The Pixelvania Publishing Proclamation o’ Progress, February 2024 Edition

The Pixelvania Publishing Proclamation o’ Progress is a semiannual post detailing what’s going on around here, and what might show up in the future.

Cute kitty photos at the end.

Recap

Whoa, it’s been a minute, hasn’t it? When it came to posting these updates, 2023 got away from me, but I still manage to publish things!

…Seems they were all horror short stories!

Cover for BAD TIDINGS FROM QUEEN SOPHIE: An eerie cat's face emerges from the dark below the title text.

I love how this cover turned out.

The Accuser (cover) - A shadowy monster has its hands on a tough looking man in tattoos, seated in front of a bed. A cat sits besides the man.

Cover by GetCovers.com. The kitty’s name is Dozer.

Cover for Bona Ossuaria: A Home Renovation Horror Story. Two smiling women stand back to back, superimposed above a red house and a disturbingly off-colored sky. The tagline reads Good bones. Gone bad.

Cover by GetCovers.com They really captured the colors I wanted!

Looking back, I realize this batch of stories is full of firsts!

Queen Sophie was my first-ever short story sale. The amazing people over at the NoSleep Podcast turned it into an audio drama! Which is a big first I never imagined happening. Afterwards, I put it into print and ebook.

The Accuser: A Christian Horror Short Story is my first R-rated story. It contains some cussin’ and sexual themes/discussion, yet it’s ultimately an edifying Christian tale. So niener. (And it has a great cat!!!)

Finally, Bona Ossuaria: A Home Renovation Horror Story became my first Kickstarter project–and a very successful one, at that!

Horror fans got to enjoy this creepy tale before the general public, got discounts on some of my other horror ebooks, and received some free very classy-yet-sassy kitchen printables featuring vegetables that die (which are still for sale here on my shop).

Bona funded in under one week on Kickstarter, and people seemed pretty happy with their experience. It gave me the confidence I needed to finish my next Kickstarter project. Next slide!

Currently in Production

The Kickstarter for stormy science-fantasy novel The Guests of Crooked Neck is right around the corner!

Cover for THE GUESTS OF CROOKED NECK

The entire book is already completed in ebook and paperback format. If the funding goal is met before the deadline, Crooked Neck will release early to Kickstarter backers. Depending on your pledge level, you can also pick up some cool extra goodies, such as: 

  • Tropical wildlife digital wallpapers
  • Beautiful tropical-themed productivity printables
  • Discounts on the previous stories in the series

I hope you’ll sign up below so you can get updates. I just got the proof copies back the other day and I was shocked by what a heckkin’ chonker of a book it is. So if you’re a sci-fi/fantasy fan who likes a meaty read, keep your eye out!

Remind me about the launch!

While I’ve been working on that, I’ve been doggedly writing the sequel to Fashion Frenchies #1: Love Potion Commotion! It’s called Salute a Pooch! and it’s already longer than the first book. But it’s not done yet. If you’re a dog lover, you won’t want to miss it!

I’ve also been testing out covers for it (and have plans to revamp Love Potion Commotion’s cover at the same time), but I haven’t settled on anything yet. Stay tuned!

Future Plans, Plotting, and Scheming

Every year this list gets bigger.

The Crooked Neck Kickstarter’s been monopolizing my brainspace, but once it’s over, I have plans for:

  •  A Worlds of Everlush Christmas-type story
  • A third book in the Fashion Frenchies series (with a cat!)
  • Christmas with the Capramancer (’nuff said)
  • Plus I need to hop back on the Nosferatu Novel train…
  • Redo a couple covers that have been bugging me
  • Make paperbacks of a couple of my earliest published stories
  • Finish this one really old novel I have started around here.
  • Another 2 cat horror stories(!)

If you’ve been following along, you’ll know a few of these have been hanging onto this list for dear life. They’re all popcorn kittens, clamoring for my attention. I want to get to them all eventually!

That ends the news. Thanks for reading! Your reward is:

Kitty Photos!

Our mascot, Pixel J. Cat, on his favorite striped blankie. He just turned 17 this year!

Pixel’s intern, Barnaby Jones, chillaxin’ against the lavender-scented litter.

Until next release, I wish you good health and happy reading! – Danielle

 

 

 

 

 

 

HGTV fans who read horror fiction will love my new release!

After a wildly successful Kickstarter (over 200% funded), I’m happy to announce that BONA OSSUARIA: A HOME RENOVATION HORROR STORY is now available to the general public AND available for the first time in PAPERBACK! Just in time for spooky season! 🎃

Cover for Bona Ossuaria: A Home Renovation Horror Story. Two smiling women stand back to back, superimposed above a red house and a disturbingly off-colored sky. The tagline reads Good bones. Gone bad.

They thought they were making changes to the house. But the house was making changes to them.

When their construction team discovers a hidden shaft while renovating a clients’ home, mother-daughter design duo Evelyn and Erika Ellsworth need an idea, quick.

But to Erika’s dismay, her flighty mom doesn’t just turn the shaft into her pet project: she refuses to let anyone else in on what she’s doing.

This isn’t the first time her mom’s gotten obsessive over a reno. And clients always love what she comes up with. So Erika decides to humor her.

That decision will prove fatal.

BONA OSSUARIA is a slow-burning morsel of surreal, psychological horror.

* * *

I got the idea for Bona Ossuaria after a watching a certain HGTV program for a few seasons. The show has a fun and wholesome vibe–and I still love it–but my writer brain couldn’t help but see things going…let’s say, darkly wrong with the hosts.

After reading it, my proofreader said she was never able to watch that program the same way ever again. Which delights me to no end!

The Kickstarter for this story funded in under a week, so that was also really cool (and educational, as my first–but definitely not my last–Kickstarter). I got to design some darkly funny printable posters for the Kickstarter that are now available for sale, go check them out.

Buy ebook direct from me!

Buy ebook everywhere else!

Buy paperback from Amazon!

Download printable wall art inspired by the story!

Horror fiction fans who watch HGTV will love my new Kickstarter project!

BONA OSSUARIA, my new home renovation horror story, launched Tuesday on Kickstarter and (to my delight) is now fully funded!

BONA is a slow-burning morsel of surreal, psychological horror. Here’s the cover:

Cover for Bona Ossuaria: A Home Renovation Horror Story. Two smiling women stand back to back, superimposed above a red house and a disturbingly off-colored sky. The tagline reads Good bones. Gone bad.

If you back now, you’ll get the ebook early and at a discount, plus some classy-yet-sassy kitchen decor printables! Paperbacks will be available during the general release in October.

You can find out more about the story and pledge levels here:

Visit the BONA OSSUARIA Kickstarter page

 If you could pledge, I would love that (just $2 to get those printables!).

And it’d be FANTASTIC! if you could share the link to social media–that’d help me reach more potential readers, which is currently my biggest career challenge.