S.C. Parris's Blog: News and Information, page 7

Hello!

This'll be a quick post because I have to get back to reading a submission for Burning Willow, but obviously the site's undergone a make over! I hope you all like it!

Okay besides the lovely logo design done by the marvelous Silivya, over at Dark Imaginarium Designs, I've also revamped (heh) the Book Section of my site, it's now a much larger (much prettier, I think), page now and it gives you options to view between my series and ebook.

Man, I can't wait until I have more up for you guys to buy!

All in due time, eh?

I'm going to get back to reading and writing. Don't forget to submit to me over at Burning Willow Press - I'm accept all Fantasy Submissions!

With blood and love, and a whole lotta BITE,

I'm S.C. Parris,

And you've been BITTEN.

New Shop

As you may be aware I've started a new shop on my website. You can click the "Books" link above or the links on the home page to reach the one item for sale so far:

My horror short story, A Night of Frivolity. Along with this ebook is an excerpt of The Dark World: Book 1, and be aware the ebook is only up for a limited time so be sure to grab your copy today!

With blood and love, 

S.C. Parris 

Updates & Fuck Ups (Writing Them That Is)

Hello faithful blood-lovers!

I've been sitting at my boyfriend's computer for four hours now, getting a few sentences down for The Goblet, switching back and forth between looking at other authors' websites, seeing what they've done, and what I can do to make mine better.

As you can see, if you kindly click here, I've updated my Home Page. Added more information on my latest (and only) book out for consumption, and detailed that its to be a full-length novel. Long time readers will know that The Rather Depressing Tales of Patricia Lauren Bordeaux is a love work of mine, and although I've been on Chapter 1 for a very long time (how many years has it been?), I know once my contractual obligations are up to Permuted, I'm going to jump all over it like a Vampire jumping at a-

No, I lost the plot.

Anywho, I'm busy sitting here, staring at my screen, wondering what else I can do, that, for some reason, isn't writing. When that's the one thing I know I should be doing. Funny how that works at times, hm?

Oh, oh, before I forget, allow me to get all gushy on you:

My boyfriend and I recently celebrated our three year-anniversary on Friday. (Feel free to skip the next two paragraphs.) He took me out to NYC and we went to The Slaughtered Lamb Pub in Greenwich Village (Pics are up on my Instagram), it was beautiful and fun to say the least, and just one of the many reasons I love being with him (and would never kill him off in one of my novels).

No, but seriously, he's the greatest guy, and I can't stress how happy I am to be with him, to learn all I have with him. His support for my writing, listening to me go over potential storylines...etc. means the world, and its safe to say my life is more enriched with him in it.

Okay, enough mushy stuff. On to the blood!

I've gotten down about 5,000 words of The Goblet (I know), but I've just started so lay off. :) This is a milestone for me because usually (before I was contracted to Permuted), I take...years? to write that many words at the beginning of a novel. It's a horrible thing of mine, but it seems to be going away. I think its all that 'knowing where the story's going after writing three books already' bug that's been going around. What's that? It hasn't been going around?

Well, darn, looks like I'm just late to the game of stepping up and just writing, but sue me, I'm young. As if that's an excuse.

Case in point, I know my work better now, how I write, my style, what definitely goes in my stories and what simply cannot fit, and it's...nice. To know these things about oneself.

Where was I going with this?

Credit to Artist

Oh yeah, my main character (some of you may know him as Xavier Delacroix), keeps fucking up, and his fuck ups just allow the other characters to be better contrasted, better illuminated for their own choices. Totally intentional. (Only because I've told you what I've realized, I assure you it wasn't intentional about a minute ago.)

Don't you just hate that? The character who've centered the story around simply does what he desires, and he's a pompous asshole at that.

I already expect the gaggle of girls (and men) bemoaning any screen time he gets on the page. But I take a sick kind of pleasure in writing him.

He's a part of me, as are all my characters. Minute parts that have their quirks, their issues, their mess, and his representation of me, if I'm being honest, is simply that he won't listen, and when he does, when he finally does, it's far too late, madness has already descended, ruining everything and everyone he ever cared about, but he's discovered 'himself,' and blinded by that realization, he moves forward.

All of my characters, whatever their motives, move forward.

Earlier readers of The Dark World: A Delacroix Novel have expressed to me they hate him, and that tickled me because I fully expected him to be the favorite (he was mine at the time), but once I read it over, realized what they were saying was completely true, I knew that was his folly.

He would fall.

And gods, I can't wait to write that fall in The Goblet.

What am I talking about?

I should get to work.

Take care, lovelies.

With blood and love,

It's yours truly,

-S.C. Parris

Review of White Walls and StraitJackets

Blog RSS White Walls and Straitjackets by David Owain Hughes

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


What a rousing collection of short stories that aren't as separate as they seem.

