Updates And News For January 2019

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I have new stories coming! Here's a link to my Patreon post on what's happening!

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© 2018 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

New Anthology Coming

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

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Update: I just checked on this and my poem isn't showing up in the table of contents on Lulu. I've sent an e-mail to the editor to see if anything can be done. If not, well, I guess I'll submit it to another anthology! Thirteen O'clock has others that might be appropriate!

Update #2: Got a message from the editor. My poem missed getting into Welcome to the Dance because of a mix-up, so it will be in the "X VI" anthology (horror/supernatural). These are a series of anthologies for stories that don't fit their themed collections. X V (or X Five) is on its way to the presses, so X VI it is!

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I have another (tiny) entry in an upcoming horror anthology being published by Thirteen O'Clock Press. It's a poem this time. It was supposed to be in a collection called Welcome to the Dance, but there weren't enough entries for a stand-alone book so it is being combined with another anthology, The Call, which suffered from similar difficulties.

I don't have a final title yet. I don't know what the cover will look like. I don't know how the anthology will be arranged as it is being combined. But here's a list of the accepted submissions (as provided to me by the editor) in alphabetical order by the author's last name. Well, sort of. Some of the entries have two authors.

The Call

  Brotherly Love by Diane Arrelle
  Grant’s Call by Roy C Booth and William Tucker
  London Kind by Gary Budgen
  Call of Blood by Michael B Fletcher
  His Calling by Michael B Fletcher
  Daydream of a Bored Fool by Dave Fragments
  Hemorrhoids of the Gods by Ken Goldman*
  Toll Call by Ken Goldman
  Rookies Take Point by David M Hoenig
  Out of Time by Kevin Holton
  The Message by Jeff Jones
  Blood Will Tell by Ken L Jones
  Dead Call by Ken L Jones
  Far Scarier Than by Ken L Jones
  The Nursery by Kevin L Jones
  Ring-Ring by Thomas Malafarina
  Coming Home by RJ Meldrum
  Signal To Noise by RJ Meldrum
  The Call by Rie Sheridan Rose
  You Can’t Lie Forever by Rie Sheridan Rose
  The Late Mr. McCall by David Smith
  Called by DJ Tyrer
  The Siren Call of Valentina Wentworth by Ken L Jones
  The Web Spinner by Matthew Wilson

* Looking forward to reading this one out of morbid curiosity...

Welcome to the Dance

  The Web Spinner by Patricia Anabel
  Last Dance by Diane Arrelle
  Dancing In The Dark by Edward Cooke
  Terpsichorean Titbits by John H Dromey
  The Dancing Partner by Joanna Elphick
  Cleansing of the Crypt by Michael B Fletcher
  Dancing Her Life Away by Michael B Fletcher
  Prom Night by Thomas Malafarina
  The Mask by Chris Marchant
  The Dancer by RJ Meldrum
  The Night Of The Dance by RJ Meldrum
  The Homecoming Horror by Maria Mitchell
  The Black Widow by Marie Mittmann
  The Darkest Dance by Marie H Mittmann
  Chairman Of The Bored by David Perlmutter
  Word Dancer by W K Pomeroy
  The Trigger by James Pyne
  Penitence Ball by CL Raven
  Our Night Is Come by Rie Sheridan Rose
  Among the Bones by K. R. Smith (poem) (See updates at top of post... there was a mix-up so my poem will be in a different anthology - better late than never!)
  Dance With The Devil For Endless Life by Ramona Thompson
  A Dance With Death by Wondra Vanian

Now, when I say my poem is a tiny entry, I truly mean that. It has 9 rhymes* using only 76 words all in one sentence. Isn't that enough to make you curious? It's so small it almost didn't make it into the book. The editor approved it, I got the contract, and then it was lost in the shuffle. Fortunately, a quick e-mail got things straightened out. I hope.

FYI, it will probably be out on Lulu soon. Please check out my little poem. And, if you really have to, some of the other author's works might be okay, too...

* Yes, it rhymes—you’ll have to deal with that in your own way. Oddly enough, I’ve had better luck selling rhyming poetry than non-rhyming free-form.

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© 2017 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

In The Pipeline

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

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I haven't been posting much here lately, but I have been working on some new stories as time permits.

