Superior Shores Press is pleased to announce plans for its first multi-author anthology, The Best Laid Plans, which will include stories of mystery and suspense with an overarching theme of “the best laid plans.”
The deadline for submission is January 18, 2019.
All submissions will be acknowledged.
Acceptance/rejections will be emailed to all submitting authors on or before March 18, 2019.
The number of stories in the collection will depend on the length of stories selected. Estimated length: 250 printed pages in trade paperback format.
An introduction, acknowledgments, and author bios will be included.
Publication date is scheduled for *June 18, 2019 (trade paperback/Kindle/Kobo/Nook/iTunes).
Both reprints and new material will be considered.
Previously unpublished authors are welcome to submit.
After finishing the Raven Series, I’m left thinking about gore. I do a little of this in my other stories, but I always tried to go as far as I could muster here. Well, Bedlam and War of Nytefall definitely have their fair share of exposed innards and gore-filled demises. So, what are some lessons to be learned?
Decide from the start how realistic you want to be. You can’t have real blood spurts combined with geysers. Either it’s normal or every person in the story is a walking Gusher for vampires. Most times, you will have to go for realistic though unless you work with aliens or other dimensions or certain anime genres.
Read up on anatomy if you want to eviscerate a character in detail. You can’t tear their chest open and then write that their intestines are dangling. Not only with the organs and blood, but get an understanding of how hard it is to get through bones. Creatures have rib cages for more than BBQ’s and comedic xylophone scenes.
Unless they live in a very violent world and have already become accustomed to such scenes, characters should react in horror to the gore. A liberal arts major from the suburbs will probably freak out when his girlfriend is torn in half. There should be screams, vomiting, fainting, or whatever else you think would work. Otherwise, the gore falls flat for the audience.
Keep in mind that gore tends to be more useful in a visual medium like television and movies. To utilize it for stories, you need to go into detail while leaving just enough up to the imagination. Paint enough of a bloody picture that guides the audience and helps them form the whole scene in their head. This can go back to #2 because you can easily run into someone who loses interest because you don’t know a femur from a ulna.
Try not to repeat the same gory event in the same story. This can cause a problem if the monster/killer only has one way to kill, but you need to be creative. Some characters can die due to accidents while trying to escape. For example, a girl is running away from the killer and ends up tripping while on a walkway. She slips over the railing and partially falls into a vat of quick-acting acid. It’s elaborate, but sometimes you have to really work for your gore.
Don’t be afraid to use adjectives to describe what is happening. You’re painting a very visceral picture here, so lay on the gusto.
If you’ve grossed yourself out then you’re probably on the right track. Prepare for this by keeping a bucket nearby. Also, think twice before eating ribs while writing these scenes. Might not make you sick, but you could end up fixated on the chest, which can get boring. I mean, the heart and lungs are popular targets, but there are so many other innards to reveal.
On days like this, I’m tempted to do this all day . . .
. . . especially with all of the election stuff bludgeoning our senses and overfilling our mailboxes and “circular files.”
So, I asked the girls—Marsha Mello (below center) and her new friends, Sallee (left) and Noah—what I should do to avoid giving into the gloom.
Noah: Got any cake? Me: What does that have to do with what I just asked? Noah(shrugs): I just want some. Sallee: I got a new puppy. Marsha: I want a puppy. Noah: I have a cat and a dog.
This was a simulation of an actual conversation I had a while ago with a group of second and third graders. This experience reminded me of something I’ve always found to be true (at least in my experience): whenever you’re feeling…
Welcome back to Teaser Tuesday! It’s been a while, so we’re going to step right into the most recent release, War of Nytefall: Lost. Now, I’m not always going to pull from this one. I think I’m going to take from across the board, so expect someLegends of Windemere, Ichabod Brooks, and more of War of Nytefall. Bedlam gets Thursdays with it’s new tale, which begins this week! So, let’s see how Clyde is doing:
It’s been almost a year since I published Legends of Windemere: Warlord of the Forgotten Age. That was the final book of a long series that I started writing in 1998 and finished in 2017. This series is what created the foundation for all of my future Windemere series and helped me cut my teeth on writing. I established my personal style and learned my trade as Luke Callindor did the same. It was hard to let these characters go, but every adventure comes to an end. Still, doesn’t hurt to make a post with links and a teaser from time to time. Let’s say hello to an old friend
Excerpt: Sneaky Fizzle!
