Eric J. Guignard's Blog, page 24

Release Day for DEATHFLASH!

It's release day from DARK MOON BOOKS!
DEATHFLASH by Gene O’Neillwith panel illustrations by Greg Chapman
Continue the investigations of THE CRIME FILES OF KATY GREEN with Book #3, DEATHFLASH!
Young Billy Williams has been elevated to status of Shepherd of the Flock—leader of a zealous religious cult—and granted gift of the Deathflash, the ability to see the soul as it departs its mortal form at demise.
Billy is also given an ancient knife-like talon and “commanded to do the Lord’s work,” which he does fanatically, slaying drug addicts in San Francisco who are poisoning their bodies with heroin...
Retired police detectives Katy Green and Johnny Cato find themselves drawn into the grim case of the murdered underclass, whom no one seems to care about until the brother of one victim comes forward with his incredible suspicions…
So begins a journey of addiction, tracking a killer through the dope dens and seedy rehab houses of the Tenderloin district. But as more time passes, junkies begin to die faster and faster, for Billy Williams has given himself entirely to his own addiction: the rush of viewing the DEATHFLASH .
Discover why readers have been applauding this stark, fast-paced noir series by multiple-award-winning author, Gene O’Neill! Read Deathflash and then continue the shocking case files of Sacramento’s “Green Hornet and Cato” with books #1, “Double Jack” (a novella) and #2 Shadow of the Dark Angel!
Available for sale here: https://www.amazon.com/Deathflash-Book-Crime-Files-Green/dp/0998827592
Get your copy today!!

DOORWAYS TO THE DEADEYE - Fulfillment of a Lifetime Goal

In late 1999/ early 2000, when I was about 24 years old, and trying to “find myself in the world” I made a list of lifetime goals, and I printed that list, laminated it, and stuck it in my wallet, where I still carry it today.

However, it’s one of those things that’s gotten buried behind some other old cards (advanced SCUBA certification, credentials of ministry from the Universal Life Church, etc.), basically things I haven’t looked at or even thought about for the past 6 or 7 years, at least.

But this week, I received a box of contributor copies of my first novel, and I realized that I just achieved the fulfillment of one of my lifetime goals.

Being as these goals were written about two decades ago, there are some that I've since lost interest in accomplishing. Some of them I already have accomplished. Some I know I’ll never do, while a few are still ones I’m working on and hopeful for.

This week, I just crossed off “Write and publish a book.”

I’ve written and published other books, anthologies and non-fiction, and my primer series, my collection, books on genealogy, etc. But I knew what the intent of this goal was, and nothing less would have fulfilled it. The intent was to see in print a fiction novel that I alone had authored. That book is: DOORWAYS TO THE DEADEYE, coming out next month (July 26) through JournalStone.

Here’s my original list of goals. They’re not in any order. If memory serves me correctly I had a couple different goals in the first draft list I made, but otherwise, not much changed over the years. This incarnation is dated from 2005.

15 GOALS TO FULFILL MY LIFE

• Earn a doctoral degree
• Hold a public position in political office
• Fluently speak a foreign language
• Invent/ Patent Something
• Run the Los Angeles Marathon
• Visit every continent
• Ride my bicycle across America
• Write and publish a book
• Efficiently play a musical instrument
• Hold my child
• Restore a classic car
• Celebrate my 50th wedding anniversary
• Build my own house
• Operate my own business
• Master a martial art

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Anyway, it’s a great feeling of gratification today, of accomplishment, wonder even, that I did it.

Below is a picture of DOORWAYS TO THE DEADEYE, as opened in its shipping box, and of course I’m so proud of it, and hope the world should find some bit of enjoyment in my writing as well…. This novel was truly a passion project, something I wrote from the heart without a care for genre constraints. Of course, now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, I’ll be all about writing for the market and the big bucks now (yes, I know, I laugh too!).

It's available for preorder on Amazon, and more on it can be found here: http://ericjguignard.com/doorways_to_the_deadeye.html

Met the legendary James Ellroy last night!

