H. David Blalock's Blog, page 6

Facebook and I Part Ways

Well, the month of May saw my Facebook page go to Timeline and me go to Google+. As I posted on my G+ page, I believe the new Facebook Timeline makes it too easy for criminal elements to find chronological information on people that gives them the ability to create resumes, recover information pointing at past events that could reveal keys to passwords, and so forth. Facebook is notorious for saying one thing and allowing too much. As a semi-public figure, my move is more a protest on principle than anything else, but I think it was a bad decision on Facebook's part (kind of like their going public with their stock).
Moving on, I have a flash fiction piece coming out in Midnight Screaming magazine (Kara Ferguson, editor) soon. With any luck, I may have a story in the upcoming Dreams of Steam III (Kerlak Publishing, Kimberly Richardson, editor), though I have not heard from the editor about that one yet. I continue to work on Traitor Angel for Seventh Star Press and Deity for Sam's Dot Publishing. With any luck I will have TA ready by Fandom Fest in Louisville (June 29-July 1).
That is my next event, by the way. I am looking forward to it this year, and am very glad they changed the venue. Last year's FF was a debacle of the first order. From everything I've seen, this one should be a great success.
Meanwhile, I was very pleased when Angelkiller (Seventh Star Press, 2011) hit #2 on the Amazon Kindle Free Bestsellers list a couple of weeks ago due to the efforts of Stephen Zimmer and the Seventh Star Saints. Small and medium press authors should have such luck as I have, working with these people. I cannot find the words to say how grateful I am to everyone who worked hard to make that two-day event such a success.
Cottonwood Cocoon by April BullardOn the Sam's Dot Publishing front, I continue to work on the next issue of parABnormal Digest. We have another marvelous cover from April Bullard. April's work was featured as the cover on the last issue, and we are privileged to be able to showcase her talent. We will also have a feature from a paranormal group in Greece among the fiction, art, poetry, and articles. The Digest will be coming in August and February from now on instead of September and March.
Sam's Dot Publishing was recently "acquired" by White Cat Publications LLC. Exactly how this affects SDP's publications is something I'm not clear about, but it doesn't seem to make much difference to those of us who edit for SDP. 
Well, enough about me. Have to get back to the notebooks and finish up these projects. Til next time, stay low and keep your powder dry.

I Write Pulp?

A few days ago I attended PulpArk 2012 in Batesville, Arkansas, a convention conceived and hosted by Tommy Hancock and Pro Se Press. I had a great time and got a chance to meet some wonderful talent like John Lucas, Will Mangin, Levi White, and the entire stable of Pro Se Press writers. Also attending were my old friends Robert and Ana Krog, JL Mulvihill, Stuart "Shorty" Bergman, Allan Gilbreath, Kimberly Richardson, Georgia Jones, Selina Rosen and Lynn Stranathan, and the inimitable Sean Taylor. One thing I realized as I sat at my table and watched the antics of my fellow conventioneers: until I met Tommy, it never occured to me that what I typically write used to be called pulp fiction.
As a boy, I was fascinated with the fiction of the first half of the 20th century. It heavily influences the writing I do (and sometimes actually sell) even today. Somewhere in the back of my mind I remembered it being called pulp, but I never thought I might actually be considered among that company until now. I am delighted at the description. I am more delighted that Tommy has expressed an interest in me writing for one or more of Pro Se's publications.
I currently am involved in several writing projects. Besides the novels Deity for Sam's Dot Publishing and Traitor Angel for Seventh Star Press, I am working on a story for the Dreams of Steam III anthology from Kerlak Publishing. If I can manage it, I would like to grind out a story for SSP's anthology call. I already have stories scheduled to appear this year from Perseid Press (in the Rogues of Hell anthology) and Evil Jester Press (in the Call of Lovecraft anthology). Add to those my editing duties on parABnormal Digest and I have a full ticket. I sent Pro Se a story, Kelly's Beast, which was bought for an anthology that never appeared, but have yet to hear back. Tommy's been ill for some time. Hope he's better soon.
Anyway, I'm gratified to see pulp fiction getting a new audience. The stories with real heroes and villains are always easier to read and more enjoyable than the angst-ridden "fiction" of the last couple of decades. If I wanted real-life panic in my entertainment, I'd watch the news.
I'm going to dedicate May to my writing. My next convention isn't until Fandom Fest in Louisville, so I have some time to try to catch up. Will keep you posted. Til next time, stay low and keep your powder dry!

March Update

Yes, I know it's April. But I didn't miss March by much, so bear with me.

