James Dorr's Blog, page 132

For a Merry Christmas Treat, or, You’d Better Be More than Just “Nice”

So we’ve all met Krampus (cf December 4, et al.), but for real Christmas carnage, what about Krampie’s big brothers (and sisters)?  This comes to us via BLOODY-DISGUSTING.COM by Trace Thurman, “5 Absolutely Terrifying Christmas Legends!,” for which press here.

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And to all a good night. . . .

First Mammoth Year-End Royalty Reported

Godzilla, move over!  It’s that time of year again when the e-mailbox groans under the metaphorical weight of the money reported by various publishers due for the year’s (or at least half’s or quarter’s) sales.  And the first has appeared in this morning’s wee hours, to be paid through Paypal by New Year’s Eve.  As has has been my practice in previous years, I do not report actual publishers’ names — or amounts — in order to avoid mutual embarrassment, but for this first report let us simply say it’s good that the cost of a stamp doesn’t have to be deducted in order to send me an actual check.

But every bit adds up, yes?

And Now It’s Here. . . .

Just a quick followup, THE GREAT TOME OF CRYPTIDS AND LEGENDARY CREATURES oozed into the computer cave’s physical mailbox yesterday afternoon (see just below, December 17, et al.).  Yes, the cover is that shade of purple.  Within are tales with (quoting their blurb) “[p]lots revolving around the folklore and legends of ‘real world’ cryptids.”  Or, to be more specific, here’s a table of contents:

The Voice of Thunder by Taylor Harbin

The Burryman by Vonnie Winslow Crist

Hunting a Legend by Derek Muk

Field Study by T.C. Powell

Cats in the Cradle by Matthew Smallwood

The Stalker by James Dorr

Shapes in the Water by Calvin Demmer

The Bad, Bad Luck of Judson Worley by Rob Munns

The Ghost of Arriscado Basin by Jon Michael Kelley

Sutan by Derek Muk

Hoofquake by CB Droege

Eleven Essential Items to Bring When Planning Selfies with Bigfoot by Sarina Dorie

Dark Fin by Mark Charke

Amazon, also, claims it’s ready for ordering now including in print, for which one can press here.

Great Tomes 4, Cryptids and Legendary Creatures Now Live, Print to Follow

Bards and Sages Publishing’s THE GREAT TOME OF CRYPTIDS AND LEGENDARY CREATURES (cf. October 27, August 3, et al.) is now live, according to Editor Julie Ann Dawson.  This is Number Four in the GREAT TOMES [image error]series, joining with those of FORGOTTEN RELICS AND ARTIFACTS, DARKEST HORRORS AND UNSPEAKABLE EVILS, and FANTASTIC AND WONDROUS PLACES.  And I have stories in all four of these, with “The Stalker,” the tale of a young college woman’s encounter with a Wendigo and why one must always remember one’s BIBLE, in this one.  Also, the print edition has received a final approval and should be out within the next few days.

More information on THE GREAT TOME OF CRYPTIDS AND LEGENDARY CREATURES can be found from Bards and Sages, with table of contents, by pressing here.

The Call to Faith — An Existential Approach to the Movie Arrival

. . . the idea of faith is more general in the sense that it covers any devotion to a higher being or spiritual power.  It could be anything, from a religion-based god to alien overlords to the Force.  The point is that you believe in something outside yourself that, in some way, shapes, influences, or even controls the nature of our world.  Yet somehow, regardless of the faith, the path to getting there is always the same:  you have to hear the call, and then yo[image error]u have to take conscious steps to overcome that adversity within and without to reach its source, taking you from a non-believer to a believer.

Well, no, I haven’t seen ARRIVAL yet, I tend to wait sometimes for what I think may be important films to be out long enough on DVD to bring the price down to buy for myself, but that’s my problem.  The above, from “Communication and Faith in ARRIVAL”  by Michael Moreci, on TOR.COM a day or two back, piqued my interest however (cf. below, for instance, November 3, August 26 ; September 17 2015):  the question of faith, belief, in science fiction as well as, perhaps to be more expected, in fantasy and horror.  The need for an author — or reader — to know a people’s traditions in order to build their world.

Or that’s how I see it.  Moreci also brings up Joseph Campbell (the hero’s journey), and the movies STAR WARS:  A NEW HOPE and CONTACT; while in my own writings I might note the upcoming TOMBS:  A CHRONICLE OF LATTER-DAY TIMES OF EARTH as well as, at least in part, THE TEARS OF ISIS.  And in any event I may look into ARRIVAL myself sooner than I had expected.  Moreci’s critique, on the other hand, may be read right now here.

Phobos, Dark Call of the Sea Contract Signed

The beat goes on.  Late yesterday evening the contract came for my story “The Dark Call of the Sea” from PHOBOS MAGAZINE (see October 25) to be initialed, the “Author Credit” section double checked, and the bio for publication okayed and/or updated.  “Once we get the contract back then we can send over your payment.  Thank you and talk to you soon!”  And so, today, all ha[image error]s been sent back with, yes, one small correction to the bio (my novel-in-stories TOMBS, to be published in June 2017 rather than just in “spring-summer”), Paypal information had been sent before, and now one awaits the cash and an author’s copy of the publication.

