Orange and black and green and purple - the colors of Halloween - were everywhere on my bike ride yesterday. Well, not everywhere. Parts of the trail I ride are wooded and narrow. Tree limbs and roots jut out in unexpected places. My senses become completely focused on navigating the twists, and my heart beats faster from the effort. I often … Continue reading October in Florida – 28 days until Halloween
It's the first day of October and the Countdown to Halloween begins today! Well, actually, I hold Halloween in my heart all year. There are always some spooky things lying about the house and scary stories to read and write. If this is your first visit here, welcome, and I hope you enjoy browsing through blog … Continue reading Countdown to Halloween Begins!
I'm very excited to be involved with an upcoming event that celebrates horror and dark fiction in all its delicious forms. W.T. Bland Public Library in Mount Dora, Florida is looking for authors to participate in its first annual “DreadFest,” an event to celebrate the darker side of fiction. The event will focus on horror … Continue reading DreadFest 2017 – Call for Writers
In a place where the oak canopy opens and there is full sunshine, the Seminole-Wekiva Trail asks what you want before you die. A little apart from the murals of Paint the Trail, a section is painted with chalkboard paint. There's chalk to write your dreams. What do you want to do before you die? I stopped when … Continue reading Dreams and Summer Camp (NaNoWriMo)
I started reading Stephen King stories in elementary school, starting with the newly published paperback edition of “The Shining” after my mother was through reading it. I’d heard it was scary, and I liked scary. I saw the movie in the theater when I was ten. I was enrapt. And since that time, as Stephen King books came out, … Continue reading Stephen King, Coincidences, and Dementia
Red Bellied by Victoria Nations Red hair spilling down, nearly as bright as the red staining her belly
THERE ARE GHOSTS IN THE GROVES (II) by Victoria Nations There are ghosts in the groves picking oranges that fall through the net sacks and bounce onto the ground. The oranges are too bright to be anything but real. They look alive. The ghosts flit about, preoccupied by the work. They don’t notice the oranges … Continue reading THERE ARE GHOSTS IN THE GROVES (II)
National Novel Writing Month 2015 ended yesterday and I hit my 50,000 word mark in the early evening. The story isn't done, but the construct is there and I've had a blast writing it so far. This was my second NaNoWriM0. I knew I could do it, having done it before, but it was still … Continue reading The Glories of NaNoWriMo 2015
The Midnight Society - a wonderful collection of horror and paranormal writers and literary folk - is hosting #SpookyAllYear, a blog hop to add a little horror and spooky fun through the year. And today is the first day! Folks posting creepy stuff on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month will be linking to their site. … Continue reading #SpookyAllYear
This week, I’m spending a few days writing in a mostly empty house on a bluff above a lake. People have passed in this house. I walk the halls with my laptop, listening for them. But all I hear are the waves lapping on the shore. Sounds magical, like the perfect writing spot, doesn’t it? … Continue reading Disciplined Porch Writing – Day 6 of NaNoWriMo
Victoria Nations 