Reviews, Interviews, Guest Posts and Contests at The Cult of Me blog

[Michael]

The short fiction contest for September is almost at an end, you only have one week left to enter. It couldn't be simpler to enter, write a story of no more than 500 words based on this month's image. When you have the story visit the competition page here:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/p/s...

You can then submit the story through the form provided, you can also see the image there and the rules. There's no entry fee and you could win a £50 Amazon gift card, the competition is open to everyone.

So far I've received 32 entries, and as always there's a good mix of stories in there. Please continue to help spread the word for this contest, it is much appreciated.

I've also created a Facebook group for short and flash fiction generally, it is open for readers and writers, so come and join us at:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/short...

Thanks as always to everyone who has entered so far!

[Michael]

The October short fiction contest is now open, come and visit the competition page to take part:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

September's winners will be announced next weekend, I'm looking forward to a week of reviewing the submitted stories!

[Michael]

Dustin Stevens (author of 21 Hours) provides today's guest post about screenwriting:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

[Michael]

Before I announce the winners for September's short fiction contest I'd like to thank everyone who entered. As always the quality of the entries made the task of selecting the winners a difficult if fun one. September's image also sparked a good variety of stories and I'm hoping that October's will do the same.

I've set up a Facebook group for writers and readers of short and flash fiction, so if you'd like to show off your work, or find a new story to read then come and join us here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/short...

And now, drum roll please...

First prize of a £50 Amazon gift card goes to Lisa Williamson for her story 'Out of my Window'.
Second prize of a £20 Amazon gift card goes to C. L. Anderson for the story 'KONRAD4'.
Third prize of a £10 Amazon gift card goes to Jon Jefferson for his story 'Watch Dog'.

Congratulations to the winners and now enjoy their stories here:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

[Michael]

Lisa Williamson wrote September's winning story 'Out of my Window':

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

[Michael]

There's only two weeks left for you to enter October's short fiction contest. It's easy to enter, all you have to do is write a story of no more than 500 words based on this month's image and then submit the story on the contest page. I've received 17 entries so far and I'm looking forward to reading many more so get writing!

There's no entry fee and the write winning story will receive a £50 Amazon gift card, there are prizes for the second and third places as well. To take part visit the competition page here:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

If you haven't read the winning stories from September's contest then you should really give them a read, you can do so here:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

A big thanks to everyone who has entered so far and please help spread the word through twitter, facebook and whatever your favourite medium is for communicating with friends and fans.

[Michael]

C. L. Anderson's story 'KONRAD4' won second prize in September's short fiction contest:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

[Michael]

This is the last week to enter October's short fiction contest. It couldn't be easier to enter, all you have to do is write a story of no more than 500 words based on this month's rather moody image. On the competition page there's a form to submit your story. There's no entry fee and you could win a £50 Amazon gift card. You'll also find the rules and conditions on the competition page here:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

I'd also like to thank everyone who has entered so far, I now have 28 entries to pick from and I'm sure there'll be many more before Sunday!

If you enjoy reading or writing flash fiction why not join our Facebook group here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/short...

[Michael]

Jon Jefferson won third prize in September's short fiction contest with his story 'Watch Dog', you can read it here:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

[Michael]

November's short fiction contest is now open. As always the rules are simple, write a story of no more than 500 words based on this month's image. There's no entry fee and you could win a £50 Amazon gift card. Visit the competition page link below to take part:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

I will announce the winners for October's contest next weekend.

[Michael]

October's short fiction contest winners have been announced, congratulations to the winners and a big thank you to everyone who entered. This was the hardest competition to judge so far!

First prize of a £50 Amazon gift card went to Colbey Pratt for his story 'Achromic'.
Second prize of a £20 Amazon gift card went to Kath Middleton for her story 'The Tree'
Third prize of a £10 Amazon gift card went to Will Macmillan for his story 'Ysgaddril'

Visit the link below to read the winning stories and feel free to leave a comment:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

[Michael]

Bethany Turner (author of the Abigail Phelps series) provides today's guest post about mixing fact and fiction:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

If you have an idea for a guest post that you'd like to post on my blog then get in touch.

