Musings & Mad Poetry

Stoker Weekend 2009

2009-06-15T21:47:00.000-07:00

Thursday, 6/11/09

Arrived in LA just after 9am. Made it to the hotel by mid-morning and waited for my roommate, Angel Leigh McCoy to arrive. She is a writer from Seattle and we hit it off from the get go. I had to laugh when we ordered the same lunch and both proceeded to pull the tomatoes off of our sandwiches when they arrived. We killed a couple of hours in downtown Burbank, did a little shopping, and had a nice cab ride to and from the hotel courtesy of George, our driver. We met up with Hal Bodner for a tour of the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. The grounds were beautiful. If only I could afford to be buried there.

Later that evening, I attended the signing at Dark Delicacies in Burbank. Thank goodness there was a large crowd gathered in the store. If there hadn't been, I surely would've maxed out my credit card. I managed to escape financial ruin, leaving with only (1) book, a shirt and a new skull hoodie.

The signing was followed by dinner and drinks with the Dark Scribe Press crowd. (Thanks, Vince!) Their anthology, Unspeakable Horror, won the Stoker for Superior Achievement in an Anthology.

Friday, 6/12/09

Highlights included panels featuring: Mick Garris, John Farris, Richard & RC Matheson. RC talked a bit about his band, SMASH CUT. I had the pleasure of hearing them play a couple of years ago in NY and was happy to hear that they have a CD out. I'm sure it will be in high rotation on my iPod soon.

Saturday, 6/13/09

More panels. Supported my friends at Dark Arts Books by manning their table in the dealer's room and talking up their latest release, MIGHTY UNCLEAN. This four author collection features great stories by Cody Goodfellow, Mort Castle, Gemma Files, and Gary A. Braunbeck.

The evening kicked off with Dark Scribe's pre-Stoker party featuring 80's hits and feather boas. Jeff Strand was the MC for the banquet, a job that he must never give up. I love his sense of humor. After the banquet, I was on hand at the HWA/WHC2010 post-Stoker party to answer questions about the Reading Cafe in Brighton and convinced a few more people to start saving up for the trip.

Sunday, 6/14/09

Hit the HWA meeting and Closing Ceremonies in the morning. And then it was time to head back home. The weekend came to an end too quickly. Had a great time with old friends, made a few new ones and can't wait to see everyone again soon.

Many thanks to John R. Little and Lisa Morton (and all the other volunteers) for putting on a great show.

Stoker Awards Schedule

2009-06-09T22:20:00.001-07:00

I'll be attending the 2009 Bram Stoker Awards this weekend.

Here's my tentative schedule:

Thursday, June 11th - Signing books at Dark Delicacies in Burbank, CA from 7 to 9pm.

Saturday, June 13th - Dark Scribe Magazine Pre-Stoker Awards party from 5 to 7pm. Come get your feather boas here!

Saturday, June 13th - WHC2010 After Party. I'll be available to answer any questions you may have about the Reading Cafe in Brighton.

If you don't see me there, check the dealer's room. I may be spending some time at the Dark Arts Books table helping them sell copies of their latest release, MIGHTY UNCLEAN, featuring stories by Cody Goodfellow, Gemma Files, Gary Braunbeck and Mort Castle.

My Only Defense - In Memory of Kegan

2009-05-21T06:31:00.000-07:00

My Only Defense

He held my daughter’s hands
as she took her first steps.

I smiled,
remembering
how he smelled of baby powder,
his toothless grin,
the first time I held him.

Twenty odd years passed
overnight.

Where’s the little boy I used to tickle?
The kid on his skateboard?
The Marine I was so proud of?

Gone in a split second.

I keep asking myself
Why?
Why him?
Why now?
Even though knowing the answer wouldn’t change a thing.

Believing a greater good will come
is my only defense.

I mourn the loss
of the man he was
and the man
he had not yet become.

A husband.
A father.

Though I saw a glimpse of that man once...
the day he held my daughter’s hands.

Free Fiction - No Cure For The Open Wound

2009-04-18T20:17:00.000-07:00

I wrote this story last June in response to a challenge by John Skipp on Storytellers Unplugged.

The assignment was to write a death scene that was emotionally connected, not just blood and gore. It was a topic that I knew something about. Today is the anniversary of my dad's death. This piece would not have been written had I not had the experience of being there when he lost his battle with cancer.

No Cure For The Open Wound
by Martel Sardina

“So,” my daughter says to my nurse, “do you think he’s going to make it through the night?”

She thinks I can’t hear her, that the morphine has knocked me out. I can’t open my eyes anymore, but I’m still here.

I don’t care what these damn doctors say. I don’t have cancer. I’m not dying.

“If I were you,” my nurse says, “I’d say whatever I have to say before you leave. If you decide to leave.”

