S.C. Parris's Blog: News and Information, page 3

Finishing DRACULA: BOOK 6

It’s been quite a while since we last talked, but so much has happened since then.

If you’re not a Patron, you probably aren’t aware of the number of short stories I’ve published on my website and on Patreon, all of which can be purchased or viewed on my website.

That said, I’m looking forward to finishing up THE DARK WORLD series at last and finally moving forward with new stories!

I have so many lined up, as you may know, but my biggest reason for moving forward is to free up space to put my full attention on the Master’s Program of Library Information Sciences! Yes, that’s right, I’m going to grad school! Not necessarily to become a librarian, but more like an archivist or a corporate librarian.

But that’s next year.

This year, I’m working hard on finishing up my stories (I’m taking a break from all short stories ‘till next year), so I can put more attention on my videos on my Youtube channel, and when I start streaming in a few weeks.

You can follow me and subscribe to all of this at

Youtube

Twitch

I’m working my hardest to be consistent in creating videos for you guys and, soon, streaming.

I hope you are all well and are continuing your goals in this crazy year.

With Blood and Love,

S.C. Parris

Feature: Author Georgina Kiersten's Blog - "15 Books By Black Authors You Should Read This Halloween"

So I got an email just now about a recent friend, Georgina Kiersten’s blog. Georgina and I communicate back and forth via Twitter, but she has commented on a recent post here.

The email was all about her latest blog post where she showcased 15 books by black authors readers should read for Halloween.

I scrolled through it, admittedly hoping my name would be on there — and it was!

#9!

(Which is also my date of birth, coincidentally.)

You can read the entire post here.

With Blood and Love,

S.C. Parris

This Short Story Has Gripped Me (Here's a Sneak Peek!)

This is gonna be short, because my blog posts generally are now that I’ve Patreon where I write my longer think pieces.

I just as in JUST NOW started writing the short story THE UNWANTED GUEST, this is that haunted house short story I said I was gonna write like a year ago. I’m finally get around to it. And I am LOVING it. I’ve created a back story to this one, am setting up the location and the house itself pretty nicely if I do say so myself.

Here, have a sneak peek:

The town of Rumsfeld was quaint, quiet. Everyone knew everyone. Everyone shopped at Sam Wellings’ Everything Store on Russel Road in the heart of the town. Everyone drank at Frank’s Pub and Eatery on Main Road. Everyone stayed away from Brookington House on World Away Lane. 

Everyone said it was haunted. 

Of course, no one told the Englewood family who had visited weeks prior to see the old, towering establishment. Nor did anyone come to visit and offer cookies or advice when moving day finally came. 

Everyone just left them alone. Like they did Brookington House. 

The house got its name from the previous owner. A Michael Brookington. Some man from England, supposedly descended from slaves. No one knew for sure though. Word spread from one ear to another as it does. 

The original mouth to spread this was a mouth that was open from screaming. A woman, scantily clad in a wispy, torn dressing gown ran from Brookington House screaming one night in 1726, said something about “Monsters and phantoms.” The local police enforcement went up to the house immediately after once they assured the woman was secured and clothed and fed. 

The Sherriff at the time was Billiam Townsend. 40 years old, gruff. Seen a lot during his tenure. “Nothing, he said once he left Brookington House shaking and teary-eyed, “like that. I ain’t never seen nothing like that.” 

What that was, he would never share. He died 1744 from a heart attack. Some said the horror of what he’d seen at the old house stayed with him ‘till then. Took him too. 

Before this, though, there were three other fairly short in both length and depth stories that I wrote for the month of October to get new readers.

But this one, the haunted house one, it’s different from the jump. I haven’t had a story reel me in like this aside from The Dark World series, ‘A Night of Frivolity’ and Judgment.

I love the cover I mocked up for it, but admittedly haven’t had a chance to really delve into it more like I wanted to. However, now that my focus is 100% on my writing and work, I’m able to relegate time to all my projects as needed.

Also, be on the lookout for my collection of these short stories, lengthened and edited to perfection at the end of October/beginning of November on Kindle (because you guys wanted it), my book store, and of course, on my Patreon if you’re a $1 patron.

I have a bunch of new things coming and the support from my readers has been amazing. I only want to grow as writer as I said in my latest blog post, and I’m very thankful I’m allowed to do that with all the excitement I’m growing on Twitter.