There was quite a bit of excitement this last month, not the least of which was the long-awaited launch of Clockwork Spells and Magical Bells. This project stretched from November 2010, when the initial call went out, to Midsouthcon 30, which saw the official release of the book. I am very pleased at how the publication came out and encourage everyone to pick up a copy at your earliest convenience. Clockwork Spells and Magical Bells is steampunk with a twist: machine vs. magic (an idea conceived by Phillip Barringer). Edited by Herika R. Raymer, it contains works by noted and award-winning writers and artists. Inside you will find:

The Ironwork Falcon by Jackie Gamber
Discombabulation by Robert Krog
Moved to Action by Angelia Sparrow
The Taste of Treasure by Kathryn Sullivan
Quest for the Dragon Scale by MR Williamson
Bit of a Bind by CRS Bailey
The Leprechaun's Story by JL Mulvihill
The Witch of Midnight Hollow by Alexander S. Brown
When the Heart Lies Open to Steam and Star by Anne Barringer
Wax Seal by Mandi Lynch
Survival by S. P. Dorning
The Black Dress by Nick Valentino

Poetry from Windsong Levitch, Michael Greenway, and Henry L. Sanders and artwork from Emily Mottesheard, Michael Bielaczyc, and Nigel Sade. Oh, let's not forget that cover art by Dan Gamber.

Needless to say, I attended Midsouthcon 30 and once again it was a great event. This convention is one of my favorites and I try to never miss it. I had a wonderful time, was able to reconnect with old friends and make some new ones. The panels were entertaining and the audiences engaged. Can't wait until the next one.

My novella High Kings received First Runner-Up for the 2012 Darrell Award for Best Novella. Many thanks to the jury and congratulations to A. Christopher Drown! His Path of an Arrow won the award.

My short story Evidence of the Eternal appeared in parABnormal Digest # 3. This is a reprint of a story that appeared in 1999 at The Harrow, a UK based webzine. I was very excited about getting the story Voodoo Redgunk for that issue from Nebula Award recommended author William Eakin. His work has previously appeared in some of the most prestigious science fiction and fantasy magazines.

Still no word on when the Call of Lovecraft (Greg Norris, editor) anthology will appear from Evil Jester Press, although the rumor is it won't see light until September or later. It will contain my short story The Shed.

The next issue of The Martian Wave (Sam's Dot Publishing, J. Alan Erwine, editor) will contain my story Sparks, about the trials of a space station beleaguered by a mysterious and lethal virus. I understand that it will appear very soon.

Well, I believe that's it for now. Til next time, stay low and keep your powder dry!

So, I Said to February, Thanks

Two events in February went by as quickly as the month.

Early in the month was MS PulpCon in Jackson, MS, piloted by Chuck Jett and Java Ink; fun and much too brief. It was a single day event about comics, the paranormal, and pulp fiction with guests zombie artist Billy Tackett, dancer Alia Thabit, filmmaker Richard Landry, and author Dr. Alan Brown. I arrived as Alexander Brown and Jennifer Mulvihill were setting up their respective booths. For a look at their displays, check my Facebook album. Besides catching up with Jen and Alex, I got to meet Kalila Smith, a fellow Kerlak author, in the flesh. I touched base with David Childers and the Truthseekers, spoke with SPARS about an interview for the Digest, and discovered a new venue for a possible story submission in future - Twisted South Magazine. (More photos)

The last weekend of February saw Jennifer Mulvihill, Herika Raymer, and me headed to Roanoke, VA for Mysticon. The convention is well outside the usual range of events I attend, but it gave [image error] me an excuse to also connect with James and Marcia Miller, old friends who now live in Maryland. It was great getting to spend a little time with them, even though the convention was very busy. Check my Mysticon album on Facebook for pictures about the convention in general.

I sat on several panels at Mysticon, but the one that I will always remember (read: will haunt me forever) was the Iron Author panel. The concept was similar to Iron Chef, where 3 teams of 3 authors each were given the ingredients for a short story which they had a total of about 10 minutes to write in relay. Plot points came from the audience, which in and of itself is a recipe for disaster (and hilarity). To give you an idea of what I mean, the plot points for the first story were 1. Sentient Mohawk, 2. Cow-tipping, and 3. A kosher vampire eating a pickle. It went downhill from there. Our team lost, but I am proud of what we were able to accomplish anyway.

Both events were a lot of fun and I would love to be able to do them next year. Next month comes Midsouthcon, so I need to burrow into the notebooks and get some writing done before that.

Til next time, stay low and keep your powder dry.

Slow Start for a Fast Year

January is almost done, but I'm already behind.

