Launch Day! THE ORPHEUS FACTOR: 6 Dark #ScienceFiction Stories #Scifi

More than half of what I write is for kids, but sometimes I take great delight in writing stories just for grown-ups. Welcome to my newest collection:

THE ORPHEUS FACTOR

Maybe the aliens are already here.

These six works of short science fiction by award-winning author Anne E. Johnson range from Earth-bound cyberpunk to a space-opera retelling of an ancient Greek myth. All-in-all, the collection will leave you ... unsettled.

Purchase THE ORPHEUS FACTOR as an ebook at major online retailers:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

iBooks

Kobo

Kristi Petersen Schoonover on writing in flashback

I'm pleased to welcome Kristi Petersen Schoonover. Kristi writes short and long fiction in the horror vein, including her newest story, "This Poisoned Ground." Today she offers some great advice about a tricky technique: writing a scene or whole story as a flashback.

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Five Tips for Firm Flashbacks

by Kristi Petersen Schoonover

2011 brought an opportunity to pen a Poe-inspired, modern gothic romance under 10,000 words. My work is already influenced by Poe, so I thought the writing of my most recently published piece, “This Poisoned Ground,” would be “no sweat.”

I was wrong.

The trouble was in the telling of a love story that spanned decades. In order to properly weight the horrific ending, the reader needed to understand that there was a developing situation over a long period. How should I do that? I couldn’t write the sentence ‘they argued for thirty years’ because then my ending wouldn’t be justified—the reader had to see how awful things were. Conversely, I couldn’t start at the beginning of their relationship and spoon it out because the story would crawl (true of all lengths: Don’t ever fill any space with things that don’t need to be there).

It could be done through flashback—a fully-fleshed out scene in which we bring the reader to the past, to the time before the current story is happening. A flashback is also meant to illustrate an intangible, such as “Mom was mean” or “they were madly in love.”

But flashback’s a sticky wicket: There’s a right way and a wrong way, and doing it right can be a challenge. Here are my five tips for firm flashbacks.

Ask. Is what’s being shared only illustrated effectively through flashback? Or can it be mentioned in the character’s current thought process? “He remembered when Dad drank seven sodas a day” doesn’t need a flashback built around it if it’s just a description to flesh out Dad’s personality. If, however, it sparks the beginning of Dad’s diabetes and the protagonist’s emotional response, or is integral to conflict between them, the answer to the flashback question may be yes.

Pivot. In real life, a memory/reflection is triggered by something—an object, statement, smell, song. Use these “triggers” to usher in the flashback, making for a smooth transition. Does the protagonist find a cup her mother had given her, making her recall a specific incident which would reveal some critical aspect of their relationship? Use the cup to usher in the scene. In addition, be sure the pivot piece plays a role—no matter how minor—in the current time of the story; don’t use it as a throwaway device.

Ground. Ground the flashback in time and place, and be clear: “twenty years ago, back on their farm” is preferable to “When I wore bell-bottoms on a Wednesday at fourteen minutes past the hour.” And yes, separators can offset a flashback, but a # symbol doesn’t substitute for solid grounding.

Trim. Only show the critical bits. If the point is the protagonist has finally flipped her lid and it takes place at a restaurant, we may not need to see the couple meeting there, ordering, et cetera, but we DO need to see that when dessert is served, she tries to stab someone with a fork after a couple of lines of incendiary dialogue.

Time. Make sure the length of the scene is appropriate. Too long, the reader is pulled out of the current story; too short, the reader could get disoriented. If it’s too long, consider breaking it up into a few flashbacks—or be certain that everything depicted is really necessary. If it’s too short, it may not need to be rendered in flashback; consider a brief mention within the current time instead.

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Blurb for "This Poisoned Ground": 

They say you hurt the ones you love most. No one ever talks about when they hurt you back.

Just after dawn on the hottest day East Providence has endured in a hundred summers, Todd, a bit of a ladies’ man, finds his prized rose bush dead. This is only the first in an ever-more-ominous series of events, and someone…or something…is trying to invade his home.

In the tradition of “The Fall of the House of Usher,” “Ligeia,” and Aura comes a gripping tale of love, lust…and regret.

“This Poisoned Ground” will be in wide release January 28. For now, it is available for 99¢ in all e-formats at the publisher’s website.

To learn more about Kristi Petersen Schoonover, visit her website.

Enita Meadows Shares ShapeShifting Demons

Who doesn't like to expand their knowledge of monsters? Edita Meadows complies with this fascinating description of the very scary-sounding creatures called Aswangs, which feature in her novels.

