Friday, October 30, 2020

Writing Contest: Scare Your Readers (Seriously

 This is my story for the writing contest Scare Your Readers (Seriously)


 "All Are Welcome"




   My older brother pulled his car to the side of the road. I couldn't understand why he didn't get a new one. He had bought a piece of junk from one of his friends.

Now we were broke down in the middle of nowhere on a chilly, foggy night. I had no intention of walking anywhere in this creepy place. 

He opened the door, getting out of the car. Where was he going? Surely, he wasn't trying to fix this thing. He was never good at working on vehicles.

"What are you doing?" I leaned over toward his open door. "You have no idea how to fix a car."

“I'm not.” He grumbled. “I was looking for a house or a car. We need someone who can fix it.”

“What’s wrong with your cell phone?” I grabbed my jacket, getting out of the car.

“No signal.” He raked a hand through his hair. “What do you expect, Kira? This place is nowhere.”

“I told you not to take that shortcut, Blaine.” I walked around to his side of the car.

Of course, he never listened to anything I said. Blaine thought since he was the oldest, he knew everything. I wondered if all older brothers acted that.

Blaine grabbed his jacket before locking the car up. Guess that meant we were walking. I had no idea where we would go, or where we would end up. I hoped we didn’t run into a psycho killer.

I had seen way to many horror movies that started out like our day had. That was probably a really bad sign. I didn’t want to move from the spot where I stood.

What if we got lost? It would take years for someone to find us out here. We needed to get somewhere with a cell phone signal. A landline would be even better.

“Let’s get going.” Blaine started walking down the road. 

“Go where exactly?” I ran to catch up with him. 

“Anywhere but here.” He shook his head. “We can’t just sit here and hope someone comes along.  I don’t think anyone travels this road anymore.”

“We shouldn’t have either.” I looked around, taking a deep breath. “It’s really creepy out here.”

“It’s the fog making you feel that way.” Blaine smiled at me. “Stay close. I don’t want to lose you in it.”

“Don’t worry I will.” I grabbed his arm.

I wasn’t letting go of him until we were safely back in the car. I wasn’t about to let him lose me in this place. He was stuck with me.

We kept walking down the road. There were no cars, houses, or people anywhere. How was that possible?

Had it always been a deserted road? I had a bad feeling something had happened to the people around here. Of course, that didn’t explain why there were no houses. 

The fog seemed to be getting thicker the further we walked. How were we going to be able to find help in this mess? It was hopeless.

“Do you see anything?” Blaine asked me.

“Fog.” I sighed. “I think we should’ve stayed at the car.”

“Wait.” Blaine stopped walking. “Do you see what I see?”

I followed his gaze. How had that house gotten there? It seemed to come from out of nowhere. I was pretty sure it hadn’t been there a few minutes ago.

It didn’t look very friendly. The white house had seen its better days. The windows were broken and some were boarded over. The steps were crooked, one completely gone.

Blaine walked over to a sign, stopping to read it. I was afraid to move. What if this place was dangerous? Someone may live here, but it would most likely fall on our heads as soon as we went in.

“What does it say?” I pulled my jacket tighter around me.

“All are welcome.” He shook his head. “It’s probably an old sign. I doubt anyone lives here anymore.”

“Why is it written like that?” I stood next to him. “It looks like blood.”

“It’s red paint.” Blaine started toward the house. “Let’s see if anyone is here. They could have a phone either way.”

Sure, they had a phone. And this was some fancy hotel on a beach instead of a creepy house. There was no way there was a phone. There probably wasn’t any electric either.

Blaine stepped up onto the porch, careful of the missing step. I wanted to stay outside until he took a look. I knew he wouldn’t let me stay here alone.

I made my way to the porch, looking in every direction. I didn’t want someone jumping out at me from that fog. My brother didn’t seem to care about the fog, or the creepy house. 

“Are you coming?” He asked from the doorway. 

“I guess so.” I stepped inside the house. “What other choice do I have?”

“None.” He put his arm around me. “If I leave you out there alone mom and dad will hurt me.”