I've just submitted the second draft of a story to Lisa Shambrook's post-apocalyptic anthology (see spot for cover). I don't know the name of the anthology yet, but I'll pass the details on when I do.

I'm also finishing minor edits to a story (Where the Money Is) I plan to submit to Crimson Streets. It's the sort of tale Mickey Spillane and Edgar Allen Poe might write if they had spent some time together. Certainly not as good as they could produce, of course, but something a little different for me. I had submitted it to one anthology, but it was rejected. That didn't surprise me as the story wasn't the best fit for that particular collection. After a bit of rework, I sent it out to Horrified Press. They had an editor problem with the anthology in question, and the project was cancelled. Third time is the charm!

Until then, you can always check out my fantasy story, The Sword of Hexworthy Manor, in L. C. Mortimer's anthology, Swords of Darkness.

Cover image:
Swords of Darkness

Available for Kindle on Amazon:

    US Kindle

    UK Kindle

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Previous post: Things That Go Bump In the Night

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

Another Update On My Writing Projects

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

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A while back, I submitted a couple of flash fiction pieces to the Apex Annual Flash Fiction Contest. As expected, I did not win. So, I have these two little Christmas stories without a home. One of them may show up on this blog towards the end of the month.

Update: Just to let everyone know, Dead Men's Tales, with my story Skarett's Treasure, was published in February 2017. You can find it HERE.

As far as my pirate story at Fringeworks—they said it would probably be published in late September. I'm reasonably certain it was to be this year. I'm becoming more doubtful than ever it will see the light of day on a printed page.

I have a post-apocalyptic story submitted to Lisa Shambrook, but I haven't had any feedback or updates on that project's status in some time.

I had also submitted a short horror story for consideration in a splatterpunk anthology on Horrified Press. Then the editor disappeared. I don't even know if they received the story. The last status on this is listed as 'on hold due to editor issue.'

Lastly, I submitted a fantasy story (my first) to L. C. Mortimer for possible inclusion in an anthology, but I haven't heard back on that yet. She says there have been a lot of stories coming in, so the completion will be tough.

I think my batting average is dropping into negative numbers!

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

I'm Turning Into A Flasher

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

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No need to call the police, however. Well, not for this blog post, anyway.

I've just submitted a couple of flash fiction pieces to the Apex Annual Flash Fiction Contest. They get a lot of entries from great writers, so it's very unlikely that I could win even though they will select multiple winners. Still, it's good to keep writing and have something new in the works.

The subject this year is Christmas invasions. The story has to have an invasion and have a reference to Christmas. And it can't be over 250 words long. With all the folks I know doing NaNoWriMo, I feel like such a slacker.

Come to think of it, I can live with that.

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

Publishing Update: No Good News

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

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This is going to start just like several other posts I've made on this subject. I used copy and paste for most of this post. It ends about the same, too.

If you've read my previous blog post you know I've been waiting for some time for Fringeworks to publish the Dead Men's Tales anthology. It (should) include my story, Skarett's Treasure. Their last blog post hinted that it might be out by late September. I'll have to check my calendar, but I think September has already passed.

Now on to Horrified Press...

I submitted a story back in February 2015, to an anthology listed on the Horrified Press site. Never received any reply from the editor. So I posted a note at the bottom of their submissions page. Got a reply saying they'd contact the editor and let me know.

I finally received an answer.

Hey,
Apologies for the late reply, but we have been unable to contact this editor. If this project doesn’t move forward by November end then I will be putting out the call for those already accepted to re-forward their contracts and pieces directly to me, so that the book can be completed for an Xmas release. It wouldn’t be an ideal scenario, but I would like to see this book completed for all concerned. 

Best
 Nathan J.D.L. Rowark
 Editor-in-chief
 Horrified Press

As I've never received an acceptance (or rejection) letter, I can assume I won't be in the book. That's OK. At least I can move forward and submit elsewhere.

And I don't blame Mr. Rowark for this, either. If an editor disappears there's not to much more he can do other than what he has suggested. I can imagine he's not too pleased with the situation. And I hope there isn't some horrible reason for Mr. McLean's failure to communicate. I like horror in stories, not real life.

So, I still have the story and I can find another market for submission. That's what writers do.

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

Curses! Foiled Again!

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A little while back, I submitted two pieces to Purple Passion Press, a start-up press putting out their first anthology.

