Excuses, excuses

Years ago, I tried out a different editor at the behest of one of my writing buddies. It wasn't an unpleasant experience, but I have to say I prefer the professionalism of the editor I've been working with for almost all my books (Thank you, Kelly!).

Why am I telling you this today? One of the things the other editor did/didn't do: She didn't give me a written contract and she built in a sliding schedule in case "life got in the way." I understand that. We all understand that. Sometimes events happen that move your schedule. In fact, that's the very reason I'm blogging about this today. I've had a month worth of "life events" that have interrupted my regular writing schedule, but more on that in a minute. So this other editor. She offered more passes on the book than my regular editor, which seemed like added value to me. Her price was slightly higher, but again, she offered other extra value to the process - or so it seemed. She offered marketing suggestions, too. When it came down to it, she did a good job, but it wasn't "I will get this to you by Friday." There was no definite "finish" date. And the extra passes? I didn't get the last promised review, and when I asked her about it, she tried to tell me my initial questions counted as a pass. To me, that isn't a pass, that's "I don't understand your comments." Again, I was pleased with the work she did, but I didn't feel the same level of professionalism, the set schedule, the promised extras that accounted for a higher fee. The book did reasonably well, and at her prompting, I did market it a little differently than other books. I would still recommend her, but she wasn't a good fit for me.

So when life gets in the way... From the end of September and through a good part of October, DH and I have been dealing with major life events and the aftermath. There are times it doesn't make sense to try to work through it. Too many distractions. When I worked the day job, we were given time off to deal with these sorts of things, but comparing to the day job, we had a limit to how much time we could take off, and then we had to show up for the job again. I'm well past that allotment.

I need to show up for the writing job again. I've been away from it, dealing with these life events. For a month. Yes, I've dipped back into the book in progress when I've had time, but the longer you get away from a regular routine, the harder it is to get back into it - and this week isn't going to be any better. The difference? I'm making more of an effort this week. I have a book that's more than halfway finished, and I want to get to the end. The only way to do that is to show up to the job and do it. Commit to it and be professional. The fact that it's a job I love should make it easier. 

Wish me luck.

It's October, after all

I'm in the mood for spooky movies/books. 

A million years ago, I watched a movie called The House That Would Not Die that stuck with me all these years. It was based on a Barbara Michaels book called Ammie Come Home. I tracked the made-for-tv movie down a few years back while I was writing Epitaph as reference for the seance Amy and Kevin sit through. Recently, as I work on my next series devoted more to haunted houses than ghosts, I've been thinking about it again, this time from the angle of the angle of the ghosts rather than the seance. Like I said in my post last week, they don't make scary movies the way they used to anymore. They're all about killers rather than tickling your imagination with the things beyond our five senses-- that sixth sense (anyone remember a show starring Gary Collins by that name?)

After watching the movie above, I tracked down the book to read, and have to say the movie was fairly true to the book. I went on to read several Barbara Michaels books, but they didn't all have that same punch. I went on to read other scary books - Bram Stoker's Dracula was one of my favorites, and of course no one does horror quite like Stephen King. Do you know, when I read 'Salem's Lot he had me guessing for half the book about what was going on? And this, from a devoted horror fan. I love the way he can keep you guessing. And then, of course, I read The Amityville Horror. That is the one book I couldn't have in the same room with me when I'd finished it! 

Do you have a favorite horror movie or book that sticks with you?

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If you want a spooky book to read, try one of my first-in-series-free books.

Click here to find out more

Click here to find out more

More on haunted houses

It is October, after all.

As someone who grew up fascinated by ghost stories and “Creature Features” I think haunted houses have always been at the top of my list. From the old black and white movies - The Haunting, The Uninvited - to the next generation - The House That Would Not Die, The Amityville Horror - it wasn’t a huge leap for me to want to write about haunted houses, starting with LIVING CANVAS. I’m a little sad that more modern interpretations turn into slasher flicks, as if the only thing that can scare us now is being sliced and diced. I prefer to stick with the fear of the unknown.

