K.C. Sprayberry's Blog, page 103

Oh, The Missed Errors

Good morning and welcome to wwwblogs. Today, we’re looking at those irritating missed errors in your book.
You’ve spent ages working on your latest novel. Beta readers assure you that it’s another winner. Your publisher is ecstatic. Your publisher’s editor believes you’ll soon have that book for sale because there is almost nothing to fix.
And here you are, the author, fretting over ever sentence, every bit of dialogue, wondering if you rushed it to contract too soon. You express your concerns to your editor, but he/she says you’re worrying about nothing. Once you sign off on the edits and are awaiting the proofreader to return your book, you’re even more nervous. Surely, something has to be wrong. But there’s almost nothing to find, the proofreader claims. Your book is in great shape.
You receive a PDF version of the book and carefully go over everything not once but ten times, searching for missing words, improper punctuation, formatting that appears off. You find a few things but that nagging feeling won’t go away. Still, despite your doubts, you give your editor in chief the go ahead.
“Let’s publish this one.” You are nervous, far more nervous than you’ve ever been with a book release, but everyone involved in the pre-publication process seems to think your book is great.
Once the book has been published and you’re promoting it, you take a moment to read the Kindle version. Your heart sinks. You forgot a few commas – how did you miss those? There’s a missing period on page 176. Page 250 makes no sense at all now that you’re reading it again.
My book is ruined!
Yes, we’ve all been there. We are human. We make mistakes, but second guessing what you first believed was right won’t change anything. Most publishers won’t make any changes unless it’s very significant for at least six months. Rewrites probably aren’t allowed.
At this point, you’re ready to throw in the towel. Don’t. Move forward. Never mention what you saw, unless someone points it out to you. Most readers won’t notice the things you did. Maintain the façade that your book is in fabulous shape. Bask in the glow of the wonderful reviews. And remember next time to go a bit slower.


About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.

Find out more about my books at these social media sites:
Facebook Twitter Website Goodreads Amazon Author Page
Google + Pinterest Manic Readers AUTHORSdb
Authorgraph Email

Limited Series

Good morning and welcome to Tuesday Blog Share. Today, we’ll be discussing doing limited series. Just what is this particular type of series?
A limited series is a group books with a similar theme but there are only a certain amount of them that will ever be written. The reader is drawn in by a theme rather than characters moving from book to book. Such are the Barren Holiday books I’m currently plotting. No two have the same characters. They all have a different storyline, but all of them have the recurring theme… overcoming adversity where the characters lean on their faith.Scared Soul Barren Holiday 2 is the second in this limited series. An Air Force pilot and his pregnant wife find their faith tested when he’s shot down in during Desert Shield. The test of their love for each other puts both into a questioning mode, but the ending shows they each understanding the meaning of their relationship.

Get Scared Soul Barren Holiday 2 eBook on Amazon

Blurb
Separated by the winds of war
Jenna and Nicholas are a poster image of the perfect military couple. With one child and twins on the way, their lives take a twisted turn when Iraq invades Kuwait. With her at home, ready to deliver their newest babies and him deployed to a battle in the Middle East, their lives change drastically. Their solid relationship is tested in many ways.                         Worry eats at Jenna and Nicholas but neither will admit to the other that they’re scared. Can they survive the short lived war to free Kuwait from Iraqi control? Will their deep, abiding love for each other withstand this war and the drastic changes in their lives?


Get Scared Soul Barren Holiday 2 print book on Amazon
Excerpt
The fear returns with my first missed menstrual cycle, a little over three months ago. Yet again, I am pregnant. Half a dozen times, the child growing within me never made it fully through the second month. That information is not in my medical records, because I never told anyone about it, not even Nicholas, my beloved husband. The reason behind those horrific decisions is our first child, a girl we were going to call April Melina, was lost at almost seven months. The hardest part of that miscarriage is that she stopped moving nearly five weeks before the doctor we were assigned in Nevada was certain she was growing well and I was worrying about nothing.
I can’t do this again. I really can’t go through this again.
No matter how much I force myself not to think about those lost babies, they are in my mind a lot since I saw that little plus sign on the at home pregnancy test. Scared is how I remain all the time. The feeling is so bad that I refuse to let Nicholas, my wonderful husband, know about it.
Staring out the window of our home, I can’t help but feel the shiver of dread running up and down my arms. Part of that is the situation I’m in now and the other part is I can’t go outside without a sweater.
Summer in Germany is like early spring in Phoenix, Arizona, where Nicholas and I were both raised. Coolish in the morning, warm in the afternoon, with the temperatures dropping back to coolish in the evening. In our three years here, I’ve never gotten used to this. I yearn to return to the desert, where I avoided predators while also admiring the stark beauty. Next year, Nicholas will be reassigned to another unit but there is no guarantee we’ll in our hometown, even though I pray nightly for that. He and I have always known we might be stuck on the Eastern seaboard or we might receive an assignment to one of the F-16 units in another country. Or, we might find ourselves remaining in Europe, or, even worse, my husband could get an assignment to Korea and I’d return to Phoenix to wait for him to come home.



