Trent Kinsey

More than I can chew?

2011-10-21T14:32:00.003-05:00

Busy, busy, busy, busy!

I left my mom’s house the other day, and wanted to laugh at myself…again? I go to my mom’s about twice a week to see how all is going and share what’s been going on with my life during the days away. But, it seems over the last weeks (yes, I’ve lost count) when my mom asks what’s been going on, my reply has become a standard: Work, work and more work.

To catch everyone up and to share with any new readers, I have many jobs…all I love. From nine to five (hours vary depending on the day) I work for the headqurters of the Marine Corps reserve forces as their main webmaster, design and developer, and now taking on roles that fall under the section’s information management. From around six at night until—well let’s say twelve in the morning, I spend time with my wife watching TV as well as working as a web designer/developer for clients of our company, Otherworlds Publicity. This does not include the favors my wife and I do for friends regularly.

Now, as many of you know, I do play on Facebook and other platforms, but what isn’t well known, is that if I don’t take five minutes here or there, I’d lose my mind (I am laughing here). There is only so much code one mind can take in a twenty-four-hour period before it crashes. I know this now because of some nights, coming home from work, I’ve done nothing but crash until about six or six-thirty when I wake and go back to work…some nights I don’t get back up until nine then crash again at mid-night.

The good news? I’m actually getting caught up again! I will be able to have a day job until at least next summer when we play the game of continued contracting for another fiscal year and I start to stress out about if the command knows my worth or not. This translates into all my imagination being put into various scripts and page designs. I’ve started to build my day-to-day rhythm back up after last year’s events, and have actually been able to sit and think of story ideas and developments once a gain.

So my friends, family and fans…stick with me as things are about to start running at full speed again!

Welcome BackREVIEW: American Horror (TV Show )

2011-10-08T16:08:00.000-05:00

I’d first like to welcome everyone back to my blog, I know it’s been a while since last I wrote anything that didn’t have an HTML tag starting it. Most of all, I’d like to thank my wife for the new decorations in my play area where I can talk with all of you about things I’ve seen or things that are happening. And what better way to start playing in my new sand box, then to talk about a new horror TV show!

It was by a random series of events that I fell upon the commercial for the new horror series, American Horror Story, from FX. The ad happened to air just before one of the music videos I watch on YouTube when trying to convince my muse to come back and help me write again. Unfortunately, I only caught enough to know it was a new and airing this last week and only “American” and “Horror” from the name. I finally got to watch the first episode (thank God I could find it on the TV guide list on my computer and set the series to record) and it is so much more than just a catchy title.

American Horror Story centers on a family of three, trying to make a second start at their lives. They end up in this old house in California where not only a myriad of bizarre murders occurred, but, unbeknownst to the family, the house seems to be haunted by the souls of the ones who died in it. And I’m not talking your average, cheesy ghosts in white sheets haunting. This is Thirteen-Ghosts-sent-to-hell-for-a-royal-make-over kind of haunting!

First, the family actually seems like a normal-day family! No stupid teenager, running from monsters, tripping on air, bullshit. The daughter has strengths and extreme weaknesses that I can see being exploited to the fullest as the series progresses. She’s not the popular girl at school and has to fight just to be allowed to be herself. As with most teens, she doesn’t understand her parents or what has happened to them in the past and thus is very rebellious of them to the point she befriends one of her father’s patients.

And don’t romanticize her father being a doctor with shows like ER. No, he is a psychiatrist who has worked with deranged patients in the past. Not only that, he’s trying to keep his family together after making the mistake of screwing one of his students—an act his wife caught him in during the beginning of the episode. And of course, the mother has her own personal battles she is facing as she too tries to keep the family and marriage together…but I won’t tell too much more because so much happens in the first episode, I fear I’d give too much away!

I have to admit, I’m highly impressed with what FX has put together here. You don’t know what is real and what is haunting! You can actually connect with the characters and feel as they would in the show and when the creepy stuff starts happening, you actually feel CREEPY watching it!
For a pilot episode, all I have to say is, WOW and I fear seeing what they can come up with to follow!

Bald Face Liar, I mean “Creative Writer” Blogger Award

2010-03-15T00:09:00.000-05:00

My friend, Hales, asked me to participate in this harmless liar’s game. I think it sounds like fun! I’ll post seven items about me, only TWO of which are true. The others are “little white lies”.

