Monday Madness

My contributor's copies of Barbed Wire Hearts arrived on Saturday morning. I was going to take a photograph and display them here for all to lust after but a) I was too lazy and b) the natural light faded so fast (and taking a photo with the overhead light on wouldn't display the books in all their glory. And trust me, they're glorious. The cover is to die for.) As well as being able to purchase the book at the Dark Fuse website (Limited Edition hardback and e-book) you can now also pick up the e-book at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Two more reviews of Nowhere Hall (aka the book that just keeps giving) have crept online... The first from Joshua Reynolds (Her world is one of slippery construction, changing from one thing to the next in the blink of an eye or the turn of a page, with a dream-like haze that lulls the reader down false corridors into nightmare conclusions.) which you can read in full over at Innsmouth Free Press, and the second from Richard Baron (...is her ability to make unnatural events and characters seem as real as the very air we breathe, but this time she has added a layer of melancholy upon each page that is beautiful as it is heartbreaking) and you can read the review in its entirety on Richard's blog.

Next up, I've fallen back in love with my kindle. I suspect I only fell out of love with it because I read a couple of books that I wasn't keen on (or tried to read them) and blamed the kindle where I would normally blame the book. Anyway, Katey Hawthorne's (aka the awesome KV Taylor) book Equilibrium cured me of my kindle hate. I suspect my kindle might explode from the heat the book is generating. Ahem! Buy it.

And as a final note, PS Publishing is venturing into the world of chapbooks and their first release is Holding the Light  by Ramsey Campbell. There's a lovely comic book feel to the cover.

P.S. If you've bought Barbed Wire Hearts don't forget to enter my competition.

Fantastic Folk Friday - The Swap (Plus a Giveaway)

I shall try not to squee too much, but I received two fabulous books in the mail this week. The Ultimate perVERSEities by Kurt Newton and Cthulhurotica edited by Carrie Cuinn.

And both were born of swaps... I sent Kurt and Carrie 'Strange Men' and they sent me their books. Swaps rock. This is my second swap with Kurt. I traded my novelette Olive Lemon for his Black Butterflies last year. This could become a habit. (And he wrote the nicest, quirkiest inscription inside).

And Cthulhurotica is double the goodness, not only is it edited by Carrie, but it also includes a KV Taylor story, Transfigured Night. Katey gets into all the best books. The anthology also includes stories and essays by Jennifer Brozek, Cody Goodfellow, Mae Empson, Nathan Crowder, Don Pizarro, Silvia Moreno-Garcia and many others.

Now onto the giveaway. Carrie sent me two copies of Cthulhurotica and I want to give one away to you. So what do you have to do to enter... Leave a comment saying you'd like to be entered in the draw.

And if you don't win you can find more information about Cthulhurotica and Dagan Books next anthology In Situ at their website. Actually, you can find out more info even if you do win. I'm generous like that. Closing date is Friday 18th February 2011, midnight (your time). And if you haven't yet picked up a copy of Strange Men let me know and I'll throw in a copy of that book too.

30 Days of Writing... The End

Oops, look who forgot to post the final part of this meme...

25. Do any of your characters have pets? Tell us about them.

The MC in 'The Forest of Discarded Hearts' has a cat. I don't think the cat likes her.

26. Let’s talk art! Do you draw your characters? Do others draw them? Pick one of your MCs and post your favorite picture of them!

Ha! No, no, good lord no.

27. Along similar lines, do appearances play a big role in your stories? Tell us about them, or if not, how you go about designing your characters.

Sometimes I describe (most times for novels, I suppose), but for short stories, I don't think appearances matter so much. It's more about how broken they are inside. Although, they're often broken on the outside too.

28. Have you ever written a character with physical or mental disabilities? Describe them, and if there’s nothing major to speak of, tell us a few smaller ones.

There's nothing more disabling than death and I have quite a few of those shuffling around.

29. How often do you think about writing? Ever come across something IRL that reminds you of your story/characters?

I think about writing all the time. From the time I get up to the time I go to sleep. Even when I'm doing other things. Even when I'm trying my best to procrastinate and not write, it's always there. Like a second limb, or a festering boil. Yes, a festering boil planted between my eyebrows.

