Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Author Guest Post - Dianne Hartsock


Hello! I'm Dianne Hartsock, one of the authors in the Freaky Flashes Anthology. I write mostly sweet, hot m/m erotic romances, so when Breathless Press put out the call for Halloween short stories, I was intrigued. I thought it would be fun to write a few flashes with a paranormal twist to them. And I absolutely love writing flash fiction. It's a great way for me to practice writing tight, concise sentences. I do have a tendency to ramble on, but when you have to tell a whole story in 250 words or less, it cuts down on my wandering quite a bit. My stories in the anthology are right around 1000 words each, but still, every word counts in a story this short.


I tend to get my inspiration for flash fiction stories mostly from photos or music or something I see on TV.  With ANDREW CALLS THE DEAD, my first story in the anthology, I had actually thought of an old TWILIGHT ZONE episode that used to scare me as a kid. It was a story of a man who killed and buried someone, who wouldn't stay buried! I took that same creepy feeling and wrote it into the story. I did have to add a touch of humor to it, though. I mean, no one can really come back from the dead, can they?


My next story, THE BIRTHDAY, came from a picture I found on Pinterest of a stern faced man with an intense stare. Gave me the creeps! I had to write a story about him. The original flash was about him watching a young man at a dance club and thinking what a joy it would be to kill him. When I expanded it for the anthology, you get to see just how much of a creeper he really is.


And last but not least, IN THE SHADOWS came from an episode of X-FILES. Not the story itself, but just the strange, chilling belief that something like this could possibly be true… It's my first attempt at a shifter story, but of course, since it had to be something scary, it has a strange little twist of its own.


Andrew Calls the Dead
Love is powerful, but is it strong enough to raise the dead? A love affair turns deadly with Steve caught in the middle.


The Birthday
Every birthday Cyrus visits the dance clubs with a surprise for the young men. This year, the tables are turned.


In the Shadows
He waits in the shadows; silent, hungry. Careful! He might be watching you. Tonight, Bobbie finds out what it’s like to be hunted.

Buy link:


Author Bio:
Dianne grew up in a large, boisterous and loving family in
California, spent ten years in the rocky mountains of Colorado,
and now lives in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon. Currently, Dianne works as a floral designer in a locally-owned gift shop. Which she says is the perfect job for her. When not writing, she can express herself through the rich colors and textures of flowers and foliage.

You can find me here:
Amazon Author Page

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