Damien Walters Grintalis

Of Book Deals and Fairy Tales

2012-01-28T11:22:00.001-05:00

Once upon a time (Because the best stories start that way, don't you think?) there was a writer. She lived in a small castle of brick and glass and spent her days pouring over words and phrases, in search of that story, the one that would steal her heart and sweep her away. She'd written a few books and offered them to the Word Gods as a token of her commitment, but since they were frightful things, they were banished to the Trunk of Horrible.

One day, she got an idea, a whispery sort of idea that breathed dark secrets into her ear and wouldn't leave until she wrote it down. Then it grew and grew and grew until it was a monster of chaos, but many edits and beta reads helped tamed the unruly beast into a proper sort of story.

And then she wrote a query letter and lo and behold, the Gates of Luck and Good Timing opened and she became agented. Her book went out into the world in search of a home, because, alas, books are only manuscripts, no matter how pretty, until they find a home, and it traveled far and near and had many adventures on its way to the desk of an editor called a "noted expert on the horror genre" by Publishers Weekly.

And by some magical luck, he liked our heroine's novel. Or perhaps the novel bewitched him. They can be tricksy things. But either way, the result is this notice from Publishers Marketplace:

Fiction: Horror
Damien Walters Grintalis's debut INK, in which a man gets far more than he bargained for when he visits an elusive tattoo artist, to Don D'Auria at Samhain, for publication in 2012, by Mark McVeigh at The McVeigh Agency (World English).

And they all lived happily ever after.*

Pretty nifty fairy tale, right? Except it isn't. It's real.

My novel, Ink, is going to be a real book after all. The release date is scheduled for early December of this year. I am so excited to have the opportunity to work with Don and to be a part of the Samhain Horror line.

In truth, I'm not sure if it has truly hit yet. It's more of an amorphous 'yes, this is happening' sort of feeling that strikes at random moments and leaves me stunned and speechless, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I wish I could capture the feeling and trap it in a glass bottle so I never forget.

*Please note: I may have embellished this story a bit in the name of creative license. Except for the Trunk of Horrible. That is real. I have seen it, but only in quick little glimpses. One cannot gaze too deep into the abyss, or so it's been said…

First Short Story Sale of 2012

2012-01-18T17:22:00.000-05:00

I'm thrilled to announce my first short story sale of 2012! I've sold my story, To Be Undone of Such Small Things, to Daily Science Fiction. As always, I'll post here when I know the date of publication.

The End

2012-01-14T09:56:00.000-05:00

At 3:00 a.m. this morning, I finished the first draft of Into the Grey, a novel that has been the most difficult one to write so far. As always, I felt a huge sense of relief, a bit of sadness, and more than a bit of elation. As it's a first draft, it's rough around the edges, but as I've said many times before, first drafts are for story; second drafts are for pretty.

I've also mentioned that I am a wing-it sort of writer. With this novel, the ending threw me for a complete loop. I was totally not expecting what happened. I was grinning and grimacing the entire time I was frantically typing out the words. As it turns out, it is a much better ending than the one I'd envisioned. I'm glad the characters steered me in the right direction.

Now I'm sitting here with coffee in hand, a good night's sleep behind me, and I feel that funny little post-novel let down. I've been so wrapped up in the characters and now I have to leave their world behind. But it's a good thing and in a few months, when it's time to reread and edit, I'll get to hang out with them again for a time.

I'll be focusing on short fiction for a few weeks, and then I'll start the first draft of another novel. Hopefully that one won't be such a brat.

Short Story News - Daily Science Fiction

2012-01-11T09:58:00.001-05:00

My story, In Her Arms of Dresden Pale, will be sent to Daily Science Fiction email subscribers on Thursday, February 16 and will appear on the DSF website a week later on February 23. The story is an odd little slipstream tale that was inspired by...

Nope, I don't think I'm going to tell you. You'll have to wait until the story is published. The details of the inspiration are in the story notes that will accompany the tale.

If you're not a DSF subscriber, you can do so for free on their website. A short story delivered to your inbox five days a week. For free. So what are you waiting for?

'Tis the Season...for Awards

2012-01-09T10:15:00.002-05:00

So we've reached Award time - Nebula, Stoker, Hugo, and others. Here and there, you'll see writers posting lists of their eligible stories. I've been reading, recommending, keeping lists, etc.. This is my first year as a member of SFWA, so I'm excited about voting for the Nebula Award in the various categories, but I'm also terrified I've missed something fantastic that I would have voted for had I read it. I know no one can read everything, but I want to make the most informed votes I can. Of course, the stories that speak to me may not speak to others, but it is what it is.

And here is my obligatory nod to my own work. The story I'm most proud of that saw publication in 2011 is Like Origami in Water which was published by Daily Science Fiction in October. It's dark fantasy so it would be eligible for the Stoker, Nebula, and Hugo.

And to be honest, I'm laughing a little as I type this. It feels awkward in a high school 'vote for me' sort of way. But I've received a lot of positive feedback on the story so to not mention it would feel strange, too. It would be very cool if people deemed it vote-worthy, but if not, I'm not going to fall to pieces in a pile of broken. That would be rather silly, yes?

Notable Reads of 2011

2011-12-28T12:09:00.004-05:00

I read so many good books this year. It's nearly impossible to try and remember them all, but some definitely stand out in my mind. Please note: I make no distinction between books written for adults and those geared to the YA crowd. That being said, here is my list of notable reads in no particular order:

11/22/63: A Novel by Stephen King
Mechanique: A Tale of the Circus Tresaulti by Genevieve Valentine
The Thief of Broken Toys by Tim Lebbon
Robopocalypse: A Novel by Daniel H. Wilson
Every Shallow Cut by Tom Piccirilli
Southern Gods by John Hornor Jacobs
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
When She Woke by Hillary Jordan
The German by Lee Thomas
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Legacy by Denise Tompkins
Eyes to See by Joseph Nassise
Variant by Robison Wells
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Miserere: An Autumn Tale by Teresa Frohock
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

I know that I soon as I post this, I will remember several more and in a day or two, even more, but it is what it is. And here are the books I currently have on deck to read (I've heard good things about all of them.):

Theatre of Curious Acts by Cate Gardner
Soft Apocalypse by Will McIntosh
Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Aftertime by Sophie Littlefield
Zone One by Colson Whitehead
The Becoming by Jessica Meigs
Rage Against the Night edited by Shane Jiraiya Cummings
The Sorrows by Jonathan Janz
The Lamplighters by Frazer Lee
Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma
1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Arcane Anthology Now Available

2011-12-22T14:20:00.001-05:00

The Arcane Anthology, which includes my story, The Web of Legends, is now available! You can buy it in print or in ebook format from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Thirty tales to send chills down your spine and make you leave the light on at night. What's not to like about that?

Here is the full Table of Contents:

We Belong to Her by Joe Mirabello
A Capella by Jonathan S. Pembroke
The Truth About Mother by Van Aaron Hughes
The Web of Legends by Damien Walters Grintalis
Reyes Rides the Deville by Dan Cavallari
The Heart of the Matter by Paul L. Bates
El Diablo de Paseo Grande by Milo James Fowler
The Delivery by A.A. Garrison
Corporautolysis by Christopher Slatsky
Mallecho by Stephen Willcott
God of the Kiln by Eric Francis
Tied by D.T. Kastn
Lady of the Crossroads by Christine Lucas
Beneath the Arch of Knives by James Lecky
All Coated in Bonemeal by Bartholomew Klick
Possessed of Talent by Ayden Parish
Sweet Heaven in My View by Frank Stascik
It’s Not the Boys in This Family That Have to Worry by Brady Golden
Kiss of Death by Jeremy Zimmerman
Legacy by SM Williams
An Unquiet Slumber by Rhiannon Rasmussen-Silverstein
A Friend, the Spider by Caitlin Hoffman
Destination Unknown by Anthony J. Rapino
In One There is Many by Max Vile
Incident at the Geometric Church by David McGillveray
Black Bush by Gemma Files
The Best and Bitt’rest Kiss by S.K. Gilman
Visiting Hours by Josh Strnad
Sweet Dreams by Fran Walker
The Business of Herman Laczko by Mark Beech

The Weight of a Book

2011-12-21T10:56:00.002-05:00

I got an ereader a few months ago, after several months of swinging back and forth on the issue. I love the experience of reading. I love curling up in my reading spot, holding the weight of a book in my hands, and turning the pages. I thought an ereader would somehow diminish the experience.

I will admit, reading the first ebook I purchased was an odd experience. I curled up in my reading spot and tried to get comfortable holding the Nook instead of a book. It took a bit and once I did, sliding my finger across the screen instead of turning the pages was odd. (I have a Nook Simple Touch) But by the time I started on the second ebook, I was hooked.

And now I'm going to touch upon a very contentious issue: pricing. I see people griping all the time about it and I find it puzzling. Yes, when you buy a physical book, you get the paper and the cover, but what you're really paying for is the story within, right?

Yes, the ebook lives inside the Nook and not on the shelf, but the story itself? That lives in my head. Whether I read the paper book or the ebook, I am reading the same words, the same story, created by the author. I can reread them time and again, just as I can with a paper book.

So what's more important? The paper and the cover or the story?

The story is what I'm purchasing, no matter the format. I am purchasing someone's long hours at the keyboard or the typewriter or with a pen and paper. I'm purchasing their dreams and nightmares turned into syllables and sentences. I'm purchasing concepts and ideas created from the word machine in the author's head.

That's the true weight, the true gift, of a book and, in my opinion, it's priceless.

Short Stories That Linger

2011-12-04T12:01:00.002-05:00

It's nearly the end of the year although I'm quite certain it's a trick. It certainly flew by faster than it should have, in my opinion. But enough of that babble.

Discovering a short story that speaks to you is fabulous, realizing that a short story has remained with you long after the initial reading is even better. Here are links to some short stories that have that pervasive quality. I highly recommend giving them a read. At least once. Your mileage may vary, of course, tastes being subjective and all that. There are quite a few stories I've read in various print magazines that have that same quality as well, but these are all stories that are available online.

The Birdcage Heart by Peter M. Ball - Daily Science Fiction

The Old Equations by Jake Kerr - Lightspeed

My Father's Wounds by Ferrett Steinmetz - Beneath Ceaseless Skies

The Jenny by Cheryl Rydbom - Redstone Science Fiction

And if you haven't visited Electric Velocipede in a while, we are currently rolling out Issue 23, our first electronic issue. We have some wonderful short stories, fantastic poetry, and more. Some is already up on the site with more to come in the next few weeks.