Great. Now the waterworks are on. I can hear her crying. Though I can’t understand why. Before the doctors told her I was sick, I hadn’t seen her in over a year. She had no problem saying goodbye to me then. I wonder what she finds so hard about it now.

“Okay, thanks,” my daughter says. She sits down in the chair beside my bed.

The nurse is fiddling with things. Must be adjusting the oxygen machine again. The air doesn’t seem to be coming as fast. Then she packs up her things. Her heels click-clack against the tile floor as she walks out of my room.

My daughter puts her hand on top of mine and squeezes it gently. Her hand is sweaty and I want to pull away but for some reason my arm feels heavy, too heavy to move. I’m expecting her to say something. Perhaps to make a pathetic attempt at an apology. But the room is quiet, save for the buzzing of the blood pressure cuff that turns on every fifteen minutes. When I could still talk, I told the nurse to take the damn thing off. Same with the oxygen sensor that’s on my index finger. If I’m really dying, why would they care about keeping track of such things? If I’m really dying, shouldn’t they just let me be?

“Dad,” she says. “I told them to shut the oxygen off. I can’t watch you suffer like this anymore.”

Suffer? This isn’t suffering. I’m not in pain. If she wasn’t so stupid, maybe she’d know that this is bliss compared to the way she hurt me.

I notice that the blood pressure cuff has gone slack. And that thing on my finger, it’s not there anymore either. I can still hear the beeping that indicates my heart’s still beating. It’s getting faster now. I’m having a hard time taking in air. I can feel my chest getting tighter with each labored breath. My heart’s pumping hard.

Click-clack. The nurse is back.

“Is this normal?”

“Yes. His breathing will become more erratic as things start shutting down.”

“What about his heart rate? It seems really high.”

“The heart is trying to compensate for what the lungs can’t do.”

Things are sort of going in and out now. I know they’re still talking but it sounds garbled, like someone talking on a cell phone from inside a bathroom stall.

And then it hits me…my daughter, my own flesh and blood just pulled the plug on me.

I’m angry now. She has no right to make that choice, to play God. I want to scream. I try to move but nothing is working the way that it should.

Goddamnit. I don’t want to die here. Not in this place. I wish she would have just left me at home. Let me die in my own goddamn bed.

I’m going to tell her that. If it’s the last thing I do.

I heave for breath, then open my eyes.

“Dad?”

I can’t remember what I wanted to say.

“Dad?”

I’m just going to rest my head on this pillow now.

She grabs me, hugs me. Her tears trickled down my cheeks. They’re warm.

I wish I’d told her that I loved her.

Death In Common Cover Art

2009-04-01T19:32:00.001-07:00

Just saw Bob Freeman's wonderful cover art for Death In Common Edited by Rich Ristow. I'm really proud to be a part of this project and can't wait for the anthology's release. More information on the release date coming soon.

WHC 2010 - READING CAFE

2009-02-13T08:50:00.000-08:00

Hi, all - Here's the latest news from the folks at WHC 2010...

REGISTER FOR READING CAFÉ AT WORLD HORROR CONVENTION 2010

Those confirmed Attending Members of World Horror Convention 2010 who are
interested in doing a Reading event can now register at the official website (under "Programming").

Having first introduced the popular Reading Café at the 2007 convention in
Toronto, Canada, we are delighted to announce that we will be reviving the
format in Brighton, once again hosted by Martel Sardina.

Designed to complement our regular Programming Schedule, the Reading Café
will promote individual readings, multi-author presentations, and
small-press book debuts. There will also be time in the schedule set aside
exclusively for poets to present their work.

Our goal is to capitalise upon the incredible breadth and scope of talent
that regularly attends World Horror Convention.

If you wish to read from your work, and you have already joined the
convention, then simply go to the website <www.whc2010.org> and click on
the link at the bottom of the appropriate page. Remember to include your
name, credits, contact information and any other details that you think may
be pertinent.

In the next couple of weeks we will start announcing our exciting line-up
of Guests of Honour.

Stay tuned!

World Horror Convention 2010 - Brighton Shock

2009-01-28T09:52:00.000-08:00

I am happy to announce that I will be reprising my role as hostess of the Reading Cafe at WHC 2010 in Brighton. I had the pleasure of doing this at WHC 2007 in Toronto and again last year in Salt Lake City. More information on the Reading Cafe will be posted soon at the official WHC 2010 website. Also, membership rates are scheduled to go up on February 1st, 2009. If you want to take advantage of the early bird discount, get your registration in now.

Christmas Past

2008-12-17T19:31:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid, I used to spend a good deal of my free time in the local bookstore trying to figure out how to convert whatever money I had into the greatest number of books possible.

The year I turned ten, I remember coveting the boxed set of C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia. Every time I got within ten feet of the store, I begged my parents to let me go in so I could look at it. I would bring in my money and have the store's owner help me count it to see if I had enough to buy the set, only to leave disappointed that I'd come up short. It seemed that I'd never have enough to call those glorious books my own.

