Curious Things Afoot

Some Theatre of Curious Acts news this Tuesday. Although the book isn't released until mid-December we already have two reviews. The first review is from Lee Thompson...

"This is a simply deceiving story, complicated and intricate beneath the humor and darkness. She weaves a strong web and populates the story with quirky and likeable characters" - you can read the rest of the review over at The Crow's Caw.

The second review is by Caroline E Willis...

"The aesthetic of this 40,000 word novella evokes theater and circuses and other strange, false places that tell true stories. It’s a cross between Gaiman’s Neverwear, Maguire’s Wicked and Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five, and if you enjoy any of those, you will enjoy the “Theatre of Curious Acts." - you can read the rest of the review over at Tangent Online.

I'm currently writing a little collection of flash stories/biographical accounts of events that happened (according to some rather dubious folk including a Mr. Folk) to some rather unfortunate and some wicked creatures who populate the outskirts and the dark unseen corners of the Theatre. I'm hoping to use them for a blog tour in December or January - thinking January may be better being that it is the season of frost and staying-in-ness and plus 2012 has that whole apocalyptic vibe going for it.

And that is all my news, I think... Ooh, except I'm venturing out into the world this weekend to attend a wee event in my home town and then I'm scurrying home to cower back under my duvet.

Malpractice

The folks at Necrotic Tissue have posted the TOC for the Malpractice anthology. The 100 worders will be spliced inbetween the longer stories. The anthology is due for publication in February 2009.

Longer Fiction:

RECRUITMENT by Felicity Dowker
THE CURE by Bruce Cooper
ALL THE GIFTS OF LIFE by W.D. Gagliani and David Benton
SYMBIOSIS by Paul Milliken
SPECIAL DELIVER, BLOOM by Derek Rutherford
DEEP KIMCHI by Wayne Helge
THERAPY by Kevin Lucia
AVAILABLE by Horace James
COLD COFFEE CUPS & CURIOUS THINGS by Catherine J Gardner
A KIND OF LIVING by Paul Harris
HEART MATTERS by J.P. Wilson
POST-PROCEDURAL CARE ON THE BLOOM MEMORIAL LINE by Jeremy Kelly
PROSTHETICS by Daniel I Russell
UNIVERSAL DONOR by Bryce Albertson
7734 by Douglas Burchill
SNIP by Jennifer Greylyn
THE NIGHT NURSE OF COBBLESTONE by Vince A. Liaguno
OHRWURM by Brendan P. Myers


100-worder''s:

MALIGNANT by Daniel R Robichaud II
TRAUMA by Stephan Davis
CASE NO. 36 by Chris Chapman
GRAVITY FEED by Lee Pederson
CUTS BITE AT BLOOM MEMORIAL HOSPITAL by Bill West
THE ITCH by Alex Moisi
BREACH BIRTH by Ken Goldman
THE CREATURE OF BLOOM MEMORIAL by Emma Kathryn McDonald
ADVANCED CLASS by Paula Villegas
PATIENT CARE by Joel A. Sutherland
AUTO-DE-FE by Donald Jacob Uitvlugt
HOSPITAL DIET by Mark Onspaugh
MINOR SURGERY by Rob Brooks

Malpractice, Malpractice, Malpractice

OMG! OMG! OMG! Cold Coffee Cups & Curious Things has sold to the Necrotic Tissue anthology - Malpractice: An Anthology of Bedside Terror. And as well as 1 cent per word, I get a fabulous Necrotic Tissue T-Shirt (I have wanted one of those like forever).

And, coincidentally, my coffee went cold as I was too busy running around the reception (note to self - shouldn't open emails at work as I am very, very loud when I get an acceptance - okay, sometimes I'm a wee bit loud just because I'm me but...). Again, woo-hoo!

And that was June... Plus, one

Okay, here is my usual round up of what I did last month plus a wee extra. That is, it is my blog's 1st Anniversary - YAY! One year ago I was a very lonely blogger with no one to link to, no comments and not a clue what I was doing (okay, not everything has changed!). If you are very, very bored check out my first post and the hideous first attempt at a story after a few years away. I'll cringe with you.

Anyhow, let's resume with normal service. Here's what I did in June...

1. I sent out THE POISONED APPLE - Yay! . Current response figures are 0 full requests (gulp!), 2 partial requests (please), 7 rejections (3 form / 4 personal - one outstanding one that made my heart thump-thump-thump for about three hours despite the fact it was a rejection.)

2. Three Flash Short Stories completed.

Gasoline - Very short, a wee bit silly and not at all scary. Sent to Susurrus Magazine.

Selling Happiness - Already retired. Was very bored, couldn't sit still long enough to work on something long so sent a wee bit of 150 word silliness off to 'Alien Skin'. Got a 'cute' but 'no' response. Seriously the word cute consigned the thing to the dustbin. :)

Beneath a Hungry Sky - Sent to Northern Haunts.


3. Five Short Stories completed.

Through The Warped Eye of Death - has to be one of the swiftest returns on this. Written, rejected and accepted (by Sand) within the space of a month.

Sneakers on Asphalt - Probably officially a flash at 994, but I'm claiming it a short to make me appear more productive. Sent to the Terrifying Toys Competition. Fingers crossed and all that. Very surreal, hoping its scary.

Manipulating Paper Birds - I love this story. So there. Great rejection from 'The Black Garden'. Sent it along to 'Clarkesworld' - how brave am I?

Cold Coffee Cups & Curious Things - My attempt at scary without the surreal (okay there may be touches) - sent to Malpractice: An Anthology of Bedside Terror.

The Flat-Packed Golfer - Sent to the new 'golfing' related magazine (see previous post) Stymie.

4. And to the most important part. I've finally started work on my next MG novel 'Matchsticks, Moths & Machinations' with 4658 words completed so far. Expect a title change sometime this decade. I'm having so much fun writing it.