Sumiko Saulson's Blog, page 65

Updated Cover… makes you wanna give a buck to Mau, amirite? >meow<

A few things to report before I go back to playing Final Fantasy XIII 2:

1) I have a ton of interviews with other authors lined up

2) I am getting ready to put the Writer Advice in one easy to find section.

3) I improved the cover of “Attempted Happiness” and decided to offer Frankenzombie AND Attempted Happiness. This hopefully makes you want to Give A Buck To Mau so you can get your free coupon codes. The full story about how Mau, the chicken-friendly cat needed surgery and his human needs help see the link below.

http://sumikosaulson.com/2012/08/13/attempted-happiness-donate-to-mau-get-it-free/

Thank You Sister L.A. Banks

LA Banks

I’m just going to come out and say it: when I decided to write a science-fiction/horror novel, I was in the middle of reading two books that made me feel this was possible. One was a book by a local author (and old friend) Tim Farrington, “The California Book of the Dead”, and another was a vampire slaying urban fiction paranormal romance called “Forsaken” by L.A. Banks, which was the seventh book in this series:

http://vampirehuntress.com/

So I was incredibly saddened when I learned for the first time today that this brave and groundbreaking woman passed away last year:

https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150254114711440

I just found out about this today, and I am incredibly saddened by her passing. I was going to write her a note to thank her for being such an inspiration to me, for although many people have asked me if I was inspired to write because of Octavia Butler, the truth is, it was LA Banks I was reading when I decided that it was okay for me to write horror and science fiction. She was a talented and brave woman who broke down doors for every black woman who writes genre fiction. She will be truly missed. I hope the world will understand how important this lady and her work are.

As a young lady named Divinia told me not so long ago,  until very recently black women were not really allowed to write genre fiction: we were all to believe that we could only write in one unified voice of literary fiction and all sound like Toni Morrison. I love Toni Morrison, but it is the LA Banks of the world who are breaking down new doors now.

I am so sorry I did not get to let her know she was my hero when she was alive.

Attempted Happiness: Donate to Mau, Get it Free!

I’ve been overwhelmed by the support my friends and their friends have expressed for Mau, the cat of “Secret Chicken”, since I posted about him and his surgery. I donated $25 (yea, I know, big spender, right?) and now I’m going to give away Smashwords Coupon Codes to donors, for the story “Attempted Happiness”, to anyone who donates $1 or more.

Here is my original post:

http://sumikosaulson.com/2012/08/07/please-help-mau-the-cat-who-dances-with-chickens/

And the post of my friend, Jody, at the Secret Chicken

http://etakeh-oh.net/secrets/2012/08/mau-cat/

So here’s the deal:

Attempted Happiness

Attempted Happiness

Price: $0.99 USD. 3840 words. Published on August 13, 2012. Fiction

Donate $1 and get it for free!

Something is bothering William “Billy” Redman lately. It’s his roommate, Daniel “Danny” Finch. For some reason Danny is getting in his way, making his life miserable – at least, that’s what his best and only friend keeps telling him. He’s not sure why Danny gets on his nerves so badly, but his best friend Edgar Munchkin insists that life would be much better if he’d just get rid of Danny. He also says that he absolutely hates the name “Munchkin”. What kind of name is “Munchkin?” And should Billy really be taking advice from his cat?

Mau

Mau Meter

Witness above.. the Mau Meter, which documents the fundraising progress for Mau. If you haven’t read the links above, here is a recap of Mau’s story.  He was injured prior to his adoption 7 years ago. This 8 year old male tuxedo domestic short hair has his forever home, and he has healed from the (possibly intentional) injury to his back, but it has caused permanent partial loss of control of his rear legs. Recently, his human learned that he had developed an impacted bowel. He needed emergency surgery, and she went into debt to pay for it for him. This fundraiser is to raise money to help her get out of debt incurred by the surgery. Even a small donation would help.

I’m told Mau is a nice cat who would never order you to execute your roommate or plot against you.

Other Fundraising Efforts:

Requiem Rose Mau Fundraiser: Recycled Silk Thread Jewelry

Temple of Bast: Pledged Assistance

 

Interview with K.L. Coones, Author of Absolom Rex

The Author

KL Coones

Ever the non conformist…his first book, Absolom Rex, he decided to publish as an e-book and see if he could market it himself.  So on top of being a writer, he is also an entrepreneur and marketing professional.  It makes for a confusing description when people ask him what he does. In addition to his horror novels, K.L. also writes the Darkwater Adventures Guild series for young readers and.

