Willy Martinez's Blog, page 45
February 4, 2023
“If You Smell Iodine, The Captain is Nearby” – Ukrainian Poetry
A poem by Ukrainian LYUDMYLA DIADCHENKO
Translated by PADMA THORNLYRE
If you smell iodine, the captain is nearby.
The pines support heaven upon their needles.
An aquamarine July strolls along the seashore,
Its ever-returning feet massaged by pebbles.
You dilute the climate with tears. Carving melons
Smells of vacation … just as the inevitable captain.
Hello! I know this well: summer has come. Henceforth,
It will knock at my threshold. I will prepare. I change
Unnecessarily so many times each day. The soul
Immaculate gasps when you bring her to the glassy sea.
When summer ends, I will spill iodine. Let it smell,
To make the captain believe his sea is my flat.
Read the Ukrainian-language original, “якщо пахне йодом—значить капітан попереду.”
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February 3, 2023
Give It Up – Flash Fiction by Franz Kafka
If you don’t know about Franz Kafka, you have been missing out. Below is just a quick 128 word flash fiction work by his. But clearly, he has more… a lot more. And you really should check it out!
It was very early in the morning, the streets clean and deserted, I was walking to the station. As I compared the tower clock with my watch I realized that it was already much later than I had thought, I had to hurry, the shock of this discovery made me unsure of the way, I did not yet know my way very well in this town; luckily, a policeman was nearby, I ran up to him and breathlessly asked him the way. He smiled and said: “From me you want to know the way?” “Yes,” I said, “since I cannot find it myself.” “Give it up! Give it up,” he said, and turned away with a sudden jerk, like people who want to be alone with their laughter.
There are elements of Clive Barker in the telling of these 8 macabre tales, with brutal frankness, and anger at the unjust nature of life, death, and a capricious god. The tales, like the judgments within, pass quickly and savagely. They are easy to read but linger afterward. An enjoyable collection for fans of the nastier side of horror.”
Purchase as a paperback on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
Buy the eBook for only $4.99 below!
BuyThe post Give It Up – Flash Fiction by Franz Kafka appeared first on Mind on Fire Books.
February 1, 2023
What Happens to a Dream Deferred? A Poem by Langston Hughes
A poem by LANGSTON HUGHES
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore—
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over—
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it…
FacebookTwitterInstagramLinkedInGoodreads $4.99 Add to cart $0.99 Add to cart $0.00 Add to cart $0.00 Add to cart The post What Happens to a Dream Deferred? A Poem by Langston Hughes appeared first on Mind on Fire Books.
December 30, 2022
The Most Fascinating Lovecraft Connection To Ancient Mummies?
Who would have thought that there is a connection between Lovecraft, ancient Egyptian texts, Aliester Crowley, Blavatsky, and Hollywood?
We’re all familiar with the popular Hollywood stories of the dashing American hero, run amuck of the French Foreign Legion in Egypt, and faced with a mercenary charter from a beautiful British woman. The two narrowly escape capture, only to find themselves swept up in an adventure to save the world from the evil agenda of a mummy and its followers. (I’m talking about “The Mummy“ here)
H.P. Lovecraft, the Necronomicon and Ancient Egyptian MummiesAs is typically the case in Hollywood, facts sometimes get muddled in the creative process, and what we’ve come to know of the legend of the Book of the Dead, may be less accurate than you think.
It is true that ancient Egyptians made use of a document, now known as ‘The Book of the Dead’, though it is far less dubious than the name suggests. The name of the book, coined by German Egyptologist Karl Richard Lepsius, was an unfortunate failure of translation from ancient Egyptian, to Arabic, to German and then to English. Something was definitely lost in that translation.
What archaeology knows as the Book of the Dead was long believed to be the Egyptian Bible …What archaeology knows as the Book of the Dead was long believed to be the Egyptian Bible, though that belief was replaced with the understanding that the text contains more ritualistic hymns, prayers and incantations, than it does religious doctrine, and was intended to aid the deceased in passing through obstructions in the afterlife (basically a how-to manual for surviving in the hereafter). It was commonly placed inside the inside the coffin or burial chamber, along with the many other items of spiritual power and wealth.
So, if the Book of the Dead was simply a set of post funeral instructions, where did the mummy legend come from? This point is up for debate, though some theories have been postulated.
The famed American horror author H.P. Lovecraft (August 20, 1890 – March 15, 1937) may be to blame for more that just a few nightmares.