30. Final question! Tag someone! And tell us what you like about that person as a writer and/or about one of his/her characters!

Ah, I'm not going to tag anyone because they're all so busy - I hope.

.....

And talking of busy. Head over to Katey Taylor's blog and congratulate her. She's now an editor at the awesome Morrigan Books.

Dead Trees and a Few Pixels

It's a good day for short story fans (and not because of my story because well... how lame would that comment be)... Ahem!

M-Brane SF #15 is released today and it contains my science fiction story, Treading the Regolith. And it's not at all dark or fantastical, but pure SF- now there's a first. There are also stories by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Erica Hildebrand, Kaolin Imago Fire, Jason Heller, and Deborah Walker.

A new issue of New Bedlam has also gone live today, with stories from:  Brock Cooper, John Grover, Michael C. Pennington, Darlene Henderson, Dave Rex, and Zombie Zak. And of course Jodi Lee has also released the trade paperback of Courting Morpheus. I can't wait to read this book, I'm waiting on the rather excellent hardback.

And finally, though it should never be on the end of any lists, I received issue 10 of Necrotic Tissue in the post today, and it contains (among other wonderful folk - sorry, left the magazine downstairs and I'm in lazy mode) work by the ever fabulous Aaron Polson and the always delightful Katey Taylor.

Okay, I'm done. Have a fabulous Easter. If anyone feels the need to help me decorate (my Easter chore), most of you have my address. :D

My Soul Ain't Dead

I may have squealed in work today when I got a phone call to say that there was a delivery of books waiting for me. The word may is an absolute lie. How beautiful are the below specimens...

Dead Souls, edited by Mark Deniz, contains my story When the Cloak Falls, along with stories by Michael Stone, Ramsey Campbell, T A Moore, Paul Finch, Gary McMahon, Bernie Mojzes, Carole Johnstone, and Bill Ward. And Mark had my contributor copy signed for me at FantasyCon by himself, Gary McMahon, Paul Finch, Ramsey Campbell, Rebecca Lloyd and Carole Johnstone. Carol also signed my copy of Grants Pass, which alas I'm not in, but the wonderful Katey Taylor is.

And I know I've shown this before, but how can you resist buying this book after watching the trailer:

When I'm not Twittering...

The wonderful ”K V Taylor is twiddling her thumbs having finished the first draft of The Resurrectionists and thus evolved the below meme.

1. Are you a “pantser” or a “plotter?”
Both. For short stories, I normally go on a wild ride and have no idea where they’re going to end up. A couple of times I’ve known the entire plot before writing the first word, and I’m still not certain which method I prefer. For novels, I try to plot the book out chapter by chapter. I never stick to the plan but at least I feel I have some sort of skeleton. Of course, sometimes boys with freckles turn up in a subsequent draft and I’m left scratching my head.

2. Detailed character sketches or “their character will be revealed to me as I write”?
My character sketches are sketchy. They tend to reveal themselves to me as I write. In this, Cate must improve. I want a play list like Katie has, and the skill of Natalie L. Sin, her characters always jump out from the page.*

*Now there’s a scary thought.

3. Do you know your characters’ goals, motivations, and conflicts before you start writing or is that something else you discover only after you start writing?
I’m ignoring short stories in answer to this because of the whole flying by my pants thing. I know most of my characters goals and motivations before I start working on a book, and I know some of their conflicts. Things change of course, things always change.

4. Books on plotting – useful or harmful?
I’ve only ever read Stephen King’s ‘On Writing’. Isn’t that naughty? I should have a whole shelf of plotting books, but I don’t. *A dozen agents/editors put up their hands and say, ‘We noticed’.*

Sometimes, I think all the advice you absorb on the net can be harmful, especially when you hit the editing stage. Don’t get me wrong, my writing has improved 500% since I started interacting with other writers/editors and I hope to continue learning, but I often go into panic mode when I read an editor complaining about grammar/the use of certain words/plotting. I end up trawling back to page one of my current WIP fixing all their dislikes (even though I won’t be submitting the piece to that particular market). Then of course, I pick up a book and find it full of all the things editors would prefer you didn’t do. I suppose I’m trying to say, while I’m grateful for the advice, I need to realise you can’t please all of the editors all of the time. We all have different likes and dislikes.