About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.

Find out more about my books at these social media sites:
Facebook Twitter Website Goodreads Amazon Author Page
Google + Pinterest Manic Readers AUTHORSdb
Authorgraph Email

Stranger Than Fiction

Good morning and welcome to Monday Blogs. Today, we’ll be looking at real life. Is it really stranger than fiction?
Authors often use real life situations in their books, but they tone them down. Most of the time, if asked, they’ll tell the person that no one will think it’s believable fiction. And they’re right. Real life can and is stranger than fiction.
Real life has its own travesties. Humans share posts on social media, highlighting the awfulness that occurs, the happy occasions, and the terror riddled moments. Authors stare at this and wonder why we’re writing a book when what we’re experiencing daily is so much more intense. Yet, if we insert that same intenseness into our books, we’re accused of going overboard.
Seriously.
This is a real problem.
I’m not laughing off the problem. Quite the contrary, I’m simply stating a fact of life. In order for an author to sell a book based on a real event, we need to dilute the intensity. We can’t devote five to ten chapters to the characters’ lives prior to the problem occurring. The reader would soon become bored, wondering why they’re getting this information when the cover art and blurb promised an action packed thriller. Nor can we dissect the tragedy second by second. No, that has to be saved for a pivotal moment, when the reader is caught up in the activity and is reading each word slowly, their breath picking up, their mind warning them – it’s coming.
And while real life is sometimes too intense to be a novel, many authors have successfully created tales based on tragedies seen around the world all the time. We’ve learned how to dilute the powerful impact of the story and focus on a single moment in time, where one person or a group makes a difference.
All in all, fiction is an escape from life’s realities. It can also be a safe way to relive a bad time and see it a bit differently.


About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.

Find out more about my books at these social media sites:
Facebook Twitter Website Goodreads Amazon Author Page 
Google + Pinterest Manic Readers AUTHORSdb
Authorgraph Email

Never Give Up

Good morning and welcome to Sunday Blog Share. Today, we’re discussing about never giving up on someone. Far too many people have lost people they love. Sometimes, death intrudes and takes that person far too soon. Or perhaps the individual in question just vanished for reasons unknown to you. Either way, it’s difficult to understand or even comprehend that you’ll never seen them again.
What can you do to find the person is a thought many of those in this situation find themselves pondering. They feel stymied by the lack of clues or the inability of the local police to find the person. Some even want to go out on their own and locate this individual…

Get The Case of the Missing Brother Book 3 Wildcat Crew eBook on Amazon
Blurb
George Adams, brother to Christine and Suzie, disappeared when his parents took him out of their home in Beverly Hills. Wildcat Crew finally has the clues they need to discover where he is and why he’s there.
The crew works hard but runs into all sorts of brick walls. Until they uncover important clues and are soon on their way to the successful conclusion of another case.

Get The Case of the Missing Brother Book 3 Wildcat Crew print edition on Amazon

Excerpt
His doctor stopped in front of him, a chart in one hand. George refused to reply. He wouldn’t acknowledge this man nor had he ever done so. The doctor was a quack in his opinion, one who shouldn’t have never been allowed to treat patients.
“Not good, Georgie. You must cooperate to leave us.” The doctor snickered, as if he knew a secret he wanted to share. “Talk to me, Georgie. Tell me how you really feel about being here. Once you do that, we can move forward.”
George continued to stare at the rock formations.
“Oh, Georgie, you’re being a bad boy again.” The doctor waved at someone out of sight. “That means we have to take you back to your room again. One of these days you will learn.”
An attendant, one of the men who had come to his house, grabbed the wheelchair’s handles and shoved George across the green grass. George remained mute, staring at his hands to hide the smile on his face. He’d gotten exactly what he wanted. He didn’t feel safe in his room either, but it was safer than it was on the grounds.



