Pretty snazzy title, huh? Want it? Lol, so here’s what’s happening, folks. I’ve got this brand new Patreon site and my first Patron – Thank You CB! I’m looking for more supporters and, yes, you’ll give me money. But you get some awesome stuff in return. Like t-shirts and trips to Disney – kidding about Disney. Mostly. No. Seriously, don’t sign up for that tier. I am more comfortable with the $2, $5, and $10 and up tiers. Not because I don’t want to write the super secret books, but more because, well, if you’re going to sign up for that, wait until it can go to support the charity. I’m from the midwest. I’m uncomfortable with huge gestures. Although I do love theme parks, lol.
So why support me? What do you get out of it? Besides my sunny personality on a patron only podcast about life, ghost stories, and fantastical legends? Well, you get a vote on my next project. You also get one short story a month that nobody else will get to read. Depending on your tier, you may get a yearly gift box. Everybody gets some version of the Secret Novels, books that, if they are ever published publicly, it will only be after every single one of my Patrons has received a signed physical copy. There may be drawings for special prizes when I reach each goal… or just because I feel like it. And you get my gratitude because being a writer right now is exciting and you’ll be giving me the chance to really get my books known. As well as help me pay for better cover art and editing and a personal upgrade to my skill set.
Still not sure this is for you? Well. Let me give you some hints about some of the upcoming projects patrons will be voting on. There are three steampunk novels, one of which will incorporate the wild west, Victorian London, and parallel universes. Come support me to learn more; I’ll be doing a basic summary for each project once I have enough supporters for a vote. There will be a book that is a cross between Fried Green Tomatoes, Practical Magic, and Once. The second Steampunk is already partially written. Think Labyrinth without the muppets. The third, also partially written, which ends up in another world where steam is fueling a war that mirrors WWII (happening in the same time frame). There are two series which link up around the edges about magical bounty hunters and a certain magic mirror. And that brings us to the two twisted fairytales. Both are only related to their original tales the way celebrity tabloids are linked to the actual lives of the celebrities. As in, the story isn’t what you think it is.
The horror side of things is full of ghosts. We all know I don’t do splatterpunk. Don’t know what that is? Blood, guts, and animal abuse and it isn’t my bag. Gore is not scary to me. I’ve got an iron stomach. So an axe to the face neither scares me or disgusts me. I just sort of think it is unfortunate for the character. The sight of an animal being hurt, though, even in acting, is enough to set my kettle to full boil in under a second. There is no entertainment value in it for me.
I do misty, creepy forests and ghosts that may or may not be in the hero’s head. I do monsters that hide in plain sight and play Matrix like tricks with the brain because that is what I’m good at. I am, after all, a parallel version of Captain Hook. Which brings us to my pirates. Yes. Pirates. And sirens. And mermaids. And maybe a giant squid, but I promise nothing on that front. That book is the newest to join the ranks of needing to be written. Also, I’m not done with Inisfail yet. Those books are not up for a vote because they are part of an ongoing series and that one needs to be finished this year. I’ve got my heart set on it. But, follow me, and there will be dragons. Lots and lots more dragons.
BONUS ALERT, you do get to vote on the secret books as well. Yes. Yes you do. And you’ll receive regular updates on where I am while I’m writing them. I may even have you vote on the story genre each month. Since I don’t stick to any one genre, I might just let the Patrons decide if I will write horror, fantasy, steampunk fantasy, and I may give them options for plot. Who knows? I’ll keep my supporters involved, that’s for sure.
The upcoming novels I’ve listed here is literally just the top level of my brain. These are books that pretty much already have a place to go and are ready to get there. I have a whole lot more that is underneath, still churning around, looking for all the pieces. So, you see why I need people to vote. When you’ve got ten strong women shouting ‘me next’ it is sort of difficult to make a choice. Yes, most of my main characters are women. This isn’t about sexism. I just find it easier to write a tough woman than a man. Anytime I try to get into a guy’s head it comes out sounding a little feminine and he tends to be the sensitive sort. And not in a good way. So I stick to my tough cookies. Not all of them start out that way. Some start out sweet or innocent. At least one starts out as a spoiled rotten brat. And I’ve got one that starts out pure evil. But they all end up the kind of women you’d follow into battle. And would run screaming from if you were on the other side. So, if you don’t like strong, independent females, I am probably not for you.
