The Fear Behind the Smiles

'Back in My Day' and Other BS Spewed by the Pharmaceuticaled Masses

Admittedly, when I made the comment/post of 'Back in my day, vampire novels had vampires in them' I meant it as a joke... sort of. With the mudslide success of Twilight and all kinds of nonsense spewed forth by the mainstream media, it's actually kind of hard for me to get my vampire fix. Yes, I'm reading the Sookie Stackhouse series, and yes, I'm watching True Blood AND The Gates, but I'm left feeling empty and vaguely disappointed. I mean, where's the FEAR? These people are sleeping with a giant parasite, a potentially violent parasite, and yet there's less of a shrieking terror and more of an 'oh n0es!' surrounding it all.

A quick check of my collection of vampire fiction left me a little more sane-feeling. Historically, vampires were not pretty. There was nothing sexy about them, and they certainly didn't glitter, shimmer or shine. These were blood-sucking resurrected corpses, afterall. The lamia of ancient Greece was a blend of various animals with the torso of a woman (gotta get boobs in there, natch). She went around killing babies. Granted, the story behind this monster is a sad one, as often happens with ancient Greco-Roman myths. And usually there's some poor sot getting tormented and abused by the gods just before dying a horrible death. Those were some jealous gods, and they had a knack for torment. Hats off to them.

Then there's the later vampires embodied in good ole Vlad the Impaler and his relative Countess Elizabeth Bathory. Following that there were the resurrected corpse types which usually meant Plague was around somewhere lurking. And not a pretty death by any means. The original Nosferatu film depicted an outright monster.... and then came Hollywood....

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE Bela Lugosi. There was an underlying unease throughout Dracula that left you both intrigued and terrified.

So where did the vampire story go awry and transform into a fountain of youth with fangs? And a little too much oil in the T zones...

As a writer, I've come to the conclusion that I need to buck the system and go in a completely opposite direction, for those folks who are looking for real horror, or just a fun read. In other words... literature.

Almost Doesn't Count....

Finally calmed down enough to actually post about the 'incident' of last weekend in Scranton, PA.

Long story short: projects I was really looking forward to working on will not be happening. People I was looking forward to working with I will sadly not be working with, at least not on this project. Money I had hoped to get paid for doing this project will also not be arriving. Thank goodness for a day job I love.

Looking on the bright side, I made a new friend.

To the left is me and Maestro. Meeting the wrestlers at last weekend's event was the bright spot in a very gloomy day. They're awesome people, and I hope everything turns out alright for them.

The saddest part of all of this is that the whole thing really had the potential to be something great. All of the names that showed up would not have signed on if they didn't see some potential for awesome things.

The fallout from all of this just keeps falling.

A message in my Facebook inbox finally opened up my rage dam, and all the anger I'd been fighting to hold back this entire past week came flooding out. The time for explanations has long past, but if it should come to needing to explain to me, then a phonecall could have done the trick, or even just say it in the damned Facebook message right then and there. Don't message me to tell me to call someone else so they can explain it. It's horribly unprofessional and disrespectful beyond all words.

There were many responses drafted over the course of one day. All of them I deleted without sending because none of my responses were a professional response, nor should they have been read by anyone who hoped to keep their eyes from bursting into flame.

Suffice it to say, lesson learned in all of this. My burn was not nearly as great as some of the others involved, and I am glad I had not gotten quite so far into the book writing process that it became a major loss to cut the line and go. I did pay my editor out of my own pocket, because I made a promise to her that she would get paid. You see, I keep my promises, and I don't enter agreements lightly. That's as it should be.

Amazon Author Page is Live

In one of those 'eureka' moments last week, Christian Dumais pointed out that I should create my Amazon Author's Bio page. It was like suddenly realizing I should have been wearing a coat in a snowstorm, but had been so caught up in building my snowman that I had forgotten the basics, in spite of such obvious parental warnings as pneumonia.