Some of his favorite authors from growing up are John Bellairs, Mark Twain, Washington Irving and R.A. Salvatore.

“The first book I ever read cover to cover was Spell of the Sorcerers Skull by John Bellairs in JR High.”

He now lives in Texas with his dog Sid.  He’s an 80′s movie and music lover and the thing that he likes most about a woman is her voice… When not banging away on a keyboard he’s scheming of ways to get himself to a new campsite for the weekend, hiking, contributing to darkmediacity.com, or getting thrown around in a dojo by people in black suits.

The Interview

Q: In your biography, you astutely identify yourself as an entrepreneur and marketer – job titles it takes most self-published authors a while to adjust to. Did you know right away that this work would be required of you, or was it a process of discovery? What made you decide to self-publish, and essentially: did you know what you were getting into?

A. It took awhile for me to realize I wasn’t really interested in working with a publisher or agent. Through my work with a startup while I lived in California, I taught myself the basic ropes of marketing and copywriting for the web so I had a decent idea of what to do, just had to find the tools (like Goodreads) out on the web to facilitate it. There is still plenty I don’t know, and I am having as much fun marketing and connecting with readers as I do writing stories. I decided to self publish because I kept getting the same answer from everyone in the publishing world, ‘there is no market for your book.’ Most of the time, the consumer will let you know what is marketable, but sometimes, the product creates the market and I decided to invest in my product and let the readers decide if it is marketable or not. So far, the publishers have been wrong as Absolom Rex has been received positively if not yet massively.

Q: How did you select the title Absolom Rex and what does it mean?

Absolom Rex

A. Absolom Rex reflects several themes running through the books narrative. First there is the conflict between Rome and Judea. To Rome, the rebellion of Judea was like a child rebelling against its father. This is mirrored in the biblical text by the rebellion of Absalom against his father, Kind David. The spelling for the novel is just an alternate spelling of the name Absalom. Pontius Pilate also comes to a point in which he rejects his subservience to the state, Rome. The word ‘Rex’ is Latin for king and hints at the power that Pontius acquires during the narrative, but also the lamentations that come with it. ‘Heavy is the head that wears the crown.’ Together I thought they had a nice ring to it and sounded interesting!

Q: Your writing style is that it is very lush, visual and descriptive. I understand “Absolom Rex” is your first novel. What was your writing experience prior to writing this book?

A. Nothing as massive as a 64k word novel! I had written several short stories in high school and college, but most of my experience came from studying other books I had read and how they were put together.

Q. What I found interesting about your novel, in terms of genre, is that it combines traditional horror/dark fantasy with historical fiction. Weaving together a narrative that includes actual histories of any sort is a lot of work: I know this from personal experience, having had to devote time to identifying precise lunar cycles in a specific geographic location in 1975 for my book “The Moon Cried Blood.” But the 1970s are recent history, and a lot of information is readily available in reference books such as almanacs: your book takes place in ancient Rome. How challenging was it to do the research for your book?

A. Any research is a challenge, so don’t sell yourself short! But you are correct in that my sources may have been more limited. The biggest challenge was how to work the two genres into each other and have one flow into the other as seamlessly as possible. Up to a point, there is plenty of history concerning the various characters of Pontius and Caligula to choose from, I just had to decide how integrate the history into a horror story running in the background. The first part of the novel, when the historical fiction genre is in control, was the easier part. The latter part, when the horror genre takes over, was more difficult to integrate with the bits of history I had to go with as far as Caligula was concerned. I constantly had to check the writing and ask, ‘Does this make sense, can the reader suspend their disbelief?’

Q: During that period of time, Rome was very brutal. I took a theater arts class once where our teacher informed us that during plays, when a character died, they paraded out a slave wearing the actor’s mask and then actually killed him on stage – yet our modern perceptions of Rome are mostly as a very civilized place. Does your book let the reader see a darker side of Rome with which we might not otherwise be acquainted?

A. I can answer that in a word, Caligula. Fortunately for Absolom Rex’s horror side, Caligula was a contemporary of Pontius Pilate, and though I don’t go into overly gory detail, Caligula’s character is a viewport for the reader into the violence and depravity of the ‘civilized Roman’ world. Though fictionalized, all the things Caligula does in Absolom Rex were chronicled by a historian named Suetonius and are examples of corrupt and perverted societal elites.

Q. Back to self-publishing: is there anything you have learned in the process that you would like to let other aspiring writers know?

