The creation of me as an author goes as far back to when I was eight years old. I began writing stories then—mainly animals and science fiction ones. I loved to scare the others kids into believing that the shed next door to the school playground actually had a ghost haunting it, or convinced my nephews that a dragon really lived in my closet. I never felt alone growing up as my imagination kept me entertained. I wrote stories I wanted to read. Still do as a published author.
In the seventh grade, I wrote horror stories for a friend who sent them off to a soldier in Vietnam she was writing to. She had asked me for stories to take away for a short while the horrors of war. That made me feel good that my vivid imagination put to paper might do somebody a world of good.
It was when I was in the spring semester of my senior year at El Cajon Valley High School that I got into writing poetry. I had taken a class in my junior year that was a writing class. The teacher had thought enough of a story to submit it for me to a writing contest. I did not win, but I also learned to write poetry in that class, too. Thinking that maybe they might be good enough to submit somewhere, I searched in the Writers Market for a magazine looking for poetry. There was no Internet at the time and no online website for writers to check out to find publishers of books and anthologies, plus magazines. Only the Writer’s Market that you either bought or found at the local library. I found Hyacinths and Biscuits, a poetry magazine in Los Angeles, California, and submitted three poems of mine, “The Horse,” “The Leopard,” and “Sands of Time.” A couple of months later, I received a letter, stating that they liked all three and was accepting them for publication in the magazine. A contract was included for me to sign, telling me I would be paid five dollars per poem. When I gotten the check of $15.00 in the mail, I was excited. I was still seventeen years old and graduation from high school was still a couple of months away. I thought that was the easiest fifteen dollars I ever made and all for a few lines of words typed up. A few months later, the same magazine accepted three more poems of mine. One was genre related—a science fiction poem titled “Star Journey.”
That started my published author life. Over the years I had other poetry accepted for various publications, plus an article about a friend for True Story magazine. A horror short story, “Werewolf for Hire” almost got published in the late 80s, but the publisher was merging with another at the time so they told me they wouldn’t take it at the time with such an uncertain future, but they hoped to hear back from me when everything had settled. Of course, I misplaced the letter and couldn’t remember their name (If the name had stayed the same.), and never gotten back to them.
It was not be until 2005 that I asked my husband if it was all right to quit a job with Ukrops Supermarket and pursue writing and acting careers. At that time, it was easy to exist just on the husband’s paycheck and I would get the occasional temporary job if we want to go somewhere or was needed. Shockingly, at first the acting jobs came easily As Pamela K. Kinney, I write horror, fantasy, urban fantasy, science fiction, poetry, and nonfiction ghost books. As Sapphire Phelan, I write erotic and regular paranormal, fantasy, and science fiction romance, plus erotica horror’
In 2004, I got two stories accepted for an erotic paranormal anthology Beyond the Blackened Mirror: Tales of Dark Romance from Coyote Moon Publications. I cannot remember the title of that anthology now, and I never thought ether story was erotic, but that a publisher wanted two of them for the book was fine with me. Both were by me as myself, as at that time in my life I did not use the pseudonym, Sapphire Phelan, as I would later for erotic and regular paranormal romance. A year later, the publisher closed and gave back all rights to the authors. So, once again, my two works, “His Girl” and “Shadow Lover” were homeless. Later “Shadow Lover” had more story added to it, and was made definitely erotic. It ended up in the charity anthology, Coming Together: Under Fire. As for “His Girl,” it was accepted for one publisher who went bankrupt, and later with rights back, submitted for the anthology, Just Another Paranormal Halloween, published by MojoCastle Press. Both were by me as Sapphire Phelan. Not long after, I had “The Curse,” an erotic fantasy romance accepted by a new epublisher, Chippewa Publishing, then an erotic science fiction romance, “Iridescent Invasion.” “Crimson Promise” was also accepted by the publisher.
That publisher closed down, but gave the rights back. The second one was the one filed bankruptcy. One short novel, Being Familiar With a Witch, had been edited by one of its editors, but the publisher never sent me the contract. When they realized their mistake and sent one, I had the foresight to say no. Good thing, making it no one’s story, but mine only. It took six months for us authors to get our rights back. Thank God, it was only one I had to worry about. One was “His Girl.” Later, I submitted Being Familiar With a Witch to Phaze Books, where it was published and began selling well, and even went on to win the 2010 Prism by the Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal chapter of Romance Writers of America, plus runner up for the 2010 EPIC Award.
Other stories, novellas and the sequel to Being Familiar With a Witch were published by Phaze Books and Under the Moon. Under the Moon had three other erotic horror novellas published, beside a romantic urban fantasy. I even wrote and gotten published, an erotic horror short story, “Jack,” in a print magazine. Plus an erotic fantasy romance, “Wedded Magic” by LoveYouDivinge.Com.
