2015 Upcoming

Here's to an even better year than 2014. I finished writing a 170 page story, and I think I will have it finished by March; fingers crossed it'll be the one to kick open the door. Otherwise I got a ton of shorts I keep sending out. I hope you all achieve your goals and have great success in the new year.

Hawai'i

     Hawai'i is probably the best place on Earth. Don't tell anyone because it's already crowded with enough tourists. But seriously, tropical locations are the best. Perfect temperature. The water is perfect to swim in. There are hardly even many mosquitoes in Hawai'i. And the island itself is very peaceful and without strife. I remember when I was younger my family vacationed in Turks and Caicos in the Caribbean. The native poor populations are mostly blacks, while the tourists were all affluent Asians/Whites. So there is some understandable animosity. What wasn't understandable was when one of them tried to run me over with a go-cart and I had to jump out of the way, and as I did he yelled out, "Is okay mon!"

     Anyway, here is Hawai'i (the big island) goodness.

The view from the backyard of our rented house.

The clouds were below the heights of Mauna Kea.

Kamehameha the Great, inventor of the Kamehameha Wave.

The Kīlauea Caldera

Inside a volcanic crater. 

Like entering a fantasy world.

The overlook over Polulu valley.

Wild horses! I zoomed in. Word of advice, don't get near wild horses. They can be dangerous.

                                                                Sunset over paradise.

Now back to writing!

Return and Christmas Writing

Hello everyone! Hope you all picked up my newest short story 'Malvore' in the latest edition of Wicked Words. Unlike some of my previous story, this one isn't offered for free, it's $2.99 for the 100+ page volume (crocodile tears). I have been hard at work writing, writing about five pages a day in this big project of mine. As soon as that's done, I'll be back to writing more short stories and hopefully I can start this year off with a bang and get more shorts published. I have about 9 in rotation, so I'm bound to get some place to pick them up.

In the meantime, I just got back from Hawaii, so when I feel productive I will grab some of my fave pics and post them. I saw dolphins and a giant spider; the former were more impressive up close, and the latter I didn't get a picture of because he was hiding in our car until just the right moment to terrify us. I knew we weren't in danger though because I looked up venomous animals in Hawaii and found out there were none. I did this because one night I slept outside and woke up in pain with a numb feeling in my wrist. Turns out there's nothing venomous but the centipedes pack a bite like none other.

So yes. Stories rolling along, pictures income. Happy holidays, Merry Christmas, we're all just waiting for the next season of House of Cards.

It Has Arrived!

     My most recent story 'Malvore' is on Amazon Kindle in 'Wicked Words Vol. 3.' There are 112 pages of fantasy, science fiction and horror in this beautiful little zine, and about 16 of them are mine.

     'Malvore' is a play on the old legend of monsters that can only prey on humans when they are invited into their homes. While this legend has been used recently in 'Let the Right One In,' the story goes back hundreds if not thousands of years in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. The story opens up with Nina sitting in a lit hallway with a shotgun in hand, staring at the darkness, using what courage hasn't yet left her to scream at the monsters to come. Funny how now she begs for an invasion by a malignant force when not long before she used to fall asleep with her husband's arm around her pregnant belly.

     Malvore and the entire 'Wicked Words Vol. 3' are available for just $2.99 or £1.97 at Amazon UK. Give it a look, purchase if you feel generous and need good reading material, and if you feel like being awesome, please leave a review of the magazine so this gets more attention on Kindle. Thank you so much, hope the story gives you nightmares.

How to Come Up the Right Way

     Hey, so I intended this blog not just to showcase my own work, but to link with other writers and connect with anyone wanting to know the inside baseball of writing. So, let's talk about coming up the right way. Oh sure, there have been a few non-writers who got a wild idea one day that, "Oh my god, wouldn't it be fun to write a novel?" And there are a couple people (and here the word 'people' is a stretch. More like bog-creatures) who have written fan fiction and one day decided they would like to turn their blended scraps of other people's ideas into a novel. And yes, a few of these cases have sold millions, which is why mainstream literature (rant cuts off abruptly here)

     But you want to do it right? You want to develop your skills and work your way up the amateur leagues by publishing short stories before you pump out your seven book epic fantasy? Well then good for you buckaroo! I know that's why I wanted to do. When I was starting out I would listen to Ray Bradbury and Neil Gaiman interviews and they all had the same advice: write.

     There's really no trick about it. When you write you develop your skills, your style, you learn the what editors want and you become that much better. But where to start?

     Well luckily for you, modern man has a solution. That solution is called Duotrope. Duotrope is an online database that has literally thousands of literary magazines in its listings. Furthermore, Duotrope breaks down the listings by: genre, word length, payment, submission type (paper or electronic), how difficult they are to get in, and a host of other things so that you can find the perfect litmag for you. There is a small fee of $50 for a yearly subscription, but if you have even the slightest desire to be a writer this shouldn't be a big deal. Will $50 really stop you, you John Steinbeck in the making?

     So that's my tip to all you aspiring writers. Rack up a couple short stories, four of five, get a Duotrope account, and send 'em out one by one. Depending on the magazine it will take a while to hear back; I always have at least four short stories in rotation at all times as some get published and I replenish the stock with new stories. So go out there and let the world know how much of a special little snowflake you are!

The Power of Nature

     A couple weeks until my horror story is published! Perfect if you want to be terrified while cozying up by a fire. Until then I'm working on my novel when I couldn't figure out what to put in next. Coincidentally, my dad drags me to a hike. I didn't want to go. I told him it would rain. He doesn't believe in Google. It did. But it was great and now I know exactly where the rest of it is going. Nothing like getting out in the middle of nowhere and just thinking.

Another story incoming!

Hell, it's about time! I am getting a horror short story titled 'Malvore' published this December in Wicked Words. It's a horror story, so it will be perfect to give you the winter-time chills.

It's a good thing it's getting published soon too; I don't think I have gone a single year since 2009 without getting at least something published professionally, but over the past year I have been working on a novel that has consumed so much of time that I haven't been able to write short stories. Thankfully, I managed to get this one published right before the years' end so my publishing streak is 5 years running!