Angels Dark and Dumb

Where have I been? Dabbling in the Occult…Collage

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WOW! Didn’t realize it’s been a month since my last post. Where have I been? Well, creating the collage to the left is one thing I’ve been up to. I love this one, although it took forever to come together. I started with just the star carved in wood background and placed all the other items, so this one was very involved.

Watched a few horror shows/movies worth watching. In Dark Harvest there’s a “deadly annual ritual in a small town and Sawtooth Jack, rises from the cornfields and challenges the town’s teenage boys in a bloody battle of survival.” All around good acting, characters, effects, etc. Generally a slasher movie if you like that sort of movie, which I was up for when I watched. Also appreciated that they set it in the 1940s.

Also enjoyed Midnight Mass, “an isolated island community experiences miraculous events – and frightening omens – after the arrival of a charismatic, mysterious young priest.” Overall great story line with well rounded characters. Very much about relationships with horror around holding on to the past.

Making some progress on The Pumpkin and the Jinn. New page to show off. Here, the pumpkin wishes himself into a dark truck on the way to market. He’s not very happy about it. I just noticed I haven’t added tears to this one, so back to that page for some more details.

I’ve been having a lot more fun with Adobe’s Firefly AI image generator. If you’d like to see more fun with the Grim Reaper, drop by my Instagram account. There are also a few more for the Heaven and Hell series there.

So, I’ve been pretty busy with art projects. Not so busy with writing, although I have been playing with a few AI text generators, including EditPad, Sudowrite, and Claude. Really love how Sudowrite works, so I’m thinking of writing a series with it. EditPad is good for a blog post and I’m pretty impressed with how little editing I need to do with what it generates for free. I need to spend more time on Claude, but I did ask it to write a story about Nita, who will serve Satan by running his restaurant on Earth in her own series after the end of the Angels Dark and Dumb first trilogy is complete in The Corner of Hell and Second Chances. I gave it no history about the series, so it made everything up including the main character’s name. Here’s the prompt and the story if you’re interested in reading it. The story’s not that interesting and doesn’t have much of a plot, but it’s well written.

Here is a fantasy story about a waitress who works in Satan’s diner, and is a God-created daughter of light possessed by a demon:

The Fallen Daughter

Amara had been an angel once – a pure daughter of light created by God himself to bring joy and grace to the mortal realm. But that had all changed the night the demon Malacai invaded her celestial form, twisting her brilliant aura into smoldering embers of corruption.

Now she walked among the denizens of the underworld, trapped as a server at Lucifer’s Pit Stop Diner on the outskirts of Hell. Her once radiant beauty was still evident beneath the demonic possession – flowing blonde locks, porcelain skin, and haunting azure eyes. But they stood in stark contrast to the infernal diner and its customers.

“Order up!” growled the flaming cook, Belior, sliding a platter of molten lava cakes onto the scorching hot counter. Amara snatched it up, the searing heat not even fazing her tainted flesh.

She wove between the booths packed with belching hellhounds, cackling witches, and foul-mouthed dwarven miners fresh off the night shift. Reaching a secluded corner table, she stopped before its solitary occupant – a wizened demon with ash-gray skin and curved horns protruding from a misshapen skull.

“Your desssssert,” Amara hissed, her voice a mixture of celestial harmony and demonic rasp as Malacai’s influence briefly flickered across her face.

The demon barely looked up from the arcane tome he was studying. With a clawed hand, he waved her off in clear dismissal. Amara’s jaw clenched in frustration. Even in this wretched place, she refused to be treated like a common servant.

Defiantly, she slammed the molten lava cakes down on the table, splattering small globs across the demon’s precious book. He reared back with a animalistic snarl of rage. Before he could utter a curse, Amara locked eyes with him, her irises pulsing brilliant blue for just a moment.

The demon instantly calmed, his anger melting away into an almost trancelike calm. With a slight nod, he returned to his studies as if nothing had occurred. Amara spun on her heel and continued on her rounds, a small smile playing across her lush lips.

The demon’s willpower was negligible compared to the strength of angelic mind control granted by her divine origins. Malacai’s possession had robbed her of so much light and goodness, but some holy powers still lingered. One day she would break free from this wicked place, Amara vowed to herself. One day soon.

Thank God The Holidays Are Over!

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Quick update this week, mainly because I’m been working on this and that and recovering from the holidays as we all are. I’ve been eating way too much crap, so my year starts with a detox.

This week’s collage is Barry and a hellhound he runs into in the first book. The beast gets the better of him, as do most of the bad guys in Call for Obstruction. I like to think that Barry would have a hellhound as a pet in a future book. Not sure how to write it in yet though.

Watched about the worst holiday horror movie this week. The Curse of Jack Frost came out last year, and it has that same slow motion problem. Jack Frost wasn’t at all frightening, and too obvious a guy in a mask. The storyline was lacking and the characters were annoying. Boy can I pick ’em. The only written reviews for this movie are 1 out of 10 on IMDB, and they were generous. Give me some credit for sitting through the entire movie. But I do give credit to anyone who finishes a film and gets it out there. It’s a huge accomplishment. In this case, you can only hope they learn from their mistakes and make it better the next time.

All I got this week. HAPPY NEW YEAR! It’s going to be a good one!

Being Chased by White Warriors & Awesome Holiday Horror Movies

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More AI art this week. This represents Barry in Call for Obstruction, when he’s being chased by white warriors. Don’t forget that the eBook is $1.99 through the end of the year. If you have no idea what a white warrior is, I’ve added Barry’s first encounter with one below.

Let me start by mentioning that I watched the 1974 version of Black Christmas this week for the first time. It’s one of those I can’t believe I haven’t seen. I probably don’t have to tell you it was great!

Also watched The Nights Before Christmas (2019) about a one-eyed psycho Santa with an ax and various other ways to make you bleed and suffer. It’s another poorly rated holiday horror movie at 3.8, but I loved it. I personally thought Simon Phillips (Santa) and Sayla de Goede (Mrs. Claus) were awesome in their roles as the crazies. Despite most of the reviews being 1 and 2 stars, there are quite a few 10 star reviews. That says there is an audience as demented as me for this one. If you’re like me and love indie horror movies, watch this one.

Barry’s Introduction to White Warriors

Two hours south of Denver, I feel as though I’ve been on the road half the day. Even fifty-five dollars an hour can’t make up for this much boredom. I’ve thought about ditching the van, but every time I do, I let out a dusty fart.

An unmistakable hacking cough echoes throughout the cab. “Margery?” It’s like she’s in my head, but not in my head.

“Yeah, Honey, it’s Margery.”

I jump in my seat and look around. “Where the hell are you?” A light on the radio catches my eye. It flickers like it’s on the fritz. Is that the source of her voice? I turn the only knob on it, but it doesn’t seem to do anything.

“Wanted to let you know a few of the drivers have encountered a flock of those birds I warned you about. They’re just south of Pueblo. Close to your current location.”

“Those things really exist?” I shift in my seat and look skyward.

“Why would I warn you about something that doesn’t exist?”

“I’m not a zoologist, but who would take man-sized birds that attack speeding vehicles seriously.”

“If you’re finished, Mister Smarty-pants, you’re in one of the new vans. The damage should be minimal.”

“Damage?” I squeeze tight on the steering wheel and talk at the radio. “Wouldn’t it be better to get off the highway? Wait for them to clear?”

Her voice fills the cab. “You’ll do no such thing. You’ll get that cargo to Trinidad ASAP.”

“It’s my first day.” My heart races faster.

“You have two options.” She lets out a long sigh that’s more of a growl. “Keep on the road or hide in a gas station restroom and shit out your intestines.”

Something tells me I’ll shit my pants either choice I make. I mumble, “Bitch.”

Considering today’s been nothing but clear blue sky, I doubt the white mass off to my right is a cloud. It enlarges as it descends. “I think I see them.”

“And they see you, Honey.”

“I’m not ready for this.”

“Too bad,” she says. “Keep it on the road and don’t stop. They can’t hurt you unless you stop.”

With wings that flap at a twelve-foot span, the birds swoop in. The first one dives straight at the windshield and hits the passenger side like a cannon ball. At least twenty more dive-bomb behind it.

The van rocks and swerves, but miraculously none of the birds break through.

I lean forward in my seat and hover over the steering wheel, struggling to keep the van on the road. My chin trembles. “This isn’t happening.”

“It sure is, Honey.”

“Stop calling me Honey.”

Margery hacks a laugh so hard she could hyperventilate.

“Shut up. This is not funny.” I floor the gas pedal, not that this van could outrun them, but it’s worth a try. “Shit! This is The Birds movie on steroids.”

“Stop talking and concentrate or you’ll end up bird feed.” Margery continues to bark out directions, but only half of what she says is discernible amid the screeching birds and flapping of wings against the windshield.

My neck whips backward as a ghostly white, human face head-butts the windshield. The monster snarls and punches the glass, which shatters, but just as quickly, the cracks fuse back into one clear sheet.

“They’re not birds,” I whisper at first, then reiterate for Margery’s benefit as loud as my voice allows. “They’re not birds.”

Outside the driver’s side window, another monster has a tight grip on the mirror. It bares sharp teeth and violently yanks at the door handle.

My body tilts to the right. The steering wheel rotates the same direction through clammy hands. “Ah!” I slam on the brakes to force the thing off the van. The vehicle goes into a tailspin before skidding to a stop.

Margery barks like a drill sergeant, “What part of ‘keep moving’ did you not understand?”