Look inside Details Preview Phantom World A.R. Braun [caption id="attachment_8291" align="alignleft" width="188"]
phantom world[/caption]Phantom World is a Hard Core Haunt collection that explores the bitter feelings of isolation, loss, and denounces religion from various personalities. Here we will be introduced to poltergeists, newly born ghost-entities along with their familiars learning about the afterlife, and spirits that are stuck in the netherworld. While some of these ectoplasmic beings may come across as innocent at times, their stories unfold in a manner to inform the reader as to why they were not allowed into the heaven or allowed to have a “peaceful” afterlife.
Written by A.R. Braun
Release Date: September 22nd, The First Day of Fall
Phantom World will be Available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Scribd, Kobo and here.
ISBN: 978-1-7361447-2-5
About the Author
Once completing the Bram Stoker Award Boot Camp, A. R. Braun writes the following novels: Dogman of Illinois, Heaven’s Witches, Autonomy, and Only Women in Hell. As well as publishing the short-story collections: Insanity, Horror Book, Grimoire, and the novella, 66SICK.
He became interested in horror when he read “The Telltale Heart,” as an assignment in high school. By the time he was eighteen, he owns the whole Stephen King collection and begins writing short stories for friends and family.
A. R. holds numerous publication credits, including “NREM Sleep” in the D.O.A. anthology; “Freaks” in Downstate Story magazine; “The Unwanted Visitors” in the Vermin anthology; “Coven” in the Heavy Metal Horror anthology; “Remember Me?” in Horror Bound magazine; and “Shades of Gray (the Symbiosis of Light and Dark)” in Micro Horror magazine.
“The Interloper” wins story of the month in 2009’s June Full Moon in Bloom issue of SNM Horror Magazine, and the piece was included in the SNM Horror anthology, Bonded by Blood 2: a Romance in Red.
A.R. Braun is a featured writer in our fiction anthology, “Mad Men” – a collection of three disturbing tales exploring what lies within man. Available now at Google Books, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Apple iBooks, Smashwords, and Amazon.
Read Demosthenes, the Great Greek Orator .book[data-book="book-8002"] .cover::before {background: url(https://mindonfirebooks.com/wp-conten... figure .buttons a { font-size:0.65em !important;}.bookshelf figure h2 { font-size:1.8em !important;}div#bookshelf { -ms-transform: scale(1, 1); /* IE 9 */ -webkit-transform: scale(1, 1); /* Safari */ transform: scale(1, 1);} Look inside Details Mad Men Mad Men Mad Men is a collection of three disturbing horror shorts from authors living in the Midwest. The themes explored in this collection range from man versus self, man versus man, and man versus creature.
[caption id="attachment_4742" align="alignleft" width="188"]
Mad Men eBook at Mind on Fire Books[/caption]Mad Men begins with Matt’s tale, a thought-provoking thriller that causes the reader to question his reality and what he fears within himself. The second tale explores the grotesque juxtaposed with beautiful nature, where the ending unfolds into a horrific dream, waking in even more terrible pain. The third tale is by seasoned horror writer, A.R. Braun – and his diabolical creatures never disappoint! A.R. Braun’s goal is to be on the banned book list; we think this tale may just be evil enough to be considered. A must-read before it does get banned!
Mainstream Horror Shorts don’t always satisfy us in the way they should. They don’t open conversations about what it is that we fear or why we fear such things, they focus mainly on pop culture and gore. The writers in the Mad Men anthology understand the need for literate horror, opening discussions of man’s psyche. When these writers set out to tell a story, they are less interested in conveying fear and more interested in wonder, the sublime, and the infinite strangeness that drives all men and women. Highly recommended for tweens, teens, and adults.
The Mad Men anthology was published by Mind on Fire Books. Written by Willy Martinez, A.R. Braun, and Matt Lavitt. No part of this book shall be copied without permission from the publisher. .book[data-book="book-4740"] .cover::before {background: url(https://mindonfirebooks.com/wp-conten... figure .buttons a { font-size:0.65em !important;}.bookshelf figure h2 { font-size:1.8em !important;}div#bookshelf { -ms-transform: scale(1, 1); /* IE 9 */ -webkit-transform: scale(1, 1); /* Safari */ transform: scale(1, 1);} Continued – What H.P. Lovecraft, the Necronomicon, and Ancient Egyptian Mummies Have in Common
Lovecraft was, in his own time, a little known and under appreciated author of cult stories and strange horror fiction. His tastes were not aligned with the temperament of his audience at the time, though his work has gained world renown since his death. Author/Film Maker Stephen King attributes his own sick sense of gore and suspense to Lovecraft (among others).
There is a wide belief that Lovecraft’s most famous work, ‘Cthulhu Mythos’, which has garnered the most attention and influenced more writers worldwide than any other, may actually be a partial plagiarism from the infamous Arabic tome, the Necronomicon.
