Monday, December 19, 2016

Big News!

Well, sort of. Big for me. But that's not hard, I'm easily excited. :p

First off, as you know, the free period for November Hotel starts today. So that's exciting for everybody, because FREE BOOK. What's not to like? Anyways, from now to the 23rd, you can grab a copy and settle in with a nice ghost story. That's kinda Christmas-y, right? In a Victorian sort of way. (They had some good ghost stories, y'all-I think it was Dickens who wrote a good one called 'The Portrait-Painter's Story'. Or something like that-Google really isn't sure and it's been ages since I read it. But it was good.)

Here's the link to November Hotel, by the way, before I get too far off-topic: https://www.amazon.com/November-Hotel-Lalla-Squeglia-ebook/dp/B01KTRUDKK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1482154686&sr=8-3&keywords=lalla+squeglia

Second off (that looks weird to me, does that look weird to you? Too late now, I'm not backspacing that far. I'm lazy. I own that.), NEW BOOK ON THE HORIZON.

Yeah. That's the fun news. It will not be out in 2017, because let's be honest, 2016 was a (pardon my French) clusterfuck of a year and not a lot got done. Hey. It happens. I did, however, start a fantasy book that's great fun, but you don't get that one for a good long while.

The new book-titled To Bait a Mouse-will be out in August 2018. It's big and fat, guys. I'm still tweaking and editing and all, but so far it's clocking in at about 230 Word pages. 60,000 words. I'll post an excerpt another time, but yeah. Big book ahoy. So I don't feel too bad about making you wait an extra year.

More details will come later, but I couldn't keep it to myself any longer. I just couldn't!

Happy Holidays to everyone, and if I don't write again until later, Happy New Year's. May you all keep your resolutions and not murder any relatives over the dinner table. To motivate you, here is a picture of my ugly dog (and me in the background, but who cares about that when there's a DOG):

-Lalla (and Tut!)

Monday, December 12, 2016

Monday, December 5, 2016

More Promos!

News, news, everywhere! Sort of. Kinda.

Firstly, The Maze is free from today 'til the 9th, so grab a copy. It's here: https://www.amazon.com/Maze-Ravens-Curse-Book-ebook/dp/B00EPG45M4/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1480947949&sr=8-5&keywords=lalla+Squeglia

Secondly, more promos are coming! SECOND WAVE!

The House on the Moor-December 12th-16th

November Hotel-December 19th-23rd

Happiness for all! Well...for some. Marie would like to know what she did to deserve all of this. Nothing, sweet pea. You just have terrible luck.

Great. That's just...the story of my life, I suppose.

Cheer her up. Grab a copy, leave a review. :)

-Lalla

Monday, November 28, 2016

Monday Blues...

Oh, it's Monday. And it's COLD. Well, for some of you it's not cold, and for some of you it's (pardon my French) REALLY FUCKING COLD, but for me it's just COLD.

But hey! Freebie!

From today to December 2nd, you can get One Sunny Afternoon for free on Kindle. Enjoy a good mystery! Laugh at Friday! (That's what I do...no wonder she hates me.)

If I were a man, I would kill you in an alley. AND I KNOW HOW TO HIDE BODIES! You pick things up in this job.

Pfft. You'd chip a nail.

You suck.

Heh. Ray of sunshine, that one.

-Lalla

Monday, November 21, 2016

Monday, November 14, 2016

Holiday Promo

Sorry I've posted like...nothing. I've been unplugged. Election. You know. Everything's crazy and you know what, just no. I do not want to deal with other people's crazy. So sue me. (But not really, please, that's a hassle for everyone.)

But hey! Holiday freebies abound!

November 21st-25th: The Muse

November 28th-December 2nd-One Sunny Afternoon

December 5th-9th-The Maze

The other two will be free, but I can't set them up as freebies yet-they're eligible later than these-so I'll make a new blog post for them when I get them set up. :)

-Lalla

Saturday, November 5, 2016

Christmas Disaster

Normally I keep my little sewing projects to myself, but this guy is too cute. The internet needs to look at him and pity him. (And by extension, me, for reasons I will get to in a second.)

I have dubbed this just-so-done little robot as 'Christmas Disaster'. The lights wrapped on him are actually one of those gloriously tacky Christmas Light Necklaces-they light up. They flash. He wants this all to be over.

He is me. My family consists of Christmas Light Freaks, as I've mentioned before. Our house is That House. You know the one.

