Greetings from the Wells!

It’s been a little over a month since I have posted anything of substance, at least since my February update. Alas, there’s nothing harrowing to report, apart from the continuing confinement, which has sparked a few seeds of inspiration here and there. There have been some acceptances since February that were unexpected. My prose poem, Puppet of Wrath, Man of Ruin is slated to be released in the spring 2020 release of Star*Line, the official journal of the Science Fiction and Poetry Association, which is still surreal to me. Vince Gotera is the editor of Star*Line 43.2.

Issue #4 of The Dark Corner has been finalized, contract is signed, and pre-orders are available. My short story, The Secret of St. Cyr appears in this issue, which follows the path of a poor young man, wandering in search of answers, only to find something far worse under the ancient bridges of New Ashworth. I definitely had fun writing this story. It added some more background to the Cyber Gods mythos, and the characters.

You can find pre-orders for issue 4 here.

I’ll have another prose poem which will appear in the Sand Canyon Review for their themed issue, “Anemoia” which explores the concept of nostalgia for feelings one has never experienced. My piece is titled, Of Masks and Monsters. I have to make another shout out to my friend, Scott Couturier, because this acceptance marks yet another table of contents that we’re going to share. (We’re not sure what the count is at this point).

In mentioning anthologies that Scott and I are sharing, I’m also excited about an upcoming project that we’ll be in together. The untitled anthology will be published by Duane Pesice’s imprint, Oxygen Man Books with a large cast of characters and a folk horror twist. I’d love to say more, but I’ll let the suspense brew for now. . .

My short story, The Face of Reithan Aftergott finally found a home, and I couldn’t be more thrilled as to where it’s going to live. Weird Whispers from Nightscape Press! I suppose this is more a matter of personal accomplishment for me, and I also have great respect for Robert Wilson, so to have one of my stories published under the Nightscape label is humbling. I’m not sure which issue it will appear in, though I’ll be sure to let everyone know once I find out more details.

Check out the link to Weird Whispers HERE.

I’m also going to be involved in a couple charity anthologies, one of which is titled, Nightmares in Yellow from Oxygen Man Books, a tribute to the late Joe Pulver. I never had the opportunity to get to know Joe as a writer, but I can see that his impact on the realm of weird fiction was vast and grand. I’m honored to be involved in this project and I hope to learn from the legacy he’s left behind.

Cover art by Dan Sauer

There are several stories and poems that I am currently working on with possible projects on the horizon, a large novella titled, A Dream of Falling Skies that is going to be released by Donald Armfield’s Hybrid Sequence Media later this year. That has been taking a large chunk of my time, though I hope it yields some good.

Overall, things have been relatively quiet. My prose poem, Crimson Faces which appeared in the 2019 issue of Space and Time Magazine was nominated for the Rhysling Award. I’ve recently been stepping out of my comfort zone, as of yesterday, and began to record myself reading my prose. It’s something I’m. not entirely comfortable with though, I have a few more I’ll be posting here soon.

That’s all for now! Until next time, stay inside. Stay safe. And stay weird!

Last year I did a poetry reading at the Necronomicon and still, to this day I’m shocked how I made it through. I don’t like the sound of my own voice, but this recording came out alright.

I present for your enjoyment, my reading of my own piece, ‘Ghebulax’ the Faceless Cyber God, which appeared in Spectral Realms issue 12. A special thanks to Alan Sessler for adding some of the effects and the title image.

It’s always a pleasure to be involved in a charitable anthology. Creating art to help another. I’m really happy to contribute to this project, despite not knowing ‘Boss Krall’ as I’ve heard him so lovingly called, the love and support is felt.

I’ll have two prose poems in this charitable anthology, ‘The Rave at Lilith’s Treehouse’ and ‘Grotesqueries and Greyspaces.’

The book will be published by Donald Armfield’s outfit, Hybrid Sequence Media, with a host of talented writers, poets, and authors who’ve come together to create a colorful table of contents. I’ll post more information here when the anthology is available for purchase!

In the meantime, take a look at this awesome table of contents:

Philip LoPresti – Foreword 
Matt Leyshon – The Bastard Giraffe 
Kent Hill – Attack of the Cannibals
Edward Morris – Arolimax Columbianus
Amy Vaughn – Happiness Man
Ben Fitts – The Riffmaster General 
Duane Pesice – Widebirth
Catfish McDaris – The Impala
Ben Arzate – The Breast Cancer Shines like a Sun
Ben Arzate – The Woman’s Corpse
Jason Morton – Screaming at the Sky
John Claude Smith – Mikey was a Race Car Driver 
Andrew Coulthard – Three Thousand Words 
Ashley Dioses – Pulse
Ashley Dioses – Twitch
<Intermission> two pieces of art by Matt Leyshon
Dav Crabes – Episode-Length Victim Management
Ian Delacroix – The Man of the Crosses
Jonathan Moon – The Witch in the Orchard
KA Opperman – With All the Grace of Sin 
Lee Widener – Flapjacks in the Sky
Jonathan Moon – Rattle the Cage and Make the Hamsters Dance
Ivy Valori – Monster
Michael Noe – Mitch’s Brain
Indy Linebarger – Space Jazz
Indy Linebarger – Noir Intent
Jenn Zed – 4 Year Older Than Lovecraft
S.C. Burke – Dead Rabbits
Maxwell I. Gold – Grotesqueries and Greyspaces
Maxwell I. Gold – The Rave at Lilith’s Treehouse
Scott Couturier – I Am Haunted
Wayne-Daniel Berard – Harry Potter and the Past
Phoenix – Anguish 
Phoenix – Red Shirt 
R.N. Oxley – She Loved Me
Sharon Ferrante – Painted Renaissance
Tom Over – The Comfort Zone
Vincenzo Bilof – The Consideration