What is metaphysical fiction?

For a really interesting article about a little-known genre that's been gathering more attention lately, check out this great post from Tahlia Newland (Lethal Inheritance, You Can't Shatter Me).  For those who enjoy reading (and/or writing) magical realism, mystical realism, spiritual or visisionary fiction and supernatural novels and stories, there are some wonderful insights and recommendations.  And I thank Tahlia so much for the kind mention!

http://tahlianewland.com/2012/11/28/what-is-metaphysical-fiction/

Original Book Cover Art & Design on a Budget

Combining my love of books and art, in the next few weeks I'll be debuting a website which offers book cover artwork and design for authors looking for unique, customized covers at a reasonable price.  If you're an independent author who seeks an original art cover specifically designed for your novel or short story, but who can't spend hundreds or thousands of dollars for a cover alone, contact me (Krisi Keley) at jcsgs11@aol.com for more information and to discuss ideas and prices.  Some sample covers are provided below; more will be available on the website.

 

(The authors and book titles in the above cover examples were created expressly for the sample covers and any resemblance to real authors or titles is coincidental and unintentional.  The images in the samples are original artwork, subject to copyright laws, and may not be used without permission of the artist.)



 



A Short Defense of Literary Excess

Another interesting article about the beauty of language from the New York Times, by way of  The Passive Voice:

A Short Defense of Literary Excess

U-TURN KiLLuR (Death Row Edition): Teric Darken Tells All

I'm honored to have as a guest on my blog today, Teric Darken, one of my favorite authors and a respected friend.  Upon the release of a new edition of his fantastic thriller, U-TURN KiLLuR, Teric was kind enough to stop by to share some extra insight on the novel and why, to fully portray the power and glory of the Light, an author can never fear looking at the darkness it pierces.

Sunglasses…  No one’s ever bothered to ask why I’m always wearing those silly sunglasses in my author photos…

My newest release, U-TURN KiLLuR (Death Row Edition)…  What should I say about it?  I think, perhaps, out of the three thrillers I’ve scripted, this one hits extremely close to home.  Each of my works contains snippets of my personal life, but U-TURN KiLLuR… Tears came to my eyes at several intervals while plugging away at it.  When one reads it and discovers the message within, he/she will understand why.

U-TURN is a supernatural thriller about a firefighter and his family:  each member being preyed upon by a sinister stranger – a killer we all know all too well.  I believe it will come as a surprise as to whom the killer actually is.  Ah, yes, the misspelling of “KiLLuR” in the title… The “i” and “u” hold significance within the storyline.

Did I mention the newly released Kindle version is free on Monday, September 24^th and Tuesday, September 25^th?  Indeed, it is!  Simply go to Amazon.com on those dates and pick it up!

Why the newly released edition?  Simply because the first version was self-published.  After being picked up by TreasureLine Publishing, I was afforded an opportunity to re-release my first two self-pubbed works.  This gave me a chance to scrub up each script a bit, add some storyline to each book, and enhance each release with a wonderful new cover.  Linda Boulanger designed the covers for my TreasureLine offerings, and she did a remarkable job.

About the U-TURN (Death Row Edition) cover and my writing style:  I do espouse a Christian worldview, though my target audience isn’t projected toward those living behind stained glass windows.  I have seen much darkness in the world – a lot of hard living – and I am simply “bleeding ink” about things I’ve seen.  I mince few words and scenery.  Some have misconstrued my intent and labeled my works as “gratuitous.”

I’m not glorifying the dark things I write about.  On the contrary, I’m exposing the darkness, often empathizing with those in its vortex, and displaying humanity’s need for The Light.  I like the term “progressive” for my works though perhaps “innovative” would be a better term, indicative of that which is “cutting-edge,” “leading-edge,” and “breaking new ground” by definition.

