Today author Amy Hunter takes over my page with a discussion about her short story, "Salted Ground," appearing in the anthology A Haunting of Words, which also includes my brand new short story, "Jimmy's Shadow."

Blurb: Marley was convinced she had found happiness with Adam when he helped her escape an abusive relationship. When tragedy strikes, will she find hope or torment?
What inspired you to write this story?: One of the many things I struggle with is not knowing when to let go… of anything. Marley became sort of a hero to me. In the first paragraph, she salted the ground and moved on, and in the rest of the story, she deals with the consequences.
How long have you been writing?: I’ve been writing since my early teen years. Earlier than that, if you count the childhood plays my friends and I would perform for my mom (all of which received standing ovations). I moved on to high school journalism, which I thought I would make into a career, but here I am at thirty-three, diggin’ the hell out of fiction.
What genres do you most associate with in your writing?: Suspense, Creative Nonfiction
What are you working on right now?: "Monster’s Edge." When Coralie manipulates Shane into committing a crime, he double-crosses her and leaves her with a parting gift she’ll never forget.
What else do you have available/published?: So far, aside from ‘A Haunting of Words,’ I also have a story called “Core” in ‘A Journey of Words.’
What advice do you give to new writers?: A piece of advice saved my life once and continues to do so every day. I feel like it applies here. So: remove the cotton from your ears and put it in your mouth. Listen and learn from those who came before you. Don’t assume you know everything. And hire an editor. Okay, so the editor thing came later, but do it. You’ll be glad you did.
Where can people can find your work?:
https://www.facebook.com/AmyUnleashed/
https://www.amyhunterauthor.com
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15700724.Amy_Hunter
You can purchase A Haunting of Words (available in paperback and eBook) through the Scout Media online store at: www.scoutmediabooksmusic.com/a-haunting-of-words and get an exclusive companion soundtrack CD, or through Barnes & Nobles, Target, Books-a-Million, and Amazon.

  
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Today author Kari Holloway talks about her short story, "Gunpowder & Wool" which appears in A Haunting of Words, a collection of spooky stories from authors around the world. Look out for my story Jimmy's Shadow which also makes an appearance.

Synopsis of Kari's story:
Corporal Hulett greets the morning on the eve of battle, readying his men to march forth, but what comes through the ghostly fog of gunpowder and scattershot leaves him defending the merits of battle and the rights of brothers-in-arms.

What inspired you to write this story?
Where I am from, Andersonville, Georgia, is a staple from school field trips, national holiday activities, and the yearly reenactments honoring the men who lost their life for a cause they believed in. Not the cause of the government, but the cause of being beside their neighbors standing up together as a united front. Millions were affected with the civil war, and we like to look at it as an overview, but for the men serving, it wasn’t black and white, ideas vs truth.

How long have you been writing?
Professionally, July 2015 marks the starting point. I wrote Cracked But Never Broken and haven’t stopped writing since. Prior to that, writing was a dirty little secret I hid from everyone, even my parents.

What genres do you most associate with in your writing: Southern fiction is the umbrella I write while the specific genres would be romance (my Laughing P series) and paranormal (my Devil’s Playground series).

What are you working on right now?:
I’m working on the third Devil’s Playground novella, the final proofing for the second Devil’s Playground, titled Cry of Gold, which is due to be released in June. Never too Late is headed to the editor to finish up my Laughing P. I’m gearing up a book signing at Xion and having a table at Epicon.

What else do you have available/published:
Cracked But Never Broken (http://books2read.com/CrackedButNeverBroken)
Behind the Lens (http://books2read.com/BehindtheLens )
Forgotten (http://books2read.com/DPForgotten)
Beneath the Mask (http://books2read.com/BeneaththeMasks ) [a perma free short story found on all e-book retailers]
Unbound (http://books2read.com/UnboundAnthology )
Love, Lust, and Scary Monsters (http://books2read.com/LoveLustScaryMonsters )

What advice do you give to new writers?
Just because one idea doesn’t work now, doesn’t mean that idea won’t work later.

For the easiest list, they can check out my site http://KariHolloway.wix.com/fiction or www.facebook.com/k.l.holly. I use books2read links which lead to global and universal links making it a one click button for those around the world.
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You can purchase A Haunting of Words (available in paperback and eBook) through the Scout Media online store at:www.scoutmediabooksmusic.com/a-haunting-of-words and get an exclusive companion soundtrack CD, or through Barnes & Nobles, Target, Books-a-Million, and Amazon.

Today, author Lauren Nalls takes over my page to discuss her short story, "The Rub," which appears in A Haunting of Words, a collection of ghostly stories in which my story "Jimmy's Shadow" also makes an appearance.

Tell us about your story, "The Rub."
“The Rub” is a journey into the hell of the human mind and soul; from the line that splits reality and madness, to the place the rules of the game of life, and death, become blurred. 

What inspired you to write this story?
This story was inspired by one of my current works in progress, I was thinking about what happened “after” and this was the result. I also pushed myself to see if I could write outside my usual genres.

How long have you been writing?
I’ve been professionally writing for three years, but I’ve really been writing my whole life.

What genres do you most associate with in your writing?
Great question! This particular story is way outside my comfort zone as a macabre thriller, and was a challenge for me. I normally write dramatic fiction, historical, and women’s fiction.

What are you working on right now?
I’m currently working on a historical fiction coming of age story. I have a few more works in progress at various stages of development as well.

What else do you have available/published?
My other publications include my short story “Loose Ends,” A Journey of Words (Scout Media, 2016), and a poem, “Burgeon,” published in Fredericksburg Literary Review (spring 2014 Volume 2, Issue 1). I also blogged briefly for Fredericksburg Parent and Family, “Tortoise and Hair series” (2014).

What advice do you give to new writers?
Read, study, practice, and learn from mentors you trust. Keep going, don’t give up. Subject your work to critique but don’t get upset at criticisms. Writing is art and it’s up to the artist to discern what advice to keep and what advice to reject, but always be kind and grateful. That being said, art isn’t completely without rules, we have to learn the rules, or expectations, then break them with intention.

List links where people can find your work:
www.LaurenNalls.com
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLaurenNalls/
https://twitter.com/Scribbleglitch
https://www.pinterest.com/scribbleglitch/
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You can purchase A Haunting of Words (available in paperback and eBook) through the Scout Media online store at: www.scoutmediabooksmusic.com/a-haunting-of-words and get an exclusive companion soundtrack CD, or through Barnes & Nobles, Target, Books-a-Million, and Amazon.