Stephen Kozeniewski's Blog, page 30
June 15, 2018
June 6, 2018
Call to Action - Please Donate to the Brian Keene Burn Fund
Bottom Line Up Front: If you can, please donate a few dollars here. If you're not in a financial position to donate, please share on social media or spread the word any way you can.
Background: Hey, everybody! I'm sorry to have to post this as I wish it had never happened. But since it did, a good friend of mine and patron of the horror community, Brian Keene, has been badly burned in an accident. While clearing brush, the wind shifted and he received first degree burns on his face, as well as second and some third degree burns on his arm. Brian is an author, podcaster, father, and philanthropist, who as recently as last month raised $20,000 for the Scares That Care charity. That's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his charitable work, but now he needs our help. As a working freelance author, he does not have health insurance or a stable income. This hospital stay will be a weight on his finances, only compounded by the amount of time he is unable to work. I hope you'll consider donating, even if it's only a few dollars, by visiting the GoFundMe site here. If you're unable to contribute at this time, you can still help by sharing on social media and in real life.
I've seen the horror community come together time and time again to accomplish amazing things for worthy causes. I have no doubt this will be another shining example. Thank you all for your help!
Background: Hey, everybody! I'm sorry to have to post this as I wish it had never happened. But since it did, a good friend of mine and patron of the horror community, Brian Keene, has been badly burned in an accident. While clearing brush, the wind shifted and he received first degree burns on his face, as well as second and some third degree burns on his arm. Brian is an author, podcaster, father, and philanthropist, who as recently as last month raised $20,000 for the Scares That Care charity. That's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his charitable work, but now he needs our help. As a working freelance author, he does not have health insurance or a stable income. This hospital stay will be a weight on his finances, only compounded by the amount of time he is unable to work. I hope you'll consider donating, even if it's only a few dollars, by visiting the GoFundMe site here. If you're unable to contribute at this time, you can still help by sharing on social media and in real life.
I've seen the horror community come together time and time again to accomplish amazing things for worthy causes. I have no doubt this will be another shining example. Thank you all for your help!
June 4, 2018
Uh Oh, It's Magic (Guest Post With Sean Seebach)
Hi all! I'm pleased to introduce you to today's guest, who, if you haven't encountered him before, has been an absolutely delightful recent addition to the horror genre. Sean Seebach is the kind of pleasant, supportive, genial person that improves the genre as a whole so much so that you don't even care if his work is good - but trust me, he's no slouch in that area. Let's meet him and then jump right into the guest post.
About Sean Seebach:
Influenced by Stephen King and Rod Serling, Sean Seebach has written three books: A LOOKING IN VIEW, AUTUMN DARK, and OUR MONSTERS ARE REAL: THE PIG MAN.
When Sean isn't writing or managing a wonderful barbecue joint with amazing people, he enjoys reading, cooking, and listening to rock n' roll.
He currently lives in Ohio with his wife, daughter, and son.
You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and his website.
Guest Post:
The magic of transcendence into story is why I am a reader first. Have you ever been reading a story and completely forgot about where you are, who you are, the rent payment that’s due in two days or the argument you had yesterday lingering around your conscious like a bad smell?
Have you experienced that?
I have.
The first time I transcended into story I was reading "Mrs. Todd’s Shortcut" by Stephen King. I rode along in that convertible of hers with the wind in my hair, cloaked in the aroma of crispy leaves around us. I even had to adjust my eyes to the long shadows of the trees as we laughed together, shortening each trip by cosmic proportions. Although I laid comfortably in an easy chair with the book tucked into my lap, consciously, I wasn’t there at all.When I put the book down my hands trembled. After my future wife came home from her shift that night, she heard all about my new friend Mrs. Todd and my thoughts about being admitted to the nuthouse because of the experience.
Transcending happens often to me when I read a great story. Most recently, the following stories come to mind: "The Mime" by MarySanGiovanni, WIDOW'S POINT by Richard and Billy Chizmar, DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN and END OF THE ROAD by Brian Keene, KIN by Kealan Patrick Burke, and your blog host, Stephen Kozeniewski, wrote a book called THE HEMATOPHAGES that sent me to a world far away from my own home here on Earth.
Stories like those mentioned above are why I’m both a reader and writer. I get to experience both sides of this unexplainable phenomenon.
Peter Straub confirmed story transcendence when he spoke at The Borderlands Press Writer’s Bootcamp this past January.
One day, he said, he sat in his office in Manhattan after he finished doing something fictionally horrible to some poor guy in a dark alley in New York. Recalling being transported into the scene as he wrote it, he stood against the alley’s brick wall and watched brutal things happen to some guy he conjured from his own imagination. After writing the scene, he gazed from his window as people crisscrossed across the street, bustled into shops and delis, and loaded delivery trucks. In that moment he gasped, and thought, these poor suckers only get to live one life.
Whether you’re a reader, a writer, or both, I think you can agree–he couldn’t have been more right.
And sometimes, when my car windows are down and I’m travelling down a twisting rural road, a warm September breeze rustles up dry leaves and I hear Mrs. Todd’s laughter echo with my own.
About A LOOKING IN VIEW:
Take a look inside a world of the fantastic, strange, and macabre:
Lillian witnesses the death of her undead mother…
A hitman has one last favor to pay…
Frustrated with his mother’s boyfriend, ten-year-old Nathan runs away from home in an attempt for a better life…
A nursing home has a strange visitor with more to offer than battered paperbacks for the residents…
Comprised of thirteen eerie, mysterious tales, A LOOKING IN VIEW is the first collection by author Sean Seebach and features a bonus novella, Blue Collar Diesel, where a man searches for manual labor in an attempt to win his fiancé back, but finds something much darker within himself.
About Sean Seebach:
Influenced by Stephen King and Rod Serling, Sean Seebach has written three books: A LOOKING IN VIEW, AUTUMN DARK, and OUR MONSTERS ARE REAL: THE PIG MAN.
