tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11726090387293678992024-03-05T18:53:47.684-08:00DL SnellD.L. Snellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13176046744094730375noreply@blogger.comBlogger132125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172609038729367899.post-25520049535705034922015-11-11T13:57:00.000-08:002015-11-11T13:57:13.875-08:00Starbucks holiday cup satire<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg880PC5s0qiSdk_sWl4Ep-sbaGZE3zG5CvQJUXTqnXmDLRpQ4Lr0GqUkXlmjG_iRQ1xQFomMk2uL5L4nf62P5p_7MOpjKFkFY_ZloWjRdvDfl0AxL0OpZEuv-JVUEUU7vf7m335Dpmdizz/s1600/starbucks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg880PC5s0qiSdk_sWl4Ep-sbaGZE3zG5CvQJUXTqnXmDLRpQ4Lr0GqUkXlmjG_iRQ1xQFomMk2uL5L4nf62P5p_7MOpjKFkFY_ZloWjRdvDfl0AxL0OpZEuv-JVUEUU7vf7m335Dpmdizz/s1600/starbucks.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
How dare Starbucks depict a mermaid WITH TWO TAILS! David Jacob Knight's timely satire on the controversy.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">"Starbucks, or any company for that matter, has no right to put whatever branding they want on their products if it violates my mermaid religion."</span></i></blockquote>
Read the full article at <a href="http://www.davidjacobknight.com/2015/11/starbucks-holiday-cups-insult-mermaid.html">davidjacobknight.com</a>.<br />
<br />
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<br />D.L. Snellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13176046744094730375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172609038729367899.post-27794733109287782172015-10-13T15:10:00.000-07:002015-10-13T15:12:57.872-07:00Wizards of Mass Destruction antho<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkB1XtIJZNUKQWzY7XgTEa7dO3A8w33D7DnNPl45B-HAHizZMDgXRuTfO3ToQxwdJgKi0bPfmyY2lT6UFlE2FK3_DO7wTc1Rd-mEBXpjU5cTMf3ZxHtXTTGB-xM0G0VE-tTDRId6XEweOQ/s1600/WMD+front+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkB1XtIJZNUKQWzY7XgTEa7dO3A8w33D7DnNPl45B-HAHizZMDgXRuTfO3ToQxwdJgKi0bPfmyY2lT6UFlE2FK3_DO7wTc1Rd-mEBXpjU5cTMf3ZxHtXTTGB-xM0G0VE-tTDRId6XEweOQ/s400/WMD+front+cover.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>
<b><u>THE MARKET</u></b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Antho</b>: Wizards of Mass Destruction</li>
<li><b>Editor(s)</b>: Thom Brannan, Rob Pegler</li>
<li><b>Pay Rate</b>: $25 per story</li>
<li><b>Reading Period</b>: September 15, 2015 – March 15, 2016</li>
<li><b>Guidelines</b>: <a href="http://darktomorrow.net/?page_id=742">http://darktomorrow.net/?page_id=742</a></li>
</ul>
<br />
Author D.L. Snell conducted the following interview to give writers a better idea of what the editors of this specific market are seeking. Snell does not edit these answers in any way, so that writers can get a feel for the editors in charge.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>THE SCOOP</u></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>1) Tell us a little about yourself and your career as an editor. Do you write as well?</b><br />
<b>Rob Pegler:</b> This is my first time editing for an anthology, so I guess my career as an editor is a tale yet to be written. Fortunately, Thom’s here to hold my hand.<br />
<br />
<b>Thom Brannan: </b>I have co-edited three anthologies to date, the first two volumes of Permuted's <i>Cthulhu Unbound</i>, and <i>Superhero Monster Hunter: The Good Fight</i> for Emby Press, as well as several novels.<br />
<br />
<b>RP:</b> As for writing, I have one werewolf novel (<i>Coppertown Red</i>) on the market, a follow-up (<i>The Species Problem</i>) in the last stages of editing, and some short stories available in Emby Press’ <i>Legends of the Monster Hunters</i> series.<br />
<br />
<b>TB</b>: I write, as well. Three collaborative efforts and three other novels.<br />
<br />
<b>2) What authors do you enjoy? What about their work captivates you?</b><br />
<b>RP:</b> Gaiman, for the versatility of his work and the way he can take something completely ordinary and mundane (a lamp post, a housecat, a cup of coffee) and wring all the beauty and ugliness in the world out of it. He also has this uncanny way of making everything he writes sound almost like a true story, or a tall tale you heard down at the local. I haven’t read nearly as much Stephen King as I should have, but I like the straightforward way he goes about creating an image in your mind (especially a horrible one). And, like Gaiman, he makes it all feel real. I like Edward Rutherfurd for the sheer audacious scope of his books; one day I want to write a big fat history-spanning novel like <i>London </i>or <i>Sarum</i>, although mine would probably have vampires and dryads and things in it. Pratchett’s an old favourite too. And if comic authors count, John Wagner and Alan Moore.<br />
<br />
<b>TB: </b>Some authors in my Top Ten novel list are John Steakley, Michael Marshall Smith, William Browning Spencer, Brian P. Easton, Jason S. Hornsby. They all do different things with their words, but it boils down to the ability to tell a story what hits you when and where you least expect it. When I set about to steal from the best, these are the gentlemen from whom I purloin.<br />
<br />
<b>3) Describe the ideal stories for this market.</b><br />
<b>RP:</b> I think the only essential ingredients are a) a wizard or magical practicioner of some kind, probably with some unique specialty, and working within the nebulous ranks of the Century; and b) some real-life historical event or disaster in which this wizard played a role in the execution of his or her work, deliberately or otherwise. Thom gave the <i>Doctor Who</i> episode "The Fires of Pompeii" as a good example of what we’re looking for; I’m more of a “classic Who” man myself, so I’d aso cite the Fifth Doctor serial "The Visitation" (in which an exploding alien weapon accidentally starts the Great Fire of London).<br />
<br />
<b>TB:</b> Definitely. There is history as is taught in books and written about by worldly scholars, and then there is History, which is mostly ranted about by people standing on boxes and wearing tin foil hats. It's the latter we're excited to read about.<br />
<br />
<b>RP: </b>Within those parameters, we’re hoping for a wide spectrum of stories. All of history is yours to play with, and a range of styles and genres is welcome. (You can check the updates on the Dark Tomorrow site to see which historical events have already been claimed by another author.)<br />
<br />
<b>4) What types of characters appeal to you the most? Any examples?</b><br />
<b>RP:</b> There are various types that appeal to me. Villains and anti-heroes especially, as long as they’re believable. What I find really interesting is the interactions between different types of characters, especially if they’re morally or ideologically opposed but working on the same side. If you’ve ever watched the first two seasons of <i>Blake’s 7</i>, you’ll know what I mean.<br />
<br />
<b>TB:</b> The sidekicks and students are important. Everyone knows Batman's story, but how many of the casual fans are familiar with the tragedy of Tim Drake, the second Robin? Why is Tonto so beholden to the Lone Ranger? These people are amazing, and could handily be the main attraction in their own show, but you see them next to someone else.<br />
<br />
<b>5) Describe a few stories you’ve published previously and what made them stand out to you.</b><br />
<b>RP:</b> Again, this is my first time working as an editor, but what always makes a story stand out for me is a strong opening that sets up the world and lets me know exactly what I’m in for.<br />
<br />
<b>TB: </b>Good follow-through is also key. Don't give me a kick-ass opening and then fall apart. Recently, a story made it into the superhero monster hunter book, and it hit all the high notes. "Cat Got Your Tongue?" gave you the set-up and kept on burning at both ends until the story was told. Short fiction has to carry itself as it's the only time in the world you'll get to hear this story. In novels you have time to flesh things out, to give your characters room to stretch and grow. If you can accomplish the same in eight thousand words or less, I'm keen to have you on board.<br />
<br />
<b>6) Any last advice for submitters? Any critical dos and don’ts?</b><br />
<b>RP:</b> The best advice is to read couple of Thom’s stories to get a feel for the sandbox you’ll be playing in. And then stake out your own corner of the sandbox, and bring your own toys.<br />
<br />
<b>TB:</b> Be unafraid to alter the fabric of the world as you know it. That's what this anthology is all about, right? Change every damn thing for those with eyes to see. But, to borrow from the guidelines of another shared-world sandbox, don't destroy Chicago. Someone else is going to need it... unless you're doing it with the Great Fire, then by all means. Because that actually happened. HISTORY. Hah.<br />
<br />
<hr />
<div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;">
<a href="http://www.dlsnell.com/p/dl-snell.html" style="color: #dd0800; text-decoration: none;">D.L. SNELL</a> is an acclaimed novelist from the Pacific Northwest. His bestselling <i>Pavlov’s Dogs</i> series, co-authored with Thom Brannan, is available through Permuted Press. Snell also has had great success writing under the pen name <a href="http://www.davidjacobknight.com/" style="color: #dd0800; text-decoration: none;">David Jacob Knight</a>. </div>
<div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;">
<span style="font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;">To reprint this article, please contact D.L. Snell.</span></div>
D.L. Snellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13176046744094730375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172609038729367899.post-5237198821682311362015-02-26T19:31:00.000-08:002015-02-26T19:35:29.718-08:00Third Flatiron Anthologies<div class="WordSection1">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thirdflatiron.com/liveSite/files/summer_banner90dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.thirdflatiron.com/liveSite/files/summer_banner90dpi.jpg" height="240" width="640" /></a></div>
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u>THE MARKET</u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<ul>
<li><b>Antho</b>: Third Flatiron Anthologies (Summer 2015 will
be "Only Disconnect")</li>
<li><b>Editor(s)</b>: Juliana Rew</li>
<li><b>Pay Rate</b>: 3 cents/word, 6 cents/word for lead story</li>
<li><b>Deadline</b>: March 31, 2015. (We do a new theme each
quarter)</li>
<li><b>Guidelines</b>:
<a href="http://www.thirdflatiron.com/liveSite/pages/submissions" target="_blank">http://www.thirdflatiron.com/liveSite/pages/submissions</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Author <a href="http://www.dlsnell.com/p/dl-snell.html">D.L.Snell</a> conducted the following interview to give writers a better idea of
what the editors of this specific market are seeking. Snell does not edit these
answers in any way, so that writers can get a feel for the editors in charge.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>THE SCOOP</u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>1) Tell us a little about yourself and your career as an
editor. Do you write as well? </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.julianarew.com/" target="_blank">Juliana Rew</a> is a
former science and technical writer for the National Center for Atmospheric
Research and the Geological Society of America, with experience writing and
editing scientific books, journal articles, newsletters, annual reports, and
computer user documentation. She has won over a dozen technical writing
competitions, and is a software engineer by training. She also writes a little
fiction.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>2) What authors do you enjoy? What about their work
captivates you?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ann Leckie, Charles Stross, David Brin, Connie Willis,
Julian May, and countless others going all the way back to Lord Dunsany.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>3) Describe the ideal stories for this market.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The upcoming anthology will have the theme, "Only
Disconnect." Here's the prompt for authors: "Presentism" as a
theme: the pitfalls of distraction, overstimulation, attention thieves. Too
much to do, too little time, headlong into the singularity. Advantages of being
bored or being "in the present." Connecting with the Earth
rather than Bluetooth (gardeners, here's your chance).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>4) What types of characters appeal to you the most? Any
examples? </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of my favorites was the genetically altered and
completely transparent human, Oar, in "Ascending" by James Alan
Gardner. She was one of a kind.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>5) Describe a few stories you’ve published previously and
what made them stand out to you. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I'd put plugs in for "On a Train with a Coyote
Ghost" by Robin Wyatt Dunn (in our "Abbreviated Epics"
anthology), "The League of Lame Superheroes" by James Aquilone (in
our "Astronomical Odds" anthology), and "A Rock in the Air"
by Neil James Hudson (in our upcoming "The Time It Happened…"
anthology).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>6) Any last advice for submitters? Any critical dos or
don’ts?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Try to follow the guidelines, keep it short, and knock our
socks off.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<hr />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=ss_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=exit66net-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B00Q30WZJK&asins=B00Q30WZJK&linkId=MFW2HYNLNV7YJYCF&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="float: left; height: 240px; margin-right: 15px; width: 120px;">
</iframe>
<a href="http://www.dlsnell.com/p/dl-snell.html">D.L. SNELL</a>
is an acclaimed novelist from the Pacific Northwest. His bestselling <i>Pavlov’s
Dogs</i> series, co-authored with Thom Brannan, is available through Permuted
Press. Snell also has had great success writing under the pen name <a href="http://www.davidjacobknight.com/">David Jacob Knight</a>. <br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To reprint this article, please contact D.L. Snell.</div>
</div>
D.L. Snellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13176046744094730375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172609038729367899.post-56059279096002539182015-01-26T07:00:00.000-08:002015-01-26T12:43:38.179-08:00Zombies Love Italian<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnkRHJTzyTvYzMGXFO_kEfAzZtOvEAMNiwNw38hEDE5t7jpp05YzXAfvqDl8AeKEqF6p_GDCVSF6NlXEefMhcW9kwVIZZmDNIavKViGdychltJRrMzGn8GEjoh-Auljy-kBro-9xIK41Cf/s1600/pdogsblog.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnkRHJTzyTvYzMGXFO_kEfAzZtOvEAMNiwNw38hEDE5t7jpp05YzXAfvqDl8AeKEqF6p_GDCVSF6NlXEefMhcW9kwVIZZmDNIavKViGdychltJRrMzGn8GEjoh-Auljy-kBro-9xIK41Cf/s1600/pdogsblog.PNG" height="256" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
According to a dietary study conducted by Ivan Pavlov of ZED Institute, eight in every ten zombies prefer Italian over other human, uh, cuisine. In light of these findings, Thom Brannan and I would like to introduce our bestselling book <a href="http://www.dunwichedizioni.it/wordpress/books/pavlovs-dogs-larmata-dei-lupi/" target="_blank">Pavlov’s Dogs in Italian</a>.<br />
<br />
Thanks to Dunwich Edizioni for the translation and the awesome cover.<br />
<br />
To celebrate, the first novella in the Dog Years series, prequel to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pavlovs-Dogs-D-L-Snell-ebook/dp/B007SISYKA/?tag=goldreco04-20" target="_blank">Pavlov’s Dogs</a>, is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dog-Years-Moreau-Labs-Pavlovs-ebook/dp/B00E3N0A5K/?tag=goldreco04-20" target="_blank">free on Amazon</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgom4t9id6FjHqbNLG-2zsvLxLxgHpHBXKwWMSqoiLZ7kkKKJZskevA8GjEzYmyOmquccRA_itTd2eRN5H1pKmJKCriZVobQY8HWf51gOlOCa5oMjjk34CTK6PN61g5LlLucXJBHCTxzYNp/s1600/pdogs+Italian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgom4t9id6FjHqbNLG-2zsvLxLxgHpHBXKwWMSqoiLZ7kkKKJZskevA8GjEzYmyOmquccRA_itTd2eRN5H1pKmJKCriZVobQY8HWf51gOlOCa5oMjjk34CTK6PN61g5LlLucXJBHCTxzYNp/s1600/pdogs+Italian.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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D.L. Snellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13176046744094730375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172609038729367899.post-78108234565385815702015-01-04T18:53:00.000-08:002015-01-04T18:57:23.185-08:00Terraform zine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://motherboard-images.vice.com/content-images/article/no-id/1416253043935396.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://motherboard-images.vice.com/content-images/article/no-id/1416253043935396.jpg" height="192" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u>THE MARKET</u></b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Zine</b>: Terraform</li>
<li><b>Editor(s)</b>: Claire L Evans, Brian Merchant</li>
<li><b>Pay Rate</b>: 20 cents a word</li>
<li><b>Guidelines</b>: <a href="http://motherboard.vice.com/read/how-to-submit-stories-to-terraform">http://motherboard.vice.com/read/how-to-submit-stories-to-terraform</a> </li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
Author <a href="http://dlsnell.com/" target="_blank">D.L. Snell</a> conducted the following interview to give writers a better idea of what the editors of this specific market are seeking. Snell does not proofread these answers in any way, so that writers can get a feel for the editors in charge.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>THE SCOOP</u></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>1) Tell us a little about yourself and your career as an editor. Do you write as well?</b><br />
We are both writers as well as editors; we both write fiction, do journalism, and edit a little of everything. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>2) What authors do you enjoy? What about their work captivates you?</b><br />
Lots. Gibson, Le Guin, Dick, Pynchon, Atwood, Asimov, Bester, Robinson—the list could go on. We admire any author that skillfully invokes the future to credibly reflect truths about the present. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>3) Describe the ideal stories for this market.</b><br />
Future-pointed stories that feel like they could be ripped from the blogroll of our technology-addled present; stories about the further future that extrapolate today's trends; dystopias, utopias, allegories, satire.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>4) What types of characters appeal to you the most? Any examples?</b><br />
Well-drawn ones. We hope to represent the full spectrum of humanity here. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>5) Describe a few stories you’ve published previously and what made them stand out to you.</b><br />
Easy enough to check out our roll of stories here, and <a href="http://motherboard.vice.com/terraform" target="_blank">see for yourself</a>. Other than that, it's good writing above all, and smart renderings of plausible futures.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>6) Any last advice for submitters? Any critical dos or don’ts?</b><br />
The usual stuff: Read the stories we've published, include your bona fides, and follow the <a href="http://motherboard.vice.com/read/how-to-submit-stories-to-terraform" target="_blank">submission guidelines</a>! <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<hr />
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</iframe> <a href="http://dlsnell.com/" target="_blank">D.L. SNELL</a> is an acclaimed novelist from the Pacific Northwest. His bestselling Pavlov’s Dogs series, co-authored with Thom Brannan, is available through Permuted Press. Snell also has had great success writing under the pen name <a href="http://davidjacobknight.com/" target="_blank">David Jacob Knight</a>.<br />
<br />
To reprint this article, please contact D.L. Snell.<br />
<br />D.L. Snellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13176046744094730375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172609038729367899.post-23767059093079383012014-12-20T10:51:00.000-08:002014-12-20T12:26:05.951-08:00Warner Bros. hacked, data held for ransom<div class="MsoNormal">
Warner Bros. Entertainment was hacked this morning in retaliation to the depiction of Smaug in its new blockbuster film <i>The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies</i>.<br />
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<a href="https://imgflip.com/i/fjhd7"><img height="266" src="https://i.imgflip.com/fjhd7.jpg" title="made at imgflip.com" width="640" /></a>
<br />
<br />
When WB employees arrived this morning for work, they noticed a poorly written warning on their computer screens. The warning depicted what at first appeared to be a skull with long skeletal fingers, but upon closer examination turned out to be Smeagol, another character from the film. “This is just a beginning,” the warning states. “We continue till our request be met.” The poor grammar and other digital clues point to Orcs as the likely attackers.<br />
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Using backdoor malware, a time-bomb virus, and <i>Ghash </i>(an Orc word for “fire”), the hackers stole private emails, employee information, and Bilbo Baggins’ home address in the Shire. The hacker team, which calls itself #SMOWG, threatens to release WB’s sensitive data unless Warner Bros. mothballs <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=the%20hobbit&linkCode=ur2&rh=n%3A2625373011%2Ck%3Athe%20hobbit&tag=exit66net-20&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv&linkId=KFUYKHVUHGJJN5P3" target="_blank">The Hobbit trilogy</a> and Peter Jackson issues a public apology to Smaug, pledging absolute allegiance to Sauron. Mr. Jackson must also return the ring of power, or else.<br />
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Smaug, a fearsome fire-breathing dragon (a little on the heavy side), conquered the Dwarf kingdom of Erebor 150 years ago for its treasure. In the Peter Jackson film, the dragon is depicted as a “most specially greedy, strong, and wicked worm” who suspects everything as being edible. Smaug, incensed by this portrayal, <a href="http://thecolbertreport.cc.com/videos/509747/smaug" target="_blank">revealed to Stephen Colbert</a> that he blames “typical liberal Hollywood bias” for a dragon being cast as the villain in the film. Also, the camera adds ten tons. Everyone knows that.<br />
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<a href="https://imgflip.com/i/fjh3w"><img src="https://i.imgflip.com/fjh3w.jpg" title="made at imgflip.com" /></a>