The hallways are silent as Fizzle uses his claws to crawl along the slick ceiling, keeping his invisible body low. He stretches his neck to check if his reflection is still appearing on the walls, a small scowl creasing his features when he sees himself. The thick, ornamental edging near the ceiling is the only space that is not made of glass, so he squishes against the cold surface again. The slow pace is frustrating for the drite, who is used to zipping along without fear of being noticed.
He hears the roar erupt from behind him and a blast of frigid wind rolls through the hallway. A thin gouge runs along the floor as if something is dragging a blade along the glossy stones. For a brief moment, Fizzle thinks he sees a misty form charging ahead and turning a corner. The sound of chattering voices and a bellowing growl roll from the distance, sending a chill down his spine. Locked by sudden fear, the tiny dragon almost misses another voice amid the cacophony. It is a dainty cough that repeats itself from the opposite direction of the monstrous sounds.
Risking exposure, he drops from the ceiling and soars back to an intersection. He hears the cough again and goes to his left, tracking the noise to a dying garden. The glass dome above is cracked and the frame is rusty, melting snow dripping to the shriveled flowers below. A naked willow stands in the center of the atrium, marble benches surrounding its wrinkled trunk. Black and red ivy has grown around the seats and runs along the ground in a network of curse-oozing leaves. Pulsating thorns are hidden within the invasive vines, forcing Fizzle to hover. He rises above the garden and sees a silver-haired woman standing near a dry, broken fountain.
“Who you?” he asks as he cautiously approaches. He stays out of reach of the stranger and backs away when her body flickers. “You ghost?”
I was going to post a picture of celebrity authors here, but I figure I’d rather promote my own stuff.
Anyway, I’ve noticed how often a celebrity shows up with a book that rockets to the top of the bestseller lists and makes a fortune. This post was actually inspired in October when I sat down to watch ‘The Daily Show’. The guest was John Cena and I thought he had a movie or wrestling event coming up. Nope, he had a children’s book, which was both cool and got me curious. I typed in ‘celebrity authors’ to see how many famous book have moved into being authors and it would be easier to list who hasn’t done this. It’s almost like publishing a book has become a milestone for the already famous. Is it a good or bad thing? I’m not sure.
I went reading articles and found many that talked about full-time, successful authors who were getting second jobs because they weren’t making any money. This included a few bestselling authors. A celebrity will get a massive advance while a non-celebrity will get the standard if anything because companies are putting more money toward the people with built in audiences. YouTubers were targeted for publishing contracts because of their fame and I read about one who shot to the top of the list. Then, it came out that they used a ghostwriter. So, this has become almost entirely on working off famous names instead of talent. I mean, publishing companies are in it for the money, so I guess we can’t be surprised here.
Another article I read talked about how there was a literary convention and the celebrities were promoted. Some of the long-term authors got angry because they were being ignored and feared that the lack of convention exposure would hurt them. Can’t blame them for that because who would notice them if someone famous was there too. This isn’t the article, but it notes how children’s books are a big arena for this situation. It even mentions those giant advances that put all of the non-celebrity authors at risk. If that celebrity fails to be a success with their book then they can just go back to whatever made them famous. Yet, the company has taken a big loss and ends up needing to cut other authors to avoid bankruptcy. So, these companies are basically gambling with the future and livelihoods of their other authors in the hopes that this celebrity will bring their success from one industry into the new one.
Now, is this entirely a bad thing? No because many celebrities do these books for charity and they send all their royalties to others. It could also work out well if companies got the celebrities to help promote their other authors. This is a little give-and-take, which you don’t see very often though. It’s also not something that happens these days, so it’s not really on the table. I guess the charity and leading more people into reading are the only benefits at this time.
Everyone should be allowed to publish books if they have a story to tell. It wouldn’t be right to tell someone that they’re already famous, so they can’t do this. Yet, it also isn’t right for companies to put all of their energy into promoting people who are already household names while those struggling are left feeling abandoned. I really do think there should be some synergy here instead of there being two separated sides. I mean, if these celebrities love books so much then I assume they would be happy to help those who are trying to make a career out of writing. Right now, it feels like the new rule is that you can only be a successful author if you’ve become a successful something else. If you have award-winning, best-selling authors falling to this new ‘fad’ then it’s hard to see things as anything else.