When Sean isn't writing or managing a wonderful barbecue joint with amazing people, he enjoys reading, cooking, and listening to rock n' roll.
He currently lives in Ohio with his wife, daughter, and son.
You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and his website.
Guest Post:
The magic of transcendence into story is why I am a reader first. Have you ever been reading a story and completely forgot about where you are, who you are, the rent payment that’s due in two days or the argument you had yesterday lingering around your conscious like a bad smell?
Have you experienced that?
I have.
The first time I transcended into story I was reading "Mrs. Todd’s Shortcut" by Stephen King. I rode along in that convertible of hers with the wind in my hair, cloaked in the aroma of crispy leaves around us. I even had to adjust my eyes to the long shadows of the trees as we laughed together, shortening each trip by cosmic proportions. Although I laid comfortably in an easy chair with the book tucked into my lap, consciously, I wasn’t there at all.When I put the book down my hands trembled. After my future wife came home from her shift that night, she heard all about my new friend Mrs. Todd and my thoughts about being admitted to the nuthouse because of the experience.
Transcending happens often to me when I read a great story. Most recently, the following stories come to mind: "The Mime" by MarySanGiovanni, WIDOW'S POINT by Richard and Billy Chizmar, DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN and END OF THE ROAD by Brian Keene, KIN by Kealan Patrick Burke, and your blog host, Stephen Kozeniewski, wrote a book called THE HEMATOPHAGES that sent me to a world far away from my own home here on Earth.
Stories like those mentioned above are why I’m both a reader and writer. I get to experience both sides of this unexplainable phenomenon.
Peter Straub confirmed story transcendence when he spoke at The Borderlands Press Writer’s Bootcamp this past January.
One day, he said, he sat in his office in Manhattan after he finished doing something fictionally horrible to some poor guy in a dark alley in New York. Recalling being transported into the scene as he wrote it, he stood against the alley’s brick wall and watched brutal things happen to some guy he conjured from his own imagination. After writing the scene, he gazed from his window as people crisscrossed across the street, bustled into shops and delis, and loaded delivery trucks. In that moment he gasped, and thought, these poor suckers only get to live one life.
Whether you’re a reader, a writer, or both, I think you can agree–he couldn’t have been more right.
And sometimes, when my car windows are down and I’m travelling down a twisting rural road, a warm September breeze rustles up dry leaves and I hear Mrs. Todd’s laughter echo with my own.
About A LOOKING IN VIEW:
Take a look inside a world of the fantastic, strange, and macabre:
Lillian witnesses the death of her undead mother…
A hitman has one last favor to pay…
Frustrated with his mother’s boyfriend, ten-year-old Nathan runs away from home in an attempt for a better life…
A nursing home has a strange visitor with more to offer than battered paperbacks for the residents…
Comprised of thirteen eerie, mysterious tales, A LOOKING IN VIEW is the first collection by author Sean Seebach and features a bonus novella, Blue Collar Diesel, where a man searches for manual labor in an attempt to win his fiancé back, but finds something much darker within himself.
June 1, 2018
The Politics of Taste
A few years ago I wrote a tongue-in-cheek post about some things I consider overrated. Thankfully, the fever seems to have subsided, but at the time we were living in an era of peak Amy Schumer. I didn't think it was particularly controversial to say that she was irritatingly overexposed. Hell, she's made the same joke herself on her show.
At the time, though, one of my friends warned me that people would accuse me of being a misogynist for making that fairly banal joke. I scratched my head and didn't really see the connection.
Recently, though, I was reminded of that conversation when I read an article about the extent to which your pop culture taste is dictated by your politics. This was kind of thought-provoking for me. I mean, there are obviously celebrities who wear their political leaning on their sleeve. Sure, I avoid Ted Nugent because he's so grotesquely outspoken on the right, and I was aware plenty of conservatives shun Sean Penn for being similarly far left. But that seemed more like the exception to me.
There's a saying, though, "Every action is a political action" and it seems truer now more than ever. Politics are impossible to escape. They're even being inserted (or perhaps were always there and now we're just noticing them) in things as banal as breakfast cereals. Certainly I worry about where I spend my money, and make what I assume is an often vain attempt to spend in a politically responsible manner. So why not when it comes to pop culture?
I guess what I didn't realize was that people consider the passive act of consuming pop culture a political act. To tie it back in with what I was discussing above might be put succinctly as, "If you like Amy Schumer, that means you support feminism. Therefore if you criticize Amy Schumer, you're criticizing feminism."
You know where this is going, right?
The "Roseanne" reboot was weirdly politicized from day one. Look, I watched the show, with the exception of a few episodes my girlfriend jumped to without me. I also, like much of America, watched the original show back in the '90s. It was never a favorite for me, but it was what was on. About the same as my opinion of "Full House" or "Perfect Strangers." And the reboot was, except for a very mild miasma of topical subjects, about the same as the old show.
Roseanne voted for Trump and Jackie voted for Jill Stein. Replace that with Bush and Perot, and the same jokes could have been made thirty years ago.
Roseanne's grandson is a crossdresser and Dan is worried he'll get bullied. Replace that with...well, actually there wasn't a whole lot of shit you could wear outside the norm in the '90s without getting shit, so let's say anything, and that same plotline could have been in the original.
So, like I said, a few episodes were topical, but for the most part, it was just your standard network sitcom. In that sense, it was a bit of a throwback, so there was some nostalgic joy, the same as I get with "Ash vs. Evil Dead" or my sister might get with "Fuller House."
But the general topic of discussion seemed to be that the show was a political bellwether. If you watched it, you were a conservative. (Trust me, dear readers, I am not. I also read Joe Bob Briggs's articles in Taki Mag every week, and turn on Fox News when I'm folding the laundry. Hell, I used to watch Glenn Beck almost every day.)