I think part of never having done it before now was that I always just considered myself a regular person (OK, OK, maybe I use that term in a snarky way). I'm a writer, certainly, but always assumed I needed to make X, 000, 000 book sales before Amazon put up an author page.Turns out good ole Puff Chrissy bestowed upon me a revelation: I am an actual honest to goodness author, and I deserve that Author's Bio Page on Amazon.  I just needed to jump for the golden ring.

So... kind of weird and kind of cool all at the same time... here it is, my Amazon Author's Bio Page: http://www.amazon.com/Suzi-M/e/B003TTLGP2/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

I'm sure eventually this will all be very ho-hum, but for now, I'm merely basking in the glow of the now.

Riding the Q Train

COVER STORIES OFFICIAL FAN PAGE NOW ON FACEBOOK

Ahem. Good. Now that I have your attention, go join the page that apparently has more mass appeal than my Suzi M fan page on Facebook. Yeah, yeah... I know, and yes, I would like some cheese to go with my whine party, thank you.

But seriously. Here's the link to become a member of the throng of the Cover Stories official fan page on Facebook. 

Need more info? Official Cover Stories press: 

"In COVER STORIES, ten young writers from around the globe cut deep into the tracks of their favorite albums to produce something that’s more than just a mix tape of divergent fictions; they’re the scouts for a new literary Invasion..."

Go. Join. Now.

The Insomnia Monster Strikes Again, Producing Digital Men and Monsters

The night is stormy, which would usually be a great opening for an intense story somewhere out there in literati land. Sadly all it means for me is a sleepless night.

I'm definitely not afraid of a good thunderstorm. Quite the opposite. I love them. Dark and stormy nights are my bread and butter, after all.

The downside to a really good thunderstorm (or upside, depending on how optimistic I feel at the time) is that it's like sticking my finger in a socket, pure energy rush and buzzing with creativity.

I have had zero caffeine today in hopes I could sleep tonight at a normal hour. The storm rolled in around 9pm and that was it. I've been supercharged ever since.

Rather than play the woe-is-me card and mope, I decided to do something - dare I say it? - productive. The digital image you see here is made with a combination of Poser and Photoshop. The main meat and potatoes of the Big Guy's face, head and background were all done initially in Poser. Finishing touches, such as pallor, hair, eyes, and shadowing were all hand drawn in Photoshop. It's not as easy and effortless as it seems, but it is a labor of love.

I'm a regular Pygmalion when it comes to my characters. One of these days I'll have to summon up the rest of the characters into digital format. So far they only exist as the initial concept drawings, sketches, and rough paintings I did back in 1993 when I wrote the first draft of NEMESIS (aka Book 1 of the Immortal War Series).

So on this particular dark and stormy night, I'm listening to a fun and extremely eclectic mix of music from Lycia and Lady GaGa to Grendel and Fields of the Nephilim. Issues? No way. I have subscriptions and franchised newsstands for my blend of problems. I've created the digital art gracing this post, and gotten some writing done. The Moleskine has even seen some ink tonight, which will eventually find its way into a digital form of dark comedy story. 

Oh yeah, the dark comedy. Inspired by, of all things, eBay. I thought I had seen everything til I saw ghosts, djinns, and vampires bonded to jewelry and sold on the cheap in a digital marketplace. After sorting through page after page of items, I found myself wondering how the inhabitants of the jewelry/objects felt about their lot in life. Most importantly being stuck in jewelry, dolls, or in some cases even just a box, and sold at auction. And so the story was born.

Feel free to get up-to-the-damn-near-second updates on my Facebook fanpage. Feel free to post something and say hello, too. I talk to my fans because I'm a friendly sort.

Speaking of fans... got recognized by titles and storyline in my fave local yarn store a couple of weeks ago. It was my first recognition. I was so in awe I asked them for THEIR autograph. Based on the experience, I've decided to start an autograph album of people who've read my novels. To hell with famous people autographs, I want the folks who admire my work enough to say hello to me.

Feel free to join the fun on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/manage/?act=37195941#!/pages/Suzi-M/54616181082

Holidays Approacheth...

