There's Stories Everywhere

Hey there, Story Fiends. Welcome back for Chapter 8.  Remember if you want to read ahead, you're always welcome to join me on my Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/alledriahurt.

Hey there, Story Fiends. Chapter Seven coming your way. If you're interested in reading ahead, Chapter Eight is already available on my Patreon at www.patreon.com/alledriahurt.

Hey there, Story Fiends. Here's Chapter Six. If you wanna read ahead, chapter seven is already available on my Patreon. So feel free to subscribe and check it out at http://www.patreon.com/alledriahurt

Hey there, Story Fiends, and welcome to Holy Land Chapter five. I hope you've been enjoying the story so far. Things are starting to get interesting for our friends. As always, if you want to read ahead and find out what's in next week's episode, feel free to join my Patreon at www.patreon.com/alledriahurt. Otherwise, drop me a line through the podcast at the message feature or feel free to hit me up on any of my socials/email. 

Hey there, Story Fiends, and welcome back to the podcast. This week, we're doing Chapter Four of Holy Land. As always feel free to join my Patreon if you would like to read ahead. Chapter 5 became available on Monday (1/23). That's at www.patreon.com/alledriahurt. You are welcome to leave me a message on the podcast through the message feature or by tapping me on any of my socials or my email alledria@alledriahurt.com

There you have it, Holy Land - Chapter Three. Remember, story fiends, if you want to read ahead, the next chapter is already available on my Patreon at www.patreon.com/alledriahurt.

Hey there, Story Fiends, and welcome back to the podcast. We are continuing our walk through of Holy Land this week with Chapter Two. If you've just gotta know what's up ahead, you can read one chapter ahead every week on our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/alledriahurt. 

Here's the blog post for the episode. (HERE) Happy Reading! If you're interested in joining the Patreon, go HERE.

This is the last episode of the year. There won't be one next week as I prepare to start a new journey with SEASON SIX in the new year. Make sure you listen in so you can find out what's the new plan when the new year rolls around. 

In this episode, I call upon my listening public to send me their opinions on where the podcast should go from here. Feel free to drop me a line at alledria@alledriahurt.com.

In this short episode, we talk about what has been and what is coming up in the near future.

This week, we're chatting with author Carmen Loup of the Audacity Series, another friend of mine who happens to write kooky space adventure. Hope you enjoy! 

In this episode, we interview a close writing friend of mine, RM Hamrick. We talk shop, her current and future releases, and just general fun stuff. Have a listen. 

This is the final public installment of our mini-series on Thirteen (2021). You can pick up a copy of Thirteen by going to www.alledriahurt.com/books to see how it ends. Also, if you're interested in seeing a Halloween installment from the novel, join my Patreon at www.patreon.com/alledriahurt. 

Hey there, Story Fiends, this week we are continuing our 4 part mini series on Thirteen (2021).  Feel free to follow me on my socials or Twitch.tv/noirladyluck. If you're interested in joining the Beta readers for Queen of the Sea Born Castle, drop me a line at alledria@alledriahurt.com.  As always, Story Fiends, feel free to drop me a line on the podcast at anchor.fm/alledria or on one of my socials in order to let me know what you think. 

We are continuing our Spooky Season reading of Thirteen. This week was part 2 of 4. If you want to read the book, feel free to pick it up wherever ebooks are sold. https://books2read.com/u/49lr8w PS: There is mild cursing in this episode. 

Hey there, Story Fiends. This is the first of a four part mini-series regarding my last horror novel, Thirteen. We're starting with a reading from the first chapter. Next week, it'll be a new chapter. And if I'm really feeling froggy, I'll upload something for Halloween. However, we'll see how that plays out. As always you can check me out online at my website: http://www.alledriahurt.com to drop me a line or find a place where the books are sold. My social media links are back up and sorta running: FB/Insta (@alledriaehurt) and Twitter (@ourladyofashes).  See you next week, Story Fiends. 

Harmony is a short story I wrote a while back regarding a hit woman and the unusual case of business she's given. 

This is the first reading from the novel which is bringing me out of burnout, "Eileen".

