What Creeps You Out? Happy Halloween!

 Everybody's creeped out by something, right? The Pen Dames are no exception. Some things just plain terrify us. 

Let's take Loretta Rogers. She is a fearless and prolific author who skillfully gives her readers chills with her paranormal romance and detective stories. Here's what she has to say:

Rattlesnakes

"I am deathly afraid of snakes. It doesn’t matter what kind, harmless or not, what color, alive or fakey rubber, it’s still a snake, and to me, all good snakes are dead ones. Why? Because I was bitten by a rattlesnake, spent thirteen days in the hospital, and nearly had to have my leg amputated.

A long time ago, a friend of my hubby, knowing my fear, thought he’d play a practical joke and threw a (live) baby corn snake at me. Before I fainted, I think the entire neighborhood heard me scream. Hubby cold-cocked the guy who sported a swollen nose and a black eye for several days.

Because of this experience, many of my books include snakes. I guess it’s my way of trying to conquer my fear—not!"

                                            Loretta C. Rogers, author of The Witching Moon

Yikes, Loretta! I think your fear of snakes is more than justified! And three cheers for hubby being your champion. That guy had it coming.

Next up, we have the mysterious and talented Flossie Benton Rogers. She writes spine-tingling fantasy, and her book of poetry based on mythological creatures is brilliant. 

THINGS THAT SCARE MY SOCKS OFF

Flossie Benton Rogers:

"Octopus holes / suction cups. Other similar hole clusters are also repulsive but octopi even more so because they move and curl and uncurl and look gruesome. I suppose this is a mild case of trypophobia, which means I try not to see it.

Long incongruous tails and things that resemble tails, such as the arms of OCTOPI. When my grandsons, the Snickerdoodles, were younger, they played a video game at my house called Little Big Planet. The game allowed a high degree of customization. The Snickerdoodles chortled in delight at my horrified reactions to their pinning long scary tails on everything in sight.

Rictus smile or sardonic grin. At a young age I saw the 1961 movie, Mister Sardonicus, in which a man’s face froze into a rictus smile as he was robbing his father’s grave. Creeped me out. Oddly enough, the smiling chauffeur in Dan Curtis’ 1976 Burnt Offerings (Karen Black, Oliver Reed, Bette Davis) didn’t scare me, but the rictus smile on one of the main characters near the end of the movie did. No, I’ll not be viewing 2022’s Smile movie.

 Other shuddery turnoffs:

The sensation of falling through the air.

Being confined in a closed space such as a train or MRI.

Snakes (let’s face it, they’re long slithering TAILS)."

                                                                     

Here are more book offerings from our fellow Pen Dames.
 

 Who doesn't like witches at this time of year? Another one of our Pen Dames, gifted Katherine Eddinger Smits, delights her readers with stories about mermaids and sexy mermen. And she has just the thing for Witch Story Enthusiasts. 

                                                                              

Our southern charmer, Linda Tillis, writes amazing historical romances filled with love and adventure. Who doesn't like to indulge in a little time travel at Halloween?

                                                           

  

That leaves me, Jennifer Taylor. What creeps me out? Those innocent, adorable squirrels. Eek! It's their tails that give me the willies, always quivering and shaking. They hold a grudge against me for some reason. On my daily walk down the driveway, I get pelted with pine cones and acorns. They must sense my scorn. 

I have a fear of those drive-through car washes. Don't ask me why, but I cannot drive through them. I do feel a bit of success, because I recently conquered my fear of pneumatic tubes. 

Here's for something really scary: Like most of us, I imagine, I have a fear of being buried alive. In my first historical romance, Mercy of the Moon, someone is buried alive but survives--and that's just in the first chapter. You can only imagine the ramifications of that----wait! You can read the book.               

All three books in my Rhythm of the Moon series are on sale for 99 cents until Thursday night. Just in time for Halloween.

 Some authors write about what they're most afraid of. Maybe it's a way of dealing with it, or maybe we're all just a little bit creepy.

                                              

                                                                

Let's hear from you. What creeps you out?

