Introducing you to ... Shauna Aura Knight

In our third post, introducing you to our Dark Heart Volume 2 Authors & Poets, it is our great privilege to introduce you to the author and poet Shauna Aura Knight, and her poetry piece, 'Snow White Shatterglass.'

Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m an artist, writer, designer, event planner, and traveling teacher, so I’m a bit of a jack-of-many-trades. I’m almost always working on something creative. I often find there just aren’t enough hours in the day to do all the writing and artwork projects I have in mind. I also organize events for the Pagan/alternative spirituality community in Chicago, as well as travel and teach workshops for the broader Pagan community on topics like leadership, community building, how to facilitate workshops and rituals, and other metaphysical, esoteric, and personal growth topics.

I used to be a shy little wallflower, and now I find it amusing to be teaching workshops on public speaking and facilitation. Truthfully, I’m an introvert and I still have a lot of social anxiety, but I suppose that’s why I teach this stuff—if I can learn to do it, anyone can. I’m kind of a nerd for event planning, and I love planning conferences, concerts, and other events. I used to hang out with a bunch of Star Wars fans and we’d run room parties at Science Fiction conventions; I’d orchestrate decorating the room like a scene from one of the movies, so I’ve built a life-size Jabba the Hutt and a Carbonite Chamber.

There’s nothing I love more than getting all excited about a project, whether it’s a story, a painting, designing a magazine cover, organizing an event, building an outdoor shrine, or whatever crazy thing I’ve gotten myself immersed in.

When did you start writing ‘seriously’?

 I think I knew I wanted to be a fiction writer when I was about 12. I wrote thousands of pages in my teens and twenties. I took a bit of a writing hiatus in my early 30’s, at least, for fiction, but then I started getting published as an nonfiction author. I was just helping out writing articles for the Between the Worlds online magazine hosted by the retreat center I lived at, but after I started writing articles and blogging, I began submitting articles. I never expected to get published with my nonfiction first, but that inspired me to finish up some of my fiction and get that published, as well as to bring out some of my poetry. So—I’d say I’ve been writing seriously my whole life, but it’s only in the past several years that I’ve had articles and now books published.

What is your favourite thing you have written? Tell us a little about it.

 It’s so hard to choose. I’d say some of my favorite fiction that I’ve written isn’t yet published because it’s not quite finished cooking…that being said, I really like my most current fiction piece, The White Dress, the Autumn Leaves.

 It’s just coming out June 28^th,  and while it has romantic content, it’s not a romance, it’s more of an urban fantasy. I don’t think I’m giving away much that you won’t figure out reading the first page of the story, but it’s a very tragic story. It was difficult to write a story that has erotic romantic content and is largely about Jack and Meredith falling in love, and yet, knowing that the story does not have the romantic happy ending. The story is just as much about them falling for each other as it is about Jack coming to terms with what happens. Meredith has prophetic dreams and dreams her own death, and ultimately, though Jack is a skeptic, he develops his own connection with that which lies beyond the veils between the worlds.

It’s my favorite published piece because—even though I do love writing the paranormal romance—this story has a lot more emotional depth to it. A lot of my forthcoming fantasy and urban fantasy has that kind of tragic edge to it.

Tell us a little about your book / series?

 Right now I have a few romances out, Werewolves in the Kitchen and A Winter Knight’s Vigil, as well as the urban fantasy The White Dress, the Autumn Leaves.

 In the near future I have a vampire romance coming out, and as soon as I can actually make myself finish them, I’ll have more urban and epic fantasies. Right now my books aren’t a series, though I’m working up a series of stories that take place at the retreat center where Werewolves in the Kitchen takes place so there are definitely some series in my future. 

For my urban fantasy and paranormal romance, I love exploring magic in the modern world and what that looks like. My books tend to have erotic content, but especially with my fantasy works I like to work with that edge of tragedy. One of the things that has always called to me about the Hero’s Journey and the development of each person, each character, is how the tragedies and hardships we face define us.

My poem “Snow Queen’s Shatterglass” sums that up, I think—I’m kind of fascinated by broken mirrors. I think of people as broken mirrors; do we put the pieces together, or do they lay there on the ground?

Who is your inspiration?

