Horror-FAIL Friday: My OLD Writing Part 10

Welcome back to My OLD Writing, a series for Horror-FAIL Friday where I go back and share some of my earlier (and often terribly written) stories along with side comments and observations wondering what on earth I was thinking. The current story deals with a group of over-dramatic college students at a hoity-toity photography school. Lila has the hots for her new biology teacher, Mr. McFadden, but also doesn’t realize that’s really NOT OKAY. Her best friend, Samus (randomly named after a Nintendo female heroine), is experiencing some strange flashbacks to his friend, Ross’s, death. McFadden is also experiencing these weird bouts while wide awake (trying to teach a biology class about cloud formations). And then, there’s Lila’s cat, Angelo, who needs as much supervision and attention as a dying patient in a geriatric ward for his so-called heart problems. Let’s rejoin the characters and find out what the hell this is all about. Maybe.

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Inspiration Through Music: Broken Age Soundtrack

Summer is coming up mighty fast here in Maine (although it did just snow in Presque Isle a few days ago. True story.). The thing of it is…as we start to have warmer and warmer weather, I find myself craving the need to work on my Night Time, Dotted Line sequel. Night Time, Dotted Line was a comedic novel I wrote a couple years ago involving two very different and complete strangers who embarked on a cross-country road trip together. It’s a novel of friendship and through the strange situations that these characters find themselves in, they ultimately learn that dealing with their own issues alone is causing more pain and that they need to open up and trust others. Wow. That doesn’t sound very comedic at all. But believe me, it is. When I finished the book, I knew that their story hadn’t been told completely; there needed to be one more book. And so, over the last couple years, I’ve been developing the story or how I’d like the story to go. Music is a HUGE inspiration for this. Recently, I played a wonderful game by Tim Schafer called “Broken Age”. Not only was I blown away by the art direction and story, but the music, composed by Peter McConnell, especially called to me. It reminded me of my characters and of the journey they still need to take.

Horror-FAIL Friday: My OLD Writing Part 9

Welcome back to the horrific fun that never ends. I’m talking about my old writing. It’s the stuff from over ten years ago that I keep locked in the back of a deep and dark filing cabinet. It’s the stuff that I had almost forgotten all about. But here it is and now we’re about to breathe new life into these often misused and silly words. The story so far goes something like this:

Protagonist Lila attends a fancy shmantsy photography school in California which happens to be on a hill in the center of the town…like some kind of creepy haunted mansion. The first day of her junior year, she and best friend, Samus (who has an affinity for freaking out over the littlest things), meet and greet their new biology teacher, Mr. McFadden. McFadden, for some reason, annoys the ever-loving crap out of both Lila and Samus (perhaps because he doesn’t understand the use of curtains, doesn’t own a watch, and assumes that cloud forms have something to do with human physiology). Needless to say, there is something funny going on with McFadden and Samus, both who have some kind of bizarre episode concurrently during their last class. Samus flashes back to the murder of his friend, Ross, who went off to romantically eat candy bars in the moonlight (I wish I was making that up). McFadden? We have no idea. But Lila, who witnessed both, is genuinely curious and wants to find out more. Let’s join her in her stupid quest for answers.

The Canterbury Toast Literary Cooking Adventure

On this very impromptu Literary Cooking Adventure, I had a sudden craving for French Toast that really couldn’t be denied. Breakfast is one of the few meals that I get to enjoy as I’m usually going to work or am hip-deep in a project and am entirely engrossed for the remainder of the morning. I decided in lieu of several things to celebrate this month (namely my fourth book being put in print!), that a wonderful stack of French Toast would be just the right thing. Even better? I matched them up with some chocolate chips and blueberries for a very berry Mainer breakfast extravaganza!

As tribute, I decided to dedicate this Cooking Adventure to the supremely skilled author, Oscar Wilde, and one of his well-known short stories, The Canterbury Ghost.

Below are the simple directions for making a stack of your very own delicious Chocolate Blueberry French Toast!

The Crooked Roads through Cedar Grove: Soundtrack Now Available

Check out this fantastic soundtrack that fellow author and friend, Rob Watts, composed for his latest book, “The Crooked Roads Through Cedar Grove”!