In this episode, I revisit one of my older stories and give it a setting refurbish. Every Sunny Monday Afternoon is the first story ever done on the podcast and this week gets a rewrite.

Primary website of our guest, PA Cornell - http://www.pacornell.com As always you are welcome to leave me notes here on the podcast at http://www.anchor.fm/alledria or drop me a line at my website: http://www.alledriahurt.com.

http://www.oyotunji.org - The Village of Oyotunji South Carolina. http://www.nanowrimo.org - National Novel Writing Month http://www.twitch.tv/theladywrites - TheLadyWrites on Twitch https://inexhaustible.media/31-stories/ - 31 Stories Challenge

Hey There Story Fiends. Today we're once again talking about resonance as made popular by the late David Farland. Also, this week, we have included a story which finds its roots in old school D&D fiction.  Enjoy

In which we talk about the idea of resonance and how it affects both what we write and what the reader gets out of our writing.

Let’s talk a little more about first meetings.

This podcast is also being given to my Patreon subscribers as a video and original text. Not a Patreon subscriber? Consider becoming one at http://www.patreon.com/alledriahurt. 

Hey There Story Fiends. This week we are revisiting the idea of ideas. If you're interested in a transcript of today's talk, check it out on my website: http://www.alledriahurt.com. As always, if you've got an opinion, feel free to leave me a note on the podcast itself at http://www.anchor.fm/alledria or via email through my website. ~Alledria

Let's talk about permission in the creative space for a moment. 

In which I discuss where I am right now on the spectrum of things going on in my life and head. 

Just a quick catch-up on things. Where have I been? What have I been doing? Well, the answer is pretty simple. 

In this episode, I pose the question: What makes you afraid?

Good day, Story Fiends. This week's episode is an interview with L. Marie Wood the author of the novella, The Black Hole. 

This is the first episode of 2022. Amazing that we’ve made it this far.

Hey Story Fiends and welcome back. I've been busy busy working on a new novel and in this cast, I share the first touch of it with you. This is an unedited look at my Nano Novel DRAGON PRINCE due out on Jan 31, 2022.  Link to Preorder DRAGON PRINCE:https://books2read.com/u/3JpyAE

Hey there Story Fiends. Here's another one of my short stories, or at least the beginning. Wanna read the whole thing? Join my Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/alledriahurt.  Happy Listening!

This is the first part of "Awaken Juggernaut" a early Patreon piece. If you want to read the entire thing, feel free to join my Patreon at www.patreon.com/alledriahurt.

Here's the first page from Sword Dawn - Daughter of Calet 1. This is a super short one. If you're interested in reading more of the story, you can pick up the entire book through this link. 

Hey there, Story Fiends, welcome back to the podcast. This week, we're doing something a little different, we're reading from the first chapter of my novel in edits "Holy Land". Check it out!

In this episode, we read and discuss the story "Sour Ground."

Today we’re going to discuss habit loops and how one can use them in our fiction to deepen what’s there.

Episode 4.1 is a let's talk about this episode in which Alledria discusses her writing life, the podcast, and various other things that are going on. Included is discussion of possible birthday shenanigans, house plant care, and other random things as they come up. It's a ten minute smorgasbord. 

Just another Horror short from my demented mind. 

In which I tell you my favorite ghost story from Savannah, GA. 

We're exploring another one of the short stories from my 31 Days of Short Stories that I did back in January. This one entitled simply "Stephen". 

Welcome back, Story Fiends, to There's Stories Everywhere. We're up and at it again with another short piece this time called "The Garden". 

This is a continuation of the reading of "October Sky".

Welcome back to October Sky. When we last left our heroes they had been introduced to the Wasting King and his entourage and captured by those who would not see the king recover. It's up to our heroes to escape from their captivity or it might very well be off with their heads, can they make it? 

Hey there, Story Fiends. Welcome back to the podcast. This week, we're doing one of many short stories from the 31 Days of Short Stories Challenge I completed in January. Also, we've got a special guest on the podcast, Anthony Chase from Popagator Podcast.  As always you can drop me a line here at the podcast with a voice message, email me at alledria@alledriahurt.com or tweet me on twitter @ourladyofashes. 

