Cover Reveal… UNDEATH and TAXES by Drew Hayes

Tags

book, cover reveal, Drew Hayes, humor, monsters, vampires

So when I heard the fabulous Drew Hayes had written a sequel… I jumped for joy. JOY I TELL YOU!!!!!

FRED IS BACK! If you haven’t read THE UTTERLY UNINTERESTING AND UNADVENTOROUS TALES OF FRED, THE VAMPIRE ACCOUNTANT, GO… READ! Such a great book. I cannot wait for the sequel. It is my honor to help share the cover with everyone (or at least the three people who read my bloggity blog blog).

 

 

After discovering just how filled with magic, intrigue, and adventure the parahuman world of being an Undead American can be, Fredrick Frankford Fletcher did exactly what was expected–he became a certified parahuman accountant. Myths and legends, as it turns out, are not so great at taking appropriate deductions and keeping their receipts, and Fred is more than happy to return to a life others view as woefully dull, expanding his accounting business to cater to various monsters and their respective financial needs.  Said monsters are, unfortunately, still spectacular at pulling Fred into trouble, though. And despite merely wanting to stick with simple paperwork, Fred once again finds he is going to have to deal with enchanted weaponry, government agents, possessed houses, and one enigmatic dragon’s interest. In the parahuman world, any business can turn deadly, even one as mundane as accounting.

 

Add Undeath & Taxes on goodreads

 

Drew Hayes is an aspiring author from Texas who has written several books and found the gumption to publish a few (so far). He graduated from Texas Tech with a B.A. in English, because evidently he’s not familiar with what the term “employable” means. Drew has been called one of the most profound, prolific, and talented authors of his generation, but a table full of drunks will say almost anything when offered a round of free shots. Drew feels kind of like a D-bag writing about himself in the third person like this. He does appreciate that you’re still reading, though.

Drew would like to sit down and have a beer with you. Or a cocktail. He’s not here to judge your preferences. Drew is terrible at being serious, and has no real idea what a snippet biography is meant to convey anyway. Drew thinks you are awesome just the way you are. That part, he meant. Drew is off to go high-five random people, because who doesn’t love a good high-five? No one, that’s who.

See Drew told about himself in first person on his website and twitter.

#EverydayIsHalloween … Oh my!

Tags

#EverydayIsHalloween, dark, fear, horror, monsters, story, writing

Frightful day, my October friends!

Here I am to try and come up with a story for the Midnight Society’s challenge. Again. I might have lost my mind… oh, no, wait… it’s been gone for some time now. However, do not fret. I like me this way. So the word of the day is…

Monsters!

A creepy story inspired by that word? Easy-peasy you say! Not quite. I must work to avoid the clichés, people. I must search my mind for what is unexpected about monsters, sadly ruling out all the strange creatures lurking under the bed, in the closets, or dark, moldy basements. *sigh* I do love those guys.

First let me entertain you with a photo of two monsters I sculpted out of clay. Meet the terrible Query and his annoying sidekick Synopsis.

Lt to rt… Synopsis, Query

Terrifying! I know.

But onward and upward. I have been pondering what to write for today all last night and had an idea. And, believe it or not, I know where this one is going. At least I do now… and like life, we shall see.

The Light

I huddle in the dark, the edges of clothes brushing my face like cobwebs. The blackness is better, keeps me safe from the monster. A sliver of light creeps across the dust-covered floor. I cram my back against the corner, pulling my grimy toe from the streak of brightness.

Wanting to hide forever, I wrap my arms around my knees, burying my face into my favorite pink dress. People are afraid of the dark, but they should be afraid of the light.

The groan of the front door makes my belly roll with fear of what will be revealed. Voices whisper through the house.

Cold ignorance of the dark fades. My calm shatters as light slips through the cracks of my mind.

Sighing, I stand and smooth my dress, sticky deep red smears obscuring the delicate flowers. My fingers curl around the ax handle, slippery with blood and sweat. Soon there will be darkness again, safety. For everyone.

The closet door gives no warning as I exit. The sunlight shudders as it falls across my blood-coated foot as I step over one body then another – lifeless, their blank eyes staring into the void of forever. I grip the stained wooden handle, the metal head dragging on the floor behind me. Determination to save them from the monster drives my stride.