At Ages End (Preview)

Be very patient. Marketing takes time to work, so whatever you decide to do to market your work, be patient and keep submitting your work to reviewers and give interviews. If you can find someone who really likes your work, see if they are willing to help you spread the word. Don’t forget it is about the reader, not you.

Q. Finally, is there anything you would like to let our readers know about you, and your novel that we haven’t already covered?

A. I would like people to know that, although I don’t usually initiate contact with readers, I am accessible to them. As a self-published author, I don’t have a PR department that fields questions or filters contact from readers, nor would I want one. If readers are curious about something, I encourage them to reach out without fear of being ignored. I have found that one of the most fulfilling parts of being a writer is forming relationships with readers.

The Links

o Absolom Rex on Goodreads

o Absolom Rex on Smashwords

o Absolom Rex on Amazon

o Youtube Promo Vid -

Absolom Rex: At Ages End (Preview)

The Video

The Next Thing

Absolom Rex: At Ages End is coming out in Fall.

o At Ages End Goodreads Link

o At Ages End Smashwords Link

Contact Information

Author Website – http://klcoones.com

Goodreads – Author Site

Smashwords – Author Site

Twitter handle – @Klcoones

Facebook – Author Page

Escaping Our Computer Overlords

This weekend, I went Outside, and Did things, where there was sunshine and exercise and Fun Stuff Going Down. The weekend is just about over, and soon, there will be an interview posted by the extremely talented and very cool writer of  Absolom Rex, K.L. Coones, up later tonight: after I return from Dinner and A Movie. And yes, the movie will he Dark Knight Rises. I kind of wish I was my friend Andres, who is going to see Dead Can Dance, but I didn’t buy tickets and it’s not exactly in my budget. So Dark Knight Rises at $5 Friday at Jack London Square will have to do. Yes. That’s here in Oakland:

Gregory Hug, Jean Quan (Mayor of Oakland) and Sumiko Saulson

Yesterday, I went to the Laurel Street Fair, with my fiance, Greg, my mom, and her friend Seamas. There I am with my fiance, and with Jean Quan, Mayor of Oakland. I am the one with the red hair and the red Batman t-shirt.

KL Coones has also interviewed me: here is the link for that:

http://klcoones.com/2012/08/10/author-interview-with-sumiko-saulson/

I am really tired. But I will post the interview for my part of the Interview Exchange tonight, or tomorrow. I also played Final Fantasy XIII 2 until 4am, did I mention that? Oh… here are some dancers at the Laurel Street Fair here in Oakland getting down… in my neighborhood, because that is how we roll.

Oakland knows how to get down

I realize I should be talking about writing more, but I’m tired. I also gardened yesterday. Did I mention that? And I went to a meeting of Wrycrips, a disabled women’s theater group here in Oakland, today, because it meets Sundays at 2pm two or three times a month and today was the day. Here is a picture of me at Wrycrips:

Wrycrips – Disabled women’s theater

So, I’m going to unplug from the Matrix for a few more hours, and go to the movie and dinner with my Dumbphone, which is not a SmartPhone but a MetroPhone. I will not be blogging from my Dumbphone, because that is damned near impossible. But I will be out getting exercise, and I’ll catch you all later.

 

 

Interview with John Everson, author of “NightWhere”

The Author

John Everson

John Everson is the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Covenant, as well as the novelsSacrifice, The 13th,  Siren and The Pumpkin Man, all released in paperback from Dorchester/Leisure Books. His sixth novel, an erotic horror descent into dark desire centered around a mysterious adult club called NightWhere was released by Samhain in June 2012. He has had several short fiction collections issued by independent presses, including Creeptych, Deadly Nightlusts, Needles & Sins, Vigilantes of Love and Cage of Bones & Other Deadly Obsessions. Over the past 20 years, his short stories have appeared in more than 75 magazines and anthologies. His work has been translated into Polish, Italian, Turkish and French, and optioned for potential film production. He is also the founder and publisher of the independent press Dark Arts Books (www.darkartsbooks.com).

