Queer Ghost Stories Volume Six
3 Tales of the Paranormal
By Foxglove Lee
Who needs sleep? Not you! You’re up all night to get spooky with three unforgettable ghost stories.
In these hair-raising tales of the paranormal, queer characters encounter the supernatural… with life-changing results. Get ready for a fright with three haunting tales from Foxglove Lee’s Queer Ghost Stories series!
In Ghost Cat, Jonathan was never a fan of his boyfriend's pet. The feeling was more than mutual. When the old girl dies, Jonathan and Ben can’t pay for her ashes to be returned in a brushed pewter urn. Is that why Bella returns to haunt Jonathan's apartment? Can the guys lay Bella's spirit to rest before the ghost cat brings someone to an early grave?
When newly-separated Marie moves in with her parents in our second story, Death Bed, her childhood room becomes the scene of strange occurrences. As a child, her sister warned her not to let her arm hang over the side of the bed as she slept. A monster would drag her down to hell. Who knew her sister might be right?
Our final story, Ghost Road, finds Margo and her girlfriend in a broken-down car on a deserted gravel road. When she marches into the forest to find a cell signal, the last thing she expects to come upon is a her ruggedly handsome ex-boyfriend setting up camp. But a shadow figure haunts the woods, and it’s got its sights set on the pair. Will Margo make it out alive?
Delve into three tales of the paranormal by Foxglove Lee… if you dare!
Available pretty much anywhere books are found, including Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BG6G9TD6
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/queer-ghost-stories-volume-six-3-tales-of-the-paranormal
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/ca/book/queer-ghost-stories-volume-six-3-tales-of-the-paranormal/id6443504243
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/queer-ghost-stories-volume-six-foxglove-lee/1142322404
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1167059?ref=RainbowCrush
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=AJmLEAAAQBAJ
DriveThruFiction: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/411284/Queer-Ghost-Stories-Volume-Six
Showing posts with label horror. Show all posts
Showing posts with label horror. Show all posts
Monday, 31 October 2022
Wednesday, 19 October 2022
Now Available in Audio: Tiffany and Tiger's Eye by Foxglove Lee
This audio version was created using Google's digital auto-narration technology rather than a human narrator, and I love how it turned out. It's seven hours long and I enjoyed every minute of it.
If you love consuming content in audio format, be sure to grab a copy of Tiffany and Tiger's Eye from Google Play!
How many secrets can one family keep?
If there’s one thing Rebecca knows, it’s how to keep her problems under wraps. It’s easy to keep your mouth shut when you’ve got no friends, but with a rock-and-roll dad who drinks too much and a mom who works day and night, Rebecca needs a sympathetic ear. That’s why she tells her troubles to Yvette, an antique doll that once belonged to her grandmother.
In the summer of 1986, after her father’s strange disappearance, Rebecca and her little brother are sent to stay at the cottage, where she meets Tiffany: a water-skiing blonde who dresses like Madonna, makes her own jewellery, and claims to see auras.
But strange things happen when Rebecca spends time with Tiffany. Her aunt and uncle are convinced she’s acting out—and she’d have good reason to, considering they won’t tell her where her father is—but she can’t seem to convince them she isn’t the one trashing her bedroom and setting fires. Unlikely as it seems, Yvette must be the culprit. There’s nothing more dangerous than a jealous doll who knows all your secrets…
A digitally narrated paranormal 80s nostalgia lesbian audiobook
Get Tiffany and Tiger's Eye in audio format from Google Play today!
Tuesday, 10 August 2021
Queer Ghost Stories Volume Five
Here it is: the first volume of Queer Ghost Stories to follow my huge compilation entitled 13 Queer Ghost Stories. The three stories in this collection are not included in that mammoth tome. These ones are even newer. Now we're working on the next thirteen!
In our first story, Valentine’s Haunting, Steven and Omar book a romantic weekend getaway for Valentine’s Day. Not only is their hotel room haunted, but it’s haunted by a ghost who shows up only one night per year. Who is this terrifying spirit haunting the inn? And is he powerful enough to put the couple’s lives in danger?
When Wednesday’s grandmother dies, she inherits a mysterious curse that’s been passed down through the family for generations. In our second story, Deal with the Devil, Wednesday is threatened by a supernatural creature everywhere she goes. Is there anything she can do to end the terror, or is her soul forever bound by a contract with the devil?
My life wasn't in great shape when I showed up at my parents' farmhouse. As I arrived, they were leaving on a world tour I knew nothing about. In my story, Lonesome Spirits, I’m alone and friendless in a town that doesn't know my name. I've got nobody to talk to except the ghosts who haunt this place, and I'm starting to think their intentions aren't exactly friendly.
Delve into three tales of the paranormal by Foxglove Lee… if you dare!
Find your copy at Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/queer-ghost-stories-volume-five
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/ca/book/queer-ghost-stories-volume-five/id1579775800
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/queer-ghost-stories-volume-five-foxglove-lee/1139970889
Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/book/518847477/Queer-Ghost-Stories-Volume-Five
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09BW4SVLZ?tag=foxglovelee-20
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=kok7EAAAQBAJ
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1097563?ref=RainbowCrush
DriveThruFiction: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/366641/Queer-Ghost-Stories-Volume-Five
Tuesday, 20 April 2021
Queer Ghost Stories Volume Four: 3 Chilling Tales of the Paranormal
Queer Ghost Stories Volume Four
3 Chilling Tales of the Paranormal
By Foxglove Lee
Who needs sleep? Not you! You’d rather stay up late reading these spine-tingling ghost stories!
In these three tales of the paranormal, queer characters encounter the supernatural… with blood-curdling results! Get ready for a fright with three stories from Foxglove Lee’s Queer Ghost Stories series!
In our first story, Devil at the Door, Jack and Ren never thought life could be so perfect. Perfect husband, perfect kids, perfect house. Life is beautiful… until a mysterious knock at the door sends chills down their spines. There’s a dark force at work, and it’s got murderous intentions. Can the men save their family before an evil entity destroys everything they hold dear?
Debbie and her brothers were brutally murdered forty years ago. In our second story, Ghost Family Christmas, these ghost teens from the 1970s have nowhere to turn. They’re trapped in the room where they were cruelly killed. They need help from today’s teenagers if they ever hope to escape. Can the ghost teens find a way to reach out? Or will they be stuck in death forever?
Lonely. Divorced. Disowned by her daughter. In our final story, Ghosts of the Living, Helle is spinning toward despair when a homeless girl brightens her life. Finally, she has someone to care about. Someone who needs her. Someone she can be a mother to. When a tragic event threatens to ruin everything, what lengths will Helle go to in order to keep young Giulianna in her life?
Delve into three tales of the paranormal by Foxglove Lee… if you dare!
