Good morning. I'm going to take a break from writing on this site while I focus on Book Five. In the meantime...you can find all sorts of my writing samples, if you check out the labels to the right -- everything from Comedy to Short Stories to Photos. Random, but something for everyone!
Also, you can read all about my first four books on my Amazon Author Page right here. They all have a mystery element, they all delve into substance abuse and/or psychological issues (with varying approaches), and they're all intense and fast-paced, but they're quite unique.
GRIFFIN FARM is a first person family drama, highly introspective, and it reads like a memoir, so much so that people have often approached me, asking questions about the characters as if they were my real family, ha! A complement, if you ask me.
THE HOUSE OF ANCHOR is an adventure set in 90s Seattle, full of witty dialogue; it is complex and artsy, told through several voices, both third and first person, as well as varying points of view. It can be funny as all hell, and it can be gritty and dark -- all over the map with emotion. Definitely an escape into another world.
STRANGE SKIN is a straight up mystery, first person young adult with a strong female heroine, and for those who like a coming of age story packed with longing, confusion, and a change of heart, this is for you.
And THE HOLE is a psychological thriller, also jam packed with real, dynamic dialogue; it's told through three different voices -- all first person. With that one, I really wanted to get deep inside each main character's mind. And indeed, I went deep. While writing, I often scared myself. I must say, it was chilling at times. I had to take a lot of breaks, ha. It was as if I lived inside a Dateline episode for a few years, and it had quite an effect.
I love to play around with voice and dialogue, hell yeah. I suppose I became the most adventurous with it in THE HOUSE OF ANCHOR. But I feel that with each one, my approach shifts and changes as I edit...and as I get to know the characters and storyline.
All of them would make great films, in my opinion. In college, I focused heavily on film; I actually minored in film, and I studied all of the greats. One can surely see this influence bleed out in the writing. It's incredibly visual, and the dialogue is spot-on and real, both humorous and gritty at times, as real life can indeed be.
Hope you check out my fiction. Or delve into some of my essays, poems, or stories on here.
I intend to go skydiving soon. I may just go by myself. I do everything alone -- movies, walks, concerts, you name it. Last year, I went to Kings Island alone. It was hilarious. I got the blue ice cream, rode all the coasters, did everything a person would normally do. It didn't seem strange at all. Although, I have heard that Drop Zone got stuck at the top recently! Oh man, that's the scariest ride ever, and it's my favorite. But holy shit, I wouldn't want to get stuck dangling there. That's one adventure I'd like to miss, just saying.
Only person I walk with regularly is my friend Liz. I've known her my whole life, and she's one incredible woman. We talk about everything from politics to sex, and everything in between. I'm never sure where the convo might end up, ha. We could start off talking about Catholic priests, move on to our neighbors, and end up on a rant about her plantar fasciitis. Love those kinda friends. Hard to find, aye.
Hope you have a lovely day. I'm gonna settle down and get to work.
Love,
C.A. MacConnell
