Marissa Farrar's Blog, page 19

The Liebster Awards!

I'm sharing some blogging love this morning, after having had it dished out to me this weekend by two of my fellow Masters of Horror and (soon to be, in the case of Blaze) Vamplit authors, Carole Gill and Blaze McRob. The Liebster award is given to those who have contributed to blogging and have less than 300 followers, and I'm very proud that not only one person thought to give it to me, but two!


Carole Gill in a fellow Vamplit author and her novel, The House on Blackstone Moor has recieved some amazing reviews. It's a classic Gothic tale of vampires, madness and love. I have yet to read it, but as soon as the paperback is available, I will be first in line to buy my copy! She also works tirelessly to support other authors and keeps us all thoroughly entertained on our MOH facebook page. So thank you, Carole.


Go check out her blog, Bloody Good Vampires!


I've only recently had the pleasure of meeting Blaze through our Masters of Horror connection, but I've quickly come to learn what a kind and generous person he is. He shares his time and offers so much support and praise to fellow authors on his blog Blaze McRob's Tales of Horror. Out of all the people he could have chosen, I'm honoured that he included me.


Aren't horror writers lovely people! Have a great week everyone...

More Stories for Your Buck!

 A few months ago I released a few of my short stories as the ebook, Where the Dead Live. Despite my New Year's resolution not to write any new stuff (and focus on getting out the manuscripts currently languishing in my laptop), a few short stories bugged me enough that they had to be written.

It seemed such a shame not to have them included in my little collection, so I've now relaunched Where The Dead Live, together with a kick-ass new cover (many thanks to author C.J. Ellisson for her fantastic font work!). The price is still the same (only $0.99) and is available from Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

So, you now get six stories for only 99 cents AND on top of that, I have included the first three chapters of my new novel, The Followers, which is set for a June 1st release!

Happy reading!

Competiton time ~ Win some books!

I came across this competition on the great horror site, Indie Horror. Over on the site they have seven paperback copies of The Well by Peter Labrow to people who submit a review of an indie horror book they have read.

Pretty good deal, huh?

So here's my part of the competition. If you've read or plan to read one of my novels, and have either left or plan to leave me a review, then email me at marissafarrar@yahoo.co.uk or leave me a comment together with your email addy (so I can get in touch with you if you win). Tell where the  review was left (or again, where you plan to leave your review) and in two weeks time I will do a draw for a paperback copy of 2013: The Aftermath, the anthology which includes my short story After The Revelation.

Then all you need to do is email the same review to Indie Horror in order to win The Well!

So you, could  win 2013: The Anthology AND get the chance of winning The Well by Peter Labrow if you submit your review of one of my novels to the site!

Good luck everyone!

20 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Me...

I saw someone on twitter doing this and it looked like fun, so here goes!


1.) I have four tattoos and plan to have more (sorry mum!).
2.) I'm an advanced Padi scuba diver.

3.) I've hiked a glacier in New Zealand.

4.) I have a phobia of Daddy-long-legs (Crane-flies).

5.) I could eat Asian food every day of the week.
6.) I once ran a small catering company.
7.) I make pretty damn good cakes. 

8.) Though I act hard, at heart I'm a total romantic.

9.) I would love to have another child one day (shhh, don't tell my husband!).

10.) I miss my cats

11.) I love the gym but hate regular exercise.

12.) I love going to concerts, but haven't been able to go since having the kids. Boo.

13.) Bugs love me. If something in my vicinity bites, it will get me!

14.) I have a degree in Zoology and a diploma in Pharmaceuticals.

15.) I once wanted to be a forensic pathologist (until I realised I had to become a doctor first! Dealing with live patients...gross!)

16.) I love crappy drama television; Greys Anatomy, Brothers and Sisters, House. Brilliant!

17.) I probably drink waaaaay too much, but put it under the 'artistic type' file.

18.) My husband is also my best friend.

19.) I dream of having houses all over the world, but not big expensive ones. Just shacks by the beach in places like Bali, Thailand, and India.
20.) I used to have five piercings (not including my ears!).
So there you have it. Got anything interesting people probably wouldn't know about you? Please share!

Letting Go

Letting Go


I'm standing on the bridge, certain he won't come.

How many years has it been now? Ten, at least. The tenth time I've come here, hoping he will show, yet knowing he won't.

It's July twelfth, the anniversary of the day he asked me to marry him. My heart is sick with grief and I wonder how it is that I cannot move on. Every day I wander without direction, searching for him, yet he is always just out of reach. It is as if when I enter one door, he slips out of another.