About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.

Find out more about my books at these social media sites:
Facebook Twitter Website Goodreads Amazon Author Page 
Google + Pinterest Manic Readers AUTHORSdb
Authorgraph Email

You've Written A Book... What Next?

Good morning and welcome to Sharing Saturday. Today, we’re talking about just what goes on after you finish writing a book. Stay tuned, this could be very informative for the uninitiated!
You’ve written your book. After going through beta readers or a critique group, you’ve submitted to publishers and were given a contract. Now that you’re waiting on all the excitement to start – being assigned an editor, deciding on cover art, and preparing for the day your book is released, you need to get down to the brass tacks of being an author.
Your first step should be to become active on social media. A Facebook fan page is a good idea. Don’t think you can promote your book on your personal page. That’s for your friends, who will turn away in droves once you post “buy my book” links. Instead, create a page, complete with your official author photo and a banner, that will be intriguing and be devoted to your writing. Twitter is another social media giant you should join. Don’t just set up your pages and walk away. Post about your journey to publication on both. Share interesting tweets on Twitter, in order to attract others. Begin the process of building your fan base.
Many authors maintain a blog. It’s a great place to talk about your writing process and to brag about your book. You can even talk about things not writing related, but keep those to a minimum.
You also need to connect with other authors; not just ones signed with your publisher. Expand your base to include indie authors, so you can get a wider experience of what this writing world is all about. Be careful though. Some of these authors are very centered on only their work. They might say “Sure, I’ll help you promote your book once it comes out.” But they’ll quickly be too busy once that happens.
Visit your local library to see how they handle local authors. Take the time to become involved with their reading groups, sticking with the ones that match your book’s genre. Have a talk with someone on the staff of the local newspaper. You might be pleasantly surprised to discover they’ll do a write up about your first book. Be ready with your cover art, once it’s ready, and your blurb. They’ll need that along with your bio in order to complete the article.
Most of all, don’t sit back and believe you have plenty of time to write your next book. Get started on that right away. The twenty-first century author is competing against thousands of new books releasing weekly. Your new book will soon vanish from sight if you don’t have another one waiting in the wings.


About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.

Find out more about my books at these social media sites:
Facebook Twitter Website Goodreads Amazon 
Google + Pinterest Manic Readers AUTHORSdb 
Authorgraph Email

I'm Writing A Book

Good morning and welcome to Friday Feelings. Today, we’ll be talking about an announcement many authors have heard from people they know. Please don’t be upset by our underwhelming response.
I don’t think a week goes by where I hear “I’m writing a book” from people I know. My initial response, and that of most published authors, is usually “And… I hear this all the time.” To some, it might seem rude, but in all honesty it’s the truth.
One of the biggest lies chasing around the internet is that it’s easy to write a book. It might seem that way, but in reality this is one of the hardest jobs a person will ever have. As an author, you have to keep on going even when you’re feeling rotten or would rather be doing something else. Many authors will tell you that you reach a point where you are so immersed in the story that nothing around you seems real. You are truly lost within the trials and tribulations of your characters.
Once we hear someone announce on a status on Facebook that they’re writing a book too, most of us lose all enthusiasm in telling a person that will be the greatest moment of their life – if they ever finish it, get through self-editing, proofreading, the beta readers, the critique groups, and finally taking the steps toward publication.
Writing a book isn’t an announcement you make without a lot of thought. Once you say this and get past the very off putting response of “And… I hear this all the time.” you need to understand that you are only at the first baby step of actually publishing a book. Authors know all too well the growing pains involved with writing a first book. They suffered through them long enough to maintain that memory the rest of their lives. They also know that you are about to embark on a journey that will suck you away from what many call normal activities.
Are you thinking about a fun movie night with your family? Hang on, that difficult plot point just chose that moment to reveal itself and you’re busily fixing everything before and after the point where you’ve now added a dozen or more pages to your book. Once you look up from your computer, you discover the movie is over and everyone is in bed.
That is a very normal scenario for an author. We experience it far too often. Our significant others are known to throw us sustenance and refresh drinks without us noticing. They are well trained in not disturbing the author when they are hard at work. Children will tiptoe quietly past, whispering good night, so as not to break the flow.
Or you’re sound asleep but your eyes pop open at oh-dark-thirty because your brain has come up with a solution to the slow part of chapter three. Tiptoeing back to your writing space, you quietly go about fixing the problem, while also discovering other areas that need repair. Your only sense that a lot of time has passed is the smell of coffee perking and the sunlight peeking around your blinds.
Welcome to the world of being an author. You’ll have black bags under your eyes, be cranky at the oddest moments, and constantly be thinking of your next book. That’s how we roll!


