Cool off this Summer with a… Nightmare in the North

 

Hi everyone,

It’s broiling out, so today I’m sharing a look at the making of my horror novella, Nightmare in the North. It takes place in the middle of a snowstorm. (Cool weather sounds good right about now….)

Nightmare in the North is a cautionary tale about traveling alone in the winter and trusting strangers.

 Here’s the summary:

NIGHTMARE IN THE NORTH

Stranded during a violent blizzard, Mark hikes to the only house nearby. George, a well-mannered University professor, welcomes Mark and gives him shelter from the storm.

By morning, Mark suspects that everything isn’t what it seems. George’s adult daughter, Kate, who also lives in the house, shares a disturbing and unsettling tale. When questioned, George insists that Kate has a psychological issue and can’t be trusted to tell the truth.

Mark quickly finds himself caught in a game of cat and mouse. Who should he believe? Is Kate’s desperate plea for help sincere? Should he be suspicious of George? Or are both of them plotting something together?

Isolated from everyone, Mark is forced to wait out the storm—and find a way to escape—if he hopes to make it out alive.

***

So… how did this novella come about? Believe it or not, I wrote a version of this story for my eighth grade English class. The assignment was to write a short story – and boy, did I! The original version was much shorter and less detailed, but the basic premise was there. I’m not sure what my English teacher thought when she read it, but I got an A.

I grew up in upstate New York where winters can be brutal and last a long time. It can be an isolated place, and sometimes you could be snowed in for days. I decided to use that as the backdrop to the story, throw in some strange characters, and add a little mystery. After I submitted the story for my English class, I pretty much forgot about it.

Then, in January of 2018 I drove to Vermont in a snowstorm. I was in the car for 12 hours, and naturally, my mind started to wander… I wanted to write a new horror story, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to write. As I was driving, I thought back to that original story and decided to rewrite it – to tell the story the way it needed to be told.

I changed the opening, moved the setting to Vermont, and filled in all the details and backstory that set the tone. The ending of the new version is slightly different from the original, but it’s not off by all that much. I added an epilogue (of sorts) to the end, and spent about twenty minutes getting the last line just right.

After reading Nightmare in the North, my husband said that it was well written and it drew you in, but it was “twisted” and “disturbing” – I consider that high praise! What do you think?

Order Nightmare in the North here:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G9QD45X

All other platforms: https://www.books2read.com/u/m2vqOk

***

I hope you’ll check it out. If you like horror fiction, be sure to visit the Horror, Mystery & More section of my site: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/horror  

I enjoy hearing from readers and welcome comments and questions about my books. Follow me on my blog or on social media to get the latest news and updates.

Happy Reading,

Kelli A. Wilkins

Don’t Let the Summer Days Pass You By!

 

Ah, summer. The long, hot days seem like they’ll last forever. But all too often I find myself looking at the calendar and asking: What happened to summer? Where did the time go?

It usually starts like this: “Wow! I can’t believe it’s finally Memorial Day Weekend. Hooray for the beginning of the summer season. I’m going to enjoy every minute of it this year.”

Then: “How is July Fourth next week? Wasn’t it just Memorial Day? There’s so much I still want to do…”

And then: “Labor Day? Back to school? Wait, what? Where did the summer go?”

Yup. Every year, summer flies by in the blink of an eye.

I’m writing this on July 1. Stores are geared up for summer and having sales on beach towels, bathing suits, sandals, and everything red, white and blue for the holiday. People are planning vacations, day trips, and barbeques. Everyone is looking forward to the long summer that lies ahead.

However, it’s already the halfway point of summer. You may be wondering how July got here so fast, and thinking that summer is passing you by. But don’t worry, there’s still time to make the most of the sunny days ahead.

If you’re like a lot of people, you want to have a fun and fabulous summer, filled with great memories. You may even have a summer “bucket list” of things to do, like take a vacation, visit friends, hit the beach, lake, or pool… So what’s stopping you? Sometimes it’s yourself!

People can get caught up in routines and don’t make time for new experiences. Summer is the perfect time to change your patterns and actively seek out things to do with friends and family. How can you make more time for fun? Here are a few suggestions.

* Socially distance yourself from social media. I’m not saying turn off all social media for the summer (unless you want to). But if you find yourself on the hamster wheel of constantly posting, commenting, sharing… Take a break.