An Update on Patrick, the New Jersey Pit Bull

2011-11-18T17:27:00.000-05:00

Some months back, I wrote several posts about Patrick, the emaciated dog who was dumped in a garbage chute in New Jersey. Today, his previous owner was indicted by a grand jury on one count of fourth-degree cruelty to an animal.

I believe the penalties for animal cruelty should be far more severe than they are. I also believe that many people shrug the issue off, saying things like, "it's just a dog", but studies have shown that people who abuse and neglect animals are more than likely to do the same to other humans.

But let's focus on the positive, shall we? This is a very short video taken last month of Patrick. He is one amazing dog.

Undead & Unbound Anthology

2011-11-15T17:53:00.003-05:00

I am thrilled to announce that my short story, When Dark Things Sleep, will appear in Chaosium's anthology, UNDEAD & UNBOUND, edited by Brian M. Sammons and David Conyers.

Here is the official table of contents:

A Personal Apocalypse by Mercedes Murdock Yardley
Blind Item by Cody Goodfellow
Dead Baby Keychain Blues by Gary McMahon
Descanse En Paz by William Meikle
I am Legion by Robert M. Price
In the House of a Million Years by John Goodrich
Incarnate by David Dunwoody
Marionettes by Robert Neilson
Mother Blood Scott by David Aniolowski
North of the Arctic Circle by Pete Rawlik
Phallus Incarnate by Glynn Owen Barrass
Romero 2.0 by Brian M. Sammons & David Conyers
Scavengers by Oscar Rios
The Unexpected by Mark Allan Gunnells
The Unforgiving Court by David Schembri
The Wreckers by Tom Lynch
Thunder in Old Kilpatrick by Gustavo Bondoni
Undead Night of the Undeadest Undead by C.J. Henderson
When Dark Things Sleep by Damien Walters Grintalis

2011 Pushcart Nomination

2011-11-09T09:30:00.000-05:00

Rhonda Parrish, the editor of Niteblade, has nominated several stories and poems for the 2011 Pushcart Prize, including my story, Running Empty in a Land of Decay, from the March 2011 Issue. That's rather cool, yes? For more information, please visit Niteblade News.

Arcane Anthology

2011-11-08T08:00:00.005-05:00

The first full-length Arcane anthology, edited by Nathan Shumate, will be out later this year, and my work will be sharing the pages with many talented writers. Here is the full table of contents for your perusal. Pretty nifty, yes?

When Twitter Fails

2011-11-07T17:12:00.003-05:00

Last week, I noticed that Twitter user @merlinacleve had copied several of my Tweets as if they were her own (including one about my most recently published short story) and copied my Twitter profile as hers. That profile reads:

Writer of dark fiction. Member of HWA & SFWA. Assistant Editor of Electric Velocipede - @EV_Mag. Represented by Mark McVeigh of The McVeigh Agency.

She made one change, with her location. I live in Maryland; her profile states Texas. I know for a fact that she is not represented by my literary agent, nor does she work for Electric Velocipede. My guess is she's not a member of the Horror Writers Association (HWA) or the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) either. And for her avatar, she is using a picture of a woman with similar coloring to mine, which is just flat out creepy.

I reported this to Twitter and after several emails back and forth in which I provided documentation of the tweets and the profile intel, I received this response today:

Hello,

Thank you for your report. We've contacted this user and asked them to review their behavior regarding posting content without proper attribution. Please allow 48 hours for their receipt and review of our email.

If you continue to notice violating behavior on this account, please feel free to file a ticket to prompt additional review. We'll need direct links to both the original posted tweet and the tweet posted without attribution by the reported user.

I am so angry I could spit. (Except that's gross, so I won't.) I earned every one of those credentials. Every one. Twitter is basically saying, "Oh well, we've told her to stop." Sorry, that is not enough of a resolution in my book. I've responded to them stating as such.

Look, I know that in the grand literary world, I'm no one, but I don't use a pen name. Ever. My name is mine. My accomplishments are mine. I will state here and now for the record:

Merlina Cleveland is not me. That is not my pen name or my alter ego or me when I wake up on the wrong side of the bed. That is someone pretending to be me on Twitter, and Twitter won't do a thing about it.

That, Twitter, is a big, huge fail.

I'm quite certain if she were pretending to be Stephen King, Twitter would rectify the situation in a heartbeat.

Electric Origami

2011-11-01T07:25:00.001-04:00

My short story Like Origami in Water is now up on the Daily Science Fiction site for all to read. But while you're there, take a look at some of the past stories, too.

And we unveiled the first story in our first electronic issue of Electric Velocipede yesterday, The Art Disease by Dennis Danvers. The full Table of Contents for Issue 23 can be found here.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T11:24:00.001-04:00

In honor of Halloween and Samhain, I thought I'd share a wee bit of Halloween-themed flash fiction with you.

What Becomes of Fear
By Damien Walters Grintalis

When the first group of trick or treaters approached the house, Jacob gave Ted a dark look. “Don’t screw this up,” he said before he retreated into the house.

Ted pulled a face at Jacob’s back but took his place, hidden behind the bushes. He waited until the kids stepped up on the porch, the weight of their anticipation heavy in the air. Maybe the gig wouldn’t be so bad. A girl dressed as a witch, her hands painted in streaks of grey and green, knocked on the door. Ted counted to three then leaped out, shrieking boo as he rattled a chain in one hand. The kids howled in unison, their voices swallowing up both the metallic clink and the sound of Ted’s voice, and ran away from the house, fear leaking from their pores.

The door swung open. The orange light over the porch gave Jacob’s features a grim, almost homicidal glow. His breath pushed out clouds of vapor reeking of cigarettes and beer. “That was awesome. Quick, get behind the bushes again. We’ve got more coming.”

The next group didn’t howl, they screamed. Ted felt a pang of regret. They were young, all dolled up as superheroes, fairies, and ballerinas, and the smallest one reminded him of his granddaughter.

But Jacob was footing the bill, after all.

After the last trick or treater had come and gone, smiling on the way in, yelling on the way out, with candy spilling out of his plastic pumpkin like organs from a zombie meal, Jacob flipped off his porch light and stepped outside, a cigarette tucked in the corner of his mouth.

“Why don’t you just turn your porch light off if you don’t want to give out candy?” Ted asked.

“Cause it’s more fun this way. Here,” he said, handing over a twenty--Ted’s tip; the bill had already been paid in advance. “You did a pretty good job.” And with that, he went back inside, locking the door behind him.

With his hands clasped behind his back, Ted waited by the curb. Soon enough, a white car with tinted windows pulled up.

“How did it go?” Melanie, his supervisor, asked after he slid into the back seat.

“Fine, he seemed happy enough.”

“Good. Hopefully he’ll use us again next year. I already have your next job lined up. There’s a guy in Towson who wants his ex-wife out of the house.”

Ted nodded and watched the houses pass by. He wasn’t fond of scaring kids on Halloween or frightening women out of their houses, but the job paid well, and he wanted his granddaughter to go to college.

Of course in his day, if you wanted to find a ghost, you had to go looking for one, not just call a rental outfit and hand over your credit card number. But times changed.

Sometimes for the better; sometimes for the worse.

___________________________________________________________________________

I also thought I'd share this video. 'Tis very, very cool. And no, this isn't my house. Unfortunately.

Like Origami in Water

2011-10-25T10:48:00.000-04:00

If you are a subscriber to Daily Science Fiction, you received my short story, Like Origami in Water, in your inbox this morning. I was incredibly nervous about this story, but thus far, responses have been overwhelmingly positive. One reader called it "gut-wrenchingly beautiful" and another compared my writing favorably to Harlan Ellison. Needless to say, that sort of feedback leaves me stunned.

Note: If you're not a DSF subscriber, it will be up on their website next week and I'll provide a link when available.

What I'm Reading - Short Fiction

2011-10-23T14:12:00.007-04:00

With so many magazines, it's almost impossible to read everything, but I thought I'd post links to a few notable short stories I've read recently. Enjoy!

The Last Doll War by Wendy Wagner - Three-Lobed Burning Eye

Lessons from a Clockwork Queen by Megan Arkenberg - Fantasy Magazine

Perfection by Jay Garmon - Redstone Science Fiction

Her Husband's Hands by Adam-Troy Castro - Lightspeed Magazine

A Life in Fictions by Kat Howard - Apex Magazine

And a fantastic poem that was brought to my attention today by Rose Lemberg via Twitter. While not a new poem, it was new to me. Star Reservation by Tara Barnett - Stone Telling

If you've read something awesome lately, feel free to post a link in the comments section!

Short Story Sale

2011-10-21T07:14:00.000-04:00

I am thrilled to announce that I've sold my short story, In Her Arms of Dresden Pale, to Daily Science Fiction. The publication date has yet to be determined, but I will keep you posted.

Why I Write

2011-10-20T10:53:00.000-04:00

Today is the National Day on Writing, so I thought I'd spend a few minutes on the subject and attempt to answer the question without sounding like a rambling fool.

*Because I love breathing life into words and turning syllables and sentences into pictures that come alive.

*Because a blank Word document is not a thing of absence but of possibility.

*Because there are a million what-ifs in the world and some of them belong to me.

*Because creating a paper world that becomes real is wonderful, fun, and exciting, even if, at times, it is also frustrating and difficult.

*Because the characters that live in the word machine in my head want their stories told and I'm afraid if I don't, they'll chase me into the darkest parts of my cerebellum and take over my entire existence and they'll make me wear neon-green spandex and give up coffee... Ahem. Sorry about that.

So there you have a few of my reasons. If you'd like to participate via Twitter, use the hashtag #whyIwrite or feel free to drop a comment here, too.

Electric Velocipede

2011-10-12T13:54:00.000-04:00

To help celebrate our transition from print to online, we are having a sale on some of the in-stock back issues of Electric Velocipede. You can see what issues are available here.

Short Story News

2011-10-04T10:40:00.000-04:00

My story, Dead Things, Pretty Things, is out now in the Fall/Winter 2011 issue of The Stray Branch. In spite of the title, this is not a horror tale, but a dark literary piece.

