Category Archives: Gulf of Mexico

We All Need Fortitude

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Today–Saturday, June 6, 2020–marks the 122 anniversary of the Tampa area race riots that happened during the mobilization of the troops to Cuba for the Spanish-American War. For my novel, Fortitude, I researched the event from multiple sources and did my best to portray the situation accurately, though it was heartbreaking to dive into such vileness as the triggering event. More lives were lost in Florida (due to disease and bigotry) than in the Cuba campaign of the Spanish-American War.

If you’re not familiar with Fortitude, it’s a coming-of-age Southern Gothic listed with Grateful American Foundation as a “Best History Book” for kids (targeted for 5-10th grades), one of only three dozen books currently on the list. It’s about standing up when you see injustices and helping your fellow man, no matter the cost. The settings are mostly familiar ones to my readers: Mobile, Dauphin Island, Mon Louis Island, and Tampa in 1898. It was my first published novel in 2015 and is now in its second edition with Bienvenue Press, home of The Possession Chronicles–and several of the characters if Fortitude make an appearance in the series.

We must learn from the past and move forward with compassion–and fortitude.

Mardi Gras and Southern Gothic

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It’s that time of year, again. Mardi Gras. The day (season) of indulgence. Last January, I blogged about it on a personal level–check it out here. Today, I’d like to take a minute to tie Mardi Gras with my Southern Gothic series.

I found this explanation of Southern Gothic Literature online last year on a visual image, so I don’t know who to credit for it:

The South’s reputation for sultry decadence lives on in a literature that meshes the moody romanticism of Gothic novels with the American South’s sensibility of tragedy and doom.

Brilliant, right? When I read it I said “Yes! That’s what The Possession Chronicles is all about.” Tragic events and doomed choices, all layered within romantic ideals that don’t always hold up in the humidity.

Mardi Gras is prominent in Perilous Confessions, the first book in the series, and there isn’t much in life more decadent than those masquerades. My tagline for the book is “Their love brought scandal and demons.” You can’t get much more doomed than demons. Add in the backdrop of carnival season with the juxtapose of life and death symbolized in much of Mobile, Alabama’s Mardi Gras history looming in the background–not to mention Catholic guilt–it creates a greater sense of urgency to the characters’ choices. A “play with Folly all you like, but come Lent it needs to stop” attitude that might be easier said than done when you dive into addiction and other psychological issues.

 

How do the characters hold up? Read to find out.
And I’m always happy to discuss.

 

Scarred Memories Cover Reveal

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The final edits are done and the cover is ready to roll. Now it’s turned over for formatting and waiting for that magical release day.

 

Once again, Ashley with Redbird Designs took my cover vision to the next level. Pictured is a representation of Lucy, who was on the cover of Perilous Confessions. I can’t wait to share the book with you and talk more about this family saga. Scarred Memories is truly a turning point in the series.

 

 

Book four of The Possession Chronicles returns readers to the downtown side of Mobile Bay, focusing on the Davenport and Easton families. There’s also the addition of a new characters including Darla Beauchamp, Henry Adams, and Valentino De Fiore (Claudio’s cousin). You can read the prologue to it in the back of Tendrils of Passion, book three.

What do you think of the cover?

 

New Year, New Stories

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Unless you live along the Gulf Coast, the holidays are over. If you’re in the Mardi Gras zone, you know the festivities have just begun. Besides being a year old this week, Perilous Confessions is fun to talk about during carnival season. A lot of my historical research centered around Mardi Gras in the Port City.

The Possession Chronicles passed its one year mark, but growth is still happening. Three full-length novels are out–four if you count Fortitude as an unofficial prequel–as well as three short stories (if you include “Courtship and Courage”, the Fortitude short in Hometown Heroes.) Here’s a photo I took of the Possession Chronicles related books, including the anthologies featuring short stories, in chronological order of how to read them.

You can find a list of the publications in this order–including what’s to come and projected release dates where possible–on my website’s page dedicated to the series. Next to be added to is Valentine’s Day Pieces, a Mobile Writers Guild anthology, which releases later this month. Look for ordering links in the following blog post (in about two weeks.)

February will hopefully see the unveiling of book four’s cover as Scarred Memories releases in April. Also forthcoming is a yet-to-be-announced short story project that I’m co-writing with a USA Today best-selling author which ties our story worlds together.  2020 will be a year to read and remember.  Don’t miss out–catch up with The Possession Chronicles now!

 

Book Signing, New Release, and More

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First up, on Small Business Saturday (November 30), I’ll be at The Haunted Book Shop in downtown Mobile, Alabama, from 11 am until 1 pm, signing books and chatting with those who stop by. I’ll have a few freebies and fun visuals, so if you’re in the area, come say hello. The Haunted Book Shop, Mobile’s biggest and best indie bookstore, is two floors of literary finds in all genres–new and used. The first three Possession Chronicles novels (including this month’s release, Tendrils of Passion), as well as Fortitude and a couple anthology collections I have short stories in, will be available for purchase. And if you can’t make it in person, shop the online store–they ship!
On December 10, my next release hits the shelves. “Grace Shadowed” is a Possession Chronicles short story (Possession Chronicles #3.5, for those reading the series) that is included in Finally Home: A Christmas Anthology by Bienvenue Press.

The collection features animal rescue themed romances, so my offering is a bit fluffier  than my typical stories (pun intended.) I did manage to add in a few Gothic nods and dropped a truth bomb about one of the characters in the series (Ruth Melling) that you won’t find anywhere else. Pre-orders will be available soon. I’ll include the link in my December newsletter.

Also on December 10 is a release that will interest the writers out there. One of my critique partners and I were interviewed for Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner. I was able to beta read it and can say it covers everything about how to handle a critique partnership–and I’ve come to understand how good I have it with my situation. (Thanks, Candice, and members of Write Club!)

Happy reading–and Happy Thanksgiving to those celebrating this week.