1. I used to work in Military Intelligence

2. I have never broken a bone in my body
3. I used to work in the adult film industry

4. I used to be one of the best recruiters in the Marine Corps

5. In real life, I am one of the most blandest people you will ever meet

6. I have four tattoos, one of a wolf howling at the moon, one of a wearwolf, one of an eagle globe and anchor, one of a set of staff sergeant chevrons with my dates of service underneath.
7. When I write, I usually don't know what I've written until I get to the end and wake up to see what's on the page.

I now hereby pass on the Liar’s Torch to these writers ( in no particular order!). Keep the liar’s game going. Visit their sites and see if you can guess which of their statements are little white lies:

Kayden McLeod

Brigit Aine

Imari Jade

D.M. Slate

Movie review: The Time Taveler's Wife

2010-02-26T07:40:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone,

Ok, so I finally got to see The Time Traveler’s Wife last night, but before I get into what I thought, let me give you some of my past with this particular story.

In 2007 I was deployed aboard the USS Bataan for the first six months of the year. Needless to say there’s not much you can do on ship other than work and gym and eat. Oh yes, there’s sleep too but that’s a given as long as there were not any operations to occur.

During my deployments as a Marine, I got a lot of reading done. I think during my first deployment in ’02, I read close to 32 books, all of novel length. My second I came close to matching that but I want to say I really only got to 20. It took me about one week to read The Time Traveler’s Wife and I absolutely loved every bit of it. It will pull your heart from your chest so be prepared for tears.

The movie, though still gave me that achy feeling, didn’t quite impress me as much. As with longer works turned into movies, there’s so much missing that the reader knows made the story grand. They hit all the major topics and scenes but in my mind a lot of the smaller aspects of the story is what made me hurt when I finished it. Not the bad hurt but the kind you get when you finish one of those great stories and know it has truly ended, leaving you feeling a little alone because those characters are gone from your life.

If you’ve seen the movie before the book, give yourself some time before reading so you won’t get lost in how it jumps the various scenes of the characters’ lives. If you read the book then prepare yourself for a movie that just doesn’t have the amount of time to get all of the book into it. I will not say don’t see the movie…I liked it, but I LOVED the book.

Take care and I’ll talk some more later!

Creature of Habit

2010-01-09T13:28:00.001-06:00

For those of you who are not familiar with some of the inner aspects of my life, I am a father of a son with an autism spectrum disorder. I'm blessed in the sense that Jeremy can talk and function -- more so than he did two-plus years ago -- and he constantly makes progress ever day. But, as some know, there are aspects of autism that will most probably never go away. One of these for Jeremy is his routines. Each day is scheduled as much as can be without driving everyone crazy (that is an exaggeration but you get the idea) and there are some things that you just don't break in his routine or else you he will let you know--sometimes it is an unpleasant experience when he informs you of the break in his routine.

I tell you the above, not to preach or even come close to acting like I have some mass expertise in autism, but to tell you about one of our weekly routines and how though it was nowhere near the usual morning, you still have to stick to some routines.

One of our weekly routines is on Saturday morning, Jeremy and I drive around Slidell, Louisiana. On Saturdays, I take Jeremy and on Sunday, his pawpaw takes him. We do this because Jeremy loves to wake early in the morning and on the weekends we do this so the others can sleep for just a little longer. So I have Saturdays and Jeremy and I usually go fill my truck up with gas for work the next week, get a car wash (and yes I've had to wash the car on rainy days--again, some routines you don't break), stop at Sonic for one of those frozen-crack-concoctions I love so much (the frozen mocha java chiller), then we might drive around some more but it usually ends in McDonald's for the family and then we go home to eat.

Today we followed routine, yet it was definitely a day when routine didn't follow us. Last night the temperature was somewhere in the teens and stayed that way until early morning. Now usually Jeremy and I are up around 7:00 am --on a good day-- and on our way, but because of the temps, we pushed the trip until close to 10:00 so that it wouldn't be too cold and end up with a sick child in the house. First routine broken and yes I paid dearly for that one by him running in the room ever minute, on the minute, to tell me it's time to get up and "let's go, daddy!"