I have a lot of inspirations, particularly authors. For fiction, I’d say Anne McCaffrey, particularly Sherrilyn Kenyon, Karen Marie Moning, Emma Holly, Janny Wurtz, Katherine Kurtz, Guy Gavriel Kay, and Mercedes Lackey. 

For nonfiction: Joseph Campbell, Carl Jung, Jean Shinoda Bolen, Jean Houston, Angeles Arrien, John and Caitlin Matthews, Robert Moss. But basically, any book on shamanism, facilitating rituals, sacred temples, trance work, leadership, experience design, usability, graphic design, sacred geometry, megaliths and archaeoastronomy, leadership, Celtic myth and legend, sacred symbolism, mythology, history, and the Grail Quest…it’s all stuff that I find inspiring.

What are your hopes and ambitions for the future?

 I’ve been writing and painting a lot this past year—and it’s really quite inspiring to actually create artwork and writing that people are enjoying, so I’m looking forward to painting and writing a lot more. 

I’d also love to delve back into some large creative projects, such as organizing conferences or large-scale art installations. Heck, I’d even love to design and create scenery for a themed Star Wars party again some day—I’ve kind of been itching to build another life-size Jabba the Hutt.

What would be your advice to aspiring writers?

Finish the piece. I’ve been writing for decades, but there’s a simple truth—you can’t submit your writing unless it’s done. The past year I’ve been a firestorm of finishing up half-finished poems and novels. You can’t send your work to a publisher if it isn’t done. And yeah—you’ll get rejection letters, but then you edit it again and send it out. You can’t do any of that til you finish the piece.

Tell us a secret.

 I teach classes on public speaking and other topics, which means—I do rather alot of public speaking. However, I'm actually really shy. I can be awkward in social settings—attending a “party” is my idea of a social nightmare. 

However, when I teach public speaking, I tell shy people all the time that, if I can do it, anybody can! I enjoy public speaking a lot. It just takes a lot out of me, and I'm still pretty shy at the core. I have a hard time making the first move to go introduce myself to someone at a social event, even when I'm the headline presenter at a conference or festival.

Shauna is passionate about creating rituals, experiences, spaces, stories, and artwork to awaken mythic imagination. http://www.shaunaauraknight.com 

Web Site: http://www.shaunaauraknight.com


Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Shauna_A_Knight


Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/shaunaaura/

Leadership Blog: https://shaunaaura.wordpress.com


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShaunaAuraKnightRitualist

Fiction Blog: https://shaunaknightauthorartist.wordpress.com


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShaunaKnightAuthorArtist


Amazon Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/shaunaaknight

Introducing you to... J.S.Daly

It is our great pleasure to introduce you to J. S. Daly and his work to be included in Dark Heart Volume 2, 'Chestnut Tea'. 

'Chestnut Tea' is a really dark and spooky tale, with an eerie supernatural flavour. Here's a little teaser. 

"His comment met silence.  Every few years strange things happened in Flint Hill.  Kids found squirrel pelts with the bones missing, mass migrations of frogs carpeted the roadways, scores of dead fish floated in the lake, and once, about five years ago, a boy named Dutch had disappeared." 

Welcome, J.S.Daly, tell us a little about yourself.

I live in upstate New York near Lake Ontario, and grew up far from the city exploring the woods along the Erie Canal, camping out in abandoned structures, and scaling the walls of the old chapel at the back of the local cemetery.  I originally went to school to be a museum curator because I love the sense of mystery that goes along with historic sites and ancient relics, though I currently manage computer networks!  I have a passion for old time radio shows like The Inner Sanctum, and dark fiction written for younger audiences.

When did you start writing ‘seriously’?

One night, while working at Mystic Seaport, a historic shipyard and museum in Connecticut, the idea for an adventure about tall ships came to me.   I was in my late twenties when, on the deck of an aged whaling vessel, I outlined my first novel.  I haven’t let go of writing since.

What is the favorite thing you have ever written?  Tell us a little about it.

When I was in high school, I wrote a series of lengthy poems about a character called “The Caretaker,” a gravedigger who lived in a cemetery and had supernatural adventures, which I only shared with a few friends.  I had a lot of fun with it, and the response I got encouraged me to keep writing and let my imagination go.

