Guest Promo (XI)

Let's give a warm welcome to a fellow author Victoria Roder and her compelling novel

        Haunting of Ingersull Penitentiary.

  Blurb

Imagine walking down the dark damp, desolate walkway between deserted prison cells and still hearing moaning, crying, footsteps or cell doors slamming. America’s abandoned penitentiaries once know for isolation and torture inspired my paranormal thriller Haunting of Ingersull Penitentiary.
 Converting the former federal prison Ingersull Penitentiary into The Big House Inn swallowed Hailey Price’s inheritance from her murdered mother and deceased father’s estate. But, with any luck, the rumors of the federal complex being haunted will boost interest of the Inn. The abandoned Penitentiary, cursed by a witch, is in a constant battle of good verses evil, an eternal struggle for the souls that enter the complex.

The residual haunts are the least of the frightening occurrences at the Inn. An electrical storm traps the visitors with a possessed Ouija board and the spirit of a condemned witch with an ancient curse. The visitors spend a heart pounding night in the battle of good verses evil. It might be Heaven checking into The Big House Inn, but it’s Hell checking out.
Excerpt

Turning toward the desk, her heart jumped in her chest. Upon it sat an Ouija game board which she would swear had not been there a moment ago. Holding her breath she closed her eyes for a second. Slowly opening them didn’t change the fact. The game remained perched on the desk.

Talking out loud calmed her shaking hands. “I just overlooked it when I walked in.” We signed papers on that desk. I would have seen it.  No. No it had to be there the whole time. The dumb game was there the whole time. Shake it off.

She glanced at the framed pictures of former wardens lining the far wall. The portrait representing 1963 to 1972 caught her attention. It was the only photograph of a warden pictured with his wife. Through her research, Hailey discovered that Maryann Armstrong was a direct descendent of Jonat Ingersull, the man the penitentiary was named after.

“Charles and Maryann Armstrong. Oh, so serious. They don’t look very happily ever after. At least I’m not the only one that didn’t get the fairytale.”

Turning from the portraits she made her way to the registration desk. Picking up the Ouija game, she opened the drawer. Tossing it inside, she slammed the drawer shut.

“There. I hate those creepy games.” 

A dark shadow darted past. A cold shiver rocked her body. Jerking her head, she followed the dark mass’s movement. It disappeared. 

 The author

Victoria Roder is the author of three mystery novels, ‘Bolt Action’, Champagne Books Group; ‘Haunting of Ingersull Penitentiary’, MIU Publishing and ‘The Dream House Visions and Nightmares’, Asylett Press. Middle grade mysteries ‘The Curse of King Ramesses II’, Wild Child publishing and ‘Sled Dog Tales’, DWB Children’s Line. Picture books ‘An Important Job to Do: A Noah’s Ark Tale’, nominated for Picture Book of the Year 2013 by Small Christian Publishers Association and ‘What if a Zebra had Triangles?’ DWB Children’s Line; a teen puzzle book ‘Directions For Life’, Dancing With Bear Publishing; and the inspirational biblical devotional ‘It’s Not You – It’s Them: Six Steps to Healing and Thriving After Abuse’, Dancing With Bear Publishing.  Her short stories have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Coffee Lover’s Soul, A Cup of Comfort for Adoptive Families, and a variety of other anthologies.  She has had several articles and puzzles in magazines. 

Please feel free to stop at her website and visit www.victoriaroder.com

Buy links

Amazon  

Museituppublishing.

 

Mysterious Romania (III) Dracula's Ghost Haunting the Place

                                      A witches' shrine or a portal to another world?   

You must admit that paranormal exists. Have you never experienced a feeling of deja-vu? Or a premonitory dream? Or a feeling of imminent danger? I know scientists disagree and always insist  asking for explanations but I’m sure the world is more than we can feel with our senses, or what all kind of apparata register. I feel confident that one day telepathy or teleportation will be taught in schools the same as  electricity is today. Until that moment, let’s continue with revealing to you those places in Romania where reality is defeated by paranormal phenomena. 

The Witches’ Pond is situated somewhere in Boldu-Creteasca Forest, a thirty minutes distance from Bucharest to Stefanesti. It's a relatively small pond, a few  meters in diameter and two meters deep. Its size is no impediment for the witches who gather here on nights preceding certain events: St George, St Andrew or  when they say the gates to other worlds will open. The witches charge their magical powers, that are passed from generation to generation.
Whispered rumors about the place

A lot of legends are woven in connection with this pond. Some say that the sheep or cows that come to graze here become barren. Others say that women who wanted to get rid of an unwanted pregnancy would come here, dip their feet in the water and keep them in there for a couple of hours. Inexplicably they would get ill and lose the child, though some even lost their lives in the process. There are  people claiming that  the ghost of Vlad Tepes (the Impaler), killed here in 1476, haunts this place.

