Monday, December 30, 2013

In memoriam (poem)

The casket is open
I'm drawn closer
Have to see her there
Lying in repose
Her body at rest
I reach for her hand
The icy coldness
Anguish abounding
Wells up from within
Wailing gasps from me
Fills the air around
My essence empties
Falling to my knees
Emotion floods out
Until I'm emptied
Only a shell now
Devoid of feeling
All is lost to me

30 Dec 2013

Sunday, December 29, 2013

It's alive...

Tonight I uploaded "A Last Haul" and it's alive on Smashwords. It's also free. It might be a while for the novel it's a prequel for to be out again though, I guess it's in line edits.

Here's where you can get your own copy of "A Last Haul."

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/392755

A little wickedness...


Recruiting Bloggers for Cover Reveal & Review Tours

View this email in your browser

Recruiting Bloggers for Multi-Book Review Tour  Paranormal, Steam Punk and Mature Romance 

Greetings, bloggers!

After the resounding success of Margo Bond Collins', Atty Eve's and Hamilton Wade’s tours this month (our very first tours), it is my absolute delight to present to you an invitation to be part of the January and February tours.
The book genres are quite diverse but are getting great attention from a variety of reviewrs from my team so that is very encouraging.
There are three REVIEW tours, One book (Wicked) would also welcome promotional posts and the other Chasing Anya also has a Cover Reveal scheduled. If you can only do one and not the other for each book that will be greatly appreciated too.
I would love to have as many bloggers as possible so please encourage blogger friends to join.
There are lovely prizes exclusively for hosts as well so this is a great opportunity to get some Amazon gift vouchers you way too.
An additional host Rafflecopter prize will be an opportunity to have your blog promoted by myself as the *TRENDING BLOG OF THE MONTH*.
These tours take place between January and March, specific dates are available in the SIGN UP form.
Review copies are available via MOBI, EPUB, PDF and one is an ARC (Chasing Anya).
CLICK HERE OR ON BOOK COVER TO ACCESS SIGNUP FORM
Been there. Done that.
Feisty and independent, Anya Davies lives by her own rules. The one thing she’s hell-bent on avoiding is a conventional relationship. Nor is she interested in romance, thanks to her abusive ex who refuses to stay in the past. The second complication in her life is a secret that condemns her to constant guilt and a solitary life. A series of near misses and escalating threats are a third and worrying factor. Only a special man would understand or live with Anya’s challenges and demands.
Casual sex...so not having that.
Enter Christophe Mondesir. Two years ago, Anya dumped him without explanation. An accidental meeting shoots Anya back on Christophe’s radar. He refuses to be denied and plans to breach the fortress Anya has built around her heart—if she’ll commit to more than a casual liaison. He’s also determined to find out what she’s hiding. That’s if the stalker who’s after Anya doesn’t end her life first.  
Humorous *Offbeat *Quirky *Satirical *Witty
Angels and demons and dragons... ! Earth: it's the promised land for Kin, beings from the Astral Planes. Some, beings of light. Others, the Fallen, beings of unimaginable evil... Seven Cyn, a confident and empowered modern woman, is Kin and a CIA Operative. With her best friend Leon in tow, she flies to Wales in pursuit of an ancient relic, the Spear of Destiny. Then throw the enigmatic Luc into the mix as he and Sev discover a love that defies the stars. Yet, there is a catch... Sev has been tasked with ending his life. Along with a twisted pixie named Ace, they uncover the location of the Spear and end up in a race against time with the survival of the whole entire Universe left hanging in the balance in a battle between good verses evil. This unlikely odd-coupled menagerie comes up against a shadow government run by Dark Entities and Fallen Angels possessing mortal souls. Will Sev unlock the secrets of the Spear in time to avert universal disaster or will the Universe fall into utter darkness? Has Sev finally bitten off more than she can chew?
An opium-addicted beauty. 
An infamous poet living in self-imposed exile. 
An ancient treasure about to fall into the wrong hands. 
Melanie Karsak's Chasing the Star Garden takes readers on a thrilling adventure from the gritty opium dens of gaslamp London to the gem-colored waters of the ancient world. Lily Stargazer, a loveable but reckless airship racer with a famous lover and shattered past, reluctantly plunges into a centuries-old mystery in a steampunk romantic adventure best described as Dan Brown meets Mary Shelley. 

It all begins on one of the worst days of Lily’s life. She just lost the London leg of the 1823 Airship Grand Prix. To top it off, a harlequin fleeing from constables shoved a kaleidoscope down her 
pants, told her to fly to Venice, then threw himself from her airship tower. What’s a girl to do? For Lily, the answer is easy: drink absinthe and smoke opium. 

