My name is Stephen Helmes. I was born in a little town called Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia (USA). Those who know the place know it from the historic battlefields and the ghostly legend about Green Eyes. This very large and hairy creature is said to roam the battlefields of Fort Oglethorpe at night. They say you can see his eyes glowing in the dark like the headlights of a distant car.
I lived in that part of northwest Georgia all my life till I finally followed my dream of living near the beach in 2014. Palmetto, Florida, is where I live today. I love the ocean, everything about it. There is nothing more inspiring to me than to find a private area on the beach, bury my toes in the sand and watch the sun sink into the distant waters of the Gulf of Mexico. We have some of the most beautiful sunsets here!
I released my first book, Nightly Visits, in February 2014. It’s funny how that happened because I’d never thought of myself as a writer. It started with a nightmare I had years ago. Being a lifelong lover of horror films, I didn’t want to forget the images that brought me out of a deep sleep that night, so I wrote them down. I quickly realized that I had a story right there at my fingertips. So I began placing characters with a plot foundation beneath them. Before I knew it, I’d written my first story. I titled it “Glasswalker,” and it is the final story of six that are in Nightly Visits. Now, I am here for as long and my mind can think and my fingers can dance along the keyboard.
Guest Posts:
Adventures from the Highway – The next time you’re talking to a truck driver who is telling you some tall tale about what he encountered one dark morning at 2 a.m. while driving some lonely road in Mississippi, you may want to rethink what he said before walking away and rolling your eyes.
Describing a Character by Using His Surroundings – Describing a character in your story is usually an easy task. After all, you can see the character clearly in your mind. It’s as if this person is real and standing right in front of you. He might even speak to you, allowing you to hear the sound of his voice.
From 12 to 6 (More Nightly Visits) – The Nightly Visit series continues with its second book, From 12 to 6 (More Nightly Visits). Released, July 5th, 2016, the book continues down the trail of dreams. Readers will be taken on a journey of horror, suspense, and fantasy that includes witches and ghosts. These stories reflect on the scarier side of the human mind.
House of Flies and Writing – I never thought of myself as a writer. I never thought I would enjoy it the way that I do today. Like that little boy, Mikey, in the old cereal commercials, I tried it, and as soon as the flavor hit me, I started gobbling it down.
Legend Behind the Jack-o’-Lantern – With Halloween right around the corner, everywhere we look we see the orange and black color scheme, decorations of skeletons, ghouls, witches, and ghosts. When you go into the city, you see store aisles and occasionally entire stores dedicated in celebration of the darkest holiday of the year.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein – Whether it be the 1910 horror film, Frankenstein, written and directed by J. Searle Dawley, or the 1974 comedy from Mel Brooks, Young Frankenstein, the image of the monster and his creator are forever etched into our minds. But with all the great adaptations to this fine story over nearly two centuries, we should not forget where and who the original concept came from. This is the story of Mary Shelley.
Zombies Can Be Fun! – So, you want to write about the zombie apocalypse, but you don’t want to travel down the same beaten path as the ones before you. How many times can you tell the same story and still keep readers on the edge of their seats? You can do it several times as long as you change the setting and hunt new characters for your story that will stand out and take the reader down a different path.
Interviews:
Writing, Book Covers, and Relaxation – Has this writer been inspired by any other authors? Where do his ideas come from? How important is the cover of the book? Who designed the covers of his books? What is he working on now? And what does he do to relax?
Being a Milkman, a Musician, and a Writer – Which one of the stories in this book is his favorite? Where does he get his inspiration? What is his biggest fear as a writer? What is the name of his band?
Stories:
Spots – The place was crawling with filth. He’d already washed his cereal bowl and spoon. He put them both away just as he did every morning, but that damn counter. Its bright, solid white surface showed everything.
The Longest Day in the World – Ashlyn lay awake in her bed listening to her mother and father. They were in their room with the door closed, fighting as usual. She was supposed to be asleep a long time ago, but she couldn’t because of the bickering and yelling.