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Furthering the insult, Smaug, in Peter Jackson’s depiction, has only one weak spot in his armor, a missing scale that broke off during his attack on Dale. This, Smaug contends, is not true to his real-life weak spot, which is actually a gap in the gems and gold embedded in his belly (although gold, being heavy and malleable, makes for terrible armor; a missing scale makes way more sense as a sole weak spot).<br />
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President Obama cautions WB not to give in to the hackers’ demands. “I have yet to see <i>The Hobbit</i>. If we as a nation allow despots such as Smaug to dictate what we can and cannot watch, how am I supposed to know what happens to poor Bilbo Baggins?”<br />
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If the trilogy remains available, the hackers threaten Helm’s Deep-style attacks on theaters that are still showing the film. Anyone watching a bootlegged copy of the movie will become visible to the eye of Sauron, and Ringwraiths will be dispatched to their location.<br />
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<i>The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies</i> is playing now in a theater near you.<br />
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D.L. Snellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13176046744094730375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172609038729367899.post-30887843667284431932014-11-28T14:59:00.003-08:002014-11-28T14:59:37.064-08:00New Thriller - The Phone CompanyToday, we announced the release of David Jacob Knight's newest thriller, <a href="http://www.davidjacobknight.com/p/the-phone-company.html">The Phone Company</a>. The book will be <a href="http://tinyurl.com/buypco" target="_blank">99 cents on Amazon</a> today. We're also hosting a <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/117322-the-phone-company" target="_blank">giveaway for a signed copy</a> on Goodreads.<br />
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Thanks to everyone who made the release a great success!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqsDLpKtmv5zBPk0ulJdOMwRRvuvL2jfnEYEMul_qkJu5xffZLn3KN147SlzvA5g2ua7VC5uzS6s_Kl4N4zCb8xTLx6Vrjq2WKaAZWOx8Bvx_a0mzrxPAQYlrRSPo4kreiMhhAQNXn2Mff/s1600/pco+bestseller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqsDLpKtmv5zBPk0ulJdOMwRRvuvL2jfnEYEMul_qkJu5xffZLn3KN147SlzvA5g2ua7VC5uzS6s_Kl4N4zCb8xTLx6Vrjq2WKaAZWOx8Bvx_a0mzrxPAQYlrRSPo4kreiMhhAQNXn2Mff/s1600/pco+bestseller.jpg" height="464" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />D.L. Snellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13176046744094730375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172609038729367899.post-52829350794408021132014-11-12T21:35:00.000-08:002014-11-15T12:53:10.579-08:00Inhuman Monsters: A Review of Doctor Sleep<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A6CCF0K/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00A6CCF0K&linkCode=as2&tag=exit66net-20&linkId=JURQEL3AMFVYFN4G" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00A6CCF0K&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=exit66net-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=exit66net-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00A6CCF0K" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />Stephen King’s novel <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A6CCF0K/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00A6CCF0K&linkCode=as2&tag=exit66net-20&linkId=JURQEL3AMFVYFN4G">Doctor Sleep</a>, child of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001BANK32/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001BANK32&linkCode=as2&tag=exit66net-20&linkId=2X7JNNXDHQ6XV7QJ">The Shining</a>, is a fun, inventive book that falls short of the abject terror for which its father is hailed.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001BANK32/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001BANK32&linkCode=as2&tag=exit66net-20&linkId=2X7JNNXDHQ6XV7QJ">The Shining</a> terrified me when I first read it years ago, and it terrified me again when I reread it recently in preparation for the sequel. King has a knack for making human monsters, and often he makes monsters out of people we normally trust: fathers, neighbors, cops. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001BANK32/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001BANK32&linkCode=as2&tag=exit66net-20&linkId=2X7JNNXDHQ6XV7QJ">The Shining</a> does this traumatically, turning Jack Torrance, beloved father, into a ravening murderer thirsting for his family’s blood—but this is where <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A6CCF0K/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00A6CCF0K&linkCode=as2&tag=exit66net-20&linkId=JURQEL3AMFVYFN4G">Doctor Sleep</a> ultimately fails: its monsters aren’t scary; they’re no longer even human. <br />
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The antagonists of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A6CCF0K/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00A6CCF0K&linkCode=as2&tag=exit66net-20&linkId=JURQEL3AMFVYFN4G">Doctor Sleep</a> call themselves the “True Knot”: a nomadic band of vampires that feed off the psychic force of children gifted with the shining, which the True call “steam.” At first the True Knot seem terrifying, what with their cult-like bond and special paranormal abilities, like locating people, or making people fall asleep on command. They also like to torture their young, gifted victims to maximize the harvest, and they practice a bizarre induction ritual: to become one of the True, you have to inhale steam; you have to die and be reborn by “cycling” between our world and . . . somewhere else. The descriptions of this cycling are particularly disturbing, as the different layers of the inductee’s body become transparent; sometimes all you see is her skeleton, or her eyes and brain. <br />
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As the novel progresses, we learn more about the True. They travel around the world in RVs, and here King makes a chilling point: no one pays attention to the RV people. We see them all the time—coming into town, heading out of town, at local diners and campgrounds—but they’re almost invisible to us. It’s this very camouflage that allows the True to kidnap gifted children without sounding any alarms. And if they do raise suspicion, the True simply leaves town. So instead of making us fear the people we’re supposed to trust, King attempts to make us dread the people we don’t see. And it works. The idea is truly unsettling, and I’ve been keeping an eye on real-life RV people ever since. But another concept ultimately saps the True of their potential horror, because, despite looking human, they aren’t.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001BANK32/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001BANK32&linkCode=as2&tag=exit66net-20&linkId=2X7JNNXDHQ6XV7QJ" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B001BANK32&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=exit66net-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=exit66net-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B001BANK32" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />Unlike the murderous Jack Torrance in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001BANK32/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001BANK32&linkCode=as2&tag=exit66net-20&linkId=2X7JNNXDHQ6XV7QJ">The Shining</a>, the True Knot aren’t people; they’re vampires. The characters make this point very clearly: humans don’t cycle in and out and disappear when you kill them. Unfortunately, vampires aren’t nearly as scary as people, because as far as we know, vampires are make-believe, whereas humans, as far as we know, are real. Ghosts aside, this is what makes Jack Torrance so terrifying in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001BANK32/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001BANK32&linkCode=as2&tag=exit66net-20&linkId=2X7JNNXDHQ6XV7QJ">The Shining</a>. He’s a real warm-blooded human being with understandable, if not relatable, human flaws. Not only that, Jack is someone we know, someone we’re close to—someone we’re supposed to trust. We already know we shouldn’t trust vampires, so the fact that they’re child-murdering steamaholics is no surprise. Even the human touches King gives the True—loyalty, familial bonding, human frailties, and human stupidity—fail at rendering them human enough to keep me up at night, praying Daddy isn’t out doing the Bad Thing.<br />
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In the end, while <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A6CCF0K/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00A6CCF0K&linkCode=as2&tag=exit66net-20&linkId=JURQEL3AMFVYFN4G">Doctor Sleep</a> isn’t entirely terrifying, it is a fun novel containing some of King’s most ingenious inventions: steam and its deathly counterpart; death flies; mental lockboxes for ghosts; and tons of psychic shenanigans. The novel also has a great cast of characters, endearing yet flawed, and it develops interesting themes of addiction, heredity, and the inescapable darker side of human nature found even in good people. All in all, you should crack <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A6CCF0K/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00A6CCF0K&linkCode=as2&tag=exit66net-20&linkId=JURQEL3AMFVYFN4G">Doctor Sleep</a> expecting to be, if not totally traumatized, then at least thoroughly entertained.D.L. Snellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13176046744094730375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172609038729367899.post-12801192735264498602013-12-21T01:55:00.000-08:002013-12-21T01:55:04.064-08:00#5 in Kindle Horror<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">King, Koontz, and Knight: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pen-Name-David-Jacob-Knight-ebook/dp/B00EK599ZS" target="_blank">THE PEN NAME</a> is currently in the top 5 horror books on Kindle! </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pen-Name-David-Jacob-Knight-ebook/dp/B00EK599ZS" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.amazon.com/Pen-Name-David-Jacob-Knight-ebook/dp/B00EK599ZS" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2VLJUkRMEETxCf2dhyUuAXouLeOrFdbfE2jqeJZzFIN9IfhzUymjxJnawH5LRmrfbJ0cwe11abmokd8JKb4WTlqWOdaLS2CO62MOh0VsKA05hKFEPOytHNXQwu4UNLPgAzHCxkXodyntq/s640/kingKoontzKnight.PNG" width="406" /></a></div>
D.L. Snellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13176046744094730375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172609038729367899.post-20256135108969519382013-09-26T17:00:00.000-07:002014-11-15T12:54:18.582-08:00Final BREAKING BAD theoryWith pictures.<br />
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As shown most dramatically in "Granite State," Walt wants all that he's done to actually mean something. I'm almost certain the machine gun is for the Nazis. Not sure who the ricin is for--Lydia? Jesse? WALT JR's PANCAKES?!--but I'm fairly certain the climax of the show will center in some way around the conflict between Jesse and Walt. I'm not sure how that will all shake out, but... that still leaves the falling action and the resolution... and an important loose end. <br />
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The blood money.<br />
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<img alt="" class="bbc_img" src="http://www.drunkmonkeys.onimpression.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/bb-money-620x350.jpg" /><br />
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Both Walt and Jesse's money has been a huge device this season in nearly every episode--getting rid of the money, hiding the money, trying to save the money, sleeping on the money...<br />
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<img alt="" class="bbc_img resized" src="http://img.pandawhale.com/post-25056-I-gotta-do-it-man-meme-Huell-b-8Imk.jpeg" height="200" style="cursor: pointer;" /> <br />
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... losing most of it to the Nazis, and trying to put what's left of the money to real use. I don't think it's any coincidence the first of the final 8 episodes is titled "Blood Money"--a concept that stretches back to this little thing called <a class="bbc_link" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weregild" target="_blank">weregild</a>. Basically there is a physical value to every human life, so if you kill someone, or hurt someone, you have to pay restitution.<br />
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By the weregild concept, Walt should pay back all those that he's hurt. He desperately wants to. But since his family refuses the money... who's left? All those poor faces of meth, right?<br />
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<img alt="" class="bbc_img resized" src="http://imgs.sfgate.com/blogs/images/sfgate/tgoodman/2010/06/07/Episode-12-Wendy-2-760623x439.jpg" height="200" style="cursor: pointer;" /><br />
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The show hasn't focused on this much, if at all, but Walt is contributing to the destruction of hundreds of thousands of lives. Not until Eliot and Gretchen set up the meth recovery program, that is. Only then does the show imply the full scope of Walt's metastasis.
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So what if Heisenberg successfully reclaims his millions from the Nazis... and then donates it all to that meth fund Eliot and Gretchen set up? You know, to show them up and prove he's done something truly great with his life? And kinda sorta atone? It's not like using the money as charity hasn't been foreshadowed...<br />
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Okay, so how does he donate it, you might say. Well first, he's got to turn himself in to the DEA. And maybe he cuts a deal: "I'll tell you where the money is, IF..." Drug money has been <a class="bbc_link" href="http://blog.al.com/live/2013/02/money_from_drug_dealers_donate.html" target="_blank">donated to anti-drug causes</a> before--there's real-life precedence for this. And what better way for the world to...<br />
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<img alt="" class="bbc_img resized" src="http://th04.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/f/2013/187/3/4/bb_heisenberg_by_nrgm_design-d6capxw.png" height="200" style="cursor: pointer;" /><br />
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It'd be all over the news!!!<br />
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So, you might ask, are you saying Walt goes to prison then? Not necessarily. Because I lied. The FIRST thing he does isn't turn himself in to the DEA. The FIRST thing he does is... INGEST THIS.<br />
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<img alt="" class="bbc_img resized" src="http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120712054204/breakingbad/images/4/41/4x7_ricin.png" style="cursor: pointer;" width="600" /><br />
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Three days later, the end.D.L. Snellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13176046744094730375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172609038729367899.post-80955117523651097442013-09-24T07:00:00.000-07:002013-09-24T07:00:35.366-07:00The Pen Name, by David Jacob Knight<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijee2Ojb24R-f5u70WqAG79d5RhzD3egEnU1AYaWzOT7DTMAB7yOvfp5EkTYoUYQBVPMSmTW_Gm7wuod47J04EXPg7U_bG3mXj8Ymo4fkb93X77pyVr71jtjT3SJLUxTnkoUG5MQxmoflr/s1600/cover2_smoother.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijee2Ojb24R-f5u70WqAG79d5RhzD3egEnU1AYaWzOT7DTMAB7yOvfp5EkTYoUYQBVPMSmTW_Gm7wuod47J04EXPg7U_bG3mXj8Ymo4fkb93X77pyVr71jtjT3SJLUxTnkoUG5MQxmoflr/s320/cover2_smoother.png" width="196" /></a></div>
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Grab a copy of the new supernatural thriller readers are calling fascinating, brilliant, claustrophobic, and nail-biting!<br /><br /><i>"A fascinating thriller. It's the book I wish I had written."</i><br />
<i>--Joe McKinney, Bram Stoker Award-winning author </i><i> </i><br />
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<i>"A writer's dream becomes his worst nightmare ... THE PEN NAME is a sadistic thriller with a slow-burning fuse."</i><br />
<i>--Craig DiLouie, author of THE KILLING FLOOR</i><br />
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<i> </i>Head over to the DJK blog for an interview with the Audible narrator and to enter the Goodreads Giveaway. You could win a signed copy of THE PEN NAME!<br />
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Learn more at <a href="http://davidjacobknight.com/">davidjacobknight.com</a>.D.L. Snellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13176046744094730375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172609038729367899.post-16913580788313301802013-09-08T02:37:00.001-07:002013-09-08T02:37:29.565-07:0099-cent Amazon BestsellerThe <a href="http://amzn.to/1f2W9H9" target="_blank">99-cent sale</a> is going well.<br />
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<i>Pavlov's Dogs </i>is currently #14 in Horror. <i>Dog Years 1</i> is #17 in Science Fiction > Adventure. And <i>Dog Years 2 & 3</i> are #2,194 and #2,241 respectively. And MY Amazon rank is, drum roll please... <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPqiMJ_oK69LnMbRLw4H8whMT-nYdliKL6reJz9PQswkNIC4leUBQ5M02ss23xZx6ugyy21wYxPzcOsAriYAcYYRV1VIXTMwLF883LYMMuIfQg6DZAEnSqH0Bxs2BJiAYUgwW02w_-PZuO/s1600/rank.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPqiMJ_oK69LnMbRLw4H8whMT-nYdliKL6reJz9PQswkNIC4leUBQ5M02ss23xZx6ugyy21wYxPzcOsAriYAcYYRV1VIXTMwLF883LYMMuIfQg6DZAEnSqH0Bxs2BJiAYUgwW02w_-PZuO/s640/rank.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span dir="ltr">"Grab this with both hands!"--Johnathan Maberry</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span dir="ltr">Here's the link! </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://amzn.to/1f2W9H9&h=oAQF5G0Yr&s=1" target="_blank">http://amzn.to/1f2W9H9</a> </span></span></span> </span></span></span>D.L. Snellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13176046744094730375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172609038729367899.post-29338032769526467402013-05-21T05:08:00.000-07:002013-05-21T05:26:10.167-07:00MAD MEN - "The Crash" reconstructed<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>*SPOILERS for MAD MEN thru Season 6 "The Crash"</b></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://pixel.nymag.com/imgs/daily/vulture/2013/04/08/08-drapers-women.o.jpg/a_610x408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://pixel.nymag.com/imgs/daily/vulture/2013/04/08/08-drapers-women.o.jpg/a_610x408.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After watching an episode of my favorite show, I’ll often read reviews online--and just as a woman can’t <i>not</i> remark on her husband’s secretary... I am compelled to say something about <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/bastard-machine/mad-men-deconstruction-vol-2-525677" target="_blank">this deconstruction</a> of Mad Men’s “The Crash.” Posted on <i>The Hollywood Reporter</i>, </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the analysis</span></span> overlooks two major themes in its critique of Don’s inexplicable “love” for Sylvia. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">First… if you haven't seen this episode or read the deconstruction, the following paragraphs will probably confuse you worse than </span></span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/20/mad-men-the-crash-twitter-reactions_n_3308006.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“The Crash</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/20/mad-men-the-crash-twitter-reactions_n_3308006.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">”</span></span> </span></span>confused the Twits...</a> Anyway.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“I’ve got this great message,” Don says, “and it has to do with what holds people together. What is that thing that draws them? It’s a history. And it may not even be with that person…” </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He says this because the oatmeal mother in the ad is inspired by Aimee, the prostitute who became Don’s surrogate mother (and first girlfriend). Don has focused on this ad because, in his mind, he has conflated Aimee and Sylvia. But it’s even bigger than that, bigger than just these two women. Bigger than Chevy.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now, flashback to “The Doorway” at the beginning of this season, when Don describes love: “We want that electric jolt to the body,” he says. “We want Eros. It’s like a drug <i>(hint, hint)</i>. It’s not domestic. What’s the difference between a husband knocking on a door and a sailor getting off a ship? About ten thousand volts.”</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTWfTPZ1Vd1TvnSfVWaYNnYgdE3T26feE3DJu3Z49kVhCvAM3QSUQ" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTWfTPZ1Vd1TvnSfVWaYNnYgdE3T26feE3DJu3Z49kVhCvAM3QSUQ" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Don’s calling it love, but what he’s describing is much more chemical than that. It’s much more transitory (like a shot in the glutes). This is a feeling he’s become addicted to. He doesn’t understand what love truly is, how it abides, how it ages. He’s confusing love with… a chemical dependency. A dependency that, for Don, stretches back years. Decades. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">From Aimee to Betty to Rachel and Midge, from Midge to Bobbie and Mrs. Farrell and Faye, and finally from Megan to Sylvia: any one of these women could be a stand-in for the whore mother feeding oatmeal to her son. Don has built up a history of loves, of dependencies. Henry Francis once said there are no fresh starts. Lives go on. So every time Don becomes addicted to a lady, he brings with him a whole sexual history. That’s the theme of his pitch he planned to give Sylvia: you</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">’</span></span>re every woman I</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">’</span></span>ve ever had this feeling for. It’s why he’s so attached to her. It’s not for love but the electric jolt, shocking his damaged heart back to life, if only for a while. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">That’s what this deconstruction in the <i>Reporter</i> overlooks. It forgets that it’s bigger than Sylvia. Bigger than oatmeal even.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">(It also would’ve been nice to see the article mention Kenny’s line about where he learned to tap dance: “My mother… No, my first girlfriend.” Because that, too, was really a line about Don.)</span></span><br />
<br />
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<br />D.L. Snellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13176046744094730375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172609038729367899.post-90094443593970575622012-12-05T13:11:00.000-08:002012-12-05T13:11:17.732-08:00The Next Big Thing<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