Purple Passion Press is pleased to announce our first call for submissions. We’re excited about our anthology on the theme of “the dead.” We’re seeking poetry and literary flash fiction dealing with the dead that walk alongside us, the afterlife, ghosts, spirits, hauntings and the supernatural—the theme is open to interpretation.

Seemed like a natural for me.

So, I submitted a flash piece called Grief and a short poem called Among the Stones. The flash submission was a longer version of an idea I'd done for Five Sentence Fiction called Tears of Stone. The poem was one I'd originally submitted to Scarlett River Press. When I never heard from them (they sort of disappeared), I put it on the back burner waiting for a chance like this.

Unfortunately, they did not accept any of my work. I got the e-mails this morning.

Dear K Smith,

Thank you for your submission "Grief". While we can’t include this piece, we enjoyed reading it and wish you the best of luck in placing your work elsewhere.
Please know that this is not a reflection on the quality of your writing. We received many fine pieces, but could not accept all of them.

Sincerely,
The Editors
Purple Passion Press
http://purplepassionpress.com

Dear K Smith,

Thank you for your submission "Among the Bones". While we can’t include this piece, we enjoyed reading it and wish you the best of luck in placing your work elsewhere.
Please know that this is not a reflection on the quality of your writing. We received many fine pieces, but could not accept all of them.

Sincerely,
The Editors
Purple Passion Press
http://purplepassionpress.com

I hate it when people repeat themselves.

Thus a couple more pieces are placed (or returned) to the back burner. If this keeps up, I'm going to have to get a bigger stove...

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P.S. I saw this on Twitter and had to add it...

A very short story.. see its possible. For those that struggle with ideas. Lol From@bookbear #amwriting #writing pic.twitter.com/gMIBsZ9dcL
— Carin Maehr (@carinmaehrtweet) February 19, 2015

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

Grimm & Grimmer III - Finally!

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It's been a long journey!

I knew things were really starting to move when I saw this on the Fringeworks' Facebook page:

Way back on January 5, 2013, I submitted a story to Fringeworks. It was a remake of the fairy tale The Fisherman and His Wife. In a blog post on that day, I said, "I made the deadline by 1 day. Now the waiting begins..." I had no idea how true that would be.

It was accepted and was to go into Grimm & Grimmer Volume IV, but, for whatever reason, they needed an additional story for volume III. So, a few weeks ago, the editor, Collin Fisher, asked if I'd mind if they bumped me up to volume III. I pondered this deeply for about a nanosecond, then said, "Yes, yes, and, with all due consideration, yes." He was also concerned there might be additional delays for the following volumes, so it was an easy decision.

But all of the waiting is over and Grimm and Grimmer III is now available on Amazon!

    US Kindle
    US Paperback
    UK Kindle
    UK Paperback

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

Yet Another Update On My Fringeworks Submissions

Note: My last post on this was back in July.

If you can remember, I have a couple of stories with the Fringeworks folks that I was hoping would finally be out by the end of this year. One was Skarrett's Treasure in the Dead Men's Tales anthology and the other was The Fisherman and His Wife in Grimm and Grimmer IV. It doesn't look like that will happen, but there has been progress. I received an e-mail not long ago with an update on future books from Fringeworks. The information is also posted on their blog. An excerpt of their post follows:

OUR NEXT BATCH OF BOOKS

With some amazing covers on their way from Ben Baldwin, Jim Burns, Darrel Bevan and Martin Reimann we have six books currently in process. While it has been our fervent hope that we will get some or all of these released by the end of the year, there are no guarantees. The necessary delay caused by various negotiations and internal restructuring has now been overcome, and we are focused on fulfilling our existing commitments before moving forward on other projects. Our priority this year is on: Grimm & Grimmer#3 (edited by Colin Fisher), Grimm & Grimmer: Red (edited by Christine Morgan), Andromeda’s Children (edited by Theresa Derwin), Dead Men’s Tales(edited by Melissa Black), NeaDNAthal (edited by Chris Amies) and The Lavender Men by Adem Rolfe.

I believe the image for the cover of Dead Men's Tales will be based on this:

Potential cover image for
Dead Men's Tales
by
Darrel Bevan

You can see more of Darrel's work here. They are still working on getting an artist for the Grimm and Grimmer IV book, but it would be great if they could maintain the style Martin Reimann used for the first three volumes.