The night is warm and I can smell honeysuckle on the air. Below me, the stream trickles, singing a gentle song to the stones and gravel it passes over. Trees line both sides of the stream, their branches reaching out to each other, like lovers hands grasping, creating a canopy over the water.

I sigh and lean against the small wooden bridge. My fingers twist the platinum band of my engagement ring, the moonlight catching the small cluster of diamonds. I no longer wear it on my left hand, switching it to the right as a sign of our separation, but I cannot bring myself to take it off completely.

Why do I keep torturing myself like this? Too many years have passed for him to still care. He probably has a different life now, one filled with a new family of his own. I cannot believe he still thinks of me, even though thoughts of him seem to be the only thing I know.

Movement catches my eye and I turn to see a figure approaching out of the darkness. My heart picks up a beat, my breath catching in my throat.

Mark?

He walks toward me, but I don't know how to react. It's such a long time since I've seen him and I can see the years on his face; in the lines upon his skin and the grey in his hair.

I cannot speak as he stands beside me and leans his forearms on the bridge. He looks down at the flowing water, as if he cannot bear to look at me.

"I didn't think you'd come," I say.

"I don't know why I'm here, Lisa. It's been such a long time."

"I'm glad you did."

"I think I just needed to say goodbye properly. You've been playing on my mind and it's simply not right. I need to get on with my own life."

"Please, Mark," I beg. "Let's just spend some time together, talk things over. If you came, then you must still..."

But his actions still my words. He opens his hand and nestled in his palm is the platinum band and cluster of diamonds of my engagement ring.

My heart stops and I look down at my own ring. How is that possible? Did he have another, identical one made? Why would he do that?

"I need to say goodbye now, Lisa. I'm moving on, just like you have."

He tilts his hand to drop the ring into the water. I reach out to catch it as it falls, but to my horror, the small circle of metal passes right through my hand, as if I were not even there.

My eyes fill with tears of terror. What the hell was happening?

"I know it wasn't your fault," he says, addressing the air. "It wasn't your fault you left me. The accident was nothing more than that, just a horrible accident. But I need to get on with my life now. It's been too long and I'm letting you go."

At his words, I feel something pull against me, as if invisible hands have hold of my shoulders and legs and are tugging me from behind. I look down to see my limbs suddenly seem insubstantial, as if I cannot quite see them or am looking through a mist.

"Help me, Mark," I call out, terror firing adrenaline through my veins. But now I know he cannot hear me and my voice sounds faint, even to my own ears.

It suddenly dawns on me that I do not know where I've been all these years, only that I've been searching for Mark, his own grief and longing holding me near. Now he has finally let me go and I am moving on, going to whatever life—or death—holds for me next.

My body is little more than smoke now and still something pulls on me, taking me away from him. The distance between us is growing and now he is simply the figure of a man standing on a bridge.

A man saying goodbye.

An Epiphany!

I logged onto Goodreads today to discover someone had left Alone a two star rating. Now this is the first two star and so far lowest rating Alone has received and my initial reaction was to get annoyed. But then I realised that you can't please everyone.

Books, like anything else in life, are all down to personal taste. Maybe this person loves soppy romances, in which case there is no way Alone was ever going to be for her. Just the same as if someone doesn't like spicy food, I'm sure the chef in a curry house wouldn't take it personally.

When your work is out there, and people are reading it, reviews are just part of the course. There is no way I can control what people are saying about my book, but at least people are reading it! So far the reviews for Alone have been great. It's got a steady 4 stars out of 36 reviews on Barnes and Noble, with some of the review headings being 'Wonderful Book' and 'Great Read', with people saying they couldn't put it down and can't wait for the sequel.

I know I can't please everyone, but as long as I am pleasing the majority, and above all, that people are actually taking the time to read my books, then I am happy. And look out for the paperback guys! The proof as been ordered, so it won't be long now!

Their Dark Masters is now available in the UK! Extreme vampire horror...

If the Twilight vamps left you wanting to puke and even True Blood is a little too sexy to fit in with your vampire image, then Their Dark Masters is the anthology for you.

These are vampire stories as they should be: dark, terrifying and monstrous.

Their Dark Masters features my short story, The Tunnel,  which was inspired when I actually took the Channel Tunnel from France back to the UK. It was so claustrophobic, I couldn't help but think of it as a great setting for a seriously dark horror story and even sat in the car, making notes. When I heard of this anthology, I just knew the two would be the perfect match.

