What Are Anna H's Thoughts About Audiobooks & Soundtracks As An Author?

 

How's it going lurkers? I read an informative article on The Creative Penn about audiobooks being the future trend in self-publishing.

Audiobooks: Tips For Distribution With ACX And Marketing Ideas

The thought of this is a great idea! If someone happens to be a self-publishing author, this can be of some benefit. People don't always have the time and energy to sit down and read a physical book.

More should take into consideration, that not everyone enjoys reading. Therefore, an audiobook can possibly attract a bigger audience consisting of both book readers and non-book readers.

Don't get me wrong. Even though my current chapbook is bound yet unpublished, I plan on having it expanded, revised, and rebound for publishing.

At the risk of sounding cheesy, I keep my chapbook stashed on the side of my bed. It's there as a reminder of my past and future accomplishments.

Aside from my old Carthage College chapbook, I want the next version of my chapbook to be rebound in a smaller hardcover and converted into ebooks and audiobooks. That same chapbook would include a soundtrack. 

Think about it! Doesn't that sound like a cool idea? After all, some popular stories and movies have audiobooks. The same applies to Manga (Japanese comic books) in Japan.

Some of the most popular "Light Novels," Manga, Anime, video games, etc. in Japan have what they call, "Drama CD's."

Imagine being a reader or a really busy parent listening to an author's audiobook, while driving to work, picking up kids, and/or traveling. 

Having an audiobook is especially convenient for busy multi-taskers.

I reiterate, audiobooks can potentially increase an author's fandom with non-book readers. This is something to definitely keep into consideration.

You are probably wondering, "Anna," who would you want to voice/narrate your audiobooks?"

I have been thinking about Anime voice actors such as Crispin Freeman and Johnny Yong Bosch, to only name 2 examples. I've also considered actors and musicians such as Wes Borland from Black Light Burns/Limp Bizkit and Jared Leto. 

I definitely wouldn't mind having Jared voice Alan a.k.a. "Loose Lips" for "All Of Chastity's Men." In past interviews, Jared mentioned that he enjoys playing characters that die in movies. I haven't decided if I am going to kill "Loose Lips." However, he is getting tortured without a doubt. You'll have to forgive me for being such a sadist.

I don't know, which voice actresses I would want on my audiobook. That would be a tough decision to make. 

Since I already have years of experience doing PA announcements in Japanese and worked as a Radio DJ/Hostess, I would probably do the narration and voice acting for my female protagonists. 

More money for my wallet, right?

I do not want my short stories to be turned into movies. Hollywood filmmakers are skilled at turning movies based on books into Shit Sandwiches. Take Queen of the Damned, for example. Anytime Anne Rice said the movie was a "great disappointment," you know it's bad.

Anne Rice's Thoughts About Queen of the Damned

Queen of the Damned was a shitty movie. Jonathan Davis as the ticket scalper was the BEST part about it. God knows it wasn't Aaliyah and Stuart Townsend's horrendous acting. Just thinking about those 2 make me clinch my chest from pain.

No disrespect to the late Aaliyah because I did enjoy some of her songs during my youth, and I believe that had she been alive today, we wouldn't be forced to endure Beyonce ad nauseam. 

Despite her singing and dancing, Aaliyah could NEVER act. Ever try watching Romeo Must Die? I rest my case.

Luckily, the Queen of the Damned Soundtrack compensated for that trainwreck of a movie. Ugh!

Speaking of soundtracks, I don't know every soloist and group, that I would want on a soundtrack for my work if any of my work EVER had a soundtrack. However, Enigma's song, "I Love You... I'll Kill You" would be my ideal theme song for "All Of Chastity's Men." Listening to the song is quite fitting.

The more I think about it, my readers would probably enjoy "All Of Chastity's Men" more than "Across The Street."

"All Of Chastity's Men" is probably my longest short story compared to all the other short stories I've written within the last 3-8 years. I wasn't planning on turning that particular story into a novel but anything is possible.

Right now, I'm playing everything by ear. The biggest challenge with finishing it is how much of my past do I want to insert into this story.

It is a Semi-Fiction Woman Scorned type of Horror Story. When I say, "Semi," I mean not everything in it is true. It is still Fiction.