The Imagicopter anthol ogy (Clockwork Spells and Magical Bells, Kerlak Publishing, cover art by Dan Gamber) won't come out this month due to logistical problems, although it should appear early in February. It was an ambitious project to begin with, so I suppose I should be pleased its appearance only slipped a couple of weeks. The experience has given me a whole new respect for small press publishers. I only hope the anthology does help the careers of the contributors. That would make the effort worthwhile.

I wanted to have the manuscript for Deity ready for Sam's Dot Publishing by the first of this year, but that didn't happen, and it's not likely to happen before March. I have two events in February (MS PulpCon and Mysticon) and one in March (MidSouthCon) I must attend. Preparation and travel for those events will take up a significant amount of time. As a writer whose muse is as fickle as a politician's loyalties, I find myself in a frustrating dry spell. I have tried every anti-writer's block trick I know without result. Not that I have given up, just spending a lot of time staring at a blank page with an equally blank mind. Some would say that's no real change from my normal state.

Of course, my short stories will be appearing in a couple of anthologies this year (Call of Lovecraft from Evil Jester Press and Rogues in Hell from Perseid Press [formerly Adventurers in Hell]) and I am working to try to get a few more. Still, my personal goals are to finish Deity for SDP, Traitor Angel for Seventh Star Press, make seven appearances by August, and finish stories for three other anthologies before their deadlines. Come September, I'll know for sure just how ambitious that is.

Meanwhile, a couple of stories have already gone to different periodicals for publication already. Evidence of the Eternal, originally appearing in 1999 at "The Harrow" magazine, will shortly be reprinted. A new science fiction story, Sparks, is under consideration at Aoife's Kiss magazine.

I was pleased to hear that my story The Real Magic (Dreams of Steam II: Brass and Bolts, Kerlak Publishing, 2011) was nominated for the 2012 Pulp Ark Best Short Story Award. I have written two steampunk stories in my life, and both have been nominated for awards. Is it possible I have missed my calling as a writer? Should I be concentrating on steampunk rather than science fiction and horror?

*Sigh* I hope I find out before the world ends in December.

Back to the notebooks. Stay low and keep your powder dry!

Goodbye 2011

Here it is, the last day of 2011. Within just a few hours, we start a brand new year. I should be reviewing my accomplishments of the past year and making plans for what's next, but I just want to get through midnight tonight in one piece.

There are so many projects on the horizon, I just want to spend a few hours in the company of family and friends, passing the time and having fun. Work can wait. Heck, it's Saturday! The weekend is supposed to be a break from the routine anyway, right?

Tonight I'm gonna forget about the upcoming Clockwork Spells and Magical Bells anthology, featuring 19 very talented writers and artists, by Kerlak Publishing. I'm going to think about something other than my latest novel release, Angelkiller, from Seventh Star Press and how it's available in print and digital formats. I'm not even going to consider the fact that my short story The Shed will be featured in the upcoming Call of Lovecraft anthology from Evil Jester Press, nor that I'm still reading for the next issue of Sam's Dot Publishing's parABnormal Digest, which comes out in March. I won't even think about how my story "Chasing the Key" will be in the Adventurers in Hell anthology from Perseid Press.

I could dwell on the fact I'll be a guest at the 2012 Mysticon in Roanoke, MidSouthCon XXX in Memphis, and Duckon 21 in Chicago, but I won't. I could wonder how things will go at Shadowcon in a couple days, or how the half-dozen soon-to-be planned Imagicopter events for 2012 will be received, but not tonight.

I could mull over the guest post I did for Darlene's Book Nook and the interview in the Ginger Nuts of Horror blogsite, but why go over them again?

Nope, I won't be working on the manuscripts of Deity for Sam's Dot Publishing, or Traitor Angel for Seventh Star Press. I won't be working on the story for Visionaries from Hell for Perseid Publishing or book reviews or commentary or anything tonight.

Tonight, I'm going to relax, have a drink, and enjoy the company. Tomorrow can take care of itself.

What's that dear? Publisher on the phone?

Tell 'em I'm dead.

Another Year Nearly Gone

As we approach the end of 2011, I'm finding much to be thankful for, and not just because it's that time of the year.

My family and some very close friends got together for Thanksgiving and it was a wonderful, heart-warming event. Eveyone overate, visited, and generally had a great time. It was one of those rare times when get-togethers actually work without friction or problems. Every gathering should be so enjoyable.

I have finally fought off the croup/pleuristical infection that has been haunting me for the last five weeks or so. I have been prone to pulmonary infections all my life, but this one was the kind that refused to let go. Now, if I can just get a full night's sleep...