According to some experts in the study of ancient texts, namely Justin Geoffry in his book ‘The Book of the Arab’, The Necronomicon is shrouded in its own mysteries and misunderstandings. History had largely accounted the Necronomicon as a collection of evil, as a grimoire or sorcerers handbook, but as is often the case with such fantastic claims, scholars have discovered something very different.
Study of the ancient languages has lead scholars to the correct translation of the books title: ‘Book of Dead Names’. The Necronomicon was originally written in Damascus in 730ad, by a man who is described by some as a wandering mad poet, Abdul Alhazred. Little is known about Alhazred, but much speculation has taken place and many believe that he was a well read nomad born of the Yemen province of Sanaa.
FacebookTwitterInstagramLinkedInGoodreadsWhat Do Blavatsky and Crowley Have to Say?What is known is that the Necronomicon was an incoherent literary rambling of a man who has been compared to Madam Blavatsky, famed author of ‘The Secret Doctrine’. It is believed that the actual purpose of the book was an historical accounting of traditions, languages and important people who had passed on, though Alhazred was less talented as a writer, than he was as a historian.
As a result of his tendency to spin in tangent mid sentence and to marry odd concepts together with little logic or meaning, superstitious readers of the book became convinced that the book itself held supernatural powers, bestowed upon it by the raving madman.
Well, poet and magician Aleister Crowley is known to have studied various copies of the actual Necronomicon texts (of which there are variations due to banning, destruction and selective editing) as a part of research for his own ‘Book of the Law’, and as it turns out, Crowley’s love interest and later wife, Sonia Greene, was an influential acquaintance of Lovecraft, and had both opportunity and cause to share her suitors work and ideas with the weirdly charismatic horror author.
So where does Lovecraft fit into all this?This is all well and good, and provides some food for thought, but there’s still no connection between the modern mummy legends and Lovecraft, let alone the Necronomicon.
The leap from Lovecraft to modern Hollywood is no real stretch; after all, so many writers and directors are vociferous in their love of Lovecraft. It’s not hard to see how the fundamentals of the ‘Cthulhu Mythos’ leeched its way into popular culture. The one piece of evidence that is compelling in all this is the fact that no other book or script in the history of humanity has been so vehemently regarded as an ancient grimoire for raising and controlling the dead. The Necronomicon is such a book, and the superstition surrounding this script is virtually identical in foundation to the very adventures our hero and his heroine face on the silver screen.
Believe what you may, but know that behind every great adventure story is a grain of truth, though that truth may come from somewhere completely surprising.
Thank you for visiting with us. For more Literature related content, visit our blog at The Ritual.
Let’s Read!
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Processing… Success! You're on the list. Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.The post The Most Fascinating Lovecraft Connection To Ancient Mummies? appeared first on Mind on Fire Books.
December 18, 2022
6 Haikus To Blow Your Mind Past the Fall Weather
These Haikus were written by Willy Martinez as the weather transitioned from Summer to Fall/Winter-ish, in 2022.
Haiku #1
These cathartic windsswoosh the tinge of thoughts I saved
deep beneath my skin
Haiku #2
The weather outsideis overcast, expect rain
reports David Lynch
I Wrote this as I looked out the window of my study
Haiku #3
Novel writing monthkeeps us honest and on trackwith our writing goalsDid you know that November is National Novel Writing Month?If you are enjoying this article, we have similar poetry content and discourse theory, here.Haiku #4
Took a hike today,
Embracing brisk Fall weather's
Lovely atmosphere
Haiku #5
May your coffee beans
warm your inner glow and soul,
raising your smile :)
Haiku #6
It's been a warm Fall Season, 2022 spedning time outside
Let’s Read!
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Processing… Success! You're on the list. Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again. Look inside Details Preview Phantom World A.R. Braun [caption id="attachment_8291" align="alignleft" width="188"] phantom world[/caption]Phantom World is a Hard Core Haunt collection that explores the bitter feelings of isolation, loss, and denounces religion from various personalities. Here we will be introduced to poltergeists, newly born ghost-entities along with their familiars learning about the afterlife, and spirits that are stuck in the netherworld. While some of these ectoplasmic beings may come across as innocent at times, their stories unfold in a manner to inform the reader as to why they were not allowed into the heaven or allowed to have a “peaceful” afterlife.
Written by A.R. Braun
Release Date: September 22nd, The First Day of Fall
Phantom World will be Available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Scribd, Kobo and here.