I'm short. So what tends to happen is that I try to be helpful, and pull out a big strand o' lights that's longer than me, and there's been times that I end up like the little robot up there: trapped, helpless, and just so done.

Yeah. Pity him. And pity me, because I think in another week or so it's going to be time to dig out those lights.

-Lalla

Thursday, October 20, 2016

The Last of the Freebies

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it is time. November Hotel will be free from today until October 24th, and is available here: https://www.amazon.com/November-Hotel-Lalla-Squeglia-ebook/dp/B01KTRUDKK/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1476971048&sr=8-4&keywords=lalla+Squeglia

Just in time for Halloween, eh?

I-I don't know that it's really necessary to exploit-

Hush, Wesley, it is. It's all fine.

But-

Shh. Go back to your book. Such a moral compass on that one...he's precious. A social disaster, but precious.

I just don't like hugs, that's all. That doesn't make me a social disaster.

Wes, dear, that's just what you admit. You are. It's okay, so am I, it's fine.

-Lalla

Friday, October 14, 2016

Freebie Friday!

Yes! It's here! The House on the Moor is free on Kindle (where else would it be, though, really) from today until Oct. 18th. https://www.amazon.com/House-Moor-Ravens-Curse-Book-ebook/dp/B0091XZ4TO/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1476453266&sr=8-4&keywords=lalla+Squeglia

Poor Abigail. It's not that I ever doubted her, because she's got her life under control, but I do feel a little bit bad for scaring her. And making her deal with Nathan.

Thanks ever so much. Truly, it was the best time of my life, being paranoid that my employer had bodies in the attic.

It wasn't that bad!

Shut it. You didn't have to experience it.

Oh, come on, a little adventure never hurt anybody.

Then YOU do it.

Self-inserts are frowned upon.

Which is fancy way of saying you don't want to.

Ignore her, she's bitter. Free book. Grab it while you can.

-Lalla

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Pain and Suffering

There are two things you should know about me. One, is that I am prone to sleep paralysis-and very prone to having multiple episodes in one night. Oftentimes I'll come out of one, roll over to go back to sleepy, and just go right back into it. It bites. BUT I can sometimes wake up enough to make it stop if I touch something 'real', preferably not on my bed. I don't know why, but it works and I'll take it.

The other is that I can sew. Not well, but I enjoy it.

Early on in my sewing escapades, I made a little Scarecrow doll, mostly based off of his appearance in Arkham Asylum-so he's got a little 'needle glove' on his hand. Said glove is actually made of chopped up safety pins and is surprisingly sharp. Most of the time Scarecrow sits on a shelf where he can't accidentally stab someone, but yesterday I was cleaning and forgot to put him back, so he spent the night on my nightstand.

I'm sure you see where this is going.

Yeah. Last night I had an episode, flailed wildly-I think I was aiming for the lamp-and managed to stab myself on that damn glove. It certainly worked-no more sleep paralysis for me that night-but ow. I haven't felt this betrayed since playing the actual game, for that last hallucination.

Lesson learned. If you have night troubles, keep sharp objects well out of reach.

-Lalla

Saturday, October 8, 2016

Two-Day Special

Due to user error brought about by internet failure (I think the construction near my house is at fault for that), The Maze has a limited run. But that's all right, because now we're getting into the more seasonal reads. I dunno about you guys, but I like a good gothic novel around this time of year. It's not cold, really, here, so I have to put in effort to remember that hey, it's October, not August. Marie's lucky. Raven Manor actually does have seasons. Granted, they're usually cloudy, but...

I don't really miss the sun anymore. I thought I would, but I got used to the rain.

Oh, Marie. You started as such a sweet, innocent ray of sunshine.

I guess...

You did! You were so precious... *sniffs* I'm sorry for everything that happened.

Ehh, not really, but I do feel obligated to apologize.

Anyway. Two-day special-The Maze is free today and tomorrow ONLY. Act fast!

https://www.amazon.com/Maze-Ravens-Curse-Book-ebook/dp/B00EPG45M4/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1475932684&sr=8-5&keywords=lalla+squeglia

-Lalla

Sunday, October 2, 2016

Dun, dun, dun, another one bites the dust...

But not really. I don't know where I was going with that, but I'm too lazy to come up with another title.