Another story, Like Origami in Water, is slated for an October 25th email distribution release from Daily Science Fiction. I am very excited about this story because it's one of my personal favorites. I hope it's well received by readers.

The story will be published on the DSF website a week after the email release, but you can subscribe to the email distribution for free. A short story in your inbox every day. For free. Read new stories from authors you know and discover new authors. Go on. What are you waiting for? Did I mention it's free?

Neglect and Tori Amos

2011-09-15T17:45:00.001-04:00

I've been so wrapped up in writing lately, I've neglected my blog and apologize for that. While working on my current novel today, I realized that the underlying theme in this story can be summed up by a snippet of lyric from Little Earthquakes by Tori Amos: "Doesn't take much to rip us into pieces."

Oddly enough, a snippet from the same song was the underlying theme of my previous novel: "Give me life, give me pain, give me myself again." And the title of that novel, Paper Tigers, was inspired by a lyric from yet another one of her songs.

In case it's not obvious, I am a Tori Amos fan. She is amazing and gifted and has an incredibly gorgeous voice. Her lyrics are sometime surreal, but always thought-provoking and beautiful.

I saw today that her new video for Nautical Twilight premiered on Brigitte.de in Germany and thought I'd share it with you. Enjoy!

Perspective

2011-08-30T11:56:00.000-04:00

As a writer, it's all too easy to get caught up in the industry - the search for an agent, the agonizing wait while a novel is on submission, the latest short story rejection, and the list goes on. But I received some news today that trumps all the good news I could ever receive from the literary world.

Six years ago, my husband finished chemotherapy and radiation. Today, he is still cancer free. In four more years, he will be considered cured. It's a beautiful, wonderful thing.

He likes to say, "Well, you're still stuck with me." I prefer to think, "Yay! I still have him here with me!"

And that is better than all the published stories in the world.

A New Patrick Video

2011-08-24T20:30:00.000-04:00

You all remember Patrick, the New Jersey pit bull who was starved and dumped down a garbage chute, don't you? Here is a new video, albeit short, of Patrick enjoying the sunshine. He looks quite amazing, doesn't he? He is definitely a miracle dog, no doubt about it.

Ted Bundy, DNA, and Strange Coincidences

2011-08-05T14:27:00.001-04:00

A few months ago I wrote a spec-fic story about Ted Bundy. Well, not really about him, per se, but his DNA, of which I believed none existed. Oddly enough, a writer friend of mine (who beta-read my story) alerted me to this recent news:

A vial of Ted Bundy's blood was found in Florida, and his full DNA profile will be uploaded to the FBI's national database today. The profile could potentially be used to link him to unsolved crimes. It has been 22 yeas since his execution, and although he eventually confessed to over 30 murders, authorities always suspected there were more. I truly hope they are able to use his DNA to bring closure to some families.

If you'd like to read more about it, here is an article from CBS News.

And I would be remiss if I didn't add that my intention with this post is not to glorify Bundy in the least. He was a monster, far worse than anything the word machine in my head could create.

Shock Totem Flash Fiction Contest

2011-07-31T09:05:00.000-04:00

Every other month, the kind folks at Shock Totem host a flash fiction contest. They give a prompt and you have a week to come up with a story. Then everyone participating in the contest has to vote and critique the stories within a certain period of time. At the end of the year, the contest winners are read by an independent source and that person's top pick appears in the next issue of the zine. Pretty cool, yes?

The theme for the July contest was Monsters and Fireworks and lo and behold, my story, The Taste of Duty, won first place. I was rather stunned by the win as all the stories were amazing.

The next contest will be in September, so if you're interested, you have to sign up on the ST forum.

And if you're wondering what duty tastes like, well, according to the main character in my story, it tastes like a 'f*ckload of wrong'. ;)

But the Shock Totem contest win? That tastes like a f*ckload of right. :)

Oh, the Horror!

2011-07-17T09:47:00.001-04:00

The New York Times featured an article recently called The Critique of Pure Horror, which asks the question: "why do so many of us enjoy being disgusted and terrified?"

For me, it's the delicious chill up the spine that an effective horror novel or movie offers. I'm talking about unsettling dread, not the quick 'made you jump' or the whole 'hey, let's see how much we can gross you out' techniques. I'm not squeamish, but one bloody, gory scene after another might make me wince, but it doesn't make me afraid to go down in my basement or jump when there's a noise in my kitchen.

I was disappointed when I saw Hostel. The concept was awesome and the movie could have been so cool. Imagine dimly lit corridors, muffled screams and the whir of instruments behind closed doors. A trail of blood running out from under a door. A spatter of red against a wall. Imagine never seeing what's really happening, but allowing your own mind to wander... Instead, it offered boobs! and guts! and gore! Sigh. After I watched it, I ate dinner. Pasta, I think, with lots of chunky red sauce. And maybe some grapes for dessert. ;)

The Exorcist is one movie that still scares the crap out of me. I have to watch it with all the lights out, of course, and when the credits roll, I run around flipping every light on and checking over my shoulders. Sure, there's a bit of gore here and there, but it's very tame by modern standards. The creepiest scene to me is when Regan is sitting up in bed and the shadow on the wall behind her is that of the demon. Even thinking about that scene while sitting in my kitchen with the bright light of day flooding in gives me goosebumps.

And The Shining? That book made me afraid of what might be behind the shower curtain for a long, long time. And if truth be told, I might still peek behind it from time to time.

That's pure horror to me. And it's a beautiful thing.

Short Story News

2011-07-03T09:45:00.000-04:00

I've sold my short story, In Exchange for Sorrow, to Kaleidotrope. The speculative fiction zine is currently transitioning from print to an online, quarterly format. My story will appear sometime in 2012; I will keep you posted.

Keep writing, reading, and daydreaming!

What I'm Reading Right Now

2011-06-28T08:46:00.000-04:00

Here are the books in my current to-read pile. Some I'm reading for the first time; others are rereads.

Robopocalypse: A Novel by Daniel H. Wilson
Moxyland by Lauren Beukes
The Thief of Broken Toys by Tim Lebbon
Happily Ever After Edited by John Klima
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

What's in your to-read pile these days?

Short Story News

2011-06-24T11:27:00.002-04:00

I've sold my short story, The Web of Legends, to Arcane Magazine, a new zine run by Nathan Shumate, the former editor of Arkham Tales. Go check them out and buy a copy of Issue #1 to help support the zine.

The 2010 Bram Stoker Awards

2011-06-21T12:32:00.000-04:00

The Bram Stoker Awards were announced this past weekend; without further ado, here are the winners:

Superior Achievement in a Novel
A Dark Matter by Peter Straub

Superior Achievement in a First Novel (tie)
Black And Orange by Benjamin Kane Ethridge
Castle of Los Angeles by Lisa Morton

Superior Achievement in Long Fiction
Invisible Fences by Norman Prentiss

Superior Achievement in Short Fiction
The Folding Man by Joe R. Lansdale

Superior Achievement in an Anthology
Haunted Legends edited by Ellen Datlow and Nick Mamatas

Superior Achievement in a Collection
Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King

Superior Achievement in Nonfiction
To Each Their Darkness by Gary A. Braunbeck

Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection
Dark Matters by Bruce Boston

Many congratulations to all the winners!!

A Shiny New Electric Velocipede

2011-06-13T14:32:00.000-04:00

The Hugo Award winning zine, Electric Velocipede, has a shiny new website. If you are familiar with the zine, you probably know that EV is transitioning from print to ezine. If you're not familiar with the zine, you should definitely go check it out. I say that as both a fan of the zine and the newest member of the EV team. I got to know the Editor, John Klima, via Twitter, by way of Jaym Gates, and needless to say, I'm very excited and honored to be part of such an awesome magazine.

Short Story News

2011-05-25T10:08:00.000-04:00

I am thrilled to announce that I've sold my short story, Like Origami in Water, to Daily Science Fiction. No word yet on the date it will appear; I'll provide that intel when I have it.

I'll admit that I like most of my short stories (the ones I don't like get sent to the bad story folder without any supper), but I have a special fondness for this one and am excited that I'll have a chance to share it with readers.

What I'm Reading Right Now

2011-05-19T14:21:00.000-04:00

I Am Not a Serial Killer by Dan Wells
Mechanique: A Tale of the Circus Tresaulti by Genevieve Valentine
Mr. Shivers by Robert Jackson Bennett
Palimpsest by Catherynne M. Valente
The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters
The Reapers are the Angels By Alden Bell

So tell me, what's currently in your To Read pile?

Finding the Happy Place

2011-05-16T11:59:00.001-04:00

And no, I'm not talking about new age stuff or humor. Sometimes you reach a point with a story where the words stop flowing. Oh, maybe they trickle out, but the story seems caught up in tangles in your head and you can't find the end of the string. I hit this point with my new novel a few weeks ago.

Since then, I've been slogging along, trickling out words and working on other stories when the word flow gets so frustrating I want to rip the word machine from my head.

Then a light bulb went off in my head. I've been telling myself that this novel better be good. In fact, it needs to be better than good. So instead of letting the words come as they will, I've been fighting to make everything perfect. Nothing like a little internal pressure to send the happy place on its merry way. A few days ago, though, I let the words reign. I tossed out the idea of perfection. I dug way deep into the word machine and turned the faucet on full blast. Lo and behold, the words flowed and I found my happy place with this novel again.

I don't normally post excerpts of work in progress, but I thought I'd share this snippet. It made me smile when I wrote it. Okay, scratch that. It made me grin like a madcap fool. This is first draft stuff, okay? It's not perfect and out of context, it might leave you scratching your head, but it is what it is.

The water shut off and a few minutes later, Karen emerged from the adjoining bathroom draped in a towel, a puff of lavender scented steam drifting out behind her. A water goddess materializing from her temple of sea spray. All she needed was a gossamer gown and a golden circlet on her head.

He watched through heavy-lidded eyes as she tiptoed across the room to her dresser. The curling ends of her hair left a trail of water droplets in her wake. He caught sight of a grey spot on her shoulder. A goddess, maybe, but a diseased goddess, cursed by a wrathful god named NotReal, and NotReal was a real son of a bitch. In fact, the Great and Powerful NotReal was on a mission to make Mark’s life as fucked up as possible. And why? For sport, of course. Old NotReal didn’t have much else to do and a bored god was a dangerous god.