Anyway, that's what I've got at the moment. Someday, I hope to hold these stories in my hand as finished, published works. Then I can read them and see if I can remember what they're about! (Yeah, it's been a while.)

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

Poetry And More Wanted!

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I saw a couple of places asking for poetry (and other forms of writing and art) and thought I'd pass them along. Writers are always looking for places to submit work, and it's often difficult to find places requesting poetry. Sorry—other than exposure, they don't pay.

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From the Balloons Lit. Journal website...


BALLOONS Lit. Journal

Submission Guidelines

BALLOONS Lit. Journal reads submissions ALL YEAR ROUND, but anything received after 31 Jan 2015 will be considered for Issue 2.

We are primarily looking for quality materials that appeal to readers aged around 10-16. Having said that, we won't be too excited seeing conventional materials for readers of that age group. Rather than writing anything specifically for BLJ's readers, you should consider if we could find in your submission, however complex and philosophical, the elements that could enlighten and amaze the young minds.

We invite poetry and fiction submissions by email. All works must be original, previously unpublished and written in English. But if you also have fantastic art and/or photographic work that we think suit the journal, we will let them in too. We love pleasant surprises. If you have anything which we have never imagined before, feel free to try us.

How to Submit
All submissions to BLJ must be emailed to editorblj@yahoo.com. Or you may use the green button below. 

 

SUBMIT NOW

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Your submission should include a cover letter with your brief bio note (be concise, precise and unique!). If the author is a school child, we'd love to know his/her age too. Please also note the following submission instructions for the different categories:

Poetry: 3-5 pieces. Any style that you find appropriate (feel free to surprise us!). Attached them in a single WORD doc.
Fiction: 1 piece. No more than 2000 words. Proofread, Font 12, common Font Types. Attach it in a WORD doc.
Artwork: 3-5 pieces. We take the common file types like JPG and GIF.

You may of course send in more than one category of work. But please do not send in materials of the same category before your work is accepted by us or before you can assume your work is not taken by us (i.e. after 3 months' time).

Simultaneous submission is certainly encouraged. But again, if your work is accepted elsewhere, while we'll congratulate you, please kindly withdraw your submission or piece(s) by contacting us as soon as possible.

Response Time

This is a tricky question. We'll endeavour to process every submission as quickly as possible. But, you know, having a full time job means time is always a concern to us. If your submission is of great quality and relevance and arrives at the right time, we may be able to send you an acceptance within hours. Otherwise, as any other journals, it may take months. But I hate sending (and receiving) robotic rejection letters. So, if you don't hear from us THREE MONTHS after your initial submission, you can assume that your work has not been chosen for that particular issue (and we're very sorry about that!). We apologize that we are unable to give individual response to authors whose work we do not take. But we love your participation and value your trust all the same. Keep your good work coming!

Rights

By submitting your work to BLJ, it is assumed that you indicate your consent for us to publish your work in our journal. After publication, all rights revert to the author.

Go to their website to submit (or browse)
                       by clicking on their name: BALLOONS LIT. JOURNAL

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From the Fishfood Literary and Creative Arts Magazine website:

FISHFOOD

LITERARY AND CREATIVE ARTS MAGAZINE

• Prose
• Art.Photography.Images
• Audio
• Videos
• Issues
• Submit

Submit

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

FishFood Magazine only accepts original, previously unpublished work from authors.

Literature
We accept short fiction, creative nonfiction, micro fiction/flash fiction, all types of poetry, submissions in French, personal essays, letters and diaries. Please only submit nontraditional poetry, meaning poetry that speaks to the readers visually more so than lyrically.
* All literary works submitted should be a maximum of 5 pages *

Images
We accept illustrations, sketches, drawings, photography, portraits, sculpture images and other art projects. Please specify during submission if the image being submitted is a painting, drawing, etc... .

Media & Arts
We accept literature in audio form, short films, documentaries, clips, songs, music videos and other interesting media.

What We Accept:

Types of acceptable documents and images can be viewed on our Submittable page.

We accept multiple submissions (up to three pieces). 

We accept simultaneous submissions, however, please make sure to inform us immediately if your work has been accepted elsewhere so we can withdraw your submission. In the case of withdrawal, we are willing to accept another submission as a replacement. If your work has been declined, you may re-submit twice more for consideration. We will not accept another submission afterward. For ongoing submissions, you submit again the following month.


