The Walking Dead Season 3 Recap - Episode 3: Walk With Me

Walk With Me

Well, there you go, last week I whinged about the lack of Andrea (Laurie Holden) in Season 3 of AMC's The Walking Dead, and finally we got to catch up of what's been happening in her world. Which turns out to be a whole lot of sickness, swords, armless camouflage and jumping from the frying pan, into the fire and back again!

Since I haven't read any of the comics, I didn't know much about the Governor (David Morrissey), but I had heard a few people hinting at his arrival. It was nice to finally meet him and find out what all the fuss was about, that's for sure - although Michonne (Danai Gurira) would disagree (if she ever opened up her mouth and talked, that is)!

All the way through this episode there is an ongoing sense of dread. We just know Michonne is right in her suspicions about this new-found Utopia, yet, at first, we are lulled into a false sense of security. Everyone loves the Governor and praise his actions for protecting his motley crew of survivors.

Slowly, the episode unfolds and we start to see the chinks in this new idyllic world  and when we witness the brutal slaying of some military guys that are left overs from the episode's opening helicopter scene, we just know that poor Andrea is going to get a tad more whiny before this season is over. Michonne will probably pout and frown so much that she will look like some sort of marine life.

It's at this point that I began to miss the normal crew. I missed Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) and her constant panic over her baby and her crumbling relationship with Rick Andrew Lincoln). I missed Glenn (Steven Yuen) and his girlfriend, Hershel (Scott Wilson) and his new role as the team pirate and most of all I missed Daryl (Norman Reedus) and his crossbow.

Which brings me to how it all links up. Remember Daryl's brother Merle(Michael Rooker)? Yeah, that obnoxious, racist redneck that lopped his own hand off to escape zombies. Well, he's found the Governor also - and they are perfect for each other. He remembers Andrea too. I can see this ending badly.

And then, just when you think it can't get any worse, the episode ends with this image....

Which world do you prefer to watch? Rick and his Ricktatorship or The Governor and his Goons?

#BlogFlash Halloween Flash Fiction: Spooky

It's #BlogFlash Halloween time! The theme is "Spooky" (naturally) and the limit is 500 words! So, without further ado, here is the picture from Larundel that has inspired my little piece...

Spooky

She runs her finger along the edge of the jagged glass; feeling brave, feeling scared. The whisper of a vine tickles her wrist and she gasps before realising what it is. Another sound, this time a true whisper, makes her jump. Turning, she sees no one but a sharp pain tells her that the angry glass has bitten her and she draws her finger up to her lips and sucks away the pain. Small droplets of red lead a trail from the remains of the window and across the floor. It is a short journey.

"Imogen...." The sound is enticing and she follows it.

A music box starts a discordant tune.

The old building moulds and crumbles around her. The remains of a hundred shattered windows crunch beneath her shoes. A raven squawks outside, high above her. Its claws scrape briefly at a broken roof tile, at Imogen’s soul. She glances upwards and sees the bird through the gaping maw of a hole in the roof. The tile shudders before falling. Imogen jumps back, out of the way.

“Follow the music…” The butterfly wings of a voice tease and she pushes forward, her heart pounding and her hands all shaky and bloody.

A shadow emerges from the fallen tile, leading the way, although Imogen cannot see it. Sensing the change, she squints into the bleakness. Nothing. Just shadows and long gone memories, she decides before pressing on. The long hall is dark with old smoke and the floor bears the brunt of long gone fires. Tip-toeing carefully around the dark holes in the floorboards, she tries not to think about hands reaching up and grabbing at her ankles.

Still the faint music plays on. It is a tune familiar to Imogen, singing to her soul as she creeps along.

A swift shadow zooms down the hallway towards her. The music intensifies as the darkness approaches. Imogen ducks at the last moment; fear causing her to gag before she realises it is just the damn raven again. Turning and straightening in one fluid movement, she raises her fist and shakes it at the black beast. The bird replies by cawing once more and dropping a golden object at her feet.

It is a key; old and ornate. Squashed at one end, but that does not detract from its beauty. While picking it up, a cold, gold ring on a long chain around her neck swings free from her tank top and clinks against the ancient key, like lovers yearning to touch one another. 

