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!

Books 1 and 2 in the “Monster Girl” series are only $.99!

Happy Halloween, Monster Readers! For a limited time, the “Monster Girl” series is on sale in the Kindle store for $.99!

Kindle – Monster Girl / Monster Girl: Ghost in the Attic

***

ABOUT THE SERIES

“Monster Girl” – Book 1

A young girl, obsessed with monsters and the supernatural, befriends the ghost of her grandfather and, with his help, learns valuable lessons while dealing with a bossy older sister, parents who ignore her, and a school bully.

Viki Mitchell is being bullied.

All Viki wants is to fit in at her new school and join the art class. When she and her family move to a new house in Draxon Hollow, she makes both a new friend and enemy.

During a Halloween celebration, Viki is humiliated in front of all of Draxon Hollow Elementary by a mean girl at her school. With the guidance of her ghostly grandfather, she devises a plan to teach the bully a lesson.

Will she take the darker road and seek revenge?

What she does next may be surprising … for a Monster Girl.

Get “Monster Girl” on Kindle! 

“Monster Girl: Ghost in the Attic” – Book 2

Following the events of the first book in the “Monster Girl” series, Viki and Herman find clues that take them on a mysterious journey as they try to discover the identity of the ghost in the attic.

When Viki defies her parents by sneaking out of her house, she witnesses her sister, Suzy, in a compromising situation that puts Suzy’s life in danger. But if Viki speaks up, she’ll be ratting on herself as well.

Does Viki do the right thing and tell the truth before it’s too late to save her sister? And just how will the mystifying ghost in the attic play a part in what Viki ultimately decides to do?

Get “Monster Girl: Ghost in the Attic” on Kindle!

**The “Monster Girl” series is also available in Paperback!

Monster Girl / Monster Girl: Ghost in the Attic

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 could be debated whether the anniversary should fall on the day I started writing my first book or the day it was published, but I choose the former because it’s the day I took action.

Last Jan 12th was a mild winter day, very different from today’s rainy atmosphere. The sun actually peeked its warm face out from the clouds, and I found myself sitting on my deck relaxing with my dogs when the idea struck to write a ghost story.

I had been struggling to finish a movie script and was hoping to find inspiration to write anything and finish it. That was my one goal. Write a short book and FINISH it. Eight months later it was published and it sparked something that had been lying dormant inside me since childhood.

Notebooks filled with silly stories and poems written during my childhood and teenage years adorn my bookshelves. Those notebooks represent a time when I spent much of my downtime inventing my own worlds on paper. I guess I never really lost that. After all, we (my husband and I) have been writing and producing short films for seven and a half years now, but I needed more. Just days away from my 38th birthday and I finally know what I want to do with my life.

Writing a book has given me another way to tell stories and share them with others. A big THANK YOU goes out to everyone who has supported me, read my books, left a comment about what the stories mean to you, left a review, anything. It is appreciated more than you know.

I’m lucky to have many important people in my life, and one of those people was always adamant about two things: getting an education and reading. My grandfather isn’t with us anymore, but his efforts did not go unnoticed, which is why my first book is dedicated to him.

Viki and Herman will always have a special place in my heart since “Monster Girl” gave me new life, and I’m pleased today to share with you the cover and title for the sequel!

Monster Girl: Ghost in the Attic picks up a few months after the events of the first book. Full details are coming soon, but all signs point to a January release! Don’t forget, you can sign up to be notified about new releases. Now, I must go celebrate by polishing off the edit and writing 1,000 words in my third book!

A special thank you to Victoria Skye Cleveland for the beautiful illustration and to Craig Morris for the classy cover design!

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!

However, it’s important to make a list of goals that we’d like to see accomplished. There’s something about seeing it in writing that helps make it more real. And if it’s real, there’s a better chance of seeing them come to fruition. It’s also important to take a moment and make note of things we accomplished the year before.

In early Jan 2014, I set out to write and publish my first book. I remember that Sunday like it was yesterday. It was a mild, sunny winter afternoon. My dogs and I were relaxing on the deck in the sun with my writing notebook in my lap. Inspiration for a ghost story struck, and six months later I had a rough draft. Another three and “Monster Girl” was published. I’ve been riding that wave ever since. All I feel now is the desire to improve and write more stories! I’ve learned a TON during the first few months of being a published author. All that I learned will help me in the year ahead.

There are a few things I’d like to accomplish in the new year in order to see my writing career grow. They are:

1. Publish my second book – Recently, I announced the completion of the first draft for book 2 in the “Monster Girl” series. Now that I know that I can finish a book, it’s become an addiction. More details will be available very soon! It’ll be here sooner than even I realize.

2. Publish my books in audiobook format – I think this is an important area for stories and one I’m eager to dive into. It’ll be a slower publishing process, but I plan to initiate the transition in the first quarter.