ISBN: 978-1-7361447-2-5
About the Author
Once completing the Bram Stoker Award Boot Camp, A. R. Braun writes the following novels: Dogman of Illinois, Heaven’s Witches, Autonomy, and Only Women in Hell. As well as publishing the short-story collections: Insanity, Horror Book, Grimoire, and the novella, 66SICK.
He became interested in horror when he read “The Telltale Heart,” as an assignment in high school. By the time he was eighteen, he owns the whole Stephen King collection and begins writing short stories for friends and family.
A. R. holds numerous publication credits, including “NREM Sleep” in the D.O.A. anthology; “Freaks” in Downstate Story magazine; “The Unwanted Visitors” in the Vermin anthology; “Coven” in the Heavy Metal Horror anthology; “Remember Me?” in Horror Bound magazine; and “Shades of Gray (the Symbiosis of Light and Dark)” in Micro Horror magazine.
“The Interloper” wins story of the month in 2009’s June Full Moon in Bloom issue of SNM Horror Magazine, and the piece was included in the SNM Horror anthology, Bonded by Blood 2: a Romance in Red.
A.R. Braun is a featured writer in our fiction anthology, “Mad Men” – a collection of three disturbing tales exploring what lies within man. Available now at Google Books, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Apple iBooks, Smashwords, and Amazon.
Read Demosthenes, the Great Greek Orator .book[data-book="book-8002"] .cover::before {background: url(https://mindonfirebooks.com/wp-conten... figure .buttons a { font-size:0.65em !important;}.bookshelf figure h2 { font-size:1.8em !important;}div#bookshelf { -ms-transform: scale(1, 1); /* IE 9 */ -webkit-transform: scale(1, 1); /* Safari */ transform: scale(1, 1);} Look inside Details Mad Men Mad Men Mad Men is a collection of three disturbing horror shorts from authors living in the Midwest. The themes explored in this collection range from man versus self, man versus man, and man versus creature.
[caption id="attachment_4742" align="alignleft" width="188"]
Mad Men eBook at Mind on Fire Books[/caption]Mad Men begins with Matt’s tale, a thought-provoking thriller that causes the reader to question his reality and what he fears within himself. The second tale explores the grotesque juxtaposed with beautiful nature, where the ending unfolds into a horrific dream, waking in even more terrible pain. The third tale is by seasoned horror writer, A.R. Braun – and his diabolical creatures never disappoint! A.R. Braun’s goal is to be on the banned book list; we think this tale may just be evil enough to be considered. A must-read before it does get banned!
Mainstream Horror Shorts don’t always satisfy us in the way they should. They don’t open conversations about what it is that we fear or why we fear such things, they focus mainly on pop culture and gore. The writers in the Mad Men anthology understand the need for literate horror, opening discussions of man’s psyche. When these writers set out to tell a story, they are less interested in conveying fear and more interested in wonder, the sublime, and the infinite strangeness that drives all men and women. Highly recommended for tweens, teens, and adults.
The Mad Men anthology was published by Mind on Fire Books. Written by Willy Martinez, A.R. Braun, and Matt Lavitt. No part of this book shall be copied without permission from the publisher. .book[data-book="book-4740"] .cover::before {background: url(https://mindonfirebooks.com/wp-conten... figure .buttons a { font-size:0.65em !important;}.bookshelf figure h2 { font-size:1.8em !important;}div#bookshelf { -ms-transform: scale(1, 1); /* IE 9 */ -webkit-transform: scale(1, 1); /* Safari */ transform: scale(1, 1);}
The post 6 Haikus To Blow Your Mind Past the Fall Weather appeared first on Mind on Fire Books.
December 14, 2022
Midweek Poem – Pen Your Ten
“Pen Your Ten” as it trends on Twitter.
Stop judging me for fighting my battles my own way
by Feteme Fuentes on Splash Thank you for visiting with us. For more poetry or Literature related content, visit our blog at The Ritual. Poem written by Willy Martinez, originally for the Twitter community.
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Processing… Success! You're on the list. Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.The post Midweek Poem – Pen Your Ten appeared first on Mind on Fire Books.
November 9, 2022
Haiku Nature Poem
phantom world[/caption]Phantom World is a Hard Core Haunt collection that explores the bitter feelings of isolation, loss, and denounces religion from various personalities. Here we will be introduced to poltergeists, newly born ghost-entities along with their familiars learning about the afterlife, and spirits that are stuck in the netherworld. While some of these ectoplasmic beings may come across as innocent at times, their stories unfold in a manner to inform the reader as to why they were not allowed into the heaven or allowed to have a “peaceful” afterlife.