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Vampire vs Aswang

 by Enita Meadows

These days, vampires are in. They’re cool, they’re trendy, and sometimes it’s just plain difficult—near impossible—to find an author who hasn’t written a vampire story. And who can blame them? However, deciding whether I am or am not one of those authors is tricky: It all depends on how strictly you define “vampire!”

The “tricky” part is that my Aswang Wars trilogy is about aswang, a type of shapeshifting demon. They don’t burn (or sparkle) in sunlight, they aren’t weak to a stake through the heart, and they don’t sleep in coffins. But they do drink blood. They do change their shape. They are nocturnal. So are they vampires? Or are they not?

I spent many sleepless nights researching these ghouls of Philippine folklore while writing the Aswang Wars. Their lore is completely separate from vampire myth, existing before the introduction of western cultures. There are similar ghouls in surrounding areas like Indonesia and Malaysia, but none as profound and culturally influential as the aswang is to the Filipinos.

But what is an aswang, exactly?

Essentially, an aswang is a creature which takes an unassuming form during the daytime only to transform at night and feed off humans for their blood or internal organs. The word aswang in the Philippines covers a wide array of ghouls and monsters, but most share common traits, such as a taste for human blood/entrails, some form of shapeshifting, and a trademark cry described as a wak wak or tik tik. An aswang can be many things during the day; usually a beautiful young woman, and other times an animal, the most common being a black cat or dog, a large pig, or a bat. They have proboscis tongues capable of stabbing clear through human skin, a voice that is louder when far away but softer when nearby, and have a knack for snatching up small children and even unborn babies straight from the mother’s womb.

In The Aswang Wars, the main character is one of these creatures, who has forgotten his true nature and everything about himself and the aswang world. He knows only his name, Jei Rivera, and nothing else. When an aswang named Malaya comes along to tell him not only is he an aswang, but the most vital part of the battle between warring clans, he’s thrust back into that world with his only true motivation being to learn about the past he’s forgotten.

Although I put my own twists on the aswang while molding them for the story, a lot of honest research went into the creation of the Aswang Wars trilogy. On top of that, there was a lot of discovery to be had about these blood-suckers during the writing process itself. I learned what it was like to think from a monster’s point of view, and found the distinct differences between aswang and vampire to be too great to categorize them so closely together.

Aswang are monsters, all on their own. They’re not infected with their condition. They’re demons, from birth to eventual death. Despite feeding on blood and changing shape, there’s not a lot to justify the aswang to be categorized as a “vampire” at all. In fact, maybe the vampire should instead be categorized as a type of aswang. Let’s just hope there aren’t any walking among us tonight.

Hope you all had a happy Halloween. Don’t let the monsters bite. ;)

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Learn more about Enita Meadows on her website.

Purchase the Aswang Wars series on Amazon.

Kelly Hashway on Paranormal for Teens

Kelly Hashway is one of the most prolific fiction writers around. I was honored to have her as my first guest on this blog back when her picture book May the Best Dog Win was released. But Kelly also writes YA paranormal novels. Touch of Death came out last month from Spencer Hill Press. Today Kelly discusses why paranormal stories have a special appeal for teen readers.

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For the Love of Paranormal

by Kelly Hashway

            I grew up with an older sister who loved vampires and anything dark. Who knew she’d rub off on me? But she introduced me to The Phantom of the Opera, Nightmare on Elm Street, and of course Halloween. She and her friends would watch scary movies after school and I’d sneak in to watch from the doorway. I’m still terrified of dolls thanks to Chucky, but I couldn’t get enough of all things paranormal. And soon enough, I was watching shows with everything from vampires to werewolves to ghosts. There’s a part of me that thinks I was born to live in a world of paranormal beings. Maybe that’s why I create them in the books I write.

            The great thing about paranormal (and horror) is that it’s like our world, only intensified. Every feeling, every emotion, is heightened. The genre seems to prey on emotions, and I’m an emotional person. I love being scared because it’s such a strong feeling. The feel of your heart racing, the sound of your pulse in your ears, the chills of goose bumps running down your arms and legs—these are things we can all relate to. So when I write, I aim for that. For something that will grab the reader’s emotions and not let go. I want my characters and story lines to be memorable, and memorable in a way that makes my readers experience the emotions in my books.