We departed and went to the gas station to fill up and get our car wash. Much like on a rainy day, the car wash was not worth the money. I was not surprised at all. We pull in to the car wash and stopped on signal as usual--Jeremy anxiously awaiting the cleaning bar to sweep across with pressured water, soap and the other cleaning steps the wash makes. If you'd ask Jeremy he could recite each step of the car wash all the way down to the pay box telling you to pull into the wash verbatim. The presoak went as planned and the truck was covered in a light coat of soap. The next pass would have been the pressure washer coming across to spray the soap away…Of course the car wash had been out in the elements so as you can guess, no water came from the wash. Such was the same for all the passes except when the rinse came across and finally the soap was cleaned from the truck. Then the air dry kicked on and such was our car wash--a beautiful waste of money.

Luckily the lack of wash did not cause Jeremy to remind me of the break in routine and I thank God for that. I think McDonald's helped with that.

With that said, have a great weekend and if you get a chance, let everyone know what habit you are a creature of!

Coming soon from Moongypsy Press

2009-12-12T07:25:00.002-06:00

The Book of Absolute Truths (a novelette)

SUMMARY:
If someone wrote you life’s story, would you read it?

When a vagrant enters Randy Moreland’s used book store and thrusts an ancient book into Randy’s possession, Randy finds out his life story is not what he expected.

The vagrant insists that Randy get rid of the book by any means necessary, not to even read the cursed tome. But Randy is unable to help himself as he finds the book is writing his life; his life as it is happening. The book even tells Randy of his wife’s current affair that occurs while he is at work.

Unable to catch his wife in the act and not knowing if he wants to learn more secrets about his life, Randy tries discarding the book in the river only to find there is more to The Book of Absolute Truths than its title suggests. Truths that could cause a man to kill himself or the ones he loves.

Find out more about this and other stories at http://www.TrentKinsey.com

Coming soon from Moongypsy Press -- Who's to Blame by Trent Kinsey

2009-11-24T20:57:00.002-06:00

Who's to Blame
a short story by Trent Kinsey

SUMMARY:
When John Williams' daughter dies of cancer, he closes his heart to everyone, including his wife. No longer feeling like he can write children’s stories, he squanders his retirement money sitting on the couch engulfed in his loss. After John’s investment portfolio crumbles with the stock market, he takes his agent’s offer to write the biography of the reclusive author Mark Edwards. The problem is Mark does not want a book written about him.

John’s wife, Lisa, leaves him because of their constant fighting, and John learns from Mark how much blame plays a role in a person’s life. As John learns more about Mark and the author’s own personal loss, a viral outbreak occurs causing the infected to become aggressive, deadly and extremely hungry. John finds himself torn between wanting to make sure his wife is alive and the fear of becoming one of the infected.

The infection spreads and no one knows how to fight it, what caused it or who to blame.

Find more at:
http://www.trentkinsey.com

Let's Celebrate Veterans Day

2009-11-11T20:48:00.002-06:00

Today is a special day. For many, it’s a sad day, but for me it’s a day for celebration. Today is Veterans Day.

But how can you be in a festive mood on such a somber day of remembrance?

It’s really not that hard once you put it all together.

We have lost so many lives of those serving in war today just as we have of those serving in the past. And, in addition to those who’ve died fighting any of the wars, conflicts, battles and operations America has taken part in, we are losing those who fought and made it home alive. Each year we lose more and more of the living history that has not only helped protect the freedoms of not just Americans but other countries as well. We might have won the war, be we are still losing in the end.

Again, you might ask “How can you be happy on a day like today, remembering what loss America takes?” My answer is simple…

Not only do we pay homage to the veterans of past and present, but during the month of November, we too celebrate what we have to be grateful for. Why not start that celebration today?

We have hundreds of thousands of troops serving in contingencies, operations and war every day. I celebrate their lives so their sacrifice is not in vain. In addition to serving in harm’s way, we have millions serving or will be serving stateside, waiting to take part and carry the torch passed to us by the greatest generation. That is definitely cause for celebration.

The fact is, we get so caught up in the losses we have taken over the years, it becomes harder to see that there is so much to be thankful for during this day. So much to celebrate.

Yes, it is a sad day, but they did not live sad lives and when those of this generation come home, they need us to be there with smiles on our faces and open arms to take them in until they are whole again. They need us to love and be happy and celebrate their return; to listen to their stories.

For if we only focus on the losses, why is it worth fighting for?

