Friday, October 18, 2013

Flashlight Stories, Horror Anthology


I had a great time writing Flashlight Stories.  My earlier mental roadblocks while attempting to write full-length novels seemed nonexistent while I was working on this horror anthology.

Flashlight Stories is a collection of horror stories.  There’s a story about a witch, one about a vampire, one about a shadow demon, and more.  Like many other authors who write anthologies, I wanted to explore different ideas.  The freedom to write quick, snappy stories to completion was a breath of fresh air for me.

The only negative experience I had was after publishing the book.  I downloaded a copy to my Kindle, and began reading.  I was happy to see my work published on an electronic reading device.  I had the same happy feeling after publishing Disclosure and The Journal of the Missing Day.  I was so satisfied with my new book that I kept reading, even though I had been reading it nonstop before publishing.  That’s when I started finding some errors.

Maybe the topic of flaws is taboo to write about if it’s about your own book, but I don’t think it’s that big of a deal; people make mistakes, and learn.  It’s all part of the process.  Besides, this blog is about my personal experiences with writing.  Just to be clear, the problems were fixed shortly after the first release.  At least, I have read the entire book (again) on my Kindle, found (and fixed) problems that were overlooked while I was editing the book on my computer, and uploaded the new file to Amazon.

My overall experience is extremely positive.  I love my book, and I’ve read it a couple of times for my own entertainment (something I didn’t think would be possible with my own stories).  I love the cover, I love the content, and I love the reactions.  Writing this anthology has me excited to work on the next one.

But first, here’s what’s inside of Flashlight Stories:

The Calm (Before the Storm): A flash fiction introduction

The House at the End of the Street: A young boy works up the courage to enter the witch's house, located at the end of the street

Twelve Feet Under: A boy's father will go to extreme lengths (and depths) for his son's love

Being the Reaper: A man must take on the task of being the Grim Reaper to pay for the sins he committed during life

Afraid of Clowns: A clown with a silly name terrifies a young boy

The Last Vampire: Old legends come alive when the last vampire is trapped by hunters

What's Buried in the Barn: A deal with the Devil, and an unholy secret

Your Friends are Coming: A man's past comes back for revenge

Buried Alive: It's worse than you might think

It Man: A story about a shadow demon who lives off fear

The Storm:  Flash fiction closer that continues from the opener

If you want a taste of Flashlight Stories, just go to Amazon or Smashwords and download the free sample.  You’ll get the first two stories for free.  The first story is extremely short, because it’s a flash fiction opener, but the second story is longer, and one of my favorite stories in the book.  I urge all of my friends to read the freebies, at least.  Thanks for being a fan, and I hope to hear from all of you very soon.

Flashlight Stories is still only 99 cents, but not for long.  After Halloween, the price will be set to $1.99.  Grab the story now, and let me what you think at jdh112683@yahoo.com


1 comment:

  1. I like how you wrote you loved to re-read your stories. I absolutely love re-reading my “Creepy Crazy Christmas” and my new book, “Creepy Crude Christmas.” I laugh and laugh. (I know you get what I mean, heeheehee!!) Maybe it’s vain, LOL, but I can’t help it. Anyhow, I was glad to know someone else enjoys re-reading their own publications, too, cause I thought I was the only one.

    Like you, I had thought my stories were “perfect,” but when I re-read them on my e-reader, I found errors I hadn't found on my computer. Now I always read my stories on my e-reader before I publicise my books. Just something about seeing them in a different light, I guess, that you catch errors previously missed.

    I finished your book last night. I don’t know where you got the ideas for all the stories. They were unreal in their plots!! My favourite was “Buried Alive.” The stories were interesting and well-written. It was a good book. I hope you sell lots!
    I absolutely loved how the book started off with “The Calm” story and ended with “The Storm.” I don’t want to give anything away, so I won’t say anything further about that, but it was totally unexpected. And what a GREAT idea!

    I was pleased while reading to not come across typos and incorrect grammar. There were a few misplaced commas, in my opinion (and I could be wrong), but everyone has differences of opinions re commas, so they were no biggie and did not mar the flow. If I begin reading an indie book and come across errors in the first couple of pages, I immediately delete it from my e-reader without reading further. I guess being a writer I now notice those things, whereas before I didn’t. Now I find errors jarring and can’t continue reading. So, I was really happy to find your book so well edited.

    Oh, and I love the cover, too!

    Good luck with it. I enjoyed it.

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