Storminess is Happening Here

Hey folks,

So I’m currently in the middle of Hurricane Sandy, where the wind is whipping outside. When it sounds like there’s a werewolf outside my apartment because of how the wind cuts around the building, I know that there is a possibility of losing electricity. So far, so good. But the hurricane isn’t the only thing happening here.

I have the dastardly cold that’s been going around here. And it’s in sync with Hurricane Sandy because it really doesn’t like me today. I feel pretty awful. As a result, I won’t have your Inspiration Through Music up this evening. However, if you missed the previous Inspiration Through Music: Underrated Horror Movie Soundtracks (which I’m guessing you all did because I posted it Friday night) I’d suggest checking that one out to satiate you.

Its only 7:31 here but it feels like it’s much later, and I’m fading very fast. Taking most of the day to sleep and use almost the entire collection of tissues I have, I didn’t think there was much hope for me to get stuff done.

Speaking of which… my Aequitas edits are going slowly. I hit page 100 in the physical proof today but it’s pretty slow going. My hopes for this being out by Halloween are definitely not happening, and I’m thinking to even have it out by this weekend is going to be too much, considering how sick I am. So… I’ll keep you all up to date. In the mean time, if you have a Kindle, and haven’t picked up Aequitas yet, it’s available! Check it out here.

Thanks, y’all. I’ll be doing battle valiantly with this cold. Wish me luck.

~KSilva

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“It’s a Twister! It’s a Twister!”

COOKING ADVENTURE # 42: Apple Cider Caramel Cookies

So, readers, once again we find ourselves at the beginning of a Cooking Adventure that was for lack of a better phrase, “easy as pie.” I had decided that I was going to make some Apple Cider Caramel Cookies for a couple of readings that were to happen at the Camden and Rockland Public Libraries in Maine. Now, I had figured I’d have enough time to figure out what I was going to read, bake the cookies, make a poster board featuring all of the readers, and prepare my introduction ahead of time. But in all reality, working on both days of the reading had me doing everything the night before the first one was to begin. I ended up writing a ten page segment to read AND baking cookies. Because I rock at multi-tasking. I actually made two batches of these cookies because they were such a hit at the first reading. However, it was during the making of the second batch in which I encountered a supernatural apple cider phenomenon that I will call “The Twister”. In lieu of the Frankenstorm that’s about to hit here in New England, I felt that the title was fitting for this piece.

Inspiration Through Music: Understated Horror Movie Soundtracks

For those of you whom are long-time readers of Inspiration Through Music, you’ll know that I’m an absolute fan of original score soundtracks. Anything instrumental that has a creepy, mysterious, or dark tinge to it immediately becomes a favorite of mine. So of course, in the wonderful month of October and Halloween to come, I thought it best to assemble a collection of original score music from Horror/Thriller movies that I thought were over-looked and, to this day, are kind of understated. I made the list by going through movies that genuinely frightened me (whether they be horror or close to it) and came up with this list of six songs. Below are the things I see when I listen to them.

Late Blog Posts

As I alluded to in last week’s Cooking Adventures post, both Inspiration Through Music and Cooking Adventures blogs this week will be a tad late. Expect Inspiration Through Music for Wednesday morning evening and Cooking Adventures for Friday evening. I have two readings this week that require a lot of my attention. Never fear, all will be normal next week.

~KSilva

The (Not So) Great Pumpkin Cake

COOKING ADVENTURE #41- CO-OP #3: Pumpkin-Shaped Spice Cake

Now, before we begin, there is something you need to know. At the conclusion of this adventure, my friend, Celena, and I have decided that whoever made the original cake, the one that’s perfect with absolutely no frosting errors, must have cheated somehow. They had to have been a professional cake baker. Because the directions for making this thing are beyond easy… for the most part. But seeing just the four pictures and having no directions to go on is a little iffy, too. And that’s what we were working with. The tale that follows is a real account of the frightening and haunting experiences that happened to Celena and I on that fateful night of the Great Pumpkin Cake. Don’t get scared now.

Inspiration Through Music: Dead Island Soundtrack

In last week’s Inspiration Through Music post, I talked about being able to identify with characters based on other emotions they might be feeling. Especially while writing horror or apocalyptic fiction, it is sometimes easy to skip over the idea that a character has entered a completely different world, one where the old rules don’t apply. It’s a jarring and often horrifying experience, but also very sad. It can also be hard trying to get into your characters head, trying to decipher what their reactions are toward what’s going on. My advice, in this instance, is to always look toward your own life. What is your normal routine? What are the things you look forward to everyday? Now imagine that those things are no longer here. Imagine there is no conceivable way you’ll ever get them back. Scary, isn’t it? I find it’s easier to imagine this if you have some piercing emotive music to listen to, something that really hits you. That is why I’ve chosen this week to share the Dead Island Original Game Soundtrack with you.

