Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Happy Black Friday

Penelope and The Birthday Curse
On Sale!


Sometimes birthdays can be deadly

An isolated mansion in the country...stranded in a snowstorm...someone is murdered on Penelope's birthday.

But who did it?

  • Her gangster uncle on the run from the law
  • Or the Broadway actress who's her own biggest fan
  • Maybe the jealous husband
  • Don't forget about the mob hitman hiding in the woods behind the mansion
A young fortune teller weaves a tale of a gypsy curse where three people will die. And it happens on Penelope's 13th birthday. While the adults bumble along, trying to discover the killer, Penelope sleuths with the help of her friends to find the culprit. It's a race against time before Penelope becomes the third victim.

Penelope and The Birthday Curse weaves a mystery with madcap characters, who-done-it clues and non-stop action that's a fun read for the whole family. The story is full of humor, suspense, and mystery that will keep the reader guessing until the very end.

Only 99 cents. November 23 through December 1

AMAZON

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Horror Story Plot #1, The Haunting


Déjà vu, This Looks Familiar

Ever watch a movie or read a book and think: this seems very familiar?  The plot has been done before. The situation seems like the last spooky movie you saw. Recently I watched the “The Darkness” and had that déjà vu sense. He is trailer for the flick.



Horror Story Plot #1, The Haunting 

1. Take a dysfunctional family.
2. Introduce a catalyst to drive the haunting. New home. Recently acquired an object.
3. Haunting begins subtly and ratchets up through the course of the story.
4. The focal point of the haunting is a dysfunctional family member.
5. Haunting details are ignored or rationalized by family members until it becomes obvious it is a genuine problem.
6. A solution is found and tried but fails.
7. Things escalate until real cause is found.
8. Then comes remedy.
9. Problem resolved.
10. Casualties may have occurred though often family survives.

Notes

• A dysfunctional family member may also be youngest or frailest member. Key is who is most vulnerable.
• A family may be a group not necessarily related by blood. Paranormal investigators. Group of friends.  Strangers thrown together.
• The resolution comes from knowledge of the history of the haunting element.
• The haunting element can be ghosts, demons, and monster.

I will share a few more of these plot outlines in future blogs.  Please if you have something to offer or share leave a comment.