Meet M. H. Mead, aka Margaret Yang and Harry R. Campion

I met Margaret and Harry through email. I'd left a comment on Scott Niven's blog when he reviewed their book and they emailed me to ask if I would also like to review it. Scott had made it sound so good that I immediately said yes, even though it wasn't a genre I usually pick up on my own. I'm very glad to say that I absolutely loved the book. In fact, you can read my glowing review over at See Spot Read. Go on- you know you want to.

Margaret and Harry are a writing duo. This amazes me. I don't think I could write with a partner. Maybe I just don't play well with others. Yep, it's probably just me. But I'll let them explain how it works for them.

1.) How long have you both been writing?

We both majored in creative writing in college, but we were writers before that. Maybe even as far back as elementary school. We’ve been published writers (short stories, articles) for over ten years.

2.) Do either of you write full time? If not, what are your day jobs, so to speak?
Harry teaches High School English and creative writing. He’s also a very involved dad with four kids. Margaret is a stay-at-home mom of two.

3.) Is this your fist published novel?
FATE’S MIRROR is our first published novel. Up to now, it’s all been short stories and novellas.

4.) What made you decide to go the Indie route?
Science fiction writers love to anticipate the future. Spotting trends before they are trends is something we’re good at. Ebooks and indie books are small now, but very soon will be the norm. With that in mind, it was an easy decision to make. We’d rather do the new thing than the old thing.

5.) What's it like being writing partners? Is it easier or harder than writing on your own? Do you write on your own or strictly as partners?
We love writing together. It’s the most fun either of us has at the keyboard. We’re not kidding when we say we share a brain. We occasionally write short stories alone, but even then, we’re always each other’s first readers. We rely on each other for the unvarnished truth.

6.) What scares each of you personally? Do you have any silly phobias?
Harry hates spiders. He can’t stand to watch that scene in Harry Potter with all the giant spiders. And that one part in The Lord of the Rings? Even worse.

Margaret has no problem with spiders or any other bugs. You know what she finds creepy? Light-up shoes. You know, the ones where the kid’s sneakers light up with every step? Those things are scary.

7.) What is your writing routine, both separately and together?
We live an hour away from each other. So, when we get together, we have all-day writing marathons that double as play dates for our kids. In between marathons, we phone or email almost every day.

8.) Have you always been a fan of the sci-fi genre?
Oh, yes! We worship at the throne of Larry Niven.

9.) What other authors inspire the two of you?
Besides Larry Niven, we love reading Stephen King. He has a natural, easy style that makes us feel like we can do it, too. We also have a soft spot for Neil Gaiman, but who doesn’t?

10.) What advice would you give to newbie writers out there?
Read a lot, write every day, and trust your beta readers.

BIO:

M.H. Mead is the shared pen name of Margaret Yang and Harry R. Campion. Margaret is a parent, reader and writer who lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She loves all things shiny and modern, and can’t wait to someday drive a flying car.

Harry R. Campion is a writer, teacher and parent who lives in Harper Woods, Michigan. He loves to camp in the wilderness and explore rivers by canoe.

For more about Margaret and Harry, including links to their published stories, visit their website at www.yangandcampion.com

They recently created a facebook page (look for M.H. Mead) and you can follow Margaret on Twitter @Margaret_Yang

FATE’S MIRROR is available for kindle http://amzn.to/qHl2eF
nook http://bit.ly/qY0cj4
or any other ereader www.smashwords.com/books/view/73204
or as a paperback http://amzn.to/oqU4dL

A one-minute book trailer can be found here http://bit.ly/rlkvqh

♥Stacey

Meet Jeremiah Coe....

I met Jeremiah Coe in the Masters of Horror Facebook group (you're all surprised, right?). He asked me if I wanted to review his e-novella, Vampire's Retribution. Well I love vampires. And I love free books so it was a win/win for me. I put up a review of Vampire's Retribution today at See Spot Read. You can head over there to see what I had to say about the book. But of course, over here, we're all about the author. So without further ado, the interview...