Another promo begins today! Yes, from now until October 6th, you can have One Sunny Afternoon for free! Like The Muse, this isn't really Halloween-y/spooky/whatever. Like Layne, Friday is reminding me that she-

-was MISERABLE for the ENTIRE book, pretty much! Thanks a lot! It's great that YOU had fun, but no one ever thinks about poor Friday! 'Friday's fine, she's plucky', if I had a nickel for every time I heard that, I'd have...um...so much money. SO. MUCH. MONEY. So you can take your 'wasn't that scary' and shove it-

That's enough, Friday. Be nice to me or I'll kill you off one day.

So. Mystery novel. Free. Go, go, go!

 https://www.amazon.com/One-Sunny-Afternoon-Mystery-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B014AM9WGG/ref=sr_1_5?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1475416338&sr=1-5&keywords=lalla+squeglia

-Lalla

Monday, September 26, 2016

The Muse is not Amused

He's actually kind of mad at me. :/ My thinking was that since The Muse isn't really spooky or any way Halloween-y, I'd get that promo out of the way early. Layne would like me to point out that the whole thing was very traumatizing and horrible for him-

I was chased by a DOG, Lalla. A determined monster-dog that chased me over hill and over dale and into a CAVE. In what way is that not 'spooky'? Huh? Well?

Yeah, he's actually kind of bitchy about it. He'll live.

You can make him feel better though, by going to download your free copy of The Muse any time between now and Sebtember 30th. And maybe leaving a review.

https://www.amazon.com/Muse-Lalla-Squeglia-ebook/dp/B00MY6Q5M0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1474900998&sr=8-3&keywords=lalla+squeglia

A CAVE! IT WAS DARK! I'm so glad you were removed from the situation, but I WASN'T, and it was AWFUL.

Please. He'll never shut up otherwise.

I didn't get no sleep 'cuz of you, you're gonna get no sleep 'cuz of me!

Yeah. That's my life now. It sucks. Pity me.

-Lalla

Saturday, September 24, 2016

The promos are coming

Really, they are-see? The Maze is really short because when I set it up, my internet cut out when I went back to edit it (they're doing construction here, I think that's why) and it didn't take and ran a few days of promo without my knowledge. Sorry. :/ It'll have a special promo another day to make up for it.

The Muse-Sept. 26-30

One Sunny Afternoon-Oct. 2-6

The Maze-Oct. 8-9

The House on the Moor-Oct. 14-18

November Hotel-Oct. 20-24

Huzzah!

-Lalla

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Curse of the Feather Bed

...no, that is not a cheap-yet-entertaining 60s ghost story or an episode of Courage the Cowardly Dog. That is my life right now. KILL ME.

Yeah, I had to house-sit for a few days. It was nice. Quiet. Y'know, a little bit boring. BUT (first world problems ahoy) my bed was a feather bed. Which sounds, in theory, to be quite nice.

Yeah. In theory, it is. In reality, I have a knee that my dog did something to (he rammed it at high speed, it didn't really...recover that well), and that kind of no-support bed...makes it sad.

So now I am at home, knee aching, thinking that I have never felt so sorry for Gotham's Oswald Cobblepot in my LIFE. Seriously. I know he's fairly psychotic and is responsible for an amazing amount of deaths, but GEEZE. I'm getting all caught up for season three and I'm just going, 'do you have painkillers? can you sit down? DON'T BUY A SQUISHY BED, YOU'LL REGRET IT!' and generally feeling really, really bad for him.

Which is why I wouldn't last five minutes in Gotham anyway. I can just see myself meeting the Scarecrow: 'are you eating anything? you can't live on coffee and screams, y'know!'

-Lalla

Monday, August 22, 2016

Won't you check in?

Or rather, don't-the November's got some nasty...long-term...guests.

Here we are again. I like this one. It's got some scares in it, I hope. There were a couple of scenes that I wrote a little late at night. When I write later, I turn off the light because one of the dogs (sweet thing, but dumb as a brick-once thought the TV was a window) gets convinced something's wrong and bothers other people if my light goes on really late at night. Whatever. No one's kidnapping me from my bed, I guess.

ANYWAYS, there were a couple of scenes that I wrote, and about halfway though went, 'screw the dog, I have to turn on the light'. Hopefully you, too, will be struck with the need to turn on an extra light.

