Shades of Night Cover

The first installment of Shades of Night is nearing completion and looks to be ready for publication ahead of schedule. I am very excited to share with you the first story in the series, since I believe it to be a great way to set the tone for Shades of Night.

As you can see, I finally have and almost complete version of the cover art for the Shades of Night series. For each installment, there will be a subtitle included on the "cover" art. For example, here is an almost-complete "cover" for the first story in the series:

Yes, Wounded Fox will kick off Shades of Night. To give a brief teaser for this first installment:

Boy sees wolf. Nobody believes boy. People start to die.

Sorry to leave you hanging (well, I'm actually not that sorry) but I did say it would be brief. Things look to be ahead of schedule on the launch of Shades of Night, so don't be surprised to see Wounded Fox in the Amazon Kindle store sometime in the month of September. Once I have a more definite date I will let you all know.

Shades of Night

I have been weighing this idea for some time, and now plans have been set in motion for the release of a new line of my short stories. The collection of short stories will be called Shades of Night, and will at first be available only as digital downloads through Amazon's Kindle store.

I have chosen Amazon's Kindle store for several reasons. I can offer the stories at a minimal cost, similar to what you would pay for an MP3 file. You do not need the Amazon Kindle reader device to download or read anything you download off the Kindle store. Amazon has made available Kindle software for desktop computers, laptops, the iPad, iPhone, Blackberry phones and Android phones. I wanted a format that would allow people to take the stories with them on portable devices, since the stories will be quick reads.

The Shades of Night series will not feature the same characters in each installment. Rather, the series will feature a different scenario and set of characters for each story. Each story will revolve around at least one specific paranormal topic. I have been writing these kinds of stories for years, and have thought about making some into full-fledged novels but the stories do not lend themselves to such a format. I am cleaning up some of my old short stories, as well as writing new ones, to provide variety for the Shades of Night series.

I am also in the middle of designing a new logo or "cover work" for the downloads. The first story is set to be made available for download in October. Once I have some details ready about the first story, as well as artwork and pricing information, I will post it here on my blog.

Until then I will be busily working away at bringing you some scary, strange and mysterious stories about the paranormal...

The Devil's Nightmare Progress

A while ago, I announced the title and gave a little snippet for my next novel, The Devil's Nightmare. Since then, I have had numerous people ask me when exactly it will be coming out. I originally was hoping to have it published and in your hands in early 2011. Since then, different events have changed that estimated date. Right now I am not exactly sure when in 2011 the book will be coming out, but I should have a better idea as we enter the new year.

Part of the reason why I have pushed back the publication date has to do with the storyline. I know everyone is expecting more than what Shadow House offered, including me. I don't want to sacrifice quality for expediency for this novel. This storyline is much more involved than Shadow House, which has made writing this novel a joyful challenge. I want to make sure I get this one down right, since I believe the story deserves a quality telling.

As I said before, I will have more information in the coming months. Until then, I will be busily working away on The Devil's Nightmare (and a few other projects).

A Healthy Skepticism

As I dig deeper into the paranormal, which includes reports of UFOs and strange creatures, I think in some ways I have grown to be more skeptical than before. Maybe this seems like a surprise to some of you, but hear me out before you leap to a conclusion.

As I keep my ear close to the ground for any news about reported paranormal activity, both here locally and around the globe, I inevitably run into hoaxes and some people who (how can I put this nicely?) are in serious need of psychiatric help. Adding fuel to the fire of sketchy paranormal reports are websites like All News Web's that splash wild claims about widely-witnessed UFOs moving slowly over highly populated areas. Top all of that off with the recent rash of Texans who think they have shot a Chupacabra to death (which turn out to be coyotes with mange or something similar) and you may begin to see why I treat claims with a certain level of skepticism.

This skepticism is different from the one that is so highly guarded by paranormal skeptics, who don't believe paranormal activities truly occur. While I believe some claims of paranormal events are true, I am always guarded when "witnesses" seem eager to grab media attention. Trust me, I have ran into my fair share of people who have claimed to live in haunted houses, etc in an attempt to see their face on the 10 o'clock news. This is unfortunate, since opportunists, crazies, etc overshadow genuine events. Many people who really have witnessed something strange are almost reluctant to share their stories as a result, for fear they will be lumped in with these other people.