The Zombie Cookbook: New recipes bring great flavor to a dead subject

2009-10-17T10:53:00.002-05:00

The Zombie Cookbook edited by Kim Richards
My rating: 4.8 of 5 Panic Attacks

The world has changed its view on the monsters of yesteryear. Women now swoon over vampires and werewolves are the heroes of their own tales; the reader sympathizes with these characters instead of fearing and wishing them dead. It seems there is only one constant in modern monsters: Zombies are zombies are zombies. And their hungry!

But if that is to be true, how does the world of zombies survive without becoming completely boring to the readers? Though a new title such as The Zombie Cookbook helps, what really keeps the idea of zombies “fresh” in the mind of readers around the globe is its collection of stories, poems, sketches and recipes which orbit around a subject everyone can sink their teeth into: Food!

“It goes to show that some cliché’s never die,” said Karina Fabian, author of Cookbook tales My Big Fat Zombie Wedding and Wokking Dead.

Fabian, who disagrees that the subject of zombies seems to be taboo in the publishing world, said that titles such as Pride Prejudice and Zombies and World War Z—The Zombie Survival guide have helped to bring the “dead” subject back to life. Though she said she’s not looking at changing the readers’ perceptions of zombies, “What I hope to give the world of zombies…a good, long laugh. That gives me time to run away!”

But readers should not run away from The Zombie Cookbook. Within its pages are stories such as:

Secret Ingredient—There’s a zombie in the kitchen! That may be the case, but when spaghetti-eating zombie Clete takes a job as the assistant chef at the L-Double-J ranch, he’s not the one you need to watch out for. It’s a tale of catering and culinary revenge. Would you have added the secret ingredient?

Express Cuisine—Zombie attack on a speeding train--is there really any escape? Fight, hide, jump--none of it can stop you from becoming...Express Cuisine.

Brain Food—Ah, domestic zombie bliss! It’s the Undead Cleavers mixed in with a little Arsenic and Old Lace. Can’t tell you much about this story except that the ending will surprise you as much as it did Thelma!

And many others.

Each story, recipe and poem is well placed. The stories have full characters that readers can relate to and a pace that keeps the reader moving. Before too long the reader is lead through the 84 pages as if no time has passed at all.

I didn’t become a fanatic of zombies until my wife began her fascination with them. Soon after, zombies began popping up all over the place and now we have a cookbook to accompany the pride and prejudice, giving us something to munch on while making our way through the various survival guides and Resident Evil games. To sum up my impression of The Zombie Cookbook (Damnation Books, September 2009) is six simple words: I can’t wait to see more!

Note:
- The Zombie Cookbook can be purchased at
Damnation Books and more can be found about it at:
http://www.zombiecookbook.net/.

Bite Me by Donaya Haymond: How do you give bad news to a werewolf married to a vampire?

2009-10-01T09:36:00.000-05:00

Bite Me by Donaya Haymond

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Donaya speaks to the part of me that has been in the back of mind since my time in middle school and I have to admit, I only wish I could have done what her characters do in her awesome tale Bite Me.

Though Goodreads only lets you go 4 or 5, I really give Bite Me 4.6 stars.

The characters, mystical in nature, are still confronted by real problems faced by many in today's society. And though it is not an action-packed story, it maintains a steady pace that before you know it, it's over.

What makes it even better is it is part of a series, but you don't have to have the first book to understand what is going on. Donaya has a way of re-introducing the characters that her followers are already familiar with in a way that allows new readers to know what is going on without boring fans with information they already know.

I am looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next and how far this tale can continue.

View more of my Goodreads reviews >>

Birthday Book Signing (September 19, 2009 from 12:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. CST)

2009-09-17T10:48:00.000-05:00

Have you ever heard the phrase, “It’s better to give than receive?” Well, I believe that for my birthday, I would like to give everyone the chance to join me for a virtual book signing as well as a chance for two people to win a copy of my latest release,
10:15 (Eternal Press, 2009).

Here’s how it works:

-If you haven’t done so yet, purchase a copy of
10:15.

-Send your copy to PostMaster@TrentKinsey.com with what personal message you would like from me.

-I’ll receive your copy, sign it with your requested message (keep it clean,
please :D) and I’ll return your signed copy to your email.

Want to win a copy to have signed, here’s how to do it:

-Go to http://www.trentkinsey.com/ and sign into the chat room on the page.

-At 12:15 p.m. CST, I will ask a specific question. Be the first to send the answer to
PostMaster@TrentKinsey.com and I will reply to the winner with a request for what message he/she would like on the copy.