Found out the legendary James Ellroy was signing books last night at Vroman's Bookstorein Pasadena. I dropped what I was doing and rushed out there to meet him, get his new novel THIS STORM, and have him sign a half dozen other books I have on my bookshelf. THE BLACK DAHLIA was one of the most influential and eye-opening books of my early twenties—I’d never read crime noir before (never read crime before at all, except for a couple bland Mario Puzo books), and I still remember picking Ellroy’s book off a shelf for fifty cents from a thrift store in Covina, because I didn’t have any money, wanted to read, and the other books for sale there were all romance or Western. After that I was hooked, and so came THE COLD SIX THOUSAND, L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, THE BIG NOWHERE, etc. 

I told Ellroy this, and showed him my author website on my phone that lists him as an inspiration. His response was a shoulder shrug and “eh.” Haha, I’m quite certain he hears devotionals like that all the time! 
Anyway, great to have met him, and I placed a couple of my own titles on consignment at Vroman's while I was there, so it was a double win. Local and looking to pick up paperback copies of A WORLD OF HORROR or my collection, THAT WHICH GROWS WILD? Vroman's is your place!

June, 2019 Dark Fiction Short Story Markets

June, 2019: HWA L.A. New or Reopening Market Listings/ Notes
At Pro-Paying (5 cents+ per word)

Bronzeville Bee http://www.bronzevillebee.com/contribute/Payment: 5 cents a wordStory Length: up to 3,000 wordsDeadline: June 30, 2019Reprints?: NoResponse: unknownDescription: Any genre fiction: crime, sci fi, fantasy, horror and YA for online publication; (publisher has a focus on diversity in author pool). Publisher also accepts NON-FICTION at pay for articles 1500–1800 words in length of $150. 10 cents per word for articles 1499 words or less.

Longevity anthology (Third Flatiron) http://www.thirdflatiron.com/liveSite/pages/submissions Payment: 6 cents a word Story Length: 1,500–3,000 words Deadline: July 10, 2019–August 3, 2019 Reprints?: No Response: by October 1, 2019 Description: (SF/Fantasy/Horror) Legends tell of people who lived a long time, like Methuselah. Some are just lucky (Lazarus Long), some have it thrust upon them (Lestat), some just naturally come by it (cats, bristlecone pines, megaliths), and some rightfully earn their immortality (Shakespeare, Sophocles). Is life extension possible via diets or genetic manipulation, and will there be side effects? Is ageism a real thing? Give us your speculative take on longevity and how it is achieved.

Asimov’s Science Fiction (magazine) http://www.asimovs.com/contact-us/writers-guidelines Payment: 8 cents a word Story Length: 1,000–20,000 words Deadline: Intermittently open Reprints?: No Response: Five weeks Description: Character-oriented Science Fiction stories that is serious, thoughtful, yet accessible (occasional humor), including borderline fantasy, slipstream, and surreal fiction (and some poetry).

Flame Tree Publishing (Flash Fiction Monthly Contest) https://www.flametreepress.com/submissions Payment: 6 cents a word Story Length: 700–1,000 words Deadline: June 16, 2019 Reprints?: No Response: Presumably by the end of the following month. Description: Original Flash Fiction written to the month’s theme; must be subscriber to the newsletter to receive the monthly prompt. This month: The Horror theme is Blood and Gore. The Sci-Fi stories theme is Aliens on Earth.