Hey There Story Fiends, Welcome back. This week, we're doing "My Dog Roscoe" a short I wrote for the 31 Days of Short Stories challenge I'm doing over on my twitch channel. (http://www.twitch.tv/noirladyluck) Check me out every morning at 6 am for the Morning Journal with me and during the month of January, I will also be discussing a short story for the day after our journaling. 

Hey there, Story Fiends. Thanks for dropping in. This week, we have an interview with Nicole Givens-Kurtz of Mocha Memoirs Press discussing her book, "A Theft Most Fowl". Preorder the book now on Amazon. (AMAZON PREORDER LINK)

Hey there, Story Fiends. Welcome to the first full episode of the new year, 2021. Please make sure we're connected so you can let me know what you think of the episodes: Drop me a voice message on Anchor.fm. OR tweet me @ourladyofashes OR email me at alledria@alledriahurt.com. Also don't forget to support by buying a book or donating to the podcast. 

I hope everyone is having a grand new year. Please come join me for my morning journal with me on Twitch @ http://www.twitch.tv/NoirLadyLuck. You can purchase any of my books through the shop at http://www.alledriahurt.com/books. For Amazon Junkies: SHELTER Devil's Due Slay: Stories of the Vampire Noire ALICE Thanks again, story fiends for your continued support. 

Happy Holidays, Story Fiends. Look for us to return to our regular schedule on the first of the year. 

Today, we're listening to the dark fairy tale, "Genevieve and the Owl" by Mark Gunnells out of the anthology Devil's Due. Make sure you get your copy of Devil's Due today!

We're still in our Seven Weeks to SLAY: Stories of the Vampire Noire. This week is Alicia McCalla's story: The Last Vampire Huntress. 

We're still in our Seven Weeks to SLAY: Stories of the Vampire Noire. This week is Samantha Bryant's story: His Destroyer

We're still in our Seven Weeks to SLAY: Stories of the Vampire Noire. This week is Steven Van Samson's story, No God But Hunger. 

SLAY: Stories of the Vampire Noire is available for preorder now with a release date in October. Make sure you get your copy set up today! This week is Sumiko Saulson reading from her story, "Asi's Horror and Delight".

SLAY: Stories of the Vampire Noire is available now for preorder with a publication date in October (the totally appropriate month for vampires). Here you're going to hear my short story, Ujima, which debuts in the anthology. Ujima is a Kwanzaa principle meaning Collective Work and Responsibility. 

This is Chapter Six of my popular YA novella October Sky. In Chapter six, The Wasting King, Emma and Cedric sneak in to see the King but can Emma come up with what he needs before the King wastes away? Check out October Sky and other books of mine at http://www.alledriahurt.com/books.

This is Chapter Five of my popular YA novella October Sky. Emmaline has got herself into a pickle now that's she's followed the man in the mirror into his strange land, but can she hope to fulfill his request?

The fourth chapter of my popular YA novella, October Sky.

A reading from “A Doll’s Life” available through Falstaff Books.

In this episode, we continue our discussion of "Dark King Rising" by looking at a deleted section. 

Five minutes of my Dark Fantasy Novel Dark King Rising which is available wherever ebooks are sold.

My book "Shelter" is out on the 28th of April. https://books2read.com/u/bx8yXk

Picking up where we left off after Mr. Amon's shop we follow Emma out on her errand to Mrs. Snow. 

This is the first 600 words of my soon to be novel, "SHELTER". 