* FishFood Magazine does not offer monetary payment, however, contributors receive the satisfaction of gaining exposure and recognition for their talent through selection for publication.
* Please make sure you have read and consented to our terms of agreement before submitting your work.

Please submit your work via SUBMITTABLE.

DO NOT FORGET!

Please sign up for our newsletter prior to or after submitting to FishFood! 

Go to their website to submit (or browse)
                       by clicking on their name: Fishfood Literary and Creative Arts Magazine

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

In Creeps The Night

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NOTE: This page was updated 04/18/2018 to provide a new image for the book and link to Amazon. The original links were broken. Also, this book is now published by BHC Press. It is now available in eBook, softcover, hard cover, and audiobook formats. 

In Creeps the Night, the Halloween-themed charity anthology from BHC Press with my story Little Monsters, is now available! You can find it here on Amazon (Kindle ebook) just in time for Halloween!



List of authors (with links to their web sites where available) and their story title:

AD Trosper           The Loop
Ailsa Abraham        Unexpected Visit
Andrew Patch         The Scarecrow
Angie Trafford       Subliminal
AR Meyering          The Dandelion Child
Ashley Fontainne     Whispered Pain

Beth Avery           Guardians

Catherine Connolly   Dealbreaker
Chris Fitzner        Murder House
Chris Glover         Eyes
Cory Eadson          Mr Morbid

DeVante Smith        Transitions
DJ Tyrer             Treat?
DM Kilgore           Nightfall’s Wraith

Edward Brock         A Cup of Yes or No
EG Smith             A Rustle of Leaves
Elle White           Delivery
Eric Brown           Under the Surface
Eric Martell         Penance
Essel Pratt          Fugacious Penubra

J Whitworth Hazzard  Ghoul’s Night Out
Joni Lynn            Ink

Kate Jennings        Final Investigations
Kayleigh Edwards     Now You See Them
Kevin G Bufton       The Face of Evil
Kevin Hammond        Write me In
KR Smith             Little Monsters

LaDonna Cole         Silenced
Laura Jamez          Vampire
Leslie Fulton        Dead Man Laughing
Lional Ray           Green Shadow
Lisa Shambrook       The Raven’s Bid

MA Walker            The Shadow Man
Marissa Ames         The Dark Spot
Mark W Coulter       The Mother-Thing
Mary MacFarlane      Live Witness
Michael Wombat       The Angel of Death
Morgan Griffith      Hellaway Bridge

Nick Johns           Gazes Also

Rebecca Fyfe         Immune
Rebecka Vigus        Finding Ghosts
Renan Nunes          Finders, Keepers
Ruth Long            Delivered
Ryan T Nuhfer        Closet Door

Shaun Avery          Child Chant
Sorcha O’Dowd        Friendly Fire
Spencer Stoner       On The Way Home
SR Karfelt           Golden Years

Theresa Miller       Deadliest Nursery Rhyme

William Dyer         A Dance of Amber

Note: If you are one of the authors and I don't have a link to your website, let me know and I'll be glad to add it.

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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

Little Monsters

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I just got word that my short story Little Monsters has been accepted for publication in an upcoming Halloween-themed anthology from J. A. Mes Press titled In Creeps the Night.

It's a longish flash fiction story at just under their thirteen hundred word limit. I spent the last couple of days before the deadline cutting it down to size. I haven't seen a cover or know of any other stories that have been accepted (there are to be fifty in all), but I'll keep you posted!

The original call for submissions press release is here.

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Image trick-or-treating-5-clipart.gif - Clipart from Clipartheaven.com

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

Fringeworks / Dead Men's Tales Update

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Update: Just to let everyone know, Dead Men's Tales, with my story Skarett's Treasure, was published in February 2017. You can find it HERE.

I received an e-mail yesterday from Melissa Black, the editor of Fringeworks' Dead Men's Tales anthology. If you've read my other posts on this, you know my story, Skarett's Treasure, was to be included, but it seemed as if the project had stalled and was in danger of disappearing altogether. It's been a long time coming, but she confirmed it is to come out during the third quarter of this year (around September?). The cover art is almost complete and the project is moving forward!

That's all for now, but I hope to have more on this soon!

