Carmen DeSousa

When Mark Waters decided to be a detective, he didn't plan to investigate ghosts.   But as he sifts through evidence of a supposed suicide by train, he learns a murder that took place eighty years ago may directly affect his case.   Six months after the strange occurrences at The Depot, there’s another murder. This time, The Library holds secrets of several murders, and the dead won’t rest until the murderer checks out too. Prologue Edda should have known he’d deny her. Deny seeing her, deny being with her. Her friend had warned her, but she’d thought he was her chance to escape the life she’d been living. A chance to be someone. A chance at love. Ever since she’d moved out of her momma’s home, life had been difficult. She could barely even pay her way at the boarding house where she stayed. At nineteen, the only thing she had going for her was her looks and body, even though it’d been a challenge getting her size back down ...

I know we’ve heard this before, but I wasn’t sure if anyone had put it in social media and writing vernacular, so here goes: Make Friends:  I don’t follow everyone, but if we share a common interest—this usually means writing, reading, thinking about writing or reading, or know someone who writes or reads and supports them—I usually follow people back on Twitter and Facebook. Do Onto Others : Again, I don’t share everything, but if I read something I think my friends would have interest in, I retweet and share posts, especially when it’s from someone who shares my posts.  J If you can’t say Anything Nice… :  Really, this  should go without saying, but I still see it. Nothing wrong with having your opinion, but that’s exactly what that is: your opinion. Don’t get in a fighting match; that’s what the ‘ unfollow ’ button is for. Remember ... it takes two. Say  You’re  Sorry : If you do offend someone, say you’re sorry. Play Fair ...

As an author, I've learned that no matter what you write, how you describe what you wrote, or what other reviewers commented about what you wrote, there will still be readers who don't get it. So, even though I still read every review, they don't upset me as they used to, and some just crack me up, so I wanted to share. Just one of my many book descriptions:  Ancient myths, superheroes, vampires... Forget everything you've heard. Review: "The description of this book makes you think that its (her misspelling, not mine) about vampires..." Review: "I think this book has potential to be   popular but   it just is not my type of book - too vampire/alien- ish   for me." Yes, those two reviews were from the same book, and they were back to back. Gotta laugh! So, which is it? Remember, I told you, Forget everything you've heard... Definition of   a Vampire: a preternatural being that is said to suck the blood... (Reme...

As I was doing my final read-through of She Belongs to Me eighteen months ago, I realized I’d left several options open for a new story. Like my real life, my female protagonist had many options to fail or succeed in her life. Every choice she made--good and bad--brought her to a crossroad. Some situations, of course , were out of her control, just as they are out of our control in real life . We don’t always see what awaits us on the other side of the door, and that can be scary or thrilling, happy or sad, wonderful or horrifying. One of my favorite quotes to deal with all of these choices—good and bad—is… “I know God won't give me anything I can't handle. I just wish he didn't trust me so much.” ― Mother Teresa I liked the quote so much I used it in my newest novel, Split Decisions , as I discussed this very issue of the choices we make and the situations others thrust us into without our approval. As I considered my life, at all the horrible t...