1.) How long have you been writing novels?  I have been writing since I was five years old.  I've always had quite an imagination and was always making up stories, when I was 5 my mom started writing them down for me.  As far as novels are concerned, I wrote The Dead of Space Books One and Two in 2005.  Those were my first actual novels I wrote.

2.) Do you write full time or do you have a day job? What is it?  I would love to say I am a full time writer, but if I did, I'd be lying, even though there are weeks I put in full time hours at my computer.  My day job, even though I don't work during the day ha ha, is at a plastics factory in the finishing department.  I'm not sure how much I can say without getting myself into trouble, so I'll leave it at this, I work on the assembly line building the center console for a really popular line of cars and if you happen to have one of these cars, it is safe to assume my hands built your arm rest.

3.) Is this your fist published work?  Vampire's Retribution is my first published work with Netbound Publishing but it is not the first work I've had published.  My first short story was published in 2007 and my first novels, both The Dead of Space books, were both published in 2010.  There were several short stories published in between my first one getting published and my first novel.  There was also a third novel called Here Comes Santa between the second The Dead of Space book and Vampire's Retribution.

4.) What made you decide to go the Indie route? When I was trying to find a home for The Dead of Space, I sent it to both indie presses and the major publishing houses.  An indie press was the first to bite.

5.) Vampires Retribution is about vampires and is set in the Civil War era. What made you choose that time frame for the setting?  There were a couple of reasons for this actually.  First, I'm kind of a history geek and the Civil War era is one of my favorites because it was a very pivotal time in American history, anything could have happened and American history could have been very different had just a few things happened just slightly differently than they did.  Second, I'm not a cookie cutter writer.  I like to write what hasn't been written before and I'm not aware of any vampire stories that occur during this time period.  My fourth novel, Uncivil Dead, which is being released by Netbound Publishing within the next couple of weeks is a zombie story that occurs during the Civil War.

6.) What scares you personally? Do you have any silly phobias?  I use to be really afraid of needles, very afraid.  When I was a little kid it took a lot of adults to hold me down for a blood test because as far as I was concerned, they weren't sticking that needle in me and I would fight to stop it ha ha.  I got over this fear while studying Medical Assisting.  Where I went to school made us practice on each other and not fake arms for injections and blood draws.  I figured that was as good of time as any to get over my fear of needles and volunteered to get poked as much as I could.  Now, it's no big deal.

7.) What is your writing routine? I don't really have a routine, but I do most of my writing at night when the world is silent and it can just be me and my story.  I can pretend that nothing else exists.

8.) Have you always been a fan of the horror genre? Oh yeah.  I've been hooked on horror ever since I was a little kid and saw Return of the Living Dead for the first time.  Hey, I was young so that was a scary movie back then lol.

9.) What other authors inspire you?  There are really too many authors in too many genres for me to give this question the kind of answer I'd like too.  As strange as it may sound for a horror author to say, my all time favorite author is the historical ficiton writer John Jakes.  My favorite horror author would be the late Richard Laymon.

10.) What advice would you give to newbie writers out there?  Write what you like.  Too many authors sell out and try to copy whatever is currently popular, which right now is Twilight and Tru Blood.  Don't do what everyone else is doing, those are fads.  Try to pioneer new trails for readers to enjoy, write what hasn't been written.

BIO:

Jeremiah Coe is thirty-five years old and lives in Portage, Michigan.  He has been writing since he was five years old and would tell his stories to his mother who would write them down for him.

Jeremiah has written three novels that are currently available.  The Dead of Space Book One: Brave New World and The Dead of Space Book Two: Journey’s End are sci-fi horror novels. His third novel, Here Comes Santa, is about a serial killer that believes he is Santa Claus. All three of his novels can be ordered from Amazon in both, paperback and Kindle formats. His fourth novel, Uncivil Dead, will be available within the next two weeks. 

He also has an e-book novella, Vampire’s Retribution, which is available for the Kindle on Amazon, Smashwords and the Nook at Barnes and Noble.

