I Think I'm Being Taled

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Just a reminder: It’s okay to leave comments!

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Yes, the title of this blog post is so bad, and yet so true.

I noticed the other day I have stories in three anthologies with the word TALES in the title. Coincidence? Perhaps. It wouldn't seem so odd if I had stories in fifty or a hundred anthologies, but I only have entries in eleven published collections. Must be a statistical anomaly.

The latest is Tales by the Tree from BHC Press. If you're looking for an entertaining bunch of short stories for the holidays, this is the book! My story is The Last Snowfall. It's about a young girl trying to deliver a special Christmas gift for her mother—only she hasn't much time!

BHC Press was good enough to Tweet a link to an excerpt from my story, The Last Snowfall, published in the holiday-themed anthology Tales by the Tree! Thanks!

Read an excerpt of TALES BY THE TREE—featuring THE LAST SNOWFALL by @WOKRSmith https://t.co/fF7inTAw46#holiday #anthology #Christmas pic.twitter.com/onxSvlnURg

— BHC Press (@BHCPressBooks) November 26, 2017

The next anthology is Dead Men's Tales from Fringeworks Press. My contribution is called Skarett's Treasure. This is a ghost/pirate story concerning a young man, Thomas, who becomes a pirate—somewhat unwillingly—to win the heart of a beautiful woman. You might find this story a bit hard to swallow. Then again, so does Thomas...

The final anthology is called Tales from the Bully Box published by Elephant Bookshelf Press. My story, One Above Zero, is about a girl who is the target of a bunch of bullies until one of the bullies sees the real problem. It's a good book for middle grade children.

That's all the tales I have for the moment. But check back from time to time—you never know when I might grow another tale!

(OK - I started with a bad pun, so I had to end with one.)

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P.S. It would be great if you could check out Terri Deno's Patreon site and, perhaps, consider supporting her writing efforts! Struggling authors need all the help they can get!

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© 2017 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Tales by the Tree

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Just a reminder: It’s okay to leave comments!

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BHC Press was good enough to Tweet a link to an excerpt from my story, The Last Snowfall, published in the holiday-themed anthology Tales by the Tree! Thanks!

Read an excerpt of TALES BY THE TREE—featuring THE LAST SNOWFALL by @WOKRSmith https://t.co/fF7inTAw46#holiday #anthology #christmas pic.twitter.com/onxSvlnURg

— BHC Press (@BHCPressBooks) November 26, 2017

Of course, there are a lot of other stories in this anthology. Here's a list:

Grandma's Christmas Sweater by Marissa Ames
Falling by Ruth Long
Winter Hope by Lisa Shambrook
The Long Night Moon by Jean Booth
In the Outside by Raymond Henri

Merry Mythmas by Ailsa Abraham
Day's End by Mona Bliss
A Hell of a Thing by Lisa V. Tomecek
Christmas Preparations by Lizzie Koch
Merry and Bright by Judy Carpenter

Not as They Are by Eric Martell
Hollywood North by Leslie Fulton
Spell Spinner Christmas by Lisa T Cresswell
'Twas the Fight Before by Christmas Nick Johns
The Wild Hunters by S. R. Betler

A Christmas Change by Jennifer Garrett
The Town Beneath the Lake by Beth Avery
The Talisman by Lara Hays
I'll Be Home for Christmas by Mary MacFarlane
Wally, the Penguin Who Could Fly by Eric Martell

Rebirth in Bethlehem
Snowed In by Sara Daniell
The Last Snowfall by K. R. Smith
Jack Frost Stops by for a Chat by Beth Avery
Naughty or Nice by Laura Jamez

A Christmas Dance by Rebecca Fyfe
To the Top of the Tree by Marjie Myers
One Magical Night by Terry Crouse
What Is This Christmas?
The Yuletide Exchange by Rebecca Fyfe

Scarred by Tom Mohan
The Gift by Glen Damien Campbell
Christmas 1916 by Eric Sprolls
Scratch by J. S. Bailey
The Giving Gift by Raymond Henri

What's Good for the Goose by Mona Bliss
The Little Mouse by Lisa Shambrook
Thomas's New Coat by Marissa Ames
Unexpected Encounter by Ailsa Abraham
Picture Perfect by Alex Brightsmith

The Christmas Letter by Leslie Fulton
The Angel Who Didn't Like Christmas by Sarah Nicholson
The Star Shone Brightly by Lisa Shambrook
Claustrophobia By Michael Wombat
All the Christmassy Things LaDonna Cole

With all these stories there has to be something in there you'll like!

