Archive for September, 2021
The email came today, short and direct: We are going into production of the anthology NATURAL INSTINCTS, and contracts are being drawn up. What we require from you at this point is the following:
1) Up to date bio and author photo. Please keep bio’s short.
2) Physical mailing address and legal name.
To give it its full title, the book in question is NATURAL INSTINCTS: TALES OF WITCHES AND WARLOCKS from Zombie Works Publications (cf. September 5), with my story in it “Flying.” And it was a quick acceptance too, coming back just two days after I’d sent the story. It has to do with a woman in eighteenth century Spain, in the court of Philip V, who under the pressures of palace intrigue is driven to witchcraft. And in NATURAL INSTINCTS, as I understand from the guidelines, it was one of only thirteen acceptances, though (the guidelines also specifying stories between 2000 and 3000 words, which would make for a rather short collection) there may be others solicited or accepted before, perhaps from an earlier call.
Be that as it may, this is one I’m really looking forward to seeing when it comes out, witches being interesting in themselves but also because this particular story is an earlier favorite of mine, and one I’ll be glad to have in print again. To be sure, I’ve already sent the requested items back, as it looks like they’re trying to get it out fast and I don’t want to delay them.
Sunday late afternoon’s email from Bryce Raffle didn’t come as a complete surprise: The DEADSTEAM II anthology is fast approaching its publication date. I am happy to accept your story, “The Good Work,” into the anthology.
After all, I had had a story in the original DEADSTEAM, “The Re-Possessed” (see November 9, September 15 2018, et al.), and the call this June for a second volume seemed promising too. DEADSTEAM II is a collection of more gaslamp and dreadpunk stories, which embrace the Victorian gothic. In this edition we’re really focusing on driving home the dread. We want your scariest, darkest stories that embrace the classic traditions of horror (monsters, gothic castles & haunted houses, dark and stormy nights, foggy walks through gas-lit cobblestone streets) but pair them with with modern sensibilities and pacing. So I sent in a story called “The Good Work,” reprints being allowed, originally published in BLURRING THE LINE (Cohesion Press, 2015) and including a note: The monsters are witches, real or suspected, and/or 1850s (i.e. after the 1843 publication of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and the new popularization of celebrating Christmas) London street urchins. And I received a reply a few days later: Thank you for your submission to DEADSTEAM II. As always, I appreciate your strong writing style and your skill at the craft makes this story a strong candidate for inclusion in the latest anthology.
So now the acceptance. The email Sunday continues, I have attached a copy of the contract, to be signed as soon as possible. I am anticipating publishing in October of this year, so things will be moving quite quickly. I would ask for you to also send, at your earliest convenience, your most up-to-date author bio. I will also be updating the DeadSteam website, and would ask that you send a recent author photo, if possible. You can see on the website how I have used those author photos in the past. Since you contributed a story for the first anthology, this is not required unless you would like me to update to a more recent photo.
Thus Sunday night the signed contract went back, with a note to the effect that the previous bio and photo are still good. With, within a month or a few days after if things go well, the new anthology to be published for Halloween.
Yesterday, from Lori Michelle, re. “Upward!” and NIGHT FRIGHTS (cf. just below): Okay here is a super rough proof of the magazine. Please make sure I have your name and title spelled correctly in the headers and in the Table of Contents. Look at your story and bio, make sure all is good. The blank page before your story will have a picture with your name and title on it. Still getting there! So equally quickly (almost) I looked through the copy, noted some small things — including keeping the “!” in “Upward!” — and back it went this afternoon.
Then second, in the wee hours this morning from DAILY SCIENCE FICTION an e-note acknowledging my return of the contract, with bio and story comments for “The Seven” (see September 6, July 25), including from co-Editor/Publisher Jonathan Laden: I anticipate publication in 3-6 months. So DAILY SF does carry a backlog but, notwithstanding, the wheels grind on.
This one is for “Upward!” (see September 14, August 14) for the NIGHT FRIGHTS special YA edition of DARK MOON DIGEST, a PDF contract plus IRS Form W-9. This latter is so the publisher can report back to the Feds when they send me my pittance, technically not really necessary since I’ll be including it on Schedule C (“Profit or Loss from Business”) when I send my taxes in next spring. But bureaucracy is bureaucracy and isn’t that what makes the world go ’round?
Well, maybe, but more to the point, this was a job for the Monroe County Public Library scanner (cf. September 7, contract for THINGS WITH FEATHERS: STORIES OF HOPE) so, while the files came Tuesday afternoon, September 21, I wasn’t going to get to the library until Thursday the 23rd, or so I at least planned, the weather report forecasting rain for the 22nd.
Such is the writing life. Such is technology. Such is climate change, or at least rain in fall. But suffice to say, all occurred as scheduled and so, signed and scanned, the needed paperwork went back this p.m.
Also yesterday, September 22, was the Goth Cat Triana’s fifth birthday. Though officially considered an October cat, in true Goth fashion Triana arrived a few days early, on the equinox, thus bringing autumn in along with her.
Amazon lists the official release date as October 15, but the Kindle edition can be pre-ordered now. The book is THINGS WITH FEATHERS: STORIES OF HOPE (cf. August 31), from Third Flatiron Publishing, and its Amazon blurb:
Is there hope for us all?
