Donald Allen Kirch's Blog
May 2, 2012
I just added a new page to my website dedicated to the kind of "DARK" stories I loved to read as a youngster. Those deeply thought out tales of horror and fright that would force me to keep the lights on, after I had read them, in order to go to sleep.
I will do my best to add to these stories as time goes by, hoping to entertain, amuse, and anger. Horror needs all three of these emotions in order to work.
I invite you to stop by and read the first story entitled "I AM." It should help to get the juices going...
http://www.donaldallenkirch.com/dark-...
I will do my best to add to these stories as time goes by, hoping to entertain, amuse, and anger. Horror needs all three of these emotions in order to work.
I invite you to stop by and read the first story entitled "I AM." It should help to get the juices going...
http://www.donaldallenkirch.com/dark-...
April 28, 2012
I had a WONDERFUL time today being a guest on "Suspense Radio." The staff there is great, and the magazine they produce is one of the best in the business.
I have attached the link to the show to this blog, hoping to gather a few curious listeners. If you forward to 33:55 you can hear me in the program. I look forward to hearing from you, and will be grateful for any feedback.
Suspense Radio Link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/suspense...
I have attached the link to the show to this blog, hoping to gather a few curious listeners. If you forward to 33:55 you can hear me in the program. I look forward to hearing from you, and will be grateful for any feedback.
Suspense Radio Link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/suspense...
April 23, 2012
In the final stages of editing my short horror novel "Reich." I hate editing. I shouldn't but...I do. Still, nothing is more beautiful than helping a new work enter the world. Now...I just have to find the right publisher. Easier said than done!
March 4, 2012
It is with great pleasure that I announce the recent release of my fantasy novel entitled "The Lurker War." It is the second book in a series called "The Nown World Chronicles."
Here's a blurb from the back of the book:
An ancient evil rises!
In this sequel to “The Misadventures of Ka-Ron the Knight” an evil force is growing in the “Nown” world, causing peaceful nations and kings to wage war on one another for no apparent reason.
Returning home after her adventure “Karen” has accepted her new identity, having been changed into a woman, marrying her faithful squire Jatel. In her absence, Idoshia has become a fallen and conquered nation controlled by the Xows! The Royal Family are prisoners in their own castle, and a political opportunist named Hector has seized power.
In the elfin lands, an ancient evil has been released causing all free-loving people to take up arms against their beloved king. He has gone mad, and seems to be under the control of a power no one can understand.
Building up a great alliance, Karen of Teal, former Errant-Knight to the kingdom of Idoshia, becomes her people’s one and only hope. Battling Elves, vampires, an escape from prison, sea creatures, and an army of the dead, no horror is more unimaginable than what would later be called “THE LURKER WAR!”
I invite you all to add comments and read my latest adventure. Take care, my friends!
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Lurker-War-Worl...
Publisher's link: http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/s...
Paperback: http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback...
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-l...
Note: As more links become available I will add them to this post.
Here's a blurb from the back of the book:
An ancient evil rises!
In this sequel to “The Misadventures of Ka-Ron the Knight” an evil force is growing in the “Nown” world, causing peaceful nations and kings to wage war on one another for no apparent reason.
Returning home after her adventure “Karen” has accepted her new identity, having been changed into a woman, marrying her faithful squire Jatel. In her absence, Idoshia has become a fallen and conquered nation controlled by the Xows! The Royal Family are prisoners in their own castle, and a political opportunist named Hector has seized power.
In the elfin lands, an ancient evil has been released causing all free-loving people to take up arms against their beloved king. He has gone mad, and seems to be under the control of a power no one can understand.
Building up a great alliance, Karen of Teal, former Errant-Knight to the kingdom of Idoshia, becomes her people’s one and only hope. Battling Elves, vampires, an escape from prison, sea creatures, and an army of the dead, no horror is more unimaginable than what would later be called “THE LURKER WAR!”
I invite you all to add comments and read my latest adventure. Take care, my friends!
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Lurker-War-Worl...
Publisher's link: http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/s...
Paperback: http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback...
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-l...