Seems I said more than I expected since I really only wanted to pose the situation and get thoughts in the comments. So, let’s talk.
I’m going to be trying my best to not ‘count all my chickens before they hatch’ like I keep getting told not to do. Still, this week took a wild turn right at the beginning. The original plan was to do editing and relax since next week sees my son with two days off. Fit in a little house cleaning and the usual. So, what happened?
Monday morning started normally for about an hour. I checked my Teaching Assistant certification status and it had been issued the Thursday before. Didn’t notice because I was busy getting everybody in the house off to their various trips and then I spent the weekend alone in a house. Anyway, I updated my file on the teaching job site and went to leave the room in time for a morning appointment . . . Ring Ring! Then, my phone went off and the adventure ensued.
About a minute after I updated my file, a school district office called me to set up a phone interview. This was rather humorous because I was going to call them once my appointment was done. Them calling right after I updated my file was also a coincidence and things kept going. The phone interview turned into a face-to-face interview, which went really well. To the point where I got to interview with the superintendent on Thursday. Now, I wait to hear back in the next few days. I want to say there’s a 95% chance that I’ll be hired, but I’m trying to do that chicken thing. Honestly, I want to be 100% positive that I’m in and I’m doing that secretly . . . At least, I was until I wrote that sentence. There are a few positions and I’m hoping to be chosen for one of the full-time ones.
Besides the amazing job news, it was Halloween. I don’t have a lot of stories here because I had to stay home to hand out candy. My son was Dracula from ‘Hotel Transylvania’ and my wife was Mary Sanderson from ‘Hocus Pocus’. I was ‘Man reading manga on the couch’ for the night. I tried to do editing, but I kept getting pulled away by the doorbell. Not a lot of kids, but enough of a flow to make reading a better option. The most impressive part of this day was that two people in the area were giving out full-sized candies. My son get a theater style pack of Twizzlers and a full-sized box of Mike & Ikes, which he has yet to dig into. I told him special events. That’s really the big highlight of Halloween here.
I’m hoping to finish editing Derailing Bedlam this weekend, which will allow me to start in on War of Nytefall: Rivalry. Hard to tell since I don’t know when I’d be starting the new job. It means my writing time will be limited to nights and weekends as long as I don’t have anything else. Editing will be doable, but a full story is going to take some schedule adjustments. Not to mention there are still a few personal things up in the air that I need to handle. I’m thinking of using Monday to schedule posts for January, but I’ve got no topics in mind. Maybe I’ll take some time to sit down, think of my various series, and pick out topics. War of Nytefall has to have something even though I’ve already gone for vampires, thieves, and anti-heroes. Seems too early to touch on the third book. As usually, feel free to give suggestions and I’ll see what I can do. I’m already doing the Top 5 of 2018 on the first 5 Sundays of 2019, so that’s taken.
Goals of the week?
Finish editing Derailing Bedlam.
Set up a few January posts.
Start editing War of Nytefall: Rivalry.
House cleaning and yard work.
Vote!
Legoland with family.
Video game day with son.
Geez, I can’t believe I forgot to mention that Raven’s Wrath ended and next week will see the start of Thursday becoming Derailing Bedlam day. I really hope everyone who read Dawn Addison’s final adventure enjoyed it. Also, that everyone who gets into the newest adventure of Cassidy and Lloyd enjoy that. I’ll only be doing one excerpt a week with the new serial, which should make it easier. Have a fun week.
I hadn’t scheduled something for Halloween, as I hadn’t really found something appropriate this year. Then, I came across this short story by Kittenwhiskers on Tumblr and I fell in love. Even though Halloween is now officially over, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
You’re in charge of assigning every child on Earth the monster under their bed. One childin particular has caused every monster assigned to him/her to quit. You decide to assign yourself.
I stare at the file and realize I have no options, over the last 2 years every monster assigned to Charlotte Dower has quit, every last one. Her first monster; a giant goldfish-faced humanoid named Bubba, had been with her for four years, and then she wasn’t scared of him anymore. After…
Legends of Windemere 