Prepare yourselves, my lovelies! I finally did the photo shoot for the entire trilogy! I will give you a moment to overcome your sheer astonishment.
I know, I know. It took a bit. Well, as I said in a previous blog, after I changed the cover art for book 2, Amazon took its sweet time getting me the updated cover. I ordered author proofs, but they kept showing up with the old artwork. It was frustrating! But now, I have a copy with the correct design. So, the photo shoot commenced yesterday in a lovely cemetery! Check out these shots (there are so many more still to share!):
(Above is the OLD cover of Book 2. It has since been updated, but I have not done a new photo shoot.)
I also got a bit creative with some videos:
Not too shabby for a girl who has no clue what she’s doing, huh? I can’t wait to post more images. I got so many amazing shots yesterday! If you don’t already have your own copy of these spooktacular gems, you can get them here: https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B09VD96MBW. Go take a look!
Thank you all again for your continued support! It means the world to me! I’ll post again soon with more book stuff, but in the meantime, enjoy your Sunday! Until next time…
I started working on the next book recently. I hate to sound like a walking cliché, but I’m only truly happy when I am writing. After a much needed mental break following the launch of the last book (not a breakdown, mind you), I feel refreshed and ready to begin the next project! I am not quite ready to reveal the title (although I do have a title picked out), but I will confirm that this will be a collection of dark poetry. I am hoping to release it by the end of the year, but don’t quote me on that just yet.
Speaking of the previous books, I finally got my own copy of the new cover art for book 2. It only took me a few months and two author’s copies with the old cover on it. Thanks, Amazon. Anywho, now I can do an actual photoshoot of all the books! I plan to try and get out to a cemetery this weekend and stage some shots. I’ll post them on all my socials and also here on the blog. Be forewarned, once I have images for advertising the trilogy, I will be doing so with frequency. Please don’t block me. I have to get the word out somehow. If you do buy a copy of any of my books, please consider leaving a review. They help so much!
That is all I have for the moment. I am off to create some new dark delights for the upcoming book. Get caught up on the Tales from the Twisted Libra Cemetery here: https://www.amazon.com/Twisted-Libra/e/B09VD96MBW. Don’t forget to review! And stay tuned to this blog for more updates from yours truly! Until next time…
It is finally Fall here in the cemetery, and the abundance of reds, oranges, and yellows amongst the trees is absolutely enchanting! I adore the colors of Autumn, and each year they still amaze me. However, it occurred to me recently that the love that everyone seems to have for these vibrant hues is proof that we are all, on some level, in love with Death.
Allow me to explain: You see, the leaves only change color as they slowly die. When they have withered into the seasonal tones we all love so much, they eventually break loose from the tree and fall to the ground. Hence the alternative name for Autumn: Fall. As humanity is collectively oooh-ing and aaah-ing over the changing colors, what is actually being witnessed is the touching of the leaves by Death. People are mesmerized by the sight of something dying. I have always said there is beauty in Death, and now you know it’s true. The demise of the leaves brings about the wondrous shades of Fall, our eyes become transfixed by these shades, and we applaud the workings of Death divine.
You had no idea you were so macabre, did you? Well, my lovely, you are. We all are. Especially during the Autumn season. We revel in Death’s artwork as It paints the landscape with a fatal touch; cold, bony fingers creating brush strokes of red, orange, and yellow across the trees with a vision both alluring and morbid. The forests become a makeshift cemetery for the fallen leaves, their remains scattered by the cool breeze and the feet of passersby. When you walk along a leaf-strewn path, you are dancing among these remains, spreading the ashes of Spring and Summer.
So, take that thought with you. There is beauty in Death, and we are all a bit macabre in our own way. Embrace the artwork of Death. Breathe it in. Death paints with a gifted hand, and it deserves appreciation. Until next time…
What, you were expecting me to post some long, sad entry bemoaning the passing of October and the brief event that was Halloween? Nonsense. True, while I do enjoy October and the acceptance of all things spooky that society adopts during that month, as well as the ease with which I can purchase clothes and décor in actual stores rather than online, I live in a perpetual spooky season and everyday for me is Halloween. So I do not feel any type of sadness or despair when the calendar flips to November.
