July Updates

Hello subscribers old and new! A lot has happened since last month’s newsletter. As we bustle through July, I’d love to let you know what’s been going on the last couple weeks as well as what you can look forward to the rest of this summer and beyond!

The Monstrum Chronicles RE-VAMPED editions launched last month with a lovely day long procession of vampire-themed shenanigans. Each of the three books in the series (and one short story) received new interior layouts, brand new covers, deleted scenes, music playlists, and new forewords. I have copies available for purchase on my website as well as via Amazon for paperback and ebook. Thanks to all who came out and helped celebrate!

Have you heard the news? I have a TikTok account! Well, to be fair, I’ve had one but I just wasn’t posting very often at all. Aiming to change that going forward though. If you are a fellow Tiktokker, follow me @katherinesilvaauthor .

WHAT ‘CHA BEEN READING

I’ve plowed through some extraordinary books in the last month including Samantha Kolesnik’s Waif, Hailey Piper’s The Worm and His Kings, Donnie Goodman’s The Razorblades In My Head, and Eric LaRocca’s You’ve Lost A Lot of Blood. Each one was a unique and terrifying experience in its own right and I definitely recommend them all to you!

Up on the docket next are:

• Beguiled By Night by Nicole Eigener
• Your Mind Is A Terrible Thing by Hailey Piper
• Nightfall: Nightmareland Volume 1 by Daniel Barnett
• Three Days in the Pink Tower by E.V. Knight

This one kind of came out of the blue… At the same time, this is unlike anything I’ve written before. This short story is a combination of prose and poetry and startling black and white imagery with descriptive typography. While it’s a short read (only 38 pages), I’m hoping readers will feel moved, pulled, and changed by the content inside.

The book will only be available via ebook and is only 99 cents. It is currently up for pre-order via Amazon and B&N. Links will be below along with a description of the book.

“I am losing all the little things that make me who I am…”

Brody Aritza was lost to the Wild Dark when he was killed in the line of duty. But then something happened. The thin wall between life and death parted and he found his way back, back to the woman he loved. It wasn’t right though: he was dead and she was alive and they couldn’t be together. But he found a way to fix it. He could possess others to keep her safe and maybe…maybe they could be together after all.

Orchards takes place after the shocking conclusion of THE WILD DARK. Thrust into darkness once more, Brody must sift through time and memory as he clings to what little pieces of humanity remain in his ruinous soul. This short story will leave readers hungry for THE WILD FALL: Book Two of The Wild Oblivion, coming in 2023.

Amazon Pre-order

B&N Pre-order

If you are a book reviewer and you’d like a free digital copy of ORCHARDS (or any other book in my catalog), please email me at strangewildspress@gmail.com to request a copy!

• I’m still at work on This House Will Kill Again. Because ORCHARDS turned into a random (but lovely) necessity this month, I missed time working on this one. For those of you who might not remember, this is my Archive 81/House of Leaves/Downton Abbey mashup novel that I’ve been trying to get out for a couple years.
• THE WILD DARK was featured on reviewer Nisar Sufi’s website, Literary Retreat. View it here.
• I recorded an episode on the Terrifying Tomes of Terror podcast with Chance Forshee. We talk about THE WILD DARK and the upcoming sequel, slated for release next year. (I recorded this before ORCHARDS was even a thing.)
• We watched all kinds of horror last month including the latest season of Stranger Things and The Black Phone. We will be watching NOPE when it premiers in theaters next week as well as the new Netflix adaption of Resident Evil. I just hope it’s better than Welcome to Raccoon City…
• I’m off to a joint birthday party today! Cake and sunshine are in my imminent future and that only makes me more happy.

That’s my June/1st half of July wrap-up! If you want more regular updates about me and my projects, be sure to subscribe to my Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, or whatever else you see my face on!

Until then, enjoy the remainder of July!

~KSilva

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Bangor Toy and Comic Con Recap

photo courtesy of Jennifer Hobbs

Yes. LONG TIME NO SEE!

I’ve been quite busy being sick, and working, and writing up a storm! While I haven’t made much way on the “finding a house” front, I’m still looking and hope to find something that will prove to be a lovely home for Lemon Jelly and I. I also spent the last weekend hanging out with fellow writing geeks (and possibly several freaks) at Bangor Toy and Comic Con!

This was my first time doing this particular Con, although I am no stranger to the Comic Con scene. I’ve done three now and have found that the experience only gets better and better. The first thing one should know about working a Comic Con is that there is a lot of visual stimuli, a feast for the eyes, if you will. I spent much of my two days observing the array of colorful costumes (some of which you cannot unsee) and soaking in the energized atmosphere.

Busy Sickly Update…

That feeling you get after you’ve been in bed with a terrible headache ALL WEEKEND…and now, it’s your day to go back to work and you SUDDENLY feel better?

That’s been my weekend, folks.

