The Horizon

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Tendrils of Passion, book three of The Possession Chronicles, releases this November. The editor will have the manuscript back to me by one week from today so I can go through my next round of edits (which brings my total to around thirty editorial passes for this manuscript since I wrote the first draft.) I’ll have about two weeks to complete and return. Deadlines are always part of the writing journey.

That means the next few days I’m pushing to finish my current project–which involves a character in the above collage–so I can let that sit while I focus on Tendrils of Passion. Can you guess who I’m writing about? I’ve shared that information with my monthly newsletter subscribers, as well as posted excerpts from the first draft with my readers group. Those are the places you’ll hear news first–including cover reveals. I update the blog about twice a month to help those who don’t follow me on social media stay informed on the highlights of my literary news, but if you want more, be sure to check out all the places you can find me on the Contact page.

Time to get back to writing.

2019 Halloween Flash Fiction Contest

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Site Title

Halloween Masquerade Ball (1)

Bienvenue Press is hosting its 3rd Annual Halloween Flash Fiction Contest! The contest will open August 5th and remain open until September 30th.

Entry and Submission Guidelines:
*Only original, unpublished flash fiction is eligible for this contest.
*Entries must be 1,000 words or less.
*Stories must have a Halloween setting.
*Send submissions in the body of an email to submissions@bienvenuepress.com.
*Include your bio, social media links, and picture of yourself with your submission

What Winners Receive:
*2nd and 3rd place and an honorable mention will be posted on our blog with your bio and links.
*1st place will win $50 (USD). (You must have a PayPal account.)

Questions? Email alvincent@bienvenuepress.com

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Summer News

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A few things of note during the summer heat.

First, the digital edition of Hometown Heroes: A Christmas Anthology by Bienvenue Press, is currently on sale for only $0.99. It’s a collection of five sweet holiday romances featuring local heroes in all walks of life–both contemporary and historical. My offering in the collection is “Courtship and Courage: A Fortitude Short Story.” It released last December and proceed benefits Cajun Navy Relief.
Bienvenue Press is doing another charity Christmas anthology this December. The 2019 release will benefit animal rescue. My new story, “Grace Shadowed” (a Possession Chronicles short), will be included. More information in the months ahead.

In other news, POSSESSED: Timeless Gothic Reads is hosting our summer read discussion August 4-10 on a special event page associated with our Facebook group. Our seasonal book–chosen by voting–is from the Gothic family saga genre and is Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews. For the autumn read, we’ll be dipping into the classic American Gothic genre. Voting on the title to read will happen next week. Now is good time to join if you’d like to participate. The seasonal reads are optional for members. We do discuss, share, and recommend Gothic literature from all sub-genres (classic, horror, Southern, family saga, romance, etc.) at any time and Gothic authors are allowed to post promotional items on Fridays. Check it out–it’s not as scary as you think.

The second book in The Possession Chronicles released last month. Now’s a great time to read Murmurs of Evil as book three releases in November. I’ve heard from several readers that they enjoyed it even more than the first book, Perilous Confessions, and it’s the only book in the series that you can reasonably read without having read the book(s) before it. Check out the “Look Inside” option to try out the first five chapters or read for free on Kindle Unlimited.

Questions, comments, and reviews are always welcomed. Happy reading!

 

FORTITUDE Sale

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I hope everyone’s summer is going well. There’s been a few shakeups and adventures in my end of the world, but I’m doing good.

Today is a quick post to let you know the Kindle edition of Fortitude is on sale through the weekend for $0.99.

In the vein of Southern Gothic coming-of-age novels like To Kill a Mockingbird and The Secret Life of Bees, Fortitude gives the reader an experience rich in the climate and culture of 1898 Alabama and the Spanish-American War camps in Florida. It’s a great summer read for ages twelve through adults, so tell a friend.

What’s on your summer reading list?

Murmurs of Evil Soundtrack

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The second book in The Possession Chronicles released two weeks ago and I’ve yet to disclose the full soundtrack. For newer readers, I’ve done soundtracks for my projects since I began writing as a teen. I also create mood music playlists and editing playlists, but today is all about the soundtrack for Murmurs of Evil. I’m providing links to the songs when available.

1906 ad cover Book2

 

  1. Last Look at Eden by Europe
  2. I Will Possess Your Heat by Death Cab for Cutie

  1. Magdalene by Boston

  1. Be With You by Mitch Malloy
  2. Surrender to Me by Boston

  1. Higher Power by Boston

  1. Dreams by The Cranberries

  1. The Prayer by Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion

  1. Rainbow in the Dark by Dio

  1. The Courage of Others by Midlake

  1. Watch Over Me by Hanson

  1. If You Were in Love by Boston

  1. When I Look into Your Eyes by Firehouse

 

As always, the soundtrack showcases my eclectic musical tastes. And you can probably guess why I dedicated the book in part to Tom Scholz/Boston.

1906 Ad dedication

If you want more insight into my writing process, the characters, and the stories behind the stories, join Dalby’s Darklings on Facebook. (Now is the perfect time to join. We’re doing a group read discussion for Murmurs of Evil July 12-15, 2019–a virtual book club experience to get your questions answered and learn more about The Possession Chronicles as it relates to the newest release.)

Are there any songs that remind you of any of my stories or characters? I’d love to hear them.

Murmurs of Evil Release Day

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Happy Book Birthday to Murmurs of Evil!

This Friday, June 14, I’ll be at The Haunted Book Shop from 6-9pm for a book signing during ArtWalk in downtown Mobile. Located on Dauphin street, the store is less than a block from both Bienville Square and The Battle House Hotel–places you’re familiar with if you’ve read Perilous Confessions. (Both locations are often visited in The Possession Chronicles.) If you can’t be there but would like to order an autographed copy of any of my books, check out the order form. They ship!

If digital is more your thing, you can read Murmurs of Evil free on Kindle Unlimited or download it for the release sale price of $0.99. Regular price is $3.99, so add it to your collection soon.

Bienvenue Press arranged for a blog tour.book blitz to celebrate release week. Check out the action at Silver Dagger Book Tours and enter to win an Amazon gift card.

Thanks for your support. Happy reading!

The Final Countdown

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Two weeks to go until Murmurs of Evil is in the wild and my emotional state reflects that anticipation. I did the final look through after formatting and now it’s just waiting for that pre-order option to go live. Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter to be one of the first to get that ordering link.

My readers group on Facebook is a great place to learn about the behind-the-scenes information and tidbits about The Possession Chronicles, as well as my other writings. Take the link or search for Dalby’s Darklings. It’s a closed group, so you’ll need to request to join.

Another place for more visuals and fun is Pinterest. I have boards for all my books and more, plus one for The Possession Chronicles as a whole and several character inspiration boards for the main characters thus far.


You’ll hear from me next on release day. Until then, stay cool and keep reading.