James Dorr's Blog, page 196

Miseria’s Chorale in Final Stages for November Publication, New “Finalized” ToC Revealed; We Walk Invisible Contract Returned

MISERIA’S CHORALE (cf. October 14, June 11), according to today’s announcement from Editor David Nell, “is past the editing phase and I want to thank you all for your patience as it’s been a long wait for some of you.  We’re almost ready for release, but before we do that, I’d like everyone to please preview the book attached and make sure you are happy with the final product.”  With this came a proof copy of the entire anthology,  and a whale of a book it is at more than 600 pages as the “finalized table of contents,” below, would suggest — with my contribution, “The Cherry Tree,” a story of ghosts and memories in Vicksburg Mississippi going back to the Civil War, manifesting itself as 14th in the lineup on page 167.  Publisher Forgotten Tomb Press has set the publication date for sometime before the end of November, so with luck there should be a followup announcement here soon.

Finalized Table of Contents:

In Green Remembered by Christopher Nadeau

Worm Garden by Patrick Lacey

Becoming The Beast by Christian A. Larsen

Sowing The Seeds by Bear Weiter

Hiding by Pete Aldin

Happy Thoughts by Nick Kimbro

When Karen Met Her Mountain by Todd Keisling

One by Cameron Suey

Asrai by Carmen Tudor

Ripped From Heaven by Patrick Tumblety

The Eye That Ate The Sky by Alexandre Mandarino

The Catacomb Enigma by Jon Michael Kelley

From Suicide Station by Adam Millard

The Cherry Tree by James S. Dorr

Because The Night Is Dark And Full Of Monsters by Sergio Palumbo

The Story by Aurelio Rico Lopez III

Choosing My Confession by Meghan Arcuri

Visit by Richard Godwin

Bedfordshire by Peter Crowther

The Face Of Death by Paul Kane

The Wind by Ryan Neil Falcone

Tomb Of The Initiate by Aaron J. French

Thrall by Richard Farren Barber

Evacuation by Jay Wilburn

The Gatehouse by Anna Taborska

Exit To Dove’s Tail by Ken Goldman

Motel Impression by Michael Thomas-Knight

Kicks by Carl Barker

Cracks by Jon Ingold

Give Me Convenience by Shaun Meeks

Red Harvest by K. Trap Jones

King Of A Distant Star by Tim Jeffreys

Trauma Children by Lucy Taylor

Cicada by Caren Gussoff

A Feeble Gleam Of Stars by R.W.W. Greene

Letters by Christina Murphy

The Watching Room by Glen Damien Campbell

Destruction: A Plague Story by Bruce Memblatt

What Lurks Below by Peter Baltensperger

The Shadow On The Hill by Peter Mark May

That Sinking Feeling by Lance Manion

Tug by Douglas J. Ogurek

The Banquet by Fred Skolnik

Formaldehyde Fairies by Alana I. Capria

Lily In The Ether by Christopher Hivner

The Girl Beneath by Dy Loveday

Extremity by B.T. Joy

Instantaneous by Christopher David Rosales

Then also today I signed and sent back the contract for my story “Invisible People” to Editor/Publisher Timm Tayshun for the Chupa Cabra House anthology WE WALK INVISIBLE (see September 23).  Gee, Chupa Cabra House gets around!  My story in this is a  near-future dystopia called “Invisible People” and, as with MISERIA’S CHORALE, more will be reported here as soon as it’s known.

Seeds Part of Eco-Horror Veggie Anthology, Growing Concerns; Smart Rhino Uncommon Assassins On Sale November 5

Who could resist a call like this, for “any kind of story related to plants, forests, gardens, or anything scary/dark/bizarre in relation to vegetable matter.”  Certainly not I.  So off I sent a 3500-word story, another reprint this time (but what the heck, if you got ‘em, flaunt ‘em) originally published in the February 1997 KEEN SCIENCE FICTION titled “Seeds,” a tale of old love possibly being supplanted by new, backyard flowerbeds, and the Chicago Cubs.  No, they still lost games back then as well.  But then today came the accepting email:  “This is Alex Hurst from Chupa Cabra House Publishing. I’d like to thank you again for your submission to our eco-horror anthology GROWING CONCERNS and am quite pleased to inform you that your story has been accepted for inclusion.  I loved the dark humor of this story, and the circular nature of the plot’s various tendrils, and hope our readers will enjoy it just as much.