I managed to get the most demonic headache, a combination of sinus, stress, and muscle all rolled up in a ball and tossed at my head. The sinus part was caused by a Calamondin tree that I have in my apartment (or should I say “had”). The Calamondin is a strange mini fruit tree that has a tiny orange fruit that tastes much like a lime. For some reason, despite it being November, this tree has been rapidly blooming and growing more little oranges. Our weather here in Maine has been warmer than it should be and for some reason, this tree is just absolutely loving it. Problem is that the pollen from these little flowers is super potent and my entire apartment smells like them. One day of sitting here breathing it in made my head feel like I was in Willy Wonka’s tunnel of craziness. The tree is now at my parent’s house after my mom gratefully came and picked it up.

Inspiration Through Music: Bat For Lashes

I write about vampires. I’m not ashamed of this nor am I embarrassed by it. Sure, you may be saying to yourself, “Everyone is doing it right now.” And you’d be partially correct. There’s a whole vampire explosion that’s happened in the literary world ever since a certain series that shall not be named emerged several years ago. But you’ll also agree that the majority of these books are paranormal romance. Now, I’ll be painfully clear: The Monstrum Chronicles is not a paranormal romance series. There may be hints of crushes, sexual innuendos, and even a few on page kisses here and there but romance is not the sole focus of the series. This series is best described as “The DaVinci Code” with vampires. Oh, and without the religion. But like I said, here and there, there are hints of romance through out the books sprinkled in the background. The reasoning for this makes some sense. Vampires are meant to show our inner most desires fleshed out and exposed to the world. They were human at one point and so a human side must be shown in contrast with their monster. What’s more human than love? And let’s be honest, vampires can be pretty sexy (as long as they’re not sparkling.) Unfortunately for me, I’m not the most wonderful writer when it comes to romance. However, it helps that I have one musical group that I can listen to for inspiration on anything vampire: Bat For Lashes.

June “Vox” Promo and Other Summer Suprises to Come!

Good morning, readers!

I have good news. I have “Aequitas: Book 2 of the Monstrum Chronicles” back in my grasp for the last round of editing. I hope to finish it this week (in reality, it will probably take me 2 weeks). Then I’ll begin the oh so painful process of formatting the book into a PDF file. And so I have concluded that Book 2’s release date will indeed be this fall. In fact, it will be a little sooner than I thought it would be.  The release date has now been scheduled for October 4th, 2012!

In the mean time, I’m running a couple of special promos on “Vox: Book 1 of the Monstrum Chronicles.” The first starts this week and ends on Sunday, June 24th. For a limited time, “Vox” will be available for only $0.99! This special pricing will begin this evening and run until Sunday morning at 7, eastern time. You can find the book by clicking on this link here.

Later this summer, I’ll also be holding a photo contest for the cover of Book 3. I had attempted to take a photograph myself and it turns out my photography skills really aren’t that fantastic. More details will emerge on this in July.

I will also be releasing several short stories this summer with events that pertain to The Monstrum Chronicles series. There are three in the line up and the first will probably be released in August, the next two in September. I’m very excited to get those out and introduce people to a new set of characters that will be integral to the events of “Aequitas.”

With that being said, I will now return to my editing of “Aequitas.” I’m currently on Chapter 8!

Have a wonderful week! And stay tuned for my Cooking Adventures blog tomorrow!

~KSilva

Creating Memorable Characters

Good morning, readers!

In the last few days, I’ve finished reading The Hunger Games and watched the entire second season of Downton Abbey. In both the book and the television series, I find myself longing to return to the lives of the characters I so fell in love with. Thankfully, I have Catching Fire (the second book in the Hunger Games Trilogy) to read. But what of Downton Abbey? Alas, I’ll have to wait for the next season. But I will because I am so enamored of the storyline and the people who populate it.

When you fall in love with certain characters, you have an immediate loyalty to them. You want to follow them on their journey. You want to see more of them. You’re compelled to stick by them through whatever happens and you’re determined to make sure that they get what they deserve, whether good or bad. There are several characters in books and television shows that I remember from years ago that I miss. And I found myself wondering this morning, why is that? Why are they so much more stained in my memory than others? What are the makings of a memorable character?

The Monstrum Chronicles Cast… I Wish

Good evening, readers!

A while back, I promised to write a post showing you a few of the choice actors I would pick for some of the main characters in The Monstrum Chronicles series. Everyone will imagine a different person filling the characters shoes, but to me, these are the people who I envision every time I write their characters. This is meant to be a short, fun post. I’ve honestly been so crazy busy this past week I haven’t been able to blog much. And that makes me a silly goose. Once I get passed this week, I’ll be able to focus a little bit more on things and I’m excited for that! But… back to the casting of the Monstrum Chronicles…

Limbo: A Short and Sweet Soundtrack for Horror Writers

Good morning,

I have a nightly ritual. Check the social media sites, and then hunker down to watch some video game commentaries by Harshly Critical. They are always entertaining and are always a mood lifter if I’ve had a particularly rough day. Yes, another shock of information about me: I adore certain video games. I’m very picky about them. In the past, they have helped to inspire some of my writing, ie: Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver was a huge influence behind “Vox”.

