The Fear Behind the Smiles

Second-Hand Sarah: A Blog of Quirky Optimism and Explorations of an Old House

If you're wondering about my pseudo-radio silence of late, rest assured, I've been busy. If you haven't already checked out the new blog (special note: it's NON horror!), feel free to do so now.

It's called Second-Hand Sarah, and it's a bunch of fiction with some fact thrown in for anecdotal purposes.

Pictured to the left is the actual journal I've been writing in for the blog entries. Little notes, jots, pics to include, etc.

It's a strange process, this new blog. It's almost acting, almost writing, and a lot of making stuff up, scouring old pictures to use on the blog and digging through my own roomfuls of antiques and general clutter to find things that might have been 'discovered' during a renovation.

It's a fun process. Typically I write pretty early in the morning or during lunch, and I dress the part, which makes me laugh at myself. I put on jewelry or clothes and think 'No, that's not right, Sarah wouldn't wear that.' and change.

Likewise, music. Typical playlist for a Sarah blog includes new age, old jazz, classic rock, and sometimes even pop. Little to no industrial or goth (The Cure... where do they fall - pop or goth? I guess both.).

I'm playing a part with the blog, and discovering some things about myself while I do it. 1) I'm not bad at this optimistic writing thing. Not quite chick lit, it's much more empowering and uplifting but without going the gamut to religious zealotry or militant feminism, 2) the research is just as much fun as the writing, and 3) I genuinely like Sarah.

I also really like where the story will be going. Lots of hidden elements to the house, lots of secrets and histories, and just an absolute adventure as soon as the first explorations are made. I have to admit, I'm as excited about writing it all down as I would be if I were exploring an old mansion and finding all this crazy stuff myself.

Without further ado, enjoy Second-Hand Sarah's blog.

FREE ebook download of NEMESIS for a limited time!

Happy weekend after the first Friday the 13th of 2012. In celebration of this event, the first book in the Immortal War Trilogy, NEMESIS, is FREE to download for a limited time.

For other titles, click here to check out my Amazon Author page. The Kindle edition of NEMESIS should be free on there soon, too.

Don't forget to post a review if you download NEMESIS.

Happy 2012!

Enter the Give-away!

If you haven't yet liked my Facebook page, now's your chance so you can enter for a chance to win a signed copy of The Lazarus Stone (conspiracy edit) OR The Demon's Tale.

Please be sure to read the rules for entering the give-away before posting to the Facebook page.

For those who would like to enter, post a COMMENT to the Facebook page saying you want to enter.

Winners will be drawn at random and notified via Facebook. You will need to provide a physical mailing addee so I can send you the signed copy if you win.

Good luck!

~ Suzi

Here's Your Chance to Win A Signed Copy of 'The Demon's Tale' or 'The Lazarus Stone (Conspiracy Edit)'

I'm trying out my first ever book giveaway. If a signed print copy of my work isn't your thing, you can still download the electronic versions from my Amazon Author Page. They're cheap, and they help me feed my ego for one more day.

Rules:

1. You MUST have hit the 'Like' button on my Facebook page (and hopefully actually do like my novels).
2. You should follow my blog to keep up to date with book-stuffs and happenings.
3. If you win a copy, you will need to leave a review on Amazon for the book you win. 
4. You will need to message me your address so I can mail you the book. If you've got an issue sending me your address, please do NOT enter to win the giveaway.
5. If you don't like horror, please don't try to win a copy.
6. If you win a copy, it will be signed to you, so please plan on keeping it.
7. Please be sure to enter before midnight on July 15th, 2011 if you would like a chance to win.

Four winners will be chosen at random from the folks who respond to this blog entry on the Facebook Suzi M page.

Only those who have responded on the fan page will have a chance to win.

Feel free to spread the word and repost/retweet, etc.

Giveaway will end at midnight on July 15th, 2011 and winners will be announced on the Suzi M Facebook fan page..

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.

After Much Waiting.... It's Here! Cover Stories Officially Released!

What a wild ride, but it's finally done! The international anthology featuring ten writers from around the world is finally available for your ordering pleasure at the Cover Stories Official Storefront.

And for those who are in the know, happy solstice! Couldn't have planned that release better, in my opinion. :)

Thanks for the Apology Note, USPS

Today's adventure began with a squishy splat on my doorstep, right around the time the mail guy was shoving stuff through the mail slot. I had ordered a bunch of supplies, so I excitedly opened the door, then stared in confusion as the scent hit my nose.

It wasn't a bad scent, but very perfumey, and I thought I was holding a package that had a hippie dress in it. Not so!