-But that’s not it. If you by chance miss out on the 12:15 contest, here’s how to win the second copy of the day… Show up at the live chat room (http://www.trentkinsey.com/) and at 15 minutes past the hour, every hour of the chat, I’ll ask a question. Send your answer to
PostMaster@TrentKinsey.com and those with the correct answer will be put in for the drawing. The winner will be announced at 9:45 p.m. and of course I’ll sign that copy as well. One answer per question please.

Have a great weekend!

Trent Kinsey

The Sarran Plague by A.C. Katt: Scifi, romance and other elements come together in this tale

2009-09-09T14:01:00.001-05:00

The Sarran Plague by A.C. Katt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A.C. Katt has a very interesting way of bring scifi, romance and other elements of a great story together in this awesome tale. I could not put it down for the life of me and will probably end up reading it again when time permits.

Great job A.C.! I hope you make a sequel to it.

View more of my Goodreads reviews >>

NOTE: A.C. Katt's stories referred to in this review are considered
erotica and are meant for adult readers.

The Time Taveler's Wife by Audry Niffenegger: I suggest you read the book before seeing the movie

2009-09-09T13:59:00.001-05:00

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I read Audrey Niffenegger's timeless tale of romance while on my last deployment as a US Marine. While aboard the USS Bataan, I turned page after page and finished it within a week and let me tell you all, other than a very select few stories, there is no other story like this.

My heart ached for days when I finished reading it and I have tears I am fighting back right now as I think of what to say in this review. Audrey paced the story perfectly for me to incorporate both character's needs to be with each other while competing with the fact that one can never stay in one place for too long before slipping back to the love of his life before they met.

I will never forget this story and plan on reading many times in my future. I do suggest that anyone going to the movie take the time to read this book first.

View more of my Goodreads reviews >>

Underground by Kat Richardson: Kat Richardson leads readers through an "Underground" of multiple worlds

2009-09-09T13:57:00.000-05:00

Underground by Kat Richardson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Kat Richardson definitely has a way of keeping the reader turning the pages while leaving a fresh trail around every corner. She keeps my suspension of disbelief at bay as her "Greywalker" moves through the worlds Kat has created. I am extremely excited about the next book coming out and will buy it as soon as it reaches the shelves.

View more of my Goodreads reviews >>

Thanks to my friends

2009-09-08T08:05:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to stop by and say thanks to all my friends who made it over to mine and Eternal Press’ site yesterday to pass on their congrats. It meant a lot to me to have so many friendly faces supporting my latest release.

One more time, I’d like to congratulate, Heather, Lisa and Tina, who all received a free copy of 10:15 yesterday. Don’t fret, my birthday is coming soon and I plan to give out another copy or two during another live chat.

Thanks again for all the support!

Trent Kinsey
http://www.TrentKinsey.com

Now Available

2009-09-07T09:10:00.003-05:00

Today’s the day! 10:15 is now available for purchase at Eternal Press.

Also, I will be available periodically for live chatting at my home page http://www.trentkinsey.com/ and from 6-7 (CST) on Eternal Press’s Live Author Chat page. So if you get a chance stop by and say hi, who knows, you might end up with a free copy of 10:15!

Hope everyone is having a great Labor Day and remember, if you day flies by, it’s better than time stopping completely!

Respectfully,

Trent Kinsey
http://www.trentkinsey.com/
10:15 available at Eternal Press

Help me celebrate!

2009-09-01T20:27:00.000-05:00

So, in case you haven’t gotten the word, my debut into the world of horror and into the world of writing professionally occurs September 7 with the much anticipated release of 10:15.

I’d like to invite you to help me celebrate its release with a live chat on Eternal Press’ and my own website on the day of its release. In addition to learning more about my novelette and other works being released by Eternal Press, I would like to offer you a chance to win a copy of 10:15. That’s right, my debut and you can get it FREE!

Here’s what you do. I’ll be on Eternal Press’ main chat from 6-7pm CST (7-8 Eastern) and then will be available for chatting below in my own chat room, which will be opened on my home page (http://www.trentkinsey.com/) as well. Come to EP’s site at (http://www.eternalpress.ca/) and click on the chat room. Once you’re in have fun and watch out, a winner can come from anyone. But if you’re not the winner on the first go, don’t fret…I plan on giving out more than one copy the night of its release.