Written by A.R. Braun
Release Date: September 22nd, The First Day of Fall
Phantom World will be Available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Scribd, Kobo and here.
ISBN: 978-1-7361447-2-5
About the Author
Once completing the Bram Stoker Award Boot Camp, A. R. Braun writes the following novels: Dogman of Illinois, Heaven’s Witches, Autonomy, and Only Women in Hell. As well as publishing the short-story collections: Insanity, Horror Book, Grimoire, and the novella, 66SICK.
He became interested in horror when he read “The Telltale Heart,” as an assignment in high school. By the time he was eighteen, he owns the whole Stephen King collection and begins writing short stories for friends and family.
A. R. holds numerous publication credits, including “NREM Sleep” in the D.O.A. anthology; “Freaks” in Downstate Story magazine; “The Unwanted Visitors” in the Vermin anthology; “Coven” in the Heavy Metal Horror anthology; “Remember Me?” in Horror Bound magazine; and “Shades of Gray (the Symbiosis of Light and Dark)” in Micro Horror magazine.
“The Interloper” wins story of the month in 2009’s June Full Moon in Bloom issue of SNM Horror Magazine, and the piece was included in the SNM Horror anthology, Bonded by Blood 2: a Romance in Red.
A.R. Braun is a featured writer in our fiction anthology, “Mad Men” – a collection of three disturbing tales exploring what lies within man. Available now at Google Books, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Apple iBooks, Smashwords, and Amazon.
Read Demosthenes, the Great Greek Orator .book[data-book="book-8002"] .cover::before {background: url(https://mindonfirebooks.com/wp-conten... figure .buttons a { font-size:0.65em !important;}.bookshelf figure h2 { font-size:1.8em !important;}div#bookshelf { -ms-transform: scale(1, 1); /* IE 9 */ -webkit-transform: scale(1, 1); /* Safari */ transform: scale(1, 1);} Look inside Details Mad Men Mad Men Mad Men is a collection of three disturbing horror shorts from authors living in the Midwest. The themes explored in this collection range from man versus self, man versus man, and man versus creature.
[caption id="attachment_4742" align="alignleft" width="188"]
Mad Men eBook at Mind on Fire Books[/caption]Mad Men begins with Matt’s tale, a thought-provoking thriller that causes the reader to question his reality and what he fears within himself. The second tale explores the grotesque juxtaposed with beautiful nature, where the ending unfolds into a horrific dream, waking in even more terrible pain. The third tale is by seasoned horror writer, A.R. Braun – and his diabolical creatures never disappoint! A.R. Braun’s goal is to be on the banned book list; we think this tale may just be evil enough to be considered. A must-read before it does get banned!
Mainstream Horror Shorts don’t always satisfy us in the way they should. They don’t open conversations about what it is that we fear or why we fear such things, they focus mainly on pop culture and gore. The writers in the Mad Men anthology understand the need for literate horror, opening discussions of man’s psyche. When these writers set out to tell a story, they are less interested in conveying fear and more interested in wonder, the sublime, and the infinite strangeness that drives all men and women. Highly recommended for tweens, teens, and adults.
The Mad Men anthology was published by Mind on Fire Books. Written by Willy Martinez, A.R. Braun, and Matt Lavitt. No part of this book shall be copied without permission from the publisher. .book[data-book="book-4740"] .cover::before {background: url(https://mindonfirebooks.com/wp-conten... figure .buttons a { font-size:0.65em !important;}.bookshelf figure h2 { font-size:1.8em !important;}div#bookshelf { -ms-transform: scale(1, 1); /* IE 9 */ -webkit-transform: scale(1, 1); /* Safari */ transform: scale(1, 1);}
The post Haiku Nature Poem appeared first on Mind on Fire Books.
November 8, 2022
10 Best ‘Dracula’ Killer Quotes from Horror Author, Bram Stoker
Abraham “Bram” Stoker was born on November 8th, 1847, and published his world-renowned vampire novel, Dracula, at the age of fifty in 1897. As today is the anniversary of this prolific author’s birth, we are celebrating with a list of the thirteen best quotes from his most famous gothic novel.
Below we have compiled our favorite 10 quotes from Dracula, by Bram Stoker:1. “I am all in a sea of wonders. I doubt; I fear; I think strange things, which I dare not confess to my own soul.”
2. “There are darknesses in life and there are lights, and you are one of the lights, the light of all lights.”
3. “We learn from failure, not from success!”
4. “Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make!”
5. “I sometimes think that we must all be mad and that we shall wake to sanity in strait-waistcoats.”
6. “I want you to believe… to believe in things that you cannot.”
