A title finally!

Okay.  I've finally decided on a title for the third installment of the Secret Salem series.  Drum roll please...  Haunted.

I'm still working on the cover.  I've got one finished, but I need to put it away for awhile and let it marinate.  Sometimes I think I have the perfect cover, but I go back to it after awhile and think...meh.  I can do better.

I'll post it as soon as it's ready.

I thought I'd give a little sneak peek into the new series I'm writing about the lethal lolita Kory Colt.  I'm still toying with the title.  I'll post it when I know it.  Enjoy the except below!

I flew off my bed and jammed my shoes on, grabbing the bat before shoving a knife into my boot.  I was in such a mood already part of me hoped it was Tommy so I had a reason to kick his ass again.  He wouldn’t be walking away with just a cracked rib.  He might not be walking away at all.

My steps were silent as I eased out the back door, heading around the side of the house toward the little alley between my house and the next.  A thick blanket of darkness hugged the night, obscuring the distance until my eyes adjusted.  Anyone else would have been walking in blind. 

Nothing and no one stirred.

Damn.  I was really looking forward to a fight.

I continued down the alley in hopes of finding him hiding on the other side of the house.  Adrenaline coursed through my veins like blood, waking up every part of my body.  Sleep would be nonexistent tonight if I didn’t get a release.

I crept around the house, my breath steaming in front of me.  My head slowly peeked around the corner—and was met with disappointment by the emptiness.  

Well that was a letdown. 

A cold wind blew my long dark hair across my face, carrying a saccharine scent with it.  Probably an empty bottle of Jägermeister somewhere, I thought, tucking the locks behind my ear.

Suddenly I felt rather than heard someone approaching me from behind.  The hairs on the back of my neck stood at attention while goose bumps prickled my naked arms.  I probably should have tossed a jacket on over my lacy tank. 

Happy Halloween!!!

The time is finally here.  Halloween is upon us.  And yes, that's little girl me in the picture below.  My love for the macabre started early as you can see.

And here is one more spooky soundtrack.  What's Halloween without a little "Thriller" by Michael Jackson.  Enjoy!

Image courtesy of Digitalart at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Horror short

Here is a scary short story to tide you over until tomorrow.  It's titled, Road Trip.  Read if you dare...

            The man refilling the hotdog machine at Burt’s Market gave me a wide, toothless grin.  What little teeth he did have were yellowed and covered in tobacco flecks.

            I managed a semi-polite smile and went back to examining the rack of snacks.  I also tugged my jean mini down to make sure it covered my ass. 

            “You think that’s Burt?”  My boyfriend’s voice was unexpectedly close to my ear making me jump.

            I elbowed him.  “Jerk.”

            He sucked in air and pretended I had actually hurt him.  “Watch it slugger.  I think you cracked a rib.”  His smile turned devilish.  “Maybe we should blow this party off and get a hotel room so you could take care of me all weekend.”

            I rolled my eyes.  “We already told Nathan and Chelsea we’d be there.”

            His strong arms came around me and hugged me to his broad chest.  “Oh fine.”  He kissed my neck and I giggled.  “You always get your way Melissa.”

            “Yep.”

            Jimmy and I were on a road trip from Virginia to Georgia to visit our friends for the night.  Then tomorrow we were headed out to the beach.  We stopped at a shabby gas station on the side of a very long stretch of country highway. 

            “Get the Little Debbi cakes instead of Honey Buns.”  He pointed to the row of sweets I was gazing at, his sandy blonde hair falling in his face.  He brushed it back, revealing the extent of his dazzling blue eyes and chiseled face.

            “Okay,” I breathed, fascinated by how gorgeous he was.

            “Cheetos or Doritos…?”

            Jimmy’s voice trailed off as a sharp pain resonated above my right temple.  It pulsed so hard my vision turned red then black as if I was going pass out.  It felt like someone had struck me with a two-by-four.

Another Ghoulish Goody...

Enjoy the second Halloween Soundtrack.  Less than a week to go!

You'll have to see the video of "Moon Trance" to know why it deserves a spot on the scary soundtrack.  Click the link below!

Video


Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Progress...

Okay.  I've just finished writing out the plot points for the final installment of the Divine Darkness series, Dark Goddess.  Awe.  I know.  It's the end.  I actually got a little teary eyed when I was done.

But on a good note, the story's not over completely.  I've been thinking about doing a few spin offs to tell some of the other characters' tales of love--or lust depending on who's doing the wooing.  The action will be centered around them of course, but I'm sure Hartley and Hayden will be in there somewhere.

Back to Dark Goddess... All I'm going to say at this point is be prepared to face old enemies and their motives might just surprise you...

Time for an Urban Legend

I'll start with the one that still makes me tremble--aftershocks from sleepless sleepovers.  I'm only going to say the full name once.  You got it.  Once.  Because in this techno world she could manifest in the computer monitor instead of a bathroom mirror.  It is reflective when powered off.

Here goes... Bloody Mary.
AH...!

Probably 95 percent of the female population in America is familiar with this legend and have tried the ritual at one time or another.  I'm definitely a multiple offender.

I don't know how I originally heard about B.L., but I do remember my mom and aunt telling my cousins and me that she was a real, trying to scare the snot out of us.  Of course we laughed at them too-cool-for-school then screamed our heads off when not five minutes after the conversation we tried the ritual and they banged and rattled on the door.

So wrong of them.  How could they?

The legend is supposedly of a woman named Mary Worthington.  There's a whole heap of different versions of the twisted tale, most involving her stealing or murdering children.  One particularly gruesome story is about a young woman who gave birth to a fatherless child in the 1700's.  The townspeople sliced and diced her with glass while she watched in a mirror.  Another claim said she was actually the ghost of Queen Mary I who suffered from multiple miscarriages.

All accounts offer a chilling demise of the woman, leading to her hair-raising hauntings.

The ritual...

This is the part most of us are familiar with if not experts.  There are variations, but this is the one I remember.

You go into a bathroom, light a candle, say B.L. three times, and blow out the candle.  You wait for her to appear and she's supposed to scratch you.

In hindsight it sounds pretty freaking sadistic, but when you're young you get your thrills where you can.

One other version I remember is the same as above, but you hold a fork to your chest and say, "I've got your bloody baby," and she's supposed to appear and stab you with it.

I never liked playing that one.

Most scientist chalk up any actual sightings of her in the mirror as hallucinations brought on by the flash of the candle going out and staring at your reflection too long... some crap about your eyes playing tricks on you.  Blah.  Where's the fun in that?

So... that is a little about the legend of B.L.  Hope you enjoyed.  And if you're brave enough maybe on a dark night you should try the little ritual.  Just don't be surprised if the deranged chick shows up and plays you like a scratching post.


Image courtesy of Victor Habbick at FreeDigitalPhotos.net