I’ve also gotten more horror published: “The House on Green Street” in Cyber Pulp’s Halloween Anthology 3.0, “Game of Hell” with Speculative Fiction Centre and ‘Plagued” in Travel Guide to the Haunted Mid-Atlantic Region anthology. When 2006 rolled around, one of the authors who had a story in the last anthology too, had gotten a job at Schiffer Publishing. Schiffer handled nonfiction books only. They had put Dinah Roseberry in charge of the ghost book division as they did not know what to do with them. Dinah posted on the forum at Mid-Atlantic Horror Professionals and asked if any horror authors wanted to write real ghost stories instead of fiction. I looked up book proposals and how to do them, then submitted one to Dinah for Haunted Richmond book. My first nonfiction ghost book, Haunted Richmond, Virginia, was published by Schiffer Publishing in 2007. To my shock it became a bestseller. Other ghost books I’ve written followed. All sold just as well, including the newest that came out September 28th; Paranormal Petersburg, Virginia, and the Tri-Cities Area.
I think these ghost books have helped my fiction. People are buying and reading them, too. Like another spooky ghost story, “Misery Loves Company: in the anthology, The World Outside the Window. “Werewolf for Hire” finally found a home, at an online magazine, ScienceFictionFantasyHorror.com It became one of their top ten reads. Others like “Azathoth Is Here” in Cthulhu Express anthology and “Abuse” online at Pretty Scary. Later, “Azathoth Is Here” as a reprint was published by Innsmouth Free Press in their e-zine and then again, on Kindle and Nook. I am happy I took the chance and put in a book proposal for that first ghost book.
Though not on the New York bestselling list or published by a New York publisher yet, I still feel good about myself. I’ve gotten published and seen my books and stories I print and online. Met many wonderful readers, who are as passionate about reading as I am. And maybe, just maybe, I changed some lives by them reading my books.
Not too many people get to realize their dreams, even later in life as I have. It’s a life I plan never to give up. It’s an adventure well worth writing and living. And I get paid for doing it!
Pamela K. Kinney aka Sapphire Phelan
Pamela K. Kinney’s website and links:
http://pamelakkinney.blogspot.com/
Sapphire Phelan’s website and links:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sapphire-Phelan-Paranormal-Romance-Author/324399690647?ref=hl
https://twitter.com/sapphirephelan
http://www.amazon.com/Sapphire-Phelan/e/B002BM8YR6/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1448926369&sr=1-2-ent (Amazon page with my books and eBooks on it)
Jack discovers that silence may not be golden for him on one Halloween.
Book blurb: In Volume Two of Nightmares and Echoes we give you eighteen new short stories of horror ranging from the gory to the unsettling. Like last year’s offering, this collection spans the gamut of terror contributed from a variety of Indie Writers for the sole purpose of giving something back. Fifty percent of the proceeds from this collection will be donated to CAMP HOPE and ST JUDE’S.
Not only will you be sampling some awesome horror, but you’ll be helping out two great causes.
“Pick Up Date” blurb: “A man finds out picking up a girlfriend he dumped is more than about sex.”
Book blurb: Shivers and Lace is the first collection of sexy and erotic short stories from Gorillas With Scissors Press.
Spanning the field of sexy and enticing fiction, this pool of adult entertainment is intended for a discerning crowd of erotica fans.
Contributed from a variety of Indie Writers for the sole purpose of giving something back. Fifty percent of the proceeds from this collection will be donated to
CAMP HOPE and ST JUDE’S.
Not only will you be sampling some hot and steamy erotic tales, but you’ll be helping out two great causes.
Mortal woman Tina discovers she is part of a prophesy that says she and Charun, her demon Familiar, must make love so she can become the witch she is fated to be. If she doesn’t do it and stop the demon army bringing Armageddon to the Mortal Realm on Halloween, she won’t stand a chance in Hell. A year later, just when Tina and Charun thought it was all over and that their life would be normal-another prophesy pops up. If Lucifer snatches Tina and mates with her before the last chime before midnight of the new year and gets her pregnant with his son, that the real Armageddon would begin, spelling the end of life as they knew it. This time they get help from an archangel, Jacokb, but with demons, Lucifer, and a cute demon bunny with fangs out of a Monty Python nightmare, out to stop them and Heaven not lending a hand, will Tina this time lose the battle and become the mother of the Antichrist and the start of a new Hell on Earth? Contains e-novellas Being Familiar with a Witch and A Familiar Tangle with Hell.
Lisa Selvey moved to Necro Bay, just on the outskirts of Chesapeake, Virginia. She moved there because of its reputation for peace and quiet. To free herself of her nightmares. But her nightmares were just beginning. . . Necro Bay was just your average American seaside town. The house she bought a normal home. The handsome man, Jacob Lindan that she met, nothing more than a sexually attractive man that whose touch made her mad with desire. Things nightmarishly changed and made her wonder if she wasn’t going mad. Even worse, it made her wonder if something lurked in the shadows