Lily’s lover, Lord Byron, encourages her to make the trip to Venice. Lily soon finds herself at the heart of an ancient mystery which has her running from her past and chasing true love and the stars along the way.
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Friday, December 27, 2013

A Last Haul

As of a little bit ago I finished going through the entirety of "A Last Haul" once more. I was trying to make sure I didn't leave anything out and that everything has clarity. I'll go through it all a time or two more though to try to catch anything else that's slipping through the cracks because there always is something that does. Those should be rather quick perusals though. The word count is now 6850 so it's a longer short story with a bit of meat to it. This story is a prequel to my novel "An Ill Wind Cometh" which is presently in line edits with the new publisher. I think there's about ten years of time between the two stories.

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Book covers

I usually try to create a work of art when I create a book. All except one of mine I designed. BTW, Clive Barker does all of his book covers also which I thought was interesting when I found out. Over many years I've done magazine and advertising layouts and more recently my book covers. 

Quite often I will use a public domain image but I modify it pretty significantly to what I think it should look like. Most people, including myself though I don't like to admit it, do judge the book by its cover. It has to draw the reader of the particular genre and most of mine are in horror these days so the more evil I can make it look the better it is.

This morning I finally created a new cover image for Macabre Moments and here it is. I really like what I came up with, it really correlates to the evil things that happens in the short stories that are in the book. The background image is a public domain image.



Here's the one I created for "An Ill Wind Cometh." I personally feel it's still my very best book cover. The house image I found on Wikipedia Commons. This book should be available again early this next year as an author's cut edition. Myself, and the new publisher, have expanded the story line greatly and it's presently in line edits.


I do write in some other genres occasionally also. This book is a classic fantasy story that fits well with the likes of Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings, Eragon, etc. I mostly created it as something my grandchildren could that I've written. Most of mine I don't want them reading until they're around 16 or so because they're all basically R rated. The red background image I found at a public domain site and I heavily modified the image and added the dragon. The one wearing the cape is me.





Saturday, December 21, 2013

The Jewel Box

This is a story of second and third chances first and foremost. Must say that I really like how it ended but I'm not giving that away in this review. That's something you'll have to read for yourself. The romance isn't overwhelming but it is there throughout the book so romance readers will be quite pleased. There's an extensive period of time this book is set in and all of the things sure brought back many memories for me as I read through. It goes from the 1960's through the 1990's. I could see myself there and hearing those songs. Of course I did live in Texas for a short while in the late 90's and especially in Galveston where some of the story happened. All in all, it's a good read.

Merry Christmas

We're now going into the last weekend before Christmas and I wish you all the very best. When you go anywhere stay safe and hold your loved ones close.

Our house will be quiet I think, we still haven't put up the Christmas tree and I haven't invited anyone over. Part of that has to do with the fact that I know a lot of people are hurting financially. I'm hurting also but not as bad as some others that I know who are wondering how they'll pay all of the bills. It's rough out there for so many.

I'm thinking this next year will be better. The amount of job openings continues to increase at least where I'm at and I know many who have gotten new jobs lately. That should escalate in the Spring so I'm thinking we're getting close to seeing the end of the darth of jobs that started in 2007. There's a lot to look forward to and I'm thinking this next year will be much better.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Lisele (poem)


Soft light through the window

Illuminates the space 

Soft caress on my cheek 

Such a beautiful place 

I smile at Lisele 

My lover every night 

Her cold lips touch my neck 

Fangs glinting in moonlight 

Penetrate my essence 

Feed her insatiable thirst 

Awakening my lust 

During this nightly tryst 

Copyright 2013 

Brian Bigelow



From time to time I still write a bit of poetry and prose. I guess Poe was mixing with an Ozzy song last night which resulted in this poem. I might add it to the end of A Last Haul when I release it. Then again, I might at some point have a vampire novel in me that will need to get out.

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Eternal night excerpt.

Eternal Night ebook "What makes Kerrion’s writing so compelling is the beautifully flawed characters that find themselves in unexpected relationships...these kind of character level conflicts make Kerrion’s writing so deliciously addictive."—Noor A Jahangir, Author of The Changeling King “Everything you want in a great story. Love, intrigue, action, betrayal, and understanding.”—Ch’kara Silverwolf, Author of Daughter of Light and Dark Alone for a millennium, since a human murdered her beloved consort, Ashra, the immortal icrathari queen, rules over Aeternae Noctis, the domed city of eternal night. Her loneliness appears to be at an end when her consort’s soul is reborn in a human, Jaden Hunter, but their reunion will not be easy. Icrathari are born, not made. If Ashra infuses Jaden with her immortal blood, he will be a vampire, a lesser creature of the night, a blood-drinker rather than a soul-drinker. Furthermore, Jaden is sworn to protect his half-sister, five-year-old Khiarra. She is the child of prophecy, destined to end the eternal night and the dominion of the Night Terrors—the icrathari and the vampires. As Ashra struggles to sustain her crumbling kingdom in the face of enemies without and treachery within, Jaden fights to defend his sister and unravel a greater mystery: what is the city of eternal night, and how did it come to be? E-books available at Amazon / Amazon UK / Apple / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / Smashwords Paperbacks available at Amazon / Amazon UK / Barnes & Noble / Book Depository

