Musings & Mad Poetry

My new gig

2008-07-03T19:26:00.000-07:00

I am happy to report that I have moved up the ranks to the post of Contributing Editor at Dark Scribe Magazine. It has been a pleasure working with Vince Liaguno and the rest of the staff this past year to bring horror fans to the best site for dark fiction news/reviews on the web. If you haven't taken a peek, stop over and check out Dark Scribe today.

Upcoming Appearances

2008-06-03T15:13:00.000-07:00

This weekend I will be signing copies of Hell in the Heartland, The Book of Dead Things and Tales From The Red Lion in the Peoria/Pekin, IL area.

Here's the schedule:

Saturday, June 7th

11am -1pm - Illinois Prairie Booksellers, Pekin, IL
3pm - 5pm - I Know You Like A Book, Peoria Heights, IL

Sunday, June 8th

11am - 1pm Borders at The Shoppes at Grand Prairie, Peoria, IL

Also signing at these events are: Wayne Allen Sallee, Larry Santoro, Roger Dale Trexler, Joshua Doetsch and Sylvia Shultz. If you're in the area, stop in and see us.

I will also be reading at Twilight Tales on Monday, June 30th at 7:30pm. Check the Twilight Tales website for updated schedule information.

Poison

2008-04-14T14:13:00.000-07:00

My poem, "Poison," has been published in the current issue of Space And Time Magazine. Many thanks to S&T's poetry editor, Linda Addison, for accepting the piece. I never thought I'd see the day when I'd be in a magazine with an Alan M. Clark cover. I might actually like Monday this week :)

The TOC for Issue #103 can be viewed here. Stop over and order a copy today.

WHC 2008 Recap

2008-04-09T21:14:00.000-07:00

Ever since the announcement was made that WHC 2008 would be held in Salt Lake City, I heard nothing but complaints on various message boards about the "bad" choice of venue. Prior to making the trip, I will admit I was a little concerned about how the con would turn out in light of all the negative commentary. I'm happy to report that my fears were unfounded.

When I stepped out of the airport, I was awed by the scenic view of the mountains that surround the city. The breathtaking scenery made up for the fact that it was as cold in SLC as it had been in Chicago. (I patted myself on the back for bringing my winter coat.)

I got settled at the hotel, noting that my roommate, Bailey Hunter of Dark Recesses Press, had not yet arrived. I figured that we would catch up sooner or later and headed off to registration to get checked in.

WHC 2008 Chair, Charlie Harmon, was at registration making sure everything was running smoothly. Charlie did a fantastic job of pulling things together and her team of volunteers were friendly and helpful, every step of the way. I had the pleasure of coordinating the readings again this year. And while I didn't get to do as much hostessing as I would've liked, I received many compliments on the line-up. The readers and audience seemed to be very happy overall and I couldn't ask for anything more.

When I wasn't in the reading room, I could often be found in the dealers' room tempting patrons with the fictional wares of Dark Arts Books. We were lucky to have several of our authors in attendance. John Everson, Bill Breedlove and Mort Castle from Candy in the Dumpster. Jeff Strand and Adam Pepper from Waiting for October. Loren Rhoads and Maria Alexander from Sins of the Sirens. And last but not least, Cullen Bunn from our latest collection, Like A Chinese Tattoo.

I was also a panelist on the Persephone: Male or Female? Gameshow. The point of this panel was to discuss gender bias in dark fiction. For some reason, there are people out there who don't think women can write horror. Each of the panelists brought a couple of selections from their favorite authors. After reading the passages, our contestants, Gary Braunbeck and Mike Myers, had to guess if they thought the author of the passage was male or female. Gary made the assertion that female writers tend to focus on the internal thoughts of the character while male writers tend to focus externally. I was able to stump Gary with a selection from Jack Ketchum's short story, "Closing Time." I will admit that the first time I read the scene in question, I actually remember thinking "I can't believe a man wrote this." So I guess gender bias works the other way, too.

I attended a lunch meeting with agent, Kristen Nelson and learned a lot about current trends in the marketplace. I was also fortunate enough to have a pitch session with Kristen where I also got some great feedback on some of the projects that I am currently working on.

