Another 100 Horrors!!!

Another 100 Horrors is released today. This is a collection of flash fiction all weighing in at the staggering 100 word mark. My piece is "The Problem of Magick" a master and apprentice learning experience.

The TOC is as follows...

Black Talbot by Paul Chown
Abductia by Andrés Abel
In the End was the Word by Gary B. Phillips
Messages from Ourselves by James Bojaciuk
Old Friend by Niccolo Skill
Creative by Ryan Tandy
Night Terror by Teresa Hawk
Kill Your Gods by Allen Ashley
Together Forever by M. Thomas Smith
Sweet Dreams by Aaron Z. Hawkins
Curiosity Piqued by Allan Kalupar
All-Star by Dan Larnerd
National Rip-off by Alex Grover
Tap Door Run by Mark Smith
Seeker in the Dark by Brandon Barrows
Meat Race by Nicky Peacock
His Heart by Vivian Caethe
Th Hunt by Essel Pratt
The Backseat Check by Michael E. Grant
The Fort by C.J. Meirick
Walking to the Store by Keith Deininger
The Lost Limb by Jay Esou
Plumber by Chris Blinn
White Collar Necropolis by Christopher Cornell
No Light in the Attic by the Word Rummager
Drink by Dawn Nikithser
Riders on the Storm by Dorothy Davies
Dark Glass by Gary Budgen
Winter of Abomination by Mark Lewis
Black Mantle by Justin Powell
The Temple by McKynzie Bair
The Last Tattoo by Ross Baxter
Endlessly Falling by David Turnbull
Cuts by Irvine Harker
Intervention by Robert Laseur
Dear Devil by Teddy Vork
Hide-and-Seek by Erin Cole
The Asylum of the Dead by Jaimie M. Engle
The Boarder by Kathy Ferrell
Clockwork Offal by Stephen Kozeniewski
What Lies Beneath by Jerry Scarbrough
After The Slaughter by Julie R Kendrick
Water Is My Home by Tiffany A. Robbins
Man-na by Sharla Anderson
Night Walk by John Kujawski
Birth by L.R. Bonehill
Shackles by Dan Howarth
Kage by Chad Case
On Reflection by C. C. Adams
Endless Loop by Christopher Shultz
Sister Knows Best by Kevin G. Bufton
Tears of Blood by Val Gryphin
Habit by Dirky Henkel
A Change Too Far by Adam Millard
100 Worries by Shaun Avery
Mr Whippy by David Marr
Miss Ham and Eggar by Lance Manion
Dog Days by Rose Blackthorn
Mouse in the House - Cara S. Cobb
The Hunter by K. Trap Jones
FLURG by Ken Goldman
Dead Man's Chest by Scott L. Vannatter
Meeting the Family by Jennifer Mccullah
The Problem with Magick by David J. West
Tiny Gifts by Matt Kurtz
The Standing Appointment by R.Y. Brockway
Greed by Paul S. Huggins
Schrödinger's Mistress by Phil Ambler
While You Sleep by Bruce L. Priddy
Closer by Chris Yodice
Asylum by Oonah V Joslin
Dress Up by Aurelio Rico Lopez III
One Last Dance by Paco
Knock Out by Kristal Stittle
The Witch's Dilemma by David Edward Nell
The Bridge by Angela Pritchett
In Deep by Sheri White
Giggles by Gabino Iglesias
The Little Fat Man's Curiosity by Stuart Conover
Self by Jay Wilburn
Breaking Free by Donald Jacob Uitvlugt
Arachne by Matt Moody
Rye by Joshua Rupp
Jerky by Allen Jacoby
Feast by Mark Slade
Shipwreck by Cameron Suey
Effort Number Eighty-Seven by Nathan Robinson
Howl by Angel Zapata
Sacred Vows by Jon McAchren
Corpse Mother by J. Rodimus Fowler
The Hose by Tim Tobin
Bruise by TJ Oneal Antley
Victim #93 by Rocky Alexander
Snap by Kerry G.S. Lipp
Strange Noises by Lisamarie Lamb
Severance Package by Cameron Johnston
Procession by A.R. Aston
Mummy by Jonathan Ward
Stuck by David Williamson
One Hundred Pairs of Eyes by Jillian Robinson

Memorial Day

I don't post nearly enough these days, and I am way behind on everything I said I was gonna do - that's life..but I did want to post a Memorial Day tribute, and give thanks to those that have given their all...