Don’t get me wrong, technology is great—in limits. But spending every waking hour on your phone or tablet is a huge time suck. If you’re staring at a screen all day or evening, you’re wasting valuable time.

Do an update across all your social media telling friends and followers you’re taking a summer vacation from posting. You’re on hiatus the same way TV shows are during the summer.

Let your friends know you’ll be posting infrequently, when you have something really important to share, or randomly checking in once or twice a week. This limits your time spent online and you won’t get pulled into reading everyone else’s posts and watching cat videos.

Your free time can now be focused on other things. Maybe you’ll use your previous social media time to go to a concert with your husband or best friend, take a walk around the neighborhood, or garden.

* Leave your phone alone. Cell phones are just mini-computers and they can be a big drain on your time. Texting, playing games, scrolling through sites, and streaming is all perfectly fine. But if your head is always bent down over your phone, you’re missing out on what’s happening around you in the real world. (Have you ever seen someone with their eyes glued to their phone walk out in front of traffic? Yikes!)

As much as you can, leave your phone off or put it on silent mode. Turn off alerts for new texts, social media posts, etc. Tell friends and family you’re blocking out time each day as a no phone zone. Don’t text, check messages, or play games for a few hours each day.

Remember the days before cell phones? People weren’t always instantly available, and when someone called, they left a message. Try going “old school” during the evenings or weekend mornings, then engage in an activity that’s hard to do with a phone in your hand, such as riding a horse, swimming, or playing tennis. Why not call a friend ahead of time and ask them to join you?

* Get off the couch and go somewhere. Yes, summer is a time for relaxing and taking it easy, but you can lounge on the couch and binge-watch your favorite show year-round. Don’t waste a beautiful summer day indoors. Your show (or the 500^th rerun of Law & Order) will still be there in the cold days of January.

Turn off the TV and take a day trip to a local park or historical site. Visit friends or family for a barbeque, or go to a zoo or an amusement park. Find a fireworks display.

Most people still have to work in the summer (unless you’re employed by a school or are retired) so how do you incorporate summer fun after work? Here are a few ideas:

·       * Do outdoor hobbies until it gets dark: Ride your bike or walkaround your neighborhood or local park, garden, go fishing, or play sports.

·      *  Find a free outdoor concert or play (most start around 7 or 7:30pm). Or make your own concert: sit in the back yard with food or drinks and listen to your favorite music.

·      *  Fire up the grill and cook dinner outside, or pack a picnic dinner and take it to a park, the beach, or a lake. Or, visit a restaurant you’ve never been to before and eat dinner outside.

Right now you might be asking: “But what if the temperatures are soaring and it’s horribly humid? Who wants to visit a zoo if it’s really hot out?” I understand. Nobody wants to be outside when it’s so hot you’ll catch fire.

On a sweltering day (or when it’s raining), it’s perfectly fine to hide in the house, catching up on chores, scrolling social media, or watching a few episodes of a show. But see if you can use your imagination to make the day different. Watch a movie you’ve heard about but have never seen, or try a few episodes of a show a friend recommended.

You can turn off the TV and try your hand at a new indoor hobby, like painting or doing puzzles. Visit the library and check out books to read in the air conditioning, take an in-person class or workshop, experiment with a new dinner recipe, or learn how to make ice cream.

No matter what you do, the less time spent in front of a screen (whether it’s a computer, tablet, or phone) the more time you’ll have to enjoy yourself this summer. Do what you can to change your routines. Be active. Try new things. Treasure each day, evening, and weekend.

Summer will be gone before we know it, so enjoy the season!

Until next time,

Kelli

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who has published more than 100 short stories, 24 romance novels, and 8 mystery/horror ebooks. Her romances span many genres and settings, and she likes to scare readers with her horror and mystery stories.

Her latest release, For Love’s Sake, an epic historical/fantasy romantic adventure, was published in January 2025.

In August 2024, she released Surreal Escapes, a collection of 7 speculative/spooky stories. Anything can—and does—happen in this anthology.

Kelli also released her fourth gay romance, A Thousand Summer Secrets, in 2024. This tender contemporary romance takes place over a summer weekend, where two friends reconnect while seeking love and acceptance.

She published The Route 9 Killer, a mystery/thriller set in Central NJ, in 2023.

Follow Kelli on her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins and visit her website/blog www.KelliWilkins.com for a full title list and social media links.