Note: As more links become available I will add them to this post.
February 18, 2012
Today, most people love books centered around "sparkling" vampires or child-wizards saving the world. I guess they all serve a purpose and should be given some respect due to the fact that they sell more than "The Bible," but...I miss a certain "kind" of story which hasn't been around for quite some time. Frankly: I miss a certain writer...
I miss Rod Serling.
Most people reading this just came up with at least one of two images: They either thought of a man dressed in a business suit in the comfortable universe of black & white smoking a cigarette and offering directions to "The Twilight Zone," or a really scary story. I'm just as guilty: I think of these as well, but, alas...this is not what I am currently talking about. It is still about Rod Serling but not about scary or "The Twilight Zone."
Most of Mr. Serling's work centered around the same type of character. It didn't matter if he had written a western, horror, or even a science fiction story, nine out of ten times, his main character was always the same. Usually a mid-forties male, who was either stressed out or frightened about the world he found himself currently living in, and dreams of escaping into the "stress-free" days of childhood, or simple times. As a child, I loved the "scary" or "ironic" factor in such shows as "The Twilight Zone," "Night Gallery," and even "The Planet of the Apes." As a man entering his mid-forties, I now see the fear he must have felt creating these pieces. Like him, I wonder about the future, about the chances we take in life, and I am haunted by the ghosts in my past -- The awful "Could'a's, Would'a's, and Should'a's."
I love these stories and would like to see more of them. Like a tonic, they seem to heal what reality has taken away. Like magic, they restore what time cannot allow. Through the panic of another we understand ourselves that much more. The last thing any one of us wants to do is remind ourselves that we have lived past our time, but to experience these fears through a fictional character somehow, as painless as possible, allows "the changing of the guard," so to speak.
Just a humble observation to be taken "as is" and with just a little "grain of salt"....in "The Twilight Zone." :o)
I miss Rod Serling.
Most people reading this just came up with at least one of two images: They either thought of a man dressed in a business suit in the comfortable universe of black & white smoking a cigarette and offering directions to "The Twilight Zone," or a really scary story. I'm just as guilty: I think of these as well, but, alas...this is not what I am currently talking about. It is still about Rod Serling but not about scary or "The Twilight Zone."
Most of Mr. Serling's work centered around the same type of character. It didn't matter if he had written a western, horror, or even a science fiction story, nine out of ten times, his main character was always the same. Usually a mid-forties male, who was either stressed out or frightened about the world he found himself currently living in, and dreams of escaping into the "stress-free" days of childhood, or simple times. As a child, I loved the "scary" or "ironic" factor in such shows as "The Twilight Zone," "Night Gallery," and even "The Planet of the Apes." As a man entering his mid-forties, I now see the fear he must have felt creating these pieces. Like him, I wonder about the future, about the chances we take in life, and I am haunted by the ghosts in my past -- The awful "Could'a's, Would'a's, and Should'a's."
I love these stories and would like to see more of them. Like a tonic, they seem to heal what reality has taken away. Like magic, they restore what time cannot allow. Through the panic of another we understand ourselves that much more. The last thing any one of us wants to do is remind ourselves that we have lived past our time, but to experience these fears through a fictional character somehow, as painless as possible, allows "the changing of the guard," so to speak.
Just a humble observation to be taken "as is" and with just a little "grain of salt"....in "The Twilight Zone." :o)
November 29, 2011
I have the pleasure of announcing the release of my latest work. It is a novella entitled "Marley: The Other Christmas Carol." Ever wonder what happened to Jacob Marley AFTER he had helped his friend Scrooge? Well, I did, and got in trouble for it at school. I, a defiant eight year-old, had informed my teacher that, "Jacob Marley arranged to save Scrooge's soul with no hope of being rewarded for it. That should count for something in the after life!" I then was sent to the main office for disturbing the class. Even then...I had my literary critics!
Here's a small intro to the story...
MARLEY: THE OTHER CHRISTMAS CAROL
Damned!
