About Larkin

During the two decades it took me to write all eight books in the Collective Obsessions Anthology, I developed quirks and tidbits not only for the characters but story locales as well.

Because the complete novels were long in coming, I decided to release About Larkin, which is a free download from my web site for a limited time.

About Larkin is a culmination of the story-structure years, a veritable compilation of characters and locations floating around in my head during the writing process.

I'd like to think About Larkin will take the reader to my fictional little paradise, from wine tastings at the Banshee Point Winery to midnight strolls in the Larkin Family Cemetery.

I hesitate to call the offering "trivia" as nuances were accumulated over more than twenty working years. Complete with credited images that often inspired me to create locations or characters, About Larkin is a delightfully entertaining look into my fictional world.

Learn how John Larkin settled in Maine, turning his self-named village into one of the most popular destinations on the Eastern seaboard. Discover how the harbor town went from an obscure New England hamlet to a centre for education, commerce and leisure.

Visit the Banshee Point Winery to taste the exclusive Larkin Cognac, which comes in an elegant periwinkle bottle containing the perfect flavor bouquet of nuts, fruits, spices and flora. Make a reservation at the Silver Tassel Restaurant to indulge in sumptuous fare, or try the Amber Whale Tavern overlooking the harbor for fresh seafood. Bruno's Café offers homemade foodstuff, with all the latest gossip served up by waitress Berty Soames. Take a walk in Colleen Larkin Memorial Park, or visit the beautiful student Quad at LCU. The Larkin Harbor Tour Company will take you for a sail on the Lady Banshee to see the sights and hear the sounds. If water rides are not to your taste, try a day of shopping at Azoulay Gems, Brickyard Square, Harbor Hill, the Larkin Co-Op, Nook & Cranny or the Wee Book Shop. Wind down with a drink or two at The Coven Nightclub or Suds Pub. If you're in the mood for a good scare, pay a visit Larkin City Cemetery to have a chat with former locals.

Befriend a member of the Larkin family and tour their grand estate. The elaborate mansion attic holds years of secrets that might curl your hair, or bypass the bitter memories to view Larkin City from the breathtaking Widow's Walk. Stroll down to the Banshee Point Lighthouse to take a long gander over the Atlantic Ocean, or visit the keeper's cottage to relive the tragic romance of Molly Larkin and Colm Sullivan. Head back to the mansion to take tea with the family in their drawing room, or wait until dinnertime to partake vittles in the imposing and opulent dining room.

After dinner, take a stroll in the eerie family graveyard - but be warned: don't go alone or you might never come back...

About Larkin is freely available as a PDF download (Adobe Acrobat). The e-book contains 32 pages and is 1.2 MB in file size. 

Collective Notions

As mentioned before, my plan for the Collective Obsessions Anthology is to eventually combine all eight titles into one volume. The idea has been in the back of my mind for several years, long before I finished writing the books. Because of my contractual obligations to Club Lighthouse Publishing, the "plan" will not come to fruition until 2014 or thereabouts.

The novels are currently being released in stages. A new title comes out every few months, or up to half a year. The series will be released in it's entirety by the end of 2012, hopefully. My multiple contracts run from the actual signing to two years after the release date of each book.

I was curious about the end result of one book, so I've spent the last few days linking them together and proofing for errors or formatting issues. I created three versions: one for e-book conversion (which must be saved as a filtered web page), one with Canadian/British spelling and one with US spelling and grammar. The final tally is utterly amazing - on average, the book runs 1,471 pages with a word count of 820,454.

Since the book is technically eight novels in one, the numbers are hardly surprising. Still, the amount of work (research, writing, editing, et al) is mind-boggling to me. That it was created over a time-period of more than twenty-five years hits home for me on occasion as well. Where in blue blazes did I find the energy and motivation to keep pressing on to finish the books? Or keeping a common thread through so many words, scenes and dialogs?

I liken the writing style and theme to several sources, which influenced me throughout my life. The two most prominent are Dorothy Daniels and Marilyn Harris, with smatterings of Victoria Holt, Susan Kay, Bertrice Small and the late (but great) Kathleen Woodiwiss.

The many different literary styles somehow mesh and work together in my head. I'm not sure how, but I gave-up questioning it a long time ago.