My Horror Stories

TEETH and TALONS

Or alternately titled: Samantha goes all "bump in the night" on your ass.  Yes, it's true....lately I have had a serious crush on horror stories.  Long a fan of The King (Stephen), The Crave (Wes Craven) and the like, even including R.L. Stine, who does indeed give me goosies, I have wanted to be a horror writer for some time.  Plus, when you tell people what you write, it sounds ultra cool.

So, I have dipped into the genre.  I began with my first horror offering, a middle grade novella entitled The Detention Demon.  Well received, but difficult to get reviewed.  The genre is not well known, except for the amazing Mr. Stine, whose creepy works kind of have the monopoly on the subject.

THE DETENTION DEMON

Then I tried my hand at adult horror.  I wrote some flash fiction and a story I really love, The Ink Man, and decided to take a giant leap forward.....self publishing my babies.  Although I am with two different publishers and respect and adore them both, I wanted to try this thing out.  I am a devoted attendee of J.A Konrath's blog and he sings the high praises of self-publishing.  So I tried it.  And I have to say, I was not unhappy with the results.  So much so that I am looking at doing it again.

WAY PAST MIDNIGHT

I have written five completely different horror stories that I thought had no connecting thread between them.  I just wasn't thinking.  When my Musina sprang into my head, she helped me understand the common denominator of all of them.....they all happen Way Past Midnight.  Hence, the new name. *satisfied and impish grin*

I am working with my cover artist and editing this one crazily.  I think you'll see the evolution of both my writing for the genre and my self-publishing savvy.  I know you'll be sure and let me know!

Way Past Midnight should be published and available by summer 2012.

HELLOWEEN

My newest collection just came together.  It was coming up toward Halloween and I suddenly found mentions of the spooky holiday creeping into my current stories.  Again, while title-hunting, it came to me in a flash, with the cover fully designed...in my head.  Helloween!  Lucky I have an awesome graphic artist and book cover genius.  She makes all my wacky ideas come to life and seem less wacky and way more cool.

A few of these stories are making me wildly proud.  I love writing horror, but my take is less gore and focuses on the psychological aspect of terror.  I have had readers tell me the plausibility of the subject matter makes it all that more scarier!  Hope you think so, too.  As always, I would love to have your opinions, wherever you wish to print them.

Helloween became available in Spooktober, of course.  (October for the spooktacularly-challanged)
*evil giggle and I rush from the room, flapping my back cape*