Some of the most inspirational people I have known are veterans and most all my heroes are veterans of one sort or another. Thank you

I got my EYE on you

I'm gonna be at the LDStorymakers Writers Conference in Provo, Utah this weekend. Life being what it is, I don't have any of the new projects quite ready for sale there ~ I had hoped to have BLESS THE CHILD and WHISPERS OF THE GODDESS available but distractions have come up...beautiful distractions.

Anyway, gorgeous distractions that want their privacy aside for a moment, I'm still going to try and have these writing projects out soon enough - definitely before my birthday late next month when I turn 40. Just a few more accomplishments I want done before that.

I've already done more traveling this year (and it ain't nearly over yet) than I have for years. Had to share this sculpture of Polyphemus I took at the Getty Villa and recreation of the Temple of Hercules just outside of LA last weekend.
Right after I took the shot, security told me photography wasn't allowed in that wing, oh well, I already had the shot.

Here's a few more just because...

In the Works...

Life has made my blogging this year incredibly erratic (did I completely miss February?)

But projects are coming along, The Mad Song in Artifacts & Relics shouldn't be too far off, and The Dogs of War in Thunder on the Battlefield will be shortly behind that I think, Rolling in the Deep in A Flame in the Dark: Monsters should be out anytime as will Make A Monkey Outta Me in Heavy Metal Horror and The Problem with Magick in Another 100 Horrors. Wish I knew something more on the Rogue Blades Entertainment Challenge antho = The Serpents Root and the rumored Sword & Sorcery League collection which supposedly has accepted Sailing to Valhalla, but alas I know nothing on either project.

I still need to format Whispers of the Goddess, so that delay is all on me and I did finally receive the edits on Bless the Child, so I will absolutely have a sword & sandals novel out this year - I'm hoping in the next few weeks but can't promise anything since I honestly don't know what I'm doing with formatting yet.

Bring the Fire (tentative title) for The Barbarian Coast is coming along nicely = almost done. And I have dreamt up my story for Space Eldritch 2 I just have to write it now.

Two more projects demand near immediate attention, one is a Sci-Fi sure thing, the other is a limited invitational Fantasy submission, best 10 out of 25 (good odds), and both MIGHT get published through Baen, so that's cool.

I'm also sitting on a half dozen finished spec tales that I need to just get off my butt and submit somewhere - and then there are the fifty plus starts to tales I need to finish...and then there are the books I need to finish, I wish I was half as prolific as I sound.

Part of the writing problem has been the busy family life and drama but it seems the Muse has returned ~

Storming the Gates of Troy

 

One thousand ships launched astern
For you, the flames they burn
Scarlet lips and hands to hold
Passion unfurled and courage bold
Swords are raised as bridges crossed
One thousand moments count and lost
Two for the neck, one for the heart
Hopes blaze that we may never part
All for you my queen, so regal
I shall be cloaked dark with eagle
Stricken in the heart and the heel
I write to forge what I feel
To be with you again I hope and pray
And win but a kiss today
No tears, no pain, no sorrow
All so I may win the war tomorrow
With sacred horse and a tour deforce
The gates will fall and I’ll tear down your wall
Chariots race and dooms embrace
Will open the path to proceed
And truly fulfill that primal need
To be as one and never ever come undone

Also, it seems I am getting 5 times the hits to this blog from Iran than I am from the usual suspects = The US of A, Canada, Germany and the UK - What the Hell? Can I be so interesting to the Persians? Or is it just the Spartan thing??? I've barely been posting this year - what's so interesting???

W.I.P.'s

Just checking in with a status update of ongoing projects.

I just submitted The King in the Wood to Alchemy Press

 I'm putting some final touches on Whispers of the Goddess

Still waiting on edits for the novel Bless the Child

Still sitting on my hands when it comes to Blood of Our Fathers and for that I apologize, it is the plan to get on that soon...
but in the meantime I have to get to work on my tale for Space Eldritch 2 - its gonna be a bigger collection, more authors etc etc and I have to get on that...

