K R Smith

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Human 76 - Goodreads Giveaway!

The only thing better than a book is a free book. Especially when it's signed by an author!

Michael Wombat is having a giveaway for Human 76 on Goodreads, signed by himself. He's one of the authors and also the editor. The giveaway will run until July 31, 2016. If you want to try your luck, here's the link:

HUMAN 76 GOODREADS GIVEAWAY

There's only one copy and 100 people have already signed up! There were less than 50 when I first checked this morning and took the picture I've posted here. So make sure you add your name to the list. It's a big book, too, coming in at 368 pages on Amazon.

Good luck!

Friday, June 17, 2016

Human 76 - It's Here!

The long-awaited post-apocalyptic anthology Human 76 is finally here!

This isn't some skimpy little collection of short stories. It's a beefy assortment of post-apocalyptic excitement from 14 points of view, all based around a young woman's search for her younger sister in an often-unfriendly world. The main character, Ghabrie (aka Human 76), is pictured on the cover, modeled by Bekah Shambrook. You can read more about how the idea for this anthology came to be on Lisa Shambrook's blog.

My story, The Song of Aiden, involves another young woman, Maeve, who has come from the barren Northlands to live with her cousin Kendra and her mother. It is in Kendra's village, Pentreffen, where she meets Aiden, a musician travelling with a small band of performers. It is also the place where she meets Ghabrie for the first time, though not in the best of circumstances. Maeve's idyllic life (for a post-apocalyptic world) takes a sudden turn and she embarks on an adventure that will determine her future—and possibly Ghabrie's! Here is a snippet of the interaction during that first meeting:

As the girls faced each other, the silence overwhelmed them. Opposite to where they stood, the circle began to part. Just beyond the opening, a young woman waited, her dark hair swept back, the markings of a warrior on her face.
Kendra whispered to Maeve, her voice quivering, "It's her! Don't look into her eyes, Maeve! If you do, she'll kill you!"

Shortly thereafter...

Maeve launched herself at Ghabrie, but the deft swing of a muscled arm sent her sprawling in the dirt. Ghabrie grabbed her collar and lifted Maeve onto her knees.
"Look at me!"
"Please! Please don't hurt him!"
"Why won't you look at me?"
"They said you would kill me if I did."
"I may kill you if you don't."

I don't want to give away too much of this scene. It could spoil the story for others!

You can get more info on the book on the Human 76 Facebook page.

Here's the story line-up...

Leaving the Nest by Lisa Shambrook
Follow the Leader by M. S. Manz
Where the Wild Things Are by Nick Johns
Glint by Michael Wombat
Behind These Walls by Alex Brightsmith
Hiero Worship by Jeffrey Hollar
Human X by Michelle Fox
The Hunted by Steven Paul Watson ( also on Wordpress )
What You Put In by Julia Rios
Underneath by Denise Callaway
The Song of Aiden by K. R. Smith
Sand by Michael Wombat
The Oasis by Rebecca Fyfe
Sheshwatay by K. J. Collard
The Ballad of Ash and Hum by Alison Deluca
We Make The Future by Lisa Shambrook

Edited by Miranda Kate

How to get Human 76...

   Lulu (paperback)
   Lulu (ePub) - free for a two-week period!
   Amazon - paperback (Kindle coming soon)

And please remember...

All proceeds from this book will go to Water is Life, a global charity that provides clean drinking water, sanitation and hygiene education programs to schools and villages in desperate need. Our book is about those displaced and struggling to survive in a dangerous world and this charity fits perfectly with our stories. So when you buy the book you will be helping those in need.

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Cover Reveal - Human 76

The long-awaited post-apocalyptic anthology Human 76 is just days away now! Here is the cover!

Here's the story line-up (I believe—I haven't seen the book yet, but this should be close).