New Patrick Videos

2011-05-09T10:00:00.001-04:00

Because of the court case and some other issues, GSVS has not posted any new pictures or videos of Patrick in a bit. But they've posted two new videos and I thought I'd share them with you.

If you're a new visitor and don't know who Patrick is, you can read about his story here. Please note that other than donating money for his care, I am not involved in his rescue in any way. I am merely an animal lover who has been following his story.

This first video is very short.

This video is a bit longer:

My hope is that Patrick continues to improve and eventually has a loving, forever home.

ASIM 50 Review

2011-05-05T11:35:00.000-04:00

HorrorScope recently reviewed ASIM 50 and had this to say about my short story:

"...and Damien Walters Grintalis’ A Glimpse of Nothing in Silvered Glass draw us into original worlds through great characterisation and prose."

You can read the full review here.

Necrotic Tissue

2011-05-03T09:12:00.004-04:00

Necrotic Tissue Issue 14 has been released! This issue includes my story, To Keep You Safe, and while I'm excited to have a story appearing within the NT pages, it's a bittersweet inclusion as this is the last issue of Necrotic Tissue.

Don't have a copy yet? I might be able to help you out with that. I have a copy of Necrotic Tissue to give away to one lucky person. What do you have to do? Leave a comment and tell me why you should be the recipient. :)

Easy, right? Maybe...if you're handy with a rhyme. You see, I don't want a standard 'I want it because' response. I mean really, what's the fun in that? Nope, I want a snippet of rhyme. It can be short, silly, serious, or seriously silly. All I ask is that it rhymes.

I will pick the winner on Sunday, so you have a few days to come up with something. And to whet your appetite, here is a peek at the cover of NT #14:

Patrick Update - April 20, 2011

2011-04-20T09:55:00.002-04:00

I thought I'd post another update on Patrick. He is up to 33 pounds and underwent an endoscopy yesterday to remove an obstruction in his stomach, which turned out to be a hardened mass of hair. He also had some dental work and was neutered. He pulled through like a champ!

This Photo Gallery really shows how far he's come.

And here is a video which shows the same:

It's amazing how much press this little guy has garnered. My hope is that the increased awareness will lead to tougher animal cruelty laws, not just in New Jersey, but across the country. No animal deserves what Patrick went through.

Save a life, adopt a shelter pet!

The Bear in a Muddy Tutu by Cole Alpaugh

2011-04-18T12:38:00.004-04:00

The Bear in a Muddy Tutu is a quirky tale, chock full of strange and strangely endearing characters, from a dancing bear to a little girl named Morgan who believes that when people die they become birds. At times, I wished certain characters had received more page time than others, and in the beginning, when characters were introduced, I was mystified how they'd all fit together. But like a puzzle, their pieces fit into place with the others in bizarre and sometimes freakishly coincidental ways. At the center of the puzzle is an old, broken down traveling circus, yet once you get to know the characters, you realize the circus is the perfect place for them to call home.

The characters are definite misfits, lost souls filled with emotional hurt, but they don't run around crying, "Woe is me.". They reminded me of an old stuffed animal with its fur worn off and a patchwork of fabric holding its stuffing inside. Broken? Yes. Worthless? No.

If you enjoy fast-paced, quirky reads filled with offbeat, colorful characters and a touch of sorrow draped in the colorful striping of a circus tent, I think you'll enjoy The Bear in a Muddy Tutu.

My friend and fellow writer, Regan Leigh, is having a contest to celebrate both the completion of edits to her own book and the release of The Bear in a Muddy Tutu. Click here for information on how to enter 'The Bear in a Basket Easter Giveaway'!

More Patrick Puppy Love

2011-04-12T15:48:00.000-04:00

Can you believe this is the same dog? His progress is nothing short of extraordinary! Thanks to the care of GSVS Pet Hospital, he continues to make huge strides and now weighs 30 pounds. What a miracle dog!

Patrick on NPR

2011-04-08T12:58:00.000-04:00

There is an article about Patrick on NPR today. You can read it here. This little pup is becoming quite well-known. My hope is that his plight will encourage awareness and stronger animal cruelty laws.

I can't imbed these videos, but they show Patrick behaving in proper dog fashion with happy barks as he prances about. Although he still has far to go, he's come such a long, long way.

Video 1
Video 2

New Patrick Video

2011-04-06T11:39:00.000-04:00

I love this video. It shows Patrick taking a short walk outside. You can see that he's gaining both weight and strength.

If you want to see more Patrick updates, GSVS Pet Hospital has a Facebook page. It is amazing to see the outpouring of love people have for this little guy. If you want to help out, consider making a donation to your local shelter in honor of Patrick, or better yet, give a shelter pet a warm, loving home.

Why Writers Are Like Shelter Dogs

2011-04-02T10:41:00.000-04:00

We sit in our cages, whether it’s a large office with a panoramic view or the end of the kitchen table. When we send our short stories or query agents, we’re like the dog wagging his tail, desperate to be noticed. Pick me, pick me, we silently wish as we click send.

And when we get a no, it’s no less hurtful than the person who stops in front of the shelter dog's cage, gazes for a quick moment or two, then walks on by. We hunch our shoulders and put our heads down. Why not me? What’s wrong with me? Of course, we’re really asking why not our story, but let’s be honest. That first sting feels personal. Why not me?

A dog doesn’t think well maybe this needs work or that does, they just know they’re not wanted. Maybe they're too old or too ugly or too pit-bullish. If they are one of the lucky ones and live in no-kill shelter, their chance might come tomorrow or next month or next year, like the patient writer who refuses to give up, knowing that a home will come. Someday.

But many other writers never get that yes. They are the ones who quietly wither away, perhaps folding up the laptop and sighing, thinking it was a nice dream while it lasted. And that dog, the one that nobody wanted, probably thinks the same thing at the end of the short walk into the last room he or she will ever see.

This video is way too cute not to share. Patrick gets his first dog bone!

Save a life, adopt a shelter pet.

Patrick - Two Weeks Later

2011-03-31T14:02:00.003-04:00

Although the article is about his abuser pleading not guilty, the included video shows Patrick, two weeks after he was found. You can read the article and watch the video here.

And here's a cute video of Patrick barking.

Patrick on YouTube

2011-03-30T10:42:00.000-04:00

Patrick, the little pittie that could, has several videos on YouTube, courtesy of the GSVS Pet Hospital. If you want to take a look, click here.

Some reports have surfaced about the person who provided the name of Patrick's abuser to authorities. He is someone who'd previously seen Patrick tethered to a stairwell. Please, please, please, if you suspect an animal is being abused or neglected, don't just walk away. Make a phone call.

New Patrick Video

2011-03-28T12:29:00.000-04:00

Eating!

Also, they have identified the person who abused Patrick so and summonses have been issued. I am not going to post her name because quite frankly, having her name on my blog would be repulsive. Anyone who could do such a thing to an animal is lower than pond scum, in my opinion.

Save a life, adopt a shelter animal!

Apex Book Company Guest Blog Post

2011-03-26T17:05:00.000-04:00

If you are so inclined, I've written a guest blog post for Apex Book Company about writing and trends. Feel free to read and comment there at will. The post is, of course, my opinion only.

And on a Patrick related note, he is still continuing to improve. You can visit his direct page on the Associated Humane Societies and Popcorn Park Zoo site here.

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”. Mahatma Gandhi

Patrick - An Update

2011-03-24T18:19:00.001-04:00

For an update on Patrick, click here.

Some of you may be wondering why I'm posting so much about this dog. After all, this is a writer's blog and I usually blog about writerly things, right? The truth of the matter is that this little guy has touched my heart. To not blog about him would feel cruel and inhuman.

Plus, I have a special fondness for pit bulls. I share my life with two rescued pits, one of whom was abused by her previous owner. My other pit was abandoned in my neighborhood when he was only four months old; luckily, the neighbor who found him (despite having a new set of twins of the human kind) did not take him straightaway to a shelter, but set out to find him a good home. I despise the fact that because of a lot of bad owners, the media has turned this wonderful breed into a monster. Pits were once called the nanny dog. Trust me, you can look it up.

So on behalf of my dogs, I thank you for being patient while I stray away from my usual topics of discussion.

Patrick, the New Jersey Pit Bull

2011-03-23T10:05:00.004-04:00

This is a video taken by a rescue group that shows Patrick's progress as of March 21st. He's a tough little guy, and I hope he continues to get better and stronger with each passing day. I have no words for people who commit such acts of cruelty toward animals. Well, that's not exactly true, but I have no polite words.

And another video!

If you'd like to make a donation, click here.

Patrick, a Pit Bull in New Jersey

2011-03-22T10:41:00.000-04:00

In New Jersey, a young pit bull was starved nearly to death, then tossed in a garbage bag and thrown out with the trash. He was found by an employee at the apartment complex and rushed to a trauma vet. As a testament to his strength of spirit and will to live, he is improving more and more each day. If you have a few dollars to spare, please consider making a donation on behalf of Patrick. Here is the donation page.

Please note that I am not affiliated with the veterinary hospital providing his care in any way. I found out about his story via Facebook and merely want to spread the word.

ASIM Issue 50

2011-03-21T11:14:00.001-04:00

Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine released Issue 50 today, which includes my short story, A Glimpse of Nothing in Silvered Glass. The issue also features original fiction by Debbie Cowens, Shona Husk, Barry Kirwan, Ian McHugh, Nicole R. Murphy, Dennis J. Pale, Anthony Panegyres, Mark Lee Pearson, Simon Petrie, Natasha Simonova, Brian P. Switzer and Mark D. West, and poetry by Nigel Stones and Sean Williams. ASIM is available in both print and electronic format. For more information, click here.

And as a teaser, here's the first line of my story:

Nira’s reflection appeared on her doorstep on a rainy evening in October.

eBooks and Pricing

2011-03-20T13:30:00.002-04:00

How do you feel about 99 cent eBooks? Let me clarify that a bit - 99 cents for a novel, not a short story. Me? I'm not in favor. I could go into the reason why, but author Catherynne Valente's post sums up exactly how I feel. Go, read her post.

