K.N. Lee's Blog, page 38

An Interview with Author, Kenya Moss-Dyme

Where are you from? I am originally from Chicago but I moved to Michigan at the age of 8 and I’ve been here ever since. What inspired you to write your first book? I began writing in elementary school.  The school district held a yearly scholastic writing contest and I would win in my level every year through high school.  I’ve just always loved reading so that naturally lead to me wanting to craft my own stories. Do you write full-time or part-time? How do you balance your writing life with your family/work life? I work full time so I have to make time to write.  I keep my ipad and keyboard in my bag so I can sneak writing time in throughout the day, but the weekends are when I get the most accomplished.  Luckily, my kids are no longer babies – my youngest is 15 so not only do I NOT have to rush home to take care of him, he’s quite helpful to me in my writing.  I bounce ideas off of him, he texts me throughout the day with ideas, and he even test reads a lot of the things I write – for content, not correctness – and gives me his opinion.  We have some pretty lively debates about the authenticity of my characters.  When I’m writing about a teenage, he lets me know if the character sounds or behaves the way they would in real life.
How did you come up with the title? My original plan was to write a series of multiple titles around the theme of what we call “pulpit pimps”.  The Pulpit Chronicles refers to those stories, and Prey for Me is the first of the series.  I felt like Prey for Me was a rather clever twist on the word Pray, in that the minister is also the child predator.  I have two other books planned for the Pulpit Chronicles starring some other psycho leaders, all based on true stories! Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
There’s not necessarily a message but I do hope it serves as a cautionary tale for people to be more attentive and observant when it comes to protecting your family. Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Not in my life, but the story itself is based on bits and pieces of real life stories in the news. What books have most influenced your life most?
If you mean influence in the sense that they have stuck with me and I can’t get them out of my soul, I can pick a couple out of several.  Left to Tell, the story of a Rwandan genocide survivor who spent 90 days hiding in a tiny bathroom with seven other women; hiding from and listening to the horrific massacre going on right outside the bathroom window.  I can’t imagine the strength it took for her not to go crazy and then go on and share her story with the world.  Another lifelong favorite is In Love and Trouble: Stories of Black Women, by Alice Walker. I was never that crazy about The Color Purple in book form, although I loved the movie.  But this is my favorite Alice Walker book.  This collection of short stories about fictional black women from different backgrounds is her best work, in my opinion.  The stories are so incredibly emotional that they will appeal to any woman regardless of color. What book are you reading now? I have so many books in my queue that I am trying to make time to read!  I don’t want to name any because I don’t want people thinking, “she said she was going to read MY book next!”  But I purchase books nearly every day because I want to support my fellow authors and I have every intention of reading each and every one of them.  I’m looking forward to my summer vacation because I’m going to bring my Kindle and lay on the beach and read – and write.  It’s more difficult as a writer to make time to read because you’re always writing, or about to write, or editing or promoting!  But I made a vow to start making time to read at least 1-2 books every week just to show support because I would want people to do the same for me. What are your current projects?
I’m working on an anthology of horror stories and an urban zombie apocalypse tale set in Detroit, both to be released over the next few months.  I’m working on some exciting promotional tie-in materials for the launch of the zombie novel so that one has me really busy and anxious right now! If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
No, I’m really happy with the way it turned out, and the feedback has been tremendous so I’m satisfied with it.  As writers, you know we are never totally content with our books but at some point you do have to let the characters go and see how people respond to them.  It wouldn’t be genuine if I changed them to suit the reaction they received. Can you share a little of your current work with us?
I’ve included sneak peeks in both of my titles currently available.  In A Good Wife, there’s a sneak peek of my story, Getting to Day, which is a crime thriller.  A miserable, unambitious man and his girlfriend, Day, are setting up his friends to be robbed and of course, Day is being used as the bait, hence the title.  In Prey for Me Too, there is a sneak of Baby Mine, one of the short horror stories from my upcoming anthology, Daymares.  Baby Mine is the story of a woman who – in a moment of weakness – has a one night stand with an ex-boyfriend that she absolutely despises because of the way he abused her.  Then she ends up with something that she can’t get rid of.  This story was fun to write because I think about my grandmother always telling the girls in the family to be careful who they lay with because they will have a piece of that person inside of their body forever.  That’s the premise behind Baby Mine. Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