“Please expect further correspondence from our Chief Editor, Timm Tayshun, regarding rights and contracts, and feel free to contact me with any more questions.”

And so, “The First Hundred Years” (see below, November 1) actually having being officially accepted October 31, here is the first sale of the new month only four days in.  Publisher Chupa Cabra House has been on these pages before, however, with another reprint story, “Invisible People,” set to be published in WE WALK INVISIBLE (cf. September 23) and three poems presumably already out in RADICAL DISLOCATIONS (cf. September 1, et al. — my author’s copy actiually hasn’t arrived yet so I can’t comment on it, but hopefully it will be along soon).

In the meantime, Weldon Burge of Smart Rhino Publications has just announced a special sale on their anthology UNCOMMON ASSASSINS on Kindle starting tomorrow,  November 5, at 6:00 PM PST.  To quote further from their Facebbook ad:

“Here’s how it breaks down:

“Nov. 5 at 6:00 PM = $0.99 (76% discount)

“Nov. 7 at 6:00 PM = $1.99 (51% discount)

“Nov. 9 at 6:00 PM = $2.99 (26% discount)

“Nov. 11 at 6:00 PM = Original list price $3.99

“Hired killers.  Vigilantes.  Executioners.  Paid killers or assassins working from a moral or political motivation.  You’ll find them all in this thrilling anthology.  But these are not ordinary killers, not your run-of-the-mill hitmen.  The emphasis is on the ‘uncommon’ here — unusual characters, usual situations, and especially unusual means of killing.”

My pony in this paddock is called “The Wellmaster’s Daughter,” of which, if interested in buying it and its companions at a possibly very deep discount, or just for more information, press here.

Dying to Live: Non-Sparkly Vamp Antho Received November 1

Technically the anthology made its promised release date, another book out in time for Halloween, although it didn’t get to my mailbox until yesterday afternoon, November 1st.  But DYING TO LIVE:  STORIES OF THE UNDEAD (cf. September 23, et al.), “a gut-wrenching celebration of the Vampire [that] will take you to the furthest limits of the forbidden, the inconceivable, and the sacrilegious,” is officially out.  “Stories of love, hate, murder, fear, death, childbirth, and much more, these are the unsuspectingly rich lives of the undead.”  Or so the back cover blurb informs us and, if the editors have kept their promise, without a sparkling vampire in sight.

One perhaps annoying feature, the authors’ names aren’t listed on the contents page (although they do appear with the titles when you go to the stories themselves; for a list of the authors alone, without titles, in somewhat reverse order as it turns out, see also below for July 24).  But then what are vampires, if not furtive?  In any event, my contribution in this covey may fit with tales “sacrilegious” above, a 19th century-set story of lust and weakness of faith called “The Preacher.”  For more on DYING TO LIVE, at least at present in paperback only from Amazon but with other retail outlets apparently to come, press here.

Poem-A-Day Challenge for Month of November; Traditional Zombie Story Bought by New Blood Reign Magazine; Mini-Interview Featured on Nightmare Stalkers “Author Spotlight”

It’s that semiannual time of year again.  Every April and November for the past several years Poetry Editor Robert Brewer of WRITERS DIGEST has supplied daily prompts, suggestions for topics, phrases, etc., for poets to write poems from.  Thirty days equals thirty poems, or sixty a year, plus between these special months Brewer offers a weekly prompt every Wednesday.  So you do the math, but it amounts to a lot of poems a year if one sticks to it.

The secret for me is that I made a deal with another local poet where we meet every week to compare our output, thus making it into a contest of sorts plus adding a “shame” factor to keep us from quitting .   A lot of the poems are crummy, of course, especially on otherwise busy days, but these can always be rewritten — or just thrown away.  The thing is, some of the poems aren’t crummy and, at least in my case, have resulted in quite a few sales, such as those accepted by CTHULHU HAIKU II, two of them previously published as well, just a few days ago (see October 25 ).