Buy your copy from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TTN343Q
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1065480?ref=RainbowCrush
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/queer-ghost-stories-volume-four-3-chilling-tales-of-the-paranormal
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1550843436
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/queer-ghost-stories-volume-four-foxglove-lee/1138693240
Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/book/492228058/Queer-Ghost-Stories-Volume-Four-3-Chilling-Tales-of-the-Paranormal
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=Zq0WEAAAQBAJ
DriveThruFiction: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/344476/Queer-Ghost-Stories-Volume-Four-3-Chilling-Tales-of-the-Paranormal
Universal link: https://books2read.com/u/boDzZ9
3 Chilling Tales of the Paranormal
By Foxglove Lee
Who needs sleep? Not you! You’d rather stay up late reading these spine-tingling ghost stories!
In these three tales of the paranormal, queer characters encounter the supernatural… with blood-curdling results! Get ready for a fright with three stories from Foxglove Lee’s Queer Ghost Stories series!
In our first story, Devil at the Door, Jack and Ren never thought life could be so perfect. Perfect husband, perfect kids, perfect house. Life is beautiful… until a mysterious knock at the door sends chills down their spines. There’s a dark force at work, and it’s got murderous intentions. Can the men save their family before an evil entity destroys everything they hold dear?
Debbie and her brothers were brutally murdered forty years ago. In our second story, Ghost Family Christmas, these ghost teens from the 1970s have nowhere to turn. They’re trapped in the room where they were cruelly killed. They need help from today’s teenagers if they ever hope to escape. Can the ghost teens find a way to reach out? Or will they be stuck in death forever?
Lonely. Divorced. Disowned by her daughter. In our final story, Ghosts of the Living, Helle is spinning toward despair when a homeless girl brightens her life. Finally, she has someone to care about. Someone who needs her. Someone she can be a mother to. When a tragic event threatens to ruin everything, what lengths will Helle go to in order to keep young Giulianna in her life?
Delve into three tales of the paranormal by Foxglove Lee… if you dare!
Buy your copy from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TTN343Q
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1065480?ref=RainbowCrush
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/queer-ghost-stories-volume-four-3-chilling-tales-of-the-paranormal
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1550843436
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/queer-ghost-stories-volume-four-foxglove-lee/1138693240
Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/book/492228058/Queer-Ghost-Stories-Volume-Four-3-Chilling-Tales-of-the-Paranormal
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=Zq0WEAAAQBAJ
DriveThruFiction: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/344476/Queer-Ghost-Stories-Volume-Four-3-Chilling-Tales-of-the-Paranormal
Universal link: https://books2read.com/u/boDzZ9
Saturday, 20 March 2021
Queer Ghost Stories Volume Three: 3 Tales of Love, Death and Paranormal Encounters
Queer Ghost Stories Volume Three
3 Tales of Love, Death and Paranormal Encounters
By Foxglove Lee
Who needs sleep? Not you! You’d rather stay up late reading these spine-chilling ghost stories!
In these three tales of the paranormal, queer characters encounter the supernatural… with blood-curdling results! Get ready for a fright with three stories from Foxglove Lee’s Queer Ghost Stories series!
Alisha never asked to be a sensitive, but when her nightmares coincide with strange goings-on in her building, she must take action. The victim of a brutal killing keeps coming to her in terrifying dreams. The night terrors won't stop until the murder is brought to light in our first story, Nightmare Heights.
Our second haunting tale, Spooky Little Girl Like You, sees a young girl’s obsession turn terrifying after her tragic death is witnessed by everyone at summer camp. All Melinda wanted in life was Zachary’s undivided attention. Didn’t matter to her that he was five years older or that he was her camp counsellor or even that he was gay. She wanted to be with him always. Now, in death, will she get her wish?
When you’re twenty-one years old, you don’t expect your closest friend to be in her nineties, but housemates Sindara and Eloise from our third story, Off with the Fairies, have more in common than they ever would have guessed. Sindara hears voices in the basement. She feels like she’s being watched by unseen eyes. Is their house haunted… and are they in serious danger?
Delve into three tales of the paranormal by Foxglove Lee… if you dare!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1393657206?tag=foxglovelee-20
Apple: https://books.apple.com/ca/book/queer-ghost-stories-volume-three-3-tales-love-death/id1495846595
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/queer-ghost-stories-volume-three-foxglove-lee/1136177436
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/queer-ghost-stories-volume-three
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=R3C0DwAAQBAJ
Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/book/443764278/Queer-Ghost-Stories-Volume-Three-3-Tales-of-Love-Death-and-Paranormal-Encounters
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/965068
3 Tales of Love, Death and Paranormal Encounters
By Foxglove Lee
Who needs sleep? Not you! You’d rather stay up late reading these spine-chilling ghost stories!
In these three tales of the paranormal, queer characters encounter the supernatural… with blood-curdling results! Get ready for a fright with three stories from Foxglove Lee’s Queer Ghost Stories series!
Alisha never asked to be a sensitive, but when her nightmares coincide with strange goings-on in her building, she must take action. The victim of a brutal killing keeps coming to her in terrifying dreams. The night terrors won't stop until the murder is brought to light in our first story, Nightmare Heights.
Our second haunting tale, Spooky Little Girl Like You, sees a young girl’s obsession turn terrifying after her tragic death is witnessed by everyone at summer camp. All Melinda wanted in life was Zachary’s undivided attention. Didn’t matter to her that he was five years older or that he was her camp counsellor or even that he was gay. She wanted to be with him always. Now, in death, will she get her wish?
When you’re twenty-one years old, you don’t expect your closest friend to be in her nineties, but housemates Sindara and Eloise from our third story, Off with the Fairies, have more in common than they ever would have guessed. Sindara hears voices in the basement. She feels like she’s being watched by unseen eyes. Is their house haunted… and are they in serious danger?
Delve into three tales of the paranormal by Foxglove Lee… if you dare!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1393657206?tag=foxglovelee-20
Apple: https://books.apple.com/ca/book/queer-ghost-stories-volume-three-3-tales-love-death/id1495846595
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/queer-ghost-stories-volume-three-foxglove-lee/1136177436
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/queer-ghost-stories-volume-three
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=R3C0DwAAQBAJ
Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/book/443764278/Queer-Ghost-Stories-Volume-Three-3-Tales-of-Love-Death-and-Paranormal-Encounters
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/965068
Saturday, 30 January 2021
Queer Ghost Stories Volume Two: 3 Tales of Love, Horror and the Supernatural
Queer Ghost Stories Volume Two
3 Tales of Love, Horror and the Supernatural
By Foxglove Lee
Who needs sleep? Not you! You’d rather stay up late reading these spine-chilling ghost stories!
In these three tales of the paranormal, trans, lesbian, bisexual, non-binary and gay characters encounter the supernatural… with blood-curdling results! Get ready for a fright with three stories from Foxglove Lee’s Queer Ghost Stories series!
If moths could kill… In our first story, The Moths, Shay knows her girlfriend Olivia won’t take it well when she finds out an old flame has died. All these years later, he still holds a sordid but special place in her heart. When Olivia pulls his moth-eaten sweater from the back of her closet, she feels the past close at hand. But closer still are the moths. They swarm and surround her, quickly taking over her bedroom… but will they take her very life?
