Monster in the Dark - Who will be the next victim?

 To my delight readers often tell me that the paranormal events in my stories sometimes creep them out because the events seem so real; and I’m asked how I accomplish the realism. The answer is neither easy nor difficult. You see, my grandmother was a seer. Yeah, I know, it’s weird. However, she always said that her abilities were a curse and not a gift, and she never wanted any of her children or grandchildren to inherit this empathic ability. So, none of her grandchildren were allowed to have Ouija boards, tarot cards, or a Magic 8 Ball; and we were always cautioned to not ever visit fortune tellers.

Honestly, I never intended to write paranormal or scary stories; it seems to come naturally. Perhaps, a large part of this type story telling stems from my childhood.

As a child, I was considered a “little different,” so books became my best friend. My most favorite stories were fairytales with villains and villainess such as in Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Hansel and Gretel, to name a few. 

“Monster in the Dark” book #4 in my Doc Holliday Mystery Series was inspired by such fairy tale monsters. Please enjoy this excerpt from Monster in the Dark.

As one reviewer said, "A dark mystery that grabs you from the beginning and doesn't let go."

Available in Print and Ebook

At first, I thought it was a mannequin. You know, like the ones used in store windows. There was no blood. She was sitting in a chair with her back toward us. The room reminded me of a scene from a horror movie.

Dad said, “Mrs. Gardner?”

I thought about the time I’d been on the movie set of Lights…Camera…Murder where the stunt man was killed, but in this act, there were no supporting actors. In the distance, a dog barked, and there was no movie director to call “Cut!”

I swallowed the bile rising in my throat. The beats of my heart echoed inside my ears. I eased around the table. Oh, God! She was real. She was once…like flesh and blood and bone…just…oh, God! The woman I had thought was a mannequin was a corpse.

It was only the extreme brutality of her death that made her appear as if she were not, as if she was some creation of the most brilliant and lurid mind working in a Hollywood special effects studio.

A heavyset woman, clad in an old-fashioned granny dress, her wrists and ankles wrapped with silver duct tape, securely bound to the chair’s arms and legs, and with a double strip of tape that sealed her mouth shut, stared vacant-eyed at an empty soup bowl.

Dad gasped against the offensive smell. “Which fairy tale character is she supposed to be, Tullah, and how long do you think she’s been dead?”

Monster in the Dark is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iTunes, Kobo, Apple

https://www.amazon.com/Monster-Dark-Doc-Holliday-Mystery/dp/1509250476

 I always enjoy comments from readers. If, for some reason, you are unable to leave a comment, please feel free to comment on Pen Dames FaceBook page. I look forward to hearing from you.

HAPPY READING!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

           

Peter Pan Can Really Fly-Yes, No, Hmm?

 

Do You Believe Peter Pan Can Fly?

Hello, readers, Loretta Rogers coming at you live on a dark and stormy day. As I’m writing this, thunder is vibrating the house. I’ve taken precautions and unplugged my laptop to avoid getting zapped by lightning. However, it’s not the weather I’d like to discuss rather it’s a writing term called, “suspending disbelief.”

Suspending disbelief is temporarily allowing oneself to believe something that isn't true, especially in order to enjoy a work of fiction.

An example would be, knowing that Superman cannot, in reality, fly – and then pretending that you don't know he can’t. The storyteller tells the audience that, in this story, a man can fly. The audience suspends its disbelief and goes along with that premise.

In other examples, such as in the fantasy Lord of the Rings, we set aside the reality that such magical creatures do not exist so we can enjoy the movie while munching on popcorn. Let’s not forget the wonderful Disney characters that we’ve come to cherish such as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and Bambi. We know these characters can’t, in reality, talk, but for the sake of enjoyment, we willingly set aside this fact for a couple of hours of entertainment.

What does all of this have to do with my post? Recently, I tuned in to a FB conversation where readers were vehemently complaining that authors, and yes, they lumped all authors together, needed to fire their editors, hire professional editors, or perhaps stop writing altogether because they (the authors) needed lessons in writing. The complaint stemmed from the fact that readers were frustrated because in certain novels heroines could cook dinner, feed the kids, get them to bed, then dress for a party, and get it all done in twenty minutes. One reader went on to say that these type heroines made her feel inadequate as a woman, and a failure as a mother. WOW! So sad.

Some of the reader’s comments were much harsher than what I’ve shared. But, as an author, the comments did make me think twice about whether or not I am making sure that the setups in my novels are relatable; because as Samuel Tylor Coleridge said, “The key to making someone believe the unbelievable is to include human interest and a semblance of truth.”

I hope you enjoy this excerpt from FATAL PASSION, book #1 of my new Doc Holliday Mystery series. I’d really appreciate if it you would answer the question at the end of this passage.

            Grandmother sighed when she tossed the remaining three donuts in the trash. “If I were a betting person, I’d put my money on Beverly Rakestraw, and she had good cause. Apparently, Forest couldn’t seem to keep his pants zipped. Still infidelity is never a justifiable reason for murder.”

            I handed dad copies of the file. He cautioned me to stay alert, and I promised. I wrapped my arms around grandmother and whispered, “I’m sorry for making your angry.”

            She kissed me on the cheek. “It’s the situation that made me angry. Not you.”  She hesitated. “I’d almost forgotten. There’s another name to add.”

            Dad and I each gave grandmother an incredulous look. Together we said, “Who?”

            Dad quirked his mouth to one side. “Is this more gossip?”

            “Not exactly.” Grandmother’s voice was hushed as if the walls were listening. “I went to church to do my weekly confession, and before I went inside the confessional, I heard someone sobbing. It was Luanne. I must have caught her at a really weak moment because you know what a sour puss she is.” Grandmother heaved a dejected sigh. “I asked if I could be of comfort and that’s when she told me about her and Forest.”

            I nearly choked. “Luanne Sterns…the priest’s sister…that Luanne?”

            Grandmother nodded. “Luanne said in a weak moment she allowed Forest to visit her on more than one occasion, and sometimes they’d have a secret rendezvous at a secret location.”

            “Grandmother, she isn’t even remotely attractive. What would entice Forest to sleep with her?”

            “Only he knows that and he’s dead. Anyhow, apparently Forest said all the right things about loving her and them having a future together, and made a bunch of false promises, all to get inside her bloomers, and then he laughed at her, called her ugly, and said he bedded her because she was always mooning over him and he felt sorry for her. She needed to confess her sins but couldn’t at least not to her brother. So, in a moment of desperation, I became the substitute.”  Tanti glanced around. “Here’s the thing, after spilling her beans, Luanne got bull stompin’ mad and the things she threatened to do to Forest, well, let’s just say, were pretty drastic. Of course, I didn’t take any of it seriously. She was a woman scorned and blowing off steam.”

There you have it dear readers, did I set up the scene so that I suspended disbelief to your satisfaction? Under the circumstances, would Luanne, or any woman, confess her sins to someone she barely knew, other than her priest, especially if she were overly distraught?

Thanks for dropping by. I’d love to hear your comments.

Loretta C. Rogers, Pen Dames

By the way, grab your copy of FATAL PASSION, available in print or Ebook at Amazon.com in the US and UK, as well as other online stores.