Blogging and Horror Series

We enter the world of Stoney Hollow and talk about writing

By the Pricking of My Thumbs

Before you go any further, I have some news. Monday morning (6/26) I will present the first instalment of By the Pricking of My Thumbs, a horror series! These episodes will be free for all my subscribers. I hope you tune in to get a taste of my work. 

Forest Scene, 1874 by Narcisse Diaz de la Peña. National Gallery of Art.

The year is 1895. John and Eleanor Griffin are a young wealthy Boston couple, escaping from the city for Stoney Hollow, a picturesque town in northwestern Massachusetts. 

John expects to run his business from their country home. 

Eleanor expects to integrate with the townspeople. 

For them, it is a fresh start and an opportunity to flee bad memories. 

So they believed. 

When Eleanor finds a long-forgotten effigy in the woods, something unravels; something dark, something hungry. Deer walk on two legs, roads rearrange, and one-by-one the staff mysteriously vanish. All the while, shadows call for Eleanor in the night; beckoning her into the open jaws of the Appalachians.

John and Eleanor find themselves thrust into a nightmare beyond their comprehension. It is up to them to keep the horrors of Stoney Hollow at bay and keep it from swallowing them up forever. 

Blogged: Writing a Novel

Though I have been writing for a very long time, this year is the first time I’ve taken it seriously.

I was stuck on the idea that what I produce would never be good enough for publication. I am easily embarrassed by my stories.

There’s a certain safety in not trying. When I’m alone in my room with my computer and my imagination, everything is alright. Taking your ideas out into the world for others to perceive is frightening. A book is the manifestation of the things you find important—things beautiful, true, and good. To think someone might look at what I hold most dear and shrug is horrifying.

This blog is my path to overcome that fear.

Next week, I will share what I’ve learned about outlines and knowing when—as painful as it can be—to let your plan go.

Thank you so much for reading this far and thank you for subscribing!

Much love,

Maya

Posts are every Monday (By the Pricking of My Thumbs) and Wednesday (Blogged).