SpinTop - Swan on the Rocks at Flashes in the Dark

your dark is my poetry 
mirrors break like sanity 
the shards, they echo 
they tell a story 
I listen

SpinTop - Swan on the Rocks



It's been awhile since I've written an absurd horror, so here's a little piece for you. I hope it touches a place deep down, because that's where it was written from.


Thank you, as always, to the wonderful Lori Titus of Flashes in the Dark.

How I Came To Write This Story At Patti Abbott's & Pimpin' My HomeGirls!

Patti Abbott was very kind to invite me to write for her "How I Came To Write This Story" guest series on her blog. You can guess by the pic what story I chose. Hint: Garrrrr! Click Here to read.

Thank you, Patti! And sorry about the late posting of this. I must have confused the dates.

Pimpin' My HomeGirls, Yo
I've been missing my writerly girlfriends and gradually catching up on what they're up too (very sneakly) (I think) (maybe not) (whatever) AND just wanted to brag on them a bit. Enjoy:

~Carrie Clevenger's Crooked Fang releases their very song first demo and it rocks! Support their utter bad boy unsparkling awesomeness and buy me a shot of Wild Turkey. Wait. Buy their single!

~The brilliant Yelena Sable has written, produced, and directed a hilarious satiric short film! Watch it here.

~Lori Titus gives excellent advice on writing horror on her interview at The Chin Wag.

~Sandra Seamans has an excellent dark story at PMM called Death and Jelly Jars.

(Warning: she'll make you feel like a serial killer)

~May 1st, Erin Cole will be interviewing Spinetingler nominee Lily Childs on all sorts of dark horrors. Skeleton Candy for the soul! (Munch Yum Munch) Be sure to check it out.

Aleathia Drehmer's In Between Altered States celebrates its first year anniversary! Congrats to the wonderful creator, ezine and authors.

~Also, breaking news has it Romeo, from the Bella Vista hotel, has released Pamila Payne from the dank basement of his mind. She is actively lurking about on social networking worlds. First beware, then say hello.

XXX

Zombie Luv Contest Winners!

*This was already announced on Mari's Randomites, but I figured I'd blog it too*

First Place ~~Winner~~ :

"The Tale-Tell Beat"

 by Nishida C

Her story drew me in from the very beginning and just took my breath throughout. The judges were unanimous on this story.  Write more, Nishida. (Please) Congrats! Read her story at Flashes In The Dark today.

2nd place Winner:

 "Dead Flames"

By Angel Zapata

Angel Zapata? What can I say? He can scare your socks off and melt your heart in one breath. It was very worthy of creating a second place slot. Story will be featured at Flashes In The Dark July 26th.

Honorable mention:  

"For The Love Of Mike"

