Monday Goals and Weekly Updates (8/10 – 8/16)

In a lot of pain from dental work, so I’ll keep this one short and sweet. Here’s what I accomplished this week:

And here are the two goals I didn’t hit that are my top priority this week:

  • Complete manuscript critique
  • Beta-read a witch book for my friend

Along with a few other goals:

  • Set up cover reveal for MFOA
  • Set up preorder for MFOA
  • Host movie night
  • Hit 10K in FLOODED

ALSO! In case you missed it, I posted the first part of FLOODED here for you to read. And, if you’re joining us for movie night, it’s this Friday, August 20, at 8PM EST. We’re watching THE GRUDGE! Please let me know what trigger warnings you might need.

What are your goals for the week?

Monday Goals and Weekly Updates (8/10 – 8/16) Read More »

Sneak Preview: FLOODED

Hello! Whenever I start a new project, you’ll be privy to the first 10% as my patrons. I’d love to get your feedback on this, so please let me know what you think! Thanks again for your support.

CASE NO: 543

DATE: October 16, 2021

REPORTING OFFICER: N/A; Eyewitness Report

PREPARED BY: Sergeant Andrew McCollum

DETAIL OF EVENT: I struggled to find the right form for this one. It seems the Dawsonville Police Department doesn’t have much protocol for eyewitness crime reporting. The event in question—or the event in question alleged by the eyewitness—refers to the disappearance and presumed death of a few local kids. When I say kids, I mean early twenties with the exception of an eighteen-year-old the eyewitness says tagged along with the group.

The eyewitness walked into the precinct covered in blood and dirt. She looked wet, although I’m not sure what the source was. Small thing, Hispanic, with big eyebrows and dark eyes ringed with mascara. Shoulder-length black hair, I think. Resilient. I don’t know how else to describe her. The eyewitness introduced herself as Olivia Reyes, although she is referred to as Liv. She claimed to have been involved in an accident. At least, that’s what she said at first. It didn’t seem like she had the right words for what she wanted to report, which is the main reason I’ve struggled to detail these events. When my colleague offered to call her an ambulance, the eyewitness declined the offer. She refused to let us check her and asked to speak to the first available officer as soon as humanly possible.

ACTIONS TAKEN: Once I was paged, I took Ms. Reyes to an interview room and offered her a cup of coffee. She accepted. When I brought her the cup, she just wrapped her hands around it and held onto it like she was soaking in the warmth. As Ms. Reyes began to tell me about what had allegedly happened to her, I asked if she had evidence to corroborate her claims. This line of inquiry angered her to the point that she stood and looked like she wanted to leave. I wasn’t about to let something big like this go.

“Why don’t you sit down and finish your coffee first?” I asked. I was hoping maybe after that, she’d feel like talking. I know I should’ve tried to get her processed then, but with no real evidence, I couldn’t charge her with a crime. That also meant I didn’t know how to guide my questions.

Ms. Reyes eyed me warily as she drained the cup. Then, she asked if I could bring her a tape recorder.

SUMMARY: Eyewitness (Ms. Reyes) came to station to report an alleged crime. She presented no physical evidence, but I proceeded with an interview. Eyewitness then requested I bring her a tape recorder so she could share her story. Once I set it down and hit record, the words poured out of her like water.

ENTRY #1

I don’t know where to start with all of this, so let’s go with the beginning. My name is Olivia Reyes, but everyone calls me Liv. Even when I’m in trouble, my mom doesn’t call me Olivia. This might be the strangest thing you’ve ever heard, but I have to put it out there, have to get it out of me. I’m hoping that these tapes or whatever will give you enough cause to send someone out for a search.

This might be the strangest thing you’ve ever heard, but I have to put it out there, have to get it out of me. I’m hoping that these tapes or whatever will give you enough cause to send someone out for a search. Once I get started, don’t interrupt me. If I stop, I’ll never get started again.

The… incident, as you’d call it, involves my group of friends—Alex Dang, Claire Thibideaux, and Ben and Ryan Jenkins. You might have heard of Alex and Ryan. Several years ago, they got involved in urban exploration. Do you know what that is? It’s like… well, when someone heads into an abandoned shopping mall or a condemned house or whatever. Maybe you won’t believe it, but there’s a pretty big audience for that shit on YouTube. Alex and Ryan’s channel is called Urbexploitation. I used to do their camera work before I moved away.