5. Are you a procrastinator or does the itch to write keep at you until you sit down and work?
Do I really need to answer this question? I’m sure a quick scroll through my blog will reveal I’m a serial procrastinator. I do get that itch though. Normally when it’s impossible for me to do any writing. *Bangs head on desk*. I have to sit my butt down in front of the laptop and make myself write – I do love it (just in case you think it’s some awful chore), but I’m always convinced there’s something more pressing I should be doing – like twittering. I’ve put a note up above my desk that reads…

The person who just got a book deal didn’t spend all day twittering.

I put it up earlier this week and it seems to be inspiring my butt to stay in the chair. Of course, a part of my brain is screaming, ‘Yes they did, I read their tweets’.

6. Do you write in short bursts of creative energy, or can you sit down and write for hours at a time?
Both. Of a weekend, I normally spend at least one day writing for about four or five hours without any internet interruptions. After that though, my resolve starts to weaken. I’m wearing my carpet out wheeling between the laptop and the PC.

7. Are you a morning or afternoon writer?
Again, both. I don’t have a particular time of day where I’m more committed or creative, I don’t write at night, but that’s because I will have already spent the morning, afternoon, and part of the evening on the computer. Thinking back to question 5 – night time is when I usually get the urge to write. Maybe my day is upside down.

8. Do you write with music/the noise of children/in a cafe or other public setting, or do you need complete silence to concentrate?
Sometimes I need silence, especially when I’m dealing with a tricky scene. I can write with noise in the background though. I write at work and it’s chaos there (note to boss: only when I’ve done all my work and the only other option is to stare into space). I never play music when I’m writing – maybe that’s something I’ll try this weekend.

9. Computer or longhand? (or typewriter?)
Computer, computer, computer. The words always seem to flow better when I’m staring at a white screen. They look more complete.

10. Do you know the ending before you type Chapter One?
I prefer it when I do. I’ve started too many projects where the end has just fizzled out – I hate that. My current WIP went off plan, but I still managed to keep most of the original ending.

11. Does what’s selling in the market influence how and what you write?
Nope.

12. Editing – love it or hate it?
Love it until unexpected boys with freckles turn up.

The Wolf Dude and I are in envy mode

I'm in a happy, happy mood... I almost have a title for The Poisoned Apple II - Okay, let me rephrase that. I thought I had the perfect title for TPAII but it garnered a raised eyebrow and an 'are you sure', so the brain is still ticking over.

Anyway, I'm browsing the aisles of Asda (large British supermarket known as Walmart in the US) and I come upon the little dude below. I had to have him. He has a strange walk (like me) and a gruff voice (unlike me) and sings rather badly (yep, just like me). I'd like to show him moving and singing on video but a) I can't upload videos to my computer and b) he's a doll, I mean you're not exactly missing out. Anyway, he is now my inspiration for the fearsome Wolfram Lavoisier in the above book. Oh, and the title relates to him and the more I think about it the worse it sounds.



Next we have two fabulous books that arrived in the post this morning from Morrigan Books. I squealed when I saw the parcel and I'm not even in one of them. At this juncture in the post let us take a moment to think of poor old Frog and his Mail Order Bride who are yet to find a home. *Cough Cough* to the people at Hotel Guignol where the story is currently submitted (along with, I imagine, many other Voices rejects). This book contains, among others, a story by the fabulous K.V. Taylor. 'The Mirror' is set in room 105. Katey, I am insanely jealous - the book looks awesome.

The other book is How to Make Monsters by Gary McMahon. A collection of 14 short stories - and kudos to Mr. McMahon, for whom among us doesn't want a collection of their stories in print.




And here we have the cool Wolf Dude and the spines of the books - because I love spines of books and I'm loving my Wolf Dude.