A Quick Bite
Hey, everyone! Today, it’s my pleasure to welcome to the blog author Patricia Josephine. She’s here to talk about her latest release, A Quick Bite.
But first up are true tales of real-life vampires…
Three Real Life Vampires (or so they say.)
Tales of vampires have fascinated humanity for centuries. Sometimes they are monsters, and other times, they are sexy, sparkling heroes. While most stories are complete fiction, here are three cases of so-called real vampires.
Mercy Brown.
Mercy Brown was a young woman who lived in New England around the 1900s. Disease spread to her family and the locals got the idea that that meant she was a vampire. After she died, her body was dug up to make sure she wasn’t a vampire. Her body hadn’t decomposed and they found fresh blood in her system, leading them to the conclusion that she was a vampire. They cut out her heart and burned, putting the ashes in a drink which was fed to her brother. They believed it would save him since he was sick. Sadly, it didn’t work.
Fritz Haarmann, The Vampire of Hanover
Fritz Haarmann was a German serial killer in the early 1900s. His method of killing was to bite the neck of his victims so they bled to death. That led to rumors of a real vampire prowling for victims. Of course, alleged cases of real vampires weren’t uncommon then, but they were usually baselss. Fritz Haarmann was eventually captures and executed.
Arnold Paole
Arnold Paole was a Serbian man who feel to his death in the early 18th century. A sad tragedy, but the story became remarkable because afterwards, local villagers stated he had become a vampire. Their proof: 16 villagers had died recently. His body was due up to be examined. They found no decomposition and claimed to have seen fresh blood on his lips. So they staked the body.
Vampires.
Werewolves.
Zombies.
These monsters tickle our imagination.
Sink your teeth into a collection of tales about paranormal creatures that go bump in the night. Each story is told in exactly 200 words and designed to give you a quick bite no matter how busy your day is.
Are you hungry?
Now available at Amazon
About The Author
Patricia Josephine is a writer of Urban Fantasy and Sci-Fi Romance books. She actually never set out to become a writer, and in fact, she was more interested in art and band in high school and college. Her dreams were of becoming an artist like Picasso. On a whim, she wrote down a story bouncing in her head for fun. That was the start of her writing journey, and she hasn’t regretted a moment. When she’s not writing, she’s watching Doctor Who or reading about serial killers. She’s an avid knitter. One can never have too much yarn. She writes Young Adult Paranormal, Science Fiction, and Fantasy under the name Patricia Lynne.
Patricia lives with her husband in Michigan, hopes one day to have what will resemble a small petting zoo, and has a fondness for dying her hair the colors of the rainbow.
Find her online at
Website | Patreon | Twitter | Facebook | Newsletter | Goodreads
Amazon Author Page | Smashwords
Mood Music (An IWSG Post)
It’s the first Wednesday of the month (at least I think it is, but honestly, I haven’t really known what day/week/month it is for a while now, so I could be wrong) which means it’s time for another action-packed (possibly rant-packed. Like, I’d like to rant, but I’ll probably lose that impulse by the time I get to the actual post part of this post) edition of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group.
As always, I am assuming if you’re reading this, it’s because you’re already familiar with this group, but if you happen to be new and looking for more information and/or a complete list of participants, click on the above link.
This month’s amazing co-hosts are Feather Stone, Beverly Stowe McClure, Mary Aalgaard, Kim Lajevardi, and Chemist Ken.
This month’s (optional) question asks, “Do you have any rituals that you use when you need help getting into the zone? Care to share?”
This might sound weird coming from an OCD-ridden control freak, but I don’t think I do have any real rituals.
Music probably comes the closest, though. Every WIP I create ends up with its own playlist comprised of songs that remind me of a specific character and/or scene. Sometimes, I even include songs that I call ‘opening credits’ or ‘end credits’ selections. Because I’m weird like that.
The moment I start developing a playlist for a WIP is the moment when I know I’m getting serious about that particular project. The playlists evolve as the story does. Songs are cut, others are added, and I keep doing this until the WIP is finished. (If it’s finished, I should say. I do have a long history of, you know, not finishing WIPs.) If one were so inclined, one could chart all those changes to the playlist and see exactly how many times I was wrong about the direction in which I thought a story would go.
I’ve been doing this for a good long while now. Since college—when I actually decided that maybe spending all my time writing stories meant I should maybe try being a writer. The first two projects to get a playlist were Effigy and a as-of-yet-unfinished WIP currently known as How Many Angels (possibly funny side note: it took me many tries to write ‘angels’ instead of ‘angles’. It’s possible I need a nap. Said the insomniac.).
I believe the first song to make it onto the How Many Angels list was I Think It’s Gonna Rain Today by Bette Midler. It just really fit how I saw the opening scene. It still does, which is why even though I added it to the list many, many moons (all right, fine. Decades, okay? It was decades.) ago, it’s still there.