Actually, let's pause and make an aside about that instead of just a brief parenthetical. I disagree with conservative principles on just about every point. Probably more rabidly than the average person, in fact. But as my politics are not a religion to me, I believe the other side's arguments should be heard. Heard, and, in 95% of cases, dismissed as twaddle. Now, in the case of Joe Bob, I actually agree with a lot of what he says, because it's mostly in the vein of "Hey, I'm old, here's how we used to do things, here's how things are now, and here's why I'm not sure that's an improvement." He's not shouting at teenaged school shooting survivors or cussing out immigrants.
I have to say, though, hearing what the political right thinks, hearing what their arguments and counter-arguments are, makes me think. It keeps me from being kneejerk in my worldviews. It provides a mirror and counterpoint to my own thought processes. Identifying the weak joints and creaky stairs in the house William F. Buckley built helps me identify my own biases and hypocrisies.
Hear people out is the long and short of it. Maybe their arguments are stupid. Usually they are. But you never know, people can surprise you, and your thinking is never perfect, and it's less perfect in an echo chamber because you're just not thinking at all.
How did I get off on that tangent? Oh, yeah. "Roseanne." So the whole political bellwether thing seemed, to me, a facade. And a useful one for the pundit class. Like I said, people like me probably just tuned in out of nostalgia, and the right decided to take that as proof positive once again that America was on their side. (To be clear, 10 million people out of 350 million is not exactly a mandate, even if the whole political bellwether theory had been accurate.)
So I didn't think liking "Roseanne" said a whole lot about my politics. Now liking Roseanne the person, on the other hand, is a whole other issue. Like I said, I don't think there's anything inherently wrong in giving conservative voices a platform. In the marketplace of ideas, their terrible ones will simply fail. Why try to silence them? Doing that just makes it sound like you're trying to cover something up, and nothing is more alluring than the taboo. So, by all means, let conservatives talk.
And exactly what was supposed to happen, happened. Roseanne was a horrible, disgusting racist and put paid to all of her "conservative doesn't mean racist or bad" shtick. Weird how often that happens. And then the whole universe imploded on her. I wish it hadn't taken out all of her cast and crew in the backlash.
But back to the basic thrust of this post. Does what you watch and enjoy determine who you are, or vice versa? I understand there's the argument that in watching, you "support" with your clicks and advertising exposure. I understand how advertiser supported television works. But it's not like I'm running out and buying a bunch of gold and prepper supplies because I turn on Fox News a few times a week. It's certainly different from donating to the Trump campaign, or shopping at a bakery that won't bake for gay weddings, or buying a ticket to see "Atlas Shrugged" in the theater or something. I got that. You don't want to support people who disagree with you by lending them your time and energy and theoretical money.
But at the heart of it, are our entertainment choices really political? I know people who only went to see the "Ghostbusters" reboot because it seemed like a vaguely femininist thing to do. I know there are lots of people who refused to because they're basically misogynsts. (Or, sorry, "conservative but not misogynstic.") If all acts are political acts, to what extent is passive consumption political? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
At the time, though, one of my friends warned me that people would accuse me of being a misogynist for making that fairly banal joke. I scratched my head and didn't really see the connection.
Recently, though, I was reminded of that conversation when I read an article about the extent to which your pop culture taste is dictated by your politics. This was kind of thought-provoking for me. I mean, there are obviously celebrities who wear their political leaning on their sleeve. Sure, I avoid Ted Nugent because he's so grotesquely outspoken on the right, and I was aware plenty of conservatives shun Sean Penn for being similarly far left. But that seemed more like the exception to me.
There's a saying, though, "Every action is a political action" and it seems truer now more than ever. Politics are impossible to escape. They're even being inserted (or perhaps were always there and now we're just noticing them) in things as banal as breakfast cereals. Certainly I worry about where I spend my money, and make what I assume is an often vain attempt to spend in a politically responsible manner. So why not when it comes to pop culture?
I guess what I didn't realize was that people consider the passive act of consuming pop culture a political act. To tie it back in with what I was discussing above might be put succinctly as, "If you like Amy Schumer, that means you support feminism. Therefore if you criticize Amy Schumer, you're criticizing feminism."
You know where this is going, right?
The "Roseanne" reboot was weirdly politicized from day one. Look, I watched the show, with the exception of a few episodes my girlfriend jumped to without me. I also, like much of America, watched the original show back in the '90s. It was never a favorite for me, but it was what was on. About the same as my opinion of "Full House" or "Perfect Strangers." And the reboot was, except for a very mild miasma of topical subjects, about the same as the old show.
Roseanne voted for Trump and Jackie voted for Jill Stein. Replace that with Bush and Perot, and the same jokes could have been made thirty years ago.
Roseanne's grandson is a crossdresser and Dan is worried he'll get bullied. Replace that with...well, actually there wasn't a whole lot of shit you could wear outside the norm in the '90s without getting shit, so let's say anything, and that same plotline could have been in the original.
So, like I said, a few episodes were topical, but for the most part, it was just your standard network sitcom. In that sense, it was a bit of a throwback, so there was some nostalgic joy, the same as I get with "Ash vs. Evil Dead" or my sister might get with "Fuller House."
But the general topic of discussion seemed to be that the show was a political bellwether. If you watched it, you were a conservative. (Trust me, dear readers, I am not. I also read Joe Bob Briggs's articles in Taki Mag every week, and turn on Fox News when I'm folding the laundry. Hell, I used to watch Glenn Beck almost every day.)
Actually, let's pause and make an aside about that instead of just a brief parenthetical. I disagree with conservative principles on just about every point. Probably more rabidly than the average person, in fact. But as my politics are not a religion to me, I believe the other side's arguments should be heard. Heard, and, in 95% of cases, dismissed as twaddle. Now, in the case of Joe Bob, I actually agree with a lot of what he says, because it's mostly in the vein of "Hey, I'm old, here's how we used to do things, here's how things are now, and here's why I'm not sure that's an improvement." He's not shouting at teenaged school shooting survivors or cussing out immigrants.