“I don’t like this place.” I told him.

“Relax Kira.” Blaine laughed. “Don’t be such a baby.”

“I’m not.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “This place is dangerous.”

A loud noise from somewhere in the house made us both jump. Maybe someone was here after all. I hadn’t seen anyone outside, but they could be someplace in the house. 

Blaine was already searching for whatever had made that noise. That was a horrible idea. We should be leaving right now without looking back.

I followed my brother down a hallway to the kitchen. There was no phone of any kind in here. I doubted we would find anything other than dust and cobwebs. Of course, my brother was a lot more optimistic than I was. 

How could I convince him we should leave before something bad happened? He wasn’t listening to me at all. 

He went over to a door that was most likely a basement. What was he doing now? No way should we go in a basement  like that.

“Blaine, let’s leave.” I begged him. “Please.”

“In a minute okay?” He opened the basement door. “I want to see what’s  in there.”

“I want to go home.” I felt the tears stinging my eyes. “You shouldn’t have  come here at all. I told you it was a bad idea.”

“Stay there.” He disappeared into the basement. 

What was he expecting to find in a place like this? Nothing good would come from being nosey. My brother had always loved exploring creepy places like old houses and graveyards. 

I thought he was just insane. I would much rather be at home, sitting in my room. Not him though. Why couldn’t  he have more common sense?

I stood at the top of the stairs, waiting for him to come back. What was taking him so long? We had to get out of this place.

“Blaine, come on.” I called to him.

There was nothing but silence. Why wasn’t he answering me? If he was playing games I would throat punch him.

I started down the stairs, stopping on the third one. I could see the entire basement from here. There was no sign of my brother anywhere. 

This wasn’t  possible.  He had to be in that basement.  I had to take a look for myself. Maybe he was hiding under the stairs or something. 

I took a deep breath, looking around. There was no place to hide under the stairs. Where had Blaine gone?

“Blaine, where are you?” I wiped my tears away. “This isn’t funny. Come out now.”

This had to be the creepiest part of the entire house. Everything was covered in cobwebs. There were jars on all the shelves, a few looked like they were broken. 

I walked over to one of the jars, gasping. It couldn’t  be. There were human body parts in the jars. They couldn’t be real, could they?

I jumped back when the eyes opened. What was going here? There was no way it was real. It had to be battery operated or something. 

I felt someone grab my arm. I slowly looked up to see my brother standing there. His eyes were missing. It looked as if they had been ripped out of his head.

How could he be standing here with no eyes? He was covered in blood. What had happened to him?

“Blaine, what happened?” I jumped up. “Who did that to you?”

“Kira, it’s all right.” He smiled at me. “Remember what the sign said? We are welcome here.”

“No.” I screamed, running up the stairs. “Leave me alone.” 

I ran to the front door, trying to open it. This wasn’t happening.  I wasn’t trapped in this place with whatever had done that to Blaine. I had to get help.

“Kira.”

“Who are you?” I spun around, looking everywhere. “What do you want? Let us go.”

“Kira.” The voice seemed to come from thin air. “All are welcome .”

I swallowed hard, backing against the door. There were eyes everywhere  around me. Red, glowing eyes. Strange people started appearing out of nowhere. 

One of them tried to grab my arm. I ran up the stairs. I had to get away from them. I wanted my brother back. 

I ran to the end of the hall, trying every door. They were all locked from the inside. There was no way out of this house. 

The fog seemed to be coming into the house. No, I realized it had originated from inside the house. There people seemed to be a part of it. There were the most horrifying things I had ever seen. 

They all had cuts and missing body parts. That’s  what. Was in those jars in the basement. The eyes that had stared at me were my older brother’s eyes.

“All are welcome.” The people starting chanting over and over. “All are welcome.”

“Please, let me go.” I cried.

Two of them grabbed my arms, holding me against the wall. I started to squirm. I had to break free somehow.

I stopped when I saw Blaine walking toward me. There were dark holes were his eyes used to be. The blood was running down his face. 

