'Dollhouse' and a Bohemian Legend

I ran across the legend of the Knights of Blanik Mountain while researching something else for another book (can't remember the actual book, but I do remember getting happily sidetracked by this). I love the idea of mythical guardians of a country staying hidden and dormant until roused by a threat. In the case of the Knights of Blanik Mountain, it would be the call of the patron saint of Bohemia (now the Czech Republic), Wenceslaus I. 

The sleeping Knights of Blanik Mountain

So one thing led to another the more I read up on it, and eventually I came up with the idea of supernatural guardians specific to different countries who are locked in a perpetual tug-of-war over human souls against another figure from legend: Viduus, a minor Roman god who is responsible for separating the human soul from the body. In the case of the AU Europe I chose for the setting, Viduus appears in a variety of disguises to desperate mortals, and he tricks them into a bargain over a cursed artifact or object that reflects the victim's deepest desire.

In Dollhouse, we're looking at an orphan boy who's always wished for a family, and he's separated from his older sister one day and is enticed into a mysterious toy store. For poor little Arthur, his desire for a family is turned into a deadly bargain over a dollhouse. 

Wenceslaus I

It's this use of a cursed object that's also spawned the collection's name: Curiosities. Curiosities were previously associated with a collection of oddities housed in a display cabinet, but that idea evolved into its current form the farther I got writing Dollhouse. So Arthur's cursed object is different from Alexej's (Automata) and from Emerick's mother (Eidolon). 

I was tempted to write more for this collection but found myself losing steam with Eidolon, which is a shame because there's really so much more potential for this collection. I'm open to possible future books but in long novella form (see: Ghosts and Tea), but as always, it'll all depend on time, energy, and inspiration. All the same, I'm happy with what I've managed to accomplish with just three books for this collection and don't regret leaving the collection as is. 

Dollhouse is part of February's Backlist Bonanza 50% off sale, and you can get a copy of the book over here.

On a Poirot Kick (Plus Catching Up with Some Good Stuff)

Having recently rented and watched (and enjoyed) Kenneth Branagh's adaptation of Death on the Nile, I'm now officially back on a Poirot kick but in book form. I'm also limiting my use of digital devices and sticking to print copies of Agatha Christie's books so as not to be tempted away from said devices (or device in my case since I no longer have my Kindle e-reader and only use the app on my phone) by neighboring apps. I got copies of Hallowe'en Party and the complete Poirot short stories from used book sellers and am set to check out And Then There were None and Dumb Witness (this one was one of my favorite episodes from the David Suchet series) from the local library. 

I'm hoping to borrow The ABC Murders once the library's copies are available and will place a hold once I'm done with the two. 

My dependence on an e-reader app is easing up gradually. Amazon offers occasional specials on their Kindle Unlimited subscription service, and I take advantage of them whenever I feel like it. I'm not one for KU both as a reader and a writer. I honestly don't like limiting readers' options when it comes to where they can buy my books, and judging from my monthly statements, it's proving to be a smart move since folks are spoiled for choice, and Kobo is beating Amazon every time. So is Hoopla, in fact, and I'm really pleased that readers are taking advantage of that service. 

Of course those KU deals have an expiration, and I'm always keeping one eye on the calendar (though Amazon will send you a reminder a week before the expiration happens) and find myself much more likely to DNF a book that's not holding my interest. Not a good thing as a reader since I'm not giving writers a fair shake, but it's the effect of a subscription service deal on me ("I only have X time to discover and enjoy new books! Aw, shit!"). And if I do run across a new writer whose book(s) I devour via KU, I'll be buying their books to read and keep in the future. 

And the sad effect of this mindset is that none of the books stick with me, and if I were to try to borrow them again via another subscription deal, I discover I've read that book before but remember nothing about it. Whereas the books I buy, I take my time with and still remember bits of their plots regardless of whether or not I end up loving them. I'm now finding this thing to be true with other subscription services. Like Netflix, which for the longest time I depended on for my home entertainment but now barely touch. We're thinking of canceling our subscription in a few months depending on our bill payment situation, but if we do, I'm not going to lose sleep over it. 

