Horror Haiku

I remember exercises with various types of poetry in high school but the most memorable was Haiku. Typically about seasons and having a specific rhythm/meter set (I'm not a poet by any stretch).

So after a bit of research, I verifed that traditional Haiku has a 5-7-5 syllable theme and yes, is normally about seasons.
Well, the weather is boring so why not shake it up a bit?

Hence, I'm offering my own little contribution to "Horror Haiku".

I'd love your participation and input as its a fun little exercise. Here are your basic guidelines:

5 syllables in the first line
7syllables in the second
5 syllables in the third

Instead of relating to seasons, I'm relating to horror.

Haiku often offers a twist or irony on the words. Here's my take:

Serpent or sheperd

guiding an innocent flock

to valleys of death?

Cast off your cloak of

righteousness spun from the cloth

of lies and deceit.

Slimy swamp monster

emerges from murky depths

Mmm..tastes like jell-o.

C'mon, that last is entirely too fun! So what's yours? I'd love to see your take!



Hostile Take-over....Medieval Style!!

What better way to recognize a glorious Friday the 13th than re-visit the very reason we have it?

Imagine, the year is 1307 and King Philip is in desperate need of cash. He's un-popular with his countrymen and owes half of Europe money.
What better way to solve his problem than by ingratiating himself with the Vatican and destroying the, then, largest banking empire in the world..the Templars.

Mediaval plotters had to plan ahead, that's for sure.

'Ol King Phil did exactly that. He sent out letters to all of his sheriffs loyal to the crown as much as a month prior. Instructing them  to open the letters on the 13th of October, the directive was simple: Arrest all Templars in their jurisdiction. Charges ranged from idolatry to heresy to sodomy.  In a single action, one weak and petty king destroyed an empire...
Or did he?

The legends say that while the Templar leader, Jacques DeMolay was taken, other key officers of the Order were not. They mysteriously disappeared days before the event. Suspiciously, much of the Templar assets were also missing, along with the entire Templar fleet.

                                                



 So was DeMolay a loyal and honorable leader, taking the fall for his beliefs and the secrets the order protected? There's always a mole and and information always has a price. Is it possible that one or more of Philip's sheriffs wasn't as loyas as he (Philip) thought? I think it's more than possible, I think it's likely. The Templars were amazingly well organized, and they couldn't NOT have known something like this could happen. I think a contingency plan was put into action and DeMolay played his part, right to fiery end.

In 2007 the Church released a document, the Chinon Parchment, that stated then Pope Clement was aware (in 1307) the Templars were not guilty of heresy nor devil worship, but since he was obligated to King Philip (and stood to increase the Vatican's holdings and power), he destroyed the organization and kept the document in Vatican archives until it was "re-discovered" in 2001.



Same old story, no matter what age we are in: Always follow the money, that's where you will find the motive. After all, who stood to gain the most from the ruination of the Templars?

And yet, we never learn...

So tell me what you think: Do money and power ever NOT corrupt?

A Year-and-a-Day Till the End of the World??

Been away for awhile, but had to come back for this.

Today is "Winter Solstice Eve" 2011 which means its a year and day until--what?
In pagan traditions a "year and a day" was used as a term/timeline to establish realtionships (handfasting) and learn crafts/skills. Its thought to be a significant enough span of time to allow the querant to move from one phase of learning to another. (Think in our modern terms of the adage about how long it takes to establish a habit--30 days).

So today is officially a year and a day from winter solstice 2012 when there will be a previously un-witnessed planetary alignment the likes of which humanity has never experienced.



The big question is: will it have an impact?

There are those who believe the date simply marks a transition from one "age" (the age of Pisces) to the age of Aquarius. Hence a new dawning of consciousness and perceptions.

Then there are the survivalists, the "preppers" and the Armageddon-ists who see it as marking the end of the world. Many of these folks are preparing bunkers, stockpiling food and working on their "bug-out" kits.



No matter what you think will happen (or nothing like Y2K) we are now officially on the countdown.

So share: What do you think will happen? Anything? Nothing? Will we all still owe a mortgage payment on Dec. 23 2012?

What would you do this year if you truly believed the "world" was going to end? Travel? Live like a gypsy? Rob banks? Finally read "The Great Gatsby"?

Me? Hmmmm..If I had irrefutable proof the world was going to come to a cataclysmic end? I'd take the hubster, the dogs and a lot of books and move to the highest point I could find and settle into my new cave.

And the Winner is....

Julie Jansen!!!

Yep, Julie has Random.org to thank for generating her number for my contest winner!! Congratulations and I look forward to doing this again next year!

Now, on to NaNo!!!

Coffin 'Hoppin, New Friends and a Halloween Give-Away!

Welcome to my Coffin!

My name is Autumn and this is, without a doubt, my favorite time of the year!
I am a writer-in-progress with a few published works under my belt, both traditional and 'indie', and I like to write a blog  once every 1-2 weeks that makes you think, entertains you, or both.

I'm looking forward to meeting some new folks and am willing to bribe you to do it, so here's what I'm doing:  I'm offering a unique, hand-made wreath up for give-away. I will ship it anywhere in the continental 48 and if you are out of the country, let me know, we will work something out.
Emerging from a moss covered crypt with his burial shroud clinging to his bones, this wreath is sure to leave a lasting impression!

