A psychological suspense about two teenage outcasts whose growing bond takes a twisted turn down a murderous path.
Horror Novel
Troubled teen Eli Nunn is moved back to Kansas City following the aftermath of a violent drug deal. Returning to a school where his ruthless reputation still thrives, Eli encounters and instantly connects with Angel, a beautiful and mysterious black-clad orphan. Their flourishing romance begins to grow darker when Eli learns details of Angel’s chilling past. Conflicted with alarm and intrigue, Eli accepts a proposal from Angel that puts both their relationship and lives in danger.
The Concept of this horror novel by author: Mocha Pennington
I began The Angel at the Devil’s Gate four years ago after watching an all-day marathon of true crime investigations on the ID channel. Each horrifying story of calculated murder gave me more inspiration for a novel. Halfway through the marathon, I knew I wanted the story to be centered around Angel, a character from an attempted novel that I long ago discarded. Angel’s character always lingered at the back of my mind years after the novel was abandoned. The character was unlike any other character I’ve read about or seen in films, and I knew Angel would find a home in the story that was churning in my mind.
Even when I was a child, I always found the villain or the anti-protagonist to be more interesting than the hero. I loved Drew Barrymore’s portrayal of Ivy in “Poison Ivy,” Rita of the “Power Rangers franchise” and Jack Nicholson as The Joker. I was more interested to know their side of the story, to know what made the darkness so alluring to them. So with my established interest with the villain and a story inspired by true crime investigations, I began to write The Angel at the Devil’s Gate.
As soon as I began working on the novel it was my intention to evoke a slew of emotions from the reader. I wanted Eli and Angel to be looked at with both condemning and sympathetic eyes. I wanted the reader to be frightened by them yet finding themselves oddly drawn to them just the same. At the novel’s completion, I couldn’t be happier with the outcome. I had a story with the dark, menacing atmosphere of an 18th century gothic horror novel with the plot devices of a commercial thriller.
The Author
I was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, and like most writers, I had a passion for writing as a child; however, I was terribly shy (I still am to a certain extent) and refused to enter any writing competitions or show my writing to anyone but my mother and brother. Nonetheless, I knew I wanted to be an author and it’s a dream I strive to achieve. I attended the University of Central Missouri for journalism with a minor in creative writing. I’m currently in the tedious yet delightful (sometimes) editing process of my second novel, The Possession of Susan Rite, and doing research for my third novel. If you have any questions or just want to chat, you can reach me on Twitter at my VERY original handle name: Mocha_Writer.
The Funding
Before I invest in any project, I like to know exactly what my funds will go to, and I’m assuming you’re the same. I spent a great deal of time researching different publishing services that were affordable and effective. Promotion is one of the key elements to a novel’s success, so I wanted to find a service that put emphases on promotion. I found that Dog Ear Publishing accommodated all my wants. Their package for $3,699 includes:
- Exterior and interior design
- Professional copyediting
- Cover copywriting for the content of the back cover
- Registration with all major online booksellers and national distributors
- Registration with Books in Print database providing worldwide availability
- Assignment of International Standard Book Number (ISBN)
- Library of Congress control number and US Copyright information
- Full e-book Suite – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBookstore, B&N Nook, and Google Editions
- Media press releases that are released to 1,000 targeted media outlets
- A PPC Marketing Campaign
- Social Media Marketing Campaign
- Email Marketing Campaign
- Google Book Search program
Because my horror novel exceeds the 53,000 word count limit, an estimated $1,100 (0.02 per word) will be added into the package price. To further my novel’s discoverability, I want to register my novel into the Netgalley database for $500, where it will be available for six months (three months before its release and three months after) for reviews from publishing insiders and book bloggers. The additional funds are going to the Kickstarter fees and the cost to print and ship all rewards.
If I exceed my goal then I am going to use the extra funds to further promote my novel (blog tours and other promotional services) and add more rewards for my backers as a thank you.
Risks and challenges
My novel is 100% written; the only delay I can see happening is a delay in the post-production process (editing or design). If any issues do arise, I’ll be sure to address my backers with the setbacks and keep them up to date on when they can expect their rewards to arrive.
Click here to help fund this horror novel.
Categorised in: Horror Books
This post was written by Nadia Vella