Two Spooky Stories for the Halloween Holiday Season

Happy October!

As most everyone knows by now, I not only write sizzling erotic romances, I also write short horror fiction. I’m kicking off my month of horror blogs with a look at two of my short stories that have appeared in horror anthologies.

If you’re looking for a gift for someone who likes to read horror stories - or if you’re a horror fan who wants to get in the spirit of the holiday season, Frightmares and Haunted are just for you!

Haunted is a collection of 42 stories about haunted places! Set in a haunted house, “Whispers from the Past” blends the paranormal with a startling bit of reality. The anthology is available in paperback and electronic formats

Here’s an excerpt:

Paul rolled over in the narrow twin bed and tried to ignore the faint whispers. No matter what he did, they invaded his mind like silvery moonbeams.

He closed his eyes and counted to fifty, hoping to focus on anything but those quiet sounds on the edge of his sanity. Ghosts did not exist, yet he was hearing eerie noises in the dead of night.

The whispers grew louder, more insistent. Now and then, he could make out a word or two in the hushed voice he recognized from long ago. It can't really be him. It's just my over-stimulated imagination, or maybe the contest people are playing tricks on me.
"Stop it!"

He snapped back the bedclothes and stood up. The whispery voice fell silent. He let out a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair.

***

My flash fiction story, “Death is Just a Tick Away” appeared in Dark Moon Digest’s e-magazine (Issue #1), and it also appears in the Frightmares:A Fistful of Flash Fiction Horror paperback anthology published by Dark Moon Books. The story is based on a real superstition!

The book is a compilation of dozens of flash fiction horror stories. Each tale is under 500 words and is a quick read. The authors weren’t limited to a central theme (vampires, zombies, or haunted places), so each story is completely unique.

Here’s an excerpt:

Dave couldn’t sleep. The ticking echoed through the house. Even at 35 years old, the damn thing still spooked him. Lots of families passed down stories to scare kids, but most of them didn’t involve cursed objects that could kill.

He was seven when Dad had told him about the clock. His great, great grandfather had severely beaten a servant who had forgotten to wind the clock, and the old lady had cast the curse on them. If ever the clock was allowed to wind down to a stop, one of his family members would die.

Three days ago, Dave’s father had been found lying at the base of the black walnut clock, one arm stretched toward the ten-foot high carved demon. Paramedics said he had suffered a heart attack. But Dave thought he knew better. Dad had been trying to wind the clock.

***

Next week on the blog I’ll share two more horror stories! And I've also added links to my horror stories on the blog’s upper right corner. 

Until next time!

Happy Haunting,

Kelli

Trust with Hearts - After the Story Ended

Hi everyone,

Today I’m sharing an “After the Story Ended” inside look at my contemporary romance, Trust with Hearts.

Here’s the synopsis:

TRUST WITH HEARTS

After a bitter breakup, Sherrie Parker seeks refuge at her cousin Dave’s house in rural West Virginia. Early one morning, she runs into Dave’s other houseguest, a singer named Curtis Taylor. The last thing Sherrie wants is to share living quarters with a country music crooner – even if he is sexy, in a cowboy sort of way.

Thrown together by circumstances, Sherrie and Curtis get off to a rocky start, but soon discover they have more in common than they ever imagined. Unable to fight their growing attraction, they give in to their desires and start a sizzling summer romance.

Everything is perfect between them until Sherrie discovers that Curtis is keeping secrets from her – and his biggest secret of all will change everything. Can their newfound love survive, or will destiny keep them apart forever?

Most people don’t know that the book had a much longer and different ending. Here’s an exclusive snippet:

Curtis leaned back in the red vinyl booth as he toyed with his granddad’s pocketknife. He had found it in the back of a kitchen drawer this morning when they’d closed up Gram’s house. It wasn’t very sharp, but it made a nice memento.

For the last three days, Sherrie and Ginny had gone through the house, sorting and shipping important items to the ranch in California. Now they were headed back to Dave’s house. It was late, but they would be home by one o’clock in the morning. He was looking forward to telling Dave the good news about their engagement in person.

That pocketknife comes in handy later in the book when Curtis and Sherrie get into a terrible car accident. (Sherrie has to cut through the seat belt and pull Curtis out of the car before it burns.)