I plan to start using my Newsletter again, mainly to update subscribers on my Patreon dealings/posts/giveaways, but it hasn’t been as important for me because I haven’t had anything release yet.

As for my book store, I’m also running a flash Halloween sale on my store where all The Dark World series e-books are $3.50 for the remainder of October. I suggest you get them there when you can because they probably won’t be this cheap ‘till next October.

I’m off to write more and try to stay awake.

With Blood and Love,

S.C. Parris

Saying "No" or Why I Want to Write Consistently

I’ve realized this year, I’ve been saying “no” to a lot of opportunities. Also saying “yes” to the ones that i ultimately regret taking. Yet it goes without saying that when one door closes, several more open.

I feel like everything I’ve been through and am still going through now is a test. A test to get closer to my values, my true wants, and what my actual skills are.

I’ve been focusing on my writing for quite a bit since the move, and I’m glad I have. My patreon has seen new subscribers and I’m keeping my content there fairly fresh, updating every week or so with chapters of my current work in progress, JUDGMENT.

I want to expand on my Gothic Lit and Music blog post here, on there, and really go into the themes I’ve been thinking about since the move. Such as the themes in gothic lit and the themes in goth music/lyrics. Most if not all deal with romance, death, mental illness, and more and I would be remiss if I didn’t sit down at some point and suss it all out so it’s out of my head and on the (web)page.

As for THE DARK WORLD series, the last book DRACULA is coming along, if not slowly. Honestly, I believe I mentioned it before or perhaps that was on my Twitter, but I’m tired of THE DARK WORLD, to a point. This is the longest I’ve spent on a novel (two years now?), and I just want to move on to fresh ideas.

I don’t think I’ll do an epic fantasy again, or at least until I can sit down and write it properly the way I need to. Do some research and not just wing it from a 16-year-old brain. Then I feel I’ll be able to do things right.

All this said, I’m about to be very busy writing for two different companies—articles and for a magazine—and I’m so excited to delve into that and basically continue what I’ve done with my English Degree: write for general and specific audiences.

Here’s another thing I’ve learned that ties into my early point about saying no when you realize something isn’t for you:

If you know you’re not particularly interested in a thing, just being “eager to learn” is not going to cut it. You do have to have a passion in something for it to have meaning in your life and for the work to come easier, if it comes at all.

If there’s no passion, as is the case with a # of things in life, there’s no point. And my lessons have absolutely shown me this to be the case.

I left New York not to fall into the same low thoughts and operating off fear, but to relearn love (the love for myself), and to get in touch with what I actually what to do.

Which I have.

I want to create, I want to write, I want to see the difference my words are making either on the page or on the screen. Social media algorithms are all well and good but there is nothing for me like knowing my words have impacted someone, either through my creative works or through the company I’m writing for.

Don’t get me wrong, if my writing helps you make a decision, brings in that $ we needed, or simply makes you think enough that you leave a comment below it to start a conversation, then my job(s) can never lose meaning.

I’m a writer. Beyond all things, I love to write. And I’m so happy I realized that this year. Nothing else will come close to how words make me feel or how easy it is to string together sentences (on a good day, anyway).

_____

If you’ve enjoyed this post, consider subscribing to my Patreon page where I post more posts like this one, except with more personal details and more thought out points. (And you get to read my new work before anyone else!)

And check me out elsewhere on the web (I’m really active on Twitter at the moment):

Twitter: @writingvampires

IG: @writingvampires

Alternatively, you can just click the social media links in the footer to gain access to find me on the web.

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Saying "No"

I’ve realized this year, i’ve been saying “no” to a lot of opportunities. Also saying “yes” to the ones that i ultimately regret taking. Yet it goes without saying that when one door closes, several more open.

I feel like everything I’ve been through and am still going through now is a test. A test to get closer to my values, my true wants, and what my actual skills are.

I’ve been focusing on my writing for quite a bit since the move, and I’m glad I have. My patreon has seen new subscribers and I’m keeping my content there fairly fresh, updating every week or so with chapters of my current work in progress, JUDGMENT.

I want to expand on my Gothic Lit and Music blog post here, on there, and really go into the themes I’ve been thinking about since the move. Such as the themes in gothic lit and the themes in goth music/lyrics. Most if not all deal with romance, death, mental illness, and more and I would be remiss if I didn’t sit down at some point and suss it all out so it’s out of my head and on the (web)page.