I have to make myself stop developing the characters because that turns into overwriting.  I like to make them as real as possible.  For me, its not about the designer clothes they are wearing or what type of expensive hair they have installed – I like to tell about their feelings, their quirks, their addictions, how they feel about the people around them.  And I have to be careful and rein it back in because I’m enjoying creating the character so much. Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
I have many so its really hard to select just one, but I’ll tell you my current favorite is Gillian Flynn.  When I read her writing, there’s such a rhythm to her selection of words and I love the way the characters speak so wryly and sarcastically, yet poetically.  For instance, in Gone Girl, the opening paragraph where Nick talks about his wife and how the first thing that comes to mind when he thinks about her is the shape of her head.  He describes it like a hard corn kernel and then drops that line about imagining the skull.  That very short sentence was full of innuendoes, especially considering the subject matter.  You’re wondering – does he love her?  Or does he hate her?  Who thinks about the skull of someone they love?  I seriously TINGLED when I read that opening paragraph.  So yeah, right now, she’s my newest favorite, but I’m sure there will be more soon.  I couldn’t possibly pick just one because everyone is so different and I don’t like just one type of story. Who designed the covers?
The covers for the Prey for Me set were designed by Cover Me Designs.  I did my own cover for A Good Wife. What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Since the theme of Prey for Me is about a child predator, it was hard for me to approach the subject matter delicately but still make the impact that was needed to tell the story.  I had one reader tell me that she actually wanted more description of the particular assaults and that was difficult for me.  I didn’t want to push anyone’s buttons but I also didn’t want to deliver a lot of gratuitous rape scenes.  So I took the softshoe approach and as with anything else, you’ll have people who like it and appreciate it, and then you’ll have people who don’t have to close their eyes at the gore and they want more!  Do you have any advice for other writers?
Write what you love; write what you know, and write it well.  Don’t get hung up on numbers and how many books the next writer is putting out – focus on doing good work and your reputation for quality will mean far more than your spot on any chart. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Thank you for choosing me.  You have a lot of choices of books to read and I really appreciate you picking mine!  And if it doesn’t live up to your expectations, I’d really like to know why because I realize that, as a writer, I can always grow and learn.  So your feedback is really important!  Not to mention that it really excites me when people email or inbox me to tell me how much they enjoyed my books or how the story moved them, and they’re bubbling over with words about one of the characters.  That kind of stuff really makes my day!  So again – thank you.  And if you haven’t tried my books yet – what are you waiting for? J What do you think about e-publishing versus technical publishing?
Well, I love the fact that epublishing allows everyone the ability to publish their stories; and then I hate the fact that epublishing allows everyone the ability publish, lol.   But overall, it’s a great opportunity that you can use to your advantage if you respect the craft and you’re really serious about producing great work.  Traditional publishing has always been such a narrow and exclusive club that many great writers still could not crack into because of the cost and the culture.  Epublishing levels the playing field but we need to respect it and protect it and make sure its not tainted by people just putting out junk and calling it literature.  The problem is – my definition of junk may be someone else’s definition of a masterpiece; and they have the right to like what they like, just as I do. Do you have an agent or publisher? How did you go about finding one? I no longer have a publisher.  I am now happily self-published.  It’s a lot of work but at least now I’m in control and I KNOW what I’m doing at all times.  When I ask myself a question – I get a straight answer, lol.  But if someone desires to work with a publisher, there should be no difficulty finding one because there are literally hundreds of them out there and more popping up daily. Just do your research THOROUGHLY.  Just because you don’t find anything doesn’t mean nothing exists, it might mean you just haven’t looked in the right places.  And please, please, please have a lawyer look over your contract before you sign.  At the very least, post the contract in a writer’s forum (with identifying information redacted) and have the pros rip it apart, you might be surprised at what you discover. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
I’m actually pretty happy where I am.  I could say that I wanted to live in some beautiful hot-all-the-time country with a blue ocean out my back door – but I kinda like the unpredictability of the city and our crazy weather.  I think I would get bored with the same thing every day, day in and day out.  I like a little snow, a little rain, a little sun.  Thing is, when its nice, you appreciate it more because you know it won’t last forever. As long as I can afford to vacation to a beautiful place then I’m fine coming home again.

