A TARNISHED LIFE – sample chapters PROLOGUE The afternoon was drawing to a close and the last rays of sunlight forced their way into the basement through the thick curtain of cobwebs covering the tiny window. Most of the room remained in the shadows, but as if on stage, the spotlight fell on the tiny, emaciated figure curled up on the filthy mattress. Instinctively, to protect her eyes from its harsh beam, the woman raised a thin arm towards the dust motes swirling in the air

Character Profile: Faith Bennett Main Character from the Supernatural Novel Beloved Sacrifice Born into a family of resilient Italian women with a mysterious ancestral legacy, Faith Bennett's seemingly idyllic life is about to unravel. What begins as an exciting new chapter quickly becomes a terrifying journey into the supernatural when long-buried family secrets reveal a centuries-old curse inspired by a real family legend. Style Faith Bennett embodies the quintessential Sou

“And they’re off!” shouted the commentator as the horses bolted from the start. There were 40 horses battling to be the winner of The Grand National. The spectators all with their posh suits and beautiful hats looked on as the horses jumped over the first hurdle. “Arghhhhhhh!” the commentators shouted as two horses fell, throwing their jockeys to the ground, each rolling into the smallest ball they could. The remaining horses kept going up the racecourse bumping into each oth

Burning of Sins Book 4 (story 6) of Metal Embers Chapter 6 Clara “There are a couple of people still here, but I’m heading out before the weather hits,” Clara said to Ron, the cook and owner of Clear Rock Diner. “Yeah, see you in a few days. I know you get pretty trapped up there,” Ron answered, coming out from the back. “There aren’t a lot of people left here anyway.” Clara waved as she headed toward her truck. The temperatures had dropped quite a bit, and she could feel the

Packhorse Bridge, World's End, Sowerby, Thirsk WORLD’S END – PART ONE When my youngest brother died on 15th August, 2012, only 3 months after being diagnosed with advanced stomach cancer and given 6-9 months to live, I truly thought it was the end of the world. He’d always been my rock. When we were together, all we did was laugh. After the cremation, we scattered his ashes into the Cod Beck from the Packhorse Bridge at World’s End. Every year since 2012, on 15th August, I bu

CHAPTER 1 ARTISTS There are no records of who the artists of the prehistoric eras were, but studies of ethnographers and cultural anthropologists indicate that women often were the principal artists in Neolithic cultures. They created pottery, textiles, baskets, painted surfaces and jewelry. Collaboration on large projects was typical. Further research into the artwork and skills of the Paleolithic era suggests that these cultures were similar. Even cave paintings often have

Excerpt Chapter 1 – Alona The shards of the cup Alona had just thrown across the room trickled down on the bloated corpse beneath. Unable to withstand the force of the throw against the brick wall. Alona Saskele was in her gated mansion, deep in the countryside of Lithuania. Russian by birth, she’d moved around eastern Europe, trying to run from people that would quite like to kill her. The location here was perfect. Although she had all the technology that money could buy

I was going to talk about using asterisks (changing scenes, changing time periods, or changing both) and italics as a part of an author’s writing style but honestly, I just couldn’t put it together. I pushed it around a bit and nothing. Then it occurred to me the story I sent to Eva gives me a chance to chat about something more interesting, how good editing can enhance, even change, the author’s style of writing. This story was initially published in Campfire Tales by GBBPub

Excerpt: Chapter 1 of Finding Truth I hear a voice overhead, sharp as a gull’s cry, “Oh Jesus.” Cold water seeps through my coat, blurring into the black beneath me. I thrash, trying to rise, but the sea pulls me down, weightless and suffocating. I taste salt. My lungs burn. Somewhere above, a man’s voice trembles. “Is it a person?” Another rasps, “Aye, lad, it is. Help me get it in.” My body convulses, instinct driving me upward. I crash through the surface, gasping, eyes st

Excerpt from BEYOND THE MORTAL COIL One of the first stories I was told when writing this book was that of Paul, a retired 71-year-old engineer. These are his words: ‘I was told I had prostate cancer and needed urgent surgery. I had lost weight and noticed difficulty when Urinating but never suspected cancer. I felt overwhelmed and just wanted the thing out. I hated hospitals, but not as much as I hated the thought that I had something inside of me eating me away. The next fe