Downloaded 104 times

Who has been downloaded 104 times? I have been downloaded 104 times! Or rather, my lightly chilling short story HORROR MUSEUM, now available on Amazon for the Kindle (and the Kindle app on your computer or smart phone) has been chosen by people all over the world, now including India, Italy and Japan! Hai!

Get a copy of your own by following this link.

Though originally published under the pseudonym Mina Yan (the story's main character), you will now find HORROR MUSEUM in my name. That means I was also able to create a Amazon Author Central page! Look at the awesomeness!

When you check out my Author page, you will notice HORROR MUSEUM isn't my only offering. My short story GRAND-MONSTER is also available as a part of the fabulous anthology, titled FUTURE IMPERFECT: Best of Wily Writers, vol. 2. This is a really great compilation of science fiction. Its a true honor to find a home among the other authors inside the book.

Good News!

I have two bits of good news today, writerly friends.

First, I must announce that I've taken the plunge into the murky waters of self-publishing.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EPPZQRS

Mind you, when it comes to my long fiction (I have a handful of novels at various stages of completion), I still have my heart set on the traditional publishing model. That means, I very much want to attract a good literary agent.

When it comes to short fiction, I've published five speculative fiction yarns with various zines and e-zines. In fact, one story is in an anthology book in print, which means I can hold the anthology in my hands. Because I'm a tad old-fashioned, that was a very rewarding accomplishment.

One of my favorite science fiction tales, HORROR MUSEUM has been close to being accepted by one zine or another a few times, but ultimately remained unpublished. So, I decided to publish it myself. It's available now on Amazon for the Kindle. You can download your own copy by following the link up above.

Here's a little description: Mild-mannered museum administrative assistant, Mina Yan, is about to discover that hiring someone new can be a killer undertaking.

This short, science fiction yarn proves that sometimes monsters hide in plain sight.

Because choosing the self-publishing route is an experiment for me, I decided to use a pseudonym. I published HORROR MUSEUM under the name of the story's protagonist, Mina Yan.

You're probably wondering how this adventure has been going thus far. Well, I'll tell you. HORROR MUSEUM has been live for 13 days and it has been downloaded over 45 times!  

I did promise a second bit of good news, so here it comes. Another of my short stories, THE MIDWIFE has been accepted for publication. I'll have the details for you soon. I'd describe it as a Gothic tale. It involves a coastal estate, a curse and a monstrous Sasquatch!
 

Elmore Leonard has passed away

He is a literary giant in my book. Today Elmore Leonard passed.

Leonard's offered 10 tricks for good writing:

1.  Never open a book with weather.
2.  Avoid prologues.
3.  Never use a verb other than "said" to carry dialogue.
4.  Never use an adverb to modify the verb "said”…he admonished gravely.
5.  Keep your exclamation points under control. You are allowed no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose. 
6.  Never use the words "suddenly" or "all hell broke loose."
7.  Use regional dialect, patois, sparingly.
8.  Avoid detailed descriptions of characters.
9.  Don't go into great detail describing places and things.
10.  Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip.
    
    ... he added "My most important rule is one that sums up the 10. If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it."

Positive News for THE ARTIST

My short tale of horror, entitled THE ARTIST was first published by TITLE GOES HERE and appeared in Issue Eight on July 13th, 2011. (Yes, the magazine is actually titled "Title Goes Here". I'm not making that up!) Although issues are available in print and digital formats, TITLE GOES HERE is not free to read. That means  you cannot currently read the story online.

This summer I've been sending out THE ARTIST as a re-print, hoping to see it published again. If that wonderful sci-fi series The X-Files were still in production, I'd like to think the subject of this story would make a killer episode.

At any rate, my fingers are still crossed, but my latest news is THE ARTIST will appear as an Honorable Mention in Volume 22/49 of ALLEGORY.

I'll post a link when that edition is ready, but this is the language ALLEGORY uses to congratulate its Honorable Mentions (this comes from the current Volume, 21/48): 

Allegory deals with submissions in the way that, as far as I know, remains fairly unique in the publishing world. Each story is individually reviewed and, if considered publishable, is placed in our "Maybe" pile. At the end of each submission period, these "Maybes" are reviewed, and the best eight chosen to appear in the next issue. This final cut is made on the basis of issue balance, and does NOT reflect the overall quality of these stories.

That said, here - in no particular order - are the "Maybes" who just missed publication in Allegory. Each one is a fine tale that we would have been proud to publish. Remember these names, friends and fellows. You'll be hearing from them in the future. I guarantee it!

Playing the Waiting Game

Hello, I'm Sasha, I'll be your friendly neighborhood writer for the evening.

I keep a writerly blog over at Live Journal, but it has proven impossible to access from work for about a month now, so I'm in the process of switching here to Blogger, which has been much more convenient.

As a writer, I always have multiple projects going on at once. I have a weekly movie review both in video and print format appearing in Hinesville, Fort Stewart, Richmond Hill and Statesboro, Georgia newspapers/ news sites. My short stories tend to be of the speculative fiction variety. I've published FIVE thus far. I am seeking an agent for my recently completed darkly comedic crime novel and for my Christian Young Reader book.

I'm also the official blogger for the Savannah Writers Group.

I enjoy sharing rejection letters and the like on Face Book so that non-writer types can see the perils we writers must go through.

Here was one such update I posted today:

THREE of my short stories have been SHORTLISTED this summer. The suspense is KILLING me as I wait to hear the outcomes. One of the three was cut, but only due to space restrictions. (Never mind that I'm also waiting to hear about my crime novel and my children's book!)

~

We have good news and we have bad news. The good news is that your story has made our second round, rarified company that more than 90% of submissions do not reach. While half or more of our second round stories will not ultimately see publication under the DSF rocket, this story has reached the final go/no-go before launch.

The bad news--and I promised you some bad news--is that it will take us time to make that final decision. Expect an additional two weeks or so, but don't be surprised if it's a month from today. Thanks for your continued patience, and thanks for sending us this worthy submission.