John shares a deep purple den in Naperville, Illinois with a cockatoo and cockatiel, a disparate collection of fake skulls, twisted skeletal fairies, Alan Clark illustrations and a large stuffed Eeyore. There’s also a mounted Chinese fowling spider named Stoker courtesy of Charlee Jacob, an ever-growing shelf of custom mix CDs and an acoustic guitar that he can’t really play but that his son Shaun likes to hear him beat on anyway. Sometimes his wife Geri is surprised to find him shuffling through more public areas of the house, but it’s usually only to brew another cup of coffee. In order to avoid the onerous task of writing, he holds down a regular job at a medical association, records pop-rock songs in a hidden home studio, experiments with the insatiable culinary joys of the jalapeno, designs photo collage art book covers for a variety of small presses, loses hours in expanding an array of gardens and chases frequent excursions into the bizarre visual headspace of ’70s euro-horror DVDs with a shot of Makers Mark and a tall glass of Newcastle.

For information on his fiction, art and music, visit John Everson: Dark Arts atwww.johneverson.com.

The Interview

Q. Thank you for being on “Things That Go Bump In Your Head.” Let’s start with the question almost everyone asks: What made you decide you wanted to write – and specifically, why did you choose the horror genre?

Because I couldn’t play the saxophone?

Seriously? I decided I wanted to write because I loved reading so much. When

[image error]

“The Pumpkin Man” by John Everson

I was a kid, I used to go to the library in the summertime and come home with literally a shopping bag full of books — mainly science fiction and fantasy.  I’d read all of them within the two weeks and then return them and come home with more. It didn’t take me too long in grade school to race through most of the Asimov, Simak, Clarke, Heinlein, Anderson, Clement catalogue of classic SF. As I grew older, I wanted to create the same sort of excitement in other readers that those books had created for me.

Why horror? Beats me, because that’s not what I read! I blame that on Roald Dahl and Richard Matheson, who I also read a lot — and they always had nasty dark twists on their tales, even when Matheson was writing SF. And I watched a lot of “Twilight Zone,” “One Step Beyond,” “Outer Limits,” “Night Gallery” and “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” on TV growing up. I loved the kind of tales that those programs brought to the screen.

Q. With its underlying themes of open marriage and BDSM, your latest offeringNightWhere seems to be being compared by some to 50 Shades of Gray. Do you think it actually has anything in common with the popular work of erotica, or do you think this is just part of the latest trend in comparing every work of fiction that includes BDSM to 50 Shades?

I can’t completely answer this because I haven’t read 50 Shades…but I do know that NightWherereally came out at just the perfect time for the 50 Shades comparisons. It does have a BDSM backdrop to it, so it makes sense that it would garner some comparison… but the comparisons are usually along the lines of “NightWhere is 50 Shades for the horror crowd.” Because while it has lots of sexual content, and characters craving domination and eroticized pain, it is a novel that stems from a horror background, rather than an erotica one. What’s nice is that it walks back and forth across the erotica / horror line, so I really think that it has appeal for readers on both sides of the fence. I’ve gotten several emails from people who participate in the BDSM and swinging scenes telling me how much they enjoyed the book, and how they could really relate to the characters.

[image error]

“Nightwhere” by John Everson

3) On a related note, many reviewers seem to be placing NightWhere in the erotic horror category enjoyed by the likes of Poppy Z. Brite. How do you feel about that? 

I’m good with that because… that’s what it is! Really, almost all of my novels have elements of erotic horror (except really for The Pumpkin Man) so I’m happy that the books are placed there… sometimes labels can be confining, but they also help readers interested in that sort of book to find other similar things they might like.

4) Why do you think people love stories that combine fear, gore and sex? Do you think the connection between sex and terror is a primal one? 

Well, people do tend to love stories that offer a little titillation with whatever the other elements are — whether it’s sex in a drama, sex in a thriller or sex in a comedy… so it’s no surprise that people love to see a bit of flesh in their horror. But I think there’s another reason that sex is often combined with horror. Sexual intimacy is really the most vulnerable position you can be in… so it’s natural that our most core fears would surface there. After all, most vulnerable = most potential for something bad to happen!

5) While I was reading the reviews for your latest book, NightWhere, I noticed one of your reviewers (dbern77) had this to say:

“Sliding NightWhere into the “horror” category leads one to believe it’s just a horror novel, but it’s so much more. It’s a smoothly written novel that flows wonderfully and never lets up.”

Along with the glowing praise of the novel there is suggestion that horror is a lesser genre. Horror is long maligned as a genre: entire texts exist detailing how genre prejudice lead to H.P. Lovecraft’s constant criticism during his lifetime. Do you believe horror is still considered less serious or skilled work than other forms of literature?