For more information on how it works — or at least how I work it — cf. April 1 2013, December 8 and November 4 2011, et al.  Or to try it yourself for this November and possibly after, check out Brewer’s site by pressing here.

Also, the day before Halloween (in another of those at the last minute submissions) I sent a reprint traditional zombie (that is, pre-NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD) story to a new magazine I’d just run across two days before, BLOOD REIGN LITERARY MAG.  Later the same day I got a reply from Managing Editor Kristina Stancil to the effect that if I could wait a few days she’d get back to me to discuss pay rates.  I emailed back saying that would be fine, then yesterday, Halloween, came the official acceptance and offer which I okayed in turn.  The story in question, “The First Hundred Years,” was first published in my second Dark Regions collection DARKER LOVES:  TALES OF MYSTERY AND REGRET and has to do with a Haitian transplant to Jamaica and her adventures both above and below the ground.  As I understand it, it’s set to be published in the first issue on December 13 (a Friday, a glance at the calendar tells me), of which more information will  be posted here as it comes to light.

And finally a short note that I’ve been featured in today’s “Author Spotlight” on the NIGHTMARE STALKERS & DREAM WALKERS (cf October 23, et al.) Facebook page.  Discover my best moments as an author both professionally and personally — or is one of these more like the “most bizarre” one?   It’s also a very short interview, with just those two questions, for answers to which one need only press here.

Poem-A-Day Challenge for Month of November; Traditional Zombie Story Bought by New Bloodreign Magazine; Mini-Interview Featured on Nightmare Stalkers “Author Spotlight”

It’s that semiannual time of year again.  Every April and November for the past several years Poetry Editor Robert Brewer of WRITERS DIGEST has supplied daily prompts, suggestions for topics, phrases, etc., for poets to write poems from.  Thirty days equals thirty poems, or sixty a year, plus between these special months Brewer offers a weekly prompt every Wednesday.  So you do the math, but it amounts to a lot of poems a year if one sticks to it.

The secret for me is that I made a deal with another local poet where we meet every week to compare our output, thus making it into a contest of sorts plus adding a “shame” factor to keep us from quitting .   A lot of the poems are crummy, of course, especially on otherwise busy days, but these can always be rewritten — or just thrown away.  The thing is, some of the poems aren’t crummy and, at least in my case, have resulted in quite a few sales, such as those accepted by CTHULHU HAIKU II, two of them previously published as well, just a few days ago (see October 25 ).

For more information on how it works — or at least how I work it — cf. April 1 2013, December 8 and November 4 2011, et al.  Or to try it yourself for this November and possibly after, check out Brewer’s site by pressing here.

Also, the day before Halloween (in another of those at the last minute submissions) I sent a reprint traditional zombie (that is, pre-NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD) story to a new magazine I’d just run across two days before, BLOODREIGN LITERARY MAG.  Later the same day I got a reply from Managing Editor Kristina Stancil to the effect that if I could wait a few days she’d get back to me to discuss pay rates.  I emailed back saying that would be fine, then yesterday, Halloween, came the official acceptance and offer which I okayed in turn.  The story in question, “The First Hundred Years,” was first published in my second Dark Regions collection DARKER LOVES:  TALES OF MYSTERY AND REGRET and has to do with a Haitian transplant to Jamaica and her adventures both above and below the ground.  As I understand it, it’s set to be published in the first issue on December 13 (a Friday, a glance at the calendar tells me), of which more information will  be posted here as it comes to light.

And finally a short note that I’ve been featured in today’s “Author Spotlight” on the NIGHTMARE STALKERS & DREAM WALKERS (cf October 23, et al.) Facebook page.  Discover my best moments as an author both professionally and personally — or is one of these more like the “most bizarre” one?   It’s also a very short interview, with just those two questions, for answers to which one need only press here.

Had Enough Vampires? A Lagniappe for Halloween — Killer Pot, from Daily Science Fiction

I had had a vampire story in DAILY SCIENCE FICTION, “Naughty or Nice” on December 21, 2011 (cf. December 28 and 21 2011, et al.; also for a review, May 5 2012), but it was more a tale for Christmas.  So this is the one that preceded that one, a story of body modification — well, in a sense anyway — and the dangers of smoking marijuana, especially good stuff.  Yet it is also a story of a woman, Drusilla, who shies away from the sun.  As she says herself, “We used to laugh that I might be a vampire.”  So one can’t get away from them entirely.