The Stoker Banquet was held on Saturday night and followed by the 1st (and hopefully not last) annual Dark Arts Books Pajama Party. I had the pleasure of chatting with many fine authors while serving as one of the bartenders.

The next thing I knew, Sunday arrived and it was time to head home. Every year, I tell myself that I am not flying back early on Sunday and every year the flight schedule just works out that way. I hope I can get a late flight back from Winnipeg next year...LOL!

Hell in the Heartland Debuts at Twilight Tales

2008-03-25T15:08:00.000-07:00

Hell in the Heartland, the anthology I co-edited with Roger Dale Trexler of Annihilation Press officially debuted last night at Twilight Tales. We had a great turnout. Many of the authors were able to attend and read their stories.

HITH had been a dream of Roger's for more than 20 years. After reading 300 submissions, fighting over which ones to accept, and enduring some personal tragedies along the way, I'm happy to report that we finally made it. I am proud to have been a part of bringing Roger's dream to fruition.

HITH features stories by a host of great Illinois authors. Featured authors include: Wayne Allen Sallee, Henry Perez, Lawrence Santoro, Richard Chwedyk, Michael Penkas, Nikki M. Pill, Edward DeGeorge, Craig D.B. Patton, Harold Holt, C.T. Thieme, W.S. Cwik, C.S.E. Cooney, and Bryan Buschemi. Stop by Annihilation Press and order your copy today.

The Joy of Reading

2008-03-06T21:02:00.000-08:00

When I started reviewing books for Dark Scribe Magazine, I thought the gig would be "win-win" all the time. Who wouldn't want to get paid to read books, right? That was before I encountered my first "bad" book. The benefit of reading for pleasure is that if a book isn't "good," you can just quit reading it. Reviewers don't have that option.

My goal is to write reviews that are fair regardless of the quality of the writing. My approach to reviewing is two-fold. First, I evaluate the story as a reader. Does the author make me care about the characters? Is the plot interesting? Was I entertained? Then, I evaluate the story as a writer. If I had written this story, would I have made the same choices as the author? If not, what would I have done differently?

The reviewing process helped me hone my craft. Having to analyze what works and what doesn't in other authors' stories has made it easier for me to find various plot/pacing problems in my own. I'm not always reading for pleasure anymore, but at least I am always learning what works and how to do things better.

Upcoming Appearances

2008-02-11T08:43:00.000-08:00

Tonight - 2/11/08

I'll be reading a steamy story at Twilight Tales Red Light Night. Other authors scheduled to appear include: John Everson, Larry Santoro, Michael Penkas and the always delightful Sukie de la Croix. Show starts at 7:30pm at The Mix on Halsted (just north of Diversey.)

Thursday - 2/21/08

I'll be reading at The Book Cellar in Lincoln Square (4736 N. Lincoln Ave. Chicago) with some of my fellow authors from Tales from the Red Lion and The Book of Dead Things. The readings start at 7pm.

WHC 2008 - 3/27-3/30/08

I'm coordinating the reading series at WHC this year and will be selling books for my friends at Dark Arts Books, too.

Love is Murder 2008

2008-02-04T08:36:00.000-08:00

I spend this past weekend at Love is Murder, a local mystery/thriller convention. Attendance seemed to be down a bit this year (probably due to the snowstorm that hit late last week) but it didn't stop Lee Child, Tess Gerritson, Barry Eisler, and countless others from making the trek to Chicago.

Sean Chercover's BIG CITY, BAD BLOOD won the Lovey for Best Debut Novel. Marcus Sakey's THE BLADE ITSELF was also nominated in that category making the choice tough for voters because both novels are terrific reads. I picked up a copy of Marcus Sakey's sophmore effort, AT THE CITY'S EDGE, and will be reviewing that for Dark Scribe Magazine shortly.

In other news, I just received my copies of HELL IN THE HEARTLAND, an anthology of Illinois horror, published by Annihilation Press. It is a great collection of stories set in Illinois and penned by Illinois authors. Featured authors include: Lawrence Santoro, Wayne Allen Sallee, Michael Penkas, Richard Chwedyk, and Henry Perez to name a few. More on HITH coming soon.