A Bit of Random Silliness for a Saturday

2011-03-19T09:50:00.000-04:00

A baby in our family adores this video. He starts wiggling the minute it starts playing. Yes, it's silly, but sometimes, a little silliness is in order. :)

Recurring Characters

2011-03-18T12:42:00.000-04:00

I have a character, we'll call him John, who keeps popping up for cameo appearances in my novels. (He had a significant role in one, but apparently, that wasn't quite good enough for him.) I like this character, so I'm not complaining. At all. In fact, waiting to see where he'll pop up next is rather cool. And he's sneaky. But that's all I'm going to say about him.

But I also have a character from Book A (And no, Book A wasn't my first novel, but it was the first one that was any good, so it gets the A designation. It's also the book that resulted in agent representation, so the A is well deserved, yes?) who appears in Book B, which is finished and in my agent's hands. And another character from Book A who will appear in Book C, which I'm currently writing. And now there's a minor character in Book C who I suspect will appear in a later work. Maybe not Book D, but another one... (I already know what Book D will be, something based on a character I introduced in a short story, but I digress.)

In truth, I didn't plan on having any of these characters step out from their pages into other stories, with the exception of John, who I suspected was going to hang out for a while. But it's kind of cool. I'll be clear, though. My novels aren't part of a series. They can all stand alone. Yet they have these tiny ties to each other, like satiny ribbons formed into pretty little bows.

And see? John popped up again. Like I said, he's a sneaky bugger.

Eventually, John will have his own novel, but not for a while. John, if you're listening (and I know you are), you are hereby warned.

So what's your take on recurring characters in non-series work? Yay or nay?

Storytime

2011-03-17T10:41:00.000-04:00

Imagine, if you will, a small room filled with shadows and a strange, flickering light. Brick walls surround you. When you press your fingertips against the surface, they come away moist. Slick.

The smell of standing water clings to the air, mingled with another scent. Spoiled fruit on a hot summer day. Dead flower petals floating in the water from a broken vase.

A steady hum vibrates beneath your feet. Not harsh, but a gentle thrum. A mother's heartbeat. Below the hum, there is a tiny tapping, reminiscent of ravens and chamber doors. Yet there are no doors, no windows, and any memory of your space and time before this room has been magicked away. A chill fills the air. Goosebumps break out on your arms.

The floor, planks of unsanded wood, creaks when you step. Five steps from end to end along one wall. Six steps along the next.

Look up. High up in the ceiling, a myriad of tiny lights flash, greenish-yellow, as if lightning bugs were trapped in suspended glass jars. The source of the tapping? One by one, they flicker bright, then flicker out. The tapping stops. The hum ceases.

Silence reigns. The absence of light holds court.

You stand, immobile, hands curled into tight fists, jaw clenched, your voice trapped deep within your throat. A fetid perfume creeps in and another sound emerges from the hush, a dragging, yet bony sound. Behind you. A half-monstrous, half-dessicated thing? A hand with its flesh peeled back, trailing a skin veil?

No, no, no! The corners are empty. Nothing moves in this space save you. Yet that sound. That horrible sound... Click, slither. Click, slither.

Mouth dry and barren, your heart racing madness in your chest, you turn around. But all is dark. All is still.

Then a liquid voice whispers your name...

***

What do you mean, what happens next? That's up to you. And I wasn't in that windowless room. You were. :)

Seriously though, this was just a spot of fun. A bit of wordplay while I ramp up my brain for the day's work. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to run downstairs and check out that strange sound. It's sort of a clicking slither. Probably my cats, but you never know...

Music or Silence?

2011-03-16T16:04:00.001-04:00

Lots of writers like to listen to music while they write. I have done it from time to time, but I prefer the silence of my own head and listening to my words take shape. It's easier for me to see my characters and hear their voices. Music paints its own picture for me; when writing, I need my stories to paint their own.

What about you? Music or silence?

Please Keep Them in Your Thoughts

2011-03-15T09:06:00.000-04:00

I tried to write something about the earthquake and tsunami in Japan this weekend, but everything I wrote seemed dreadfully inadequate. I fear this will be inadequate, too, but I feel to not say something would be amiss. Please consider donating to a legitimate relief fund and keep the Japanese people in your thoughts, today and in the weeks and months to come. This is not just a Japanese tragedy. We are all a part of the human family that shares space on this earth.

A Pinch of Advice on a Monday

2011-03-14T13:41:00.000-04:00

I frequently see writers bemoaning rejections and/or other bad news, but you cannot control those things, okay? Save your energy for what you can control - your wordcraft. Keep writing, keep striving to improve, write another story or novel, and quit griping. It serves no purpose.

New Stephen King Books

2011-03-10T11:55:00.001-05:00

As if this announcement wasn't thrilling enough, there will be a new Dark Tower book in 2012!! Go here to read about The Dark Tower: The Wind Through the Keyhole.

Are you excited? I know I am. :)

Why I Write

2011-03-09T15:41:00.000-05:00

Today on Twitter, people are chatting about why they write. (If you're interested, the Twitter hashtag is #WhyIWrite)

This was my contribution: Because I read so much as a child. It filled my brain with words and worlds and stories and they, in turn, created new ones.

Then I started thinking (always a dangerous thing). What if my father hadn't taken me to the library every Friday? What if I'd grown up in a house where reading wasn't viewed as important. Would I write?

I suspect not.

I hold fast to my italicized statement. Reading so many words penned by others nurtured my own storytelling ability. Everything I've read has influenced me in one way or another.

But (And this is my opinion alone, boys and girls, just like everything else on this blog.), I don't think creativity is something that can be manufactured. You are either born with that spark or you're not. You can guide that spark to life, but left alone and uncared for, it will flicker out. I also don't think anyone is born a writer. I think we're born with certain gifts, or knacks, if you will, but writing is a craft, like any other. You may have a spark, but you are responsible for giving it life.

Reading is part of what turns that spark into something more, and I am grateful that my father gifted me with a love of books and reading and ultimately, writing. I can't imagine my life without them.

The Liar's Truth

2011-03-08T12:29:00.001-05:00

If you haven't seen Chuck Wendig's post about writers and lies, go, read it now. It's very funny, but the words also hold quite a bit of truth. Lies Writers Tell

Wait. You didn't click on the link yet? You're still here? Sigh. Okay, well here are my lies. Of course, you'll have to go read Chuck's post for them to make sense, but here goes anyway.

"I'm Just No Good"
I am guilty of calling my stuff mule puke. I am guilty of thinking my stuff is mule puke. But I kinda know it isn't. I don't think my words are the greatest thing since sliced bread, but I know they're better than puke.

"I Don't Care About Money"
Money is not the reason I write, but I do care about it. If not, why would I have an agent? Why would I be trying to get my work 'out there'. If I didn't care at all about money, I'd post my stuff here and forget about it. Um, no. I'm not trying to get rich (Hello, I'm a writer. Riches and writing don't really go hand in hand. And yes, yes, I know Stephen King and J.K. Rowling have made tons of money, but trust me, most writers don't.), but I would like to make at least something.

Okay, there you have it. My lies. Now go, read the other post, okay? And afterward, come back and tell me your lies.

A Drop of Ink on a Sheet of White

2011-03-07T10:36:00.002-05:00

A long time ago, I used to write in longhand, but gave it up in favor of faster output and editing ease. And legibility, of course. My handwriting is fairly neat, unless my brain is pushing out the words faster than my hand can keep up. With a laptop, I don't have to worry about that.

I do everything electronically, now. I take notes, make edits, create character info sheets, all within the confines of a spreadsheet or MS Word. In this way, there's no fumbling for a notebook or scrap of paper to double-check this or that. But there are times when I miss writing longhand. Nothing compares to the feel of a pen in my hand and the sight of letters turning white pages to something imaginary yet real.

But I'm funny about pens. Although the convenience of ball-point can't be denied, I prefer fountain pens. I now have a new one, a gift from my father-in-law, and it's lovely. I broke out a notebook, and I've started making notes in it for the novel I'm currently writing. I tell myself it's to break in the nib, but I know I'm lying.

At this point in time, I don't think I could write a novel in longhand. I'm far too spoiled by my laptop. But I'm contemplating writing a new short story with my new pen. I may give up when my handwriting turns to nothing more than an inky scrawl or when the pages become a mess of scratch-outs, but nonetheless, I think my pen might like the journey.

Short Story in March Issue of Niteblade

2011-03-01T08:03:00.002-05:00

My short story, Running Empty in a Land of Decay, is in the March issue of Niteblade; you can read it here. Please don't forget to read the other stories and poems in the zine, too.

The Madness of Writing

2011-02-20T16:13:00.001-05:00

I recently cracked open a novel I began about a year ago, which stalled when another character piped up and demanded I tell her story first. Pesky character. I did write her story and now that it's out of my hands, I've returned to this tale. I wrote about 15k before I stopped; during the time in between, the characters have remained in the back of my mind, growing more and more in depth each day. Working through that 15k has been a bit like visiting an old friend. I've made a few changes here and there, to reflect what I know about the characters now and am excited to write the rest of their story.

Because I have to write it; I have no choice. I've had these folks living in my head for nearly a year. Sometimes they whisper things about themselves, sometimes they shout, and at other times they fall silent. But they are there, waiting.

As Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet, "Though this be madness, yet there is method in it" or as he penned in King Lear, "O that way madness lies".

But 'tis a happy madness, indeed.

Women in Horror Recognition Month

2011-02-14T13:01:00.000-05:00

Did you know it was Women in Horror Recognition month? Well, now you do. I thought I'd share some links with you with respect to some of the women in horror. Visit the links below, read, and enjoy.

Melissa Helwig interviews Ellen Datlow on her site, Little Miss Zombie. After you read that interview, read her interviews with other notable women in the horror field, including Gemma Files, Kathe Koja, and others.

Jodi Lee, publisher and EiC of Belfire Press and The New Bedlam Project, had some thoughts on women in horror. She also includes links to several female authors of the dark. Take a look; you might discover a new favorite.

Nina Allen posted a great article about Joyce Carol Oates on the Black Static blog. Don't believe Joyce Carol Oates is a horror writer? Read Zombie, one of my favorite novels of all time.

I posted this as part of a comment on Ms. Lee's blog, but I'll add it here, too:

I read books based on the content of the work, not the gender of its author, but I know there are some who do judge a book by the curve, or lack thereof, of the author’s hips.

And I suspect there are people who don’t think women can write convincing horror, because we’re all sunshine and roses, don’t you know? To which I just shake my head.

