Allan Hudson's Blog, page 10

The Story Behind the Story with Suzanne Casey of Moncton, NB, Canada.

 

Oneof our most popular guests has a new book out. Suzanne is with us this weeksharing the SBTS of her novel.

Thisis not her first visit to the Scribbler and I invite you to take a peek fromour archives at her previous visit. Please go HERE.

Readon my friends.

 

In my office closet, I have binders upon binders of stories that Icreated during elementary school.  I'vebeen writing since I was 9-10 years old. That passion has been burning in me for many decades.  However, regular life got in the way.  Marriage, raising two daughters, work, andother regular obligations came first.

When my parents died 6 weeks apart several years ago, I decided tostop finding excuses and follow my dream of becoming a novelist.  Life was too short not to live it withcomplete passion.  Surrounded by the loveand support of my family and longtime friends, I've never looked back.

I am a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, loyal friend, andsupporter of the underdogs.  I prefer oneon one lunch dates over large gatherings. I like making food for people, a trait I got from my mother.  Spending time with my two daughtersrejuvenates me.  Spending time with mygrandchildren is beyond precious.  Spendingtime with my siblings feeds my soul.

 

Title   BIRCH ISLAND And The Secrets It Held

 

 

Synopsis:  Leo Clement makes theacquaintance  of Peaches King whilestaying at Birch Island Resort.  An oddfriendship ignites between the young reporter and the enigmatic owner of thequaint vacation spot.

Leo starts coming to the island every Tuesday for lunch and a gameof Scrabble with the eccentric octogenarian. He listens to Ms. King reminisce about her eventful past while nibblingon Neapolitan wafer cookies.

Peaches shares details about her upbringing, her schooling and hermarriage.  However, the more she talks,the  more questions Leo has, includingthe disappearance of several staff members.

Hired by Peaches' own daughter to uncover the truth, Leo goes on afact-finding mission that takes him from Nova Scotia to Massachusetts.  By doing so, he uncovers more than heexpected.

 

The Story Behind The Story:  Afew years ago, my husband and I took a road trip that included a ferry ridefrom Saint John, NB to Digby, NS.  Ourplan was to follow the south coast up to Halifax.  Getting off that ferry, we discovered thissurprise resort called Digby Pines, an older but majestic place I'd never heardof.  Then two years ago, we took theferry again, this time following the opposite coastline.  We also booked two nights at DigbyPines.  Having instantly fallen in lovewith the charm of the place, especially the sitting rooms, I decided to usethis as the base of a book one day, not knowing it would become my very nextnovel as the fictitious Birch Island Resort.

As for the plot itself, I am part of the 67% of writers whosecharacters wake them up in the middle of the night to tell their stories.  All three of my novels were written thatway.  They will share their physicalattributes, or give me a paragraph, a sentence or a scene.

As far as composing the storyline, I always seem to know the beginning and theend of the story, including novel #4, which is in the works.  Filling the 200+ pages in between is alwaysmy challenge.  Those 2-3-4 o'clock wakeup chats with my characters eventually fill in the blanks.

I also love to put in personal stuff, people's names or events,that only people who know me personally will get.   Things like Scrabble is one of my top 2games...Backgammon is the other.  One ofmy friends has a very young grandson named Leo. And if one looks at my other novels, The Quilting Bee or DannyAnd MJ, my mother was an amazing quilter and the initials of my daughtersare M and J.

 

 

A couple of questions before you go, Suzanne.

 

Scribbler: What is theperfect setting when you write your stories? 

Suzanne: To get inspired, I need atouch of nature.  A drive following thecoast, a walk in a nature park, a few hours sitting  in my hammock under the umbrella of mapletrees while watching yellow finches flutter around our bird feeder or laying inbed in our camper and hearing all the sounds of nature around me.

Once that part of my soul is fed, I go into my office (or camperkitchen table) and write in a completely silent house.  Even when my children were young, I'd waituntil they were sleeping at night before digging out the typewriter while myhusband was working evenings.

 

Scribbler: We asked you this question before and wondering if anything changed. What's your favourite and leastfavourite part of publishing?   

Suzanne: Idetested editing, but I'm getting better at it, and I trust my instincts withacquired experience.  Now that I've founda graphic artist who's really good at editing, I let her do the very last roundfor me.  But I'll still do between 10 and15 rounds myself, first.

So now, my least favourite part is waiting for the publishers'approval.  And my favourite is receivingthe email saying it's been approved.

 

 

Excerpt from Birch Island

 

Susannah received burns to most of her body.  Her screams echoed across the Halifaxharbour.  Horrified by the sounds comingout of his mother's mouth, Finn ran away.  He ran and ran until his legs gave out.

Then he hid.

For the next several months, the young lad continued thatpattern.  He would run at night, thenhide during the day.  Nobody really knewFinn Walsh existed, except the barmaid who helped deliver him.  Not once had the boy ever stepped into aclassroom.  His entire education had comefrom the streets.

And then, the fire incident changed everything.  Finn Walsh never found out whatever happenedto his mother.  As far as he knew,Susannah had perished in the fire and he was to blame for it.  He was the one who had caused the lantern totip and light his mother's bed on fire.

Finn Walsh would never know that his mother had survived, thoughseverely scarred from the waist up.   AndSusannah never went looking for her young bastard son.  As far as she was concerned, that chapter inher life was finally over.

 

 

 

 

Thankyou for being our guest this week, Suzanne. We wish you continued success withyour stories. 

 

Anda HUGE thank you to all our visitors and readers.

Don’tbe shy. Leave us a comment.

The Story Behind the Story with Katherine Melanie of Atlantic Canada

 

A new Author coming to you this week. 

Katherineis excited about her novel and she is with us today to tell us all about it. 

Read on my friends.

Katherine Melanie is a teacher and a writer originally from Winnipeg,Manitoba. Inspired by her love of history, Katherine has written her firstnovel, Her. She is a proud Kelvinite who pursued her higher education at theUniversity of Winnipeg and University of Manitoba, eventually receiving hermaster’s degree at the University of Newfoundland.

Katherine has lived in several provinces as well as spending two years inJapan. She takes to travelling whenever she finds the opportunity, or creatingone if she has to wait too long. She has a passion for history and culturesthat cannot be satiated. At this point in her life, she has visited much of theworld and is planning to visit the rest.

She resides in the Canadian Maritimes with her family. They live alongsideseveral chickens, three dogs, and a few wild turkeys when the urge hits them tovisit. She received the Queen’s Jubilee medal for her outstanding contributionto education, community, and volunteer firefighting, as well as for herleadership and convening skills among the diverse peoples of her region.

 

WorkingTitle:  Her

 

 

Synopsis: In the haunting aftermath of the Second WorldWar, a war correspondent embarks on a poignant quest to understand the woman heonce loved and who spurned him. As he journeys through the war-torn streets ofEurope, he unravels a tale that she never dared to share. Amidst the backdropof their passionate love story, he uncovers a harrowing narrative, ofbrutality, sexual abuse, and the indomitable spirit to overcome such darkness.This tale delves deep into the heart of war's monsters and heroes, exploringthe profound impact of their deeds on those in their wake.

Thisnovel is a thoroughly researched and documented historical story written aboutmany little-known moments of the war and its aftermath. This novel alsoincludes with several original literary choices including removal of all names,and a deliberate lack of description of the elusive main love interest. Despiteall characters being nameless many of the secondary characters are historicaland often speak in their own words. Historical photographs and quotes at thebeginning of each chapter anchor the story to real history. Readers with apassion for details can find the name of historical figures and sources at theback of the book. This book is well suited for book clubs with its purposefullyopen-ended characters, social commentary, and historical details.

 

 

TheStory Behind the Story: Iam passionate about reading, history, and social issues like feminism. Morethan 15 years ago, I started to write the perfect novel that I wanted to read.My narrator is British man which seems like an unusual choice for as a Canadianwoman. But it is from his point of privilege that what happens to her duringthe war is interpreted.

I should prefacetalking about my book by explaining that there are no names in the book whichis not hard to read but it is hard to talk about in a conversation like thisone. I wanted to emphasize his voice by having all characters labelled by theirrelationship to the narrator. For example, there is his mother, sister, lovebut also the general (who is not a general), a lovely fairy flitting away inthe morning light, and his butterfly.

I also wanted towrite a story that subtly relied on the reader for details. The love interestin the story has not one single word that describes her appearance, her voice,or her nationality except to say that the narrator finds her beautiful. Byremoving the descriptors, the reader will make assumptions about beauty basedon their own ideas.

