Sumiko Saulson's Blog, page 43
February 7, 2014
Keep it Lit! Help Support Marcus Books!
Marcus Bookstores needs your help. The oldest running black bookstore in the United States, the original Marcus Bookstores in San Francisco has hosted noted black authors including Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou. Marcus Bookstore was also the second bookstore to carry my debut title “Solitude” (after my neighborhood bookseller Laurel Bookstore), first Marcus Oakland then Marcus San Francisco carried the title.
Keep it Lit! Help Support Marcus Books!.
Solitude (on sale for 99 cents)
To what extent does the presence of others affect our thoughts and actions? What do we believe when we are truly alone? Solitude is the riveting tale of diverse individuals isolated in a San Francisco seemingly void of all other human life. In the absence of others, each journeys into personal web of beliefs and perceptions as they try to determine what happened to them, and the world around them. Each of them view events differently. One suspects aliens have invaded, another believes it’s a sign of Revelation and end times, some don’t know what to think, and others find their minds unraveling as they struggle to cope with unimaginable events. Soon, threats both natural and supernatural leave them too busy fighting to survive in a world of strange and unpredictable events where all of the luxuries of civilization are being slowly eroded to even stop to wonder. And unless they can find each other, they will have to face it all alone, in the dark.
Available formats: epub, mobi, pdf, rtf, lrf, pdb, txt
Here is a link to where to get it: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/326403
WiHM: women writing horror
Reblogged from Nicole DeGennaro's blog:
February is Women in Horror Recognition Month! So my posts this month are going to highlight this topic in some way.
First, I would be remiss not to mention that the anthology The Grotesquerie from Mocha Memoirs Press, which contains my story "The River", was released specifically in honor of WiHM and features only women authors. I'm thrilled to be a part of this anthology, so please buy a…
As I am working on compiling a third list of black women in horror writing for February 2014, I am very excited to see so many bloggers and people on social media helping to put the word out about the lists, and helping to get black female horror writers on the radar. I'm going to start reblogging some of the articles that link back to the original post, like Nichole DeGennaro's WiHM blog post below...
February 4, 2014
Looking for more black women in horror
As many of you know, last year I complied two lists of black female horror writers: 20 Black Women in Horror Writing and 21 More Black Women in Horror. February is back around and I am looking to create a third list in / Women in Horror Month 2014. Do you know anyone who was not included in the first list but should have been? Are you a black female horror writer yourself? Please let me know by posting the name of your list nominee and the title of her book(s) in the comments below or email me at sumikoska@yahoo.com.
I am also interested in finding new horror writers to interview in February. Information about how to request to be interviewed is found here:
Please repost and help get the word out. Thank you.
January 31, 2014
21 More Black Women in Horror Writing
Reblogged from Sumiko Saulson:
Recently I published an article in honor of Black History Month and Women in Horror Month called "20 Black Women in Horror Fiction". While the first list consisted almost entirely of women whose works have been published solo book length collections such as novels, and single author short story and poetry anthologies (with the exception of Angela C. Allen), this list consists primarily of women whose works of horror were published in multiple-author black writer horror showcases, including "Dark Thirst", "Dark…
February 1st is coming up and with Black History Month and Women in Horror Month here again, this seems like a good time to revisit the subject of black women in horror (part 2 of 2)
20 Black Women in Horror Writing
Reblogged from Sumiko Saulson:
February is Black History Month here in the United States. It is also Women in Horror Month (WiHM). As an Ambassador for WiHM, and as a woman of color (I am Black and Jewish) who is a horror writer, I am poignantly aware of the fact that while women writing horror is a rare occurrence - women of color are exceedingly so.
February 1st is coming up and with Black History Month and Women in Horror Month here again, this seems like a good time to revisit the subject of black women in horror (part 1 of 2)
January 27, 2014
Fairy Tales: The Original, Original Horror
Ah, fairy tales. You know, like The Little Mermaid and its happily ever-after ending, where the doe-eyed mermaid gets her legs and singing voice back just in time to marry the equally doe-eyed prince. Or Snow White, where the evil queen gets her just desserts from an unfortunate lightning strike.
Pure and utter bullshit.
No, I’m not on some kind of feminist rant, I simply read fairy tales, and not the sanitized, consumer friendly versions offered by Disney and other purveyors of suburban childhood.
Nice article, and a reminder that Women in Horror Month is just around the corner...
January 18, 2014
Beta Readers Wanted: The Moon Cried Blood Series
I’m a good clip into the re-editing process with regards to The Moon Cried Blood, and have reached the stage where I need beta readers. I am happy to say that I’ve gotten three volunteers from my Facebook page. They are currently reading the first installment of what is now “The Moon Cried Blood Series.” This first segment is called “Legend of the Luna.”
