I’ve mentioned before that my grandmother, Bernadette Rajotte, was also an author.

She wrote many short stories, a number of them appearing in various Canadian school textbooks and children’s magazines, and I recently found a used copy of one of the books online.

Just seeing the cover was like stepping back in time. I remember the illustrations of her story (The Moonlight Dance of the Whooping Cranes) so vividly that it was such a treat to open the book and see her story after all these years.

While I obviously write in a very different style and on very different subject matter than my Grandma, I know that I adopted my love of writing from her, so getting this book and adding it to my collection has me over the moon.

It also has me inspired to get going on the 2nd month of Write1Sub1. It is no surprise that I am way…waaaaay behind on my self-imposed schedule of ALL THE STORIES but as long as I am actually actively writing, I can’t complain or feel guilty about it. All I can do is vow to do better.

I give to you a couple of house-themed covers to discuss.

Book: The Blackstone Chronicles by John Saul

Okay, my love of creepy small towns and even creepier old houses is no secret.

So this cover immediately drew me in. In fact, quite a few of Saul’s covers have some form of looming house.

Not sure what it is about houses but think about it. If you could name one house that sticks in your mind and immediately calls to mind a feeling of terror, what would it be?

The Amityville house, perhaps? With it’s windows like eyes that PEER INTO YOUR SOUL!

I will never tire of stories about creepy houses. There are so many opportunities to explore the idea of past experiences, trapped memories, residual feelings.

Everyone loves a good haunted house story, am I right? And this cover certainly entices me.

Book: Dark House by Theresa Monsour

Nothing is up my alley quite like a book titled Dark House. But this cover lets me down a bit.

I get it, though. It has atmosphere. Gives off a proper chilling vibe. I’d just like a little more of a teaser as to what the house looks like. A little more fuel to fire my overactive imagination before I get to immerse myself in the story.

Not to say it would stop me from buying this book. I know one shouldn't judge a book by its cover. It’s what’s between the covers that counts. This is purely for my own entertainment as I judge what appeals to me and trying to figure out what might appeal to my readers.

 All in good fun, kids.

But I feel the text sort of obscures the image too much. So, what do you think about these 2 covers? Does one appeal to you over the other? Why or why not?

Photos: copyright of their respective owners

I mean, I’m still surprised when people I don't know sign up for my writing page on Facebook. I can tweet and blog and invite people to buy my books on Amazon all day long but, being relatively new to the publishing scene, I get why people would be wary to take a chance on me.

Who would buy an anthology or magazine with one my stories in it if they have no idea who I am? Is it worth it to take a chance? Who the heck is this Mary Ra-whatever anyway? Well, I’m hoping to remedy that this Spring with some new short stories that you won’t have to shell out for an entire anthology to read.

I know – this isn’t groundbreaking news for those who have been self-publishing for a while now. Truth is, I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time but haven’t been able to find the time. So I've gotta make the time. Stay tuned for updates here and on my Facebook page & Twitter. There will be tales! Frightful tales!

Hopefully, formatting for various eReaders won’t make me want to strangle someone.

Clouds began to build in the sky,
Up and up and up,
Thunderheads as purple as bruises.
Rain was coming.

Across the sky
The light seemed to evolve.
Filtered, almost pearly.

Our shadows grow long again,
Sail in and out of coppery shade.
The thunderheads lumber closer.

So, here are a few interesting reads around the interwebs to get you through the holiday (or weekend, if you are not located stateside or like me, already enjoyed our holiday yesterday).

1: The Horologist
Hankering for a little "Victorian clockwork madness"? Check out Katey's new piece in Vol.2 – Issue 2 of The New Bedlam Project

2. Burning Effigy
Toronto's small press Burning Effigy is featured on Torontoist. Great read – the passion of editors Monica S. Kuebler & Jeff Cottrill are palpable.

3. Help Build Stephen King's Empire
Stephen King wants you to help him build his empire! He's looking for photos of places, shops, and items that have names related to his books, stories and King himself. Check out the website for more details

4. Haven
I'm looking forward to checking out Haven, the new series based on King's "The Colorado Kid". And it was filmed in Nova Scotia (Canada for those not in-the-know). The show starts July 12 on Showcase in Canada and on July 9 on SyFy in the US

5. Honour the Troops
One of my articles this week was a call to fellow Canadians to write to their troops, either via message board or through the Share A Cup Campaign from Toronto EMS & Tim Hortons. I decided to share it again here. Wherever you hail from, I hope you will do the same for your own armed forces.

So, that's it! A little light reading, some fun stuff and a bit of patriotism.

Happy 4th to all the Americans reading. My Mom's a Texan, so I get to celebrate a 2nd holiday this weekend