The Wizard's Writing Tip: Let Your Manuscript Rest

The power of letting a manuscript rest gives you the ability to cut and scrap large chunks of what you once thought were necessary. 
I learned this in Stephen King's book, On Writing , and from personal experience with various manuscripts. When you're working on a novel, you're so close and attached to it, that the thought of parting with any sentence is out of the question.   You simply cannot keep everything. 
You must tighten, revise, and polish your work. Putting your manuscript in a drawer, or taking a time out to work on something new lets you separate yourself and revisit it with fresh eyes. 
So, give it a try, take out that red pen, and get to work! 

Find more writing tips here.

Writing Tip: Let Your Manuscript Rest

The power of letting a manuscript rest gives you the ability to cut and scrap large chunks of what you once thought were necessary. 
I learned this in Stephen King's book, On Writing, and from personal experience with various manuscripts. When you're working on a novel, you're so close and attached to it, that the thought of parting with any sentence is out of the question.   You simply cannot keep everything. 
You must tighten, revise, and polish your work. Putting your manuscript in a drawer, or taking a time out to work on something new lets you separate yourself and revisit it with fresh eyes. 
So, give it a try, take out that red pen, and get to work!

The Pulprit Chronicles: Prey For Me **Book Blast**

Man. Minister. Monster.



On the surface, Reverend Theo Goody appeared to be everything that single mother Keynetha needed. He was gorgeous, committed to the church, and wasn't fixated on getting her into bed like her other suitors. Women packed the church every Sunday for a glimpse at the sexy, mysterious and available preacher, and hope for a shot at becoming First Lady. Keynetha managed to skate past her competition and begin a tumultuous relationship of some sort with the Pastor. Sure, he was awkward and hesitant when it was time to take their relationship to another level, but Keynetha chalked that up to his lack of experience with women, due to his dedication to God.



When he takes a sudden interest in her son, Keynetha is cautious but she's eventually won over by Reverend Theo's charm, however, this man of God is hiding dark and horrifying secrets that will rock Keynetha to the core. Will she be blinded by love and desire, or will she uncover the deadly truth about Theo in time to save her son?  (156 pages)

(WARNING: Contains adult content and explicit language - for mature audiences only)




Kenya Moss-Dyme is a writer of fiction, originally from Chicago, now hailing from Michigan - land of the subzero winters and nuclear summers. She began writing short-form horror in her teens and won several scholastic writing awards for her creative work. She later realized a talent for also writing thrillers and erotic novellas.
"The only genres in which I don't feel comfortable writing are comedy and romance. Whenever I try to write a romantic story, it ends up turning dark and the couple will go from taking marriage vows to going on a crime spree! So I tend to stay away from those genres altogether."

Kenya has several exciting projects in development for 2014, including a novel about an urban zombie apocalypse, a horror anthology and a few stories that are a bit on the risqué side.

"I love zombies and the supernatural! But there's nothing scarier to me than HUMANS and the unimaginable depths of depravity of which we are capable. You see it in the news every day and you ask yourself, 'what kind of monster...?' That's what I love to explore in my writing, characters that are like the people you think you know - but you really don't know after all. I create them - and then I like to set them free - does that sound a little strange?"

Calli's Arrangement **Summer Blog Writing Challenge** Short Story

  

The Challenge:  In 3,000 words or less write a story, or poem, about a girl that is trapped in an arranged marriage. Does she love someone else? What is her story?
The Result:  Calli's Arrangement by, Brandy Jones


