Author: ejurus

  • Plotting a novel old-school – Excel spreadsheets are still alive!

    Plotting a novel old-school – Excel spreadsheets are still alive!

    “It’s alive! It’s alive!” cries Dr. Frankenstein cries in the classic 1931 movie. I was starting to feel like his creation, plodding away with my Excel spreadsheets to plot out my novels, when I came across something that made my little old-fashioned heart beat again. Excel, the clunky, cumbersome software…

  • Dark, Crumbling and Intense

    Dark, Crumbling and Intense

    “Who shall conceive the horrors of my secret toil, as I dabbled among the unhallowed damps of the grave…” Victor Frankenstein Another year gone – it’s hard to believe that we’re now twenty-six years past the qualms of New Year’s Eve 1999. After what I hope was a lovely holiday…

  • A New Year’s Message

    A New Year’s Message

    Live well and healthy in the coming year. Pursue at least one of your dreams! Dream big.

  • Holiday wishes

    Holiday wishes

  • Murder & Mayhem at Christmas

    Murder & Mayhem at Christmas

    Are the usual Christmas movies so sugary-sweet they set your teeth on edge? All beautifully-decorated-homes that seem to clean themselves, and perfect family meals that appear out of decorating-magazine kitchens? Then take a ‘stab’ at Christmas-themed murder mysteries, or the raft of holiday suspense and horror movies. Sometimes I’m in…

  • Guilty holiday pleasures

    Guilty holiday pleasures

    Holiday madness and excess already getting to you? It may be time to shut off the phone, lock the door and indulge in some guilty pleasure time. What’s your guilty holiday pleasure? Do you secretly binge on Hallmark movies? Stash and eat festive chocolates? Lock yourself into the bathroom for…

  • Tea and Topics: A magical journey for some, not all

    Tea and Topics: A magical journey for some, not all

    This is a fast post, as I’m getting everything ready for the Holiday Comic Con this Saturday. I’m drinking a cup of Library Blend tea, and reflecting on how there always has to be at least one grinch in a crowd. From the first time I ever watched The Polar…

  • A spicy holiday season

    A spicy holiday season

    I love the scents of winter! For me, it’s all about the feeling you get when you smell pumpkin spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, gingerbread and spruce. Taylor Swift Sometimes Taylor speaks for all of us. When the weather in the northern hemisphere turn harsh and the nights grow longer, comfort foods…

  • The Hidden

    The Hidden

    A spooky theme in November? What the heck? Well, today is Occult Day, a day for us to indulge curiosity about what lies beyond. A lot of people believe that there’s more to our world than meets the everyday eye. We want to believe that there’s something beyond being born,…

  • Fun with Podcast Interviews

    Fun with Podcast Interviews

    “She finds out that a lot of our Earth history isn’t necessarily what we have been led to believe.” Author How do you talk about yourself? When I was invited to be on a podcast featuring indie authors recently, the first thing I did was research into how not to…