3. Publish my first horror novel – This will undoubtedly be my third published book, as I’ve already begun the first draft. It will be darker and more mature in tone from previous books. My background is in horror, so it’s only natural that I take this next step.

4. Expand to other platforms – It’s important to reach readers who aren’t Amazon customers, and 2015 will likely be the year that I expand to other digital platforms like Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and Apple. I say likely because it will be beneficial to wait and make the move after I have at least 3-4 published works.

5. Publish another monster-themed book set in Draxon Hollow – I already have the outline for a book similar in scope to “Monster Girl” that will be even bigger and monster filled, and I cannot wait to write and share it! It’s basically a scary monster story I wish Spielberg had made when I was growing up!

6. Publish Halloween themed book of short stories – Halloween is my favorite time of year. It’s not just a single day; it’s a month-long celebration, and a book of short stories seems like a great way to show my affection! This book will happen whether it’s in 2015 or not.

7. Blog a book – To “blog a book” means to publish publicly, in blog form, the work (fiction or non-fiction) while it’s being written. Blogging a book is an interesting concept to me and one that I wouldn’t mind trying. It’s number seven on my list because, while I do want to experiment with it, it’s not a top priority. And when I do get around to trying it, it could be for a short story and not a book. (Thanks to Nina Amir for the inspiration!)

Whew! That’s seven big goals right off the bat! And I didn’t even mention the possibility of “Monster Girl book 3″. Oops, just did! Do I think all seven will be accomplished? Maybe, maybe not. Like every year, my goals grow and change as I do, and a revised list midway through the year may be necessary. Seeing these goals in written form gives me a solid jumping off point, and I’m very eager to take the plunge! Come along, it’ll be a wild ride!

Wishing you a happy and prosperous New Year!

Top image: Flickr Creative Commons ‘Resolution is in your hand’ by Jeff Golden

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!

Something I like to do as a memento for myself is take a picture of the words “The End” and the date on a blank page for whatever first draft I just finished writing. Since I write all my first drafts longhand, those notebooks make great keepsakes of the time I spend with each story. All of my film scripts were written this way, too. As much as I don’t enjoy transcribing, I feel a certain magic that I can’t live without when I touch pen to paper that I don’t get from a keyboard. There’s an interesting experiment with this that I tried recently, and I’ll blog about it soon.

As for the sequel to “Monster Girl“, this has been a tough one to get through. I hit a snag around the middle of the book, and it was tough to keep going, but I was determined to finish the story. However, by the time I got to the resolution, I didn’t like where it had ended up. It wasn’t true to the story and it wasn’t true to Viki. So, after rewriting the last half, I’m happy to say that the first draft of “Monster Girl Book 2″ is finally in the can!

That’s film speak for “the movie has been shot”, and now I’ve got my work cut out for me over the next few weeks as I revise and edit, but I’m excited to see this first BIG step accomplished. It’s always a huge relief when I get that initial telling down in print. I’m a fan of the school of thought that believes there are three drafts, or steps, to telling a story:

1. tell it to yourself (first draft)
2. tell it to your reader (second draft)
3. tell it well (polished final draft)

I don’t know who came up with that, but it’s genius. It also reminds me of filmmaking, as movies are made three times: once in script form, then during the actual production, and then in editing. As I said, it’s a relief to see this first step completed. The first draft, or vomit draft as I like to call it, is always the hardest. Self doubt and all sorts of negative thinking creeps in while writing it. My internal critic can be such a nuisance. So, it’s invigorating to get that first draft completed, and it always lights a fire under me to get to the next step of re-writing so that it can get out into the world!

I’ll be announcing the full title as well as a contest to win an autographed copy soon! Go here to be notified!

And if you haven’t read Viki’s first adventure, it’s available in both paperback and for the Kindle. You can also sample the first chapter FREE.

Thank you for the continued support!

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!

“Viki” by Victoria Skye Cleveland

I’m starting a new blog series on Verbs & Visuals called “BookEnds”. (Shout out to my friends who helped with the name!) Writing a book takes a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. Or maybe that’s makes a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. Either way, it’s hard work and I’m finding that I have a lot to say about writing endings specifically. The following is a little story about how the ending to “Monster Girl“ changed unexpectedly. Don’t worry, there are NO spoilers.

When it happens, it’s like being inside joy.* Like the high a runner gets (or so I’m told). It’s one of those moments that makes writing fun. And if it ain’t fun, why bother?

What’s this magical feeling I’m talking about? That moment when the character in the story takes on a life of her own – when she starts making her own decisions and demanding things be done her way.

I had a similar experience when writing “Monster Girl” and it caught me by surprise. Even though I do a lot of writing by-the-seat-of-my-pants, I do outline a little bit (mainly key events). Well, I was positive I knew how I wanted “Monster Girl” to end, but Viki, the main character, had other plans. If you’ve read “Monster Girl”, you’ll know that Viki likes to do what Viki likes to do and rarely listens to the grown ups around her. Including me!