by Sam Adamson

Not only did he win the poll's vote, but he won mine and the other judges as well. His stories have this way of sticking with you for a long time afterward. He truly has the unique touch.

~~~~~~~~~~~

There are a good ten of you that impressed me with either quality, originality, pacing,  but I need to keep my mouth zipped for the sake of choosing stories for a Zombie Luv antho.

It was blast to work with the other judges Mari Juniper,  Lori Titus,  and Jim Bronyaur. Great people, great stories and lots of zombie luv to go around. Thanks for the fun everyone!

Wicked Woman's Booty

Avast me hearties! Wicked Woman be a'sailin 0' Pulp Metal Magazine. It be a pirate serial with adventures, treasure maps, the cave of ali baba, frog wenches, and Cap'n Viper. Many thanks t' Jason Michel fer askin me on the PMM crew with he and Paul Brazill. I be thinkin' of no finer company.

Read episode 1: Stolen!

Last but not least, because of the procurements of mysterious maladies, I'm taking a slight break from blogosphere and the interweb worlds. Email is always open.

Rabid at FitD (For Reals This Time)

The whistling deer head is stuck to the wall. It cannot get you from there.


Rabid


At Flashes in the Dark

(Thank you, Lori!)


**some of you will remember this from the good ol' days

**On Another note, I decided to make a conversational, rambling blog called, Blahh...Og. I think the title is quite explanatory. ;-) Feel welcome to visit and jump in with me.

Book Reviews! Support Small Press!

Some of these I've read recently, others awhile back. I want to take some time this month and spot light these books and encourage my fellow readers to support small press.

**My apologies to Salvatore Buttaci and William Pauley III, I meant to do this for them ages ago.




Wrong Minds And Other Fictions
by Jason Michel

Jason Michel is a dark horse. This compilation of Wrong Minds And Other Stories prove it: Darkness infused with light, morbidity flayed to show philosophy, his words are poetry lulling you into Grimm like nightmares. These stories are very gruesome in the way of old fables, yet they show the reality of life that so many of us have forgotten. If we forget life’s old truths, we aren’t truly human anymore. And being human is what these shorts are all about. If you are inclined toward the old gothic literature like Mary Shelly, Bram Stoker, Robert Louis Stevenson - you will love Mr. Michel’s work. I highly, highly recommend this book.

Purchase Wrong Minds And Other Fictions or visit Jason's personal website.

Green Water Lullaby
by Lori Titus

Green Water Lullaby opens with French Doors, and invites you into its pages. This short story collection smells like vanilla and flows like honey. The grace of Lori’s smooth writing makes a reader vulnerable to her sweet voice of horror. She baptizes you into a world of suspense. But when you’re ready to come up for air, she holds you under, drowning you in the town’s mysteries. Evil secrets of murder, brotherhood, the occult… who could have guessed so much darkness resides in the sleepy little town of Chrysilis, or Lori Titus’s mind for that matter. This is an e-book you don’t want to miss.The E-book format is very user friendly and easy on the eyes.

Purchase Green Water Lullaby Or Visit Lori's personal website.

A Family of Sicilians:Stories & Poems

by Salvatore Buttaci

This is wonderful collection of stories about Sal’s experiences in Italy. Reading the works, one feels swept away to a beautiful country filled with people involved in life, love, and hard work. This book must be read with a hot cup of coffee and a box of tissues. Sal’s magic will work wonders on your heart, as he always does mine.

Purchase A Family Of Sicilians or visit Sal's personal website.

Toe Tags
edited by William Pauley III & Brian Barnett

Toe Tags is a collection of debauchery sewn together by William Pauley III and Brian Barnett. Horror has delivered its grimmest, its grittiest - the ungodly

morbid truth through the minds of Angel Zapata, Lori Titus, Graeme Reynolds, Robert C. Eccles, Nathan Rosen, Joshua Day, Chad Chase, William Pauley III, Brian Barnett and more.

If those names aren’t enough to catch your curiosity, the carnivals, talking tattoos, devils, zombies, magicians, the rage will snatch your eyes and force you to keep reading on. You know you are getting good quality horror, when the stories still pop up in your mind and scare you long after you’ve read them.

Purchase Toe Tags or visit William Pauley III's personal website.

Howl: Tales Of The Feral And Infernal
edited by Mark Anthony Crittenden

This savage collection of morphing creatures and nightmares has already achieved status by hosting three authors of honorable mention merit by Ellen Datlow. Between these pages, stories of werewolves, ravens, demons, owls, lizardmen, The Lady Red, fanged puppies (and more) explore awakenings of the animal within. Give in to the fierce extremes of lust and love. Mark Crittenden leaves a torch on the dark path of horror. Hurry. Read it. Or something will eat you.

Purchase Howl or visit Mark's personal website.

Rotten Little Animals
by Kevin Shamel

I've already plugged this, but I'll do it again. Zombie cats, Stinkin' Rats, Dirty Birds and other filthy scoundrels kidnap a child and create the same evil humanity does. Doesn't get more bizarre than Kevin Shamel's mind. Note: While inclusive of talking animals, this has adult material and is by no means a story for children. Read at your own risk.

Purchase Rotten Little Animals or visit Kevin's personal website







Something’s Not Right
by Trevor McPherson

This ebook collection features a handful of stories by a clever sci fi cook. His unique twilight zone writes are entertaining and intelligent. For under a buck, you are getting one heck of a deal.

Purchase Something's Not Right or Visit Trevor's personal website.

Disenchanted Evening At Flashes In The Dark

Flashes In The Dark is holding a Lycanthropy Contest! It ends on April 21st, so you still have time to enter.

My story

Disenchanted Evening

is up today! Please stop by for a read & thrill.
(Thank you to editor, Lori Titus!)




For those of you who are curious about the musical roots of this story and want to watch some half decent videos. Here you go. (Be sure to mute the music player below)

Original Song this story was inspired by


Between evenings of writing the story, I listened and watched

Sara Brightman and Antonio Banderas sing Phantom of The Opera

(Note: I love Sara Brightman's voice, but she's a terrible actor.)

This video and music inspired the setting

Into The Ocean By October Blue



And well, I don't know. Why the heck not? Just your typical ravenous werewolf music

Some Enchanted Evening (Original South Pacific Song)

My First Interview!

Every Sunday, Flashes In The Dark editor, Lori Titus, interviews an author. I feel so honored, privileged, humbled, and blushing that she not only asked me for an interview (wow!) but also chose to feature it on the first Sunday of 2010. Thank You SO much, Lori!

You can read the
FitD interview here!

Thank you so much to all of you, dear readers,writers, and editors who've been such a big support for me the last two years. I am so blessed.

Spindled Souls At Flashes In The Dark

A sea of cornstalks separates them.

Wind carries their secrets.

Change has come.

But not the kind they were hoping for.

Spindled Souls

At Flashes In The Dark
(A Worst In Love contest entry)

Thank you, as always, to the wonderful editor, Lori Titus.
Happy New Years Everyone!

Note: Due to stormy weather, the lines have been down. My internet is completely off. At&t is fiddling around. So I won't be able to get back to comments right away. Enjoy!