Editor and author <a href="http://www.freewebs.com/brian_sammons/" target="_blank">Brian Sammons</a> tagged me to participate in an interesting blog hop called The Next Big Thing. So did <a href="http://www.cdulaney.com/" target="_blank">C. Dulaney</a>. It’s essentially an interview that gives writers a chance to talk about their current project and also an opportunity to promote fellow writers.<br />
<br />
Before I get to my interview, I'd like to say a little about the writers I've chosen to tag.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://scottmbakerauthor.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Scott Baker</a><br />
I met Scott at Crypticon 2012 in Seattle. I got to know him over some "sweetened Coke," provided by Maker's Mark fanatic Tony Faville. Scott has written the only other novel I know about that combines zombies and vampires, and he also helped sell my books at the convention when I wasn't at my table. He's beta-read one of my novels, and has helped me with technical questions quite a few times. Thank you, Scott. Looking forward to your interview!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://permutedpress.wikia.com/wiki/Thom_Brannan" target="_blank">Thom Brannan</a><br />
I actually have never met Thom in person, but he and I have written nearly four books together. Thom has written I don't know how many books solo, but I know of at least six. He's a serious talent, and he writes so fast I sometimes refer to him as Barry Allen. Thank you, Thom, for your hard and excellent work on our series, and for your contributions to the genre.<br />
<br />
Now on to the interview...<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=exit66net-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=tf_til&asins=B007SISYKA" style="float: right; height: 240px; margin-left: 10px; width: 120px;"></iframe>
<u><b>What is the working title of your next book?</b></u><br />
It’s tentatively titled DOG YEARS. It’s a collection of novellas set in the PAVLOV’S DOGS universe, co-authored with Thom Brannan. <br />
<br />
<br />
<u><b>What genre does your book fall under?</b></u><br />
Action horror in general. It also blends in sci-fi, and pits the zombie and werewolf subgenres against each other.<br />
<br />
<br />
<u><b>Where did the idea come from for the book?</b></u><br />
When Thom and I wrote PAVLOV’S DOGS, we left certain narrative gaps. For example, we never fully describe where the zombies come from because we felt it had no bearing on the story. Zombie origins are now generally well known, so... we didn’t want to beat that particular dead horse if we could just show someone raising the club. <br />
<br />
The author of THE WALKING DEAD comics has a similar philosophy: “I have ideas [about the cause of the zombie plague]...but it's nothing set in stone because I never plan on writing it.”<br />
<br />
But PAVLOV’S DOGS does hint at the undead origins, and now in DOG YEARS we’re exploring where both the zombies and the werewolves came from. We also explore the backstory of their creator, Dr. Crispin. <br />
<br />
So the idea for DOG YEARS came from narrative gaps left in the first book.<br />
<br />
<br />
<u><b>Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?</b></u><br />
I’ll leave this up to the readers. I try not to think in terms of who I would cast because, well… have you ever seen a movie before reading the book? Then you actually read the book and you can’t picture the characters as anything other than the actors who portrayed them? Robert Langdon is forever Tom Hanks. Stu Redman is forever Gary Sinise.<br />
<br />
I like my image of the characters to remain pristine as I write them. I don’t want Daniel Radcliffe running around nude in my imagination.<br />
<br />
<br />
<u><b>What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?</b></u><br />
From breakouts in the monster lab to his role in the zombie apocalypse, follow Dr. Crispin and his team of werewolves through three eras of mad scientists, abominations, and a frightening new adversary.<br />
<br />
<br />
<u><b>Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?</b></u><br />
Permuted Press will publish the collection.<br />
<br />
<br />
<u><b>How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?</b></u><br />
We are still working on the last two novellas, but the first novella took us probably a month. Thom, for one, works incredibly fast. That’s a rare talent among writers.<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=exit66net-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B003AQBBT0&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="float: right; height: 240px; margin-left: 10px; width: 120px;"></iframe>
<u><b>What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?</b></u><br />
That’s a hard one. A reviewer compared PAVLOV’S DOGS to Peter Clines’ bestselling zombies vs. superhero novel, EX-HEROES. But DOG YEARS, specifically? It still revolves around a central versus concept, but it’s probably more comparable to THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU. <br />
<br />
<br />
<u><b>Who or what inspired you to write this book?</b></u><br />
Two things: our publisher’s idea to offer free content, and the fans of PAVLOV’S DOGS. <br />
<br />
When the publisher suggested that we offer a free short story or novella in the same universe, we started thinking about stories we could tell. I looked at what the fans were asking for in their reviews, and that turned out to be more backstory. <br />
<br />
So Thom and I thought, why give them backstory when we could give them a full-fledged story? Why give them just a novella when we could give them a collection? <br />
<br />
<br />
<u><b>What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?</b></u><br />
Well... we plan to offer it for free. And, as many of our fans like to say, it’s zombies versus werewolves. What else could you want?</div>
D.L. Snellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13176046744094730375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172609038729367899.post-61622093935249932212012-07-23T10:55:00.000-07:002012-07-23T11:00:12.771-07:00Werewolves... made of Legos?!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://bricksofthedead.com/2012/07/23/pavlovs-dogs-episode-1/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF9357yXMSJegJUdw9MNDCTrE9tL50Gb5xVeeRw9Cm1xCrYBDbfWSFhCbyOUuVJeT2nhXakkR1namgB0Fp2bDsRG2QdCFPbw_Z2XDv5i4mz6F8N4PGjGayBGeRLwjSk-QPZ362sPyEmkkA/s400/pdogs+lego+cover.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Fans are great. So is fan art. But collaborating with an artist who's also a fan? That has got to be the greatest.<br />
<br />
When our zombie vs. werewolf novel, PAVLOV'S DOGS, first came out, Thom Brannan and I were very pleased with a review of the story over at <a href="http://bricksofthedead.com/2012/04/19/zombie-book-review-pavlovs-dogs/#comment-32906" target="_blank">Bricksofthedead.com</a>. The reviewer, Evan Roy, favorably compared the book to one of Permuted Press's bestsellers, <i>EX-Heroes</i> by Peter Clines. He had some very nice things to say.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"PAVLOV'S DOGS</i> <i>is high quality entertainment well worth your dollar, and a needed break from the mundane."</i>--Evan Roy<i><br /></i></blockquote>
<a href="http://bricksofthedead.com/">Bricksofthedead.com</a>, for the uninitiated, mainly consists of zombie comics... in Lego form. Evan, our reviewer, has had much practice at building <a href="http://mocpages.com/home.php/78172" target="_blank">Lego dioramas</a>. In fact, he has created several based on scenes from Permuted books. So imagine our surprise (and nerdy elation) when Evan offered to create a comic strip for the first chapter of our story.<br />
<br />
Thom and I jumped all over this opportunity. We wrote the script, and Evan did a brilliant job fleshing it out... with Legos. <br />
<br />
The strip will be eight episodes long, and there will be an associated giveaway for signed copies of the novel... and it's all starting today!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://bricksofthedead.com/2012/07/23/pavlovs-dogs-episode-1/">Read Episode 1...</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />D.L. Snellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13176046744094730375noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172609038729367899.post-56936746984184718912012-05-22T08:00:00.000-07:002012-05-22T08:00:09.426-07:00BLOOD LITE: AFTERTASTE – Roundtable 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1451636245/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=exit66net-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1451636245" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/519RZC-VHmL._SL210_.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>BLOOD LITE: AFTERTASTE edited by Kevin J. Anderson (Gallery Books)</b><br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br />
The third book in the hilarious and horrifying national bestselling
anthology series from the Horror Writers Association—a frightfest of
sidesplitting stories from such New York Times bestselling authors as
Jim Butcher, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Heather Graham, L.A. Banks, Kelley
Armstrong, and many more!<br />
<br />
Horror fiction explores the dark side of human nature, often pushing the
limits of violence, graphic gore, and extreme emotions. <i>Blood Lite III: Aftertaste</i> puts the fun back into dark fiction, featuring a wide range of humorous and highly entertaining horror-filled tales.<br />
<br />
After my <a href="http://www.dlsnell.com/2011/04/kevin-j-anderson-interview.html">interview with Kevin J. Anderson</a>, the <i>Blood Lite</i>
editor, I tapped a bunch of the authors to talk about why humor is so
important in the horror genre, and what inspired their horrifically
hilarious tales. This is part four of four.<br />
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<hr />
<b>What led you to write the story that appears in BLOOD LITE: AFTERTASTE?</b><br />
<hr />
</div>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><b>Lisa Morton</b>: It’s about animals taking over. My cats ordered me to write it.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><b>J</b><b>G Faherty</b>: Other than the desire to be in a popular
anthology that actually has a chance to earn royalties for its
contributors? Probably a yen to try and write something that was funny. I
don’t normally do straight-out comedy; I will sometimes work it into a
story or novel, a funny line or scene here and there, but I’m not per
say a ‘funny’ writer in the way Jeff Strand can be, for example. He can
make you roll on the floor with laughter while dumping a bucket of guts
on you. And it has nothing to do with sense of humor—lots of funny
people can’t write funny stories. It’s all how you’re wired as a writer.
For me, writing something humorous is much harder than writing
something frightening or sad. I really had to work at my story for this
collection (point of fact—I didn’t make it into the first two Blood Lite
books, which tells you A) I had to learn to write funny and B) Kevin
only chooses the very best for this series). As for how the story
actually came about, I just always felt that if you mix horror and
hillbillies together, you’re going to get something comical. Actually,
mix hillbillies and anything together and the results are usually
comical. Just watch any reality show that takes place in the South.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><b>Mike Baron</b>: I don’t know where “Mint In Box” came from. Somewhere in my skull.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><b>Jeff Ryan</b>: My <i>Blood Lite: Overbite</i> story went for the
gross-out, so I tried to do something with a repellant character,
instead of nice characters doing repellant things.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.amazon.com/Blood-Lite-II-Kevin-Anderson/dp/B0058M8Z5W" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51lhiOefj0L._SL210_.jpg" /></a>
<li><b>David Sakmyster</b>: While out house-hunting and hating every
second of the experience, deciding finally in the midst of being shown a
house that all this wasn’t worth it and we were just going to stay put,
I just started asking the real estate agent ridiculous questions, like:
“In full disclosure, how many bodies are buried out back? And where are
the secret trap doors? How big is the dungeon?” And that kind of led
to this story… </li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><b>John Alfred Taylor</b>: I kept seeing awful prefab steeples
tacked on churches everywhere, and wondered where they came from. Then I
googled a few of the manufacturers. As soon as I imagined each steeple
shipping with a resident demon I had my story. All I had to do was
develop the workings of the company. Online catalogs helped. All the
demons are traditional, named in one source or another. To the best of
my knowledge Gorgo’s hairdresser is not listed in the yellow pages. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><b>Adrian Ludens</b>: I think most readers will recognize what
inspired me. This is not so much a parody as it is an homage. At least
that was my intention. I think an entire book would be fun to write (and
read!) from a ‘Grown Up’ perspective and in this style. <br />
<br />
It’s like that classic question: ‘Door number one, two or three?’ I’m
the guy who wants to go back and find out what I missed; see what’s
behind ALL the doors! For me this story was a fun romp through what
would be a terrible, harrowing situation in real life.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><b>Chris Abbey</b>: That story would be longer than the story
itself. I was originally going to do a zombie story, but I figured Kevin
would be overrun with them. At the time, every time I turned on the
news there was something about Bristol Palin on <i>Dancing with the Stars</i>.
I kept joking about that to my wife, who suggested I write it down
instead of annoying her. Add in the fact that I couldn’t think of
anything to write about, but I kept having this <i>Donny and Marie</i> parody from an old Mad Magazine running through my head. Then Phyllis Diller from <i>Mad Monster Party</i>, and I knew I had to try being cartoonist Jack Davis for a while. What I didn’t count on is that I’d actually have to watch <i>Dancing with the Stars</i>, so I have suffered for my art.<br />
<br />
On the technical side, it was strange because I didn’t write it in
order. All the scenes were first, then it was, “Here’s your scene,
what’s your joke?” The last line written was a) my favorite [Rehearse
the krakken!] and b) near the middle. I ditched a scene with a siren as
the musical guest that I just couldn’t make work.<br />
<br />
I didn’t finish until right near the deadline, which once again proves that comedy is all about timi... </li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><b>Christopher Golden</b>: If I remember correctly, Kevin Anderson
asked me to do something for the second volume, but I told him I wasn’t
funny. My friend John McIlveen asked me to do something for a humorous
horror anthology as well, and I said the same thing. When Kevin came
back to me for <i>Blood Lite 3</i>, I insisted I wasn’t funny, but he
was doing a story for my anthology THE MONSTER’S CORNER, and I felt like
I had to give it a shot. I can tell a joke as well as the next guy
(unless the next guy is Jeff Strand), but to WRITE something funny is
entirely different. So I turned my doubts inward, and wrote a story
about a guy who will do almost anything to be funny, but just isn’t. I
won’t say more about it, but I smiled a lot while writing it, so
hopefully that counts for something.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Lite-Anthology-Presented-Association/dp/B002M3SPAA" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51kfso2M6HL._SL210_.jpg" /></a>
<li><b>Jeff Strand</b>: Self-plagiarism! One of my first novels, HOW TO
RESCUE A DEAD PRINCESS (published shortly after the Y2K bug destroyed
most of the earth) has a “Jack and the Beanstalk” spoof with a throwaway
line about the ridiculous idea of grinding bones to make bread. A
little over a decade later, I thought “What if somebody actually tried
to do that?” and that led to “Scrumptious Bone Bread.”</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><b>Kelley Armstrong</b>: It was sparked by the usual thing: just another "what if?" question. In my book series, I gave custody of two young adult werewolves to a secondary Pack member. In "V Plates," my Pack guy is persuaded to help the younger boy lose his virginity by taking him to a whorehouse. That's probably never a wise idea, but given the characters involved, this is guaranteed to go wrong. Horribly wrong.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<u style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Related Articles</b></u><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
- </span><a href="http://www.dlsnell.com/2011/04/kevin-j-anderson-interview.html" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Kevin J. Anderson interview</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><u><b>BLOOD LITE: AFTERTASTE AUTHORS</b></u></span><br />
<table style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><tbody>
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</td> <td><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=1172609038729367899&postID=3797737327804144842" name="#morton"></a><b>Lisa Morton</b>
has written six movies, four books of non-fiction, two novellas, one
novel, and somewhere around fifty short stories. She’s a three-time
Stoker Award winner, a recipient of the Black Quill Award, and her cats
think she’s awesome. She lives online at <a href="http://www.lisamorton.com/">www.lisamorton.com</a>.</td> </tr>
<tr> <td><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfvPU-lXn7Z_ESJemLepjdF8G71sANrjb6RlrX04GXHOy7Xr9wV1jPrMuyVdtqL-IdHDR35uOaJBCsggVE0G0IlgSSyPVv90UdztMG-pUcdCsCB8MfP4TPsU9Dsi4FZQs0jemOVFKlTpkC/s1600/faherty.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfvPU-lXn7Z_ESJemLepjdF8G71sANrjb6RlrX04GXHOy7Xr9wV1jPrMuyVdtqL-IdHDR35uOaJBCsggVE0G0IlgSSyPVv90UdztMG-pUcdCsCB8MfP4TPsU9Dsi4FZQs0jemOVFKlTpkC/s200/faherty.JPG" /></a></div>
</td> <td><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=1172609038729367899&postID=3797737327804144842" name="#faherty"></a><b>JG Faherty</b>
is an Active Member in the Horror Writers Association. His first novel,
CARNIVAL OF FEAR, was published in 2010. His second book, GHOSTS OF
CORONADO BAY, was released in 2011, and his third will be coming out in
late 2011 as well. His other credits include <i>Cemetery Dance</i>, <i>Shroud Magazine</i>, and several major anthologies, among them <i>Appalachian Winter Hauntings</i>, <i>Legends of the Mountain State 3 & 4</i>, <i>Bound for Evil</i>, <i>Dark Territories</i>, <i>Horror Library IV</i>, and the upcoming <i>Beast Within 2</i> and <i>Best New Zombie Tales 3</i>.<br />
<br />
A freelance writer with over 15 years of experience, his varied
background includes working as a laboratory manager, accident scene
photographer, zoo keeper, research scientist, and resume writer. When it
comes to humor, he enjoys teaching bad words to small children,
watching <i>Married with Children</i>, wearing ugly Hawaiian shirts, and trading insults with his friends. </td> </tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdXDXUGJMvE9q4YAjBL-CeijpA_Aq_E0Z21BWxmS7y4HbmgQccIYk-K_O6n8xSDJz49Q-zdwbZFv0p3zyTcLTzwn_AaqEsWABmQLkBGy_ur8tDxoxlFtjggRJaiIbcYCYa-jJFThGdHTKU/s1600/baron.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdXDXUGJMvE9q4YAjBL-CeijpA_Aq_E0Z21BWxmS7y4HbmgQccIYk-K_O6n8xSDJz49Q-zdwbZFv0p3zyTcLTzwn_AaqEsWABmQLkBGy_ur8tDxoxlFtjggRJaiIbcYCYa-jJFThGdHTKU/s200/baron.jpg" /></a></div>
</td> <td><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=1172609038729367899&postID=3797737327804144842" name="#baron"></a><b>Mike Baron</b> broke into comics with <i>Nexus</i>, his groundbreaking science fiction title co-created with illustrator Steve Rude. He has written for <i>Creem</i>, <i>The Boston Globe</i>, <i>Isthmus</i>, <i>AARP Magazine</i>, <i>Oui</i>, <i>Madison</i>, <i>Fusion</i>, <i>Poudre Magazine</i>, <i>Argosy</i> and many others. <i>Nexus</i> is currently being published in hardcover by Dark Horse. Baron has won two Eisners and an Inkpot for his work on <i>Nexus</i>, now being published in five languages including French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. Baron’s revamp of DC’s <i>The Flash </i>continues to garner great reviews. Marvel recently published two collections of Baron’s Work, <i>The Essential Punisher Vol. II</i> and <i>The Essential Punisher Vol. III</i>. <br />
<br />
A prolific creator, Baron is at least partly responsible for <a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><i>The Badger</i></a>, <i>Spyke</i>, <i>Feud</i>, <i>The Hook</i>, and <i>The Architect</i>. The latter is available as a graphic novel from Big Head Press. <a href="http://www.bloodyredbaron.net/">www.bloodyredbaron.net</a></td> </tr>
<tr> <td><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb8rYRIlkeUosANGK0euPL_z5-km-k7e_Alf3_tatbo4vF9Jb2Kzmki99zkra-8jHA8SmbThGR8gMx0Uj3ukPGaaZi6ULZ-YCoyeetff-wm9kN0ZmjnseRWsyC7FfSsDkxnN8trWgx29Q4/s1600/ryan.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb8rYRIlkeUosANGK0euPL_z5-km-k7e_Alf3_tatbo4vF9Jb2Kzmki99zkra-8jHA8SmbThGR8gMx0Uj3ukPGaaZi6ULZ-YCoyeetff-wm9kN0ZmjnseRWsyC7FfSsDkxnN8trWgx29Q4/s320/ryan.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by<br />
Mikkel Paige</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td> <td><br />
<b>Jeff Ryan</b> is the author of <i>Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America</i>. He first got interested in mixing comedy and horror when a clown murdered his dog.<br />
<a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/dailymario">twitter.com/#!/dailymario</a> | <a href="http://supermariobook.com/">supermariobook.com</a></td> </tr>
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</td> <td><br />
<b>David Sakmyster</b> is an award-winning author and screenwriter whose short stories have appeared in <i>The Writers of the Future Anthology</i>, <i>ChiZine</i>, <i>Horrorworld</i>, <i>Black Static</i>, <i>Talebones</i>, <i>Abyss & Apex </i>
and others. THE PHAROS OBJECTIVE and forthcoming THE MONGOL OBJECTIVE
are the first two novels in a series about psychic archaeologists. He’s
also written the horror novel CRESCENT LAKE, and the historical fiction
epic, SILVER AND GOLD. You can step into his mind at <a href="http://www.sakmyster.com/">www.sakmyster.com</a>.</td> </tr>
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</td> <td><br />
<b>John Alfred Taylor</b> is a retired professor of English in Southwest
Pennsylvania, and has been writing science fiction and horror for
years. He has been published in GALAXY, GALILEO, GRUE, OCEANS OF THE
MIND, and ASIMOV’S, and had stories reprinted in YEAR’S BEST HORROR
STORIES. A collection of Taylor’s horror stories, HELL IS MURKY, is
available from Ash-Tree Press.</td> </tr>
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</td> <td><br />