Seven more days before time stands still

2009-08-31T13:25:00.003-05:00

What would you do during the last second of your life?

The suspenseful tale of three students and one teacher trapped in one second of time, only to find out that something is there with them. Something no one has ever seen before, with an appetite none of them want to bear witness to.

Excerpt:
As he walked around the back of the gym and passed the front entrance, Mark could see the little fat kid he loved to mess with running for his life. He wanted to laugh because George was nude as the day he was born and his fat body was gyrating and jiggling all over the place. Before he could muster the air for a laugh, his eyes pulled in the image of what was chasing him. The only thing Mark could think was, “This is the fear those people in the movies must feel when they piss themselves.” He was glad he had relieved himself earlier.

His attention caught movement to his right. On instinct he turned and raised his fists, ready to fight, only to see one of the hottest girls in school run the other way. He didn’t blame her. He wanted to run away at the sight of the thing chasing George, too.

Two options crossed his mind: run and help the gyrating blob, or protect the hottie. Being the man of strong morals he was, he chased after the girl.

Find it and more at Eternal Press http://www.eternalpress.ca/tenfifteen.html
or
http://www.TrentKinsey.com
Format: eBook and Print
ISBN eBook: 978-1-926704-56-2
ISBN Print: 978-1-926704-64-7

I'm quitting...Today!

2009-08-17T09:49:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone,

As hard as it’s been for the last four hours, I have made my mind up and am not changing it now. I am officially quitting smoking today! I just can’t take the shortness of breath, the pain in my chest at times and the fear that I’ll have a heart attack before I’m 35.

God knows I’ve been smoking for too many years now and for the past two I’ve wanted to get the monkey off my back. Today is that day. I just wanted to share the news with all of you and hope you all have a good week.

Trent Kinsey

Time for the heart race again

2009-08-14T18:39:00.001-05:00

It’s getting to be that time again. So far, Who’s to Blame has been in the hopper for more than fifty days now and my anticipation gets the better of me. I know I shouldn’t let it control me as much as it does, but what can I say? At this point, rejection or acceptance would be welcomed just so long as some word is returned. I would love acceptance, but after this long…Well you get the idea.

Right now, I’m working on The Devil’s Oak, Gates of Hell: book one of Pearl and Bone, and Return to Oaks River (sequel to 10:15). I wish I could tell you all that it’s been going great, but work’s been slow right now.

I’d like to tell you more, but the Saints are about to play their first pre-season game and as a fan, I must take time to pay homage to my home team.

Go Saints!

Trent Kinsey

Latest update

2009-08-07T19:53:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone,

It is with great pleasure that I announce 10:15 is now showing under the “Coming Soon” page of Eternal Press’ website (http://www.eternalpress.ca). In addition, EP has set up a page for 10:15 that has an excerpt from the novelette as well as where the reviews for the story will be posted. If you’re interested in seeing it, please visit http://www.eternalpress.ca/tenfifteen.htm.

In honor of my first story to be published and what will be my first book to go print, I have my own website now and a new design. Please visit http://www.trentkinsey.com and if you get some time let me know what you think.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Just some updates I wish to share

2009-07-27T11:51:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone,

So the good news is I finished “The Book of Absolute Truths,” a novelette. The synopsis is as follows:

If someone wrote you life’s story, would you read it?

When a vagrant enters Randy Moreland’s used book store and thrusts an ancient book into Randy’s possession, Randy finds out his life story is not what he expected.

The vagrant insists that Randy get rid of the book by any means necessary, not to even read the cursed tome. But Randy is unable to help himself as he finds the book is writing his life; his life as it is happening. The book even tells Randy of his wife’s current affair that occurs while he is at work.

Unable to catch his wife in the act and not knowing if he wants to learn more secrets about his life, Randy tries discarding the book in the river only to find there is more to The Book of Absolute Truths than its title suggests. Truths that could cause a man to kill himself or the ones he loves.

In addition to finishing the story, I have submitted it to Eternal Press for review. Keep your fingers crossed!