About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.

Find out more about my books at these social media sites:  Facebook Twitter Website Goodreads Amazon Author Page
Google +  Pinterest Manic Readers AUTHORSdb 
Authorgraph Email

New Release - Plots & Schemes Vol. 2

For me, time is the greatest mystery of all. The fact is that we're dreaming all the time. That's what really gets me. We have a fathomless lake of unconsciousness just beneath our skulls.

Anthony Hopkins
A good mystery will keep the reader engaged in the story while they’re also trying to figure out who done it. Solstice Publishing brings you ten mysteries by nine talented authors that will have you panting for more. Enjoy these stories!For me, time is the greatest mystery of all. The fact is that we're dreaming all the time. That's what really gets me. We have a fathomless lake of unconsciousness just beneath our skulls.






Amazon eBook
Amazon print book


A hunter mistakes a woman for a wild turkey. A tragic accident… or murder?
Who killed library patron, Mr. Small?
Escaping violence doesn’t mean you won’t get away!
To the edge of Heaven and back!
With friends like these…
Two high school teachers become vigilantes.
Surprising mysteries lie behind Walt’s death.
Just another unusual day at Farstone Town.
Come on over to Tough Luck Lounge and relax in a Tiki Bar!
For nearly a hundred years, no one knew the truth.



Ten tales by nine talented authors will take you through mysteries of all sorts. Join with Susan Lynn Solomon, Debbie De Louise, Johnny Gunn, Jeffery Martin Botzenhart, Jack Adler, E.B. Sullivan, Palvi Sharma, Lois Crockett, and K.C. Sprayberry for Plots & Schemes Vol 2.  

Local Libraries

Good morning and welcome to Thursday Thoughts. Today, we’ll be discussing your local library and how you can make a fan for life with one simple gesture…
Do you have a local library? Do they accept donations of books?
If your answer to both questions is yes, you have just found a way to make your librarian very happy and located a person who will talk up your books for years.
Support your local library isn’t just a saying. Libraries are staggering in this tougher economy. Many are having to slash the number of new books they purchase for the simple reason that their budget doesn’t allow for more than a couple of books a year. The chances of them getting more funding are nil.
Libraries are a treasure trove for children and adults alike. They have reading programs not just for kids but for parents and grandparents. They’re a place where you can go to access the internet or explore new worlds from the many books on the shelves. Some have been bought with tax dollars but for many in rural areas these books came from people who no longer had a reason to keep them.
Not only can you donate your books to the library but in many cases authors are allowed to leave bookmarks near the checkout desk – promotion here, always think of ways to attract new readers. A library is the perfect spot.
You might also be asked to speak to one of their reading groups. That’s a moment to be treasured. These readers are intelligent and thoughtful. They’ll make your appearance enjoyable.
Unfortunately, there are some libraries that don’t accept indie books, unless you follow their rules. A few of my author friends have said those rules, including being reviewed in a local newspaper, don’t always work. But never give up. There are other libraries a bit further out. Seek out a rural library if there is one near you. It appears those systems are more lenient when it comes to donated books.


About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.