Also, this is a charity anthology. I don't get any money from the sales. BHC Press donates $1 for every print book sale and $0.50 for every eBook sale for this anthology to RIF (Reading is Fundamental) for the first year. So, even if you don't like the holidays, you can help people learn to read just by buying a copy!

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© 2017 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Swords Of Darkness: The Stories And Authors

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Just a reminder: It's okay to leave comments!

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I've previously listed the writers in Swords of Darkness; now I have a list of the stories!

L.C. Mortimer (Editor and Goodreads Author)

1. The Price of Ambition by Charles Jake
2. Hallows Eve Street by Irene Ferraro-Sives
3. A Test of His Metal by Bill Hoyt 
4. Reynard and the Dragon by Kathleen Danielson
5. The Soul Road by Shaun Avery
6. Dance of Swords by J. C. Kang
7. The Curse of Ennerath by DJ Tyrer
8. The Sword of Hexworthy Manor by K. R. Smith
9. The Vourdelak by Joseph Rubas

I've just received my copy, so I haven't read them yet, but this book is at the top of my list! And everyone can get their own copy January 1, 2016!

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© 2012-2015 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Swords Of Darkness - Now On Goodreads

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L. C. Mortimer's fantasy anthology, Swords of Darkness, is now on Goodreads! It's on pre-order at Amazon until January 1, 2016, but that's not too far away!

Cover: Swords of Darkness

Since it hasn't been released yet I haven't seen the final version, but there are supposed to be ten stories. These are the authors:

L.C. Mortimer (Editor and Goodreads Author)
Shaun Avery
Kathleen Danielson
Irene Ferraro-Sives
Bill Hoyt
Charles Jake
JC Kang
Joseph Rubas (Goodreads Author)
K.R. Smith (Goodreads Author—and me, BTW)
DJ Tyrer

There's not a lot of info out there on some of the writers, even those who have several books out, so I'm interested in how these writers handled the subject. I am looking forward to reading this.

My story is about a 14 year-old girl who receives a family heirloom in the form of a sword. She then finds her way into a land where she uses it—with a little luck—to great advantage. I can't say much more without spoiling the story, but there is a bit of humor involved.

This is my first story in the fantasy genre, but it might not be my last!

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© 2012-2015 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Swords Of Darkness - Coming Soon!

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Just a reminder: It's okay to leave comments!

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Do you like fantasy anthologies? With, perhaps, a dragon or two? Then there's a new Kindle ebook available for pre-order on Amazon just for you! And it happens to include one of my stories!

The anthology is titled Swords of Darkness, and L. C. Mortimer is the editor. It will contain ten stories in all, and every one will have a sword involved in some way. I don't have a list of stories yet, but the book should be available January 1, 2016.

My story is called The Sword of Hexworthy Manor. It's about a fourteen-year-old girl named Gwendolyn with a very active imagination. It's her impressive imagination—along with an heirloom sword—that leads her into an interesting, and sometimes humorous, adventure.

Again, enough of my blather. Here's the book!

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Swords of Darkness
    edited by L. C. Mortimer 

Cover image:
Swords of Darkness

The Book:

A sword holds power.
A sword holds promise.
And a sword holds darkness.

L.C. Mortimer's editorial debut features tales of magic and darkness from authors who explore what it truly means to wield the power of a sword. From a courageous young lad who wants to honor his grandfather to an unlikely hero who will face anything to win the heart of the one he loves, these stories will lead you on adventures you won't be able to forget.

My Story:

Gwendolyn is a young girl living with her grandfather and a housekeeper named Mildred in an old manor near Hexworthy, a village in the moors of Dartmoor. As the last direct descendant of the family, he presents her with a sword, the only family heirloom left of any value. With her imagination in overdrive, she goes to play in the old ruins on the estate and finds, quite by accident, the way to a world she never knew existed. But with passage now sealed, can she ever return home?

Available for pre-order (Kindle) on Amazon
    US Kindle
    UK Kindle

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© 2012-2015 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

The Reviews Are In!

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Well, just one, actually. But it was obviously done by a person of superior intellect and wisdom.

Roughly translated, that means he liked my story. To be specific, I'm referring to The Fisherman and His Wife published in the recently-released anthology, Grimm and Grimmer III, by Fringeworks.