Other Updates:
-10:15 is still scheduled for release September 7 by Eternal Press
-Who’s to Blame is still being reviewed by Damnation Books
-The Book of Absolute Truths is being reviewed by Eternal Press
-Still revising Chapter Three, The Devil’s Oak
-Still developing/writing The Gates of Hell, book one of Pearl and Bone

I hope everyone has a good week,
Trent

I'm taking the day off

2009-07-22T20:01:00.001-05:00

I just finished the rough draft of "The Book of Absolute Truths" today and am exhausted. I'll start the revision/editing process tomorrow when my brain stops hurting :D Hope everyone is doing well and I'll give more word as it comes my way.

Good luck to all,
Trent

When the Muse Calls

2009-07-14T08:34:00.000-05:00

Well, to begin, I finished my re-write of chapter two in The Devil’s Oak and I am happy to report that I have been making great leaps and bounds in chapter three. For the first time since I finished the rough draft, I am actually enjoying my work.

To give a brief history, I began working The Devil’s Oak in 2002 under the working title “The Creator.” Devil’s Oak was the first endeavor for me as an author of fiction (I did spend twelve years as a Marine Corps Combat Correspondent/Journalist) and I’ll tell you I was all over the place with the work. I worked on the story in my spare time while deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom – when the operation was still at its beginning. I came home from the deployment only to find a piece of sand ruined my disk, leaving me with only half of the 140+ pages I wrote. Looking back I see the destruction of my work as a blessing because it has given me more time to develop the characters and their backgrounds.

Still, Devil’s Oak didn’t come to its current incarnation until I began working as the Marketing and Public Affairs Chief for Recruiting Station Charleston (West Virginia) when I had the idea to write a fiction story about a recruiter falsely charged with rape. For those of my friends who don’t know, when a situation like that occurs it’s similar to a teacher being charged with molestation – They might be found innocent and be completely innocent, but their name is destroyed with their current way of life. As I began the story, it occurred to me that adding the horror/paranormal aspect of The Creator to the story made for a better story—That’s my opinion and since I’m writing the novel, I’m entitled to it :D

Being in recruiting didn’t help because most of my time was spent working event s and advertising to help the Marine Corps make its mission. So The Devil’s Oak had to wait until my next command, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, where as the Public Affairs Chief, I actually could make time for my own personal dreams. I finished The Devil in the Oak while on a pre-deployment training exercise and it was suggested that The Devil’s Oak made a better title for the story. I agreed and thus “The Devil’s Oak” was born.

The only problem: I didn’t like the story at all. Regardless of the typos, grammatical errors and other miscellaneous crap about the overall story you’d expect in a rough draft, something was missing. Something didn’t feel right about the manuscript and so it sat in a box until very recently. I’m talking a two-three year gap between finishing the rough and beginning the re-write/revision.

The idea was still sound in my opinion, I just didn’t have the right way of portraying it.

When I sold 10:15 to Eternal Press, my dreams of writing went from dying embers to a raging fire and all my ideas and theories haunted me until I began writing them down, taking notes and developing any moment I could. It was time to break the old MS out of the closet of my imagination and dust it off a bit.

Unfortunately, it still sucked in my opinion – please refer to the last sentence of paragraph five if you need a refresher on my opinion. It wasn’t a work that just needed some cleaning up; it needed MAJOR REVISING. The only way I could feel comfortable with the work was to print one chapter at a time, read the chapter by itself and then re-write it from the memory of what I read. This worked until chapter three when – near the end of chapter two—I took a major turn from the original. A lot of the work is the same, but too different to go the same route. So this is the major reason for my MS taking so long before I’ll feel it is at a level to submit to an agent/press.

All I can say is my muse is pulling my strings right now. I’m loving my story and its characters, which is humongous for me since I really hated it on the first go round.

I hope everyone enjoys it when it comes out, because I’m enjoying it right now.

Have fun,

Trent

Great News about 10:15

2009-07-10T20:01:00.000-05:00

So I heard that 10:15 will be available in eBook format from Eternal Press, Amazon and now Barns and Noble. In addition to that Amazon’s ‘Print on Demand’ will allow people to buy the book in print a few weeks after its initial release.

To say I’m completely stoked about this development is an understatement. It is a great feeling to know that my book will be available at two of the largest retail book stores online.

I hope everyone has a great weekend and will post some more as time goes by.

UPDATES:
-10:15 now has an International Standard Book Number (ISBN) which means it’s closer to being released.

-Still revising The Devil’s Oak, Chapter Two. Should be done with chapter two by this weekend if all is well and will be sending it out to the test readers for review soon.

-Gates of Hell is on hold as I figure out what I want Daemon to do next.