Renting movies on occasion is now fulfilling that visual escapist need, and I really don't find it necessary to be bombarded with hundreds of options every time I get on Netflix. I'm not a voracious viewer, if you will, and I'll now more likely watch a film / one-shot than invest time on a series, no matter how long. Hell, I've lost interest in GBBO, which has been my comfort show in what feels like forever. Anyway, things are now up in the air where Netflix goes, which leads me to the whole single-rental-thing I'm now preferring.

I finally, FINALLY watched American Fiction and absolutely loved it. It's vicious and gets in your face about race issues in publishing and entertainment through dry humor. But there are also a number of dramatic moments that blindside you and crush your heart. Those involving Sterling K. Brown as the gay son who's hurting and dealing with family issues throw you for a loop at first and even threatens a really terrible stereotype about gay men (particularly black gay men) until the second half of the movie, and you're shown why he's on that path. And the resolution? Not what you expect. Certainly not what I expected, and it triggered the waterworks. Race and publishing might be at the forefront of the story, but family is tightly woven into the fabric of the whole thing. Specifically, what actually defines family in the guise of Lorraine.

The ending is very meta and funny in its own way while also being sad considering the point it was trying to make about black artists and what white society expects from them. I'd love to read the book, but the few copies at the local library are all checked out, and there's a massive long line of other patrons waiting their turn. I don't mind waiting longer.

Conclave is next on my must-watch list as The Substance, which I know I'll need to brace myself for. Talk about a study in contrasts.

'Guardian Angel' and Coming Home

Guardian Angel was my first ever effort at self-publishing a complete novel (and then some) following a few years spent working with small queer presses since 2008. It's also my longest novel to date as my omnibuses don't count since they were originally released in portions as multi-part books. Above all, this book was my first taste of freedom in the sense that I no longer had to consider requirements and limitations (all set by these small presses for good reason, of course), and I allowed myself to just damn the world and go nuts.

Clearly the length of the book at 150K words says as much. Crazy I'm now going the complete opposite with my current publishing efforts and am now limiting myself to long novellas. I've already discussed the reasons why I opted to take this format on for the rest of my writing and publishing life, so I'm not going to bore you guys with another post about them. I love the new length and am now super comfortable tackling it.

"The Governess" by A.M. Sartor

Anyway, my main love in literature is gothic horror, specifically ghost fiction. The more traditional haunted house fiction, the better, though not necessarily in setting. I'll take ghost stories in modern day houses or even public spaces as long as they're effectively chilling and atmospheric. For my first effort at a full-on self-published novel, I dove right into a traditional Victorian ghost story but with my own twist: an AU 19th century Europe where some magic is part of daily life, and same-sex relationships are commonplace and accepted. 

All that means writing Guardian Angel felt like coming home. 

Guardian Angel takes place in England, and I mined my library for inspiration in terms of getting me in the right head space for this story. So I read (and reread) my copies of Henry James's The Turn of the Screw, Susan Hill's The Woman in Black, and M.R. James's ghost stories. The only copy I had of the third book mentioned here wasn't a complete collection of James's work, by the way. It was just an anthology of select works, which ultimately got me hungry for his entire backlist. I was able to buy volumes one and two from a used book dealer online for the Penguin edition of his complete ghost stories. 

'The Woman in Black' by Susan Hill

In addition, I went back and lost myself (not that I'm complaining) again in my favorite haunted house movies, which I've also lauded time and again here: The Changeling, The Others, and El Orfanato. 

When I planned out Guardian Angel, I also tossed myself into the rabbit hole of taboo subjects or themes that were par for the course in classic gothic fiction from previous centuries. Rape, murder, and in future books like The House of Ash, incest -- though incest isn't in this one. Suffice it to say, jumping right into self-publishing freed me enough to want to try my hand at exploring subjects I otherwise would've avoided per my publisher's requirements.

Guardian Angel is one of my Backlist Bonanza books for February, and it's 50% off at $2.49. You can get a copy from one of the online stores on the book page.

Gallery Page for 'The Perfect Rochester' Now Up

As the post title says, y'all. I finally got it together and did the gallery page for The Perfect Rochester, and since I'm still not quite 100% myself yet, I hope like hell the stuff makes sense. I was also able to get the print book set up, so that should go live soon enough. We now have less than one month before the book's grand entrance.

Progress on Compline has improved a lot ever since I decided to work extra chapters into the book. It helped me revise that problematic chapter I whined incessantly about, and now things are where they should be. Only minor tweaks are needed for the rest of the initial chapters I wrote, and I'll cross that bridge when I get there. Suffice it to say, they're nowhere near as troublesome as the one I just reworked.

