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.
Category: W.I.P.
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.
I survived
I am pleased to claim 19 of the 24 prompts given for the marathon. I have 20 poems now for Literary Drops. I hope to be publishing it in December.
Nerves and reality
So I decided that I need to step back for a day or so from my projects in progress. I do this so I can get perspective on the story. So I returned to another project, a game world idea for D20 rpg. I set up the pen name for the project a while back. As it happens, this project got sidelined due to life getting busy, and the fact that I was writing on my phone. This made the project in question so much harder. The other stories were not as layout oriented in the writing. So I am now able to use my laptop, and I really have no reason why I should not put it into my current projects.
So I transferred what was done and realized that I have barely scratched the surface of what needs to be done with this. So I started to do it and the networking to be seen… And now I am sitting here laughing at my impetuous nature. The other projects will likely be ready for the editor in two months or less. This one is not likely to be available for at least six. I am being a wee bit optimistic about it. So I will be busy writing if I want to release everything this year.
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.
Poetic license
Recently I asked for advice on my poetry… And it got me thinking. The advice was given that I need to add smilies and metaphors in my poetry, because there is no poetry with out it. Now mind you I added some images, but some poems just do not work with either. I feel like I am missing something by refusing to accept that all poetry must have either of the two options. But, then I start to question… Who is writing the poem?
Yes, I employ both in my poems, but not always. Some poems are just emotions in written form. If all poetry was just comparison then where is the original ideas? Images do not have to be a comparison to be evocative. Sometimes the more you compare the emotional state with something else, the more you lose of the original idea.
Do not get me wrong… I am grateful for the opinions offered, after all it made me look closer at what I was writing and add more imagery. I however am not sure that I am willing to completely change my voice because it doesn’t fit another person’s idea of what poetry should be.
What do you expect when you read poems? Which of the poetry styles /rules are a hard and fast thing for you? Please do respond. I would love to discuss this idea further.
The Junkyard Zombie
They are definitely not your average family. They live in a junkyard. And they are a big family. But when the dead walk, well, they handle it. Survive first. Figure out why later.
Meet Chris Robinson, former marine special forces, and his family. Shara, his 13 year old daughter. Amara, his wife. Tara, former navy seal, and Lizzie, scientist, his younger sisters. The rest of the family are there but as the dead start to get their rotting asses back up, how many will remain?
Will they be able to figure out the why? And what caused the dead to walk???
*picture for inspiration only. Found on Google *
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
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.
Pattimouse 