The eager shadow shivers; the hint of a smile is seen on the hint of a face. Its job is done here.

The music plays louder and the shadow creeps up close to its victim.

“Find the music box…” It's voice is feathery, like a raven, and Imogen shivers as the dusty breath caresses her neck.

Adding the bent key to the ring on the chain around her neck, she follows blindly. The shadow leads the way…

Make sure you check out all the other great spooky-inspired flash fiction and vote for your favourite!

American Horror Story Asylum Season 2 Recap - Episodes 1 & 2

I hadn't been privy to the awesomeness that is FX's American Horror Story last year. When I saw wicked adverts splashed across Facebook of Season 2; American Horror Story Asylum, I was hooked before even watching an episode!

Now that I have watched the first two episodes (and promptly watched  eight episodes of Season 1 while waiting for the second episode), what do I think? Here's my recap:

Episode 1: Welcome To Briarcliff

The first episode starts with just the right mix of creepy asylum back story, sex and gore. We find two horror buffs honeymooning their way through all the haunted places across America. They are fornicating in each place, which we find out pretty quickly would be considered a no-no to the fantastically stereotypical (but excellently portrayed) Sister Jude (Jessica Lange). What could possibly go wrong with having sex in abandoned creepy places? Well, it can get your arm ripped off, that's what! And this is an excellent way to mess with the time frame and send us back in time to meet the aforementioned Sister Jude; a woman who hates sex of any description (especially of the homosexual persuasion). The time changes are super cool and crazy-creepy by the way!

We also meet some pretty great characters. There is Shelly the Nymphomaniac (Chloë Sevigny), Kit Walker (Evan Peters); who loves his wife in an age when blacks and whites don't mix, Sister Mary Eunice (Lily Rabe), Lana Winters (Sarah Paulson); a journalist who is gay - this has to end badly for her and the terribly evil Dr. Arthur Arden (James Cromwell).

There is so much story being set up in this first episode that the time flies with incredible speed! Basically, after we leave the poor unfortunate honeymooners (the groom being played by the hunky Adam Levine from Maroon 5), we discover that in 1964 there was a serial killer on the loose; a horrible person who goes by the name of Bloody Face. When Kit is arrested for killing his coloured wife, he is also accused of being Bloody Face and sent to Briarcliff for psychiatric evaluation. Is he the killer? I don't think so, neither do the writers at FX - they blame the aliens! Lana arrives on the scene and attempts to interview Sister Jude. Needless to say, she 'accidently' gets herself committed and her girlfriend signs the relevant paperwork rather than being outed as a lesbian.

Dr. Arden appears to be a sicko that would rival Bloody Face. He not only has strange mutated plants in his lab, but patients seem to be dying on his watch - patients who have no family to kick up any great stink. Sister Eunice appears to be a quiet little meek thing, but I have my suspicions about her (or maybe it's just because I have been watching her in Season 1 of American Horror Story).

We also discover that the prudish Sister Jude is such a nasty bitch and so Fifty Shades because she really just wants the Monsignor to see her sexy red lingerie. As a result of built up sexual tension, people get whipped with canes.

Episode 2: Trick and Treats

The first episode had so much promise. Unfortunately, Episode 2 left me feelings a little dejected. There was so much promise and yet I found myself checking how long I had to go to the end of the episode this time round. I hope it is just a temporary glitch, since Season 1 is just so damn fantastic.

This week we find our honeymooners still in strife. Teresa (Jenna Dewan Tatum) hides in a closet and watches Bloody face stab her husband, Leo (Adam Levine). I can't see Leo lasting to Episode 3. We then get one of those cool time changes where Bloody Face is banging on the closet door and the door morphs into a 1964 door belonging to Lana's (Sarah Paulson) girlfriend, Wendy (Clea DuVall). Speaking of not lasting to Episode 3, poor Wendy ends up getting stabbed by Bloody Face!

So how is Lana faring as an inpatient? Not so great, she manages to gets caught writing notes, receive electric shock therapy, make a friend, attempt an escape and get Kit (Evan Peters) punished for trying to escape with her. Her week sure does suck.