Marley’s soul was lost, doomed to wander among the ranks of humanity, generation after generation, without the powers to be humane. The curse of his chains was a heavy one, and there were many a time in which he found the weight of said chains to be unbearable. So this must be perfectly understood: Marley was without hope.
Marley’s lot was indeed a sad one. Misery was his meat, and despair was his drink. Nothing of the earth was his except for the cold fingers of the grave. And it was there that Marley would never retreat. The grave was death! Marley had no powers such as those given to other earth-bound spirits. He was a wraith – a wanderer. However, upon saving the soul of a dear friend, he was given a haunting. In this haunting, Marley’s powers could not be equaled. However, one foot off the haunting’s property, and his soul would find itself in endless damnation.
Marley found himself trapped, staring out a window, into an ever-changing world. A world he would never again become a part of. A world of love, laughter, sorrow, and pain, he would always be a stranger to.
Waiting and waiting. Hoping to prove himself worthy.
If anyone would care to review it, or simply have a copy for Christmas :o) they can contact me. I look forward to all your feedback.
"God bless us! Everyone!"
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Marley--Other-C...
e-book: http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/s...
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books...
Paperback: http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback...
Here's a small intro to the story...
MARLEY: THE OTHER CHRISTMAS CAROL
Damned!
Marley’s soul was lost, doomed to wander among the ranks of humanity, generation after generation, without the powers to be humane. The curse of his chains was a heavy one, and there were many a time in which he found the weight of said chains to be unbearable. So this must be perfectly understood: Marley was without hope.
Marley’s lot was indeed a sad one. Misery was his meat, and despair was his drink. Nothing of the earth was his except for the cold fingers of the grave. And it was there that Marley would never retreat. The grave was death! Marley had no powers such as those given to other earth-bound spirits. He was a wraith – a wanderer. However, upon saving the soul of a dear friend, he was given a haunting. In this haunting, Marley’s powers could not be equaled. However, one foot off the haunting’s property, and his soul would find itself in endless damnation.
Marley found himself trapped, staring out a window, into an ever-changing world. A world he would never again become a part of. A world of love, laughter, sorrow, and pain, he would always be a stranger to.
Waiting and waiting. Hoping to prove himself worthy.
If anyone would care to review it, or simply have a copy for Christmas :o) they can contact me. I look forward to all your feedback.
"God bless us! Everyone!"
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Marley--Other-C...
e-book: http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/s...
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books...
Paperback: http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback...
October 9, 2011
I hate bad reviews. It's like someone abusing your wife, girlfriend, or child. In a way, each book, is like an offspring. Like most parents, once I release them into the world, I hope for the best -- always aware that there are those who relish in the destruction of others. This is the way of the world.
As I have gotten older, however, I am starting to see negativity as a challenge. Writers, like actors, have a responsibility to entertain. People work hard for their money -- as a broke writer, I am more aware of this than, lets say...Stephen King -- Sure, at one time he was as poor as dirt, but no more. He is too far removed from poverty, and it has become a distant memory -- I do not wish for my work to become nothing more than a waste of money. Some, have thought as much. I take that shame and realization and try to learn from my mistakes. To those I have mentioned I will simply apologize -- I, in essence, failed you.
All I can promise is that I am constantly learning, and constantly trying to improve. We learn by doing.
Pain makes one think. Thought gives one wisdom. And wisdom makes life more endurable.
As I have gotten older, however, I am starting to see negativity as a challenge. Writers, like actors, have a responsibility to entertain. People work hard for their money -- as a broke writer, I am more aware of this than, lets say...Stephen King -- Sure, at one time he was as poor as dirt, but no more. He is too far removed from poverty, and it has become a distant memory -- I do not wish for my work to become nothing more than a waste of money. Some, have thought as much. I take that shame and realization and try to learn from my mistakes. To those I have mentioned I will simply apologize -- I, in essence, failed you.
All I can promise is that I am constantly learning, and constantly trying to improve. We learn by doing.
Pain makes one think. Thought gives one wisdom. And wisdom makes life more endurable.