ESCAPE ARTISTS PodCasts (4 separate markets; Different Editors, similar guidelines)
All: Payment: 6 cents a word/ original; $100 flat rate for reprints Story Length: up to 6,000 words (preferred 4,500 words or less) Deadline: Intermittent (each market opens as needs) Reprints?: Yes Response: Up to three months
1. PodCastle (Fantasy Fiction Podcast) http://podcastle.org/guidelines/ Description: Publishes in both text and audio. Looking for fantasy stories. We’re open to all the sub-genres of fantasy, from magical realism to urban fantasy to slipstream to high fantasy, and everything in between.
2. Cast of Wonders (Y.A. Fantasy Fiction Podcast) http://www.castofwonders.org/submissions/schedule Description: Stories that evoke a sense of wonder and have something unreal about them. We aim for a 12-17 age range: that means sophisticated, non-condescending stories with wide appeal, and without explicit sex, violence or pervasive obscene language. Think Harry Potter or The Hunger Games.
3. Escape Pod (Science Fiction Podcast) http://escapepod.org/guidelines/short-fiction Description: Our mandate is fun. We are fairly flexible on what counts as “science” (as we’ll delve into superheroes or steampunk on occasion) and are interested in exploring the range of the genre, but we are not looking for fantasy, magical realism, or more than a tinge of horror. If your story isn’t centered on science, technology, future projections, alternate history, and how any or all of these things intersect with people, we’re probably not the right market for it.
4. Pseudopod (Horror Fiction Podcast) http://pseudopod.org/submissions Description: Horror: dark, weird fiction. We run the spectrum from grim realism or crime drama, to magic-realism, to blatantly supernatural dark fantasy. We publish highly literary stories reminiscent of Poe or Lovecraft as well as vulgar shock-value pulp fiction; strong pacing, well-defined characters, engaging dialogue, and clear action.


***Non-PRO-Paying Market, but Eric J. Guignard’s “Pick of the Month”
Gallery of Curiosities (fiction anthology print and podcast)—SPECIAL SESSION: WW2 THEMED https://gallerycurious.com/fiction/ Payment: 4 cents a word Story Length: up to 7,500 words Deadline: June 1–30, 2019 Reprints?: Yes (paid at 1 cent a word) Response: One week for initial short list acceptance, then varying timeframe thereafter Description: Dark “retropunk” fiction: Speculative fiction stories set around the era of World War II.

Monsters in Spaaaace!: (Dragon’s Roost Press) http://thedragonsroost.net/styled-3/index.html Payment: 3 cents a word Story Length: up to 6,000 words Deadline: July 31, 2017 Reprints?: Query first Response: unknown Description: Finely crafted works of Dark Speculative fiction which feature one (or more) classic monsters. Vampires, mummies, creatures built from dead body parts, lycanthropes, mad scientists, and zombies—but we want to see them in space!

The Forge Literary Magazine https://www.forgelitmag.com/flm/submit Payment: flat $50 Story Length: Generally 3,000 words or less, but may be open to a bit longer. Flash is also highly appreciated (1,000 words or less). Deadline: Continually open Reprints?: No Response: 3 months or less Description: Prose Fiction—Open to all genres and voices, and stories with any background. Literary excellence is our only criteria. Pieces read anonymously, so please do not put your name anywhere in the file.

My List of Thanks, in Winning the 2018 Bram Stoker Award, Category of Fiction Collection

It’s been nearly three weeks since I won the Bram Stoker Award® for: THAT WHICH GROWS WILD: 16 TALES OF DARK FICTIONin the category of “Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection”, and I’m still coasting on an adrenaline rush! 

I realize, also, that already too much time has gone by, that I haven’t yet written this following, so apologies for my tardiness… I had a number of people to thank during the acceptance speech, and although I got through most of them, there were some I didn’t name, so I wanted to list everyone properly here in writing. 

Thank you, first and foremost, to my acquiring editor Norman Prentiss who bought this collection, helped mold it into something publishable, and without whom this journey never would have occurred. 

Thank you to Cemetery Dancefor publishing this! Specific thanks to Richard Chizmar and Brian James Freeman who tirelessly run CD and who made this all possible (and of which I’ve been a fan for many, many years). 

Thank you to cover artist Lynne Hansen who graced this book with a marvel of visual beauty and intrigue. 

For writing and career guidance, thank you to Lisa Morton who, besides running Horror Writers Association for the past five years, has also been of great friendship, advice, and support. 

Ditto, thank you to Weston Ochse, who was my “official” mentor when I first joined HWA, and helped me get started, and since then has continued to be a friend and inspiration. 

(Note: For those interested in this, HWA continues to run a very successful mentor program for members. See: http://horror.org/hwa-mentors/) 

And thanks of course to the Horror Writers Association itself, who have been an immense resource of technical information, guidance, and insight, especially my local friends in the Los Angeles chapter, who, monthly, vitalize me with awe and encouragement, especially co-chairs Lisa (again) and John Palisano. 

And immense gratitude to the following editors/ publishers who first printed each of the stories included within my collection. 

