Another teaser from Serena

Walking around the town with a badge and a gun tends to create a attitude. Especially since the whole town knew that I was a seal. I had been considering going detective, even took the initial tests for it. Still, in the moment, walking my beat. .Well I felt like a bad ass. Even the asshole drunks didn’t tend to fight when I sent them home.
Yeah it’s easy to allow it to go to my head, so I would let the idea of being a bad ass run through my mind to boost my confidence before I patrolled. Confidence helped to prevent the idiots from challenging me. Jarvin really was not a place where violence is a concern. ~Tara Robinson

Excerpt from Serena’s novella

Everything that has been said up till now about Peter Pan and the lost boys was a lie. My grandmother spoke the truth in her diaries, where no one could see. I am going to share what I can from them and the journals of Hook that she owned. I am not going to try and excuse it. I am merely sharing what I have learned. To some extent, so I do not have on my conscience those who would fall victim if I am wrong about Peter pan and his lost boys being gone.

From Serena

An excerpt from Rust, Gore, and the junkyard Zombie :
Jimbo actually tried to bite him. Dad’s reflexes have never dulled in the twenty years since he left the military. He was always a more physical person, it was one of his more annoying personality traits. His exercise routine was nearly a religious thing. He jogged five miles every morning, and did other muscle builders as well. He claimed it was how he kept his body in shape. I was so stunned that all I could do was stare.
Dad dodged away and started cussing. “Jimbo, you damn fool! What the Hell is wrong with you? “ Jimbo only groaned, and followed Dad. Again, Jimbo lunged and tried to bite.
“Have you been in my good stash again? You know that you have no tolerance for the booze! Get your drunk ass up to the couch to sober up! And how did you get so damn bloodied up boy?”
Dad clocked him, as Jimbo tried yet another time to bite him. Not the first time Dad sent him flying, but this time something was different. Dad knew it too. A look of deadly steel settled in his eyes.
“Jimbo, I am done playing with you. This is the last warning. Back off!” Dad pulled out his Colt Desert Eagle, and grimaced as if he really did not want to use it. To be honest, he probably didn’t. He rarely did. “Pull your head out your ass boy!”
Dad snarled as he backed away, but Jimbo didn’t seem to hear him. Dad aimed for the knee. The shot rang loudly, ringing painfully across the entire garage.

Inspiration monsters

Well I have been extra prolific this year with poetry. I just published my third volume for the year. That was three times what I have managed before. So I was not expecting to do much else poetry wise this year. I have two children’s stories I want to finish, a novel half written(as Serena), a novella that needs more(again Serena) and two stories due to an anthology I am doing by March. So I was sitting down to work on Serena’s Rust, Gore, and the Junkyard Zombie.

I found myself distracted…and so to clear my mind I started to write out my thoughts. A mental cleansing if you will. Next thing I knew I have seven poems for my next volume. I don’t have any idea of why I have been this inspired, but I am not going to complain.

Go peek at my author page. I have added Literary Drops already. There are other great volumes available too. It seems that my muse has decided to be kind, so I will be releasing more soon. Tomorrow, when I type the new ones in, I will be sure to post at least one for y’all to enjoy.

And in case you are curious about Serena, she has an Author page as well. Currently it only has a single novella, but keep your eyes out for that to change.

Stranger than fiction 

My life has been unusual to say the least. I am not sure that I have it in me to tell every story of a crazy life lived with survival in mind. I have told some of my story. And I will likely tell more.  Still tonight I was talking to other writers in a get to know you kind of way.  I realized that to an outsider my life sounds like fiction. 

      Which is fine,  it is what made me. I have seen the monsters that hide behind the eyes of men. I learned how to survive,  after living with no running water and living homeless. I learned how to be adaptable for living with moving often during formidable years. Still learning.  I am now learning how to see my own worth through the eyes of amazing women who see me as being worthwhile.  They are strong and creative with amazing talent.  And I am a part of this group.  Over the next six months I will be in the Fiction expedition hosted by the amazing Debbie Burns.  By the end of it I will have Rust,  Gore,  and the Junkyard Zombie ready for my editor’s lovely care. 

