Wicked Betrayal Update

Good morning!

I've started the editing process on Wicked Betrayal (Book 3).  It's going well.  My husband bought me a new desk and chair and I now officially have my own office, so I'm even more excited to get writing done. 

I don't usually say this, but I think that after reading Wicked Betrayal in its entirety, I think it may be my favorite one yet of the series : )  We are still shooting for a fall release.  I hope to post the cover art in the next week or two.  My graphic artist is hard at work, putting on the final touches.

Okay...enough blogging - on to editing!

7/20/2012 Updates

Goodmorning Everyone!!

Well, we are all moved into our new house!  The unpacking is still a work in progress, but nevertheless the hard part is over.  The house is fantastic.  We are so happy.  I even have an office, which works out perfectly because on Monday, I'm going to start the editing process for Wicked Betrayal (Book 3).  We are still shooting for a fall release.  My graphic artist, Rahul Philip, just sent me the initial draft of the cover and it looks amazing.

New England Witch Chronicles (Book 1) is still available for the kindle for $0.99.  Paperback versions are available for $9.99.  Our sales in Europe are expanding and it completely amazes me.  I want to thank everyone for all of their support!

Conjured (Book 2) is continuing to get rave reviews.  Conjured is priced at $2.99 for the Kindle and $9.99 for paperback.

Finally, I hope everyone enjoys the little articles that we are posting.  The next one, hopefully, will come out next week!

Thanks again!  And have a fantastic weekend. 

The Real Jersey Devil… and No, I’m Not Referring to the NHL Team

Everyone knows that I’m a die-hard hockey fan.  My favorite teams are the New York Rangers and the Detroit Red Wings.  However, I am a New Jersey resident and years ago, my husband told me a spooky story about a horrible creature that stalked the swamps and forests of the State.  I’d never heard of the Jersey Devil and was immediately fascinated by the local legend that has permeated the lives of the people of New Jersey; so much so, that the State named its NHL hockey team, the New Jersey Devils.

The legendary Jersey Devil has haunted the residents of New Jersey for hundreds of years.  There are countless tales of a horrible beast that inhabits the Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey.  The Jersey Devil is no ordinary monster. The creature has been described as a weird collection of various animal parts.  The body of kangaroo.  The head of a dog.  Face of a horse.  Deer antlers.  Enormous leathery wings.  Small arms with large talons.  Cloven hooves and a forked reptile tail.

The origin of the Jersey Devil is not clear.  There are pre-colonial reports that the Lenni Lenape tribe called the Pine Barrens area, “Popuessing,” which meant “place of the dragon.” Similarly, Swedish explorers named the region “Drake Kill,” which roughly translated to “Dragon River.”

However, most people accept that the story begins with a woman named, Mother Leeds.  The Leeds family was one of the State’s earliest settlers.  According to the legend, in 1735, Mother Leeds became pregnant with her thirteenth child.  The townsfolk claimed Mother Leeds was a witch and whisperings erupted that the thirteenth Leed child was doomed. 

A midwife delivered the child on a stormy night and, by all appearances, the baby was born normal.  But things soon took a turn for the worse.  Not long after birth, the baby grew at an incredible rate and morphed into the hideous creature.  Wings, claws and horns sprouted in front of their eyes.  The creature unleashed unearthly screams and shredded the midwife to pieces.  The creature then killed Mother Leeds, its father and siblings before it escaped into the darkness of the Pine Barrens where it has resided ever since. 

Thousands of sightings have been reported since the eighteenth century.  Strange cloven tracks in the snow and mud.  Animals slaughtered.  Hideous wailings coming from the forest. 

Of course there are many critics, as no one has yet to obtain concrete evidence of the creature’s existence.  Skeptics categorize the Jersey Devil with the likes of Big Foot or the Loch Ness Monster.  But who knows what lurks in the darkness of a New Jersey night?

Good Morning! / Updates

I hope everyone had a happy and safe Fourth of July.  My family watched the Summit Fireworks last night in the park and they were spectacular.  I'm really enjoying small town America.  

Things are going to be a little chaotic during the next two weeks.  We are moving again (sigh), but this time into our first home, so we are super excited.  I received a lot of positive feedback about our top 15 Horror Movies of All Time post, so along with writing / life updates, I'm going to try to post articles about the things that I love.  Topics will include books, movies, supernatural stuff, local legends, etc.  I'm working on an article now that I hope to post by tomorrow.  

New England Witch Chronicles & Conjured (Book 2) are doing well!  We are getting fantastic reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.  The first draft of Wicked Betrayal (Book 3) is finished.  The editing process will start mid-July (after our move).  The fourth book in the New England Witch Chronicles series, All Hallows Eve, is coming along, too - I've been working on expanding the outline.  I also have another novel completed (a middle grade novel), but it still has to be edited and I started a zombie book, too (woo hoo)!  I'm busy, busy, busy, but look forward to many things coming in the second half of 2012!

Stay cool and enjoy your summer!