What is a Beta Reader?
A Beta Reader is not necessarily the same thing as a proofreader, although proofreading is definitely a plus. A Beta Reader is someone who reads the already proofread and otherwise edited document and gives the author an informal review, which would include pointing out any missed editorial or grammatical issues, certainly… but also to offer feedback on other things that readers care about, like plot consistency and character development.
Your critique will become a part of the road map I put together for my book series, to help it make its journey from its current state moving forward toward its perfected form.
Due to the nature of this project, I will also be looking for feedback on where to start and finish volumes in the series: the original novel was 550, but as it enters its new life as a YA series, it will become either two or three books. You’ll be part of the team that helps make that choice. You’ll receive serialized packages of the story (of 50 or 60 pages each) and give your opinion on where the new, shorter books should begin and end, among other things.
Evolution of “The Moon Cried Blood”
If you’ve been following the ever-evolving tale of “The Moon Cried Blood” from day one, you may recall that during the very earliest 
days of this blog, I’d repeatedly insisted that the original, five hundred and fifty page 2012 novel of that title was NOT young adult fiction. To be sure, central protagonist Leticia “Tisha” Gordon was a thirteen year old girl, but that didn’t make it young adult fiction.
Well, I take it all back.
During the period of time when the book was making its rounds as a KDP Select promo eligible eBook, I was able to get enough reader feedback to the contrary that I have finally accepted the fact that it is YA. The other revelation that came to me during that review process was that the 550 page length is much too long for both the eBook format and the newly adopted Young Adult genre.
The book will be divided into either two 300 odd page books or three 200 odd page books. I haven’t decided yet. You help me decide.
Evolution of “Legend of the Luna”
“Legend of the Luna” is a revamping of the part of the story “The Moon Cried Blood” that introduces us to the Lunae, a bloodline of powerful witches who according to legend inherit their power from Luna, the Mother Moon, and the spirit of her daughter Leticia. Into every other generation of the Lunae families is born a daughter who inherits these powers, and is always named Leticia. The girls do not come into their powers until the time of their menarche or first menstruation.
The year is 1975 and a new Luna has been Awakened.
Thirteen year old Leticia Gordon is unique in that she is both the daughter and the granddaughter of a Luna, something that only happens when a young which comes from more than one of the Luna bloodlines. Living a hard knock life on the urban streets of a pre-bicentennial era Los Angeles, this Leticia, who is known as Tisha to her friends and loved ones, has no idea of who she is or the power she is about to come into.
Can you Beta Read?
I will need Beta Readers for each installment of the Chronicles of the Moon Cried Blood. Readers are welcome to follow the entire series, or to just come on board for one segment. All of the Beta Readers will be credited in the eBook and print editions that result from this project.
If you can Beta read, please email me at sumikoska@yahoo.com.
January 1, 2014
Interview with Alex Laybourne, author of Highway to Hell: Trials and Tribulations
Born and raised in the coastal English town Lowestoft, Alex Laybourne says “it should come as no surprise to those that have the misfortune of knowing this place that I became a horror writer.” As a child he lived at least a half-hour drive away from his schools and school friends, and as a result, from an early age he spent most of his free time alone.Laybourne has been a writer as long as he can remember and has always had a vivid imagination. He finds it all too easy to just drift away into his own mind and explore the world he creates; where the conditions always seem to be just perfect for the cultivation of ideas, plots, scenes, characters and lines of dialogue. He hopes to can create something with his writing that takes the reader away from reality for a short time.
He is married and has four wonderful children; James, Logan, Ashleigh and Damon.
The Book:
Marcus, Helen, Becky, Sammy and Graham are no longer strangers, but friends. Pulled from the chambers of hell they thought that they had survived, that they were free to being their eternity far away from the fires and tortures that had greeted them. They were wrong!
The group soon find themselves back in Hell, this time venturing even deeper into the netherworld. Searching for the one soul the angels’ claim they were unable to rescue, the five friends march their way to the edge of the pit, Avici. It is here, in the castle that looks into the abyss where they come face to face with both the lost soul that they seek and the King of Hell himself; Lucifer. Nothing is as it seems however, and just as it looks as if the coast is clear they learn that the ones they thought they could trust just might be the ones they should fear the most.
