Tag Archives: WRITING

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.

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!

 

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.

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.

 

Coming Soon

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I’ve finished the final edits and seven weeks from today is release day for Murmurs of Evil, the second book in The Possession Chronicles. My May newsletter will have the cover reveal, but members of my insider readers group got a sneak peek of it yesterday. What did they  say?

Love it!

Delightfully creepy!

Air of mystery.

And more. Can’t wait to share it with you–and more importantly, share the story. Here’s a tidbit for you paired with an Edwardian era photograph that reminds me of main character Magdalene.

Watch for it on June 11, 2019.

A Lull in the Storm

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It’s been a whirl year of books so far, but now things are settling down. This month–besides the release of Fortitude–I worked a round of professional edits on my next release. Murmurs of Evil, book two of The Possession Chronicles, will be available June 11. After finishing that editorial pass, I slipped into book three for a tightening round and now I’m on book four for the sixteenth time. I’m pleased to report the series is still as enjoyable for me to work on as ever–and that feels great.

I’m excited to share more of The Possession Chronicles with readers, so much so that I started an insider’s readers group on Facebook for those looking for more facts and inspiration behind my stories. To join the fun and learn more about my writing process in regards to all my stories, check out Dalby’s Darklings.

If an online group isn’t your thing, be sure you’re registered for my monthly newsletter. I send it out the first week of the month (next week for April), highlighting upcoming news/events, what I’ve been reading, and more.

Sneak peek: next up, I’ll be at Gulf Coast Children’s Book Festival in support of Fortitude on April 4.

 

Perilous Confessions Soundtrack

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Perilous Confessions, the first book in The Possession Chronicles, has been out in the world for just over two weeks. You know what that means, right? It’s time to unveil my soundtrack for it!


My writing process starts with creating a “mood music” playlist for my project that I listen to almost exclusively while I’m first drafting the story. (Perilous Confession‘s playlist has 474 songs, so I didn’t get bored with the music.) From that list, I create a soundtrack once the first draft is complete. Once I work edits–which has its own “editing playlist”–I adjust the soundtrack further until final edits are complete through the publisher.

The following is Perilous Confession‘s musical journey.
Spoiler:
If you listen to each song in order, you will known the story line, so you might want to save until you’ve finished reading.

1. Fools Rush In by Rick Nelson

2. New Love in Town by Europe

3. When You Love Me by Martina McBride (who the book is dedicated in part to.)

4. I’ll Cry For You by Europe

5.I’m the One by Mitch Malloy (my favorite singer, who I got to see in concert and say hello to last weekend. He’s the new lead singer for Great White but I love his solo work.)

6. Sweet Salvation by The Cult

7. Wait for Sleep by Dream Theater

8. Mr. Ego (Take Me Down) by Helloween

9. When I See You Smile by Bad English

10. Where I Used to Have a Heart by Martina McBride

11. Lucy by Hanson

12. Love is on the Way by Saigon Kick

13. Let It All Go duet by Birdy and RHODES

14. Father Time by Richie Sambora

What songs would you add to the Perilous Confessions soundtrack or mood music playlist?