My foot forces the gas pedal to the floor even though my view is obstructed. “I’m trying. I’m trying,” I keep saying. I skid back around to head south and somehow manage to drive back onto the pavement.

“Hold it steady,” Margery says. “Help’s arrived.”

“Thank God.”

“Honey, God’s got nothing to do with this mission.”

Darkness descends over the van. A few of the toothy bastards break away, replaced by black wings and deafening squawks from a murder of crows. A pecking and clawing war between black and white commences overhead.

Blood rains down on the windshield, blocking my sight. My stomach turns as I fiddle with the dashboard controls. The wipers come on and jets of blue cleaning fluid squirt onto the gory mess.

The white creatures retreat back into the sky, a black veil in pursuit. Maybe I’m safe, but that doesn’t stop the full body shivers or loosen my tight chest. “Margery, help! Can’t…breathe. Having…heart attack.”

“Don’t be silly. You’re in shock?”

“Shock. This is…not shock.” A bead of sweat streams down my forehead.

“When’s the last time you were pummeled by a flock of giant birds?”

“Those were not birds.” I pound my fist on my chest and white-knuckle the steering wheel with my other hand. “Seriously. Call an ambulance.”

“I don’t have time for this nonsense. Pull yourself together and finish your run to Trinidad.” There’s silence. Margery’s gone.

Buy Call for Obstruction on Amazon!

Margery the Demon According to AI Image Generation

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This AI’s version of Margery the Demon. Pretty damn good likeness except for the hair, which is my fault. I didn’t include troll doll hair in the description. I’ll have to try for her demon form next. Did this in Adobe Firefly last week. I had been given beta access and through I might have more fun with it than I have. I’m still finding it easier to search for stock images.

Speaking of Angels Dark and Dumb, the eBooks are on sale for $1.99, except for Fall for Freedom, which is $0.99, until December 1st. Go to angelsdarkanddumb.com for links to purchase books on Amazon.

Have you seen Wolf Like Me? I just finished the first season and loved it. Can’t wait to start the next season. Such a great ending to the first. It’s reminding me how much I’ve loved werewolves over the years, but I’ve been neglecting them for a number of years. I used to read books with werewolves, but the genre got too saturated with urban fantasy romance books. Just for the heck of it, I paused from writing this post and searched Amazon for “werewolf comedy,” and it took pages to find what I thought I might read.

On to some more complaining. I watched Nutcracker Massacre on Tubi (where there’s a good selection of holiday horror) for my 1st new holiday horror viewing pleasure, and there was nothing but pain. Slow, boring torment to be exact. If you’ve read my movie reviews in the past, you know that I watch movies willy-nilly. This is because I tend to love really bad horror movies. This one was an exception though. I don’t look up reviews until after watching, so I was surprised that Nutcracker Massacre didn’t get a score lower than it’s 3.1. There was a really good idea or plot behind it, but it’s like no one bothered to develop either. My biggest complaint was the speed of the movie. Since I started watching a bunch of newer indie horror movies, I’ve noticed a trend. A really bad trend toward slow torturous kills, which this movie delivered from start to finish. While this sounds like a good thing in the horror genre, it’s more eye rolling with a deep sigh. The characters are stiff and dumb and boring. And at the one point I was hoping to laugh out loud with the nutcracker cracking real nuts, I just shook my head at how poorly the irony was presented. Yeah, don’t waste your time with this one, unless you have a lot of email to check.

That’s all this time. Have a great week.

A Few Weeks Later

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I’ve had an incredibly busy few weeks, reason #1 why I skipped out on blog posts the last few weeks.

I did have time to put together this collage. A zombie walk of sorts. I’ve been doing a lot of work in Photoshop lately. Also finished up some illustrations for a book by another author and am trying to format the book with the best illustration sizes and such. Trying to figure out images in eBooks has been my latest challenge. Sure it sounds easy, but getting them a small and readable size is not the easiest, especially considering how illustrations or photos are so different depending on how they are created.

Now that I’ve bored you, let me bore you some more. I added a new blog post to the ArmLin House blog. Note that my editor and artist (non-horror related.) name is Wendy Spurlin. How to Standardize the Punctuation in a Manuscript Before Submitting or Formatting Your Book is all about what it says. It’s a pet peeve of mine to read a book and find all different types of punctuation like straight quotation marks vs slanted, the later being the correct format for a published book.

I watched Five Nights at Freddy’s, and it’s a fun horror movie for kids as well as adults. I added kids because I found it very light horror, and one of the main characters is a child. I’ve decided to continue watching horror movies I haven’t seen because the holiday season has begun and there will be plenty of themed horror movies to watch. Finding new ones will be challenging though!

Sorry, nothing new on Angels Dark and Dumb other than chapter 2 was handed over for critique. It needs a lot of work. I thought about doing NaNoWriMo this year, but I’m in the middle of too much with ArmLin House, so it didn’t happen.

All I got for ya this time. Have a great week!