Trials and Tribulations is the sequel to Alex Laybourne’s debut novel, Highway to Hell - Marcus, Becky, Richard, Helen, Sammy, and Graham. All complete strangers, different ages, backgrounds and even countries, but they all have one major thing in common…they all must DIE. Sentenced to offer their penance in the many chambers of Hell, their lives are nothing but a torturous experience. They are brought face to face with their past, their mistakes and the implications that had for others. Until one by one they are rescued and thrown together. Walking in a dying world, they are introduced to their rescuers who do anything but conform to their angelic stereotype. Together, bonded by an unknown destiny the group is set on their quest; to find one individual buried deep within the many Hell worlds. Not only does the fate of their world rest on their shoulders, but that of existence itself.
Heaven and Hell, Angels and Demons, these things were once considered opposites, but what happens when they become neighbors, allies…friends?
The Interview:
Q. What is it about Lowestoft that you believe turned you into a horror writer?
A. I very rarely take things too seriously. Lowestoft if the town I grew up in. It was a low income town for the most part, and filled with people who were always looking for the free meal ticket. That is not to say everybody was like that, but as you know, the few always manage to spoil it for the many. It was a town I grew up wanting to leave and since doing so, I have not once stopped to think about going back. I guess it is the same for many people who come from a small (ok it’s not that small, but it feels that way) place with few opportunities for life to be full;y experienced beyond a weekly paycheck and drinking binge on a Friday night.
Q. The characters from your book are from disparate backgrounds – how do they first meet?
A. They meet in Hell. They are total strangers and their deaths, while being linked in terms of the larger impact of the story are, for the large part unrelated. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time. They all die early in the book and are dragged into the torture chambers of hell. It is only once they are rescued from their respective pits are they united. Theirs is a special friendship, forged in the face of the worst kind of adversity.
Q. Do the differences in their background create any tensions between the characters, or do they get along right away?
A. Not really. As I alluded to above, their friendship is forged in the face of torture, the bonds welded by the fires of hell. They have several disagreements along the way, and a few small personality clashes, but what group of friends doesn’t? For the most part the tension is created by the situation they find themselves in rather than any underlying conflict between them. It was primarily one of the reasons I didn’t make any of them friends, because friends come with baggage, underlying issues that give rise to conflict over time.
Q, Is your book’s Lucifer more of a John Milton sort, or a Dante sort, or something entirely new?
A. I like to think that my take on Lucifer is unique, however, as is the nature of all things, people will look to draw comparisons from things they know already.
Q. Are angels in your story in any way different than the reader might expect?
A. My angels are bad ass, and certainly nowhere near as clean cut as most people would expect. My angels are giants, they are warriors, covered in scars and injuries of battle. They are not the biggest fans of humans, and the idea of having to aid a group of rescued human souls is one of the most humiliating things that an arch angel (Raguel) can think of.
Q. Do you have a favorite character? Who, and why?
A. I always hate this question. I love and hate all of the characters equally. Out of the six main characters, I am probably more drawn towards Sammy. I know from fellow authors that have read my work find a certain sympathy for Sammy, and one, a good friend of mine and a fantastic writer Paul Flewitt (look out for his debut horror release ‘Poor Jeffrey’ this February) held an affinity for Sammy and felt I had treated him very harshly. I would have to agree, I did pull out all of the stops when tormenting him, but all I can say is that in books two and three, things only get worse for the poor guy. However, Sammy has a role to play, how large I will not say, but keep an eye on the kid!
Q. Was writing a sequel more challenging than writing the first in the series?
A. I don’t really see the second been as being a sequel. It is a continuance of the story, so everything carried on rolling. However, there were certain challenges writing it that were not there in the first. Simple things like continuity, ensuring that things that were said or references made in the first book were not crossed or incorrectly quoted. Also, as I wrote it, the true scope of the story continued to build in my mind. When I started writing it, I thought it would be a single novel, maybe 120,000 – 150,000 words. I was wrong. Now, as I stand on the brink of writing the third installment I am faced with so many possibilities that my mind tingles in anticipation.
Q. Is there anything else you want the readers to know?
A. I have a busy year ahead of me, with three releases already planned, and one anthology submission already accepted for a Valentine’s Day release.. I keep my Facebook pages updated and regularly and I run a blog also, which I use to announce all of my releases and plans. Anybody who is interested in learning more about me, or stalking me quietly from the shadows, can find me there. However, if you are going to stalk me, my only request is that when you kidnap me and hold me to ransom, PLEASE cut out the letter individually from a newspaper. Put a little effort into it.
Where to Find Alex Online:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alex-Laybourne/212049612180183
Blog: http://alexlaybourne.com/
Amazon: Highway to Hell and Trials and Tribulations
December 31, 2013
2013 in review
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 13,000 times in 2013. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 5 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
Click here to see the complete report.