I read book by Kate Quinn called the Alice Network that I reallyenjoyed. However, when I read the note at the end of the book and realized itwas based on real diaries and letters, I appreciated the story even moreknowing that some of the details were true. My head is full of historical factsand anecdotes that I find fascinating. I loved the experience of weaving theminto a book. I used journals, interviews, radio recordings, my travel, museumexhibits, and photographs to inspire the settings and events of the story. Forexample, the three students who stopped the 20th convoy train withnothing but a lamp and a pistol, the mass killings of the Einsatzgruppen leadby a ‘compassionate’ leader, the farmer milking his cows on D-Day, the icebergaircraft carrier, and the pigeons at the 1936 Olympics are all real-life extraordinarydetails that are more or less important in my story.

 

When I started writing 15 years ago, I wrote about a quarter ofthe book then I forgot about it as other parts of my life took over. In 2021, Ifelt like my life was in a rut and my son suggest I take up a hobby that wouldmake me happy. Soon after, I found my unfinished novel and took it up again. Inthe following month I wrote 50,000 words and basically finished the story. Ofcourse, I am no Beethoven creating a masterpiece in one go – it did takeanother year of editing, researching, feedback, and rewriting before I got itto its current form.

 

Website: Please go HERE.

 

 

A couple questionsbefore you go, Katherine:

 

Scribbler: Can you tell usabout the perfect setting you have, or desire, for your writing? Music orquiet? Coffee or tequila?  Neat or noteseverywhere?

Katherine: I do not have a straightforwardanswer to this. Mostly, I write on my couch on the porch in the summer andcurled up in the chair by the fire in winter on my laptop. Ideas often come tome as I sleep and as I drive so I will take notes on my phone (“Siri take anote”). Also my son, who is also a writer, helps me work through blocks in mystory when we walk together in the woods. I do like it quiet to write, as itgives my brain room to follow a train of thought.

Oh, and tea – not coffee or tequila because both keep me from thinkingclearly.

 

Scribbler: How do you decide onthe title for your novel? Did you have one when you started or later?

Katherine: The title for thisnovel came to me pretty early on. Though ‘her’ is such a simple word the lackof detail reflects the essential mystery of her past that drives the story. Thenarrator is completely in love with a woman that he is with for a time butactually knows nothing about. The isolated word ‘her’ all by itself also echoesthe single-minded obsession with which he pursues information about her.

Giving a title is a challenging task because you need to embody a wholestory in few words. But in general, I would say that I come up with the titleonce the story has a shape that I can name.

 

 "Eve" by Anna Lea Merrit

 

An Excerpt:

My heart had often lurched in mychest over the last three years as I mistakenly glimpsed a desired silhouette,but this time it was not allowed to resume its steady rhythm. She was actuallythere in the opera box above me. The cacophony of the orchestra tuning itsinstruments, and the titillating gossip of the crowd faded to a dry hum. I wasonly vaguely aware of those around me preening at their very best to see and beseen on opening night. All of it became a monochrome backdrop to the vision ofher. My damp palms gripped the wooden arm rest and the faux velvet cushionshifted beneath me. My date was thrilled to be front row centre on such a nightand chirped cordially with my mother who eagerly awaited the debut of herprodigy as the Spanish seductress.

Once the lights went downand the brilliant spectacle on stage unfolded, I only looked sideways towardthe opera box. For a time, she was obscured by a railing, but as the musicrose, she leaned forward into it, bringing her half smile into the warm lightradiating from the stage. I could not make out her mouth, but I knew she wouldbe singing under her breath as she knew all the words, having sung them whilemy sister played the music on the piano years ago. I wished I could make outher eyes which I knew would be sparkling. The orchestra spoke to me of theemotions unfit for words in its notes of anguish, love, and passion.

I soaked in every shadeddetail of the way the silk of her azure dress clung to her skin in places andin others floated around barely grazing her shoulders. I was jealous of thefabric that tickled her skin and longed to feel the warmth of her. My gaze remainedfeverishly riveted to her despite her obliviousness to me. I unsuccessfullywilled her to look down at me. Instead, the stocky middle-aged louse next toher sensed my gaze and laid an arm around her shoulders as he scanned thedarkened crowd below him. Her date was rewarded for his possessiveness with asmile. He basked in her affection and grasped at her even more tightly.

I had thought that thedeep wound in my soul had healed but it split open revealing feelings that werejust as raw as they had been when she left me three years ago. The longing wasstill an unsatiable hunger. My feelings echoed the opera unfolding on stage. Itoo had willingly given everything to be with the woman of my fantasy. Like theshattered hero, I also watched helplessly as she moved in the arms of anotherman. Unlike him, I could never harm her, but I could relate to the pain thatdrove him to kill her. Rejection of such a perfect love is akin to madness. Theauditorium felt too hot with a cloying mixture of perfumes.

Finally, the sopranoperished in her former lover’s arms and the chorus belted out, ‘Toreador’ oncemore. I did not even wait for the lights to come on as I bolted from my seat,rudely pushing my way out into the aisle leaving my date gaping like a drowningfish. From the mezzanine, I scanned the lobby below as the audience flowed outthe doors. There she was, on his arm, working their way through a throng ofopportunists trying to lobby for his attention. The man kept an arm around her,and she was willingly ushered through, flashing a timid smile to those whogreeted them.

I worked my way throughtheir entourage dodging and weaving like one of those dancers on stage.Hesitating as I drew near, I realized that there were no words to greet her;yet this could be the only opportunity to ever see her again. I moved closerand tapped her shoulder by reaching around some purple-haired elderly woman.For a brief sparkle in time, her eyes locked with mine. In that moment, thewoman I once knew surfaced on her features with a sexy flush and a spontaneoussmile. The submissive consort she was now playing was temporarily vanquished bythe vivacious woman beneath the illusion. Her shoulders and her chin liftedconfidently. However, a breath later she caught herself and rearranged a moretimid version of her smile and turned to lavish it on the man at her hip. Heblossomed. Those near him tried to hide their awkwardness at his obviousdisplay of affection by looking away. Without a word, I had been dismissed.

Her tense averted postureimplied that I would not be allowed any closer, so I retreated to the mezzanineand contented myself with taking pictures of them. My editor would neverpublish any of the pictures anyway for fear of arousing the man’s wife. Nonetheless,I swallowed my empty jealousy and snapped pictures for my own fix. I consideredthe new smell of her perfume.

Through the window, Iwatched him usher her into his car and the chauffeur eased them into thetraffic. I feverishly considered, then rejected, the possibility of followingthem despite her cold dismissal.

Restless and unable toconsider either going home or going out, I pointed my own car downtown towardthe office without finding my date to even try to offer an excuse. I used mykey to get in the backdoor and went straight to the dark room. Closeted withthe photography chemicals, I kept vigil around dishes, waiting for her image toappear. Looking at her photograph would be a small dose to feed my snappinghunger. The images on the drying line slowly revealed her as they shimmeredinto existence. They revealed her hair, her nose, and the eyes that hinted at adepth that cannot be reached. I revisited the details of her not visible in thephotographs; she also has a scar that runs the base of her hair line, a burnfrom some long-extinguished fire. Only one who had run their fingers throughher hair would know it was there.

The next day, in thenewsroom, her picture triggered little concrete information from my fellowsnoops. She was certainly the Lord’s new consort. No one knew where she camefrom or even her last name. The society columnist thought that maybe they hadmet on vacation in Rome somewhere. Predictably, the editor was annoyed with mywasting film on a couple whose elicit, though public, image could never be puton record. He considered our newspaper to be above trashy tabloids.

She is pretty but it isnot her flesh that rivets people to her presence. Eye colour and lips havelittle to do with the way people feel her energy in a room. It is somethingmore real than an ephemeral shell of a body. Those who have seen her seek a momentwith that spirit. We are moths to a flame. And even though we cannot touch itor contain it, we feel thankful for the full force of the moment that shebrings us into.

The first time we made eyecontact, I was mesmerized by both her vitality and vulnerability. And yet fromthat first time we looked at each other until today I have not been allowed toknow the parts that she keeps hidden. Her power is the paradoxical joy and painof being able to mingle breath with that beautiful soul and without the abilityto truly hold on to her. She is a star that illuminates the dark.

I gave up my job, my home,and my heart to search for nuggets of her story. It was a journey with littlehope of a happy ending but the fantasy of her gave me intention anyway. Afterthat night at the opera, I lost her again. When I finally saw her once more,even though I knew more of her secrets, I was still unprepared for her.

 

Thank you for beingour guest this week, Katherine. We wish you continued success with yourwriting.

 And a ENORMOUS thankyou to all our readers and visitors.

                          Please Leave A Comment.
**All wording on the blog, including bio, title, synopsis, the SBTS and the answers to the questions has been supplied by the author. Only the intro, the thank you at the end and the questions is from the Scribbler.

The Story Behind the Story with Em Whelly of Saint John, NB, Canada.