READ AN EXCERPT

With Tera beside her, Ashra strode forward. A wall of vampires parted to reveal the other two icrathari, Siri and Elsker. A dark-haired human slumped at Elsker’s feet, his wrists cuffed behind his back. Ashra stifled a chuckle. Surely Tera was overreacting; the human was by far the weakest creature in the chamber. Tera knelt down, wrapped her fingers into the human’s hair, and pulled his head back. The human’s face was handsome enough—the slash of his cheekbones accentuated his perfectly proportioned, sculptured features—but taken as a whole, he was not compelling enough to justify the fuss. Ashra shrugged. “You’re wasting my time, Tera.” Apparently undeterred, the icrathari warlord shook the human hard. His eyes flashed open. They were brilliant green, the exact color of the emerald ring Ashra wore on the index finger of her right hand. His gaze was unfocused, and the reflexive narrowing of his eyes matched the clenching of his jaw, hinting of wrenching pain. Tera looked up and met Ashra’s gaze. “Taste his soul.” Ashra recoiled, her upper lip curling in disgust. She had no desire to taste a human’s soul. Over the centuries, humans had grown weak, their small lives consumed by superstition and fear. It was better to live on the edge of perpetual starvation than fill her hunger with the pitiful excuse humans called a soul. “Go deep,” Tera said. But why? Ashra’s brow furrowed. She glanced at Siri and Elsker, but the two icrathari shrugged, apparently no more clued in than she was. She looked back at Tera. The icrathari warlord known as Ashra’s Blade was the epitome of calm understatement. If she was so insistent, she must have had a reason. Ashra knelt beside the human. Without flinching, she placed her hand against his muscled abdomen. It was bloody, his flesh ripped by a vampire’s talons. The man tensed at her touch, and his eyes flared wide with agony when her soul-sucking powers leeched into him. His breath came hard and fast, his chest heaving with the effort as he twisted in Tera’s unyielding grip, trying to break free. Ashra’s eyes narrowed. The human was weakened—tapped into his life source, she waded through his dazed thoughts and shivered from the echo of each spasm of pain that wracked his body—but still, he fought Tera on the physical plane and Ashra on the psychic dimension, denying her access to his memories and to his soul. She frowned and slammed her will against his, tearing an anguished scream from his throat, but still, his will did not crumble. Askance, Ashra looked at Tera. “Did you taste him?” Tera nodded. “It wasn’t hard the first time; he didn’t know what to expect, but apparently, he does now and is doing a fine job of fighting back.” Was that grudging respect she heard in Tera’s voice? “Does his soul really matter?” The icrathari nodded again. Ashra’s shoulders shifted with the motion of a silent sigh. His resistance left her with little choice. She leaned forward and glided her lips over his in a whisper of a kiss. Human myths spoke of succubi and incubi—demons that, with a touch, could stir lust in their unwilling victims. All myths were based in reality. The maddening beauty and soul-sucking powers of the icrathari had spawned the legends of succubi and incubi. With a touch, the icrathari could lure their victims into a state of sexual ecstasy, bending the will and baring the soul. The human tensed against Ashra, resisting the intimate contact. She almost recoiled. Had the centuries dulled her innate powers? Surely she had not forgotten how to lure a man. She closed her eyes and remembered love. As always, Rohkeus’s fine-featured face—those beautiful gold-flecked green eyes, so unusual for an icrathari, and teasing smile—came to the fore. With a dreamy half-smile, she deepened the kiss, driving the memory of love before her like a sharpened stake. At last, the man relaxed, succumbing to the kiss. She leaned into him, heedless of his crimson blood staining her white gown. He was warm, feverish even. Just skimming over six feet, he had more than twelve inches on her, but his physical strength, compared to hers, was puny. She was well aged; over four millennia old, she was the oldest of the icrathari and the strongest. She could have broken his neck with as little effort as a human child snapping a twig. Her hand trailed across his muscled torso. He made it easy for her to be gentle. His body trembled as if he longed for her. His mouth was hungry for her kiss. He arched up against her, as if craving more. His need was like a living creature, wild and aching for her touch. Eyes closed, Ashra shivered. Only one other person had desired her as much. And he was dead. She forced her way through the memories of pale bodies tangled upon cool silk sheets. When her soul-sucking power leeched out, it found no opposition. Images of the human’s life rewound in a blaze of vivid sights, sounds, and sensations. Ashra looked up at Tera, her smile little more than a barely perceptible curve of her lips. “He fancies himself the protector of the child of prophecy. Was she among those taken tonight?” Tera nodded. Ashra chuckled, the sound without humor. “It’s a pity her genetic heritage wasn’t sufficiently superior to prevent her from being culled.” “There’s more. Go deep.” She pushed past the blackness at the start of his memories, expecting deeper darkness. Instead, the colors shifted into shades of ochre and gray. Memories, older than his body, resided in his soul; memories of an Earth long since lost to them—a planet surrounded and nourished by water; images of tall buildings glistening beneath a benevolent sun, and of thriving cities filled with the bustle of humans; memories of quiet and intimate conversations beneath a silver moon, the same silver moon that now graced Malum Turris with its light, though a thousand years older and viewed only from beneath the protection of the dome. She saw herself as he must have seen her, a much-younger icrathari, still hopeful for the future, never realizing that the Earth they had all known and loved was irretrievably lost. Had she ever looked that vulnerable? Had her smile ever been so beautiful, so filled with love as she looked upon— “Rohkeus?” Oh, blessed Creator, was that stricken whisper her voice?