Unbeknownst to me, my parents had told the owner that under no circumstances was she allowed to sell me that set of books because they were going to buy them for me for Christmas.

On Christmas morning I was shocked to find that Santa had brought me the thing I'd wanted most. I don't think I left my room for weeks, foregoing tv and playdates with friends in order to find out where Uncle Andrew's magic rings would take Digory and Polly, to wonder if there was a candy as fine as turkish delight and whether or not fawns and beavers could really talk. With the exception of the computer I'm typing this post on now, I don't know that I've ever received a gift that I've enjoyed more.

When I think back on Christmas Past, I think about all of the great books that I received over the years:

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton - the first book I read that made me think that a woman could succeed as a writer.

The Dark Half by Stephen King - the first book that caused me to lose sleep.

The Little House on the Prarie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder - books that made me think about how the world had changed, how hard people worked and how easy our lives seemed in comparison. No phone? No tv? How did those poor kids ever survive?

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein - the first book of poetry I ever read which made being silly and surreal and weird, normal.

I've been revisiting some of those favorites again. It's been a fun experience, though at times a little sad, too. It's funny how hearing a song or reading a book can almost take you back to where your head was the first time you heard/read it.

If you have a favorite Christmas book related memory, I'd love to hear it. Feel free to share.

Death In Common blurb

2008-12-03T11:03:00.000-08:00

I sold two pieces of poetry to the DEATH IN COMMON anthology edited by Rich Ristow. I just learned that the anthology received the following blurb today:

Death in Common: Poems from Unlikely Victims brings unusual depth, creativity and chillingly potent imagery to what is often referred to as "horror poetry." The poems within this unique volume are not simply horrific, they're genuinely lyrical and wonderfully human stories as well, and that's not easily accomplished by any poet, liviing, dead, or somewhere in between.

--T.M. Wright, author of "Bone Soup" (Cemetery Dance, 2009) and "Blue Canoe," a novel (PS Publications, 2009).

I'm excited to be a part of this anthology. Details on availability coming soon.

Give The Gift Of Books This Christmas

2008-11-21T08:16:00.000-08:00

My friend and fellow author, Sean Chercover, has been out promoting his second novel, TRIGGER CITY. While on the road, he's discovered an alarming trend...

From an e-mail I received:

Hey, Gang...

So I've been on tour and seeing a lot of empty bookstores and frightened bookstore owners. This economic downturn thing is hitting them very hard. People are not buying books. I've talked with folks in sales, editorial and publicity at two publishing houses (one huge, one indie), and all say that this is very serious - layoffs are coming in the new year.

Doom and gloom, I know. Anyway, I mentioned to one of these publishing people that I was gonna blog about this - basically encouraging people to buy books this holiday season. Not that it will make any difference. Her response was, "Please! And please ask any other authors who blog to do the same! We're desperate."

So that's what I'm doing. You can see my blog post here.

If, sometime between now and Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa, you feel like encouraging book buying on your blog, that would be awesome.

Now, I’m doing my part to help the booksellers out there stay afloat. If you need gift ideas, check out my selections below:

Babies - soft cover books made of cloth, a great introduction to the world of books and doubles for a burp rag in an emergency. Also nice are the waterproof books that can be looked at in the tub.

Toddlers - board books, Curious George, Thomas the Tank Engine, Little Einstein were my kids favorites.

Beginning Readers: Biscuit Series, Little Critter, Clifford the Big Red Dog

Independent Readers: Ramona Quimby Series for girls, Fudge Series for either boys or girls, Captain Underpants for boys

Tweens: Little House on the Prairie series, Narnia Series, Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew

Teens: Lord of the Rings Series, Twilight Series, Harry Potter Series

Great books for teens and adults to discuss: Generation Dead by Dan Waters. It's a book about a zombie teenagers that attend high school and the struggles they faced with the being integrated with the living. Great conversation starter to discuss racism, stereotypes.

Adults:

Horror fans - HWA Blood Lite Anthology, humorous horror from the best in the horror biz. Unspeakable Horror from Dark Scribe Press - Gay/lesbian/transgendered horror stories.

Another great gift from a related industry is fiction magazine subscriptions...they are struggling too.

Horror - Doorways, Shroud, Postcripts

Mystery - The Strand, EQMM, Alfred Hitchcock

Sci-fi/Fanatasy - Asimov's, F&SF, Weird Tales

Kids - Cricket, Highlights, Ranger Rick

Kids love getting things in the mail. It's a way to keep them reading year-round. And most kids magazines have lines by age group (babies to teens.)

I'll be posting more of my favorites soon.

Traps! is availble now

2008-11-01T10:01:00.000-07:00

My short story, "Better Left Unsaid," is available now in the TRAPS! anthology edited by Scott T. Goudsward from DarkHart Press.