He is also the author of several short stories that have been published in various magazines and anthologies.

You can find Jeremiah online at his Facebook page and Facebook Author Page.

Check him out!
♥Stacey

The thing about editing...

I know, I know-- I talk about editing a lot. Could be because I'm an editor, could be because it's so important. I fully acknowledge that I'm OCD about it. I cannot turn off the inner editor and too many times that ruins what might be a perfectly fine story for me. Little things like a miss-used word, too many adverbs or a lack of "flow" send me into howls of despair. And more often than not, result in me not finishing the story or book or novella. I just can't do it. I like to think I'm not the only one who has this problem. It might be genetic because my sister and my kids pick up on it too.

But I'm fully ready to admit that I do not know everything. (Well, no one KNOWS everything, even those who like to think they do.) And I too, can benefit from editing. I know this. My critique partner points it out. And if I hadn't already know it, it was recently proven to me. A facebook friend took my Friday flash, "A Whore Named Josie" and edited it for me. He managed to cut out those 150 words that I thought were absolutely essential. Did I agree with all of it? No, of course not. But I did agree with most of it and even learned a thing or three. He did what good editors do-- he took my story and made it shine. I liked it so much that I sent him another story of mine to edit and he sent me one of his. (Because the writing world should totally operate on a bartering for services basis, if you ask me.) This time? I liked most of it, rewrote the story and we were both happy with the outcome.

That's how your relationship with a good editor should work. They aren't out to rewrite your story themselves (hell, I do NOT have time for that!), they want to make suggestions and help you rewrite your story into one you are both proud to have worked on. They will find your diamond in the rough and help you polish it. Please remember this when hiring or dealing with an editor.

Sure I know that's money you could spend on other things. But working with an editor before you publish should not be optional. I just told you that even editors (who are trained to catch mistakes, plot holes and sloppy writing) need editors. No one can catch all of their own mistakes. And beta readers are great, but they are not a substitute for an editor. I'm always amazed at the things that beta readers did not catch. Publishing your book with a clean, mistake free, polished manuscript will gain you respect from your readers and other writers. Hurriedly putting something out just because you can too often results in your book not being all that it can be. You will lose readers and respect. No one wants that. And no one wants that for you.

So barter the services, spend the money or beg-- but get that book, story, novella-- edited. Because you're worth it. And so is your manuscript.

♥Stacey

PS- if an editor sends you a request for a rewrite on a submission or suggested editorial changes, try to realize that we are doing our job, not judging your work or being mean or insulting you. We want the same thing you do-- for your work to shine.

Meet Sam Williams

I met Sam Williams through email. I edited his new short story collection, Tales from The Swollen Corpse. It was a great experience. Sam was easy to work with and he's very talented. You can read my review of his book over at See Spot Read. For those of you who enjoy short story collections I highly recommend this one. And it's currently priced at 99 cents. So worth it!

Now, about Sam~

1.)    How long have you been writing?
A long time but only the last two years seriously with the desire to put it out there for everyone to see.

2.)    Do you write full time or do you have another job? If so, what is it?
I wish. During my 9 to5 I work in customer service/sales for a major prosthetic manufacturer, specializing in lower limb prosthesis. Also my wife and I are the proud parents of a rambunctious three year old, which is a full time job in itself.

3.)    Is this your first published collection?
Yes and hopefully not the last.

4.)    What made you decide to go the Indie route?
A few things: Short stories have the limited market of genre mags and anthologies with multiple authors. I have had some luck getting into both but wanted my own collection and to be a no name and have a collection you pretty much need to go indy. Also I am big fan of the indy movement. The abundance of new fresh voices was what converted me from the closed minded (if it’s not paper it’s not a book) person I used to be. Now I understand (and preach) eBooks are an addition to your reading diet and any good diet should have variety. And like the indy music stores I spent so much time in in my youth, if your are up for the task of digging you’re bound to find something that blows your mind.

