Who is Eden?

Synopsis: A dark and modern tale that chronicles Eden's life as she falls from grace. Following a stream of consciousness, she journeys with her constant companions, the snake and the rhinoceros, through her life as an abstract painter to the end of the world. Together, the three of them encounter zombie marionettes, a frost prince, a winter sprite and a diligent gardener. Without the snake and the rhinoceros, there is only a punk kid, a clerk at a convenience store, an agent and a smattering of acquaintances. Watch... as Eden falls.

Publisher: Damnation Books | Release Date: September 1, 2009

Paperback: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

Ebook: Damnation Books

Amazon Kindle

A friend of mine, after reading Eden Fell, asked, “Are you Eden?”

I find it unfortunately common – confusion between the author and the fiction. While authors do write what they know and will often draw from real life, it's called fiction for a reason. It's make believe, which is what makes it enjoyable. Does Tom Clancy live in a fortified bunker? Is Arthur Clark really dead or is he now a starchild? Is Anne Rice biting people in order to make them immortal? Is J.K. Rowling a High Mage at Hogwart's?

Of course not. And I'm not Eden.

My name is Lily and I'm a writer of dark fiction. I love what I do and it's my life. However, just because dark fiction is what comes naturally to me, doesn't mean I'm a sadist who enjoys torturing others. I'm just an author, trying to tell the characters' stories as best as I can.

I firmly believe to learn the truth and see the light in life, one must fully understand darkness. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's easy. It can be quite difficult, of that there is no doubt. Yet, to get the chance to show even the tiniest glimmer of light in all the darkness, makes the hard work worthwhile.

I recommend Eden Fell for anyone willing to appreciate a very dark side to one woman's life in order to see the light in their own lives.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to feed my pet snake and rhinoceros...

Creatively yours,
Lily


Lily's Website
 
Lily's Blog

It's not work if you love it.

Good morning everyone. I'd like to thank Ginger for letting me drop in and yak for a while. I'd like to talk to you about something I'm very thankful for and give you your first gift of the holiday season.

We've all heard the saying about doing what you love means you'll never work a day in your life. I'm here to attest to the truth of that quote. This past year, my husband and I have opened our own publishing house, Damnation Books. We've been called ambitious for doing it during a down economy and opening our doors with twenty-five titles. Last night at 12:01 am, we launched thirteen more. Guess what? We are considering expanding already.

2009 has been a whirlwind year for the both of us. Filling out all the government paperwork, paying fees, buying and learning new software, building our own server and website. Spreading the word, reading submissions, hiring staff, contracts, editing, formatting, selling books etc. etc. etc. There hasn't been a second of it that either of us minded the late nights and working weekends. It's because we have found our place and something we enjoy through and through.

It was scary at times. You can't help but worry about whether you have what it takes. There comes a moment when the excitement drives you beyond the fear and you know in your soul, that this is what you were meant to do.

I want to encourage anyone with dreams to pursue them. Don't let anyone discourage you. It can happen because you will find a way to make it happen. Leave the discouraging thoughts and naysayers behind. Don't expect overnight success. As with all things you have to work hard, expecially at first with little reward. But you won't really be working. I think it's high time the word, Work, gets a new image. It can be fun and rewarding. I'm living proof.

A little about Damnation Books. You might've guessed by our name, we publish dark fiction: horror, thrillers, dark fantasy, science fiction, paranormals and erotica (with dark elements or themes). These are not intended for younger audiences. They are meant to entertain and be affordable. Our focus is on ebooks, however our titles are also available in formats for Iphones/Smartphones, and in paperback editions. We want to bring books to where the readers are and our goal is to become THE place for dark fiction. I hope you'll check us out.

Now for the gift I promised you. Along with our new releases, we have a novella to give away. It's a holiday zombie story called Christmas Day of the Dead by Yolanda Sfetsos. To get yours, head over to our site at http://www.damnationbooks.com/ Add the title, Christmas Day of the Dead to your shopping cart and at check out put in the promotion code 61DODholiday to get it free.

I invite you to check out our other books. The newest releases are currently on variable pricing. What's that? It works like this: when a book goes live, the very first copy downloaded is free. With each download, the book rises in price by twenty five cents until it reaches full price. You can only get this deal on our website. Anywhere else and you'll have to pay their list price. We want you to get to know us and our authors.