Size Matters - The Postcard Tale

2008-01-25T14:45:00.000-08:00

If you like flash fiction, be sure to check out my article at Dark Scribe Magazine about a new sub-genre of flash - the postcard tale. I had the pleasure of chatting with the editors at Postcards From... and Tin Parachute Postcard Review about their experiences working in this medium.

Currently reading: Dark Resurrection by John A. Karr

The Shotgun Rule

2007-12-12T15:09:00.001-08:00

My review of The Shotgun Rule is up at Dark Scribe Magazine. Charlie Huston's work was recommended by another author. I have enjoyed what I have read so far. I will be working my way through his backlist shortly. If you enjoy noir crime fiction, I suggest checking him out.

Currently reading: ARC of Generation Dead by Dan Waters
Listening to: The Rock-n-Roll Era - 1954

Dark Scribe Magazine

2007-11-28T14:51:00.000-08:00

I am now a regular contributor to Dark Scribe Magazine. My feature interview with Wayne Allen Sallee regarding his correspondence with notorious serial killer, John Wayne Gacy and several book reviews are now live on their site. Stop by and take a look today!

Goodbye (for now) to The Red Lion Pub

2007-10-02T11:17:00.000-07:00

Last night, Twilight Tales celebrated their 14th Anniversary at one of my favorite haunts, The Red Lion Pub. The evening was bittersweet because Twilight Tales has met there every Monday night virtually since its inception. The bar is being torn down, rebuilt and will be closed for the next year or so. So I had to say goodbye to a place I love, a place where I have learned more and grown more as a writer than I ever thought possible.

I have often said that I would not be a published author had I not met Joe Konrath. Joe challenged me to change my views about what a writing career is and over the years has taught me so much about the craft and business of writing. He also introduced me to Twilight Tales. So it was only fitting that we should be sitting out in the beer garden last night, talking about how to solve plot problems over a Guiness.

The Red Lion Pub will always hold a special place in my heart. I hope that the new improved version retains much of the old English charm. Goodbye, for now...but not forever.

Brian Keene's all grown up...

2007-09-04T08:42:00.000-07:00

I've been reading Brian Keene's blog, Hail Saten (http://www.hailsaten.blogspot.com/) for awhile now. Brian's insights on the business have been helpful to me and his rants on various subjects are often entertaining. Today, he posted a "Letter from Hell," which is his way of dealing with people who make idiotic posts on his message board. I had a good laugh from this one today and had to pass it along.

ps. Brian is a fine author. If you haven't read him, you need to. TERMINAL is one of my favorites.

Quasi-Review: The Blade Itself

2007-08-29T21:52:00.000-07:00

The first time I heard Marcus Sakey read at Twilight Tales, I knew that it wouldn't be long before his fiction would be prominently displayed on the shelves of bookstores everywhere. His characters were memorable, the plots were intriguing, and every time he left me wanting more. I was happy to hear of his two-book deal with St. Martin's Press. I even cried when I saw his book on the shelf at Barnes & Noble (not out of jealousy that I didn't have my own two-book deal, but because Marcus is a damn nice guy and it's nice to see good things happen to good people.)

Anyway, enough chatter about the man. Let's get down to the story...

THE BLADE ITSELF is the story of Danny Carter, a former criminal, who has worked hard to overcome his past and build a good life for himself. His new life is threatened when his former best friend, Evan, is released from prison and resurfaces in Danny's world. How far will Danny go to protect his future from his past?

I don't like book reviews where the reviewer tells the reader the plot of the book, so my commentary is bound to be vague. I enjoyed the story on many levels. The characters felt very real to me and I cared from the outset about what would ultimately happen to Danny. The pacing was tight. I read the book in the course of an evening and didn't want to put it down until I hit "THE END." I may have lost a couple of hours of sleep that evening but it was worth it. There is one point (a legal question I had about the set of circumstances that the book opened with) that has been bugging me but since I can't find the answer to that question, I'll have to assume that Marcus was right and if that's the case then everything else plot-wise falls into place nicely. I like the way Marcus describes Chicago, everything from the setting to the dialogue rang true. Suffice it to say, that if you like David Morrell, you will probably like Marcus Sakey.

