Going from "oh" to "OH!"

 Sometimes it takes a few minutes for things to click.

 

You probably know what I’m talking about. You hear something that is of vital importance, something that requires your immediate attention or action, or something that you realize could play an important role in a current project, and after a few minutes …. The realization hits.

 

That was me a lot recently, with some books I had pending publication.

 

The story for my first children’s horror book is actually one I was inspired to write after I purchased a book cover from a cover designer. This book cover had a zombie on it. I figured I would use the cover for a YA zombie story I soon began writing, but then another zombie story idea struck. This one was for kids. Since one of my publisher’s put out a call for children’s horror stories, I decided to submit this one.

 

However, I didn’t have a title yet. But I knew of a youngster who might be able to help me out with the title. I was chatting with his dad one day and this particular youngster became a part of the conversation. (His dad is also an author and we often talk shop.) That conversation led to throwing around ideas for what to title my children’s zombie story. Because the kid’s vote won, I dedicated the book to him.

 

Fast forward to a few weeks later. My book has been accepted by the publisher and it is in the queue to get published. I find out that the child I dedicated the book to has a birthday coming up!

 

At first, I was like, “Oh. Cool.” Then, later, I was, like, “OH!”

 

I contacted the editor of this imprint to let her know about the child’s upcoming birthday. We have been scrambling to get this book published in time for it to be available to give him as a birthday gift. (At first, I was all like, “I understand if we can’t make it happen” and my editor responded with, “WE’RE GONNA MAKE IT HAPPEN!!” Have I mentioned lately how awesome they are??)

 

And guess what?? The books are out NOW! They are available today, on the birthday boy’s special day! How exciting!

 

You can check out this new book, Zombie Boy, here.

 

This kind of thing happened again later on with another book. I have a poetry book coming out by this same publisher soon. I have been promoting it here and there on social media. While trying to figure out the right hashtags to use, plus what angle to promote the book with, I realized that the poems as they were just didn’t get the themes across very well. I mean, to be honest, it was pretty weak.

 

It really could be better.

 

Then I saw ALL of these posts on X about how meaningful it is that a woman is running for President this year and just what kind of impact it could have for restoring reproductive rights. This happened right after I finished proofreading a story included in another forthcoming book that I wrote in response to the overturning of Roe vs. Wade in 2020. Women’s rights are important to me, as are reproductive rights, and I really wanted this theme to be stronger in the book. Plus, I just wrote a poem supporting gay relationships that my youngest really enjoyed reading, so I thought that poem should go into the book as well.

 

That’s when it hit me: With these poems in this book and with this stronger theme of the poems, it might have actually make a difference to readers during THIS particular election year.

 

That’s when I went from “oh” to “OH!” I realized the importance of that theme and it was good timing for this book to be published. (I actually thanked my publisher for scheduling this book’s release for before the election. She knew what she was doing!)

 

So I contacted my publisher and asked if I could add poems to this manuscript in order to make those themes stronger. She said yes, I added them after getting more feedback from beta readers, and now we wait for this book’s release. I am even more excited about this book’s pending release than I was before. I hope it really will send a message of strength and perseverance to the fight for women’s rights as well as LGBTQA+ rights!

 

It’s funny how things seem to happen at certain times. It’s like they are pieces of a puzzle we need to put together. I’m so glad that, in the case of these two books, I managed to put them together in time!

Scared to Death: New anthology for young readers offers spine-tingling stories of ghosts, vampires, zombies – and more!

 

Shortly after I had a couple of books accepted by PsychoToxin Press, I was brought onboard as Marketing Manager. Then I was invited to submit a short story for an anthology the then YA Editor, Brandon Wills, was putting together for the YA imprint. I was thrilled because I actually had a short story to submit.

 

What was even better is that this particular anthology was a tribute to R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps™ series! I am a huge fan of the series – yes, even as an adult! I just love reading spooky stories meant for all ages. Also, the story I had to submit was inspired by the Goosebumps™ books! (No book in particular; I just got the idea for the story after spending days reading several of the books.) I submitted my short story, “My New (Dead) Best Friend,” and it was accepted. Yay!

 

Then, sometime later, I was informed that Brandon resigned. I was asked if I would take his post as YA Editor and I said yes. (Later, I resigned from my post as Marketing Manager, because it was not possible to juggle the two roles very effectively.) Now I read both YA and middle grade (MG) submissions for PsychoToxin Press.

 

So now not only was I in the anthology (as Dawn Colclasure), but now I was co-editor for it (as Dawn Wilson).

 

Brandon had already edited my story, and thankfully, he took some time to go over my revised story after I revised it per his suggestions. He also worked with me on ideas for a cover for the book. Both he and PsychoToxin founder, Christopher Pelton, helped out to make sure everything was provided so that we could work as a team in getting this anthology filled and edited. Once edits were complete, I sent the stories to each contributor for approval. Some of them requested changes and additions and these were done. Once I had final approval on all stories, it was time to work on the cover!

 

I worked with the cover designer Ruth Anna Evans and she came up with something so amazing that I was super excited to buy copies of this book in the near future just so I could show off such awesomeness.

 

Then I sent the files to Cat Voleur, who was in charge of formatting everything for publication. Cat was up late working on it and emails, as well as messages on Twitter, were sent back and forth. Finally, the formatting work was done. I’m so grateful to Cat for her hard work and time spent on it!

 

The book, Scared to Death, was scheduled for a March 7 release but, unfortunately, there were delays. Today, however, the book is now available! Woo-hoo!

 

Thank you, Christopher Pelton, for entrusting me with this book. Thank you, Brandon Wills, for creating this project and helping me out after stepping down as YA Editor. Thank you, Ruth Anna Evans, for an awesome cover. And thank you, Cat Voleur, for the time you spent on the formatting! It was a pleasure working with you all.

 

Here is the book’s blurb:

 

Vampires! Ghosts! Zombies! RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!! Within the pages of this anthology lurk stories guaranteed to make the hair on the back of your neck stand up! From a cursed game that turns its players into monsters … a ghost cat on a quest for revenge … and killer snowmen on a rampage, these ten terrifying tales will have you sleeping with the lights on! Read these stories, if you dare!

 

This book includes stories from the following contributors:

 

R. Jeanie Burroughs ● Dawn Colclasure ● Marcus Damanda ●William F. Gray ● Michelle John ● Cyan LeBlanc ● Eric McMillion ●Caitlyn Pace ● Sharon Wagner ● Brandon Wills

 

Buy link

 

Check it out on Goodreads