 

E Whelly is an award winning, Amazon best-selling author and avid coffee drinker. She is the author of best-seller, My Beautiful Ghosts, The Mindless Ramblings of an 18-Year-Old Girl, award winning, The Rise of Vardya and coming January 24th, The Imposter Author.

When not surrounding herself with books, she spends her time with her supportive husband, David, their adorable son, Grant and their zoo of pets at home. A dog, three cats, two guinea pigs and 9 pond goldfish.

 

 

Working Title: The Secrets of Austerland, book 2 in The Rise of Vardya series.

 

 

Synopsis: After the fall of the Neroso Tower in Enross, Satcha finds herself more alone than she’d ever been before. Betrayed by Dominic and her long-lost family, she sets her sights on revenge, the only thing she knows.

Dominic and Lennox rally the rebel soldiers and make a run for Austerland, their last hope of standing a chance against the Enforcers.

 

 

The Story Behind the Story: The Rise of Vardya started like allmy books. From a dream. I have very vivid dreams and can remember every detail.There are some dreams that I just can’t shake and those are the ones I tend to write about. My Beautiful Ghosts was my debut novel and came from a nightmare I had back in my freshman year at college in 2010. The entire prologue of the book was my dream. I couldn’t shake it; it scared me more than any other dream. I couldn’t let it go and I couldn’t let it end on such a heartbreaking note. I decided to write the rest of Alyssa’s story. Whether or not it was a happyending or not.

Something similar happened with Satcha in the Rise of Vardya. I dreamt about a woman trying to survive. She was trying to escape a town being bombed by soldiers. I couldn’t let it end there. I had to know what happened next. I start off writing my stories about what I imagine happening and as I write, the characters come alive and change everything me.They become real people for me.

 

Website: Go HERE.

 

A couple questions before you go, Em:

 

Scribbler: Can you tell us about the perfect setting you have, ordesire, for your writing? Music or quiet? Coffee or tequila?  Neat or notes everywhere?

Em: My perfect setting for writing, depending on the timeof day, I like to sit down with a drink. If it's early, it's coffee with twosugar and a splash of Cinnabon creamer. If it’s in the evening, it’s probably a glass of whisky. Either Writer’s Tears or a MacCallan. Neat. I put a drop of water in my glass, swirl it around to cover the bottom and pour it out before I add my whisky.

When I am sitting down to write, I have my notebook where I keep my ideas and plotline, my world bible that has all my character bios and world building details, sticky notes, and different colored sharpie pens for making notes in my notebook.

I must have absolute quiet and no one around for the most part. I cantolerate my husband in the room if he’s quiet, but I get distracted veryeasily. I will listen to music before I start writing to get myself in acertain mood to write certain scenes.

 

Scribbler: How do you decide on the titles for your novels? Do you have one when you start a new story or later?

Em: This is a loaded question. I have been sitting here thinking on how to answer this and its only confusing me more, because I honestly don’t remember how or why I picked the titles I did for any of my books. The more I think about it, they kind of manifest themselves as I write as working titles and I just go with a gut feeling.

 

Scribbler: I struggle sometimes with a title also, Em. It probably gets changed a few times before the story is finished.

 

Thank you forbeing our guest this week. We wish you continued success with your writing.  See you July 27th at the GMRD Book Fair in Riverview, NB.

 

 

And another GIGANTICThank You to all our fantastic readers and visitors. Don’t be shy, leave a commentbelow.

The Story Behind the Story with Em Whelly of Fredericton, NB, Canada.

 

E Whelly is an award winning, Amazon best-selling author and avid coffee drinker. She is the author of best-seller, My Beautiful Ghosts, The Mindless Ramblings of an 18-Year-Old Girl, award winning, The Rise of Vardya and coming January 24th, The Imposter Author.

When not surrounding herself with books, she spends her time with her supportive husband, David, their adorable son, Grant and their zoo of pets at home. A dog, three cats, two guinea pigs and 9 pond goldfish.

 

 

Working Title: The Secrets of Austerland, book 2 in The Rise of Vardya series.

 

 

Synopsis: After the fall of the Neroso Tower in Enross, Satcha finds herself more alone than she’d ever been before. Betrayed by Dominic and her long-lost family, she sets her sights on revenge, the only thing she knows.

Dominic and Lennox rally the rebel soldiers and make a run for Austerland, their last hope of standing a chance against the Enforcers.

 

 

The Story Behind the Story: The Rise of Vardya started like allmy books. From a dream. I have very vivid dreams and can remember every detail.There are some dreams that I just can’t shake and those are the ones I tend to write about. My Beautiful Ghosts was my debut novel and came from a nightmare I had back in my freshman year at college in 2010. The entire prologue of the book was my dream. I couldn’t shake it; it scared me more than any other dream. I couldn’t let it go and I couldn’t let it end on such a heartbreaking note. I decided to write the rest of Alyssa’s story. Whether or not it was a happyending or not.

Something similar happened with Satcha in the Rise of Vardya. I dreamt about a woman trying to survive. She was trying to escape a town being bombed by soldiers. I couldn’t let it end there. I had to know what happened next. I start off writing my stories about what I imagine happening and as I write, the characters come alive and change everything me.They become real people for me.

 

Website: Go HERE.

 

A couple questions before you go, Em:

 

Scribbler: Can you tell us about the perfect setting you have, ordesire, for your writing? Music or quiet? Coffee or tequila?  Neat or notes everywhere?

Em: My perfect setting for writing, depending on the timeof day, I like to sit down with a drink. If it's early, it's coffee with twosugar and a splash of Cinnabon creamer. If it’s in the evening, it’s probably a glass of whisky. Either Writer’s Tears or a MacCallan. Neat. I put a drop of water in my glass, swirl it around to cover the bottom and pour it out before I add my whisky.

When I am sitting down to write, I have my notebook where I keep my ideas and plotline, my world bible that has all my character bios and world building details, sticky notes, and different colored sharpie pens for making notes in my notebook.

I must have absolute quiet and no one around for the most part. I cantolerate my husband in the room if he’s quiet, but I get distracted veryeasily. I will listen to music before I start writing to get myself in acertain mood to write certain scenes.

 

Scribbler: How do you decide on the titles for your novels? Do you have one when you start a new story or later?

Em: This is a loaded question. I have been sitting here thinking on how to answer this and its only confusing me more, because I honestly don’t remember how or why I picked the titles I did for any of my books. The more I think about it, they kind of manifest themselves as I write as working titles and I just go with a gut feeling.

 

Scribbler: I struggle sometimes with a title also, Em. It probably gets changed a few times before the story is finished.

 

Thank you forbeing our guest this week. We wish you continued success with your writing.  See you July 27th at the GMRD Book Fair in Riverview, NB.

 

 

And another GIGANTICThank You to all our fantastic readers and visitors. Don’t be shy, leave a commentbelow.

The Story Behind the Story with Sheryl Doiron-Powers and Joe Powers of Maugerville, NB, Canada.

 

For all you fantastic visitors andreaders – you are in for a treat today. Something different as we feature ahusband/wife writing team. Each with their own thrilling stories. 

Joe has been aguest previously and if you missed it, please go HERE. 

This is Sheryl’s firstvisit so read on my friends.

 

Sheryl Doiron-Powers is a diverse Canadian writer who dabbles in manygenres including horror, romance, young adult, science fiction, creativenon-fiction, and everything in between. She currently lives in the smallcommunity of Maugerville, New Brunswick, with her horror writing husband, JoePowers, and their assortment of pets.

 

Joe Powers is a Canadian horror writer, anative of Fredericton, NB, and long-time fan of all things scary. From hisintroduction to the genre on a stormy Saturday night at the age of six - hisfirst viewing of Bride of Frankenstein - he's been hooked. Hundreds, or maybe thousands, of horror movies later, thatone still ranks among his favorites.

Among his many inspirations helists Stephen King, Jack Ketchum, Michael Crichton, Vincent Price, PeterBenchley and Richard Matheson. He enjoys introducing the reader to flawed,believable characters and leading them on dark journeys with an unexpected twist.He isn’t afraid to mix and match genres, fearlesslyweaving horror into noir, western, or sci fi.

His work has appeared innumerous anthologies and collections, both at home and abroad, as well as twonovels – the horror/western fusion Terror in High Water and paranormal thrillerSeventeen Skulls – and his latest release, Old Bones, which is a collection ofsome of his own short stories.

In his spare time he's an avidhockey fan and dog lover, and still finds time to teach several classes atUNB's College of Extended Learning.

Joe currently lives in Maugerville with his wife and fellow author,Sheryl, and an ever-growing assortment of creatures.