The same cannot be said for Effigy‘s original playlist. I’m going to claim that I don’t remember what songs were on that original list, but the truth is they are super embarrassing and I don’t want to admit to them. If you’d like to see Effigy‘s current playlist (or any playlist for any of my other projects), check out the ‘Books‘ link above. It’s far less embarrassing. I think. Maybe.
Anyway, potential embarrassment aside, I use music when I need to get into the right headspace. When I go on long walks or drives, I will listen to the playlist for the WIP with which I’m struggling. There’s a character in Second Nature with whom I was having a hard time until I listened to the Alice In Chains song Down In A Hole. For whatever reason, that song clicked with me and that character so I listened to it approximately five hundred times in a row (probably an underestimate) and was able to get myself over that particular hurdle.
I also have a non-WIP specific playlist actually called “Mood Music” that is made up of instrumental music—some classical, some from movie and television soundtracks. Sometimes (most times) I like some form of noise when I work, and instrumental music can help me focus without distracting me with pesky things like lyrics.
I don’t know if any of that really counts as having a ritual. But either way that’s as close as I can get to one.
Look at that. You got a ramble instead of a rant.
Any rituals you care to share? Does music play a part in your creative process? Any song/artist suggestions for me? I’m always on the lookout for new tunes.
Hope everyone’s safe and well. Take care, y’all.
Insert Goals Here
Well, against all odds, it seems, we have made it to May. I’m not sure I had actually planned on making it this far into this year because I’m having a hard time figuring out my goals for the month.
But I’m going to start with a recap of last month’s goals. Maybe I’ll figure something out along the way…
April Goals
—Win Camp NaNoWriMo
As you may have seen on various social media platforms, or even the shiny new badge over there on the right, I did do this. The goal had been set for 30,000 words (the Camp sessions allow you to set your own word count goal) and while I didn’t always meet the daily word count goal (1000 words/day), I crossed the finish line a few days early with a final tally of 32,358 words.
—Apply revisions to the Terrible Romance Novel
I think I only get partial credit here. I completed the bulk of the changes I wanted to make, but I have a couple of pages of leftover edits (you know, pretty much anything that required more than thirty seconds of concentration to fix…) and my punch list of overused words and phrases still to go.
—Prep for and run video conferencing thingamajig for local writers group
I did this. Perhaps not particularly well, but I did it. It seemed to go all right. I mean, I was my usual awkward self, but absolutely NOTHING will change that.
—Log at least 100 miles
I did this. I didn’t think it would be a problem, as I’ve been walking even more than usual. I walked 111 miles this month.
—Read a book
I did this. Sure, it was a 200-paged book that was probably 80% short lines of dialogue, and sure, it took me until last two days of the month to even open it, but I did this. I read a book. I even read two books. How very sad that this is such an achievement for me.
May Goals
All right. What am I going to do this month? Let’s see…Okay, so I always start with a writing goal. So let’s try that.
—Finish the revisions for the Terrible Romance Novel
It’s kind of feeling like it’s now or never with this project, so I guess I’m going to try and make it now. I really don’t want to disappoint my goddaughter.
—Read more books
The two books I mentioned reading earlier were the first two books in Robert B. Parker’s Spenser series. It’s a series about a Boston-based private detective that I first discovered back in high school. It’s been a while since I’ve read this series all the way through, so I have decided to try to jumpstart my reading habit with the Great Spenser Re-Reading Project. In theory, what I am going to do is reread the entire series from the beginning and each Friday, I will post which books I’ve read and a little about what I thought of them.
—Walk at least 100 miles
Just want to stay active. Or as active as I get.
And, I think, on that note that I’m done.
Sorry, y’all, but I am seriously lacking in enthusiasm these days.
Hope everyone is doing all right out there. Be safe, and take care.
Goalapalooza
It’s the beginning of a new month, which means it’s time for another action-packed installment of…Goal Post Monday.
First up, a recap at last month’s goals…
March Goals
—Work out the timeline for Part Two of Full Circle
Welp. At the start of March, I thought I’d have to do another major word purge in my manuscript because despite all my careful plotting and planning, the characters were all, “Yeah…we’re not going to do that” and went and did their own thing because of course they did. I mean, the story will ultimately be better for it, but it has left me feeling a little like…
So, I only managed to work out about half the timeline. Not terrible, certainly, but also not the progress I had been hoping to make.
—Work on another round of edits/revisions on the Terrible Romance Novel
I did this, actually. (I know. It surprised me, too). What’s more is there were parts of it I didn’t totally hate. (I know. It surprised me, too.) I finished the read-through part and made my notes and corrections (none of them too overly difficult to fix, I don’t think…she said, jinxing herself horribly). So yeah. Move this goal into the “completed” category!
