Creating in Miniature & A Mystery

Whether you write or have a hobby, both are satisfying ways to let out your creativity.

When it works, those words on the paper give you joy. And when it doesn't, well, we all know the torture of wrestling with stubborn words or sentences.

I'm in the pre-formatting stage now of my latest project, The Haunting of Dr. Bowen, A Mystery in Lizzie Borden's Fall River. The novella provides another glimpse into my supernatural vision of Fall River. No zombies this time, though, as in Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter. 

So, I'm done with the million edits now, a cover is ready, and the formatting is next! The photo includes one of the story's lines.

This has been an interesting project, which began with  a question I had - how would coming upon the Borden murders that Aug. 4, 1892 affect Dr. Bowen, the family physician and neighbor? Was there something haunting him, and the city, that such terrible deeds could be committed?

The Burden murders, you see, were not the only ghastly deeds. Did you know there was another axe murder around the same time? The area also had a history of wars between the Indians and the Colonials. Stay tuned for more details on the project. You can sign up for my newsletter at my website and check the Dr. Bowen page there, also.

As for my other creative outlet, I love finding bargains at the local flea market! Here's a glass case I just found! I'm going to display some items I made before for my miniature Ladies' Shoppe (still in the planning stage.) At least I can display some things instead of keeping them in boxes. The pretty couch is resin and actually was sold as a Christmas ornament at Hobby Lobby. I have several pieces I was lucky to find since they don't seem to offer them anymore.  I repainted and added French labels to the small chest. I love the shabby chic style!

That's all for now! Happy creating! 

Using My Brain for Halloween

Yes, between all this writing stuff, I am still making miniatures!

Thanks to slave-driver, I mean friend and fellow author Joanna Campbell Slan, I did some more work on some stuff in my favorite holiday, Halloween. (Funny thing is, I've made a bunch of gory stuff in the past for my haunted house (pictured on my website page) and this time, it seems I'm making more "cute" stuff.  I write about zombies and Joanna is creating some freaky and gory stuff. Go figure. :)

Oh, hey, I've done my share of gory before.... I've used my "brains." haa!

Here's a couple pix of some of my Haunted meals I made in the past... yum! Finger sandwich anyone?  

And no, it's not too early to talk about. I've already looked at both Halloween and Christmas stuff at Hobby Lobby!

The good thing about Joanna doing her gory stuff is that is I'll get to try my hand at a bunch of different things since she's come up with some cool ideas!  (Do share!) So I'm gonna try shrinking them down more to fit my yet-to-be-built half-scale haunted dollhouse  (6 inches = 1 foot) that I've been saving and collecting for...  Though I might have to do a book box with her ideas, too.

Here's a bed I just designed and made (for our Halloween book project) and for my house. (Have to get a better pic yet.) It's not spooky as I wanted an "elegant" piece. I will make some other spookier items, of course... 

Right now I'm "brain-storming" an idea... I have the neatest tiny resin ornament of a witch's head, and I think it may just be the right size to attach to a body to make a half-scale witch... I might make a mold of it, too. The face is too perfect not to use!

Faces, heads, bodies, brains... 

Maybe it's the upcoming release of Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter that has me getting in a Halloween mood early!  Coming Sept. 13!  

Yes, I've got Lizzie Borden and zombies on the brain 24/7. (Brains, get it? haa!) Ok, I'll stop. 
I just can't help myself. 

Birthing A Book...

Many of us have shared the roller coaster ride of birthing a book.

First there's the idea, and working on it. And working on it. And... 

Then subbing, and subbing, and...

No, my keyboard isn't stuck. That's how it's gone. ha! Mostly it's not a process for the weak. It can be discouraging, but if you really love your project, and believe in it, you keep at it unless you decided to self-pub it.

Then once it's accepted, it's another edit and another after the X times you already read it.

Then as I said on my previous post, you still think of stuff to change!

The best part though? Seeing it come to life. Seeing that cover being formed.

That's where I'm at now with my upcoming book, Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter.  Coming soon - Sept. 13!!!  !!! 

 ***** Wanna see the cover???? Just released! See my website!! 

Yeah, you read it right. I know, it's a bit scary sounding, I suppose, compared to most of the books on this blog. At least I know I fit in somehow with the word Killer in the blog title. ha!

You can't help what comes to mind and what you decide to write about. I've always been fascinated by history and older crimes like Jack the Ripper and Lizzie Borden. Maybe it's the endless unanswered questions associated with such crimes...  

Having read years of Stephen King books, horror doesn't bother me. I admit I don't like a lot of the modern slasher movies, but I don't mind a good suspenseful scary movie And I love reading horror, maybe since I can fill in the blanks myself, in my own way. 

So, when I started reading and looking at the Borden autopsy photos (which , of course, would be tons worse in full color), it got me thinking... and I realized another, perfectly plausible explanation could be made for why she might've committed the crimes. Yes, it's horror and gore and zombies, but there's also a unique mystery running through it with Lizzie and her sister uncovering the pieces to the puzzle...


I'll share more details as they come along. For now, here's more about it: 

Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter

           by C.A. Verstraete

 Every family has its secrets…

One hot August morning in 1892, Lizzie Borden picked up an axe and murdered her father and stepmother. Newspapers claim she did it for the oldest of reasons: family conflicts, jealousy and greed. But what if her parents were already dead? What if Lizzie slaughtered them because they’d become zombies?

Thrust into a horrific world where the walking dead are part of a shocking conspiracy to infect not only Fall River, Massachusetts, but also the world beyond, Lizzie battles to protect her sister, Emma, and her hometown from nightmarish ghouls and the evil forces controlling them.