“Transgender Psychic Fights for Ghost Rights!” When a local tabloid gets its grubby paws on Whitney’s story, in Underground Spirit, she doesn’t know what to do. Is she trans? Sure, and a lawyer to boot. But is she also psychic? Not really. Except that the ghost of a girl who died in a gruesome escalator accident has been following her around town. When a handsome banker comes to the young lawyer’s rescue, can they figure out why this dead girl won’t leave Whitney alone? Or will the terror never end?
In Ghost Phone, Braden has never had much in common with his stepfather, but that changes when he buys an antique telephone for Father’s Day. The old phone is haunted! Every night, it rings like clockwork. And who is on the line? A ghostly woman who says only, “Operator! Help! My son!” Can Braden and Leon figure out who this ghost woman was in life? And can they help her find peace in the great beyond?
Delve into three tales of the paranormal by Foxglove Lee… if you dare!
Buy Now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RKZVY3P
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/937929?ref=RainbowCrush
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1462787984
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/queer-ghost-stories-volume-two-foxglove-lee/1131511018
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/queer-ghost-stories-volume-two-3-tales-of-love-horror-and-the-supernatural
Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/book/409037881/Queer-Ghost-Stories-Volume-Two-3-Tales-of-Love-Horror-and-the-Supernatural
Hoopla: https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/13431533
Universal link: https://books2read.com/u/mVN9xr
3 Tales of Love, Horror and the Supernatural
By Foxglove Lee
Who needs sleep? Not you! You’d rather stay up late reading these spine-chilling ghost stories!
In these three tales of the paranormal, trans, lesbian, bisexual, non-binary and gay characters encounter the supernatural… with blood-curdling results! Get ready for a fright with three stories from Foxglove Lee’s Queer Ghost Stories series!
If moths could kill… In our first story, The Moths, Shay knows her girlfriend Olivia won’t take it well when she finds out an old flame has died. All these years later, he still holds a sordid but special place in her heart. When Olivia pulls his moth-eaten sweater from the back of her closet, she feels the past close at hand. But closer still are the moths. They swarm and surround her, quickly taking over her bedroom… but will they take her very life?
“Transgender Psychic Fights for Ghost Rights!” When a local tabloid gets its grubby paws on Whitney’s story, in Underground Spirit, she doesn’t know what to do. Is she trans? Sure, and a lawyer to boot. But is she also psychic? Not really. Except that the ghost of a girl who died in a gruesome escalator accident has been following her around town. When a handsome banker comes to the young lawyer’s rescue, can they figure out why this dead girl won’t leave Whitney alone? Or will the terror never end?
In Ghost Phone, Braden has never had much in common with his stepfather, but that changes when he buys an antique telephone for Father’s Day. The old phone is haunted! Every night, it rings like clockwork. And who is on the line? A ghostly woman who says only, “Operator! Help! My son!” Can Braden and Leon figure out who this ghost woman was in life? And can they help her find peace in the great beyond?
Delve into three tales of the paranormal by Foxglove Lee… if you dare!
Buy Now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RKZVY3P
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/937929?ref=RainbowCrush
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1462787984
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/queer-ghost-stories-volume-two-foxglove-lee/1131511018
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/queer-ghost-stories-volume-two-3-tales-of-love-horror-and-the-supernatural
Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/book/409037881/Queer-Ghost-Stories-Volume-Two-3-Tales-of-Love-Horror-and-the-Supernatural
Hoopla: https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/13431533
Universal link: https://books2read.com/u/mVN9xr
Friday, 16 October 2020
Mystic Ridge: A Lesbian Paranormal Novel by Foxglove Lee
At long last, my new novel has hit the market!
Mystic Ridge is a book that features all your favourite ghost story themes and a queer cast of characters. If you love a supernatural tale that begins with one character inheriting a haunted house from an unknown relative, I'll do you one better: the girlfriends in my novel inherit an entire haunted summer resort!
It's October as I write this--the perfect month to read something spooky. So be sure to get your hands on Mystic Ridge. It's the perfect accompaniment to a grey, rainy day or a long, dark night.
Mystic Ridge: A Novel
If they stay in Lament, someone is sure to die.
By Foxglove Lee
Ebook ISBN: 9781005901394
PRINT ISBN-13: 9798697357880
When Beverly Landry inherits Mystic Ridge, a glorious yet neglected summer resort, she and her girlfriend begin a new life in the small town of Lament. As soon as Bev’s girlfriend, Cate, arrives on the ridge, she’s plagued by terrifying nightmares involving the death of a beautiful young woman. Everywhere Cate goes, she’s followed by black mist and glowing red eyes. When she sleeps, a demonic force guides her toward the ridge. Every day brings a new vision of death.
Will Mystic Ridge tear Cate and Bev apart for good, or will a league of unlikely friends help the couple defeat the evil living on their land?
There are many places to buy Mystic Ridge. The following list is nowhere near exhaustive. Look for it at your favourite book retailer!
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/b/bwdede
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KWLTCH7?tag=foxglovelee-20
Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08KWLTCH7
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08KWLTCH7
Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B08KWLTCH7
Germany: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B08KWLTCH7
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/Search/Query?fcmedia=Book&query=9781005901394
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id1535689766
Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08KWLTCH7
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08KWLTCH7
Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B08KWLTCH7
Germany: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B08KWLTCH7
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/Search/Query?fcmedia=Book&query=9781005901394
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id1535689766
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1048373?ref=RainbowCrush
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=wm0CEAAAQBAJ
Read it at Radish: https://radish.app.link/yG1jXdsgDab
DriveThru Fiction: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/332021/Mystic-Ridge
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=wm0CEAAAQBAJ
Read it at Radish: https://radish.app.link/yG1jXdsgDab
DriveThru Fiction: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/332021/Mystic-Ridge
Saturday, 12 October 2019
Why Netflix's "Haunted" is NOT the Ghost Show for Me
Hi. I'm Foxglove and I write ghost stories.Why do I write ghost stories? Because I love them. I just can't get enough. I can't tell you how many ghost shows I've binge-watched. And once I'd watched everything available, I started creating my own--books, not TV shows. I'm only one person!
When it comes to what I term "ghost shows," there's a plethora available--never enough, but lots.
How do I define a "ghost show"?
Well, the ones I gravitate toward purport to be TRUE. That's the main attraction, for me, as a viewer. Strangely enough, I don't care whether they are, in actuality, true or entirely manufactured. That part is irrelevant. This is entertainment, folks. As long as I can at least pretend what I'm seeing is real, I'm happy.
So basically what I'm looking for would be classified as documentary or reality (non-fiction), as opposed to drama (fiction). The formats I enjoy are investigation (like the shows I feature in this post) or reenactment, where a real person tells a true tale of ghostly encounters and actors create the visuals. Examples of this style include Paranormal Survivor, A Haunting, and countless others.
Unfortunately, though there are about a million different ghost shows on the planet, the vast majority are not on Netflix.
That's why I was really excited when Netflix created their own Original Series: "Haunted."I watched the first season when it was released. It didn't resonate with me. It should have. It had everything going for it: the right style, the right format, all that beautiful greased-up Netflix money... and yet, the show just didn't work for me.
There weren't that many episodes anyway, so I forgot about the show until yesterday, when the second season went live.
