Ania Ahlborn's Blog, page 4

The Curious Case of Hybrid Authors and the Need for Speed

Lately, there’s been a lot of talk about the self-publishing market, it’s slow but unmistakable deterioration, and how author-publishers should approach the problem of a dwindling capacity to get their work in front of readers rather than having their stories sink to the bottom of the self-published slush pile. I posted my own take on this issue in February, and it gave birth to some great discussion. One of my main points in that blog post was that many author-publishers are too eager to pus...

Horrorgami: Amazing Cult Horror Paper Creations

ARTICLE VIA INHABITAT

Paper artistMarc Hagan-Guirey, also known as the Paper Dandy, has transposed his life-long obsession with cult classic horror films with his love ofkirigami—theart of paper cutting. His new project, dubbed Horrorgami, transforms thirteen sheets of paper into thirteen iconic homes from horror movies- from the Addam’s Family mansion to The Shining’s Overlook Hotel. The series also captures the homes from cult classics Amityville Horror, Rosemary’s Baby, Ghostbusters, House...

Former Indie Author Settles At Gallery (That’s Me!)

From Publishers Weekly:

Ania Ahlbornhas signed a world English rights deal with Simon & Schuster’s Gallery Books imprint for three books and two e-novellas.Ed Schlesingeracquired the works from Inkwell Management’sDavid Hale Smith.Ahlborn self-published her novelSeedin 2011; Gallery said the author has since been dubbed by fans as “the female Stephen King.” After self-publishing, Ahlborn signed with Amazon Publishing, sellingSeedand three additional novels to imprints at the division; her nove...

The Bird Eater: Your Nightmares Are Not Your Own

Hi, all! I’m excited to announce that my fourth novel, THE BIRD EATER, is now available on Amazon through 47North!

Now, I know a lot of authors say “I love this book” regarding their own work, but I really do love this book. This thing was a nightmare to write (pun intended?). What started out as a horrible mishmash of fractured ideas led me down a path of maddening rewrites and hardcore editing. We’re talking, like, epic levels of editing. But the final product is worth all of the hair-pullin...

Brothers Grimm’s Fairy Tales Illustrated In Ghostly Photographs by Killian Shoenberger

ARTICLE VIA BORED PANDA

“I am colourblind and I can‘t distinguish green and red“. This is how Kilian Schoenberger, one of the finest contemporary landscape photographers, introduces himself on his Facebook profile. This fact strikes even harder, when we observe his recent works – the beautiful, yet ghostly illustrations of the Brothers Grimm‘s fairy-tales.

Schoenberger took the dreary photographic illustrations in remote rural areas throughout Middle Europe. The collection calledBrothers Grimm‘...

On Pacing, Flashbacks, and Bad Guys Being Bad: An Email Response

I recently received an email from a fellow reader/writer who had her fingers crossed that I’d answer a few “on writing” questions. Some authors would ignore these, after all, there are so many online sources that you could easily see what others are saying about the topic at hand, but I’m a sucker for replying to those who take the time to reach out to me in the first place. I love the idea of helping fellow writers reach their creative goals, and I know how scary and frustrating it can be to...

Eerie Paranormal Tales From Ireland

ARTICLE BY PAULI POISUO VIA LISTVERSE

Ireland is famous for its vast mythology. From leprechauns and fairies to banshees and kelpies, the Emerald Isle has at least as many legends as it has real, recorded history. But not every Irish legend is fairy tale material. The country has plenty of paranormal myths and ghost stories that are as creepy as they are mysterious. Here are some of the strangest ones.

10. The Moving Virgin Mary Of Ballinspittle

There are many Virgin Mary statues that are said t...

Bird by Bird: Anne Lamott’s Timeless Advice on Writing and Why Perfectionism Kills Creativity

ARTICLE BY MARIA POPOVA VIA BRAINPICKINGS

Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life.

Anne Lamott’sBird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life(public library) is among my10 favorite books on writing— a treasure trove of insight both practical and profound, timelessly revisitable and yielding deeper resonance each time. Lamott adds tothe collected wisdom of great writerswith equal parts candor and conviction,...

The History of English… In Ten Minutes

Deadly Exorcisms

ARTICLE BY ROBERT GRIMMINCK VIA LISTVERSE

The idea that people are possessed with demons or evil spirits is one the most widely held religious and spiritual beliefs in the history of the world. But because of advancements in science, demonic possession and exorcism are often thought of as archaic. The Vatican released its guidelines for exorcismin 1614, and in the past 400 years we have learned a lot about how the brain works. For example, mental illnesses like schizophrenia can closely resemb...