I guess everything started with Alex’s text. He wanted me to meet him and Ryan in the woods. Having grown up in Dawsonville, you spend your whole life hearing shit about the forest. Our parents told us all to stay away from it, too, which didn’t help. I don’t know if you grew up around here or if you’re familiar with it, but word on the street is that a bunch of kids in the nineties met out there to offer sacrifices to the devil. Then again, that might just have been an offshoot of the Satanic Panic. There are also stories of people who went into the woods and never come out, or people who came out screaming after seeing three-eyed deer or whatever. No one ever has any proof.

Anyway, all Alex said in the text was that if I was really back in town that they could use my camera skills. If it had been Ryan texting me instead, I never would’ve gone. It’s hard to think about that now. Ryan, Alex, and I grew up together, used to play together all the time when we were kids. Ryan and I dated in high school and tried to stay together when I moved away for film school. The relationship… it didn’t work. I cheated on him. Naturally, he wasn’t too thrilled to find that out. Since we broke up, he’s been so resentful of me that any time anyone shows interest in me—even on a friendship level—he starts talking shit about me to turn them against me. It sucks, but there’s nothing I can do about it. And… it doesn’t really matter anymore. Not much does in the wake of all of this.

I grabbed my camera, laced up my shoes, and made sure I had more than enough battery in there to work with. There aren’t exactly hundreds of places to charge when you’re in the middle of Dawsonville Forest.

I should also mention that Ryan’s younger brother Ben was supposed to meet us there. Unlike Ryan, Ben doesn’t have his head all the way up his own ass. The only person I didn’t know there was Claire. She’d more or less replaced me when I’d gone off to film school, so neither of us was thrilled to be spending the day with each other. I’ll get to Claire later.

As soon as I pulled up and got out of my car, Alex came over and hugged me. It was nice, like nothing had changed. Like Ryan hadn’t tried a thousand times to come between us. I didn’t see Ryan’s car, and I understood why when he and Ben got out of Alex’s van.

“Had to steal your mom’s ride again?” I asked Alex.

He shook his head. “It’s the only ride we have now. Rolled the Civic into a ditch.”

“Jesus. Why didn’t I hear about that?”

“Wasn’t exactly my finest moment. I was checking my phone.” He averted his gaze. “Channel notification. Almost got me killed. I’ve learned my lesson, though. I keep the phone in the glove compartment now just to be safe. Avoid temptation altogether.”

Ryan looked at me but didn’t say anything. Ben looked at his brother and hesitated only briefly before coming over to hug me as well.

“Long time no see,” he said.

I’ll describe them for you. I didn’t think about that before, but it might help you… well, I think it would help you identify them.

Alex was tall and well-built. Black stubble, sloping nose, sharp jawline, almond eyes. He’s Korean. Handsome—but that’s not relevant here. Ryan, my ex… I guess he wasn’t bad looking. Shorter than Alex but more wiry and lean. Disheveled blonde hair, short on the sides and maybe a little too long on top for Ryan to keep up with. His eyes are blue. The corners of his mouth turn down a little, making him look like he’s never content. His nose has a narrow bridge, but his nostrils flare. Ben doesn’t look anything like his brother. He’s taller than Ryan and Alex with an athletic build–he plays basketball, or he used to, anyway. He has floppy brown hair swept to one side and warm, brown eyes. Because he spends more time outside, his skin is a little darker than Ryan’s.

So, Claire. Like I mentioned earlier, they replaced me with her after I went away. Looks wise, she’s gorgeous. She intimidated me. Claire is biracial, half French-Creole and half Irish. Her hair is curly and dark, but it’s more of a loose curl. She has freckles across her cheeks and nose. Her lips are dusky rose. My mom had a lipstick in that shade. That’s why it sticks in my head.

Her camera wasn’t as nice as mine. I guess that’s not relevant, either.

As far as I knew then, Claire didn’t like me because Ryan had turned her against me. That’s what he’d tried to do with everyone since we broke up. Since Alex was his best friend, I knew he’d bitched about me to him the most. I was just thankful that Alex seemed to ignore him. He hadn’t treated me any differently than he had prior to the end of mine and Ryan’s breakup. I should’ve told him how grateful I was to him for that.

When Alex introduced Claire, she didn’t shake the hand I offered. Maybe if she had, we would’ve been friends sooner. Might’ve had more time together–or better time, at least. 