Here it is, at long last, my go at a  Good Old-Fashioned Ghost StoryTM.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the November Hotel.


https://www.amazon.com/November-Hotel-Lalla-Squeglia-ebook/dp/B01KTRUDKK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1471891650&sr=8-2&keywords=lalla+squeglia#nav-subnav


-Lalla

Sunday, August 7, 2016

Selective Wimpism

I am what shall henceforth be termed a Selective Wimp. In certain situations, I can be brave. Sometimes even stupidly, first-to-die-in-the-horror-movie brave. In others? Well...



Exhibit A: that time I thought there was someone in the house.

I was home alone. At night. At the age of like, thirteen years old. And to make matters worse? It was October, season of serial killer movie marathons. Well, I hear a noise in the back of my house. A thump-thump noise. So, because I was thirteen and not spectacularly bright (I was in my dumb phase...), I thought someone was inside. Never mind the lack of barking dogs, someone was in the house.

What do I do? Do I call the cops? Call my parents? Call a friend? Nope. My dumb ass gets a kitchen knife and goes back there. I fling open the door, aaaand...

One of the dogs got himself locked into the bedroom and was trying to bump his way out. Yeah. It was...not my proudest moment. But I was gonna go back there and stab somebody! I was gonna do it, man!

Exhibit B: the roach in the bathroom.

Potential intruder? Bring it. The lowly cockroach? NOPE NOPE NOPE.

I hate roaches. I hate them. I don't know why, but I do. I have Katsaridaphobia-fear of roaches. (I feel a bit validated that there's a name-I'm not alone!) I won't go near them, dead or alive. If I must deal with it, I will get the vacuum extension and do it from a distance. Or do what I did last time I saw one in the bathroom-fling a sticky mouse trap inside and slam the door and run to another room.

Hey, I did say I was a Selective Wimp...

-Lalla

Sunday, July 31, 2016

November Hotel's Playlist

November Hotel has a sort-of playlist. It's short. It's like an EP. Do they still have EPs? IS MY AGE SHOWING?

If my age is indeed showing, it's in your best interests to keep your mouths shut. Hint, hint.

Here! Take this author-created playlist/EP/whatever for your listening enjoyment!

1) Worry About You, Ivy


I've mentioned this before. Worry About You is vaguely creepy and yet really pretty and I like it.

2) When Under Ether, PJ Harvey

Some of you might recognize this from the second season of Peaky Blinders (which you should be watching, by the way), when Tommy is on the boat after...checking out...of the hospital. Again, it's actually kind of creepy. Sounds like it's about some sort of old-school surgery-you know, the type that often goes wrong.

3) Lightness, Death Cab For Cutie


If Wes and Maggie have a 'together theme', it's this. I don't know why, it just came on and I was like, 'my precious cinnamon buns, this is for you'.

4) Title and Registration, Death Cab For Cutie


Another one? Weird. But again, it came on and fit nicely and here we are.

5) 1901, Phoenix


If Thomas were to have a theme, it's this. It's so...happy. There's joy. And Thomas is my precious baby and I want him to be happy. (Who am I kidding...all my characters are my precious babies. But Thomas is special because I don't wish misery on him.)

6) Undercover Martyn, Two Door Cinema Club


I just like it, and it came on during editing one day and sort of got associated with it by accident.

Wow, it started out creepy and got progressively happier! Cool. Accidental, but cool.

-Lalla

Sunday, July 24, 2016

Teaser

Whee-hee-hee! It's almost tiiiime!

I have had way too much caffeine today. 2 cups coffee + chocolate covered espresso beans + 1 large cup Irish Breakfast Tea=MUSIC HAS COLORS. Alice in Chains is kinda red, apparently. Like...red clay, sorta?

Anyways, here. Take this sample of November Hotel. Thomas is Wesley's normal friend. He's a precious cinnamon bun and deserves a Friendship Award for putting up with Wes' oddball tendencies. (So do my friends. Thanks, friends!)

" Thomas had not burned down the building, but he had gotten a date. Wesley had to give it to him-he made the impossible task of 'flirting' look effortless.

Though he'd sometimes come to work with a red mark on his cheek, so there was that.

"She's from Paris, Wes. Paris. Oui, please."

"I think what you mean is s'il vous plaît, Thomas."

"It doesn't sound nice when you do it, though." He sighed and pulled a dead leaf from the potted plant. "She's got this breathy voice, just the right tone-"

Rumble-rumble.

"Is that the elevator?"

Great. Either it was acting up or there were people in it...ridiculous...

He pulled the doors open and leaned into the shaft. Yup, there it was, slowly coming down. If there were kids in there fooling around, so help him God...