If someone chooses not to read my work because of my gender, so be it. I can’t control the actions of others; I can only control my own.

The To Be Read Pile

2011-02-01T08:34:00.000-05:00

I don't think I've done one of these posts in a while, so I thought I would. Here are the books on my current TBR pile:

The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
Brave New Worlds: Dystopian Stories edited by John Joseph Adams
Still Missing by Chevy Stevens
Numb: A Novel by Sean Ferrell
The World More Full of Weeping by Robert J. Wiersema
Force of Habit by Alice Loweecey
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
Shock Totem 3: Curious Tales of the Macabre and Twisted
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror 2010 edited by Paula Guran

Those should keep me busy for a week or two. So what are you reading lately?

Short Story News

2011-01-28T15:45:00.000-05:00

I'm thrilled to announce that my short story, Running Empty in a Land of Decay, will be included in the March 2011 issue of Niteblade, a very nifty magazine of horror and fantasy. What's my story about? You'll just have to wait and see.

Be Careful...

2011-01-18T15:58:00.003-05:00

I see writers frequently posting on blogs and on Twitter about rejections they've received from literary agents. I always feel a bit uncomfortable seeing those comments. Unless you are incredibly lucky, rejection is a part of the publishing business, and I can't help but wonder: Who else is reading those posts? If you post your ten thousandth rejection, might not an agent who has your manuscript think perhaps those other agents had a good reason for the rejections? Might not that taint their opinion of your work before they've even read it?

Granted, some people don't blog or Tweet under their real name, but still, nothing on the net is truly anonymous. Sometimes it's not a matter of can you say these things online, but should you? You just might be shooting yourself in the proverbial foot.

It's easy to feel frustrated and overwhelmed or to wonder if it will ever happen. Trust me. I've been there. Just stop and think a bit before you unleash your frustration on the world. Rejection happens. You can't control it, but you can control your own response.

And don't get me started on writers who routinely make public slurs against agents or editors or publishers. People see it, folks; they talk and they remember. Wouldn't you rather be remembered for something like, oh, your work?

And if you haven't read it yet, you should definitely go read this article by Andrew Shaffer.

Growth

2011-01-13T13:55:00.001-05:00

(This post was inspired by Patty Jansen's blog post about submitting short stories. Read her post, which is wonderful, in my opinion, then wander back round these parts and see what it prompted me to think about. Or heck, just stay on her blog for a while, she has lots of great posts, and come back here whenever. I'll be here.)

Selling a short story to a zine is a pretty amazing feeling, but once a story of mine is in print (whether it's actual print or online text), I have trouble reading it. When I do, I'm hit with a barrage of thoughts: 'No, that sentence would be better this way.' 'Why did I use that word? This one works so much better.' Ugh. And at that point, there's nothing I can do about it, which of course, leaves me frustrated. My internal editor is ruthless, and she's never ever satisfied. Plus, she changes and grows with each piece I write.

Growth as a writer is a funny thing. You can't see it when it happens, but take a look at a story you wrote a year or so ago, and you will. By that token, while at times it's painful and other times surprising, reading older stories is a worthy lesson.

If nothing else, my internal editor's voice piping up is a sign to me that I've grown. If she ever falls silent, I'll know I've reached a point of stagnation and need to work harder. Stagnation is a dark, unwelcome place indeed. For me, falling into that trap would be just as horrible as tumbling into a sarlacc pit. I don't just expect growth, I demand it of myself. If I don't grow, I fail as a writer.

And I refuse to fail.

Thoughts on a Sad Day

2011-01-08T22:16:00.002-05:00

I make it a point not to discuss religion or politics on this blog, but I wanted to say that my thoughts are with all the families affected by the violence today in Arizona. I wish for continued healing for those injured and solace for the families of those whose lives were lost.

A Review from The Exaggerated Press

2010-12-29T11:32:00.000-05:00

The Exaggerated Press recently reviewed Murky Depths 14, which included my short story, Lilacs. This is what the reviewer had to say about my story:

Damien Walters Grintalis follows this with another text narrative, Lilacs. I was not so enamoured by this story, complex and well-written as it was, I found it hard to remain engaged. A few re-reads, however, have brought home the deftness and beauty of the writing style.

And yes, I am totally okay with him not being engaged by the story. Not every tale captures every reader, and I don't expect everyone to like my stories. I appreciate that he took the time to reread the story and make the comments that he did. That, in my mind, is a solid review.

Short Story News

2010-12-16T12:56:00.000-05:00

I am pleased to announce that my short story, To Keep You Safe, will appear in the April 2011 issue of Necrotic Tissue. Unfamiliar with the magazine? Go check it out. You won't be disappointed.

And speaking of short stories, every once in a while I read one that hits me like a sucker punch to the gut and makes me wish I'd written it. The Ghost of a Girl Who Never Lived by Keffy R. M. Kehrli is one such story. Go to Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show, subscribe to the magazine, and read the story. Trust me.

The Rules

2010-12-13T18:55:00.001-05:00

Let's play a game, shall we? It's called The Rules. Simple, right?

Here we go: No qualifiers! No adverbs! No adjectives! No sentence fragments! No comma-splices! No telling! No was usage! No repetition!

That's a lot of nos, yes?

In this corner, we have the adverb haters, the slayers of too many adjectives, the comma-splice slaughterers. In that corner, we have the adverb fans, weeping inconsolably, the guiltless lovers of a well-placed fragment, and the champions of repetition. In the other corner, we have--enough.

Really, enough.

The rules are simple: Know the rules and know when to break them. If you don't know the rules, learn them. Once you know them inside and out, backwards and forwards, you can break them now and again in your prose. Maybe you need a comma-splice for impact. Maybe you want repetition for the word flow. And maybe you'd like to use an adverb.

My advice? Don't overuse anything that makes your writing clunky. Write from your heart, edit with your head, but don't edit out your voice. Don't break the rules out of laziness (or ignorance) or because you're sick to death of editing and just want to finish.

Know the rules, I can't stress that enough, but don't be afraid to break them now and again.

The Other Part of Writing

2010-12-01T20:02:00.002-05:00

No, I'm not talking about editing. I'm talking about reading. Reading is the other part of a writer's job. I'm sure everyone knows someone who says "I'm going to write a novel" and when you ask them what they've been reading lately, they look at you like you have two heads. What those people don't understand is that the only way you'll ever be able to write something worth reading is to read. A lot. I've been a bookworm since I learned how to read. Even when I wasn't writing much to speak of, I was reading.

I can't imagine not reading. I always have at least one book in some stage of reading. There's something magical about opening to that first page and stepping inside another world.

Here's what I've been reading lately:

Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King
Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
World War Z by Max Brooks
Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
Strange Men in Pinstripe Suits by Cate Gardner

Now it's your turn. What are you reading? I'm always on the lookout for good reads.

And here, because it's too funny not to share:

Short Fiction

2010-11-23T23:10:00.001-05:00

A few months back, I posted links to a handful of exceptional short stories I'd read. I thought I'd do another round as a way of celebrating a short story acceptance I received today.

So without further ado, here are some more great stories I've read, many of them several times. The links take you directly to the stories. Go, read them. You won't be disappointed.

And the Next, and the Next by Genevieve Valentine

The Taste of Starlight by John R. Fultz

Nine Bodies of Water by Monica Byrne

Captive Girl by Jennifer Pelland

Bridesicle by Will McIntosh

A Quiet Plea to Writers on Behalf of My Dogs

2010-11-12T21:46:00.002-05:00

As if it weren't bad enough that the media has to vilify the American Pit Bull Terrier, in the past few months I've read several books and stories that use the snarling pit bull as a metaphor for anger and rage. Please, please, my fellow authors, understand that pit bulls are not by nature snarling beasts who want to rip out a human heart or tear flesh from a limb.

There are terrible people who abuse the American Pit Bull Terrier's inherent nature to want to please their owners (yes, even when their owners want them to fight other dogs), but these dogs are not monstrous by nature. Remember Petey from The Little Rascals? He was a pit bull. Helen Keller had pit bulls. Sergeant Stubby, a pit bull, is the most decorated dog in military history. Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson had pit bulls. I could go on, but if you want to read about more famous pit bulls, click here.

Please, just consider that when you use the pit bull as a metaphor for rage, you are helping to perpetuate the stigma these dogs face. Almost one million pit bulls are killed in shelters every year. One million. And many shelters automatically euthanize pit bulls without ever giving them the chance to be adopted, and many cities have placed bans on pit bulls, even after studies have shown that Breed Specific Legislation does not work.

It's just fiction, you might be thinking. And yes, you're right. But these dogs are already villains in the eyes of so many. It's a little thing, really, to change that pit bull metaphor to something like a 'rabid dog' or a 'guard dog trained to like the taste of human flesh'.

As a writer who sleeps with two beloved pit bulls at the foot of her bed every night, I only ask you to consider this. Please. Bad owners and the media have already made them villains. Must you, too?

Bards & Sages Reader's Choice Awards

2010-11-09T10:51:00.000-05:00

In April of this year, my short story, The Depository, appeared in Bards and Sages Quarterly. A while back, I'd posted about their Reader's Choice Awards. After I made the post, I completely forgot about the whole thing.

Yesterday, I received word that my story won the Reader's Choice Award for Best Story from the April 2010 issue. To say I was shocked is an understatement.

For a long time, I wrote without any thought of having my work published. I just wrote. It wasn't until I joined the Absolute Write forum that I started sending stories out into the world. Although I had other stories appear earlier in various places, The Depository was my first short story sale, so knowing that readers liked the story is quite a thrill. If you read and enjoyed and took the time to vote for my story, I thank you.

And I'll offer up this little hint. Jasper's story is not finished. He is part of a novel in progress, and maybe one day, with a little luck, the larger story will make it out into the world.

Murky Depths Issue 14

2010-11-08T13:41:00.009-05:00

I received my contributor's copies of Murky Depths Issue 14 in today's mail. The cover art, based on my short story, Lilacs, is absolutely stunning! I am so thrilled!

And here is a wee little peek at my story!

Guest Blog Post at Apex Book Company

2010-10-30T14:02:00.001-04:00

I recently wrote a guest blog post for Apex Book Company. It's up today; if you'd like to read it, click here for my take on writers and a little thing called patience.