I'm not new to Mr. Hughes' jarring way of telling a story. His obvious lust for gore, sex, and his characters ever-spewing obscenities has surprisingly endeared me to his way of storytelling.

He's earned a lifelong fan in me and as long as his stories stay gory, bloody, and sexy as hell, I'll be there.

-Will expand upon this later, just had to write something about this awesome book.



View all my reviews

Well I suppose this is where I expand upon it. Everything I said above still rings true a mere week after writing it, but I feel it bears repeating: Mr. Hughes can craft a sick fucking novel.

It sits in the squirmiest parts of your mind and body until (I imagine) you can't take it anymore and have to stop reading. I assume. This didn't happen to me. I, with some sort of immensely morbid fascination, couldn't stop reading the damned thing.  

It was beautiful, the plot points all not apparent until you're halfway through, then a silent "holy shit," leaves your throat and you have a much greater appreciation for how this man's brilliant mind works. Again, I assume. That was just my interpretation of the beautifully crafted work I read. 

And the cheeky bastard has the gall to put himself in it! I won't spoil how or when but it definitely puts a huge grin on one's face, as it's tastefully done, nothing jarring at all, no look at me I'm the author mess, it sneaks up on you in a kind way, a gentle nudge.  

Oh, and speaking of gentle nudges, there are characters seen in another novel of Mr. Hughes' that made me go "are those the same people?" After correspondence with the author, I can confirm that they indeed were, and the particular novel I am mentioning will be out later with the press I work for, Burning Willow.

Look out for it.  

You'll come to love Mr. Hughes' work just as much as I do. 

 With blood and love,

S.C. Parris  

I've Been Through A Lot Recently

It's why I haven't kept up this blog, or gotten to any of the books my peers desire of me. I've been spent emotionally and physically, dealing with whatever mysterious pain eludes me, having to wait until the end of May to get it sorted out. 

Other things have been happening, and I'm sure you've guys heard my sister recently had her baby - a blessing to be sure.

Beautiful baby Hayley. Seven pounds.  

Due to that, and I don't regret any choices I've made, mind you, I made a choice to be there. As a result other things took a back seat and I feel they'll take a more permanent back seat as the days draw near. 

Whatever happen I know to keep my head up, and stay positive. Get to one thing at a time, and especially to not stress.

Better things are coming to me, I can feel it.  

Time to move forward, and keep my eye on the prize.  

 

With blood and love, 

S.C. Parris

Finished The Two Swords

This was the wildest ride I've ever been on in my days and nights writing a novel. I suppose the fact that I had to get it to an editor on a specific date made all the difference in the World. (Still stuck in writing mode.)

Where before I could leave it unattended for months, get to it when I felt like it, now I absolutely had no choice but to push past that moments of indecision and blankness, and get. it. done.  

Man quite simply, I'm damned proud I did. 

I should put something here about reveling in ones accomplishments, that the greatest thing is to do what one said they were going to do, but fuck it (ha!), I'm astounded and proud of myself like one wouldn't believe and that's more than enough for me right now. (Also I'm extraordinarily tired.)

Thats all for now! 

With blood and love, 

S.C. Parris

Reading/Writing Horror Erotica?

Is that a thing? I'm making it a thing.

I just read something from an awesome author friend of mine David Owain Hughes - a new submission for Burning Willow Press, and the five chapters I read have sent me into a tailspin of, yes, pleasure. The pleasure of 'witnessing' horrid acts, but being in the MC's shoes - feeling his pleasure with him as he commits them, well if you're into BDSM that is, and understanding his pleasure.

Mr. Hughes has done a wonderful job of keeping me interested, and when the sample was done, I very clearly wanted more.

I get the full on Wednesday or Thursday when he finishes writing it, and I can't wait for more.

'Till then, I will leave you with his Author FB page - so go follow him, and get his newest creation: White Walls and StraitJackets today!

Welcome to Castell Hirwaun. The inmates have been dying to meet you…Now that you’re here, you can meet Mr. Klaws, the...

Posted by David Owain Hughes on Friday, April 10, 2015

 

Enjoy!

With blood and love,

S.C. Parris

 

For the Love of...

Don't say I didn't warn you...

When I write, well, when I've written The Two Swords, I've suffered from some 'I'm published, I have to write the book a different way - what if it's not good enough,' thoughts that have definitely stifled my writing and how I used to approach it.

Writing for me, was for my friends, at least that's what The Dark World was. I would type up a chapter and send it to them via whatever messenger we used back then, they would give me feedback, and I would write more, always keeping in mind what was a good story, and what simply wouldn't work.

