Lori Michelle's Blog, page 4
September 20, 2012
Now I Lay Me Down to Reap
The eighth commandment; thou shalt not steal.
But everyone covets something that isn’t theirs…
Wander down the darker paths of the minds of twelve brilliantly talented authors as they conjure stories of retribution, deceit and betrayal.
Would you chance your family’s fate to the gods in return for a favor? Are the finer things in life worth having once you know the cost someone else had to pay for you to indulge in them? Would you give up your most addictive passion so that others might reap the benefits, regardless of the reward? Or perhaps, the chance at a fresh start and a new life appeals to you? Are you prepared to reap what you have sown?
Within this collection, you’ll find tales all too believable and beyond your oddest imaginings. But there is one thing you will not find… In this anthology, there are no happy endings.
Featuring the literary talents of Ryan C. Anderson, Thomas James Brown, Aspen deLainey, John H. Dromey, Amber Keller, Christian A. Larsen, Jeffery X Martin, Lori Michelle, Sergio Palumbo, J. Marie Ravenshaw, Bill Read, and Adrian Tchaikovsky.
An excerpt from my short story, “You Should Have”, in this great anthology:
“They shook hands; the sexuality exuding from her pores impressing him. It was as if she knew she was in complete control of the situation. “So nice to meet you, Mr. Jones.”
“Please, call me Henry.”
He led her into his office and sat her down in one of his chairs, never once letting go of her hand. He wasn’t sure where this act of chivalry came from since he had never done this for anyone else that walked through the doors. “So what can I do for you, Ms. Williams?”
She waved her hand dismissively. “Clarissa. And I understand that you are looking for a temporary replacement for your secretary.”
Henry was shocked. His secretary just told him yesterday that she needed to take a sudden leave of absence for a couple of months. “How did you know…?”
Available at:
It’s Here!
August 9, 2012
Dark Moon Digest 8
My first foray as the managing editor of Dark Moon Digest!!
As Dark Moon Digest begins its celebration of two years since its establishment, we are proud to present our eighth issue featuring a new tale from Joe McKinney, the 2012 Bram Stoker Award winner for his novel, FLESH EATERS. McKinney’s “Ghost Town” is also our first printing of a novelette length story. And although this tale is this issue’s centerpiece, you won’t want to miss the other great stories in this issue. They include “Night Vision” by G. W. Thomas, “Among Us” by Lance Shoeman, “Lurking Variables” by Allen Jacoby, “Some Birds Fly North for Winter” by Aric Sundquist, “Zombies Don’t Suntan” by Chante McCoy and “The Emulator” by Gerry Griffiths. The issue also includes flash fiction pieces by Steven Jenkins (“I Am Dead”), Larissa Magera (“One Must Never Forget”) and Nicholas Paschall (“Growing Pains”) as well as the third installment of Araminta Star Matthews’ paraquel to BLIND HUNGER – “The Warehouse.” AMAZON
July 31, 2012
It’s Coming
Are you ready? Stephen King month will be here tomorrow. Come join us over on Last Writes and celebrate all that is horror.
July 19, 2012
July 16, 2012
Cover Art
I know, I suck at posting on a regular basis. So sue me. But this was news worth waiting for. I got the prelim version of the cover for my upcoming novel, Dual Harvest. So tada…
June 28, 2012
Guest Author – Mark Tufo
Why write about zombies and how did you get started?
First off thank you for allowing me to guest post on your blog it is much appreciated. Alright so I have been asked a few times ‘Why zombies?’ Honestly it has been a genre I have loved before it became fashionable to do so. It all started many moons ago when at the ripe old age of 7 my parents decided to go out with their friends to dinner and then play some cards. It wasn’t so much that they went out as to who they decided should babysit me. My cousin got the nod and he thought watching Dawn of the Dead with his young nephew was a perfectly acceptable way to while away the evening. I had never been so scared slash enthralled with any movie like I had been that night. When those zombie arms started busting through the boarded up windows, I may have wet myself, but with the passage of so much time it’s difficult to remember clearly! So since that time I have had a love affair with all things horror, in films and books with a heavy slant towards zombies. I have a whole section of my bookshelf dedicated to various zombie stories and now I have begun to build one on my nook, yes I have finally joined the digital revolution even if it was kicking and screaming.