The plastic wrapped package I soon realized was the perfume oil supplies I had ordered. The package was saturated with oils,  as was the apology note from the USPS. It basically said 'Sometimes we really mess up your stuff. Sorry about that.'

Yeah.... My supplier was very nice about it, though, and promised to send the next package extra padded. 

This is the second run-in I've had with the post office this month. And I used to so love them because it meant cool supplies were showing up. Now apparently it means I have a 50/50 chance of getting a lot of broken stuff to play with.

And I still reek like a French whore after unpacking everything today. A very nice-smelling French whore.....

The Latest Greatest Things Since Sliced Bread....

As anyone who knows me can tell you, I LOVE perfumes. I make my own a lot of the time using pure essential oils in either a jojoba or sweet almond oil base, but I also am a hardcore patron of perfume shops on Etsy. The folks on there have a talent for mixing scents and love doing it. Good energy equals good scents.

Some of my favorite Etsy-based perfumeries include Wiggle Perfume, For Strange Women, and my most recent love: Solstice Scents. 

While I'm at it, I'm going to give some more shoutouts to my fave Etsy shops.

Lazy Mare Rustic Threads is my go-to gal when I need something both comfortable and flouncy. I'm a hippie deep down under my dark crunchy goth exterior, I suspect. Or rather, a guppie, since I would have already made the transition seamlessly to yuppie by now were I a true hippie. Gothic yuppie = Guppie. Wear it proud, my Nurock-wearing weekend warriors. But I digress....

White Magick Shoppe is on the Etsy faves list, but I'm waiting to give a full review. I went to it because I saw it listed on Solstice Scents as a recommended shop, so I have no doubt I'll be as ecstatically pleased with my purchases as I was when I got my Solstice Scents package today.

For those not yet addicted to Etsy, give it a go. There are some amazingly talented people (I'm modest, I know :)), and often you'll be able to ask the shop owner for something unique and just for you. 

If interested/curious about what I do on Etsy:

http://xirconnia.etsy.com - Smiling Goth Shop, aka dark art, fanciful jewelry, occasional perfume oils, and all out debauchery

http://CinnamonZen.etsy.com - Cinnamon Zen has higher end products featuring Sterling Silver, more all-natural perfumes, soy wax candles scented with essential oils, and inspiring lighter art

http://BizarreYarns.etsy.com - Bizarre Yarns has just that. Unusual yarns both in appearance and in fiber content. I work with alternative fibers a lot, such as corn silk, soy silk, seacell, milk protein (aka latte silk or milk silk). Before they get posted to the shops, my handspun skeins have to pass the touch test, meaning they not only have to look good, but they have to feel like something I would wear against my skin. I generally shop around for the best prices for roving, which allows me to pass on the savings to my customer base, and makes me a happy camper to be able to offer quality yarns at affordable prices. I often do custom orders for yarns as well. I also make stitch markers and knitting/crocheting jewelry that is also functional.

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

Tip the Dancer...

I know I shouldn't be so attached to anything I intend to sell, however... I'm absolutely gaga (possibly even Lady GaGa) over a new yarn that I spun up and will be posting to my BizarreYarns Etsy shop called 'Tip the Dancer'. Yes, 'Tip the Dancer', shown here to the right.

It may possibly be that I'm thinking back about the days when I still very much had my Devil-may-care attitude firmly in place and would actually attend such establishments what where the dancers may or may not have been clothed. But in all seriousness, I really can't get over the beautiful mess this yarn is. It's got golden yellow mixed with black and glitter, aqua, pink, and deepest purples. I know, I know... I'm a yarn geek. I admit it.

I even listened to stripper music - well, my idea of how stripper music should sound, anyway, i.e. lots of grinding industrial beats that are just slow enough to do some awesome dips and seductive twirls - while spinning it up. It was really hard to not slap on a whole lot of black eyeliner and redder than red lipstick and go out to the nearest goth club and dance til dawn instead of spin yarn, but there you have it. And there I was, spinning yarn like a good grown up instead of partying til dawn.

Just looking at this yarn makes me giggle and want to hand it a dollar.

---

Other updates in the mundane existence of an undergroundly popular writer (over 200 copies of my novels have sold to date, so thanks there, Kindle Krowd!)... well, the garden is happening. I built a retaining wall over the past week, and got a nice sunburn doing it. Today I'll be heading to Lowe's while all the good people of town are at church. Downside is we'll be hitting after-church breakfast crowd on the way home.

I also have some cool antique typewriter key jewelry posted to the Smiling Goth Etsy shop. 

So get over to the shops, buy my novels, and feel free to drop me a line. Always happy to meet a fan! Speaking of hearing from fans, met my first person who knew me by my novels while I was out shopping for fiber.

How. Friggin. Cool.