            Why do I think teens are drawn to the paranormal? Simple. Teens have emotions like none other. When you’re a teen, everything is intensified. Everything feels like life and death. I envy how strongly teenagers feel. I miss that. Writing YA and especially in the paranormal/horror genre lets me feel that again. I can relive how scared I’d get watching horror movies at night. I remember walking to my car after work late at night and doing double takes at every shadow in the parking lot. I need all those fears and emotions in me in order to convey them in my writing. You can’t show what you’ve never felt, at least not in a way that will make readers feel it, too.

            Paranormal has become extremely popular over the years, and I think it’s made a lot of adults turn to young adult fiction. It unites people of all ages because of the emotions it evokes. And I can’t think of anything better than bringing adults and teens together because who among us really let go of his/her inner teen? I know I haven’t. 

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Learn more about Kelly Hashway on her blog.

You can purchase Touch of Death on Amazon or B&N

Guest Blogger Horror Novelist Pembroke Sinclair

Today's guest, Pembroke Sinclair, discusses the writing of many genres (I can sure relate to that!), and the joy of focusing on Zombies. Read it if you dare.

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An Array of Genres

I love to write.  Period.  If I don’t write, I get really grumpy and am quick to temper.  Ask my family, they’ll tell you all about it.  It doesn’t matter what I write, as long as I write.  I’ve written romances (not ones with a capital R, but there have been relationships in my stories), horror, sci fi, fantasy, Westerns (not traditional ones like Louis L’Amour, but stories based on life in the West), along with nonfiction articles about agriculture and serial killers.  I have children’s stories coming out later this year, as well as religious horror novellas and a nonfiction book on slasher films.

I’ve often wondered if I should narrow my focus down to one genre.  After all, Stephen King is the master of horror, Anne Rice is known for vampires, as is Stephanie Meyers, and J.K. Rowling cornered the middle grade fantasy market.  But then I think:  won’t I get bored?  Do I really only want to write about zombies for the rest of my career?  Or distant planets?  I wonder if any of the authors I just mentioned get tired of writing the same thing over and over.

I think I’m new enough to the publishing game that I am allowed the freedom of experimenting and exploring different genres.  Besides, even the authors I mentioned previously didn’t always stay in the genres they became well known for.  Stephanie Meyer has a science fiction novel.  One of King’s greatest works of all time is the Dark Tower series, which is a cross-genre series.  Just because a person becomes famous in a certain genre doesn’t mean they have to stay in that genre.

I like to experiment.  I like to try writing in different genres and see how they do.  It challenges me to become a better writer.  While I really like zombies, I don’t want them to be my only focus.  That’s limiting.  I want to be able to spread my writing wings and explore what I want to explore.

However, just because I like to explore different genres and experiment with writing, that doesn’t mean I don’t have favorite genres.  I do actually prefer to write in the sci fi or fantasy genres.  Horror is all right, but it takes a lot to scare me, so I don’t think my books are overly frightening. 

My most recent attempt at horror was my young adult zombie novel called Life After the Undead.  It is my most recent book (it came out in 2011), and the sequel, Death to the Undead, is scheduled for publication in May.  Even though horror isn’t my favorite genre to write in, so far, this is my favorite series.  I really got into the characters and had a great time with them.  They always surprised me with their reactions to certain situations.  They definitely took the story and made it their own.

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You can purchase Life After the Undead on Amazon and eTreasures.

You're also invited to visit Pembroke Sinclair's blog.

Guest Blogger

Ooh-la-la. We've got a little spice in the blog stew today! I'm delighted to welcome novelist John B. Rosenman, whose newest work is called Steam Heat. Appropriately, John shares with us some fascinating thoughts about the connection of sex and horror in the human mind.

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            In fiction, why is sex so often scary?  Isn’t it supposed to be fun, the most beautiful, life-affirming thing around?  Yet in book after book, and in movies, too, sex is chillingly portrayed as being a tool of the Powers of Darkness.  Far from being the source of life, it is presented as an expressway to death and a shortcut to hell.

            Why?

            By way of answer, let me talk about one of my books that deals with erotic horror.  In Steam Heat, available from MuseItUp Publishing at  http://tinyurl.com/7muafug, Chad Benson enters a steam room and lies down:

            Ah, the heat felt good!  He'd sweat a bit and decide who he'd see this weekend.  Maybe

someone kinky like Michelle.

            Lying down, he covered his eyes with his towel. His chest rose and fell in the hot, humid air.

            The door opened and closed. Listening, he could hear no footsteps. How odd. Was the person simply standing there? As he started to remove his towel, a hand caught his.

            "I don't want you to see," a soft voice said.

            "You—don't?"

            "No, Chad.  It spoils the fun."

