My Past Life as a Dung Beetle

Recently, I wrote my first short story, "My Past Life as a Dung Beetle," found an editor and cover artist, and published on Amazon. This is the beginning of my exciting journey into the Indie world. I have another short story waiting to be published in an anthology and am working on the third. 

 

 

 

The inspiration behind "My Past Life as a Dung Beetle" is hoarding. The story is light-hearted and does not touch upon the dark side of hoarding, but it recently got a 5-star review titled, "Too close for comfort." My thought on this is that the story was spot on in capturing the hoarder mentality. Excited beyond reason, I felt a full sense of accomplishment. While "My Past Life as a Dung Beetle" is meant to be funny, it does have a satirical quality that some might find 'too close for comfort.'

Why did I write this short story? Quite honestly, and certainly the reason I was able to capture the hoarder mind so well, I am a recovering hoarder. The show "Hoarders" on TV changed my life, it really did. I could see myself in some of those people, not the ones collecting garbage, but the ones collecting stuff that they didn't have room for. I saw myself in them and where I could be headed and it lit a fire in me to throw things away like never before. Anything that was useful that I wasn't using anymore, I gave to charity.

After the realization and ability to admit that I have hoarder tendencies, I have been able to successfully fight off the urge to collect, an urge that I was able to capture in the storyline. Sometimes it's a hard fight and I have to stop myself from being attracted to things that demand collection, but even my family has noticed a change in me.

Though none of them are in that sick stage that is often portrayed on those TV shows, many members of my family could be classified as hoarders as well. The school bus in the story is homage to the school bus in my brother's yard. He was very excited about that bus, even called to ask me to guess what he found. A school bus was the last thing I would have guessed and it found it's way into my story as well as his yard.

So, "My Past Life as a Dung Beetle" began taking shape in my mind. It is a story about a family of collectors from the perspective of the husband/father in the family, who thinks his collecting derives from being reincarnated from a dung beetle. In addition to being described as 'too close for comfort,' it has also been described as 'funny, with a feel-good ending.' Either way, it is sure to be amusing.

The story can be downloaded here: My Past Life as a Dung Beetle.

Enjoy!



 

 



The Coming Storm

The Coming Storm, By Valerie Douglas

Spanning an epic series of books, 'The Coming Storm' by Valerie Douglas takes you to the heart of a conflict between magic users, and those without magic, good and evil, love and loss. Join Ailith and Elron as they have to choose between love, duty, and everything they've battled for.

Elon of Aerilann, Elven advisor to the High King of Men, helped negotiate the treaty between Elves, Dwarves and men. He suddenly finds that fragile truce threatened from without by an unknown enemy and from within by old hatreds and prejudice. With the aid of his true-friend Colath, the wizard Jareth and the Elven archer Jalila, he goes in search of the source of the threat.

Ailith, the Heir to Riverford, fights her own silent battle. Her father has changed, but her quest to discover what changed him puts her life and very soul in danger and leaves her only one direction in which to turn. Elon.

To preserve the alliance, though, Elon will have to choose between his honor, his duty and everything for which he fought.

Amazon | Goodreads

A Convocation of Kings (The Coming Storm, #2)

Not Magic Enough (The Coming Storm, #3) (novella will be 99¢ during the blast)

Setting Boundaries (The Coming Storm, #4) (novella will be 99¢ during the blast)

Read more reviews on Amazon

Valerie Douglas is a prolific writer and a genre-crosser, much to the delight of her fans. A fan of authors of almost every genre from Isaac Asimov to Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, she writes classic fantasy, romance, suspense, and as V.J. Devereaux, erotic romance. Who knows what will pop up down the road!

Happily married, she’s companion to two dogs, four cats and an African clawed frog named Hopper who delights in tormenting the cats from his tank.

You can find more information at Valerie Douglas Books, or at Alexandria Publishing Group.

Facebook ~ Blog ~ Twitter

And to celebrate her book blast, Valerie's lowered the price of The Coming Storm on a Countdown Deal. Head on over to the page and see what it's set and and grab your copy at the lowest price you can! Her novellas Not Magic Enough & Setting Boundaries have also been priced at $0.99 for the duration of this project.

It's A New Era

Welcome to L.K. Hatchett's emporium of zombies, dung beetles, and rabid reindeer. You never know what you're going to find here, so sit back and have fun... Jim the Dung Beetle says so.

Watch your stuff, though, Jim might want it for his collection. You might also want to watch out for Mary the Zombie. Like all zombies, she wants your brains.

But they're harmless, really. The one you really need to be worried about is Rudolf. If you're not careful, Santa will tell him to eat your face off.

But no worries, really. This is a fun place to be. And we're just getting started!