I won’t spoil anything for you, but I had Viki walking down a path that was not in her best interest and she told me so. The lesson here is for us writers to listen to our characters. Sometimes, they know better what they want or how they should react than we do. By listening to Viki, the overall message of the book changed to one that not only makes much more sense for Viki’s character, but also one that I am much more proud of. I have my character’s hardheaded determination to thank for it!

I love hearing from you whether it’s about the subjects of my books or blog posts or writing in general! If you haven’t already, I personally invite you to join me on my literary journey. Some big news is coming soon and I’d love to share it with you directly! To start things off, I will send you a short story that I wrote that you can’t get anywhere else! Get it here!

*I recently watched Star Trek Generations again and for some reason that quote by Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) stood out.

Original “Viki” illustration by Victoria Skye Cleveland.

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!

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks and appreciation to family, friends, and those in our lives that matter. It’s a time to reflect on the good in our lives and to help those who may not be as fortunate as us. Do you have any Thanksgiving traditions? Mine is simply getting together with family. It doesn’t matter what we do as long as we’re together.

It’s also a great time to warm up under a blanket with a good book! I’m currently reading Stephen King’s “The Shining”. It’s the first time I’ve read the book although I’ve seen the movie numerous times. I’ll let you in on a secret: Even though I LOVE King’s short stories and novellas (and movies), this is the first time I’ve ever read one of his full-length novels. I’m really digging it! King has a way of sucking you into his characters’ lives that makes it difficult to put down. So, what about you? What are you currently reading? Any books you’re looking forward to?

If you’re around your computer this weekend shopping for deals, remember, books make great stocking stuffers! When you buy “Monster Girl” as a paperback for a gift, you get the Kindle version for yourself FREE instantly!

Paperback // Kindle

Thank you for your continued support!

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving! Don’t forget to give your fur babies an extra belly rub or scratch behind the ears!

Top image: Flickr Creative Commons Thanksgiving Dealies by Martin Cathrae

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 does Halloween mean to me?

To a horror fan or Monster Kid, Halloween isn’t just a day at the end of October; it’s a month long celebration of our year round love affair with all things spooky. While I enjoy horror movies every day of the year, I ramp it up during October, and I also throw in visits to local haunted attractions and parties with friends.

Halloween got its start as a Celtic holiday when people celebrated their deceased loved ones at harvest, and would dress up in monster costumes to walk among the dead and not scare them away. While I don’t celebrate the holiday in the same fashion, I do appreciate its history. Halloween is a time for fun, and I enjoy keeping the Monster Kid in me alive by dressing up in my favorite monster costume and celebrating with friends and family.

What does Halloween mean to you?

Don’t forget: Today is also the last day to buy “Monster Girl” on sale – it returns to full price tomorrow, November 1st.

Earlier, I posted a list of 31 horror movies as suggestions for what to watch to get into the Halloween spirit. I didn’t get to nearly as many scary movies as I wanted to, but I did a see one new one that I LOVED – “Exists“, directed by Eduardo Sanchez (co-creator of “The Blair Witch Project”). It’s a found footage horror movie, which I’m not a big fan of, but it was well made and very INTENSE!

What did you watch this scary season?

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!

Today is the last day to buy it on Kindle for $.99.

After today, it will continue its Kindle Countdown Deal increasing incrementally until Halloween. It will return to its full retail price of $2.99 on November 1st.

Don’t delay! Take advantage of the $.99 deal today!

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!

Halloween is just around the corner and there’s a chill in the air. Perfect for wrapping in a blanket and reading a book!

Have a young reader who enjoys reading?

Great! “Monster Girl” is for ALL ages!

“Monster Girl” is about a young girl who, obsessed with monsters and the supernatural, befriends the ghost of her grandfather and, with his help, learns valuable lessons while dealing with a bossy older sister, parents who ignore her, and a school bully.

THANK YOU to everyone who has supported “Monster Girl” since its release. Your reviews have been helpful and I’ve enjoyed you sharing your stories of reading. You guys rock! Please consider sharing with a friend!

See what others are saying!

“Hoping for a sequel!” – Lori Mills

“The charming relationship between Viki and her grandfather really shines as Morris navigates Viki through childhood trials and tribulations, having her stumble yet grow along the way.” – Jess

“I ordered this book thinking my 9 year old grandson would enjoy it. I read it myself first and what a good story!” – Vlenay

“…filled with imaginary characters that suck you into their reality and entice you to turn the page again and again until you reach the back cover and are left wanting more.” – RNCotton

“The characters are real and kept my interest piqued.” – Susie D

Act now! $.99 sale ends Tuesday!

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!