Last year I accepted a challenge from a friend to tell a spooky story for each day of October. While that appealed to the writer in me, the anthropologist in me had a different idea. So, I found a creature for each day of October from all around the world (literally, I managed to get all 7 continents), and posted them on social media.
October is rolling around again, and I'm already planning my creatures for this year. It's a great bunch, and I can't wait to share them! I've created a website solely for these "Octobrrr" posts, so I hope you will check it out and follow along through the month of October!
The Poltergeist and Aunt Betty by Ginger C. Mann: Aunt Betty is eccentric, but how much is ghost, how much is medication, and how much is just plain crazy?
Interview with Featured Author: Ginger C. Mann
Q: How did you come up with the concept of your story?
A: There were multiple inspirations for me, but two of them stood out. First of all, I chanced to meet an adorable, brilliant, and quite eccentric woman with a giant head of flaming red hair. She stuck in my mind, and I could not get her out. My character, Betty, is kind of a reaction to her. I barely know the woman I met, but I knew I had to write a story with her image in it.
The character I came up with, I think I like even more than her original. This woman is probably a genius, but so completely “out there” that her gifts blend into the noise of her mental illness. Perhaps the point I’m making is that we dismiss people every day based on reasons that make sense to us, but should we? Just because a person is paranoid doesn’t mean something isn’t out to get her.
The second inspiration came from my own little boy. At the time, he was three years old. He had a habit of waking up in the wee hours of the morning, when he would wander silently into my bedroom suite. He materialized there at around the time that I was getting ready for work in the morning. Most of the time, I kept the lights low, to let my husband sleep. The little boy was patient, and willing to wait until I could give him attention. He would stand still in one spot and wait without moving a muscle. So having said all of that, it was not uncommon for me to stand in front of the dark mirror, begin to dry my hair, and then look down toward the counter to see a pair of eyes staring straight up at my face. It literally made me scream out loud a few times. Low light, sudden moves in the mirror, silent approach . . . yeah, a ghost would pull a stunt just like that.
At some point, I put both of those images together, and made the red-headed woman an eccentric great-aunt. No one ever listens to crazy people, especially not if they are crazy live-in relatives. Is there a better candidate for a haunting than this? Someone whose credibility is faulty to begin with?
Q: Please provide some insight into or a secret or two about your story.
A: The best clue I can give - without spoilers - is that anybody can see a ghost. At least that is the case in my world. Some people are nuts, some people are sensible, some people are more sensitive; but no one is blind. It’s just a matter of what we choose to see, or not see.
In my world, as in so many other fantasy worlds, the earth is peopled with departed spirits who walk alongside us. What if those departed souls choose to stay for awhile, and share our space with us? Do they still love us? Could it be that they need someone who can help us to love them back? It is a common concept, but what if there were a person who could draw them out and connect them back to the living?
Now, make that person a homeless, red-haired, middle-aged, organ-playing Montessori teacher with a persecution complex and a nasty prescription drug habit. See where I'm going with this?
Q:When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
A: I think I always have been a writer. I turned in a poem to my fourth grade teacher one day, and she put me on a stage for Veteran’s Day and made me read it. I had no idea whether it was any good, I just knew it was fun to make a story that rhymed. Then I wrote a song as a fifth grader. And then, it snowballed on me: before I knew it, my book reports became overnight sensations in my English classes. I have a distinct memory of a group of seventh grade desks, all clustered around in a pile, just so they could face me and listen to me read my story aloud.
I didn’t know what I was doing, I just thought I was having a little fun. My friends would say, “So when does your first book come out?” I used to roll my eyes and go practice my flute, instead. I did not go into complete OCD mode and try to publish by age 13, but the urge to write did not go away. I am compulsive about it, and I found that when I had no other outlet, I would write notes on paper kind of at random. That became a de facto journal, but took the form of a written conversation.
I loved the birth of the Internet, because I could suddenly talk with my fingers rather than my voice. I spent days and nights on listservs, exploring new ideas with other friends who liked to write, rather than voice, their thoughts. One day, I discovered a story in all of those ideas. Typical of my childhood writing, I wrote out two scenes, and then I kept it on a hard drive for fifteen years. It was only by random chance that a new, quite serious writer discovered it one day. He pushed me so hard that I actually finished the thing and submitted it.
And that was three stories ago. Now that I am in the habit again, it's rather addictive. More stories keep filling my head, and I think I even see a novel in there. Wow.
Q: What activities best give your brain a break? How do you unwind?