Here's the blurb: When vampires have outlasted eternity, their dark masters will rise from their ancient slumber. What evil games will they play? Find out in these fourteen tales of dread by Lee Hughes, Brian K. Ladd, Lily Childs, Erik Boman, Paul Anderson, Erin Cole, Gregory Miller, Marissa Farrar, Henry Brasater, Tyree Campbell, Rebecca L. Brown, Barry J. Northern, and Mark Anthony Crittenden, and featuring the art of Marie-Claire Graham. Warning: horror content is extreme

It has been out for a little while in the States, but is also now available from Amazon.co.uk so all of you Brit based readers can buy it as well!

On the move again…

Hey folks, sorry I've not been around much recently. As normal in my life, things are always changing and an opportunity has come up which enables us to move back to my home county of Devon.

This will be our fourth move in three years and hopefully it will be our last for a while. Luckily, we never sold our old family home when we moved to Spain and we can't wait to get back into it. The house is on the outskirts of a little village and it means we will once again be surrounded by fields and proper country pubs we can walk to! There's also a decent chunk of land with the property so we'll be able to get the chickens we've missed while living in a city.

I'll be sad to say goodbye to the friends we've made here and I feel bad moving the eldest again. However, it's best to do it now, just before she starts school. She already has friends down there, so I don't think it will be too much of a wrench. Besides, if all else fails, I find bribery with more pets always works!

In the words of Stephen King…

To write is human, to edit is divine.

Since making the decision to put some of my work out alone, I've discovered something about myself. As much as I can spot problems in other people's work, I am hopeless at doing the same thing for my own writing. It's as if I'm just too close to the piece and I'm only seeing what I think should be there, instead of what it actually says.

Because of this I've decided to hire an editor to do my final edits for me. I was lucky enough to meet Janelle, from Dawson Editing Services, through a mutual friend. She kindly offered to edit some of my work and I was amazed at what she found. Honestly, I thought I'd edited the arse out of these pieces, and I'd even had other writers go over them, but Janelle still found so much that needed changing.

She described herself to me as a punctuation and grammar freak, and that is exactly what I needed. While my writing might be strong, I'll agonise for hours over where to put a comma!

Anyway, Janelle is fantastic and I can't wait to see her transform my stories into tight, professional novels. The editing process is so important, and I know readers will come back for more if the books are professionally edited. Besides, any time I'm not editing can be spent doing what I'm supposed to be doing—actually writing. As I'm working on a 'flood the market to the point where people HAVE to start noticing me' promotion plan, the more writing I can get done and actually get out to the readers, the better.

If you would like to contact Janelle to find out how good she is for yourself, you can email her at jdawsonedit@gmail.com. She is currently offering the first 500 words of your m/s for FREE, and the rest of her prices are extremely affordable.

The reviews for my novels have been coming in thick and fast, and have been fantastic. You can check out the reviews for Alone over at Barnes & Noble, and at Smashwords. Also, Alone is still free to download!

I honestly think reading great reviews by is one of the best things about being a writer (next to seeing actual sales of course!). While I love my friends and family giving me positive feedback about my work, I am always a little sceptical. I mean, they're hardly going to tell me it sucks (actually, scratch that. My mother would—and has—told me when something blew). But there is still nothing better than discovering, through the wonder that is Google-alerts, someone is raving about your book.

For years I wondered if I was like one of those poor saps on X-Factor (UK equivalent of American Idol) where they are totally convinced they have talent, but actually they can't hold a tune to save their lives. I'm slowing starting to believe this isn't the case, and I have really high hopes for this year.

February Femme Fatales!

It's here everyone! What you've been waiting for... Over at Lily Child's Feardom she is bringing us twenty eight days of dark fiction and poetry from fourteen of the best women writers.

I was honoured to be asked to contribute, and my short story, Faces, will appear on the 3rd of this month. The story is a ghost story inspired by true events, and I hope it will creep you out as much as it did me!

Here is Lily's line up:
Asuqi  Marissa Farrar  Lily Childs  R.S. Bohn  Lou Treleaven  A.J. Humpage  Laurita Miller  Sue Harding  Pixie J. King  Erin Cole Jodi MacArthur  Dorothy Davies (Antonia Woodville)  Ellie Garratt
 In the meantime, the very first Femme Fatale is Susan May James. So head on over for her beautiful, dark story, Shadows!