Marcus's second book, AT THE CITY'S EDGE, is due to be released early next year. For more information, check out his website at www.marcussakey.com or for some entertaining reading check out the blog he participates in at http://theoutfitcollective.blogspot.com/

The way for me to save this blog

2007-08-29T11:04:00.000-07:00

I finally figured out a way to update my blog on a more frequent basis. I am going to start posting thoughts on the various books I am reading. If nothing else, it will be good writing practice. Maybe I'll even throw a haiku in there now that I'm on a haiku writing kick. I think I will start with my thoughts on Marcus Sakey's "THE BLADE ITSELF." Marcus writes thrillers and "THE BLADE ITSELF" is his debut novel. More to come on that tomorrow...

Horrorfind 2007 Haiku

2007-08-14T13:54:00.000-07:00

For those who attended the costume contest at Horrorfind (August 2007) this will make sense...hope the rest of you will enjoy anyway.

Haiku for Udo

You man or woman?
No matter, leave the mask on
I must have the wolf

NECON 27 Report

2007-07-28T22:32:00.000-07:00

Thursday, July 19th

Arrived in Providence, RI at 2pm. Mike Meyers graciously transported me (and my roommates - Jeff Strand, Lynne Hansen and Sally) to Roger Williams University in Bristol, RI.

Thursday night's activities included readings by Sephera Giron, Brian Keene and Tim Lebbon and the saugie roast. The rain and humidity put a damper on the festivities for part of the evening. I turned in early and actually got a decent night's sleep.

Friday, July 20th

The day started with donuts and coffee on the Quad. I met a lovely local couple (John & Maddy) who took me under their wing when they found out I was a newbie to the con. We went mini-golfing and returned to the campus in time for lunch and the afternoon's panels. After dinner, Dan Booth was honored for his ten years of service in running the con. An author signing and the Hawaiian shirt contest followed the NECON update. After the day's business was complete, a party on the Quad lingered on through the night. I went to bed at dawn.

Saturday, July 21st

I attended more panels throughout the day. The memorial to Charles L. Grant was particularily moving. Friends recounted stories about Charlie and though I did not know him personally, I left wishing that I had.

The annual softball game was held Saturday afternoon. This event was the big selling point of the con for me. I played third base on Tom Montelone's team and did my part to lead the team to victory. Though I will admit my batting could have been better - no hits :( But there's always next year to make up for that.

After the game, Nick Kaufman treated me to a thirst quenching Amstel Light. The evening's festivities included the game show and roast. Jim Moore was this year's roast victim but took it quite well. Tarot readings and the world's greatest sing-a-long followed on the Quad. Once again, bed at dawn.

Sunday, July 22nd

Wiped out from lack of sleep. Barely made it to the closing picnic. Said good-bye to many of the great people I met over the weekend and was sad to have to go home.

Overall, I had a great time and am looking forward to attending next year.

Tax Nightmares

2007-04-15T20:49:00.000-07:00

This is the first year in ten years that I haven't been subjected to the nightmare that is "busy" season in the world of public accounting. The only tax return I had to do this year was my own. I am so burnt out on accounting-related tasks that it took me until today to actually get the darn thing done. But it is done and now I can celebrate. So here's to all the rest of you out there that are scurrying to get your last minute calculations done. I hope you make it in time. Cheers!

Upcoming publications

2007-04-15T20:40:00.000-07:00

Two of my short stories will be published in upcoming anthologies from Twilight Tales.

"The Mummy Lost Her Sarcophagus Where A Mother Found Her Soul" will appear in the expanded edition of The Book of Dead Things.

"A Penny For Your Thongs" will appear in the expanded edition of Tales From The Red Lion.

Both books should be available in early June 2007.

More information (including pre-orders) can be found at www.twilighttales.com.

You're never too old to learn something new

2007-01-01T22:04:00.000-08:00

I recently helped a friend out with a short film project. I was only supposed to be acting in the capacity of a production assistant but at the last minute wound up being needed to say a couple of lines of dialogue on film. I was so nervous. Who knew that someone sticking a camera in your face could be so scary? I thought I really blew it and that I'd probably wind up on the cutting room floor. But I saw the rough cut of the film tonight and it turned out better than I'd expected. I never thought anything would come of it.