Before anyone asks, no I have never killed anyone, unless killing them on paper qualifies. No, I am not a misandrist ("man-hating feminazi").

Women without any self-respect and sleazebag men love to label me a "man-hater" because I reject them and/or refuse to be submissive. Otherwise, I am automatically considered a "threat" in almost every aspect.

Most of the time, my female co-workers viewed me as a threat to them. I never bought into the whole "sisterhood" bullshit.

Then again, I have no sisters (at least not to my knowledge). It's always about, "Who's the alpha female?" Anyway, this is all I have to say, for now. Let me know what you think!

Enigma "I Love You... I'll Kill You" The Cross of Changes (1993)

How About Scheduling Time For Writing?

How's it going lurkers? Since last weekend, I have been really busy. No need to worry. I should be able to publish more Song Saturday and Cartoon Sunday blogs over the weekend.

When it comes to writing, I wonder how many writers have been experiencing the same issues, that I have been facing.

Every time I plan to add more to my latest story, "All Of Chastity's Men" I keep backburning it for sleep, sinuses, blogging, social networking, watching TV, people throwing monkey wrenches into my original plans, and simply PROCRASTINATION.

Yes, believe it or not, I do seem to procrastinate, when it comes to adding more to "All Of Chastity's Men." I think I already have about 15 handwritten pages.

Am I writing a novel?

To be honest with you, I don't know yet. I am basically playing it all by ear. "All Of Chastity's Men" could become a short story, novella, or a novel. It is all a matter of writing everything onto paper. Then, going from there.

I recently subscribed to Marie Forleo's page on Stalkbook Facebook. She is great at giving advice. Earlier, I browsed through her YouTube Channel.

Suddenly, I stumbled upon this video about how to write a book, while being too busy making money. Currently, I am unemployed. Even though I'm unemployed, I can still try applying what Marie says in her vlog to my time management. Also, I thought I would share this vlog with all my readers.

Marie Forleo is informative, as well as entertaining to watch. Anyway, I'll cut to the chase and let you watch this informative yet entertaining vlog by her.

Marie Forleo's Advice For Scheduling Time To Write (2011)

Vampire Apocalypse, Doppelgangers, & Alternate Universe

This blog was originally published on March 14, 2014 at Horror-Punks.com.

How's it going creepers? On Wednesday, I briefly mentioned on Stalkbook Facebook that I had this crazy dream. I dreamt that I was back at my 2nd college, UW-Parkside.

In the dream, a vampire apocalypse and some incredibly bizarre, alternate universe simultaneously existed. Everyone had doppelgangers, including yours truly. 

This alternate universe somewhat resembled that old Buffy: The Vampire Slayer episode, "Doppelgangland." 

If you have ever watched "Doppelgangland," you will understand what I am about to discuss. However, if you have never seen "Doppelgangland," it's from Season 3: Episode 16. 

"Doppelgangland" was a continuation of Season 3: Episode 9's "The Wish." It has been years, since I last watched Buffy: The Vampire Slayer. If memory serves me right, "The Wish" episode was right after Cordelia caught Xander cheating on her with Willow.

After Cordelia and Xander had both split up, she met Anyanka a.k.a. "Anya," who was a vengeance demon (she later became Xander's fiancee). Anyanka granted wishes to scorned women, typically. 

Cordelia wished that Buffy never attended Sunnydale High School and her wish triggered an alternate universe.

In the alternate universe, The Master rose from the dead. Then, vampires started to over populate and dominate Sunnydale. Gradually, Giles discovered a way to reverse Cordelia's wish by destroying Anya's necklace. Anya's destroyed necklace resulted in her losing her vengeance demon powers.

Eventually, Anyanka re-appeared in "Doppelgangland." Anya tricked Willow into assisting her in a failed attempt to recover her necklace and tried regaining her vengeance demon powers through magic spells.

Their failed attempt at the spell transported Willow's vampire doppelganger to Sunnydale, where they both met each other.

Returning to Wednesday's dream, there was a vampire apocalypse and we all had our own doppelgangers at UW-Parkside. When I saw my doppelganger, I RAN like hell. 

In fact, there was a major stampede. Everyone on campus ran from their own doppelgangers. Some of us instantly climbed the campus walls and buildings. 