Find out more about my books at these social media sites:
Facebook Twitter Website Goodreads Amazon Author Page 
Google + Pinterest Manic Readers AUTHORSdb 
Authorgraph Email 

Technophobia

Good morning and welcome to wwwblogs. Today, we’re talking about technophobia and the older author. Oh yes, another of those “get up and get out there” posts for those of us with gray up top!
Age has nothing to do with understanding technology. The current generation approaching retirement age is the one that was at the lead of the burgeoning tech industry in the late sixties until now. We embraced the changes, ignored the scoffing of those who claimed this was nothing but a fad that would soon disappear. Now that this fad has become a daily lifestyle and we’re approaching out golden years, far too many of our generation have decided they no longer want tech in their lives.
Not only that, many of those people are embracing the opportunity to take on being an author. They’re lost in the glory days of pre-internet, when an author was accepted by a publisher and had nothing more to do than work with their editor and show up for scheduled appearances. Many authors of the eighties and nineties have learned this the hard way, after the century turned. The publishing industry has changed significantly, and permanently.
Gone are the days of a promotion or marketing team setting up appearances in bookstores or on talk shows. Never again will an author be able to comfortably sit in front of a typewriter and pound out a new story before hanging out with their friends at the local bar and swap tales. Today’s author is a busy bee from the early morning until late at night.
So, update your computer to one that gives you a quicker response on social media. Get a phone that allows you to interact with your fans no matter where you are. Stop grumbling about the good old days and encompass the daily changes to tech. Own those younger who claim we can’t handle the technology and show them not only can we deal with it, we are the boss when it comes to electronics.
In other words, quit your moaning and get out there with those young’uns.


About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.

Find out more about my books at these social media sites:
Facebook Twitter Website Goodreads Amazon Author Page 
Google + Pinterest Manic Readers AUTHORSdb 
Authorgraph Email

Talking with A.B. Funkhauser

Good morning, everyone. Today, I'm letting A.B. Funkhauser take over for a whole and talk about herself and her books. Come along for a wild and crazy ride!






I see you around the Twitterverse especially at #FF Character Name. Where do you get those names from?
I love Follow Friday’s! They’re terrific for community building and also spark great questions like this one. Character names? Well—I’m Kurt Vonnegut-inspired. That burst of whimsy at the forefront of really big themes. Wow! He was a master at setting those things up. But what really got me hooked were his character names. How they sounded—serious, humorous, threatening—made a difference, I think, so much so that when I started writing I REMEMBERED to do the same thing.Poonam Khanzada Rajput from Shell Game is a woman of obvious power who doesn’t know it in chapter one, but by the epilogue, look out! Alma Wurtz from Scooter Nation—old world, maybe not even of this world. Think of the damage someone like that can do to the unsuspecting? And my most enduring creation Jürgen Heuer. People have a tough time pronouncing his name and that’s the point. He was put on this earth to wreak havoc and make people feel uncomfortable, so, of course, Enid Estelle Krause (EEK) is drawn to him. What horrors they conjure!I hope that made sense?
In addition to unusual sounding character names, you have spun stories that win horror and humor prizes. How did you manage that?
It was a very organic thing with me. When I sat down to write, it wasn’t with any particular genre in mind. I was driven by circumstances that had my emotions whipped up. I think I write best when I’m angry. Anyway, I thought as the story unfolded that I was writing some kind of paranormal romance, but by the time I got to the third draft, something started happening. The characters literally hijacked me. They took me to really dark places—botched embalmings, Nazis, character assassination, murder—and humorous ones too. Heuer’s spirit willing the tree to fall on the neighbor’s above ground pool was beyond nasty, but I couldn’t stop laughing. Was it him or was it me? I don’t know. I thought it was a one off. But then it kept happening in Heuer and repeated in Scooter Nation and Shell Game, this blend of anger and whimsy. I think I have an inner imp trying to get out.
You founded your own hashtag game on Twitter. Tell us about that.
I got into Twitter hashtag games about three years ago and thought they were absolutely brilliant. Share one liners from your WIP within a proscribed theme and do it all with only 140 characters. It was amazing! First, it really taught me how to edit on the fly. Suddenly, all of those darling lines that I couldn’t part with before were chopped to fit the format, and I never put them back because the edited version was so much better. The next thing was community. The Twitterverse is HUGE, but when you play the games, you meet people week after week who like your lines and you like theirs. Before you know it, you’re doing review and blog swaps and sharing out What’s New? with the larger community. It’s like a venn diagram run amok! Anyhow, I had hashtag games for every day of the week except Thursday. There was nothing. So I took a page out of a friend’s book and created my own— #Thurds Words on Thursday—but with a difference. At #Thurds, we post one liners to a theme each week, but we also allow posts from published work AND buy links and website links.
Promos on the hashtag games aren’t encouraged.
That’s right, but my thought was: “I spent a year writing this, and now that it’s done I can’t talk about it on the hashtag circuit?” This is precisely when it should be talked about. LET’S GET READ. That’s our motto at #Thurds.
You recently re-released a book. How different is it from the first run?
That would be Heuer Lost And Found which first released in 2015 and now again in 2018. This time, it has a new cover that prominently features the protagonist/antagonist of the title. I did this based on reader feedback. I thought the backdoor on the first cover was cool because it marked the boundary between Enid and Heuer’s twilight world of death and regret and the “sunnier” more positive world outside. But, no, it was Heuer all the way. So there he is, in all his dark glory on the cover trapped between worlds. As for the rest of the book, there are no significant changes other than a few misspelt words corrected and a couple of very, very long sentences that I just had to shorten. Oh, and there’s an intro where another writer assesses the work. That’s such a cool bit and a little unreal—I can read about my motivations in third person!
And you’re working on something else?
Yes! It’s the prequel to Heuer Lost And Found and I’m loving every minute. It starts in 1979 where Enid and Heuer are alive and well and doing as much damage as possible. It’s a real trip for me.
Books by A.B. FunkhauserAvailable through Solstice Publishing and Amazon
Heuer Lost And Found
Unrepentant cooze hound lawyer Jürgen Heuer dies suddenly and unexpectedly in his litter-strewn home. Undiscovered, he rages against God, Nazis, deep fryers and analogous women who disappoint him.
At last found, he is delivered to Weibigand Brothers Funeral Home, a ramshackle establishment peopled with above average eccentrics, including boozy Enid, a former girlfriend with serious denial issues. With her help and the help of a wisecracking spirit guide, Heuer will try to move on to the next plane. But before he can do this, he must endure an inept embalming, feral whispers, and Enid’s flawed recollections of their murky past.
Winner Best Horror, Preditors & Editors 2015Medalist Winner “Horror,” New Apple EBook Awards 2016