7. “Do you believe in destiny? That even the powers of time can be altered for a single purpose? That the luckiest man who walks on this earth is the one who finds… true love?” – Bram Stoker, Dracula
8. “No man knows till he experiences it, what it is like to feel his own life-blood drawn away into the woman he loves.”
9. “Loneliness will sit over our roofs with brooding wings.”
10. “Do you not think that there are things which you cannot understand, and yet which are; that some people see things that others cannot?”
If you enjoyed these quotes from Dracula, written by Bram Stoker, you would probably enjoy our other literary content at The Ritual.
Look inside Details Preview Phantom World A.R. Braun [caption id="attachment_8291" align="alignleft" width="188"] phantom world[/caption]Phantom World is a Hard Core Haunt collection that explores the bitter feelings of isolation, loss, and denounces religion from various personalities. Here we will be introduced to poltergeists, newly born ghost-entities along with their familiars learning about the afterlife, and spirits that are stuck in the netherworld. While some of these ectoplasmic beings may come across as innocent at times, their stories unfold in a manner to inform the reader as to why they were not allowed into the heaven or allowed to have a “peaceful” afterlife.
Written by A.R. Braun
Release Date: September 22nd, The First Day of Fall
Phantom World will be Available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Scribd, Kobo and here.
ISBN: 978-1-7361447-2-5
About the Author
Once completing the Bram Stoker Award Boot Camp, A. R. Braun writes the following novels: Dogman of Illinois, Heaven’s Witches, Autonomy, and Only Women in Hell. As well as publishing the short-story collections: Insanity, Horror Book, Grimoire, and the novella, 66SICK.
He became interested in horror when he read “The Telltale Heart,” as an assignment in high school. By the time he was eighteen, he owns the whole Stephen King collection and begins writing short stories for friends and family.
A. R. holds numerous publication credits, including “NREM Sleep” in the D.O.A. anthology; “Freaks” in Downstate Story magazine; “The Unwanted Visitors” in the Vermin anthology; “Coven” in the Heavy Metal Horror anthology; “Remember Me?” in Horror Bound magazine; and “Shades of Gray (the Symbiosis of Light and Dark)” in Micro Horror magazine.
“The Interloper” wins story of the month in 2009’s June Full Moon in Bloom issue of SNM Horror Magazine, and the piece was included in the SNM Horror anthology, Bonded by Blood 2: a Romance in Red.
A.R. Braun is a featured writer in our fiction anthology, “Mad Men” – a collection of three disturbing tales exploring what lies within man. Available now at Google Books, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Apple iBooks, Smashwords, and Amazon.
Read Demosthenes, the Great Greek Orator .book[data-book="book-8002"] .cover::before {background: url(https://mindonfirebooks.com/wp-conten... figure .buttons a { font-size:0.65em !important;}.bookshelf figure h2 { font-size:1.8em !important;}div#bookshelf { -ms-transform: scale(1, 1); /* IE 9 */ -webkit-transform: scale(1, 1); /* Safari */ transform: scale(1, 1);} Look inside Details Mad Men Mad Men Mad Men is a collection of three disturbing horror shorts from authors living in the Midwest. The themes explored in this collection range from man versus self, man versus man, and man versus creature.
[caption id="attachment_4742" align="alignleft" width="188"]
Mad Men eBook at Mind on Fire Books[/caption]Mad Men begins with Matt’s tale, a thought-provoking thriller that causes the reader to question his reality and what he fears within himself. The second tale explores the grotesque juxtaposed with beautiful nature, where the ending unfolds into a horrific dream, waking in even more terrible pain. The third tale is by seasoned horror writer, A.R. Braun – and his diabolical creatures never disappoint! A.R. Braun’s goal is to be on the banned book list; we think this tale may just be evil enough to be considered. A must-read before it does get banned!
Mainstream Horror Shorts don’t always satisfy us in the way they should. They don’t open conversations about what it is that we fear or why we fear such things, they focus mainly on pop culture and gore. The writers in the Mad Men anthology understand the need for literate horror, opening discussions of man’s psyche. When these writers set out to tell a story, they are less interested in conveying fear and more interested in wonder, the sublime, and the infinite strangeness that drives all men and women. Highly recommended for tweens, teens, and adults.
The Mad Men anthology was published by Mind on Fire Books. Written by Willy Martinez, A.R. Braun, and Matt Lavitt. No part of this book shall be copied without permission from the publisher. .book[data-book="book-4740"] .cover::before {background: url(https://mindonfirebooks.com/wp-conten... figure .buttons a { font-size:0.65em !important;}.bookshelf figure h2 { font-size:1.8em !important;}div#bookshelf { -ms-transform: scale(1, 1); /* IE 9 */ -webkit-transform: scale(1, 1); /* Safari */ transform: scale(1, 1);}
The post 10 Best ‘Dracula’ Killer Quotes from Horror Author, Bram Stoker appeared first on Mind on Fire Books.