A: Professionally, I am three people: 1) Software Engineer 2) Music Director 3) Author. With all of that going on, my brain doesn’t get many breaks. But there is an extra minute on Saturday sometimes. I’m trying to remember what I did with the last one . . . seems like I was sleeping.
I particularly enjoy taking my flute, plus a few other instruments, and jamming with other musicians. I think that counts as true peace for me: anytime I can play, and make music with others. And what comes of that? Songwriting, of course!
Q: What are some of your other published works?
A: I have written two other short stories in Xchyler Publishing anthologies.
A: Music, blogging, prayer services, blogging, computer programming, blogging, and . . . oh hang on, this: A fantasy tale came to my husband in a dream. A lovely one with two witches and a baby who loses her finger. The baby’s finger is restored by her protector, but at a very high price.
Well, that was the crux of the dream. The rest is up to me to write. Teaser coming on songsofmann.org. Watch for it.
A few exciting things that are happening over the next couple of weeks, to celebrate the release of this FANTASTIC anthology:
Blog tour: We will be featuring a different author every day, in several places, so feel free to check out Xchyler Publishing's site for those links! Check out their Facebook page, as well!
Rafflecopter Giveaway: FREE STUFF. You can't get much cooler than that. Each author is giving away one or two things that have to do with their story. I personally am giving away an amulet that is similar to the one described in my story, as well as a signed poster that I designed specifically for my story. Check out the Rafflecopter site to see what else is being offered, as well as to enter! You might ask by this point, where can I actually GET the book. Well, let me show you! Right now it is available in both paperback and ebook forms. Click the pictures below to be taken to Amazon!
Once you've read the book, please feel free to leave a review on Amazon, but a review on Goodreads is also helpful as well! Click the logo below to be taken to the book's Goodreads page.
Well, I am pretty excited about the release of this book. I'll be posting and reposting a lot over the next couple of weeks, so please remember to follow me on social media! Thanks for reading!
Today is the day. Beyond the Wail: 12 Grave Stories of Love and Loss has been released! Let me tell you a bit more about it:
What is
it about fear and the unknown that pulls so passionately at the human
heart? Perhaps we are drawn not to the darkness itself, but to the
resolution, the overcoming of what we most deeply dread. After all, the
more terrible the struggle, the greater the victory when it comes at
last. Presented in this anthology are twelve remarkable stories of the
darkness that overshadows us, and the resolution that may be found
beyond them. They are stories of fear and oppression, but ultimately
stories of hope, stories that will take you BEYOND THE WAIL.
Of Mice and Monstersby Tirzah Duncan: Troubled by ghosts within and without, Benjamin struggles to become the man his girlfriend needs instead of the monster he is.
Go Gentle by Julie Barnson:
After the death of her boyfriend, a young musician uses her talents and
a fabled violin to stop the fatal accidents at a dead man’s curve.
Dead Waterby Amanda Banker: A stalled truck, an abandoned graveyard, and a town not found on any map take two brothers on a detour they’ll never forget.
Cold Spot by Jay Barnson: When
a laptop is stolen from their computer security company, two high
school buddies go to extremes to investigate. But, will they manage to
return?
The Weeping Lady by A. F. Stewart: Eva
Douglas must face her mother issues, past and present, when the
disappearance of her sister forces a confrontation with a terrifying
ghost.
The Poltergeist and Aunt Betty by Ginger C. Mann: Aunt Betty is eccentric, but how much is ghost, how much is medication, and how much is just plain crazy?
The ‘Grim’ Reaper by L. K. McIntosh: When a soul reaper loses the source of their power, they must either find the witch who stole it or a new purpose for living.
Shrine of Mirrors by F. M. Longo: A
spy on a mission becomes a believer in the supernatural when the theft
of three ancient relics threaten to bring down the empire.
Dead Man Hockingby T.N. Payne: A world-weary zombie learns to beware what you wish for, and not all sure bets are worth the gamble.
St. Peter’s Fish by Alex McGilvery: Sam
is a walking disaster of biblical proportions, but how much is he
willing to sacrifice to escape, and will the Powers That Be allow it?
The Diorama by Sebastian Bendix: A
play set turns life around for Martin Taper, but things take a turn for
the worse when he neglects it and the lonely child obsessed with it.
Date Dueby Danielle E. Shipley: A
magic library’s guardian determines to protect her treasured books,
whether their authors elect to do things the easy way . . . or the fatal
one.
Foreword by J. Aurel Guay
A few exciting things that are happening over the next couple of weeks, to celebrate the release of this FANTASTIC anthology:
Blog tour: We will be featuring a different author every day, in several places, so feel free to check out Xchyler Publishing's site for those links! Check out their Facebook page, as well!
Rafflecopter Giveaway: FREE STUFF. You can't get much cooler than that. Each author is giving away one or two things that have to do with their story. I personally am giving away an amulet that is similar to the one described in my story, as well as a signed poster that I designed specifically for my story. Check out the Rafflecopter site to see what else is being offered, as well as to enter!
You might ask by this point, where can I actually GET the book. Well, let me show you! Right now it is available in both paperback and ebook forms. Click the pictures below to be taken to Amazon!
Once you've read the book, please feel free to leave a review on Amazon, but a review on Goodreads is also helpful as well! Click the logo below to be taken to the book's Goodreads page.
Well, I am pretty excited about the release of this book. I'll be posting and reposting a lot over the next couple of weeks, so please remember to follow me on social media! Thanks for reading!
Remember when I announced that I would be getting a story published in the upcoming paranormal anthology by Xchyler Publishing? Well, the release date is fast approaching! So quickly, in fact, that the title and cover have just been revealed (I'm actually a couple of days late posting this, because I was up in the mountains, WAYYYY out of internet range. *sob*)! Let me show you the title:
Isn't it fabulously creepy?! I love it! My story is called "The 'Grim' Reaper", and is about...you guessed it! A reaper! Let me give you a tad more info than that, though:
What would you do if you lost everything? Spiral through the stages of grief? Begin a frantic quest to find it again? In "The 'Grim' Reaper". these very questions arise when a reaper's amulet, which generates the ability to reap souls, is stolen by a Romani witch. With so much at stake, the reaper journeys the world to find it again, meeting up with a bean-sidhe, an oracle, and a druid along the way.
Because my publisher is so dang cool, they even created a trailer for the cover reveal. Watch it in all its suspenseful drama here:
Finally, I shall reveal the actual cover:
It's am amazing thing to see my name attached to such a great project. I am so excited for you to experience the creepy, heart-wrenching, funny stories in this anthology. The release date is set for early October, so keep your eyes and ears peeled! I'll keep posting updates as we go along! *squee*
Here are links to the cover reveals by some my fellow anthology authors (and other awesome folks):
Most writers likely go through the same thing when rewriting parts of their work. For me, my editor most recently told me that I needed to fix both the climax and resolution of my story. He was absolutely right, it needed much more tension, and the story left the reader feeling disappointed and unsettled. Definitely NOT the reaction I wanted! So, when I got his edits back a few days ago, I brainstormed ways to fix the ending. I FINALLY figured it out, and got back to writing. It's amazing how one little story can be so difficult to write, but this one has been a painstaking process from the beginning. A great experience, to be sure, but a painstaking process nonetheless. This is pretty much how I felt the entire time:
I would get in the groove and write something.
I would re-read what I wrote.
I would take a break to brainstorm, and eventually figure out how to phrase what I wanted to say.
It's difficult when you're trying to keep all the elements together. You don't want to tangent, as it's a short story. You have to make sure what each character says suits their voice. You want each phrase that you write to be golden enough to shine with glory if extracted from your piece. Basically, you have a million elements you're trying to remember at once, and you want it to be perfect so you don't have to rewrite AGAIN (or at least this is the case for me). I'm also REALLY bad at passive/active voice and tense. I have trouble identifying it in my writing. I'm going to say that it comes from studying linguistics, where if something can be understood, it is correct. That may or may not be a cop out... but generally I have pretty good grammar. I guess I wasn't listening in class when we covered those subjects, or something. :)
This terrible need arises in me constantly - the need for things to be right the first time, so I'll spend ages on something, making it perfect. THEN I will go back a few days or months later, and it's not even close to as good as I thought it was. I guess it's nice that I can be objectively critical of my own work, but my main issue with this perfectionism is that I do very little actual writing. It's always very stilted and painstaking when I write a story, word by word, line by line. Perhaps I need to work on stories where I don't get distracted studying up on something (though that might be impossible for me), or perhaps I need to brainstorm and outline in more detail before I sit down to try and write.
