This line is from a part of the story where the Amish of Hager's Valley are in dire need of laughter, someone to chase the black crow away. Here's hoping the crow lifts off your roof today, and you can see clear skies above you.

#Amish #vampire #laughter

(This quote is from my new novel, but I can't seem to find it here on Litsy. If you're a librarian, "Halp please")

QOTD❓ What's one novel that has set your bar for literature?
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I listened to The Poisonwood Bible while teaching at a university one year. I had a pair of bluetooth headphones around my neck at all times, so I could duck back into the novel even walking between classes. It was that engrossing.

Big News! If you're on Netgalley, Those Who Hunger: An Amish Vampire Thriller is now available for request! Give it a looksee before it comes out on June 8!
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#Thriller #Suspense #vampire #amish #comingofage

Oliver Jeffer's art is immediately arresting. His children's books are playful, irreverent, and find that warm place in your heart that makes you never want to turn that last page. His art has all the same qualities is critically incisive on issues of social relevance and political importance. I picked up this book on a boardwalk in Australia. It's the kind of coffee-table conversation starter that you actually want to read.

QOTD: What's your favorite folk/fairy tale? 🧚‍♀️
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🧜‍♀️ In pursuit of my masters, we dove into these classics with a number of different critical lenses. It was one of the most engaging and formative exercises of the whole program.
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👑 These stories, because they were intentionally told to impart cultural and life lessons, are dripping with meaning.

QOTD: What's your favorite fantasy series?

I'd have to make it a tie between ASOIAF and The Kingkiller Chronicles. I liked the two of them because of how scarce magic was. Characters often were forced to rely on their wits and wills. This one is a stark departure where it seems like everyone has some kind of magical ability. Not that I don't enjoy it. It's taken some getting used to, but I'm starting to get ahold of the characters, the world,

QOTD: have you ever snuck out of the house against your parents wishes? Where did you go?

In this excerpt, Hadassah‘s youngest sister is sick. She creeps out of the house, takes the horse and buggy into town for medicine. On the way home, something horrible happens to her that will change her community for good.

#Amish #Amishfiction #Thriller #Suspense #vampirebooks #Thosewhohungernovel

I, admittedly, wasn't all that jazzed about Marvel's Ultimate Universe (the only good thing that came out of it was Miles Morales), but I appreciated the risks it allowed them to take. I've got to admit, though, the art from Christian Lichtner and Joe Madureira is stunningly dynamic and luxurious. I kept these around as models of the exact style of art I would like to learn if I ever have time to stop pounding the keys and pick up a pencil again.

Peter is only 14 years old. He's not ready for this.
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#Amish #Amishfiction #Thriller #Suspense #AmWriting #cozyreads #gothandliterature #bookstagram #vampirebooks #newreleases #newbooks #igbooks #vampire #bookcommunity #booksofinstagram #authorsofinstagram #authorsofig #gothandliterature #Thosewhohungernovel #bookquote

QOTD: What throwback song is your guilty pleasure?

I‘m not saying mine‘s the Thong Song, but this was such a fun scene to write partly because I‘ve never seen the lyrics of the Thong Song sung by a fictional character before. I liked the idea of a long haul trucker being a fan of 90‘s rap and hip hop, mumbling it as he gets out to check on his truck.

🌘International Giveaway 🌒 It's the middle of April and we've been in quarantine for 7 years now. If you're like me, you're scouring the internet for some new recipes. Well, here's some good news! To get ready for the release of my new novel, Those Who Hunger: an Amish Vampire Thriller, I'm running a giveaway of a very special Amish cookbook over on my Instagram. Find me at @owenbannerbooks Best of luck! 🤞#giveaway #vampire #amish #paranormal

This or that: Mysterious stranger or boy next door?

Why choose? While TWH isn‘t a romance, per se, there is a good deal of romantic turmoil between a few of the characters. In this scene, we‘re introduced to Yves, a Belarusian immigrant with a storied past. He‘s one of my favorite characters in the novel and is critical to the young woman that Hadassah becomes.

Fact about me: One year I spent almost $500 on comic books.

I was young and naive. I told my local Comic Book dealer that the upcoming Marvel event, Secret Invasion, looked fascinating.

QOTD: What throwback song is your guilty pleasure?

I‘m not saying mine‘s the Thong Song, but this was such a fun scene to write partly because I‘ve never seen the lyrics of the Thong Song sung by a fictional character before. I liked the idea of a long haul trucker being a fan of 90‘s rap and hip hop, mumbling it as he gets out to check on his truck.