As I write my next haunted house book, I’m trying to stick to “the rules” that I have established for my ghosts, which is often colored by the rules of other authors and screen writers over the years. Ultimately, I come back to my own limited (and probably questionable) experiences, and the experiences of “sensitive” people I’ve met. Those seem to be supported by the ghost hunter shows I’ve also been watching to get the mood. At a recent author event, a reader asked me if I’d had any encounters in the cemetery where I started the EPITAPH series. The simple answer is no, although I walked the cemetery in the middle of a crisp September afternoon. 

Which asks the question, why do ghosts only show up at night? And why do the ghost hunters only work in the dark? I suppose the easy answer is because it’s easier to see a “manifestation” in the dark. The hazy, misty, amorphous shapes that make up a ghost. However, the sensitive person I spoke with in my recent research saw her manifestations in broad daylight. So what are the rules?

1. The dead can’t speak. This is supported in the Bible when a dead man wants to go back to warn his family to straighten up. Similar to what Dickens references in A Christmas Carol. The Lord tells the dead man those he wants to warn have the information they need, the same as he did. The result is in what we do with that information.

2. In order to see a ghost, you need to be open to the possibility. As much as they need to expend energy and intent to be seen, we need to expend energy and intent to see them.

3. When a person passes, their energy remains. Sometimes only for a moment, and sometimes as residue, like seasoning in an iron skillet. 

Finally- do ghosts really exist? The answer is very subjective. For me, its a matter of entertainment. When my parents talked about dying, I asked jokingly if they would come back and be my guardian angels, which earned me a resounding “no.” I read a book not long ago about a woman whose little sister died, and she was so overwhelmed with grief that she wouldn’t let the spirit go. As a result, the dead sister’s ghost couldn’t move on and grew more grisly as time went on. When we keep the people we lose dear in our hearts, they always walk with us, whether we see them or not. More memory than ghost.

For more about spirits and haunted houses, I stumbled on this blog that you might enjoy. 

https://samanthagentry.blogspot.com/2022/10/7-signs-your-house-could-be-haunted.html

If it's Wednesday, it must be... Bread Pudding?

Funny, but I've only just realized I've used bread pudding in not one, but two of my books. So following that thread... (2 recipes, so make sure you read all the way to the end!)

We've spent the last few weeks "taking care of business" upon the death of my mother-in-law. Busy days. Sad days. Hectic days. Family days. With the time sensitive part of our personal business addressed, I'll be back to business as usual. 

While I was combing her cookie recipes, I came across a gem for "Bread Pudding for Two," which I'm sharing with you today. I haven't tried it yet, but you can believe I will VERY SOON. Consider this a gift from Madeleine in ENCHANTED MEMORIES.

Oh, and in case you forgot, there was apple bread pudding, a/k/a Opfenschlupfer, in MIST ON THE MEADOW. I originally posted a recipe when Mist on the Meadow came out (you can find it here). 

If you are on Kindle Unlimited, you can read all three of the MIST books there.

Recently, as luck would have it, a recipe popped up on my Facebook feed, so now I have to try THAT recipe. It's attributed to Lisa Walker, and while I'd love to link you to her website, I couldn't get there when I tried. So I'll just share it here.

APPLE PIE BREAD PUDDING

INGREDIENTS

8 cups bread, cubed

3 medium apples, peeled, cored and chopped

4 eggs

1 cup vanilla yogurt

1 cup milk

2 tsp cinnamon, divided

½ tsp nutmeg

½ c sugar + 2 Tbsp

½ cup raisin

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°.

Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, milk, eggs, 1 tsp cinnamon, nutmeg, and ½ cup sugar.

Stir in the apples, raisins, then gently fold in the bread cubes. Pour into the prepared pan.

In a small bowl, stir together 2 Tbsp sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon.

Sprinkle on top the bread pudding. Bake 30-40 minutes until puffed and golden brown.

SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

1 cup Unsalted Butter

1 cup Heavy Cream

1 cup Brown Sugar

DIRECTIONS

In a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together the butter, heavy cream, and brown sugar; bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low, simmer until the sauce thickens, for about 5 minutes. Pour over bread pudding to serve. Top with vanilla ice cream.

* If you can, leave bread cubes out for a few hours so they get nice and dry. If not, just place them on a baking sheet and bake them at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until they’re dry but not toasted.

* You can make this the night before and pop it in the oven for breakfast – it actually gets better if it sits overnight!