“Blaine, help me.” I pleaded with him. 

“All are welcome.” He laughed. “You are welcome, Kira.”

“Stay away from me.” I screamed.

“Time to join us.” He slammed e into the wall.

I cried out in pain as something sharp cut into my chest. Looking down, I gasped. Blaine’s hand was cutting into my chest. 

“I always knew you had a good heart. All are welcome here.” He laughed as he ripped my heart from my chest. 



    

Thursday, October 1, 2020

Parallax Release Day!

 Today on the blog we are celebrating the release of Dixie Jackson's newest book Parallax. 


Blurb:

Once upon a time, Leila O’Neil wanted to be a Marine when she grew up. She worked hard, she landed a seat at the Academy, and she was the head of her class. Then her dream was destroyed and she traded it in for a new one at the nearest Coterie portal. She wears so many faces and so many hats, at some point she lost track of her soul. That didn’t really bother her until Trent Wayland came along and almost peeled her dressing room curtain back nearly exposing her innermost person. The real person, the real Leila, who once upon a time wanted to be a Marine when she grew up.


Purchase Link:


https://www.amazon.com/Parallax-S3-Book-Dixie-Jackson-ebook/dp/B08H4DTB4G/



Goodreads link:


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55106088-parallax






Reviews:


‘This is the first book I've read by Dixie Jackson and it was amazing!’-Lisa, Goodreads reviewer

‘I have never read anything by this author. I am very picky about what authors I read so I was kinda unsure what to expect. Let me just say....I am so so happy I took a chance with Dixie Jackson! She just made my top ten all time authors!’-Stephanie, Goodreads reviewer

‘Wow! Where do I begin-I’m usually a mushy gushy romance only reader. This did have romance, but the action and suspense was off the charts! Dixie Jackson you did an awesome job!’-Karen, Goodreads reviewer

‘Parallax is an explosive action-packed thriller that entertained me right from the gate. Filled with twists and turns, and just enough romance to keep things interesting, this who-dun-it will have you questioning everything you think you know over and over.’—Jordanna, Goodreads reviewer

Saturday, February 8, 2020

Author Interview with Andra Dill

Cassandra’s Writing World Author Interview with Andra Dill

Today on the blog I will be interviewing author Andra Dill. Read on for an amazing interview.

         




Cassandra's Writing World:
1) What is your favorite childhood book?

Andra Dill:
Please don’t make me pick just one. LOL Okay, if I must then I have to go with Marguerite Henry’s ‘Misty of Chincoteague’. I believe I read that book a dozen times. Of course, I wanted a pony just like Misty.

CWW:
2) What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?

AD:
I’m fortunate to have many talented writers in my life. Annabelle Hunter and Stacey McIntosh both Beta read for me and I value their comments. They, and my other Beta readers, help me improve my stories.

Locally, I’m in a Romance Writers group with JoJo Bartlett and Cassie Leigh. It’s a fun group that offers moral support and a lot of laughs. Then there are the wonderful authors I’ve met through Perfectly Poisoned Anthologies. I bounce ideas off them. Plus, they are helping me learn more about marketing. 


CWW:
3) What genre would you never write?

AD:
Espionage or Military influenced fiction. My knowledge is so sparse that I couldn’t pull off an exciting, authentic story.


CWW:
4) When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?


AD:
When Mr. Fedders, my seventh grade English teacher, said we could write short stories for extra credit. He encouraged my creativity and kept asking for more stories.


CWW:
5) What do you think makes a good story?


AD:
Finding out how interesting characters handle intriguing situations.


CWW:
6) Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?


AD:
Not currently. Some of the side characters in my Kayla Byrnes stories are side characters in my Besoins world. Besoins (French for ‘Needs’) hasn’t been published yet.


CWW:
7) How do you select the names of your characters?


AD:
Google is my friend. I enjoy researching the meaning of names. Once in a while a character’s name pops into my head and I don’t have to whip out my iPad.


CWW:
8) What is your writing process like?