Five Fabulous Books for $.99 Cents. Sale Ends January 29th

                            Nook or Kindle--Download to your favorite reading device

A Heart Made for Love: https://amzn.to/397PLDt    

 https://bit.ly/3bMHeJ3 Barnes & Noble

Echoes of the Moon: https://www.amazon.com/Echoes-Moon-Jennifer-Taylor/dp/1509217606

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/.../echoes.../1127176715...

Siren Descending: https://www.amazon.com/Siren-Descending-Sirens-Book-2-ebook/dp/B082CMLGTF

Lord of Fire: https://www.amazon.com/Lord-Fire-Wytchfae-Book-5-ebook/dp/B07DTHHG5H

Taming the Lyon: https://www.amazon.com/Taming-Lyon-Loretta-C-Rogers-ebook/dp/B073XZMY8M 

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/taming-the-lyon-loretta-c-rogers/1126834877?ean=2940158876738

The Benefits of Reading and a Special .99 Cent Sale

You already know that reading books is fun, but did you know that regular reading is also important for cognitive and emotional well-being? From reducing stress and increasing the quality of sleep to slowing down the onset of dementia, the benefits from regularly putting time aside to lose ourselves in a good book are far-reaching, and, in some cases, life-changing. 

If we all knew how good regular reading is for us, perhaps we would make fewer excuses not to do it. If you need more reasons to make reading part of your regular life, here is a list of the benefits of reading for adults. 

1. Mental stimulation 2. Helps reduces stress and relaxes you 3. Improves focus and concentration 4. Can reduce depressive thoughts 5. Makes you more empathetic 6. Improves your general knowledge 7. Boosts sleep quality 

Now that you know the life-changing benefits of reading in adulthood, Pen Dames hopes you will begin putting reading into practice. To help you get started we are offering a few of our books for .99 cents. Enjoy and Happy Reading! 

www.lorettacrogersnovels.com

www.flossiebentonrogers.com

http://katherineeddingersmits.weebly.com/

https://jennifertaylorwrites.com/

https://www.facebook.com/LindaTillisAuthor/

Will the Coronavirus be the Grinch that Steals Christmas?

 

Dear Readers,

Just like the title states: Will the Coronavirus be the Grinch that steals Christmas?

This is a blog I never wanted to write. COVID-19 cases are skyrocketing across the United States. Over 70,000 new cases have been reported on numerous days in the past weeks and the death toll has eclipsed more than 200,000 souls.

It’s clear that the COVID-19 virus isn’t going away anytime soon. And it’s certainly not going to be conquered before the holiday season. It’s almost painful to write the words “virus” and “holiday” in the same paragraph. The reality is that this is one of the strangest Christmas buying seasons we’ve probably ever encountered.

Did you know that in 1606, London was locked down in quarantine as the bubonic plague swept through the countryside? William Shakespeare used his enforced downtime to write some of his most enduring plays: King Lear, Macbeth, and Antony and Cleopatra.

Sixty years later, the plague returned to England. Classes at Cambridge University were canceled, so young Isaac Newton retreated to his family estate and wrote papers that would become his theory of gravity.

If the plague couldn’t stop the most famous playwright and mathematician from producing history-changing works, then I decided what’s stopping me from sitting in my typing chair and creating ideas for new books?

It’s true that the COVID-19 crisis has dramatically changed the way all of us do business and live our lives. But there is one activity where millions of people are finding solace during this difficult time: reading a book.

As an author, I’m wondering, like so many writers, with people avoiding crowds, shopping from home, and desiring instant gratification, will there be a surge in demand for eBooks? Studies show that book lovers haven’t embraced their digital cousins to the extent that was predicted when the first  Kindle was introduced, and while eBooks never became the “printed book killer” they were touted as, sales have taken off in the last few months.

So here’s the question, dear friends, will the Coronavirus be the Grinch that steals Christmas? Books could be the go-to gift option in what’s predicted to be a social-distancing Christmas, especially when this virus prevents us from celebrating with our friends and family in person. It’s my guess that gift givers will stay home to search for that perfect book title and have it safely delivered to their loved one’s doorstep.

I’m wondering what a post-COVID world will look like. What about you—have you also wondered? I’m looking forward to the day hubby and I can go to our favorite restaurants without thinking about social distancing or go to a concert in person, and hopefully have in-office doctor visits instead of tele-med by phone. I’m confident this day is coming with new vaccines on the horizon, but some things have changed forever, and that includes the world of book marketing.

