To Pants or Plot

One thing I’m frequently asked is whether I write an outline for my books, or just fly by the seat of my pants. The short answer is: both. The long answer is a little more complicated. In my experience there are two types of writers: plot-driven writers and character-driven writers. Whereas the strength of plot-driven

The King of Character: Thorne & Cross on the Work of Stephen King

Vampires hiding in mobile homes. Sentient vehicles with attitude. Characters haunted by ghosts, real or imagined. People tormented by addictions, supernatural powers, even their own sense of right and wrong. Folks fighting inner and outer demons alike, facing corruption by greed or some other deadly sin. Even alien shit-weasels burrowing into the darkest recesses of

To Write a Thrilling Thriller

In honor a Mother’s Day – here’s a little about the Thorne & Cross thriller, Mother … and writing thrillers in general … Thrillers are a little different from mystery and a little different from horror. Though all these genres tend to blend and merge to varying degrees, writing them – and reading them –

Cats, The Writer’s Familiar

I’m a cat person. I just seem to have been born that way. Some of my first memories are of the family cat, a big gray tabby named Tiger. I wanted desperately to win his affection and can vividly remember inflicting upon him kisses, hugs, and vast quantities of unsolicited loves. As you might imagine,

10 Things I’ve Learned About Writing in the Past 10 Years

I’ve been writing all my life, but it wasn’t until ten years ago that I got serious about it. And I didn’t want to be a hobby-writer, either. I wanted to be a real-life, full-time professional who spends his time writing, editing, marketing, and well … doing it all – because that’s what writers do

The Art of Blaming the Industry

In 2010, I completed my first novel and the rush it gave me was of greater magnitude than anything else I’d ever experienced. After years of trying, I had finally done it: I had written my very first book. I was elated, bubbling with pride, and eager to get it out into the world where

Suspending the Pen

I’ve been in the writing dungeon so long that the sunlight streaming from the windows has begun to burn my eyes and an evening trip to Wal-Mart – or some other dreadful place – is starting to feel like an outing, a night on the town, rather than the necessary evil it actually is. With reviewers waiting

The Truth About Dreams

The edits for The Crimson Corset are completed and this keeps us on schedule for the July 31st release as originally planned. Things change, so I’m always reluctant to give concrete dates, but give or take a few days, this book will be available by the end of the month. It’s always a mixed bag, finishing

Writing with T & A: Two Heads Are Better Than One

We’re nearly finished with the first volume of The Ghosts of Ravencrest and are already planning the next. We love Ravencrest because it allows us to stay current or to hop into history. Every lord of Ravencrest and his family has a story that plays into the tale of its current master, Eric Manning. Finding

And The Show Goes On …

After two weeks of reading, rewriting, and reading again, I’ve completed the first major edit of The Crimson Corset. The manuscript still has to go through the official editors, but after that (and a final read-through) The Crimson Corset will be a real book, ready for consumption. The expected eBook release is mid to late July and shortly thereafter, it will go to paper.

Writing with T & A: Psychic Vampires

If you’ve been writing for a while, you’ve no doubt run into a psychic vampire or two. These passive-aggressive hangers-on will, if allowed, suck your life force away, all the while paying you compliments, asking for advice, and creating drama meant to suck you into their world and make you worry about their well-being. The

Two a.m.

March 12, 2015 It’s been a decade since I began concentrating my energy and aiming my efforts at a specific destination – and only in the past year or two have things started to make some sense. The journey from there to here has been a long hard practice in blind faith, and while the distance

The Cliffhouse Haunting is Coming…

The Cliffhouse Haunting is coming in March! This is the story that started it all when, in 2012, Tamara Thorne and I decided to try writing something together. We began with a modest concept – and hoped for the best, both knowing it could go either way. We quickly realized our union was creative, complementary,

Walking Fine Lines… and Writing Them, Too

Even as a kid, I loved writing and spent hours composing poems, song lyrics, and scribbling out short stories. As I grew older, my interest in the craft continued to build, but none of these formats gave me the room I needed. For me, writing novels was the next logical step. Between 1997 and 2005,

A Good Day to Write

I wrote 2,741 words on the solo novel today, bringing it to a grand total of 23,764 words since the first of the year. The setting has been established, the conflict has been appointed, the players are in position and waiting to strike (or be struck), the questions have been asked and are demanding their

Douglas Clegg is Coming to Haunted Nights Live

Douglas Clegg is a very busy man. He is the New York Times bestselling author of psychological horror, historical, supernatural thriller, and dark fiction novels. He is the winner of many awards including the Bram Stoker Award, the Shocker Award, and the International Horror Guild Award. Recently, he even wrote a new introduction for the

Time, Time, Time…

September 24th, 2014 “Time, time, time… see what’s become of me…” – Hazy Shade of Winter by Paul Simon Time is moving too fast and I don’t like it anymore. It isn’t about vanity or youth. I’m not afraid of getting old, losing my looks, or not knowing the names of celebrities on covers of

These Books are Made for Writin’…

As Tamara Thorne and I wrap the final edits on the collaborative horror novel we’ve been working on for the past few months, we’ve begun planning upcoming projects, collaborative and solo. Of course, we will be releasing new installments of The Ghosts of Ravencrest regularly and will spend the rest of 2014 completing Grandma’s Rack.