Audience 

          Who is my audience?  As an author there is not a day that goes by that I am not asking myself this question.  I have, I think come to a decision on it. My children’s books: the audience is fairly obvious.  Children.  I really write them for my daughter (and now my grandson).  Which is why I believe that the third bedtime stories will be mid grade. The first two were stories written for her when she was small. The third started for a preteen. (And now she is helping me write it.  She was suggesting ideas for the story and is looking forward to hear it when it is done.  She refused me reading it until then.) But I write more than just children’s books.  

        My poetry I have always written for me. So do I really have an audience for it?  Yes,  and no.  It is always going to be how I cope with the world… It is more that then it is written for a particular audience. That being said,  the reason why I published it is because my coping mechanisms can possibly help someone else who may be in a bad place. Or not,  I am not sure it matters there.  My poetry is the clearest view inside of my soul. To tell the truth I publish it because I can.  I have lost so much of my poetry over the years… This is the way of preserving it digitally so I will not lose anymore. 

        Last but not least,  there is Serena’s stories. Anything that I write that is adult in nature will be published under Serena Mossgraves.  Currently that seems to be horror.  I am not sure if it all will be… I just know that I will not be doing erotica… It embarrasses me to write it.  So I figure her audience will be adults,  preferably who enjoy what I write.  

          All seems simple enough.  I only hope that I am able to create a story that someone likes.  

Upcoming releases 

           Well,  I am on a ball.  So I have been considering what I should do with “Death of Neverland ” and the other Novella “Madness & Truth” that I nearly have done.  Mind you both are releases from Serena Mossgraves.  I have put in a good bit of thought.  While I am fine with releasing a Novella for the Kindle as a stand alone,  doing such for paperback is not something I feel comfortable with.  However,  I will release a paperback with both Novellas instead.  

Likely to be released around the same time as Madness & Truth.  I will do a update closer to the release.  I was merely wanting to share the cover idea for now.  Madness & Truth should be ready for the editor by the end of June.  I will be hopefully able to release it by the end of July.  Check back for further information as I am able. 

An introduction to the castle on the Island of Truth

              The castle has been there for two millennia,  home to beauty and tragedy. Most of it’s history has been revealed,  or so it is believed. Built of solid stone,  blood and sweat.  Dreams of happiness hide in the darkened corners inhabited by the ghosts of the castles grisly history.  
                     Lovingly restored before it drove it’s owner insane.  Now,  a group of ghost hunters seek to explore the castle and discover the secrets that lie within.  Five go in,  how many will survive?  And will they have their sanity in the end? 

                    Keep an eye out for information on Madness and Truth. By Serena Mossgraves.  

planning and prompted writing

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I have been writing more lately.  This is a good thing.  my poetry is flowing. And the stories are trying to do the same. this is where my issue is.  I am not a planner when I write.  So when I have a dozen stories vying for space in my mind and am only one person…. well it means that I get so far in a story and lose track of where it should go. which is entirely frustrating. Planning the story only causes me to loose focus quicker. I am not saying this to whine.  it is just the way that I am.

So I am feeling that frustration with my current story and I set a deadline with my editor.  What that means is something ends up being forgotten in my struggle to make the story fall into line. For me… I am sorry to say… it has been this blog. I wanted to apologize for this.  I will likely be lax in posting until I am finished with this one and sent to the editor. I hope that you understand and return to see me after the 27th.

What is writing?

So I am a published writer. I have just recently published my third children’s book.  I have published several volumes of poetry,  and a novella.  I write this blog and contribute regularly to another. After all of that,  sometimes I feel doubtful that I should claim that I am a writer. I do not have a novel,  and the current story that I am working on… Well I am likely doing a novella again. I am at five thousand words… And I realized that I am about half done. So should I stop calling myself a writer?  NO, because I am still writing.  I will likely have a new volume of poetry to release early in 2017. I will still finish the death of neverland.  I may never write a “Full” novel,  but I wonder if that really is that big of a deal.

So what is writing?  Writing is taking one’s heart and pulling it out through the fingertips.  Writing is creating a tender spot on your own soul,  and exposing it to the world. Writing is late nights,  sore fingers and crying yourself dry. Writing is the feeling of accomplishment of a job well done. Writing is all the tortures of Hell and all the pleasures of heaven. And in the end… Writing is an obsession stronger than any.

#amwriting #always