I also have to finish up Bring the Fire for the Barbarian Coast collection, taken way too long already...

A good number of other stories are accepted but I have no idea when they will be available, I won't let those slip by unspoken though.

If there was any Doubt as to how I feel Lately

Almost the only writing I have been able to do as late are these...

In The Garden
I thought I was Adam and you were Eve
Blaming the serpent, that he did deceive
Forgetting that there was another
Lilith, that first wicked mother
But Eve, she stood by her man
You, just turned and ran
Each of us into the wilderness cast out
I pray for rain and you curse the doubt
Lies your cloak and despair your hood
Truth, your bane and doing what you should
Now I wipe the children’s tear’s
And chase away your demonic fears
The flaming sword, I would lay down
and return to you, your exalted crown
if you could but be my Eve
but No, you chose to leave

The Empty Throne
You sat beside me in the Temple and ruled our home,
but you stole the scepter and dashed the crown,
all so you could roam.
Will I ever trust you again?
Not while every lie you speak, pierces my heart and steals my life.
Not while you try to play upon me like a fife.
Not as you proclaim love but plant pain,
you seed hate and reap one great black stain.
Can I ever love again?
With every truth spoken and my fired soul awoken.
With every fiber of my being, I’ll gain a queen and be a king.
And the throne beside me will be empty no more,
free from you, my dirty little whore.

To A Woman
After the silken threads that you spun
and the cords you’ve woven come undone
the lines you drew without care but rage
they will combine to craft your gilded cage
For the lies you told are freedom not
but slavery holding fast til you rot
An anchor round your slattern neck
driving you to your fated wreck
Satan has no servants but slaves alone
You are foremost his, soul, body and bone
Doom holds thy deceitful hand and black heart
with a curse upon your lips and tainted parts
You, the bride of darkness, despair and fear
fully selfish and cowardly, it is quite clear
Play the tortured soul, haunt the dark places
Weep crocodile tears and toy with many faces
But you shall stay and will ever be
the most evil person known to me

Karma is a Bitch and So is She
She lies and she lies
She cries and she cries
My hopes rise and they rise
But my heart dies and dies
I know what I want is what I want
I know what I deserve ain’t what I got
I know that I seem to be asking a lot
And I know that she is going to rot
Karma is a bitch and so is she
Thinks she can keep up the charade
Thinks she can keep me hanging onto her strings
I was blind but now I see
She thinks I’m broken but I’m remade
She thinks I’ll be waiting keeping her rings
No, Karma is a bitch and so is she
A lie must exit her mouth
A stab must enter my heart
Someday, someway she will see
The damage done her life gone south
Our union ends and my life will start

Two Reasons
Two reasons you can’t sleep:
Either you have a soul and conscience, and twist about at night in the agony of what has been done…
Or you are bereft of soul and conscience and thusly not even fit to dream…
I know which you are…

Whispers of the Goddess is Coming

I haven't been around, all my regular readers know why, but finally my first project of the year is almost here.

I need to figure out all the nuances and get it put together but WHISPERS OF THE GODDESS my novella from the departed Roar of the Crowd is coming soon.

Here is the back cover blurb I recently put together, (and thanks to Angie Lofthouse for helping polish it)

"Warships of the Fourth Crusade surround Constantinople threatening murder, rapine and worse.
The only option left the impotent Emperor to avoid the sacking of the great city, is to secretly give away a sacred relic.
Enter Tyr a red-handed Swedish mercenary and Wolfram von Eschenbach the Templar poet, together charged with retrieving the holy artifact and escaping the city.
What they don’t know is that arcane forces, old as myth, are marshaled against their mission. The old gods of multiple nations war with the New.
And Ragnarok is coming to Greece."


Here is the cover by the talented Carter Reid - he also did the SPACE ELDRITCH cover.


In other news, the prequel of sorts for Whispers of the Goddess, The Dogs of War, has been accepted into the Thunder on the Battlefield, Sword & Sorcery collection edited by James R. Tuck, so if you like one tale I hope you will like the other and we can get some cross-pollination going.