I watched three episodes, and I'm now able to articulate why Netflix's "Haunted" is not the ghost show for me:
It's Too Good
What does that mean, "Too Good?" Well, in this case, it means: too polished, too cinematographically sophisticated. When I watch a ghost show, I want it to be borderline bad. I want the acting to be laughable. I want to see the zipper. I want it to have been filmed on location in Oshawa, Ontario (I've got family there). This Netflix series is too beautiful for my glazed-over eyes. It's also too dark--visually. Am I getting old, or is it impossible to actually see what's going on?
It's Too Scary
A ghost show is not a substitute for a horror movie, for me. They're different animals, and "Haunted" too closely replicates the style of a horror flick. It's not what I'm after. I watch ghost shows when I'm seeking a frisson of fear, not when I want to poop my pants (I never actually want to do that... and I never have... moving right along...)
It's Too Adult
The internet's got plenty of sources for sex and violence. When I'm watching my ghost shows, I'm not in the market for gratuitous adult content. I loved ghost stuff when I was an innocent, apple-cheeked 13-year-old, and watching ghost shows now takes me back to simpler times. For me to love a ghost show, it's got to be suitable for my 13-year-old self. My thirtysomething self can find nudity without your help, thank you very much. I mean, like... on the internet.
It's Got Too Many Feels
This is the big one. I've saved the best for last--or, if not BEST, at least the most pertinent point: some of these stories are just too intense for me to handle in this particular context. I'm not always psychologically prepared to hear stories about rape, torture and childhood sexual assault. In fact, one of the big reasons I watch ghost shows is to get scared by something otherworldly. The real world is full of awfulness coming at you so fast you don't even have time to deal with one traumatic incident before the next one is upon you.
I watch ghost shows as an escape, not as a reminder of the world's many atrocities. I watch them to feel mildly frightened, not terrified out of my wits.
"Haunted" gives me all the wrong feels. It's not what I'm looking for in a ghost show. I'm not telling anyone not to watch it, obviously--you live your life as you see fit--but I would like to caution anyone who is triggered by anything that you will absolutely need to call a hotline after watching this series. I know that sounds jokey, but I'm being serious, here. I'm telling you that my experience of watching just three episodes of this new season has left me feeling pretty destroyed, psychologically.
Last week I found old episodes of Rescue Mediums on YouTube. I think I'll stick with that. They always end with a cheesy joke and, after watching "Haunted," I need all the cheese I can get.
This collection includes my stories Nightmare Heights (one of my absolute favourites--and based on a true story, though wildly embellished), Spooky Little Girl Like You, and fan-fave Off with the Fairies. All these stories involve death--murder, suicide, and the kind where you just stop breathing because you're old--so if you're avoiding death at the moment, be forewarned.
Find Queer Ghost Stories Volume Three at Kobo and pretty much any other retailer where you buy books.
Monday, 22 April 2019
Queer Ghost Stories Volume One: 4 Tales of the Paranormal
Throughout four tales of the paranormal, queer characters meet with fates beyond their wildest imaginings as they are confronted by spirits from all walks of life… with shocking results.
In THE WITCH OF THE WINTER WOODS, Nicole couldn’t be more nervous about meeting her girlfriend’s parents this Christmas. On her way to their house in rural Maryland, she nearly collides with a barefoot old woman standing in the road. Strange things happen: a chase through the snow, a stone cottage in the woods, a raging fire. Will Nicole make it out alive?
Tucker and his boyfriend are the best in their field in THE FUTURE IS DEADLY. They organize estate sales, using their keen eyes and marketing know-how to earn big bucks for their clients. But when they’re hired to clear out a mysterious gothic manor house, Tucker discovers a set of vintage sunglasses. Through their shaded lenses, he sees a murder that has yet to take place. What lengths will he go to in order to keep the victim safe?
What could follow in our series of supernatural stories? Why, it’s GHOST RADIO, the tale of a transgender teen spending the summer with her cousin. When the pair finds a mysterious radio in a dilapidated shack in the woods, Emily can’t get enough of the music it plays. There are tales, in town, of a ghostly DJ who draws teens to their deaths. Could Emily be next on his list?
In GHOST GALLERY, Xan has just landed his dream job at a prestigious art gallery. There’s only one problem: the place is haunted. When Xan stays late to meet his favourite transgender artist, will he come face to face with an apparition from another time? And, if he does, can he finally solve the mystery of the gallery ghost?
Dive into four tales of the paranormal in Queer Ghost Stories Volume One by Foxglove Lee.
Get the ebook from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PSLR3JC
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/929346?ref=RainbowCrush
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=p2mNDwAAQBAJ
Or one of many other ebook retailers: https://books2read.com/u/bpjweE
Find the audio version at Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/B07QDNRVCB/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-147633&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_147633_rh_us
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details/Foxglove_Lee_Queer_Ghost_Stories_Volume_One?id=AQAAAEBM03uTJM&hl=en
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/queer-ghost-stories-volume-one
Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/audiobook/396769514/Queer-Ghost-Stories-Volume-One-4-Tales-of-the-Paranormal
Playster: https://play.playster.com/audiobooks/1001800000001001448/queer-ghost-stories-volume-one-foxglove-lee
And keep an eye out for the paperback--coming soon!
Wednesday, 23 January 2019
Foxglove's Top Three Go-To Ghost Shows
Now that I'm writing ghost stories for your entertainment, I figure I ought to share some of the ghostly things that entertain me. I'll start by revealing my top three go-to ghost shows.
When I say "ghost shows" I'm talking about TV series featuring the paranormal.
One of the main reasons I started writing ghost stories is that I just can't get enough ghost shows! Once you've watched them all... what then? You need more spooky entertainment, and where do you find it? Well, I started writing my own ghost stories featuring queer characters. If you haven't read them, I hope you'll dive right in... after you've discovered my top three go-to ghost shows!
3. Ghost Adventures
If you've never heard of Ghost Adventures, it's an hour-long documentary style television program produced by Travel Channel. Ghost Adventures features paranormal investigators delving into paranormal phenomena in a variety of locations. But that could be said of many shows of this style (and there sure are a lot of them!), so what makes Ghost Adventures special?
I'm not sure I have an answer to that question. It just seems to work. The show is creepy. I get chills watching it. The boys seem to capture a lot of paranormal activity using a variety of techniques and technologies. It's entertaining, start to finish.
What do I like about Ghost Adventures? Well, let's start with the fact that there are about a million episodes. At this point the show's been on for, what, something like 17 seasons? If there's one thing that appeals to me about a TV show, it's having lots of episodes under its belt.
2. The Other Side
The Other Side is another documentary style paranormal investigations show.
This one is a half-hour-long and produced in Canada by APTN, the Aboriginal Peoples' Television Network.
The Other Side features a team of Indigenous investigators who pair technologies we're familiar with from other similar shows with traditional teachings and knowledge.
What do I love about The Other Side? The audience gets to view paranormal investigations through an Indigenous lens, which is so uncommon in the landscape of ghost shows and so, so refreshing!
If you've never seen The Other Side, check it out for sure.
You won't regret it.