The writing life as it’s supposed to be lived!

“The Dark Call of the Sea,” incidentally, is more or less what it sounds like:  A Lovecraftian horror story about a summer at Innsmouth gone bad, with a bit of a tip of the hat in addition to that author’s “The Music of Erich Zann.”  The issue itself is to be PHOBOS’s fourth, on the theme “Deep Black Sea,” so you landlubbers realize it won’t be alone — and you have been warned (details to come as they become known)!

Manned Space Travel? Guess What’s the Only Game in Town

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The “town” being Earth, of course, and you probably knew it even though it doesn’t get mentioned all that often.  But, President-to-be Trump aside, here’s an honest tip of the hat to the Russians courtesy of THEGUARDIAN.COM via Steph P. Bonchini’s THE EARTHIAN HIVEMIND, “Why the Soviet Space Workhorse Soyuz Is Still Going Strong — 50 Years On” by Robin McKie, for which press here.  Ah, nostalgia (and what a weird opportunity to have all the tags begin with an “S”)!

Butterfly, Meet Cute “Kickstart” Moves to Indiegogo; Bloomington Writers Guild Year-End Party

MEET CUTE (cf. November 23), the flash fiction anthology of unexpected, eccentric, or just unusual meetings of couples, has had a few changes in scope, according to Editor Kara Landhuis.  An immediate one is a change in pre-publication funding from Kickstarter to Indiegogo, deemed a better fit for a smaller publication’s actual needs.  For other news, publication is tentatively planned for January for distribution in February; the funding project itself will close December 31.  

As Ms. Landhuis explains, MEET CUTE was born out of a love for several things, most notably:  Storytelling and connection.  I wanted to create a book that celebrates human connection, and I thought there was no better way than to invite writers and illustrators to collaborate.  MEET CUTE will include around 20 short stories (very short — fewer than 1000 words each) written by writers from around the world.  There will also be 10-15 black and white illustrations that enrich the stories.  My own entry in this is “Butterfly,” a saga of forests and fairytales — or was that insects and axes?  To find out more, one will just have to buy the book, or for an inside track, check out the Indygogo crowdfunder by clicking here.

In other action, The Bloomington Writers Guild’s December business meeting and end-of-year party was Saturday afternoon.  As in previous years, it ended with an open reading for about a dozen participants, my contribution (in lieu of a story which I suggested I’d save for February’s First Sunday Prose, as being perhaps a bit long for this session) was three Santa Claus poems, posing the question — especially in the case of the first two, which also appear in my collection VAMPS — do we really need Krampus?

Dreaming Saturn Accepted for H & T Saturnalia Opener

It seemed an interesting fit even if, technically, too long.  The guidelines did say poetry was to be no more than 100 lines, while my “Dreaming Saturn” was more like 170.  It was also a reprint, but that would be okay, having originally been published in White Wolf’s 1994 anthology DARK DESTINY.  And the venue was fascinating:

sat·ur·na·li·a ˌsatərˈnālyə/

    noun

    the ancient Roman festival of Saturn in December, which was a period of general merrymaking and was the predecessor of Christmas.

    an occasion of wild revelry.

    noun: saturnalia; plural noun: saturnalias

A time of revelry and reversal, Saturnalia represents the breakdown of what has been deemed the natural order.  HYPERION AND THEIA’s inaugural volume wants stories and poetry that runs the gamut of genres and turns expectations on their heads.  Submit a fantastical murder-mystery set in the biggest carnival in Atlantis.  Wow us with a sweeping romance in space where gods and goddesses serve their creations after a bloody war.  Deadline January 31st, 2017 11:59 EST.

So, caution to the wind and all that, Saturday, December 3 I sent “Dreaming Saturn” in, apologizing for the length but hoping it still could be considered.  Today, six days later, came the reply:  I would be happy to include your poem in the upcoming anthology!  I think it would make a great opening.  Please give me a few weeks to get back to you so I can close out submissions.  I would need your PayPal address and preferred digital format (ePub/mobi/PDF) in the mean time.  I’ll come back with a sample contract for you to review.

And there we are, not just in the show but possibly even the opening act!  For which, a merry pre-holiday to HYPERION AND THEIA Editor Olivia, and the moral:  once and awhile it’s worth taking a chance.

Candle, Flame Proof Sent Back to DarkFuse

Working fast!  Just nine days after returning the contract, yesterday saw the receipt of the proof copy for “The Candle and the Flame,” set to be published next month at 3 p.m. EST on the thirteenth by DARKFUSE MAGAZINE (cf. November 28).  After a bit of a bobble due to a bad attachment (nine blank pages, no typos there!), the real stuff came and later last night I sent it back with only two corrections at my end.  “The Candle and the Flame” is a steampunk tale of capitalist economics partially based on Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Match Girl” — not my first foray into that particular story — but of a seller of candles, not matches.  “The Candle and the Flame,” also, is set in a universe where there are no angelic grandmas to convey little girls’ souls up to Heaven, not exactly.  But if its “Candle Girl” should come to an unlucky end consider this:  the announced January 13 2017 publication date falls on a Friday.