Friday, June 4, 2010

Back in the saddle

I've begun work on a horror novel that I'm going to call The Bathroom Window. It's going to be a full-blown, sexy, supernatural ghost story that will be R-rated and really scary (at least I hope).

Right now, I'm 60 pages in -- and writing at a much slower pace than I did when I wrote The Death Wizard Chronicles. Back then, I was averaging about 45,000 words a month, and it's taken me a month to write 17,000. But heck, it feels good anyway.

I can't seem to get away from working some sex into my stories. DW has it too. I'm not sure how readers feel about this. "Sex sells" doesn't seem to apply as much to books as it does to movies -- unless an author is writing erotica. So I'm not sure if this is a strike against me or not.

I do have an idea for a young adult fantasy standalone, but can I write young adult for 500 pages? That remains to be seen.
Posted by at 9:24 PM

7 comments:

Kathy said...

Nothing wrong with a little sex in a novel.

June 6, 2010 5:13 PM
Jim Melvin said...

It's always almost felt like a strike against the series.

June 7, 2010 11:19 PM
RoyTheBoy said...

Sometimes you've just got to let the characters do what they're gonna do.

-Alex Humphrey

June 11, 2010 11:15 PM
Kappa no He said...

So, so, so~ happy you're writing a horror novel. And smexy is good. It's like me and adding inappropriate humor in a creepy piece. Lovely juxtapositions! I can't wait to read it. And the YA too.

June 12, 2010 6:54 AM
Jim Melvin said...

I'm a fan of smexy, but I wonder about the overall readership. I hope there's still a fan base out there for that kind of writing.

Thanks much to the few who still check in every now and then. As rarely as I post, I don't deserve it. But I do appreciate it very much.

Sorry again for the delays in posting comments. I've had to moderate because I'm being deluged with spam. Heck, if I didn't moderate, you'd be able to learn 15 different ways to increase the size of your penis just by reading my blog.


Then again ... hmmmm ... should I cancel moderation?

June 12, 2010 5:42 PM
Eric Lizotte said...

I've seen a lot of urban fantasies, for example, out there already that contain plenty of sex content. I couldn't see where that would hurt when trying to sell a novel. BTW, it's cool that you're writing again. Good luck with your new endeavor!

June 24, 2010 10:43 AM
Jim Melvin said...

Eric:

Thanks much for your kind words!

June 28, 2010 10:38 PM

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Synopsis

The Death Wizard Chronicles is a sexy, action-packed six-book epic fantasy series: Book One (The Pit), Book Two (Moon Goddess), Book Three (Eve of War), Book Four (World on Fire), Book Five (Sun God), Book Six (Death-Know).

The DW Chronicles is not for children and teenagers -- or the faint of heart. But if you like graphic fantasy that is bursting with excitement yet still has a lot going on between the lines, I think you'll love my series.

In a groundbreaking paradox, the Death Wizard, a champion of good, derives his power from a source traditionally seen as negative -- death. His nemesis, an evil sorcerer, derives his power from the sun, the benevolent source of all life. Their struggle to control the fate of the planet Triken will take your breath away.

In an original twist never before seen in this genre, the Death Wizard is able to enter the realm of death during a "temporary suicide." Through intense concentration, he stops his heartbeat and feeds on death energy, which provides him with an array of magical powers.

The series also is a love triangle involving two desperate characters attempting to come together despite the machinations of an all-powerful psychopath with incestuous cravings.

Graphic and action-packed, spanning a millennium of turmoil, The DW Chronicles carries readers on a journey they will never forget.

Do you fear death? The Death Wizard does not. Find out why.

-- An excerpt from the middle of Book One can be found below.

About Me

My Photo
Clemson, SC, United States
I was born in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., but grew up in St. Petersburg, Fla. I graduated from the University of South Florida (Tampa) in 1979 with a B.A. in Journalism. I now live in South Carolina near the Blue Ridge Mountains, a pleasant setting for writing, to say the least. I was an award-winning journalist at the St. Petersburg Times for twenty-five years and also worked at the Greenville News. I am married with five daughters.

The author

The author
Jim Melvin, 54, a veteran journalist, debuts as novelist.

Excerpt from The Pit

This time there were no dreams. When he opened his eyes the ruins of Dukkhatu were sprawled before him. The spider lay on her back, pierced in many places by prickly black rocks. Her hideous legs quivered, and a wet, whistling sound came from her mouth. Torg tore a chunk of obsidian from the ground, climbed onto the spider's exposed belly, and stabbed the stone into her hide, perforating her long, tubular heart. Dukkhatu let out a final, ear-shattering scream -- and went still. But the wizard didn't stop. He drove the stone into her again and again, punching huge holes in her carcass.

Her body shredded and tore apart.

Her entrails splashed in his face. But he didn't care.

Hate and despair drove his madness. When he no longer had the strength to lift his arm, Torg collapsed face-first in Dukkhatu's gore.

The wizard didn't remember standing. But at some point, he did. Then he wandered -- naked and shivering -- through and around the crumbled stone ... staggering, falling, crawling.

Tears rinsed a little of the filth from his face, but his broken body reeked of the spider's stink.

Heaps of razor-sharp obsidian were scattered among the jumble of smoother stones, as if planted there with tiny black seeds. It took all of Torg's remaining will not to grasp another shard and drive it into his own heart, ending the pain.

His life had become nothing but pain. Why breathe any longer? His endurance was gone, his hopes destroyed. Who could blame him for giving up? Not even Tathagata could ask any more of him.

What did it matter ... anyway? All things were impermanent -- he, certainly, as much as anything else. The time of his ending had come. A future lifetime beckoned.

Perhaps he would live it in a better place than this.