I mostly read non-fiction, whether it’s to gain knowledge about a particular subject (like indie publishing or photography), or just to learn about other geeks out there like me.

Non-Fiction

5000 Words Per Hour – Chris Fox

This book, along with Monica Leonelle’s “The 8 Minute Writing Habit”, has changed my writing routine for the better. I admit, I’m a total pantser, but I wanted to see if this book could still help me. And it does! While I’m no where near writing 5,000 words per hour, this book has been helpful in two ways. 1.) I’m writing every single day again, which is awesome! Some days I may only manage 250 words in my work-in-progress, but my personal goal has been to form a daily habit of writing at least 250 words. The good news leads me to… 2.) Most days I double and triple my daily goal! Again 500-750 words may not be huge numbers, but in time they will add up. I encourage any writer struggling with Butt In Chair Time each day to read this book. Do the sprints. Even short sprints add up.

The 8-Minute Writing Habit – Monica Leonelle

(See above for some of why I LOVE this book! Seriously, just like the title suggests, it helped change my writing habits.) “The 8-Minute Writing Habit” basically inspires you to write – at a minimum – for 8 minutes a day. Who doesn’t have 8 minutes to spare? The great thing about this mini-Pomodoro method is that once you get through those first 8 minutes, you’re usually in the flow of things and don’t want to stop. So, get this book, and learn how to turn an 8 minute habit into productive writing!

Writing Into the Dark – Dean Wesley Smith

I follow Smith’s daily blog (formally called “Writing in Public”) religiously. Really, the man needs no introduction. He writes every day and shares his word totals with with the world. Very inspiring stuff! His career spans four decades and has written both traditionally and self-published, as well as for his own publishing company, WMG Publishing. “Writing Into the Dark” is about learning to follow our Creative Voice whenever we put our Butt in Chair to write and to ignore our Critical Voice. You know, the one that likes to tell us “that story isn’t good”, or “you’ll never amount to anything writing like that.” Following Creative Voice and tuning out Critical Voice is no easy feat, but this book will help any author develop that skill. Personally, I’m a total pantser, and I loved this book even more because it was like talking with an old friend who shared my writing style. Not that I needed the validation. Outlining just isn’t for me, and it’s nice to know I’m not alone.

Prosperity for Writers – Honoree Corder

I loved this book so much I just bought and read her follow-up: the Prosperity For Writers Productivity Journal. This book helped cement the belief that I can succeed as a writer. This will be one of those books that I turn to time and time again.

You’re Never Weird on the Internet – Felicia Day

It’ll make you laugh, cry, and make you fall in love with gaming all over again (not that anyone would fall out of love with gaming). Highly recommended even if you aren’t familiar with Day. If you’re a fellow geek, you’ll enjoy it.
On the iPhone – David Hume Kennerly

This book inspired my first daily photo challenge from April 2015. While I do enjoy shooting with my Canon 70D, my iPhone is my favorite camera. Why? Because I always have it with me. And I’ve captured more memories and beautiful shots than I ever could have planned to do.
Grandma Gatewood’s Walk – Ben Montgomery

Not only is the story of this 67 year old lady’s thru hike on the AT a fascinating one, it’s also a nice history lesson. A lot has happened in our modern world just since the 1950s (interstates were built, cars were manufactured, etc), which really puts things into perspective. If you’re a hiker or enjoy the outdoors (and living off the grid), give this one a read.

Fiction

As you can see, my non-fiction list far outweighs my fiction lists. This is pretty typical. I’d like to up the number of fiction books I read in 2016.
Devoured (The Hunger #1) – Jason Brant

A fast, fun zombie-filled ride. Except that these are no ordinary zombies. I won’t spoil it for ya, you’ll just have to read and enjoy it for yourself.

The Haunted Mask, One Day at Horrorland, and Why I Quit Zombie School – R.L. Stone

Goosebumps are just plain fun. And “The Haunted Mask” is just plain creepy. What more could a Monster Kid like me want? I got on a Goosebumps kick later in the year thanks to my nephew (the same one who inspired my book, “Zombie Boy: Press Start“), and the ones listed above were some of my favorites.