I have to say, though, hearing what the political right thinks, hearing what their arguments and counter-arguments are, makes me think. It keeps me from being kneejerk in my worldviews. It provides a mirror and counterpoint to my own thought processes. Identifying the weak joints and creaky stairs in the house William F. Buckley built helps me identify my own biases and hypocrisies.
Hear people out is the long and short of it. Maybe their arguments are stupid. Usually they are. But you never know, people can surprise you, and your thinking is never perfect, and it's less perfect in an echo chamber because you're just not thinking at all.
How did I get off on that tangent? Oh, yeah. "Roseanne." So the whole political bellwether thing seemed, to me, a facade. And a useful one for the pundit class. Like I said, people like me probably just tuned in out of nostalgia, and the right decided to take that as proof positive once again that America was on their side. (To be clear, 10 million people out of 350 million is not exactly a mandate, even if the whole political bellwether theory had been accurate.)
So I didn't think liking "Roseanne" said a whole lot about my politics. Now liking Roseanne the person, on the other hand, is a whole other issue. Like I said, I don't think there's anything inherently wrong in giving conservative voices a platform. In the marketplace of ideas, their terrible ones will simply fail. Why try to silence them? Doing that just makes it sound like you're trying to cover something up, and nothing is more alluring than the taboo. So, by all means, let conservatives talk.
And exactly what was supposed to happen, happened. Roseanne was a horrible, disgusting racist and put paid to all of her "conservative doesn't mean racist or bad" shtick. Weird how often that happens. And then the whole universe imploded on her. I wish it hadn't taken out all of her cast and crew in the backlash.
But back to the basic thrust of this post. Does what you watch and enjoy determine who you are, or vice versa? I understand there's the argument that in watching, you "support" with your clicks and advertising exposure. I understand how advertiser supported television works. But it's not like I'm running out and buying a bunch of gold and prepper supplies because I turn on Fox News a few times a week. It's certainly different from donating to the Trump campaign, or shopping at a bakery that won't bake for gay weddings, or buying a ticket to see "Atlas Shrugged" in the theater or something. I got that. You don't want to support people who disagree with you by lending them your time and energy and theoretical money.
But at the heart of it, are our entertainment choices really political? I know people who only went to see the "Ghostbusters" reboot because it seemed like a vaguely femininist thing to do. I know there are lots of people who refused to because they're basically misogynsts. (Or, sorry, "conservative but not misogynstic.") If all acts are political acts, to what extent is passive consumption political? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
May 23, 2018
Night of the Living Cliche (Guest Post by Victor Catano)
Hey all! I've known today's guest for some time through our mutual publisher, Red Adept, where I've known him to be clever, genial, entertaining, and overall my most recent man crush. I'm very pleased to bring him by the blog today to introduce to all of you. Let's meet him briefly and then jump right into the guest post.
About Victor Catano
Victor Catano is the author of TAIL & TROUBLE, the first book in a series of urban fantasy adventures. He lives in New York City with his wonderful wife, Kim. When not writing, he works in live theater as a stage manager, light designer, and technical director, working mainly with dance companies. His hobbies include coffee, Broadway musicals, and complaining about the NY Mets and Philadelphia Eagles. (Well, less about the Eagles these days.) If you need a seat at a coffee shop, he will actually move for you if you show proof of purchase of his book.
You can find him on Facebook, his website, Twitter, BookBub, and Goodreads.
Guest Post
I’m going to set a scene for you, one that I’m sure most city dwellers are intimately familiar with,
It’s early morning. You duck into the local Starbucks to get a cup of joe to wake you up and get you on your way to work. Or maybe it’s lunch time and you want to recharge. Or maybe you’re meeting a friend over coffee at the end of the day.
You scan the room and look for an open table, but there are none to be found. You just want to sit down and enjoy your latte, but every spot is taken. Why? Why is this happening, no matter the time of day or night? Who is occupying these seats? Who is hogging all the comfy chairs?
You know who. An army of wannabe writers with rolled up sleeves, goatees, serious looks on their faces, and nursing that coffee into its third hour.
Including me.
Hi!
Yes, I am confessing to being that most annoying of writerly cliches - The Coffee Shop Scribe. And, yes, I have a goatee and often a serious look.
I am not apologizing for it, mind you, because it WORKS.
I wrote the bulk of my first novel, TAIL & TROUBLE (available now at fine e-book retailers everywhere!), in a coffee shop. Specifically, the Einstein Bagels on Dr. Phillips in Orlando, right behind the Universal Studios park. My wife works at the park seasonally, and when I came down from snowy New York to visit her I got into a routine. I’d drop her off, then circle back to the coffee place. I would then proceed to abuse their free coffee refill policy while I pecked out a chapter or two of the book. Then, I’d reward myself with roller coasters. (They really help to rattle those ideas out of the brain)
I find I write so much more effectively at a coffee shop. Maybe it’s the smell of the roasted beans in the air. Maybe it’s looking at fellow writers. Maybe it’s the fact that my cat and dog can’t jump on me and demand treats and attention when I try to write. (You try writing when an eight pound bundle of cuddles jumps on you and licks your face repeatedly.) Maybe it’s the fact that a coffee shop seems to put a time limit on me so I spend less time dawdling online - obsessively checking my Amazon rankings and the rankings of every other author I know and comparing them - and more time actually writing words.
And when I was stuck on my latest novel, a sequel to TAIL & TROUBLE named THE WINTER OF OUR DISTEMPER (coming soon to e-book retailers everywhere!), I went to my local coffee shop, plopped myself down, and wrote. And it worked. I finished the draft just as the sop announced it was closing time.
So yes, it’s my fault that you and your Tinder swipe can’t get a table during your pre-hookup date. No, I’m not moving. I have a half an ounce of cold coffee and grounds in my cup still. That’s good for another half hour at least.
About TAIL & TROUBLE
When Gabriel’s witch girlfriend doesn’t return from her latest trip, he gets on the road and heads out to find her. Sheila's coven is secretive and distrustful of Gabriel, so the only help he has is Sheila's familiar, a bulldog named Orson, who is psychically linked to both of them.
In Florida, they walk right into an elaborate plan to steal Orson. A mysterious wizard named Yareth is behind the plot, and he may also know where Sheila is.
Gabriel and Orson will have to fight for their lives as they navigate around all the magical roadblocks to force Yareth’s hand. They won’t give up until Sheila is safe.
About Victor Catano
Victor Catano is the author of TAIL & TROUBLE, the first book in a series of urban fantasy adventures. He lives in New York City with his wonderful wife, Kim. When not writing, he works in live theater as a stage manager, light designer, and technical director, working mainly with dance companies. His hobbies include coffee, Broadway musicals, and complaining about the NY Mets and Philadelphia Eagles. (Well, less about the Eagles these days.) If you need a seat at a coffee shop, he will actually move for you if you show proof of purchase of his book.
You can find him on Facebook, his website, Twitter, BookBub, and Goodreads.
Guest Post
I’m going to set a scene for you, one that I’m sure most city dwellers are intimately familiar with,
It’s early morning. You duck into the local Starbucks to get a cup of joe to wake you up and get you on your way to work. Or maybe it’s lunch time and you want to recharge. Or maybe you’re meeting a friend over coffee at the end of the day.
You scan the room and look for an open table, but there are none to be found. You just want to sit down and enjoy your latte, but every spot is taken. Why? Why is this happening, no matter the time of day or night? Who is occupying these seats? Who is hogging all the comfy chairs?
You know who. An army of wannabe writers with rolled up sleeves, goatees, serious looks on their faces, and nursing that coffee into its third hour.
Including me.
Hi!
Yes, I am confessing to being that most annoying of writerly cliches - The Coffee Shop Scribe. And, yes, I have a goatee and often a serious look.
I am not apologizing for it, mind you, because it WORKS.
I wrote the bulk of my first novel, TAIL & TROUBLE (available now at fine e-book retailers everywhere!), in a coffee shop. Specifically, the Einstein Bagels on Dr. Phillips in Orlando, right behind the Universal Studios park. My wife works at the park seasonally, and when I came down from snowy New York to visit her I got into a routine. I’d drop her off, then circle back to the coffee place. I would then proceed to abuse their free coffee refill policy while I pecked out a chapter or two of the book. Then, I’d reward myself with roller coasters. (They really help to rattle those ideas out of the brain)
I find I write so much more effectively at a coffee shop. Maybe it’s the smell of the roasted beans in the air. Maybe it’s looking at fellow writers. Maybe it’s the fact that my cat and dog can’t jump on me and demand treats and attention when I try to write. (You try writing when an eight pound bundle of cuddles jumps on you and licks your face repeatedly.) Maybe it’s the fact that a coffee shop seems to put a time limit on me so I spend less time dawdling online - obsessively checking my Amazon rankings and the rankings of every other author I know and comparing them - and more time actually writing words.
And when I was stuck on my latest novel, a sequel to TAIL & TROUBLE named THE WINTER OF OUR DISTEMPER (coming soon to e-book retailers everywhere!), I went to my local coffee shop, plopped myself down, and wrote. And it worked. I finished the draft just as the sop announced it was closing time.
So yes, it’s my fault that you and your Tinder swipe can’t get a table during your pre-hookup date. No, I’m not moving. I have a half an ounce of cold coffee and grounds in my cup still. That’s good for another half hour at least.
About TAIL & TROUBLE
When Gabriel’s witch girlfriend doesn’t return from her latest trip, he gets on the road and heads out to find her. Sheila's coven is secretive and distrustful of Gabriel, so the only help he has is Sheila's familiar, a bulldog named Orson, who is psychically linked to both of them.
In Florida, they walk right into an elaborate plan to steal Orson. A mysterious wizard named Yareth is behind the plot, and he may also know where Sheila is.
Gabriel and Orson will have to fight for their lives as they navigate around all the magical roadblocks to force Yareth’s hand. They won’t give up until Sheila is safe.
May 16, 2018
The Long, Hard Reach for that Brass Ring
I've been writing all my life and scared for a good portion of it to attempt to get published. I had any number of excuses for not trying. I was always either too young, or too busy, or too embroiled in college, or desperate not to make an ass of myself in the army. I likely might have gone on the rest of my life that way (it seems, from anecdotal evidence, that a lot of people do) but in January of 2009 I sat down and swore that I would learn how to get published and then do it. So I literally sat down at my computer and typed "how do I get a novel published?" into Google.
The results were overwhelming, which was good, in a way, because it meant I had a lot of different people's perpectives to go through. But it was also bad, because I really wanted a "Step A, Step B, Step C" timeline. That desire, of course, is what drives people into the maws of sharks like Publish America and Tate Publishing. One nice thing, I suppose, is that almost every blog and how-to article warned me right off the bat not to fall for a vanity publisher.
However, 2009 was also an odd time for the publishing industry. E-books were obviously making a dent in traditional sales, and Amazon was beginning to decimate the brick-and-mortar industry. I don't think it's unfair to say that at the time just about anyone who had anything to say on the subject of publishing was screaming that the sky was falling. Looking back it's a bit quaint. But I also lived through an era when people swore Napster would spell the demise of the music industry, and pirating would spell the demise of the movie industry, and the internet would spell the demise of the library - so I guess you could say I was prepared to take such pronouncements with a grain of salt. Monolithic 20th-century distribution methods may change, but I think it's safe to say people are still interested in storytelling and news and will be for a long time to come.