Scooter Nation
Aging managing director Charlie Forsythe begins his work day with a phone call to Jocasta Binns, the unacknowledged illegitimate daughter of Weibigand Funeral Home founder Karl Heinz Sr. Alma Wurtz, a scooter bound sextenarian, community activist, and neighborhood pain in the ass is emptying her urine into the flower beds, killing the petunias. Jocasta cuts him off, reminding him that a staff meeting has been called. Charlie, silenced, is taken aback: he has had no prior input into the meeting and that, on its own, makes it sinister.
The second novel in the Unapologetic Lives series, Scooter Nation takes place two years after Heuer Lost And Found. This time, funeral directors Scooter Creighton and Carla Moretto Salinger Blue take center stage as they battle conflicting values, draconian city by-laws, a mendacious neighborhood gang bent on havoc, and a self-absorbed fitness guru whose presence shines an unwanted light on their quiet Michigan neighborhood.
Medalist Winner “Humor,” New Apple EBook Award 2016Winner Best Humor, 2016 Summer Indie Book Award 


Shell Game
Carlos the Wonder Cat lives free, traveling from house to house in a quiet suburban neighborhood. Known by everyone, his idyllic existence is threatened when a snarky letter from Animal Control threatens to punish kitty owners who fail to keep their pets indoors. The $5,000 fine / loss of kitty to THE MAN is draconian and mean, but before Team Carlos can take steps, he is kidnapped by a feline fetishist sex cult obsessed with the films of eccentric Pilsen Güdderammerüng. Stakes are high. Even if Carlos escapes their clutches, can he ever go home?5 Star Reader’s Favorite 2017


About the Author
Toronto born author A.B. Funkhauser is a funeral director, classic car nut and wildlife enthusiast living in Ontario, Canada. Like most funeral directors, she is governed by a strong sense of altruism fueled by the belief that life chooses us, not we it.
A devotee of the gonzo style pioneered by the late Hunter S. Thompson, Funkhauser attempts to shine a light on difficult subjects by aid of humorous storytelling. “In gonzo, characters operate without filters, which means they say and do the kinds of things we cannot in an ordered society. Results are often comic but, hopefully, instructive.”
Her most recent release, Shell Game, is a psycho-social cat dramedy with death and laughs that takes aim at a pastoral community with a lot to hide. “With so much of the world currently up for debate, I thought it would be useful to question—again—the motives and machinations championed by the morally flexible and then let the cat decide what it all means.”
Find Her
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