Welcome back to There's Stories Everywhere and the pop up episode: Vetting ideas. Let's be realistic, if you are anything like me, story fiend, and I assume you are, there are more ideas in your brain than you have any idea what to do with. On any given day, I have a dozen or more things pop in and say hi, I'm here, ready for my close up and I go woah NOPE full stop get in line because I already have a bunch of ideas who have done the same thing from the day before and the day before that and the day before that, you get the process.  However, if you've got all these ideas: how do you decide who comes next? Case in point, I just finished writing the third of the Sisters novels. That was a major accomplishment for me. It is not the first time I've written an entire trilogy for essentially giggles, but it's the first time I've completed the entire thing before publishing the first one. That officially clears my plate for what should come next which is...pulls out trusty idea folder....any of these. Ugh. I've got entire series baking somewhere inside my brain, but heck if I can figure out what I'm writing from project to project.  This is where vetting your ideas comes in. I could, pretty literally given how I type, start hammering away at any of the stories I have upstairs in the archives of my brain. However, as a writer with a limited amount of time, I need projects I'm going to be able to see through to completion and not things just to pass the time.  So which ideas make the cut? Here's a few things to consider: Does it have a beginning and an end? I believe it is writer Craig Martelle I got the idea of writing the beginning and the ending of each piece before I start hammering out the middle. Or it might have been Chris Fox. It was a guy, his name starts with a C.  What about the main character? Can I see them clearly and do I know how they ended up in the situation which begins the book? In the Sisters novels, I knew exactly how the two of them got into the mess they're in and why they hate each other. That's enough to see some sparks fly. Does the idea engage me enough that I'm still thinking about it when I'm doing something else? This might be the single most important thing, at least in my mind, for starting a project. If it isn't at least a little bit consuming, I will find something else to do. I got this idea from Rachel Aaron of 2k to 10k.  With those thoughts in mind, you can see your way toward sorting the what comes next pile.  Well, Story Fiends, that's its for this episode of There's Stories Everywhere. Don't forget to like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Feel free to leave me a note at my email alledria@alledriahurt.com or on twitter at ourladyofashes. Interested in seeing some exclusive content: check out my patreon at www.patreon.com/alledriahurt. 

Hey There Story Fiends, Alle here. Welcome to another episode of There's Stories Everywhere with Alledria Hurt. I hope you're having a good Winter. It hasn't decided whether it wants to be Winter or Spring here and the trees and flowers are so confused. This week we'll be tackling a question: How do I cultivate ideas.  I personally find ideas in three main ways: theft, mash up, and tropes.  Theft is exactly what it sounds like. I hear or see an idea that I like and I steal it for use in my own work. Now that doesn't mean filing the serial numbers off to use a gun metaphor and then using the idea. There is a certain amount of me that's involved in it. After all, one of things often said in the writing community is that there are no two people who are going to go at an idea the exact same way. Because we each bring a certain amount of ourselves to any idea, we can each steal the same idea and come up with something completely different. If you haven't heard it, go back and listen to episode 10 "Mr. Ammon's Shop" which is a part where I lifted an idea of a sentient cabinet and used it, I like to think, effectively as a piece of set dressing for Mr. Ammon and his alchemist shop.  Mash up is the process of taking more than one idea and tossing them together in a press and seeing what happens. No matter what, you're going to get something you didn't originally plan. I think my favorite mash up stories are the stories from Anne McCaffery's Dragonriders of Pern series. Those books are a mixture of science fiction and fantasy where you have genetically engineerred dragons. It was also one of the series which first kindled by love of the fire breathing lizard. If you haven't given it a shot, try out the Dragonriders of Pern. Tropes is perhaps the best known way to get ideas. Before you get all huffy, remember there is a difference between tropes and stereotypes. Tropes come in many different flavors, but there are a few good ways to learn what they are in your genre. Firstly, read a lot. Read those who are writing in your genre and figure out what makes every book you're reading a little similar. Secondly, check out websites such as TVtropes.org. While nothing can be quite comprehensive, TV Tropes makes a good stab at it. Be sure to give them a quick look when you're looking for your next great idea. Now that we've figured out how to get ideas, we should probably cultivate them into something, right? Right. Cultivating ideas is a lot like farming, you plant the thought in your subconscious and let it grow. It's Inception, except you're doing it to yourself. If the idea is ready, you can see a character or a situation around it which will give it more room to grow into something epic (even if it's nothing but flash fiction even that can be epic). So in truth, getting ideas is more important than how you cultivate them since that's really a matter of time and thought process. Getting them is a different matter all together. So how do you get your ideas. I'd love to hear from you. Feel free to drop me a line at alledria@alledriahurt.com. You can tweet me on Twitter at ourladyofashes. Or find my author page on Facebook under Alledria E Hurt.