<b>Adrian Ludens</b> is a radio personality and program director for a
classic rock station in the Black Hills of South Dakota. His fiction has
appeared in Morpheus Tales, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and a
number of small press horror anthologies. Recent appearances include
stories in <i>Made You Flinch 2: Two For Flinching</i> (edited by Bill Tucker, Library of Horror Press) and in <i>Zombie Kong</i> (edited by James Roy Daley, Books of the Dead Press). Adrian first short story collection is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Adrian-Ludens/e/B003NJ4AEC/ref=sr_tc_ep?qid=1307580118">available on Amazon</a>.</td> </tr>
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</td> <td><b>Chris Abbey</b> was created in the 60s during a bad
thunderstorm and someone’s bad trip. His hobbies are grave-robbing,
sewer-lurking, and macrame. He is considering a job offer from a major
magazine, and will consider it further if the offer ever actually
happens. The picture is a still from a YouTube video in which he
discusses how to tell a joke (true).</td> </tr>
<tr style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"> <td><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgWiW6vZ6W6UKIW8n1aUuVixNk4aSrsVOnrDNeFiTVob4ajQv3yZU6EtvxJdRUDS4k1MK7-n9b6km47LYBYH6l-QQ7zDzZ_068XURB0Lz9VlQsGGHAuxZYjsYe6JE-Lyl5WJnBEMiZrIwd/s1600/golden.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgWiW6vZ6W6UKIW8n1aUuVixNk4aSrsVOnrDNeFiTVob4ajQv3yZU6EtvxJdRUDS4k1MK7-n9b6km47LYBYH6l-QQ7zDzZ_068XURB0Lz9VlQsGGHAuxZYjsYe6JE-Lyl5WJnBEMiZrIwd/s320/golden.jpg" /></a></div>
</td> <td><b>Christopher Golden</b> is an award-winning, bestselling
author of novels for adults and teens, as well as a comic book writer,
screenwriter, and editor. He was born and raised in Massachusetts,
where he still lives with his family, and his original novels have been
published in more than fourteen languages in countries around the
world. His is not funny. Please visit him at <a href="http://www.christophergolden.com/">www.christophergolden.com</a></td> </tr>
<tr> <td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://jeffstrand.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/jeffstrand72dpi180x270.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://jeffstrand.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/jeffstrand72dpi180x270.jpg" width="100px" /></a></div>
</td> <td><br />
<b>Jeff Strand</b>: Stories by Jeff Strand have appeared in all three
BLOOD LITE volumes. He’s written a bunch of novels, including stuff like
WOLF HUNT and FANGBOY, and he’ll give you a great big hug if you visit
his website at <a href="http://www.jeffstrand.com/">www.jeffstrand.com</a>.</td></tr>
<tr> <td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/wp-content/themes/kelleyarmstrong/images/kelley-small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/wp-content/themes/kelleyarmstrong/images/kelley-small.jpg" width="100px" /></a></div>
</td> <td><br />
<b>Kelley Armstrong</b>: Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed. Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series, "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, and Nadia Stafford crime series. She lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets. <a href="http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/">www.KelleyArmstrong.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>D.L. Snellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13176046744094730375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172609038729367899.post-15174756575386849822012-05-15T08:00:00.000-07:002012-05-15T10:54:01.926-07:00BLOOD LITE: AFTERTASTE – Roundtable 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1451636245/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=exit66net-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1451636245" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/519RZC-VHmL._SL210_.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>BLOOD LITE: AFTERTASTE edited by Kevin J. Anderson (Gallery Books)</b><br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br />
The third book in the hilarious and horrifying national bestselling
anthology series from the Horror Writers Association—a frightfest of
sidesplitting stories from such New York Times bestselling authors as
Jim Butcher, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Heather Graham, L.A. Banks, Kelley
Armstrong, and many more!<br />
<br />
Horror fiction explores the dark side of human nature, often pushing the
limits of violence, graphic gore, and extreme emotions. <i>Blood Lite III: Aftertaste</i> puts the fun back into dark fiction, featuring a wide range of humorous and highly entertaining horror-filled tales.<br />
<br />
After my <a href="http://www.dlsnell.com/2011/04/kevin-j-anderson-interview.html">interview with Kevin J. Anderson</a>, the <i>Blood Lite</i>
editor, I tapped a bunch of the authors to talk about why humor is so
important in the horror genre, and what inspired their horrifically
hilarious tales. This is part three of four.<br />
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<hr />
<b>Disembowelment—how is that funny?</b><br />
<hr />
</div>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><b>Lisa Morton</b>: Oh, easy: It’s only three syllables removed from “bowel movement”.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.amazon.com/Blood-Lite-II-Kevin-Anderson/dp/B0058M8Z5W" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51lhiOefj0L._SL210_.jpg" /></a>
<li><b>J</b><b>G Faherty</b>: It depends how it’s done, just like
anything else. Write it or film it with a sense of humor, and it’s
hilarious. A perfect example is the scene in <i>Machete</i> where
Machete rappels out a window and down the hospital wall, using a
victim’s intestines as a rope. Ask Quentin Tarantino or the folks from
Monty Python what’s funny about disembowelment and they’ll probably say,
‘What isn’t?’ Ask your local pastor (or veteran) and they’ll probably
tell you you’re a sick bastard.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><b>Mike Baron</b>: It’s funny when you slip in the guts and do a pratfall.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><b>Jeff Ryan</b>: The word itself is funny, like “defenestrate” or “keelhaul.” </li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><b>John Alfred Taylor</b>: It’s not, but I can think of a movie short that might make it funny. Perhaps best animated.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><b>Adrian Ludens</b>: Disembowelment is NOT funny, with one
exception. It all hinges on the lower intestines. I envision a victim
whose pride or sense of decorum compels them to stagger around,
unsuccessfully trying to hold their lower intestines in to no avail.
Instead they unspool or unravel like film in an old Hollywood camera.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><b>Chris Abbey</b>: I actually overheard someone say, “Did you hear
they’ve figured out a way to make Damascus Steel without the blood of
slaves?” Doesn’t get any funnier than that.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><b>Christopher Golden</b>: It’s not. Though I’m confident Jeff Strand could make it funny.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Lite-Anthology-Presented-Association/dp/B002M3SPAA" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51kfso2M6HL._SL210_.jpg" /></a>
<li><b>Jeff Strand</b>: It’s not. Why would you even suggest otherwise?
What are you, some kind of disembowelment-enjoying sicko? For God’s
sake, this is people’s <i>intestines being yanked out</i> that we’re talking about! Here, point your tummy this way and we’ll see how much you like it, you twisted bastard.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><b>Kelley Armstrong</b>: There is something surreally absurd about intestines tumbling out, and the writer can play with that--and the readers can acknowledge--particularly if the victim is someone the reader doesn't care about...or is happy to see disemboweled.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<b>Part 4 coming next week!</b></div>
<br />
<br />
<u style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Related Articles</b></u><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
- </span><a href="http://www.dlsnell.com/2011/04/kevin-j-anderson-interview.html" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Kevin J. Anderson interview</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><u><b>BLOOD LITE: AFTERTASTE AUTHORS</b></u></span><br />
<table style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><tbody>
<tr> <td><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</td> <td><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=1172609038729367899&postID=3797737327804144842" name="#morton"></a><b>Lisa Morton</b>
has written six movies, four books of non-fiction, two novellas, one
novel, and somewhere around fifty short stories. She’s a three-time
Stoker Award winner, a recipient of the Black Quill Award, and her cats
think she’s awesome. She lives online at <a href="http://www.lisamorton.com/">www.lisamorton.com</a>.</td> </tr>
<tr> <td><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfvPU-lXn7Z_ESJemLepjdF8G71sANrjb6RlrX04GXHOy7Xr9wV1jPrMuyVdtqL-IdHDR35uOaJBCsggVE0G0IlgSSyPVv90UdztMG-pUcdCsCB8MfP4TPsU9Dsi4FZQs0jemOVFKlTpkC/s1600/faherty.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfvPU-lXn7Z_ESJemLepjdF8G71sANrjb6RlrX04GXHOy7Xr9wV1jPrMuyVdtqL-IdHDR35uOaJBCsggVE0G0IlgSSyPVv90UdztMG-pUcdCsCB8MfP4TPsU9Dsi4FZQs0jemOVFKlTpkC/s200/faherty.JPG" /></a></div>
</td> <td><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=1172609038729367899&postID=3797737327804144842" name="#faherty"></a><b>JG Faherty</b>
is an Active Member in the Horror Writers Association. His first novel,
CARNIVAL OF FEAR, was published in 2010. His second book, GHOSTS OF
CORONADO BAY, was released in 2011, and his third will be coming out in
late 2011 as well. His other credits include <i>Cemetery Dance</i>, <i>Shroud Magazine</i>, and several major anthologies, among them <i>Appalachian Winter Hauntings</i>, <i>Legends of the Mountain State 3 & 4</i>, <i>Bound for Evil</i>, <i>Dark Territories</i>, <i>Horror Library IV</i>, and the upcoming <i>Beast Within 2</i> and <i>Best New Zombie Tales 3</i>.<br />
<br />
A freelance writer with over 15 years of experience, his varied
background includes working as a laboratory manager, accident scene
photographer, zoo keeper, research scientist, and resume writer. When it
comes to humor, he enjoys teaching bad words to small children,
watching <i>Married with Children</i>, wearing ugly Hawaiian shirts, and trading insults with his friends. </td> </tr>
<tr style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"> <td><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdXDXUGJMvE9q4YAjBL-CeijpA_Aq_E0Z21BWxmS7y4HbmgQccIYk-K_O6n8xSDJz49Q-zdwbZFv0p3zyTcLTzwn_AaqEsWABmQLkBGy_ur8tDxoxlFtjggRJaiIbcYCYa-jJFThGdHTKU/s1600/baron.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdXDXUGJMvE9q4YAjBL-CeijpA_Aq_E0Z21BWxmS7y4HbmgQccIYk-K_O6n8xSDJz49Q-zdwbZFv0p3zyTcLTzwn_AaqEsWABmQLkBGy_ur8tDxoxlFtjggRJaiIbcYCYa-jJFThGdHTKU/s200/baron.jpg" /></a></div>
</td> <td><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=1172609038729367899&postID=3797737327804144842" name="#baron"></a><b>Mike Baron</b> broke into comics with <i>Nexus</i>, his groundbreaking science fiction title co-created with illustrator Steve Rude. He has written for <i>Creem</i>, <i>The Boston Globe</i>, <i>Isthmus</i>, <i>AARP Magazine</i>, <i>Oui</i>, <i>Madison</i>, <i>Fusion</i>, <i>Poudre Magazine</i>, <i>Argosy</i> and many others. <i>Nexus</i> is currently being published in hardcover by Dark Horse. Baron has won two Eisners and an Inkpot for his work on <i>Nexus</i>, now being published in five languages including French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. Baron’s revamp of DC’s <i>The Flash </i>continues to garner great reviews. Marvel recently published two collections of Baron’s Work, <i>The Essential Punisher Vol. II</i> and <i>The Essential Punisher Vol. III</i>. <br />
<br />
A prolific creator, Baron is at least partly responsible for <a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><i>The Badger</i></a>, <i>Spyke</i>, <i>Feud</i>, <i>The Hook</i>, and <i>The Architect</i>. The latter is available as a graphic novel from Big Head Press. <a href="http://www.bloodyredbaron.net/">www.bloodyredbaron.net</a></td> </tr>
<tr> <td><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb8rYRIlkeUosANGK0euPL_z5-km-k7e_Alf3_tatbo4vF9Jb2Kzmki99zkra-8jHA8SmbThGR8gMx0Uj3ukPGaaZi6ULZ-YCoyeetff-wm9kN0ZmjnseRWsyC7FfSsDkxnN8trWgx29Q4/s1600/ryan.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb8rYRIlkeUosANGK0euPL_z5-km-k7e_Alf3_tatbo4vF9Jb2Kzmki99zkra-8jHA8SmbThGR8gMx0Uj3ukPGaaZi6ULZ-YCoyeetff-wm9kN0ZmjnseRWsyC7FfSsDkxnN8trWgx29Q4/s320/ryan.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by<br />
Mikkel Paige</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td> <td><br />
<b>Jeff Ryan</b> is the author of <i>Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America</i>. He first got interested in mixing comedy and horror when a clown murdered his dog.<br />
<a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/dailymario">twitter.com/#!/dailymario</a> | <a href="http://supermariobook.com/">supermariobook.com</a></td> </tr>
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<a href="http://home.roadrunner.com/%7Edavidsworks/homepage/NYC%20ThrillerFest%202010%20018.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div>
</td> <td><br />
<b>David Sakmyster</b> is an award-winning author and screenwriter whose short stories have appeared in <i>The Writers of the Future Anthology</i>, <i>ChiZine</i>, <i>Horrorworld</i>, <i>Black Static</i>, <i>Talebones</i>, <i>Abyss & Apex </i>
and others. THE PHAROS OBJECTIVE and forthcoming THE MONGOL OBJECTIVE
are the first two novels in a series about psychic archaeologists. He’s
also written the horror novel CRESCENT LAKE, and the historical fiction
epic, SILVER AND GOLD. You can step into his mind at <a href="http://www.sakmyster.com/">www.sakmyster.com</a>.</td> </tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISuZmScDZKg8926liEAAlXmgLDCRD9MNiRjkptGymp_EL_7hm_JlD48z9m67bcHLSmV8qsI6Sa-fEXiO8E0PWH4z2bqLHIHzD9mt3kZqgGSTxQp2hlAHOUZcFj_IdP3CDrQxxIrcICZZw/s1600/taylor.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISuZmScDZKg8926liEAAlXmgLDCRD9MNiRjkptGymp_EL_7hm_JlD48z9m67bcHLSmV8qsI6Sa-fEXiO8E0PWH4z2bqLHIHzD9mt3kZqgGSTxQp2hlAHOUZcFj_IdP3CDrQxxIrcICZZw/s320/taylor.jpg" width="75" /></a></div>
</td> <td><br />
<b>John Alfred Taylor</b> is a retired professor of English in Southwest
Pennsylvania, and has been writing science fiction and horror for
years. He has been published in GALAXY, GALILEO, GRUE, OCEANS OF THE
MIND, and ASIMOV’S, and had stories reprinted in YEAR’S BEST HORROR
STORIES. A collection of Taylor’s horror stories, HELL IS MURKY, is
available from Ash-Tree Press.</td> </tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc50V_Ui9TcUn8VUVT-hg5MypIOTCxPZMqWLUmR-SomNUAuC52zYzFmDt_c9VNHMMg5cDm5JW-BU4eC0ooP1_S1-CclBIHHgolSNIJO52SpoXRX_74S4ORS0B2Yf0k6jC9k1PODqCcP7kl/s1600/ludens.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc50V_Ui9TcUn8VUVT-hg5MypIOTCxPZMqWLUmR-SomNUAuC52zYzFmDt_c9VNHMMg5cDm5JW-BU4eC0ooP1_S1-CclBIHHgolSNIJO52SpoXRX_74S4ORS0B2Yf0k6jC9k1PODqCcP7kl/s320/ludens.jpg" /></a></div>
</td> <td><br />
<b>Adrian Ludens</b> is a radio personality and program director for a
classic rock station in the Black Hills of South Dakota. His fiction has
appeared in Morpheus Tales, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and a
number of small press horror anthologies. Recent appearances include
stories in <i>Made You Flinch 2: Two For Flinching</i> (edited by Bill Tucker, Library of Horror Press) and in <i>Zombie Kong</i> (edited by James Roy Daley, Books of the Dead Press). Adrian first short story collection is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Adrian-Ludens/e/B003NJ4AEC/ref=sr_tc_ep?qid=1307580118">available on Amazon</a>.</td> </tr>
<tr> <td><br />
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</td> <td><b>Chris Abbey</b> was created in the 60s during a bad
thunderstorm and someone’s bad trip. His hobbies are grave-robbing,
sewer-lurking, and macrame. He is considering a job offer from a major
magazine, and will consider it further if the offer ever actually
happens. The picture is a still from a YouTube video in which he
discusses how to tell a joke (true).</td> </tr>
<tr style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"> <td><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgWiW6vZ6W6UKIW8n1aUuVixNk4aSrsVOnrDNeFiTVob4ajQv3yZU6EtvxJdRUDS4k1MK7-n9b6km47LYBYH6l-QQ7zDzZ_068XURB0Lz9VlQsGGHAuxZYjsYe6JE-Lyl5WJnBEMiZrIwd/s1600/golden.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgWiW6vZ6W6UKIW8n1aUuVixNk4aSrsVOnrDNeFiTVob4ajQv3yZU6EtvxJdRUDS4k1MK7-n9b6km47LYBYH6l-QQ7zDzZ_068XURB0Lz9VlQsGGHAuxZYjsYe6JE-Lyl5WJnBEMiZrIwd/s320/golden.jpg" /></a></div>
</td> <td><b>Christopher Golden</b> is an award-winning, bestselling
author of novels for adults and teens, as well as a comic book writer,
screenwriter, and editor. He was born and raised in Massachusetts,
where he still lives with his family, and his original novels have been
published in more than fourteen languages in countries around the
world. His is not funny. Please visit him at <a href="http://www.christophergolden.com/">www.christophergolden.com</a></td> </tr>
<tr> <td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://jeffstrand.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/jeffstrand72dpi180x270.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://jeffstrand.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/jeffstrand72dpi180x270.jpg" width="100px" /></a></div>
</td> <td><br />
<b>Jeff Strand</b>: Stories by Jeff Strand have appeared in all three
BLOOD LITE volumes. He’s written a bunch of novels, including stuff like
WOLF HUNT and FANGBOY, and he’ll give you a great big hug if you visit
his website at <a href="http://www.jeffstrand.com/">www.jeffstrand.com</a>.</td></tr>
<tr> <td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/wp-content/themes/kelleyarmstrong/images/kelley-small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/wp-content/themes/kelleyarmstrong/images/kelley-small.jpg" width="100px" /></a></div>
</td> <td><br />
<b>Kelley Armstrong</b>: Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed. Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series, "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, and Nadia Stafford crime series. She lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets. <a href="http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/">www.KelleyArmstrong.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>D.L. Snellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13176046744094730375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172609038729367899.post-21900258003984068922012-05-08T08:00:00.000-07:002012-05-08T08:00:13.728-07:00BLOOD LITE: AFTERTASTE – Roundtable 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1451636245/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=exit66net-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1451636245" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/519RZC-VHmL._SL210_.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>BLOOD LITE: AFTERTASTE edited by Kevin J. Anderson (Gallery Books)</b><br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br />
The third book in the hilarious and horrifying national bestselling
anthology series from the Horror Writers Association—a frightfest of
sidesplitting stories from such New York Times bestselling authors as
Jim Butcher, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Heather Graham, L.A. Banks, Kelley
Armstrong, and many more!<br />
<br />
Horror fiction explores the dark side of human nature, often pushing the
limits of violence, graphic gore, and extreme emotions. <i>Blood Lite III: Aftertaste</i> puts the fun back into dark fiction, featuring a wide range of humorous and highly entertaining horror-filled tales.<br />
<br />
After my <a href="http://www.dlsnell.com/2011/04/kevin-j-anderson-interview.html">interview with Kevin J. Anderson</a>, the <i>Blood Lite</i>
editor, I tapped a bunch of the authors to talk about why humor is so
important in the horror genre, and what inspired their horrifically
hilarious tales. This is part two of four.</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<hr />
<b>What’s the most horrific thing you have seen, heard, or read that made you laugh even though you weren’t supposed to?</b><br />
<hr />
</div>
<br />
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><b>Lisa Morton</b>:
I once laughed at a nutcase who was threatening me. Probably not my
smartest move, but it just came out...and it was worth it for the look
on the whackjob’s face (who did leave me alone).</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><b>J</b><b>G Faherty</b>: Well, I know I’m not alone in my habit of
laughing at funerals and wakes. Again, it’s an unconscious need to
release tension, to make the horrific more palatable. Not unlike my
habit of cracking a joke or wise comment when driving past a terrible
accident. People often call it a morbid sense of humor, but it’s simply a
defense mechanism. Make it funny and you don’t have to think about the
reality of a situation. It also happens in bad movies, like the Saw
series, where the gore is so outlandish and over the top that it simply
stops being scary and just ends up being stupid. Although I have to
admit, years ago while working as a photographer I did accident scene
photo work for the local police and one time I had to take pictures
after someone was run over by a train. There was a single eyeball
sitting on a rail. I still have that photo someplace, and it still makes
me laugh. I love bringing it out at parties. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.amazon.com/Blood-Lite-II-Kevin-Anderson/dp/B0058M8Z5W" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51lhiOefj0L._SL210_.jpg" /></a>
<li><b>Mike Baron</b>: A tale. I was talking to Snake yesterday. He
said, some years ago he was riding with his club, when the lead bike
struck a deer. The rider struck the deer in such a way that the antler
pierced the forehead of the unfortunate. It entered his forehead and
protruded from the top of his skull. Snake went to the aid of his fallen
bro. Grabbed hold of the deer which was thrashing about with the
impaled in tow. Snake reached for his knife and wrestled the deer down
and slit its throat. The rest of the gang then hog piled on the deer as
it went through its death throes. They then decapitated the deer. The
ambulance arrives, is stunned by the blood and gore, not to mention the
pierced biker, saws off the antler and transports the wounded.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><b>Jeff Ryan</b>: My younger brother was in second grade. He had a
mean lunch lady who I’ll call Ida. None of the kids liked her. One
morning the principal announced that, sadly, Ida had died last night.