So, in any case, in 2009 nobody quite knew what to make of self-publishing. It was clear that E.L James, Amanda Hocking, Hugh Howey, J.A. Konrath and the like had leveraged self-publishing into multi-million dollar enterprises, and many people were strongly advocating that it was the wave of the future. But the long, dark shadow of vanity publishing still hung over self-publishing. I'm not sure it's entirely gone away, but nine years ago people were much more likely to scoff that a self-published author wasn't "really published."
So. Back to me. After scrawling through thousands of blogposts and news articles on the matter, and (at the suggestion of a friend who had recently been published) starting this very blog, I had determined that while self-publishing was a gamble that could very easily pay off, it would certainly not get you into book stores and was very likely not going to get you in front of any awards committees. I felt like I should at least take a shot at traditional publishing and then, if necessary, self-publish. Certainly I couldn't go back from having self-published and hope an editor at a major house would pick me up for a second printing. That remains so unlikely that you may as well just not count on it ever happening, unless, of course, you have E.L. James-type success with your self-published novel.
So I dug in. For four years I queried an as-yet unpublished manuscript and then BRAINEATER JONES to every person with an "agent" shingle outside their office. As it became increasingly, mind-numbingly clear that nobody was interested, I began to expand my search to include small presses. Finally, after four solid years of trying, I got a bite from a small press.
Since then my indie career has taken off. I've worked with a number of well-respected publishers (and managed to escape the clutches of a few less-than-respected ones. I'm very happy with where I am as an indie. I'm finally finding the respect, awards, and, most importantly, fans that I've always been searching for.
But what you may not know is that I never gave up on my dream of a Big 5 deal. It may seem petty in 2018, but there is still a certain gravitas to landing in a bookstore, a certain sense that you've "made it." I don't care so much about the opinions of the literati, but I'd rather not have to give a five minute explanation about the state of the publishing industry to the regular people who are confused about why they can't find me in their local Barnes and Noble.
So I've never stopped trying to find an agent. I've queried agents for most of my novels, and, ultimately, ended up going with a reputable small press instead.
I'm very happy to say that as of today, I am now represented by the wonderful Nikki Terpilowski of Holloway Literary. After hundreds of rejections across half a dozen novels, I've finally found another industry professional who shares my vision.
The funniest thing about this, perhaps, is that the novel that was accepted was neither horror nor science fiction, which is all that you've known from me so far. This novel is actually a roman à clef about my time in the military. There's no speculative fiction element, but don't worry, all of the character-building and pitch black humor you've come to expect from me will be there.
I'm a little concerned, obviously, about branching out into a whole new genre. I'm worried about continuing to use my name. I may end up writing under a pseudonym for the literary genre. My agent and I haven't decided yet. But I'd like to continue to use my real name for all my work, and just try to be clear about genre differences.
So, I've done it. I've finally caught that brass ring. Now, of course, comes the hard part: selling the novel to New York. But I wanted to let you all know, and remind you that I wouldn't have any of this today if it wasn't for you. So thanks!
The results were overwhelming, which was good, in a way, because it meant I had a lot of different people's perpectives to go through. But it was also bad, because I really wanted a "Step A, Step B, Step C" timeline. That desire, of course, is what drives people into the maws of sharks like Publish America and Tate Publishing. One nice thing, I suppose, is that almost every blog and how-to article warned me right off the bat not to fall for a vanity publisher.
However, 2009 was also an odd time for the publishing industry. E-books were obviously making a dent in traditional sales, and Amazon was beginning to decimate the brick-and-mortar industry. I don't think it's unfair to say that at the time just about anyone who had anything to say on the subject of publishing was screaming that the sky was falling. Looking back it's a bit quaint. But I also lived through an era when people swore Napster would spell the demise of the music industry, and pirating would spell the demise of the movie industry, and the internet would spell the demise of the library - so I guess you could say I was prepared to take such pronouncements with a grain of salt. Monolithic 20th-century distribution methods may change, but I think it's safe to say people are still interested in storytelling and news and will be for a long time to come.
So, in any case, in 2009 nobody quite knew what to make of self-publishing. It was clear that E.L James, Amanda Hocking, Hugh Howey, J.A. Konrath and the like had leveraged self-publishing into multi-million dollar enterprises, and many people were strongly advocating that it was the wave of the future. But the long, dark shadow of vanity publishing still hung over self-publishing. I'm not sure it's entirely gone away, but nine years ago people were much more likely to scoff that a self-published author wasn't "really published."
So. Back to me. After scrawling through thousands of blogposts and news articles on the matter, and (at the suggestion of a friend who had recently been published) starting this very blog, I had determined that while self-publishing was a gamble that could very easily pay off, it would certainly not get you into book stores and was very likely not going to get you in front of any awards committees. I felt like I should at least take a shot at traditional publishing and then, if necessary, self-publish. Certainly I couldn't go back from having self-published and hope an editor at a major house would pick me up for a second printing. That remains so unlikely that you may as well just not count on it ever happening, unless, of course, you have E.L. James-type success with your self-published novel.
So I dug in. For four years I queried an as-yet unpublished manuscript and then BRAINEATER JONES to every person with an "agent" shingle outside their office. As it became increasingly, mind-numbingly clear that nobody was interested, I began to expand my search to include small presses. Finally, after four solid years of trying, I got a bite from a small press.
Since then my indie career has taken off. I've worked with a number of well-respected publishers (and managed to escape the clutches of a few less-than-respected ones. I'm very happy with where I am as an indie. I'm finally finding the respect, awards, and, most importantly, fans that I've always been searching for.
