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If you’re reading this blog, you’re probably familiar with my work, but I’d like to introduce you to some other writers who will be sharing space with me in the upcoming anthology, ZIPPERED FLESH 2, coming in February from Smart Rhino Publications.

The paperback editions of ZIPPERED FLESH 2 and ZIPPERED FLESH.

While Weldon Burge, the editor and mastermind behind the ZIPPERED FLESH franchise, is going through the paperback proof (pictured: above), take a little time to find out more about the anthology’s contributors by clicking on the links below:

1. “The Modern Adonis” by Bryan Hall
2. “Taut” by Shaun Meeks
3. “The Hunger Artist” by Lisa Mannetti
4. “Skin Deep” by Carson Buckingham
5. “The Sun-Snake” by Christine Morgan
6. “Knowledge” by Kate Monroe
7. “Prosthetics” by Daniel I. Russell
8. “After Darque” by M.L. Roos
9. “The Affair of the Jade Dragon” by Rick Hudson
10. “The Future of Flesh” by J.M. Reinbold
11. “We’re All Mad Here” by E.A. Black
12. “Seeds” by L.L. Soares
13. “Perfection” by Doug Blakeslee
14. “Underneath” by Kealan Patrick Burke
15. “The Perfect Size” by A.P. Sessler
16. “Piper at the Gates of Dawn” by David Benton & W.D. Gagliani
17. “BabyDaddy” by Jonathan Templar
18. “The Little Things” by Christian A. Larsen
19. “Clockwork” by Shaun Jeffrey
20. “Luscious” by Jezzy Wolfe
21. “Rapture” by Charles Colyott
22. “Primal Tongue” by Michael Bailey

Smart Rhino Publications also published the anthology UNCOMMON ASSASSINS and is in the final stages of preparing Burge’s BROKEN: STORIES OF DAMAGED PSYCHES for release.

ALIEN SKY, coming March 13 from Another Sky Press.

Pick up a copy of ALIEN SKY, featuring my short story, “Freestone”, beginning March 13. You will be able to buy ALIEN SKY, edited by Justin Nicholes, through Amazon.com, Powells.com, and BookDepository.com for a fixed price, or you can order it straight from Another Sky Press for the production and shipping costs, plus whatever you think its worth.

The phenomenal cover art by Erik Abel (pictured: right) gives you an accurate sounding for how good the book might be, but if you’re one of those “can’t just a book by its cover” types, take a long look at the table of contents:

• “The Machines Change” by Justin Nicholes
• “Red Dust from His Boots” by Paul Jessup
• “Crime Is Multiversal” by RCJ Graves
• “Fetch” by Marshall Moore
• “Focus” by Brian Koscienski & Chris Pisano
• “To Mine Blood” by Joe Matar
• “The Last First” by Guy Salvidge
• “Chewers” by J. Kelley Anderson
• “The Promise of Extinction” by Chris White
• “Residual Humanity” by Joe Jablonski
• “Freestone” by Christian A. Larsen
• “Dominance” by Georgina Kamsika
• “Gordian Knot” by Tom Howard
• “The Winter of Man” by Jeremy Clymer
• “Feather Wait” by Doug Donnan
• “Caves” by Benjamin Christensen
• “Whistle in the Wind” by Gerry Huntman
• “Epsom Ipsom” by T. Lloyd Reilly
• “Aquatic Destiny” by Shane Ward
• “Whatever Can GOBAD” by Daniel Pearlman
• “Painting the Stars Red” by Derek Smith
• “A New Pair of Eyes” by Hunter Liguore

“Freestone” isn’t my first foray into science fiction, but ALIEN SKY will be my first sci-fi anthology, and I say its about time. I started writing science fiction before I started writing horror, and really, a good chunk of the science fiction genre is horror. Pick up ALIEN SKY on March 13 and read “Freestone”, and you’ll know what I mean.

Pick up a copy of DARK LIGHT III, featuring my story, “Harby’s Last Stand,” coming March 15 from Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing. In anticipation of its release, editor S.J. Davis revealed the stunning cover art by Rue for Vivid Designs for the paperback and Kindle eBook formats:

DARK LIGHT III to feature “Harby’s Last Stand.”

DARK LIGHT III will also feature the fine work of, among others, Anna Yeatts, Nicolette Grey, Ericka Kahler, J.R. Roper, Laurie Jenkins, Dene Bebbington, S.J. McMillan, and Shaun Meeks, whose stories have appeared with mine in A FEAST OF FRIGHTS FROM THE HORROR ZINE and the upcoming ZIPPERED FLESH 2, expected next month from Smart Rhino Publications.

HORRIFIC HISTORY will feature “Skin of Blue and Grey”.

Hazardous Press has added two more pieces to the table of contents for HORRIFIC HISTORY, which will feature my short story, “Skin of Blue and Grey”.

