Halloween Reads #WIPWednesday

Hey, everyone. WIP Wednesday means one of two things. Most of the time I write about a work in progress, but other times it’s a work in publication. Today’s post is about the latter. So, here we go…


For those of you who have followed this blog for a while, you know I’m fascinated with full moons. Bet you couldn’t guess that by the blog header photo. Anyhow, Halloween is almost upon us. And this year we have a special treat for that day – a full moon. Not only that, it’s the second full moon of October, which makes it a blue moon. Those happen roughly every 2.5 years, hence the term, “Once in a Blue Moon.”

My first short story, The Blue Moon Murders was featured in an anthology collection, Unshod. It’s based on a legend that when a family member dies on a blue moon, three more will follow. You might guess there are multiple murders in this story. If you’d like to read, Unshod is free. It’s a western-themed book, but it’s not your typical western. Some stories are modern-day, others are historic. A little something for everyone.

Blurb:

An anthology of traditional and contemporary western short stories where the characters are lain bare.

  • Feel the pain of a young Japanese girl who comes home from an internment camp after World War II and learns it’s easier to go with the flow than to fight the current.
  • Struggle with an expectant mother on the cold winter prairie while she waits for her husband to come home from a hunting trip.
  • Journey with a young woman to the Four Corners as she tries to connect with her Navajo ancestors.
  • Try not to believe in the superstition of the blue moon—if one dies, three more will follow.
  • Know that one way or another, life will change inalterably that day.
  • Walk in the footsteps of an old cowpoke who thought he made the deal of a lifetime.
  • Suffer the torments of a young lady who wants desperately to marry but seems destined never to wed.
  • Walk the wild western paths and run from unimaginable dangers.
  • Choose between an unhappy life of luxury or a happy life of simplicity.

Nine female authors pen western tales that you’ll want to retell around a campfire. These aren’t your granddaddy’s westerns. They’re the next generation’s, and they’re darn good.


Click here to get your free copy.

Macabre Sanctuary is another collection of stories by several talented authors. You might guess with a title like that there are thrills, chills, and things that go bump in the night. My story is titled The Keepers House. Is it a ghost that inhabits a haunted island? Why is he interested in the lighthouse keeper’s home?

Blurb:

Thrills. Chills. Shadows and superstitions. Things that go bump in the night. Macabre Sanctuary boasts suspenseful fiction designed to elicit goosebumps and raise heart rates.

  • Learn the lore of a haunted island.
  • Grapple with the undead while robbing graves Halloween night.
  • Endure a hazing ritual unlike any other.
  • Deal with a demon at an All Souls’ Day celebration.
  • See what happens when you court death in the wild.
  • Battle zombies and cannibals in a quest to stay alive.
  • Travel back in time to witness the birth of true evil.
  • Fear prophetic nightmares made manifest.
  • Come to terms with new ethereal realities.
  • Befriend a feline to extend earthly life.

This collection from ten talented authors offers ghosts and demons, spirits and zombies, cannibals and killers… even a ferocious animal. Historical and contemporary tales of violence and fright keep readers on the edges of their seats. There’s something for everyone who loves spine-tingling, bone-chilling, blood-curdling stories.

Macabre Sanctuary is also free. Get your copy here.


If you’re into time travel stories, check out Quantum Wanderlust. In this collection, some authors take you into the future, while others travel back to the past. My story Goldwings is about a Navy Aviator that travels back to 1943—during World War II.

Blurb:

What if you had all the time in the world?

Thirteen authors answer that question with short stories about time travel. Go back in time to right a wrong, forward to see the future. No jump is too large, no method unfeasible, no lesson beyond learning.

  • Visit the past to learn a family secret.
  • See the formation of a future dictatorship.
  • Assume responsibility for weaving the fabric of time.
  • Travel back in time to WWII.
  • Use a family heirloom to solve problems.
  • Wear an inheritance to visit ancestors.
  • Leave a dystopian future for the hope of something better.
  • Make history come true in an unexpected way.
  • Fight evil fairies to protect a chosen angel.
  • Live with the childhood memory of visitors until the day they arrive.
  • Seek medical help for a memory issue and get way more than bargained for.
  • Discover that with great power comes great responsibility.
  • Uncover the secrets of a pharaoh’s tomb and curse.

Do the characters observe or interact? Is the outcome better or worse than the original timeline? Read these stories to learn how far they go, how they get there, and what happens when they return.

The scope is virtually limitless, definitely timeless.


Like the other stories, Quantum Wanderlust is free. You can get a copy by clicking this link.

Speaking of blue moons, there is a lunar event that’s even rarer. Every nineteen years or so, the month of February has no full moon. It last happened in 2018. Bet you can’t guess that I’m writing a story with that in mind? Cold Dark Night is the first book of my upcoming Legends of Madeira series. The planned release date is February 2021.