Here's what Patrick Bolingbroke* had to say on Amazon:

Let's get rid of the children. February 20, 2015

By Patrick Bolingbroke

Format: Kindle Edition

Colin Fisher sets out his stall from the very start when he writes, 'Let's get rid of the children.' Grimm and Grimmer strips away the Disney saccharine and tells this collection of eight stories, from different authors, as they should be told; for adults. I can only add that Aunt Nancy left me dangling and that I particularly liked the story of The Fisherman and his Wife which reminded me of the Welsh legend of the fisherman, Peregrine and the mermaid although the end of the tale was quite different and not what I expected. Enjoyable bite sized stories.

So, it reminds him of a Welsh Legend, eh? And he liked it. All I can say is, Go Cymru! Or something like that. I can only hope a few others share his enlightened opinion!

Grimm and Grimmer III is available on Amazon in Kindle and paperback formats via these links:

    US Kindle
    US Paperback
    UK Kindle
    UK Paperback

List of authors and their story

    Colin Fisher, Editor
    John Haas, BB & The Pigs 
    Damon Cavalchini, If I Could But Shiver
    Kerry G. S. Lipp, Lizzie Knew What That Tongue Could Do
    James Ninness, Sweet Breads
    SMNilsen, That Murderous Thieving Bastard and His Beanstalk
    K. R. Smith, The Fisherman and His Wife
    Lesley McIntee, Wood of the World: The Grimms, Their Contemporaries, Their Age and Ours
    Julius Horne, Aunt Nancy

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* Just to be clear, I have never met Mr. Bolingbroke, nor have I provided him with any remittance for this review, despite the on-going rumors by family and friends—though that's not beneath me if it works. The fact that this was done for free is just the bee's knees. Or the cat's pajamas. Or whichever idiom you prefer.

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© 2012-2014 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

We're Number 1...

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...in the UK.

 

50 creepy reasons 4 the season #shortstory #anthology #flashfiction #horror #Halloween http://t.co/ZJlV7YPzCK pic.twitter.com/6vh3XTCQC3

— BlueHarvestCreative (@JustAddBlue) October 6, 2014

Just saw that In Creeps the Night was #1 in Kindle books for teen and young adult horror short stories on Amazon UK (see orange block in image below). Since there are fifty stories, I'm claiming 1/50 of that.

 

Doing fair on this side of the pond (it was up to #2 in a couple of categories at one time, but now down to #9), but it could do better! Come on, USA! It's for charity!

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© 2012-2014 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Cover Reveal - In Creeps The Night

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Updated Sept. 10, 2014: There is a list of the authors for this anthology available on the J.A.Mes website.

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Finally!

The cover for In Creeps The Night, a flash fiction horror anthology by J.A.Mes Press, has been revealed! It was created by their partner Blue Harvest Creative.

Cover of
In Creeps The Night

I rather like it. The fact that it will contain one of my own stories (titled Little Monsters) is entirely irrelevant. Well—I may be just the tiniest bit biased...

The book should be available on September 30, 2014. The proceeds for this anthology go to Mothers Without Borders, a volunteer, non-profit organization. From their website:

"Our purpose at Mothers Without Borders is to address the needs of orphaned and abandoned children in a holistic manner. We support efforts to provide safe shelter, food and clean water, education and access to caring adults. We want to assure that each child has someone who cares about them to teach them of their value."

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© 2012-2014 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Terri Deno's Haiku Book

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Terri Deno is almost ready to release her haiku collection titled Unfolding Life. Here's the cover! I'll have more updates here, and you can always check out her blog and Google+ pages!

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© 2012-2014 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

This Week's Free Photo - Big Gunpowder River

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I promised a while back to put up a few pictures from the the Big Gunpowder River area, and so I shall. Right now, in fact. Not only one, but three of them!

This first shot is just to give an idea of what the river looks like for those who may have never seen the river. This would include most of the population of your irrelevant little planet. Did I say too much? Just ignore that last remark...

This area used to be populated with a number of small farms before about 1900, and there are quite a few old foundations and walls throughout the valley. The following photo is from an old foundation I pass by on one of the trails. It might make a nice texture image or background. The stones are weathered and quite covered with greenish-gray lichen and moss.

And I can't possibly pass up the chance to post a picture of some fungi. As a horror writer, anything that feeds off of the dead is fair game. Instead of tree mushrooms, perhaps they should be called tree ghouls. In addition, they can be quite interesting with the various colors and patterns they display.