This is a one-of-a-kind handcrafted work of art (if I do say so myself) and since I would be willing to hang it on my door at Halloween, I want to know if you would too! (But then I'm not above giving small children a need for therapy).

So here's what I want:
I'd like to think that you will follow me because you find me interesting, unique and rather witty, but I'm not above bribery, so here are the rules:

1. 1 entry for following my blog--and don't just follow, introduce yourself. Tell me what you write, or what you read, where you live or what you like to eat. Ask me something (keep it PG) but I love to engage in discussion!

2. 1 entry for following me on Twitter. It's not my favorite method and I may not be extremely proficient at it but I also will not blow up your feed with useless commercializing. I'll try to respond but I get kind of lost in all the #WW's, #FF's and so on. Don't get your feelings hurt.







I will pull a name at random this Thursday night, October 27 and announce my winner on Friday Oct. 28.  You must get back to me within 72 hours or I'm moving on to the next person. I'm looking to forward to meeting you all and hope you enjoy my give-away!

So here are a few fun facts about me:
Yes, I really did make this, which means that, no, it is not professional by any means. But I think it's awesome as a Halloween decoration!

I live in TX but don't hold it against me, I'm presently trapped in an alternative universe.
I read A LOT, right now I'm reading "Directive 51" by John Barnes (I'm on page 56 and it is hang-on-to-your-a$$ good! If you like 'this-is-how-the-world-will-end' material, go buy it NOW!)

My current WIP (and what I will probably pretend I'm participating in NaNo with) is a Sci-Fi. I'm published (presently) in paranormal romance and horror. I love work that is compelling, edgy, dark and thought provoking.

Feel free to browse my older topics which I will get back to shortly. I don't promise to blog every day (ugh!) but I do promise to post topics that are alternative, fringe or sometimes just outright crazy (or not depending on your belief system). I try to keep my blogs short and entertaining. (After all, I'm a writer, not a blogger.)

So Welcome to my Coffin, and I look forward to meeting you!!



Extra! Extra! Free Read!

Hey all!
Check out my 'Rockin new cover for a short I did over at: http://bit.ly/nrPxNM (or click on the cover)



Please go over, read my tale (if you dare! Mwahahahahaha...) and say hi, let me know what you think!
Or, if you prefer, feel free to comment here! I'm a big girl, I can take it, really!

Interview: Bill Ledbetter, author, editor...

Today I'm talking with Bill Ledbetter, author, editor and all around extra-ordinary guy! Bill has a short titled "Ascension Salad" in the new Amazon e-book 'Short and Twisted'.


So Bill, tell me, what motivates you to write the material you do? Why not spy thrillers or coming-of-age stories?


Good question. I've always been drawn to speculative fiction stories, mostly science fiction. I think those kind of tales give a person permission to leave reality behind and open their mind to wondrous worlds and ideas that would otherwise never be a part of their daily lives. I love to be surprised and amazed by speculative fiction, so when I write, I try to provide that same experience for my readers.

What is your favorite reading material/genre?


Science fiction, followed closely by fantasy and horror. I do like reading some of the old classics from time to time too. I think they kind of keep me grounded in the roots of literature.



As writers, we all draw from a certain degree on our personal experiences, often involving work we’ve done. What was your favorite and least favorite job you ever held and why?

My favorite job by far was when I worked 2 years for a billionaire who decided to build his own rocket for launching satellites. We were well down the path, having successfully designed, built and tested the third and second stage engines, when he decided to close the company. My least favorite job is tougher, but I'd have to say it was brief period when I designed test fixtures for the automotive industry. The work was fine, but the boss was a monster. I started believing in true evil while working for that man. He enjoyed making other people miserable and afraid.

You also do some editing work for the e-zine Heroic Fantasy Quarterly…tell me from an editors perspective what you wish more writer’s knew?

If you don't show us something new, there is almost no chance we'll buy your story. No matter how well something is written, if you just give us the same old tropes and same tired plots, you will not hold our interest. And of course the best way to avoid making those kinds of mistakes is to read heavily in the genre you wish to write.



Anything else you would like us to know about your work or some of the great things you are involved in? Here’s your opportunity to tell us whatever you’d like us to know:

I'm a recent 1st place winner of the Writers of the Future contest, for the second quarter of this year. My story will be in Volume 28!

I also run the Jim Baen Memorial Writing Contest for Baen Books and the National Space Society. Its a great contest that awards the winner with professional publication. The contest opens to submissions on Oct. 1, 2011. Here's the link to the full guidelines: www.williamledbetter.com/contest.htm

Bonus Question: Do you have a favorite Conspiracy Theory? (i.e. Do you think the moon landing was faked? Is Area 51 the real deal or the decoy? Are aliens already among us?)

Wow...I'm going out on limb here, possibly setting myself up for a brutal assassination, but I need to sound the alarm while there's still time. The human race is slowly being enslaved. It already happened to me. I work as a slave to provide food and comfort for our secret overlords. They're at the top of Earth's food chain, yet keep their dominance hidden through vile deception and treachery! Hurry! Free yourselves now! Before it's too late!

Thanks Bill, it's been fun, best of luck to you and watch out for those Overlords (aka the Rothschilds...but that's another post!)    ;)

Check out Bill's website here:
http://www.williamledbetter.com/index.htm