AD:
I call myself a plantster. I like to have a general idea of where a story is going. I write out a rough outline or at least a series of scenes of how I would like the story to go. Sometimes it is just a few sentences. Then during the writing process things change organically. A character will do or say something that I hadn’t envisioned and it opens up an entire new avenue for me to explore. Or when I’m walking an idea will come to me about how I can rewrite a problematic scene and while I’m rewriting… more ideas creep in, which leads to more rewriting.


CWW:
9) What do you like to do when you're not writing?


AD:
Read. Hands down my favorite thing to do. I also enjoy walking (my dog is very keen on me doing this), practicing yoga, and going on road trips. I do enjoy crocheting but only in cold weather.


CWW:
10) What advice would you give someone trying to get published?


AD:
There are a couple things I tell people. First, write. Sit your butt down, turn off your internet, your phone, the television, anything that pulls your attention away and write. It can be for ten minutes a day or for hours. You choose. But if you don’t write… you have nothing to publish.
Second, find good Beta readers and cherish them. They will help you find clarity.
Third, submit your work. Take the risk, I know, it is terrifying (or at least it is to me). When you get a rejection (and at some point, you will) don’t despair. Just because your story didn’t fit that particular editor or publisher doesn’t mean that’s the end. Submit again, and keep writing.



Bad, Bold & Beautiful, Perfectly Poisoned Anthologies
Available on Amazon Kindle Unlimited https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TW9STYN

Author Links:
Twitter @aedill
Instagram andradillauthor
FB Author page   www.facebook.com/andradillauthor
Amazon www.amazon.com/author/andradill




  Until next time Happy Reading! Thank you Andra Dill for being with us. Later Days!!!

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Author Interview with Ana Balen

Cassandra’s Writing World's Author Interviews


Today I will be sharing my interview with author Ana Balen. I hope you will all check out this amazing author!



Cassandra's Writing World:
1) What is your favorite childhood book?
Ana Balen:Sadako wants to live by Karl Bruckner, We Children From Zoo Station (my mom gave it to me when I was 13 and it made a huge impact on me) and Harry Potter series (by the time the last book came out, I was already considered as an adult but I don’t care… LOL) I can never pick just one book, but those are the ones that are still vivid in my memory and I can’t wait to introduce them to my son.


CWW:
2) What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?
AB: Every author I come across teaches me something new, there are so many of them, three days wouldn’t be enough to list them all. But I can tell you, that they all thought me something and I thank them for it. I hope that someday, I’ll be able to pay it back and forward.


CWW:
3) What genre would you never write?
AB: I don’t know… I would like to try to write everything, not necessarily publish it, just try my hand in genres. Actually there’s not a single genre I wouldn’t try to write.


CWW:
4) When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
AB:
Thinking back, I was always daydreaming about stuff and writing them down in my journal. The conscious thought that I could give it a go came when I finished my first book, Wishing For A Star.


CWW:
5) What do you think makes a good story?
AB: When the reader feels the emotions the character in a book does. Something that will struck you to your core. It’s a monumental task to do as a writer and it’s something I try to learn every day. The plot doesn’t need to be realistic, the feeling does.

CWW:
6) Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?  AB: LOL yes!


CWW:
7) How do you select the names of your characters?
AB: Since I live in Croatia the names are a really big challenge to me, so usually I end up scrolling through Facebook and if a name catches my eye I put it in my book. I also sometimes ask members in my group to suggest one or two.


CWW:
8) What is your writing process like? AB: I start off with a few notes written in a notebook then leave it for two to three days, kind of like a brain dump. Then go back to it and make some more notes. Once I can’t think of anything, I sit in front of my pc and start typing, by that time I have the scenes my mind down. I can see everything perfectly. Once I hit a road block (and I always do) I go back to my notebook and start all over again.


CWW:
9) What do you like to do when you're not writing?
AB: Reading, watching movies, spending time with my boys (husband and son), going out to drinks, dinner and so on….


CWW:
10) What advice would you give someone trying to get published? 
AB: Don’t give up!


Thanks for joining us Ana!!!