Tales From the Darkside

Tales From the Darkside: The Movie

In honor of the Spooky Season, and to give my regular readers a sample of the fun they're missing out on, I here repost a patron exclusive from last month: my review of Tales From the Darkside: The Movie. Don't let the title fool you. Tales From the Darkside: The…
October 17, 2023
Victorian landing

It Was on the Landing

The people of Rockford, IL just called it the Penfield House. Built sometime in the 1870s, the rambling Victorian mansion was first called home by its builder and his new bride. But all was not well in paradise. Whispers circulated of an affair. Only a year into the young couple's…
October 16, 2023
Twitter X Ban

Burned Book Banned?

A year ago, I went on record speculating that Elon Musk may have bought Twitter to destroy it. If the latest wave of censorship on the embattled platform - including dissident account ban waves and the apparent implementation of a subtler "social credit" style policy are any indication, Twitter's demise…
October 13, 202311 Comments
Influence

How to Manage Your Influences

The influences that shape your writing can be a boon and a challenge. Striking the right balance between drawing inspiration from others and staying true to your unique voice is an essential skill for new authors. Let's explore some practical ways to help you manage your influences while writing without…
October 12, 2023
IndieScan 11

Ironage IndieScan

One unexpected but welcome windfall of my recent public commitment to neopatronage is the number of fellow authors who have likewise embraced the concept. Launching my patron pages and my latest crowdfunding campaign has given me the chance to talk with many other authors. Once they understand the new model,…
October 11, 2023
Camille Montfort

Vampire of the Amazon

When most people think of vampires, they imagine insular Eastern European villages huddled in remote valleys at the wooded feet of craggy peaks. Or beautiful monsters haunting the inner rooms of gaslit salons. What almost nobody thinks of is the Amazon. Yet in the late 19th century, this Old World…
October 10, 20231 Comment
Book Boomerang

The Book Boomerang

What goes around comes around. But somehow, the book boomers didn't see the book boomerang coming. In 2021, avid readers notably increased their reading.  However, in the first six months of 2023, print book sales in the US declined by 2.7% compared to the same period in 2022, decreasing from 363.4 million to 353.5 million.…
October 9, 20238 Comments
Vietnam Ghost

Joey Was Trapped

Mark and his twin brother Joey were raised by their Grandpa in the big house their family had owned for generations outside Pittsburgh. The brothers did everything together: playing hide-and-seek in the orchard next door, staying up late reading comic books with flashlights, and drinking heated up grape Kool-Aid, which…
October 6, 2023
Book Opening

How to Open a Novel

Every writer knows that the first few pages of a novel can make or break a reader's interest. Author David Stewart's recent stream about the best novel openings ever inspired me to explore how to write an effective beginning that will hook readers from the start. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrxKB3WeaoE Here are some…
October 5, 2023
Euchaistic Procession

Eucharistic Revival

Criticizing the hierarchy is a favorite pastime of trad Catholics. And in strict  justice, many prelates could use some filial correction. But credit where credit is due: American bishops are turning the Eucharistic crisis around. A new study shows that almost two-thirds of adult Catholics in the United States believe…
October 4, 202321 Comments