5.)     What is it you like about writing short stories? What would you say the challenges with this form are?
I like the freedom, the freedom to be more abstract and leave a little more to the imagination, which is very important to horror. The challenges like conveying a lot with little, is part of the fun for me.

6.)    What scares you personally? Do you have any silly phobias?
Anything that would jeopardize the health or safety of my son. I think becoming a parent puts priorities and fears in a broader selfless prospective.

7.)    What is your writing routine?
Late at night in front of my old desk top, door closed, kid in bed and headphones on listening to two songs (always the same two) on repeat.

8.)    Have you always been a fan of horror?
Oh yeah and that’s where the love for it comes from, it’s a form of nostalgia. Horror at its core is about fear. As an adult you know real fears and they are not entertainment. But in a scary story you are trying to recapture those feelings you got watching the midnight movie as a kid, that weird mix of excitement and mystery. 

9.)    What other authors inspire you?
The guys that everyone mentions (and deserve it so): King, Barker, Lovecraft. I also love and read a lot of horror comics from writers like Steve Niles. And I love cult classic lit like Hunter Thompson and Jack Kerouac.  A huge inspiration from childhood are the stories and are in the three original “Scary stories to tell in the dark” by Alvin Schwartz and illustrated by Stephen Gammell.

10.) What advice would you give to newbie writers out there?
Always appreciate criticism it’s invaluable. But be aware of where it comes from. It should be a tool for improvement but criticism that’s negative for the sake of being negative as well as overly positive is useless.
Oh and get a good editor.

BIO:

A little back-story on me and TSC
I grew up reading and watching the creature feature. I loved reading things like Scary stories to tell after dark, the old EC/creepy comics, and magazines like Monsters Attack. Of course my tastes grew as I did but I never lost love for these types of stories.
In October 2010 after having a hard time (outside of comics) finding the pulp horror stories I craved, I started writing my own. I created a blog called Theswollencorpse.blogspot.com
 The stories found in it are for grownups and range from lighthearted to very dark. 
Tales from the swollen corpse can be found at:
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005BE43RQ

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tales-from-the-swollen-corpse-sam-williams/1104270029

Paperback: http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/tales-from-the-swollen-corpse/16350940

And on iTunes.

Blog http://theswollencorpse.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Swollen-Corpse/111357002276607

Hope you enjoyed meeting Sam as much as I have.
♥Stacey

Meet S. Alini

I met author S. Alini through email. And I decided to review his Young Adult fiction book, The Strange Journal of the Boy Henry. You can read my review over at See Spot Read. Please do. I can wait...

Back? Awesome. You totally want to read it now, don't you? You should. You'll enjoy it! Okay, on with the questions because enquiring minds want to know, right?


1)How long have you been writing novels?

Hard to say because I’ve also done cartoons and screenplays over the past seventeen years.But I think I’ve written children’s books for eight years now.

2.)   Do you write full time or do you have a day job?

I trade stocks when I’m sufficiently foolish and gullible.

3.)   Is this your first published novel?

No,I’ve published four others:

Aaaack the Duck
Tired of mistreatment by humans, a feisty little duckling named Aaaack decides he’s going to become a Lawyer so he can set things right.

Aaaack in School: Book2
In this, the second in the series, Aaaack makes his way to school to fulfill his dream.

Effie the Magician
Seven year old Effie just can’t keep from getting into trouble. When she finds herGrandmother’s Secret Book of Magic and a Wand, things really get nutty.

SuperBurger
Eight year old Isaac saves up and buys a SuperBurger. Then goes to incredible lengths to hide it so he doesn’t have to share with his family.


4.)   What made you decide to go the Indie route?

I realized, early on, that I was too good for the big traditional publishers. I kid. No, they decided they were too good for me. Actually I came real close twice. Editors at Random and Harper got excited about two different books. Then each found reason to decline. But I’m glad now, because I get a bigger percentage of sales and I own all rights.

5.)   What made you decide to write middle grade novels?

I’m passionate about kids reading, and felt it was important to write stories that amuse and entertain them.