Who is your inspiration?

I found myself drawn to haunted houses at a young age thanks to John Bellairs and got lost in the October Country with Ray Bradbury.  More recently, I have admired the frightening imagery of witches in Joseph Delaney’s work, the archaeological mystery of R.L. LaFevers, and the sheer urban darkness of F.E. Higgins.

What are your hopes and ambitions for the future?

I hope to inspire a generation of kids who like to explore the dark.  I want to open up horror to the pre-teen audience as much as it has been for young adults.  When parents ask whether that’s really appropriate, they are associating the word “horror” with violent movies rather than the spooky dark fantasy that is already a component of many middle-grade novels.  I’m hoping to change that reaction so that when someone hears the words “children’s horror,” it evokes images of camp-fire stories and Halloween.

What would be your advice to aspiring writers?

It is important to always help other writers.  By critiquing material that isn’t your own, you can get a feel for what works and what doesn’t and then apply it to your own voice.  Keep that idea notebook full because you never know when the parts of a story will fall into place.

Tell us a secret.

I keep a collection of bones in my cellar. No, really.  I do a lot of hiking and run into all sorts of deceased animals on the trail.  Their remains make excellent witch bottles, frames and sculptures.

OFFICIAL BIO OF J.S.Daly 

J. Sean Daly is an emerging children’s horror writer who lives in Rochester, New York and writes about scary books for kids on his website:  Awake at Midnight.  He holds a Degree in Cultural Anthropology from Rutgers University, and was heavily influenced by the dark fantasy of John Bellairs and Phyllis Reynolds Naylor at a young age.  His current influences include Joseph Delaney and Rick Yancey.

Sean spends his free time exploring and photographing abandoned, decaying structures and adventuring with his family and a GPS.  He can often be found writing in old, worn notebooks at local cemeteries.  He finds additional inspiration for his writing in Old Time Radio shows and he maintains a collection of antique photographs that help to inspire his characters.

Some of his strongest early memories are of ghostly noises from the graveyard across the street from the home where he grew up and getting lost in a ruined house in Dansville, NY that was surrounded by wilderness.  It had been gutted by fire, though an iron spiral-staircase remained.  He ran away rather than climbing it, and to this day wonders what might have been at the top.

Sean’s intention is to legitimize a new niche of literature designed to not only frighten the wits out of children, but also to engage them in self-discovery and depict a framework for empowerment. 

You can join the discourse at:

Blog:  http://www.awakeatmidnight.com

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Awake_Midnight

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/j.sean.daly

Introducing you to... Jennifer L. Mathison

WELCOME

It is our great pleasure to start our Dark Heart Volume 2 series of 'Introducing You To...' posts, by introducing you to the author Jennifer Mathison and her Dark Heart story, 'The Hunter.'

'The Hunter' is a goose-bump inducing fairy tale that explores the darker side of childhood obsession. When Josephine sets about the task of  collecting a fairy, things take a very darkly poetic turn. 

INTRODUCING: JENNIFER L. MATHISON


My name is Jennifer L. Mathison. I come from a small farming community in Saskatchewan, Canada. A place to which I’ve recently returned and which provides me with so much material for my work. These days I have begun to consider writing as my primary job although I do have another one that pays better… so far.

I’m also the author of “The Hunter”. It is the only young adult piece I have ever written, and am honored to have it featured in Dark Heart Volume 2.

When did you start writing ‘seriously’?

I’ve been writing my whole life. Since I was old enough to hold a pencil. But I began writing seriously in 2011 after I’d quit a stressful job I’d held for eight years, bringing me to the proverbial fork in the road … As I contemplated my life and  finally had the time and the space to think and to breathe and to just be…  I quite naturally fell back into writing. And I went after it with zest… It was like a dam had burst… all the stories I hadn’t had time to write previously just came pouring out.

What is the favourite thing you have ever written? Tell us a little about it.

A story called “Norah From Nowhere.” It’s a suspense thriller about a young woman who is running from her past and escapes to a house in the country, but little does she know what is waiting for her there.