 

What I mean by the above terms is that it often seems as though – in the realm of “Christian” authorship – there are aspects of every-day-life that some authors are afraid to freely script out, even while trying to “go there”.  I’ve never been content to say something such as:  “He struggled with temptation,” or “She cussed him out and walked away.”  I wish for the reader to relate, interact and react with my characters.  Therefore, as with the above instances, I would place the reader smack-dab within the temptation this character is going through, or allow my character to belt out the expletive within dialogue.  In my opinion, reasonably fleshing it out a bit makes for a richer storyline that’s more true-to-life.  It might raise the hair on one’s arms or make their blood begin to boil… Signs of captivated reading!

"I've never hit a line-drive directly into right field or straight down the center. My works take flight toward left field then curve to the right." - Teric Darken

Speaking of “innovative”:  I believe the cover for U-TURN KiLLuR (Death Row Ed.) says it all for a work some deem “Christian fiction.”  At first glance, most will probably see nothing but the pole dancer’s torso.  But what else is shown?  What about the skeleton rising from her frame?  What about the blood on the keypad and the surrounding flames?  What do these things mean?  When one takes the time to delve in, he/she will see the big picture and understand the significance of it all.  Would anyone believe that my cover concept was conceived from Proverbs 6: 23 – 32 and Proverbs 7: 7 – 27?

Several have read KILL FM 100 (Night Shift Ed.) and Wickflicker, and I am truly thankful.  U-TURN KiLLuR (DRE) is the link between the two.  Each book stands alone, but U-TURN makes the connection between the former and the latter book.  There is a connective thread in the stories.

A prominent author once told me that my works were comparable to “C.S. Lewis meets Stephen King.”  She also gave me a cautionary statement which proved to be prophetic:  “Many will deem your works as too worldly for the ‘Church’ and too Christian for the world.”  That’s okay.  I’ll keep shining that Light out into the darkness, regardless of how unpopular it may be to the world at large.  Prostitutes, drug addicts, cutters, domestic abusers…  I have seen a lot of things first hand.  I can relate.  "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick."

Oh, yes, the sunglasses…  The shades are simply a visual metaphor:  “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”  -1 Corinthians 13:12 

Teric Darken

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My thanks to Teric for his visit and for sharing more about his newest release and his writing with readers.  Remember that, to get a free Kindle copy of U-TURN KiLLuR this coming Monday and Tuesday, September 24th and 25th, just click on the book cover link above.  To learn more about Teric and his novels, visit him at his blog: http://tericdarken.blogspot.com/ or on his website: http://www.tericdarken.com/

An Ode to the Complex Sentence

An interesting and, ironically, short article in the Los Angeles Times by way of  The Passive Voice  on the reason it's a good thing not all modern fiction embraces the short, declarative sentence - an idea for which many would say I have an apparent (and extensive) appreciation.  Hats off to all writers who like to capture the human mind's tendency towards tangents, ruminative driftage, paradoxical ambivalence and addendums.

The point of the long and winding sentence

On the Soul of a Vampire FREE on Kindle August 21 & 22

Read a vampire novel that's much less about darkness and death than it is about light and life.

On the Soul of a Vampire, Book I in the On the Soul series is FREE on Amazon Kindle Tuesday and Wednesday, August 21 & 22.  Just click on the book cover link below:

The solution to the mystery has always been in the human soul.

The Red Bridge Murder Now on Amazon Kindle

For those who enjoy 19th century fiction, French literature, police procedural suspense or are fans of Fyodor Dostoyevsky, you might be interested in The Red Bridge Murder, my English translation of Charles Barbara's L'Assassinat du Pont-Rouge.  This novella, thought by some to have possibly influenced Dostoyevsky to write Crime and Punishment, is darkly fascinating in its own right.  Considered to be one of the very first police procedurals, it's the story of musician Max Destroy's growing obsession with the strange mystery surrounding his friend, Clement, a man devoid of faith who, despite having gone from utter destitution to wealth, seems persecuted by inner demons.

The Red Bridge Murder/L'Assassinat du Pont-Rouge is available on Amazon Kindle as a dual language book that includes both the original French story and the English translation, as well as notes on the text.  To purchase or to read a sample, just click on the book cover link above.