Super top secret anthology stuff moves forward smoothly. Will start to record audio segments for the audio version as soon as the dust settles from the kitchen remodel and travel insanity.

So far I'm looking at travel to Philly twice in a matter of days. Decided to stay with the Wenchling and Adamantium for the weekend instead of going back and forth between central and eastern PA. Two birds and such.

Movie stuff also moves forward. I'll be meeting with the producer over Thanksgiving to go over details and to meet face to face. Very excited to start on that project.

Research and outlining for the next story, possible novel, continues. Have fragments sprawled across the art room that I really need to clean up and get consolidated. Maybe in the near future.

Etsy sales are picking up now that the holidays are here, and now that word is spreading about my shops. Smiling Goth Shop features all kinds of fun unique jewelry, ranging from neo-victorian to gothic and steampunk. All pieces are of good quality and most important: affordable! I refuse to jack up my prices. Instead I've looked for bargains, and passed the cost-effectiveness on to my customers. If I can find an antique pocket watch relatively cheap to use in a piece of jewelry, why would I want to charge over $100 for it? OK, yes, lots of profit, sure, but I'm not greedy.

Sales at Bizarre Yarns are also on the rise. There's some new yarn and some new holiday stitch markers as well. There's also a sale going on, with some fun contests and giveaways, so be sure to check it out.

There's also some awesome stuff available at the Cinnamon Zen Shop. There's all natural, dye-free soy wax candles scented with 100% natural essential oils, 100% natural perfume oils, and high-end jewelry made with precious metals.

Want something totally unique for that unique special someone in your life or on your shopping list? Feel free to contact me at any of the above-listed shops and let me know what you'd like. I'll make it for you! :)

Also, don't forget the vampire lover on your list! There's still time to order a copy of the Immortal War Series at the Smiling Goth Bookstore.

New Bookstore Layout and News

It's been a while. I know, I've been a bad bloggrrl, but my new year's resolution will be to write more and be a better electric friend. I swear.

In the meantime, Twilight.

I have mixed emotions about the movie, especially since my novels are chock full o' vampiric goodness and when I talk about my novels to people they inevitably exclaim, "Vampires? You mean like Twilight?"

Um. No. Not like that at all, actually. Well, maybe sort of in a 'there's vampires and some drama ensues' sort of way. Yes there's a twisted love story in there, too. No, my vampire is NOT a pedophile vampire posing as a high school student. And my vampires are actually... well, I can't go giving it all away now, can I? Some secrets must be discovered on their own.

If you'd like to read some free bits for yourself, check out the Bookstore with new layout. There's even free story downloads.

This statement from The Monsters Next Door Magazine review of NEMESIS:

"Suzi M’s book, NEMESIS, is the first installment in her vampire series The Immortal War. The characters she creates within these pages are unlike anything I’ve ever read..... Four words for you: Go buy this book."

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In house-related news: we had a bit of a nasty surprise hiding in the chimney. Long story short: mummy-squirrels. Eight of them. And one fresh, but equally dead one. Eeew. Poor chimney sweeps didn't know what they were in for. I took a picture of the fireplace grate piled high with squirrel mummies, but decency prevents me from posting it here for deference to the weak of stomach.

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In knitting news: I finally finished the Alpaca sweater I've been working on.

It was made using 9 balls of elann.com Peruvian Cuzco yarn. It's a VERY simple design, and basically I kind of made it up as I went along.

It features an almost off-the-shoulder look, and has three buttons to hold the double pieces together, but doesn't use holes, just the gaps in the stitches in order to expand the neckline if desired. It's comfort tested to 35 degrees F. True. Story. I was hanging holiday decorations in this thing with no coat. Rawk.

Promo Video for LAMIA by Suzi M

LAMIA promo

NEMESIS promo video

NEMESIS Promo movie


CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR COPY OF NEMESIS!

Free story downloads!!

Due to popular demand, TWO short stories are now available for download FREE.

The Lazarus Stone AND In The Hanging Cages are currently available, free of charge at the storefront.

Enjoy great reading and a great weekend!