~*~

E-books available at Amazon / Amazon UK / Apple / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / Smashwords Paperbacks available at Amazon / Amazon UK / Barnes & Noble / Book Depository Connect with Jade Kerrion at: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Amazon

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Christmas past

I remember one time many years ago. It was on a Christmas day and I was hitchhiking through Colorado, south on I-25 to be exact. The day was blustery and there was a biting wind. I couldn't wait to get a ride so I could get warm. There I was standing at the top of the onramp with my thumb out. No one was using that entrance. We're talking several hours by now.
Just like now it was illegal to thumb a ride on the shoulder of the internet. Cold as I was I didn't care. I hoofed it down the onramp and began walking backward and stuck my thumb out. Everyone passed by including the state patrol cars. They even waved at me as they passed letting me know they noticed me.
By now my toes were beginning to become numb and I figured I could die from exposure if I didn't do something. Crossing the freeway I got on the other side. There I stuck my thumb out and soon had a ride all the way to Cheyenne, Wyoming. I think it was getting toward sunset when they picked me up. To this day I can't remember who it was that picked me.

I've had many Christmas' without a roof overhead. Many of them have been spent in truck stops. So much of my life I've spent by myself. I was an incessant vagabond with no roots anywhere. Yes, it is possible to be that way. Of course starting 1998 I didn't live that way anymore. That Christmas hitchhiking on the highway sticks out in my mind though out of all of them though.
Oh, I do love my life now so don't get me wrong. It's just I'll never forget that day so many years ago.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

A last haul.

The late night air of early winter chilled and the fog of his breath hung around him. Through the bare branches of the trees the moon cast its soft light. With every footstep the surface crust of the snow crunched. Through his shoes the cold had penetrated and he could no longer feel his toes. Flexing his fingers a few times he made sure they would still bend, it wouldn’t do any good to try to pick the lock and not be able to accomplish the task.
He had cased this house for endless hours as he drove through the neighborhood. The rumors he had overhead of what was inside was irresistible to his larcenous nature. An old lady was supposedly very wealthy and never came outside. It was time to make the big haul that would set him up permanently. So many places he was able only to obtain enough to keep him going for a little while and then he had to have another fix.
Reaching the back fence he looked in at the place searching for any sign of life. Not seeing any lights he looked at the neighboring places to see if anyone might be looking out. It eased his mind somewhat that there was signs of life in either place also, dark windows that told no secrets.
Hoping that the sound of the snow wouldn’t wake anyone and give him away he hauled himself over the waist high chain link fence. Slowly he made his way to the back door carefully checking around him. Finally after what had seemed an eternity he made it to the stoop.

Standing there he pulled the special key out of his pocket. It had some special tiny thumb screws which he would turn and adjust the amount of depth it depressed the tumblers in the cylinder. Sometimes it would take several minutes as he kept adjusting it until he could turn the key and let himself in. 

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Giveaway.



There's a bunch of us having a giveaway and two of my books are in it. So, check it out and enter on the FB page. http://tinyurl.com/p8qg36x.

Awakenings (short story)

(This is a short story I started playing around with the last couple of days)

John pushed the shopping cart along as he hunted for more aluminum cans. Probably his favorite place had to be the bar that was one block away from this one. There he could get fifty to sixty cans from that dumpster on a good day. On this block where he was there was heavy beer drinker who apparently also liked football. It was Monday and there could be a lot of cans in the trash bin of the drinker for him to collect.
He only thought of him as another drinker since he didn’t know the man’s name. Always, the largest amount of cans was right after a Sunday game was played. While John didn’t see the games themselves very often he would notice the banners that were strung up at a few of the bars.
Later today he would take his haul into the recycling center and get his two cents per can. His dirty, disheveled clothes needed a bath and so did he. It helped to keep people away is why he knowingly wouldn't clean up. There was no way he wanted anyone to see what had happened to him.
The last time he shaved was seven years ago back when he had a job. In many ways he didn't miss punching a time clock and the constant struggle to get the next sale. His boss could only think of the next sale also, he never really cared about anything else. For lack of a better word he felt back then like he was a slave to his job. When he left for the day on that last day he left that world permanently behind.
The spiral downward brought him to this place in his life. First he was laid off, couldn't find another job, and then the house was repossessed by the bank. His wife even left him for one of his former coworkers. Like he ever needed her anyway since he was better off without her. At least that’s what he told himself when he even deigned himself to think about it.
There was just no recovering especially once he started drinking that cheap wine and he no longer had a roof overhead. The culvert nearby that he slept in seemed rather comfortable most of the time. During the winter he would find a large box to turn into a temporary domicile that would be abandoned once the weather turned warmer in the spring.
A half a block away the trash bin was sitting and it looked like it was overflowing with cans. That made him happy knowing he would soon have the cart filled to the brim. To make sure he didn’t miss any he checked each trash can along the alleyway as he made his way to his quarry.
The first three cans didn’t have anything in them to speak of. In the fourth can was some electrical wire he could also sell at the recycling center. Only two more cans and he would be hitting the mother lode on this block. Picking up the lid of the next trash bin John was taken aback.
Instead of trash it looked like there was a field of stars in inky blackness. What in the hell? Deciding to move on to the next bin he began to put the lid back on this one. It rebounded and painfully jerked his arm out and he felt a strange stretching sensation pulling him in. Trying to drop the lid and pull his body away was unsuccessful. Both fell backward, the lid clattered away from his limp hand. Everything around him became a blur as his sentience went into another realm and began to float. The alcoholic haze from the last bottle dissolved and he reveled in the pure light that surrounded him.