As for THE DARK WORLD series, the last book DRACULA is coming along, if not slowly. Honestly, I believe I mentioned it before or perhaps that was on my Twitter, but I’m tired of THE DARK WORLD, to a point. This is the longest I’ve spent on a novel (two years now?), and I just want to move on to fresh ideas.

I don’t think I’ll do an epic fantasy again, or at least until I can sit down and write it properly the way I need to. Do some research and not just wing it from a 16-year-old brain. Then I feel I’ll be able to do things write.

All this said, I’m about to be very busy writing for two different companies—articles and for a magazine—and I’m so excited to delve into that and basically continue what I’ve done with my English Degree: write for general and specific audiences.

Here’s another thing I’ve learned that ties into my early point about saying no when you realize something isn’t for you:

If you know you’re not particular interested in a thing, just being “eager to learn” is not going to cut it. You do have to have a passion in something for it to have meaning in your life and for the work to come easier, if it comes at all.

If there’s no passion, as is the case with a # of things in life, there’s no point. And my lessons have absolutely shown me this to be the case.

I left New York not to fall into the same low thoughts and operating off fear, but to relearn love (the love for myself), and to get in touch with what I actually what to do.

Which I have.

I want to create, I want to write, I want to see the difference my words are making either on the page or on the screen. Social media algorithms are all well and good but there is nothing for me like knowing my words have impacted someone, either through my creative works or through the company I’m writing for.

Don’t get me wrong, if my writing helps you make a decision, brings in that $ we needed, or simply makes you think enough that you leave a comment below it to start a conversation, then my job(s) can never lose meaning.

I’m a writer. Beyond all things, I love to write. And I’m so happy I realized that this year. Nothing else will come close to how words make me feel or how easy it is to string together sentences (on a good day, anyway).

_____

If you’ve enjoyed this post, consider subscribing to my Patreon page where I post more posts like this one, except with more personal details and more thought out points. (And you get to read my new work before anyone else!)

And check me out elsewhere on the web (I’m really active on Twitter at the moment):

Twitter: @writingvampires

IG: @writingvampires

Alternatively, you can just click the social media links in the footer to gain access to find me on the web.

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The Nature of Change and Trusting Yourself, In Writing and Life

It’s no doubt that change is inevitable. It’s something I struggle with from time to time.

Recently events in my life have pushed me to take various steps.

For one, I turned down a seemingly fulfilling writing job with benefits and decent pay in order to move to Georgia with my fiancé.

Graduation was a hell of a day.

Is this a terrifying step? Yes.

Is this a drastic change from what I thought I’d be doing by now? Yes.

Am I excited by the drastic move I’ll be making to a new state, essentially starting my life over when I’ve lived in one place my entire life? Yes.

Am I terrified by this very same prospect? Yes.

Do I regret turning down the job offer? Yes. And no.

Part of me feels as though I wouldn’t have grown and advanced as a person the way I severely need to if I stayed here and struggled with my fiancé to save, to make a living, and to pay off debts.

I graduated Cum Laude with a 3.60 GPA. I’ve always been a B+ student.

Speaking of debts, I recently graduated college (yay! Finally!) and I look to utilize my research and writing skills with a position that provides a day-to-day experience of doing just that.

I’ll be keeping track of my thoughts on this blog as the month of June wears on (and I’m holding myself to it). Hopefully we’ll be set up down there so I can continue to write every day while continuing the job search.

*I’m taking this move on faith, faith in myself and that ever elusive mistress, the universe, to guide me to better opportunities.

With this comes some time (I hope [there’s that word again!]) to get more words down on my novel.

Yes, I’m still writing Book: 6 of THE DARK WORLD SERIES (I admit I haven’t had the time I’d like to focus on it with job searching, working, graduating, and preparing mentally and emotionally for this move).

I’m also planning on writing more articles, submitting articles to websites and building my much-needed portfolio. (It’s on this site but hidden. If any professionals desire to see it they can use the contact form listed in the navigation panel at the top of the page.)

I suppose I never took writing as seriously as I needed to. It was something I was good at and something I could sit down and do in a few hours or less (academic papers, that is).

My goals may have been skewed due to this move, but if there’s anything the trials in my life have taught me is that I’m resilient, adaptable, and capable of anything.