1. The Dead Files
I could watch The Dead Files every hour of every day and never get tired of it. The Dead Files is another hour-long Travel Channel production, but the investigation style is totally different from a series like Ghost Adventures.
Amy is a medium. Steve is a former cop. She investigates a property by talking to the dead while he investigates the same property by talking to homeowners and doing research into the house and its surroundings. At the end, they come together to let the homeowners know their findings.
What do I love about The Dead Files? Again, there are plenty of episodes to binge on. Amy and Steve are both charismatic, lovable, and entertaining to watch. Plus, the program has followed precisely the same formula since the very first episode, and you really feel at home with a show like that. You always know what to expect, but at the same time every episode blows me away. I'm always surprised and creeped out by Steve and Amy's findings.
So those are my top three go-to ghost shows. If you've never seen them, check 'em out. If you've seen every episode of every show and you're still craving more paranormal entertainment, be sure to read my Queer Ghost Stories! There are plenty to choose from!
I'll be back soon with another post about great ghostly entertainment, so don't forget to visit.
And thanks for reading!
Foxglove Lee
When I say "ghost shows" I'm talking about TV series featuring the paranormal.
One of the main reasons I started writing ghost stories is that I just can't get enough ghost shows! Once you've watched them all... what then? You need more spooky entertainment, and where do you find it? Well, I started writing my own ghost stories featuring queer characters. If you haven't read them, I hope you'll dive right in... after you've discovered my top three go-to ghost shows!
If you've never heard of Ghost Adventures, it's an hour-long documentary style television program produced by Travel Channel. Ghost Adventures features paranormal investigators delving into paranormal phenomena in a variety of locations. But that could be said of many shows of this style (and there sure are a lot of them!), so what makes Ghost Adventures special?
I'm not sure I have an answer to that question. It just seems to work. The show is creepy. I get chills watching it. The boys seem to capture a lot of paranormal activity using a variety of techniques and technologies. It's entertaining, start to finish.
What do I like about Ghost Adventures? Well, let's start with the fact that there are about a million episodes. At this point the show's been on for, what, something like 17 seasons? If there's one thing that appeals to me about a TV show, it's having lots of episodes under its belt.
The Other Side is another documentary style paranormal investigations show.
This one is a half-hour-long and produced in Canada by APTN, the Aboriginal Peoples' Television Network.
The Other Side features a team of Indigenous investigators who pair technologies we're familiar with from other similar shows with traditional teachings and knowledge.
What do I love about The Other Side? The audience gets to view paranormal investigations through an Indigenous lens, which is so uncommon in the landscape of ghost shows and so, so refreshing!
If you've never seen The Other Side, check it out for sure.
You won't regret it.
I could watch The Dead Files every hour of every day and never get tired of it. The Dead Files is another hour-long Travel Channel production, but the investigation style is totally different from a series like Ghost Adventures.
Amy is a medium. Steve is a former cop. She investigates a property by talking to the dead while he investigates the same property by talking to homeowners and doing research into the house and its surroundings. At the end, they come together to let the homeowners know their findings.
What do I love about The Dead Files? Again, there are plenty of episodes to binge on. Amy and Steve are both charismatic, lovable, and entertaining to watch. Plus, the program has followed precisely the same formula since the very first episode, and you really feel at home with a show like that. You always know what to expect, but at the same time every episode blows me away. I'm always surprised and creeped out by Steve and Amy's findings.
So those are my top three go-to ghost shows. If you've never seen them, check 'em out. If you've seen every episode of every show and you're still craving more paranormal entertainment, be sure to read my Queer Ghost Stories! There are plenty to choose from!
I'll be back soon with another post about great ghostly entertainment, so don't forget to visit.
And thanks for reading!
Foxglove Lee
Monday, 19 March 2018
We're Here! We're Queer! We're Ghost Stories!
I grew up watching Twilight Zone re-runs. When my younger brother watched Goosebumps and Are You Afraid of the Dark? on TV, I found some excuse to be in the room. I was too old for kid shows, so I couldn't admit I wanted to watch them. Now I'm the total opposite: I'm not too old for anything, and I'm not ashamed to tell you I watched every episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark? that I could find on Netflix, and I'm working my way through Goosebumps as we speak.
Ghost stories are the greatest. That's why I've started a new series called Queer Ghost Stories, paranormal tales featuring LGBTQ characters. These stories are perfect for those of us who grew up loving Goosebumps, The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, The X-Files, Tales from the Crypt, all that.
If you like spooky stuff, this series is for YOU!To be totally honest, I started writing my Queer Ghost Stories just to entertain myself. It was a totally selfish venture. But I think that's when an author's writing is at its best.
You can expect one new queer ghost story every month, and you'll find a listing of my ebooks at this special page: https://foxglovelee.blogspot.ca/p/queer-ghost-stories.html
As with episodes of The Twilight Zone and Goosebumps, you can enter this series at any point. The stories all work independently of one another, so read them in any order.
If you love ghost stories as much as I do, I invite you to enter the world of Queer Ghost Stories today!
Sunday, 16 March 2014
The Mango Takes a Bite out of Tiffany. Or Something.
Back to this review or musing or blog post or whatever you want to call it... well, what's the point in explaining it to you? I'll just give you the link. I found it very funny, but maybe I'm just feeling giddy because someone actually read my novel.
“Tiffany and Tiger’s Eye”: New Young Adult horror novel with lesbian romance from Foxglove Lee (Prizm Books):
http://shiraglassman.wordpress.com/2014/03/04/tiffany-and-tigers-eye-new-young-adult-horror-novel-with-lesbian-romance-from-foxglove-lee-prizm-books
Thank you, Shira!
Foxglove
Monday, 24 February 2014
Read an Excerpt from Tiffany and Tiger's Eye
The other day I posted some background information about the semi-icky setting of my new 1980s novel, Tiffany and Tiger's Eye (click here to read that post) but I didn't tell you too much about the book itself.
It's back to basics, today:
Tiffany and Tiger's Eye was written by me, Foxglove Lee, and published by Prizm Books.
How many secrets can a family keep?
If there's one thing Rebecca knows, it's how to hide her problems. But with a rock-and-roll dad who drinks too much and a mom who works day and night, Rebecca needs a sympathetic ear. That's why she tells her troubles to Yvette, an antique doll that once belonged to her grandmother.
In the summer of 1986, after her father's strange disappearance, Rebecca and her little brother are sent to the cottage with Aunt Libby and Uncle Flip. Rebecca's relieved to get away from the city, and her relief grows to bliss when she meets Tiffany, a water-skiing blonde who dresses like Madonna, makes her own jewelry, and claims to see auras.
But strange things happen when Rebecca spends time with Tiffany. Her aunt and uncle are convinced she's acting out -- and she'd have good reason to, considering they obviously know where her father is and won't say -- but she can't convince them she isn't the one trashing her bedroom and setting fires. As crazy as it seems, Yvette must be the culprit.
There's nothing more dangerous than a jealous doll that knows all your secrets...
Uncle Flip's eyes shot wide open, like I'd just punched him in the stomach. A blush came over him, starting with his ears and devouring his face. He squirmed so much I actually felt sorry for him. I sat up straight on the couch and bit my lip, wishing I could take the words back.