November 2, 2022
Bed Time Haiku
haikus, as I lay in bed,
instead of sleeping
The post Bed Time Haiku appeared first on Mind on Fire Books.
October 28, 2022
Walt Whitman Paints Beautiful Poetry and a Deathless Attachment to Freedom
If there ever was a writer who weaves vivid tales of American liberty and posterity as represented in the preamble to the Constitution, it is without a doubt, Walt Whitman. In his introduction to Leave of Grass, Whitman casta a net over the immense semantics of liberty and posterity as presented by our founding fathers:
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
Preamble to the Constitution
Walt Whitman Paints Beautiful Poetry and a Deathless Attachment to FreedomThe opening statement in Whitman’s introduction, “secures the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity,” by stating that, “America does not repel the past or what it has produced under its forms or amid other politics or the idea of castes or the old religions.” This sentence acknowledges our past in direct correlation with “Posterity” and makes the claim that we should accept the lesson with calmness,” so that our future generations may learn from it.
Whitman then illustrates the colossal American as a whole and as an individual where “Here is not merely a nation but a teeming nation of nations,” who are destined to stand united in order to preserve this Posterity because, “Here is the hospitality which forever indicates heroes.”
If you liked this article, we have some poetry from Ted Hughes and Indie Writer, Victoria Erickson.More lucid examples are given when Whitman writes that we “need never be bankrupt while corn grows from the ground or the orchards drop apples,” because the “United States is not best or most in its executives or legislatures… but always most in the common people,” and “their deathless attachment to freedom.”
This idea of posterity conceptualizes the American as an entrepreneur, governing his own land and accounts and always willing to defend what he has rightfully ascertained or cultivated under his own nation.
Look inside Details Preview Phantom World A.R. Braun [caption id="attachment_8291" align="alignleft" width="188"] phantom world[/caption]Phantom World is a Hard Core Haunt collection that explores the bitter feelings of isolation, loss, and denounces religion from various personalities. Here we will be introduced to poltergeists, newly born ghost-entities along with their familiars learning about the afterlife, and spirits that are stuck in the netherworld. While some of these ectoplasmic beings may come across as innocent at times, their stories unfold in a manner to inform the reader as to why they were not allowed into the heaven or allowed to have a “peaceful” afterlife.
Written by A.R. Braun
Release Date: September 22nd, The First Day of Fall
Phantom World will be Available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Scribd, Kobo and here.
ISBN: 978-1-7361447-2-5
About the Author
Once completing the Bram Stoker Award Boot Camp, A. R. Braun writes the following novels: Dogman of Illinois, Heaven’s Witches, Autonomy, and Only Women in Hell. As well as publishing the short-story collections: Insanity, Horror Book, Grimoire, and the novella, 66SICK.
He became interested in horror when he read “The Telltale Heart,” as an assignment in high school. By the time he was eighteen, he owns the whole Stephen King collection and begins writing short stories for friends and family.
A. R. holds numerous publication credits, including “NREM Sleep” in the D.O.A. anthology; “Freaks” in Downstate Story magazine; “The Unwanted Visitors” in the Vermin anthology; “Coven” in the Heavy Metal Horror anthology; “Remember Me?” in Horror Bound magazine; and “Shades of Gray (the Symbiosis of Light and Dark)” in Micro Horror magazine.
“The Interloper” wins story of the month in 2009’s June Full Moon in Bloom issue of SNM Horror Magazine, and the piece was included in the SNM Horror anthology, Bonded by Blood 2: a Romance in Red.
A.R. Braun is a featured writer in our fiction anthology, “Mad Men” – a collection of three disturbing tales exploring what lies within man. Available now at Google Books, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Apple iBooks, Smashwords, and Amazon.
Read Demosthenes, the Great Greek Orator .book[data-book="book-8002"] .cover::before {background: url(https://mindonfirebooks.com/wp-conten... figure .buttons a { font-size:0.65em !important;}.bookshelf figure h2 { font-size:1.8em !important;}div#bookshelf { -ms-transform: scale(1, 1); /* IE 9 */ -webkit-transform: scale(1, 1); /* Safari */ transform: scale(1, 1);} Look inside Details Mad Men Mad Men Mad Men is a collection of three disturbing horror shorts from authors living in the Midwest. The themes explored in this collection range from man versus self, man versus man, and man versus creature.