"Look scary, I think somebody took it for a ride."

The rumbling stopped abruptly and he frowned and looked up. Sure enough, it had stopped dead. It would figure that it would throw a fit when there were people playing with it, jeeze...

"Wes?"

"It's acting up again."

Thomas came out from behind the desk and poked his head into the shaft. A second later there was an earsplitting SCREEEEECH! and Wesley was yanked backwards just as the car plummeted downwards.

It did not crash. It was barely past the opening when it stopped...and came back up, shuddering to a stop where it belonged and remaining quite still, looking as innocent as ever.

"Is somebody in there?"

Nobody answered. Wesley pulled the doors open-they didn't want to move-and peered inside. It was empty.

"My God." Thomas hadn't let go of his jacket and Wesley wondered when it was socially acceptable to make him. "Nearly took your head off!"

"Uh-huh."

"Did you enrage some rival elevator person? Is there an elevator operator assassin's guild?"

"Uh-uh."

"What the hell was that?"

"I don't know." Ghosts. "Thomas, um-"

"Oh. Sorry." But it still took him a minute to let go. "Wes, that thing-"

Wesley shut the doors and put the little 'Out of Order' sign on them. Thomas backed away, dragging Wesley with him.

"It's possessed."

"It's not-"

"It tried. To kill you. On purpose! Ah-dat-dat!" What sort of word was that supposed to be? "Shut up. It did. It did."

"Coincidence."

"Lies!" Thomas gripped his shoulder with one hand and gestured wildly at the elevator with the other. "I know what I saw, and I saw the elevator try to take your head off."

"It-"

"What's all the shouting about?"

Aw, Hell. Maggie. This was just not his day, was it?

"The elevator tried to kill Wesley."

"It didn't-"

"It did! Ignore him, he's in shock."

"I'm not in shock..."

Maggie hid a facepalm behind a small forehead-scratch before holding up a hand.

"Thomas." Finally. Silence. Now he could explain that the wiring had picked a bad time to go out or...or something that would calm everyone down. "What happened. Is anybody hurt?"

"No. Because I saved him."

"Thomas..."

"Shut up, I did."

If ever there were to be a freak earthquake that nessessitated the immediate evacuation of the hotel, now would be a good time.

"What happened?"

"The elevator was acting weird, and when Wes leaned in to see what was going on, it tried to take his head off."

Any time with that earthquake. Really, any time now.

"Wes?"

"The wiring was acting up, this weather-"

He barely dodged Thomas' hand aiming to cover his mouth, but there was no shutting him up.

"No. We thought there was someone in it, right? It was comin' down, and Wes got the doors open to make sure it wasn't stuck or somethin'. And he leaned in, and then it just dropped."

"Did it crash?"

"Nah-uh. Pulled itself up when I yanked him backwards, and now it's just sittin' there. Waiting."

Thomas would have been much better off working at a theatre than at a hotel.

Maggie looked from one to the other, eyebrows raised. Keeping Thomas and his annoying hand in the corner of his eye, Wesley opened his mouth to speak.

"It's probably just wiring. This sort of weather always upsets it. I'll climb up there tomorrow and-"

"Don't." Huh? "Don't. It's out of order now, and that's final."

That was her 'management voice', the same one her father used, and he had no intention of arguing with it. It would only end badly.

"Okay." "


-Lalla

Friday, July 22, 2016

The cheek! The gall! The...I'm out of words for this outrage!

So I have this shirt. Says, 'Bucky, take the wheel!' on it. (Winter Soldier reference.) Yesterday, I'm minding my own business, checking out at the store, and the cashier, as I'm walking away, goes, 'Hail Hydra'.

WHAT. WHAT YOU SAY? LITTLE PUNK KID!

So that's my story of meeting a fellow nerd in the wild. Shame we'll never be friends now, after that.

Anyways, today marks the beginning of The Maze having a free period. Yes! From today 'til the 26th, you can grab a copy for your very own.

https://www.amazon.com/Maze-Ravens-Curse-Book-ebook/dp/B00EPG45M4/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1469195882&sr=8-4&keywords=lalla+squeglia#nav-subnav

-Lalla

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Wesley Graves

Wesley-or Wes, if you'd rather-is the protagonist of the upcoming November Hotel.

I've been chipping away at the idea since early 2013-finally powered through and finished the first draft around midnight on Halloween of that year. (Strange, the things that stick in your memory.) It hasn't changed so very much, really, which is a little odd for me-usually somewhere in the second draft I'll go 'OH! this big thing needs to happen!' but not this time. It just got a touch more creepy, that's all.

