Date Published: 11/12/2013
Mystery/Thriller
C. Moore Catholic High School's 10-year reunion was organized as many reunions are - to reminisce, to see who had made a success of their lives, and in truth, to gossip on who had not. But this party in the secluded, 1890's mansion once owned by a long dead, paranoid WWII Veteran, was to become anything but typical.
After a horrible accident within the mansion, the alumni realize they are locked in and fighting for their lives. Instantly, tempers rise and fingers are pointed as the number of living alumni begins to rapidly decrease. Theories range from there being a murderer in the midst to the mansion possibly being haunted by the previous owner's ghost.
Who or what is responsible and will anyone make it out alive?
Find out for yourself in this combination of a mystery and psychological thriller, with a twisted ending!
After a horrible accident within the mansion, the alumni realize they are locked in and fighting for their lives. Instantly, tempers rise and fingers are pointed as the number of living alumni begins to rapidly decrease. Theories range from there being a murderer in the midst to the mansion possibly being haunted by the previous owner's ghost.
Who or what is responsible and will anyone make it out alive?
Find out for yourself in this combination of a mystery and psychological thriller, with a twisted ending!
Guest Post
How to Avoid the Rejection Blues
Let’s face it. Rejection bites. Whether it happen when you ask someone out on a date (ouch!) or get that dreaded e-mail from the potential employer of your dreams, rejection hurts! It’s no different for the writer.
Imagine spending weeks, months or even years on your latest work. You’ve gone over your manuscript for the billionth time, combing through every word on every page, searching feverishly for discrepancies, loopholes and grammatical errors. If you used Microsoft Word, you’ve made sure that there are no red or green squiggly lines beneath your words! You might have presented your manuscript to your closest friends for review. (Or if you’re paranoid like me, only mom is allowed to read it.) When you’re finally pleased, you scope out different agencies who are open to submissions and try as best as possible to meet their requirements. You mutter angrily under your breath when you read that responses take six to eight weeks…or longer! Then the wait begins. You jump for joy when you get an e-mail the next day, only to realize that it was simply a confirmation e-mail. Thanks for sending us your manuscript. We will reply with 6 to 8 weeks. If you don’t hear back from us, it is safe to assume that we have decided not to go with your manuscript and will be using it as confetti for our next office party. (Okay, so maybe I made up the last part. Besides, most submissions are electronic.)
Six to eight weeks later, an e-mail comes in from an agent. You take a deep breath to brace yourself for the worst and guess what? The worst happens.
The extent of pain from rejection letters from agents and publishers can vary. Some rejection letters seem generic. Thank you for your submission but we have decided not to use this manuscript. Others, have a kinder aura. We’ve reviewed your manuscript and although it is interesting and well written, it is not what we’re looking for. Best of luck! Then there are the calloused rejections where you wonder if the person responding is a red demon hired by the devil, sitting at a red desk and using bolts of red lighting to write. Those are the ones that rip your manuscript to shreds! Not interesting or engaging. Dull characters. Vague plot. Boring.
So what can you do to avoid the rejection blues? Well, besides bracing yourself by remaining humble, there isn’t much one can do. What I mean when I say ‘humble’ is that you should understand that there’s nothing wrong with having confidence in your work, but be mindful that someone out there isn’t going to like it. There is no work out there where everyone has given it two or more thumbs up. The best thing you can do is to continue writing. If you’re still stuck, pour that awful feeling into the heart of your next character and see how strong they will be. Happy writing!
Imagine spending weeks, months or even years on your latest work. You’ve gone over your manuscript for the billionth time, combing through every word on every page, searching feverishly for discrepancies, loopholes and grammatical errors. If you used Microsoft Word, you’ve made sure that there are no red or green squiggly lines beneath your words! You might have presented your manuscript to your closest friends for review. (Or if you’re paranoid like me, only mom is allowed to read it.) When you’re finally pleased, you scope out different agencies who are open to submissions and try as best as possible to meet their requirements. You mutter angrily under your breath when you read that responses take six to eight weeks…or longer! Then the wait begins. You jump for joy when you get an e-mail the next day, only to realize that it was simply a confirmation e-mail. Thanks for sending us your manuscript. We will reply with 6 to 8 weeks. If you don’t hear back from us, it is safe to assume that we have decided not to go with your manuscript and will be using it as confetti for our next office party. (Okay, so maybe I made up the last part. Besides, most submissions are electronic.)
Six to eight weeks later, an e-mail comes in from an agent. You take a deep breath to brace yourself for the worst and guess what? The worst happens.
The extent of pain from rejection letters from agents and publishers can vary. Some rejection letters seem generic. Thank you for your submission but we have decided not to use this manuscript. Others, have a kinder aura. We’ve reviewed your manuscript and although it is interesting and well written, it is not what we’re looking for. Best of luck! Then there are the calloused rejections where you wonder if the person responding is a red demon hired by the devil, sitting at a red desk and using bolts of red lighting to write. Those are the ones that rip your manuscript to shreds! Not interesting or engaging. Dull characters. Vague plot. Boring.
So what can you do to avoid the rejection blues? Well, besides bracing yourself by remaining humble, there isn’t much one can do. What I mean when I say ‘humble’ is that you should understand that there’s nothing wrong with having confidence in your work, but be mindful that someone out there isn’t going to like it. There is no work out there where everyone has given it two or more thumbs up. The best thing you can do is to continue writing. If you’re still stuck, pour that awful feeling into the heart of your next character and see how strong they will be. Happy writing!
A. A. Pencil works part time as a school nurse at an all-boys Catholic school in New York City. As a Lupus survivor, she uses writing as a significant part of her therapy and you will see influences from classical writers such as Agatha Christie and Edgar Alan Poe in her work. When not working or writing, she enjoys cooking, shopping and walking. She has sponsored a child in Mexico for over three years with a children's organization. She currently lives in a borough of New York City with her extended family who are her greatest supporters.
BUY LINKS
To celebrate the release of AA Pencil's debut novel "The Reunion" - During the months of November & December - 1% of the gross sales of all novels with Lavish Publishing, LLC will be donated to the Lupus Foundation of America. The donation will be made in May 2014 in honor of AA Pencil and National Lupus Awareness Month.
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