Money Run Tales, Anyone?

If you’ve ever been hungry for something out of the ordinary, something not quite of this world, and pretty far off the beaten menu, then you need to stop in at Sideshow Press and have yourself a taste of THE UNUSUAL EVENTS OF A SATURDAY AFTERNOON AT BIG K’S TRUCK STOP AND DINING EMPORIUM – A Money Run Tale.

The creative genius behind such a fine, dining experience, is none other than Sam W. Anderson, and if you’ve read his Postcards From Purgatory Collection, you’ve probably already experienced said genius first-hand. In fact, the way I hear it, everyone’s been beating down the door to get their hands on the next Money Run tale anyway, so don’t be shy – it’s up for pre-order now. And as an added bonus, if you reserve your copy by July 10, 2011, you’ll also receive the digital chapbook THE MONEY RUN: A FIIELD GUIDE for free.  I mean, who doesn’t like a free dessert, right?  We’re not talking Denny’s sundae here.  We’re talking Cold Stone Creamery.  Haagen Dazs. You get my drift.

So get to ordering.

Artistic Commonality

So here’s something funny –

I’m sitting down to write my blog, something I haven’t done for (gasp!) for over six months, and the craziest thing happens – nothing is forthcoming.  Here’s why it shouldn’t be crazy: 

The same thing has been happening with my novel this last week and every night that passes me by with a negative balance in my creativity bank brings me closer to the brink of a breakdown.  So I should have figured the same would hold true with blogging, right?

Here’s why it is crazy:

My husband is a photography student at the Academy of Art in San Francisco.  A damn good one at that, probably the best in his class.  And when this exact same thing happened to him last week, I was surprised to say the least.  The look in his eyes, the tension on his face, it was all too familiar, only this time I wasn’t looking in a mirror.

So I told him what we writers always have to tell ourselves:  yes it’s work, yes it’s the hardest thing you’ll ever have to do, but it’s your passion.  It’s what you live for.   You have to work through it.  You don’t have a choice. Because to give up is unfathomable.  I handed him a guitar and told him to go make something happen.  That simple prop was all he needed, and he came back a winner.

I gave him the same advice that’s been given to me many times, and yet here I sat, unable to compose a single sentence.  How ironic.

And here’s the revelation:

We’re all the same, despite the differences.  Whether it’s the words on the pages, the lighting in the picture, the shading in the painting or the treble in your song, it all comes down to the same thing.  Artistic Commonality. 

I can’t tell my husband what picture to take when he has photographers block (not really sure if that’s even a word, but if it’s not, it should be), just like he can’t tell me what my story should be about when I have writer’s block.  We have to feel it ourselves, wait for it to hit us between the eyes, in order to work through it. But – we have to work through it.

Here’s to wishing someone would hand me a guitar.

Until next time,

Ciao!

A COLD KISS AND A COLD BEER

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of finally putting a face to the name of John Rector. He was out at the Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale for his signing of The Cold Kiss, and being that I was only 45 min away, I made it a point to get down there to meet him and pick up a copy of his book.


Great decision on my part. John is definitely a cool cat, and it was well worth the trip. He was there with Keith Rawson, editor of CRIMEFACTORY magazine, so after the signing, we all headed over to the Hotel Valley Ho to have a few drinks. During those couple of hours, I learned a lot from John and the publishing industry. I was instantly impressed with John’s organization and focus on what he needed to do to promote his book, not to mention, he holds a lot of the same ideals of writing that I do, and I can’t wait to meet up with him again this winter when he returns to Arizona to promote his second novel, The Grove, due out November 2nd.

In any case, if you’re in the Minneapolis area next weekend, August 7th, try to catch him at Once Upon A Crime. He’ll be there from 1:00 to 3:00. You can meet a great guy, a talented writer, and pick up a copy of The Cold Kiss for yourself. It’s a terrific read, fast-paced and full of suspense and you won’t be able to put it down. What’s most impressive about this debut novel is just how smooth the writing is. I’m fairly certain that we’ll be hearing a lot about John Rector in the months to come.


Till next time,


Ciao!

You Know, It's Hard Out Here For a Pimp....

These words couldn't be truer for Sam W. Anderson.  In fact, the lyrics to this song are an eerie coincidence to Sam's journey through the final release of Postcards From Purgatory.  After struggling through three different publishers, with two of them jumping ship, Sam has finally hit pay dirt with Sideshow Press, an awesome publisher with a phenomenal mix of people.  And with Sam's unique voice and and awesome talent, Sideshow Press has a rising star on their hands.

I talked about his collection in my earlier blogs, so you know what a great group of stories Sam has put together.  Now, you get to read them for yourself. 

So go do it!

NEWS, NEWS, NEWS!!

So much going on with Snutch right now, I hardly know where to start!