Until next year…. !

Val O. Morris

Val O. Morris likes to pretend the monsters aren’t real. She is a filmmaker turned author who writes Urban Fantasy, Horror, and YA. A Monster Kid since birth, she loves all things ghosts, goblins, slashers, demons, monsters, zombies, madmen, werewolves, vampires, and freaky little kids who live in the corn. She invites you to come for the monsters and stay for the story.

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My iPhone has been used in two daily photo challenges this year (one from April and the second is going on right now), and it gets a lot of use out on the hiking trails. One of my favorite things to do with my iPhone’s camera is use the Olloclip 4-IN-1 lens attachment and shoot macro. Spring and summer bring out the bugs, and while I prefer them to not be in my house, I do love taking extreme close-up photos of strange-looking bugs that I find outside. (Click here to view photos on my Flickr page: Bugs and iPhoneography.)

Not only do I love the built-in camera, but my iPhone is used to edit photos, read books, watch movies, listen to music and podcasts, and even, wait for it… write stories. I’m writing this blog on my iPhone right now. My latest book, “Zombie Boy: Press Start” was written almost entirely on my iPad. (See #2 in the “5 Things I Learned” Post.)

My MacBook Air fills in the gaps (which aren’t many), and is also used to compile and publish all my books. Which brings me to the point of this blog entry. Books. Specifically, iBooks.

Like many indie authors, I did a stint of time in Amazon Kindle exclusivity, but now the time has come to spread my wings and take that next step into my writing career’s future.

I’m happy to announce that not only is “Zombie Boy” now available on iBooks, but ALL my books are! It was a goal of mine to “go wide” to all the major book retailers this year, and I am beyond thrilled to have reached that goal! Being published in 51 countries is a pretty awesome feat! That’s 700 million potential customers who love their iPhones as much as I do.

To celebrate, “Zombie Boy” will be on sale for a limited time for $.99! (Links for each book are listed below.)

Be sure to let me know what you think by leaving a review on iBooks. It may seem small, but reviews help indie authors in a HUGE way.

Thank you!

Val O. Morris

Val O. Morris likes to pretend the monsters aren’t real. She is a filmmaker turned author who writes Urban Fantasy, Horror, and YA. A Monster Kid since birth, she loves all things ghosts, goblins, slashers, demons, monsters, zombies, madmen, werewolves, vampires, and freaky little kids who live in the corn. She invites you to come for the monsters and stay for the story.

Get Your FREE Book!

I suppose they could if they had any muscle control left after decomposition. And speaking of composition, (see what I did there?!), to celebrate the release of  “Zombie Boy: Press Start”, today I begin my second iPhone daily photo challenge of 2015!

Since “Zombie Boy iPhone Daily Photo Challenge” is a mouthful, let’s just call it the “Zombie Boy Photo Challenge”, m’kay? I’ll tag my photos like this: #ZombieBoy #PhotoChallenge.

The first challenge I did was this past April, and it was a lot of fun. Like April’s spring colors and excitement, December should also bring many opportunities to capture unique moments, especially with Christmas just around the corner!

Because nothing goes together better than Christmas and zombies, amirite?

To kick things off, I give you this photo…

“Say Cheese!” – Day one of the #ZombieBoy #PhotoChallenge. Yes, that’s a feral from Fallout.

Don’t forget to follow along on Facebook or Instagram @valmakesmovies for daily photo updates! You can also check out more of my photography – both iPhone and DSLR – at Flickr.

Val O. Morris

Val O. Morris likes to pretend the monsters aren’t real. She is a filmmaker turned author who writes Urban Fantasy, Horror, and YA. A Monster Kid since birth, she loves all things ghosts, goblins, slashers, demons, monsters, zombies, madmen, werewolves, vampires, and freaky little kids who live in the corn. She invites you to come for the monsters and stay for the story.

Get Your FREE Book!

The month is officially over! Here are the final photos from the challenge with one extra sunset to close out the month!

