Michelle Scott's Blog, page 14

October is My Month

[image error]Pumpkin spice lattes aside, I live for October.  Brisk air.  Crisp apples.  Warm sweaters.  And, above all, scary movies!

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not about gory movies.  I don’t have the stomach for it.  What I like are the on-the-edge-of-your-seat thrillers.  Luckily, there are plenty of great ones out there.

I was so excited to see Hulu roll out their ‘Huluween’ line up.  This includes classics like The Blair Witch 

[image error]Love me some Jack!

Project and The Nightmare Before Christmas (a personal favorite of mine) alongside some newer titles.

While browsing the selections, I found many that I can’t wait to watch.  One movie is called Mama and is directed by Andy Muschietti (who also directed Stephen King’s It.)  This story about two, wild girls adopted by a young couple sounds like it will give me chills.  The other movie I have my eye on is a 1976 classic called Burnt Offerings.  Sure, it may be campy, but I don’t care!  I love haunted house stories.

What about you?  Any scary movies/shows in your future?

Finding Inspiration in the Arts

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to visit Art Prize in Grand Rapids, MI.  Art Prize is a city-wide art exhibit full of paintings, sculptures, and other amazing art from artists all over the world.  I’ve been there before, but each time is a new adventure since the exhibits are new each time.

I photographed some of my favorite pieces.  These were the ones that most inspired me as a writer.

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This piece was called Silent Chorus and was created by Eva Rocha.  It was tucked into a corner of a lovely, old church downtown.  To me, the ghostly images conjured up all kinds of ideas for a scary story.  These life-sized figures were both haunting and beautiful.

 

The next exhibit came from my hometown of Detroit.  [image error]A part of the Heidelberg Project, it is the brainchild of artist Tyree Guyton.  The exhibit was placed on the top floor of an abandoned building, a fitting place since the collection was made from found objects.  Although this installation took up the entire floor of the old school that housed it, it was a very small part of the original project.

[image error]My final favorite piece among the hundreds I saw was this one.  It was called Cinderella: the Sequel by Vivianne Carey.  I loved this one!  It was like Tim Burton made a wedding carriage.  The front of it looked like a skull, and the entire thing was part fairy princess, part funeral procession.  Unfortunately, my picture doesn’t do it justice!

Yes, these are all spooky exhibits.  There were plenty of pastoral landscapes and fanciful creatures, but because I’m a supernatural suspense writer, I found inspiration in these.

I can’t wait until the next Art Prize!

ARCs Now Available for Just the Two of Us

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Starla wasn’t trying to steal her older sister’s boyfriend. In fact, she was fighting him off when Janice caught the two of them alone in the dark. Unfortunately, love-struck Janice didn’t see it that way and tried to end her life. Although she didn’t succeed, her suicide attempt left her brain damaged, and it became Starla’s responsibility to care for her. Four years later, the sisters’ peaceful lives are interrupted when Nick, a handsome, young attorney, moves in upstairs. Seeing that Janice is attracted to him, Starla keeps herself out of the picture. After all, she hurt her sister before, and she’s not about to do it again. Yet as much as Starla tries to ignore her feelings for Nick, she can’t bury them entirely. Especially not when he seems to be choosing her over her sister.

I’m so excited for the official release of my new NA romance, Just the Two of Us.  The official release date is October 1, but I’m currently looking for reviewers who would be interested in an ARC.  Even though the book will be released in less than a month, I’m happy to send you a copy even if you’ll be reviewing it later on.

Just fill out the form below, and I’ll e-mail you a file or a Smashwords code (whichever you prefer).

…by the way…I’m looking for honest reviews!  Judge it as you see fit.

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I Hate You…Kind Of

You’ve always been the guy I love to hate.  B[image error]ut now I think I love you, and I hate that.

I love writing no matter what form it takes.  That’s why I experiment with everything from urban fantasy to romance.  I’ve even written some science fiction in my day.

Today, I wrote a teenage love letter for Wattpad’s To All the Boys Contest.  Not only was it extremely fun, but it also brought me back to my days in high school.  The contest is a tie-in with the new Netflix movie that is based on the book by Jenny Han.

You know that adversary you had back in school?  Well, what if your love/hate relationship became more of a love/love one?

You can read the full letter on Wattpad.

The Down and Dirty Way to Make an Animated Book Cover

Do you judge a book by a cover?  I know that I shouldn’t, but I do.  In fact, I have strong opinions about covers.  For example, I like original artwork far more than photos from movie versions.

[image error]I’ll admit I like the one on the left better!

Lately, I’ve been jealously eyeing other authors’ animated book covers.  They remind me of the book covers in Harry Potter.

via GIPHY

Anyway…I wanted an animated cover for my own book, Stage Fright.  Since I’m a financially challenged writer, I figured the best way to go about this was to create my own.

I used the tools I had on hand.  My software included Moviemaker, Gimp, and Inkspace (all free!)  To make the animation, I used a copy of the current cover and created a second cover without the vampire face.  Then I put the images side-by-side in Moviemaker, using a fade transition which makes the vampire’s face come out of nowhere (kinda sorta using a stop-motion effect.)  And voila! a short movie was made.

Once I liked how the cover looked, I uploaded it into Giphy to create a gif.  I know that this is nowhere as cool as the professional animated covers that I’ve seen, but it was very easy, not too time-consuming, and a lot of fun.

Here’s the final product:

via GIPHY

 

Stage Fright Free on Kindle

[image error]My urban fantasy novel, Stage Fright is FREE on Amazon from August 10 – August 13.

Twenty-three-year-old Cassandra Jaber worries that her acting career has ended before it even got started. Instead of making curtain calls, she’s filling coffee cups at her uncle’s restaurant. Then she meets the influential playwright Victor Stuyvesant. Cruel, bloodthirsty Victor is willing to make Cassie his leading lady. But only if she agrees to pay his terrible price.

But before Cassie can make her decision, she meets Isaiah Griffin, a broken man with a mysterious past who knows more about Victor than he’s willing to admit. As Cassie pursues him hoping to find the truth, she wonders if Isaiah holds the key to her salvation. And her heart.

Stage Fright is FREE on Amazon until August 13.

Splash Into Summer Giveaway Hop — Coffee Shop Book Reviews

Once again, it’s time to celebrate summer with the Splash Into Summer Giveaway Hop (hosted by BookHounds). As a way to celebrate warm weather, running through the sprinkler, and fireflies (among other things), … 128 more words

via Splash Into Summer Giveaway Hop — Coffee Shop Book Reviews

Moving Target – A Wattpad Mystery-Thriller

 

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When Ashlyn Shay visits the sleepy, northern Michigan town of Eagle River to look for her missing cousin, she’s not expecting to become a sniper’s target. But as she soon learns, someone wants her dead. Thank goodness she’s hired sexy private investigator Nick Harris to be her bodyguard. Now, as the attacks on Ashlyn’s life become more and more desperate, they must figure out where Ashlyn’s cousin has gone, and why Ashlyn is in danger.

Three years after his wife’s murder, Nick Harris is still looking for clues that will help him solve the mystery. Not only has meeting Ashlyn has gone a long ways in mending his lonely heart, it’s also throwing new light on his investigation. For the first time in years, he’s able to put the past behind him and focus on the one woman who’s made him think it will be possible to love again.

I’ve been enjoying Wattpad for several years, and have published quite a few novellas on that site.  My current work is a mystery/thriller/romance call Moving Target.

This book is a departure since I ordinarily write urban fantasy; however, it’s been a lot of fun to try something new.

The book is already completed, but I’m uploading in serial fashion on Wattpad.  Eventually, I plan on releasing it in book form, but for now, I’m doling it out one section at a time.  If you’re interested, stop by!

 

My Mini Garden

I am the world’s worst gardener.

[image error]Don’t get me wrong – I love gardens.  Strolling through them.  Sitting quietly in them.  Admiring them.  I do this all of the time.  I even follow gardening blogs.  However, when it comes to my own yard, I’m too lazy to do anything but ask my husband to mow the grass.

I’ve tried indoor gardening as well, and I’m marginally better at that.  Currently, I use the windowsill in my office as a mini garden.  The plants mostly come from Trader Joe’s.  They’re also in rotation, so that when one dies, another takes its place.  (I must do better at watering them!)  But I love coming into my office in the mornings and seeing them.

It’s nice to nurture something.

A Room of My Own That’s Caving In Around Me

[image error]Water damage