Except that I do, and it’s with Erik Williams. Right now, his novel, Blood Spring, is up for pre-order at Horror Mall and everyone at Snutch is excited for him, not to mention a little jealous.

As you’ve heard me say before, the man is a machine, and while I’m still working on my first novel, Erik’s already been cranking them out by the two’s and three’s. So take a moment out to purchase a copy HERE. If you don’t, in Erik’s own words, somewhere a puppy will die. And we can’t have that, now, can we? Plus, the cover was done by the talented Jill Bauman, so it’s sure to be something amazing from the get-go.

In other news, another member of Snutch, Sam W. Anderson, has his collection, Postcards From Purgatory, coming out next month. The collection features sixteen stories and an awesome introduction by Thomas Tessier, who, along with being a phenomenal writer, is also a great guy. Read more about it HERE. and keep an eye out for pre-order news on Postcards From Purgatory. While you’re at it, keep an eye out for more from Sam because, let me tell you, he aint done yet, not by a longshot.

That’s not all, but that’s all I’m allowed to tell you for now. I have to be restrained once in a while because, to be honest, I don’t really know when to shut up. And if you don’t believe me, either you don’t know me, or you have the same damn problem I do. Just ask Snutch – they’ll tell you.

Ciao!

When did writing become so difficult? I can’t seem to reach back and grab that great wonderful feeling when the words flowed and all I worried about was how soon could get away and seclude myself into that delicious little world I was creating, word by word, line by line.

Nowadays, it’s become somewhat of a whirlwind of self-doubt and malicious whispers of ‘wannabe!’ This wasn’t who I was two years ago. Two years ago, I was churning them out faster than I could submit them. Of course, my writing is much better these days, but why has the flood choked itself into just a trickle?

I don’t have the answer to this, but it makes me sad nonetheless. I want the self-doubt to go away. I want the bubble of insignificance which is currently burying me under its weight, to dry up and disappear, because if it doesn’t, I fear I will be lost for good.

Push, push, push. That’s what everyone says. Push through it like Larry Fitzgerald on any given Sunday. Well,sometimes that’s easier said than done. How many of us have given that same advice, with a cheery nod and an award winning smile? Most of us, I’ll wager. And I’ll up the ante by saying that those words probably came the easiest to our lips after we’d just finished a short story, just finished hitting ‘send’ on that electronic submission. Or right after we received that much anticipated email from an editor, with the little attachment symbol winking at us with glee. Yes, at that point, all the advice and encouragement flows from us like waterfalls.

I have heard numerous times, ‘If it begins to be a burden, that’s when you should stop writing.’ Or, ‘if you’re not enjoying it, it’s time to stop.’ Well, bullshit. And not because I don’t believe it; quite the contrary, it’s completely true. The thing is, though. I’m not ready to quit. Hell, to be honest, I’m not much of a quitter at all, no matter how small or insignificant the job is. So, to let myself get beaten out of something I love, something I’m good at, well, that just isn’t going to happen.

Bottom line, I don’t have a choice. I just don’t have a choice.

And I wouldn’t have it any other way.


Thanks for listening.

Ciao!

Finally! Some Good News!

Finally, some good news!

The writing business can be a son of a bitch, but most of us know that. The thing is, we usually forget that part of our craft, until the moment we hit a wall in our story line, or the moment we get that dreaded rejection, or the absolute worst – when a sale falls through.

When any of those situations happen, it comes rushing back at us with ferocity. And then we tend to forget why we do what we do. The zing of getting the perfect word, the perfect paragraph. The headrush when we re-read a chapter or a paragraph and know without a doubt, that we have just created magic. Futility replaces the magic.

But we also know that writing is a trade-off. You can’t have one without the other – feelings of futility along with the sudden superhuman power to fly. They go hand in hand and for good reason – without one, we can never learn, never grow. We need them both.

Which brings me to the good news – Sam W. Anderson

Sam’s story, “If Mama Ain’t Happy,” will be appearing in The Anthology of Dark Wisdom and let me tell you, he’s certainly in great company! Names like Tom Piccirilli, John Shirley, Alan Dean Foster and Peter Straub. Certainly can’t beat that. Not to mention his collection, Postcards From Purgatory has been sold to Sideshow Press! Nice work, Sam!


Kurt Dinan and John Mantooth both got Honorable Mention in Ellen Datlow’s Best Horror of The Year, Volume 1. Kurt’s story was “Ashes of The Dead” Horror Library, Volume 3 and John Mantooth’s story “On the Mountain,” appeared in Shroud 4.

And while my novel is still in progress, there's a bet going on with my fellow writer's of Snutch, that I won't finish it until 2011. I'll be proving them wrong and collecting $50.00 bucks from each of them in the process.

Nice work Snutch!

Ciao!