Cheerful conversations weave through the air, safe in the sunlight.

But is it truly safe, when nothing can hide?

I raise the ax onto my shoulder.

The light reveals the monster.

End

Well, that was fun. A bit creepy. A little gross. I’d warn the people in that house, but then the monster would find me, and, with a few more #EverydayIsHalloween posts to do, I can’t really have that happen.

‘Til next time! (Let’s hope I can keep this up.) Don’t be afraid of the dark.

The Magic of Why Not

Tags

books, demons, ghosts, horror, magic, monsters, movies, Oculus, Stephen King, thoughts, why not, writing

The monster under the bed, the demon lurking in the dark corner, the ghosts in the attic, all the unknown existing on the other side of our reality fascinates me. Why? I don’t know. I’d blame my dad, but really I think the interest was always in my head. I was born this way! Some people are. Some people look at me like I am insane.

And that’s okay.

My dad handed me my first horror book when I was 17. ‘The Talisman’ by Stephen King and Peter Straub. Something new! Why not? I found myself scared to death, sitting alone upstairs in my room with a single lamp on, staring out into the dark hallway. I raced out of my room, through the dark hall, down the shadowy staircase to reach the lighted rooms and normal sounds of my family. I LOVED IT! I was hooked. And will read anything Mr. King writes. ‘The Shining’ is one of my favorite books. Hedge animals … *shudder*

I always liked scary movies. If my dad was watching it, I wanted to know what it was … cause, you know, he watched the COOLEST stuff. So when, at the drive-in, he said, “You might not want to watch this part.” My sister hid her eyes, but I stared at the screen as a creepy clown doll attacked a kid, as a tree tried to kill him, and when a closet ate poor Carol Ann. Yes. Poltergeist. That one still haunts me.

Monday I saw Oculus. One … hello creepy horror movie. Two … Karen Gillan (Amy Pond) and Katee Sackhoff are in it! Love them. I didn’t quite know what to expect. The commercials offered a haunted mirror. Cool! I’ve always held onto the belief that mirrors don’t just reflect. They watch. They drink in the images of life playing before them. (Yes, I’ve been hoping to find just the right book idea to use this.) So I went. I watched perched at the edge of my seat. Losing the defined line of what is real and unreal … the tangled mess of a terrifying past experience melding with the present as a brother and sister face an evil that tormented them as kids. Both had moved on … one preparing to destroy the evil and the other working hard to believe it hadn’t been real. If you like creepy, you’ll like this movie. All the way home, my head buzzed with aftereffects. Don’t you love it when a movie, or book, takes you away from real life so much so that it is difficult to return? I do.

And the new movie The Quiet Ones is next on the list.

Horror has been on my mind lately. I’ve always loved it, but never gave much thought to writing it. My stories never go there, I assumed it wasn’t in my head to write. Then last November, I participated in Reuts Publishing’s contest called ProjectREUTSway. Why not? Each Sunday, they gave an assignment to add something such as ghosts, demons, vampires, shape-shifters, etc. to a story inspired by a fairy tale. I turned in a story every Thursday that month! And had SO MUCH FUN! The brainstorming! The rereading of so many fabulous Grimm fairy tales! With this contest, horror worked its way into my writing. From a blood drinking demon, to a killer ghost, to a fallen angel becoming pure evil, and a shape-shifter, I found my creepy side. Two of these stories were chosen to be published in an upcoming anthology (I will certainly share new information about this when I know) and one was chosen to be published on Reuts’ blog! The final one I sent not too long ago to a magazine and await news.

So, finally my love of the fabulously weird and creepy has gone a step further. Really, scary scenes and images have shown up into my manuscripts. That’s how my brain works. So now, my desire to write what I consider a full horror novel grows. Will my head go all the way there? I don’t know, but I am getting closer to wanting to try. Why not? There is this idea swirling in my mind … scary, weird, maybe fabulous. One can hope.

Have you ever loved something, but thought no way could you ever do it? When does an obsession, something you love, become something you do? Horror fan or no … I think everyone must have at least one time where they say, “You know THAT would be so cool to do … if only I could.”

Well, why not?