I know it’s shameless of me to post this article then invite you to peruse our book titles. In fact, we’ll be the opposite of the Grinch. For the first five people to respond positively to this blog article, we’ll gift you with a pdf. copy of our listed novels. You may choose one title of your choice or you may choose to receive all five titles. 

      

                        

 However, there is a catch: we’re limiting this offer to the first five people #1) Who respond with one positive impact that 2020 has had on you, #2) Let us know which pdf. title you wish to receive or if you wish to receive all 5 titles, #3) Check on FB to see if you are a winner. You will then be asked for your email address so the authors can contact you, #4) While it isn’t a requirement, we would greatly appreciate it if you would post a positive review for each book you read on FB, Amazon, or Goodreads. Hurry: This offer expires December 21, 2020.

*Note all books are offered as a pdf. except for “Water Dreams” which is offered as an ebook.*

So, dear readers, keep reading, keep staying positive, and most of all stay safe!

MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

                                 INTERVIEW WITH KATHERINE SMITS

 

Hello, everyone! Welcome to Pen Dames. Today I’m interviewing the talented and mysterious Katherine Smits. She’s a gifted author who writes intriguing and passionate books in a unique setting.

 

Kathy, you write captivating stories about mermaids and mermen. Can you share with us how you got interested in them?

 

I learned to swim at Weeki Wachee. At the time, it was a private tourist attraction in Florida on the Gulf Coast. Now, it’s a state park with the deepest freshwater cave system in the country. There’s a natural first magnitude spring, and no one knows how far down it goes because the bottom has never been found. Young women performed underwater ballet using an air hose and wearing mermaid tails. The first time I watched the show from the underwater theater, I was hooked. I’ve never stopped loving mermaids, and when I decided to write my first book, I knew it had to revolve around the merfolk.

 

Before you, I’d never seen a book that’s set in Tarpon Springs, Florida. What inspired you to use that for your setting?

 

Tarpon Springs is a unique town with a large population of Greek immigrants who moved here for the sponge diving industry starting in the 1880’s and their descendants. I grew up there, and I love the town. I’m not Greek, but I always wanted to be, so maybe I can claim honorary membership.

 

 

From the four books you’ve written, do you have a favorite character?

 

Wow, what a hard question! I love all my characters. I’ve lived with them for years, and they seem so real to me. Nik from Water Dreams and Water Desires showed up first in my brain, so she’s the one I know the best. I “found” her apartment in Tarpon Springs, and I’ve been to all of the places where she went in the book (including a little hut on stilts a mile out in the Gulf of Mexico). I admire Athenia from The Sea Witch and the Mage and Siren Descending for her strength and talent. Then, there are the men. The awesome Water Dreams cover shows Nik and Bas in the water at night under a full moon. Bas is a swoon-worthy merman (or Nerei, as they call themselves), and his character arc brings him a long way from being the worst possible choice for Nik to becoming her ideal mate. Thorne is an alpha male with a strong sense of right and wrong who doesn’t abandon Athenia even when she betrays him in the worst way. He’s amazing. Nope, I can’t choose. I love all my characters, including the villains.

 

When did you start dreaming about mermaids and what motivated you to write about these mythical creatures?

 

Mermaids inspired me from a young age. I think I was about six or eight years old when I started going to Weeki Wachee for swimming lessons. I always pretended I was one of the mermaids when I was there. It helped me learn to swim. I wanted to be one of them, but I was never a good enough swimmer or able to hold my breath long enough, so I never tried out.

 

Where do you get your inspiration?

 

I’m a little unusual in that I often get my inspiration from places. First, I discover a location which would make a great setting for a book. Then, the characters who would live there come to me, and the plot derives from their interactions.

 

Writing isn’t the only thing you and I have in common. We both love to dance, but you dance on a horse. Can you talk about your love for dressage and how you got into it?

 

I was one of those horse crazy girls who collected horse statues and mooned over pictures of horses, but my parents adamantly refused to buy me a horse. I vowed someday I would own one. When my daughter begged for riding lessons at about age eight, we both started together. It’s a passion we have shared ever since. Dressage emphasizes riding in harmony with the horse, and that’s why it’s known as Dancing with Horses. The horse is your partner and together you complete a graceful pattern or ‘Test”.