Either way, I need to find a better process, and there's no better way than trial and error - and the million other writers out there, willing to give advice. That's what makes writing conferences so valuable to us all; the panels, the experience of other writers, the camaraderie. Okay, the networking is probably pretty valuable too. :)
So, I battled through my rewriting problems, and I have finally figured out a decent climax and resolution for my story. Hopefully my editor likes the changes; I know that I like them. It allowed me to put in more voice for the main character, and to make the ending far more macabre (think human sacrifice and creepy-crawlies) than it was in the first place. Always a good thing (especially in a paranormal anthology)! I'm going to look through the manuscript one more time before sending it into the ether, but I am excited, and a little apprehensive, about the next round of edits!
It's been a couple weeks since I posted my happy news (squee!), so I thought I'd give an update. Looks like the release date is going to be October 3rd, 2015, just in time for Halloween (or Hallowe'en, or Samhain, or whatever you celebrate that is awesome and macabre)! So that's gonna be great! It's making for a very quick turnaround though. I'm am currently in the middle of my first round of edits, and I'm only stressing out a LOT, which is why I am currently writing this, and giving my poor brain a break.
So far everyone I've worked with has been stellar. This anthology will have 11 other stories in it, so when you buy the book (because you KNOW you want to), you'll get a taste of a lot of different writing styles and cool concepts. The editors have been easy to work with and are great at encouraging an open dialogue, which is fabulous. I still have a long way to go on my story.
Here are links to the pages of other authors that are joining me in the fray that is this anthology, for your browsing pleasure:
It should be great fun! We had our first big web meeting a few nights ago, with all the authors and editors, and everyone seems like they will be a blast to work with. I've got a lot on my plate right now, with the edits for this story, trying to build more of a web presence (setting up social media promotion takes FOREVER), plus a new position and giant project at my full time, pays-the-bills job. So, unfortunately, my other projects are stuck on the back burner. But I will get to them again soon. AND, I will make sure to keep posting updates about the upcoming anthology! Yay!
Okay, I think it's time to get back to re-writing the ending of my story...we will see if my creative juices start flowing again...
I am not great at updates. I use most of my free writing time...writing fiction. Hopefully I'll be able to allot some time in the future to this blog. We shall see.
Anyway...I have very exciting news! In April I wrote and submitted a short story to an anthology contest by Xchyler Publishing, an amazing indie publisher.
After a month and a half of waiting, and unfortunately giving up a bit of hope, I received an email.
I HAD BEEN CHOSEN. I AM GOING TO BE A PUBLISHED AUTHOR.
Guys, this is crazy. I am on Cloud 9. drifting through chubby, giggling cherubs, majestic unicorns, and rainbows. It's an amazing feeling.
I am one of a select few that will be published in the upcoming paranormal anthology, "Losers Weepers". My story is about a reaper that loses the ability to reap. I won't say much more than that, though I will give you some excerpts along the way, if my contract allows for it.
It will be coming out some time this Fall, and I will keep you updated as I go through the editing process and get closer to publication. I will make sure to get you the information on how to purchase the book, if you so choose!
Feel free to follow me on Facebook and Twitter. Thanks for all your support, my friends!
The biggest obstacle my writing has faced in recent years (or, if I'm being honest with myself, ever) is my tendency to want the words that come out of me to be perfect the first time. I'm generally a fairly smart and creative person, but this tendency of mine is NOT conducive to actually getting large amounts or writing done. The short stories, poems, and blog posts I've written have just enabled this shortcoming.
In the past year, the main advice that has stuck in my brain from talking to other writers and listening to panels, classes, and podcasts is that you just need to write SOMETHING down. It doesn't have to be perfectly written or extensively researched (a major obstacle for me as well, considering the type of writing I do), because you can go back and fix it later. My inner perfectionist has had a very difficult time trying to deal with this. But over the past week (thanks, LTUE!), I have been inundated with this particular advice again and again. Likely it just stuck out because I knew that it was my main obstacle to having something publishable, but it has now become my mantra.
Every time I sit down to write, I will catch myself thinking "is this the best description I can come up with?", or "oh, that idea is great for 7 chapters from now. I should go work on that!", but the repetition of my new mantra "JUST WRITE SOMETHING DOWN" has helped immensely. I'm getting more done than I have in months.