Calli sat on the back deck watching the ducks play in the river. "Oh to be free to do what you please. Someday," she thought to herself. Checking her watch she reluctantly pulled herself out of the chair to prepare for his return.     The days for Calli never changed. They were very structured. Dean had every minute planned for Calli. Like now. She had already made breakfast, cleaned up the kitchen, worked out, and finished the laundry. Now onto making lunch.     "Calli? Darling where are you?" Dean called coming into the house. "As if you don't already know the answer to that," she thought to herself while plastering on her best fake smile. Calli rounded the counter meeting him in the dining room. "Awww there you are."     Calli sat the platter of sandwiches on the table and waited for the inevitable slobber-fest to end. "Darling tonight I'm bringing a client home to dinner. Make something extraordinary would you? Not that you don't anyway, but I really want to impress tonight. The account if I land it will be worth tons."     "You got it. What time will you and the mystery guest be here?" Dean tapped his finger against his temple like he always did when he was silently calculating. "By seven we will both be here. Oh, and dress nicely too," he said with a wink and that crooked grin she hated. "Yes sir."     They ate lunch in silence. Dean continued to wear his signature crooked grin staring at her through lunch. Calli avoided eye contact. She loathed the nights he brought clients home to dinner. These were the nights that once the client was gone he wanted sex to celebrate a successful night of wooing the client and showing off his wife.     Calli cleared the table and put their dishes in the dishwasher. Dean snuck up behind her grabbing her ass. "I'll see you soon," he whispered against her neck. She nodded. He smacked her tight ass and left.     She leaned against the counter sighing deeply. "What to make for dinner?" Pushing away from the counter she went to her laptop in search of menu ideas. It would have helped had Dean given her some insight on the client. She scrolled through Pinterest and a few other sites before choosing something she would not need to go shopping for.     Calli checked her appearance one last time before heading downstairs to set the table. She locked her dark auburn tresses into a tight French braid, applied soft, barely there makeup, and completed the look with a casual summer outfit. The beige skirt was just tight enough to accent her curves. The three inch heels matched the skirt and showed off her well toned calves. The white short sleeved blouse pulled nicely against her breasts detailing the plumpness of each.     She jumped at the sound of the garage door opening. Calli quickly made her way into the kitchen wearing her best fake smile, the smile she had been practicing since she was seventeen when her parents introduced her to her husband to be. She quickly pushed that dreadful day to the back of her mind.     "Dinner smells wonderful darling.""Thank you. Where is our guest?" she asked in hopes the client had canceled. "He will be here soon. Oh and he is not married and has no children." Calli nodded knowing this information was given to her as topics to avoid. "I'm going up to change. You look gorgeous," he said placing a peck on her cheek. "Thank you," she breathed trying to hide her discomfort.     Dean disappeared upstairs and Calli began setting the table. She was lost in thought about the mystery guest when the doorbell startled her from her daydream. She smoothed her skirt and opened the door. Staring back at her were the most amazing blue eyes. Only one other person had she met with eyes like this. Calli caught her bottom lip between her teeth. "You must be Calli. I'm Colt." His voice was deep, ringing in her ears like music. "Please come in," she stammered opening the door wider stepping aside to allow room for his tall frame to enter. She could tell by the cut of his grey suit that he was well sculpted under his clothes.     "This way. Would you like a drink?" Calli asked in a soft voice. "Thank you. That would be great. What do you have?" Colt asked watching the natural sway of her perfectly rounded hips as she lead the way. "Whiskey, wine, Corona, soda, and iced tea." Colt smiled and it was what Calli thought to be a Hollywood kind of smile. His smile was bright and lit up the room. She seated him in the living room to wait for Dean. "Corona please." Calli nodded.     She left Colt alone in the living room. "Fuck. Men are really made like that??!" she thought to herself thinking about his height, build, smile, and eyes. Colt's eyes were as blue as that of Christmas lights, perfect white teeth, nicely shaped lips, and strong bone structure to highlight everything else. She had wanted to reach up and run her fingers through his naturally black hair.     "I'll take a Jack and coke," Dean said coming into the kitchen. Calli nodded and smiled. "Tell me more about your client?" she asked pulling the Corona and Coke from the fridge. Dean quickly gave her the rundown on what his client did for a living and left her.     Calli quickly gathered the drinks and returned to the living room. She took a seat across the room and listened to the chatter. She looked from Dean to Colt and back again. Dean, at age 45, was still good looking. Salt and pepper hair, six feet tall, and well toned. But Colt, in comparison was made by the Greek Gods. Calli stirred in her seat then excused herself.     