Have a wonderful holiday season.

Kim Richards, CEO
Damnation Books

Welcome, Gregory Taylor

Note from Ging: I apologize for the confusion. Kelly A. Harmon was scheduled for today, but I've moved her up in the slot. She and I had shared miscommunications and I almost missed out on her fine post.

Anyhow...today I'm featuring a would-be author. I recently had the good fortune to meet a man named Greg Taylor, when he petitioned to join my author's loop. Greg is interested in writing, and clearly has the talent. In exchanging the normal welcomes, etc., I discovered Greg is homeless and lives in a shelter at the moment. He has shared openly all the events that led him to this stage of his life, so I asked his permission to share the following with you. I was touched beyond words when I read it.

As we leave behind Thanksgiving and progress toward Christmas, I think his post is the most fitting of all to conclude a month of Thankfulness and enhance in our memories that life is more than material things, and we have blessing we often forget to count. My appreciation to Greg for allowing me to post the following:

Before this day of Thanksgiving cometh to an end, allow me to express my thanks for that which I've been blessed . . . . .

My life within the very definition of vagrancy affords me a whole new appreciation for my circumstances.

One revels in a few rays of direct sunlight when the temperature is a notch or two above freezing, and you are fated to be out in the elements. A tall, wide building is a blessing for the windbreak it gives. And when frozen fingers struggle to hold pen to paper, the value of gloves cannot be overstated. Even a blank sheet of paper can be priceless when demand is there to document one's life.

Finding a public clock when one lacks a watch is a serious gain when one must be on time to a soup kitchen or go hungry. The resounding peal of a cathedral's carillon provides a warming rendition of familiar hymns of yore. And thank You for a day that is clear, that I am not chilled to the bone by a soaking rain.
I thank you, God, for a brain that is active and intelligent. Thank you Lord for my not being physically handicapped, or having dire health issues like cancer. I celebrate living in a city where I can sleep upon the pavement without fearing molestation or assault.

Lastly, I appreciate those things I do not have. Thank You for my not having a drug habit, nor an alcohol dependency, as do so many of my circumstance, as they seek escape in false releases. Thanks be above for my not being incarcerated, as freedom is so very priceless. And thank You for my being free from the stressers of divorce, the grief over a lost loved one, or other such like.

I have so very much, even now when I have so very little. Above all, I have you, my Lord, as my constant companion, as I journey through these dire times. For this, I am truly blessed.

Gregory Taylor via post by shared computer in Homeless Shelter, USA.

Welcome, Kelly A. Harmon

Thank You, To Those Who've Gone Before

Among the many hats I wear is "Family Genealogist." For many people, this means collecting names and dates and seeing how far back they can trace the family line.

But, I'm a story teller, too. And for me, genealogy isn't just about the names and dates, it's about the people, and their stories.

For instance, it's a fine thing to know my great-grandad on my father's side was mechanically inclined. Is that where my father get's his ability? I could leave it there, but it doesn't really tell me much about the man.

I have a newspaper clipping from 1937 where in it he refused to accept a million dollars for a machine that he built. In 1937. Was he crazy? If he had invested it, do you know the kind of life
I'd be leading now?

Let's just say I'd probably be able to write full time without the added benefit of a full-time job.

(And yes, I think he qualified as crazy: he spent time in Leavenworth Penitentiary for "moonshining," after being told the revenuers were traveling door-to-door in the neighborhood. He offered those suited fellers "...one fine distillation..." and they cuffed him and took him away for his hospitality.)

Old Mirt may not seem like much of a family to be thankful for, but he was good looking, from what I can tell from the newspaper photo, and that's got to be something to feel good about. Any woman will tell you that good genes are always something to be thankful for. His life was another: you can bet bits and pieces of it show up in my writing from time to time.

My great-great grandmother came over on the boat to Baltimore from Russian-Poland in the late 1800s. She nursed hundreds of people in the great flue epidemic in 1918 (called "The Blue Death) before succumbing herself. Her selfless devotion enabled others in my family as well as perfect strangers-- to pull through. She was barely forty.