Horror has been maligned, though I don’t think that was the reviewer’s intent

[image error]

“Siren” by John Everson

in this instance. I think part of the critique in recent times is due to the rash of slasher horror that flooded the market in the ’80s. While that was a long time ago, to this day when you say the word “horror” to a lot of people, they think you’re talking about a story with a crazed guy wielding a knife. That’s a sad thing to me, because that’s not the type of horror I generally read, and it’s not the kind of horror I write.  So I think horror is frequently dismissed because of assumptions that all of its tropes are cliché… and it really is the least read of all the main genres. That which is least popular, tends to be dismissed. That’s why Barnes & Noble got rid of its “Horror” section years ago, dumping those books into the general “Fiction and Literature” pool. Meanwhile, Mystery, Science Fiction, True Crime, Romance and others still have dedicated shelf space.

6) You have been writing for a very long time, and are a winner of the prestigious Bram Stoker Award. Aside from well-crafted writing, there are other aspects involved in being a career author. What “right moves” do you think you have made to get this far? Is there any advice you would give to new writers about what we can do to increase our level of success?

Be polite. Be friendly. Be positive.

Don’t be afraid to approach people you respect — but do it with respect. I’ve seen a lot of new authors send out requests for blurbs for their new books “en masse” — just scattershot emailing a pdf of their book to 20 authors and saying, “hey, will you read my book?” If you can’t even give someone a personal email when you’re asking them to do you a favor… don’t be shocked when you get no reply!  Every time I’ve asked someone to blurb one of my books, I approach them with a personal email and tell them why I would really like them in particular to offer me their endorsement. And only when they say yes do I send the file (actually, it’s good form to ask them what format they’d prefer it it, if they’ll agree to blurb).  As with virtually everything in life, you’ll always get farther with good vibes than bad. I’ve seen a lot of authors over the years who are rude to editors (I’ve worked the slush pile) and rude to each other, via message boards or at conventions.  There are a ton of authors out there who write good stuff. Far more, in fact, than editors can publish and readers can read. So… if your talent is equal with a bunch of other people’s and an editor or reader has a perception that you’re a jerk… well… they’re likely going to pass over you for someone else of equal stature who isn’t. Like anything in life, if you have the chops AND can network well, you’ll go farther. I don’t know that I’ve networked that well, but I do try to be friendly to people, answer my emails quickly and not burn bridges.   I think that helps.

7) Having worked with both large publishers and independent presses, what would you say are the benefits of either approach?

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“Failure” by John Everson (Delirium Books)

I think sometimes there’s more flexibility for oddball and “pet” projects in the small press. No large press would have created back-pocket sized hardcover books with laminated covers and allowed me to do my own artwork for them. But that’s exactly what Delirium Books did for me with my novelette Failure and my three-story mini “bug” themed collection Creeptych. Those are little 100+ page hardcovers in an odd size that feature my own cover collages.

The benefit of a larger publisher is that there’s usually a larger editorial team, so you often end up with a better copy edit because more people have gone over it. And the biggest plus, of course, is that a larger publisher can get their books distributed in more stores, and has the marketing budget to promote them. It’s up to the author to do most of the promotional footwork in either case, but a larger publisher can open up more doors to you.

With the e-book revolution, virtually anyone can publish and get their books into Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo, just like the “big boys”. But one thing most authors don’t realize (and probably a lot of small presses don’t either!) is that larger publishers have the opportunity to nominate books for special promotions at stores like Amazon. A small press never even sees that door.  So the things that will continue to make (or not make!) larger presses vital in the years to come is the amount of muscle they can put behind their projects to keep them visible above the rest of the pack.

8) Finally, is there anything you would like to leave the readers with that I haven’t yet asked you about?

Well, I hope everyone will download a copy of the NightWhere ebook, or pick

“Creeptych” by John Everson (Delirium Books)

up the trade paperback when it becomes available the first week in October. And also check out the new V-Wars book edited by Jonathan Maberry. This is a shared world book that’s part anthology, part novel, since eight authors (including me) all worked in the same “world” with some shared characters to document the outbreak of a new resurgence of the true vampires of mythology. It was a really fun project to work on, and it just came out in hardcover from IDW just over a month ago. (You can find it in the New in Science Fiction sections at Barnes & Noble stores right now).

Thanks for Bumping Me in the Head!

The Video:

The Information:

You can pick up NightWhere on Amazon:

Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/NightWhere-ebook/product-reviews/B0083K12W4/

You can contact John Everson or learn more here:

Website: www.johneverson.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/johneverson

Twitter: www.twitter.com/johneverson

email: john@johneverson.com

Announcing: The Horror [or Horrible] Haiku Contest!