Some people would've assumed that a shooting happened on campus (we actually did have a campus shoot-out, during Thanksgiving Break 2002). I don't know whether to consider this disturbing dream to be a so-called "day terror," bad omen, OR simply just a fucked up dream.

On Wednesday evening, I went onto Dream Moods and read its dream analyses. I searched the words "apocalypse," "doppelganger," "alternate universe," and "vampires."

According to Dream Moods, here is what the dream analyses said:

Apocalypse- "To dream of the apocalypse signifies an emotional and dramatic change taken place within yourself. The dream may also indicate the end of one kind of lifestyle and the beginning of another."

Doppelganger- "To see your own doppelganger in your dream is a reflection of your negative actions. The dream is showing you the consequences of your actions and what you should not do. Alternatively, the dream signifies bad luck, danger, and/or illness.

To dream that you are fighting with your doppelganger means that you are struggling between good and evil and right and wrong. If you kill your own doppelganger, then it indicates that you have successfully repressed certain negative emotions from surfacing."

Universe- "To see the universe in your dream signifies the endless possibilities. You need to look at the overall big picture. Alternatively, the dream brings to your attention that we are all interconnected in some way."

Vampires- "To see a vampire in your dream symbolizes seduction and sensuality, as well as fear and death. The vampire represents contrasting images of civilized nobility and aggression/ferocity. It may depict someone in your waking life whose charm may ultimately prove harmful. Deep down inside, you know that this person is bad for you, yet you are still drawn to her or him. Vampires also sometimes relate to decisions about sex and losing your virginity. Alternatively, to see a vampire suggests that you are feeling physically or emotionally drained. The vampire may also be symbolic of someone who is addicted to drugs or someone in an obsessive relationship.

To dream that you are a vampire signifies that you are sucking in the life energy of others for your own selfish benefit."

You may be wondering, "How do these apply to you, Anna?" 

I'm no dream analysis expert, but I'll take a stab in the dark. When it comes to the apocalypse, I have been upset with quite a few people lately in real life. 

Some refuse to acknowledge that their friends are complete assholes. They will defend their asshole friends, if not justify WHY their friends are total assholes, until they are blue in the face.

I do NOT expect for our mutual friends to choose me over their other friends.

However, I refuse to attend ANY AND ALL social events, which require us to be in each others physical presence. Therefore, I have chosen to social distance myself from certain friends, especially flaky, cheap talking friends.

As for doppelgangers, I keep pondering about my own. Reading that part about my supposed doppelganger being a "bad omen" made me worry about my health. 

I was expecting something bad to physically happen to me. Instead, on Thursday morning around 3 am-ish, my mother had another mild seizure.

I suppose my doppelganger signified some sort of payback for something. I am unsure of what the payback was for but regardless, my mother had another seizure.  

Over these last several years, I have noticed that every time she has a seizure, it is usually before her birthday. My mother was born in late April, so you are welcome to do the math on my doppelganger's significance.

I have no clear idea what the alternate universe represents. Maybe this is saying everyone has a good and evil side to themselves. Otherwise, it could possibly be saying that everybody has a doppelganger somewhere in an alternate universe; Anything is possible.

Last but surely not the least are vampires. Lately, I've been feeling physically and emotionally drained. This is the main reason why I have been struggling to write my latest story, All Of Chastity's Men.

I am somewhat basing this Semi-Fictional Story on scumbag exes and other people's friends from over the years. This includes wanting revenge for being screwed over within these last 3 years. 

I think it is safe to say, that All Of Chastity's Men has a "woman scorned" theme to it with Horror elements.

Meanwhile, I've had obsessive feelings for someone for more than a decade. He is like a drug addiction, that I cannot seem to permanently break. 

Speaking of drug addiction, I have been told by some of his friends that he is a drug addict. Because so many people love to tell lies, especially HIS friends, I don't know how much of it is the truth and how much are complete lies.

A lot of lying, backstabbing, manipulating, and opportunism are involved regarding HIS so-called "friends."

He always has a tendency to stay friends with jealous and petty people. They resent the fact, that I ever had feelings for him rather than for THEM. They also lied to me in the past with their OWN hidden agendas.

How do I know whether or not they are telling me the truth about him and/or about each other? So, based on all this information, what are your thoughts?