            It was the redhead! Obviously, she'd seen him watching her and had dumped her loser before finding out his name. He grinned.

            "Can't I even peek?"

            "No, it could prove dangerous. After all, I might be Medusa."

            He laughed, imagining her lovely face. "Hey, come on. If you looked at Medusa—"

            "Shhh.  Don't even say it."  Fingers slid behind his head, tying his towel securely so he couldn't pull it off.  A moment later, he felt sharp nails glide down his chest and stomach and start to remove his trunks.

            "Hey!"

            "What's the matter? Don't you like to live dangerously?"                                    

            What was with this girl? Having her strip him while he was blindfolded put him at a decided disadvantage, put her in control. What’s more, they were practically in plain sight! Any moment someone could come in.

            "Well?"

            Something in her voice stilled his protest, soothed it away.  "Okay," he shrugged.  "Only you get to peek and I don't.  It hardly seems fair."

            Her hand took his and glided it along a smooth, bare thigh, up her stomach to her breasts. 

            He caught his breath.  She was naked!

            Okay, cool off.  The first thing this scene suggests is that when we have sex (or make love, if you prefer), we put ourselves potentially at a great disadvantage.  We have decided to trust somebody in the most vulnerable experience of our lives, and all our defenses are down.  This is scary and horrific.  At best, our partner may be displeased by our body and our performance and even snicker, thereby shredding our self-esteem.  At worst, well, I’ll leave that to your imagination.  In the scene from Steam Heat, the hero has been stripped and blindfolded, submitting passively while his unknown partner has assumed control.  What’s more, as he notes, they are “practically in plain sight!”  At any moment, others might walk in and not only witness his humiliation but contribute to it.

            So, one reason sex is scary is that so often, it is both dangerous and a dangerous leap of faith.  We never know when we might be embarrassed or worse, even destroyed.  Yes, sex can be the greatest and most loving way to connect with someone, but it can also be the most terrifying way to have that connection destroyed forever.

            Ask yourself this: Do any of us ever really know the person or persons we make love to?  As in my story, how do we know the person we desire isn’t really a “Medusa” or monster guilty of unmentionable sins?  How do we know that person won’t betray us?

            Well, that may be laying it on a bit thick, but just think how closely love and hate are connected and how quickly and completely the former often turns into the latter.  Think of America’s soaring divorce rate, or the feuding couple in The War of the Roses. 

            A second reason sex is often tied to horror is thanatos, or the death wish or death drive.  In Elizabethan literature, the verb “die” was a common euphemism for having an orgasm.  Put another way, why are the “Twilight” books and movies so popular?  Fall in love with a vampire, and you can become one of the Undead forever.  Or get raped by Satan as in Rosemary’s Baby, and you can become Satan Jr.’s mother.  Yes, indeed, having sex means that you skate on very thin ice, especially if you’re ambivalent and part of you wishes to crack it and fall through—to spiritual death.  Want to take chances and walk on the dark side?  It’s easy, wrap your limbs and soul around a vampire.  Or use sex in a hundred different ways to hurt someone, including yourself.  Bondage and whips, sadism and masochism, here I come!

            I don’t want to give away any secrets, but the fear of and desire for death is also a part of my story Steam Heat.  Is not embracing death and oblivion the most frightening experience of all?  Doesn’t it turn folks on?

            I’m sure there are other reasons why sex is often portrayed as horrifying.  On a positive note, sex is also shown as funny, glorious, and loving, the most important thing that makes us human.  It’s just that like so much else in human life, sex can be twisted and misused.  Ultimately, it can be a force of transcendence or of pain.

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Don't want to cool down? You can buy Steam Heat here.
You can visit John Rosenman on his website.

What Makes It Scary?

Neil Gaiman's novel The Graveyard Book begins with all but one member of a family being murdered in their beds at night. Yet this is a middle grade novel! It makes me consider how Gaiman could pull off such a thing. What makes writing true horror, and what is just scary?

It's a long-established tenet of the movie industry that the amount of blood shown is one way to measure the maturity of the audience needed. In the Gaiman, that opening scene is bloodless. Of course, there must be blood, since three people are knifed to death, but it isn't described. The agony of their deaths is not described. Instead, the knife is described:

"The knife had a handle of polished black bone, and a blade finer and sharper than any razor. If it sliced you, you might not even know you had been cut, not immediately. The knife had done almost everything it was brought to that house to do, and both the blade and the handle were wet." (N. Gaiman. The Graveyard Book. New York: Harper, 2008, page 5)

Wet. Not bloody. It's the implication that's terrifying.