April 24

“Evil Storm Clouds Rolling In”

April 25

“Peek-a-Boo” One of my many lizard buddies that hang around outside on my deck.

April 26

“Lily” From my aunt’s pretty garden.

April 27

“I Think I See Bigfoot” From one of our many hikes.

April 28

“Playing Catch” Enjoying the afternoon with Ryker.

April 29

“Fire in the Sky”

April 30

“Petrified”

The Last Sunset…

And one more sunset to close out this April daily photo series. It’s been fun, y’all!

Thank you for following along! You can see all of the April photos here on my site as well as on Instagram @valmakesmovies and at Flickr.

Val O. Morris

Val O. Morris likes to pretend the monsters aren’t real. She is a filmmaker turned author who writes Urban Fantasy, Horror, and YA. A Monster Kid since birth, she loves all things ghosts, goblins, slashers, demons, monsters, zombies, madmen, werewolves, vampires, and freaky little kids who live in the corn. She invites you to come for the monsters and stay for the story.

Get Your FREE Book!

The month is halfway over! Some days I struggle to find an interesting subject worthy of a picture. Mostly, I let my mood be my guide. When I see something or am doing something that has a significant emotional response that’s when I know I should snap a pic. Luck was on my side this week as I got both a sunrise and sunset picture, a flower, spider, interesting shadows, and a few photos of my dogs.

You may have noticed I take a lot of photos of my dog, Ryker, and that I take daily walks. (Walking is good for you physically and emotionally!) I’ve toyed with the idea of doing a blog series entitled “My Walks With Ryker”. After all, he was an inspiration to my writing and publishing my first book.

I wouldn’t forgive myself if I didn’t talk a bit more about the first photo in this week’s wrap up. Since it’s finally spring and my interest in hiking has sparked, I’ve been reading “Grandma Gatewood’s Walk” about a 67 year old lady who thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail. It’s really fascinating, and if you have an interest in hiking or history I recommend it!

April 15

“Grandma Gatewood” A picture of a Kindle book cover on my iPad may seem an odd choice, but not when it’s a book worth sharing. I’m only 1/2 way through and am highly enjoying it. Not only is the story of this 67 year old lady’s thru hike on the AT a fascinating one, it’s also a nice history lesson. A lot has happened in our modern world just since the 1950s (interstates were built, cars were manufactured, etc), which really puts things in perspective. If you’re hiker or enjoy the outdoors (and living off the grid), give this one a read.

April 16

“Gateway to the Light” A beautiful sunrise this morning with a touch of fog.

April 17

Found this little guy outside on a box. Tried to get a macro shot, but admittedly, I didn’t want to get that close. He kept looking at me and walking toward my phone as I was taking this.

April 18

“Pretty in Pink” Something a little more pretty and a little less 8-legged icky for today’s shot. Azaleas from my in-laws’ garden.

April 19

“The Looming Beast” – Look! I finally got a shot of my black Lab! Haha!

April 20

“Evening Walk” Just an ordinary evening walk with my husband and Ryker-Man.

April 21

“Sunset on the Pasture”

April 22

“Strolling” Another pic of Ryker from our daily walks.

April 23

“Bird Feeder” – From my grandmother’s backyard.

Check back next week for the final wrap up! Don’t forget to follow along on Instagram @valmakesmovies for daily photo updates! You can also check out more of my photography – both iPhone and DSLR – at Flickr.

Val O. Morris

Val O. Morris likes to pretend the monsters aren’t real. She is a filmmaker turned author who writes Urban Fantasy, Horror, and YA. A Monster Kid since birth, she loves all things ghosts, goblins, slashers, demons, monsters, zombies, madmen, werewolves, vampires, and freaky little kids who live in the corn. She invites you to come for the monsters and stay for the story.

Get Your FREE Book!

It’s not just dogs and flowers this week, thanks to a weekend trail hike. Also, I tried to mix it up a little more with both color and black and white images. Enjoy!

April 8

“Doorway to the world outside”

April 9

“Come Play With Me” Ryker-Man and his favorite toy.