Silence, then...a cheer. Then another, from another classroom. Soon the
entire elementary schoolful of young children was celebrating an old
lady’s death. The principal was stuck saying “this isn’t an appropriate
response.” A teacher friend of mine said that was the worst thing he’d
ever heard.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><b>David Sakmyster</b>: I know I’m not alone, but I thought what was supposed to be so horrific about <i>The Human Centipede</i>
was actually hilarious. I guess for me there’s just no conceivable way
to depict the consumption of human waste and not leave a… (ahem)… funny
taste in the mouth. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><b>John Alfred Taylor</b>: The last words of vulcanologist David
Johnson watching Mt. St. Helens March 20, 1980: “Vancouver!
Vancouver! This is it!” Pyroclastic flow isn’t anything to laugh at,
but how right he was.<br />
<br />
The First and Second Defenstrations of Prague: the first bunch out the
window were saved by a convenient dung heap below, the second bunch
years later died because of improved sanitation. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><b>Adrian Ludens</b>: I’m glad you asked because I need to get this
off my chest. When I was a junior in high school, we watched a
documentary about Nazi Germany in a history class. This documentary
focused on the atrocities of the concentration camps. The images and
footage really shook me up. And the feeling of sadness and horror
continued to mount. On the TV screen, we’re watching Nazi soldiers
tossing bodies into a mass grave. Just a tangle of limbs down a massive
hole. Then they’re carrying what is obviously a little kid and they stop
on the lip of the hole. As they let the body slide down the side of the
pit someone in class audibly said: “Wheeee!”<br />
<br />
That someone was me. Several other students gasped and looked at me with
disgust. But I don’t think any of them understood what made me do it. I
couldn’t take the horror any more. I HAD to lighten the mood. A person
can only take so much sadness before they start joking around. That’s
what happened to me that day.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><b>Chris Abbey</b>: <i>Cop Rock</i>. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Lite-Anthology-Presented-Association/dp/B002M3SPAA" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51kfso2M6HL._SL210_.jpg" /></a>
<li><b>Christopher Golden</b>: I’m sure the list is long and...just
wrong. I can’t even begin to come up with the number one thing on that
list, but just yesterday I cracked up when I saw video of one of the
assholes who rioted in Vancouver after the Canucks lost the Stanley Cup
to the Bruins. Thanks to riot police, the poor bastard got a flashbang
to the crotch. Essentially a small explosion, followed by fire. It
shouldn’t be funny, but it so is. Though I laughed much harder watching
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><i>this</i> video</a>, mainly because of the scream and the commentator’s amused sympathy.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><b>Jeff Strand</b>: When I laugh inappropriately, it’s usually over
something immature rather than something horrific. Though when I was in
high school I was at a friend’s house watching BLOOD FEAST, and when the
woman got her tongue ripped out my friend’s little brother let out a
horrified “<i>Oooohhh</i>” which I thought was absolutely hilarious. The poor kid is probably traumatized to this day. I’m a bad person.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<b>Part 3 coming next week!</b></div>
<br />
<br />
<u style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Related Articles</b></u><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
- </span><a href="http://www.dlsnell.com/2011/04/kevin-j-anderson-interview.html" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Kevin J. Anderson interview</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><u><b>BLOOD LITE: AFTERTASTE AUTHORS</b></u></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM5h0DfE6O6Dd18TGyM7GIrB9PIjAymuUWrfunlAkIJkWxEl4H2LS-esNDhSKkQ2yyIMBBlkFwl8k5_YVEilpW2iRjI2ioHe5t7MJMvn5fVytNK2s4I0bBNp-r-bS5ue3W77Z0C6UJUEnw/s1600/lisa.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM5h0DfE6O6Dd18TGyM7GIrB9PIjAymuUWrfunlAkIJkWxEl4H2LS-esNDhSKkQ2yyIMBBlkFwl8k5_YVEilpW2iRjI2ioHe5t7MJMvn5fVytNK2s4I0bBNp-r-bS5ue3W77Z0C6UJUEnw/s1600/lisa.jpg" /></a></div>
</td> <td><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=1172609038729367899&postID=3797737327804144842" name="#morton"></a><b>Lisa Morton</b>
has written six movies, four books of non-fiction, two novellas, one
novel, and somewhere around fifty short stories. She’s a three-time
Stoker Award winner, a recipient of the Black Quill Award, and her cats
think she’s awesome. She lives online at <a href="http://www.lisamorton.com/">www.lisamorton.com</a>.</td> </tr>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=1172609038729367899&postID=3797737327804144842" name="#faherty"></a><b>JG Faherty</b>
is an Active Member in the Horror Writers Association. His first novel,
CARNIVAL OF FEAR, was published in 2010. His second book, GHOSTS OF
CORONADO BAY, was released in 2011, and his third will be coming out in
late 2011 as well. His other credits include <i>Cemetery Dance</i>, <i>Shroud Magazine</i>, and several major anthologies, among them <i>Appalachian Winter Hauntings</i>, <i>Legends of the Mountain State 3 & 4</i>, <i>Bound for Evil</i>, <i>Dark Territories</i>, <i>Horror Library IV</i>, and the upcoming <i>Beast Within 2</i> and <i>Best New Zombie Tales 3</i>.<br />
<br />
A freelance writer with over 15 years of experience, his varied
background includes working as a laboratory manager, accident scene
photographer, zoo keeper, research scientist, and resume writer. When it
comes to humor, he enjoys teaching bad words to small children,
watching <i>Married with Children</i>, wearing ugly Hawaiian shirts, and trading insults with his friends. </td> </tr>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=1172609038729367899&postID=3797737327804144842" name="#baron"></a><b>Mike Baron</b> broke into comics with <i>Nexus</i>, his groundbreaking science fiction title co-created with illustrator Steve Rude. He has written for <i>Creem</i>, <i>The Boston Globe</i>, <i>Isthmus</i>, <i>AARP Magazine</i>, <i>Oui</i>, <i>Madison</i>, <i>Fusion</i>, <i>Poudre Magazine</i>, <i>Argosy</i> and many others. <i>Nexus</i> is currently being published in hardcover by Dark Horse. Baron has won two Eisners and an Inkpot for his work on <i>Nexus</i>, now being published in five languages including French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. Baron’s revamp of DC’s <i>The Flash </i>continues to garner great reviews. Marvel recently published two collections of Baron’s Work, <i>The Essential Punisher Vol. II</i> and <i>The Essential Punisher Vol. III</i>. <br />
<br />
A prolific creator, Baron is at least partly responsible for <a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><i>The Badger</i></a>, <i>Spyke</i>, <i>Feud</i>, <i>The Hook</i>, and <i>The Architect</i>. The latter is available as a graphic novel from Big Head Press. <a href="http://www.bloodyredbaron.net/">www.bloodyredbaron.net</a></td> </tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb8rYRIlkeUosANGK0euPL_z5-km-k7e_Alf3_tatbo4vF9Jb2Kzmki99zkra-8jHA8SmbThGR8gMx0Uj3ukPGaaZi6ULZ-YCoyeetff-wm9kN0ZmjnseRWsyC7FfSsDkxnN8trWgx29Q4/s1600/ryan.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb8rYRIlkeUosANGK0euPL_z5-km-k7e_Alf3_tatbo4vF9Jb2Kzmki99zkra-8jHA8SmbThGR8gMx0Uj3ukPGaaZi6ULZ-YCoyeetff-wm9kN0ZmjnseRWsyC7FfSsDkxnN8trWgx29Q4/s320/ryan.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by<br />
Mikkel Paige</td></tr>
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<b>Jeff Ryan</b> is the author of <i>Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America</i>. He first got interested in mixing comedy and horror when a clown murdered his dog.<br />
<a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/dailymario">twitter.com/#!/dailymario</a> | <a href="http://supermariobook.com/">supermariobook.com</a></td> </tr>
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<b>David Sakmyster</b> is an award-winning author and screenwriter whose short stories have appeared in <i>The Writers of the Future Anthology</i>, <i>ChiZine</i>, <i>Horrorworld</i>, <i>Black Static</i>, <i>Talebones</i>, <i>Abyss & Apex </i>
and others. THE PHAROS OBJECTIVE and forthcoming THE MONGOL OBJECTIVE
are the first two novels in a series about psychic archaeologists. He’s
also written the horror novel CRESCENT LAKE, and the historical fiction
epic, SILVER AND GOLD. You can step into his mind at <a href="http://www.sakmyster.com/">www.sakmyster.com</a>.</td> </tr>
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<b>John Alfred Taylor</b> is a retired professor of English in Southwest
Pennsylvania, and has been writing science fiction and horror for
years. He has been published in GALAXY, GALILEO, GRUE, OCEANS OF THE
MIND, and ASIMOV’S, and had stories reprinted in YEAR’S BEST HORROR
STORIES. A collection of Taylor’s horror stories, HELL IS MURKY, is
available from Ash-Tree Press.</td> </tr>
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<b>Adrian Ludens</b> is a radio personality and program director for a
classic rock station in the Black Hills of South Dakota. His fiction has
appeared in Morpheus Tales, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and a
number of small press horror anthologies. Recent appearances include
stories in <i>Made You Flinch 2: Two For Flinching</i> (edited by Bill Tucker, Library of Horror Press) and in <i>Zombie Kong</i> (edited by James Roy Daley, Books of the Dead Press). Adrian first short story collection is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Adrian-Ludens/e/B003NJ4AEC/ref=sr_tc_ep?qid=1307580118">available on Amazon</a>.</td> </tr>
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</td> <td><b>Chris Abbey</b> was created in the 60s during a bad
thunderstorm and someone’s bad trip. His hobbies are grave-robbing,
sewer-lurking, and macrame. He is considering a job offer from a major
magazine, and will consider it further if the offer ever actually
happens. The picture is a still from a YouTube video in which he
discusses how to tell a joke (true).</td> </tr>
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</td> <td><b>Christopher Golden</b> is an award-winning, bestselling
author of novels for adults and teens, as well as a comic book writer,
screenwriter, and editor. He was born and raised in Massachusetts,
where he still lives with his family, and his original novels have been
published in more than fourteen languages in countries around the
world. His is not funny. Please visit him at <a href="http://www.christophergolden.com/">www.christophergolden.com</a></td> </tr>
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<b>Jeff Strand</b>: Stories by Jeff Strand have appeared in all three
BLOOD LITE volumes. He’s written a bunch of novels, including stuff like
WOLF HUNT and FANGBOY, and he’ll give you a great big hug if you visit
his website at <a href="http://www.jeffstrand.com/">www.jeffstrand.com</a>.</td></tr>
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<b>Kelley Armstrong</b>: Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed. Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series, "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, and Nadia Stafford crime series. She lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets. <a href="http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/">www.KelleyArmstrong.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>D.L. Snellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13176046744094730375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172609038729367899.post-37977373278041448422012-05-01T08:00:00.000-07:002012-05-02T08:52:11.913-07:00BLOOD LITE: AFTERTASTE – Roundtable 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1451636245/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=exit66net-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1451636245" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/519RZC-VHmL._SL210_.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>BLOOD LITE: AFTERTASTE edited by Kevin J. Anderson (Gallery Books)</b><br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br />
The third book in the hilarious and horrifying national bestselling
anthology series from the Horror Writers Association—a frightfest of
sidesplitting stories from such New York Times bestselling authors as
Jim Butcher, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Heather Graham, L.A. Banks, Kelley
Armstrong, and many more!<br />
<br />
Horror fiction explores the dark side of human nature, often pushing the
limits of violence, graphic gore, and extreme emotions. <i>Blood Lite III: Aftertaste</i> puts the fun back into dark fiction, featuring a wide range of humorous and highly entertaining horror-filled tales.<br />
<br />
After my <a href="http://www.dlsnell.com/2011/04/kevin-j-anderson-interview.html">interview with Kevin J. Anderson</a>, the <i>Blood Lite</i>
editor, I tapped a bunch of the authors to talk about why humor is so
important in the horror genre, and what inspired their horrifically
hilarious tales. This is part one of four.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<hr />
<b>“[W]ith the popularity of shows and movies such as <i>The Walking Dead</i>, <i>True Blood</i>, <i>Twilight</i>, and <i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i>, audiences have demonstrated their love for [horror]—especially accompanied with a dose of humor to tone down the terror.” </b><br />
<br />
<b>This above quote is from the synopsis of <i>Blood Lite: Aftertaste. </i>Why do you think humor is so important in a horror story?</b><br />
<hr />
</div>
<br />
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><b>Lisa Morton</b>: Horror and humor go together like blood and band-aids—one helps to relieve the other.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><b>JG Faherty</b>: First off, I don’t think humor is ‘important’ in a
horror story per say; it’s just that horror with a touch of humor is a
very popular subset of the horror genre, just as it is with any other
genre. Romantic comedies do better than dramatic romance movies; action
movies with a shot of the funnies often do better than hard action.
People like to laugh—it’s a universal. Not everyone enjoys being scared,
or having a good cry, or sitting through impossible car chases. But
show me someone who hates to laugh and I’ll show you a Vulcan. Or a
serial killer. When it comes to horror, I think there is a second factor
as well: it takes the edge off the scares. Instead of having x-number
of hours of intense fear, you have spurts of it broken up by the laughs.
It is a tension release, and you actually look forward to it coming.
The horror is more palatable when you know it’s only temporary.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><b>Mike Baron</b>: Any good story has an element of humor in it.
When we confront the inexplicable or the terrifying humor serves as an
escape valve to help us handle the situation.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><b>Jeff Ryan</b>: There are a million ways to tell a dramatic story
and make it work. If you’re reading a funny story and you don’t chuckle,
it doesn’t work. Ditto for scary stories. And there’s an overlap in
emotions, since fright makes you tense, and laughter releases the
tension. Really, comedy and horror are opposite sides of the same coin.
Mel Brooks said it best: “Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is
when you fall into an open manhole and die.”</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><b>David Sakmyster</b>: Simply put, it provides the necessary spark
of humanity in the face of the inhuman, and reminds us that even when
all seems bleakest, sometimes a little chuckle is all it takes to prove
that IT (whatever horror ‘it’ is)—while it may kill us in horrifying
ways—will never truly get the best of us.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.amazon.com/Blood-Lite-II-Kevin-Anderson/dp/B0058M8Z5W" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51lhiOefj0L._SL210_.jpg" /></a>
<li><b>John Alfred Taylor</b>: It isn’t always. But in entertainments
like those cited the humor reminds the audience that horror is
entertainment, fun with tropes, so to speak. Hoary old tropes that
deserve mockery. Zombies are boring, and vampires metabolically
unconvincing. But one can have knowing fun with the tropes, as in
Scream or The Rocky Horror Show, so you can have your horror cake and
eat it too—simultaneously be scared and laugh at it.<br />
<br />
But humor does other things for horror. For instance it can damp down
the pressure just enough. Think of watching a horror movie in a crowded
theatre—the tension raised instant by instant till a young man
somewhere can’t stand it and bursts into braying laughter. A little
sprinkle of humor at the right moment might prevent that. And sometimes
humor and horror are inseparable: in L. P. Hartley’s “The Traveling
Grave” the protagonist’s misunderstanding of what his host collects
(baby carriages instead of coffins) is part of the fun. Or in stories
by M. R, James the humor helps construct the comfortable tissue of
normality that the revenant rips through: as examples see the choleric
Colonel Wilson in “O Whistle, and I’ll Come to You” or the estate
bailiff spouting malapropisms in “Mr. Humphreys and His Inheritance.” </li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><b>Adrian Ludens</b>: My brother-in-law pointed out that whenever we
go through a Halloween spook house, I’m the one who’s always laughing. I
think there’s something fun about being scared while knowing you are
safe. With a humorous horror story, I think the author is saying to the
reader: ‘Hey, come with me on this crazy adventure... you’re going to
experience some things that are scary or even awful, but don’t worry;
you’ll have fun and maybe even laugh about it.’ </li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><b>Chris Abbey</b>: Horror is a way to distance oneself from the
things of which we are afraid. A second way to distance is to laugh at
them. In “Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein,” for instance, we
laughed at Costello partly because he was so much more frightened of
these monsters than we like to think we’d be. Wes Craven understands the
absurdity of the monster within.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><b>Christopher Golden</b>: A good laugh is cathartic, and so is a
good scare. Put the two together, and it’s even better. Both humor and
horror bring us to a physically agitated state. They give us a rush.