When it came time to write the second book, The Immortal's Guide, I no longer had these friends to contact via messenger, and we couldn't meet up for tea due to our busy schedules, so I wrote the book I've always wanted to read (and surely, that was what the first book became after several re-writes and edits), and that one was definitely chock full of action, fantasy, haunting themes of death and life, dragons, giants, merpeople - I really wanted to expand the World I had created - and definitely because it played up well in the story (that I won't spoil here for obvious reasons).

And with the third book now, it's funny because I have this lore, this canon that I can't deviate from (nor would I want to, it makes sense), and to write these characters that have ultimately, definitely changed since the events of the first book, has proven troublesome for me. They're the same, yet different, their thoughts are different, but still in the same line of who they were in books one and two, just perhaps, what motivates them is different.

And it's fun. Hard as hell, but ultimately fun and rewarding.

To go on Facebook and see all these other authors touting their books, saying 'THIS IS WHAT YOU SHOULD READ NEXT' is heavily disconcerting. It's akin, to me, as someone shoving a watch in your face and saying, "Buy this, this is the best watch on the planet." And It very well may be, but more often than not, that shouting is going to drive them running in the other direction. That's how I feel about the constant book Facebook/Twitter posts hocking ones book.

True, I no longer have a product out to direct people to, but you can be sure when I do, I will converse with other authors and readers, read their work,  but if they don't read mine, oh well, I've gotten a new book out of it, and something to pass along to my friends and those that have read the original self-published versions, and have followed me along this long, long journey to publication.

The books have changed, my writing style has changed, but not by too much, and I realize I've been neglecting my books in lieu of other things, when, ultimately, my books are what taught me the love of the craft of writing. I was already a lover of books, of reading, mine are what spurred in me 'hey, you can do this too.' And I have J.K. to thank for that.

She got me through my childhood.

I know it's important to focus on my writing, even though I've got my plate full with school, work, and Burning Willow Press. I truly believe that nothing I do outside of my writing, will help with it, besides more writing - and reading good work. I won't even get into academic writing - or what they believe consists of 'great writing,' we all know the problems with that, I will merely leave you with this.

If one day, perhaps, I'm walking down the street and just one person comes up to me, book in hand, eager for a signature, or to pick my brain about the story, I will know I have made it in my career. Aside from the conventions, the bookstore book signings, the (hopeful) cosplays of characters in my books, I will know I've made a difference by being myself, doing what I've always felt is best, and doing the hard work I know is necessary to reach all of my goals. (Oh, you didn't know? I've suffered many a sleepless night writing, worrying about ever getting published, what I'm going to do with my life, directionless anxiety, depression...etc.) And I've  never stopped, regardless of ALL the inane doubts filling my mind, paralyzing me from getting out bed, even putting one word down.

But that's my life, that's what I go through, and that is, I believe, what helps me attain what I set out to do.

(We Capricorns love to accomplish I've goals, I've heard.)

I guess I do this because there's nothing else for me - besides acting, but that's a whole 'nother can of worms. And as long as that remains true, I will continue to churn out my stories - the ones I know there's an audience for, anyway.

With blood and love,

S.C. Parris

Personal Power + Work

“The only power that exists is inside ourselves.”

— Anne Rice; Interview With the Vampire

I'm awake!

And it feels so so good.

To start, I washed the ridiculously high pile of dishes in my sink, made some tea for myself and the boyfriend, and tweaked and shaped up the site. What do you think? It's great right? Simple, yet informative - a far cry from the jumbled mess that was my old website hosted on WIX.

^ That's me realizing how shitty WIX's developmental 'resources' were. Now I can shoot my blog to all places as it pleases me the moment I hit post - not copy and paste everything.

Moving on to happier pastures, I'm listening to my local rock radio station 94.3 The Shark (good tunes), I've a paper to do on some books I've read, and I want to get at least three chapters done in The Two Swords before I head to work.

It'll be a busy day for me, for sure, but I'm keeping my head on my shoulders, and instead of crippling under the weight of the stress looming over my head, I'm strapping on my 'let's get to it' boots and doin' it! 

And I hope you are too - conquering whatever obstacles lie in the way of your true happiness. Never take it personal - they're just that - obstacles, another blip on the journey that is your life.

So go forth, like I am, and conquer your happiness, reign it in, and keep it close to your heart.

What I'm listening to:

With Blood and Love

S.C. Parris

Moving from Wix

Because I just love its templates and WIX was getting too expensive to justify. And besides, the WIX website was far too crowded. I like getting my message across as simply as possible (okay, not that simple), and for now it seems SquareSpace is what I'm looking for.

Look for more blog posts here.

Great stuff coming in the near future!

With blood and love.

S.C. Parris