Knick-Knacks

Excerpts from both Passion Forsaken and Quixotic Crossings have been added to my alter-ego's page at Scribd. The excerpts are contained in PDF documents, downloadable by anyone who wants to have a read.

By the way, Happy Thanksgiving to all!

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.

Into the Future

I have very definite plans following the release of all eight books in the Collective Obsessions Anthology.

Because there are multiple parts to the story, the novels are being released in stages. In other words, a new title comes out every few months, or up to half a year. This means the series will be released in it's entirety by the end of 2012, hopefully.

Afterward, it's my intention to combine all eight novels into one. I am a huge fan of family sagas and gothic collections, but always prefer the works to be in one volume. Who wants to buy several books when one will do the trick? Granted, merging all the titles makes for a very long read. However, surely I'm not the only one who likes big books.

Now that novels are quickly downloaded and read in electronic fashion, presenting all eight books in the Collective Obsessions Anthology together as one is not such a far-fetched notion. Printing and shipping costs are almost a thing of the past, neither of which are required with e-books. As much as print book-lovers might disagree, electronic reads are not a fad. In fact, they are far outselling their printed counterparts in today's market. E-books are simply not going away, which is a good thing. Think of all the trees that are being saved in the process!

Anyway, I'm already combining the books, one at a time. As soon as a title is released or editing is finished, I take the final text and insert it into the existing file for the complete Collective Obsessions. As of this writing, only Passion Forsaken (re-named The Advent for the whole book) and Quixotic Crossings are part of the mix, bringing the total page count to 293. By the time all eight books are one, I'm estimating the saga will number more than 1,950 pages. Reading and hauling around a print-book of that size might be difficult, but slipping an e-reader into a pocket or purse is not such a chore.

I've even messed about with a cover design for the book:

Of course, the project is still a long way into the future. Even if all eight titles in the Collective Obsessions Anthology are released by the end of 2012, it will probably be another year after that before one volume can be prepared for publication. As much as we edit manuscripts, there always seems to be something that needs tweaking during re-reads. Who knows? Maybe I'll even write a few bonus chapters.

Stay tuned...

Quixotic Crossings Arrives!

FINALLY....drum roll, please...

Quixotic Crossings was released by Club Lighthouse Publishing today.

The novel is Book #2 in the Collective Obsessions Anthology, a unique eight-part series set in the combined genres of mystery, the paranormal, historical romance, and dotted with a touch of the macabre and hints of classic Gothicism.

In Quixotic Crossings, fate continues to entangle the Larkin and Sullivan families amidst madness, murder and obsessive love. Colm and Molly's grandson Jean-Claude Sullivan finds his life driven by greed and perversely tainted pleasures. Beloved family chef Claude Mondoux watches helplessly as Colm slowly loses his mind in ghostly visions of Molly, while Colleen Larkin seeks love in the arms of another man with deadly consequences...

Quixotic Crossings is currently on sale at the Club Lighthouse web site, at Amazon (Kindle) and Fictionwise (Nook).

While the four-month delay in the release of  Quixotic Crossings was a tad frustrating, I'm now tickled pink that the novel is out and about. It's unlike anything I've ever written before: not quite a typical romance, and not quite chock-full of gothic mystique.

I think it's safe to say Quixotic Crossings stands proudly and very well on it's own.

Characters in the Kitchen

I'm excited to announce that the Larkin Community Cookbook is now available in Kindle and Nook editions, and as a PDF (Adobe Acrobat) download.

The cookbook is a compilation of recipes mentioned or prepared by characters in the Collective Obsessions Anthology.

It begins with the first family chef Claude Mondoux (Passion Forsaken), and carries on with the ill-fated Nicholas Bertrand (Quixotic Crossings), the much-beloved Mae Jensen (The Twain Shall Meet), and the drunken Cora Ann Hogan (The Twilight).

Diabolical Amber Whale executive chef Jack Sansovino (Hearts Desires) is also a dab hand in the kitchen, where he brews more than just seafood specialties.

Various members of the Larkin family have culinary talent as well, including Shannon, Derek and Dana, who prepare mouth-watering dishes for family and friends. Derek (Hearts Desires) also becomes a professional chef and opens his own elegant restaurant in Larkin City, known as The Silver Tassel.

Before her grisly demise, Carly O'Reilly (Enthrallment and The Keeper's Journal) whips up delectable dishes for her highly successful Harbor View Catering Company, where she also sells homemade foodstuffs.

Click here for more information.

Watching Paint Peel

Waiting for the release of Quixotic Crossings is similar to watching paint peel, or waiting for the kettle to boil, and so on and so forth.

Or perhaps I should liken it to scratching nails across a blackboard?

It's difficult to sit still and be patient as the publication of another book looms, especially when the title is one of your own creation.

May the saints preserve me...