No, I don't know which mushrooms are safe to eat, but I've heard they're often found in small cans or shrink-wrapped packages. I haven't run into any of those yet during my hikes.

Feel free to use the images, or any part thereof, as is or modified, so long as attribution is given. You can use the text below for that (in order as they are displayed):

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Image "BIG_GP_RIVER_9238.JPG" ©2013 K. R. Smith - www.theworldofkrsmith.com - may be used with attribution

Image "ROCK_WALL_9298.JPG" ©2013 K. R. Smith - www.theworldofkrsmith.com - may be used with attribution

Image "TREE_MUSHROOM_9298.JPG" ©2013 K. R. Smith - www.theworldofkrsmith.com - may be used with attribution

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

I Gotsta Get Paid (My First Paycheck As An Author)

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I know a lot of beginning writers are out there sending their work off to some e-mail address to people they've never seen hoping their work will be published. And if any compensation was promised, hoping they'll actually get paid.

Well, Burial Day Books kept their word, so I thought I'd let any aspiring authors out there know. They published my poem, The Ballad of Drunken Jack, in their anthology Gothic Blue Book III. It's just as important to mention the publishers who help us out as it is to promote our work.

@Thee_Undertaker So if anyone asks if Burial Day Books pays, here's the proof. And fairly fast, too! Thanks again! pic.twitter.com/xynbPa9ah5
— K R Smith (@WOKRSmith) November 22, 2013

@WOKRSmith @Thee_Undertaker You made our night! Thank YOU!
— Burial Day Books (@BurialDayBooks) November 22, 2013

I'm supposed to be smiling in that picture, but it looks more like I'm constipated. I really am smiling. Hey, I'm a writer, not an actor...

@WOKRSmith @Thee_Undertaker The books are on their way!
— Cina Pelayo (@cinapelayo) November 22, 2013

The books are part of the payment, too.

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The horror anthology,
Gothic Blue Book III - Graveyard Edition by Burial Day Books,
includes my poem, The Ballad of Drunken Jack.

Available on Amazon for Kindle or in paperback.

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

This Week's Free Photo - Dragons!

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Every now and then, a writer needs to get away from the computer (or pad and pencil) and get out into the real world. It refreshes the mind and provides a bit more exercise than sitting at a desk. So, off into the nearby woodlands of the Big Gunpowder River I went, hiking up the hills and breathing in the crisp autumn air. But wouldn't you know it, there must have been some fantasy writers nearby because I was overrun by dragons. Huge, man-eating, fire-breathing dragons! And here I was without my sword. My mother always warned me about that.

Okay, perhaps they weren't quite so fearsome as I've made them sound, but they were, nonetheless, very interesting. I think the first one is an Eastern Red-backed Salamander even though it doesn't have a lot of red on the back. I thought it might be a Northern Dusky, but it didn't have the ridged tail, so I'll stick with the Eastern Red-backed variety. But don't quote me on that—I'm not an expert. I don't even play one on TV.

I think this next one is a Northern Slimy salamander. No offense, little fellow. I wasn't the one that named you.

There were a few other photos I took along my way that will eventually make there way here as a weekly photo. Some might even be useful as backgrounds or book covers. But if you plan to take any hikes along the Gunpowder, don't forget your sword! There are dragons out there!

Feel free to use the images, or any part thereof, as is or modified, so long as attribution is given. You can use the text below for that:

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Image "ERB_or_ND.jpg" ©2013 K. R. Smith - www.theworldofkrsmith.com - may be used with attribution

Image "Northern_Slimy.jpg" ©2013 K. R. Smith - www.theworldofkrsmith.com - may be used with attribution

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

News: Gothic Blue Book III and Burial Day Books

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I have a little bit of news on Gothic Blue Book III and Burial Day Books. These are from Twitter:

Great news! We now have extended distribution of our Gothic Blue Books! As soon as we get a list of stores and libraries we will post them.
— Burial Day Books (@BurialDayBooks) November 13, 2013

It will be interesting to see where they end up. My poem in a real bookstore...maybe. Hard to imagine.

A great mention for @burialdaybooks GOTHIC BLUE BOOK III: THE GRAVEYARD EDITION ! -- Indie Spotlight http://t.co/bHMteUW3Py
— Burial Day Books (@BurialDayBooks) November 13, 2013

The Daily Dead. Not exactly The New Yorker, but I'll take it! You haven't lived until you're in the Daily Dead. To find the part about Gothic Blue Book III you have to scroll down a ways, but it's there.