But what you may not know is that I never gave up on my dream of a Big 5 deal. It may seem petty in 2018, but there is still a certain gravitas to landing in a bookstore, a certain sense that you've "made it." I don't care so much about the opinions of the literati, but I'd rather not have to give a five minute explanation about the state of the publishing industry to the regular people who are confused about why they can't find me in their local Barnes and Noble.
So I've never stopped trying to find an agent. I've queried agents for most of my novels, and, ultimately, ended up going with a reputable small press instead.
I'm very happy to say that as of today, I am now represented by the wonderful Nikki Terpilowski of Holloway Literary. After hundreds of rejections across half a dozen novels, I've finally found another industry professional who shares my vision.
The funniest thing about this, perhaps, is that the novel that was accepted was neither horror nor science fiction, which is all that you've known from me so far. This novel is actually a roman à clef about my time in the military. There's no speculative fiction element, but don't worry, all of the character-building and pitch black humor you've come to expect from me will be there.
I'm a little concerned, obviously, about branching out into a whole new genre. I'm worried about continuing to use my name. I may end up writing under a pseudonym for the literary genre. My agent and I haven't decided yet. But I'd like to continue to use my real name for all my work, and just try to be clear about genre differences.
So, I've done it. I've finally caught that brass ring. Now, of course, comes the hard part: selling the novel to New York. But I wanted to let you all know, and remind you that I wouldn't have any of this today if it wasn't for you. So thanks!
May 14, 2018
The Quintessential Silverwood: The Door Post
"Silverwood: The Door" is a serialized prose and audio series which will be released in October. It's available for pre-order from Serial Box Publishing by going here. Here are some other places around the web where you can find out more:
Season 1 of the original "Silverwood" web series
Season 2: "Silverwood: Final Recordings"
A post on Across the Board
A pre-release FAQ on Brian Keene's blog
An FAQ on Brian Keene's blog
Teaser Trailer:
May 11, 2018
May 9, 2018
The Horror Show 24 Hour Marathon or Bust!
Hey, everybody!
I'm very pleased to remind you all that I'll be appearing this Friday and Saturday, May 11-12 2018, on The Horror Show with Brian Keene. But this isn't just any episode of that redoubtable podcast, oh no! This is a 24-hour marathon, with an intended goal of raising $20,000 for the Scares that Care charity. For more information, go here.
And how am I involved? Well, I'll be on hand to sign any books you bring, of course, and I'll have books in my car if you really want to buy one, but for the most part it's not that kind of event. This is a charity event and so everything will be directed towards providing quality entertainment to encourage the audience to donate to the cancer and burn patients we'll be supporting. To that end, I'll be on at 7:00 pm EST to make a major announcement, along with Richard Chizmar, about an upcoming project of ours. I'll also be doing a reading on Saturday morning.
The event will take place at the Courtyard Marriott (2799 Concord Road, York, PA 17402.) Hope to see you there!
I'm very pleased to remind you all that I'll be appearing this Friday and Saturday, May 11-12 2018, on The Horror Show with Brian Keene. But this isn't just any episode of that redoubtable podcast, oh no! This is a 24-hour marathon, with an intended goal of raising $20,000 for the Scares that Care charity. For more information, go here.
And how am I involved? Well, I'll be on hand to sign any books you bring, of course, and I'll have books in my car if you really want to buy one, but for the most part it's not that kind of event. This is a charity event and so everything will be directed towards providing quality entertainment to encourage the audience to donate to the cancer and burn patients we'll be supporting. To that end, I'll be on at 7:00 pm EST to make a major announcement, along with Richard Chizmar, about an upcoming project of ours. I'll also be doing a reading on Saturday morning.
The event will take place at the Courtyard Marriott (2799 Concord Road, York, PA 17402.) Hope to see you there!
May 7, 2018
Mascara and a Rifle: Women in the Military (Guest Post by Dacia M. Arnold)
Hey everybody! Sorry about the brief hiatus. My schedule is...well, not really calm, but let's say less hectic. In any case, I don't want to leave this blog to languish for too long ever again, so I called in some favors and managed to score a guest post for you all today. So I'm pleased to introduce you to author and vet, Dacia M. Arnold. Let's introduce her briefly and then jump right into the post.
About Dacia M. Arnold:
Dacia M Arnold is an author of dystopian fiction and dark/ horror short fiction. She is also a ten-year Army veteran and served two tours of combat as a medic. Dacia is now a mother and fulltime author in Denver, Colorado. Her debut novel, APPARENT POWER (Immortal Works Press), comes out in December 2018 as is the adult answer to DIVERGENT. Dacia M Arnold blogs at DaciaMArnold.com and you can support her on Patreon.
Guest Post:
One of the stipulations Stephen put on this guest post was that it had to be NOT boring. Here is my honest attempt.
First, I wanted to let every writer know one thing, because it seems like people forget: WOMEN SERVE IN THE MILITARY!!! In ALL branches and now, in all combat positions. And the women that serve(d) are not all tall skinny sexy-pots, undeniably butch, or incompetent.
There. I said it.
Also, there are no “Lady” combat loads. 210 rounds of ammunition weighs as much for a 6’3” 200-pound man as it does for a 5’2”, 117-pound woman. There is no “male small” and “female small” body armor. When the ruck requirement is 50 pounds, it’s 50 pounds for everyone. Women get all the same tactical and lethal combat training that men go through.
So why the vaginal omission from military fiction? If I were to guess, it would be the unfamiliarity of how females function in this capacity and how they change the dynamic of the element they belong to. Only 1% of the US population will serve in the armed forces (3.25 million people both serving or have served). That’s about how many people live in LA currently. So, for the majority, speculating on the experience with the addition of women might be difficult. Movies have gotten better at the incorporation; however, females do not often appear in serious leadership roles.
As much as I would like to think that the real-world incorporation of females in combat jobs did not affect the atmosphere of comradery, I do not assume the world, much less the military or the literary world, has ultimately reached gender equality.