“A Case Study in Natural Selection and How It Applies to Love” © 2015 by Eric J. Guignard. First published in Black Static #47, July: TTA Press. Acquired by Andy Cox.“Last Days of the Gunslinger, John Amos” © 2014 by Eric J. Guignard. First published in buzzymag.com , July: Buzzy Magazine. Acquired by Joy Poger (edited by Laura Anne Gilman).“Momma” © 2015 by Eric J. Guignard. First published in Nightscript I , edited by C.M. Muller: Chthonic Matter.“Footprints Fading in the Desert” © 2013 by Eric J. Guignard. First published in +Horror Library+ Vol 5, edited by R.J. Cavender: Cutting Block Press (Farolight Publishing).“The House of the Rising Sun, Forever” © 2016 by Eric J. Guignard. First published in Out of Tune II , edited by Jonathan Maberry: JournalStone Publishing.“The Inveterate Establishment of Daddano & Co.” © 2016 by Eric J. Guignard. First published in Nightscript II , edited by C.M. Muller: Chthonic Matter.“Last Night . . .” © 2015 by Eric J. Guignard. First published in Mark of the Beast: A Collection of Werewolf Stories , edited by Scott David Aniolowski: Chaosium, Inc.“Those Who Watch From On High” © 2016 by Eric J. Guignard. First published in Chiral Mad 3 , edited by Michael Bailey: Dark Regions Press / Written Backwards“Vancouver Fog” © 2011 by Eric J. Guignard. First published in 2012 Daily Frights, edited by Jessy Marie Roberts: Pill Hill Press.“A Curse and a Kiss” © 2012 by Eric J. Guignard. First published in Evil Jester Digest Volume Two , edited by Peter Giglio: Evil Jester Press.“Whispers of the Earth” © 2014 by Eric J. Guignard. First published in Night Terrors III Anthology , edited by Marc Ciccarone, Theresa Dillon, and G. Winston Hyatt: Blood Bound Books.“A Serving of Nomu Sashimi” © 2013 by Eric J. Guignard. First published in Eulogies II: Tales from the Cellar , edited by Christopher Jones, Nanci Kalanta, and Tony Tremblay: Horror World.“Certain Sights of an Afflicted Woman” © 2016 by Eric J. Guignard. First published in Cemetery Riots , edited by T. C. Bennett and Tracy L. Carbone: Awol From Elysium Press.“A Journey of Great Waves” © 2017 by Eric J. Guignard. First published in The Beauty of Death 2—Death by Water , edited by Alessandro Manzetti and Jodi Renée Lester: Independent Legions Publishing.“A Quaint Ol’ Bigfoot Tale” © 2012 by Eric J. Guignard. First published in Bigfoot Terror Tales Vol. 1 , edited by Eric S. Brown and A. P. Fuchs: Coscom Entertainment.“Dreams of a Little Suicide” © 2014 by Eric J. Guignard. First published in Hell Comes to Hollywood II: Twenty-Two More Tales of Tinseltown Terror , edited by Eric Miller: Big Time Books. 
Lastly, greatest thanks go to my lovely wife and wonderful children, who support me and keep me invigorated and inspired on a daily basis! 
### 
For official video of the ceremony, beginning with my category announcement, as presented by Kaaron Warren and Josh Malerman, and through my acceptance speech, cut to marks: 4:44.35 through 4:49.00 of the Banquet Awards Stream uploaded by HWA onto YouTube, here: https://youtu.be/ZlX7HwmXKiU?t=17075 

Immense congratulations and well-deserved accolades also to all other nominees and award recipients of the 2018 Bram Stoker Awards, particularly those in my category who have published amazing works. Here is the listing of the nominees on the ballot (of whom I would have said I was the least): 

Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection Gemma Files – Spectral Evidence (Trepidatio Publishing)Eric J. Guignard – That Which Grows Wild (Cemetery Dance Publications)Gabino Iglesias – Coyote Songs (Broken River Books)Lucy A. Snyder – Garden of Eldritch Delights (Raw Dog Screaming Press)Tim Waggoner – Dark and Distant Voices: A Story Collection (Nightscape Press)

And THANK YOU to all readers and reviewers who supported this book and others—without you, writing would be like shouting into a void!

