I Write A Bit Of Horror Too

Yes, it's true, I write the occasional horror story. Actually, I've written quite a few of them. I don't always play that up, because I've been writing a lot of historical fiction in the last year, and people who like those kind of stories don't always enjoy a good scary yarn. In fact, I've had readers of my "Rose Of Skibbereen" series say things like, "Why would you want to write about monsters and ghosts? I would never read anything like that."
So, I don't talk much about my efforts in the Stephen King realm. I guess it's a dirty little secret that I keep to myself. However, I am proud of those stories, and I think they're darned good ones. I developed a skill at writing short, edgy stories that can get a reader's heart racing. They're not very bloody or full of graphic details, and I'd say they're more concerned with psychological horror than anything else. After all, a good scare may start in the stomach, but it's magnified by the mind into something truly overwhelming.
So, if you think there's value in a good toe-curling scare once in awhile, something that will make you think twice about going down into a dark basement, check out my series of horror shorts. They're available on Smashwords here. You can also find them on Amazon, of course.
I also write humorous stories, by the way, but that's for another post.

Don't Have An E-Reader? You Can Still Read My Books!

I meet lots of people who've never read an ebook. Some of them tell me proudly that, "I'll never read a book that way. I'm a traditionalist. I like to hold a book in my hand and turn the pages." I understand that sentiment, but it's a bit like someone in ancient Greece or Rome saying, "I'll never read one of those newfangled scrolls. Give me an oral storyteller any day. Scrolls are cold and impersonal."
You can't stop the march of technology, and people have been inventing new ways to transfer information for a long time now. I can understand the reluctance to try something new, though. I've been a book reader since I was six years old, and it's always been one of the chief pleasures of life for me to curl up with a book. I wasn't sure I'd like e-readers myself, but I quickly learned that they have a lot of advantages. They can hold shelves and shelves of books in a wafer thin package, they allow you to adjust the font sizes and styles to make it easy on your eyes, and the price of ebooks is a lot cheaper than print books. I'm not ever going to give up my cherished books, but I'm happy to do a lot of my reading on my Kindle these days.
If you still haven't read an ebook, I have a proposition for you. Why not read one on your computer? All you need to do is go to a site like Smashwords, where you can purchase ebooks and download them to your computer. As long as you have some type of computer (laptop, desktop, etc.) you can read ebooks. On Smashwords, you just go to the information page for the ebook, scroll down to "Download the full versions of this book" then click on "read online" and you'll be all set. You'll be able to download the ebook and read it. It's so easy, and if you buy an e-reader at some future point you can transfer the book to it in a flash.
Of course, if you do try this method, I recommend that the first ebook you read on your computer is one of mine. I have quite a selection on Smashwords, in many styles and genres, including humor, romance, poetry, and horror.
I think you'll definitely enjoy it.
And who knows, you may like the experience so much you decide to buy an e-reader!