[Michael]

We're now one week into November's short fiction contest and I've received the first few entries, all inspired by this month's image, a rather spooky image as well, most suitable for the time of year. If you haven't entered yet there's still time to do so, all you need to do is write a story of no more than 500 words based in this month's picture and you could win a £50 Amazon gift card. You should submit the story via the competition page here:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

The winners for October's short fiction contest have been announced and you can read the wonderful winning stories here:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

Finally I've set up a Facebook group for readers looking for short and flash fiction as well as for writers to show of their work in those formats, you can join the group here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/short...

[Michael]

Colbey Pratt won October's short fiction with his story called 'Achromic', not only is the story wonderfully written it has one of my favourite concluding lines in any of the entries so far.

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

[Michael]

Kath Middleton won second prize in October's short fiction contest with her haunting story of immortality, you can read the story in full here:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

[Michael]

We're now half way through November's short fiction contest, so far I've received a dozen entries based on this month's covid image. If you haven't entered the competition yet then there is still time to do so. It's easy to enter, you write a story of no more than 500 words inspired by this month's picture.

You can then submit the story through the form on the competition page (you'll also find the rules for the contest there), there are three prizes up for grabs. You could win a £50 Amazon gift card as well as have your story published on my blog.

To enter visit the competition page here:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

My thanks to everyone who has entered so far and please share the link to this competition where you can.

For fans of short fiction I've set up a Facebook group, you can find some great stories there and if you're a writer you are welcome to share your short stories and flash fiction:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/short...

[Michael]

The latest Tales of the Imp drabble has been posted ( thanks Rosen! http://www.indie-book-bargains.co.uk/), I've posted it again below.

If you haven't read the Tales of the Imp series, or want ti refresh your memory then you can read them here:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/p/t...

The Imp Rocks Out

Heavy bass shook the house; you could say that it literally rocked the house. The little yellow demon bounced off the furniture while banging his head to rhythm of the pounding drums. I was surprised that the neighbours weren’t complaining.

Scratch that, no I wasn’t, the Imp had tamed them. I don’t know how, but he had them eating out of the palm of his chubby little hand. They even knew that he existed, his dominion was expanding.

And then oh my God, he started to sing.

“Like an Imp out of Hell I’ll be gone when the morning comes...”

[Michael]

I've posted an article on my blog with some hints and tips for writing drabbles:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

[Michael]

Today I have featured Birgit Kluger's crowd funding project for her new book 'Save Dschinannya'. Find out more here:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

[Michael]

As part of her Eleventh Hour blog tour Kathryn Dionne has provided a guest post about writing with all five senses, you can read the post and find out about the Eleventh Hour trilogy here:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

[Michael]

There's only a week left to enter November's short fiction contest, this month's image has attracted some very spooky stories. I've received 19 entries so far, so a big thanks to everyone who has entered. If you haven't entered yet then you still have time to do so.

It's easy to enter, you write a story inspired by this month's image of no more than 500 words and then submit it via the form on the competition page. You'll also find the terms and conditions on there. It's free to enter and the first prize is a £50 Amazon gift card.

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

If you're a fan of short and flash fiction then come and join my Facebook group set up for readers to discover new stories and for writers to show off their work:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/short...

[Michael]

The latest in the murder drabbles series has been posted in the Indie Book Bargains newsletter (thanks Rosen), you can also recive a daily does of delicious drabbles via the Facebook group:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/drabbles

If you haven't read the rest of the Murder Drabbles series yet then you can do so here:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/p/m...

And now for the drabble...

Oops I did it Again

I need to control this impulse for murder, for the second time I have killed without forethought. Even amidst the rush a voice deep inside admonishes me that I will be caught if I am not more careful.

That sensible part is correct, but the feeling at the moment of death is beyond anything in human experience. It is rapture, kissing that last breath brings me an understanding of every truth.

A truth that the world exists only for me.

The nagging voice doesn’t silence though and now what am I to do with the body in this public place?

[Michael]

My latest drabble has been posted in the Indie Book Bargains newsletter (a great place for a daily drabble fix and to find Kindle bargains! http://www.indie-book-bargains.co.uk/), I've copied it in full below.

You can also check out some of my other drabbles here:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/p/1...

A Man and his Shed

I like it here in my shed. There are cobwebs in the roof and it’s chilly in winter, but it’s all mine. I can make a brew, read the paper and even have a smoke if I want to. There’s an old comfy chair that I relax in and listen to the sports news on the radio.