Emily Dickinson’s poem, “Hope,” described it as “a thing with feathers.” Third Flatiron Anthologies’ latest collection of short science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories touches on the theme of hope, whether it’s about taking flight filled with optimism for the future, venturing outside one’s comfort zone, taking outsize risks in order to succeed, or finding it dashed on the rocks. Twenty-four authors give their entertaining takes on the subject, including Nemma Wollenfang, Emily Dauvin, Paula Hammond, Barton Paul Levenson, Sharon Diane King, Cayce Osborne, P.A. Cornell, Arthur Carey, David Cleden, F. T. Berner, Raluca Balasa, Melissa Mead, Nicholas Stillman, Shannon Brady, Bonnie McCune, Brian Rappatta, Bruce Arthurs, Alicia Cay, Danielle Mullen, E. J. Delany, Wulf Moon, Art Lasky, James Dorr, and Gerri Leen. Edited by Juliana Rew.
And I have a story, with even some sea birds before it’s over, called “The Wise Sister,” of alternate planning for coming tsunamis. Of survival and love, but possibly not in the way you might think. Of hope nonetheless — though the tale might be housed in the (dark) humor section — but who says hope, by itself, always succeeds? Judging by the list of authors above, it may come near the end.
But what, in the face of a gigantic wave, is the path of wisdom?
In any event the book will be out in less than a month, with sisters included, both wise and less wise — one may choose for oneself. For more information and/or early ordering, one need but press here.
A few days hiatus, but do these things come in pairs? Well usually no, but coincidences happen — in this case a publisher’s edited copy for proofing and comments (cf. just below). It also opened, even on the Computer Cave laptop, without any problem!
The story this time was “Upward!” (see August 14), a 750-word short short for DARK MOON DIGEST’s special young adults anthology NIGHT FRIGHTS. It’s one I’m proud of — the pay’s not that great but I think it’s important that younger readers be, first of all, encouraged to continue reading for pleasure and, also, to keep horror high on their lists. Thus this story, “Upward!,” about an aspirant with his (her?) own special problems, but always climbing. Not questioning, mind you, not philosophizing or thinking (ahem!) deep thoughts — but simply ascending.
Until. . . .
But then that’s to find out by reading the story. The changes the copy required were few (three small items in all, and only one where I and the editor might have a need to discuss things further). And so back it went this afternoon, with more to be reported as it becomes known.
Another quickie, though two or three days in the completing. Wednesday the email arrived from STRANGE AEON: 2021 (FEARFUL WISDOM): Welcome to the editing process. . . . Well, we know the routine, the story this time being “Dark of the Moon” (see July 31), originally published in THE CHILDREN OF CTHULU (Del Rey, 2002 — it being a reprint is important in that it means it’s been through a publisher’s edit before, with likely a minimum of changes to be asked for this time). The only problem: the vintage Computer Cave laptop wouldn’t open the file that came with it.
But that’s not new either, and more modern computers are at hand in the County Library. Except the next day, when I packed up an earlier printed copy (just in case) and, at the library, fired up their machine, the file still wouldn’t open! So all one could do was reply to the email, requesting perhaps an RTF or PDF file instead. Except. . . .
Except then I considered. Some of library’s terminals, installed at varying times, have on past occasions shown their own individual strangenesses. So, why not?, I tried another . . . and this one worked! I don’t say I know why, but all that’s important is that, as predicted, the changes and/or questions asked were few and, with only one request for a correction at my end, back the file went Thursday afternoon.
Inept, brainless, daft, harebrained, loony, witless, lunkheaded, just plain stupid.
Not exactly attributes you seek when employing a hired gun, right?
The 24 stories in this anthology are NOT your typical crime fiction. If you love a wonderful blend of suspense, humor, and general weirdness, expect to be surprised and entertained!
So says the back cover blurb on the copy of ASININE ASSASSINS (see August 22, et al.) that arrived late Wednesday afternoon. A hefty book, too, at 350-some pages, one of the stories in which is by me, a science-fiction take titled “Shooting Fish.” But not the only thing shot, one may be sure, in the 24 stories in the contents. Or for that matter, most likely not the only shot missed.
For more information and/or to buy one’s own copy, one need but press here.
Busy, busy, busy. Yesterday word came from BLACK INFINITY (cf. August 25, et al.) that my story “The Country Doctor” has been accepted for their next issue. That is to say, the issue following the one currently in preparation on the theme of STARSHIPS AND SPACESUITS, with “Hanging Vines.” BLACK INFINITY, I might add, is a classy — and big — magazine with its fiction mixed between “classics,” reprints going back as far as the 1950s and ’60s or even before, and new material, but focused each time on one of the themes that’s pervaded science fiction more or less from the beginning.
Originally published in the Summer 2005 BOOK OF DARK WISDOM (thus kind of in between classic and new, but one does what one does), “The Country Doctor” concerns a strange patient the said rural medic receives one night in the U.S. Southwest, on the road as it were to “Area 51.” More cannot be said now, however — the military that brought the stricken being in has sworn all to secrecy. The theme of this issue, though, will be FIRST CONTACT, which can be revealed — and which, it occurs to me now, can be taken in two ways: us meeting new beings on distant planets, or meeting aliens from distant places who’ve come to Earth.
So “The Country Doctor” is one of the latter, of which Editor Tom English added: [y]our story is not at all what I expected, but nevertheless it fits the theme and does so delightfully. Short and sweet with a great ending. More will be here as it becomes known, but it sounds to me like the issue, when it comes out, will be a keeper.
jamesdorrwriter 