I think, out of all my characters, Wes is probably the most like me. He's quiet, he could do without crowds, his default 'unexpected social reaction' response is to turn into a stuttering, awkward mess. He's a sensitive soul, really-very non-confrontational.

I didn't intend for that. I never really intend for anything, you know. The characters give me very little choice. Anyone wanting to be a writer and thinking that 'I can play God!'...you can't. You really can't. Prepare to sacrifice your sleep at the very least.

I think, out of all my characters, that I probably love him the most. Partly because of our commonalities, it's true, but partly because he's equal parts brave and a craven coward. Climbing elevator cables? Fine. Murderous ghosts? Bring it on. Talk to the girl he's had a crush on (even if he won't admit it) for years? Nope. Stars. Can't do it. Not today.

He's precious.

And I'm not very nice to him. Poor Wes.

-Lalla

Saturday, July 16, 2016

Save a muse, download a book

...

Okay, that sounded better in my head.

You can all laugh at me. I have carpal tunnel syndrome, which means I have to wear wrist braces sometimes. They're hideous and uncomfortable, but they work so oh well. Buuut the other day, I got a new one, and I spent about ten minutes trapped in it.

Yes. Really. The Velcro was really, really strong, and there was no way I could get it off one-handed, and I eventually had to Houdini my way out. (I have tiny hands, and have never been so grateful for them.)

So yeah. It was not my finest moment. And I chipped a nail, which just made it worse.

Anyways, The Muse is free from today to the 20th, so grab a copy. Make Layne a happy muse!

https://www.amazon.com/Muse-Lalla-Squeglia-ebook/dp/B00MY6Q5M0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1468675842&sr=8-3&keywords=lalla+squeglia#nav-subnav

-Lalla

Sunday, July 10, 2016

Friday, Friday, Friday is my favorite...

She hates that song. Mitch sings it every single Friday and insists it's not his fault she got stuck with that for a name. Whatever. Lies. Anyway, One Sunny Afternoon begins its free period today-from now until July 14th, you can get a free download. Tell you friends!

https://www.amazon.com/One-Sunny-Afternoon-Mystery-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B014AM9WGG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468160076&sr=8-1&keywords=lalla+squeglia

-Lalla

Saturday, July 2, 2016

Newletter

I know. I've been...y'know what? I have been dead. Yes. I pulled a Winchester and returned from the dead.

What? It's not like you can prove anything.

This is basically a little newsletter, because it's that time of year again!

Important things first: as always, August 22nd. New book. A nice ghost story for the fall-November Hotel. You can get a sample over on Wattpad-it's at the link below.

https://www.wattpad.com/story/70083650-november-hotel-sample

So that'll be exciting! I like ghost stories, m'self. I like scary stories period, but there's something classic about a ghost story. This one has a running theme song-Ivy's Worry About You. I like that song. I find it vaguely creepy, but that's probably because I first heard it as the theme song for Kingdom Hospital-which, by the way, has a surprisingly pretty opening. It wasn't bad-shame it got screwed over.

Other exciting things: because of the new book, everybody gets a promo. Free book bonanza! Here's the schedule, but I'll remind you guys the day of.

July 10th-14th: One Sunny Afternoon

July 16th-20th: The Muse

July 22nd-26th: The Maze

July 28th-August 1st: The House on the Moor

Set your calendars, ladies and gentlemen! It's coming.

-Lalla

Saturday, March 5, 2016

Sample

I'm about 90% certain that my bout of sleep paralysis the other night (see previous entry) was punishment for inflicting something similar on poor Wesley. Here, have a look-this comes from the upcoming November Hotel. Really, I don't know why he was so pissy. I'm stuck with that problem. His will go away once he deals with the ghost issue.
*********************************************************************************

What time is it?