 This story will always be my favourite because it’s the first one I wrote after I returned to fiction writing in 2011. It blew me away and showed me what I was capable of. Many stories were to follow, and it is now the title story of my book, “Norah From Nowhere and Other Stories” which will be available on Amazon either late this year or in the first half of 2015.

Tell us a little about your book.

“Norah From Nowhere and Other Stories” is a collection of suspense thrillers. It’s a blend of mystery, murder, ghosts, madness and romance that will take readers on a journey like no other.  But be warned –These stories will seep into your consciousness and haunt you long after they’ve been read. I’m very excited about the book’s release.

Who is your inspiration?

I admired Phyllis A. Whitney and Victoria Holt early on, but I can’t point to any one person as my inspiration. Every book I’ve ever loved has inspired me. But T.V shows like The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock movies, and other thriller/suspense classic movies have inspired me as well. I like subtlety. I like my stories to have a haunting kind of beauty… nothing gratuitous or in-your-face… the best thing you can give to the reader is the chance to use their own imaginations.

What are your hopes and ambitions for the future?

I hope to live a comfortable life in the country where I can write in the kind of peace only country life can offer. However, sometimes I think it would be great to live like Jessica Fletcher from the “Murder She Wrote”, series.  Minus tripping over dead bodies every place I go.

What would be your advice to aspiring writers?

There’s really only one piece of advice to give, and that is to sit down and write. I don’t think people who really want to be writers need anyone to tell them that. They do it because they must. I might suggest they write without any thoughts of getting published. Or worrying about what anyone will think of their work. Writing because you love it is the real reward, and anything that follows is icing on the cake.

Tell us a secret.

I’m magic. I have the ability to slip into another, more fascinating world any time I please… a place of my own creation where I can make anything happen, and become anyone I want to become…I can disappear at a moment’s notice and leave my all cares behind. And only I have the key to this world... No-one can follow me there. That’s what my writing has given to me.

Where can you find me? 

You can find me over on FACEBOOK 

Line up Announcement for Dark Heart Volume 2

Here at Little Bird Publishing, we are incredibly excited to be able to release the first wave of information about Volume 2 of the Young Adult Dark Fairytales & Paranormal Romance anthology, Dark Heart.

Dark Heart Volume 2 will be released on the 13th of July 2014 and we can't wait to share some of these amazing stories by some incredibly talented people.

Due to the democratic submission process of the Dark Heart & Night Shade project, in which we do not ask for any 'author' information prior to selection, it means that the end result is a fabulous mixture of stories from established authors, (some of whom you will recognise) and complete publishing newbies - of all ages. It's this that makes the Dark Heart & Night Shade project so fresh and exciting.

So without further ado, we are very proud to announce the following authors and their short story works.

Jennifer Mathison, 'The Hunter'

J.S Daly, 'The Chestnut Tree'

Smara, 'Chrysalis' 

Tammy Basic, 'Reflections'

Rachel Anding 'The Queen of The Gilly Flowers'

Chris Kammerud, 'Jjincha'  

Katie M John, 'Alicia'

KC Finn 'The Glassman's Promise'

Tista Ray 'The Last Weapon'

We are also delighted to announce the poets, Alison Clarke and Helen Ogden who's works will also be featuring in the anthology.

We will be confirming the final line up in the next few days (We're just waiting for some to get back from their travels.)

Submission update for Dark Heart Volume Two

We have been having an absolute ball reading all the submissions for Dark Heart Volume 2 this week.  To be honest we have been taken by (very pleasant) surprise by the literal mountain of submissions that came in.

As a result, we haven't been able to acknowledge every submission personally, but we do promise that each and every one of you will receive a personal e-mail before April 1st. to say whether you are in or not.

The quality of the stories we have received are of such a talented quality; it's going to be a very difficult choice - and already several (friendly) arguments have erupted in the office as we do the initial sort through. Cushions were involved - it was a feather-bath!

Amazon Review For Night Shade Volume One.

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable, February 28, 2014

By 

S. Pearson (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Night Shade Volume 1 (Kindle Edition)

I loved the first story in this collection, and the others were fairly good also. A few poems are included, which I wasn't interested in, but which were undoubtedly well-written. If you're in the mood for some horror short stories, these should satisfy your craving.