Every generation of my family has members who joined the military, and it's them I thank most of all. I wish I knew why they joined. Was it a spirit of patriotism? For those whose parents came over on the boat...did they feel a need to prove they were Americans by enlisting? I don't know...but every son in my grandmother's family joined up. My great-uncles were Army and Navy men. My maternal grandad was a Navy man. My paternal grandfather, along with his two
brothers, enlisted in the Army.

Oh, the stories! From a writer's point of view, I've hit the mother lode.

Let me tell you the one where Uncle Walter arrived back in the states on Christmas Eve...with a donkey...and brought it home to his sister in Baltimore City. Grandpa traveled around the world
with my Mom's baby shoes in his pocket.

I'm also thankful for their service: not just because they kept this nation strong and safe, but because they did a job I didn't have to.

Maybe that's why they joined: to provide a better life for their families. After all, they had already left one country for a better life in another. Maybe it was all part of their plan.

And so, I'm thankful. To them, and to all service men and women of today. Thank you for keeping me and mine safe.

Kelly A. Harmon
Blood Soup, Eternal Press


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


What They're Saying About Blood Soup:

This is a medieval tale about a kingdom destined for certain dire ruin if the King's heir isn't a girl. The characters in the story work together AND against each other as they secretly manipulate, scheme, hope, and react to the surprising birth of the King's heir.

Filled with murder, mystery, and very dire consequences, this is a fast paced Novella with vivid portrayal of events and characters, pulling you into this harsh world the author has created and no
doubt leaving her with new fans eagerly awaiting her next book.

My Biggest/Smallest Blessing

I assumed I had reached the heights in being blessed when God gave me two sons, but I can't describe the feeling of joy I experienced when I watched my grandson, Spencer, come into the world. I was the first to hold him and my love blossomed beyond words the minute I saw his face. It was like looking into his father's face so many years before, and that immediate bond that made my heart hurt surfaced anew.

Spencer looked normal, acted normal, and was a beautiful baby boy. I noticed from a very young age...even before he was a month old, when I held him tight in the rocking chair, he sang to me...a crooning little tune that tugged at my heart strings. Always a happy baby.

I don't recall when we noticed that he was delayed in his developmental milestones. He didn't roll over as early as he should have, which in turn delayed his sitting up, pulling to a stand, and everything beyond. It wasn't until WE approached his pediatrician and mentioned OUR concerns that he referred us somewhere.

After much playtime with home visitors who assessed Spencer, and testing at a major hospital, the diagnosis given was Global Developmental Delays NOS (Not otherwise specified)...a glorious name for an Autism that doesn't fit all the spectrum requirements. But no one tells you what you need to do, because they don't know. And sadly, the number of children diagnosed grows daily. Why aren't more people concerned?

Most children with severe Autism lock themselves away, but Spencer loves everyone. He stims...that crooning nose he started almost from birth, and flaps his hands when he's excited. He just turned seven, but he's much smaller than most of his classmates, and because of his delayed speech, harder to understand. He couldn't say "Grammy," so I became his "Nee Nee." Love it!

I've never met such a polite and thankful child. My children were never so well behaved, and I have no idea where he came by it. Certainly not from his parents. *lol* I'd been sick for a week and stayed away so as not to infect him, and when I picked up from school on Friday, he ran to me. "Nee, Nee, you're back. Are you better?" What a guy!

This year, we insisted that Spencer be mainstreamed. For the past two years he's been in a special education class with children who suffer more severe issues. These were his only role models, and he often came home with new habits that definitely weren't considered progressive. He's doing a great job in his first grade class, learning new things, numbers, letters, and coloring pictures which are almost within the lines.

To hear his voice, and be able to know what he needs, desires, or wants to share is a joy I cannot explain. Two years ago, he couldn't speak, and the frustration for both of us was unbearable. I had to point and guess. His only communication were hugs and the sign language the school taught him for "more." So not just this month, but because we're sharing what we are most thankful for, I present my grandson, Spencer. He is the light of my life and I learn something from him every day. It's because of him I want to stay healthy and stick around. I want to watch him walk across stage and get his High School Diploma with others, and never fear that someone will treat him as though he's different...even though he may always be. Thank you, God for blessing me with such a special gift.