6.)   What scares you personally? Do you have any silly phobias?

Snakes. Sshhhhhh… they might be listening.

7.)   What is your writing routine?

I have no routine. I write when I feel passionate about a particular story or situation. I don’t force it because I don’t like the result when it’s forced.

8.)   What genre would you classify your writing?

Not sure. My writing is generally humorous. Even in The Strange Journal of The Boy Henry, which is a suspenseful, scary kind of story, I have funny characters.

9.)   What other authors inspire you?

JudyBlume, Louis Sachar, Mark Twain, Akhil Sharma, Irvine Welsh.

10.)What advice would you give to newbie writers out there?

You’re never gonna make it so just quit. I don’t need the competition. No, I’d say keep at it. Electronic publishing has opened up the world for writers. We can reach readers another timezone away. The possibilities are endless. So keep reading and keep writing.

Bio

I live in Atlanta, Ga. I like it because it’s the greenest (as in trees and grass) city I’ve ever been in. Also it seems to have cultural activities every weekend. I’ve written various things for many years. Started off with short stories, moved to cartoons, then screenplays (which got me an agent), then eventually children’s books. I spend my time swimming, playing soccer or watching independent films.

Blog: www.alinibooks.blogspot.com
Twitter: @SanAlini
Facebook: San Alini

The Strange Journal of the Boy Henry can be purchased on the Amazon Kindle:

http://www.amazon.com/Strange-Journal-Boy-Henry-ebook/dp/B004XJ5ZNG/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_2

Hope you enjoyed meeting San Alini. I did. And look forward to more books in the future!

♥Stacey

#Friday Flash- The Hidden Door

Hey! It's that time again- time for #Friday Flash. This week's Vamplit Blog's prompt was "hidden places". Hope you'll enjoy my entry and stop by the Vamplit Blog to read all the other entries as well!

The Hidden Door

Sam winced as the door creaked. He paused and listened to see if he could hear footsteps of any kind. Nothing. He was just about to resume his pressure on the door when Jeff pushed past him, rudely shoving the door inward. The resulting squeal of the hinges seemed to explode in Sam’s eardrums.

“What the hell?” he said, as loudly as he dared. “We’re breaking and entering here, in case you’d forgotten. We need to be quiet.”

Jeff shrugged. “I told you no one was here. I watched the old couple leave an hour ago. They don’t come back till morning. And the stores on either side are closed up tight too. Nobody’s gonna hear us. Quit being a pansy ass.”

Sam bit his tongue to keep from responding to Jeff’s taunts. Man, he was sick of him. Soon as he had enough dough, he was skipping town. This little Podunk town was weird as hell and he didn’t want to be here. Jeff was a native and while he was a jerk and about as subtle as a bull in a china shop, so far he’d been good at finding places to rob and knew the comings and goings of half the town. So he’d put up with him a bit longer.

Looking around, Sam asked, “What the hell kind of store is this?”

“Antiques.” Jeff answered. “You know, old valuable shit.”

“You’re kidding me, right?” Sam asked, staring at a taxidermied monkey leg. He didn’t see anything valuable. Everything he saw was creepy.

 

“Nope. Not kidding.” Jeff replied, picking up a glass jar filled with a clear liquid. Sloshing around inside were what appeared to be several eyeballs.

Sam shook his head in disgust and sighed. “Alright, I’ll look over here and you start on the other side of the room. Fill your pack with small things, anything you think we can fence.”

An hour later Sam had grabbed a few things; a gold locket, a silver brush & mirror set and gold pocket watch. He was ready to blow this gig. He’d felt nervous from the time they broke in and it was getting worse. Plus he was hot and sweaty and felt dirty from pawing through the dusty offerings. This whole night was a waste. He was pissed at Jeff and pissed at himself. He should’ve known better. This was nothing but an old junk store. Just as he turned to tell Jeff he thought they should go, Jeff let out yelp and jumped back several feet.

 

“A rat! A freakin rat!” he shouted.