"We boil the air with hallelujah's balm 'cause each of us got a story to yell out in song." Jess can lift your soul in one sentence and punch you in the gut in the next. This is one of the most unusual, enjoyable, and illuminating books of poetry I've ever read.

Who would have guessed that Covid-19 would find us in the same town where my newest novel takes place? The beautiful thing about it is the time is giving me to go slow and take in the rumbling of trains, the tang of home cooked sourdough, the clop of horse hooves and scrape of buggy wheels.

How are you spending your quarantine days?

This social-distancing has been tough on many of us. Fear of public gatherings has driven us indoors, but instead of relief, we‘re hounded by a news cycle powered by hysteria and greeted by the feeling of being penned in. It‘s a toxic cocktail of agoraphobia and claustrophobia chased down by an uncertainty about what tomorrow is going to bring.

Have you ever read a book that gave you so much anguish, yet you couldn't help longing to revisit that world?

ARCs are going out on Friday! It's not too late to get on the list. Shoot me at email at contact@owenbanner.com and you'll receive your copy in time for the weekend. Feel free to share!

Stumbled on this bird-themed book of poetry in the children's section of the library and was pleasantly surprised by the craft involved in Yolen's writing. I've got low expectations of children's poems, but this one was remarkable. #poetry #birds

One dreadful night, an Amish girl comes face to face with evil. What happens next threatens to unearth the terrible secret buried in the furrows of the Big Valley Amish.

Some husbands buy flowers. Others buy The Hobbit graphic novels #thehobbit #thelordoftherings #thatswhatimtolkeinabout #tolkein #graphicnovel #valentinesday

How many times can a book wreck you? this book is so rich and lucious in its world-building, and, yes, I know that it is our world it is set in oh, but it is so well researched and developed, that it's completely transports you so that you feel and you are living in another place and another time.

Here's one of those lines from All The Pretty Horses that strikes you with its eloquence after a few paragraphs of bare prose. The bare prose doesn't bother me. It suits the story and is an experience in itself. Not even a quotation mark to let you know someone's speaking. You're supposed to just stay in the rhythm of the story like a cowboy in a saddle and then you come to one of these poetic breaks like stopping at a pond to dismount,

My brother in law is a big McCarthy fan. This is his all-time favorite. It's my first McCarthy novel, and I'm enjoying the tension between the sparseness of the language and his occasional flourishes of poetic prose.

You've labored for months and, all of a sudden, it's over and done. I've decided, with my latest novel, that I'd like to prolong that publishing process. The best method I've found is to launch a Patreon account where you can get weekly chapters from the new novel plus lots more. What I'm most excited about, though, are deeper conversations. If you're interested, check out my Patreon page: Patreon.com/owenbanner

Hey Litsy friends! I need your help today. I'm working on a new novel setting the myth of vampires in the pastoral world of the Amish, and I've just gotten back my first round of cover design drafts. Would you help me choose which direction to go here by commenting on the post with the cover you like best? Thank you! 🧛‍♂️🧛‍♀️
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#vampire #amish #bookcoverdesign #litsyauthors #covercrush #coverlove #thriller #paranormal #horror

Hey Litsy friends! I need your help today. I'm working on a new novel setting the myth of vampires in the pastoral world of the Amish, and I've just gotten back my first round of cover design drafts. Would you help me choose which direction to go here by commenting on the post with the cover you like best? Thank you! 🧛‍♂️🧛‍♀️
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#vampire #amish #bookcoverdesign #litsyauthors #covercrush #coverlove #thriller #paranormal #horror

Hey Litsy friends! I need your help today. I'm working on a new novel setting the myth of vampires in the pastoral world of the Amish, and I've just gotten back my first round of cover design drafts. Would you help me choose which direction to go here by commenting on the post with the cover you like best? Thank you! 🧛‍♂️🧛‍♀️
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#vampire #amish #bookcoverdesign #litsyauthors #covercrush #coverlove #thriller #paranormal #horror

Just in case you missed the announcement, my psychological action thriller, Hindsight, is now available on Nook 📚, Kobo, iBooks 📱, and anywhere else you get your reading fix. If you‘re looking for complicated characters and white-knuckle action, download your free copy today before this promotion ends. Perfect for fans of #Bourne and #Reacher, but with a fresh twist on the genre. Can‘t wait to hear what you think 💬

Hey there 👋, I‘ve got some great news! Hindsight, my psychological action thriller is finally on all major ebook distributors. That means if you‘ve got Kobo, Nook, Apple, or other reading devices, you can pick this up today. Not only that: you can pick it up for FREE for the next two days! I hope this makes your day and that you enjoy the novel. If so, feel free to leave a review (I won‘t hold it against you). Much love to my fellow Littens!