Horses coming closer to the pond become agitated, they neigh nervously and refuse to advance or drink from the water. In 2009 a small pony is brought in the forest by a stunt woman. The pony gets very agitated and the woman took  off his saddle and rein in the hope he will go back to the base as he was trained to do. But he rushed directly into the pond and started to  trundle in the water, as people say animals do in cursed places. The woman ran to the base to call for help,as closer by was a camp of the stunt-crew she was working for, but when she returned with other people  the pony was nowhere in sight. He'd disappeared. 
Gate to another world?

The pond is said to be a gate to another world. Anything dropped or thrown in it vanishes for ever. Some say that people in the area threw a heavy boulder, weighing around 20 kilograms, in it. It was completely swollen by the waters in a couple of weeks. After the devastating earthquake in 1977, some witnesses claim that many trucks tilted the debris from Bucharest in the pond trying to destroy it. The debris vanished in a few weeks as if it never existed.

I haven't visited the place, but you can find it mentioned in my, soon to come, novel  Dracula's Mistress. The same as in Shadows of the Past, my already released paranormal romance, paranormal elements play an important  role in the characters' life.

Buy Link: Wild Child Publishing
Buy Link:  Amazon

Writing Tips (IV)

 The Query Letter II

 Reblogged from

http://www.writersdigestshop.com/ 

How do I format a query letter?

In order to make an excellent impression on agents and editors, you must format your query correctly. This entails being aware of an agency’s or publication’s submission guidelines and following them completely. In the case where there are no specific guidelines available, here are some general formatting tips for query letters:

• If you query via e-mail, be sure your e-mail address is professional.
• If querying by mail, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE). This way an editor or agent can notify you when the work has been accepted or rejected.
• Keep it to one page. Agents and editors are very busy and are looking for a lot of information in a small amount of space.
• Format it to industry standards. This means white paper, black ink, and Times New Roman size 12 font.
• Include the date, the editor’s/agent’s name and title, the magazine or agency name and address, and your name and contact information (address, phone, fax, and e-mail).
• Address it to the right editor or agent. When in doubt, call the publisher or magazine and ask who to send it to. Or buy one of our Writer’s Market books for detailed listings.
• Spell the name of the publisher or magazine correctly and have an accurate address. Sometimes companies have multiple addresses or locations. If this is the case, know which location or address your contact works at.

What makes a query letter successful?

Remember, a query letter is your chance to introduce yourself to an agent or editor—someone who could potentially publish your work.
The first element of a successful query letter is the referral. When you write a query, don’t generalize your letter with a “Dear Mr. or Mrs.” Instead, be sure to address the agent or editor specifically. Make the extra effort to find out about them. Search online and see what they’ve written about or have mentioned what they are looking for. Then reference the information you learned about them in your query. For example, if you both attended the same writing conference, mention how you met. For more ways to approach editors and agents, read the Guide to Literary Agents or go to WritersMarket.com.
A secondary element to include in your query is the basic information about your proposed story or idea. If you’ve written a fiction piece, mention the title and genre your work fits best in. If you are a nonfiction writer, talk about your proposed title or category for your book. You should also include a one-sentence summary of your story and your final manuscript’s word count or proposed word count of your nonfiction book.
The third element is the hook, which makes up the bulk of your query letter. This is where you talk about the subject matter (for nonfiction) or the characters, plot, and conflict (for fiction). This section should be between 100 and 200 words long.
For fiction writers, focus on who your protagonist is, the conflict the protagonist faces, and the setting—where and when does it take place? You can mention a couple major story beats, but do not give away the ending. For both nonfiction and fiction writers, it’s important to mention how your particular story or idea is different from other books on the same topic. Remember, you are trying to sell your work or idea to a potential publisher. Make sure your unique selling proposition is compelling. One way to achieve this is by avoiding addressing minor plots or characters in a fiction query. For a nonfiction query, you could mention the subject matter, your unique approach, and who the intended audience is.
The fourth element is the bio. In essence, the bio allows you to share with an editor or agent who you are and what expertise you may have. What makes you an authority on your subject? If it is relevant, nonfiction writers can mention their academic background, amount of research they’ve conducted on their proposal’s topic and their most recent (but relevant) published articles. Additionally, writers of either genre can mention their platforms. In this case, it’s okay to include how many Facebook, Twitter, or blog followers you may have because editors and agents want to see the ways in which you connect with your audience and how people know you and your work.
The final element of a query letter is the closing. This is when you should politely thank the agent or editor for their time and make them aware that you are prepared to send the appropriate additional materials at their request. Then sign your query and include your contact information at the bottom of the letter.
Here is an example of a successful query letter:

In summation, a good query letter should show the agent or editor you’ve done your homework; provide them with the key pieces of information they are looking for; get them interested in seeing more; and make them aware that you are prepared to send the appropriate additional materials. Good luck!