The Harbingers of Chocolate Death

COOKING ADVENTURE #40: Owl Cupcakes

…. Yeah. I love owls. They are one of my favorite animals, not just because they’re cute. I think they are very intelligent and wise animals. And I’ve discovered recently that owls are associated in many different countries with death. Hmm… sounds like a good idea for a Halloween cupcake to me! At first glance, this looks like an incredibly ambitious task. When I found the recipe, I knew I wanted to try it. But I had also wanted to do it with my friends, because… it’s more fun to do these things with someone else, than by yourself. However, craft night didn’t pan out to be very crafty so I found myself rolling up my sleeves the next night, preparing to dive into a veritable chocolate death. They may look cute and innocent… but deep inside, they are secretly trying to kill you. DON’T LOOK INTO THEIR EYES.

Inspiration Through Music: VAST

Contrary to popular belief, I am not a lazy butt. Yes, I was supposed to have Inspiration Through Music up on Monday evening for you. The truth of the matter was that this weekend was the release of my second book. So, in short, it was crazy. I spent the weekend marketing and that always takes a bit out of me. So, I apologize that this wasn’t up on time for you all.

Horror fiction is not just about scaring the reader. The reader needs to believe that they are the character. They need to identify with them based on more emotions than just fear. Finding ways to make these characters seem more human in the wake of disaster can be hard work, too. Often, I see characters responding to situations as if they’ve had an inner ninja locked away inside and now its busting out. Haven’t you always wondered why these seemingly normal characters suddenly are able to handle multiple kinds of guns and practice karate… whilst never being alluded to doing so before? I can’t stand reading stories where there’s no explanation. These characters, most of them, are just like you and I, being thrown into a situation that sometimes defies explanation. Have them do something human! When I need inspiration in that field, I resort to a little band known as VAST.

Aequitas is now on Kindle!!

Dear readers,

Two years ago, I started writing my second novel, one that I knew was going to be a challenge for a couple of reasons. I’d committed myself to writing a series of books. I, therefore, had to keep the characters, plot, and locations engaging. I also had to show that I’d learned more about the writing craft and was actually using this knowledge to better my own writing. I wanted my second book to be more jaw-dropping than the first, more edge of your seat, and bring more into the fan circle associated with The Monstrum Chronicles.

Two years later, and that book is now out on Kindle. In certain ways, it’s a relief as well as it is stressful. I worry about getting bad reviews, I worry about it not being purchased at all! There are so many different books out there that are wonderfully written and yet, haven’t been read by anyone, and so many of them are paranormal or horror fiction. That being said, I’m doing my utmost to make sure that this doesn’t happen with “Aequitas”.

Today, both my first novel, “Vox” as well as a companion short story, “Acquolina” are free on Amazon Kindle! I’m hoping that I can get some people hooked on the series or bring back people who have purchased and read Book 1 so that they realize Book 2 is now available. It is still early but already, Vox has gone from 500,000th place up to 31,000th. And that’s only with 8 copies being sold. Having created ads for Facebook and Goodreads as well as contacting several Kindle free e-book websites ahead of time, I’m hoping that all of my hard work pays off over the next two days.

For those of you who are fans of my Inspiration Through Music blogs and Cooking Adventures, please take a moment to go and look at my other works. If you have a Kindle, feel free to download copies of Vox and Acquolina if you are curious about the other writing that I do. If you don’t have Kindle but still want to help, please spread the word via twitter, facebook or your wordpress blog about my book. I would be most grateful for anything that you could do to help me get this book out there.

Here you can find “Vox”.

Here you can find “Acquolina”.

And here, you can find my newest book, “Aequitas”.

Thanks, all!

~KSilva

Hoarding Apples

COOKING ADVENTURE # 39: Apple Crisp

In autumn, most baking/cooking adventures invariably are drawn toward two distinct fruits: pumpkin and apple. Both are in season and both taste amazing with a little cinnamon and some brown sugar tossed into the mix to create something special. It just so happens that last week, I went apple-picking and scored a bag of about 15 or so Macoun apples. I was still being a bit cautious with raw fruit at this time because of the ulcer but I was happy to discover that after eating one right off the tree, no painful side-effects occurred. Bringing these red beauties home, I recognized that I was going to have to put them to good use. I mean, sure I can eat them but… that’s a LOT of apples just to eat. My friend who visited last week, Sean, made an apple pie with a few of the apples which was delicious. I wanted to be able to make something to without taking the same route. After the Lobster adventure, I decided to go a simple traditional route, toward a dish that is universally loved by all. I also expected that it would turn out all right because it’s a practically idiot proof recipe. However, the recipe let me down a little. This, my friends, is the story of my apple freakin’ crisp.