She tried to avoid eye contact with Colt but to no avail. Each time their gazes locked she thought there was something oddly familiar about him. And then it hit her. William Colton Davidson. She hadknown those eyes. Many years ago. Her mind wandered back to high school, back to the day she met her Chemistry partner her Junior year.     "Calli?" Dean said sternly. "Yes?" she asked bringing herself back to the here and now. "Colt was asking you a question," he said through gritted teeth. She looked up locking gazes with Colt again, smiling easily. "Yes Colt?" He smiled back at her. "Didn't we go to high school together?" Calli blushed. "We may have." Colt shook his head. "I'm pretty sure we did. I think we had one class together. I think you were a junior and my lab partner." Calli smiled a bit brighter at his detailed memory. "That was such a long time ago. I'm not sure."     Dean chimed in changing the subject. "Dinner was excellent Calli. Colt we have things to discuss. Come with me." Colt thanked Calli for dinner and followed Dean but not before getting one more look at Calli.     Calli waited until she heard the office door close before clearing the table. "He never married and took over the family business. Fuck!! What are the odds of this chance meeting? I have not been back home since the day my parents made me get married," she thought.     Calli finished the kitchen and went to Deans office. "Come in," he barked. "Refills gentlemen?" she asked sweetly. Both men nodded. She quietly exited trying to ignore the stirrings in her lower region.     She downed a quick shot of Patron before returning to the office. Both men thanked her. She turned to leave. "Stay," Dean told her. She nodded and took the seat furthest from the desk. "Colt invited us to his place next weekend. We have work to do and will need to eat. You mind being our chef? Colt was quite taken with your cooking tonight," Dean explained. Calli looked up at Colt smiling. "Sure. I'll be your weekend chef."     Dean wrapped things up with Colt and walked him out. Calli went upstairs to change and get ready for the inevitable. She took her hair down, ran a brush through her hair, and discarded the clothes in the hamper. She brushed her teeth then slid in between the silk sheets. "Colt. He went by Colt now and not William." Calli wondered why the change.     She willed away the urge to throw up as Dean came into the room. "Old school chums huh? Howwell did you two know each other exactly?" he asked through gritted teeth. "Not well. Like he said I was only a Junior and we only had the one class together. We had different friends and such."     Calli breathed deep trying to keep the urge to vomit at bay. The dread of sex with Dean churned her stomach every time. He slid in behind her grabbing her firm ass. "Mine. All mine," he growled in her ear. "All yours," she whispered as a tear slipped from her eye.     It was nights like tonight that made it hard to not hate her parents for making her marry a man she did not know or love. Seventeen and she had been bought and paid for like Tupperware. Dean came from money but had made plenty more on his own. He was thirty years old when he arranged with her father to marry her.     Calli's father had been a client of Deans. Calli's father invited dean to dinner. Calli was barely fifteen then. Dean had decided then the only way he would help Calli's father was by having Calli as his bride. The paperwork had been drawn up that week. Calli's father made it clear that Calli was not to marry until she graduated high school. Calli was wed four months before turning eighteen.     At eighteen she knew she legally could have left Dean, but Calli had no money, no access to money, and no job skills. Dean did not allow her to work and only gave her enough cash for what she needed when shopping.     Dean bit down hard on her ass bringing her back from the past. Calli whimpered. He rolled her onto her back making her look at him. "What are you thinking about?" She shook her head fighting back the tears that bubbled behind her eyes. "Nothing."     He crushed his lips to hers. She whimpered again at the taste of blood in her mouth. He groped her roughly while willing her mouth open. He pushed her knees apart with his knee and crawled between her legs, kissing his way down her smooth tanned belly. He nipped her belly making her arch her back. "That's right baby. Gimme what's mine," he chuckled.     Calli bit her lip letting her mind flood with images of Colt. The more she thought about Colt doing these things to her the wetter she became. Colts voice was all she heard and his face was all she saw. She closed her eyes tightly to keep Colt at the front of her mind.      Calli squirmed against him. He grabbed her thighs pulling her closer to him. She panted and whimpered as she came. Dean backed off of her chuckling. "That's my girl," he said pridefully as he thrust into her again.       Calli tried to keep her eyes closed, tried to focus on images of Colt as Dean began thrusting his hardness in and out of her. "Look at me," he demanded. Reluctantly she opened her eyes. He stared into her green eyes. The smirk on his lips shone through to his grey eyes.     Dean finished quickly as usual and began snoring. She lay awake thinking about Colt. He had matured well. In school he was the most sought after Senior. All the girls fell over themselves when he walked past them or sat near them. His bright blue eyes were easy to get lost in, then and now. His hair had darkened over time. In school it was a dark auburn much like Calli's but now it was naturally jet black.     