Late, Wesley knew. Very late. His eyes were dry...why were his eyes open? When had that happened? 
He forced himself to close them and then began to wonder what time it was, and why he was awake. 
He would roll over and turn on the light-wasn't electricity wonderful?-and look at the clock. It was probably around three, but he liked knowing exactly what time it was. And proving himself right. 
He tried to turn onto his side and...nothing happened. He wanted to move, it just...wasn't happening.
He tried again, concentrating on shifting his body, and still nothing. 
Time to panic.
Wesley jerked frantically at his arms and swore he felt them move, but when he strained his eyes downwards, they weren't even twitching. 
Oh god oh god- 
Why wasn't he moving what was wrong what was wrong-what was that? 
His bathroom door was open, just a bit. He hadn't closed it after his bath, but surely he hadn't left it open quite so wide. And surely no one was poking their head out from behind the door. 
He tried to speak, tried to move his tongue to ask who was there, and found that wasn't working, either. He couldn't even see the door properly-just a bit, out of the corner of his eye. 
His breathing heavy, he concentrated on at least proving to himself that no one was there.
 
Three...two...one...now!
He forced his head to twist, and it did, slowly and feeling as though he was pressing against a hand trying to keep him still. 
Something moved just out of his line of vision and he strained his eyes trying to see. No luck.
It was an effort to keep his head here and it lolled back without his permission.
What's wrong with me?
He swallowed-or tried to, his tongue felt swollen-and forced a shallow breath through his nose.
What was that noise? 
A soft but raspy sound that sounded like someone breathing had begun just below his ear.
Someone's here.
He tried desperately to turn his head again, or to jerk his body away from the edge of the bed, but he couldn't move and whatever was down there inched closer. There was a weight on the side of the bed now, a small one, but it felt like something was pulling the covers off. 
Then he saw the shadow by the door.
It was dark in that corner, but not so dark he couldn't make out shapes. And this one was very much human-shaped. 
His lips, already half-open whether he wanted them to be or not, tried to form words, to ask who was there. But all that came out was a strangled wheeze. 
The shape came closer, but Wesley didn't see it move-one minute it was in the corner and the next it was in the middle of the floor, just staring at him. Burglar, had to be, a burglar or some kind of homicidal maniac... 
The raspy breathing grew louder and he got the shock of his life when a woman's breathy voice whispered, "Help me."
That seemed to break the spell, because when he tried to sit up he ended up flinging himself upright, throwing the blankets halfway down the bed. His hand shot out for the lamp and-
-no one was there. No woman, no shadow, no sign of anyone.
Breathing hard, eyes flitting to every possible place they could have gone, Wesley forced his shaking limbs to get out of bed and check the closet, the bathroom, and under the bed.
Nothing. And his door was still locked-a precaution, sometimes guests' children wandered up here.
A dream? But it hadn't felt like a dream. It had been real, he'd swear on his parents' graves. 
He washed his face and made his way back to bed, trembling badly now. There had been someone there, he knew there had. Two someones, a scared one and...whoever had been in the corner. 
He flipped his pillow over and sank back, fingers reaching for the lamp before he thought that maybe he didn't want to give up the safety of the light just yet. He'd leave it for a few more minutes, just until he calmed down. 
Come sunrise, the light was still on and he hadn't slept again.

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Sleep Paralysis

It's

It's about three in the morning, so says my internal clock. It's never wrong, I dunno why.

Why am I awake at three in the morning. It's too early. My eyes hurt. How long have they been open?

It's cold. It's cold and I

I hear

I hear a sort of static. Like in those old radio programmes, when nobody's speaking and there's no sound effects but you can still hear something.

I don't think I'm alone.

A dog. It's a dog, one of them's busted in that's probably what woke me. I'll just roll over and look.

Heh. Too tired to move. I'll give it a minute. Tell the dog to just get up here and go to sleep.

Why isn't the static going away?

My mouth is open but it isn't making any sound and it isn't closing why isn't it closing what's happening to me who's here

I look

That's not static. That's breathing, raspy and fast and not a dog.

Someone's here.

I look

I can't breathe I'm breathing too fast I need to move why aren't they speaking what do they want

I look at

The static is laughing and I can't see my eyes are open but it's just black fog

I can't move. Mouth won't shut. Eyes won't close. There's pressure, a hand on the bed just behind me it's grasping the covers and pulling.

Silence. No more pulling. But it's still there, I know it is it's crouched just beside the bed on the rug waiting for me

I look at the doll's house

Stoppit stoppit I don't want to think about it get out of my head get away get away

and the doll's house

If I can reach the light it'll go it'll all go but if I put my hand out it'll grab me

looks

Finger twitched need to move why is it laughing

at

I roll over and stretch blindly for the lamp cord can't reach why can't I find it it was there this evening when I went to bed god somebody please

me.

Click.

There's no one here. The door's shut. The static's stopped.

I don't sleep again tonight.