Carmen DeSousa

As an author, I've learned that no matter what you write, how you describe what you wrote, or what other reviewers commented about what you wrote, there will still be readers who don't get it. So, even though I still read every review, they don't upset me as they used to, and some just crack me up, so I wanted to share. Just one of my many book descriptions:  Ancient myths, superheroes, vampires... Forget everything you've heard. Review: "The description of this book makes you think that its (her misspelling, not mine) about vampires..." Review: "I think this book has potential to be   popular but   it just is not my type of book - too vampire/alien- ish   for me." Yes, those two reviews were from the same book, and they were back to back. Gotta laugh! So, which is it? Remember, I told you, Forget everything you've heard... Definition of   a Vampire: a preternatural being that is said to suck the blood... (Reme...

As I was doing my final read-through of She Belongs to Me eighteen months ago, I realized I’d left several options open for a new story. Like my real life, my female protagonist had many options to fail or succeed in her life. Every choice she made--good and bad--brought her to a crossroad. Some situations, of course , were out of her control, just as they are out of our control in real life . We don’t always see what awaits us on the other side of the door, and that can be scary or thrilling, happy or sad, wonderful or horrifying. One of my favorite quotes to deal with all of these choices—good and bad—is… “I know God won't give me anything I can't handle. I just wish he didn't trust me so much.” ― Mother Teresa I liked the quote so much I used it in my newest novel, Split Decisions , as I discussed this very issue of the choices we make and the situations others thrust us into without our approval. As I considered my life, at all the horrible t...

For four thousand years, creatus have concealed themselves from the humans who hunted them almost to extinction. Unwittingly, one creatus will endanger them all...  The Creatus Series is not your normal paranormal story ... it's a realistic twist of the myths you've heard your entire life. Prepare to believe... The Prequel ~  Creatus  (They Exist) Book One ~  Creatus   Book Two ~  Creatus  Rogue New Release  ~  Creatus Eidolon Or ... save $$ on the Boxed Set of Four eBooks Kindle Unlimited Members, read the entire series FREE!

I hope you realized that was a rhetorical question. Of course it can! Some of the most famous books and movies are famous because they appeal to a wide audience.  One of the things I've always recognized about animated movies such as  Shrek  and  Tangled  is their ability to make innuendos that children miss, but adults catch. While I know this is annoying to some parents when looking for a sweet, innocent movie for their children, it’s what makes the movie appeal to the masses. And at the risk of readers fussing at me, what’s wrong with a little sensual innuendo? That’s my favorite part. I don’t need it spelled out for me. Sexual tension is a lot more fun than just getting right to the act. And hey, attraction is a part of life; we are supposed to be attracted to one another.  If you’ve read previous blogs here, you’ll know this is an argument I constantly fight: why is it okay to show violence, but not sex—even between a married coupl...

Not all phantoms are myths... For four thousand years, creatus have concealed themselves from the humans who hunted them almost to extinction. Now, one rogue creatus faction wants the world to know they exist, and one woman with nothing to lose plans to stop them. Whatever it takes, she will hunt down and kill the creatus who took her life from her. This is an excerpt from Book Three in the Creatus Series, which is Coming Soon! If you'd like to start the series from the beginning, you can download the prequel,  Creatus  (They Exist) ,  here .  For those of you who've read the first three stories, get ready ... this is the last excerpt, and it's a shocker! If you haven't read any of the Creatus Books ... you should probably skip this. Happy reading!  J Spoiler Alert !!! “Derrick, I understand that we rarely seek high political positions, but surely you must see what a benefit this would be for us,” Matt said....

I’m a fan of Wikipedia for general research, not quotable text. It’s a great place to start, as it usually has a great compilation of information from other sources. Often, when I Google a question, Wikipedia is the first page to pop up. So I’ll begin my search and then dig deeper based on my findings, and in the case of my mysteries, especially where cause of death and ways to die are an essential part of the story, I seek out scientific journals and experts in that specific field. There … that’s my disclosure. On to my blog post. :) Today, I had a quick question on the popularity of short stories. I was with Wikipedia until I read… “Sometimes, authors who do not have the time or money to write a novella or novel decide to write short stories instead…” Wikipedia What??? Umm … no… How on earth does a short story cost less? Most authors spend the same dollar amount on their cover, and it doesn’t cost anything to upload it to Amazon. Time... maybe … but e...