Old Gems in Old Rubbish

2010-10-27T14:34:00.000-04:00

My husband recently recovered a bunch of old data from a very old hard drive, and to my surprise, found a folder of my old writing (poetry, short stories, and an unfinished novel) that I thought was lost and gone forever. The hard drive it used to live on died a sad, tragic death, and I was unaware the data had been copied elsewhere before its demise.

I was nervous (in a pseudo-masochistic sort of way) opening up that folder and ready to start laughing or run screaming, but I was surprised instead. The novel stood at 79k, yes unfinished, but further along than I'd thought. Some of the poetry was pretty decent, and some, better than that. But the short stories are what really surprised me. There are a lot of them. Most of them are unfinished and will probably remain that way, but there are far more than I remember writing.

The most curious thing, though, is that out of all this work (and some dates back 14 years), my voice is in each piece, loud and clear. Oh sure, the style and structure is a bit different. I am less likely to use adverbs now (except for eventually which is an adverb I adore for some odd reason), and I think my dialogue is stronger now, but a lot of little phrases that I use time and again are in those old pieces. I have a fondness for mashing words together, a fondness that apparently goes further back than I'd thought. Sockfeet, anyone? That word is in my current WIP; I also found it in an 11-year old unfinished short story and a 13-year old poem.

And nothing I've found so far has made me cringe. Well, not in a big way with horror dripping from my face and nausea rising in my throat. There are a few pieces that made me shake my head because I'm not sure where I was going, and maybe that's why they're unfinished. Maybe the muse of past days didn't know either.

But the voice. I keep coming back to the voice. It's there. All those pieces say 'Damien wrote this'. It's kind of cool. I guess my voice has been there all along; I just needed the right stories.

More Short Fiction News

2010-10-23T12:39:00.004-04:00

My short story, A Glimpse of Nothing in Silvered Glass, will appear early next year in Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine. Unfamiliar with the magazine? Click on the link and give it a look-see.

While it's always awesome to have someone like a story you wrote (and like it enough to publish), the one thing I've noticed with submitting short fiction to various magazines is that the editors are all genuinely great people to work with. While writing and publishing are indeed a business, the people involved make this industry an awesome thing to be a part of.

And on another note, my friend Mercedes M. Yardley (who is a fantastic writer and a great person) is writing a serial tale called Stilettos and Shirley Temples with another writer, Simon C. Larter. The story is a hoot, and you should definitely check it out.

Go on now. Go. Read it. You'll be happy that you did.

Confession is Good for the Soul

2010-10-15T16:31:00.002-04:00

If you've read my bio, you know I read Stephen King's The Shining when I was eleven and it had a huge impact on me. Just how huge? Well, I'll make a confession to you, boys and girls. When I go into my bathroom, I still take a quick peek behind the shower curtain. Because you just never know what might be lurking there.

I'm not sure what would happen if I ever saw the bloated woman from the Overlook Hotel's Room 217 in my bathtub, but I'm sure it would consist of flailing arms and screams. Much the same sort of thing happens when I see a spider, but I digress.

I don't peek behind other people's shower curtains, so if you invite me over for coffee, you don't have to worry about that, but my own? Yep, every time I walk into the bathroom. Even if I'm just getting something from the closet which is closer to the door than the tub.

I can't help it. Rationally, I know there is absolutely nothing in my bathtub except bottles of conditioner, bath gel, and a razor, but still, the thought of a woman with fish-cold hands and the smell of death rising up to wrap those hands around my throat...

So tell me. Have any books left a lingering shadow on your psyche? 'Fess up. It's good for the soul.

Murky Depths Cover

2010-10-13T11:57:00.001-04:00

I know I mentioned before that the cover for Murky Depths Issue #14 was based on my short story, Lilacs, but I thought I'd show you what the cover looks like.

Cover art by Montynero:

Pretty cool, huh?

Four Paws: A Tale of Rescue

2010-10-08T16:15:00.001-04:00

It occurred to me this morning when I woke up with one dog curled up at my side and another curled up next to my head that I used to dislike dogs. I thought they were smelly, noisy, and required way too much work. Cats only, please, was my motto.

Fast forward a few years. My husband loves dogs; he grew up with German Shepherds. He mentioned getting a dog several times. I politely listed my reasons for not wanting a dog each time. He would go away with a long face and sad eyes each time, but I stuck to my guns. Dogs smelled. They gave you kisses. They left stinky land mines in the backyard. They were...dogs.

Fast forward again. I mention having a dog might be nice. Husband says what kind. I say pit bull. He says no way. I say come one, a pit bull with a white face and dark eyes because you know, they look kind of scary. The perfect dog for a writer of dark words.

Husband does research and discovers pit bulls are not the monsters portrayed by the media. We start looking into rescuing a pittie. One day, I'm sitting out on my back porch and a man walks down the alley with two pit bulls--one full grown, the other, a puppy. Now I'm on the phone with my husband, who is out running errands, and our conversation is interrupted by my squealing and exclaiming how cute the dogs are and how the puppy has a precious all-white face.

Jump ahead about fifteen minutes. I'm back in the house. Husband calls me and tells me to come outside. The man with the two pit bulls is outside. Husband pulled up in front of the house, saw him walking with the dogs, and decided to talk to him about pit bulls in general.

Husband says, "We have a problem." Oh, really? Oh, yes. See, the four-month old pittie puppy was abandoned with another dog in our neighborhood. Neighbor who found the dogs on her porch has twin babies and an old dog who doesn't really want to share his house with another dog. Neighbor's sister is taking the other dog, a pug mix of some sort. But she can't find a home for the little guy. Neighbor who is walking the pitties wants to take him in, but can't, for various reasons.

Now for the clincher. After trying to find his owner with no luck, and trying to find him a safe, new home, with no luck, neighbor is going to take pittie puppy to the shelter the following day.

Needless to say, he never went to the shelter. Instead, he came to live with us. That sweet little four-month old turned into a 75-pound lovebug. And he turned this cat person into a dog person.

But wait, you say, don't you have two dogs? Yes, we do. Second pittie came to live with us two months ago. She was in a shelter, due to be put to sleep in two days. A friend of a friend, who rescues dogs, sent our friend her picture. They sent picture to our husband. I said no. I looked at picture. I said maybe. Friend said if it doesn't work out, we'll help find her a new home. I said yes.

She is a lovely 35-pound pittie, formerly abused, but now in her forever home. She and big pittie get along smashingly well. And me? Let's just say that when I wake up in the morning with two pitties snuggled up against me, I can't figure out for the life of me why I didn't like dogs.

Bards and Sages 2010 Reader's Choice Awards

2010-10-06T15:21:00.001-04:00

I just discovered that Bards and Sages is holding their 2010 Reader's Choice Awards. My story, The Depository, was in the April 2010 issue. If you read and enjoyed the story, would you please consider sending a vote along?

2010 Reader's Choice Awards

It looks like it's pretty easy. Just click the button next to my story and hit Next on the bottom. I'm not sure what happens after that, as I'm not going to vote on my own story. That would be rather silly and self-centered, don't you think?

Wasted Words

2010-09-30T11:48:00.001-04:00

For the last few months, I've been focusing on editing one of my novels and have not sent much short fiction into the world. I noticed that a few of my Twitter friends were holding a #10bythen challenge. This isn't a contest, but a personal challenge. In a nutshell, you have to submit 10 short pieces during the month. For all the details, please visit Mercedes M. Yardley's blog.

So I dusted off my short story folder and took the challenge. I have a folder called Unfinished Short Work and it contains exactly what it says. I did some poking around and found some interesting pieces and of course, some rather dreadful ones. If you think I'm kidding, I have a short story about a monster who lives in the bathroom of a taco shop. Honest. It's quite funny, but needs a solid round of edits before it ever leaves that folder. Maybe one day. Or maybe not.

I never delete those stories. In truth, some are only small snippets, lines of dialogue, or loose sketches. More than one should be deleted because they're horrid, but I won't. Because you never know. Even the crappiest unborn short story contains characters, sentences, or phrases that might come in handy.

Or it could provide a moment of amusement on a grey, dreary day.

I don't consider the time I spent writing those words a waste of time, though. For every crappy story and/or sentence I've written, there's a decent one lingering in a story nearby. And while those words might be wasting away in that folder, the time spent crafting them wasn't.

And lest you don't believe me about the bathroom story, here is the first line:

Everyone knew not to use the bathroom at Paco’s Tacos.

It's ridiculous, yes? But who knows, maybe one day it will come in handy. I could of course be deluding myself, but I'd rather err on the side of caution and keep it around. Just in case.

And More News

2010-09-22T11:31:00.000-04:00

My short story, Lilacs, is forthcoming in Issue #14 of Murky Depths. Murky Depths recently received the 2010 British Fantasy Award for Best Magazine. And, as if that wasn't enough good news, the cover art for Issue #14 is based on my story. That is wicked cool, isn't it?

Bits of News

2010-09-17T17:43:00.002-04:00

Mercedes M. Yardley, a fantastic writer and friend, has a feature on her blog called "Be Mysterious - Writers in Masks". If you'd like to see my 'mask', please visit her blog here.

And in other news, my short story, Glass Boxes and Clockwork Gods, will appear next year in an issue of Electric Velocipede. Unfamiliar with the magazine? Click here for a history of EV. And while you're there, please take a look around. Read some of the stories available online and order an issue to read others.

Short story acceptances are always wonderful, but this one made me giddy. I have a special fondness for the story and EV. The Editor, John Klima, is an awesome guy and I decided, in large part, to submit a story to EV based on his interview with Duotrope. You can read it here.

Dream Agents?

2010-09-16T13:28:00.000-04:00

There's a bit of hoopla right now on the web with respect to dream agents. You can Google the term and find out where, what, and who, if you are so inclined.

I despise the term 'dream agent'. I really do. Trust me, I know where it comes from. Agent X sells lots of his/her clients' work at auction, for three book deals, etc., etc., but that's not to say that agent will be a good agent for you.

There is no such thing as a dream agent. There's only the right agent for your work. You want an agent who loves your work and will 'go to the mattresses' for your words. That's your dream agent. And that agent could be one at a small agency or a large one, but you won't know until you talk to the agent. Personally. On the phone.

Yes, you can get a feel for an agent's personality on Twitter or in their blog posts, but that doesn't mean you know that agent. And Twitter and blog posts can't tell you if that agent is the right one for you.