The Contest:

This month’s official contest promises to be a lot of fun for all involved.  Some of you may be nervous, thinking that haiku in English is difficult, and perhaps you are worried that your haiku won’t qualify as haiku. If so, you are not alone: also worry that my haiku is not haiku: so in order to ease your apprehension, I am offering an Entry Prize to everyone who even TRIES to write horror haiku! That’s right! There will be a Grand Prize winner, and there will be a kind of door prize for every brave soul to attempt this thing called Horror Haiku, even if they are really HORRIBLE horror haikus.

aarrrggghhh – a haiku, I think…

How To Enter:

To Enter: Submit a Haiku, in English (or, if in another language, with English translation provided) to the Facebook page, where it will be voted upon by “likes”.

(I realize this isn’t the most scientific method, because you know, you can always get your friends to click “like” on your haiku, driving extraneous traffic to my page… okay did I say that aloud? I guess I did.)

Well: if you prefer NOT to deal with Facebook, you can just post your Haiku on Twitter with @sumikoska, because that’s my Twitter account – and I can put it on Facebook for people to vote on.  Or, people can express support for it on Twitter.

OR, you can leave it in the comments to this blog post, and I will repost it to Facebook. Either of those three methods would work.

But I prefer if you post it here:

https://www.facebook.com/authorsumikosaulson

Because it’s less work for me and pretty pretty please.

What Is Haiku?

Good question. For the purpose of this contest: it is…

Three lines, first five syllables, second seven syllables, third five syllables, with some kind of reference to horror – not a season, as suggested on Wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiku_in_English

Spring is a season, amirite?

But for this contest, we will accept anything vaguely resembling a haiku, so if you miscount syllables, don’t count syllables, have no idea what a cut is, etc… as long as it kind of seems like it’s in a form similar to a haiku, and it has something horror or dark fantasy or scary sci-fi related, we’ll take it! We are not picky. But it has to be ORIGINAL. You have to write it to qualify. And please… please… please don’t send us a three page ode, that’s not even pretending to be haiku. Thanks

The Grand Prize:

The top winner gets one Proof Print of “Things That Go Bump In My Head”, a book which will be worth lots of money in the unlikely event that I ever become famous. And, I will sign it. And, to sweeten the deal, I’ll include a really awesome t-shirt.

Your choice of Frankenzombie or Meathead.

Book + Meathead or Frankenzombie Tee

This is the most awesome prize packet we have offered so far here at “Things That Go Bump In My Head”, and it is of course in anticipation for our count down to the release of the book by that title (a short story collection) and my reading event the night before Halloween, “Haunting Laurel Boookstore.” But wait! There’s more!

You will have YOUR HAIKU printed on the back of YOUR PRIZE WINNING T! So you will have a one-of-a-kind t-shirt with the book promo on the front, and your credited haiku on the back. Amazing!

The Entry Prize
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“Things that go” Bookmark

Remember when I said that everyone who entered was eligible for a prize? Well I wasn’t kidding. Everyone who enters will be eligible to receive a free code for the .99 cent story of his or her choice at Smashwords:

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/SumikoSaulson

And everyone who enters is eligible to receive a bookmark from the author: that’s me. If you really want a signed bookmark, I will sign your bookmark. Although that seems weird, but why not? But of course, you need to provide an address to me at which to mail the bookmark. So…

If you enter and you want the entry prizes, email me at sumikoska@yahoo.com and say “Hey, I submitted my Haiku and I want my Smashwords code and my bookmark. This is where to send it.”

The Deadline

As always, all entries must be received by the end of the month (August 31, 2012) in order for a determination on the grand prize to be made the next day (September 1, 2012).

 

Feeling Axolotl

image credit: kidicarus222.blogspot.com

I feel ugly right now.

Do men ever feel this way, I wonder? I am an American woman, and I am still expected to do everything looking fabulous and wearing high heels with perfectly groomed legs and armpits and fingernails. But I am not fabulous-looking. I am awkward, and geeky, and filled with strange nervous ticks and eye rolls that not once but twice inspired talent scouts to suggest I consider going into comedy. I have a case of comedian face, like these 53 funny women:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/09/52-female-comedians_n_833214.html#slide=250813

Comedian Face

I used to blog about my struggles with my weight, and I was pretty open about it. Then one day, five months ago, a very thin relative started flaming me on my birthday about my obesity. I said it: the o-word. I weigh 235 pounds which is 80 pounds more than my medically suggested BMI. But I am not the only woman in the world who used to be a nerdy little girl, no, I am not the only woman who still has a dorky teenager inside.