Thanks to our friends at @horrorsociety! The Gothic Blue Book III – The Graveyard Edition http://t.co/UeXKVZ43jY
— Burial Day Books (@BurialDayBooks) November 13, 2013

And finally, the Horror Society. They were good enough to list the authors, including me!

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Gothic Blue Book III Available In Paperback Edition

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Gothic Blue Book III from Burial Day Books is now available from Amazon (Paperback edition)!

Now I can see my poem, The Ballad of Drunken Jack, in print! 

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Gothic Blue Book III #horror anthology now available in paperback! http://t.co/7BeayPEGLj
— K R Smith (@WOKRSmith) November 13, 2013

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It's a little less than the planned price at $6.65.

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

This Week's Free Photo - The Fungus Among Us

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I may be a little early with this week's image, but that's alright since I won't have to worry about it later. This is another photo taken along the Little Gunpowder a while back. I liked the blue and green bands in the fungus that was covering the side of a fallen tree. This might make an interesting background image for a project. Size 1200 x 800.

Feel free to use the image, or any part thereof, as is or modified, so long as attribution is given. You can use the text below for that:

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Image "BLUE-GREEN_FUNGI.jpg" ©2013 K. R. Smith - www.theworldofkrsmith.com

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

This Week's Free Photo - Sunset

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This is a photo taken with an old Kodak digital camera some years back of the clouds at sunset. It was taken in eastern Baltimore County, Maryland, USA. It's not a super-high resolution image - only 800 x 600.

Feel free to use the picture as long as attribution is given. You can use the text below for that:

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Image "BC_SUNSET.jpg" ©2013 K. R. Smith - www.theworldofkrsmith.com

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Gothic Blue Book III Available

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Gothic Blue Book III from Burial Day Books is now available from Amazon (Kindle edition)! 

Gothic Blue Book III,
Edited by Cynthia Pelayo

I'm rather excited about this since it contains my poem, The Ballad of Drunken Jack!

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Authors and their works in this issue:

Meg Belviso              MUST LOVE CHILDREN AND CATS 
Die Booth                THE GHOST BRIDE 
Melissa J. Davies        EZABELL FROWNED

Lance Davis              THE VIEWING 
Nicole DeGennaro         THE KEEPER 
Mathias Jansson          DEAR MADAME INSANE

K. Trap Jones            THE BASEMENT 
Michael Kellar           THAT WHICH REMAINS 
Edward J. McFadden III   SINS OF OUR MOTHER

Jessica McHugh           AUNTIE GRAVE 
Georgina Morales         A DIARY OF MADNESS 
Cortney Philip           DIARY OF A DOOR MOUSE

Jennifer A. Smith        AND ALL THE TRIMMINGS 
K. R. Smith              THE BALLAD OF DRUNKEN JACK 
Peter Adam Salomon       THE QUESTIONER’S APPRENTICE

Jay Wilburn              REST 

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I guess I'm going to have to set up an Amazon author's page now! The Kindle edition is only $0.99. The printed book will be about $7.00, and should be out soon.

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

This Week's Free Photo - Bumble Bee On Sedum

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I took this a couple of years ago on flowers I'd planted around the house using a Canon SD850 on macro setting.

Bumble bee on sedum

Feel free to use the picture as long as attribution is given. You can use the text below for that:

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Image "Bumble_Bee_On_Sedum.jpg" ©2013 K. R. Smith - www.theworldofkrsmith.com

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

This Week's Free Photo - White Heath Aster

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I snapped this cute flower along the banks of the Little Gunpowder River.

Feel free to use the picture as long as attribution is given. You can use the text below for that:

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Image "White_Heath_Aster.jpg" courtesy of K. R. Smith - www.theworldofkrsmith.com

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Flash Fiction - A Tinker's Damn

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My flash fiction story, A Tinker's Damn, is now available on the latest issue of The Were-Traveler webzine. It's just a story about a fellow and his hobby.

It's a sort of dieselpunk* / steampunk horror.

The other two stories I have on the site are:

Going Home  ( It's tough finding out you're a werewolf )

A Matter of Personal Taste  ( My mummy always told me not to play with my food ) 

Please stop by and give them (and the other stories) a read!

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* You just know if I have a chance to use the word dieselpunk anywhere, I'm going to do it...

Image "Spider" courtesy of bejim / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved