: Insanity, Horror Book, Grimoire, and the novella, 66SICK.

He became interested in horror when he read “The Telltale Heart,” as an assignment in high school. By the time he was eighteen, he owns the whole Stephen King collection and begins writing short stories for friends and family.

A. R. holds numerous publication credits, including “NREM Sleep” in the D.O.A. anthology; “Freaks” in Downstate Story magazine; “The Unwanted Visitors” in the Vermin anthology; “Coven” in the Heavy Metal Horror anthology; “Remember Me?” in Horror Bound magazine; and “Shades of Gray (the Symbiosis of Light and Dark)” in Micro Horror magazine.

“The Interloper” wins story of the month in 2009’s June Full Moon in Bloom issue of SNM Horror Magazine, and the piece was included in the SNM Horror anthology, Bonded by Blood 2: a Romance in Red.

A.R. Braun is a featured writer in our fiction anthology, “Mad Men” – a collection of three disturbing tales exploring what lies within man. Available now at Google Books, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Apple iBooks, Smashwords, and Amazon. .book[data-book="book-8002"] .cover::before {background: url(https://mindonfirebooks.com/wp-conten... figure .buttons a { font-size:0.65em !important;}.bookshelf figure h2 { font-size:1.8em !important;}div#bookshelf { -ms-transform: scale(1, 1); /* IE 9 */ -webkit-transform: scale(1, 1); /* Safari */ transform: scale(1, 1);} Look inside Details Mad Men Mad Men Mad Men is a collection of three disturbing horror shorts from authors living in the Midwest. The themes explored in this collection range from man versus self, man versus man, and man versus creature.

[caption id="attachment_4742" align="alignleft" width="188"] Mad Men eBook at Mind on Fire Books[/caption]

Mad Men begins with Matt’s tale, a thought-provoking thriller that causes the reader to question his reality and what he fears within himself. The second tale explores the grotesque juxtaposed with beautiful nature, where the ending unfolds into a horrific dream, waking in even more terrible pain. The third tale is by seasoned horror writer, A.R. Braun – and his diabolical creatures never disappoint!  A.R. Braun’s goal is to be on the banned book list; we think this tale may just be evil enough to be considered. A must-read before it does get banned!

Mainstream Horror Shorts don’t always satisfy us in the way they should. They don’t open conversations about what it is that we fear or why we fear such things, they focus mainly on pop culture and gore. The writers in the Mad Men anthology understand the need for literate horror, opening discussions of man’s psyche. When these writers set out to tell a story, they are less interested in conveying fear and more interested in wonder, the sublime, and the infinite strangeness that drives all men and women. Highly recommended for tweens, teens, and adults.

The Mad Men anthology was published by Mind on Fire Books. Written by Willy Martinez, A.R. Braun, and Matt Lavitt. No part of this book shall be copied without permission from the publisher. .book[data-book="book-4740"] .cover::before {background: url(https://mindonfirebooks.com/wp-conten... figure .buttons a { font-size:0.65em !important;}.bookshelf figure h2 { font-size:1.8em !important;}div#bookshelf { -ms-transform: scale(1, 1); /* IE 9 */ -webkit-transform: scale(1, 1); /* Safari */ transform: scale(1, 1);}

The post How An Alien Invasion Would Feel – “Object Ascending” appeared first on Mind on Fire Books.

Object Ascending – How An Alien Invasion Would Feel

Object Ascending is just a flash fiction piece written as a ‘panster’ writing exercise (without plotting.) The author, was attempting to capture a feeling, or a sense of the emotions that he thought would represent an extra terrestrial presence.

The writing prompt for the fellow writer would ask of them to: write about an incoming extra terrestrial invasion from an original viewpoint, and rather than describing the event and aliens themselves, attempt to capture the feelings/emotions.

Object Ascending

The whole town was buzzing with excitement. Finally, proof they are real – thought everyone! Even the elderly seemed oddly at peace with this new reality, putting aside their religious optics to admire and take in their beauty. 

It was on a hot July day when they appeared, bleeding through the sky like overlapping maps until they converged to create one. Dozens of them stayed afloat, bobbing in the clouds like fishing bobs in a shallow pond. Enamored by their beauty, the town residents pulled out lawn chairs, sprawled out blankets on their lawns, and even left work to view with their families. 

“Daddy, what do you think they are doing up there?”

“It doesn’t matter, honey, just enjoy this feeling. And their beauty, just look at them,” replied her father, serene and monotone.

And this is how it was. Not only in this town, but in all of them. Globe-wide sightings became a co-dependence. These objects in the sky are warranted and needed. They provide the people with hope, joy, and a constant feeling of wonder – the proper emotion, as Emerson would put it. 

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Governments put their arms down, neighbors acted like communities, and technologies were becoming less omnipresent. People were soon leaving their communication devices in the past for this new feeling. This feeling was comparable to the heightened senses one experiences during a traumatic event.

A loving wife is driving her daughter home from practice when she is quickly forced to slam on the brakes to prevent a head-on collision with oncoming traffic. But it’s of no use. The accident happens. It happens in slow motion, or, at least that is how it is perceived. The mother exhibits a memory recall of high detail; from the feel of the grime on her teeth from the day’s lunch to the thoughts racing in her head, her grip tightening on the black leather steering wheel, the glass shards squealing at a high pace flying across the car, the thick globbing yell her daughter cascades out, the smell of perfume she used to wear to work, and hundreds more details. Her awareness of the situation and oneness with it all becomes all she can think about.

There is liberation in her trauma – the acceptance of what has happened in all her cells. Each molecule is able to recall the pockets of information receives from the incident- to be scarred, in pain, feeling, odorous, capering at the moment. 

Humans now chose to only exist in this state of awareness. It was like absorbing all of life’s emotions and experiences into one inhalation. An inhalation that paralyzes them, an inhalation the clears and fills the minds thoughts, an inhalation that never ends. Even professional drug abusers traded in their paraphenelia for this new ‘drug.’

If you are enjoying this article, check out our other Literary reads, here.

The more time spent devoted to these objects means more awareness and more connection to them. Until the connection becomes the leech it was designed to be. Just as quickly as they had forgotten about how to live and to create new experiences, they now forget to care for themselves.

They stopped cooking. There is no need to cook anymore as they feel both, full and hungry at once. They no longer needed to find love and acceptance, for it was within previous experiences that they could extract from memories to reanimate the senses.

They atrophied. Bodies, cars, factories, transportation, etc. ceased to function. What is time anyway, other than a fleeting thought from one moment to the next? If it will be resurrected to live again, if only but in their minds, than why continue living?

“Object Ascending” is a flash fiction exercise written by Willy Martinez. Copyright Mind on Fire Books 2022. Most of the photos used for this article were borrowed from Deb and Martin Art on Pinterest.

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“The Lost Ghost” – A Classic Gothic Horror

“The Lost Ghost,” is part of our FREE classic Gothic haunt giveaway. We are giving away two classic haunts by Mary E. Wilkins, born on October 31st, 1852. All we are asking for is an honest review.

Wilkins was at first dismissed as a serious writer because of her Feminine subjects. However, more recent scholarship has argued the importance of her work regarding spinster heroines or abandoned ghost children. Below we provide a summary of “The Lost Ghost.”

The Lost Ghost[image error]“The Lost Ghost” – A Classic Gothic Horror

The story of “The Lost Ghost” begins with two women conversing while they sew. Mrs. Meserve tells the story of a fine house that has just been rented but has been said to be haunted, declaring that she is done with haunted homes, yet she then goes into a story about her past experience with a haunted situation and the ghost story thus begins.

As a young lady, Mrs. Meserve moved into a house with roommates, Mrs. Bird and Mrs. Dennison. Mrs. Meserve tells how she had just started school as a teacher and it was a cold year so she had a heavy coat to keep warm.

One night while staying up she heard the sounds of a “very timid” knock with “little hands” at her door which she at first dismissed.

She offered for them to enter but when they didn’t, Mrs. Meserve got up to check. She opened the door to the smell of what she associated with a cellar and noticed a little face holding up her heavy coat the little face says: “I can’t find my mother.” The child then flitters away and Mrs. Meserve calls to her landladies for help.

The two roommates were aware of the hauntings and had come to accept the little lost ghost girl. Mrs. Meserve decided to stay regardless of the lost ghost and came to learn that the child had been poorly treated by her mother and father. The child was abandoned and found dead in one of the bedrooms by the townspeople. Then one morning Mrs. Bird wasn’t feeling too well and stayed in bed. During breakfast, Mrs. Meserve noticed a shadow walk by the window and when she got up to look she noticed the little girl walking hand in hand with Mrs. Bird. Mrs. Bird had died that morning.

We are giving away two classic haunts by Mary E. Wilkins. All we are asking for is an honest review.

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23 Clive Barker Quotes From The Famous Horror Writer

Clive Barker is a very popular writer and director from England.

Most of his work is in the horror fiction genre. Clive Barker is best known for writing the ‘Books of Blood’ which is a collection of short horror stories. In America, he is most known for writing the novel to the Cult-film, “Hellraiser,” based on his novella, titled “The Hellbound Heart.”

“We are the star and the darkness it pierces.”

“We always think we are right, and – search as I have – there is no evil under the sun that somebody somewhere won’t argue is actually a good.”

“All I ever wanted to do is darken the day and brighten the night.”

23 Clive Barker Quotes From The Famous Horror Writer

“She wanted nothing that he could offer her, except perhaps his absence.”

“A soul of water a soul of stone. A soul by name a soul unknown. The hours unmake our flesh our bone. The Soul is all and all alone!”

 “My life is in the art that I make, and I’m very happy with it.”

“Movies are much more fascist than books. They tell you what to feel, when to feel it.”

“Angels have very nasty tempers. Especially when they’re feeling righteous.”

“Journey to the end of day, Come the fire-fly, Come the moon; Say a prayer for God’s good grace And sleep with lore upon your face.”

“Gather experience… Look at what you should not look at. A feeling of anxiety is the sure and certain evidence that you should do this.”

“Be regular and orderly in your life, that you may be violent and original in your work.”

“Evil, however powerful it seemed, could be undone by its own appetite.”

Clive Barker Has the Best Horror Quotes!

“All things are true. God’s an Astronaut. Oz is Over the Rainbow, and Midian is where the monsters live.”

23 Clive Barker Quotes From The Famous Horror Writer

“Writing about the unholy is one way of writing about what is sacred.”

“Flesh could not keep its glamour, nor eyes their sheen. They would go to nothing soon. But monsters are forever.”

“Fear is a place where you just tell the truth.”

“Every body is a book of blood; Wherever we’re opened, we’re red.”

“You must be careful with kindness. It’s usually mistaken for weakness by stupid people.”

“Magic is the first and last religion of the world. It has the power to make us whole, to open our eyes to the Dominions and return us to ourselves.”

“And there’s nothing left in my pocket to charm you. So from now on it’s going to have to be tears or nothing I’m afraid.”

“We burn so hard, but we shed so little light; it makes us reckless and sad.”

“You want my advice! Kiss the Devil, eat the worm.”

“The sun rose like a stripper, keeping its glory well covered by cloud till it seemed there’d be no show at all.”

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