A previously unpublished piece regarding the change of the seasons. 

The Kindest Thing is another story where Death appears as a character. As you can imagine, it is hard to resist him especially when he's about his appointed rounds. This is a bit of a departure from Death as a pure supernatural creature however. Let me know what you think at alledria@alledriahurt or Twitter @ourladyofashes. 

Just a quickie episode to let folks know that the podcast will continue. 

About "The House". A previously unpublished short story about a haunted manor alone on an island. 

A previously unpublished piece originally written for a contest, Haunted City was an early attempt at writing to a theme. Submitted but did not place, I still find this piece interesting enough to present for public consumption. 

Our 20th episode, another special episode, and I just got back from a convention. The original audio of the reading at the Con didn't survive, but I want to make sure that I share my con experience as much as possible, so for this episode, I'm reading the same thing I read at Con. So now you've heard part of Chapter One in the DragonCon live and Chapter Four from ConJuration. If I keep going to conventions, eventually I'll have read the whole book for you on the podcast. 

A previously unpublished short story originally written as a spare story for a contest. 

This short story originally appeared on my Wattpad a number of years ago. 

Previously unpublished short story involving the first appearance of Death and Melina. 

The Jacket first appeared in the Objects short story collection in 2014. 

This is a special episode. Instead of doing a piece of short fiction, we are exploring the creations of another author, Adam Messer. Adam is the author of Blood Thrasher: The Devil's in the Metal which is set in Savannah, GA and quite prominently features a number of vampires. 

A previously unpublished piece of short fiction "The Merry Crest Memory Care Outbreak". 

A Bargain and an Arrangement first appeared in Siren's Call, an online magazine specializing in Horror. 

This is a recording of my live reading at DragonCon 2019 from Wearing His Ring.

This is just a quick 30 second announcement about what I’m doing for the podcast at DragonCon.

Flourish is an as yet unpublished piece from my archives. 

This is our second special episode where we step away from the short fiction and concentrate on longer form for an episode. October Sky was originally published as a standalone novella of 17k back in December of 2015. Look for the completed audiobook to be out sometime in the next few months.  If you're interested in supporting the podcast, Story Fiends, you can support directly through ANCHOR.FM or PATREON. 

Her Daddy's Straight Razor first appeared in "Objects: Stories of Things" in 2014. 

Brain Broker first appeared in "Objects" in 2014. 

A reading and discussion of Fresh Dead Flowers.  If you wanna leave me a voice message, head over to Anchor.fm/alledria to leave me a voice message. You can also tweet me @ourladyofashes on Twitter or email me from my blog alledriahurt.com. To support the podcast, check out direct support through Anchor.fm or my Patreon at www.patreon.com/alledriahurt.

Reading and discussion of “Lipstick on a Business Card,” a vampire story.

A special fifth episode including a segment from an audiobook in progress, October Sky.