Cover Reveal for DOORWAYS TO THE DEADEYE

Cover Reveal!! This, my first full length novel, has been graced with a layer of grandeur by this gorgeous wraparound cover design. Thanks so much, again, to JournalStone, and to artist extraordinaire Mikio Murakami!

Coming, July 26, 2019: DOORWAYS TO THE DEADEYE

“A Depression-era hobo rides the rails and learns the underlying Hobo Code is a mystical language that leads into the world of memories, where whoever is remembered strongest—whether by trickery, violence, or daring—can change history and alter the lives of the living.”

I won the 2018 Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection!!!!

Although it’s been a day-and-a-half since the announcement, I’m still running on an adrenaline high as the realization continues to settle in that on Saturday night I was awarded something like the culmination of a dream: The Bram Stoker Award for my collection, THAT WHICH GROWS WILD: 16 Tales of Dark Fiction!!!

Awestruck, humbled, and honored to receive this esteemed recognition, something I will cherish the remainder of my life.
I’m going to write more on this later, but I at least wanted to holler the news from this (virtual) mountaintop this morning, after the long travel home and from celebrating/ prioritizing Mother’s Day activities.
Thank you so much to my acquiring editor Norman Prentiss and to my publisher Cemetery Dance. I have a miles-long list of other thanks I’m going to write up and share soon, but in lump sum, THANK YOU also to all my supporters, reviewers of this book, and to the family that is The Horror Writers Association!!
And immense congratulations also to all other nominees and award recipients of the 2018 Bram Stoker Awards!!

Full list here: http://horror.org/2018-bram-stoker-award-winners-nominees/

May, 2019 Dark Fiction Short Story Markets

May, 2019: HWA L.A. New or Reopening Market Listings/ Notes
At Pro-Paying (5 cents+ per word)

Helios Quarterly Magazine
https://heliosquarterly.com/submissions
Payment: 6 cents a word
Story Length: up to 7,500 words
Deadline: June 1–30, 2019
Reprints?: No
Response: 2–3 weeks
Description: Quality horror, science fiction, and fantasy.


El Chapo Review
https://elchaporeview.wordpress.com/submissionsr
Payment: $100 flat rate
Story Length: up to 1,000 words
Deadline: June 1, 2019
Reprints?: No
Response: unknown
Description: Anything. Any genre for fiction: sci-fi, fantasy, crime, neo-noir, literary, historical, absurdist, surrealist, magic realism, romance, horror, mystery, bizarro, gonzo, fairy tale, et cetera. It makes no difference. We love great writing above all else.


DreamForge Magazine
https://dreamforgemagazine.com/call-for-submissions
Payment: 6 cents a word (slightly less for reprints or online-only option)
Story Length: up to 12,000 words (up to 5,000 preferred)
Deadline: June 30, 2019
Reprints?: Yes
Response: 6–9 weeks
Description: Positive (and “clean”) science and fantasy fiction.


Nature Futures
http://blogs.nature.com/futureconditional/2015/04/19/how-to-write-for-nature-futures
Payment: $130
Story Length: 850 and 950 words
Deadline: ongoing
Reprints?: No
Response: 1 month
Description: Original science fiction (generally near-future, hard SF).


Crossed Genres
http://crossedgenres.com/submissions/recognize-fascism-submissions
Payment: 8 cents a word
Story Length: 250–5,000 words
Deadline: June 3, 2019
Reprints?: No
Response: unknown
Description: Stories of the moment when people see the fascism in front of them for what it is, accept it as real, and make the choice to fight it. Who are the canaries in the coal mine? When can the long-hidden voice no longer be ignored?


illicit (anthology by Bronzeville Books)
http://www.bronzevillebooks.com/writers/anthology-submissions
Payment: 5 cents a word
Story Length: up to 3,500 words
Deadline: June 30, 2019
Reprints?: No
Response: T
Description: Erotic crime stories: people, sex, and bodies not usually seen in mainstream ideas of sex and sexy, and tight, fun crime plots.