-I’ve started another short that gives the origin of a character I want to put in Pearl and Bone at some point. I don’t want to give too much away so everyone will just have to wait and see. The working title is called “To Love Man,” which yes is a play on the title “To Serve Man.” Let’s just say there can be some similarities drawn between the two stories.

-Who’s to Blame is still being reviewed by Damnation Books. I received an email from the CEO letting me know she received it and it will take up to six weeks for a reply. Keep your fingers crossed.

Ghostly Ménage: Something New, Something Fun

2009-07-01T06:54:00.000-05:00

For those who don’t know me, I am a fan of horror and its likes, my favorite being the psychological horrors. The ones that dig deep in your head and nest for a while, always leaving you questioning your own sanity. With that said, for someone like me to pick up a book such as Ghostly Ménage by Alysha Ellis, you would probably think it’s because the word “ghost” appears in the title. You would be partially right.

I will say I picked the book up without any preconceived ideas of what story I would be reading and there is no doubt in my mind I am truly happy that I read Alysha’s tale. First let me dispense with the background of the story so I can get to what really turned the gears in my head as I read page after page after page.

Quick and dirty: Kelsie, under those circumstances we find ourselves in from time to time, is required to stay with her aunt for a couple of days. Maud, Kelsie’s aunt, believes the house she resides in is plagued with a poltergeist and contracts the services of an exorcist to rid the entity from her home. Her aunt will not stay in a house by herself with a man present and thus Kelsie arrives to hang around until after the exorcism for her aunt’s benefit. Staying with her aunt, Kelsie learns ghosts are real and…real fun to have around.

When I said I read page after page, I spoke lightly. I devoured Alysha’s tale and am extremely excited to read her next book, “Giving Up the Ghosts,” which awaits me on my phone for when I take my breaks at work.

Alysha’s use of dialogue brought the characters from the page and turned them into living, breathing people. I’ve known people like Kelsie’s aunt Maud and could feel Kelsie’s irritation at her aunt’s opinion of her. The imagery and sensations Alysha inspires in her prose made me feel as if I was in the room as the events unfolded. To say the least, I could not put it down because I had to know what would happen next. Is it a malevolent poltergeist or a playful ghost? Could Kelsie be in danger or was it all in good fun? Alysha kept me reading so I could find the answers and satisfy my own distorted curiosity.

All in all, I can’t wait to partake in Kelsie’s next adventure and am looking forward to more works by Alysha. Kudos to you Alysha and may the words continue to flow on the page for your future works.

NOTE: Alysha's stories referred to in this review are considered paranormal/erotica and are meant for adult readers.

Back on the horse

2009-06-29T22:37:00.001-05:00

Well the good news is, I’m back on the writing horse again. Not making any leaps and bounds here, but I’m putting in more than a couple of paragraphs a day, which is a lot better than before.
“10:15” is still scheduled for release by Eternal Press in September. “Who’s to Blame” is still being reviewed by Damnation Books, so keep your fingers crossed. And I’ve been making some headway with “Gates of Hell.”
Well that’s it for now. As usual, I’ll be on and offline as I work on my various projects and of course as I play with the kids and go to work every day at my day job, so feel free to find me at one of my profile pages and leave a message.
Have fun and good luck in all you do,
Trent
Visit me at http://webpages.charter.net/zaroths

Sorry for the Silence

2009-06-24T08:21:00.000-05:00

I wanted to first apologize for my recent level of inactivity. Life has been busy between children, work and writing.

For the last month or so, I’ve been revising “Who’s to Blame,” working with my editor and cover artist on “10:15,” and have been rewriting “The Devil’s Oak.” So far, “Who’s to Blame,” is being resubmitted after the first rejection, “10:15” is finished with the edits and I’m just waiting to hear when it will officially be released by Eternal Press and “The Devil’s Oak,” isn’t growing as fast as I’d like.

Just to give you an idea of a day in the life of Trent, I get up at 5:30 am, go to work for 6:30, work on the Marine Corps Reserve’s web site (when the server is working correctly) all day, write during the breaks at work, leave at 3 pm, work out until 5 and then take the kids to swim class until 6:30 and finally go home to start the process all over again. I would love to work at home, but the kids need my attention, so I usually end up checking email and my profile sites.

Hope everyone is well and has a great week. I’ll write more if I can.

Trent