Long Live The King!

No, no...I'm not talking about me, I'm not that egotistical...yet

Let me explain...

At the end of last year I set myself a goal of getting one publication credit per month for 2010. Reach for the stars, I've been told, and even if you don't make it, you'll still have a hell of a trip. In some ways, my target is a little ambitious, but then again if I really am a storyteller of any worth, I should be able to do it. Let's consider it a sort of litmus test...

So, to this end, in January I had Cruisin' published in House of Horror Issue 8. This is a bit of a fudge because I actually knew about it last year, but I'll take every free hit I can get.

As announced in my last blog, Ease of the Midnight Visit was accepted for publication in Short and Twisted 2010 for June publication. Not exactly a 'Feb publishing credit' in the true sense, but I refer to my 'free-hit-rule' again and have the score as 2 - 0 in my favour.

And yesterday, I was advised that my new American crime short story, Long Live The King!, has been accepted by the US ezine, Sex and Murder. It's described as 'a magazine of extreme horror, dark fiction and splatterpunk', so another departure from the Horror, Romance, etc, genres I've been published in, and yet it isn't really. It's crime, gritty and real, (vaguely reminiscent of the 'American/Pulp Fiction/Gangster' mode) and I really like the main character. Could there be a follow up/longer story  to be written from it? I hear you ask.

We'll see...anything's possible.

Haven't got a publication date for it yet, but when I know, so will you.

So, I make that three publication credits so far (2 KO's and 1 on a points count). Maybe a publishing credit per month was a little rigid...Maybe I should go for twelve (or more) for the year...never let it be said that I'm not prepared to move the goal posts in the middle of the game...

And, as usual, something from the past...

Twenty years as a debt collector taught me a lot of things...one of the most important is that if you lead an argument, you'll win the argument. Think about it...if you're answering the questions, if you're on the back foot, you've already lost. Try leading next time...you'll be surprised.

Gotta run...haven't written anything in a while...been 'researching'...

Cheers

Summer down under

I know, I know...another two months without an update. I put the blame on Australia's habit of closing down some time in early December and not reopening for business until January...or maybe February, it all depends on how relaxed we feel.

So, it's a New Year...I'd like to say I've done nothing and be proud of it, but yet again, that would be a lie.

Regarding the novel, Jack be Nimble, I've finally run through all the options as far as 'legitimate' agents are concerned and will shortly be assaulting the portals of the Publishing houses...or at least the ones that are still interested in aspiring authors. We'll see...

In the meantime, I've been tinkering with another two novel length stories; The Cabin, a thriller, set in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado and The Girl Who Could Smell Poision, a crime thriller based around Boston (USA). They are, obviously, aimed at a US audience, and once I get the first draft of one or the other completed, I'll be trying to sell them directly to US publishers...bigger market, more opportunity...

I have also completed, and submitted, several short stories including Art for Art's Sake and Behind Every Successful Man as well as One for the Money, all horror pieces and have another four or five 'works in progress'. Another story, Ease of the Midnight Visit (not horror?!), has just been accepted by Short and Twisted 2010 (Celapene Press, Aus) which will be out in June.

Anyway, I've got a sore throat from all this talking, so we'll take a short break, but I promise that it won't be two months this time..

I did, however, say I would give some history as we go along...today's lesson...don't throw away or give up on those old stories that you did ages ago...Ease of the Midnight Visit is actually eight years old...written back when I was still a debt collector and not the suave, confident and debonair writer you see before you today...hell, I hadn't even done a grammar or editing course then...what was I thinking?

So, stick to it and believe in yourself...

Cheers

It's Been That long? Really?

2 months since we last spoke, I must be getting slack.

Things have been pacing along, I received my manuscript back from my copy editor, Catherine Hammond. Have I mentioned the title, Jack Be Nimble, yet? I'm shopping for an agent (if anyone is interested) and running into all the usual difficulties like the ones that say they are open to new clients, but really aren't...ahhh the fun, the fun!!!

Luckily, I've had a few wins as well. My story, The Cat called Follow Me (which appeared in House of Horror Issue 4), is back by popular demand, appearing in print in the House of Horror Best of 2009 Anthology (can be ordered through House of Horror). I must be on a good horror streak, because House of Horror have also accepted my story, Cruisin', to be published in Issue 8, in January 2010.

On an altogether different slant, my story, Homesick, has just been accepted by The Chick Lit. Review and will be available from November 14, 2009. It's not in the crime genre (like Jack Be Nimble), or in the horror genre (like The Cat called Follow Me and Cruisin') but instead focuses on 'relationship issues'. It's similar in style to the two manuscripts I've completed (Dream A Little Dream and All Other Places) before writing Jack Be Nimble, so maybe they will get another airing and see what I can do with them. Hope springs eternal.

Most recently, in between the short stories (the next one is also a horror piece - Art for Art's Sake), I've been working on another manuscript, The Cabin, a pyschological/suspense thriller set in the Colorado mountains. Another departure, but I just can't let the main character go. About six chapters done and the people I've showed it to all say they like it, so I've just got to complete it, I suppose.

So, what's that? Two manuscripts to edit/rewrite, two to complete and some short stories to unleash...should be a breeze.

Roll on summer, roll on...

Welcome One and All

Thanks for dropping by.

This, obviously, is my first blog, so if you came in late, don't worry, you haven't really missed anything and I'm bound to repeat myself anyway. I should probably fill in all the past details and questions that seem to interest people about being a debt collector but I'm sure that we'll have time for all that later.

Probably around intermission.

But the specific motivation for finally creating this blogsite now is that I have just achieved my second publishing credit and somehow it all seems more 'real?' My short story, The Cat called Follow Me, was accepted by House of Horror (UK) and appears in their current September issue (No. 4). Simply go to the page and click on the Issue 4 cover art in the centre of the screen - by the way the cat shown in the bottom right corner of the page is the cat from my story.On the next page, click on the door marked 'The Basement' and you will find the listing for my story.

It's a nice little horror piece - which isn't, or more accurately wasn't, really one of my fields - which makes it all the more satisfying!

If you do happen to take a look, make sure that you have a read of Eugene Gramelis' What's Eating you? Eugene is a friend and fellow writer who has racked up a string of great short story publication credits over the last couple of years and is now seriously threatening to unleash his talent on a full length novel. His web page is certainly worth a look to see that being a full time husband, father and barrister doesn't mean you can't find time to write.

As per the short bio at the top of the page, I'm currently trying to wait patiently for the copy editing of my own manuscript, Jack Be Nimble, to be completed. Hopefully, it's 'the one' but only time will tell...

Anyway...thanks for taking the time to stop by and I'll see you again soon.