As for how I got started with the Zombie Fallout series. I get this question a lot from folks that want to write their own stories and I’m not sure everyone believes me but here it goes. I had been laid off from corporate America AGAIN. I figured a month tops without a job and I’d be back in employment no sweat, hell I kind of thought of it as vacation for the first two weeks. Then three months later without so much as an interview the reality of what was happening was setting in, I was stressed to the max. I was reading tons if only to help me not think about what was actually happening, one morning after a particularly long marathon session of reading the night before I came downstairs and told the missus I had read a pretty good zombie book, but more jokingly than anything I had told her I thought I could do better. She turned to me and said ‘Then why don’t you?’ I kind of looked at her and said ‘Why not?’ I think she was thrilled if it was only because I would get out of her hair neither of us really thought the series would take off like it has. For three months I wrote Zombie Fallout 1 at the tail end of completing the book I was beginning to get interviews and was actually set to start a new job within a week. It was almost as if I was given a window with which to write the book, thankfully I was gently prodded by my wife, without her encouragement I don’t believe I would have ever allowed that file off of my computer and into stores. So in a nutshell, I was ‘dared’ to write a book. Thank you for spending some time with me and again I am thankful to share some of my life on your blog!
Web Site
Facebook Profile
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mark-Tufo/133954330009843
https://twitter.com/#!/ZombieFallout
Amazon Author Page
Goodreads
www.goodreads.com/author/show/2990843.Mark_Tufo
Books
Zombie Fallouthttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003A022YO/
Zombie Fallout 2
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0045UABFA/
Zombie Fallout The End…
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004S2L21C/
Zombie Fallout 3.5
http://www.amazon.com/Zombie-Fallout-Hugh-Prequel-ebook/dp/B005710Q7O/
Zombie Fallout 4 — The End has Come and Gone
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005R2NR1U/
Zombie Fallout 5
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007FJF2GQ/
Indian Hill
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002HWSLVO/
Indian Hill 2
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006TQV6PW/
Indian Hill Conquest
http://www.amazon.com/Conquest-Indian-Michael-Adventure-ebook/dp/B0082PXS9K/
Timothy
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006POAS2U/
* * * * *
All six of us – Todd Brown, Mark Tufo, Ian Woodhead, Armand Rosamilia, John O’Brien and Dave Jeffery – hope you’ll keep following us on the Summer of Zombie blog tour, and comment as we go along.
And . . . one lucky commenter for each blog will receive a Free eBook or Print book from one of the authors! Simply leave a comment with your e-mail address and we’ll pick a random winner each day! Simple as that!
June 27, 2012
June
What the heck happened to the month of June? It is almost over and it just started!
In the world of publishing, my story, “You Should Have”, was selected to be in the upcoming Siren’s Call anthology, Now I Lay Me Down to Reap. It should be available any day now from Amazon, and I promise to post a link when it is here.
My novel, Dual Harvest, has been completely edited and is just waiting for a cover. They told me that I should have a mark-up within a couple of weeks. I am so excited to get closer and closer to actual publication.
Dark Moon Digest 8, which is my first print publication as managing editor will be available on the first of July. Make sure you get your copy since there is a new story from none other than Bram Stoker Award Winner, Joe McKinney! It is not to be missed.
In the meantime, Max Booth III and I continue to edit stories for the alternate reality anthology, Zombie Jesus & Other True Stories. I have also started to read the submissions for the Mistresses of the Macabre anthology with the help of the awesome Jennifer Word. Also am in the middle of converting and publishing Dark Eclipse 13, our monthly e-magazine.
Check out the blog on June 28th as I will have a guest blogger. Also stay tuned to find out when my Summer 150 interview will be posted. Until the next time, try to stay cool!
Kayleigh
Kayleigh looked down at the casket that contained her mother. It wasn’t something that she could comprehend. Her mommy wouldn’t be there anymore. The young girl snuck a peak at the people that were there for the funeral. There weren’t many; most of the townspeople viewed them as outcasts. She had heard the whispering that they had always gotten whenever they went into town. Kayleigh knew that her mother had not been welcomed in the village.
She looked up at the man that was supposedly her father. He wasn’t around much and she didn’t know him well. But she supposed that she would have to learn since he was all she had left. She watched as dirt was thrown over into the grave and cried silent tears for her mother. She was going to miss her so much.
Her father beckoned her to follow. Quietly she got in step behind him and followed him to the cabin in the woods. She had never known any other home and they had no neighbors for miles around. She loved the little cabin that she had shared with her mother. Flowers and vines had grown all around, encompassing the little abode. They went inside the cabin and her father shut the door.
