Tag: independent author

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Loretta Kendall Answers 3 Irrelevant Questions

Ghouls and Gals by Loretta Kendall

Loretta Kendall is talent manager and beauty guru of 20+ years in the entertainment industry. She retired a few years ago and is now living her best life as a full-time romance author. She writes paranormal, contemporary, rom-com, and sports wrestling romance.

Yup, you read that right. Wrestling romance.

She’s currently working on a modern monster retelling series featuring vintage horror monsters living in the human realm. The series follows several monster gal pals after an explosion joined the movie monster world with Earth, caused by Victor Frankenstein VI, the heir to the Frankenstein fortune. She loves vintage horror, pin-up style, vintage cars, and rockabilly culture, and has integrated all that into this new series. “It’s Halloween year-round and I’m loving it,” she tells me. “Who says monsters can only come out to play once a year?”

But that’s not important right now.

Loretta Kendall

Loretta Kendall is my guest this week, and it’s her turn on the hot seat answering the 3 irrelevant questions.

What is one of your favorite guilty pleasure movies, and for goodness sake why?

Other than the typical girly rom-com, I love cheesy monster films. I hate scary movies if there’s any major gore, but I love throwback horror, especially ones from the 80’s and old black-and-white films. Shows like Elvira and Sammy Terry who hosted those old shows used to terrify me as a kid, but now I always find myself watching Svengoolie and the awesomely awful horror movies he features. I just watched Killer Klowns from Outer Space a few days ago, and wonder why I watched it. It’s about as corny as it comes. I’m also a big fan of Maximum Overdrive and Trick or Treat. What’s not to love? Killer cars and a psychopathic rock star. It’s horror perfection with an extra slice of cheese.

A zoo gives you the opportunity to have all access with your favorite animal. What animal are you going to spend the day with, and why?

No doubt, sloths. It’s on my bucket list to hold a baby sloth. I know they are riddled with a literal ecosystem of fungus growing on their backs, but they are adorable. Also, a sloth isn’t going to want to have me on their menu like a lion who didn’t get his lunch on time. Always choose the wild animal that’s too slow to catch you.

You’re hungry, and you have access to both a fast car and a private jet. Where are you going for your ultimate snack, and what makes that food/place/experience the best?

I’m hopping in the car for a trip across the river to Sake Blue Japanese Bistro on the southeast side of Louisville. The ambiance is nice and modern and the perfect date night spot. They have the best sushi, and my favorite is the Sake Blue roll. Not only is it delicious but it’s presented on a flaming plate. Everything is better with fire, right?

Click here to find Loretta’s stuff on her website.

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Coming in 2023

Three new fiction books are in the works for 2023, with one ready to launch.

Dead Park Records will be book three in the Dead Park series. Unlike the first two volumes, this is not a short story collection but a full novella about one of the many businesses located in Dead Park Plaza. An aspiring musician receives the offer of a lifetime when an artist repped by Dead Park Records comes to town for a concert. He will get the recording contract of his dreams, no questions asked, no audition required. There’s just one catch: he must murder a woman he’s never met in cold blood.

Not far behind will be Dead Park Estates, the inevitable third story collection in the series that dives into evil residing in the premiere subdivision built in Dead Park. Murder, mayhem, monsters, cryptids, new mysteries, and a surprising crossover with another Dead Park novel (anyone read Die Alan Die?) reside within the pages of Dead Park, book four.

There’s also a sequel to my romantic thriller Girl Most Likely to Kill You on the way. Currently titled Girl Most Likely to Get You Killed, the new story begins with a woman named Andrea looking for a new life having the wrong person’s belongings delivered to her new home. It turns out the ugly clothes and furniture belong to an international assassin, and as soon as they get delivered, a host of rivals seeking revenge show up, thinking Andrea is their long-sought target.

Finally, I have a new short film project that will be released in January. Back in 2020 my son and I collaborated on The World’s Shortest Horror Films, a series that depicted people in horror movie situations acting with… extreme self-control and common sense and thus avoiding terror. The new series, The World’s Shortest Noir Films, takes the same approach with the world of gumshoes, thugs, nogoodnicks, secret Nazis, and femme fatales. It stars some of my favorite past collaborators including Sonny Burnette, George Robert Bailey, Cory Burdette, the lovely Christina Cannon, and the always delightful Roni Jonah.

Thanks to everyone who has made this first official year of Dead Park Books a hit. Happy New Year, and Happy Reading in 2023!

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Three Reasons Why Real Books Are Better Than eBooks

Real books make better gifts. You can’t put an ebook in a gift bag.

Real books don’t interrupt you with text and email notices.

Real books can’t be taken away by stingy content providers (or suddenly and inexplicably altered by writers who keep revising released works… myself included).

I offered eBooks direct on this website for a while, but I changed my mind today. Yes, I know, it’s using up natural resources, but (a) I’m not selling millions of copies (yet), and (b) they are recyclable.

I used to publish all my wrestling books to Kindle as well as paperback. I stopped doing that partly because wrestling fans like to collect. No one displays their amazing eBook collection, but they do show off their bookshelves.

This, however, was the clincher: I made two of my day job co-worker’s days this week giving them books. Not airdropping them eBooks, but handing them BOOKS. That’s the experience I want my readers to have, the joy of having and holding something. A real book.

You can still find all my titles on Kindle; I’m not taking that option away. But you’ll have to go to Amazon from now on.

Give the gift of books for Christmas. Or whenever you give. And support indie authors always!

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From Script to Text: A Tale of Two Stories

A year ago, these two stories were sitting in mothballs. Virtual mothballs, but mothballs nonetheless.

I began writing Girl Most Likely to Kill You around 2004. It was originally titled High School Sweetheart, and it went through multiple drafts. It once made the finals in a screenplay competition. I got a very nice consolation call from the contest runner when it fell short of winning.

Zombies of Oz isn’t quite as old, but it passed through many creative hands on the local indie film scene. It started with me simply sharing an idea as a Facebook post, and it went further when one of those local filmmakers suggested I write it.

A year ago, I decided to turn both of these scripts into novels. They’re short novels, but they received raves from the beta readers who gave them a look. Now both are in print and in my hands, which is just amazing to me.

Right now, I’m offering a special on the website. Order direct, and you can save 20% on your entire order. If you’re a buy local/ buy direct person, you know that’s the best way to support me and other creative artists you like. We get more money, and a major website owner takes less. Plus, I’ll sign them for you, something that big web store can’t offer.

One final note to the story: there’s a third screenplay that will soon be in print as a novel. Not just a novel, but the third part of the Dead Park series. Look for it in November!

Click here to shop now, and don’t forget the coupon code fall.