Things are actually quite happy here in the cemetery as of late. I am enjoying a brief hiatus from writing after completion of the Tales from the Twisted Libra Cemetery trilogy. You can find the entire series here: https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B09VD96MBW. If you do read one of my books, please consider leaving a review. It’s a wonderful way to show support for an indie author! Soon I will begin work on my next project. Yes, I already have another book planned and titled. All will be revealed soon, I promise!
Now, how about a little audience participation? Come on, it’s just one click. Help a girl out, would ya?
I do hope all you lovelies had a spooktacular October and a wonderfully wicked Halloween! Stay tuned for more updates on my next project soon. And don’t forget to drop by the cemetery over at http://www.twistedlibracemetery.com to find all my devilish creations! Follow your beloved Libra on Instagram, and share my post links on Facebook and Twitter! You can find all my links in my cemetery! I hope your November is full of dark pleasure and creepy delight! Until next time…
Your beloved Twisted Libra decided to venture away from the cemetery yesterday. Where to, you ask? Well, as a late birthday gift to myself, I took in a performance of Dracula by the Carolina Ballet. I won’t go on and on about it (because I most certainly could), but let’s just say it was a truly phenomenal experience!
NOT actual footage of the ballet.
But Libra, if you’re not going to review the ballet, why mention it? (That is what I hear you all saying in my mind right now.) Well, aside from it being yet another extension of my love for all things Dracula, this was also my first performing arts experience since the dreaded Covid came to be. As I was walking into the theater, I realized I had not seen live performance art in more than two years! At one point, I thought I would never again sit in a theater and enjoy the talents of actors and dancers beguiling me with fantastic escapes into wondrous stories. (Yes, this living dead girl frequented the theater pre-pandemic.) This trip was a huge deal for me. It was a return to one of the things I enjoy most in this strange world.
Life has seemingly been full-throttle crazy since around March 2020. I know we have all felt the strain. Our lives collectively changed and we were forced to adapt to a new normal. So, the chance to take back something I loved and reintroduce it to my life was exhilarating, to say the least. For two hours yesterday, I lost myself in the land of Dracula and it was fantastic. How fitting that my return to performance arts featured my beloved Count?
As for the adaptation itself, it was quite well done. It did stray somewhat from the source material, as adaptations are wont to do, but it included the main points (particularly my favorite part with Lucy and Dracula in the cemetery) and was overall a terrific telling of this classic tale. I give it two delightfully wicked thumbs up.
I suppose there should be a point to all this, right? Otherwise, why write about it at all? I guess maybe my point is that, while life did halt on pretty much every front for some time, it has begun to amble along once more. We are slowly returning to a more tolerable pace, and it is time to remind ourselves of some of the things we thought were lost forever. True, in my cemetery there is always life after death, but don’t forget to indulge yourself while you’re still living. Embrace the little things that make your dark heart flutter with…
Be you. Be unashamedly, unabashedly you. Embrace what you love. Express yourself. Set your dark heart free and let the moonlight shine again in your soul. You can’t have living dead without the living part. So, get out there and live. And read Dracula if you haven’t already. You’ll thank me.
If the title makes no sense to you, read more Shakespeare. While Romeo and Juliet is hardly my favorite of the Bard’s tales (it ain’t a love story, y’all; it’s two petulant asshole kids wreaking havoc in everyone’s lives), one part I do rather enjoy is when the Friar basically tells Romeo off. He lists all the things that Romeo should be grateful for, and calls him out for wallowing in self pity. What? We enjoy the classics here in my cemetery.
