The Falls
by Colleen McMillan
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GENRE: Supernatural/Thriller
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BLURB:
Every small town has secrets...
...most won't get you killed. Maddie Decker escaped Sterling Falls just after high school and never looked back. She was sure nothing could convince her to return. Until an urgent message from her high school best friend arrives begging
Maddie to come back before he dies changes everything.
Maddie can't refuse.
Once there, tattered relationships and long forgotten memories are pushed aside when a mysterious presence appears, Maddie uses her professional training to help discover who is killing the residents of Sterling Falls, even if no one wants her there.
Can Maddie survive the homecoming she never wanted?
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EXCERPT ONE:
When they reach the paddock, the gate is open, ripped apart. Boards lay shredded on the ground, splinters everywhere. It looks as though a tornado tore through, demolishing the wood. The ground is destroyed as well, mud and grass everywhere.
They get out of the truck, and the smell hits Charlie like a hammer. Alpacas are very clean animals, and their manure is not as pungent as other livestock, but the scent of twenty animals all emptying their bowels at once will knock a person flat. There is also a whiff of metal in the air, like copper or iron. Charlie runs through the decimated gate.
Flies buzz around the paddock, their wings beating a rhythm in Charlie's head. The insects settle on the bodies, feeding in clusters. They swarm, forming vaguely alpaca-shaped lumps so the animal fur looks black.
They are scattered around the paddock, but Charlie isn't sure if all twenty bodies are there. The ground is stained dark red with pools of blood. Limbs are scattered, as if each animal exploded. Some of their necks are twisted completely around, and bowels litter the area. Something tore each of their bellies open and spread the organs; half-digested hay and grass steam in piles near some of the bodies. Charlie has a horrible thought of nightmarish pinatas spilling morbid candy.
He walks into the paddock toward the nearest body, pinkish white and brown. He thinks it might have been the pregnant one. Her eyes have been removed, and her tongue dangles from an open mouth. Her body is shredded, and Charlie has a view inside her torso, but there is no baby. He leans closer and touches her leg near the hoof. She is cold. The blood is sticky, and he tries to wipe it on his jeans, but the maroon color spreads.
He takes a step back, leans over, and pukes.
Jemma runs over to rub his back, and when he's thrown up everything from his stomach, Charlie screams.
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GUEST POST:
Five Ways to Deal with Rejection as a Writer:
This is such an excellent topic, one that doesn't get covered
enough. Rejection is the most discouraging word an artist knows. Whether they
create novels, art, food, it doesn't matter. Having something you've created
with your heart and soul be rejected is TOUGH.
I've been rejected numerous times, more than I can count.
One of the best pieces of advice I ever heard about writing is to never give
up. That might seem self-explanatory, but the writers who are persistant are
the ones who get published. I went through many writers workshops in undergrad
and postgrad, with fantastically talented writers. I wasn't the best writer by
a long shot. But I am persistant.
Here's my advice for new writers (and those who might need a
boost):
1. BREATHE. You need to be alive to keep writing and sending
out queries.
2. Keep track of the rejections, like trophies. The written
notes, the typed template replies, the email responses. Keep them. I had one of
those restaurant ticket stabby things and would impale my rejections on it. I
had quite a stack. But there was some genuine support and encouragement in some
of those rejections. And some good critiques.
3. Don't let rejection damper your enthusiasm for your work.
Novel, short story, poetry collection. It doesn't matter. The only thing that
will kill your work is if you give up on it. Look back at the rejections you've
received. Was there any adviced you missed? Anything that might make the piece
better? Your work is yours, and you don't necessarily have to change it, but
what if some tweeks could get you on the publication train?
4. Ask other writers. The only reason I'm a good writer is
that I went through rejection with peers. In undergrad and postgrad, writers
everywhere. And none of us were getting published. Find other writers whose
work you enjoy, whose critiques are insightful, who you like being around.
Writers can help hone each other, and knowing that other people are
experiencing the same thing as you is helpful.
5. KEEP WRITING. If you think a work will just never get
published, after years of trying, maybe stow it away and try again. Hopefully,
you've been working on other projects while trying to get the first published.
This happened to me. I finished my first novel, tried to get it published,
didn't. Instead, I self-published it and started something new. The writer's enemy
is the blank page. Even if you only write a word a day, a sentence a week, a
paragraph a month, at least you're working. Inspiration could strike at any
time! Keep an eye out for it.
One last thing: Rejection isn't personal. The agent,
publisher, whomever, is not in this to hurt you. They have a job to do. They're
looking for an intriguing idea that has selling potential. Their job is to get
writers heard, so keep trying. Ask questions. If you query an agent and they
reject your manuscript but offer some advice, ask follow-up questions. Nothing
too involved, but just their advice on what could make your work better. Some
might not answer, but you could get lucky and get someone willing to share
their expertise.
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AUTHOR BIO:
Born and raised in Minnesota, my writing focuses on the Midwestern United States. I've been a writer since I could pick up a crayon, pencil, or pen; there are more than a few stories about my macabre grade school writing interests, to which I just shrug. You can't blame a second grader for wanting to set a scary scene!
I attended the University of WI, River Falls for my undergraduate degree and completed my Master's degree in creative writing at the University of Kent, Canterbury, in the UK. For my dissertation research and inspiration, I lived in Canterbury, Paris, and Edinburgh. Paris is my second home and favorite city, so don't be surprised if it turns up in my work.
My two most influential authors are Stephen King and Flannery O'Connor, and my dream is to establish a Midwest Gothic tradition.
I currently live in Minnesota with my jerk of a cat, Duncan. I love living in the most beautiful state in the country, but I always feel Europe's pull...
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CONNECT WITH COLLEEN:
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GIVEAWAY INFO:
Colleen will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.
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Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good read.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for hosting! I'm excited for people to visit The Falls.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good book
ReplyDelete