She began to wonder what his house would be like and would he be bringing his own female companion the weekend of their next meeting.       Calli was startled awake by the alarm. She drug herself from the bed to start coffee and breakfast. Her silk robe was sheer and cool against her skin. She thought about Colt unwrapping her from it like a Christmas gift. Would he do it slowly savoring the moment or hurriedly like an eager child? She bit her lip and set the table.     Dean did not say much to her. He watched her quietly and mentally patted himself on the shoulder for the glow on her delicate face. "What's on your agenda for today?" he asked. She shook her head. "Nothing special." she answered leaving out as usual. "I want you to go shopping. There’s a list and money on my desk." She nodded and faked her smile.     Finally he was gone. She cleared the table, started the dishwasher and went to the shower. She dressed and did her makeup eager to get out of the house.     Calli past the time of her mundane days with thoughts of Colt. It was finally the day to leave. She had them all packed and ready when he got off work. Colt had moved from New Mexico to Colorado. They had a direct flight from New York to Denver.     Colt waited at the baggage claim for them. They explained pleasantries and made their way to his lifted four wheel drive Excursion. Calli soon understood why he drove a four wheel drive. It was quite the terrain to his house tucked away in the depths of the Rocky Mountains.     The log cabin was huge for just one person, complete with inground pool and hot tub. "Your home is beautiful," Calli breathed when the tour was over. "Thank you." She smiled shyly at him.     The next day Calli made herself at home in the kitchen while the men worked. After dinner Dean insisted she join them in the hot tub. Colt stared boldly at her in the green bikini that not only brought out the color of her eyes but showed off her well tanned, toned body.     "Calli, I have to leave in the morning. I'll be back late tomorrow night. You will stay here with Colt and be a very good girl," Dean told her. Calli nodded.     The next morning Calli woke to an empty bed. She glanced at the alarm clock. "Holy shit. I overslept." She jumped out of bed and found some jeans and a t-shirt to throw on. Colt was waiting in the kitchen for her. "Relax," he told her handing her a cup of coffee.     Colt insisted she let him cater to her while Dean was away. He made her breakfast, cleaned the kitchen, and then they went out to the deck and caught up on time lost. Colt shook his head at her summary of life since high school. "He paid for you??! What kind of sick asshole does that?" he asked rhetorically.     Calli quickly changed the subject to him. "Why have you not gotten married?" He stared into her vibrant green eyes taking his time to answer. "Because the girl I fell in love with years ago had left. I never fell in love with another." Calli sucked in a breath seeing the pain in his eyes.     She longed to reach out and try to ease his pain. The urge was hard to resist when he reached out to brush the hair away from her face. Calli caught herself leaning in to his touch before being startled by her cell phone.     Dean. The only one who had her number. He asked how her day was before explaining that he could not get a flight until morning. He followed up with telling her he would know if she were a bad girl.     "Why don't you leave him?" Colt asked seeing pain in those gorgeous emeralds she sported as eyes. "Where will I go? How will I get there? I have nothing and no job skills. I've never worked," she growled through clenched teeth. Colt pulled her into him.     God he smelled good. Manly. He felt amazing under her. Hard yet soft; his arms, chest, everything. He held her tight letting her cry herself to sleep on his chest. He held her all night, held the very one that he fell for all those years ago.     Everyone returned to 'normal' when Dean returned. Colt made sure that Calli had his number before they left. Dean lived up to his word and thoroughly inspected his wife to make sure she was a good girl.     Calli, over the next few months began planning her escape with Colts help. She found his number hidden in her phone. She used pay phones while out shopping to contact him.     He set up a bank account for her and hired a lawyer to draw up the divorce papers. She made it clear she wanted nothing from the divorce except freedom. Calli went about business as usual.     Dean was served with the divorce papers the day he reported Calli as a missing person. He went ballistic burning her clothes, smashing anything he could, and drinking heavily.     In less than a week the divorce was finalized. Calli breathed her first real sigh of relief. Colt decided to take her away for the weekend. On a private beach in the Bahamas he finally made love to the only woman he ever loved. "I've waited an eternity to do that," he confessed.     Calli leaned up on her elbows. "Wait. What?" she asked confused. Colt smiled cradling her face locking gazes. "Calli it's always been you that I wanted. You are the one I fell in love with. You are the one that had slipped away. I've thought and wondered about you everyday since high school."