I hear horrific screams from outside, people shouting and even loud bangs like gunshots. It sounds like the end of the world has arrived.

I’m safe here in my shed, but I snap the padlock shut on the door just to be sure.

[Michael]

Welcome to the first in my new series of drabbles called 'Drabble Classics', in this series I will be celebrating classic books in drabble form. The first in this series is my favourite story ever written, John Milton's 'Paradise Lost', if you'd like to know why this is my favourite story then see this old blog post of mine:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

Paradise Lost

Lucifer’s pride sparked rebellion against God and by the Messiah’s might he was cast far from Heaven’s light. Renamed Satan he declared that to rule in Hell suited better than to serve in Heaven.

With envious eyes he watched creation and he beheld two beautiful creatures, clothed only in their innocence and bathed in God’s love.

In serpent form he sneaked into the garden and deceived the maiden, convincing Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. Loyal Adam’s despaired, yet still joined his wife in sin. From their fall we would wait for the Messiah’s return to restore a paradise lost.

[Michael]

Here is the second drabble in my new Drabble Classics series, in this series of drabbles (100 word stories) I recreate classic books in drabble form. Thanks as always goes to Rosen for posting my drabbles in her Indie Book Bargains newsletter (you can check out her site here http://www.indie-book-bargains.co.uk/).

Regular readers may have noticed that I have an interest in theological thought and metaphysics, I'm not a religious person, but I do find the topic fascinating. The Divine Comedy was written by Danta Alighieri in the early 14th century, it tells of his journey through Hell, through Purgatory and then onto Heaven.

If you haven't read it then I heartily recommend that you do, but in the meantime why not enjoy my homage to this great work below. If you missed the first in the series based on John Milton's 'Paradise Lost' you can read it here:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/p/d...

The Divine Comedy

On Good Friday ‘s eve I am assailed by three beasts in a wood black with sin, ahead I see a mountain, haloed with promised salvation. Through inferno’s circles Virgil’s wisdom leads me through punishments artfully poetic.

Up the mountain created by Satan’s fall we climb. On this holy day of Christ’s resurrection we pass through the terraces, one for each of the sins most deadly.

Finally into paradise I rise and greeted by Beatrice, my guide through the spheres of the cosmos. In the final sphere I understand God’s love, a love so complete that it moves the stars.

[Michael]

Will Macmillan won third prize in October's short fiction contest with his story 'Ysaddril', you can read the story in full here.

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

[Michael]

Adam Easton provides a rather philosophical guest post called 'A Perception of Reality':

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

If you'd like to write a guest post for my blog then get in touch and we can set something up.

[Michael]

December's short fiction contest has now started and this month I've chosen a nice warm picture to help combat the winter chills, check it out here:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

It's easy to enter, write a story of no more than 500 words and then submit it through the contest page. You could win a £50 Amazon gift card.

[Michael]

I've started a new feature on my blog called 'Tuesday Tease', every Tuesday I'll post an extract from a chosen book from a fellow author. We start with the first two chapters of 'Border Zone' by Michael Cordon:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

If you'd like your book considered for future inclusion then give me a shout and I'll take a look.

[Michael]

I've posted a few thoughts on my blog about how listening to music can improve your writing:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

[Michael]

As part of her Triple Book launch celebrations today Rosen has written a guest post about how to juggle an erotica writing granny with smelly trolls:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

The short answer of course is very carefully!

[Michael]

Jaq D Hawkins provides the Tuesday Tease with a chapter from her book 'Dance of the Goblins', you can read it here:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

[Michael]

Emily Nemchick won November's short fiction contest with her rather fun covid themed story called 'Worms':

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

[Michael]

Two weeks have passed for December's short fiction contest and we're off to a bit of a slow start. I guess I've thrown everyone with my sunny than usual picture:-) With the cold weather out there I thought you'd all want to spend some time in the sun, even if it's just for some inspiration.

But no matter, we still have two weeks to go for you to find your muse and enter the contest. The rules are simple, you simply write a story of no more than 500 words inspired by December's image and submit it through the competition page here:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

If your story is picked as the winner then you will win a £50 Amazon gift card, there's prizes for second and third prize stories as well.

For fans of short and flash fiction I've set up a Facebook group where you can discover fine examples of those forms, it's also a great place for writers to show of their work. Come and join the group here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/short...