What Was It Like Taking Creative Writing Classes In Both High School And College?

How's it going lurkers? Recently, I read the BuzzFeed Books article, "19 Things Women Writers Are Sick Of Hearing."

As a female writer, I highly empathize with some of the questions, that are too frequently asked. Number 9 was something I was too frequently asked in Creative Writing my high school senior year.

If you have not read the article above, the 9th question was, "Why are your poems so angry?"

I love Aricka Foreman's answer, "Because you asked me that dumbass question." After Aricka's answer, she drew a heart. Hilarious. Gotta love it.

I hated listening to my Creative Writing teacher and classmates in high school constantly asking me the 9th question.

In more primitive times, people expected women to always write the stereotypical cutesy, girly, shiny, happy people holding hands, and to be all daisies and dun barrels with gumdrops and unicorns being farted from the sky.

Reality Check: It's not all daisies and dun barrels and everything surely isn't always going to be gumdrops and unicorns.

Sir Thomas More's Utopia is a Communist philosophical fantasy; It NEVER existed. Welcome to the real world where our freedom can be compromised, if not destroyed at any given time.

Sometimes there is no silver lining to everything. Sometimes you are just screwed over by people, who you once loved and trusted in your life. 

Later, you ask yourself, "Why did this have to happen to me of all people?!"

It has been a decade, since I last wrote any poems. Writing poetry was my personal catharsis. By the time I was a Creative Writing Minor, my Creative Writing professors "dug my shit."

My professors could actually feel my anger and every painful emotion I poured onto paper, which was something they could not say about most of my Creative Writing classmates.

Most only took Creative Writing because they assumed it was an easy "A" elective. They didn't expect the amount of work and creativity their writing would require.

I don't know what was and still is the most annoying, students believing they can bullshit themselves into easy "A's" in Creative Writing? Or students, who already KNEW they were required to workshop their writing?

Granted, when I started taking Creative Writing the last semester of my high school senior year, I RARELY shared my work.

I was already notorious for lusting for a pretty boy guitarist outside of my race. He then became my Valentine's Day Secret Admirer. The truth was not revealed to me, until a few days before Graduation Day.

What can I say? I have always had a thing for musicians dating back to my childhood, during the 1980's. Feel free to blame '80s Metal bands played on MTV, if you want.

During the late '90s and early 21st Century, interracial couples and being attracted to someone of the opposite race were somewhat still taboo. Then again, I was always an outcast and still am 3 decades later.

Because it was taboo for a kook like moi to lust for a pretty boy guitarist (imagine Jordan Catalano's doppelganger except younger and more intelligent), I endured more than public humiliation for 7 hours daily.

The mind games he and our student body generally played made it difficult for me to share all of my work. He and I shared the exact same Creative Writing Class, while he played mind games by flirting with another girl in front of me. Outside of her having a big ass, she could've used the so-called "Bitch Bag;" She was fugly.

Adding insult to injury, that same girl always felt the need to single me out by always volunteering me to share all my Creative Writing with our class. 95% of the time, I did not.

There was also a time, when we were assigned to do Collage Poetry. I created a Collage Poem about ANOTHER boy from my past. 

Everyone, including Jordan Catalano's doppelganger automatically assumed it was about himself. That day I wanted to hang myself outside our classroom window with a noose. 

The situation was THAT  much of a humiliating misunderstanding, too. Luckily by the time I was a college student, I was not forced to endure the amount of paranoia, anxiety, and public humiliation I already endured throughout high school.

In college, there is usually a broad age range of adult students ranging from high school graduates to senior citizens. That may sound like a sarcastic joke, but I'm serious.

As I digress, when it comes to any Art or Creative Writing course, students are required to share their work in class.

Workshopping is about handling constructive criticism. If people cannot handle constructive criticism, they do not belong in any Art or Creative Writing course. Sure, there are some rude, immature, and ignorant classmates in these types of classes, but it's inevitable. You'll love this.

My college junior year, we had to create an Instructional Poem for Creative Writing. A classmate wrote an Instructional Poem about how to apply make-up. 

Her poem never went any deeper; There was nothing in the writing about hiding flaws behind a mask or anything of the sort. Some friends and classmates felt that their intelligence were highly insulted. 

