Win an Amazon Gift Card!

I'm looking for someone to create the cover art (preferably digital or photographed) for my upcoming high seas thriller, On Deadly Seas. It's an 18th century pirate ghost story. Summary of the book is as follows:

Strange things happen aboard the 18^th century brigantine, The Fiery Wench. Accidents occur quite frequently; crew men are killed off in horrific ways; and visitors have reported seeing the ghosts of those tortured souls warning them of worse things to come. Pirate Captain Aiden McGuire never believed in curses and he would have anyone whipped who even suggested the idea. It’s only when young Jaclyn steals away aboard his ship that one misfortune after another befalls him and his crew. The decks of The Fiery Wench, for the first time since he became captain, start to flow red from the blood of his men. Is his stowaway a Siren who has come aboard to tear apart his vessel, or is she an innocent caught in a game of tragedy? Only time will tell as this ship sets sail ON DEADLY SEAS.

THE PRIZE: $50 AMAZON GIFT CARD

CONTEST RULES:

Winner will be selected on April 2, 2019 and announced via my email list, . The prize will be emailed within 5 business days. Winner must check our blog and contact us within 2 business days to confirm their email address for delivery. Valid only where permitted by law.

HOW TO ENTER:

1. Answer this question in a comment on this blog post: Why should I choose your cover art?

2. Like Screams for Sale on Facebook and share it with a friend.

3. Follow me on Twitter @shelbypatrick

4. Subscribe to my email list at darkfictionmuse-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

5. Email up to three of your best cover artwork to blackwidow@shelbypatrick.com

Winning entry will be used as the cover art for my book. Artist will be credited on the inside of the book. 

Horror Excerpts

I have three excerpts online from short stories in my anthology The Fear Within. To read the complete stories and more, you can purchase my book HERE

Please send an email to each of the following addresses to read the excerpts:

After Hours -- Working late becomes a night for survival. CLICK HERE

Behind Closed Doors -- What was grandmother hiding behind the locked door in her basement? CLICK HERE

Under a Watchful Eye -- No guards, no fences, and no escape for prisoners once they enter Innsmouth. CLICK HERE 

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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Rejections

Okay, so I'm used to getting rejections that say stuff like "not the right fit for them" or "does not meet their needs at this time", but this is a new one:

"We enjoyed your work but we don't have the resources to make it the success it should be"

So what exactly does that mean? Is this simply a nice way of saying my story wasn't good enough? They did say they enjoyed it though.

Hmmm...