After we’d all gathered together, Ryan and Ben took the rafts and the air pump out of the trunk. Ben had a backpack strapped over his shoulders. You might want to look for that, too. It’s army green and has his full name scribbled on the front flap in permanent marker. We headed into the forest in silence. I remember thinking it was an uncomfortable silence, but I didn’t fully understand what it meant to be uncomfortable yet.

The woods were chilly. That’s all I remember prior to entering the bunker. It took us a good while to find the spot, even with Alex’s intel. I’d seen video footage of the bunker on the Internet. It wasn’t exactly top secret. Like I said earlier, other people had explored it. Alex just wanted to explore it all, be the first to traverse the whole thing.

The biggest drawback was the region’s radiation. Three-eyed deer, and all that shit. No one really knows how dangerous the deeper parts of the bunker were, but Alex had a Geiger counter. He said he’d keep us posted. Said we wouldn’t be in danger.

While we walked, he said he was grateful to have all of us onboard. His plan was to make this video and go farther into the bunker than anyone had before. Like me, he had an idea of the dangers that could lie in store. I guess not all of them.

“Zipper Paranormal covered this place once,” said Alex. “His results were inconclusive, but we’re not really looking for ghosts.”

It was weird for him to say that. Alex likes spooky things, but he’s never mentioned ghosts in relation to a video. That’s the thing about urban exploration. A lot of paranormal channels also explore abandoned places, but they’re more interested in what paranormal shit might be there. Not Urbexploitation. It had never been like that.

I think that detail only stands out in my mind because of what we found. What happened to Alex. What happened to everyone in there but me.

I’m sorry. Can I have a minute? I just need to take a break.

Sneak Preview: FLOODED Read More »

Monday Goals and Weekly Update (8/3 – 8/10)

Hey hey, friends and fans! It’s another Tuesday on which I’m posting my Monday goals and weekly updates. I’m not planning to make this a thing. Next week, we’ll return you to your regularly scheduled programming, come hell or high water

Here are the goals I accomplished last week:

  • Outline found footage book (I’ll be sharing the first 5K words with my Patreon supporters FYI)
  • Visit eye doctor
  • Take Mystee to the vet
  • Plan August Movie Night
  • Write and schedule review for Fully Booked

Hell yeah! That’s a lot of goals! Since I accomplished more than half, that means I “won” the week, but there is ONE I didn’t get to…

  • Complete manuscript critique for my client

I did start the manuscript critique, though, so that’s something. As it turns out, the found footage book took me a full week to plan. I’m really hoping using the Snowflake Method to get so many details hammered out upfront will speed up the drafting process. I can only assume that the more comfortable I get with this method, the faster I’ll get with it as well.

I’ve gotten a lot of questions about the Snowflake Method, so look for a more in-depth post about it on my Instagram tomorrow. You can find the basics on Google, but I know sometimes it’s easier to grasp something when you’re learning about it from someone you know, so I’m hoping I can help.

With all that said, here’s what I want to get done this week:

  • Write first 5K of found footage book (and share to Patreon)
  • Send out newsletter announcing my books are now on Kindle Unlimited 
  • Go to the dentist
  • Complete manuscript critique
  • Beta-read a witch book for my friend

Looks like it’s going to be another busy week, but I’m looking forward to it! Also, in case you missed it, we’ll be watching 2004’s The Grudge for August’s Movie Night. Join us for all the spooky fun on Friday, August 20, at 8PM EST! For those of you in different time zones, I’m also playing with the idea of scheduling two different movie nights per month, with one earlier in the day (for me) to accommodate more people.

What are you working on this week?

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Monday Goals and Weekly Update (7/27 – 8/2)

Me, making a Monday Goals post on a Tuesday? It’s more likely than you think.

I attended Scares that Care over the weekend, and if you haven’t seen my Instagram posts about it, the convention was AMAZING. In addition to meeting people I’ve only spoken to online, I got to network with small presses, other authors, and readers. I even met some fans! The wildest part of all is that I sold out of all my books. I’ll have to bring a whole lot more next time.