But this is a tale of other things too, such as what cheeses go best with amontillado and why Victorians sometimes bronzed babies, called “Killer Pot” (cf. August 16, 9 2011), a tale of a couple who once were lovers and still are good friends, first presented on DAILY SCIENCE FICTION on August 9 two years ago.  A story for summer as much as fall, and not so much a horror story as such unless in a bizarro sort of fashion.  Be that as it may, Halloween is a magical time and chills will occur in any season, and whatever events might come today in terms of sales or publications, or contracts or editorial requests, or whatever else can wait for tomorrow.  For today a gift for the reader — a lagniappe for Halloween for those with a taste for the outre.  And so, to read “Killer Pot” please press here.

More Gore: Blood Type Anthology Makes Promised Devil’s Night Debut (at Least on Kindle)

And so another major book is out in time for Halloween!  BLOOD TYPE:  AN ANTHOLOGY OF VAMPIRE SF ON THE CUTTING EDGE (cf. September 7, July 23, 18) has been released in a Kindle edition, with the print version to follow shortly according to Nightscape Press editor Robert Shane Wilson.  Promised to be out on Devil’s Night, the Eve of Halloween (thus the eve of an eve, but let’s not get technical), it can be obtained — as well as more information found — by pressing here.  Moreover, profits earned by BLOOD TYPE will be donated to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, for more information on which one can press here.

So science fiction, horror, vampires, together in one book, with stories by such folk as Peter Watts, Mike Resnick, William F. Nolan, Laird Barron, Tim Waggoner, Stephen Graham Jones, Benjamin Kane Ethridge, Jason V Brock, John Palisano, Taylor Grant — 29 stories in all for more than 130,000 words — and even (ahem!) a short piece by me, what more could one want?  In my case, it’s the tale of a young woman, “Eudora,” who as a child was into worms, but now is into men — or is it the other way around?  “It is not just an anthology of hard science fiction,” so says the blurb.  “This book also contains examples of science fantasy as well as some classic vampire stories including an updated reprint from William F. Nolan.”

Twenty Questions, The Tears of Isis Spotlighted in Cassie Carnage’s House of Horror ; Carnage 2: A Christmas Carnage Second Holiday Story Published in Non-Christmas Venue

“What do you think makes a character a compelling villain or hero?”  “What did you learn from writing your book that you think would help other writers out there with their craft?”  “While this may seem like a given to some people, others may be wondering, why write horror?”  Mysteries all, as posed by Cassie Carnage in the latest installment of her special countdown to All Hallows “20 Questions for Horror Authors” in CASSIE’S HOUSE OF HORROR.  “What is one thing that you’d like people to know about horror writers?”  (See how deftly I slip in three.)  And, might one add (yes, and indeed Cassie does), “Tell us about your most recent or current book that you’ve had published.”

See it all by pressing here:  the latest of course on THE TEARS OF ISIS, but also a note on my most recent story as well as things I may have planned for the future.  And questions, more questions, and the answers to them.  Candy for the mind, as it may be, revealed for you in these final few days before Thursday and Halloween.

Then, moving to Christmas, this year’s second Christmas tale taken by a non-holiday themed anthology (for the first, “The Match Story” in Third Flatiron Publishing’s PLAYING WITH FIRE, see June 2, et al.) has just been published in IN THE BLOODSTREAM by Mocha Memoirs Press.   “In fiction,” to quote from Compiler Eden Royce’s introduction, “the writer is faced with a challenge of how to create chills and disturbia without special effects.  Here [as opposed to in film] there is no visual shorthand to rely on.  Whether the author intends to install fear, revulsion, or awe, they must do so with the proper choice of words, crafting the scenes they’ve chosen into clear pictures for the reader.

“Nowhere is this truer than in short fiction.  Less space means more decision, more honing, more editing down to the bare essence of what must be kept to tell the story best.  What doesn’t add to the story is struck down, ruthlessly cut out.  Only keep what cuts closest to the bone.