Just wanting to explore it all with a single thought it would transport him closer to one of the glowing orbs in the ebon field. He now found that he had awakened into a wonderful new universe. His sentience now freed from a body he was able to move at will.

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Drones

This is probably the most interesting use of drones I think I've ever seen. http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/12/01/amazon-bezos-drone-delivery/3799021/ Wow! I could order something from Amazon and that thing would come in drop it on my deck outside within half an hour. Make sure you watch the little video.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving.

Here in the US we're having Thanksgiving. Most will be having a big dinner and fall asleep during the football game. I myself never really understood the attraction of the game but nonetheless to each their own. No, I'm not a football fan. My wife however is a Green Bay Packers fan. I've kidded her a few times about donning a Broncos or a Vikings jersey and then cheer the opposing team. For some reason she didn't find that very funny.
I'm personally very thankful for what we have. We have a roof over our heads, I’ve got a happy marriage, and all of the bills are paid up to date. Considering how the economy was it could have been much worse. More recently I signed two of my books with two different publishers, the second one should have the re-edits complete soon and then will be re-released. I’m already looking forward to what will be coming up in the next year and I’m glad I got to experience the whole traditional publishing process. It’s new, it’s exciting, and it’s a different process than all of the rest of my books have been.

So, what are you thankful for this year? I’m sure there’s plenty if you think about it.

Monday, November 25, 2013

Writing updates 25 November

I'm in between edits on another book that was signed more recently. It's coming along pretty well and the publisher seems to be happy. That manuscript has hit 52k so it's a full fledged novel. Soon, the edits and rewrites should be complete.

In the interim between edit rounds I've been building the story line to Inquiso. This is one thriller that will be very violent and yes there will be terrorists, nuclear bombs, and so far there is a lot of foul language in places. So far, on the initial bits the manuscript has hit 16k and I'm not sure quite how many chapters but they're all printed off so I can refer to everything easily. I'm not quite sure if I'll set it aside later so I can continue working on Ascendency Rising or not. Either way I'm looking at completing three novels this next year one of which is Etheusela which will be the sequel to Beyond Realms.

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Traditionally published

I can finally say I've written a book that has been traditionally published, "Beyond Realms." It's quite an amazing experience from the time you have the initial discussions to the time you're holding a contract in your hands. A bit later on you'll even hold a copy of the resulting book in your hands. There are so many different emotions that you experience. You feel validated as an author regardless of how many books you've written and published of which I've produced twenty different stand alone projects. I also have several short stories that have been, or will be published.

Publishers see a lot of manuscripts over time and many of them they reject. It doesn't matter what book it is rejection is common. The average best seller on the New York Times best seller list was probably rejected around 40 times before it was published. At least that's my understanding.

In many ways I never imagined that it would happen with something I've written. It's not like I've sent out manuscripts all over the place. I've heard of so many author's having lots of rejection letters. One in particular that I can think of is Stephen King who was so frustrated at the whole process that he threw the manuscript for Carrie in the trash. His wife saved it from going to the dump.

Still, all in all, I'm happy. I'm also going to be writing a long time into the future. It's a part of me now and will always continue to be.

Here's my profile on the publisher's web site. http://www.hallmuscatopublishing.com/authors/brian-bigelow-author/

Here's where the book is listed: http://www.hallmuscatopublishing.com/books/just-for-kids/study-hall/
http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Realms-Brian-Bigelow/dp/1493774832
http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Realms-Brian-Bigelow-ebook/dp/B00GPAEPGY

I will note that the publisher also offers alacarte items like editing, etc. as a side business. I've had a few mention it and it makes sense since all of that has been set up for the author's signed with them. Random House and Penguin does that also by the way.