At the moment, HC has been doing a playthrough of a little known indie game called “Limbo.” It has black and white 2D graphics. The simple premise is that you play as a young boy who is trying to make his way through a series of hostile environments to find his sister. There’s no dialogue, there are no epic cutscenes, and it’s extremely linear. But, it’s one hell of a game.

Aequitas! A sneak peek at what’s ahead!

Good Morning!

The last two days, I’ve been able to do get out of bed. Migraine, head cold, sore throat… it’s been a miserable time. Even today, I’m still not back on my feet completely. I’ve successfully used up two boxes of kleenex, drained a pot of chicken soup, and was successful in making my cat sympathetically sick as well. He left little presents for me on my carpet yesterday.

Dreadful as I feel, I have returned to the blog to do what I said I was going to do, update you on what you can expect to see in “Aequitas”.

I don’t want to give too much away but I do want to give you a brief synopsis of who will be returning, the new characters you’ll meet and some of the bloodlines that feature prominently in book 2.

MAIN CHARACTERS RETURNING!

A few times, I’ve mentioned that Reid and Torrent will both be back in the sequel. Unlike “Vox” where we went back and forth between three pov (Torrent’s, Eileen’s, and Sean’s), “Aequitas” will slingshot between Reid and Torrent, whose stories will come together eventually. Torrent was the major protagonist in “Vox” and it was his story that we got to know the most. In “Aequitas”, it will be Reid who we learn the most about.

Aside from Reid and Torrent returning, we will see the return of Eileen (though not as a principal protagonist), Vinh (Akane’s childe), and the Councilmen. Sean and Jill will both return for a short period.

NEW CHARACTERS!

An old ex-Council friend of Reid’s will join him in his adventures. Sassy, charming, and dangerous, Cardea is a Nephythys not to be trifled with. Will she and Reid be able to trust one another after the terrible events that shattered their friendship years ago?

Harper is Torrent’s first fledgling and the one who reported him to the Council of Thema after he destroyed Seraphim City. Harper has been elected as the replacement Citius judge on the Council. But does he have more sinister intentions with his new post?

We’ll also meet Reid’s sire, The Artigiani di Alta, a group of Kume artisans with connections to both Reid and Torrent, and the mysterious Leach, a figure with connections to a series of macabre murders occurring all over the globe.

LOCATIONS!

For fans of “Vox”, you already know how I love to send my characters globe-trotting in my books. In “Aequitas,” the characters will travel to several exotic and dark locations including but not limited to:

Linz, Austria

 

 Montreal, Canada

 

Istanbul, Turkey

and finally,

MAINE!!

(P.S. Epic stuff happens here.)

BLOODLINES!

In “Vox,” we learned allot about the Citius, Amalric, Savaric, and Haru bloodlines because the characters spent a bunch of time in their home territories.

In “Aequitas,” we will learn more about:

The Elias (Reid’s bloodline)

The Kume

The Nephythys

and The Rain!

AND THAT’S JUST THE BEGINNING…

A dangerous monstrum unlike anything Torrent and Reid have faced before, zombies (or as Torrent would say “Aegruses”), giant man-eating fish, an underground red market, big guns, more blood, lots of water, and plenty of fire…

Oh yes. It’ll be one thrill-ride of a book.

Next week, I will reveal a few songs from the Aequitas Soundtrack! I’ll also treat you to the “If The Monstrum Chronicles were to be a movie, who would play the main characters?” post. And I’ll be sure to keep you updated on tips, tricks, and other writing-related blog posts as I see fit!

Now, off to revise (and then probably nap!) Hopefully this cold will mostly gone by the end of the week!

KSilva

[EDIT: There was apparently an issue with the source of some of the pictures that I posted. Everything should be fixed now.]

Happy New Year!

Hello all! Happy New Year!

Even though I desperately wanted to avoid getting sick, I have become so within a days time. As I languish here on my couch with a box of tissues and some very strong coffee this morning, I’d like to provide you a link to my updated twitter site. I spent some time making it over yesterday. I also, somehow, managed to snag 10 new followers yesterday! That was a pretty awesome thing to wake up to this morning.

Tweets by KatherineSilva_

Have a peek! If you haven’t followed me yet, please go ahead! I’ll be spending much more time on it this year in hopes of reaching out to people all over the world!

Tomorrow, I’ll have more fun tidbits of information about “Vox” and “Aequitas” as well as some upcoming news about a reading/signing in March!

For now, everyone have a fun and amazing start to the new year!

~KSilva