April 10

“A Crack In the Ramen” – A macro shot of ramen noodles. Mm’mmm.

April 11

Trying out the new tent!

April 12

“One Down, A Forest To Go” – The trail conservation team really do a great job of keeping the trail clean and free of debris. This was a huge tree that, as you can sorta see on the right, had uprooted and had fallen across the trail. It broke part of a small bridge that crossed a small pool of water. The trail was rerouted temporarily, but I had to get a picture.

April 13

“Stepping Stones” – Another shot from our hike. I’ve started a “Backpacker Series” on my Flickr page that I intend to grow as we do more hikes.

April 14

“Tentacles” – We were hiking a trail when I spotted this tree up ahead. The silhouette of its tentacle like branches immediately caught my eye. I reached into my pocket to grab my phone and snapped a pic. For a moment while walking I almost hesitated and passed up this opportunity. I’m so glad I followed my instincts to take the few seconds required to get the shot. It’s one of my favorites. I love the silhouetted tree in this shot and its tentacle-like branches. Despite the colorful background, the stark outline of the tree’s branches remind me of “Tales From the Darkside”.

Don’t forget to follow along on Instagram @valmakesmovies for daily photo updates! You can also check out more of my photography – both iPhone and DSLR – at Flickr. I’ll be back next week with another wrap up!

Val O. Morris

Val O. Morris likes to pretend the monsters aren’t real. She is a filmmaker turned author who writes Urban Fantasy, Horror, and YA. A Monster Kid since birth, she loves all things ghosts, goblins, slashers, demons, monsters, zombies, madmen, werewolves, vampires, and freaky little kids who live in the corn. She invites you to come for the monsters and stay for the story.

Get Your FREE Book!

What an interesting week it was. The week started off with a rainbow but also a death in the family. In times of grief, it’s easy to only see the negative, and this photo challenge helped to remind me of the beauty in our lives. The warmer spring weather also lent itself to playing outside with our dogs. You’ll see a couple of photos of our chocolate Lab, Ryker-Man. Our other Lab has the attention span of a fly on crack and usually won’t hold still. Getting a good shot of him will make a great photo challenge in itself! It’s been a varied week, but I’m happy with the visual results. I’m determined to continue this iPhone Photo Challenge until the end of April. It’ll be great to challenge myself with different types of photos.

April 1

“Following the Rainbow” – What I like about this picture is how the road curves to the left, while the rainbow veers off to the right. If you look closely you can see not only a faint double rainbow but tire tracks that appear to be following the rainbow.

April 2

Hiiiii! As soon as I lowered my iPhone, I got a slobbery kiss.

April 3

A beautiful yellow rose from a funeral flower arrangement. Especially in a time of grief, it’s important to remember to stop and smell the roses, for there is beauty in the world and in our lives.

April 4

A close up of a flower.

April 5

Getting ready for a hike! These Sawyer mini water filtration systems are super cool. So small/light!

April 6

Macro is one of my favorite ways to practice photography. There’s beauty in the smaller, more intimate details.

April 7

Ryker-Man posing with his ball. He was rewarded with a game of fetch for sitting pretty for me. Even at 8 years old, this picture reminds me that he’s still very much a puppy at heart. Aren’t all Labs?

Don’t forget to follow along on Instagram @valmakesmovies for daily photo updates! You can also check out more of my photography – both iPhone and DSLR – at Flickr. I’ll be back next week with another wrap up!

Val O. Morris

Val O. Morris likes to pretend the monsters aren’t real. She is a filmmaker turned author who writes Urban Fantasy, Horror, and YA. A Monster Kid since birth, she loves all things ghosts, goblins, slashers, demons, monsters, zombies, madmen, werewolves, vampires, and freaky little kids who live in the corn. She invites you to come for the monsters and stay for the story.

Get Your FREE Book!