Saturday, November 16, 2013

A little of the behind the story of "Beyond Realms"

While I was growing up I did what many kids do and I read a few fantasy stories. I had fallen in love with Chronicles of Narnia and later on Lord of the Rings. Both of which I read several times over and over. Both series are so memorable and they've been turned into movies over the years.
One other book that's quite interesting is "The Eyes of the Dragon" by Stephen King. I remember reading somewhere that he'd written that book so that his kids would be able read it. I'm thinking they were about ten years old at the time. That was something that I've never forgotten.
Now fast forward several years. I'm now writing books and most of them are R rated. I've got grand kids that are really young these days. They might eventually want to read something I've written. What to do? Most of what I write I'm not giving them copies of until they're about 17. After much thought, I decided that I would write something in epic fantasy.
The story line came together of a girl who doesn't know she's a princess. She returns to take on her destiny. There's also the conflict of good versus evil that runs throughout which is a common element of fairy tales. From those things the story then took on a life of its own while I began writing it down. 
Can you imagine a single tear falling would wake someone from a spell? That kind of thing actually happens in real life when you think about and it was one of the concepts the story is built upon. It's also what changes the King.

It's been quite an amazing book to write and one I will always remember fondly. Now, I'm happy to announce that "Beyond Realms" has been signed by Hall & Muscato publishing. Presently, I know it's available on Amazon.


If you get the print version you can also the e-book I think for $1.99 when that kicks in.
http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Realms-Brian-Bigelow-ebook/dp/B00GPAEPGY

These are the links to my new publisher. Stop by and show them some love.
http://www.hallmuscatopublishing.com/authors/brian-bigelow-author/

Here's where they have the book listed on their site.
http://www.hallmuscatopublishing.com/books/just-for-kids/

Monday, November 11, 2013

The Embarrassing Memory Murderer by David Tieck


Hilarious Memoir Shares One Man’s Embarrassing Journeys, Many Failures and Life Lessons
The Embarrassing Memory Murderer (published by iUniverse) shares the memoir of author David Tieck’s endless array of humiliating memories as he comes to grip with his past, finds his adventurous spirit, and offers hope, wisdom and understanding to anyone who is willing to laugh about their own disconcerting moments, WELL, that was the idea at least

I had a plan. It was simple, if I could let all of my worst, most humiliating, and most painful memories each inspire some sort of adventure or challenge, then these memories would finally be adding something positive to my life, and by doing so I could murder the pain, and live a happier life. Ah, thinking about all my most horrible memories all the time, this is going to be awesome, what could possibly go wrong?
It started out great, my horrible past epic shyness, extremely late puberty, and fondness for bleeding and then crying in front of my friends led me to the Cannes Film Festival, tulip shopping in Amsterdam and hanging out with real life vampires in Paris. However then I had an awful break up, I had a bunch of things go really wrong, suffered a smidge of severe mental and physical pain, started to flirt with madness, went on a jovial jaunt through the darkest realms of my brain, and started flinging away everything that was important to me. Oh and along the way and I had a bunch of fun, a ton of laughs, met some awesome people and some celebrities, partied a lot, had some adventures, and eventually learned a lot about life.
You’ll laugh, you’ll want to slap me in the face, maybe give me a hug or two, then slap me a few times more – I really am a big stupid damn idiot. Please laugh at my pain; I truly deserve it.



Special advanced copies are available in limited supply now at:

Or you can find David Tieck here:
Email - dtieck@gmail.com

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Big news

Today, I signed "Beyond Realms" with Hall & Muscato. It will be going through a round of edits soon.

Recently, I signed "An Ill Wind Cometh" with Authors Allies. 2nd round of edits should be back in the next few days.

Cirque D'Obscure has a short story I wrote entitled "Final Wager" and came out 28 Oct on the CH&BB imprint, in a little over a week Klarissa Dreams comes out and has my short story "Whole World in a Raindrop" in it.

Of course I've been starting to work on one of the next books also which is a thriller. I probably will be coming out with it next year. My life is crazy these days and I couldn't be happier. I kind of wish I could afford some champagne right now.

Most of my books will available in your local bookstore in the next few weeks also, even those that haven't been signed. Yes, you will be able to go into Barnes & Noble and order a copy at a minimum.

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Mishael Austin Witty

In the late ‘70s/early-‘80s, Kenny Rogers had a major hit with the song “The Gambler”. I remember that song well, even though I was very young when it first came out. The lines to the chorus are running through my head right now as I type this: “You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away, and know when to run…”
The cover for BELIEVE IN ME was the first one that I ever tried to create for myself. It was good, I thought. Other people said it was nice… But when I compared it to the covers of the bestsellers out there, there was something that was missing. I finally put my finger on what it was – the professional edge.
I’d taken a gamble in developing my own cover, and after a year or so, it became clear that BELIEVE IN ME needed a professional face lift; that is, this became clearer to me once I started working with professional artist Barbara Ivie Green on a cover for another one of my books (my upcoming historical novel, THE FADING SUN).
It was instant love at first sight. Barbara took my story ideas, and she made my characters come to life right before my eyes. I was amazed and so excited. I couldn’t wait to share this amazing cover with the rest of the world. So, without further ado, here it is.