Douglas J. Moore reminds us that history isn’t always distant in his short story, “Junior LeBlanc & Katrina”, which is set in New Orleans during the ensuing tumult of Hurricane Katrina.

Lee Clark Zumpe, who has appeared in numerous anthologies and magazinez, goes a little further back with his short story “Under Azrael’s Banner”, which is set during the war to end all wars, World War I.

There are now 24 pieces selected for HORRIFIC HISTORY, edited by Robert Helmbrecht, and I present them here in alphabetical order (by title):

• “10 Weeks” by David Williamson
• “The Blackest Rite” by D. Alexander Ward
• “Dust” by Cameron Suey
• “The Fires of Hell and Avondale” by Julianne Snow
• “Fireweed” by Lynne MacLean
• “Giving Thanks” by Ken MacGregor
• “Junior LeBlanc & Katrina” by Douglas J. Moore
• “Lightning” by Monette Bebow-Reinhard
• “Lindisfarne” by Rebecca L. Brown
• “Lucan” by Adam Millard
• “Mud” by Pete Aldin
• “Plymouth, Born Again” by Christopher Nelson
• “Prettiest Things” by Emerian Rich
• “Scion” by Deborah Drake
• “Securing the Empire” by Jay Wilburn
• “Ship of Nighmares, Ship of Dreams” by Brent Nichols
• “Skin of Blue and Grey” by Christian A. Larsen
• “Skraelings” by Rose Blackthorn
• “Teedie and the Night Drive” by Doug Murano
• “Turning the Clock Back” by Jenny Twist
• “Under Azrael’s Banner” by Lee Clark Zumpe
• “Valley of the Dead Trees” by T. Fox Dunham
• “The Vercelli Book” by Gwendolyn Edward
• “Winds of War” by Brent Abell

Jay Wilburn may be familiar to some of you as the author of LOOSE ENDS, also published by Hazardous Press. If not, read my review here.

SO IT GOES, coming Spring 2013 from PMMP.

SO IT GOES: A TRIBUTE TO KURT VONNEGUT, featuring my story, “The Fountain of Relative Youth”, is scheduled for a spring release from Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing.

The volume will blend satire, gallows humor, and science fiction in the tradition of Vonnegut works such as CAT’S CRADLE (1963), SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE (1969), and BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS (1973).

I’ll be joined by a number of writers familiar to me (Roger, Wilburn, Dunham, and Dorr–sounds like a law firm!) as well as writers I’m eager to discover (everybody else):

• “The Grand Tour” by Frank Roger
• “Saving God” by Jay Wilburn
• “How to Succeed in Academia” by K. A. Laity
• “Critical Thinking Skills” by James W. Hritz
• “The Unhappy Accident or Feelin’ Fine” by T. Fox Dunham
• “The Truth” by Jonathan Balog
• “You’re Toast by” E.E. King
• “The Joke’s on You” by Philip Simondet
• “It Takes Four to Tango” by Mike Sheedy
• “The Policy” by Thomas Messina
• “Riding” by Aric Zair
• “Corrective Action (or Illegal Discharge Legally Charged)” by Tony Wayne Brown
• “Dead Girls, Dying Girls” by James Dorr
• “Modern Science Has Yet to Find a Cure” by Michael Lee Smith
• “The Fountain of Relative Youth” by Christian A. Larsen
• “My Best Friend is a Robot” by Brady Gerber
• “Fido” by James Wymore
• “Megastar Hopper” by Sue Lange
• “Dog. Girl. Armless Karaoke Maniac.” by Joseph McKinley
• “Nedserd” by Eli Wilde
• “A Tribute to Ernest Glipp” by C. M. Chapman

PMMP says Vonnegut “was a man who pushed his imagination off a cliff and followed it for the whole drop; a man who was able to write the most cynical material, yet make you die of laughter at the same time.” SO IT GOES will do the same.

Buy FORTUNE: LOST AND FOUND, featuring “The Plagiarist’s Wireless” via Amazon.com.

Darcia Helle invited Kate Jonez, the editor-in-chief of Omnium Gatherum, publisher of FORTUNE: LOST AND FOUND, to blog about the anthology on her website, Quiet Fury Books. Helle said she was “unfamiliar with all of the contributing authors, but became an instant fan of several.”

In her guest post, Jonez explains what, as an editor, she prefers about putting together an anthology over single-author works:

Although we primarily publish novels and novellas I do enjoy publishing an occasional anthology. It’s a great way to sample a wide variety of writing styles, and to work with lots of great people. The FORTUNE: LOST AND FOUND anthology was a pleasure to work on. We received many superb stories and I think you’ll be seeing lots more from these up and coming authors in years to come.