So, why am I quoting Shakespeare? Well, I suppose I was just feeling a tad sullen, and I hoped to pick myself back up by focusing on all the good things I have. I actually heard the Friar in my head yelling, “There art thou happy!” He’s right, you know. I have a book series out, I have my own cemetery, it’s finally spooky season again…so much for which to be grateful. You know how it goes, though. Sometimes, it just feels like nobody is paying attention. Like nothing I do resonates with anyone. When I am writing, I can at least pretend people read it. Once it’s published, I have nothing to distract me from realizing that maybe they don’t. Oh, well. I am doing what I love, so it really doesn’t matter if anyone knows about it. I love my creations. I love being a creepy little weirdo.
In other news, I decided to end the newsletter. I am grateful for all who signed up, but honestly I just don’t have the mental capacity to keep it going alongside this blog, my photography, my writing, etc. It was just one iron in the fire too many for me, so it is now defunct. The final email went out this morning, and in a few days the account will be closed. If you want updates, this blog is the best place to look.
Alright, enough rambling. I plan to do some more photography soon, so be sure to keep an eye on my Instagram page. If you want some spooky goodness to read this Halloween, grab the Tales from the Twisted Libra Cemetery series! You can find all three books here: https://www.amazon.com/Twisted-Libra/e/B09VD96MBW as well as on my cemetery’s main site, http://www.twistedlibracemetery.com. Thanks for stopping by, and please come back anytime. You are always welcome here!
I channeled Dr. Frankenstein on that title just a little bit.
Well, my lovelies, Book 3 in the trilogy is finally live! Before I get into my thoughts for this post, let me list the links and promotional shit for the books. Indulge me and don’t click away just yet…
(For reasons unknown to me, the first book is currently showing a price just a tad over $15. I am working with Amazon to have this adjusted. All my paperbacks are priced at $15 each. Don’t ever pay more than that, or you are getting cheated. If you ever see a price increase, please let me know and I will get you a copy for the correct price. Fuck these corporations and their inflation.)
Spotify playlist for each book, so you can enjoy some ambiance while you read:
Alright, I think that’s all the promotional shit for now. Thank you for sticking around! Now, the one thing I do have to mention here is, I decided to unpublish the ebook versions of the books. I know, I know, the ebooks made the trilogy more accessible. Some folks refuse to purchase physical books these days. However, these books aren’t just books for me. They are my art; my passion; my expression of what lies in my little black heart. The ebook versions just never did my work justice. The fonts were often changed and the placement of certain images and text blocks didn’t line up how I wanted them. I refuse to present my work in any form that I consider “less than,” so after much thought, I unpublished the ebooks. I apologize if this makes it difficult for you to get a copy. I just can’t present my work like that. It cheapened it so dreadfully in my eyes. So, for now there are only paperback versions available. Please don’t hate me.
That’s pretty much all I have to say today. Again, let me thank you all for the continued support! Tales from the Twisted Libra Cemetery wouldn’t exist without all of my lovelies! I hope this trilogy brings you spooky joy! I like to say, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed creating it! Madam Mortis is such a fun character, I am sure you will just absolutely love her! I know I do!
I did it, y’all. The book is published. Well, it’s under review, but if Amazon gives it the greenlight it will finally be available for purchase!
I am beyond excited for you all to read this one! If you haven’t read the first two, I highly recommend doing so before diving into this one. That’s not a ploy for your money; I honestly make fuck all from these books. It’s just my passion, not a bill-payer. Anyway, the series progresses through each book, and without having read them in order, you won’t get some of the references made throughout the story arc. Just saying.
The publishing of this book is a huge achievement for me. I wrote a trilogy. I actually fleshed out three books to bring folks into my little cemetery. What began as a published collection of 17 short stories with intro poems (remember those?) has, in the last two years, morphed into a trilogy with a main character and some horrifying tales! To say I am proud would be quite the understatement. I don’t believe a word exists at present to express how I truly feel. I’m proud. I’m humbled. I’m grateful. And honestly a little bit exhausted mentally from churning out these books. LOL. But I love this, so I do it happily.