[caption id="attachment_4742" align="alignleft" width="188"]
Mad Men eBook at Mind on Fire Books[/caption]Mad Men begins with Matt’s tale, a thought-provoking thriller that causes the reader to question his reality and what he fears within himself. The second tale explores the grotesque juxtaposed with beautiful nature, where the ending unfolds into a horrific dream, waking in even more terrible pain. The third tale is by seasoned horror writer, A.R. Braun – and his diabolical creatures never disappoint! A.R. Braun’s goal is to be on the banned book list; we think this tale may just be evil enough to be considered. A must-read before it does get banned!
Mainstream Horror Shorts don’t always satisfy us in the way they should. They don’t open conversations about what it is that we fear or why we fear such things, they focus mainly on pop culture and gore. The writers in the Mad Men anthology understand the need for literate horror, opening discussions of man’s psyche. When these writers set out to tell a story, they are less interested in conveying fear and more interested in wonder, the sublime, and the infinite strangeness that drives all men and women. Highly recommended for tweens, teens, and adults.
The Mad Men anthology was published by Mind on Fire Books. Written by Willy Martinez, A.R. Braun, and Matt Lavitt. No part of this book shall be copied without permission from the publisher. .book[data-book="book-4740"] .cover::before {background: url(https://mindonfirebooks.com/wp-conten... figure .buttons a { font-size:0.65em !important;}.bookshelf figure h2 { font-size:1.8em !important;}div#bookshelf { -ms-transform: scale(1, 1); /* IE 9 */ -webkit-transform: scale(1, 1); /* Safari */ transform: scale(1, 1);} A Deathless Attachment to Freedom – Walt Whitman
A more interesting study of the statement, “their deathless attachment to freedom” would leas us to question his wording of a “deathless attachment” because it is will known that Americans are always volunteering to serve their nation even during times of tumultuous battle-conflict.
So one would then think that a more appropriate word for “deathless” would be “death-ready,” yet Whitman chose, “Deathless,” which would parallel the very definition of posterity – succeeding or future generations collectively. Americans do not sign up to serve and die, we do it for love of self and country and to defend what is ours in order to provide for our kin.
Another testament to Whitman’s conferring of our posterity is our attachment to “our country’s spirit… he incarnates its geography and natural life and rivers and lakes.” Every American is proud of where they are from and recognize every path in their home town like the back of their own hand. A city dweller from Chicago has memorized their various bus routes to traverses to work, school and home, just the same as a farmer from Iowa knows where to cultivate, how to plant corn, and when to collect crop. Every American is their own and “to him the hereditary countenance descends both mother’s and father’s.
If you liked this article, we have similar content studying communication from discourse theory, here.And who else would have as much liberty as to “poke-easy from sandhills and pines,” or go sledding down “the hills of Vermont,” or go hunting in the “woods of Main,” or to be bathing in delightful daylight “over the lakes or bays or along coasts,” alongside “a Southerner soon as a Northerner?” It is the Liberty loving American that does and always will.
Walt Whitman Paints Beautiful Poetry and a Deathless Attachment to FreedomWalt Whitman then writes in his introduction that it is the poet who “is worthy the grand idea” of liberty and its indispensability and how it’s the poets job to “cheer up slaves and horrify despots.” But if every atom that belongs to you also belongs to me then it is up to us to learn that “liberty relies upon itself, and invites no on and promises nothing” and that, WE are “the true American Character,” and understand that liberty is in every human genome and only when the “souls of men and women are discharged from any part of the Earth – then only shall the instinct of Liberty be discharged from that part of the Earth.” This piece suggests that Liberty is an instinct and will always be with us, which coincides with the reasoning of the Founding Fathers.
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Walt Whitman Paints Beautiful Poetry and a Deathless Attachment to FreedomSo if Liberty and Posterity are ours to keep and take wherever we go, we must attain “perfect personal candor,” and “great genius and the people of these states must never be demeaned to romances. As soon as histories are properly told there is no more need of romances.” Whitman attempts to build up the American character to what we are destined to be with such freedoms; he understands that with such a free government and so many Liberties that we must see and admit, “these economies as we see the economies of food and sleep, but has higher notions of prudence than to think we give much when we give a few slight attention at the latch of the gate.” Liberty and posterity are ours forever as long as we uphold to their Prudence and Candor.
It is clear that Whitman’s introduction to Leaves of Grass is superfluously respondent to the diction charged in the preamble to the constitution when we confer it to the opening of the Preamble to the Constitution, “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union… and to secure the Blessing of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.
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