TheDr Arden (James Cromwell) character is explored more this week. This is the only interesting part of the episode, as far as I'm concerned. We find he has a thing for nuns. Especially ones that go by the name of Sister Eunice (Lily Rabe). We find he likes her so much that he hires hookers to dress just like her. He has a sick 'good girl' fetish going on which freaks the hooker out so much she kicks him in the balls and escapes without payment.

Dr. Thredson (Zachary Quinto) is introduced in this episode. He is one of the reoccurring cast members from Season 1. He is horrified at the way in which the Briarcliff asylum is run. Sister Jude (Jessica Lange) tells him to suck it up and then they both get to witness an exorcism.  This exorcism goes terribly wrong; it seems the devil is well and truly stuck in the body of the poor man and he dies as a result. The spirit of the devil then escapes upon death and it appears that Sister Eunice just may be possessed now - I told you this character was too nice for words!

What did you think of the second episode of American Horror Story? Do you think it will live up to the first season?

And if you can't wait until next week's episode, why not try reading my book, The Ring of Lost Souls - set in the real abandoned asylum, Larundel and the reason I started watching American Horror Story Asylum. 

Check out the comparisons between the two institutions here.

The Walking Dead Season 3 Recap: Episodes 1 & 2

Who else was as excited as I was about the Season 3 premiere of AMC's The Walking Dead? Is it just wrong to love the undead this much? Well, my hubby seems to think so.....

In tribute of this fabulous show, I will be posting my weekly recap on each episode. And because we all can't get enough of the show, the very first recap is a two-for-one deal!

Episode 1: Seed

We start this episode with the discovery that our fave zombie-hunting crew are just a little bit older and quite a bit more wiser! They have established a 'taunt and kill' regime that is proving valuable for the livelihood of the group and (final-time) deadly to the undead. It's disturbing to see young Carl (Chandler Riggs) in the midst of all this killing, but I guess if you were in this situation, morals and general society standards fly out the window pretty quickly. I just hope the poor young actor who plays Carl is not scarred for life.

Speaking of children, a very noticeably pregnant Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) is now beginning to ponder the wisdom of bringing another child into the post-apocalyptic world they now live in. It's too late to go back, but as she voices her concerns with Hershel (Scott Wilson), the group's veterinarian medical consultant, we discover just how sickening it may get. What if that baby dies before being born? Considering everyone is infected with the zombie virus, will the little critter re-animate and attack it's own mother from the inside? Also, consider the fact that the baby may survive childbirth, but Lori may not. What happens then? Lori pleads for Hershel to give her the final death if this happens, before she attacks her own child. Of course, there was no mention of what would happen if Lori dies while she is pregnant and the baby still lives on. Only time will tell, I guess....

So what's happened to poor Andrea (Laurie Holden), I hear you ask? We find her (very briefly) with another woman called Michonne (Danai Gurira). This woman travels with two undead who are chained and have missing limbs and lower jaws. She does this in a bid to keep her living scent masked by that of the undead zombies - what an ingenious idea! Poor Andrea is sick though and Michonne must find aspirin for her.

The group have found a prison  It's a safe haven in a deadly world. They just have to get in and kill all the zombies first! It takes the whole episode to do this. Once they are inside the prison they discover they are not alone. After Hershel is attacked and bitten on the ankle by a zombie, Rick (Andrew Lincoln) takes only a split second to amputate his leg in an effort to save the man's life. I wonder if it will work? And we end this episode with the visuals of living humans peering out at the group from behind a wire window after they hear all the commotion of the amputation. 

Will these people be good or bad, considering the place they are trapped in?

Episode 2: Sick

So who are these new people? It's obvious they're inmates from the go-get. Some of them nastier than others. It's very clear, in this episode, that the writers are trying to show that age old problem that arises in post-apocalyptic worlds: who do you trust? It is portrayed in a very black and white scenario. There is no grey areas, no reason to feel empathy for these inmates who have been trapped in hell for a whole year without any idea of what the outside world is like.  There is simply Rick (Andrew Lincoln) who mistrusts them and Darryl (Norman Reedus) who wants to kill them. To make a long story short, Daryl wins in that battle of wits, but only because the inmate 'leader' Tomas (Nick Gomez) attempts to 'accidently' kill Rick when they are fighting zombies en masse. Rick retaliates by a machete chop to the head and then chases down another inmate who appears overly sympathetic to Tomas. The inmate is trapped in with some zombies and Rick locks him in there and walks away. My haven't times changed! The Ricktatorship is now in full swing!