Each author is also given space to explain the inspiration behind his or her story. Here’s how I explain myself:

I don’t know if it’s true for most writers, but I’m a frustrated musician. Several of the guys I played with in high school have gone on to bigger and better things, musically, especially Rob Kleiner, who has a gold record for co-writing “What Part of Forever” recorded by Cee Lo Green for the ECLIPSE soundtrack. I guess writing “The Plagiarist’s Wireless” was my way of rediscovering the magic of being a music fan. The fictional band, Wolves N’ Sparrows, is based on Guns N’ Roses and Steppenwolf, two of my favorite bands since high school. I had Wolves N’ Sparrows built in my head, right down to the band members names, before I had the idea for the story. The title “The Plagiarist’s Wireless” came next, and last, the story idea, which was really a question: “what if there were a device that let us listen to the past, as if everything were being secretly recorded?” Richard Nixon would be proud.

Read the rest of the post here to find out the stories behind the other authors’ stories. FORTUNE: LOST AND FOUND is available now through Amazon.com. Pick up a copy and discover a new writer or two. And don’t forget to leave a review…

“Skin of Blue and Grey” to feature in HORRIFIC HISTORY from Hazardous Press.

I’ve been asleep at the switch, it seems. During my dereliction, Hazardous Press has accepted seven more stories for their HORRIFIC HISTORY anthology, which will feature my short story, “Skin of Blue and Grey.”

Brent Nichols brings “Ship of Nightmares, Ship of Dreams” to the publication. Nichols’ work has appeared in BLOOD AND WATER (Bundoran Press), SHANGHAI STEAM (Absolute XPress), and THE DEAD SEA (Cruentus Libri).

“Fireweed”, a story set in the Yukon Gold Rush, comes from Lynne MacLean. Over a hundred thousand people set out to find their fortunes in the great white north at the end of the 19th Century. Only 30,000 made it there. MacLean mines from this backdrop with a fascinating tale.

Cameron Suey, who was previously published in A QUICK BITE OF FLESH from Hazardous Press, is contributing “Dust” to HORRIFIC HISTORY. “Dust” is a dark tale set in the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression.

Suey will be joined by another A QUICK BITE OF FLESH co-contributor, Deborah Drake, who has penned “Scion” for the latest anthology from Hazardous Press. “Scion” explores the stigma surrounding abortion in New York in the 1950s.

Brent Abell, author of IN MEMORIAM (Rymfire Books), is contributing “Winds of War”, a story that explores the sinking of the RMS Lusitania by a German U-boat in 1915, which led to a heavy loss of life.

DAYS OF THE UNDEAD author Julianne Snow, who has also written numerous short stories, will be making her first appearance with Hazardous Press when her story, “The Fires of Hell and Avondale” appears in HORRIFIC HISTORY.

And Christopher Nelson, who has appeared in anthologies from Wicked East Press, Scarlett River Press and others, contributes “Plymouth, Born Again” to HORRIFIC HISTORY. His story explores the evils of Myles Standish, the plight of William Bradford, and the horrors or Plymouth Colony.

Here is a look at the in-progress table of contents for HORRIFIC HISTORY, edited by Robert Helmbrecht, with the stories in alphabetical order:

• “10 Weeks” by David Williamson
• “The Blackest Rite” by D. Alexander Ward
• “Dust” by Cameron Suey
• “The Fires of Hell and Avondale” by Julianne Snow
• “Fireweed” by Lynne MacLean
• “Giving Thanks” by Ken MacGregor
• “Lightning” by Monette Bebow-Reinhard
• “Lindisfarne” by Rebecca L. Brown
• “Lucan” by Adam Millard
• “Mud” by Pete Aldin
• “Plymouth, Born Again” by Christopher Nelson
• “Prettiest Things” by Emerian Rich
• “Scion” by Deborah Drake
• “Securing the Empire” by Jay Wilburn
• “Ship of Nighmares, Ship of Dreams” by Brent Nichols
• “Skin of Blue and Grey” by Christian A. Larsen
• “Skraelings” by Rose Blackthorn
• “Teedie and the Night Drive” by Doug Murano
• “Turning the Clock Back” by Jenny Twist
• “Valley of the Dead Trees” by T. Fox Dunham
• “The Vercelli Book” by Gwendolyn Edward
• “Winds of War” by Brent Abell

Hazardous Press also published Wilburn’s debut novel LOOSE ENDS in 2012, which I reviewed here.

THE GHOST IS THE MACHINE, available from Post Mortem Press at Amazon.com.

THE GHOST IS THE MACHINE, featuring my short story, “The Talent’s in the Bones,” is getting more love from industry insiders and the general reading public alike. The anthology, edited by Patrick Scalisi, has made it to the second of four rounds for a very prestigious industry award, but I’m not really allowed to say which one.