 

 

 

Titles: 

Sheryl: The Maugerville Monster

 

Joe: Putting Down Roots

 

 

Sheryl:

Toriand Travis Anderson’s move to the small community of Maugerville promised theyoung couple an idyllic setting to grow Tori’s furniture business and starttheir family. Short commutes for Travis combined with lower real estate costsand picturesque views of the Saint John river were the cherry on top thatsealed the deal, and they moved out of their cramped Fredericton apartment intothe large duplex outside the Maugerville flood line.

Maugervillehas been known to get a little wet from time to time, but the community had away of planning, of sticking together, and of making it through the rough timeswith a smile. Or it always used to before the flood of 2018. That flood broughtsomething different. Something far more dangerous than the rush of the SaintJohn River, and nothing the Anderson’s or anyone else could have planned for.

Joe:

MattBailey and his family have just relocated to the Maritimes from the west coast.It’s a beautiful house on a huge corner lot, at a price they couldn’t say noto. But there’s more to the idyllic property than meets the eye. A dark anddeadly secret lurks at the far corner of the lot.

Anancient, twisted and gnarled tree stands ominously at the back of the house.Its sole purpose is to kill and consume anything that gets too close. It ispatient, methodical, and emotionless.

Thebody count is rising, but Matt is as powerless to stop it as he is to convincehis wife and kids of the dire peril lurking just outside their back door.

Thedeeper Matt digs into the situation, the more he realizes how much danger heand his family are in. He knows what his family is up against, but can heprotect them? Can he stop the ancient evil before it destroys everything heloves?

 

 

The Story Behind the Story:

 

Sheryl: Ireally enjoy writing stories about locations in Canada, but especially lovewriting about New Brunswick. I tend to look for old mythological creatures andtry to bring them into the modern world so they’re not forgotten. Sometimes mycreature will be of Canadian origin, but I’ve also been known to go looking forone from somewhere else that suits a particular story setting.

I’moriginally from Dalhousie, NB, but moved my way down the province and finallysettled down with Joe in Maugerville. Serious snow accumulation and frigidweather were commonplace in my hometown, but I’d never experienced a Springflood when all that snow melted. The Bay of Chaleur doesn’t really cause anymajor flooding like what happens here, so this was an entirely new experiencefor me. While talking about the flood of 2018 with Joe one day, I got the ideafor The Maugerville Monster and brainstormed the idea with him, then set out tofind the perfect creature for my story.

 

Joe: I, too, like placing my stories in Canadian locations, whether real orfictional. Some are based on real legends and stories, some I fabricate oralter to suit my own needs. But Putting Down Roots is entirely fictional, andwhile most of the places are real I’ve taken some liberties with the details.One day a few years ago I got the idea from a nonsensical conversation that, atone point, touched on the old Peanuts comics. Specifically, the kite-eatingtree that tormented the kids. Some part of my brain whispered, “what if thetree ate the kids instead of their kites?” I kind of chuckled at that, but theseeds were planted. I wrote a short story about it, but it didn’t really do theidea justice. It has just grown from there.

 

Website: Sheryl - Go HERE.  Joe - Go HERE.

                     

 

A couple questions before you go folks:

 

Scribbler: Can you tell us about the perfect setting you have, or desire, for yourwriting? Music or quiet? Coffee or tequila? Neat or notes everywhere?

Sheryl: I tend to write more in the morningand early afternoons. My brain seems to go on standby mode the closer it getsto the end of the day, so writing anything later than about 4pm is just notgoing to happen. I usually write in my living room on the couch surrounded byanimals, a cup of coffee, and creativity boosting music playing in thebackground. I could always write surrounded by chaos with toddlers and peopletalking around me while something blared in the next room, but I struggled towrite at all for quite some time due to worsening rheumatoid arthritis. Nowthat I’ve been forced to retire early to focus on my well being, I’m gettingmore mobile both physically and mentally. Rheumatoid and fibromyalgia can causeissues with brain fog and concentration, and they’ve definitely affected mineat times over the years.

Now that the flare is subsiding, my brain isstretching its withered synapses, and I’ve managed to write a short story andstart The Maugerville Monster. While it’s still early days, generally once thewriting bug bites me, I take off like a dervish and knock out a manuscript in ashort time frame. The stories are piling up in my head now, so I’ll hopefullybe back to my regular speed in no time. I could have opted to finish a horrormanuscript I had halfway finished, but decided it would be easier to startsomething new than to re-familiarize myself with an older piece when I haven’tbeen writing regularly.

As I’ve been struggling to write after an extendedperiod of increased disability, I’ve now come to associate the living room withonly leisure, so will be forcing myself to sit in my office, which I no longeruse for work. The ergonomic setup probably isn’t a bad idea either, I suppose.A planned routine and dedicated space should help me get into the habit ofwriting frequently again. I tend to work best when I have a looming deadline,so I’m going to get Joe to give me word count deadlines to help me get backinto the swing of things. We tend to do well when we’re pushing each otheralong towards the finish line.

I’m 100% pantser. The only notes I make are the onesto help me keep track of character and setting details for continuity afterI’ve already written them into the story. I don’t think I’ve ever had more thana page of notes. I never have an outline, web, or handwritten notes scrawled onnapkins. Well, that’s not true. I have a manuscript on the back burner that isquite complex and required a detailed plot outline for continuity anddevelopment of the plot, which has several story arcs. I’m so much of a pantser,that fantastic manuscript has been sitting in a folder for several yearsbecause I struggle to work from an outline. I write stories in order, as thedetails occur to me, and let the characters and plot carry me where they needto go. Joe thinks I’m crazy.

 

 

Joe: Historically, I’ve written anywhereand everywhere. When the mood strikes and inspiration hits, I just know I needto get it down on paper before it’s gone. I have a ton of old handwritten notesand story ideas scrawled on everything from notepads to the back of the programof a convention I was attending when my muse popped in for a visit. I tend towrite my notes because I can write faster than I can type – a lot of it isbarely legible, but it gives me something to work with and transcribe from!

As I always tell my students, story ideas areeverywhere. Some are much stronger than others, granted, but there are alwaysnew ones coming along. Once I settle on one that I like, I work it through inmy mind until I’m pretty sure there aren’t any glaring holes that would derailthe story. If it seems workable, I’ll write out a loose outline, hit thehighlights... I call it the ‘skeleton’ of the story. Once I have that in place,I’ll start adding ‘the meat’ and flesh the story out. During this part of the processI’ll spend some time on my characters and really get to know them. This is adouble-edged sword; on the one hand, it makes my characters more realistic andrelatable, but on the other hand, as a result they often derail the story I hadso meticulously plotted out. I realize I could save myself a lot of work bychanging the order in which I work, but I’ve never been accused of doing thingsthe easy way!

As far as my actual process goes, I do my best workwhen there’s nothing to distract me from my train of thought. I don’t alwayslike to have music or other noise, but I will say that certain music sparkscertain... types of creativity. Alice in Chains Unplugged, Heilung’s LIFA, RobZombie, Alice Cooper, Skynyrd, Voiceplay... each sets the mood in its own waywithout being intrusive. With a longer work like a novel, I tend to jump aroundwithin the story a bit and write some of the “highlights” of the story. ThenI’ll go back through and fill in the gaps, smooth over the rough edges. Itsounds chaotic, and I guess it can be. On the other hand I’ve tried justwriting from start to finish, and it did work out well – that’s how I wroteTerror in High Water, my first novel.

 

 

Scribbler: How do you decide on the titles foryour novels? Do you have one when you start a new story or later?

Sheryl: I struggle with titles most of the time. I usually endup with a fantastic one right out of nowhere before I start writing, or I takelonger to choose one than I did to write the manuscript. When I’m struggling tofind one, I reread the story and look for some nugget that’ll work. If thatfails, I send my manuscript to Joe and ask advice, then turn to my beta readersif we still haven’t come up with anything. I then overthink it for a bit andtry to think of something better. I usually don’t and end up going with theoriginal.

Joe: I hate to admit it, but I really have a toughtime with novel names. Short stories? No problem, most of the time the titlebecomes really obvious by the time I’m finished with it. But novels? I’ll use aworking title during the writing period, knowing full well it’s not what willappear on the finished product. Then, I’ll spend an inordinate amount of timesearching for just the right fit. We joke that I spend more time writing thetitle than the book! Often, Sheryl and I will throw ideas back and forth in thehope something inspires me. Eventually the right title will reveal itself tome, and I’ll wonder why it wasn’t obvious the whole time.

 

 

 

An Excerpt from Putting Down Roots.   

 

Joe: This is a short snippet from what isstill very much a work in progress, so it’s pretty rough. In this scene, themain character wants answers about the spooky (and, he suspects, deadly) treein his back yard, so he seeks out the former owner of the house and pays her avisit. The woman matter-of-factly tells him the story of how she used the treeto kill her husband’s mistress, which confirms the MC’s worst fears and revealswhat exactly he’s dealing with.