Over at Fiona McVie’s….

Yesterday, my interview at Fiona McVie’s Author Interviews went live. Among many other things, I discussed what books influenced me, the greatest challenges of writing a novel, and what I might have done had this writing gig not worked out for me. Give it a look-see at Fiona McVie’s Author Interviews. Thank you, Fiona, for a

Avoiding Unexpected Feline Fatherhood

It came to me a year ago, and looking back on it now, I suppose it showed up at the appropriate time. It was just a few weeks before Halloween – and a few weeks after Tamara Thorne and I began digging into the witchcraft elements of our novel Grandma’s Rack – that the creature

My Top Ten Favorite Quotes by Joan Rivers – R I P Joan Rivers

I just heard the news of Joan Rivers’ death. I am saddened and I wish comfort and peace to her loved ones. She was a very funny woman who spoke her mind and that’s something I always admired. Here are a few of my favorite Joan Rivers quotes: 1. “The first time I see a

The End Is Upon Us

  If you had told me ten years ago, when I really got serious about this writing thing, that I would one day write a novel with Tamara Thorne – one of my longtime horror heroes – I would have scoffed, chortled, guffawed and otherwise vehemently disbelieved you. But as I’ve always said, life has

Gross Encounters of the Absurd Kind

My collaborator, Tamara Thorne, and I have been sitting down together to write everyday for months. We’ve gotten a lot done, and we still have much to do. On top of the Belinda serial, we’re finishing up a horror novel  and have another novel  to edit and publish around the holidays. Needless to say, we

150,000 Words and Counting

Today, we passed the 150,000 word mark on our current work-in-progress, a horror novel which was actually the first concept Tamara Thorne and I ever discussed writing together. It’s taken a few detours, but at its core, it’s the same story we created over a year ago now. We still have a few thousand words to

Oh, BABY!

The latest, greatest Belinda meme from an adorable reader. Thank you, Shirley K. The Erotic Adventures of Belinda are available now. Click the titles below for the first two installments. The New Governess Awakening

On Pinterest

Hello all, I’m getting the hang of Pinterest – I think – and trying to use it more. If you’re into that sorta thing, click on the big P…  and no, that’s not the first time I’ve ever uttered those words… Yours, ~A~

110,000 Words… and Counting…

Tamara Thorne and I are kicking literary ass these days. A few hours ago, we hit 110,000 words on our collaborative project (not Belinda, and not Grandma’s Rack, but the other book). Had this novel been content to conclude itself at the average length of 80,000 to 120,000 words, it would be complete, but as

Dusty Pages

What is the most blatant lie I’ve ever told? What eye color do I think is sexiest? Do I admire my own writing? These are just a few of the questions Sonnet O’Dell asked me in my interview for her Meet a Writer Monday guest spot at Dusty Pages. Give her a visit to find

Belinda: The Story Behind The Name

Naming characters is a surprisingly phenomenal thing, because, more often than not, they name themselves – as strange as that sounds. What I mean is that they tend to present themselves to their authors fully-formed; they know their own appearances, personalities, and often, they come pre-named. That being said, this wasn’t the way it worked with Belinda.

Author Spotlight at Morgen Bailey’s Writing Blog

Tamara Thorne and I did an Author Spotlight guest post at Morgen Bailey’s Writing Blog, which has now gone live. We talked a little bit about our writing processes, our trip to the haunted cabin, Belinda, and the other projects we are currently working on. Go to Morgen Bailey’s and read about it. Meanwhile, Awakening, the second

It’s Cherry Season!

The Awakening, the second installment of The Erotic Adventures of Belinda, is on its way… The Erotic Adventures of Belinda is a serialized Gothic Erotica novel by Tamara Thorne and Alistair Cross. The first installment, The New Governess, is available everywhere. http://alistaircross.com & http://tamarathorne.com

On Writing: Extreme Collaborating

A radio interviewer asked Tamara Thorne and me how we write together and that was one of the most eye-opening questions we’ve ever had.  She was amazed when we told her our method and said she’d never heard of anyone writing like that before.  Evidently, many writers split things up with one brainstorming and the

Websites, Branding, and Publicity

This is a great and informative episode of Authors on the Air with Pam Stack. I highly recommend this podcast. Great and valuable information for all writers. Give it a listen and share it with your friends! “Authors on the Air host Pam Stack welcomes a panel of industry professionals who are ready to answer

Workin’ It

It’s been a while since I was able to sit down and write anything conversational on my blog, so now that I have an hour or so of free time, I thought I’d drop by and say hello. With the publication of something new, you kind of go into what I call “Machine Mode,” which is that

Gothic Erotica by Thorne & Cross

What is Gothic Erotica? It’s what wakes you up in the middle of the night as randy as you are terrified. It’s those things that go bump – and grind – in the night. It’s the sound of footsteps at the foot of your bed that, instead of fading away, draw nearer and, well, get what

BELINDA HAS ARRIVED!

The Adventures Have Begun… The New Governess, the first installment of The Erotic Adventures of Belinda, is now available on Amazon and Smashwords.  (We will have Nook and other links soon.) New adventures will appear every four to six weeks. Expect serious erotica, lots of ghosts, romance, and intrigue as we put our own spin

Conversations Live

After a brief but necessary hiatus from interviews, Tamara Thorne and I are back at it, full-force. We’re schedule for a live interview at Conversations Live on Monday, May 26th at 8:00 pm Eastern time. The show will be streaming at: www.blogtalkradio.com/conversationslive  Conversations Live has featured such guests as Kim Fields (The Facts of Life) John

It’s All About the Shoes…

The Erotic Adventures of Belinda Coming soon from Tamara Thorne and Alistair Cross  “If you’ve finished all of Sylvia Day’s Bared to You novels and are craving more, look no further. In Belinda: The New Governess, Tamara Thorne and Alistair Cross have created a world that is rich, opulent, and smoldering with the promise of

Belinda’s First Blurb

Michael Aronovitz, author of the terrifying ghost story Alice Walks and the subversively delightful The Voices in Our Heads has honored us with comments about “The New Governess,” the first installment of The Erotic Adventures of Belinda.  We’re thrilled. Here’s what he has to say about it: “The Erotic Adventures of Belinda by Tamara Thorne

Let the Adventures Begin

The Erotic Adventures of Belinda is a true gothic thriller, filled with steamy romance, ghosts, and some of the hottest erotica you’ve ever read. The New Governess This morning we completed our final round of revisions and sent the first installment of The Erotic Adventures of Belinda to the publisher.  This  first installment is titled

Belinda – The First Installment

It’s been a productive couple of weeks for my collaborator, Tamara Thorne, and me, and probably the most exciting accomplishment of all is the completion of the first installment of Belinda. Yes… it is completed… and thanks to an especially haunting scene we polished off last night, it is hot. Installment #1 , which is titled The

Want a Bite?

Belinda. Serialized erotica coming this summer from Thorne & Cross

Mr. Manning on Casual Friday

This weeks sexy reminder that Belinda will be here this summer… The Erotic Adventures of Belinda Belinda is an erotic serialized novel chronicling the sensual adventures of a beautiful and naïve young woman named Belinda Moorland. When she is hired as governess to the children of the handsome but mysterious millionaire, Eric Manning, she quickly

Writing… and Riding the ‘One Day’ Wave

You know those books you’re going to write ‘one day’ but never seem to get around to? Well, for me, ‘one day’ has arrived, and let me tell you, Bub – it’s nuts. I rode the ‘one day’ wave for as long as I respectably could, but eventually, you have to get off – and

Shhh… Don’t Let Her Catch You Looking…

Here’s a peek at Belinda in one her private moments. Coming this Summer http://.alistaircross.com http://tamarathorne.com ~

Podcast for Authors on the Air

Tamara Thorne and I just finished a wonderful live interview with Pam Stack at Authors on the Air. We discussed writing, our processes, and our upcoming projects. If you missed it, here’s a link to the podcast.

Just a Few More Hours Now…

In just a few more hours now – 5:00 pm Pacific, 8:00 pm Eastern time – my collaborator, horror legend Tamara Thorne, and I will be live at Authors on the Air. They do call ins, so if you have a question for either of us about our work, our writing processes, or anything else,

Authors on the Air

Tamara Thorne and I will be live on Authors on the Air tomorrow night, April 17, at 5pm Pacific, 8pm Eastern.  Come join us for an hour of fun and information about our projects. You can even call in with questions! Here is the direct link to the show. 

Going Down…?

This weeks hot reminder that Belinda is on her way… Belinda An erotic series by Tamara Thorne and Alistair Cross Coming this summer from Avalerion Books  

Grandma, Belinda, Haunted Cabins, and Author Interviews…

Before getting into anything else, I want to share a great joint interview I did with my collaborator – horror legend Tamara Thorne – at Gingernuts of Horror. We covered everything from horror, erotica,  ghost hunting, and photography to our solo works, our process, our plans, and a bit about a future novel we haven’t discussed until