I read the piece the other night at Top Shelf Books in Palatine, IL and was pleased to received the following commentary:

"That story is really nasty," said Lawrence Santoro, author of JUST NORTH OF NOWHERE. Considering the source, that's a compliment I'll gladly take.

TRAPS! features stories from a nice mix of authors, some new and some long-time favorites in the horror genre. To view the complete TOC or to order a copy, click here.

Death In Common

2008-10-17T14:49:00.000-07:00

Just got word that my poem, "The Last Latte," has been accepted to the Death In Common anthology. I'm happy to be sharing space with so many other great writers (Monica O'Rourke, Wrath James White, JG Faherty, to name a few.)

Christa Faust's MONEY SHOT

2008-09-15T14:08:00.001-07:00

I first heard of Christa Faust when I picked up a copy of the Mammoth Book of Best New Horror 16 and read her story, "Tighter." I've been a fan of hers since. Earlier this year, Dark Arts Books released SINS OF THE SIRENS, a four author collection, featuring short fiction from some of the hardest hitting women in the genre. Christa Faust was one of them. (Maria Alexander, Loren Rhoads and Mehitobel Wilson being the others.) Again, Christa's stories blew me away.

When I heard that Christa was switching gears and had gone from writing horror to noir mysteries, I never doubted that she could pull it off. Though I did wonder if the visceral edge and (at times) painful honesty that I so appreciated in her short fiction would translate well into her new found niche. I'm happy to report that it has.

MONEY SHOT is one of the best books I've read in a long, long time. I've been reviewing books for about a year now for Dark Scribe Magazine. At times, I have encountered books that are painful to read. But not in a good way. I've read a couple of books in that time that have made me wonder why I ever wanted to review books in the first place. And then I have to remind myself why I did want to start reviewing books. I did it because I wanted to learn more about the craft, to analyze stories to figure out what works and what doesn't in hopes that I will become a better writer because of it. Now if I could only wrap my mind around all the things Christa did right in this book, I might finally be on the right track.

More thoughts to come on the analytical side of why I enjoyed this book as a writer. I need to think that through a bit more before I start rambling.

What I can tell you as a reader is that Christa Faust takes you on a ride into a world (the adult film industry) that I don't think has been explored honestly in modern fiction. That's what gets me about Christa's writing. It's brutally honest. It hurts. It's painful because what she's saying about whatever fictional world she has her readers living in is true. It's true and it hurts and I love it because there is no bullshit. She makes you look at situations that you would otherwise avert your eyes from and face them. As her characters make choices, the reader is forced to examine the choices they might make given similar circumstances. Facing those truths, being forced to examine who you really are, how far you might go if pushed, can be a fascinating mental exercise. I love it when an author gives me a reason to want to keep turning pages. I curse those authors when I have to put those kind of books down. Waiting to find out how it ends is hell. And if an author can get me that hooked, I'm happy to admit it.

So kudos to you, Christa. And to anyone who hasn't read MONEY SHOT yet...you should.

Jack Ketchum's OFFSPRING - Part II

2008-08-27T15:57:00.000-07:00

The second installment of my interview with Jack Ketchum is now live at Dark Scribe Magazine. This portion deals more with the literary side of things. How he got into writing novels in the first place and his journey in the world of publishing where OFFSPRING and its predecessor, OFF SEASON, are concerned.

Enjoy!

Jack Ketchum's OFFSPRING Movie

2008-08-21T10:35:00.000-07:00

I recently had the pleasure of visting the set of Jack Ketchum's OFFSPRING (the film adaptation of the novel), a Moderncine production. In addition to observing portions of the actual film shoot, I also had a chance to sit down with Ketchum and get his thoughts on the film making process as well as discuss the history of the novel and its predecessor, OFF SEASON and the journey from print to the big screen.

Part I is live at Dark Scribe Magazine now.

Part II will run next week.

Enjoy!

Jack Haringa Must Die!

2008-08-02T08:21:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for a great read to wind down the summer with, I highly recommend JACK HARINGA MUST DIE! Edited by Nicholas Kaufmann. My official review at Dark Scribe has been posted, you can read it here.

What started on March 7, 2008 as "Kill Jack Haringa on Your Blog Day," has come to its fruition with this anthology of collected blog entries and a few additional stories from authors who missed out on their first chance to send Haringa to an early grave. Sale proceeds will be donated to support the newly created Shirley Jackson Awards.

The anthology features thrills, kills and chills from authors such as Jack Ketchum, Christopher Golden, James A. Moore, Lee Thomas, Nick Mamatas and many others. At the bargain price of $10 (the same price as Nick Kaufmann's Blue Shirt of Awesomeness, I might add) how can one go wrong?

Copies can be purchased here. Check it out and support a good cause.

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