Inevitably, I will continue having awesome brainstorms, or picking up on questions that need to be researched during my writing sessions. That isn't going to change. It's how I've treated those questions and ideas. I'll be writing about sick villagers, and I will suddenly have the impulse to research waterborne diseases extensively. I've indulged that in the past, and fallen down a Google-induced rabbit hole far too often. Now I have just added a "list of things to research", and plopped the question "what kind of water-based diseases could have ravaged their village?" and MOVE ON. Or I will think, "what if I wrote this in third person omniscent?", or "oooh, this character should be a Templar in his next life!". I now have a list entitled "list of things to consider at a later time (e.g. when you're finished with your first draft!)". It seems to be effective so far. I avoid writing on those lists for as long as possible, since I don't want to stop the torrent of word vomit, if I can help it (oh, the imagery!).
Distractions are also a major pitfall for me. I will come home from my full-time job, eat some dinner, and watch an episode of Modern Family, or Face Off, or Brooklyn Nine Nine. By the time I'm done with an episode, I am relaxed and want to catch up on all the shows I like. I've been preventing this lately by either turning off my tablet immediately once I am done with an episode, OR, not watching TV at all, and instead listening to an episode of the podcast Writing Excuses. It keeps me in the right frame of mind, and I can be productive, even after a long day. I've also been listening to episodes of Writing Excuses on my way to and from work. It keeps my creative energy going, even when work would normally have beaten it out of me, and I am ridiculously grateful for it.
Basically, I just wanted to talk about the fact that I'm getting over such a stumbling block and blossoming into a better writer. I keep having "Look, ma, I'm coping!" moments. I am sure I'll get over how proud I am of myself soon, and this will become the norm for me, but for now, being able to word vomit onto the page is ridiculously satisfying, and I feel so much more productive!
I have been slacking lately. I've got several projects that I am working on, but I keep getting distracted by work, or TV, or books, or sleep. I've been having a rough time snapping out of the real world and into my fictional ones.
I got talking to a nice couple on the way home from FanX a couple of weeks ago, and in the course of that conservation, one of them told me about a local sci-fi/fantasy/horror writing symposium, called Life, The Universe, and Everything. It was kismet. I needed to recharge my creative batteries and get some motivation back, and here was this timely opportunity, that somehow I had never heard of before.
So I went home and looked it up. Apparently it's been going on for years, and I had just been in the dark about it! *sob* Luckily, it was only two weeks away, so I scheduled time off from work, registered for the con, and booked a hotel room, because I'm a lazy bum and didn't want to make the 45 min drive to and from every day.
The writing convention was amazing. Tons of friendly people and insightful panels, time to focus on just being creative, and a very welcoming and amiable atmosphere. I was quite impressed. I may go further in depth about the convention at a later time, since I took copious notes at every panel and kaffeeklatsch I attended, but for now I will just mention that it was a great experience.
I was inspired to start carving my name into social media sites, but I have linked it back to other things I've written in the past. There are links to the right for my Facebook and Twitter (Google + to follow soon), as well as my personal blog that I have completely neglected for a couple of years, and a blog that has various things that I've written over the past 10 years (and have not posted anything new on in a while, unfortunately). I've also included a small synopsis off to the right about the two main projects I am working on at the moment. This weekend has re-energized me to work on them, and I will do my best to blog and tweet and post all about my progress! So feel free to follow along with me, and I'll try to make it worth the effort.
L.K. McIntosh writes speculative fiction influenced by anthropology.
She ingests copious amounts of pesto and television (one literally, the other figuratively - you decide), is irrationally terrified of sharks, and is a proud supporter of the Oxford comma.
She's one of those weird people that loves to research things. Some of her favorites - linguistics, birth and death rituals, festivals, religion, writing, glassblowing, esoteric arts, druids, reincarnation, book arts, mummies, forensics...and a whole bunch more.
Goodreads
Amazon Paperback
Amazon eBook
Main Project
I'm currently in the process of editing a short story I wrote that is going to be published in upcoming paranormal anthology by Xchyler Publishing. In my story, "The 'Grim' Reaper" (assuming it doesn't change), a reaper loses the ability to help souls depart from this world, because the amulet that generates this power is stolen by a Romani witch. While attempting to regain the amulet, the reaper meets up with a dryad, an oracle, a druid, and a bean-sidhe (banshee). The reaper cycles through the stages of grief that come with losing something so precious.
Release date: October 10th, 2015
Back Burner #1
A collection of short stories influenced by the Tarot. It follows The Fool's Journey through life, and reflects parallels to the human condition.
Back Burner #2
An anthropologically sound fiction novel about a woman from pre-Buddhist Tibet, who can't reincarnate because she is tied to the man who sacrificed her to their gods. His guilt follows him through many lives, and she has to watch him struggle until he finds a way to forgive himself.