Messages From The Land of Insecure Sidelong Glances by Tom Szollosi

Author Tom Szollosi
Author Tom Szollosi

I’m not sure why, but it seems as if every writer I have ever known has been what I would call “damaged goods”. Those of you nodding your heads know what I’m talking about. You’ve probably noticed it when looking in the mirror. Writers are, for the most part, those people with social obstacles built in, like little ice-makers, in the freezer section of their brains.

Maybe it’s depression, maybe a weight problem, drinking, drugs, or some psychic pain born of an awful childhood. Your father didn’t appreciate you, Mom liked one of your siblings best and for some reason couldn’t remember your name a lot of the time. And now you’re the uneasy-looking guy or gal who can’t quite meet other people’s gazes head-on, with a twitch that started the day you found the family dog poisoned by the steak some nasty neighbor threw over the back fence to avenge his befouled lawn. You’re a writer, if you also happen to have the requisite desire to somehow right those scales, to make it all better through the stories you tell. Continue reading “Messages From The Land of Insecure Sidelong Glances by Tom Szollosi”

Sneak Peek: Legend of the Dark Messiah: The Mask and the Sword by J. Johnson Higgins

Today we have a sneak peek of J. Johnson Higgins’ epic fantasy, Legend of the Dark Messiah: The Mask and the Sword:

Legend of the Dark MessiahThe great futuristic society of I-Star has long foretold the coming of a female with a gem embedded in her forehead. Known as the Dark Messiah, this woman possesses magical powers that will bring about the destruction of life as they know it.

When a young Cassidy awakens inside an enchanted cave, she has no memory of how she came to be in this strange place. She starts to build a life for herself in the modern, utopian world of I-Star. The odd red crystal in the middle of her forehead disturbs her, as no one else in the community of Jennison has such a marking.

Cassidy soon catches the attention of a mysterious sorcerer, Dmitri von Calvin, who recognizes her as the Dark Messiah and wishes to harness her power for destructive ends. Cassidy learns of the sorcerer’s evil agenda and the prophecy of the Dark Messiah. Rather than fulfill her role as a life destroyer, Cassidy makes a decision to stand and fight against the destruction of her beloved world.

Legend of the Dark Messiah: The Mask and the Sword is available in paperback, hardcover, Kindle and NOOK at Amazon.com, Amazon UK and Barnes & Noble. Continue reading “Sneak Peek: Legend of the Dark Messiah: The Mask and the Sword by J. Johnson Higgins”

The Importance of Research

Author Valerie Douglas
Author Valerie Douglas

I suppose you could say that I’ve been doing research all my life – as any writer should. After all, the essential, endless curiosity that drives us to ask ‘what if’ and then ‘what happens next’ has to start somewhere. It starts in those questions, but it’s based in what we’ve learned and know.

Part of every child’s education is spent exploring ancient gods and goddesses, particularly the Greek and Roman. They fascinated me just as they fascinate most children, especially their excesses – Percy Jackson’s popularity is no coincidence. Continue reading “The Importance of Research”