And when we start coming down from that, it’s exhilarating.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Lite-Anthology-Presented-Association/dp/B002M3SPAA" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51kfso2M6HL._SL210_.jpg" /></a>
<li><b>Jeff Strand</b>: Often I like to use humor to soften the reader
for the kill. Make them laugh, lower their defenses, and then hit them
with something much more horrific than they were expecting! Humor can
also be used to create empathy for a character—we like people who make
us laugh—and it can also make a story more realistic because, after all,
real life is funny!</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><b>Kelley Armstrong</b>: I don't think it's critical for horror to have humor, but it does provide tension relief, which can make it a more emotionally satisfying read. As the sense of dread mounts, those little "oases" of humor give the reader breathing space, which can give the next shot of horror an even bigger jolt.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Part 2 coming next week!</span></b><br />
<br />
<br />
<u style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Related Articles</b></u><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
- </span><a href="http://www.dlsnell.com/2011/04/kevin-j-anderson-interview.html" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Kevin J. Anderson interview</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><u><b>BLOOD LITE: AFTERTASTE AUTHORS</b></u></span><br />
<table style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><tbody>
<tr> <td><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM5h0DfE6O6Dd18TGyM7GIrB9PIjAymuUWrfunlAkIJkWxEl4H2LS-esNDhSKkQ2yyIMBBlkFwl8k5_YVEilpW2iRjI2ioHe5t7MJMvn5fVytNK2s4I0bBNp-r-bS5ue3W77Z0C6UJUEnw/s1600/lisa.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM5h0DfE6O6Dd18TGyM7GIrB9PIjAymuUWrfunlAkIJkWxEl4H2LS-esNDhSKkQ2yyIMBBlkFwl8k5_YVEilpW2iRjI2ioHe5t7MJMvn5fVytNK2s4I0bBNp-r-bS5ue3W77Z0C6UJUEnw/s1600/lisa.jpg" /></a></div>
</td> <td><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=1172609038729367899&postID=3797737327804144842" name="#morton"></a><b>Lisa Morton</b>
has written six movies, four books of non-fiction, two novellas, one
novel, and somewhere around fifty short stories. She’s a three-time
Stoker Award winner, a recipient of the Black Quill Award, and her cats
think she’s awesome. She lives online at <a href="http://www.lisamorton.com/">www.lisamorton.com</a>.</td> </tr>
<tr> <td><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfvPU-lXn7Z_ESJemLepjdF8G71sANrjb6RlrX04GXHOy7Xr9wV1jPrMuyVdtqL-IdHDR35uOaJBCsggVE0G0IlgSSyPVv90UdztMG-pUcdCsCB8MfP4TPsU9Dsi4FZQs0jemOVFKlTpkC/s1600/faherty.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfvPU-lXn7Z_ESJemLepjdF8G71sANrjb6RlrX04GXHOy7Xr9wV1jPrMuyVdtqL-IdHDR35uOaJBCsggVE0G0IlgSSyPVv90UdztMG-pUcdCsCB8MfP4TPsU9Dsi4FZQs0jemOVFKlTpkC/s200/faherty.JPG" /></a></div>
</td> <td><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=1172609038729367899&postID=3797737327804144842" name="#faherty"></a><b>JG Faherty</b>
is an Active Member in the Horror Writers Association. His first novel,
CARNIVAL OF FEAR, was published in 2010. His second book, GHOSTS OF
CORONADO BAY, was released in 2011, and his third will be coming out in
late 2011 as well. His other credits include <i>Cemetery Dance</i>, <i>Shroud Magazine</i>, and several major anthologies, among them <i>Appalachian Winter Hauntings</i>, <i>Legends of the Mountain State 3 & 4</i>, <i>Bound for Evil</i>, <i>Dark Territories</i>, <i>Horror Library IV</i>, and the upcoming <i>Beast Within 2</i> and <i>Best New Zombie Tales 3</i>.<br />
<br />
A freelance writer with over 15 years of experience, his varied
background includes working as a laboratory manager, accident scene
photographer, zoo keeper, research scientist, and resume writer. When it
comes to humor, he enjoys teaching bad words to small children,
watching <i>Married with Children</i>, wearing ugly Hawaiian shirts, and trading insults with his friends. </td> </tr>
<tr style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"> <td><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdXDXUGJMvE9q4YAjBL-CeijpA_Aq_E0Z21BWxmS7y4HbmgQccIYk-K_O6n8xSDJz49Q-zdwbZFv0p3zyTcLTzwn_AaqEsWABmQLkBGy_ur8tDxoxlFtjggRJaiIbcYCYa-jJFThGdHTKU/s1600/baron.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdXDXUGJMvE9q4YAjBL-CeijpA_Aq_E0Z21BWxmS7y4HbmgQccIYk-K_O6n8xSDJz49Q-zdwbZFv0p3zyTcLTzwn_AaqEsWABmQLkBGy_ur8tDxoxlFtjggRJaiIbcYCYa-jJFThGdHTKU/s200/baron.jpg" /></a></div>
</td> <td><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=1172609038729367899&postID=3797737327804144842" name="#baron"></a><b>Mike Baron</b> broke into comics with <i>Nexus</i>, his groundbreaking science fiction title co-created with illustrator Steve Rude. He has written for <i>Creem</i>, <i>The Boston Globe</i>, <i>Isthmus</i>, <i>AARP Magazine</i>, <i>Oui</i>, <i>Madison</i>, <i>Fusion</i>, <i>Poudre Magazine</i>, <i>Argosy</i> and many others. <i>Nexus</i> is currently being published in hardcover by Dark Horse. Baron has won two Eisners and an Inkpot for his work on <i>Nexus</i>, now being published in five languages including French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. Baron’s revamp of DC’s <i>The Flash </i>continues to garner great reviews. Marvel recently published two collections of Baron’s Work, <i>The Essential Punisher Vol. II</i> and <i>The Essential Punisher Vol. III</i>. <br />
<br />
A prolific creator, Baron is at least partly responsible for <a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><i>The Badger</i></a>, <i>Spyke</i>, <i>Feud</i>, <i>The Hook</i>, and <i>The Architect</i>. The latter is available as a graphic novel from Big Head Press. <a href="http://www.bloodyredbaron.net/">www.bloodyredbaron.net</a></td> </tr>
<tr> <td><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb8rYRIlkeUosANGK0euPL_z5-km-k7e_Alf3_tatbo4vF9Jb2Kzmki99zkra-8jHA8SmbThGR8gMx0Uj3ukPGaaZi6ULZ-YCoyeetff-wm9kN0ZmjnseRWsyC7FfSsDkxnN8trWgx29Q4/s1600/ryan.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb8rYRIlkeUosANGK0euPL_z5-km-k7e_Alf3_tatbo4vF9Jb2Kzmki99zkra-8jHA8SmbThGR8gMx0Uj3ukPGaaZi6ULZ-YCoyeetff-wm9kN0ZmjnseRWsyC7FfSsDkxnN8trWgx29Q4/s320/ryan.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by<br />
Mikkel Paige</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td> <td><br />
<b>Jeff Ryan</b> is the author of <i>Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America</i>. He first got interested in mixing comedy and horror when a clown murdered his dog.<br />
<a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/dailymario">twitter.com/#!/dailymario</a> | <a href="http://supermariobook.com/">supermariobook.com</a></td> </tr>
<tr style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"> <td><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZce7Bls01BRv7t_bti-XTW08qBLjQRUYenS2iS1BcCNPbSVYw4JA0WpKX_pVFIsKkiUQvOFlhLy3V6eT0L10jj-rvO8pY6j5F0pJlTDq1XtH4FIdzd5V6eavG_Q-T4ZBgEHL4exDjiFCp/s1600/sakmyster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZce7Bls01BRv7t_bti-XTW08qBLjQRUYenS2iS1BcCNPbSVYw4JA0WpKX_pVFIsKkiUQvOFlhLy3V6eT0L10jj-rvO8pY6j5F0pJlTDq1XtH4FIdzd5V6eavG_Q-T4ZBgEHL4exDjiFCp/s320/sakmyster.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://home.roadrunner.com/%7Edavidsworks/homepage/NYC%20ThrillerFest%202010%20018.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div>
</td> <td><br />
<b>David Sakmyster</b> is an award-winning author and screenwriter whose short stories have appeared in <i>The Writers of the Future Anthology</i>, <i>ChiZine</i>, <i>Horrorworld</i>, <i>Black Static</i>, <i>Talebones</i>, <i>Abyss & Apex </i>
and others. THE PHAROS OBJECTIVE and forthcoming THE MONGOL OBJECTIVE
are the first two novels in a series about psychic archaeologists. He’s
also written the horror novel CRESCENT LAKE, and the historical fiction
epic, SILVER AND GOLD. You can step into his mind at <a href="http://www.sakmyster.com/">www.sakmyster.com</a>.</td> </tr>
<tr> <td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISuZmScDZKg8926liEAAlXmgLDCRD9MNiRjkptGymp_EL_7hm_JlD48z9m67bcHLSmV8qsI6Sa-fEXiO8E0PWH4z2bqLHIHzD9mt3kZqgGSTxQp2hlAHOUZcFj_IdP3CDrQxxIrcICZZw/s1600/taylor.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISuZmScDZKg8926liEAAlXmgLDCRD9MNiRjkptGymp_EL_7hm_JlD48z9m67bcHLSmV8qsI6Sa-fEXiO8E0PWH4z2bqLHIHzD9mt3kZqgGSTxQp2hlAHOUZcFj_IdP3CDrQxxIrcICZZw/s320/taylor.jpg" width="75" /></a></div>
</td> <td><br />
<b>John Alfred Taylor</b> is a retired professor of English in Southwest
Pennsylvania, and has been writing science fiction and horror for
years. He has been published in GALAXY, GALILEO, GRUE, OCEANS OF THE
MIND, and ASIMOV’S, and had stories reprinted in YEAR’S BEST HORROR
STORIES. A collection of Taylor’s horror stories, HELL IS MURKY, is
available from Ash-Tree Press.</td> </tr>
<tr style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"> <td><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc50V_Ui9TcUn8VUVT-hg5MypIOTCxPZMqWLUmR-SomNUAuC52zYzFmDt_c9VNHMMg5cDm5JW-BU4eC0ooP1_S1-CclBIHHgolSNIJO52SpoXRX_74S4ORS0B2Yf0k6jC9k1PODqCcP7kl/s1600/ludens.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc50V_Ui9TcUn8VUVT-hg5MypIOTCxPZMqWLUmR-SomNUAuC52zYzFmDt_c9VNHMMg5cDm5JW-BU4eC0ooP1_S1-CclBIHHgolSNIJO52SpoXRX_74S4ORS0B2Yf0k6jC9k1PODqCcP7kl/s320/ludens.jpg" /></a></div>
</td> <td><br />
<b>Adrian Ludens</b> is a radio personality and program director for a
classic rock station in the Black Hills of South Dakota. His fiction has
appeared in Morpheus Tales, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and a
number of small press horror anthologies. Recent appearances include
stories in <i>Made You Flinch 2: Two For Flinching</i> (edited by Bill Tucker, Library of Horror Press) and in <i>Zombie Kong</i> (edited by James Roy Daley, Books of the Dead Press). Adrian first short story collection is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Adrian-Ludens/e/B003NJ4AEC/ref=sr_tc_ep?qid=1307580118">available on Amazon</a>.</td> </tr>
<tr> <td><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjISPWLk0HiZotqyCy9OS3IL6hVDh6z7iDpRza9bSSGEap4Lx-888HKIyxKBCq5wUV04AgSYnzGeXmWljKVq7xKHeWEo5WwxNWHGV9Cbk_K7nzpvSRxHAbGfLdmAiPMmR1YNDXBY6jnr8yM/s1600/Abbey.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjISPWLk0HiZotqyCy9OS3IL6hVDh6z7iDpRza9bSSGEap4Lx-888HKIyxKBCq5wUV04AgSYnzGeXmWljKVq7xKHeWEo5WwxNWHGV9Cbk_K7nzpvSRxHAbGfLdmAiPMmR1YNDXBY6jnr8yM/s320/Abbey.jpg" width="100px" /></a></div>
</td> <td><b>Chris Abbey</b> was created in the 60s during a bad
thunderstorm and someone’s bad trip. His hobbies are grave-robbing,
sewer-lurking, and macrame. He is considering a job offer from a major
magazine, and will consider it further if the offer ever actually
happens. The picture is a still from a YouTube video in which he
discusses how to tell a joke (true).</td> </tr>
<tr style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"> <td><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgWiW6vZ6W6UKIW8n1aUuVixNk4aSrsVOnrDNeFiTVob4ajQv3yZU6EtvxJdRUDS4k1MK7-n9b6km47LYBYH6l-QQ7zDzZ_068XURB0Lz9VlQsGGHAuxZYjsYe6JE-Lyl5WJnBEMiZrIwd/s1600/golden.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgWiW6vZ6W6UKIW8n1aUuVixNk4aSrsVOnrDNeFiTVob4ajQv3yZU6EtvxJdRUDS4k1MK7-n9b6km47LYBYH6l-QQ7zDzZ_068XURB0Lz9VlQsGGHAuxZYjsYe6JE-Lyl5WJnBEMiZrIwd/s320/golden.jpg" /></a></div>
</td> <td><b>Christopher Golden</b> is an award-winning, bestselling
author of novels for adults and teens, as well as a comic book writer,
screenwriter, and editor. He was born and raised in Massachusetts,
where he still lives with his family, and his original novels have been
published in more than fourteen languages in countries around the
world. His is not funny. Please visit him at <a href="http://www.christophergolden.com/">www.christophergolden.com</a></td> </tr>
<tr> <td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://jeffstrand.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/jeffstrand72dpi180x270.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://jeffstrand.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/jeffstrand72dpi180x270.jpg" width="100px" /></a></div>
</td> <td><br />
<b>Jeff Strand</b>: Stories by Jeff Strand have appeared in all three
BLOOD LITE volumes. He’s written a bunch of novels, including stuff like
WOLF HUNT and FANGBOY, and he’ll give you a great big hug if you visit
his website at <a href="http://www.jeffstrand.com/">www.jeffstrand.com</a>.</td></tr>
<tr> <td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/wp-content/themes/kelleyarmstrong/images/kelley-small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/wp-content/themes/kelleyarmstrong/images/kelley-small.jpg" width="100px" /></a></div>
</td> <td><br />
<b>Kelley Armstrong</b>: Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed. Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series, "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, and Nadia Stafford crime series. She lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets. <a href="http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/">www.KelleyArmstrong.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>D.L. Snellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13176046744094730375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172609038729367899.post-64135729028145027582012-03-17T16:34:00.001-07:002012-03-17T16:37:58.456-07:00Mirror Shards, Vol 2<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><u>THE MARKET</u></b>
</div>
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><b>Antho</b>: Mirror Shards, Vol 2</li>
<li><b>Editor(s)</b>: Thomas K. Carpenter</li>
<li><b>Pay Rate</b>: 2¢ to 5¢ per word</li>
<li><b>Response Time</b>: usually less than one week</li>
<li><b>Reading Period</b>: until May 5th</li>
<li><b>Description</b>: Augmented reality holds the promise of great social change in both the near and far-flung futures. It’s also a wonderful medium for storytelling as information and graphics overlain eye-screens challenges the doors of perception and creates mixed-reality worlds to work and play. The stories can be set in any place, time, or genre, as long as the story cannot exist bereft of augmented reality. Feel free to explore the edges of the technology.</li>
<li><b>Submission Guidelines</b>: <a href="http://www.blackmoonbooks.com/">www.blackmoonbooks.com</a></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<b style="color: red;">NOTE</b>: Author <a href="http://www.dlsnell.com/">D.L. Snell</a> conducted the following interview to give writers a better idea of what the editors of this specific market are seeking; however, most editors are open to ideas outside of the preferences discussed here, as long as they fit the basic submission guidelines.
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<b><u>THE SCOOP</u></b>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<b>1) What authors do you enjoy, and why does their writing captivate you?</b></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
This could be a long list, but I’ll try to keep it to my major influences: George RR Martin, Gene Wolfe, Kris Rusch, William Gibson, Stephen King, Suzanne Collins, Cory Doctorow, Scott Westerfeld, Neal Stephenson.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
As you can see, I’m all over the map and I was sticking mostly to the speculative fiction genres. It’s hard to put a finger on exactly what captivates me, but I would say great characters and interesting stories. Martin hits my reader cookies so completely that I will read anything of his, and usually multiple times as I study how he works his craft. He’s a master.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
And while I have a few prose-heavy writers on that list, like Wolfe and Gibson, it’s their storytelling that interests me, not their literary stylings. In fact, what usually disappoints me about their stories is I have a hard time getting friends and family to read their works because they’re rather imposing on the prose. It’s not that I don’t love what they’re doing, I do, it’s more that the average reader has a hard time connecting to them.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<b>2) What are your favorite genres? Which genres would you like to see incorporated into submissions to this market?</b></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
This is by its nature a science fiction theme, but other genres can be mixed freely. Last year's Volume One was heavy on the near-future stories. I'm hoping writers push a little further out on the spectrum and take chances with their writing. </div>
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<b>3) What settings most intrigue you? Ordinary or exotic locales? Real or fantasy? Past, present, or future?</b></div>
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I like big, bold storytelling. The type of stories I like show up regularly in the Writers of the Future contest. So if you're wanting to stand out from the hundreds of similar slush stories I'll see, take me to an exotic location and tell me a story I've never heard before. </div>
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<b>4) Explain the type of pacing you enjoy, e.g. slow building to fast, fast throughout, etc.</b></div>
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That’s a hard one to answer. The pacing depends on the story being told. Pacing is like breathing, there’s purpose to the hesitation between the in-breath and the out. I would caution against all slow pacing, but unless there’s a stylistic reason, blazing through the story at mach ten without giving the reader a breath can be overwhelming.</div>
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<b>5) What types of characters appeal to you the most? Any examples?</b></div>
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I have a sweet spot for flawed, but powerful characters. Lisbeth Salander from the <i>Girl with the Dragon Tattoo</i> comes to mind first. Just about any character in Martin’s <i>Game of Thrones</i>. The Gunslinger and Wolfe’s Severion are other examples.</div>
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<b>6) Is there a specific tone you’d like to set in your publication? What kind of voices grab you and keep you enthralled? Any examples?</b></div>
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Voice works when it works? I’ve been studying a lot of short fiction lately (even more than I usually do), and I’ve seen a lot of differing voice styles work. There has to be some anchor to the reader, but if you can do that and hold interest, then it’ll come together.</div>
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<b>7) What is your policy for vulgarity, violence, and sexual content? Any taboos?</b></div>
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No taboos as long as it’s for the story’s sake. The further away you get from the norm, the harder it is to justify. And shocking for the sake of shocking won’t get far.</div>
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<b><br />8) What kind of themes are you seeking most in submissions to this market? In general, what themes interest you? </b></div>
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Augmented reality can be used in a diverse enough way that any theme can be explored as long as it involves the human condition.</div>
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<b>9) Overall, do you prefer downbeat or upbeat endings?</b></div>
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Prefer upbeat, but downbeat is acceptable as long as it serves the denouement. A tragically beautiful ending is difficult, but powerful when it's pulled off. </div>
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<b>10) Any last advice for submitters to this market? Any critical do’s or do not’s?</b></div>
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Understand what augmented reality (AR) is all about. Be creative and push the boundaries. Don’t just slap AR into a current story and send it in. That tactic is extremely obvious. But also, don’t let the story just be about the technology. We have to be invested in the character before we can care about how technology changes us. Fiction provides understanding into the human condition and science fiction just provides a unique lens. Flip the lens to AR, turn it to eleven and send in your best stories.</div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">For more scoops</span>, go to <a href="http://www.dlsnell.com/">www.dlsnell.com</a>.