As a result of this 'battle' for supremacy, only two inmates are left. Rick and Daryl let them have their very own cell block and help themselves to half of the remaining food. They also openly threaten to kill the inmates if they come anywhere near the rest of their group.

It is touch and go for poor Hershel (Scott Wilson) for a while there, but Carl (Chandler Riggs) finds some medical supplies and kills a couple of zombies in a bid to help him. This results in a very unhappy Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) - oh, so she'll let him kill them in a pack, but not alone? Hershel almost dies anyway, but after Lori gives him mouth-to-mouth, he manages to survive - this is lucky for Glenn (Steven Yuen) who was tasked with the possibility of having to kill the zombified remains of his girlfriend's dad!

Now, while they are all assuming that Hershel will become a zombie, Carol (Melissa McBride) prepares herself for becoming the main medical hack guru. This means that her and Glen catch and kill a zombie (hang on, why didn't they just use one of the finally dead ones lying around?) and she practises hacking it open, just in case Lori needs a C-section during delivery. This scene is creepy enough - and then it appears that someone else is watching Carol, while hidden away in the trees surrounding the prison.

It seems they forgot about poor Andrea in this episode.....

So, what did you think of the return of The Walking Dead?

And while you're waiting for episode 3 to hit the screens, why not check out Emeline and the Mutants or Zombie Apocalypse Now!?

(Photo Credits: AMC Inc.)

Heart Search Review

Recently, you've probably seen a few posts popping up about the blog tour I'm doing for Carlie M.A. Cullen's new book, Heart Search: Lost. Now, I'm sure you want to know my opinion of the book? Have I read it? Is it any good? Should I fork out the dollars for it?

In a nut shell? YES!! In fact it's that's good that you should probably gift a few copies to your besties, because they are going to love it too!

I was going to do a standard book review on it, but I know many of you (myself included) tend to look at those big long reviews and get all glassy-eyed. Personally, I just want to cut to the chase and find out about the awesome bits and the not so awesome bits.

So here they are:

AWESOME

• Vampires - and not the ones that sparkle and get all morally obnoxious about sex before marriage. There is blood and murder and downright glorification of the fact that these vampires see us as food. They consider themselves superior to mere mortals and hang only with their own kind (unless they're dining out, of course). The main vampire character, Joshua (who is turned at the very start of the story and leaves his fiancé practically at the altar), does tend to suffer a little from just-turned angst, but that is perfectly acceptable behaviour as far as I'm concerned!
• Romance - Now you know me, I'm not a big fan of sickly sweet romance so I am always a little hesitant when I pick up any book in this genre - especially paranormal romance and even more so when it is in the YA genre. The romance in Heart Search: Lost is sweet and by the end of the book, poignant. There is plenty of passion between the main characters and they are certainly in love at the start of the book. Once Joshua is turned into a vampire and disappears, the love Remy maintains for him is truly inspiring.
• Paranormal/reality fusion - As the author, Carlie M. A. Cullen discussed recently in her guest blog post, there needs to be a realistic and credible fusion between the world we live in and the fantasy world of a vampire novel. The author creates this seamlessly and at no time throughout the novel are you wondering how things are possible - they just are.
• Writing Style - Cullen's style of writing is just beautiful. There are sections of descriptives that makes your heart do little flip-flops. In some places the author just manages to nail a complex idea or emotional state in one clearly defined sentence.
• It's a series - Heart Search: Lost is book one in a series. So after investing the time with this first novel, you can eventually devour more of these wonderful characters in subsequent books. I always love it when I discover a book I've read is just the start for the characters I've fallen in love with. There is something so rewarding with following their progress over a great length of time.