The next semester, I wrote my short story titled, "The Bill Collector." "The Bill Collector" is already bound in It's Not All Bunnies And Sunshine (chapbook). 

In my short story, the so-called bill collector stalks my protagonist, Alice. Everyone in my Creative Writing night class couldn't stop talking about "The Bill Collector." 

My short story triggered LOTS of discussion the night I workshopped it for Creative Writing. 

That same shallow twat from my previous semester of Creative Writing had the audacity to call "The Bill Collector" "a bunch of fluff." Everyone in class looked at her like she was stupid because she WAS a total dumb ass.

BTW: That same dumb ass was getting her BA in Secondary Education!

I pity her students because she's like a blind, superficial, space cadet leading the blind.

The next session, she returned with her tail between her legs, ate some crow, and decided to kiss my ass in the process. Not that I was expecting her to do so, but I found it highly laughable. 

I do NOT  write "a bunch of fluff." If anything, I have always been highly controversial. 

Whenever I finish writing "All Of Chastity's Men," I already know some will automatically label me as being a "man-hater."

If it is not women highly lacking in self-respect, it will typically be butt-hurt womanizers with crushed toes calling me a "man-hater."

Little do those people know that my audience has ALWAYS been male-dominated. SURPRISE! So, let the demonization begin!

Song Saturday: Morgan Ames' Santa's Watching

How's it going lurkers? Can you believe that we only have 1 more week, until Christmas? 

I have been snow shoveling, taking it easy, and brainstorming more ideas for my story, All Of Chastity's Men. 

Eventually, I will return to writing it. I have been somewhat naughty by procrastinating about writing more to my story. I have also been procrastinating about watching some Christmas Slasher films.

I am amazed that all the cable/satellite channels have been airing Christmas Chick flicks and regular Horror YET  they refuse to air any Christmas Slashers. I'm willing to bet the networks refuse to air any Christmas Slashers because they fear another backlash, that happened in 1984.

In case you did not already know, 1984 was a very controversial year in entertainment. I was only 2 years old in 1984, when "Parental Advisory" stickers were to be branded onto EXPLICIT albums and the PG-13 rating was launched.

The Christmas Slasher, Silent Night, Deadly Night, was released in movie theaters, that same year. Silent Night, Deadly Night's filmmaker received huge backlash.

Supposedly, a few careless parents took their children to watch a Christmas Slasher. This happened in my old hometown, Milwaukee, WI.

Last year, I discussed said incident with family. My mother claimed she would change the channel, whenever the commercial aired. Otherwise, I would scream. I watched the original 1984 movie trailer on YouTube.

Being a Horror author and fan, the music score and commercial voiceover automatically send chills down my spine. Then again, Horror movie trailers especially those for Slashers USED to actually be frightening, unlike TODAY'S trailers. 

Parents couldn't help noticing nearly 30 years ago, that a man dressed as Santa Claus was carrying an AXE and KILLING PEOPLE.

When I went onto Wikipedia last year, I discovered there is ACTUALLY  a Christmas Slasher Genre. There are Christmas Slashers predating back to 1972. That was 10 years before I was born. During the early 1970's, my family lived overseas (I was born into a family of military brats).

Christmas Slashers before 1984 received no backlash whatsoever. Because some parents in Milwaukee were SO careless and unobservant of the Silent Night, Deadly Night trailer, they took their children to watch a SERIAL KILLER dressed as Santa Claus only and traumatized them.

Siskel and Ebert, along with those careless parents berated the filmmaker for their own irresponsibilities. Talk about ridiculousness.

This makes some of us adults wonder how many parents took their children to watch last year's Silent Night remake, which was released in select movies theaters.

Last year, I watched the 2012 trailer for the movie. Even though the Santa Claus mask is frightening, I highly doubt the Silent Night remake is better than the original.

Most Horror reboots and remakes typically suck. Hopefully, I will have a chance to watch some of the other Christmas Slashers.

Because I am very curious to know how disturbing they are compared to their trailers, I want to watch those Christmas Slashers.

Since the Silent Night, Deadly Night movie from 1984 was heavily discussed in today's Song Saturday blog, I thought I would share its supposed theme song by Morgan Ames. 

Morgan Ames "Santa's Watching" Silent Night, Deadly Night Soundtrack (1984)