 

"So as I said, I pointed the gun at her. Shewasn't smiling then. She wasn't upset, exactly, but maybe a little less sure ofherself. I told her to walk out the back door onto the patio. She did, and Ifollowed behind her. We got outside and she stopped and turned around to lookat me. She asked me what now, and I said keep walking. Walking where, sheasked. Over there, over by the tree, I told her. I may have waved the gun ather to get her moving. She gave me a funny look, but I think she saw I wasserious, so she walked."

 

"She kept talking, the entire time. Askingstupid questions, telling me my marriage was over, that my daughter would goand live with them, how pathetic I was. But I didn't say anything, and she keptwalking."

 

"Just before she got to the tree, she turnedaround and looked at me again. Right in the eye. She had this look on her facethat made me want to shoot her right then. But I didn't do that, I waited andwatched. She was in the middle of insulting me when her voice caught in herthroat and she made a funny sound, almost like a cartoon character. She lookeddown at the ground, I looked down too, to see what got her attention. One ofthe tree's roots had broken up through the ground and had wrapped itself aroundher leg. Then a branch came down and... grabbed her, I guess you'd say... bythe neck. She almost screamed, I think. But then that branch had her and shecouldn't make any sound other than a whimpering moan. I'm not sure she reallygrasped what was happening to her. I can understand why. It's not the sort ofthing you can really prepare for."

“What did it do to her?” Matt asked. “Did it pullher apart, or eat her, what?”

"To be honest, I can’t say for certain. Ididn't stay to watch what happened. I'm not a violent person, Mr. Bailey. Idon't care for scary books or movies, I'm generally a nice person. I knewsomething very bad was about to happen, and I didn't want to have nightmaresover it. So I lowered the gun and went back inside."

 

"I went back outside later that afternoon.Ashley was due home an hour or so later, so I wanted to see if there wasanything I needed to clean up before she came home. But there was nothing. Nosign of the woman, or that anyone had been in the yard at all that day. For amoment I was afraid she'd gotten away somehow. She'd escaped and was on her wayto the police to have me arrested. I couldn't shake the feeling that it hadgone wrong and that I would be in a lot of trouble."

"But nothing happened. Nobody came, she nevershowed up with the police in tow, not even a threatening phone call or email.She was gone, I was sure of it then."

"What happened then?"

"I had the strangest sensation ofrelief. I knew I’d just gotten away with murder. And because it was justified,I felt no remorse whatsoever. And that's when I decided to kill my husbandnext."

 

 What a teaser!

 

This has beenfun and we thank you both for being our guests this week. We wish you continuedsuccess with your writing journeys.

 

And aHUMOUNGUS thank you to all our visitors and readers.

The Story Behind the Story with Hannah State of Fredericton, NB, Canada.

 

Hannah is our First guest for 2024.

She been here before and it is a realtreat to have her back.

If you missed her previous visit,please go HERE.

She is sharing the good news of her newbook.

Read on my friends.

Hannah D. State is an award-winning Canadian author and science fiction/fantasy writer. Her debut novel, Journey to the Hopewell Star, was named “A Must-Have New Brunswick Book of 2020” by Atlantic Books Today and was a Gold Medal Winner in the Young Adult Sci-Fi category in the 2021 Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards. Hannah has a Bachelor of Arts degree from McGill University and a Master of Urban and Regional Planning degree from Queen’s University.

Hannah is bothered by inequality, violence, greed, complacency, snakes, entering a dark room, and not getting enough sleep. She enjoys writing about strong-willed characters who don’t fit the norm and who overcome great obstacles with perseverance, self-discovery, and help from others. Sometimes Hannah can’t keep up with her characters’ ideas and plans, so she takes breaks, drinks coffee, does yoga, and takes nature walks to calm her mind and really listen. Born in London, Ontario, Hannah and her husband moved to the East Coast in 2016.

 

Title: Journey to the Dark Galaxy

 

 

Synopsis:

A mysterious signal from deepspace. Mischief and murder at a military base.

Earth’s leaders are given an ultimatum: deliver Sam Sanderson to Logom, aplanet known to house a hostile AI civilization, or face interplanetary war.

When Sam receives a strange letter drafting her into the Great Alliance forInterplanetary Affairs as a matter of international security, she expects toget answers. But instead of receiving a warm welcome, she finds that mostpeople under the surface are distant, cold, and have built walls of silence.While grappling with her unique power and the consequences of her actions, shelearns that the organization she’s supposed to serve has a chilling past andguards a dark secret.

“You better wish upon the stars they don’t sendyou to the Dark Galaxy.”

A harrowing journey into the unknown. An uncertainfuture.

While Earth’s scientists scramble to defend their world and the planetaryalliance from the AI threat, Sam is forced on a mission to the Dark Galaxy. Aplace where dangers lurk, tensions run high, and things are never what theyseem.

But will the journey change her forever?

As Sam desperately navigates a maze of lies, dark secrets, and finds herself atthe heart of a dangerous journey, she discovers that it will take much morethan her courage and power to save humanity.

The Story Behind the Story:

Inmy second novel, a sequel, I wanted to continue Sam’s adventure with herfriends but also explore darker themes. I wrote it during the pandemic, a timeof severe isolation and perhaps loneliness, too, and played around a lot withthose themes in the book. The stakes are higher. Sam is dealing with bothphysical isolation (being so far from her grandfather and home) and mentalisolation. She’s forced to adapt, question her situation and circumstances, learnwhat she can, and mature quickly.

Ifpeople haven’t read the first book in the series, that’s okay. The sequel iswritten in such a way that you don’t need to read the first book to understandthe story. People can approach these books in whatever sequence they want.

Theinspiration for this book came from different experiences. Part of the storytakes place at an underwater military base with leading-edge technologies. WhenI first started my career in the Canadian civil service as a contractadministrator over a decade ago, I worked at a Defence R&D laboratory inToronto, Ontario. The lab has a wonderful history of innovation and brightscientists and staff making medical advancements in the military field,including Sir Frederick Banting, the discoverer of insulin, who establishedgroundbreaking research in aviation medicine. His team included Wilbur Franks,who developed the first g-suit (a.k.a. the Franks Flying Suit), which preventedpilots from blacking out when subjected to g-force during flight manoeuvres.They also developed and constructed a human centrifuge, which was used to trainair force pilots and, later, Canadian astronauts.

Thetechnologies in my story are from my imagination, but I was inspired by that experienceand loved working in that science setting. Just to set the record straight, inthe story, the base and its employees are written in an eerie way (it’simportant to give our characters challenges) and in no way reflect my personalexperience. The people I worked with were awesome.

Withthe sequel, I wanted to experiment a bit and bring in new characters withdifferent backgrounds and experiences. I wanted to create a bit of mystery.Kwan was a fun character to write. She has incredible skills but a difficultpast. As the story progresses, she realizes her memories are unreliable, andshe ends up questioning her own identity. It goes with the darker tone of thebook. Memories are an interesting phenomenon. In part, they help us define whowe are. But I didn’t realize how fragile memories were until I read Dr. JulieShaw’s non-fiction book The Memory Illusion. It’s not science fiction.Memories can be tampered with. People can be made to believe they’ve committedcrimes. Scary stuff. Building upon that premise, I wanted Kwan, in the courseof her journey, to uncover difficult truths about herself and the organizationshe works for. It’s as much Kwan’s story as it is Sam’s. I didn’t want to placeSam in the role of the sole heroine. I wanted the characters to challenge andsupport each other, experience (at times shocking) revelations, go throughtransformations together, and grow from the experience.

Ifyou’ve read this far and aren’t bored yet, I’ll just include one more note. Onthe theme of artificial intelligence, I’m interested in how fast it isadvancing and how it’s being used. I’ve been reading a lot of AI-relatedarticles in the news lately. Governments around the world are using technologyfor population tracking, and in my opinion, it’s intrusive and frightening. Iwanted to explore AI further, including the ethics and risks. Especially today,when kids are exposed to technology at such a young age, there is so muchpotential for disaster, vulnerability, privacy invasion, and manipulation. It’sdefinitely a scary world. At least the subject matter makes for intriguingstories. I want people who read this book to be bothered by the themes. I hope itforces people to question the power and control (or lack of control) we havewith these new technologies.

 

Fakebook link: https://www.facebook.com/hannahdstate

 

Acouple questions before you go, Hannah:

Scribbler: Can you tell us about the perfect setting you have, or desire, for yourwriting? Music or quiet? Coffee or tequila? Neat or notes everywhere?