I will also, once I start getting to my goals, be taking classes to get better. Now don’t get it twisted. I’m not new. I’ve been gone around this block more times than a carousel. I’ve taken every single English class the local college had to offer. I have read pretty much all the writing books I can find (unless the use the word ‘outline’; then I ran away). In fact, when office people look at my transcripts, it is common for them to do a double or triple take, look at me, and say ‘well, you don’t need an English proficiency test. Pretty sure you could teach the English courses.” And I could. That does not mean I have a perfect grammar. I write how I feel. If grammar suits it, great. If it doesn’t I don’t give a flying monkey. And I sometimes miss mistakes because forest for the trees. My spelling is also atrocious, but that is why we have spellcheck. I do try to stay away from twenty dollar words. I have them in my vocabulary. Nobody likes to play scrabble with me. But I don’t think it’s fair to send a reader scrambling for their phone to look up a word unless the character happens to be one of those pretentious sorts of people who think using really impressive words (usually wrong) makes them look smarter. The classes I want to take are online and they are simply to help me connect more with my craft and polish it. I’ve become an expert at talking my muse down out of her tree, but sometimes we both get a little lost on our way to the funeral.
Yes, I am a little nutty. I am also a gamer. I consider them – and have always considered them – books I can interact with. I used to play WoW, but I’m making writing my full time role playing game these days. I mainly played women and my idea of fun was to make up all the backstories for my girls. A lot of the stories I want to write had their beginnings in those adorable, pixelated vixens. No, I won’t be writing WoW fiction. All the game was, really, was a stage where I could play out my ideas. But, if you have a problem with gamers, I am still probably not for you. I don’t do it so much anymore. My xbox is more likely to play blue rays than zombie games these days, but that’s because I’m focusing on my writing. And, for me, focus means I do it all the time. I’m still a fan of video games, have been since Galaga. I just spend my time playing with words right now.
Here’s where I drop the special bomb. This is super new to me. I have never really focused so hard on getting an audience, I’ve certainly never asked anyone to support me because I was all about the old fashioned way, letting people discover me on their own. All very romantic. It doesn’t work like that anymore. Those who can’t adapt get left behind. So here I am, brand spanking new Patreon site, asking you for your money. I have exactly one Patron – HI CB! – And he’s one of those awesome early believers that keeps me from giving up and pushes me to become even better at my job. Which brings me to this next bit.
I’m a big lover of early believers. These are the people who put their faith in the untried. Not that I am untried, but, since I have been quietly lurking in corners, you don’t know me. Most likely, if you have read my writing, it is here on this blog. Not that it would matter if you’ve read every single book I put out before now; we are moving to the next level where I am looking for the funding to hunt down an editor that can make my books seriously sing. Or scream, when necessary. Yes, I need to pay my bills, but the real purpose of your donations is to put me in the position to make my books better. And, by giving me even a couple of dollars a month, you are giving me a vote of confidence. Which is why there will be an early believer reward every time I publish a book.
I mentioned something about a charity earlier. Yup. Because I’ve been thinking about something since the government started making so many cuts to school funding. A lot of kids whose parents can’t afford private school are no longer getting much in the way of artistic instruction. For some of them, this is a big issue because their true talents lie in the realm of the creative arts. And, if they suffer because of this, so do we (one more horrible remake, just one, and I may just lose my mind). I want new books to read. I want beautiful art and exciting movies, and any number of fantastic things. So my main goal is to get myself entirely self-sufficient on my own book sales. And then turn patron money into a project for the children. All the children who need an answer for lack of government funding, not just right here where I live (although we gotta start somewhere). I would like to give it to the entire country (with an eye on the rest of the world where needed). You know what they say. Go big or go home. You can read about this on my Patreon page. It is currently just a jumble of loose ideas that, eventually, somehow, I plan on making a reality. With or without Patron help.
Intrigued? Excited? Want to know more? Then follow me and become a Patron Of The Arts. You can get that title for no more than two dollars a month. Come and join the crew. Let’s have some fun! Walk this way….

P.S. if you are a creator and want to do your own Patreon site, let me invite you; I get a bonus and you can invite other creators for your own bonus. It’s a win for everyone 😀