—Log at least 93 miles and try to throw in some yoga once a week
Okay, so once again, I did the miles part of the goal. I walked 137 miles last month. But I did no yoga whatsoever.
—Read two books
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Yeah…I didn’t do this. Y’all, I just have no interest in reading. Like, anything. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.
April Goals
—Win Camp NaNoWriMo
As you may have seen on various forms of social media and, you know, the big-ass picture at the top of this post, I am participating in this month’s Camp NaNoWriMo session. My project is Full Circle, and my goal is set for 30,000 words. Thus far, I have managed to stay on or just above par. May that trend continue.
—Apply revisions to the Terrible Romance Novel and maybe start researching potential proofreading-type people, if time allows
This goal will be the thing I work on when I get stuck on my Camp project. Which will NEVER happen, so…Yeah. This goal will probably be finished by the end of this post.
—Prep for and run video conferencing thingamajig for local writers group
So, as has been mentioned a couple of times on this blog, I somehow ended up running four writers groups in the area. All meetings have been postponed indefinitely, but whiskey I came up with the brilliant idea of doing a video conferencing thingamajig. It’s scheduled for Saturday the 11th. I’ll be giving a presentation on some writing-related topic (as soon as I come up with one) and yeah…So there’s that. This has filled me with such dread. I can barely get through a presentation without the added pressure of having to remember how to use technology. Look for me to possibly become the latest internet sensation with whatever video conferencing gaff I make.
—Log at least 100 miles
This will not be a problem. Since the whole quarantine thing started, I’ve been walking a lot more. Fortunately, my neighborhood is good for walking and spacious enough that even if the neighbors are also out walking, we’re well spaced apart.
—Read a book
Seriously, M.J., I cannot make this goal any easier for you. It’s getting super pathetic now. I beg you…just read a damn book. Any book.
On that note, I’m outta here. Hope everyone is healthy and well. Take care!
The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same (An IWSG Post)
It’s the first Wednesday of the month, which means it’s time for another action-packed installment of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group!
(I’m assuming that anyone reading is post is already well-versed in the IWSG, but if you’re on the prowl for additional information and/or a complete list of participants, please click on the above link.)
This month’s awesome co-hosts are: Diane Burton, JH Moncrieff, Anna @ Emaginette, Karen @ Reprobate Typewriter, Erika Beebe, and Lisa Buie-Collard.
This month’s (optional) question asks, “In this time, when our world is in crisis with the covid-19 pandemic, how are things in your world?”
So, yeah. It turns out that my lifestyle is best described as ‘social distancing self-quarantine’ because nothing’s really changed all that much. (I am very fortunate to be able to say that, I know, and I am grateful for it.) I’m still an anxiety-ridden introvert who has decided to take on too many projects in an attempt to keep from worrying about things over which she has absolutely no control.
For example, I’m working on putting together a video conferencing thingamajig (probably not the proper terminology) for one of the writers groups that I run. (Yes. I run four writers groups in my area. I don’t know how it happened, either.) I’m planning to do some trial runs before the actual meeting date so I can attempt to become slightly more comfortable with the technology. I remain optimistic, however, that no matter how much practice I do, I will completely forget how to do everything on the actual day. (I apologize in advance, group!)
I signed up for April’s Camp NaNoWriMo session because I figured if I was going to be staying home and avoiding people even more than I already do, I might as well attempt to use that time to finish up the first draft of Full Circle. The goal is set for 30,000 because I’m honestly not sure if there’s 50,000-words worth of story left to tell. I could be wrong, though. It’s hard to be sure. I think I’ve traumatized my characters to the breaking point. Seriously, one of them has just been sitting at a table, staring into the abyss, for, like, a month now, and I can’t get him to do anything else. I would tell him that things were going to get better, but he’s gone through two and a half books with me so far. He knows exactly how much of a lie that would be.
I’m working on a manuscript critique for a writer acquaintance (a post-apocalyptic novel, actually, which feels a little too timely these days…). He also asked me to review a short story he had written for a contest.
And last, but not least, I’m also working on a read-through of the Terrible Romance Novel in the hopes of getting it to a proofreader-type person in the possibly-not-so-distant future. I had pretty much decided to stick that story in a drawer, but my niece texted me over the weekend to ask how much longer it would be before that book was published because she really wants a copy, and in doing so managed to shame me into pulling the manuscript back out of the drawer because I love my nieces and nephews and would do anything for them. Even write a terrible romance novel.
So yeah. I now have entirely too much to do, but at least that’s a pressure/anxiety I kind of sort of know how to deal with a little bit. Maybe. In theory.
On a slightly more serious note, I hope everyone’s doing all right out there. Please, please, please take care of yourselves. Love to all.
D5 Creation