As for my creative writing prospects, I do have a few more works in the pipeline that I hope to get started on once I’m almost finished to finished-finished with my dark fantasy series.

Because it never ends and despite all of this, I will only grow as a writer and a person, and that’s the great takeaway from any trial.

‘Till next time,

With Blood and Love,

S.C. Parris

Featured on List of Ten Dark Fantasy Books Horror Fans Will Love

It’s nice to be featured on a website and places in such close proximity to movies you love and other darkly-inclined art.

I woke up today to an email from Wiki.ezvid telling me they placed me in a list, (#4) to be exact, of ten dark fantasy books horror fans will love.

I’m obviously flattered and surprised. And am looking up the other authors featured as I type this.

To to see for yourself visit the link here.

With Blood and Love,

S.C. Parris

Patreon: Why I Started One

Hey guys, so this is gonna be a kind of short post about why I started my Patreon.

I’ve long been struggling (as you may know by the frequency of these posts) to continue writing creatively (being in school, writing academically is something else entirely), and I figured being forced to give content on a regular basis would give my creative juices a push and also help me supplement life (and spread the word about the books I already have in stores).

Enter Patreon.

I’ve seen a bunch of people use one and I never knew what it was for until I went to the site myself and decided “Hm, I can do this.” Now, whether anyone reads it or not, that remains to be seen but here’s what I am aiming to put on it on a frequent (talking twice monthly or so) regular basis.

Writing Process Blog Posts for $1.

The Reason: Now, I’ve had a few people come up to me seemingly out of the blue to ask me how I got this and that published and how to get started. From here on out I am no longer giving away this information for free. (Only kind of sort of free). Feel free to read my writing process on this blog as it’s been up for ages, but anything on my writing process now will be under the $1 Tier: Fae on my Patreon. You can make a request for anything you may want to know about, but as of now I’m no longer giving away free information. Being a pledger and you’ll get all you need to know about how I “did it.”

Brand New Short Stories for $1.

The Reason: Creating new content will allow me to stay fresh and cultivate new ideas (as before now they came to me while doing menial tasks and me waiting ‘till I got home to make them a reality.

Chapter-Length Snippets of Work in Progresses for $1.

The Reason: Self-explanatory really. You can stay updated on my progress on any thing I’m working on as you anticipate it’s release.

Commissioned Short Stories for $5.

The Reason: If you ever wanted your own short story ala PDF file about a vampire, self-insert…etc. I’m your girl. Conditions apply though. As of now: No overly erotic fiction.

As I think of anymore Tiers, they’ll become available on my Patreon page. Or if you have any suggestions, you can shoot me a comment here, through email…etc. to let me know what you’d like from me more.

I’m off to update my newsletter (what are you waiting for? Subscribe!) and head to class.

With Blood and Love,

S.C. Parris

Books and Tea: Meet the Members | S.C. Parris – Northern Plunder

I got to be apart of a cool introductory post feature on an awesome person's (Lauren) blog. It's for her online book club: Books and Tea through Discord.

I share a bit about how I got published and some of the stuff I got exposed to by being apart of the group. If you love reading new books and talking to book nerds like yourself, I suggest you join! 

I've been a bit under the weather, and by a 'bit,' I mean A LOT, but I'll leave you all with a little piece of my WIP: DRACULA: Book 6 of The Dark World Series:

“The old figure hidden in his cave shuddered under the weight of the air, for it was different, very much so. Though he’d shuddered whenever things changed in the World, a strained gasp left him now. His shoulders buckled at last under the weight he could no longer bear, and he sat up atop the old, thin sheet, the only thing keeping his delicate skin from gracing the hard-stone slab he’d rested on for many, many years.
A trembling sigh leaving his old, tired lungs.
The World was different, oh how it had changed, yes, but he had not been able to stand it, especially when Eleanor Black and her Creatures flourished. It had been awful back when the Vampires and Lycans first roamed the Earth, and he had been weakened greatly by their stifling energy, but it did not compare to the horrible energy that had been Eleanor’s, indeed.
It was why he slept as often as he could, lost in dreams of a time the World was not dark, a time the World was free, magic brightening the air... How quickly it had all changed, and with little warning, indeed. It was true, he and the others had no idea what the consequences would be if ever someone got the idea to mate with the newly-created humans, but no one would ever have guessed they would birth monsters.
The guilt pressed upon his large heart as it often did when he thought of such troubling times, but he let it sit there, pressing into the muscle, washing over him—his penance for his hand in the aberrations’ and beasts’ surge on the World.”