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<span style="font-style: italic;">D.L. SNELL is an acclaimed novelist from the Pacific Northwest. Anthologies include Pocket Books’ Blood Lite series, edited by best-selling author Kevin J. Anderson. Snell’s first novel, </span>Roses of Blood on Barbwire Vines<span style="font-style: italic;">, also attained critical acclaim from popular novelists such as New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry. Visit his website at <a href="http://dlsnell.com/">dlsnell.com</a>.</span>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">To reprint this article, please <a href="mailto:hugohorror@hotmail.com" style="text-decoration: underline;">contact D.L. Snell</a>.</span></div>D.L. Snellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13176046744094730375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172609038729367899.post-90996740680926030552012-03-05T12:00:00.000-08:002015-01-21T15:56:02.356-08:00THE EDGE OF SUNDOWN antho<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><u>THE MARKET</u></b>
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<li><b>Antho</b>: THE EDGE OF SUNDOWN</li>
<li><b>Editor(s)</b>: Kevin Ross and Brian Sammons</li>
<li><b>Pay Rate</b>: 3¢ / word</li>
<li><b>Response Time</b>: varies, hopefully less than 1 month from this point on (I’ve been terrifically lax so far, KR)</li>
<li><b>Reading Period</b>: at least until July 1, 2012</li>
<li><b>Description</b>: HORROR stories set in the American west (1860-1900), 4000-8000 words preferred, no humor or poetry</li>
<li><b>Submission Guidelines</b>: <a href="http://www.freewebs.com/brian_sammons/editorwork.htm">www.freewebs.com/brian_sammons/</a></li>
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<b style="color: red;">NOTE</b>: Author <a href="http://www.dlsnell.com/">D.L. Snell</a> conducted the following interview to give writers a better idea of what the editors of this specific market are seeking; however, most editors are open to ideas outside of the preferences discussed here, as long as they fit the basic submission guidelines.
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<b><u>THE SCOOP</u></b>
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<b>1) What authors do you enjoy, and why does their writing captivate you?</b></div>
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<b>KR</b>: I’m old-fashioned, so my tastes run to a lot of classics: Lovecraft, Hodgson, Machen, and their descendants, T.E.D. Klein, Karl Edward Wagner, Ramsey Campbell. With the exception of HPL and Campbell, these guys have simple straightforward styles that don’t get in the way of the stories they’re trying to tell.</div>
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<b>BMS</b>: Lovecraft, for his original vision of horror. Stephen King for being the first author of adult books I ever read and introducing me to the joys of reading. Robert Bloch and Joe R. Lansdale for doing both bleak horror and black comedy so well. Richard Matheson for being the most consistently good and enjoyable over such a long career. And I can’t forget Robert E. Howard for his manly badassery. </div>
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<b>2) What are your favorite genres? Which genres would you like to see incorporated into submissions to this market?</b></div>
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<b>KR</b>: I’m obviously a big fan of supernatural horror, but much of the reading I’ve done over the past couple of years has been western-related one way or another—a lot of history, but also novels by Peter Brandvold, Elmore Leonard, and Gordon Shirreffs (who’s probably my favorite western novelist—good pulpy stuff).</div>
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<b>BMS</b>: Horror first and foremost, with various flavors of sci-fi and the occasional sword and sorcery fantasy, as long as it’s not too cute and fluffy. As for what I’d like to see for this book, a real blend of honest to god, scary as shit horror with undeniable Old West settings, themes, and characters. I don’t want to see a story, even if it’s a first rate horror tale, that only has the western aspect as set dressing, or a truly great western if it’s not in the least horrifying.</div>
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<b>3) What settings most intrigue you? Ordinary or exotic locales? Real or fantasy? Past, present, or future?</b></div>
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<b>KR</b>: Well, this is a western book, so obviously we want stuff that fits into that genre and setting, whether it’s the eerie deserts and mountains, the agoraphobic plains, or more civilized/genteel atmospheres of cities like San Francisco or New Orleans. Cowtowns, Mexican villages, mining camps, Indian villages. Westward expansion could lead to any number of horrific situations in any number of environments.</div>
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<b>BMS</b>: I usually prefer modern tales, but in the case of this book we really want stories that feel authentic to the old west. If you have a story you wrote for some other setting, don’t think you can retrofit it with cowboy hats and six guns and think that will be good enough. If it is not first and foremost a true western, then it’s not going to fly.</div>
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<b>4) Explain the type of pacing you enjoy, e.g. slow building to fast, fast throughout, etc.</b></div>
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<b>KR</b>: There are lots of different ways to write both horror stories and westerns. Some writers like to come charging out of the gate with an action scene, then settle in for a slow build-up to the story’s climax. I don’t think that’s any more “correct” or preferable than a story that builds slowly from the start. It really depends on what kind of story you’re telling, rather than an overall preference on my part. One thing I do think is missing in a lot of horror fiction is the sense of awe or unease produced just by little things. The recent Japanese-horror films used (and then over-used) this tactic a lot, but you also saw it in Machen and Lovecraft—that twinge of horror you got from something that seemed inconsequential. Or, alternately that gasp of wonder you had, say, when HPL described the awakened Cthulhu as “a mountain walked or stumbled.” That works a helluva lot better for me than a minutely detailed description of a vast alien being.</div>
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<b>BMS</b>: While arguments can be made for any type of story, the majority of short stories I really like are fast paced. I like the sense of action they impart. Conversely when it comes to novels or horror movies, I prefer creeping dread. Yeah that’s weird, I know.</div>
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<b>5) What types of characters appeal to you the most? Any examples?</b></div>
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<b>KR</b>: I figured that since we’re doing a western book we’d see a lot of laconic gunfighters a la Eastwood but that hasn’t been the case so far. I don’t have any preferences, but I’ll share a dislike: all-powerful characters who know everything about the occult or the Cthulhu Mythos or whatever it is they are going to be up against. Continuing characters and horror don’t mix well in my mind, though there are exceptions. I’m well sick of all-knowing invincible Mythos-busters.</div>
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<b>BMS</b>: I always like strong capable characters that nonetheless come up against things they just can’t overcome. It’s the whole feeling of yeah, you might be a bad ass (in whatever field) but compared to this you’re still nothing.</div>
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<b>6) Is there a specific tone you'd like to set in your publication? What kind of voices grab you and keep you enthralled? Any examples?<br />KR</b>: There have been a number of other horror-western and weird western fiction anthologies, but I have yet to see one that emphasizes the HORROR aspect. Most of the anthos I’ve seen have had at least a few stories (often several) that were firmly tongue-in-cheek. That’s NOT what I want for <i>Edge of Sundown</i>. I want HORROR, not broad humor or tall tales or light-hearted bullshit. I want stories that take both genres with deadly seriousness. There can be wit and humor, but these stories should raise goosebumps, not guffaws. As for a specific example, I’ll fall back to one of my favorite horror writers, Karl Edward Wagner. Whether it was his dark fantasy Kane stories or his horror tales, Wagner knew how to tell a story. An unobtrusive voice but always—always—a compelling plot and characters. I’m more of a plot-guy than a prose-aficionado.</div>
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<b>BMS</b>: We decided that this anthology was going to be 100% horror. I want dark, truly horrific horror. No horror-lite, no wink and nod spooky tales, I want the author to first and foremost to try to scare the hell out of the reader. I want feel-bad, twisted, dark as the moonless night, “oh my god I can’t believe I just read that” kind of horror. </div>
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<b>7) What is your policy for vulgarity, violence, and sexual content? Any taboos?</b></div>
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<b>KR</b>: My vocabulary is pretty spicy anyway, so I personally have no limits there. Sex and violence are fine too, as long as you have something to say other than just “here’s some tits and gore.” Too much of horror these days relies on graphic descriptions of violence at the expense of pacing and atmosphere and the aforementioned “awe factor.” Writers seem to be rushing toward the “money shots” of knife slicing skin, bullet tearing through flesh, or teeth ripping throat. I’d rather see something strange and unearthly instead.</div>
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<b>BMS</b>: I’m fine with vulgarity; it’s a form of expression I’m fairly familiar with, as long as it’s warranted. Violence, I like violent horror. While not essential to tell a good story, I grew up in the 1980s reading plenty of splatterpunk. Sex, as long as it’s not just tossed in to be titillating and nothing more, I’m fine with it. As for taboos, for me it would be the victimization and sexualisation of children. No one wants to read that, and if you do, then this is not the book for you.</div>
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<b>8) What kind of themes are you seeking most in submissions to this market? In general, what themes interest you?<br />KR</b>: I strongly prefer supernatural or cosmic horror, though I can definitely see possibilities for psychological horror as well. Sadism and torture porn usually have no draw for me, though there are exceptions. As I said earlier, westward expansion brought people into a big, wild, unexplored part of the country, and I think that’s something worth pursuing: the vast wildernesses, what lies in wait out there, what men can do to each other once they’ve left civilization behind. There’s also the angle of expansion and greed outstripping man’s caution, his rapaciousness and disrespect for the natives and the environment, and so forth.</div>
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<b>BMS</b>: I’d like to see more than the typical tough and stoic gunman fighting some monster that might be the first thing that comes to people’s minds when you say ‘horror western.’ To be sure, there is room in this book for those kinds of stories, but the American Old West was so much more than that. I’d like to see tales from all the other amazingly colorful characters that populated that part of the world in that time. Naturally, I’d like to see elements of the Native Americans, from characters to parts (and/or monsters) from their rich mythology. Perhaps an immigrant from the ‘Old World’ has brought some of his horrors and nightmares with him to this wild New World? Also cosmic horror a la H.P. Lovecraft and how that would interact with the people of the old west would also be a cool idea. Or non-supernatural horror, if it’s truly engaging. </div>
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<b>9) Overall, do you prefer downbeat or upbeat endings?</b></div>
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<b>KR</b>: I’m pretty pessimistic, so I tend toward the bleaker side of things, whether it’s in my own writing or the stories I select. I don’t mind happy endings so long as there’s some cost involved for the survivors. Brushes with the supernatural should always leave scars, whether physical or psychological.</div>
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<b>BMS</b>: Either, but if I had to lean one way or the other, I’d lean toward downbeat. Not only does it feel more horrific to me, I think too many of today’s horror stories have happy endings.</div>
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<b>10) Any last advice for submitters to this market? Any critical do's or do not's?</b></div>
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<b>KR</b>: Take the western and horror genres seriously. DO NOT play them for laughs. Make me shiver, whether it’s with a horde of zombies breaking down the cabin door to eat the man and his son—who have just one bullet left—or the sight of the Thunderbird blocking out the sun as it soars over the desert. Write great stories.</div>
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<b>BMS</b>: Make sure you are well versed in both the old west and what makes a good, scary story. Also avoid the clichés, not every whore had a heart of gold or were soiled doves in the Old West. Some were just mean, nasty, could-give-a-damn-less-about-anyone whores. That’s just one example, there are countless others, so be warned. </div>
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<a href="http://permutedpress.com/smf/index.php?topic=10516.0" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://exit66.net/images/pdogscover.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">For more scoops</span>, go to <a href="http://www.dlsnell.com/">www.dlsnell.com</a>.
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<span style="font-style: italic;">D.L. Snell writes with Permuted Press. He edited Dr. Kim Paffenroth thrice, John Dies at the End once, and provided a constructive critique to Joe McKinney on his next major novel after Dead City, Apocalypse of the Dead. You can shoot D.L. Snell in the head at <a href="http://www.dlsnell.com/">www.dlsnell.com</a>.</span>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">To reprint this article, please <a href="mailto:hugohorror@hotmail.com" style="text-decoration: underline;">contact D.L. Snell</a>.</span></div>
D.L. Snellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13176046744094730375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172609038729367899.post-83888617118537993842012-02-17T12:00:00.000-08:002012-02-17T15:28:03.331-08:00Over the Brink: Environmental Disaster antho<div style="float: right; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnqD4H5aPHObDej8nrpQvjaGFwAvyD5Zp-5c0usx46NgvrOvoz-8IOiAqm-cBRH4sCVAWadJ8E231ZjryuM1LrJRIVI-qEY7iuzhW_mWcBTmbshbadWI4T1DEn6xakC_qP3VLnjXb7mfLu/s1600/DI01492.tiff" width="320" /><br />
<span style="font-size: 8pt; text-align: center;">© University Corporation for Atmospheric Research <br />Photo by Carlye Calvin</span>
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<b><u>THE MARKET</u></b>
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<li><b>Antho</b>: Over the Brink: Environmental Disaster (plus two more anthologies in 2012)</li>
<li><b>Editor(s)</b>: Juliana Rew</li>
<li><b>Pay Rate</b>: 2¢ USD/word</li>
<li><b>Response Time</b>: 6 weeks</li>
<li><b>Reading Period</b>: April 1-30, 2012</li>
<li><b>Description</b>: Anthology with the theme of “Environmental Disaster,” to be published online-only on June 30, 2012</li>
<li><b>Submission Guidelines</b>: <a href="http://www.thirdflatiron.com/simple-page2">www.thirdflatiron.com</a></li>
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<b style="color: red;">NOTE</b>: Author <a href="http://www.dlsnell.com/">D.L. Snell</a> conducted the following interview to give writers a better idea of what the editors of this specific market are seeking; however, most editors are open to ideas outside of the preferences discussed here, as long as they fit the basic submission guidelines.
</div>
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<b><u>THE SCOOP</u></b>
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<b>1) What authors do you enjoy, and why does their writing captivate you?</b></div>
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We like mainline SF/Fantasy writers like Kurt Vonnegut, Arthur C. Clarke, Dan Simmons, Connie Willis, and Vernor Vinge.</div>
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<b>2) What are your favorite genres? Which genres would you like to see incorporated into submissions to this market? </b></div>
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We prefer an SF/Fantasy bent.</div>
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<b>3) What settings most intrigue you? Ordinary or exotic locales? Real or fantasy? Past, present, or future? </b></div>
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We like exotic locales, but ordinary settings are fine if the story is speculative (for example, time travel) or the situation is out-of-the-ordinary.</div>
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<b>4) Explain the type of pacing you enjoy, e.g. slow building to fast, fast throughout, etc.</b></div>
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We are publishing short stories, so a rather quick build up is desirable.</div>
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<b>5) What types of characters appeal to you the most? Any examples? </b></div>
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We like humans who have a wry sense of humor and a problem-solving attitude. We also like intelligent aliens and creatures.</div>
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<b>6) Is there a specific tone you'd like to set in your publication? What kind of voices grab you and keep you enthralled? Any examples? </b></div>
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We are looking for stories that revolve around age-old questions and have something instructive to tell us as human beings.</div>
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<b>7) What is your policy for vulgarity, violence, and sexual content? Any taboos?</b></div>
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A little vulgarity is ok where appropriate. No overly graphic depictions of rape and murder, please, although some death and destruction is expected for this collection.</div>
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<b>8) What kind of themes are you seeking most in submissions to this market? In general, what themes interest you? </b></div>
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The current anthology is about environmental disaster, or the fixes we’ve gotten ourselves into. The next anthology (open for submissions on April 1, 2012) will be on the theme of “War.” The final anthology for 2012 will have the theme, “Origins.”</div>
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<b>9) Overall, do you prefer downbeat or upbeat endings? </b></div>
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Either is fine. Also like endings with a twist.</div>
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<b>10) Any last advice for submitters to this market? Any critical do's or do not's? </b></div>
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We are also interested in short humor pieces, which will be featured separately in the anthologies. These should also have an SF/Fantasy bent, preferably.</div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">For more scoops</span>, go to <a href="http://www.dlsnell.com/">www.dlsnell.com</a>.
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=snelletor-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B0073J790U&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="float: left; height: 240px; margin-right: 10px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <span style="font-style: italic;">D.L. Snell writes with Permuted Press. He edited Dr. Kim Paffenroth thrice, John Dies at the End once, and provided a constructive critique to Joe McKinney on his next major novel after Dead City, Apocalypse of the Dead. You can shoot D.L. Snell in the head at <a href="http://www.dlsnell.com/">www.dlsnell.com</a>.</span>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">To reprint this article, please <a href="mailto:hugohorror@hotmail.com" style="text-decoration: underline;">contact D.L. Snell</a>.</span></div>D.L. Snellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13176046744094730375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172609038729367899.post-85232900306869872112012-02-10T17:43:00.000-08:002012-02-10T17:43:40.053-08:00Steampunk Cthulhu antho<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<b><u>THE MARKET</u></b>
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<li><b>Antho</b>: Steampunk Cthulhu</li>
<li><b>Editor(s)</b>: Brian M. Sammons & Glynn Owen Barrass</li>
<li><b>Pay Rate</b>: 3¢ / word + 3 contributor copies</li>
<li><b>Response Time</b>: variable </li>
<li><b>Reading Period</b>: now until July 31</li>
<li><b>Description</b>: The age of steam meets the age of Cthulhu, in a past where technology unbound warps Victorian Britain and the world at large into a dark Steampunk reality.</li>
<li><b>Submission Guidelines</b>: <a href="http://www.freewebs.com/batglynn/steampunkcthulhu.htm">www.freewebs.com/batglynn/</a></li>
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<b style="color: red;">NOTE</b>: Author <a href="http://www.dlsnell.com/">D.L. Snell</a> conducted the following interview to give writers a better idea of what the editors of this specific market are seeking; however, most editors are open to ideas outside of the preferences discussed here, as long as they fit the basic submission guidelines.