Leaving the Nest by Lisa Shambrook
Follow the Leader by M. S. Manz
Where the Wild Things Are by Nick Johns
Glint by Michael Wombat
Behind These Walls by Alex Brightsmith
Hiero Worship by Jeffrey Hollar
Human X by Michelle Fox
The Hunted by Steven Paul Watson ( also on Wordpress )
What You Put In by Julia Rios
Underneath by Denise Callaway
The Song of Aiden by K. R. Smith
Sand by Michael Wombat
The Oasis by Rebecca Fyfe
Sheshwatay by K. J. Collard
The Ballad of Ash and Hum by Alison Deluca
We Make The Future by (unknown at this time)

This started out almost a year ago as the glimmer of an idea by Lisa and Bekah Shambrook. In just a few days, it should be here!

Here are the Twitter accounts for those who worked hard to bring this anthology to fruition:
Bekah Shambrook @bekahshambrook
Lisa Shambrook @LisaShambrook
Miranda Kate @PurpleQueenNL
Wombat @wombat37

If you like the book (or even the cover) let them know!

Saturday, May 28, 2016

This Month's Free Photos - Roses

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

Oddly enough, I have a few new free photos to post even though it hasn't been a month since my last posting. Think of it as an early June entry.

Knock-out rose

In the back of the house, I have a few pink roses.

Knock-out rose, pink

This flower came up on its own...

Image of inner bloom of a dandelion, named DDLION-0322.JPG, free for use with attribution

Alien monster?

No aliens here (and that's the story I'm sticking to), it's just the inner part of this dandelion (below) that sprouted along the side of the house.

Image of a dandelion, named DDLION-0322_WHOLE.JPG, free for use with attribution

My single dandelion, growing beside the house...

Don't count on early editions of free photos too often. I barely get them posted at all!

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Coming Soon: Human 76

Coming soon! Human 76

You may have noticed the hints on this blog that Human 76 is coming. It's also likely you have no idea what I'm talking about. It's a post-apocalyptic anthology I was invited to participate in by Lisa Shambrook. I haven't seen a cover yet, but I do have the story line-up (with my contribution conveniently in bold letters):

Leaving the Nest by Lisa Shambrook
Follow the Leader by M. S. Manz
Where the Wild Things Are by Nick Johns
Glint by Michael Wombat
Behind These Walls by Alex Brightsmith
Hiero Worship by Jeffrey Hollar
Human X by Michelle Fox
The Hunted by Steven Paul Watson
What You Put In by Julia Rios
Underneath by Denise Callaway
The Song of Aiden by K. R. Smith
Sand by Michael Wombat
The Oasis by Rebecca Fyfe
Sheshwatay by K. J. Collard
The Ballad of Ash and Hum by Alison Deluca
We Make The Future by (unknown at this time)

Sorry I don't have links for all of the authors. Or even all of the authors. I'll add them in as I get them.

Picture of scene from Human 76 featuring Bekah Shambrook

Scene from Human 76
featuring Bekah Shambrook
as Ghabrie

Coming soon! Human 76

...with my story, The Sword of Hexworthy Manor!

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

News - In Creeps The Night Audiobook

Coming soon! Human 76

I was browsing through Amazon at the books in which I have stories and noticed the "cover" for In Creeps the Night didn't look quite right. The image seemed to be truncated and I couldn't figure out why. Then I realized it was the cover image of an audiobook! I didn't even know one was being developed.

The cover image of the In Creeps the Night audiobook on Amazon

The audio book cover for
In Creeps the Night

Now I can hear someone read my story, Little Monsters, back to me! There's ever a sample on the page you can listen to. One warning, however. The audio file for my Android phone is rather large at about 178 MB. Might have to bump up the limit on my data plan if I download a lot away from a wi-fi connection.

When you play the audio (which seems to require headphones/earbuds), the words are highlighted as the narrator speaks. This could be useful in teaching reading. And the inflection isn't always the same as when I read it, but most of the time it's pretty close. Everyone has a different little voice in their head. I have several, but don't tell anyone.

Here's a screen shot of the audiobook page on Amazon (US). You can see the button for the sample audio playback.

They don't list the authors on here, however. Unfortunately, Amazon has a limit on the number of authors it lists even on their book web pages, but I am in the book!

Partial author list with my name for In Creeps the Night

Partial list of authors from a screen shot of the table of contents
showing my name included

Now I have something new to play with—and it includes one of my stories!