“Kayleigh,” her father looked at her. “I expect you to carry on as you did before. You can cook and you can clean. I will make sure that you have enough food here and clothing to properly fit you. But I will not tolerate any misbehavior or insolence from you. Do you understand?”
Kayleigh nodded her head. She couldn’t make any words come out of her mouth. She just wanted to curl up in bed with the doll her mom had made her.
“Good,” he said. Then he turned and left out the front door.
Kayleigh couldn’t believe that he had left her all alone. She was only ten and not accustomed to being by herself. She quietly made her way through the empty cabin and curled up into a ball in the corner of her bed. She cried until she could cry no more and then she fell asleep.
When she awoke, the sun was shining high in the sky. She got up and knew that she needed to eat. After her breakfast, she did the dishes and washed her face. She knew that she needed to find something to do with her time. She went outside as her and her mother had always done. She remembered her mother’s words, “You are very special little girl. You hold all the power right here,” she would say as she touched Kayleigh on the heart.
Kaleigh spent the day simply being with nature. She looked at squirrels that would come up to her. She tossed rocks in the river as fish swam her way. And she listened as the birds came around her and chirped to her. She felt more at peace with her mother’s passing.
That night, her father came home. “Here’s some money. Use it to buy whatever you need here.” He threw a few bills on the table and left again. Kayleigh made herself something to eat as she looked at the money. She had never seen so many bills before. But she looked forward to her trip into town.
The next day she got up and dressed with care. As she went outside she saw all the animals frolicking around the woods. None of them were scared of her and they continued to do what they were doing. As Kayleigh walked down the path, she saw that there were a couple of rabbits that seemed to be following her. She paid them no mind, knowing that they could roam wherever they wanted.
As she got closer to the village it seemed as if she were being followed, but Kayleigh saw nothing when she looked around. The village approached and she entered it quietly. As she passed the villagers, she saw them whispering to each other as she passed by. She knew that they considered her different but paid them no mind. She just knew that she wanted to get in and out of the general store as fast as she could.
Kayleigh wandered the aisles in search of the things that she would need for herself. She knew that she needed milk, bread, flour and butter, but she didn’t know what else, so she spent longer lingering over things than she should have. Finally she took her purchases to the front. The store owner peered at her over his glasses as he tallied up her total. He seemed surprised that she was able to pay for it by herself. Kayl;eigh gathered her things and walked outside.
She headed for the woods and back to her cabin noticing a group of boys up ahead. She so hoped that she could past them without incident. But it wasn’t to be. The biggest boy stopped her. “What are you doing here in town you little freak?” He knocked the groceries out of her hand, and the boys began pushing her around. She was pushed to the ground.
Kayleigh tried not to cry as she went to stand herself up. But she was pushed down to the ground again. Quietly she felt a rage take over her body. She stood up and her hands began to cup themselves together. A light shone brightly from above her out stretched arms. She heard her mother’s voice, “Remember the power is within you.” Kayleigh turned her wrists and a shockwave went out from her like a clap of thunder. The boys were knocked back by the force.
Kayleigh looked around in amazement at what she had just done. All the animals from the forest came out and surrounded her, protecting her from anything. The boys got up and quickly ran away. Kayleigh gathered her supplies and made her way back to the cabin, with all of the animals still surrounding her. She went inside and looked at herself in the mirror. She saw her mother’s reflection looking back at her.
“Kayleigh, I told you that you were special. The power of nature is within you. You are descended from Mother Nature herself. You will never fear for your safety. You have the power to control.”
Her mother disappeared, and Kayleigh felt a breeze go through her body. She looked down at her hands, and felt a peace. A peace knowing that she would never be alone; she always had nature.
My Perfect Drug
Sometimes I feel like there is never an end and I am turned this way and that way and twisted about and I wonder if I can take any more pressure because the feeling of panic is rising and won’t quit and I look for a way to get out for I wonder how long it will be before I contemplate hanging myself from a tree and my desire is that I will make it through because all I can do is think about you but I can’t stop and marvel on the wonder of it all for I have way too little time and so many things to do and the panic rushes in and I just want to nap but all I can do is hope I don’t snap for how much more shit do you think I can take because I can’t stand all that everyone wants for I am not perfect and I’m not a doll and it just makes me want to run my head in the wall and then thoughts of you drift into my head and I so want your comfort as we lay down in bed and the stress of it all slips out of my mind for you are the perfect drug that I find to keep me sane and to keep me suicide free and I hope that you always will be there for me.