"Is it the first... the first... time?" my uncle stammered.
I looked away and lied. "Yes."
"Oh." He swallowed hard. "So, you don't have any... any..." He lowered his voice and said, "Supplies?"
I shook my head. I couldn't look at him. When I needed pads at home, I took them from the cupboard in my mother's bathroom and hoped she wouldn't notice. Any time I was babysitting, I'd sneak off to the bathroom and take just a few. It was easy to hide things down the front of my overalls. Overalls concealed all sins.
Uncle Flip rose stiffly from the couch, disappearing into the bedroom he shared with Aunt Libby. He was in there so long that I got up to check on him. I felt like I was floating as I stuck my head beyond the door. We never went into Aunt Libby and Uncle Flip's bedroom.
The curtains were closed, and the light was off. Even in the relative darkness, I could see how cramped it was. They had a double bed in the middle, flanked by long dressers pushed up against the walls.
But the furniture had nothing on the décor. Somebody had installed shelves along all the walls, and they were packed to the gills with... dolls!
My heart thundered as I stepped inside. I felt like I shouldn't be there, like I was walking on hallowed ground. Aunt Libby wouldn't like it. I could feel her presence like a ghost just over my shoulder. There were porcelain babies, girls in ostentatious dresses, and little women with sun umbrellas. I'd never been a doll person, but they were obviously antiques. They must have been worth a fortune.
"Your grandmother collected those," Uncle Flip told me. He was standing in the corner, holding a box of maxi pads. The packaging was cardboard, not plastic, and it looked almost as old as me. "Your aunt..." He bowed his head and the box rattled in his hands. "God, I wish Libby was here..."
"It's okay," I said, wanting to comfort him.
"Do you know how to use these things?"
"Yeah." There was very little floor space in the cottage bedrooms, but I wedged myself inside and took the box from him, clutching it to my chest. "Don't worry. I'll figure it out."
Uncle Flip nodded and shot me a brief smile. "You're a smart girl."
I wanted to run away, but the dolls had a hold on me. I could feel their eyes burning into the bare flesh beyond my T-shirt. My armpits poured out sweat despite the deodorant I'd only just started using. I'd shaved the week before, even though my mother insisted I should wait until I turned sixteen. The regrowth pricked me terribly.
"Why don't you take one of these guys?" my uncle asked, reaching up and grabbing a doll. His big hand made her body look so small.
"Take one? Why?"
"Well, I thought... Doesn't a girl usually get a present when she has... has her first..."
"Yeah, and a party." I felt bad for laughing, but I couldn't help it. "And a pony!"
Uncle Flip's ears glowed red, but he laughed too.
My uncle and I both looked at the doll he'd chosen for me. She wasn't a baby doll or a little girl, but she didn't look like an adult woman, either. Somewhere in between, just like me. Uncle Flip brushed a stray orange ringlet from her porcelain forehead. I was no doll expert, but just by looking around the room I could tell redheaded dolls weren't all that common. He was giving me something special, and I think he knew that.
"Won't Aunt Libby be mad?"
"Nah." Uncle Flip ran the back of his hand down the front of his moustache. "These dolls scare the hell out of your aunt... oh, sorry, scare the heck out of her."
I smiled at how careful my family was about swearing. We rarely said bad words out loud, not even the minor ones like hell and damn.
"If they scare her, why does she keep them?"
"Because they belonged to her mother," my uncle said, and I understood well enough that I didn't ask any follow-up questions. "I'm going to check on your brother, see what that little monster's up to. You sure you're okay?"
When he left the cottage, I lingered in my aunt and uncle's bedroom. It still felt out of bounds. I looked up at the shelves of blonde dolls with parasols or teddy bears sewn under their arms. Their prettiness overwhelmed me, and I cast my gaze down over the one doll that was mine.
With her pouting crimson lips, huge green eyes, and thick black lashes, she was beautiful in a way that enchanted and perplexed me. I put my box of maxi pads down on the bed and held my doll with both hands. Her dress had a country flavor -- tiny rust-colored flowers on a cream background, rosettes up the front of her chest, and lace around her neck. Over the dress, she had on a half-apron in less-than-pristine white.
She looked at me so inquisitively I was convinced she had a mind beyond those deep, dark eyes.
"What should I call you, dollface?"
Like a flash, the name Yvette streaked through me. I could have sworn that I heard it out loud, with a hint of a French accent, like the doll had spoken to me.
Of course, I was being silly. My mother always said I let my imagination get the better of me. She was right.
Even so, I lifted the doll to my face and rubbed her cool porcelain nose against mine. Closing my eyes, I kissed her little lips.
It's back to basics, today:
Tiffany and Tiger's Eye was written by me, Foxglove Lee, and published by Prizm Books.
If there's one thing Rebecca knows, it's how to hide her problems. But with a rock-and-roll dad who drinks too much and a mom who works day and night, Rebecca needs a sympathetic ear. That's why she tells her troubles to Yvette, an antique doll that once belonged to her grandmother.
In the summer of 1986, after her father's strange disappearance, Rebecca and her little brother are sent to the cottage with Aunt Libby and Uncle Flip. Rebecca's relieved to get away from the city, and her relief grows to bliss when she meets Tiffany, a water-skiing blonde who dresses like Madonna, makes her own jewelry, and claims to see auras.
But strange things happen when Rebecca spends time with Tiffany. Her aunt and uncle are convinced she's acting out -- and she'd have good reason to, considering they obviously know where her father is and won't say -- but she can't convince them she isn't the one trashing her bedroom and setting fires. As crazy as it seems, Yvette must be the culprit.
There's nothing more dangerous than a jealous doll that knows all your secrets...
Excerpt:
I don't know what came over me, but I blurted out, "I got my period!"Uncle Flip's eyes shot wide open, like I'd just punched him in the stomach. A blush came over him, starting with his ears and devouring his face. He squirmed so much I actually felt sorry for him. I sat up straight on the couch and bit my lip, wishing I could take the words back.
"Is it the first... the first... time?" my uncle stammered.
I looked away and lied. "Yes."
"Oh." He swallowed hard. "So, you don't have any... any..." He lowered his voice and said, "Supplies?"
I shook my head. I couldn't look at him. When I needed pads at home, I took them from the cupboard in my mother's bathroom and hoped she wouldn't notice. Any time I was babysitting, I'd sneak off to the bathroom and take just a few. It was easy to hide things down the front of my overalls. Overalls concealed all sins.
Uncle Flip rose stiffly from the couch, disappearing into the bedroom he shared with Aunt Libby. He was in there so long that I got up to check on him. I felt like I was floating as I stuck my head beyond the door. We never went into Aunt Libby and Uncle Flip's bedroom.
The curtains were closed, and the light was off. Even in the relative darkness, I could see how cramped it was. They had a double bed in the middle, flanked by long dressers pushed up against the walls.
But the furniture had nothing on the décor. Somebody had installed shelves along all the walls, and they were packed to the gills with... dolls!