I had four offers of representation. I talked to each agent on the phone. They were all fantastic. I honestly believe that signing with any of the four would have been a good choice, but once I talked to Mark, I knew he was the right choice and the right agent. For me.

So I guess that makes him my dream agent. Damn, I hate that term. But I love my agent.

Short Stories

2010-09-07T13:48:00.004-04:00

I think my blog took a bit of a holiday. I attempted to write a post or two last week and nope, it didn't work. I suppose it needed a break.

I thought I'd try a little something different for this post. I've included links below to a handful of great short stories that are available to read online. So grab yourself a cup of coffee (or tea, if you prefer) and read away. I hope you love them as much as I do.

(Please note: I've only included stories you can read online, but print magazines like Shock Totem and GUD are definitely worth checking out.)

Fool's Fire by Hayley E. Lavik - Flash Fiction Online

Show Your Bones by Mercedes M. Yardley - The Shine Journal

Spar by Kij Johnson - Clarkesworld

The House Eaters by Aaron Polson - Rose and Thorn Journal

Those Below by Jeremy C. Shipp - Apex

Where Shadows Meet Light by Rachel Swirsky - Fantasy Magazine

If you've stumbled upon a great short story, feel free to include the link in the comments section.

Roller Coasters

2010-08-29T13:16:00.003-04:00

I love roller coasters. Wooden, steel, with loops, without, I love them all. But I'm not an adrenaline junkie. Not really. I've never jumped out of an airplane or dangled from a rubber band or anything else that adrenaline junkies do. But roller coasters? I could ride them all day long. With a break for lunch and dinner, of course.

I poked around on YouTube for a bit to find some front-seat views of coasters (And yes, I do sit in the very front when I ride them.), so if dropping down several hundred feet and whipping around corners with your hair trailing in the breeze isn't your idea of fun, you might not want to watch these.

This is one of my favorite coasters. The ride is fabulous.

And this one, because nothing compares to the rickety feel and the sound of a wooden coaster.

And this one. You are warned, the folks who made the video are a little vocal, and it cuts out before the ride is done, but it gives a great shot of the first hill, which is made of awesome.

I've never ridden this one, but I'd love to. In fact, I'd love to go to Cedar Point and spend several days riding all their coasters. What a dream vacation that would be.

One of my favorite all-time rides is the Zipper. But the last time I was on one, I almost knocked myself out. I think I need to wear a helmet the next time.

A View from the Chair

2010-08-20T12:35:00.000-04:00

Regan Leigh, a wonderfully supportive writer and all around fabulous person has a feature on her blog called Writer Love. She's featured several awesome writers and for some crazy reason, she decided to feature me, too. You can take a peek at my desk and read a few answers to questions posed by Regan, and while you're there, be sure to take a look around and read her other posts.

The Supposed Death of Horror

2010-08-17T11:45:00.002-04:00

Every so often, I hear people say horror is dead. I've been hearing it for quite some time, and when I started querying my novel, I had that phrase running in an endless loop in the back of my mind. But I don't think horror is dead at all. I see agents with horror listed as something they'd like to see more of, and I've seen several new agents list horror as a genre they're interested in representing. I can't say for certain if there are editors and publishers actively looking for dark fiction, but I'm pretty sure agents wouldn't be looking for horror if there weren't.

If you notice on my profile, I say I write dark fiction as opposed to horror and you might wonder why. Well, it's silly, I suppose, but when I use the word horror, people automatically think of slash and gore. While I'm not opposed to writing gore when it's needful to the story, I don't start killing characters in lieu of a story.

There are a lot of very talented writers working in the dark fiction/horror genre today so if asked, I'd have to say quite emphatically, no, horror is not dead at all. Some of those authors are Sarah Langan, Laird Barron, and Lee Thomas. If you've not read their work, I highly recommend you do. There are many, many others as well. Those authors are just people whose work I've read recently so they are on my mind.

I do think, though, that horror is changing its shape a bit. There's no longer a formulaic feel to the genre, but many facets of darkness, many flavors in the pot, per se, to satisfy a variety of readers' tastes and interests. Classic horror, literary horror, bizarro horror, and quite a few that might not fit any of those labels, but still fall under the horror umbrella. So if you've not read any dark fiction/horror lately, what's stopping you?

What's Happened to Respect?

2010-08-09T12:57:00.000-04:00

I hate when I see published authors bashing other published authors. I think it's quite fair to say I didn't like Book X or it didn't draw me in or what have you, but when a published author rants on and on in public about Book X being terrible and crap and no one should read it and how did it get published...

Ugh. And really, if you behave that way, the next time I see your book in a store, I probably won't buy it. Is that fair? Maybe not, especially if it's a book I'd otherwise grab in a heartbeat, but it seems in this day and age of say whatever you want, when you want to, people have forgotten a little thing called respect.

I may not like Book X for whatever reason, but I respect the time that the author put into the book. Maybe it's not my cup of tea, but tastes are subjective. No one person is the authority of all things that should be in print.

Maybe this post will piss some folks off, maybe some people will decide not to read any of my work ever, maybe some will even call me naive, and if that's the case, fine. There's a fine line between opinion and bashing and more than ever, people seem to trounce right across it without a second thought.

And when published authors do it, it makes me gnash my teeth. Please, even if you hate their book(s), have a little respect for your fellow authors. And if you must book or author bash, do it in private.

Exploding Head Syndrome

2010-08-06T12:52:00.002-04:00

About once or twice a week, I hear a loud sound in my head right before I fall asleep. It's a rushing, roaring, hollow sort of banging-thud. It pulls me back up out of sleep and leaves me dazed for a few minutes, but then I drift back down and all is well. I've had this for as long as I can remember, and while it can be startling at times, it's never seemed that big of a deal. The body in that state halfway between sleep and wake is a curious thing. I always assumed it was the blood rushing in my ears or maybe all the stories in my head trying to push their way out.

Well, it seems that I have Exploding Head Syndrome. I swear, I am not joking about this one. It's a real thing.

American Sleep Association - Exploding Head Syndrome

And if I think back on it, it does happen more frequently when I'm stressed. For the most part, I go to bed when I'm tired and wake up on my own, sans alarm, so if it's because of sleep deprivation, I'll blame it on my dog. Sometimes he wakes me up before I'm ready to get up.

It's not terrible enough to run to the doctor and demand medicine, which, no doubt, would have far worse side effects than a little noise in my head. I do think they could have given it a slightly less alarming name, although, to be honest, Exploding Head Syndrome seems sort of the perfect thing for a writer of the dark and creepy to have.

So there you have it. I have an exploding head. Who knew?

True Horror

2010-08-04T17:45:00.001-04:00

I was poking about on YouTube for ghost town footage, clicked on a few videos, and ended up at this one. I've seen plenty of photos of Prypiat, but this video footage of the abandoned city took my breath away. This is the face of true horror, my friends, in what is shown and even more so, in what is not.

Creepy Things

2010-08-02T13:32:00.004-04:00

Some things are just inherently creepy. Old, broken-down houses. A creak of wood in the middle of the night. Thick fog on a dark evening. Back country roads with no streetlamps to light the way. Bridges over high chasms. And tunnels.

We have two major tunnels in Baltimore: the Harbor Tunnel and the newer Fort McHenry Tunnel. The newer tunnel is bigger with bright lights and it's not creepy at all. The Harbor Tunnel, though, is fabulous. When I drive through it, I turn the radio down and open the window so I can hear the echo of the cars. Sometimes, if it's late enough at night, there aren't many cars at all. You can almost imagine you are the only car in the tunnel, the only car in the world, the only person left, and who knows where the end of the tunnel will emerge, or if there's even an end. Perhaps you'll be driving and driving and driving, and the air will turn thick and stale with a faint undercurrent of rot and ruin...

The yellow lighting gives it a surreal and very creepy vibe. They've replaced the lights in at least one of the tunnel's bores with white lighting which totally ruins the creepy effect, in my opinion. When Stephen King did a signing in Maryland (Alas, I did not attend the signing.), he even mentioned the tunnel:

This is a video I found of a drive through the tunnel, but it's been set to music so it isn't creepy at all, but it gives you an idea of what the tunnel is like. Turn the sound off, though, before you watch it.

And yes, now I'm quite sure I have to write a short story about the tunnel.

The Power of a Good Title

2010-07-29T15:06:00.002-04:00

I have a confession to make. I love book titles. Sure, cover art is cool, but that often changes with new editions, etc. Titles, though, are there to stay. They have a secret sort of power. When I wander through a bookstore with no specific book in mind, I'm drawn to titles more often than cover art. I can think of several I picked up and subsequently bought because of the title alone, including one of my favorite books, I Who Have Never Known Men by J. Harpman.

Most of the time, my stories name themselves somewhere during the writing of said stories. I have had a few that refused to give up a name even after the edits were done, and so I sat pecking away at the keyboard, coming up with titles (some perfectly serviceable, others completely ridiculous) until the real one emerged. I blame my muse; I think she likes to mess with me sometimes.

Now there is always a chance that if (And yes, I say if, not when. I'm a realist, okay?) Ink sells, a publisher may decide to change the name and you know what? I'm okay with that. The titles just come out, but I'm not married to them. If someone said it's a nice enough title, but this title is better, more marketable, or what have you, unless the suggested title was something like A Dreary Book of Dreadful Words*, I'd be perfectly fine with the change.

Don't get me wrong. I like the title Ink. It's simplistic, but has a double meaning within the context of the tale. The book did have another title for a brief period of time, though. The story named itself, then I thought it might be too simple so I changed it to something else, but went back to Ink because the muse said the other title wasn't the right one.

Anyway, enough about my story. Some other books I've picked up from the shelves because of their titles are Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman, About a Boy by Nick Hornby, The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl, and The Alienist by Caleb Carr. No one had recommended the books to me, and I read PM and AAB long before their respective movies were released. Now in all honesty, I might have bought them with different titles anyway because once I opened to the first few pages, the stories pulled me in, but the titles drew me in initially. Like I said before, they have a unique sort of power. At least for me.

Thank goodness Stephen King didn't name the Saint Bernard Big Dog or Fluffy Butt. Then again, being attacked by a rabid dog with the name of Fluffy Butt is kind of funny, but I'm not sure if it would have made an effective title or not. ;)

*On second thought, that title is kind of cool. I might have to tuck it away for later use.