Drug use in Novel, Keep or Delete.

While editing chapter 12, I came upon a question:  should drug use be included in the novel.
This is an interesting question.  The drug usage in question isn't very dramatic or extreme.  In fact it's as simple as a short scene where two individuals smoke a joint (marijuana cigarette) while talking amongst themselves.

It's not explicit drug usage such as using any of the extreme drugs.  In fact, most wouldn't even call it a drug.  Especially when it (marijuana) is perfectly legal in much of the world.  So should it be included in a scene, however short it may be.

It is indeed something to weight upon.  Many readers could careless about the scene, as it leads to a reason they are at a specific location in the first place where something key in the novel is discovered.  Many readers would be glad that it is in there.  As it in a sense, casualizes marijuana smoking and desensitizes it as a stigma.  But that's what it is these days, a stigma.  After a couple decades of propaganda against it, many won't see past the fact it is harmless and in fact is not a gateway to other drugs.

However, there are many that see it as a bad thing.  It would take them out of the story and sidetrack them by their own discriminations.  Losing their ability to relate to the protagonist by their own bias feelings on something he did in the story.

I guess that answers my question.  It it would disturb the reader in anyway and it is not actually a part of the story, then it should be excluded.

♥ J.K. James

Love Scene Excerpt

An except from horror novel.  Part of, shall I say, a saucy scene.

"I felt an almost uncontrollable lascivious passion metamorphose itself within me that I'd never felt before.  Her seductive magnetism reached within me and drew out a passion that was hidden deep within me.  It caused me to want her more than anything I have ever wanted before.  She held me captive in her sensual spell as she reached in further and took ahold of me in a way I'd never been before.  I was afraid the levee would break before the rains even started.  My body quivered from her deep passionate kiss.  I struggled to maintain control, there was no way I was going to finish the dance while the music still played."

Excerpt from Chapter 10 in Darkness Reaching (Which I may change title of)
2013 © J.K. James

Novel "Darkness Reaching" closer to completion.

I am halfway through the deep editing/re-writing of "Darkness Reaching" - a paranormal horror novel.  I am surprised at the amount of errors I had in it.  Anyone that read the original must have thought I was an idiot.  I realize it shouldn't be of any surprise, after all I wrote its narration in the third person and then just before it was finished, I changed its narration to the first person.  This required noun, pronoun and verb changes throughout the book.  On my first go, I thought I had got them all changed and the sentences fixed.  But when you don't put it away for awhile, you tend to not notice all the sentences in err.

I dropped the pen name I originally had for the novel, "Nathan Kane."  I really didn't like that pen name and I don't know what compelled me to use it.  I decided to use my name, "J.K. James."  The copyright office knows the difference (that they are the same author holding rights).  As far as the title, I am not sure if I am going to keep "Darkness Reaching" or change it.  I haven't got a definitive answer if I change the author name in that I have to change the title as well, being 100% rights are retained (and the fact they are the same person).  I really like the title, "Darkness Reaching" and don't want to change it.  Another title name I have been thinking about for it is: "Shadow's Reach."  But it doesn't have the same effect I think.  The key to the title is it has to be original, as the book is a product.  It must jump out and perfectly label the story, which "Darkness Reaching" does whereas "Shadow's Reach" almost does.  Any other alternative title I have considered, really doesn't do it.

As I mentioned previous in older posts, I dropped the first three chapters.  Doing this, I got my "hook" back to lure the reader in wanting more and read the book.  The first edition, I had written three chapters of background and build up to the story.  This lost the attention of the reader, because quite frankly - it had some confusing and boring parts to it..  I also changed the twist in the story that I had that began in the first chapter that tied into the last chapter.  Many readers felt this left them hanging too much in a cliffhanger and left too many unanswered questions.  So I actually removed that from the story and changed it, so there is a resolution at the ending.  I won't say anymore about that as to not spoil it for anyone.

I also changed the flow of the story overall and dropped a lot of details I had previously had in it.  I did this to help the reader relate more with the main character by allowing them to "fill in the blanks" themselves.

Besides having a huge amount of grammar issues because of changing the narration style in the story, I have a really great story to tell.  One I believe will stick to people, years after they've read it.  My biggest problem was: I didn't tell it well enough.  I truly believe I have fixed all that and now have a truly enjoyable and great book now.  One people will have trouble putting down and be happy they read.

♥ J. K. James

Shadow's Reach Character Name

While proofreading and editing my latest novel, "Shadow's Reach," I couldn't help but to reflect on some of the names I chose for the characters.  One name in particular is a character in Chapter Four named, Jeshua Eiferer.