“Shut the hell up!” Sam said. “Do you want us to get busted?”

Jeff shook his head. “Sorry man, but that startled the hell out of me. This place is giving me the heebie-jeebies.”

“Yeah,” Sam said. “I know what you mean. Let’s bail.” He shouldered his pack and headed for the entrance.

“Hey wait!” Jeff called. “I found a door.”

“Yeah, so did I.” Sam replied.

“No. I found a hidden door.” Jeff said.

Sam pondered that for a minute. Why would you hide a door unless there was something to hide behind it? What the hell, they’d already wasted the night as it was, couldn’t hurt to take a quick look. He walked over to where Jeff was moving a big cupboard. As they slid the cupboard to the side, Sam saw what Jeff was talking about- a small door had been hidden behind it.

“What do ya think’s behind there?” Jeff asked.

 

“How the hell should I know?” Sam said. “One of us will have to check.”

“Hell no!” Jeff said. “I ain’t going in there.”

Sam sighed. He really didn’t want to either. Had to be something worthwhile in there, he thought. This night couldn’t get any worse. He pulled out his pocket flashlight and knelt down on all fours.

“Okay Jeff, open her up.”

 

Jeff fought with the latch on the door for a few minutes before it gave. He swung the door wide and Sam shone his light inside. A puff of dusty air escaped, making them both cough.

“Jesus H! It smells like something died in there.” Jeff coughed.

 

Sam agreed but braced himself and started up the stairs. As soon as he was past the door, he was able to stand up a little. He followed the steps up to a landing and glanced around. The flashlight illuminated very little, but from what he could see, the room was just a storage area filled with more junk. Shit! Shit! Shit! This night sucks, he thought. Just as he started back to the stairs the swinging beam of the flashlight caught something scurrying into the shadows. He stopped and swung the light again.

 

This time, it wasn’t so quick. Caught in the light was something that resembled a cross between a guinea pig and a squirrel. The moment that Sam spent staring at it is what cost him is life. In the very next instant the thing flew at him all teeth and claws and sour breath. It latched on to his throat and penetrated the jugular before he even had a chance to scream. The only sound was a soft gurgling and the thump of his body as it sagged to the floor. The flashlight bounced down the stairs.

 

Jeff heard the thump and saw the flashlight bounce down. “Sam?” he called. “C’mon Sam, this shit’s not funny.” He waited a few minutes before he picked up the flashlight and climbed a stair or two. He never even saw the creature coming. The flashlight rolled down the stairs again and came to rest next to their backpacks.

 

The next morning Mr. & Mrs. Goldenstein arrived at Eccentricities and opened shop. Mrs. Goldenstein found the opened door and the packs beside it.

 

“Oh dear, oh dear.” She muttered, before shutting and latching the little door.

Mr. Goldenstein saw what she was doing and shook his head.

“Looks like little Goldie had a big night.”

I'm sure I don't have to repeat this but stealing is bad and will not go unpunished. Just saying.

Happy Friday- may your weekend be filled with fun,
♥Stacey

#Friday Flash- The Ghost Hunters

Yes, I do know it's not Friday. It's Wednesday. But I didn't get to play last Friday because my grandbaby had his first Doctor's appointment. And I had an MRI on my bum shoulder. But I still wanted to play along. So here is my offering- even if it's on the wrong day. This week's theme was haunted places.

The Ghost Hunters

Brian and Amy traipsed down the tree lined street; heavily laden shoulder packs making their shadows appear hunch-backed. Amy shivered as she looked towards their destination- a deserted house at the end of the road. The moonlight glinting off the house’s windows made them look like eyes peering from the gloom. She shook off the thought. She was scaring herself before they even got to the house. Some ghost hunter she was going to be.

“Where did you get all this stuff?” she asked, indicating her pack.

“I bought it.”

“You did what?”

“I bought it,” he replied. “I had to. If we’re going to be serious about this we’re going to need the right equipment. You don’t think those two old plumber guys skimped on the equipment do you? And look: now they have their own ghost hunting show. If it’s going to be a business, you’ve got to treat it like a business.”