Hannah: Coffee and tea all the way! I cravequiet while writing. No distractions. I usually get most of my writing done athome in my office. It’s like I have an invisible sign on the door, and myhusband knows when I’m in serious writing mode. He’s so supportive. Sometimes,I’ll go to a coffee shop to change it up. I enjoy listening to music if it’squietly playing in the background. But if it’s loud or there are lots ofpeople, I get easily distracted.

At home, I type my ideas on the computer. But at thecoffee shop, I enjoy scribbling ideas in my notebook. Unfortunately, I’vedeveloped messy handwriting over the years. One day, I would love to do awriting retreat in a peaceful setting, surrounded by nature.

 

Scribbler: How do youdecide on the titles for your novels? Do you have one when you start a newstory or later?

 

Hannah: That’s a good question. Typically,I’ll choose a title later in the writing process, once I’ve decided uponlocation, setting, characters, and which themes to explore. In the rare casethat I’ve started with a title, it usually changes by the end. Trying to writea story to fit a title can be limiting, in my experience. I prefer to developthe story and see where it goes before choosing a title that reflects it.

 

 

An Excerpt:

Tearingher watery eyes from the photo, she turned, glancing out the small, circularwindow at the unfathomable expanse beyond. Her stomach fluttered. She feltlightheaded. Now she was hurtling through space—ever farther away fromeverything she knew and loved. Any shred of comfort and safety, all the thingsshe’d clung to and hoped for, were gone.

She’dnever felt so alone in her life.

Frustrated,she slammed her fist into the armrest. She hadn’t expected things to turn outlike this. They’d barely managed to get out in time. And despite planning forthis mission, she didn’t feel ready. None of them were. The attack hadshortened their timeline considerably. Getting to Logom, the planet whereDuskara lived, would be a long journey in itself, and a dangerous one. But thiswas only the beginning. They needed a way to infiltrate Duskara’s Malborg armysituated on that planet. Their plan of attack on Duskara had not yet beenfinalized, and the details were hazy at best. They were flying blind.

Atleast they’d gotten out of range of the Gargol ships. They were now in SWIFTnavigation mode—superluminal wayfinding intergalactic faraway travel. Buttraveling by SWIFT navigation mode wasn’t comfortable or relaxing. Inthis long, winding wormhole, time was fleeting, and spacetime was distorted.Barreling through a tunnel in spacetime like this—all without registering anymovement whatsoever—made it hard to determine what was real and what was not.She couldn’t even look out the windows. The constant stream of strange lightsand dizzying tunnels looping in every direction made it impossible to get one’sbearings. It was a weird feeling. It played tricks on her mind. The lightsoutside could just as well have been an extravagant light show or an opticalillusion. But her body felt different, like a constant whirring inside herbones. At the molecular level, it felt like her atoms were racing aroundsporadically. It felt like being on a ship in the middle of the ocean withhundred-foot waves, except they spiraled in all directions. A person could gomad in a constant state of flux like this.

Maybeshe’d get used to it over time. She hoped so.

 

 

Thank you for being our guest this week,Hannah. We hope you get to that Retreat someday and we wish you continuedsuccess with your writing.

 

 

And THANK YOU to our visitors and readers.

The Story Behind the Story with JP McLean of Denman Island, British Columbia, Canada.

 

We are pleased to have JP McLean asthe last guest of 2023.

She is no stranger to the Scribbler.This will be her fourth guest visit and we hope it won’t be the last.

The most recent post featuring JP canbe found HERE.

She is sharing the SBTS for hernewest novel.

Read on my friends.

 

 

JP (Jo-Anne) McLean is a bestselling and award-winning author of urbanfantasy and supernatural thrillers. Reviewers call her books addictive, smartand fun. Raised in Toronto, Ontario, JP now lives with her husband on DenmanIsland, which is nestled between the coast of British Columbia and VancouverIsland. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her cooking dishes that turn outlooking nothing like the recipe photos or arguing with weeds in the garden.

 

Title: ScorchMark (ADark Dreams Novel)

 

Synopsis:

Scorch Mark is the third in the Dark Dreams novels and continues thestory of Jane Walker, a woman born with prominent blood-red birthmarks thatsnake around her body. Jane also suffers debilitating nightmares wherein shedreams of the past. In this new installment, Jane is enjoying a reprieve fromthe dreams and on a road trip with her partner Ethan, when a group oftailgaters she doesn’t know seem to recognize her. Their recognition can onlymean that they’ve seen her in a dream she has yet to experience. While she slipsaway to await the dream and learn how she’s connected to the group ofstrangers, her BFF’s boyfriend, who is a cop, starts digging into Jane’shistory. He stumbles across inexplicable deaths in her past and the cop in himsends him searching for more. And when his current investigation into illegalfirearms crosses paths with Jane, she must convince him of the supernaturalforces at play before he gets himself killed and causes the deaths of hisentire law enforcement team.

 

The Story Behind the Story:

Afterwriting seven books in the Gift Legacy series, I was ready to dig intosomething different. I wanted to stretch my writing skills and find a projectthat would challenge me. Little did I know how challenging this new projectwould be.

Iknew the characters had to be markedly different from those I’d writtenpreviously. I also wanted to try a new style of writing. All my previous bookswere written from one character’s first-person point of view. I decided to trymy hand at writing in third person from multiple characters’ perspectives.

Theinspiration for the Dark Dreams novels was an NBC show called Blind Spot,which starred Jaimie Alexander. The opening scene of the first episode has abomb squad tech approaching an abandoned duffle bag in an eerily empty TimesSquare. Emerging from the bag is a woman (Alexander) covered in tattoos fromthe neck down. The woman doesn’t remember who she is or how she got the ink.When I first saw that woman with the tattoos, it stirred my imagination. Iwondered what it might be like to have to live with markings that weren’t ofyour choosing.

Thatwas the seed for Blood Mark. The events that unfolded in Blood Markwere the catalyst for the second book, Ghost Mark, and the events from GhostMark spurred my newest release, Scorch Mark.

Iwas pleased to hear from readers that Jane Walker, the protagonist in the DarkDreams series, is nothing like Emelynn Taylor, the protagonist in the firstseries, so I checked that box. But writing three characters’ stories andweaving the narrative together to get the timing of events right from each oftheir perspectives was a huge challenge. Writing the Dark Dreams books hasstretched my skills and helped me grow as a writer.

 

 

Website: jpmcleanauthor.com

 

 

Acouple questions before you go, JP:

 

Scribbler: Can you tell us about the perfect setting you have, ordesire, for your writing? Music or quiet? Coffee or tequila?  Neat or notes everywhere?

 

JP: I’m so very fortunate to write from acozy home that overlooks the ever-changing Pacific Ocean. In warm lazy weather,I open the doors to hear lapping waves and birdsong. In the colder stormymonths, even with the doors closed, I hear crashing waves, howling wind, andsome days, a crackling fire. Though I prefer the sounds of nature, I can alsowrite with quiet music in the background as long as it’s instrumental. I findlyrics distracting and have to work hard to tune them out.

I’m most creative in the morning, so coffee is mybevvy of choice. If I’m still writing in the afternoon, I’ll make myself a bigmug of tea. Once in a while, I’ll write in the evenings, and on thoseoccasions, I’ll usually have a glass of red wine.

As far as notes go, I’m a bit of a neat freak. I keepa notebook beside my writing chair and take it with me when I travel. Butdespite my best intentions, I inevitably end up with notes on napkins andscraps of paper, which I tuck into the notebook. But I find searching throughwritten notes takes too much time, and sometimes I miss what I’m looking for. Soeventually, everything gets transcribed into a searchable Word document.

But I do use written notes when I’m plotting. I’llwrite scenes on sticky notes, color-coded by character, and move them around thetimeline until the order of events makes sense.

 

Scribbler: How do youdecide on the titles for your novels? Do you have one when you start a newstory or later?

JP: I’m terrible at coming up withtitles. Case in point, my working title for Blood Mark was Witness. It wouldhave been difficult for the book to standout in the sea of books already titledWitness. Happily, my critique partners are much better at brainstorming titles.I’m so grateful they’ve had a hand in almost every title I’ve published.

 

Jane stands alone between a powerful

artifact and the wrong hands.

Jane Walker is in a race against time to recover apowerful artifact that’s fallen into dangerous hands. But first, she mustconvince a skeptical cop of the supernatural forces at play before a lethalchain of events engulfs them all.

 

1   |   Jane

Now that Jane Walker knew whereher mother had been laid to rest, shefelt drawn there. It wasn’t out of respect or duty—she’d never met her motherin the flesh—it was simply the only thing she could do as the daughter she wasnever allowed to be. The visceral loathing she felt for Rick Kristan, the manwho’d taken her mother away from her, grew deeper as the day of his trialapproached.