After they’re released from the hospital, they go back to Dave’s house to recover. Curtis’s cousin Jen and her son Rowan were coming to stay with them for a while. In the alternate ending I hint that Jen and Dave might hook up:

“Ginny and Rowan should be here soon,” Curtis said.

“Good. It’ll be nice to see them. I’m glad they’re gonna stay for a while. Has she ever met Dave?”

He shook his head. “Nope. Hey, wouldn’t it be funny if they hooked up and got married? Then we’d all be related in some weird hillbilly cousin kinda way.”

Sherrie laughed. “I just hope they get off to a better start than we did.” She batted his shoulder. “And I don’t think Dave’s going to settle down with anyone, anytime soon.”

Curtis shrugged. “You never know. Strange things happen. I got you to like country music,” he said with a wink.

So what happened after the story really ended?

When Curtis and Sherrie got back to California, Curtis started recording his latest CD titled “Yankee Girl” and was besieged by reporters. They wanted to know all about CJ’s “secret” life and find out every detail about him and Sherrie. At first he resented the media’s intrusion into his very private world, but after his brother threatened to blackmail him about his background, Sherrie convinced him to give a candid interview and open up about his past.

Sherrie volunteered at a local animal rescue shelter and helped them adopt out homeless cats.

Three months later, Curtis and Sherrie got married and honeymooned in Hawaii. Jen and Dave and most of Curtis’s band members were in attendance. After the honeymoon, Curtis went on tour with Sherrie at his side.

A Trust with Hearts sequel?

I had an idea for a follow up story focused on Jen and Dave. The basic plot went something like this:

One afternoon Jen finds out that her ex-boyfriend, Tony, has been released from prison. Jen fears that Tony will come after her and calls Dave for help. Dave tells her that she can stay at his guest cottage as long as she needs to. Jen arrives with her five-year-old son, Rowan, and Dave can see that she’s barely holding everything together.

Over two weeks, Dave and Jen bond and fight their growing attraction to each other. Dave helps Jen relax and see herself as not just a mother, but a sensual woman with needs. Dave and Jen have been hurt in the past and have trust issues, but eventually they give in to their desires.

When Jen goes to town she sees a man that looks like Tony and is afraid that he’s found her. Dave reassures her that everything is okay and she reluctantly lets Dave take care of Rowan for the rest of the day. When Rowan accidently gets injured, all of Jen’s fears resurface and she falls back into her old pattern of not being able to trust anyone. Dave and Jen argue and she decides to leave. That night as she packs, she finds Tony waiting for her in the cabin. Eager for revenge, Tony wastes no time terrorizing her.

The idea for the follow-up book is a romantic suspense – with plenty of intense love scenes between Dave and Jen.

Readers – I’d love to hear from you! What do you think about the alternate ending to Trust with Hearts? Should there be a spicy sequel featuring Dave and Jen? Or should we just leave the characters where they are?

I welcome your feedback, ideas, suggestions, and questions! Feel free to email me (or post a comment) and let me know what you think.

Order your copy here:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074422FHY

All other platforms: https://books2read.com/u/mgrK7R

Kelli

5 More Writing Tips Any Writer Can Use

Hi everyone!

Last week I promised more writing tips, well here they are! Whether you’re a beginning writer, an established author, or somewhere in between, keep these suggestions in mind as you work on your next project.

Reading Aloud is Fundamental: Before you send out your story, novel, query, or anything, make sure you read it aloud. When you read something aloud you’ll hear the words/narrative/dialog that don’t “work” or sound awkward. (And you’ll catch missing words.) If you find yourself stumbling over a sentence or phrase, it might need to be edited. Go slow and read every word. You won’t finish reading your novel aloud in a day, but the results are worth the time you invest in the process.

Give Me A Description: Use the 5 senses to enhance descriptions in your writing. Colors, smells, taste, the weather, food, (or anything) can be used to make a character or a setting stand out.

The living room smelled like a combination of wet dog and old lady perfume.

Claudia looked like she’d just eaten a lemon.

Only Aunt Patty would wear a hot-pink polka-dot dress with lime green shoes.

