Oklahoma Author has Two New Electronic Releases

MOORE, OKLA. – Real-life experiences, current events and a parent’s greatest fear collide in horror author Steven E. Wedel’s latest novella, “Seven Days in Benevolence,” released this month by Double Dragon Publishing of Markham, Ontario, Canada. It’s one of two new releases Wedel is offering.

“Seven Days in Benevolence” is the story of Dena Harris, a newly divorced mother of two young daughters who moves to the tiny fictional town of Benevolence in eastern Oklahoma to restart her life. The house she rents, though, has a population of ghosts living in it, and one of them has an interest in Dena’s youngest daughter.

“Some of the spooky things that happens in the book are based on things that happened in a house my family and I rented for a couple of years in Ponca City,” Wedel said, referring to the city in north-central Oklahoma. “Light bulbs kept burning out too fast. The house creaked and groaned a lot and I did hear some strange noises on the baby monitor once. Probably natural explanations for everything, but what fun is that?”

Wedel said other factors figured into the writing of the story, such as current events. “Dena left her husband because she learned that he is gay. He’s also in the military. Being a nice person, she chooses to keep his secret, despite her emotional pain and nagging questions from her mother.”

Wedel considered what would scare him the most and used that fear as motivation for the deeds of Rosalyn Astor, the ghost of a witch inhabiting the house. “Rosalyn wants Dena’s toddler for her own purposes. The thought of someone hurting my children is my greatest fear, so I used that. The finale is pretty nasty. Not something for kids to read,” he said.

“Seven Days in Benevolence” is Wedel’s first foray into electronic-only book publishing. He’s had short fiction published online previously and two of his previous three books have been available in electronic format.

Another new electronic publication uses the technology in another way. Lone Wolf Publications, an Oklahoma City company, recently released a double anthology called “Carnival/Circus.” The two themed collections are published on CD ROM, edited by noted science fiction author and editor Jean Rabe. The “Carnival” collection includes Wedel’s short story “Lulu.”

“That story is about a woman who gets a job caring for the carnival fat lady,” Wedel said. “I played with an old diet cliché for the plot. Saying what it is would give away too much, though.”

Lone Wolf Publishing products are unique in that they often include original artwork designed for the work, snippets of video and audio recordings of the authors. Wedel said he submitted about one minute of audio of himself talking about his story.

“Lone Wolf’s publications are really a unique, multi-media experience,” Wedel said. “And yes, my out-of-state fans can hear a real authentic Okie drawl if they buy this one.”

More information, including links to purchase all of Wedel’s books and read the first chapter of “Seven Days in Benevolence,” can be found at his Web site, www.stevenewedel.com.

Wedel is a life-long Oklahoman who grew up in Enid and currently lives in Moore. He has worked for various newspapers and magazines across the state and has won awards for journalism and creative writing. His published books include “Murdered by Human Wolves” (Scrybe Press, 2004), “Shara” (3F Publications, 2003), “Darkscapes” (Publish America, 2002), and “Call to the Hunt” (MoonHowler Press, 2001). He holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Central Oklahoma and is a graduate student in the University of Oklahoma's College of Liberal Studies. For more information about Wedel, visit his Web site at www.stevenewedel.com.

--30--