My heart thundered as I stepped inside. I felt like I shouldn't be there, like I was walking on hallowed ground. Aunt Libby wouldn't like it. I could feel her presence like a ghost just over my shoulder. There were porcelain babies, girls in ostentatious dresses, and little women with sun umbrellas. I'd never been a doll person, but they were obviously antiques. They must have been worth a fortune.
"Your grandmother collected those," Uncle Flip told me. He was standing in the corner, holding a box of maxi pads. The packaging was cardboard, not plastic, and it looked almost as old as me. "Your aunt..." He bowed his head and the box rattled in his hands. "God, I wish Libby was here..."
"It's okay," I said, wanting to comfort him.
"Do you know how to use these things?"
"Yeah." There was very little floor space in the cottage bedrooms, but I wedged myself inside and took the box from him, clutching it to my chest. "Don't worry. I'll figure it out."
Uncle Flip nodded and shot me a brief smile. "You're a smart girl."
I wanted to run away, but the dolls had a hold on me. I could feel their eyes burning into the bare flesh beyond my T-shirt. My armpits poured out sweat despite the deodorant I'd only just started using. I'd shaved the week before, even though my mother insisted I should wait until I turned sixteen. The regrowth pricked me terribly.
"Why don't you take one of these guys?" my uncle asked, reaching up and grabbing a doll. His big hand made her body look so small.
"Take one? Why?"
"Well, I thought... Doesn't a girl usually get a present when she has... has her first..."
"Yeah, and a party." I felt bad for laughing, but I couldn't help it. "And a pony!"
Uncle Flip's ears glowed red, but he laughed too.
My uncle and I both looked at the doll he'd chosen for me. She wasn't a baby doll or a little girl, but she didn't look like an adult woman, either. Somewhere in between, just like me. Uncle Flip brushed a stray orange ringlet from her porcelain forehead. I was no doll expert, but just by looking around the room I could tell redheaded dolls weren't all that common. He was giving me something special, and I think he knew that.
"Won't Aunt Libby be mad?"
"Nah." Uncle Flip ran the back of his hand down the front of his moustache. "These dolls scare the hell out of your aunt... oh, sorry, scare the heck out of her."
I smiled at how careful my family was about swearing. We rarely said bad words out loud, not even the minor ones like hell and damn.
"If they scare her, why does she keep them?"
"Because they belonged to her mother," my uncle said, and I understood well enough that I didn't ask any follow-up questions. "I'm going to check on your brother, see what that little monster's up to. You sure you're okay?"
When he left the cottage, I lingered in my aunt and uncle's bedroom. It still felt out of bounds. I looked up at the shelves of blonde dolls with parasols or teddy bears sewn under their arms. Their prettiness overwhelmed me, and I cast my gaze down over the one doll that was mine.
With her pouting crimson lips, huge green eyes, and thick black lashes, she was beautiful in a way that enchanted and perplexed me. I put my box of maxi pads down on the bed and held my doll with both hands. Her dress had a country flavor -- tiny rust-colored flowers on a cream background, rosettes up the front of her chest, and lace around her neck. Over the dress, she had on a half-apron in less-than-pristine white.
She looked at me so inquisitively I was convinced she had a mind beyond those deep, dark eyes.
"What should I call you, dollface?"
Like a flash, the name Yvette streaked through me. I could have sworn that I heard it out loud, with a hint of a French accent, like the doll had spoken to me.
Of course, I was being silly. My mother always said I let my imagination get the better of me. She was right.
Even so, I lifted the doll to my face and rubbed her cool porcelain nose against mine. Closing my eyes, I kissed her little lips.
Tiffany and Tiger's Eye is published by Prizm Books and available from the publisher's website, Amazon, OmniLit and other retailers.
Friday, 21 February 2014
This Old Shack
There’s so much I could say about my new novel, Tiffany and Tiger’s Eye. As a horror story, family drama, and sweet lesbian romance set in the eighties, it covers a lot of bases. I could talk about how much of my young adult life pops out of my main character, Rebecca. I could tell you how much fun I had delving back into 1980s fashion trends and modes of speech (like, gag me with a spoon!) to write it. I could admit to the half-recalled memories that provided a springboard for Rebecca’s family secrets.
Instead, I’m going to tell you about the cottage.
Tiffany and Tiger’s Eye is a summer novel, so if the chilly temperatures are getting you down this might make a nice little mental getaway. It’s set at a very strange old shack, which is modeled after the one my grandparents owned in the 80s. In the book, Rebecca remarks that it’s more like a storage unit than a cottage, and that pretty much describes it to a T. The structure did have bedrooms, but as a whole the cottage was a single-storey rectangle that sat about a foot off the ground. If it had wheels, it would be a giant caravan.
It didn’t have wheels. It did, however, have hippie daisy stickers on every door and the most hideous 1970s-era furnishings you could possibly imagine. There was a little black-and-white TV in the corner, but without cable and being in the middle of the woods, it only got reception of one channel—and that was very blurry.
The radio was always on, always tuned to CBC Radio One.
To say the cottage had indoor plumbing would be stretching the truth just a bit. There was some kind of pump in the kitchen, which supplied water to the sink, but the taps in the bathroom were purely decorative. Every morning, my grandmother would fill a tin basin in the kitchen and set it in the bathroom sink for us to wash our hands.
Now… about the toilet. Maybe this is TMI, but I’m not completely clear how that whole system worked. There WAS a toilet and it DID flush, but only once a day. And my grandmother had to do it. I’m sure you can imagine the stink of that bathroom with a whole day’s worth of a whole family’s… umm… leavings, shall we say? Flushing was a delicate procedure, always kept under wraps. Very mysterious.
The family in my book has a teepee in the backyard (which was a clearing that spilled over into woods) because we had a teepee, too, made of branches and boughs. Years before I was born, my grandfather had carved a family totem pole back there. That didn’t make it into my novel, but now I kind of wish it had. I’d forgotten about it until just now.
I’ll tell you another strange thing about the cottage, which didn’t figure into the book: if you walked into the woods behind my (maternal) grandparents’ shack cottage and you kept walking for five or ten minutes, you’d arrive in the backyard of my paternal grandparents’ prim two-storey gingerbread cottage. AND YET… that’s not how my parents met. They met in the city, even though their parents had these cottages that basically backed on to one another.
Isn’t that weird?
I’m not sure how my grandmother or anyone else from my family will feel about me incorporating all this weirdness into my book. Grandma’s got a fine sense of humour, so I think she’ll be amused.
At least, I hope so…
Tiffany and Tiger's Eye is available in print from Amazon and other vendors. You can also get the ebook from Amazon, Google Play, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, iTunes and many other ebook stores.
It didn’t have wheels. It did, however, have hippie daisy stickers on every door and the most hideous 1970s-era furnishings you could possibly imagine. There was a little black-and-white TV in the corner, but without cable and being in the middle of the woods, it only got reception of one channel—and that was very blurry.
The radio was always on, always tuned to CBC Radio One.
To say the cottage had indoor plumbing would be stretching the truth just a bit. There was some kind of pump in the kitchen, which supplied water to the sink, but the taps in the bathroom were purely decorative. Every morning, my grandmother would fill a tin basin in the kitchen and set it in the bathroom sink for us to wash our hands.