 

How does it feel when you and your horse are dancing?

 

Horses are amazing partners. When I manage to move with the horse, it’s the greatest feeling of freedom and lightness I’ve ever experienced. I wish I were a better rider and could find that effortless partnership more often. My horse is retired now due to chronic lameness issues, but she loves her life on a farm in Ocala, and I visit her every week. I’ll include a picture of me with my horse. Her name is Corrin Castle, and she’s an Irish Sport Horse who was imported from Ireland. She has a passport! I was riding another horse twice a week before Covid-19, but now I’m social distancing, so I can’t ride. I hope a vaccine comes out soon, so I can get back to it.

 

You also clog, which sounds like a blast!

 

Though I can’t ride, I dance with my clogging team four days a week outside on the instructor’s driveway. Clogging is a form of dancing developed in Europe by workers who danced during their breaks in wooden shoes which made a distinctive tapping sound. Some of them brought the style to this country, and it evolved into what we do today. Though it is sometimes compared to tap dancing because the shoes have taps, it is quite different.

 

You were a social worker, working on behalf of veterans. Does your former career help you with your writing, and if so, how?

 

Absolutely! The training and clinical work help me craft believable characters with real life problems.

 

Any advice for aspiring authors?

 

Read a lot and write a lot. Practice, practice, practice. Also, establish a social media presence, including a web site, as soon as possible. Many publishers now want a marketing plan along with submissions, and the more social reach you have, the more likely they are to offer you a contract.

 

You have some good news. Congratulations! Can you tell me about your newly contracted book?

 

Witch Trial Legacy will release in 2021 from Foundations Books.

 

She must break an ancient curse before everything she cares about goes up in smoke.

Sybilla is a nurse gifted with the ability to heal with her touch but cursed with visions of future tragedies she cannot prevent because no one heeds her warnings. With help from the mediums of the spiritualist town of Cassadaga, Florida, she learns she is descended from both the first person executed for witchcraft in this country and the man who accused her. 

Conn Ahern is an Iraq war vet dealing with pain and PTSD while working as a paramedic and struggling to save the ranch his grandmother founded. He’s an atheist who wants nothing to do with the people of the town.

When Conn and Sybilla meet, sparks fly, but not always in a good way, and their relationship fans the flames of jealousy and revenge in someone who doesn’t want them together.

During a séance, her ancestor’s spirit reveals what Sybilla must do to rid herself of the curse and save Conn, but the price may be too high.

Wow, it sounds amazing. I can’t wait to read it.  Thanks so much for joining us today, Kathy.

 

 Katherine Eddinger Smits Bio

 

Katherine Eddinger Smits holds a master’s degree in social work.  For 20 years, she assisted veterans and their families until she retired to pursue her writing obsession.

 

Now she brings clinical training and experience to her stories of mermaids, mages and magical creatures. Within the context of fantasy and romance, her novels explore real-life issues of self-acceptance, body image, relationship dynamics, fears, and phobias. Mystery, suspense, and a little sex add spice to her books.

 

Katherine and her husband divide their time between Florida and West Virginia. Their children and granddaughters live in Virginia.

 

Besides writing, Katherine is a blogger, mom, Mimi, dressage rider, and clog dancer.

 

Sign up for her quarterly newsletter and receive a free short story! Newsletters always include contests, freebies and fun.  http://katherineeddingersmits.weebly.com/

 

 

 

 

Books by KATHERINE EDDINGER SMITS:

 

1.     Water Dreams, Love’s Siren Song, Book I

2.     Water Desires, Love’s Siren Song, Book II

3.     The Sea Witch and the Mage, Sirens Series 1

4.     Siren Descending, Siren Series 2

5.     Witch Trial Legacy (2021)

 

 

 

Facebook Author Page:

 https://www.facebook.com/Katherine-Eddinger-Smits-1570871886468704

 

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/katherinesmits

 

Pinterest:

https://www.pinterest.com/katherinesmits/_saved/

 

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/kathyeddingersmits/