Meanwhile…

I’m delighted to present “Aftershocks: The Musical” over at Everyday Fiction. I kid, I kid. It is, however, an audio reading of the story, read by M. Sherlock of the UK’s own Storm the Gates.

Sherlock enjoyed chewing me out a little for writing a story with such difficult names, and deservedly so. I can check “get called a git by a real Briton” off my bucket list. Next: Piss off Alan Moore with a film adaptation of Captain Britain.

Anyway, you should go give it a listen, even if maybe you read the story back in the day. Audio podcast markets are something I’d like to penetrate more, when I get around to it. I never seem to have something that’s the right length.

Speaking of Every Day Fiction, they have recently added a podcast page for their stories. I have someone working on one of my stories even as you read this! So look for that sometime soon.

In the meantime, you can head here and listen to a couple of fellow Writer’s Inkers tales that have already been read.

Also, Stephanie had a fun zombie story go up over the weekend. Enjoy!

In writing news, I have been working on a new superhero story. I’m digging the beginning and may post an excerpt this week. It’s high time I wrote a story about a superhero who’s a bit of a jackass. I’m also drawing on some stories of friends’ experiences in Hollywood. Should be fun! It’s been way too long since I’ve actually finished something, so I really want this story to happen.

The second Every Day Fiction Anthology is out, featuring my story, “Apotheosis Cake,” as well as stories from Erin, Jens, Stephanie, KC, Gay, Frank, Kevin, and a whole slew of other great writers. You can order it directly from the good folks at EDF right here. It should be available at Amazon and other fine booksellers soon.

I unfortunately can’t make the official release party/reading in Canada (next weekend, I believe – if you’re in the Vancouver area you should check it out). But, I will be attempting to organize a local reading and signing, since there are several of us locally who have stories in the book. I didn’t get much response from the big booksellers last year, but I have found a local bookstore that might be amenable. Now that I have info on the book I’ll head over there sometime and see about scheduling an event.

I probably shouldn’t do this, but an old friend from my halcyon X-Wing vs TIE Fighter days has posted a story I wrote way back in the day, entitled “Crystalline Flames.” As I recall, it was about a terrorist who falls in love.

I can bring myself only to skim it. This was written over ten years ago! I think this was written for the basic-level creative writing class at UNT, as I don’t remember it going through any sort of crit process.

A quick copy-paste into Word informs me that it’s a little over 6,000 words. Not exactly a quick casual read, but feel free to check it out and let me know if I should be embarrassed or not.

Scrolling through, I see a lot of “I” and cringe.

In the meantime, I think I’ve come up with a fun scenario for an Atlantis story. I’ve always struggled for an angle of attack on an Atlantis story, but I’ve come up with one I like and which suits my writing style well. I’ll be working on that tonight at the group write-in.

Friend and fellow Writer’s Inker Sandra has a new story out over at Rose and Thorn. Check it out! She needs to write more.

Also her name looks like a court case! There’s got to be some sort of metaphor there ripe for fictionalizing.

(with apologies from Warren Ellis)

A Thousand Faces is having a sale for today only – everything is 25% off with the coupon code CYBERBOOKS. If you have any interest in superhero fiction you should check it out. Issue 4, featuring my story “Shades of Red” (as well as some great stories by Erin and Jens), is only $8.97, before the discount! These are great deals, people.

What also may be of interest is that the latest issue is out, featuring a story by Erin and holy cats now I see one by KC Ball as well.

Man alive. I’m the superhero guy and you’ve all left me in the dust. I need to get back on that.

(Evidently, Smallpox Blanket-Giving Day was taken already? I dunno.)

Hope everyone is (or will be) having a good Thanksgiving weekend. Ours should be fun – the wife and I will be hosting her family this year, and visiting my family (including a cousin who’s on leave from Afghanistan) on Saturday, then probably hanging out with some friends on Sunday. These friends have recently produced offspring which I’m told is “cute” and “life altering and/or affirming.” I shall put the new heir to the test! If she doesn’t bring me my food fast enough or change the television channel properly it won’t speak well of the reproductive process. And I don’t want to hear some “she’s only a few months old” nonsense!

Anyway, since you are just laying around in a turkey coma, you should go read this story by KC. It is excellent!

And also this one, by JR Hume, because it’s probably the best piece of flash I’ve read in a while.

I also found this article to be interesting. I have my own thoughts on sexism in genre fiction (which I think is often unfairly singled out for being sexist despite it simply being a reflection of our society as a whole). I may gather them up over this long weekend and post about it next week.

I’ll be at the Texas Blood Bath Film Festival this weekend. A friend was DP on Brain Dead, which is being featured on Saturday. Should be fun! If you’re in the Waco area you should check it out.

I’ll be taking my laptop along, in the hopes of getting a little writing done, but I’m not holding out a lot of hope. It appears that the work load at my day job is finally lightening somewhat, so maybe I’ll have a chance to get writing again soon. Of course they just laid another person off, so that could go either way I suppose.

Speaking of despair, a Twitter account is getting its own television series. In other news, I give up.

I have a ba-billion (which, I believe, is slightly more than a gajillion) things to do, so I’ll make this fast!

Stephanie has a new story up over at Every Day Fiction. It is fun!

My new story, “With the Band,” will be up Friday!