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

Grimm & Grimmer / Fringeworks Update / The Saga Continues

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UPDATE 7/9/2014

I have received an e-mail from Adrian Middleton stating they do intend to publish Dead Men's Tales before the end of the year as a Fringeworks project. He is waiting for a final list of the stories to be published.

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Sorry for the long title, but at this point I'm not sure what else to call it.

Many months ago, I had two stories accepted for publication by Fringeworks. I had expected them to have been published almost a year ago. I have written several blog posts about them. There have been a number of delays, and I'm not sure if they will ever be published...  One was supposed to go to the imprint they picked up (Knightwatch Press), but it's been months since I've heard from the editor.

I had wondered if Fringeworks had taken on more than they could handle, and it appears this is the case based on what they've put up on their blog.

Posted on the Fringeworks website (under the "blog" heading as of 06/30/2014):

Fringeworks is a small-press publisher by day and consultancy by night.

Sort of.

We are based in Mid-Wales and Birmingham, and are focused on doing things differently to everybody else. We like to experiment, and we like to export the things that work (And own up to the things that don’t). This is where you’ll find all the latest news on what the Fringeworks crew are up to. Stay tuned! Lots of exciting developments to come!

Note: The site is currently undergoing maintenance and some of the following links are currently unavailable and will go live from July 1st 2014.

OUR AUTHORS : OUR ARTISTS : OUR BOOKS : OUR EVENTS : OUR IMPRINTS : OUR NEWSLETTERS : OUR PROMOTIONS : OUR SCHEDULE : PROJECTS ON HOLD : WORKING WITH US  (Note: a lot of these still aren't working - KRS)

Our founder, Adrian Middleton, has this to say:

“When we started in 2011 the plan was to have a small in-house press that could my dream of running a bookshop/pub-cum-events venue. Sadly that never quite happened, so in 2013 we changed gear. Instead of publishing just four or five books per year we took over a horror imprint, Knightwatch Press. That decision stretched us to the limit and led to more than 20 titles being available by the end of the year. We learned a lot – good and bad – and now it’s time for us to step back and look at things afresh.”

Fringeworks is going back to its original mission – to produce quality genre and other books that stand out from the crowd. To make this work we need to be transparent – both with our authors, our artists, our writers and our customers.

Page modified by Admin on June 21, 2014

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They have always tried to keep me informed even when things were not going well, and they've had to deal with a few issues beyond their control. I still think they are honest and are doing what they can, but this is taking a long time. So, what does this mean for me? I'm not sure. But I still have hopes of having the stories they've accepted published (The Fisherman and His Wife for Grimm & Grimmer IV, and Skarrett's Treasure in Dead Men's Tales). I will keep you posted!

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

Fringeworks / Grimm And Grimmer Update

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Buried in other pages on this site is a list of stories I've submitted. One of those was The Fisherman and His Wife, a remake of the Grimm's fairy tale by the same name. It is to be published in Fringework's Grimm & Grimmer Volume IV. I hadn't heard anything from them in a while, so I was pleased when an e-mail appeared in my mailbox with an update.

To make a long story short (no pun intended), Theresa Derwin, the original editor, has had health problems and a large work load, so another editor, Colin Fisher, has been brought in to help.


From Colin Fisher on June 3, 2014

Dear All,

I just wanted to update you on the current status of Grimm and Grimmer, and the stories that you have all contributed to the series.

As some of you may be aware, Theresa has been suffering from serious ongoing health problems which have had an adverse effect on her ability to undertake her substantial workload. This, coupled with reviewing, blogging, managing her own site AND the necessity for her to take KnightWatch Press in a new direction, has forced her (with great reluctance) to relinquish the editing of the remaining volumes.

Therefore, in order to avoid further delays to the project, Theresa has kindly asked me to step in and complete the editing process, and I have been delighted to accept. To this end I will make an immediate start on reading through your stories, a task which I anticipate will be both fun and exciting!

As Theresa has already allocated the story split between Vols 3, 4, and 5, I'll be taking these in order and beginning work with those that need to see the light of day first. Over the next few weeks I'll be contacting the relevant authors directly. However, should anyone have any comments / questions or just generally want to find out what's going on, please don't hesitate to get in touch and I shall do my best to help.

Cheers

At least I know they haven't forgotten me and some progress is being made!