Amy sighed loudly, muttered under her breath, and hitched up her pack. She still wasn’t convinced she wanted to be in this business.

“So where’d you hear about this house?”

“I told you. I saw a card about it on the bulletin board at a store on Maine Street. You know, the one that sells the weird shit.”

“You mean Eccentricities? They don’t sell weird shit. They sell antiques.”

“Okay. Old shit? Better?”

Amy rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue at him, knowing he wouldn’t see the gesture in the dark.

“So what did it say? Ghost hunters wanted: haunted house?”

“No. It said ‘For rent: haunted house’.”

“Really? Who the hell would rent a haunted house?”

“People who shop at an old shit store.” He put a finger to his lips and and pointed to the house. They were almost there. “Get out the heat camera.”

“Like I know which one that is,” Amy muttered under her breath. She put her pack down in the yard and knelt down to dig through it. Finally she found the small hand held camera that picked up heat signatures. She scanned the yard, nothing. Brian urged her forward and they went up to the porch. A sound made Amy jump.

“Did you hear that?” she asked.

“Shhh. Jesus, Amy, are you trying to wake the dead?” Brian stared at her.

“Oh that’s funny Brian, har dee har har. I’m not playing around. I heard something.”

They both got quiet for a minute and looked around them. The sound came again. It was a low moaning. They froze.

“What now, Mr. Ghost Hunter?” Amy asked. “What does your book say we do now?”

“We need to get out some more equipment, get some baseline readings…” he broke off as they heard thumping from inside and more moaning.

“Are you sure we want to be here?” she asked. “Because I’m beginning to think I want to be anywhere but here.”

“No. It’s fine. It’s just the wind or something. Old houses settle.” Brian glanced around nervously. Suddenly, the thumping increased in tempo and volume and seemed just on the other side of the door. Amy stared at Brian wide eyed as she fought her body’s fight or flight response to what was obviously imminent danger.

Brian appeared equally petrified. Slowly the door began to swing inward on creaky hinges. With one last look at each other, they turned and fled back down the street, leaving their packs discarded on the porch.

A new sound could be heard coming from the doorway; a soft chuckling followed by a wheezy cough. Karl Barnard stepped out onto the porch and shook his head. It never failed. Some sucker was always ready to play ghost hunter. And Karl was always ready to play ghost- especially when it meant they’d flee without their gear. That left him something to take to Old Louie at the pawn shop for enough money to keep him in whiskey and smokes for awhile longer. Yessiree, this was the best con he’d run in years. He sifted through the packs and whistled through what was left of his teeth. This was high end stuff these folks had left, top of the line and brand new. He’d have some extra dough for maybe a decent meal or two as well as his usual haul.

“Huh?” he muttered to himself as he noticed a glowing set of lights inside the pack. He pulled out the piece of equipment and stared at it. It was some kind of indicator; it had a set of five lights on the tip and they were all glowing a bright red. He looked at the writing.

“E. M. F.” he read aloud. “What the hell…” he broke off mid sentence as a flashlight that had rolled to the end of the porch clicked on by itself. Karl froze. It was then he noticed the temperature had dipped considerably in the last few minutes. The hair on the back of his neck rose and he shivered. Good thing I don’t believe in ghosts, he thought to himself, or I might start believing my own propaganda.

He tried to shake off the feeling of unease, but it refused to abate. In fact, it was getting worse and Karl was sure something stood behind him. There’s nothing there, he thought. Nothing. I’m just letting the dark and that story I cooked up and spread about this house get to me. Turn around, he told himself firmly. Turn around.

Fighting against his own body’s response, he managed to turn. He found himself staring into a face more evil than any he’d ever encountered in his fifty six years of squandered life. It would be the last thing he saw. After several frantic erratic beats his heart gave up and stopped beating. Karl grabbed his chest and fell backward onto the porch steps, still gazing into the hate filled countenance of the house’s very real resident ghost.

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♥Stacey