This story is just moving along! It's got to be one of my favorite books that I've written. I'm so excited I get to share it with you chapter by chapter. This format has really helped piece this story together.
I'll give you a little behind-the-scenes info that I haven't shared anywhere else. I wrote this book roughly 5 or 6 years ago. Finished the rough draft of 50k in about a week. I was obsessed with this story! Wrote like a madwoman! So much that my (then) husband complained that I was neglecting cooking my typical high-standard family suppers for him and the kids (which I retorted that he was fully capable of making supper himself. After which, I ordered pizza because clearly, that wasn't going to happen.)
The scene where Allison is pushed through the portal which is an opening in the ground that leads to a cave is what started this story. I dreamt of this scene. It was terrifying! With her cowering in the dark, listening to the approach of the stranger, feeling disoriented and not knowing if he meant her harm. And then when he grabbed her - not to hurt her, but to protect her, to protect them both from the monsters crawling out of the dark.
This entire novel was created from that one scene.
Everything fell into place as I wrote. I had no idea where the story was going, or what was going to happen to these characters. There was no outline. I was thrilled to enjoy the ride of what happens next??
A week later, I had the first draft finished. But it was so different from my typical writing that I didn't know what to do with it. Over the next few years, I fixed it up, polished it to a brilliant shine, then sent it off to publishers. I had a few nibbles, requests for more, but nothing ever came of it.
It's different.
It's not exactly horror. Not fantasy or sci-fi. Not completely romance, although this is clearly represented. It's not post-apocalyptic. More like an odd combination of all.
I see it now as Alice in Wonderland meets The Walking Dead. That really is the best way for me to describe this story.
Eventually, I decided to publish it myself. I bought an amazing cover that fits this story perfectly. As I began my 20th time reading through it (seriously, I lost count reading this one!), I heard about Amazon's new venture, Kindle Vella. After exploring that and learning more about serialized fiction, I realized that was what I had with Into the Dark. Each chapter, each scene, was written with a cliffhanger, a suspenseful ending to get the reader to turn the page. It's basically how I kept writing it. With endings to scenes like those, I was constantly left with the question What Happens Next? Well, I have to keep going to find out!!
I realized quite quickly that Into the Dark would be a perfect fit for Vella.
And really, what was there to lose? The poor novel had been languishing on my desktop for years. I wanted to share this story with readers. I wanted to hear what others thought of Allison and her adventure. I wanted readers to fall in love with Brian. And what about Donovan? Is he friend or foe? And also, what happens to Noah!? These are complex characters set in a strange, frightening environment.
So, I took the jump, plunging myself and my novel into the world of Kindle Vella and it has been exciting! I've met some amazing people. Read some fantastic stories. And I'm learning more about my writing as I pick apart the chapters and scenes to make them fit Vella's short episode format.
I promise you, this story is complete. I'm dusting off each chapter and editing it as I schedule them to post. I know some readers tend to be wary of serialized fiction because of writers who stop writing. But, the manuscript is finished! I've been posting around 2 to 3 chapters a week to stay active and have accumulated more than half the story online already.
With over 30 episodes, it's ready for you to binge-read! One short episode at a time!
It's been a fun ride! I hope you'll join me!
The first three chapters (episodes) are free to read! Give them a try! But I'll give you a little hint, the scene that started this story with my dream is actually episode 4! I'd love for you to read it and let me know what you think!
New chapters available to read for Into the Dark!
If you haven't started, now is a great time to get caught up.
Investigative journalist, Allison Reed, has been sent an anonymous tip regarding the strange disappearances of several seemingly random local people. When she's caught snooping around a wealthy recluse's house, she discovers the man's daughters are witches who are abducting people and casting them into another world where magic feeds from the living and zombies are real.
Now, Allison has to learn to survive with the help of a mysterious stranger. Together, they work to find a way home. As they search for a way to escape this nightmarish world, Allison finds herself growing closer to Brian, the man who saved her. But living in this dimension presents its challenges and horrors, as Allison learns more about the witches who abducted her as well as the other victims.
Will they find a way home?
Or will they remain trapped in a world where the dead walk among the living?
Find Out Now!
Only on Kindle Vella!
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