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

Job Listings

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Here are a couple of places looking for stories and poems. They even pay a little bit...

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Burial Day Books / Gothic Blue Book 4

From their website:

Burial Day Books Call for Submission: Gothic Blue Book VOL 4

Gothic Blue Books were short fictions popular in the 18th and 19th century. They were descendants of the chap book trade and are now a thing of the past. Burial Day Books will resurrect this art form with its own Gothic Blue Book Vol. 4 to be available this October 31st 2014.

What was a Gothic Blue Book?

Gothic Blue Books were abridgements of full-length Gothic novels. The subjects of these books fell into one of two categories; the first being set in a monastery or convent and the second being set in a castle.
In terms of the physicality of the book, they were three and a half to four inches in width and six to seven inches in height, with a page count of thirty-six to seventy-two pages.
These little pieces of terror were popular at the time because they were affordable, a sixpence or a shilling each. Their cost affordability led them to be nicknamed Shilling Shockers or Sixpenny Shockers.

What are we looking for?

Original Gothic Blue Books typically took place in either a monastery, convent or castle. In years past we have asked for short stories that take place in one of these locations, or a modern day location such as a morgue, haunted house or cemetery. This year, we have added a new entry – legend, folklore or myth of the Americas.

When we think of legend, folklore or myth of the Americas the range is staggering, from the Jersey Devil in the East Coast, to the Wendigo, American werewolf, La Llorona, vanishing hitchhiker, the woman in white, abandoned mining towns and so much more.

Please submit a short story or poem no longer than 3,500 words that follows one of the following:
A single mention or setting in one of the original Gothic Blue Book settings:
 a) Monastery
 b) Convent
 c) Castle
A single mention or setting in one of the modern Gothic Blue Book settings:
 a) Cemetery
 b) Funeral home or morgue
 c) Haunted house
2014 Addition:
a) A story or poem dealing with a legend, folklore or myth of the Americas.

In addition to the above, the story or poem must instill fear using a supernatural element – ghosts, ghouls, monsters, myth, folklore or legend. Extreme violence, sexuality, gore, and profanity will not be considered. For inspiration look to Edgar Allan Poe, H. P. Lovecraft, Jorge Luis Borges, Shirley Jackson, Emily Brontë, or Neil Gaiman.

The collection will be published October 31st 2014 in eBook and traditional book format.
DEADLINE: AUGUST 31st 2014

LEGAL DETAILS
If accepted you are giving Burial Day Books:
A. The exclusive first right to publish your story.
B. The right to republish the story in or in connection with Burial Day, including electronic or hard copy form, including in promotional material or compilations – provided that authorial credit is given in every instance of reproduction.
After your story appears on Burial Day and in the Gothic Blue Book you are free to republish your piece elsewhere as long as you communicate to potential buyers that they are buying your story as a non-exclusive piece

Payment details:
 $25.00 (USD)
 Two (2) Contributor copies of the anthology

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Solar Wyrm  / Latchkey Tales

From their website:

June 2014: “Fire and Ice” – Submissions close April 30
August 2014: “Children of Water” – Submissions close May 31

If you have a story or poem that fits the theme, or you’d like to write one, please go ahead! You can email them to me at solarwyrm@gmail.com, with the subject heading “Latchkey Tales submission – [your name]“. Please submit as doc or docx files, 12 point font, a clean font like Times, Arial, Calibri. I’ll accept stories between 1000 and 6000 words. At the moment I am not sure how much I’ll be paying, but my working amounts are roughly $10 per story and $5 per poem. That will vary depending on how many subscriptions we get.

If you’re an artist and you’re interested in working on our cover, please get in touch with me at solarwyrm@gmail. Working amount for payment for cover images is currently $50, but that is also variable depending on subscription.

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If you have something they might find interesting, drop them a line. Or maybe a thousand...

Disclaimer: I was published in Gothic Blue Book III, so I've dealt with Burial Day Books, and the seem to be good folks to deal with. I'll probably submit a story to them again this year. I haven't done business with Solar Wyrm, so I can provide no information on them. In both cases, please visit their websites for complete information!

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

Another Submissions Update

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This is another update on my submissions...

