If you're ready for a zombie apocalypse, then you're ready for any emergency. emergency.cdc.gov
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Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Looking for a Fiction Editor

Here's the deal:
I write horror, fantasy, thrillers, science fiction, and erotic horror. 

I have been working with several editors for a few years now; unfortunately, we keep hitting snags and I have to continue finding new editors. What I really need is someone who can work with me for awhile and not fade away or suddenly want more money. 

My past editors work as follows: I pay $25 up front. They will then read over the initial manuscript, perform line edits and check for grammatical errors, passive voice, the overuse of pronouns, etc. They will also check for inconsistencies in my plot, story lines that don't make sense, characters that don't fit, story structure, and areas that I need to work on, etc. In essence, they do it all, then send me back chapter by chapter with their notes and comments. Once I receive this initial draft back in full, I pay $25. 

I usually wait until I have the complete manuscript back before I start on a rewrite. Rewrites can take awhile, but once I'm finished, I'll send the revision back to my editor for his final comments (at no additional cost). 

He also will look over and comment on my query letters and synopsis; although, some of my manuscripts are to be self-published so this won't apply to those. After the second read-through and final notes, I send the rest of the payment ($25). 

If you are interested in this position, please apply at:

Fiction Editor Application

Sunday, January 21, 2018

Howling Kitties Galore!

There is a new phenomena for pet lovers out there. They are called Lykoi cats, or specifically Werewolf Cats. Say what?

These wonderful animals are a natural mutation from a domestic short-haired cat that has the appearance of a Hollywood werewolf. They are partially or almost hairless and genetically distinctive from the Sphynx. They are said to be friendly, unchallenging, and affectionate.

Becoming popular in 2010, these kittens are very scarce. At the time, an estimated 54 were readily available. There is a waiting list and they come with a high price, ranging between $1,500 and $2,500.

These hunter-minded house cats display some similarities to dogs -- they are able to wag their tails, play fetch, and have a keen sense of smell.


Friday, January 19, 2018

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Six Feet Under...

Have you had your heart broken one too many times? Are you tired of all the lovebirds out there while you sit at home alone again? Does the commercialization of holidays tick you off? Or would you just like to send your special girl or guy something unique this year? Then why not star in your own Valentine's horror story? I am an author of several books and short stories. I can craft an award-winning short story for you or your loved one, centered around Valentine's Day. Unrequited loves, eternal love, lovers that come back from beyond the grave, heart broken revenge stories, you name it. Contact me with your story idea and payment offer. Stories will be sent to you via email with 72 hours of payment (made only by PayPal.)

Monday, January 15, 2018

Calls from the Dead

Throughout history, humans have always been concerned with contacting spirits from beyond the grave. In the past, it used to take a psychic medium to be able to connect with the other side. Seances, ouija boards, and other forms of communicating were used. But in this day of technology, savvy new methods are being recognized for ghostly beings to reach out and touch someone, so to speak.

I had my own brush of a ghostly phone call  years ago. I used to deliver newspapers. One day, I came home from work and my answering machine was beeping (Yes, I had a land line phone with machine, remember those? lol). My ringer was always set to OFF though so as to not disturb the other occupants of the house when I was out. Not today! I was told that while I was out, my phone kept ringing. I thought that was impossible but anyway, there was a message. I hit PLAY and at first, all I heard was static. I listened several times and then I swear I heard a faint voice, saying, "Save her."

I thought nothing more of it so I checked my ringer status and made sure it was OFF. It was then that I noticed the phone itself had come unplugged. How on earth did someone manage to call in the first place if the phone hadn't even been plugged in?

It was winter. A few days later, I went to work, delivering my early morning newspaper. I pulled up to one of my customer's houses and my customer was outside, lying on her porch, in the freezing temperatures. She had come out for a smoke and slipped, not being able to get up. Apparently, she had lain there for almost 45 minutes crying for help and no one heard her. I helped her into her house and called 9-1-1. All I could think about was that faint message, "Save her." Could it really have been someone from the other side reaching out to me?