“How do we do military women justice in fiction?”
Do you have a sister? THAT is the relationship most males and females within the ranks foster. Imagine a female gaming friend that is off limits, but even if there is an attraction, it’s understood that nothing outside of a plutonic relationship is acceptable. You can even write a motherly figure into an otherwise all male element. No doubt she can pull her weight, but she might also bring a nurturing dynamic. Do you work in an office with ladies? These, nonthreatening, nonsexual, fully coherent and competent female beings exist IN THE MILITARY.
Want to know something scary? Once a woman gets out of the military and takes on other jobs in society, maybe has a few kids… They become the single most capable and defensive human being to walk this planet. Imagine Wynona Ryder’s character on "Stranger Things," ripping a hole in her wall with her bare hands to reach her son… Now imagine if she had been combat trained. Here is a short story from my experiences at war.
I used to carry a hatchet, unsheathed, swinging by my side when I had to walk to the bathroom at night. There had been an increase in women being attacked on the way to go pee in a trailer that was anywhere from next door to a quarter mile away. Again, I carried a hatchet to the bathroom to protect myself from getting raped by a fellow service member. Someone I should have been able to trust with my life. This is just an example of how a woman functions in this atmosphere. No one ever attacked me on my way to the bathroom.
From the time I joined the Army at 19 until I got out at 29, I trained on ways to defend from people trying to kill me or rape me. I did not fear for my life when I carried that hatchet. I feared for the person that I might have to use it on. In a fight for my life, I might lose, but that MFer would not make it out in the same shape he went in. All 5’2” of fierce desperation still knows how to take a grown man down.
I hope I was able to shine enough light on this mythical creature to make writers more comfortable in incorporating females into their fictional defense of this country.
And before someone barks at me, yes, some writers are aware of such matters and DO incorporate strong females into military Sci-Fi. David Gerrold did it in the 80s with Elizabeth “Lizard” Tirelli, a chopper pilot. David Weber also with Honor Harrington.
I’m just a girl, reading this contemporary military fiction, wishing it didn’t miss the mark. CHEERS!
About Dacia M. Arnold:
Dacia M Arnold is an author of dystopian fiction and dark/ horror short fiction. She is also a ten-year Army veteran and served two tours of combat as a medic. Dacia is now a mother and fulltime author in Denver, Colorado. Her debut novel, APPARENT POWER (Immortal Works Press), comes out in December 2018 as is the adult answer to DIVERGENT. Dacia M Arnold blogs at DaciaMArnold.com and you can support her on Patreon.
Guest Post:
One of the stipulations Stephen put on this guest post was that it had to be NOT boring. Here is my honest attempt.
First, I wanted to let every writer know one thing, because it seems like people forget: WOMEN SERVE IN THE MILITARY!!! In ALL branches and now, in all combat positions. And the women that serve(d) are not all tall skinny sexy-pots, undeniably butch, or incompetent.
There. I said it.
Also, there are no “Lady” combat loads. 210 rounds of ammunition weighs as much for a 6’3” 200-pound man as it does for a 5’2”, 117-pound woman. There is no “male small” and “female small” body armor. When the ruck requirement is 50 pounds, it’s 50 pounds for everyone. Women get all the same tactical and lethal combat training that men go through.
So why the vaginal omission from military fiction? If I were to guess, it would be the unfamiliarity of how females function in this capacity and how they change the dynamic of the element they belong to. Only 1% of the US population will serve in the armed forces (3.25 million people both serving or have served). That’s about how many people live in LA currently. So, for the majority, speculating on the experience with the addition of women might be difficult. Movies have gotten better at the incorporation; however, females do not often appear in serious leadership roles.
As much as I would like to think that the real-world incorporation of females in combat jobs did not affect the atmosphere of comradery, I do not assume the world, much less the military or the literary world, has ultimately reached gender equality.
“How do we do military women justice in fiction?”
Do you have a sister? THAT is the relationship most males and females within the ranks foster. Imagine a female gaming friend that is off limits, but even if there is an attraction, it’s understood that nothing outside of a plutonic relationship is acceptable. You can even write a motherly figure into an otherwise all male element. No doubt she can pull her weight, but she might also bring a nurturing dynamic. Do you work in an office with ladies? These, nonthreatening, nonsexual, fully coherent and competent female beings exist IN THE MILITARY.
Want to know something scary? Once a woman gets out of the military and takes on other jobs in society, maybe has a few kids… They become the single most capable and defensive human being to walk this planet. Imagine Wynona Ryder’s character on "Stranger Things," ripping a hole in her wall with her bare hands to reach her son… Now imagine if she had been combat trained. Here is a short story from my experiences at war.
I used to carry a hatchet, unsheathed, swinging by my side when I had to walk to the bathroom at night. There had been an increase in women being attacked on the way to go pee in a trailer that was anywhere from next door to a quarter mile away. Again, I carried a hatchet to the bathroom to protect myself from getting raped by a fellow service member. Someone I should have been able to trust with my life. This is just an example of how a woman functions in this atmosphere. No one ever attacked me on my way to the bathroom.
From the time I joined the Army at 19 until I got out at 29, I trained on ways to defend from people trying to kill me or rape me. I did not fear for my life when I carried that hatchet. I feared for the person that I might have to use it on. In a fight for my life, I might lose, but that MFer would not make it out in the same shape he went in. All 5’2” of fierce desperation still knows how to take a grown man down.
I hope I was able to shine enough light on this mythical creature to make writers more comfortable in incorporating females into their fictional defense of this country.
And before someone barks at me, yes, some writers are aware of such matters and DO incorporate strong females into military Sci-Fi. David Gerrold did it in the 80s with Elizabeth “Lizard” Tirelli, a chopper pilot. David Weber also with Honor Harrington.
I’m just a girl, reading this contemporary military fiction, wishing it didn’t miss the mark. CHEERS!