NOT SO AWESOME

• Size - this is a long book at over 150,000 words. While I found the story flew by and I was quickly engaged in the story line, there are people out there who download books onto their Kindle, see how long the little length line underneath the title is and promptly pick a shorter novel to read. I'm not sure why that is, but for some reason many people are in a hurry to read on their eReaders *sighs and shakes her head at the fact that some people will miss out on this gem*
• Writing Style - I know I included this in the 'awesome' section also, but, once again, there are people out there who do not like fanciful descriptives. If you are one of them, please try to overlook this fact and give the book a try anyway!
• Two Paths, One Story - I loved the two story lines of this novel, don't get me wrong there. However, there were a couple of times (mainly in the middle of the book) when I just wondered if Remy and Joshua's paths would ever meet up again. While I thoroughly enjoyed reading the separate journeys of the two main characters, I just occasionally wished that these two paths were, somehow, a little more interlocking.

So there you have it. If I had to give it a rating out of five, I would give it a very solid 4 stars. I just can't wait to see where the storyline goes in the second book! I am itching to find out if my theory on that surprising twist is correct and I just wish Carlie would get a hurry on and finish book two so I can find out!

You can purchase Heart Search: Lost by Carlie M. A. Cullen at the following places:

Amazon

Amazon UK

True Blood Club Fangtasia Halloween Party is Approaching Fast!

It's Time to Announce the Awesome Stuff!

So, you've heard me mention it time and again here, on Facebook and on the TrueBloodNet website. Club Fangtasia is being hosted once more by the fabulous crew at the Seamus O'Tooles Irish Pub in Knox. While the first two events were truly spectacular, this year promises to top all current expectations! But you need to get in quick as the very last 20 VIP tickets and 20 General Admission tickets have been released. Go to the Club Fangtasia website quickly if you want to snap a few up!

So what's new?

• This year there are True Blood celebrities - yes you can meet some of the actors that make the show so darn HOT!
• Spectacular prizes are on offer. Want a piece of your fave True Blood star? Then this is the best bet you have of winning it for nothing more than the purchase of your ticket
• An all day event has been organised by First Contact Conventions called Full Blood and will include a day of True Blood activities. (Check here to see if tickets are still available)
• Personalised autographs (of the celebrities attending the Halloween party) can be purchased at Seamus O'Tooles from 2-4pm on Saturday the 3rd of November (the day before the event)
• True Blood auctions - bid on personal True Blood items belonging to the stars of the show! All proceeds will go to the charities of the celebrities choice - a win-win situation for all involved
• True Blood merchandise - buy bottles of Tru Blood and Merlotte's T-shirts amongst other great items
• Fangtails: Tru Blood cocktails - need I say more?!
• Oh, and, I will be interviewing the celebrities!

So, who are these celebrities that I will be chatting to for TrueBloodNet? Well, as per the recent email sent from Club Fangtasia headquarters, it was announced that Pam (Kristin Bauer) has been summoned by The Authority and can no longer attend. Holly (Lauren Bowles) has unfortunately been caught up in one of her very own wiccan spells and will not be released in time, which means she will no longer be attending either. But there is still a super line up to keep even the most avid True Blood fans happy!

Replacing Pam is the fabulous Tommy Mickens (Marshal Allman), which is sure a fantastical feat since he was killed in a previous season! Luna (Janina Gavankar) has also graciously decided to replace Holly and is shape-shifting into a bird as we speak in order to make it to Australia before the 4th of November. Jesus (Kevin Alejandro), Lafayette's brujo boyfriend is also confirmed as attending - his whole body and not just his head ;-) And, finally, Ginger, the screamer, (Tara Buck) is confirmed as well. Let's just hope we can hear the music over her blood-curdling wails!

Want me to ask the celebrities a question on your behalf? Then let me know in the comments below and I'll see what I can do.

Make sure you bookmark or subscribe to this blog in order to view the exclusive TrueBloodNet video interviews with the stars of True Blood as well as my recap of the Club Fangtasia Halloween party!

(Photo Credits: Garth O'Hehir/ClubFangtasia.com.au)

Heart Search Guest Blog

We've seen the trailer for Heart Search, we've read the excerpt and interviewed the author, Carlie M. A. Cullen, now, let's get inside the world of her very own version of reality......