September 18, 2011
Writing is a wonderful adventure, but she can also be a selfish mistress. Often, I am asked by young authors, "What's the best advice you have to offer." I reply, "Learn the nature of "The Beast." The Beast being the book industry. It is often easier to write "The Great Novel" than it is to publish the bloody thing! Sun Tzu said, "Know your enemy, and know yourself, and you will always be triumphant!" This goes for the industry as well.
So many things have changed in just a few short years. I feel, sometimes, like a noob starting his first level of play.
I have decided to go back to school and obtain a degree in Marketing. To learn the science behind "the sell." To learn the art of grabbing the interest of the reader and never letting go. Print is practically dead in the West. If it doesn't blink and make loud noises, giving extra life points, you haven't a chance in hell...unless you're Stephen King, and have a "Best-Seller" before it even reaches the bookstores. That, my friends is not good writing, it's good marketing.
So, take care my friends. Think good thoughts. More to come next week!
So many things have changed in just a few short years. I feel, sometimes, like a noob starting his first level of play.
I have decided to go back to school and obtain a degree in Marketing. To learn the science behind "the sell." To learn the art of grabbing the interest of the reader and never letting go. Print is practically dead in the West. If it doesn't blink and make loud noises, giving extra life points, you haven't a chance in hell...unless you're Stephen King, and have a "Best-Seller" before it even reaches the bookstores. That, my friends is not good writing, it's good marketing.
So, take care my friends. Think good thoughts. More to come next week!
September 11, 2011
Like most writers in the world, I have a regular job. Every so often, I go home, hide in a secret room, turn on my computer and become this "other" person who breaks all the rules of normal life and dare to create worlds that will entertain, offend, frighten, or confuse. This is a very cool thing. And, like a superhero, I live a double life. For you see, no one at my job realizes that I am a published author. They talk to me about books and history, which I pride myself on knowing well. But, try as I might, I just cannot bring myself to brag or state that they can find my work on Amazon or Barnes & Noble websites. I am as silent as the grave.
WHY????
It's fear. I face the fact that there is no way I can please everyone, and I do not want someone I know to invest their time and money into something I have created, only to discover they would have had a better time reading the label of a mustard bottle. Other's have said to me, "That's the risk you take becoming an artist." I counter with "You try it!"
I just love to write. I really do not care if I get published or become well-known. I honestly believe that I do a good enough job at my stories to obtain some praise, but I do not seek it. That's not the reason I do this. The reason I do this is because I love stories, I love to share, and I love the reactions I see on readers' faces as they turn the pages. And...it's cool!
What's the payoff?
Like Clark Kent, I have the ability of being ignored. Once, I was riding on a bus, and saw a lady reading one of my books. I sat there, right beside her, and found myself talking with her about "the book she was reading." She liked it! She told me all about it, and was happy in the telling. I never told her who I was, and loved each minute. I never felt so alive.
It is a "double" life for me, and I wouldn't have it any other way. :o)
WHY????
It's fear. I face the fact that there is no way I can please everyone, and I do not want someone I know to invest their time and money into something I have created, only to discover they would have had a better time reading the label of a mustard bottle. Other's have said to me, "That's the risk you take becoming an artist." I counter with "You try it!"
I just love to write. I really do not care if I get published or become well-known. I honestly believe that I do a good enough job at my stories to obtain some praise, but I do not seek it. That's not the reason I do this. The reason I do this is because I love stories, I love to share, and I love the reactions I see on readers' faces as they turn the pages. And...it's cool!
What's the payoff?
Like Clark Kent, I have the ability of being ignored. Once, I was riding on a bus, and saw a lady reading one of my books. I sat there, right beside her, and found myself talking with her about "the book she was reading." She liked it! She told me all about it, and was happy in the telling. I never told her who I was, and loved each minute. I never felt so alive.
It is a "double" life for me, and I wouldn't have it any other way. :o)
September 10, 2011
Just got another book trailer done for my fantasy novel "The Misadventures of Ka-Ron the Knight." It contains the new book cover and refrence to the coming release of the second book "The Lurker War." So...enjoy! I look forward to your feedback.
http://youtu.be/WjSV3yvsY-o
http://youtu.be/WjSV3yvsY-o