I’ll post a link as soon as the book goes live. In the coming days, expect promotional photos and such, especially on my social media accounts. The trilogy is done. The story is complete. If you haven’t started this journey yet, hop on over to Amazon and grab the first book. Madam Mortis is waiting for you by the cemetery gates!
Today marks the [REDACTED] anniversary of my escape from the womb! In other words, Happy Birthday to me!
Your beloved Twisted Libra has decided that the best way to have a great birthday is to give rather than receive. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I won’t say no to a gift. I just wanted to give you all something, too. So, in honor of my birthday, here is the cover and title reveal for Book 3! Looky:
Well? What do y’all think? Let me know in the comments! I am super proud of this one! I mean, I’m proud of all my books, but this one…this one is special. My proof should arrive today, and if all looks peachy, then I will be publishing this weekend! I can’t wait for you to read the final chapter of the Tales from the Twisted Libra Cemetery saga! If you have no idea what I’m talking about, first of all: Hi. I’m Twisted Libra. So very nice to meet you. This is my cemetery. (I assume you must be new here if you’ve not heard of any of my books.) For all of you who do know, here is where you can get Book 1 and Book 2:
Although I would love to have everyone purchase books for my birthday, you can help celebrate by simply sharing this blog post, or liking it, or commenting. You can share links on Facebook or Instagram (I’m over there, too) and tell all your friends about me! Supporting a self-published writer is actually super easy and (aside from a book purchase) costs nothing. So, spread the birthday love by spreading the word!
Happy birthday to me. Happy travels to you. May you find the spooky in all that you do. May you forever enjoy the fun kind of scary. You’re always welcome in my cemetery!
Hello, my lovelies. I usually try to post on October 1st to usher in this sacred time of year, but yours truly was busy literally the entire day yesterday. Wait, don’t leave. Let me explain. You see, I was finishing Book #3! And by finishing, I mean creating/arranging/placing new artwork, inserting existing artwork (thanks again, Shellie!), revising, proofreading, and submitting for an author proof. Yes, you read that right. The book is DONE.
And now, we wait. So here I am, posting a welcome to my favorite month on the second day of said month. Y’all know me; I’ll probably be late to my own funeral. So, what’s next? Well, if the author proof looks good, then I will publish. If anything needs tweaking, I will do that, reupload, wait for a new proof, etc. My goal is to publish no later than October 20, but I really want to do it sooner if I can. In the meantime, I am finding it difficult to relax. It still feels like I should be working on something. I mean, true, I have my next two projects planned already. I could technically start on those, but I feel my brain needs a bit of a break. Even if just for a few days. Writing is my passion, yes, but until I am just a writer, I must balance writing with the bill-paying day job and the life stuff that is always hanging around. That can make for one weary Libra at times.
Sorry, I seem to be prattling on about my life. Who wants to read that? Let’s talk about October! Such a fantastic time of year! We get Fall weather, changing leaves, spooky vibes, my birthday, Halloween…I mean, so many wonderful things arrive in October. It’s the month in which my little black soul comes alive again. I can also purchase home décor in an actual store versus online. The veil between the realms is at its thinnest, so that we might catch a glimpse of a haunting spirit or two.
Some folks get rather depressed during the cold, dark months from October to February. Ironically, the condition is called “SAD.” It stands for Seasonal Affective Disorder. Yes, this is a real thing. Google it if you doubt me. People can’t thrive with short days, long nights, and cold temperatures. It’s too gloomy for them. I suppose I am afflicted with Reverse SAD, because I absolutely suffer from May to September due to the ghastly summer weather. It used to be August, but now September often feels like misery on a platter. Thanks, global warming!
I hope you all have a wickedly delightful October! I am looking forward to the book release, my birthday, the awesome weather (perfect for cemetery photography!), and obviously Halloween! (No, I don’t do the trick-or-treat thing in my cemetery. Fuck them kids Let the kids go to someone else’s door. Stay off my lawn.) Stay tuned to this blog for updates on the book, as well as an upcoming cover reveal!
Dancing Among the Remains 