BELIEVE IN ME is a sweet romance/Christmas novella that is currently available on Amazon in both paperback  (http://www.amazon.com/Believe-Me-Mishael-Austin-Witty/dp/1478100885/)  and ebook (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008EDNBD8)  form.  
And, as a special bonus, the Kindle price is being lowered to 99 cents for the entire month of November through Cyber Monday, December 2, 2013. Don’t miss this chance to get into the holiday spirit at a greatly reduced rate.


About Mishael Austin Witty

Mishael Austin Witty is a professional editor and the internationally bestselling author of SHADOWS OF THINGS TO COME, a Christian thriller/suspense novel, and BELIEVE IN ME, a sweet contemporary romance/women’s fiction novella. In addition to these books, she has newly released a zombie fairy tale, CAMPANULA, which marks a departure from the usual for her, but it was great fun to write, and she already has plans for another.
She lives in Louisville, KY (where most of the action of CAMPANULA takes place), with her husband, two cats, and two daughters. Connect with her online in the following places:

Website: http://www.wittyonlineeditor.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/MishaelAustinWitty

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/woweditor12


Links to her other books on Amazon:

SHADOWS OF THINGS TO COME http://www.amazon.com/dp/1475146930

CAMPANULA http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DBZ1DF2

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Inquiso opening, rough draft

I've been following a lot of what has been going on in politics, etc. lately. There's a  lot angst that seems to be generated these days about various government programs and government in general. A rather disturbing scenario started coming together in my head and the bit you're about to read is part of what resulted. It really should freak people out. What would happen if someone, or better yet a small group, took it too far? 

Note: this is pure fiction and is part of a short story.

During the end of 2034 the United States came to an end as a country. The former Washington DC mall area had been largely destroyed by a group of terrorists who had stolen a nuclear warhead that they detonated. Congress happened to be in session at the time and the President was in the White House. Only four members of Congress survived and that was because they were at their respective home states starting their election campaigns early to become the next President.
Another small group travelled over to New York City and blew another one up which destroyed the center of banking, Wall Street. They even made sure to take care of the NSA facility at Ft. Meade, MD so that government communications could be curtailed. It also destroyed part of the nearby interstate highway.
All of the bombs were simple 500 kiloton devices that had been stolen from an Iranian by Islamic militants that shared the same objective. Of course the government of Iran wasn’t about to publicly announce the theft since they were always concerned with more air strikes from the Israeli’s and other countries. What was the most attractive feature of them is that one of the warheads would fit in the back seat of the average sedan which made it easy to take them where you wanted to. They were also easy to set up detonators for.
While all of the terrorists ended up dead, either in the vehicles they drove or by the hand of the government security forces, their aims were achieved. There was an end to what they seen as the US governments intrusion and overreach into people’s daily lives. There were other unforeseen and unwanted side effects though.
Anarchy reigned for a short time throughout the rest of the nation with law and order becoming a thing of the past. What had once been a single country had devolved into over 100 different fiefdoms and small countries over the next ten years. Since there no longer was a central authority roads had fallen into disrepair and weeds grew through the cracks in the unmaintained pavement. You couldn’t even get gasoline so any cars that were left were totally useless unless they became someone’s shelter.

Life in general began to resemble much of how it had been during medieval times. Horse drawn wagons and walking became primary methods of transportation. Even currency as people once understood it was gone so everyone had to barter to get the things they needed. One of the fiefdoms was located in what had once been southern Colorado, the new kingdom of upper Arkansas. 

Friday, October 25, 2013

New from Merita King

 Bygora Vandos ~ Sinclair V-Log LB734/A

Sam Sinclair didn’t usually play the role of detective.  His job was just to chase and catch a specific target and deliver them into the hands of the Inter Galactic Law Enforcement Agency, so when his boss offered him an undercover job, he was only too happy to accept.
Together with his new partner Ren, Sam begins the slow process of investigating the secluded and secretive Calmarin Research Station.  Although set up to apparently investigate the cause of dying trees in the locale, rumours run rife among the local people about what really goes on there.  What Sam and Ren discover after weeks of carefully working their way in, is one of the most terrible crimes against humanity that either of them have ever encountered and both vow to do their utmost to bring it to an end.

Sam finds many allies amongst the local people but with his cover blown and Ren taken prisoner, he no longer knows who can be trusted.  As the job reaches its explosive climax and the personal cost to Sam takes its toll, the shocking truth finally comes out.

Introduction to The Sinclair V-Logs

The Sinclair V-Logs is a series of personal video logs, made by Sam Sinclair, Freelance Law Enforcer with the Inter-Galactic Law Enforcement Agency.  In his own words, Sam recounts the more memorable of his experiences during his twenty years working for the Agency.  He shares his adventures with honesty and humour, and as he becomes comfortable telling his story, we learn more about the man himself.  Despite the dangers of his profession, Sam is sensitive and dedicated to maintaining his own code of standards.
This second volume in the Sinclair V-Logs series sees Sam journey to Deligon 2, far across the galaxy.  Sent on an undercover mission to investigate the Calmarin Research Station, he and his new partner soon discover something that endangers not only their own lives, but those of everyone on the planet.
Come, share the journey with Sam Sinclair.