***Non-PRO-Paying Market, but Eric J. Guignard’s “Pick of the Month”

Chew on This! Anthology (Blood Bound Books)
https://www.bloodgutsandstory.com/chew-on-this
Payment: 3 cents a word
Story Length: 3,000–7,000 words
Deadline: June 30, 2019
Reprints?: No
Response: None listed; estimate 2-3 months
Description: Horror regarding food-related stories! (every subgenre of horror from quiet and unsettling physiological tales to extreme and bizarre). Well written, imaginative, frightening, and unique perspectives that make readers afraid to visit restaurants, try cuisine in a foreign lands, attempt new cooking recipes, etc.


Negative Space: An Anthology of Survival Horror (*New Publisher)
https://www.darkpeninsulapress.com/negative-space.html
Payment: $25 flat “token” pay
Story Length: 3,000–8,000 words
Deadline: August 1, 2019
Reprints?: No
Response: 2-4 months after submissions close
Description: Survival horror (particularly by video game definition), in which the protagonist(s) must face dire situations in locations far off the beaten path by using the environment, or items found in the environment, to survive.

Cover art reveal for EXPLORING DARK SHORT FICTION #5: A PRIMER TO HAN SONG!

Finalizing the last sections for PRIMER #4 discussing JEFFREY FORD (hoping to release ibn May!), but in the meantime, REVEALING the cover art for my next Primer, and something I’ve never undertaken before, which is translation of a non-English writer: EXPLORING DARK SHORT FICTION #5: A PRIMER TO HAN SONG!!!

Including: Fiction short stories by Han SongAcademic commentary by Michael Arnzen, PhDBeautiful Illustrations by Michelle PrebichOriginal Translations by Nathaniel Isaacson, PhDAnd more coming through Dark Moon Books: http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/Books.html

 

A Listing of My Current Major Works!

Just compiled a one-page listing of my major works, beginning in 2012 and including forthcoming through 2020! It’s been a wild ride, but I’ve been very fortunate to have been able to write, edit, or otherwise be part of each of these books!

###

Fiction Written by Eric J. Guignard

Baggage of Eternal Night(JournalStone, 2013)
Doorways to the Deadeye (forthcoming) (JournalStone, 2019)
That Which Grows Wild: 16 Tales of Dark Fiction (Cemetery Dance Publications, 2018)

Anthologies Edited by Eric J. Guignard

A World of Horror (Dark Moon Books, 2018)
After Death… (Dark Moon Books, 2013)
Dark Tales of Lost Civilizations(Dark Moon Books, 2012)
The Five Senses of Horror (Dark Moon Books, 2018)
+Horror Library+ Volume 6 (Cutting Block Books/ Farolight Publishing, 2017)
Pop the Clutch: Thrilling Tales of Rockabilly, Monsters, and Hot Rod Horror (Dark Moon Books, 2019)

Exploring Dark Short Fiction (A Primer Series)
Created by Eric J. Guignard

#1: A Primer to Steve Rasnic Tem(Dark Moon Books, 2017)
#2: A Primer to Kaaron Warren (Dark Moon Books, 2018)
#3: A Primer to Nisi Shawl (Dark Moon Books, 2018)
#4: A Primer to Jeffrey Ford (Dark Moon Books, 2019)
#5: A Primer to Han Song(forthcoming) (Dark Moon Books, 2019)
#6: A Primer to Ramsey Campbell(forthcoming) (Dark Moon Books, 2019)

The Horror Writers Association Presents: Haunted Library of Horror Classics
Edited by Eric J. Guignard and Leslie S. Klinger

Vol. I: Phantom of the Opera by Gaston LeRoux (Sourcebooks, 2019)
Vol. II: The Beetleby Richard Marsh(forthcoming)  (Sourcebooks, 2019)
Vol. IIII: Vathekby William Beckford (forthcoming) (Sourcebooks, 2019)
Vol. IV: House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson(forthcoming)  (Sourcebooks, 2020)
Vol. V: The Parasite and other Tales of Terrorby Arthur Conan Doyle (forthcoming) (Sourcebooks, 2020)
Vol. VI: The King in Yellowby Robert W. Chambers (forthcoming) (Sourcebooks, 2020)