After reading the first two chapters of the book, “On the iPhone” by David Hume Kennerly, I’ve been inspired to do a photo-a-day challenge using only my iPhone. These have been around for years, but I’ve only done it a couple of times for Halloween during the month of October. The spring weather is helping to spark my creativity and this will give me even more reason to get outside (I hate wintertime) and practice my photography. I can’t say that I’ll do it every single day, or for how long, but I do promise to always have a story to tell about how or why I took that particular photo. Plus, this will be a great way to possibly “blog a book“, which I hoped to do in 2015.

Why the iPhone?

Sure, I could use my DSLR and my fancy-schmancy lenses, but there is something about the simplicity of the iPhone that I’ve always been a fan of. If you were to take a gander at my Flickr page, you’d see that the iPhone is a favorite tool of mine. Sometimes when I take a picture, I don’t need to think too much about what I’m doing. I just need to be like Nike and Just. Do. It. Capture the moment before it slips away. Believe me, I missed a wonderful candid moment several years ago that I’m still kicking myself over.

We were at a local fair and I had just taken a series of pictures where I needed to use manual focus. I’m sure you can guess where this is going. (I shoot in manual, but usually let auto focus do its thing to assist me.) We were walking through the crowd and I spotted a father who was about to hand a mustard covered corn dog to his young son who was reaching for it with all his little might. I knew it was coming. I readied my camera, framed the shot, and… Crap! It wouldn’t focus! I had forgotten that I had changed to manual focus for the previous shot and began fumbling with the camera. I ultimately lost the opportunity and was (and still am!) devastated to let that special moment pass by. Lesson learned!

Having a perfectly capable camera that I do not have to fumble with in my pocket at all times is a no-brainer. The iPhone is the perfect tool for the job. iPhoneography is something I’ve been practicing for a few years now, and I’m really pleased with what it can do and how it challenges me. I also believe that the limitations of the iPhone (which aren’t many) will force me to be more creative, to try different angles or focal lengths and use my body is the zoom. Plus, it’ll be fun to play with the various camera and editing apps I’ve accumulated.

Follow Along!

Rather than post a photo per day on my blog, I’ll likely do weekly wrap ups here. However, you can follow along on Instagram @valmakesmovies to see the daily photos, and I may include other social networks, too (Facebook, Twitter, or Flickr).

To start things off, I’m posting a few random pictures here that I’ve taken over the last several years, and either a fictional story that the picture influenced or the actual story behind the photo.

“Family At the Next Table”
Dad tells a story
And the little girl giggles.
Mom looks lovingly
At Dad.
Birthday parties and school plays.
Dance recitals and sleep overs.
Soon to be replaced
With fast cars and first dates.
Pig tails and French braids
Will be a thing of the past.
But they’ll always have this moment
And the laughs. 

 

 

“Treadin’ Water”
Hot summer day
Landed in a dog’s water bowl
Someone please rescue me 

“Old Diner”
All walks of life have dined in these tables. The construction workers who break for lunch. Gulping the cold sweet tea to refresh their labored bodies. A business man who reads the paper while eating his vegetable plate. Let’s not forget the truck drivers who make it a point to stop in on their way through town. The food is good and the service is better. It’s what keeps the regulars returning.

“After Party”
Taken on the set of our short film, “Suffering Fools”, 2011 

And one for April 1st!

“Following the Rainbow”
What I like about this picture is how the road curves to the left, while the rainbow veers off to the right. If you look closely you can see not only a faint double rainbow but tire tracks that appear to be following the rainbow.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the upcoming photo journey! It’ll be a wonderful challenge that I’m excited about. On a side note, I’ve got two writing projects in the works that I hope to spill the beans on soon!

Updates: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4

* I realize today is April 1st, but this isn’t an April Fools’ joke. Today is a good a day as any to start this challenge! If you start yours, let me know in the comments!

Val O. Morris

Val O. Morris likes to pretend the monsters aren’t real. She is a filmmaker turned author who writes Urban Fantasy, Horror, and YA. A Monster Kid since birth, she loves all things ghosts, goblins, slashers, demons, monsters, zombies, madmen, werewolves, vampires, and freaky little kids who live in the corn. She invites you to come for the monsters and stay for the story.

Get Your FREE Book!