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<b><u>THE SCOOP</u></b>
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<b>1) What authors do you enjoy, and why does their writing captivate you?</b><br />
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<b>GB</b>: Gawd there are so many… let’s see now! Two favourites: Raymond Chandler, because of his attention to detail and the rawness of his prose, and of course, H.P. Lovecraft, so rich with imagination and darkness, I couldn’t imagine a world without his sinister vision.<br />
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<b>BMS</b>: Lovecraft, for his original vision of horror. Stephen King for being the first author of adult books I ever read and introducing me to the joys of reading. Robert Bloch and Joe R. Lansdale for doing both bleak horror and black comedy so well. Richard Matheson for being the most consistently good and enjoyable over such a long career. And I can’t forget Robert E. Howard for his manly badassery. <br />
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<b>2) What are your favorite genres? Which genres would you like to see incorporated into submissions to this market?</b><br />
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<b>GB</b>: My genres, cyberpunk, and horror, for the most part. For this book, with immense clues in the title, we want to see the Cthulhu Mythos mixed with Steampunk, and are quite happy to see elements of fantasy, sci-fi, and even comedy within the subs.<br />
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<b>BMS</b>: Horror first and foremost, with various flavours of sci-fi and the occasional sword and sorcery fantasy, as long as it’s not too cute and fluffy. As for what I’d like to see for this book, a real blend of Lovecraftian nihilistic and inescapable horror with the often “future is bright” feel of steampunk. Also, I’d like to see some tales outside of the Victorian Britain setting. </div>
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<b>3) What settings most intrigue you? Ordinary or exotic locales? Real or fantasy? Past, present, or future?</b><br />
<b>GB</b>: I very much like alternate reality settings, whether it be past, present or future. Imagination can really soar when the world and reality have no boundaries.<br />
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<b>BMS</b>: I go through cycles. I’ll be into historical fiction for a while and then switch to something futuristic. However I always return to stories set in the modern world where reality clashes with the horrific or fantastic. <br />
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<b>4) Explain the type of pacing you enjoy, e.g. slow building to fast, fast throughout, etc.</b><br />
<b>GB</b>: Any really, though it is good sometimes to read something slow paced, that suddenly goes ‘boom’ at a mile a minute near the end.<br />
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<b>BMS</b>: While arguments can be made for any type of story, the majority of short stories I really like are fast paced. I like the sense of action they impart. Conversely when it comes to novels or horror movies, I prefer creeping dread. Yeah that’s weird, I know. </div>
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<b>5) What types of characters appeal to you the most? Any examples?</b><br />
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<b>GB</b>: Those that feel helpless against an overpowering Evil/Government/Religion, but fight back nonetheless. Doomed protagonists also read very well in a story.<br />
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<b>BMS</b>: I always like strong capable characters that nonetheless come up against things they just can’t overcome. It’s the whole feeling of yeah, you might be a bad ass (in whatever field) but compared to this you’re still nothing. </div>
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<b>6) Is there a specific tone you'd like to set in your publication? What kind of voices grab you and keep you enthralled? Any examples?</b><br />
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<b>GB</b>: Dark for the most part, dystopian too. Steampunk tales in a grimy, polluted world with nothing shiny but the glint in the antagonist’s eye.<br />
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<b>BMS</b>: I’d be happy to run the gambit. From a few (but only a few) silly, humorous tales to the darkest, most feel bad stories imaginable, and everything in between. As long as it’s 100% steampunk and 100% Lovecraftian (or would that be 50% of both?) I’ll be happy. </div>
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<b>7) What is your policy for vulgarity, violence, and sexual content? Any taboos?</b><br />
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<b>GB</b>: Swears are okay, as long as they are part of the story, but I don’t see our protagonists lowering themselves to such vulgarities. Violence, no problem where it is a necessary part of the story and not gratuitous. And sex… nothing X-Rated.<br />
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<b>BMS</b>: I’m fine with vulgarity; it’s a form of expression I’m fairly familiar with, as long as it’s warranted. Violence, I like violent horror. While not essential to tell a good story, I grew up in the 1980s reading plenty of splatterpunk. Sex, as long as it’s not just tossed in to be titillating and nothing more, I’m fine with it. As for taboos, for me it would be the victimization and sexualisation of children. No one wants to read that, and if you do, then this is not the book for you. </div>
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<b><br />8) What kind of themes are you seeking most in submissions to this market? In general, what themes interest you?</b><br />
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<b>GB</b>: Again, darkness in the Steampunk world, sinister conspiracies and things beyond comprehension breaking through into our reality.<br />
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<b>BMS</b>: Technology mixed with black magic or just going too far. Famous characters (fictional or real) from the era would be a good addition, as long as there’s a solid reason for them to be in the story. Perhaps pulpy adventure mixed with the darkest horror. <br />
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<b>9) Overall, do you prefer downbeat or upbeat endings?</b><br />
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<b>GB</b>: Either, and if it’s downbeat for the heroes and upbeat for the bad guys, that’s fine! The protagonist discovering the hopelessness of the human condition in the face of the horrors of the Cthulhu Mythos would be a good (but not totally necessary) ending to a Steampunk Cthulhu tale.<br />
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<b>BMS</b>: Either, but if I had to lean one way or the other, I’d lean toward downbeat. Not only does it feel more Lovecraftian to me, but I think too many of today’s horror stories have happy endings. </div>
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<b>10) Any last advice for submitters to this market? Any critical do's or do not's?</b><br />
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<b>GB</b>: DO NOT pay lip service to the Mythos, as in throwing in a few names here and there just to make something Cthulhu Mythos when it’s not. We want the stories rich with the elements of both genres, blended seamlessly.<br />
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<b>BMS</b>: Let me stress that again, DO NOT play lip service to the Lovecraftian element. I’ve recently put together a number of Lovecraftian anthologies and you’d be surprised how many authors think that namedropping Cthulhu or the Necronomicon is sufficient. Well it’s not. The same should be said about the steampunk genre. If you’re not completely comfortable with one side of this genre blending experiment or the other, it will show. </div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">For more scoops</span>, go to <a href="http://www.dlsnell.com/">www.dlsnell.com</a>.
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=snelletor-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B0073J790U&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="float: left; height: 240px; margin-right: 10px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <span style="font-style: italic;">D.L. Snell writes with Permuted Press. He edited Dr. Kim Paffenroth thrice, John Dies at the End once, and provided a constructive critique to Joe McKinney on his next major novel after Dead City, Apocalypse of the Dead. You can shoot D.L. Snell in the head at <a href="http://www.dlsnell.com/">www.dlsnell.com</a>.</span>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">To reprint this article, please <a href="mailto:hugohorror@hotmail.com" style="text-decoration: underline;">contact D.L. Snell</a>.</span></div>D.L. Snellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13176046744094730375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172609038729367899.post-75618003735220102722012-02-01T13:17:00.000-08:002012-02-01T16:22:19.296-08:00Zombie Jesus and Other True Stories antho<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhl6Ew1ueVPh-RcHvTLfS9lOG6IIlvSKcNWy6MmjQ6x7M0VqREpXEvK-4GUCz6Hm6-1dnTkIOoKaae9zSiBEmhGgsv1OiIL2Rbbr3cn_2BsDglRWDXs4Upnxaqe2r78j0BZWEvDpG6Msgu/s1600/DMB+Logo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhl6Ew1ueVPh-RcHvTLfS9lOG6IIlvSKcNWy6MmjQ6x7M0VqREpXEvK-4GUCz6Hm6-1dnTkIOoKaae9zSiBEmhGgsv1OiIL2Rbbr3cn_2BsDglRWDXs4Upnxaqe2r78j0BZWEvDpG6Msgu/s200/DMB+Logo.gif" width="198" /></a></div>
<b><u>THE MARKET</u></b> </div>
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<li><b>Antho</b>: Zombie Jesus and Other True Stories</li>
<li><b>Editor(s)</b>: Lori Michelle, Max Booth III and Stan Swanson</li>
<li><b>Pay Rate</b>: $20 plus contributor’s copy</li>
<li><b>Response Time</b>: 2 months</li>
<li><b>Reading Period</b>: January 13th—May 31st </li>
<li><b>Description</b>: Alternate history horror</li>
<li><b>Submission Guidelines</b>: <a href="http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/Alternate_History_Horror.htm">www.darkmoonbooks.com</a></li>
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<b style="color: red;">NOTE</b>: Author <a href="http://www.dlsnell.com/">D.L. Snell</a> conducted the following interview to give writers a better idea of what the editors of this specific market are seeking; however, most editors are open to ideas outside of the preferences discussed here, as long as they fit the basic submission guidelines. </div>
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<b><u>THE SCOOP</u></b> </div>
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<b>1) What authors do you enjoy, and why does their writing captivate you?</b></div>
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Stephen King, of course, holds a special place in our hearts. He has a great knack for diving into your average day man and bringing out the true horrors that hide beneath. No one better has been able to bring up a scenario and make the reader ask themselves what they would do if thrown into the same situation. In fact, we appreciate all this man has accomplished so much that we even made a sort of “SK Holiday” back in August on our blog wherein we <a href="http://www.lastwritesdmd.com/?p=965">reviewed some of his older work</a>. We look to do it again next August as well.</div>
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<b>2) What are your favorite genres? Which genres would you like to see incorporated into submissions to this market?</b><br />
Well, obviously our favorite genre is horror. But just because it’s horror, don’t think that we’re expecting a bunch of blood and guts. No, we are looking for stories that are truly horrifying—concepts that rock the very sense of reality itself. We want to be scared, not grossed out.<br />
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As for this specific anthology, we don’t want stories that only take place in the past and have a horror element thrown in. We want tales more in vein of <i>The Twilight Zone</i>. We want the weird and the creative. We would like our writers to take a specific historical event, and ask themselves, what if something had gone differently? How would the future have changed? The biggest example being, of course, what if Hitler had won the war? What kind of world would we live in now? And, if you throw in some horror tropes such as zombies or cockatrices or what have you, why, that would be just fine. </div>
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<b>3) What settings most intrigue you? Ordinary or exotic locales? Real or fantasy? Past, present, or future?</b><br />
For this anthology we are looking for real settings instead of full blown fantasy. Just because it’s an alternate history theme, that does not mean that the story has to take place in the past, either; it just means that something in the past went in a different path than what we know to be true; therefore, the future could be and probably is the most appropriate setting for our book.</div>
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<b>4) Explain the type of pacing you enjoy, e.g. slow building to fast, fast throughout, etc.</b><br />
Either, really. Just that it is written well and truly horrifying. Both fast and slow have their advantages; with fast paced stories you are thrown into the story immediately, right there in the action—while a slow paced story, however, prides itself on building the tension. That’s the most important thing when it comes to slow paced stories, that it keeps with the tension. And if your story does begin slow, then it better have one hell of a climax if you want to stand out among the rest of the dozens of submissions we’ve already received.</div>
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<b>5) What types of characters appeal to you the most? Any examples?</b><br />
It would be interesting to see others’ takes on famous historical figures—a few examples being maybe Teddy Roosevelt, Lee Harvey Oswald, Vlad the Impaler, etc. The possibilities are endless. But don’t think that we only want stories featuring famous historical figures; the events and their consequences are more important here, although that isn’t to say that your characters (whoever they are, real or fictional) shouldn’t be written well all the same.</div>
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<b>6) Is there a specific tone you'd like to set in your publication? What kind of voices grab you and keep you enthralled? Any examples?</b><br />
An anthology shouldn’t stick to one specific tone but instead offer a variety of nightmares to appeal to all readers.</div>
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<b>7) What is your policy for vulgarity, violence, and sexual content? Any taboos?</b><br />
Only when necessary. If it pertains to the plot, then by all means knock yourself out. But if you’re just trying to be edgy, then we’re the wrong publication for you.</div>
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<b>8) What kind of themes are you seeking most in submissions to this market? In general, what themes interest you?</b><br />
One question: WHAT IF? What if Y had happened instead of X? What would the consequences be? </div>
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<b>9) Overall, do you prefer downbeat or upbeat endings?</b><br />
Whatever seems appropriate for the rest of the story. If the rest of the story is dark and utterly hopeless, then we don’t want a copout upbeat ending. But there’s no reason to force a downer on us either. Each tale is different.</div>
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<b>10) Any last advice for submitters to this market? Any critical do's or do not's?</b><br />
Do not send us stories that take place in the past and that’s it. Just because there’s the word “history” in the description does not mean you get to skip reading the rest of the guidelines. Please make sure you understand what we’re after before submitting. Also, good luck! This book is going to be awesome.</div>
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=exit66net-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=tf_til&asins=B0073J790U" style="float: left; height: 240px; margin-right: 10px; width: 120px;"></iframe>
<span style="font-weight: bold;">For more scoops</span>, go to <a href="http://www.dlsnell.com/">www.dlsnell.com</a>. </div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">D.L. Snell writes with Permuted Press. He edited Dr. Kim Paffenroth thrice, John Dies at the End once, and provided a constructive critique to Joe McKinney on his next major novel after Dead City, Apocalypse of the Dead. You can shoot D.L. Snell in the head at <a href="http://www.dlsnell.com/">www.dlsnell.com</a>.</span> </div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">To reprint this article, please <a href="mailto:hugohorror@hotmail.com" style="text-decoration: underline;">contact D.L. Snell</a>.</span></div>D.L. Snellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13176046744094730375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172609038729367899.post-10637641266943300082012-01-21T18:25:00.000-08:002012-01-21T18:25:33.105-08:00Fungi antho<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><u>THE MARKET</u></b> </div><ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><li><b>Antho</b>: Fungi</li>
<li><b>Editor(s)</b>: Orrin Grey and Silvia Moreno-Garcia</li>
<li><b>Pay Rate</b>: 1¢ per word (CAD)</li>
<li><b>Response Time</b>: Varies </li>
<li><b>Reading Period</b>: Until February 15, 2012</li>
<li><b>Description</b>: Speculative fiction anthology with fungi as a central theme</li>
<li><b>Submission Guidelines</b>: <a href="http://www.innsmouthfreepress.com/?p=15615" target="_blank">www.innsmouthfreepress.com</a></li>
</ul><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b style="color: red;">NOTE</b>: Author <a href="http://www.dlsnell.com/">D.L. Snell</a> conducted the following interview to give writers a better idea of what the editors of this specific market are seeking; however, most editors are open to ideas outside of the preferences discussed here, as long as they fit the basic submission guidelines. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><u>THE SCOOP</u></b> </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>1) What authors do you enjoy, and why does their writing captivate you?</b><br />
<b>SMG</b>: Oh, a whole lot of people. Nabokov, Tanith Lee. They have to have some flair. That certain style which pulls at you. <br />
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<b>OG</b>: Man, as Silvia says above, lots of people. I'm personally a huge fan of Mike Mignola, who's known more for his art than his writing, though he's amazing at both. I'm a fan of a lot of the turn-of-the-century guys and the #Weird Tales authors like Lovecraft, Leiber, Hodgson, etc. And of course I'm a really big fan of M.R. James and E.F. Benson and a lot of other guys with two first initials and then a last name. <br />
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<b>2) What are your favorite genres? Which genres would you like to see incorporated into submissions to this market?</b><br />
<b>SMG:</b> We are looking for all kinds of speculative fiction. Mushroom noir. Steamfungus. Whatever floats your mushroom. I'm actually very serious about mushroom noir. And there's stuff that should just write itself, like some #Alice in Wonderland variation because of the whole mushroom consumption in that.<br />
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<b>OG</b>: Again, as Silvia says, there's no one genre we're looking for in #Fungi, but I'm personally partial to weirder supernatural stories, something a little spooky, a little haunting. Hard sci-fi or high fantasy is going to be a harder sell for me than something that's got a little creep to it.<br />
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<b>3) What settings most intrigue you? Ordinary or exotic locales? Real or fantasy? Past, present, or future?</b><br />
<b>SMG</b>: I wouldn't call it exotic, but I want to see stuff that's not set in the USA. The world is bigger than one country. If we don't get a story set in China with Chinese characters, that would be unforgivable, for example. The country has over 200 species of mushrooms and they have been used in traditional medicine for many, many years. <br />
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<b>OG</b>: While I love a good story set in a decaying New England town (and we've gotten a few good ones already), I'd second the notion that we'd like to see stuff set all over the world. <br />
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<b>4) Explain the type of pacing you enjoy, e.g. slow building to fast, fast throughout, etc.</b><br />
<b>SMG</b>: I'm for slow, but that doesn't mean you are allowed to bore me to tears. You've got to catch our attention somehow. It doesn't have to be with a fistfight, but give me something.<br />
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<b>OG</b>: I love a good slow burn, though what works best varies from story to story. I think if you're going to go with a slow start, though, then something like atmosphere or tone is absolutely imperative right up front.<br />
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<b>5) What types of characters appeal to you the most? Any examples?</b><br />
<b>SMG</b>: Ones who are not stupid? Seriously, I get to read many stories in which the protagonists seem to have been banged on the head with a big hammer. <br />
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<b>OG</b>: I remember the old guidelines for #Weird Tales used to ask for "protagonists who protag," and yeah, I'd like to see some of those. I prefer characters who're taking an active role and at least trying to do something, rather than passive victims succumbing to their fate. (Not that the active characters can't still fail, or be attempting something harmful, but I'd like them to be at least attempting something.)<br />
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<b>6) Is there a specific tone you'd like to set in your publication? What kind of voices grab you and keep you enthralled? Any examples?<br />
SMG</b>: I like weird stuff. Stuff that isn't afraid to play with form. <br />
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<b>OG</b>: Again, I like stuff that's a little on the macabre or spooky side, so I'm going to gravitate toward that.<br />
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<b>7) What is your policy for vulgarity, violence, and sexual content? Any taboos?</b><br />
<b>SMG</b>: Whatever works for the story. However, violence for the sake of violence is bo-ring. Also, this is not an erotica anthology. <br />
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<b>OG</b>: I don't think I have anything to add to that.<br />
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<b>8) What kind of themes are you seeking most in submissions to this market? In general, what themes interest you?<br />
SMG</b>: Body horror. Stories without plots. Stories that are not third-person POV. Hero’s journey? Not my cup of tea. Stories with good science.<br />
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With that said, I don't want it to be all people turning into mushrooms. How about mushroom as a tool for murder? You know, poison. A society interested in the cultivation of mushrooms. A mushroom deity. One of the largest organisms on earth is a fungi. Or, think of penicillin.<br />
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<b>OG</b>: I'm a big believer in people turning into mushrooms, it's true, but we're going to get, and have already gotten, a lot of those stories. Also, we're getting a lot of stories with overt Lovecraft references. I'm not averse to a good Lovecraftian fungus story, but I definitely don't want this anthology to be all Lovecraft all the time. <br />
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<b>9) Overall, do you prefer downbeat or upbeat endings?</b><br />
<b>SMG</b>: Whatever works for the story. <br />
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<b>OG</b>: Ditto.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>10) Any last advice for submitters to this market? Any critical do's or do not's?</b><br />
<b>SMG</b>: Please provide a cover letter with your most relevant credits. Do not summarize the story for me. <br />
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<b>OG</b>: And please, please put the word count in your cover letter!<br />
</div><hr style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;" /><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">For more scoops</span>, go to <a href="http://www.dlsnell.com/">www.dlsnell.com</a>. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;">D.L. Snell writes with Permuted Press. He edited Dr. Kim Paffenroth thrice, John Dies at the End once, and provided a constructive critique to Joe McKinney on his next major novel after Dead City, Apocalypse of the Dead. You can shoot D.L. Snell in the head at <a href="http://www.dlsnell.com/">www.dlsnell.com</a>.</span> </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">To reprint this article, please <a href="mailto:hugohorror@hotmail.com" style="text-decoration: underline;">contact D.L. Snell</a>.</span></div>D.L. Snellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13176046744094730375noreply@blogger.com0