Probably one of the most famous phone calls from beyond comes from the great author Dean Koontz. One day he received a call from a woman who sounded far away. All she said was, "Please be careful." He swore it had sounded like his mother, who had passed away many years prior.

So he goes to visit his father, who was in a mental health facility. When  he walked in, his father attacked him with a knife, but Koontz stepped aside, avoided being stabbed, and was able to take the knife away. As he stepped out of the room, police surrounded him, demanding he drop the knife or he would be shot. He did as told. Later on, Koontz would ponder whether or not the strange phone call had indeed been a warning from his deceased mother.

A widely circulated story occurred on September 12, 2008. On this day, a Metrolink commuter train was involved in a fatal crash with a freight train. Twenty five lives were lost, one of them being a 49-year-old man named Charles E. Peck. In the hours after the tragic crash, 35 phone calls were placed from his cell phone to members of his family. All of them reported that when they picked up, all they heard was static, but when they attempted to return the call, they were sent directly to voice mail.

Crash responders used the signals from his cell phone to finally located his body. It was determined that he had died on impact. Shortly before his body was recovered, the calls just stopped. It is unclear if the cell phone was ever actually found though.

But even though phone calls from the dead can be scary, check out this story of an email from beyond.

In 2011, Jack Froese passed away of a heart arrythmia. Five months later, Tim Hart, a friend of his received an email from Jack's account, supposedly from the deceased. The subject line said, "I'm Watching" The body of the email was as scary as hell. It simply said, "Did you hear me? I'm at your house. Clean your f**king attic!!!" Strange thing was, just before Froese passed away, Hart claimed they had been up in his attic discussing what to do with all the space up there.

Creepy stuff, huh?

Want to share your messages from beyond? Post in the comments.

Sunday, January 14, 2018

The Horde

One of my favorite shows on TV happens to be The Walking Dead. It's a great show focusing on the survivors of a zombie apocalypse. Yes, they slice and dice through plenty of walking dead every week but they also deal with births, deaths, romances, food shortages, looters, and some very bad people who want to take it all. One of their mottoes is "Fight the dead. Fear the living."

Team Rick!

What would you do in the event a zombie epidemic broke out? What if a loved one turned right in front of you? 

Would you rather:
Be a lone survivor or seek out safety in a group?

Put the love of your life down after they turned or lock him/her up in case a cure is found?

Kill zombies from afar with a crossbow or get up close and personal with a sword/axe?

Shack up in a boarded up apartment on the fifth floor or stay in an abandoned prison behind closed gates?

Be part of a group where everyone is treated equally with respect and given a chance or belong to a group of saviors who promise to feed you, give you shelter, and keep you safe as long as you do your part and failure is a sign of weakness that could result in your untimely death?


Monday, January 8, 2018

Devil walks among us!

A little flower bloomed in the desert, living among the cacti and dry heat. It brought life and color to its surroundings. Then one day the devil was passing by. He saw this flower and picked it up. It trembled in his big palm. He saw all that was good. It even gave the devil a smidgen of hope for a pleasant future. Its tiny petals brushed up against his fingers, giving him a warm feeling inside. This frail flower, which had been strong enough to withstand anything and brought life to the arid desert, was alive and growing strong. He smiled, kissed a petal, thanked it for giving him purpose...and then he crushed it in his big palm. The world died that day!

