Available now from Dragon Moon Press is the fantasy adventure Slither by author Melody Steiner


When did you become interested in storytelling?

Apparently, when I was very young. I have a notebook full of sloppy kid handwriting featuring stories about rainbows. I don’t know why, but I was really fascinated with rainbows as a kid.

What was your first book/story published?

This one, actually.

What inspired you to write Slither?

The book came to me one summer while I was working as a student in a library. I was tasked with pulling old checkout cards out of the backs of the books. I still have a stack of cards with the original story written out on them.

What character in Slither is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

Available tomorrow from genreCRAVE is Spellbound: A Limited Edition Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy Collection.




When did you become interested in storytelling?

I have been interested in storytelling since the age of 3 if not younger and I started out making up rhymes that didn’t rhyme and telling stories only I found interesting. As I got older, I moved on to writing songs and poems, telling short stories through them and around the age of eight, I developed a love for script writing and stories told through plays and movies. That kept me happy for a good few years and still does, but when I discovered Roald Dahl and Enid Blyton around the age of none or ten, I also fell in love with the stories carved in the pages of a book where the characters and places are made in my imagination, different and delightful for each and every person.

What was your first book/story published?

The first book I published was a children’s story called ‘Shania Streep wanted to Sleep’ about a little girl who goes on a nighttime adventure trying to identify a strange sound that is keeping her awake. It is book one in a ten book series called Wanted, but I have put book 2, ‘Emma Creet wanted a Sweet’ on hold, to pursue my novels.

What inspired you to write At Water’s Edge?

I was watching TV one day, a long, long time ago and I suddenly got a scene in my head: the opening scene. I didn’t know who the girl in my head was or why what was happening was happening but I saw it clearly. I wrote the scene down and then eventually forgot about it. Years later, when browsing through my computer, I came across this opening scene and was hooked. It was like the story had been simmering in my subconscious over the years because suddenly I knew who this girl was and why things were happening and the story evolved from there.

What character in At Water’s Edge is the most like you, and in what ways?

I think the character that is most like me, would be Dezaray. Like her, I experienced the loss of a loved one at age thirteen and know how such a traumatic experience can alter such a young minds perception of life and their place in it. Like her, I believe there is so much more to the world and I am open to it. I also dream of magical realms and wouldn’t mind a Milo (Dezaray’s love interest) of my own.

What is your favorite part in At Water’s Edge?

There are quite a few little scenes that made me smile and gave me goosebumps whilst writing and I truly hope they do the same for my readers. I think my favourite scene… (this is always a tricky one) … would be the scene where Dezaray and Milo are in the woods being chased by an evil warlock because it starts out all heart pounding and terrifying but ends up being really romantic. You’ll understand when you read it, haha!

Finding the perfect gift your mom for Mother's Day each year can be a bit challenging, especially if you have absolutely no clue what to buy her; which is normally the case for me every May when I'm trying to come up with a new present for my mom.

Luckily, I got a chance to review a great gift for Mother's Day this year, called the #1 MOM Picture Frame made by Americanflat. 

The 8" x 3.5" scripture/picture frame is made from bronze metal and features a easel back. The scripture reads "#1 MOM" - with the photo area being inside the O. The frame can hold a photo approximately 3.5 inches tall and 2 inches wide. It comes with a clear glass to protect the photo.

The  #1 MOM Picture Frame retails for $14.95, but it can currently be purchased on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MRHHSSN) for $9.99.

Another view of the frame!

Back view of the picture frame.

Available now from Limitless Publishing, LLC is the paranormal romance Her Black Soul, book three in the Dark Amulet Series, by A.J. Norris.

Never underestimate the power of a pirate . . .

Captain James Steele is duty bound to capture the privateer Scarlet Night and bring her rebellious crew to England to hang. Then he will leave his majesty’s service, make an upstanding marriage, and join the landed gentry. But the winds of fate are blowing the straitlaced commander utterly off course.

Once aboard, James comes face to face with a pirate boy who is in reality fierce, desperate—and gorgeous—Samantha Christian, on the run from a sadistic Virginia plantation owner. With her identity unbound, the good captain dutifully takes her under his personal command, whereupon decorum goes out the porthole. But while his heart is lost to Samantha by the time they reach England, her noose still awaits. Now James’s sense of duty will be severely tested. As for Samantha, she has a plan, and a duty, of her own . . .

Mill Creek Ent.; Rated R; 915 minutes; $14.98

Now available on DVD from Mill Creek Entertainment is Faces Of Horror: 10 Movie Collection, featuring the cult classics When A Stranger Calls, and Happy Birthday To Me. There are no special features or bonus features on the three disc set.

When A Stranger Calls (1979; 97 minutes) is no stranger to horror fans. Directed by Fred Dalton, the first twenty minutes centers on a babysitter (played by Carol Kane) being harassed by an unknown man who keeps calling her, asking "Have you checked on the children?" The majority of the movie focus on an ex-cop (played by Charles Durning) chasing doing a serial killer, and while it does get a little boring, it's still one of the better "early" slasher films.

Happy Birthday To Me (1981; 110 minutes) this Canadian-American slasher film wasn't exactly a hit back in 1981, but over time the movie has become a cult classic. Directed by J. Lee Thompson, the film starred Melissa Sue Anderson as Virginia "Ginny" Wainwright, a high school student who suffers from horrifying flashbacks after a series of murders occur around the academy she attends. While it borrows heavily from the original Friday the 13th film, the twisted ending makes up for all the cliches.

The other eight films on the three-disc set are low-budget. Many of them are in the public-domain and have appeared in other horror set releases.

These movies are:

• Double Exposure (1983; 95 minutes)
• Click: The Calendar Girl Killer (1990; 86 minutes)
• Don't Answer The Phone! (1980; 95 minutes)
• Scream Bloody Murder (1975; 85 minutes)
• Silent Night, Bloody Night (1974; 85 minutes)
• Savage Weekend (1976; 86 minutes)
• The Demon (1979; 95 minutes)
• The Manipulator (1971; 91 minutes)

Mill Creek Ent.; TV-G; 293 minutes; $9.98

Now available to own on DVD from Mill Creek Entertainment is It's Ernest! The Complete Series, featuring all 13 wacky episodes from the 1988 children series. There are no special features or extras on the disc. However, it come win an "Instant Digital Access" code that can be redeemed at: www.millcreekent.com/redeem

Every kid who grew up in the late 80s and throughout the early 90s knows the name Ernest P. Worrell (played by Jim Varney), a character who appeared in several comedies and later a few direct-to-video movies, but most us probably remember him from the countless The Coca-Cola Company's sodas, Chex, and Taco John's commercials. What you might not remember is that the character also starred in his own Saturday morning children series titled Hey Vern, It's Ernest, which only lasted for one season.

Filmed on a low-budget, the series starred Jim Varney as Ernest and a slew of other characters (Auntie Nelda, Dr. Otto, Sergeant Glory, Baby Ernest, and Astor Clement). Each episode consisted of a series of sketches that were all set around a specific theme, such as movies, sports, hobbies, etc..

The episodes on the single disc DVD are: