What’s The Buzz?

Vampires. Ghosts. Reading, writing, and horror. I talked about all this and more over at What’s the Buzz. Good spooky times were had by all.

Die a Little by Megan Abbott

Die a Little, Megan Abbot,  2005 My favorite quote: “The hardest thing in this world is finding out what you’re capable of.” Notable characters: Lora King, a schoolteacher; Bill King, her brother, a junior investigator with the DA’s office; Alice Steele, a Hollywood wardrobe assistant with a sketchy past … and Bill’s new wife Most

The Obsession by Nora Roberts

The Obsession, Nora Roberts, 2016 My favorite quote: “You put something behind you, Nome, it’s got its eye on your back. I’d rather keep it in front of me, so I can see where it’s going.” Notable characters: Naomi Bowes/Carson, a photographer and daughter of a serial killer; Xander Keaton, the Nora-Roberts-style sexy car-mechanic-love-interest who

The High Window by Raymond Chandler

The High Window, Raymond Chandler, 1942 My favorite quote: “The moonlight was cold and clear, like the justice we dream of but don’t find.” Notable characters: Philip Marlowe, the world’s favorite wise-cracking PI; Elizabeth Bright Murdock, the wealthy widow who hires him to locate a very valuable missing coin; Leslie Murdock, her irritating negative-Nelly son

Dark Lover by J.R. Ward

Dark Lover (book 1 in the Black Dagger Brotherhood), J.R. Ward, 2005 My favorite quote: “Whoa. Fangs. She had fangs. She leaned in, prodded them a little. Eating with those puppies was going to take some getting used to, she thought. On impulse, she brought up her hands, turned her fingers into claws. Hissed. Cool.”

Masking the Monster

Do you prefer in-your-face horror or suggestive horror? Which frightens you most when you’re reading a ghost story or watching a scary movie? In Poltergeist, while we do see a number of masks worn by the real supernatural entity, for most of us, the clown doll that we see in place of the monster itself

The Wild West of Publishing, Episode 1: Things to Avoid

Thorne & Cross sit down with longtime author, editor, and publisher, Margaret Lucke, to discuss writing and publishing in today’s climate. In episode 1: Things to Avoid, Margaret discusses some of the pitfalls of writing and things she sees as an editor that will keep a manuscript from being accepted by a publisher. Listen in

Writer’s Etiquette – Top Tips for Writers From Thorne & Cross

While there are no definitive rules about how writers should present themselves, there are some things we’ve learned along the way about what works – and what doesn’t. My collaborator, Tamara Thorne, and I have seen and heard a lot of things in our combined 40 years of experience in the writing industry that have

In the Wrong Vein: Writing the Book That’s Ready to be Written

With the release of The Black Wasp, book 3 in the Vampires of Crimson Cove looming ever closer, I thought I’d write a little about the book that came before it, book 2, The Silver Dagger, which leads directly into The Black Wasp. The Silver Dagger was, if nothing else, a testament that some books

Black Orchid

False Starts … or Oh, How I Hate the Beginning

Every writer has their problem area, some part of the plot that just gives them fits. It’s usually what’s infamously known as the “sagging middle,” but for me, it’s the beginning. Always. Not the entire first act, just the opening scenes – especially that first one.  I’ve accepted that when I’m beginning a new book,

A Reading of my Poem, Connemara Eyes, by Mike Davidson

Poetry has always been an emotional and creative outlet for me. It allows me to express all kinds of things about my life and the world I live in without actually giving away anything too terribly personal. As a rule, I don’t like explaining the meaning of my poems because I want the reader to

Another Brick Wall in Spite House

Of all the books Tamara and I have written together, none have taken longer, been more complicated, or evolved over time as much as Spite House, the one we’re writing now.  We had a plot — we weren’t writing blind — but it kept shooting off in all sorts of directions and as much as

A Gothic Recipe for Horror

The Thorne and Cross thriller, The Witches of Ravencrest, is the latest to come to audiobook and to celebrate, we’re sharing our recipe for Gothic horror. But first … a little about the book … Narrated by film and voice actor, Nathan Foss, The Witches of Ravencrest is book 2 of The Ravencrest Saga, preceded

A New Book Cover for Sleep Savannah Sleep

Sometimes, as much as you love your book cover, you have to admit that it just isn’t right – that even though it’s good, it could be better. That’s the conclusion I recently drew with my novel, Sleep Savannah Sleep. Don’t get me wrong: I love the original cover art for this book. From the

Behind the Book: Sleep Savannah Sleep

One night, days after finishing my novel Dream Reaper, I was in bed, staring at the ceiling, wondering what to write next. I considered going back to the Crimson Cove series but I felt like there was a different story in me trying to get out. The trouble was, I didn’t know anything about it

Finishing Books and Listening to Your Characters

On March 5th, I finished The Black Wasp, book 3 in the Vampires of Crimson Cove series, and I’m astounded by the direction these books have taken. This is in so small part due to the Black Wasp herself – a character who showed up in the middle of the previous book, The Silver Dagger.

Discovering Horror

Not too long ago, I took a late-night, spur-of-the-moment, why-the-hell-not trip to my old hometown and wow … does this bring back memories. And one of the best memories that came back to me was right here. It was here, on this bridge ~ which is, ironically, right in front of the local morgue ~

Today is the First Day of a New Book

Today is the day I began a new book. With The Black Wasp (book 3 of the Vampires of Crimson Cove series) in the editor’s hands, and not a lot going on besides some book marketing and the disposal of an old sofa, I figured I might as well do some writing. Since I’m dying to find out what happens

FACEBOOK EVENT Today at 7 – 8 pm EST

Today, at 7 – 8 pm EST, Tamara Thorne​ and I will be chatting about our upcoming book, MOTHER, on Facebook at The Edge of Madness Release Party. Just go to this page, join the event, and come hang out with us from 7 – 8 pm EST, where we’ll be discussing writing, MOTHER, books,

The First Interview About “MOTHER”

Here is the very first interview about our book “MOTHER.” Tamara Thorne dishes a little dirt about this twisted little soon-to-be-released psychological thriller, over at Fiona Mcvie’s Author Interviews.

THE CRIMSON CORSET: Foreword

As THE CRIMSON CORSET nears availability as a paperback, I’d like to share the foreword, written by my friend, my collaborator, my favorite author, Tamara Thorne, whose books I’ve adored since my teen years when I never could have imagined I would ever meet her, let alone one day write books with her. I can

The Ghosts of Ravencrest: Danse Macabre #7

(Danse Macabre, the 7th installment in The Ghosts of Ravencrest series, will be available next week) House of Fear Even as governess Belinda Moorland and her handsome employer, Eric Manning, grow closer, she is haunted by her own past  – and Ravencrest’s. From the screams in the shadowed blackness of the indoor pool, to the horrifying

The Crimson Corset: The Story Behind the Story

The Crimson Corset is a vampire novel, but to me, it is more than that. It is a representation of human descent, the power of influence, the corruption of greed, the savagery of addiction, the lust for domination … it is a representation of the human will, and a testament to the strength of family

Why I Dig My Collaborator

‘Tis the season for gratitude, and although I have never enjoyed any of the traditional Thanksgivings customs, I do like to take a little time out around this time of year to reflect on the things I’m grateful for, and there are a lot of them. A lot. I am thankful to my family for

Welcome to Ravencrest…

Darkness Never Dies… Ravencrest Manor has always been part of the family. The ancestral home of the Mannings, Ravencrest’s walls have been witness to generations of unimaginable scandal, horror, and depravity. Imported stone by stone from England to northern California over a thirty-year period in the 1800s, the manor now houses widower Eric Manning, his

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

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

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

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

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

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,

Belinda Is Coming…

The first photography session for the upcoming serial erotica, Belinda, went swimmingly. Here is a promotional picture from the sitting… There are many more to come… Look for the first installment of Belinda this summer! Visit us at: http://www.alistaircross.com & http://www.tamarathorne.com

Thorne & Cross Go Live!

(Tamara Thorne) Hello all, The date and time for our upcoming interview is official. Tamara Thorne and I will be live at Authors on the Air with Pam Stack on Thursday, April 17th, 2014 at 8:00 pm EST. We’ll be discussing our upcoming projects Grandma’s Rack and Belinda as well as anything else that happens to come up. (Alistair

Current Status & Upcoming Events

Hello all, My collaborator, Tamara Thorne, and I have made substantial progress on Grandma’s Rack these past two weeks. I’ve completed all my scenes in acts one and two and am well into the remaining scenes of act three. Tamara is kicking out scenes of her own as well as spending a lot of time editing and

My Favorite Books

Among a page for news, a site map, and a few other exciting changes, a new page has been added to my website to give tribute to the books I have read and loved. As the website expands, it only felt right to give some recognition to these writers and their books. The  page displays

But it can be done…

It’s after four in the morning on Friday and for the second night now I’m sitting in front of my computer watching YoutTube videos with the notorious feline stalker, Pawpurrazzi. From the safety of her perch on my shoulder, together we behold the wonders of funny cat videos, Oprah Winfrey interviews, and clips expounding on

Exposing, Disclosing, and Revealing

My website is officially schedule to go live December 16th, one week from tomorrow. At that time, there will also be a cover reveal for the joint project  Tamara Thorne and I are writing. I will post it here, and it will also be on my website. Along with the cover, we will be giving a

The White Room

Anyone  who’s been around me in the past several years has probably heard me talk about “The White Room.” The White Room is a manuscript I began way back in 2006. It’s a vampire novel that touches on addiction, family loyalty, redemption, and even dabbles a little in BDSM. In 2006, the idea struck me, and I immediately began writing it.