In addition, recent reader reviews at Amazon.com say THE GHOST IS THE MACHINE delivers “unsettling and sometimes frightening worlds expected in true horror” with its “many brilliant stories [that are] written beyond belief” and “will keep you entertained for days.” I really like the way that reads when its all written in one sentence, but those quotes were from three different reviews. Just being honest, here.

THE GHOST IS THE MACHINE features a short story by Stephen King collaborator Joe Hill, winner of three Bram Stoker Awards. The table of contents includes:

• J. David Anderson (“The Voice in the Box”)
• Anton Cancre (“Interchangeable Parts”)
• Kenneth W. Cain (“Rebirth”)
• Gloria Weber (“Eternal Service”)
• Joe Hill (“Scheherazade’s Typewriter”)
• Christian A. Larsen (“The Talent’s in the Bones”)
• Rose Blackthorn (“Eidiss”)
• Jonathan Templar (“Love the Ride”)
• Doug MacKensie (“The Iron Prophet”)
• Eric J. Guignard (“The Ghost of Ozzie Hobbs”)
• Kristopher Triana (“Video Express”)
• Matthew Alan Hughes (“Bad Toys”)
• Rob Smales (“Photo Finish”)
• Jay Wilburn (“Watch”)
• Alexis A. Hunter (“Afterimage”)

Earlier this week, Post Mortem Press announced that THE GHOST IS THE MACHINE placed first in the Preditors & Editors™ readers’ poll for best anthology of 2012. Now go buy the book here and leave your own reader review.

The cover of ZIPPERED FLESH 2, designed by Scott Medina and created by Shelley Everett Bergen.

ZIPPERED FLESH 2, featuring my short story, “The Little Things,” has been uploaded to CreateSpace, and will be available soon through Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle eBook formats. Editor Weldon Burge has ordered a proof copy, and says he hopes to “send out review and comp copies in the next few weeks.”

ZF2 continues a tradition begun by Smart Rhino Publications’s ZIPPERED FLESH: TALES OF BODY ENHANCEMENTS GONE BAD! Hellnotes calls the first installment of ZIPPERED FLESH an “outstanding anthology.” In a review on This is Horror, J.D. Gillam says the anthology is “fresh” and “worthy of being added to your ‘to read’ pile.”  And Gabino Iglesias, in his review for Horror Talk, says ZIPPERED FLESH “delivered thrills that exceeded [his] expectations.”

ZIPPERED FLESH 2 features a few returning authors, and a number of newcomers to the franchise:

• “The Modern Adonis” by Bryan Hall
• “Taut” by Shaun Meeks
• “The Hunger Artist” by Lisa Mannetti
• “Skin Deep” by Carson Buckingham
• “The Sun-Snake” by Christine Morgan
• “Knowledge” by Kate Monroe
• “Prosthetics” by Daniel I. Russell
• “After Darque” by M.L. Roos
• “The Affair of the Jade Dragon” by Rick Hudson
• “The Future of Flesh” by J.M. Reinbold
• “We’re All Mad Here” by E.A. Black
• “Seeds” by L.L. Soares
• “Perfection” by Doug Blakeslee
• “Underneath” by Kealan Patrick Burke
• “The Perfect Size” by A.P. Sessler
• “Piper at the Gates of Dawn” by David Benton & W.D. Gagliani
• “BabyDaddy” by Jonathan Templar
• “The Little Things” by Christian A. Larsen
• “Clockwork” by Shaun Jeffrey
• “Luscious” by Jezzy Wolfe
• “Rapture” by Charles Colyott
• “Primal Tongue” by Michael Bailey

In addition to ZIPPERED FLESH 1 & 2, Smart Rhino Publications has also published the anthology UNCOMMON ASSASSINS and has a short story collection coming soon from Weldon Burge called BROKEN: STORIES OF DAMAGED PSYCHES.

FEARnet’s Nancy Green talks with Michael Bailey about CHIRAL MAD.

FEARnet‘s Nancy Green recently had a chance to talk with Michael Bailey, editor of and contributor to CHIRAL MAD, which features my own “Mirror Moments” about the book, its theme, the people who made it possible, and the purpose behind it.

Michael Bailey is the author of the collection SCALES AND PETALS, and he is the editor of a new anthology titled CHIRAL MAD. CHIRAL gathers together some of the finest names in horror, as well as some newer writers, and has been well-received. For FEARnet, Michael explains the concept behind CHIRAL MAD and his love for psychological horror. 

Read the interview here where Bailey explains more about the book’s contributors and it’s mission. CHIRAL MAD has received positive reviews from Kirkus Reviews, Hellnotes, Horror World, Rue Morgue, and the San Francisco Book Review, and proceeds from the sale of the anthology go toward Down’s syndrome charities. Pick up a copy today at Amazon.com and leave your own review!