Heat rippled off the asphalt parking lot. It had already been a long,hot ride, and they had two hours yet to go. Jane dismounted her Honda Rebel,glad for the opportunity to stretch her legs. Ethan Bryce pulled in beside herand killed the ignition of his Fat Boy. Across a swath of summer-scorched lawn,Windermere Lake sparkled like a cool oasis. This was their last stop before thefinal leg to the cemetery on the outskirts of Canmore, Alberta.

She removed her helmet, shook out her dark, cropped hair, and brushedthe road dust from her jeans. Ahead, just before the path to Kinsmen Beach, atailgate party had taken root, spilling onto the lawn behind a row of pickuptrucks. The tailgaters, mostly young men flaunting their abs and red Solo cups,had confiscated a collection of the park’s picnic tables. Music pounded out ofspeakers, and the scent of barbecue made Jane’s mouth water.

After the helmets were locked, Ethan pulled their towel rolls from oneof the saddlebags. He stretched his neck and raked his fingers through hiscomically flattened hair. “Ready?”

Jane let a saucy smile cross her lips. She’d happily watch Ethan Bryce’sbackside all day long. “Lead the way.”

Ethan came to stand toe-to-toe with her, his light brown eyes sparklingwith mischief. He leaned down and kissed her. “I love it when your mind’s inthe bedroom.” He started across the parking lot and Jane held back a moment,admiring his swagger and the broad shoulders under his leather jacket. Shequickly caught up and matched his stride, looking ahead to the lake,anticipating the splash of relief from the cool water.

Her focus was on the lake, so she wasn’t paying attention to thetailgaters as she and Ethan passed. But when Ethan took her hand—an unusualgesture for him—she glanced at him, and then at the men who had stopped theirpartying. One by one, they nudged each other and, in turn, stared at her.Startled, Jane looked away.

“You know them?” Ethan asked.

“No.” Goosebumps skated across her arms. Jane surreptitiously checkedher boots and jacket, smoothed her hair, searching for something—anything—toexplain their attention. Anything other than the one thing the goosebumpsforetold.

Ethan’s carefree smile hid the tension she felt in the firm grip of hishand as he wove his way through the families who’d laid claim to patches ofsand with beach blankets and umbrellas. They followed the shore to the thinningedge of the crowd, far from the tailgaters.

“That was weird, wasn’t it?” Jane said.

“Depends.” Ethan kicked off his boots. “Regular weird or yourstratosphere weird?”

She’d already considered how a handful of men she’d never met looked ather like they knew her. Like they’d seen her before. Or met her ghost.

“They know our rides now,” she said.

“We can’t change that. Let’s cool off and get out of here.” Ethan keptan eye on the distant parking lot as he stripped down to his boxers, but heleft his T-shirt on, unwilling to endure the stares his burn-scarred stomachwould draw.

Jane removed everything but a tank top and bikini bottoms, anunthinkable disrobing had she still borne the blood-red birthmarks that hadhaunted her until the year before. The final birthmark had disappeared on hertwenty-fifth birthday.

She glanced back, relieved the tailgaters hadn’t followed. “Race you!”she said and took off for the water at a run. Ethan laughed, a competitorthrough and through. She rushed into the lake, high-stepping until the waterwas above her knees, and then dove under. The water felt like an ice-cold beeron a sweltering day, a delicious quenching for her overheated skin.

They kept to the shallows, sparing an occasional glance at theirbelongings. Afterwards, they lay on their towels, drying off.

“Another dream’s coming. I feel it.” Jane hadn’t had a visiting dreamsince the night she’d learned what had become of the man she’d once known asBuddy. A man whose life she’d accidentally and irrevocably altered. He was nowDylan O’Brien, an undercover cop. That was five months ago. But her reprievewas over.

“Because of the tailgaters?”

“Why else would those men behave like they’d seen me before?”

Ethan scrubbed his face with his hands. Accepting Jane’s visiting dreamswas easier for him when the dreams were dormant. Once they started up, theydidn’t stop until whatever events Jane was destined to witness had finishedplaying out. There was no avoiding it: Jane’s dreams identified her as unatestigo, a Witness in the Inca tradition.

 

 

 

Thank you forbeing our guest this week, JP. It’s always a pleasure to have you visit theScribbler. Wishing you continued success with your writing and clever stories.

 

And anotherHUGE thank you to all our visitors and readers. Wishing you all the very bestin 2024.

 

 

2023 was Fantastic!

 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidaysfrom the Scribbler.

 

2023 has been nothing less thanFantastic.

Over 80,000 visitors.

How long they stayed is only a guessbut I expect there were many who gave it a read.

For all my visitors, readers andguests, I am eternally grateful.

 

 

Forty-six guests.

Top 3.

 

Lisette Meuse-Manuel

 

 

It’s been an exciting year for Lisettesince the publication of her self-help book, Prepare to Pause. Read moreHERE.

 

James Fisher

Editor-in-chief of The Miramichi Reader.

 

 

The original post dates back toOctober 2018, in earlier days for TMR. One of our most popular interviews with9685 page views. Wow!

Check it out HERE. Check out TMRHERE.

 

Luc Desroches.

 

 

Like Lisette above, this is Luc’sdebut book. It’s been making a splash with the changing work dynamics of somany people working from home.

Have a look HERE.

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2023 saw the creation of the firstGreater Moncton Riverview & Dieppe Book Fair.

April 22nd.

The event was a terrific success. Readersroamed the aisles all day from 10 until 4.

Authors from New Brunswick and NovaScotia met each other and connected with many new readers.

Find out more HERE.

 

Next year is in the planning stagesbut the date is set.

July 27th, 2024.

Same location: Lion’s CommunityCentre, Riverview Dieppe.

Same fantastic collection of storiesfrom every genre.

 

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I had the pleasure of participating in book and craft fairsthroughout the province and venturing as far as Halifax and Truro during theyear.

It’s a wonderful opportunity to meetand greet new readers. Some books travelled to different parts of Canada andthe US.

 

Another thank you to all who took achance on my stories.

 

 

 

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I am excited to be a contributor to the latest Anthologyof the Path Series.

 

Springs Paths

 

Join eight other authors and me as weweave different tales of springtime paths. You can discover more HERE.

 

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Merlin Star Press

New Brunswick’s newest publisher. Establishedin 2022 by eight directors, the company plans to publish stories from  authors from the Southeast of the province.

The first two novels have beenselected from the many submissions and details are in the works. A cover isbeing designed, events are being planned.

Learn more HERE.

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Finally

I introduced two new titles to my readers.

The Alexanders Vol. 2. 1921 – 1925

 

The continuation of Dominic Alexander’slife in Canada. From a fourteen year old immigrant to a successful young businessman.

More HERE.

 

Shattered: The Final Act.

 

The finale of the Shattered Series.

Discover more of Jo Naylor HERE.

 

 

 

Thank you again faithful and newreaders and visitors.

 

Watch next week for the final guestpost of the year with Jo-Anne Maclean of British Columbia, Canada.

 

The Story Behind the Story with S. C. Eston of Fredericton, NB, Canada.

 

Steve is back.

His most recent publication is generatinga lot of excitement amongst his many fans. He’s going to share the SBTS with usthis week.

He was a guest a short time agochatting about his contribution to the popular Spring Path anthology.

If you missed it, please go HERE.

Read on my friends. 

 

 

Steve C. Eston is the author of four books: The Burden of the Protector,The Conclave, Deficiency, and The Stranger of Ul Darak (Book 1 of The LostTyronian Archives).

He has been a lover of the fantastical and the scientific since he was ayoung boy. He wrote his first story by hand while still in elementary school —a five-page fantasy action/adventure about a tiger-masked ninja fightingmystical monsters that included his own illustrations.

When not spending time with his family, Steve try to make time for one ofhis numerous hobbies, which include reading, listening to music, playing videogames, watching movies, making puzzles, and playing hockey and tennis. He alsolove to travel and have developed an obsession with New Zealand after travelingthere in 2015 (visiting the set of Hobbiton and hiking alone the slopes ofMount Doom may have something to do with it).

For more information on his current writing projects and for free shortstories, visit him at www.sceston.com.

 

Title: TheStranger of Ul Darak

Synopsis: 

In an age long forgotten, nineteen hundred and eighty-threeSeals were forged—magical disks placed around the world to repel the cosmicchaos beyond.

In the centuries that followed, the Sentinels were tasked with protectingthose Seals. For countless generations, they succeeded.

Until now.

At six years old, Shéana is recruited to the order of the Sentinels. Adecade later, she displays powers unlike anything any Sentinel has shownbefore. When she feels the world stirring in pain, she knows the shieldsurrounding Tyronia has been breached. The great chain is broken. And the orderof the Sentinels lies in discord.