I know many won't find it as humorous as I do.  But this character is very religious and superstitious.  A born again Christian.  I am sure we've all met the type.  Jesus this and Jesus that.  Pray about everything and always trying to get you to pray with them and go to their church.  Anyways, his presence is introduced when a possessed object comes to play in the book.  I couldn't help tossing in a little comic relief to it, underhanded and slightly hidden as it may be.

The character is an extremely religious kind of person, so I named him "Jeshua Eiferer."  Jeshua is actually Jesus' real name.  It is considered to be the correct form in Hebrew and/or Aramiac of Jesus.  The name Jesus came about from several mistranslations.  Yeshua or Jeshua (sometimes spelled in English as Joshua) is Jesus.  For the book, I stuck with Jeshua.  His last name, Eiferer, is German for Zealot.

So the character's name "Jeshua Eiferer" literally translates to Jesus Zealot, or as often used in American English slang for a overzealous christian, "Jesus Freak."

There you have it.  I hope you don't take offense to it, but see the humor.  A little pun I snuck into my novel in Chapter Four.

The novel is a paranormal horror called, "Shadow's Reach by J.K. James" and will soon be released.  I decided to change some of the ending in it from a previously released edition (taken out of print currently).

©J.K James

The Bathtub Test

The Bathtub Test!

During a visit to the mental asylum, a visitor asked the Director what the criterion was which defined whether or not a patient should be institutionalized.

"Well," said the Director, "we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to empty the bathtub."

"Oh, I understand," said the visitor. "A normal person would use the bucket because it's bigger than the spoon or the teacup."

"No." said the Director, "A normal person would pull the plug.

Do you want a bed near the window?"

Author Unknown

Edgar Allan Poe: Six Creepy Tales Audiobook of haunting stories for Hall...

Free Audio Book - Six Stories by Edgar Allan Poe

Bloody Mary

Bloody Mary

retold by S.E. Schlosser

She lived deep in the forest in a tiny cottage and sold herbal remedies for a living. Folks living in the town nearby called her Bloody Mary, and said she was a witch. None dared cross the old crone for fear that their cows would go dry, their food-stores rot away before winter, their children take sick of fever, or any number of terrible things that an angry witch could do to her neighbors.
Then the little girls in the village began to disappear, one by one. No one could find out where they had gone. Grief-stricken families searched the woods, the local buildings, and all the houses and barns, but there was no sign of the missing girls. A few brave souls even went to Bloody Mary's home in the woods to see if the witch had taken the girls, but she denied any knowledge of the disappearances. Still, it was noted that her haggard appearance had changed. She looked younger, more attractive. The neighbors were suspicious, but they could find no proof that the witch had taken their young ones.
Then came the night when the daughter of the miller rose from her bed and walked outside, following an enchanted sound no one else could hear. The miller's wife had a toothache and was sitting up in the kitchen treating the tooth with an herbal remedy when her daughter left the house. She screamed for her husband and followed the girl out of the door. The miller came running in his nightshirt. Together, they tried to restrain the girl, but she kept breaking away from them and heading out of town.
The desperate cries of the miller and his wife woke the neighbors. They came to assist the frantic couple. Suddenly, a sharp-eyed farmer gave a shout and pointed towards a strange light at the edge of the woods. A few townsmen followed him out into the field and saw Bloody Mary standing beside a large oak tree, holding a magic wand that was pointed towards the miller's house. She was glowing with an unearthly light as she set her evil spell upon the miller's daughter.
The townsmen grabbed their guns and their pitchforks and ran toward the witch. When she heard the commotion, Bloody Mary broke off her spell and fled back into the woods. The far-sighted farmer had loaded his gun with silver bullets in case the witch ever came after his daughter. Now he took aim and shot at her. The bullet hit Bloody Mary in the hip and she fell to the ground. The angry townsmen leapt upon her and carried her back into the field, where they built a huge bonfire and burned her at the stake.
As she burned, Bloody Mary screamed a curse at the villagers. If anyone mentioned her name aloud before a mirror, she would send her spirit to revenge herself upon them for her terrible death. When she was dead, the villagers went to the house in the wood and found the unmarked graves of the little girls the evil witch had murdered. She had used their blood to make her young again.
From that day to this, anyone foolish enough to chant Bloody Mary's name three times before a darkened mirror will summon the vengeful spirit of the witch. It is said that she will tear their bodies to pieces and rip their souls from their mutilated bodies. The souls of these unfortunate ones will burn in torment as Bloody Mary once was burned, and they will be trapped forever in the mirror.

Read the full legend of Bloody Mary in Spooky Pennsylvania by S.E. Schlosser.