When I was young, and pimply, and my glasses were ugly.

But when I write, I am beautiful.. and when I write, I am not a fourteen year old girl with a bad case of acne and an even worse fashion sense hungrily digesting the works of Poe. I am rather, a person who is reaching out across time and space to give a hug to that girl I used to be, and every other girl like her, in every library haven safe from school yard bullying.

I am her advocate, saying “You will live through this, and you will see better days.” I am her advocate, saying, “It WILL get better”. I am her advocate on those days when I am strong, and I am not weighed down by the incredible sadness that leaves me as breathless as a woman punched in the sternum by a bully’s fist. That feeling I will only be what others see.

Monster Eye – Monster I

You will see me coming for I am a monster – a monster a monster, yes I am a monster. You will see me coming, a green me edited into a Frankenzombie in Photoshop, the apple of some Photomania app eye, and I will take my image and own it, and control it. Because even a girl who didn’t feel very sexy could understand something about Feminism 80s/90s style. I am not sex positive, but I got the part about controlling your own image, not from Gloria Steinem, but from Madonna, when she released a book of erotic images to counter the public relations issue connected with Hustler releasing less flattering images of her.

Sex Sells but Horror is Violent

And I am feeling Axolotl, a funny monster. An adorable monster. A little monster. It comes from the words meaning “Water Servant”. A slippery creature. I am redefining myself but… then my mouth will open, and I will speak. The once soft spoken girl will have given way to a woman whose nervous tickiness is always lying underneath the surface in an eye roll or a sideways twitch of the mouth. I will feel insecure, and I will cry in the dark hormonal circles of feminine wondering in the bathroom, where no one can see. And I will be me: alive, surviving, triumphant, and writing. I will write. And I will speak.

It is just that I will speak nervously.

If you liked this you will probably like this:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/210126

A tale of bullying and overcoming

Please help Mau – the cat who dances with chickens.

I realize this isn’t horror related, but we return to the previously scheduled horror shortly.

Mau

PLEASE HELP: Mau is a beautiful 8 year old tuxedo cat. He is with his forever home, and he is loved. When Mau’s human first met him, he had a back injury and did not have full control of his back legs. Although he eventually healed, and spent 7 years in good health, recently he experienced a serious, life threatening digestive tract issue and his people – my friend Jody – went into DEBT to help her precious boy. Now we are raising funds to try to pay for his vet bill: we needed to raise $400, but only raised $25 so far and yes, that was from me. Please please PLEASE help Jody and Mau! Even if you can only give $5. How can you resist that adorable face? And please repost this. Here is a link to Mau’s story and where you can donate. Thank you.

http://etakeh-oh.net/secrets/2012/08/mau-cat/

Interview with Serena Toxicat, author of “Evangeline and the Drama Wheel”

The Author

Serena Toxicat

Serena Toxicat slinks across the dimensions as (alternately and simultaneously) a writer and translator, a singer and dancer, an actor and model, a painter and tattoo collector, a domestic violence peer counselor, group leader for people living with mental illnesses, cat socializer, and NLP life coach. She’s an experienced psychic reader and energy healer who was ordained a priestess in the Fellowship of Isis.

SF-born and bred, Serena is a world explorer who lived almost 8 years in Paris and recently traveled to Egypt, where she recorded vocals in the King’s Chamber of Khufu for her latest Protea album, Going Forth By Night.

She has been published in anthologies and magazines, and written award winning plays and poems in English and French. Her parallel recording projects are Starchasm and Catbox Theory, and she regularly collaborates with musicians worldwide.

The Interview

Q.  When did you start writing?

A. I was a junior in high school when I won my first award for poetry. I think that’s when I started, since my teacher asked me, in a sensitive manner, if I’d plagiarized it. Combing my memory here… This suggests that I hadn’t put much thought into writing, at least into my own, higher level, creative writing, before 11th grade. Although I’d always loved books and done well in my English classes, I was more focused on painting in my earlier childhood. A family friend had given me an acrylic set, which never stopped fascinating me. When I wasn’t using it I was staring at the tubes all lined up in various states of diminution.

Q. What inspires you to write?

A. Emotionally charged situations, drama mistaken for love, human cauldrons of chaos, traumas, manic episodes… I’m trying to recall happier inspirations. Euphoria doesn’t count. I’d like to defeat the cliche that happiness is not conducive to art. Maybe joy is and it’s contentedness that isn’t. My cats certainly inspire me, and they’re always good for a smile!