I noticed that Fringeworks has posted Newsletter #5 Winter/Spring 2014 on their site, and it has updates for both of the following stories:

The Fisherman and His Wife: (Short story - humor/fairy tale) Accepted a long time ago for inclusion in Fringeworks Grimm and Grimmer series (in volume 4), it is now scheduled to be published sometime before 09/30/2014 (which for some reason they consider quarter 2). That's about a year later than the original schedule, but at least I have a date.

 

Skarett's Treasure: (Short story - humor/horror/pirates) Also accepted a long time ago by Fringeworks (for the KnightWatch Press imprint called Dead Men's Tales). They now list it as a Fringeworks project to be published before 12/31/2014. That's a long time away, especially since the new editor, Mellissa Black, sent me an e-mail a few weeks ago saying there were only four more stories (including mine) to edit. While it could be out earlier, if it does take that long, it will be over a year past the original planned publication date. But again, at least I have a date and some news. If or when it does show up, it's hard to say if it will be a Fringeworks or KnightWatch imprint.

 

While I do think the folks at Fringeworks are honest and working hard (a number of problems were beyond their control), I do think they took on more than a two person team could handle. They have added staff, so maybe they will be more responsive in the future. It does make people think twice about submitting to them. From their blog, they make note that:

•  19 books are currently available to buy
•  41 books in development are (sadly) behind schedule
•  18 more books are in development (but not behind schedule)
•  17 further books are planned (But not yet scheduled)
•  1 book was withdrawn pending revision (New Tales of the Old Ones)
•  2 books were cancelled (Descent of Fan & Letters from the Lodge)

That's a lot of work for a small crew. And there has been little visible promotion of the books that are available. I'll let you know how things (eventually) work out!

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Shameless plug section!

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.

The zombie anthology, Haiku of the Dead by Dreamscape Press, includes my poem, Hunting Season. Available on Amazon in paperback.

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Writers! Share the best blog post, story, or poem you've written in 2013 here: Best of 2013

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Image "Feathered Quill And Ink Pot" courtesy of Simon Howden at www.freedigitalphotos.net

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

January Submissions Update

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This is just a brief update on my submissions...

The Fisherman and His Wife (Short story - humor/fairy tale) Accepted a long time ago, and I'm still waiting for something back from Fringeworks... Perhaps being published posthumously is an option.

Skarett's Treasure (Short story - humor/horror/pirates) Also accepted a long time ago by Fringeworks (for the KnightWatch Press imprint). Mellissa Black, the editor, just sent me an e-mail promising the edits would be on their way to me soon. Apparently, I'm one of the last four to be worked on. At least there is some progress! Hallelujah!   

A Matter of Personal Taste (Short story - horror) was submitted to Penumbra - actually a re-submission of a slightly reworked version of what was posted on The Were-Traveler. Waiting for a response at this time, but they've just closed submissions, so it might be a while.

The Disappearance of Mr. Becker (Short story - horror) Submitted to The Were-Traveler  for their Lovecraft/Poe issue - awaiting acceptance/rejection.

Hunting Season (poetry - haiku) - A haiku about zombies for the Dreamscape Press anthology, Haiku Of The Dead, has been accepted! (virtual high-five here) A haiku about zombies... Yeah, me and Tennyson, we're like buddies. Funny, though, how any acceptance makes you feel so good.

Metal Monsters (poetry - haiku) - A steampunk haiku, also for a Dreamscape Press anthology called Clockwork Kiru, has been submitted. Still waiting on that one. Yes, a steampunk haiku. I'm very versatile. And desperate...

Todd's Little Friend (flash fiction - horror) - A flash fiction story based on a visual prompt for Massacre Publishing - just submitted for their Spring Contest. Their acceptance period is still open, so I'll have to wait - "ever so patiently," he said while tapping his fingers on the desk. With a publisher name like Massacre Publishing, I probably didn't have to tell you it was a horror story.

I have a few other things in the works, and I'll put an update out when something really exciting happens. Okay, so it might be a while...

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Image "Feathered Quill And Ink Pot" by Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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

Zombies And Steampunk - A Natural For Haiku

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I have two new submissions - just for fun...

Both are to Dreamscape Press, a small publisher (as if I submit to any other type), and both are haiku. The subject matter? Zombies and steampunk. "That seems like a natural match," he said while rolling his eyes.

Anyway, they are on their way to the editor for consideration.

That's all for now - except that you may want to check out the book below. Just a thought...

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Shameless plug section!

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