In the isolated village of Valdur, young Arth struggles to belong.Spurned by the other children, he ventures south to the endless mountains, andthe strange barrier marking the edge of existence. The Final Horizon. Here hewitnesses the impossible: a man emerging from beyond the veil—where nothing canpossibly exist. A man Arth knows he must protect.

Now the fate of two worlds rests on a knife’s edge. Only the courage of avillage boy and the power of a fledgling Sentinel can save them.

But to save their worlds, they must reject all they’ve been taught,leaving behind everyone and everything they’ve ever known.

Because sometimes saving a world means rebelling against it.

 

 

The Story Behind the Story:

 

All the way back in 2003, my brotherMathieu, my friend Gaetan, and I, created the basis for a new imaginary worldwhere two divinities were caught in an eternal battle against each other; onebeing the master of frost and ice and living in the west, and the other beingthe queen of fire and flame and controlling the east. Back then, I was justexploring writing as a hobby, and I remember asking Mathieu and Gaetan if theywould be all right with me expanding the world by writing a few stories in it.They both welcomed the idea.

The first draft of the story was about 15,000 words, written in French,and titled “L’étranger” (The Stranger). It introduced the world and some keycharacters, but left many questions unanswered, teasing the reader’simagination more than anything else. Still, both Mathieu and Gaetan enjoyed itand I ended up writing two more novellas following this one (also written inFrench).

When I started writing more seriously about ten years ago, the firststory I ended up publishing was The Burden of the Protector, which covers someof the events leading to those taking place in “L’étranger”. Burden was in facta prequel and although it stands well on its own, its epilogue hints that moreis too come.

Exploring the world a second time sparked a series of new ideas, and moreimportantly, it re-awoke my interest in this world. I wanted to travel there,discover its realms and countries, meet its inhabitants and heroes. I needed tolearn what had taken place, why, and more importantly, if the events destroyedthe world or if it was, in the end, saved.

The Stranger of Ul Darak expands on what is presented in The Burden ofthe Protector. It dives into what took place and starts to expose the crisisfacing the world, bringing to light a series of new characters. It is the firstin an epic high fantasy series, inspired by some of my own favorite series,including The Death Gate Cycle by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman,  The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan, TheStormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson, and obviously, The Lord of the Ringsby J.R.R. Tolkien. It has many of the classic fantasy elements, includingpowerful magic, a struggle between good and evil, a world on the cusp ofdestruction, and the unlikely heroes who will have to save it. It is filledwith mystery, intriguing characters, and takes place in a wondrous andunpredictable world.

It took me more than 20 years to bring The Stranger of Ul Darak to thebook it is today. Surprisingly, most of the work I did does not even appear inthis story (but will eventually come to light in the next installments of theseries). It was a new and daunting experience for me to write the first book ina long series. It was also a LOT of fun. After reading so many epic stories,it’s quite special to finally write one of my own.

 

 

Aquestion before you go, Steve:

 

Scribbler: How do youdecide on the titles for your novels? Do you have one when you start a newstory or later?

 

Steve: 

Titles, in all shape or form, have been the bane of myexistence as a writer. Especially chapter titles! I wish I had a strategy,something, anything, to help make the decision of picking titles easier. Butno, it is mostly a struggle.

I like to choose a title early on when writing a story, because I find itacts as a guide, or put another way, it gives me a target to aim for. Thatsaid, it happened on a few occasions that I had to change the title once astory is completed because it didn’t fit with the text anymore.

The title for The Stranger of Ul Darak came from the original story.“L’étranger” became “The Stranger”, and the stranger is a key character in thestory. I also wanted some consistency with the titles in this series. It wasimportant to me that this title went well with The Burden of the Protector.This is why I added “of Ul Darak” at the end, giving it the same structure.

Now, here is an exclusive that I haven’t shared anywhere else: in thesame way, the next book in the series is titled “The Bridge of Carcia”. Itpicks up right after The Stranger of Ul Darak and it is what I’m working on atthe moment .

 

Thank you Allan, for having me on The South Branch Scribbler once again.You’ll have to let me know what you think of The Stranger of Ul Darak once youget a chance to read it!

 

 

My absolute pleasure Steve. Thanksfor being my guest this week. And for sharing the news of the next title. 

I’m looking forward to the story withgreat anticipation.

 

 

And a special thank you to ourvisitors and readers.

If you have an extra minute, why don't you have a look at my popular Shattered Series. Just click here. 

Thank you once more. 

The Story Behind the Story with Charlotte St. James (Vanessa Hawkins) of St. George, NB, Canada.

 

Let’s welcome Vanessa back to theScribbler.

She’s going to tell us about the SBTSof her latest novel.

It’s garnering a lot of excitementand high expectations from this talented author.

Vanessa visited us before and if youmissed it, please go HERE.

Read on my friends.

 

 

A life-long lover of horror, Charlotte wrote her first story when she wasin grade five. It was entitled Mutilated and warranted a trip to the schoolguidance counsellor. Since then she has become enthralled with the vast anduntamable world of literotica. With over a dozen publications under her belt,Charlotte won second place in the David Adams Richards Prize for her bookDante’s Inferno last year, to the chagrin of all the faith-abiding attendeesthat were made to hear her read at the summertime gala. Her books The CuriousCase of Simon Todd and A Child to Cry Over written under pen name Vanessa C.Hawkins, have been featured as bestsellers on Amazon and have merited numerousawards.

 

 

Title: Dante's Inferno

 

Synopsis: In thedepths of the Inferno the Generals reside, reigning over the nine circles ofHell with lust-filled appetites and desires spawned by moral felony. They areevil. Betrayers! Outcasts that shunned the light of God. But when Seraph Dantedescends from Heaven in search of her former lover Lucifer, she begins toquestion all she has ever known.

Oneby one she is taken by the Hell Lords, her body and mind subjected to sins thatuntil now only humanity has experienced. Lust, Glut, Greed, Wrath, Heresy,Violence and Fraud welcome her with open arms and willing, eager bodies, buttheir realms hold many secrets. To find her lover, Dante must be filled withthe knowledge of Hell’s Generals. But will she be the same when she finallyfinds Lucifer? How has Hell changed him?

Howwill it change her?

 

 

The Story Behind the Story: I first thought of the idea when I was teaching in SouthKorea. A few friends of mine were thinking of cheesy erotica novels and whatwe’d name them, and I thought up Dante's In Her Now, which… kiiiiinda soundslike Dante's Inferno if you slur the words a bit? Yeah, it was dumb. Anyway,the idea snowballed and I toyed with it off an on for a awhile untilinspiration struck and took over.

Also,I'm one of the many thirsty lit majors out there (which is who I dedicated thebook to by the way) and the idea of demon boys and ladies doing naughty thingsin Hell, sounded so delicious and thought provoking that how could I NOT writethis book? Hopefully a lot of other people think so too, or are at leastcurious enough to take a peak. I swear it's not just smut! There's lots ofcharacter development and themes of a philosophical nature!

Andsex! Sex sells, what can I say… 

 

Website: Vanessa C. Hawkins AuthorPage | Facebook

 

 

Acouple questions before you go, Vanessa:

 

Scribbler: Can you tell us about the perfect setting you have, ordesire, for your writing? Music or quiet? Coffee or tequila?  Neat or notes everywhere?

 

Vanessa: My couch after my daughter falls sleep? *Laughs* Honestly, nowadays I'lltake any setting I can get, but my preferred atmosphere is far fromcivilization with a kick-ass YouTube playlist and an ocean of coffee.

Actually, every year I try to schedule some time to work away from home,just to hang my mom/wife hat up for a moment and concentrate on my writing.Last summer I was happy to spend a weekend at a retreat set in an old conventhouse in Saint John. I met with some very talented authors, and wrote some veryspicy demon porn whilst in the company of a crucifix and a chapel down thehall. Talk about inspiring!

 

 

Scribbler: 

Introduceus to Charlotte St. James.

 

Vanessa: CharlotteSt. James is my pen name. When you write in an eclectic variety of genres, youwant to separate the young adult audience from the literotica. I figure I canspare a few angry emails that way. But the name itself came from my first bookstaring Charlotte Swanne, a gumshoe vampire on the hunt for a murderingpsychopath. It's also slightly inspired by Lottie in the underrated classic,Princess and the Frog by Walt Disney. I don't know why, but I love thatcharacter so much. She deserves to get her prince someday. Please give her herprince!

However, the best part about the pen name is that I can write all sortsof spicy scenes as Charlotte and people don't know it's me! Everything goes!

…Well, until now I guess. Ahhh! Don't tell people I write about weird,sexy things… honestly they probably already know…

 

 

 

Your writing is what makes your storiesunique, Vanessa. Thanks for being my guest thisweek. I wish you tons of success with your writing.

 

 

And a Gigantic Thank You to our visitors andReaders.