Yay! I won a contest from the ladies at EscapeWiththe7 website! I won a wonderful prize pack, people, let me tell you. Some other folks won a copy of a book or other prizes. I. Won. All. Seven. Books! What a reward for returning to the Internet! Some of these books were on my TBR list already. I don’t own any copies yet. I actually never heard of a few of the novels, but now I’ve been introduced to the works of all of these wonderful authors. I’m so happy, can’t you tell? 🙂 I’ll list these wonderful, talented, authors for you.

Aprilynne Pike is the author of the best-selling debut, WINGS. (Okay, bias on my part by listing her first since I “met” Aprilynne a few years ago on AbsoluteWrite.com. 🙂

Carrie Ryan is the debut author of the Teen Book Video Award 2008 Finalist, THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH. (Okay, more bias on my part since Carrie is a fellow South Carolinian) 🙂

Saundra Mitchell is the debut author of the hit novel, SHADOWED SUMMER.

Sarah MacLean is the debut author of the smash YA regency historical called THE SEASON.

R. J. Anderson is the debut author of the “spellbinding” novel, FAERY REBELS: SPELL HUNTER.

Sarah Cross is the debut author of the riveting YA novel, DULL BOY.

Sarah Rees Brennan is the debut author of the “fiery” novel, THE DEMON’S LEXICON.

So go forth and buy the works of these wonderful authors. Enjoy their work! I know I will. 🙂

I’m back! Yay! It’s so weird to go several months without Internet service when you are used to using it on a daily basis. What’s weirder still is having to go to the local library, use their service for a specified amount of time, and sit next to a random, scary guy in a greasy t-shirt who keeps grinning at you. **Shudder**

A great deal has taken place in my absence. I know I’m late, but Ed McMahon and Farrah Fawcett died. Tragic. But what’s more, two of my most favorite celebrities passed away as well.

Michael Jackson was one of my favorite entertainers growing up. I had his albums, even a Michael Jackson doll. I will truly miss him. R.I.P. M.J.

Bea Arthur, a.k.a, Dorothy Zbornak, was my favorite ‘Golden Girl’. Maybe it was her quick wit or her ability to make everything funny. I am collecting the entire Golden Girls series. It still cracks me up. I even get D.H. to watch it with me. I will really miss her work. R.I.P. Bea!

In other news, there was a serial killer in my state. He killed five people in S.C. Check it out here:
Serial Killer. What’s worse, I was in that area for the first time, not knowing there was a psycho somewhere waiting in the bushes. What the jack?!

In any case, I’m glad to be back with you guys. Now I’m off to check out your blogs. 🙂

Hey guys. I’m back—BUT my Internet service could take up to two months to get set up, so I’m at the library today, where everything is timed. So, no blog exploring for me until I can do it from home. I cannot wait to be able to be back online officially. I miss you guys! What’s been going on with everyone?

I have been up to my eyeballs with life, but decided to announce a little good news. Although I write mostly novels, I also write screenplays and short stories. A flash piece I wrote (MARGIE) has been accepted by the online magazine, Necrotic Tissue. Although they are an online magazine, they will convert to a print magazine beginning July 2009, the issue I’m in. Yay. So I’m looking forward to holding the magazine in my hands. I haven’t gotten much writing done because of RL stuff, so this was definitely good news for me.

What have you guys been up to? I’ve been reading your blogs every now and then. 🙂 I’ll be back soon.

Hi guys. Happy New Year! 🙂 Sorry I’ve been somewhat absent from the blogosphere, but I’ve been soooo busy. With the wedding planning, “secret project”, and everything else, blogging has had to take a backseat.

Are there things that people do in public that just annoy you? Well, I’ll just rant about a few that are just sickening to me. And that have happened during a busy Christmas season. 🙂

Next, I remember being in a library and some kid (pre-teen) invaded my personal space and farted. I could not believe that some rude kid came close to me and floated an air biscuit that resembled some very elderly person who uses Ben-Gay. I wanted to grab one of their arms and one of their legs and toss them into a pile of books. LOL. But, I didn’t.

The rules are as follows:

Hello everyone! No blog post about horror today. I must say that I am speechless. I am in awe. I am ecstatic that Barack Obama is going to be the 44th president of the United States of America! 🙂 Yes. We. Did! Take a look at the first family:

Robert Kennedy said it best 40 years ago in 1968:

As an aside, I must mention that John McCain gave an eloquent speech, and when he mentioned President Obama’s name, the crowd booed. BUT, when President Obama mentioned Senator McCain’s name during his speech, the crowd cheered. That says something about the wonderful character of President Obama’s supporters. Yeah, it does…
Yolanda Adams can sing a victory song like no one else. Take a look at Yolanda Adams’ “Victory”

Most horror movies have bad guys in the form of normal-looking human beings, mutated sub-human freaks, or some variation in between.

Some people are more afraid of the unassuming, friendly-looking guy who lives next door type who turns out to be the bad guy in books and film. One minute he could be mowing the lawn, waving at neighbors, then the next, he could be slicing and dicing in his basement. It’s a shock when you’re not expecting it.

While other folks prefer the in-your-face evil that jumps out at you. Both can be scary if utilized properly. Above all, they need to be convincingly scary, no matter how they’re presented.

So, my question is for readers, writers, and watchers of horror films. How do you prefer your monsters? Overtly evil, or covertly evil? You choose.

I choose both, depending on how it’s executed. But I still have a special place in my heart for the overt monsters. 🙂