Color can help set the mood or tone of a story or reveal more about the characters. A room decorated in pinks and pastels with white wicker furniture probably belongs to a woman in a romance story. A room with red walls, black curtains, and silver candlesticks is most likely the setting for a horror story (or belongs to a romantic vampire!).

Rejection: It Really is All Subjective: All editors are not created the same. If you send your story (or query) out to 5 people, you’ll get 5 different opinions. (Although not every editor will share his or her feedback with you.) Rejection is hard to deal with, but as a writer you have to understand that the editor is rejecting the story, not you. Why? Sometimes you’ll never know. You might get a photocopied form letter that tells you nothing. Other times you might get a cryptic line about “not what we’re looking for” and sometimes you’ll get a paragraph with some explanation (weak plot, characters are not interesting, etc.). The important thing to remember after you’ve been rejected is to keep going. If the editor made suggestions (change the ending, add more dialog) consider the comments and either make the changes or don’t. (It’s your story.) But keep writing and submitting.

What’s Where?: Keep a list of when and where you submit your writing. Note the title of the piece (or query subject), date, and publication. This way, you’ll know what’s where and how long ago you sent it. This is handy in case you need to follow up on a wayward query or submission. I also make a list of places to submit to next, (just in case of rejection) so I’ll know where the story is headed.

5 Simple Rules of Writing: Learn these now and save yourself some angst:

1. There’s no secret or magic way to get published. You must do the work, write the story, and submit, like everyone else.
2. Write the best story you can and submit it to the proper markets.
3. Everyone gets rejected – it’s not personal.
4. Not everyone will like what you write. Develop a tough skin and learn to take negative reviews or criticism in stride.
5. Keep writing no matter what. Be persistent and follow your dreams.

  I hope these simple tips have helped motivate and encourage you as you work on your 2012 writing goals! Next week, excerpts from an interview!

Until next time,

Kelli A. Wilkins

Just in time for the holidays...Dark Things II - Cat Crimes -

Hi everyone,

Here’s some great end-of-the year news!

The anthology, DARK THINGS II: Cat Crimes: Tales of Feline Mayhem and Murder has just been released.

Everyone knows I’m a cat lover and author of three non-fiction cat care guides. Now I’ve combined my love of cats with my love of horror stories, and I found a way to benefit cats across the country.

My horror short “Just an Innocent Little Cat” appears in this anthology. This collection of tales (tails?) features feline mayhem, murder, and other things you always suspected cats were doing when you weren't looking. Cats you don't want in your worst nightmares and cats you might want on your side against evil. (My story falls into the latter CATegory.)

All proceeds from sales go to several cat sanctuaries across the USA. Enjoy over twenty-one cat “tails” and give a needy cat a new leash on life. (You’d think someone with such a bad sense of humor couldn’t write horror stories, huh?)

The book link is:  http://www.amazon.com/DARK-THINGS-II-Crimes-Feline/dp/1468055488/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324187873&sr=8-1

And here’s an excerpt:

“Just an Innocent Little Cat”

Chester sat on the bathroom floor with his tail wrapped around his body. He arched his neck and lifted his nose high in the air. Eggs and bacon. Betty was making food downstairs. That left him alone with Danny.

He leapt onto the side of the blue bathtub and sat on the rim, just outside the shower curtain. The hot water was running inside the tub, and he twitched his nose at the harsh-scented detergents filling the room. He studied the shadow of the fat man as he moved around behind the thin curtain.

Last night, he’d decided that Danny had to go. Before Danny came, Betty used to have her lady friends over to visit. They played something called “Scrabble.” Sometimes, the little brown pieces of tile landed on the floor and he swatted them under the couch. It was a fun game. But now, the nice ladies didn’t visit anymore. Danny wouldn’t allow them to come here. This made Betty sad.

After a few minutes, Danny turned off the water and opened the shower curtain. He yelped and stepped back.

“Damn thing! Get the hell out of here!”

Chester riveted his gaze on Danny, then hissed.

“Ma, hey, ma!” Danny screamed and covered himself with his hands. “Get this cat outta here!”

***

For the record: Chester was based on a real-life highly intelligent orange cat my parents owned. And isn't the cover cool?

Enjoy the holidays!

Kelli A. Wilkins

Something Spooky for the Holiday Season!

Hi everyone,

In this week’s blog I’m sharing a short and sweet promo for a new horror anthology! As most everyone knows by now, I not only write sizzling erotic romances, I also write short horror fiction.

If you’re looking for a gift for someone who likes to read horror stories - or if you’re a horror fan who wants to tune out the cutesy holiday cheer and explore the dark side, Frightmares is just for you!

My flash fiction horror story, “Death is Just a Tick Away” appeared in Dark Moon Digest’s e-magazine (Issue #1) this summer. And it now appears in the Frightmares: A Fistful of Flash Fiction Horror paperback anthology published by Dark Moon Books. The story is based on a real superstition!

The book is a compilation of dozens of flash fiction horror stories. Each tale is under 500 words and is a quick read. The authors weren’t limited to a central theme (vampires, zombies, or haunted places), so each story is completely unique.

The link to the print book on Amazon is: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0983433550/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=shadara-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0983433550

And you can still order a Kindle version of the magazine here: http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Moon-Digest-Magazine-ebook/dp/B005BSSL66/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_7

(Note: These links are for Amazon. However, these titles are also available at Barnes & Noble and other online bookstores.)

Next week on the blog I’ll be taking a look back at my 2011 Amber Quill Press romances!

Until next time,
Kelli

Writing Horror Fiction - Just in time for Halloween!

Greetings!

In a previous blog, I talked a little about horror stories in general. Now I’ll get more specific. How does a person write a horror story? What makes a great one? How can you make a convincing story about a monster if monsters aren’t real?

First, it’s important to realize that horror can take many forms — gore-filled splatter-punk with buckets of blood… mysterious, cursed people living in isolated Gothic castles (or even tropical islands!)… psychological, unsettling horror that makes you feel uneasy… or your ordinary “classic monsters” such as vampires, ghosts, zombies, and werewolves. Each kind of horror story has its fans, probably because everyone is scared of different things (heights, monkeys, bridges, etc.). But whatever type of horror story you write (or read) there are a few universal elements that should go into any horror tale.

An important element in writing horror is to invent a believable horror universe where monsters, angels, vampires, and other paranormal elements are possible – and conflict with the characters you’ve created.

The TV show “Supernatural” is an excellent example of horror world building. The Winchesters go around hunting “things” for a living. They were raised believing that paranormal creatures were more than legends – to them, they’re 100% real, no question. That’s what every horror author has to do – make the reader believe in the element of horror (whether it’s a nightmare-invading serial killer, a 60 foot sea-creature, or a ghost) and take the reader on a journey with the main characters. The situations need to be plausible and told in a way that grips the reader, even if the premise seems a bit far-fetched (at first).

As with any story, the author has to establish a believable setting. Whether your tale takes place in a gritty, post-apocalyptic city or a foggy rural graveyard, you need to give your readers a concrete foundation of where the story is taking place. Use lots of details and props to make your descriptions come alive. Ask yourself why your story has to take place where it does, then take your reader there. My story, “Kropsy’s Curse” makes great use of setting. What’s better than a horror story set in a graveyard on Halloween? It’s available on www.fictionwise.com. The link is: http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/eBook17627.htm

Remember that all characters (even the monsters) need to have a purpose. Why are your zombies in Wegmans? Your readers will want to know why (and how) the events in your story are happening. Your job as a writer is to get readers to suspend their (dis)belief and buy into your story. This is done by giving characters a goal and following it up with in-depth characterization and details. You don’t have to go into a lengthy explanation, just give your readers a reason, have your characters believe it, and move on. In my story, “The Man in Apt. 3-A”, the main character really didn’t believe a vampire lived upstairs…until he met him. (Read it for free in the horror section of my site!)

And try to avoid clichés like the plague! Masked killers hunting campers in the woods, serial-killing cannibal families, miserable Goth vampires in ruffles, and mindless zombie attacks have all been done to… well, death. When writing horror, don’t be afraid to break patterns, make your characters different or have them go against the stereotype. Give readers something unexpected, turn a cliché on its ear, or use a different point of view — it’ll make your story stand out. Why not set your werewolf story in Hawaii? My flash fiction story, “Guest of Honor” uses setting, mood, and purpose to deliver a clever ending. It was featured in The Best of the First Line. Read more about it here: http://www.kelliwilkins.com/horror01.html

My flash fiction story, “Death is Just a Tick Away” appeared in the premiere issue of Dark Moon Digest’s e-magazine (Issue #1) this summer. The story is based on a real superstition! You can order a Kindle version here: http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Moon-Digest-Magazine-ebook/dp/B005BSSL66/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_7

Remember, when writing horror, the only limit is your imagination!

Want more horror? Visit the horror section of my website: http://www.kelliwilkins.com/horror.html

 Look for a special Halloween-themed blog next week, then exciting changes in the new year!

Happy Haunting,

Kelli

Horror Short Stories - The Ape & Whispers from the Past

Hi everyone!

Happy October!

To celebrate my favorite month, my blogs for October will be devoted (in some way) to the horror and paranormal genres.

As most everyone knows, I write in several genres, including romance and horror. For some, that might seem an odd combination, but it works for me. One half of my brain writes the horror, and the half writes the romance.

Although I write hot and spicy romances for Amber Quill Press, I actually started out writing short horror stories. Since I grew up reading horror fiction and watching horror movies (the whole horror movie thing is a blog for another day) it only seemed natural. (After all, Halloween is my favorite holiday!) Later, I branched out into science fiction and published 40 or so pulp fiction-style sci-fi stories for the Sun.

In horror fiction, I get to explore different settings, plots, and characters that I couldn’t develop in romance. Sometimes after working on several romances, I’ll switch moods and write a horror story to give my brain and writing muscles a change of pace.

My horror short stories are more psychological/spooky/creepy than gory, and I like to explore the darker aspects of a story and not always give the characters a happy ending, as I do in my romances. It’s fun to take a seemingly normal situation (a Halloween party, a man living in an apartment, a boy with a grudge) and add a supernatural/horror element.

Recently, two of my short stories appeared in horror anthologies published by Pill Hill Press. (Both books are available on www.Amazon.com)

Haunted: An Anthology of the Supernatural - contains 42 short stories about haunted places. Set in a haunted house, “Whispers from the Past” blends the paranormal with a startling bit of reality.

Here’s a short excerpt:

Paul rolled over in the narrow twin bed and tried to ignore the faint whispers. No matter what he did, they invaded his mind like silvery moonbeams.

He closed his eyes and counted to fifty, hoping to focus on anything but those quiet sounds on the edge of his sanity. Ghosts did not exist, yet he was hearing eerie noises in the dead of night.

The whispers grew louder, more insistent. Now and then, he could make out a word or two in the hushed voice he recognized from long ago.

It can’t really be him. It’s just my over-stimulated imagination, or maybe the contest people are playing tricks on me.

“Stop it!”

He snapped back the bedclothes and stood up. The whispery voice fell silent.

To order the paperback, click here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1617060216/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_r=0Z66HE40JJ7NBMK2CXXB&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938811&pf_rd_i=507846

To order an electronic copy, click here:

http://www.amazon.com/Haunted-An-Anthology-ebook/dp/B003VWCJ4Y/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1279655717&sr=1-2

The Four Horsemen – An Anthology of Conquest, War, Famine & Death – This anthology of twenty-five short stories is based on The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. In “The Ape” a young boy in South Carolina uses an unusual “toy” as a tool for revenge. Here’s a snippet:

South Carolina, 1961

Billy wrinkled his nose as he entered the dimly lit shop. The air smelled funny, like a mix of spices and smoke. He closed the door behind him, cutting himself off from the outside world.

His mind fired a jumble of warnings. Nobody knew where he was… he wasn’t supposed to be here… who knew what might happen to him?

He fought the urge to yank open the door and run, but he couldn’t. He had work to do. It had taken every bit of courage he had to get this far, and he wasn’t going to give up now. Everyone in town knew where the voodoo-lady practiced her magic—but no kid in fourth grade had ever been brave enough to come inside before.

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/Four-Horsemen-Anthology-Conquest-Famine/dp/0984261036/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1273504039&sr=1-5

In my next blog, I’ll share an inside look at my paranormal romance, Beauty & the Bigfoot.

Links and excerpts from my other horror tales are on my website www.KelliWilkins.com

Until next time,

Kelli