The Keeper’s House #WIPWednesday

Hey, everyone. Time for another WIP Wednesday. A couple of weeks ago, I posted about Macabre Sanctuary, an anthology published by AIW Press. I wrote The Keeper’s House for inclusion in that collection. Today, I’ll tell you the story behind the story.


Rain fell steadily on an April night in Deep East Texas. We’d had a long, but pleasant day with our friends, whom I’ll call Bill and Diane. We visited with Bill’s aunt and uncle and were on our way home.

My husband John and I sat in the backseat. It was late—around eleven, but I was wide awake.

Houses were scattered along the rural highway. After a while, we passed a driveway with a row of mailboxes near the road. A man stood beside them. Given the weather, it was no surprise he wore a raincoat. What was unusual was the fact he had a wooden leg.

I recalled a wooden-legged man who lived in my hometown when I was a child. Seeing this man at the mailboxes seemed strange. It was the 1990s and technology had advanced to where prosthetic limbs were more sophisticated.

It took a while for me to gather my thoughts, but after a couple of minutes, I asked the others, “Did anyone see that man with the wooden leg?”

“I didn’t.” John was quick to reply.

“Me either,” said Diane.

Bill spoke up. “Yes. He was standing by a row of mailboxes wearing a raincoat.”

John and Diane scoffed at us and hinted that we might have had a bit too much of Uncle Buster’s homemade wine. (I swear I didn’t drink any.) I made no mention of the mailboxes or raincoat, so Bill’s reply confirmed I wasn’t hallucinating.

The Keeper’s House has a character with a wooden leg. But is he a real person or a ghost?

Excerpt:

Andrew Tuttle, March 1, 1821 – October 29, 1870

Lucretia Haslet Tuttle, July 8, 1846 – October 18, 1870

“Guess you know a lot about this place.” Lauren pointed toward Andrew Tuttle’s grave. “Was he the first lighthouse keeper?”

“Yes. An ancestor of mine. Lucretia was his wife.”

“What happened to them? They died so close together.”

“She died in childbirth. The story goes that Andrew’s grief was so great, he neglected his duties. Every night he’d walk to the cliff beside the lighthouse. One night he threw himself over.”


A bit of trivia. The character name Tuttle came from an early episode of the television series MASH. Hawkeye had an imaginary friend named Tuttle.

I join with nine other authors in this collection of thrills, chills, and superstitions.

You can get a copy free by clicking this universal link. Why not grab one, then sit back and enjoy? But beware of things that go bump in the night.

Updates, Links, and More

Peaceful scene

Last Saturday, I realized I didn’t do my Friday post. It was an incredibly busy week at my day job and as a co-worker said, “This week has been six weeks long.” Wish I could offer that as an excuse, but the truth is simple. I forgot!

Things have been a little calmer this week. I’m busy with edits for Unknown Reasons and toying with ideas for the third book of my Driscoll Lake Series, Unclear Purposes. And, if you haven’t noticed, I redesigned my website.

Speaking of Driscoll Lake, this Saturday, October 7, I’ll be a guest on the Rave Reviews Book Club Blog Talk Radio Show. I’ll be answering questions about the first book of the series, Unseen Motivies. The show begins at 12:00 noon Central Time. To listen, just click on this link. You can also ask questions on Twitter (a hashtag will be provided during the show).

And now, here are this week’s links:

That wraps things up for this week. Enjoy the weekend, and if you get a chance, send some cooler weather Texas way!Save

Add a Little Mystery to Your Bookshelf

It’s October, and that means Halloween is just around the corner. What better time to read a good mystery or suspense story?

This month, you can purchase a copy of Unseen Motives, the first in my Driscoll Lake series for only 99 cents. That’s $3.00 off the regular price.

I’m busy editing book two Unknown Reasons and hope for a release date of late November. More about that coming soon.

So, if you like a little mystery, a lot of suspense, and a little bit of romance, be sure to get your copy soon. Click here for the universal purchase link.

In addition, Macabre Sanctuary is a collection of short stories with chills, thrills, shadows, and superstitions. It’s designed to elicit goosebumps and raise heart rates. Best of all, it’s free!

My story The Keeper’s House is included in this collection.

If you want to be a little bit (or a lot) scared, download your free copy by clicking this link.

And don’t forget to tell your friends!

Finally, Quantum Wanderlust is the latest anthology published by AIW press. This collection of thirteen time travel stories has a little bit for almost every reader. Go forward or backward in time.

I’ve always been fascinated by the concept of time travel, and I romanticize the World War II era, even though it was a challenging and tumultuous time. My story Gold Wings finds a modern-day Naval aviator suddenly back in 1943. Can he find his way back to the present?

Click here to download your free copy.

With reduced and/or free prices, there’s no reason not to add these books to your collection.

 

 

 

 

 

Save

Save