Now… about the toilet. Maybe this is TMI, but I’m not completely clear how that whole system worked. There WAS a toilet and it DID flush, but only once a day. And my grandmother had to do it. I’m sure you can imagine the stink of that bathroom with a whole day’s worth of a whole family’s… umm… leavings, shall we say? Flushing was a delicate procedure, always kept under wraps. Very mysterious.
The family in my book has a teepee in the backyard (which was a clearing that spilled over into woods) because we had a teepee, too, made of branches and boughs. Years before I was born, my grandfather had carved a family totem pole back there. That didn’t make it into my novel, but now I kind of wish it had. I’d forgotten about it until just now.
I’ll tell you another strange thing about the cottage, which didn’t figure into the book: if you walked into the woods behind my (maternal) grandparents’ shack cottage and you kept walking for five or ten minutes, you’d arrive in the backyard of my paternal grandparents’ prim two-storey gingerbread cottage. AND YET… that’s not how my parents met. They met in the city, even though their parents had these cottages that basically backed on to one another.
Isn’t that weird?
I’m not sure how my grandmother or anyone else from my family will feel about me incorporating all this weirdness into my book. Grandma’s got a fine sense of humour, so I think she’ll be amused.
At least, I hope so…
Tiffany and Tiger's Eye is available in print from Amazon and other vendors. You can also get the ebook from Amazon, Google Play, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, iTunes and many other ebook stores.
Saturday, 30 November 2013
Here's What I've Got So Far... (and meaningful libraries and a cover reveal!)
When I think about the libraries that have absorbed me, the first main one that springs to mind is my middle school library. I only went to that school for two years (Grades 7&8), and yet that library is far more solid in my mind than the one at my elementary school, or my high school, or even the university and public libraries I've spent so much time studying in.
Maybe it was the architecture. My middle school was built in the late 60s, and the architecture was very much of that period: avant-garde, geometric, modernist, and bright. I remember so much light in that library. It didn't feel dank or musty or old. Though it was on the first floor of a 2-storey school, the ceiling went straight up to tall skylights.
But maybe it was the books, or rather the mystery of exploring what I might find on those shelves. I never really knew what I was looking for, but I knew I wasn't finding it. I was looking for myself, actually. And I wasn't on those shelves. I wasn't represented there.
So, twenty years later, I wrote that book. Next year you'll be able to buy it from Prizm Books:
Just now I'm working on the marketing materials--the blurb, except, all that. Sometimes writing a blurb feels harder than writing the actual book, but here's what I've got so far:
There's
nothing more dangerous than a jealous doll that knows all your secrets...
By February it'll all be sorted. Can't wait to scare you! Actually, Tiffany and Tiger's Eye is as much a sweet lesbian romance as it is an evil doll horror story, so I hope to enchant you as well.
Until then...
Sleep tight.
Foxglove Lee
Maybe it was the architecture. My middle school was built in the late 60s, and the architecture was very much of that period: avant-garde, geometric, modernist, and bright. I remember so much light in that library. It didn't feel dank or musty or old. Though it was on the first floor of a 2-storey school, the ceiling went straight up to tall skylights.
But maybe it was the books, or rather the mystery of exploring what I might find on those shelves. I never really knew what I was looking for, but I knew I wasn't finding it. I was looking for myself, actually. And I wasn't on those shelves. I wasn't represented there.
So, twenty years later, I wrote that book. Next year you'll be able to buy it from Prizm Books:
 |
| This is a SCARY cover reveal! |
Just now I'm working on the marketing materials--the blurb, except, all that. Sometimes writing a blurb feels harder than writing the actual book, but here's what I've got so far:
How many secrets can a family keep?
If there's one thing Rebecca knows, it's how to hide her
problems. But with a rock-and-roll dad who drinks too much and a mom who works
day and night, Rebecca needs a sympathetic ear. That's why she tells her troubles to Yvette, an antique doll
that once belonged to her grandmother.
In the summer of 1986, after her father's strange
disappearance, Rebecca and her little brother are sent to the cottage with Aunt
Libby and Uncle Flip. Rebecca's relieved to get away from the city, and her
relief grows to bliss when she meets Tiffany, a water-skiing blonde who dresses
like Madonna, makes her own jewelry, and claims to see auras.
But strange things happen when Rebecca spends time with
Tiffany. Her aunt and uncle are
convinced she's acting out -- and she'd have good reason to, considering they
obviously know where her father is and won't say -- but she can't convince them
she isn't the one trashing her bedroom and setting fires. As crazy as it seems, Yvette must be the
culprit.
By February it'll all be sorted. Can't wait to scare you! Actually, Tiffany and Tiger's Eye is as much a sweet lesbian romance as it is an evil doll horror story, so I hope to enchant you as well.
Until then...
Sleep tight.
Foxglove Lee
Wednesday, 28 November 2012
Year's End: 14 Tales of Holiday Horror
It's that time of year... the END of the year. So Untreed Reads put together an anthology of horror stories about New Year's Eve."Year's End: 14 Tales of Holiday Horror" features a story I wrote, called Token Lesbians:
When Stefani jumps the turnstile on New Year's Eve, she thinks nothing of it. So what if her younger sister copies her? So what if it upsets her best friend? Only suckers pay a fare to ride the subway. Right? But when the young women arrive at a hot lesbian club, weird things start to happen. Does the transit authority have supernatural powers? And will Stefani survive the night?
OoOoOooOoo...
And my story's only one of 14 in this e-book anthology (which retails for only $4.99--an amazing price)!
About Year's End:
The countdown has begun, but the only thing striking at midnight will be terror...
New Year's Eve isn't all champagne and confetti. For some, it's filled with regrets, the changing of the day dragging them kicking and screaming into a year for which they aren't prepared. This year, some people will be screaming, but they may not make it to the New Year at all.
Join 14 horror authors as they reveal the dark side of our end-of-year celebrations. This anthology of a holiday gone horrifyingly wrong contains stories by James S. Dorr, Richard Godwin, Nicky Peacock, John Stewart Wynne, Steve Shrott, Leah Givens, George Seaton, Kathryn Ohnaka, Jeremy K. Tyler, Betsy Miller, Byron Barton, Steve Bartholomew, Ali Maloney and Foxglove Lee.
Year's End is available for purchase from a whole lot of retailers and even more to come (Untreed Reads has amazing distribution) and if you'd rather check it out from your local library, do investigate your library's e-book lending system. If your library hasn't purchased a copy of Year's End yet, ask them to buy it! A lot of librarians love hearing what readers want, and if you ask there's a good chance your library will buy a copy.
But if you can't wait, you can buy yourself a copy from:
Untreed Reads: http://store.untreedreads.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6_79&products_id=722
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Years-End-Holiday-Horror-ebook/dp/B00ADXRZH0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1354165561&sr=1-1&keywords=year%27s+end
OmniLit: https://www.omnilit.com/product-year039send14talesofholidayhorror-1007862-241.html
...and many MANY other sites...
Happy Horror!
Lee
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