Leave the lights off. Whatever you do, leave the lights off. I know, it’s weird. But it’s better in the dark. Why, you ask? I’ll tell you, but you have to promise to believe. If you aren’t going to believe me, there’s no reason for me to say anything at all. So you have to promise you’ll believe. Do you believe? One night, I was alone in a parking lot outside of Murray’s, you know, that dive bar off fifth? I know, not exactly the kind of place for a lady. Back then, I wasn’t a lady or even trying to be. Nothing mattered. It wouldn’t matter to you either if your husband had just packed up and bounced with your children in tow for parts unknown. I should have been spending time trying to get them back. Should have. Could have. Didn’t. You know the mantra. I know it well. The first step is to admit you have a problem. I have a problem. I’m scared. That night, I stood there alone in the lot. It wasn’t too late for taxis, but I was too broke and admittedly more wasted than should have been allowed to find my own way home that night. I thought I saw a man in the street lamp on the corner. Of course, it flickered on and off like always. I wonder if it’s because old man Murray is too cheap to pay the city to fix it? He was a tall man, the kind you expect plays some b-ball in his free time. I planned to hit him up for some change, or a ride, something. I didn’t have a lot of dignity left, but I didn’t want to be caught sleeping in the gutter outside of Murray’s or on a park bench huddled under newspapers. I still had a little pride. Can’t tell by looking around, can you? Haven’t been out in weeks. The neighbors, they complain, even tacked a note on the door. I know its a note because it’s paper. I don’t know what it says. Too dark to read in here.  I like it that way. He can’t get me that way. The man melted under the street lamp, just great glops of him dropping onto the pavement with sounds I can’t unhear but can’t describe. Soul wrenching sounds that sobered me up in a damned hurry. I ran. No looking back, nothing, ran. I haven’t been back. A week later, I went to see Robby. The kids were out. We were going to try and work things out. He wanted to work things out and I wanted…well, I wanted my life back. The warm, sunny kitchen seemed perfect. We talked and talked. And talked. Then it rose out of his shadow, right off the ground like something that shouldn’t be. Robby clutched his chest as it slipped fingers around his neck. I stared. I was still staring when I realized he was dead. Then shadow man saw me.

A short piece of evil origin and a bit of what beauty can cut, The Heartbreaker Mirror.

In this episode of "There's Stories Everywhere", I discuss the 4 minute short piece "That Time He Drowned". 

Today I'm reading "Every Sunny Monday Afternoon" or "Brittany" depending on how you feel about it. Then I'll tell you what made me think of this particular set up.  Here's the story if you're the kind who likes to read along: It was a sunny Monday afternoon when Brittany bought her coke and gum and went skipping down Third street toward home. Slung over her shoulder, she carried her school pack with little interest. Homework was such a drag and the day was so pretty. She continued her sort of skipping, letting the bag flap up and down on her back with its meager cargo. The teachers had a conspiracy going that they didn’t assign homework on Monday. Something about needing to recuperate from their weekend of heavy grading. Brittany paid it little attention, it meant she didn’t have to worry about getting homework done on a pretty day when all she really wanted was to be outside lounging in the sun within 30 feet of the Marsten’s back fence so Robert could see her. One day he would see her. Passing the Marsten’s house, she waved at Robert standing on the porch. He looked good in his white shirt, red tie, and loafers. He didn’t seem to see her, but she knew he had to hid how bad he wanted her. If he let on, he might get in trouble with Lark, his girlfriend.  Thinking about the other girl brought a frown to Brittany’s happy face. Gone almost as soon as she realized it was there, she continued on to her front door. “Mom, I’m home.” Katherine looked up as the front door opened by itself then glanced at the clock on the mantle. It was Monday and the right time. Rising from her seat, she grabbed the bag the good doctor told her to get. Brittany dropped her bag on the foyer floor and headed for the kitchen. She put the coke down on the counter with a clink and went rummaging through her pockets for her gum to put next to it. Mom always wanted to know what she spent her money on, the penny pincher.  She was in the middle of grabbing the loaf of bread off the top of the fridge when Katherine entered, a cross held before her. “You do not belong here.” No one told her when she bought the house it came with a ghost that showed up only on sunny Mondays. Of course, the realtor did her due diligence, she informed Katherine a murder had taken place on the property.  Brittany opened the fridge and Katherine felt the blast of cold as the girl stood in the doorway contemplating sandwich fixings. Brittany Parsons had been murdered during her senior year at Everest High School by a psychotic neighbor. Katherine saw the rough handprints around the girl’s neck as she brandished the cross at her.  “You DO NOT belong here.” She had no prayers, though she’d been told to prepare one. Something to soothe the creature of the undead into the afterlife. All she could think about though was how she pitied the poor creature. “Brittany, you do not belong here anymore.” The fridge door hung on its hinges, no longer moving alone. Katherine closed it. Monday afternoon held the perfect promise of sun and Brittany bought a Coke and gum at the corner store.  Want more of the same? Check me out on Patreon at www.patreon.com/alledriahurt