Blending the Paranormal Into the ‘Real’ World 

(Guest Blog by author Carlie M.A. Cullen)

When you are a writer, you can create any type of world you want – the only limit is that of the writer’s own imagination. Fantastical worlds filled with all manner of creatures and magic systems, or planets with alien species complete with hierarchy and monsters adorn many a page, so is it difficult to blend the paranormal into what anyone would consider the ‘real’ world? 

My answer to that question is, no! For a moment, let’s examine what paranormal elements already exist in the world we know. 

There are well-documented cases of poltergeist activity around the globe; there are even TV shows dedicated to it where the evidence is irrefutable. Evidence exists of hauntings, ghost sightings and malevolent spirits and again these things have been shown on the small screen in our lounges and at the movies too. Studies have been carried out to prove the possibility of Telekinesis and other paranormal ‘talents’. And finally you have mediums or clairvoyants as they are sometimes known, who receive messages from ‘the other side’. 

Bearing all this in mind, writing a story which blends our world with the paranormal isn't quite as fantastical, or difficult, as it sounds. 

Writers have to have the mentality that ‘anything is possible’ yet at the same time they need to make at least some of it believable and realistic. As I've just released a book about vampires, which is set in England, I’m climbing the fence of two genres. Although it’s classified as Paranormal Romance, because there are vampires involved it also borders on Fantasy. What I had to do was ensure the fantasy/paranormal element married up with the human world in a way that didn’t make it jar or too incredible. 

I had to plan out the structure of the vampire side of the book carefully. I had to decide whether any of them would have ‘powers’ or ‘talents’ and what they would be. Some of the ones I chose do actually exist. For example, one of the vampire characters is an Empath who can feel pain and emotions from those around her. I actually know at least three Empaths so taking this into consideration, that particular vampire’s abilities are believable. I understand not everyone considers Empaths to be real, just like not everybody believes in the abilities of clairvoyants, but I know different from first-hand experience! 

By using ‘gifts’ which are documented, it helps to blend the paranormal into my real life situation and enables me to use my imagination to ramp up the not quite so real ones. Creating the vampire lair in the type of property dotted around not only England but other countries in the world, gives the story more authenticity. Describing the area the house is in and the immortals’ abilities to drive cars or walk down the main street of a town or village at night, incorporating sounds and smells which are easily relatable, like the smell of beer from a pub or bar, also helps to balance the real with the paranormal. 

If you want to write a story set in our world which incorporates paranormal elements you need to use your imagination to create it in such a way as to make it . . . possible, believable and, to a certain extent, realistic. 

So pick up your whisk and blend away. 

Thanks so much for that wonderful insight into how an author creates a world. Now why don't you check out Carlie's fantastical reality in her new book Heart Search. Available now from Amazon.com:

Amazon

Amazon UK

Hot New Release by Author Monique McDonell; 'Hearts Afire'

Time to get excited everyone - book number two is hot off the presses for Australian author, Monique McDonell! Here's the blurb to wet your appetite ;-)

Hearts Afire Blurb 

A jilted bride, a sexy fireman, a tropical island, a fear of the ocean,  

a fear of commitment, a new neighbour, an old flame, a secret identity – this is the story of HEARTS AFIRE. 

Cassie Callahan is not having a great day. First her fiancé jilts her hours before the wedding and then her sister sets off the alarm and sprinklers at her catering business, flooding the premises, soaking the wedding banquet and bringing the fire department. 

When Jack Urquhart the cute fireman offers her a shoulder to cry on they both feel an instant attraction but they each know the other is not what they are looking for. She isn’t looking for a player and he is definitely not looking for the marrying kind. 

Hearts Afire takes them on a journey from Sydney’s inner-west to Tropical North Queensland, and back, in search of and avoidance of love. 

Will either of them realise that there is no risk at all in trusting your heart to the right person? 

***

Sexy firemen? Jilted brides, awesome Aussie backdrop - if this sounds like your cup of tea, then head over to Amazon.com now and pick up your copy today!

Amazon

You can also subscribe to her blog:

www.moniquemcdonell.com.au

The Twilight-land of NaNoWriMo - Are You Game to Enter?

For the fourth year running I will be committing the month of November to pure insanity! This is also known as NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month. For 30 days I will buckle down, eat a truckload of red bullets, avoid chores and human contact - all in the crazy notion I can get a novel completed in that time. Three years straight have proved that I can.

This year is a little different though. Normally, the month of October is spent researching my chosen topic. The topic is normally finalised sometime around August/September, although the search for it starts on December the 1st. This October I have researched...nothing.

Not once have I typed something into Google and wondered if this will be the final straw that breaks the camel at the FBI headquarters' back. In previous years I have actually typed the following terms into Google: AIDS, cold & flu viruses, genetic mutations, crossing the common cold with another virus, glock, red glock, how to use a gun, mental institutions of Australia, floor plans of Larundel, mental health act of Victoria, delusional episodes, Lithium, legal requirements for mental illness, mental illness boundaries within the confines of the law, conspiracy theories, how to use a bow and arrow, deer stalking (actually, that last one was my husband, but it's sure to muddy the water some more). Yep, the FBI have to be concerned by now!

So what inspired this turn of events? Surely, with three completed manuscripts, I have have proven to myself that this is the magical formula needed? Well, actually, the first manuscript was completed, but absolute rubbish. This year I am attempting to rectify this.

In the far away year of 2009, back in the days when dreaming about being a published author was a full time occupation for me, I had also read a little known book by an author you've probably never heard of, a Mormon bird called Stephenie Meyers. That book had the peculiar title of Twilight. It was my first foray into the vampire genre and I am embarrassed to say that I delved into that book three times (and the subsequent unheard of follow-ups  New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn). I found it delicious yet not nearly bad enough for me. I wanted my vampires to be just a little more kick arse in the nasty but drool worthy department. If Meyers could write about vampires, then anyone could, I decided before embarking on the NaNoWriMo ship, Viking hat firmly planted on top of my head!

So I attempted to write my own vampire novel. As a result, Indiana Meets A Vampire was written in 30 days and 30,000 words over budget. I wrote the whole thing in 1st person. It was glorified, albeit badly written, porn but it was mine and I loved it dearly.

During that month I also picked up my second vampire crush. A small tome called Dead Until Dark, written by a quaint little southerner called Charlaine Harris. I wish I had the time to read this novel during NaNoWriMo. Some would say I should have read it instead of writing Indiana Meets A Vampire.

So, after my second attempt at NaNoWriMo, I scored my first publishable novel, you've probably heard me speak of it occasionally? If not, you can buy it here. Emeline and the Mutants taught me that I should only ever write in 3rd person - especially when there are sex scenes involved! Reading my biting, dirty, nasty vampire/human sex scenes is why some people cannot look me in the eye to this day. I still apologise to my beta readers for this.

In an attempt to rectify the horrific mental images I forced upon people in 2009, I will be ripping apart Indiana Meets A Vampire (and giving it the tentative working title of Indiana Loses Her Mind But Finds Her Way). Sure, there will still be vampires in it, the story just wouldn't be the same without Sam, the vamp who travelled to Australia on the First Fleet. Camilla Le Fanu will be there also, but I suspect the major role she plays in book three (oh, did I forget to mention that I tortured my beta readers three times that year?), will be dimmed quite significantly. The story this time round will be more about Indiana and her unique abilities. Her memory loss will still be there and playing an integral part in the plot. I won't deny readers vast amounts of blood and gore and sex either, but hopefully I can keep most of it justifiable this time round!

So, is this considered cheating? Well, I don't, but other might, is the short answer. I will be keeping the plot line for the first two novels basically the same. The third novel now has a very distinct and remarkably tragic ending, but no start or middle (and probably no need for it's current title of Indiana Goes to a Brothel!). I will be reading the original manuscript before rewriting it, but then things will get interesting as I write the lot from scratch!

Want to watch my progress during November, then either check back here, or watch the live updates on my NaNoWriMo profile here. The burning question is though - will I eat more red bullets than last year?