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The Crooked Roads through Cedar Grove by Rob Watts (Digital Version)

The digital version of the soundtrack to The Crooked Roads through Cedar Grove by Rob Watts is now available on iTunes, Spotify and all other major download and streaming services. The physical version will be available with the novel of the same same on June 30th.

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Horror-FAIL Friday: My OLD Writing Part 8

Welcome back to a story that should have ended before it ever began. I’m referring to a story I composed 12 years ago in my early teens when I had a very tenuous understanding of college life and love. The tale in question revolves around a group of four friends at a photography school in California: Lila, ringleader of the pack with an apparent attraction for annoying science teachers; Samus, the side-kick named after a female Nintendo heroine who manages to overreact about any innuendo; Benny, who’s special ability is to make his dreads spontaneously grow; and Taylor, winner of the most confusing arguments on the planet. The science teacher in question, Mr. McFadden, is still rather mysterious (although kind of dumb, too). Let’s see what else we can discover about the object of everyone’s obsession…

Pearwell My Lovely Literary Cooking Adventure

It was hot in the city that night; hotter than any day I could remember. I was just closing up the office. It had been a hell of a day and all I could think about was settling into bed and finally catching some sleep. Just then, there was an unexpected knock at my door. I called for them to come in. And there, standing in my door, was the most handsome pizza I’d ever seen in my entire life.

Really though. I think I’ve found my new favorite pizza. Pear Bacon pizza sounds kind of strange, yes, I’ll admit. But, it is mouth-watering, sweet and savory and perfect in every possible way. This sauce-less, artisan pizza was probably one of my favorite literary Cooking Adventures to date. I’ve made it three times now!

Owing to the fact that this was the first time I’d made it, there were a few hitches along the way. In a tribute to Raymond Chandler’s “Farewell My Lovely”, I sauntered into the kitchen and took up my knife and rolling pin, ready to investigate this decadent pie.

Check out the full instructions below on how to craft this Pear Bacon Pizza for yourselves! You can find the original recipe that inspired this one over at Recipe Runner!

Editing is Complete! Achievement Unlocked!

Finally! The last round of edits is completed for my third book of The Monstrum Chronicles, Memento Mori. To celebrate said completion, I’d like to just have my own private .gif dance party. Let it begin.

…Okay. Back to work.

~KSilva

Horror-FAIL Friday: My OLD Writing Part 7

Horror-FAIL Friday returns with the latest episode in “My OLD Writing.” In the last two episodes, we’ve covered the first two chapters of a story that I started writing 12 years ago. As I wasn’t very good at finishing projects, I ended up abandoning this turd of a plot after seven chapters. Good news: you’ve still got five more chapters of barely coherent drivel ahead (and my observations/outrage in brackets alongside). So, let’s play catch up for those of you who want an idea of what’s going on…

Protagonist Lila is a junior at a prestigious photography school with fellow friends, Samus Martix, the man named after a female Nintendo character who’s just shy of being friends with Neo the One; Taylor, the only one we really haven’t met yet; and Benny J, who has the uncanny ability to grow his puny dreadlocks to the point where they interrupt his photography. Mysteriously not with them is their friend, Ross Stark of Winterfell who “lives by the sword”. A new science teacher with a snarky disposition and an inability to be on time for class, has all of these characters in a tizzy, namely Lila and Samus. Lila likes him…maybe a little too much. Samus, decidedly, doesn’t. While nothing horrifying or even the least bit supernatural has happened yet (save for Benny’s intelligent hair), I promise, things start to turn soon. Shall we dive in? Lets!

Inspiration Through Music: The Legend of Dragoon Soundtrack

I made a list not too long ago of my top ten video game soundtracks. I missed one. I missed a major one. I was so busy concentrating on newer games that I forgot one of my absolute favorites from my childhood. Legend of Dragoon is a brilliant RPG in a similar vein as Final Fantasy that revolves around a war between humans, a race called the Winglies, and, well, dragons. Think Game of Thrones: Young Adult edition. Though the game did deal with some pretty dark material here and there, it fast became a cult favorite for thousands. Its characters, story, and music have stayed with me for years. Occasionally, I’ll break it out and play it on the PS3 just to relive the adventures of Dart, Shana, Albert, Rose and the others.