Convention Listing

2018 Conventions throughout the United State:

  • Stokercon 2018  -- March 1 - March 4, 2018 (Providence, RI). Horror's premier event.
  • Horror Hound Weekend -- March 23 - 25, 2018 (Cincinnati, OH). A series of mid-west horror Conventions. 
  • Spooky Empire -- April 6 - 8, 2018 (Orlando, FL). One of the most popular horror conventions in the nation. 
  • Motor City Nightmares -- April 27 - 29, 2018 (Novi, MI). Michigan's premier horror convention. 
  • Penguicon 2018 -- May 4 - 6, 2018 (Southfield, MI). A non-profit, community-run convention for open source software and hardware, science fiction, gaming, DIY, and more!
  • Crypticon Seattle -- May 4 - 6, 2018 (Seattle, WA). Seattle's best convention of the macabre.
  • 13th Annual Texas Frightmare Weekend -- May 4 - 6, 2018 (DFW Airport, Texas). The southwest's premier horror convention.  

  • Readercon 29 -- July 12 - 15, 2018 (Quincy, MA). The conference on imaginative literature. 
  • Flashback Weekend: Chicago Horror Con -- August 3 - 5, 2018 (Chicago, IL). Chicago's largest and longest-running horror convention.
  • 16th Annual Kerrytown Bookfest -- September 9, 2018 (Ann Arbor, MI), 10:30 am - 5:00 pm. This celebration of books (readers and writers) is held each September and showcases local individual, business, and organizational talents.
  • 11th Annual Scarefest -- September 14 - 16, 2018 (Lexington, KY). 
  • World Fantasy Convention 2018 -- November 1 - 4, 2018 (Baltimore, MD). An annual gathering of professionals, collectors, and others interested in dark fantasy art and literature.

Heroes Wanted



So You Want to be a Hero?
By M.A. Donovan

Heroes aren’t born, they are made. Society, relationships, and the way we live dictate whether or not we can become a hero to someone. In ancient times, you didn’t have to be completely honorable, loyal, or an upright citizen to become legendary. You just had to do something remarkable that people would talk about (and maybe write an epic) for years to come. For instance, Achilles, the Greeks’ greatest hero, tried to get out of fighting for his country and when that didn’t work, he sulked in his tent while his comrades were killed. But yet to die old and unsung would never do, so he stepped up and was remembered.

Today, heroes are defined by their values. Just doing something heroic isn’t enough; one must also live honorably, be healthy and strong within, learn humility, and have some redeeming qualities that someone will look up to.  

Heroes can be almost anything – the shy kid living next door, the 89-year-old veteran in a wheelchair, or your accountant. Animals have been known to carry out great feats in stories as well as real life news events. When writing a hero into a tale, they can wear many hats and have varying dispositions, but they all have one thing in common: the need to aid someone who is in trouble. They needn’t be superheroes with special powers or physically strong; anyone can be a hero and sometimes, you’ll find them hiding in the last place you would look.  Do you have it in you to be a hero to someone?

In The Golden Horn, my wayward hero, Galen, is a combination of the ancient legends and the modern day hero. He is humble and refuses to title himself, but yet, his heart breaks at the thought of all the struggles the common villager has to suffer. Galen is no stranger to pain, coming from a broken home filled with evil, but he finds a way to survive and decides to do something important with his life. With his sword and companion mage, Olstek, they travel the land, doing good whenever possible. He becomes the Hero of Shandor, even though he feels he’s not worthy to be called that.

The Golden Horn is available at amazon.com or createspace.com. Want to win a free signed copy along with a special gift from me? Enter my “Letter to a Hero” contest. Simply craft a genius letter to your special hero (can be a fictional character or a real person) and send to me at kariah@donovanfantasyauthor.com with “Letter to a Hero” in the subject. I’ll select a winner at the end of my virtual book tour, on or around March 1, 2013. Please make sure to include your name, mailing address, and email in your letter.

Visit M.A. Donovan online at http://www.donovanfantasyauthor.com or check out her blog at http://www.freethewriterinside.com.

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Charles Manson, Cult Leader, Murderer, Musician...Did Hell Claim Him?

On November 17, 2017, Charles Manson passed away. Did the devil finally lay claim to this possessed soul? Interestingly enough, there is a battle going on for his estate and his remains. He's worth a lot. Check this out....

Three Camps Battling for Manson Estate