“This anthology is our homage to the short horror form. . . .”

Be that as it may, my own contribution is an original piece of Lovecraftiana — crossed with Charles Dickens’s A CHRISTMAS CAROL — called “A Christmas Carnage” (cf. September 23), in which we learn among other things why a scholar might keep a chainsaw in his closet, and what not to ask The Ghost of Christmas Present.  More information can be found on the Mocha Memoirs site by clicking here, but one word of warning.  You may be requested to verify that you’re over 18 years of age.

Five Out of Seven Poems Score With Cthulhu Haiku II

So that’s one more than the games needed to win the World Series, but it was an almost last-minute thing — and this in spite of a guidelines admonition that it would be a good thing to submit early.  But that’s how it goes.  And none of the poems were haiku either (there was one shadorma), but they don’t have to be, the constraint being only that submissions be short poems or prose less than 1000 words.  And for more than that, well, check out posts here for the original CTHULHU HAIKU with my story “The Farmer in the Well” (cf. December 4, October 7 2012).

So anyhow Popcorn Press has decided to do it again and, at the last minute (procrastination, procrastination), I got together seven poems and sent them in and, just the day after, Editor/Publisher Lester Smith accepted four — and asked if I might rewrite the last line of a fifth and send it back in!  The fifth was the shadorma, a six-line, syllable-counted form somewhat like a lune smushed into a haiku, titled “Bad Vacation,” and this afternoon (deadline day) it was accepted too.  The other four are all free verse of varying lengths, two of which are reprints from PROSPECTIVE JOURNAL’s CTHULHU A LOVE STORY titled “Slow-Motion” and “It Must Have Been that New Fish Food” (see January 10 2013, September 21 2012), and two new poems, “The Vampiress Dreams of an Evening in Innsmouth” and “With the Economy What It Is, Maybe We’ll Take Any Job We Can Get.”

Popcorn Press is a fun little outfit that’s used work of mine in two other books too, HALLOWEEN HAIKU (see November 22 2011) and THE HUNGRY DEAD (December 30 2010), and I fully expect CTHULHU HAIKU II will be fun as well — regardless of whether the final line in “Bad Vacation (A Shadorma)” works for you or not.  More information will be found here as soon as I get it.

True Dark, Gas Published by Red Skies Press; Borrowed Man Meets Girl at the End of the World

It took a while for the news to come out, but Thursday evening’s email brought word from Editor Mark Crittenden that TRUE DARK (cf. February 21 2012) has been published by Red Skies Press.  “Journey into nightmarish landscapes, into the blackest midnight of your fear . . . into the TRUE DARK, 17 tales guaranteed to make you sleep with the light on.”  My story here is a kind of dark science fiction, zombie-esque tale called “Gas,” and, if Red Skies Press should sound familiar to long-time readers, I’ve had a couple of previous publications there, “Jessie” in DREAMS OF DUALITY (see February 13 2012, et al.) and “Ghost Ship” in TECHNO-GOTH CTHULHU (May 2, April 28 2013, et al.).

TRUE DARK, originally billed as “quite simply an anthology of the best of the best horror (open-themed),” is currently available from Createspace, Amazon, and Amazon UK, for which press here, here, or here respectively.

And speaking of the UK, Adele of British start-up publisher Fox Spirit also emailed “I am pleased to say that your submission has been accepted for the anthology.  Due to the high number of excellent stories we will be publishing two volumes early in 2014 (Jan/Feb).”  Not a woman of many words is Adele, but the anthology in question is THE GIRL AT THE END OF THE WORLD and, to quote the guidelines, “What we want:  pre, during, post, and not remotely related to apocalyptic stories, in the SF, Fantasy, Horror, and Crime genres.  Clearly female lead characters who pack a punch.  Roughly speaking 5,000-10,000 words per story.”  The money offered wasn’t huge, but I’ve been trying to build presence in the United Kingdom (by the way, have I mentioned THE TEARS OF ISIS is also available on Amazon UK?  Just click here for a look) and, moreover, it seemed to me I had just the story, a 6500-word tale set in the far-future, dying Earth world of the “Tombs,” called “The Borrowed Man.”

Adele apparently has agreed:  it’s a match made in heaven.