Excerpt from Bygora Vandos – Sinclair V-Log LB734/A

Thirty minutes later I was kitted up and had received a huge welcome from Essy, involving lots of face licking and belly rubs and both of us were standing outside Spurrell’s office.  I raised my hand to knock but a thought raced through my mind and I looked at Essy.
“I need you to obey me without question tonight baby,” I sent her the thought and she looked up at me, her eyes focussed in that way I had come to recognise as understanding.  “I will ask you to do some things that are a little different from our normal work but I need you to trust me and obey.”  We locked eyes and I knew she understood and I breathed a sigh of relief as I knocked on Spurrell’s door.
“Come in Joss,” he said as he stepped aside.  “Thanks once again for coming in at such short notice.”
“No problem,” I replied.  “What’s the panic?  You said there was an accident?”
“Yes, one of our latest umm, patients went a bit crazy and injured a couple of our security guys.  It started a bit of a riot and we had to lock the place down to contain it.”
“Oh I see.  Are the guys okay?”
“Yeah, they’ll live.  They’re in the infirmary now.  It took several guys to hold the patient down so we could get some sedative into him.  He’s calm now.”
“Where would you like me to begin my patrol Sir?”
“If you go and relax for a while and maybe begin at eight?  Is that okay with you?”
“Of course Boss.”
“Thanks.  You’ll be starting with the patient’s cubicles tonight so report there for duty at eight okay?”
“Yes Sir,” I nodded and turned to leave, Essy at my heels as always.  I raced back to the staff accommodation and went into the same room I had used the week before.  First, I called Marlo and asked if Ren had got home okay.  His reply chilled me to the bone.
“He never arrived home Joss.  We’re worried sick.”
“Oh shit no,” I said as I remembered my conversation with Spurrell just minutes before.  “I think they have him prisoner here.  Oh fuck I have to get him out of here.”
“What can we do?”
“Get to the tunnels as quick as you can and wait for my call.  I’m going to call in the troops now, which will mean we have two hours until the shit hits the fan.”
“Okay, I’ll round everyone up and we’ll be there within the hour.  Be safe buddy.”
I then called the troops, gave them the details, and heard the siren going off in the background as I spoke with their commander.
“We’ll be with you in two hours Joss.  Just hold on.  We’ll have you both out of there, I promise.”
Another call to Kobey sent him into a panic, which did not surprise me knowing his obsession with schedules.  He rose to the occasion though and said he would do what he could with the guards he had on duty and promised the troops would not encounter any problems when they arrived.  The next two hours dragged by, the slowest two hours of my entire life and I spent every minute worrying for Ren.  Eventually I couldn’t stand it any longer and reported for duty fifteen minutes early.  Spurrell was in the patient cubicle when I arrived and smiled when he saw me enter.
“Hello there Joss, nice to see you eager for work tonight.  Come and meet the source of all our problems.”
I sent a thought to Essy as I walked to the end of the narrow corridor lined with patient cubicles.
“Be ready girl, watch my back.”  She slowed her pace a tiny bit and fell into line behind me.  I reached the cubicle at the end of the corridor and slowly turned to look through the glass partition wall.  He was hunched on the floor, one knee drawn up, his head resting in his hand.  Bloodied scraps of cloth dotted around the small cubicle explained why he was shirtless, the bruises already forming over his chest and shoulders telling me of a severe beating.
I leapt forward and banged on the glass.
“Ren, buddy.  What the fuck?  Why is he being held here?  He’s my friend, he works here.  I don’t understand.  What the fuck is going on?” I yelled at Spurrell, who took a step back from my angry onslaught.  I heard growls from behind me and turned to see Essy holding off an approaching lab guy who wielded a huge injector.  Instinct drove my hand to my tranquiliser pistol, hidden beneath my jacket and shot Spurrell at point blank range.  He was unconscious within twenty seconds and I turned back to see how Essy was doing.  The lab guy was retreating towards the door at the far end.  He didn’t make it; the sedative dart ensuring he was out cold before he was halfway there.  I turned back to Ren, who was almost unconscious in his prison.
“I’ll be back for you buddy, I promise.”  I called Essy and together, we raced out into the corridor.


About Merita King

Merita King has loved the science fiction and fantasy genre in both books and movies since she was a young child.  She has been greatly inspired by years of watching movies and reading books and has wanted to make a contribution to this genre for many years.  Her stories all contain a spiritual thread as she believes that spirituality is universal and crosses all boundaries.  She believes that the creative process is largely intuitive and can be very effectively blocked by too much pre-planning.  “Plot lines, characters and events all come to me intuitively,” she says, “and this makes the act of writing a constant pleasure.”  She is a psychic medium and lives alone in Hampshire, UK.





Links.
Where to purchase Bygora Vandos.

For paperbacks.

For E-books

Contact Merita
Merita King’s website – http://www.meritaking.com
Merita King on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/MeritaKingNovelist
Merita King on Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/MeritaKing