[Michael]

In today's Tuesday Tease I feature some drabbles from 'Beyond 100 Drabbles' by Jonathan Hill and Kath Middleton, you can read some of those excellent drabbles here:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

If you have a book you'd like featured in a future Tuesday Tease then get in touch and I'll take a look.

[Michael]

Christmas is almost upon us, but before then is the deadline for December's short fiction contest. It couldn't be easier to enter, simply write a story of no more than 500 words inspired by this months rather sunny image. I'll admit its rather different from usual picture so I'm looking forward to reading the stories it inspires.

To enter the competition visit the contest page and submit your story through the provided form:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

There are three prizes on offer for the winners, including the first prize of a £50 Amazon gift card.

For fans and writers of short and flash fiction come and join the Facebook group I have created:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/short...

[Michael]

In today's Tuesday Tease we have an excert from David Haynes' rather wonderful horror book 'The Scream of Angels', check it out here:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

The Scream of Angels is currently on offer for only 80c/49p on Amazon!

[Michael]

January's short fiction contest has now started. To enter all you need to do is write a story of no more than 500 words inspired by this month's rather mysterious image. You then submit the story through the competition page here:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

Thanks to everyone who entered December's tropical themed competition, I will be announcing the winners next weekend.

Thanks also to everyone who has supported the competition with tweets and posts, please continue to help let everyone know about the contest.

[Michael]

In the latest Tuesday Tease I feature an exert from Amanda M Lyons' book 'Wendy Won't Go':

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

[Michael]

In the latest Tuesday Tease I feature an exert from Amanda M Lyons' book 'Wendy Won't Go':

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

[Michael]

It's that fun time of the month where I read the entries of the previous month's short fiction contest. December brought some excellent and varied stories into the tropical sunchine, find out who the winners are and read their stories here:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

[Michael]

In today's Tuesday Tease thriller author Lance Charnes provides an exert from his novel 'South', you can read it here:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

[Michael]

In today's guest authors revisited interview I catch up with Robin Leigh Morgan author of 'I Kissed a Ghost':

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

[Michael]

Book shout out for Rosen Trevithick's comedy novella 'My Granny Writes Erotica 2':

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

The first book was excellent, I'm sure this will be same!

[Michael]

If you haven't entered January's short fiction contest yet then you only have two weeks to do so!

It's easy to enter the competition, there's no entry fee and you could win a £50 Amazon gift card (there's also second and third prizes for £20 and £10 gift cards). To enter write a story of no more than 500 words based on this month's image and submit it through the form on the contest page here:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

The winners for December's contest have also been announced, if you haven't read the winning stories then you really should, you can find them here and they're an excellent read:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

For fans and writers of short and flash fiction I've set up a Facebook group where you can discover and show off great short stories and flash fiction, come and join the group here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/short...

As always, a big thanks to everyone who entered so far and feel free to share the link to this competition with your friends!

[Michael]

In today's Tuesday Tease we have some excellent horror from British horror author Kit Tinsley's novel 'Beneath':

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

[Michael]

Terrence Goodchild has provided today's guest post in the form of a rather wonderful poem called 'George the Goose':

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

If you have an idea for a guest post then get in touch!

[Michael]

There's only a week left to enter January's short fiction contest. It couldn't be easier to enter the competition, all you need to do is write a story of no more than 500 words based on this month's image. You can then submit the story through the form on the competition page here:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

All the rules and conditions are listed on the page and if your story is picked as the winner then you win a £50 Amazon gift card. There's prizes for the second and third prize winners as well.

If you haven't read the winning stories from December's short fiction contest then you can see them here, they're well worth checking out:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

For fans of short and flash fiction I've set up a Facebook group, it's also a great place for writers to show off their work in those forms. Come and join the group here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/short...

[Michael]

In this week's Tuesday Tease we have an excerpt from David Wailing's excellent book 'Auto':

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

[Michael]

February's short fiction contest has now started and this month we have a rather happy clown face as inspiration!

It's easy to enter and there's no entry fee, just write a story of no more than 500 words based upon this month's image and submit it through the compeition page linked below:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

The winning story will receive a £50 Amazon gift card, there'sprizes for second and third place as well.

I'll announce the winners for January's contest next weekend, in the meantime get your entries on for February's contest and please share the competition link wherever you can!