I'm going to be hitting the 30K-word mark this coming weekend, and things will pick up speed once that line's crossed. Wow. It's almost mind-blowing that I'm so close to the homestretch. And to think I almost shelved this book three times. A big old emphatic "Phew!" to that.

As a bit of an aside, I'd like to address the year-long book sales I'm having for my backlist. I'm doing that to help folks get copies of my books at more affordable prices. Granted, my set prices for my e-books and print books are by design, and they're meant to be the most affordable for books written by an obscure author who specializes in a relatively small niche (gothic horror and ghost fiction + a hint of gay romance).

However, given current economic uncertainties, I'm not about to strong arm anyone into shelling out money for my books. 

So the other option I encourage readers to take advantage of is Hoopla. All you need is a library card if you live in the US, and you can borrow my books through that program. It's free to readers, and writers still get a small royalty per book checked out. It's a win-win for everyone, and all but The Book of Lost Princes are listed. The cover art for most of the older books aren't the more current ones, but the contents are the same.

So if you're interested in checking out my stuff but would like to save some money, go here for my author page.

February Backlist Bonanza: 'Guardian Angel' and 'Dollhouse'

I was way off my center all of January (bad cold and a crazier than usual workload at the day job), so I barely managed a couple (three?) posts on the books I had on offer for my monthly Backlist Bonanza sale. I hope to do better this month though it looks like the day job's set to be just as nutty as last month. A shocking development, yeah, but also good in the sense of steady work in the face of a shitshow of a GOP administration (and I use "administration" in its loosest sense). 

So for February, two new books are 50% off:

GUARDIAN ANGEL

When nineteen-year-old Dominic Coville's parents die in an accident, leaving him not only alone but on the brink of poverty, he desperately searches for work and is thrilled when the post of secretary is awarded to him despite his obvious inexperience and ignorance. Mr. Wynyard Knight of Mandrake Abbey, however, gladly welcomes Dominic and earns the young man's immediate sympathy for his fragile health as well as gratitude for the promising new life now awaiting Dominic. 

Inside rock and timber, hungry shadows seek... 

But unusual things soon happen and appear to focus solely on him, and Dominic begins to wonder about the true history of Mr. Knight, the strange young man haunting the third floor, and Mandrake Abbey. With the persistent and increasingly violent attempts at communication by an angry ghost shadowing his hours, Dominic struggles to unravel the mysteries of his new home. And even with the help of a handsome young gentleman who's an aspiring supernaturalist as well as his clairvoyant sister, danger closes in far too quickly. 

Then it's only a matter of time before carefully constructed façades fall away, and the sickly, decaying underbelly of Mandrake Abbey's centuries-old collection of stone and timber will reveal itself. 

Set in an alternate England sometime before the mid-19th century, Guardian Angel weaves a tangled and dark tapestry of old magic, romance, and madness, a celebration of classic gothic fiction and its macabre sensibilities.

DOLLHOUSE

A bright future stretches out before Arthur Summerfield when he and his sister, Jane, are whisked off to the continent by Jane's fiancé. Catching the attention of a wealthy traveler ushers the pair into an exciting world filled with new friendships, young love, and a darkly magical land of misty mountains and mysterious guardian wolves.

While Arthur settles down into his new life in the town of St. Jude, Jane and Matus move into a centuries-old converted tower house fifty miles away. One that welcomes its new residents after decades of emptiness.

And centuries of loneliness.

The new residents stir the silent walkers of the house, their fates nothing more than cryptic entries in the journals of a long-dead mistress. As the house awakens, Arthur also draws the attention of Bohemia's guardian wolves, summoned to the town by their ancestor's calls.

Past and present come together in a chilling montage of centuries-old tragedies, an orphan's brush with the occult, and a young man who suddenly finds himself the focus of supernatural forces. Alone, armed with nothing but his wits, Arthur must venture into the deepening shadows of a haunted tower house to save the lives of those he loves most.

Guardian Angel is the first book under the Arcana Europa heading, and it's a collection of standalone novels that only share a universe, not an arc. Dollhouse is part of the Curiosities collection, which is also a collection of standalone novels sharing the same universe. Both e-books are half off through the end of February.