1. Plo Koon 👽
2. Strange 🎇
3. Snow 🐺
4. Numbah ☝️
5. Pepe the King Prawn 🦐
@LibrarianRyan #fandomfriday

1. It‘s gotta be my Gram‘s cans of index cards translucent from butter and dusted in flour.
2. Only Chicago-style dogs with the whole buffet table on them.
3. George Foreman. Man can grill anything.
4. Despite living overseas and having eaten everything from goats head soup to chicken intestines, my staples are all fairly mundane #manicmonday @JoScho

At first I thought this was just going to be a heist story with a few fantasy tropes pasted it over it, but as the world evolved and the action kicked off, I realized I had been very wrong. Imagine The Name of the Wind meets The Godfather. This isn‘t your epic, sprawling fantasy world, which I enjoyed. It‘s a tale confined to a city situated in a culture and time much like renaissance Venice. Very well told. #fantasy #heist #caper #mafia

“Night in the Palace” the prompt was “Glass”. I‘ve actually been working on a collection of retold fairy, folk, and mythology tales. If you‘re interested, head over to owenbanner.com and sign up to be the first to hear about it. You‘ll also get a free exclusive short story that gives you a little background on the main character of my psychological action thriller series. 💃🏻🕺🏽

This haiku is titled “Moonsong”. #haiku #grief #loss #poetry #authorsoflitsy #microfiction #shortstory

Titled “No Room”, this haiku was inspired by a Christmas prompt #haiku #poetry #poem #shortstory #microfiction #christmas #nativity #authorsoflitsy

“After the Storm”, a one line poem on the memory of our youngest‘s birth. #poetry #childbirth #childhood #memory #hospital #motherhood #fatherhood

“Origin Story”. Good things come from muddy places. #haiku #poetry #thatmudlife #listyauthor #shortstory #microfiction #flashfiction #dirty #mud #beginnings #originstory

Up and at ‘em! 🌄 This one‘s called “Fulgurite”. ⚡️#haiku #poetry #lightning #nature #authorsoflitsy

One thing I enjoy about these one-line poems and haikus is the challenge to create an entire story, complete with a twist ending, in one sentence. This one is called Derailed, inspired by the prompt, “silence”. #microfiction #shortstory #poem #poetry #survivor #abuse #murder #thriller #authorsoflitsy

Good morning! How about a shot of drama? #poetry #fiction #shortstory #microfiction #haiku #authorsoflitsy

“...I was still in possession of my wits. I could feel the panic trying to reach underneath em, though, the way a cat‘ll try to get its paw under the lid of a box, if it‘s hungry and it can smell food inside.”

“Moonsong,” a haiku.
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#motherhood #fatherhood #grief #haiku #poetry #authorsoflitsy

1. I‘m quite eclectic. Anything from Counting Crows to pop funk.
2. C.S. Lewis opened my eyes to the magic of books
3. Books. Is there really another answer?
4. Books. Is there really another answer?
5. Dark and stormy nights
#magicalmonday
#magicalmondays
@Seekingtardis

This one was inspired by H.P. Lovecraft‘s “The Call of Cthulhu”. #horror #madness #mythology #lovecraft #poetry #litsyauthor

Spent an hour or so in @Powells Books this morning. I passed on breakfast and devoured these books instead. #booksisbread

Happy Sunday #Littens ! Sundays, for me, are all about family time. Family is a theme I have a hard time tearing myself away from in my writing, as you may have noticed by now. This one‘s called “Returning to the Den” #poetry #haiku #family #children #kids

2. 🥀 Romance
3. 📝 Write or 🐙 scuba
4. Taupe? 🏠
5. Possibly 📖 The Poisonwood Bible
@MinDea #humpday #humpdaypost

I don‘t know about you, but I‘m a sucker for those videos of soldiers returning home and surprising their kids at school. This little poem is called “Homecoming” and is meant to distill that fear and relief, the trained brutality and helpless innocence that crashes in together in mighty waves.
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#poetry #microfiction #shortstory #military #home #childhood #security #strength #innocence #family #war #authors #fear