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Quick Fire with Kim Culpepper!

Coffee or tea  
Coffee. I hate tea.
Favorite book ever  
The Dark Half by Stephen King.
Who is your favorite character from your book, The Blood Talisman?  
Hyperion. He is very cryptic and was a lot of fun to write. 
Which celebrity would you marry right now...no questions asked? 
 Chris Hemsworth cause who wouldn't wanna marry Thor?
Favorite food? Could you eat it everyday for a year? 
Tomato gravy and cornbread. Very southern meal I know.
That was fun! Nice chatting with you, Kim!

Meet Kenya Moss-Dyme **Author Feature**

Kenya Moss-Dyme is a writer of fiction, originally from Chicago, now hailing from Michigan - land of the subzero winters and nuclear summers. She began writing short-form horror in her teens and won several scholastic writing awards for her creative work. She later realized a talent for also writing thrillers and erotic novellas.
"The only genres in which I don't feel comfortable writing are comedy and romance. Whenever I try to write a romantic story, it ends up turning dark and the couple will go from taking marriage vows to going on a crime spree! So I tend to stay away from those genres altogether."

Kenya has several exciting projects in development for 2014, including a novel about an urban zombie apocalypse, a horror anthology and a few stories that are a bit on the risqué side.
"I love zombies and the supernatural! But there's nothing scarier to me than HUMANS and the unimaginable depths of depravity of which we are capable. You see it in the news every day and you ask yourself, 'what kind of monster...?' That's what I love to explore in my writing, characters that are like the people you think you know - but you really don't know after all. I create them - and then I like to set them free - does that sound a little strange?"
For more on Kenya Moss-Dyme:  Amazon Page

An Interview with Author, Kim Culpepper!

An interview with author, Kim Culpepper!
Interview: Where are you from? I was born and raised in Columbus, Mississippi. What inspired you to write your first book? Twilight actually inspired me to write my first book. I had never read the Twilight series before and when the first movie came out I immediately thought it was something that it wasn’t. I thought, ‘werewolves and vampires surrounding a love story ought to be the kind of movie that a horror fan like me would enjoy’. Boy was I ever wrong. Please don’t think I’m insulting the series but, it was not what I was expecting so I wrote what I expected. I normally stick to writing straight up horror because I don’t like the mushy stuff but, after starting The Blood Talisman I found that I quite enjoy adding some mush. Do you write full-time or part-time? How do you balance your writing life with your family/work life? Very Carefully. Balance is very difficult to find when you work full time, have 2 small kids, and a disabled parent to take care of. I started writing this novel while I was also attending college but my writing suffered so I dropped college to focus my very sparse personal time on writing. How did you come up with the title? I wanted something that pulled the story together as a whole. My main characters find that the blood talisman is something that can be coveted or something that could also be devastating. It really will lead the reader on a journey to figure out what its purpose is and what good things it can do and what bad things can come from it. It really is the center of this great conflict that will continue through to the next book in this series.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? If I had to pick just one thing it would be that people change constantly. They change when bad things happen. They change when good things happen. One person’s personality may stay the same but their morals and their convictions can change sometimes without the person even realizing that it is happening.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life? I think all writers will agree that their stories no matter how small or how grand are based on some aspect of their own life that leads them to write what they feel in their hearts need to be written. Personally I went through a lot of changes in life when I was in my early twenties that lead me to put those aspects into this novel. I used to be a very angry person and good things happened in my life to change that about me and it ended up making me a better person.
What books have most influenced your life? I know this is cliché’ for horror but Stephen King has influenced me since I was 12. My first horror novel was Pet Cemetery and I have been hooked on everything he has written since then. His use of adjectives and how he describes his characters just amaze me. I have fallen in love with every main character he has ever written and I still continue to do it.
What book are you reading now? I just finished On the Lips of Children by Mark Matthews. Excellent story that I read in one day cause I couldn’t put it down. I am looking forward to reading Mr. Mercedes by the great Stephen King!
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest? I have met quiet a few indie authors online through this little service called Twitter. Indie authors are some of the most inspiring people as they have denied all rejections and all sense of traditionalism to go their own way and I think that speaks volume as to who they are as a person and who they are as writers. Tammy Farrell has written a book that I am currently fighting for time to read. Her novel Darkness of Light seems to be a very interesting read and she is an awesome critique partner that helped me with The Blood Talisman. Beyond her a few new authors I’ve read and love are Mark Matthews, Julie Hutchings, and Mina Vaughn. 
What are your current projects? I am constantly writing short stories so I am working on a compilation of those as well as a haunted house type story that I am really excited about. 
Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members. The first person that comes to mind is someone I call my book twin. Her real name is Camilla. We met through Twitter and she has been super supportive of me since we first talked to each other. I also have become involved in a local writers group and have found the people there to be really supportive. It’s always refreshing to meet new people in a town you have lived in your entire life, especially when they are as supportive as my local writers group.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book? I don’t think I would actually. I worked with a really fantastic editor and we made a lot of changes during the editing phase that made the story flow better. 
Can you share a little of your current work with us? Sure! Here are the first few paragraphs from the ghost story I mentioned earlier. Its working title is Hardy House. If you can imagine the absolute best thing in the world being snatched away in an instant, leaving you to wail and scream helplessly, then that is the story of my life. I always imagined life to be perfect. Living in a small town gave me that feeling of comfort. Nothing ever goes wrong in a small town and the gossip that flows through the local beauty shop is always of the teens that are raised to finish school and move away, only to return later with 2 kids and a husband that happily mows the yard 3 times a week.                That was my dream since birth except that’s not how it happened for me. I was different. I saw ghosts and talked to them like they were my only friends on earth. With everyone knowing of my so-called disability, they pretty much were my only friends on earth.                When I got pregnant at 16 the people that whispered around corners became louder and I became more withdrawn from the tiny society that I longed to be a part of in a more peaceful way. I started blocking them out and blocking out the world had consequences.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? Staying fluent in the story. I have to stop and start again because of time restraints so much that it takes several readings once I am finished writing to get the story just right. I get rather frustrated with myself when I’m re-reading. I’m constantly wondering how that part got there and where it should be. It’s like putting together a puzzle.
Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work? As I mentioned earlier, Stephen King. My favorite novel by him is The Dark Half. I have read the paperback version so much that I’ve considered replacing the spine with duct tape. Mr. King just takes you through a story and you don’t even realize it’s the end when you reach that last page because you can’t see an ending. His characters are so real that they live on in your mind and your heart forever.
Who designed the covers? My editor Stephanie Dagg. She’s awesome. She owns a farm in France. What’s more awesome than that?
What was the hardest part of writing your book? Putting my feelings on actual paper for other people to read. I would wince if someone asked me to just read an excerpt from something I’ve written or give them a few lines or anything. Other people had confidence in my writing but I couldn’t find confidence in myself. Sometimes those thoughts creep back into my head but I will look back at comments, or places I’ve been accepted for publication and sometimes even the nicer rejection letters to gain that confidence back in myself to say, ‘Somebody likes it. Why can’t I like it?’
Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it? I learned that I am a very determined person and once I commit to something, I am headstrong in pursuing it through to the end. I used to question that about myself because for a long time I would start things and then never finish them. It wasn’t until I went through a lot of personal changes that I became strong enough to be confident in my writing.
Do you have any advice for other writers? Do lots of research and I mean lots! Make new friends, research what it takes to self-publish, attend conferences, and just do whatever it takes to get published. You may not get an agent with your first book, keep trying. I am. If I can do it then you can too.
Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers? I would say to go into this story with an open mind and expect the unexpected. This first book is the beginning of a series and not every character will make it through to the final book. Stay tuned after this one to see where it goes next because people change and not always for the better.
What do you think about e-publishing versus traditional publishing? I think it is all personal preference. Some people like to have a book in their hands and turn paper pages whereas others live in the digital world and all they rely on are virtual pages. I am fine with reading either, though an e-reader is more easily accessible when on the go. As far as being a writer goes, I’m willing to follow either avenue as long as it takes me where I want to be by the time I retire.
Do you have an agent or publisher? How did you go about finding one? Not yet, but I will have one. I just know it! If you could live anywhere, where would it be? In England. I have always thought London to be so beautiful and English people are so nice. I also swoon over their accents. If you could have any super power, what would it be?
Mind control. Not quite sure if I would use it for world domination or not. *winks*

Introducing Kim Culpepper! **Author Feature**

Kim Culpepper, Author of The Blood Talisman

I am a homegrown native of Columbus, Mississippi. Most of the stuff that I write is based in the south because I enjoy writing characters with accents and the South has plenty of people to inspire that. I have been writing since I was 12. I've written screenplays, poems, short stories, and  The Blood Talisman  is my first novel. Mostly everything I write is adult horror with some romance thrown in there. 

Other than writing, I work as an Assistant Property Manager at Leigh Mall and I have a wonderful husband, two beautiful kids, and 2 mischievous cats. 

I have been published in Sanitarium Magazine, on Books of the Dead Press' blog, and on several other blogs and websites that pertain to horror.

 
Social media links:   Website
Facebook
Twitter

Just looked up how to use heroin for a short story I'm writing. Don't worry DEA if you're watching. Purely research.
— Kim Culpepper (@kculpepper1) June 24, 2014

Soft Cries- a poem by K.N. Lee

Soft Cries K.N. Lee
An intense urge smothers meRipping me from my sleepBegging me to bleed Those soft cries Of mourningSpinning painful prose Like wicked spellsDripping them onto The blood-stained parchment Of my bitter pastThis urge has arisenLike those soft criesBreezing through almost unseenSwirling and twirlingLike the cracked music boxI shall weep beauty from my tainted soulAnd share it with my broken heart


For more poetry by K.N. Lee