— DRACULA: Book 6 of The Dark World series by S.C. Parris

You can buy its predecessor (and all previous books in the series) on Amazon, of course, but elsewhere as well!

Simon & Schuster

Barnes & Noble

The Goblet (The Dark World Book 5)

By S.C. Parris

I'm currently up to Chapter Seven on DRACULA and slowly getting through it. I admit my attention has been placed elsewhere this entire summer, but the book should be near done by the end of this year, going into next.

Have you read any books in The Dark World series? Which one is your favorite?

With Blood and Love,

-S.C. Parris

Gothic Lit and Music

So my love for the goth subculture was reinvigorated with a journey to a goth club with my darling fiance over the weekend, as well as my reading of Jane Eyre for class (that doesn't start 'till next Tuesday mind you), and I've got to thinking about Goth in music and Lit as you do and how much it moves one if one can identify themselves in the lyrics, imagery, and themes.

The edition I'm reading for class.

For example, take Jane Eyre (as it's right in front of me), it is, perhaps, one of the first romance novels, the brooding, strange nature of Mr. Rochester, the defiantly quiet nature of Jane, herself, it all lends itself to a rapturously well-written work of a woman's journey to herself and ultimately, love.

That Mr. Rochester is at first a hard-to-like, described as not attractive by Jane, and is generally perceived as a right cad by everyone who knows him, the nature of his secrecy (as don't all hard-worn men have secrets that must be discovered in these novels?) is revealed with confirmed in my mind the nature of this novel. How many romance novels have followed this trope, nay, have existed on the basis of this trope? The woman set in her ways for reasons, the man who must become compliant and understanding to reach the woman's level.

The darkness of the novel, it's tone, especially in the later chapters, post Jane's education, exude what I describe as a gothic feel and this made Jane Eyre one of my favorite novels for all these things put together: the hard childhood faced by the heroine, the journey to self-discovery often alone and shunned by others, and the eventual return to the one frightening and rude and terrifying situation to see it in a new light--returning empowered to face what was once a threat.

As for music, my lovely fiance introduced me to Siouxie and the Banshees, their track "Cities in Dust," repeating in my mind months after I'd first heard it. Listening to more of their music, I grew to recognize the tracks he'd play while on long drives as dark, long knowing them 'goth' in nature, but never going beyond that. Of course, I had already had my share of Android Lust and Anders Manga, but this music that he showed me embodied the subculture (as there are different subs in the subculture), and after dancing at a goth nightclub over the weekend, I understood what I had been missing.

A Lovely Friend, Myself, and my Fiance at a Goth Club over the weekend.

Growing up, I grew an affinity for black and such, as I had a predisposition toward the darker things, being depressed, misunderstood, and all, and gravitated toward all those things as it made the most sense to me at the time. (We're talking teenager, here.)

With this reemergence of all things 'goth' for me, especially after meeting my lovely fiance, I feel my understanding of the genre and subculture has grown and I look to explore this (even more) in my writing.

Speaking of, I am still writing despite not updating too much here (I swear I'll try to when I have the time).

I have DRACULA all outlined out (in my head...and I have notes somewhere), and I'm steadily trodding on writing it up when I'm not working on my paper for class, and I'm happy for where it is taking me. I know I've said I'm eager for this series to be done--and I am--as I have so many other projects to write and I can't wait to get to them and move up and on!

Also, if you're on Twitter, you've probably seen my post about the character art I had made as a little introduction to the characters. There's only two so far and I'll have to see if I can get more made.

I had character art commissioned for my series like what last year I think? Anyway, I'm sharing them here bc they're dope. Gonna do prints for them again soon. Who wants one? Credit for art: @thenobleartist pic.twitter.com/1XKfZl8Mgo

— S.C. Parris is writing Book 6. (@writingvampires) August 28, 2018

But! I am printing them up for others to buy and get signed from me (if you can't afford a book or can't get a book to me to be signed, I can sign a poster and send it to you for cheap!). They'll be up on my Etsy soon so keep an eye out!

Here, I leave you with ANDERS MANGA's - Welcome to Darkness:

Enjoy! 

With Blood and Love,

S.C. Parris