Anyway, I spent yesterday recovering from the convention and sending MOUTH FULL OF ASHES to beta readers. Elderlemon Design is doing the cover for this one, too, and I can’t tell you how excited I am to share his work with y’all. I’ve already seen a draft of it. 😉

Here are the goals I accomplished last week:

  • Write and schedule my weekly Fully Booked review
  • Mail UNBOXED signed copies to Live winners
  • Write and schedule my August newsletter (to go out while I’m at the convention)
  • Pack for the convention
  • Finish current draft of MFOA
  • Find beta readers for MFOA

BOOM! All of them. Somehow. I think the idea of heading out for the convention motivated me. Attending definitely helped me refocus on my goals, and I’m more psyched than ever to keep writing books. I also picked up a few new patrons while I was away. You know who you are! Thank you!

What’s on the agenda for this week? Here’s what I’d like to get done:

  • Outline found footage book (I’ll be sharing the first 5K words with my Patreon supporters FYI)
  • Visit eye doctor
  • Take Mystee to the vet
  • Plan August Movie Night
  • Write and schedule review for Fully Booked
  • Complete manuscript critique for my client

Again, it looks like a lot, but I think I can manage! I’d rather stretch to reach goals than feel like I’m just sitting on my ass waiting for God-knows-what to happen.  Any and all encouragement is much appreciated!

What are your goals for the week? Let me know in the comments below!

Monday Goals and Weekly Update (7/27 – 8/2) Read More »

Monday Goals and Weekly Update (7/20 – 7/26)

Whew. Last week really flew by. I feel like I blinked and it was the weekend. Anyway, this week is a big one, and I’m looking forward to it! If you’re new to this page, at the beginning of each week, I share updates from the week before, whether I accomplished my goals, and what I plan to tackle in the week ahead. I also want to hear about what you’re up to in the comments.

Without further ado, here are the goals I accomplished last week:

  • Buy new shoes (because fibromyalgia sucks and I need to invest in a good pair of shoes finally)

And here are some neat things that weren’t on my list:

I’m still working on MOUTH FULL OF ASHES because it’s taking some turns (thank God for a flexible outline) that serve the story better. I’ve had two plot bunnies running around in my head as well, but I’m trying to ignore them until after Scares that Care at least. I am so excited to attend! Mostly, I’m spending this week scrambling around trying to get everything ready, but here are my other goals for the week:

  • Write and schedule my weekly Fully Booked review
  • Mail UNBOXED signed copies to Live winners
  • Write and schedule my August newsletter (to go out while I’m at the convention)
  • Pack for the convention
  • Finish current draft of MFOA
  • Find beta readers for MFOA

Is this still a lot? Yes. Am I wild for trying to do all this? Maybe. But am I going to let that stop me? Absolutely not.

Anyway, thanks again for your support. My Patreon growth has been slow, and it’s been hard not to focus on numbers. I’m trying to keep in mind that every dollar helps—because it does—and I want to reiterate how much I appreciate your encouragement and generosity. If you have ideas for improving your Patreon experience, please let me know! I want to provide as much value as possible.

What are your plans for this week?

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UNBOXED BOOKAVERSARY LIVESTREAM

Hello hello!

UNBOXED released on July 25, 2020, so it’s having its first birthday soon! I made a post on Instagram about the bookaversary, but I had to move the date. The *official* UNBOXED Bookaversary Livestream will now take place on SATURDAY, JULY 24, AT 7PM EST

If you’re not already following me on Instagram, you’ll want to do that because the whole thing will be broadcast there. I’ll be hosting a Q&A, giveaways, and more. I hope to see you there!

Want to help me get the word out? Please share any of the graphics below on social media, or feel free to make your own post! Thank you all so much.

INSTAGRAM:

(right-click and save the image)

TWITTER:

(right-click and save the image)

Thanks so much! Looking forward to this!

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Monday Goals and Weekly Update (7/13 – 7/19)

I was looking through my Instagram insights the other day, and I discovered that a lot of people enjoyed my bullet journal spreads. While I don’t use a bullet journal anymore, I’m always searching for Patreon content ideas. Thus, this post was born.

Each week, I’ll try to keep you posted with what I accomplished the previous week, as well as the new week’s goals. Here’s what I did last week:

  • Got my hair cut and colored
  • Made a Trello board for my publishing process
  • Watched Candyman for Patreon movie night!
  • Organized books and promo material for Scares that Care
  • Hit 35/45K in MOUTH FULL OF ASHES

And here’s what I plan to accomplish this week:

  • Buy new shoes (because fibromyalgia sucks and I need to invest in a good pair of shoes finally)
  • Finish current draft of MFOA
  • Find beta readers for MFOA

It’s a lot to do, but I feel optimistic! Wish me luck, y’all.

What are you working on this week?

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