Q. Evangeline and the Drama Wheel is prose with a distinctly poetic feel – do you think that your background as a poet and lyricist impacted your writing of the novella? if so, how?

Evangeline and the Drama Wheel

A. I had just left a touring band when I started that book, so lyrics must have been embedded in my mind, heart and hand. It wasn’t a conscious thing but it would have been rather unlikely that music and lyrics had not impacted it, especially since it’s a novella based on the tour in question! I was always aware of a musicality in words, and enjoy working and playing within that atmosphere. There was a time I did three open mics a week and lots of poetry features. My first play, which I wrote at 17, was in verse.

Q. The story, with its inter-species hybrids, contains many elements of science-fiction, in addition to elements of dark fantasy. Are you a fan of either genre? How would you place your story genre-wise?

A. To me, it’s a children’s book with mostly adult readers. Yes, I’m a fan of both, and I’m not embarrassed to say I was a Trekker. Never went to the cons or anything but I watched the series. SG1 was my next space passion. I remember being really touched when Octavia Butler died. An image of a sci-fi book is coming up. I must have been in first grade, or maybe a little older. Hardcover, thin volume, blue and white cover… Clearly the seed was there. Must be my Aquarius sun. “You Will Go to the Moon” was one of my favorite books as a child. Meeting Terry Pratchett was amusing. My friend and I brought our jungle hybrid cats on leashes to the auditorium in honor of one of his feline characters. My cat and I approached Terry for a chat and an autograph. It was a long catwalk through rows of card table chairs. Poor devil backed up as if we’d plotted to drop a lethal hairball on him! Years later I spotted some Pratchett novels in a public market in Cairo. Small world, sentient multiverse, or just good marketing? I’ve always felt part cat.

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Serena Toxicat’s “Paper Wings”

Q. Although women are still a relative rarity in horror, we’re seeing an increase in female writers in fantasy over the past decade: but mostly Young Adult writers such as J.K. Rowling. Have you experienced any particular difficulty associated with being a female author?

A. I have noticed that when I say I’ve written a novella and other works I get some patronizing responses. I have to wonder, would this happen to a dude? It’s hard to know what attitudes would rear up in the larger book world. Is this a mere microcosm of the mainstream arena? I do feel geekdom is still seen as a guy thing.

 

Q. Do you think it is getting easier for

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Judy Blume’s “Tiger Eyes”

women to write in traditionally male genres? And related – do you think we are more traditionally easily assigned to a YA genre.

A. I think it is, but you always hear about or experience such things taking a backward turn, about women moving ahead, then reverting, or being cast back, into the more predictable matrix. It’s like the chiropractic phenomenon of retracing. I do think women and YA tend to be linked in the minds of the masses. The association was there before Rowling and it’s the same now. That reminds me, isn’t there a movie based on Judy Blume’s “Tiger Eyes”?

(Editor’s Note: A movie adaptation of Judy Blume’s “Tiger Eyes” debuted at the Monclair Film Festival in May 2012: http://www.nj.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2012/05/judy_blumes_tiger_eyes.html)

Q.  Is there anything else you would like the readers to know about you and your writing before we end?

A. Many authors say books write themselves when they need to come out. I think they’re right. I know Evangeline had to happen. I wonder what my brain and body would have done had the novella not found its way to freedom.

The Books:

Toxicat’s novella, Evangeline and the Drama Wheel, currently resides at www.lulu.com/content/1153339, and her poetry book, Paper Wings, at www.lulu.com/product/paperback/paper-wings/6412668.

Evangeline has plans to move to Isis House, deTraci Regula’s publishing company. In the meantime, you can use this coupon (which is also good for Sumiko Saulson’s books on Lulu, if you are feeling like going on a major Lulu shopping spree).

The Mars Mission:

In the middle of this interview, something ASTOUNDing happened. NASA’s Mars rover “Curiosity” landed. It was my belief that the Lulu coupon was issued at that time in response to the rover landing (so everyone could celebrate by purchasing independent science-fiction, or even non-fiction, perhaps) but then I looked, and there was no indication that was why: still, that’s my story, and I am sticking to it.

Here is a story link:

http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-me-mars-rover-curiosity-lands-safely-20120806,0,415082.story

The Event:

Last but not least, Serena and I will be Haunting Laurel Bookstore on October 30th, and the details are HERE:

http://sumikosaulson.com/events/

Haunting Laurel Bookstore