Working on the Imagicopter anthology Clockwork Spells and Magical Bells with Allan Gilbreath at Kerlak Publishing. Once the cover art comes in from Dan Gamber, I believe we will have this fella wrapped. I know the writers and artists are anxious to get their due, both monetarily and publicly. Personally, I would just like to get the thing done. I have several other projects hovering in the wings awaiting their turn.

Uppermost in that queue is Deity for Sam's Dot Publishing. When I am not reading for the next issue of parABnormal Digest or finalizing the outline for Doom Angel or writing a short story for some recent anthology call, I'm writing on Deity. What spare time I have from those I have dabbled at The Boathouse novella and Eye of the Storm. I hope to have something for the next volume of the HIH series, Visionaries in Hell, as well. Something tells me 2012 will see a lot of my work finally in print. Barring the Zombie Apocalyse, of course.

So, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy New Year, etc., etc. Till next time, keep your powder dry and stay low.

Angelkiller Now Available!

Seventh Star Press is hitting the ground running with the release of my latest novel, Angelkiller. I am very pleased with their enthusiasm and have really enjoyed working with Stephen Zimmer, Amanda DeBord and Matt Perry in preparing this work for the public. I couldn't ask for better, more professional help with making this a success. Any missteps in this process I will gladly shoulder as my responsibility. I am the one amateur in this process.

Now for the word from my sponsor:

Buy Now for limited hardcover of Angelkiller



softcover package of Angelkiller

What happened to September? It was here a minute ago... O...

What happened to September? It was here a minute ago... Oh, well. Onward.

The progress on Angelkiller is heartening. With illustrations from Matt Perry and an able hand from my editor Amanda DeBord, it should be finalized and in print before the end of the year. Maybe in time for Christmas, who knows?

The September 2011 issue of parABnormal Digest went out, and so far the feedback has been good. Time will tell just how successful the PD experiment is, but it's looking like we have a hit.

I recently received the news that my short story Chasing the Key has been accepted for the upcoming Adventurers in Hell anthology from Perseid Press, latest volume in the Heroes in Hell series begun back in 1986. I look forward to writing for this series again. It should appear about the same time as the Call of Lovecraft anthology, which has my short story Shed, early next year.

Meanwhile [image error] , Dreams of Steam II: Brass and Bolts is now available from Kerlak Publishing. My short story The Real Magic is tucked therein. DoS2 is edited by Kimberly Richardson, who is a great steampunk author in her own right. If it wasn't for her advice and that of the inimitable Nick Valentino, I would never have figured out steampunk (at least, that's what I tell them).

Ongoing still are the final preparation for Clockwork Spells and Magical Bells, the Imagicopter anthology from Kerlak Publishing; Deity, the final novel in the Thran triad for Sam's Dot Publishing; Traitor Angel, the second novel for Seventh Star Press for the Angelkiller triad; and assorted stories for various venues.

I would like to pass along a bit of good news about my friends James and Marcia Miller, who had a new addition to the family just a few days ago: Lillian Marie. Congratulations!

That's it for now. Until next time, stay out of the basement and keep your stakes handy. Halloween's just around the corner.

A Pause to Catch My Breath

August signaled the end of work on parABnormal Digest for a bit, a finalizing of the Imagicopter anthology Clockwork Spells and Magical Bells, and a chance for me to catch my breath. There were some significant personal events -- birthdays and anniversaries and such -- but the business of writing hit a metaphorical comma. I am currently critiquing some manuscripts for friends, trying to reduce a pile I had allowed to grow too high. Before I dive back into writing, I want to get those done and the critique to the writers. They have been very patient with me, and I appreciate that.



In the middle of all the summer activity, I was happy to be invited to write for the upcoming Adventurers in Hell anthology, edited by Janet Morris. AIH is the second in the resurrected Heroes in Hell series that began in 1986. I completed the requested story and sent it along for consideration. Have yet to hear back. Will keep you updated.



Next month I celebrate a birthday. I could turn morbid and talk about how much I enjoy every day vice the alternative, but I won't. I think everyone past 50 knows what I mean, and those younger will soon. Nuff said.



Upcoming in the next few months, with any luck, are the second drafts of Deity, Boathouse, Traitor Angel, and three short stories for various publications. I will be headed to Hot Springs, Arkansas, in November for an event and possibly to Vicksburg, Mississippi, in December. My traveling is going to scale back while I concentrate more on the writing side of my career. I will, however, still try to make as many events as I can. Can't completely forget the business side of being a writer.



Speaking of which, back to the salt mines. Stay cool!