Another friend saw the footage and asked me if I would like to play a part in a short film that he is putting together before he heads off to Sundance in a few weeks. I agreed to do it so I guess I can officially say I have been bitten by the acting bug. I am even more nervous about this role because I have no formal training. It is a great story and I hope I can pull it off.

May 2007 be the year that we all prove the adage about old dogs and new tricks wrong.

Goals for the New Year

2007-01-01T21:49:00.000-08:00

In 2007, I would like to accomplish the following goals:

Write every day.
Write one new short story per month.
Write at least one short story in an genre I don't normally write.
Write one novel-length manuscript.
Read two novels a month.
Critique at least one short story a month for a fellow writer.
Submit at least one story per month for publication.

A 69 word story for your reading pleasure

2006-08-12T12:33:00.000-07:00

A while back, I saw a post on another blog challenging people to write a 69 word story. Here's what I came up with...

His Kiss

Isaac stopped kissing me and then I heard the click. Cold steel pressed against my temple as I thought about the gun.

“Tell me why I shouldn’t pull the trigger.”

I thought about my life. Searched for a reason, any reason why I didn’t deserve to die.

“Well?”

“Because you loved me once.”

“That’s not good enough.”

I closed my eyes.

He said, “Goodbye.”

I thought about his kiss.

Spider Tattooz

2006-06-29T08:53:00.000-07:00

I am posting this poem because it was inspired by the work of my friend, Spider.

I met Spider back in 1992 and consider myself fortunate to have met such a trustworthy person in the tattooing business.

He recently relocated his shop to Belvidere, IL. If you're interested in learning more, check out his website: http://www.spidertattooz.com/home.html

She Loved Him in a Tattoo

Bound for life to another man
Denying love some called taboo

She did the only thing she could think of
To prove this longing real and true

She immortalized her love in flesh
The design revealed a clue

To love him more than words conveyed
She loved him the only way she knew

She loved him in a tattoo

What a novel idea

2006-05-24T22:26:00.000-07:00

Now that I've made the decision that I need to have something to pitch by WHC 2007, I need to figure out what I need to do next. I am going to test out some of the ideas presented at the WHC 2006 writer's workshop.

I have had problems in the past with figuring out how the story should end. So I am going to work the ending out first so I'll know where I'm going.

Mort Castle suggested writing the dust jacket copy for the story first. This forces you to highlight all of the important points that need to be covered along the way. Next is the outline which Mort suggested should be written in the present tense to force you to feel that you are "living" the events along with the characters as the story progresses.

I'll take a stab at approaching the story from this angle and see how it goes. More to come as things unfold.

WHC 2006 Recap, Part 2

2006-05-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

After the Flash Fiction contest, I stopped off at the Borderlands Books party. I met a lot of great people, including an interesting character named Rabbit and another con attendee who I will call the "Beatallica Dude," since I never actually got his name. The Beaticalla Dude and I had a long, enjoyable conversation about music and one of my favorite cities, Milwaukee, WI. Alan and Jude from Borderlands are gracious hosts and a good time was had by all who attended.

A few short hours of sleep later and I was off to work at the Twilight Tales table in the dealers room. I successfully convinced several people not to leave without a copy of Martin Mundt's "The Crawling Abbatoir" and the debut offering "Candy in the Dumpster" from Dark Arts Books (the latest creative effort of last year's Stoker winner author, John Everson) which features stories from John, Martin Mundt, Jay Bonansinga and Bill Breedlove.

The afternoon was filled with second session of both Mort Castle's writing workshop and Nancy Kilpatrick's editing workshop.

I enjoyed dinner at The Grubstake in the company of fellow TT'ers, Eric Cherry, Ed DeGeorge and Larry Santoro.

Saturday evening, I attended the Art Show, the Gross-Out Contest and the WHC 2007 preview party. I heard many fellow writers express their happiness with how their pitch sessions went. While I am happy for them, it also reminds me that I came to the con with nothing to pitch. I am pledging to myself now that I will not go to WHC 2007 empty-handed. It's time to either finish the revision of the novel I started last year or get off my butt and start something new.

The con ended for me with shared shuttle ride to the airport with F. Paul Wilson at 6am Sunday. Overall, it was good experience and I am looking forward to Toronto in 2007.