Monday, May 16, 2016

This Month's Free Photos - Earth and Sky

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

It started out as This Week's Free Photos. Now, it's This Month's Free Photos. Perhaps I should rename these posts This Year's Free Photos. I tend to be a bit irregular in putting up new images.

While waiting for the Human 76 post-apocalyptic anthology to come out (it happens to contain a story I wrote - The Song of Aiden), I thought I'd post a couple of free images. They're just phone-camera pics, so they aren't great, but it's what I've got...

I've always been intrigued by the colors of the sky when the sun is about to go down and blue hovers near indigo, fading to black. The air has to be clear to get this effect. I noticed it a few evenings ago and took a shot with my phone.

Image of Maryland sky

Earlier that day I met this snake (a garter snake) as I got off the train on the way home. There is a lot of open area around the make-shift station I frequent, so finding wildlife there isn't surprising.

Image of Garter Snake

Check back the next time the Earth is in the same position around the Sun. I may have another picture posted!

Monday, May 9, 2016

Oh, Dear... There's Even A Video

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

I have a story coming out soon, so I believe, in a post-apocalyptic anthology. I think it is to be titled Human 76. While there have been a few pictures available on Twitter (hence the image on my blog header), I hadn't had any news about it for a while. So, I did a little Google search and found this video. The video has a blurb: "Human 76 - a post-apocalyptic anthology coming soon, featuring the talents of fourteen of the finest Indie writers in the world."

Fourteen of the finest indie writers in the world? It seems I've come up a bit in stature since, well, yesterday. Or else there are fifteen writers for the anthology.

Saturday, April 30, 2016

Day 30 - I've Been Quite Wordy

A post-apocalyptic surprise coming soon!

Finally. It's the end of the road. And I need a rest. Desperately.

So, without further ado, here is the last, and quite possibly the least, poem* for National Poetry Day. Published late because I was too tired to format, etc...

The Last Poem

I thought it would be easy.
I didn't know it would make me queasy
Thinking up a new idea each day.

It's also harder to do a rhyme
On time
With something meaningful to say.

But now it's done
And it was fun,
Though I surely need a rest

From writing all this inane stuff
And silly fluff
While making myself a Twitter pest.

So, you won't see me for a while,
And though that may bring a smile,
Rest assured, I shall return.

I will write some brand-new lines
That make you cringe and whine,
And possibly your stomach churn

From puns and silly jokes and such
For which you'll say, "Thank you very much,"
And I will say "You're welcome."

K.R. Smith

*I'm trying to write a poem each day for National Poetry Month. It's difficult to come up with original titles (that are interesting) for each post. I chose silly instead.

Here are the links to the poems so far:

   Day 1 National Poetry Month - Kick-off (National Poetry Month)
   Day 2 Haiku, For You (Haiku)
   Day 3 A Poem For Free (The Good Morning Man)
   Day 4 Wait, There's Even More (Monday)
   Day 5 I'm Still Alive (TMI)
   Day 6 I'm Resorting To Tricks (A Walk Through Kipling's Wood)
   Day 7 It Almost Like Poetry Heaven (Metal Monsters)
   Day 8 I've Got A Lot On My Plate (The Ides Of April)
   Day 9 Another Poem Would Be Fine (Storm Spirit)
   Day 10 I'm At It Again (What A Tree Is Not)
   Day 11 Yes, Number Eleven (A U-Turn For The Worse)
   Day 12 I Feel Like One Of Santa's Elves (Avoiding The Plague Like The Plague)
   Day 13 By The Poetry Machine (Sounds Of A Spring Night)
   Day 14 Rhymes With Thirteen (Bluebells)
   Day 15 I'm Just Being Mean (No Poem Today)
   Day 16 And I'm Full Of Beans (Steel Circles)
   Day 17 I'm Getting The Hang Of This Routine (Of All Things)
   Day 18 As Words Careen (Swamped)
   Day 19 The Last Teen You'll Be Seein' (Haiku)
   Day 20 Poems? I've Got Plenty! (Sleeping On The Train)
   Day 21 A Poem For Fun (Drunk On Blogger)
   Day 22 One More For You (The Other World)
   Day 23 And Another Poem For Free (Downtown Rain)
   Day 24 There's Still More (Questionable Premises)
   Day 25 The Streak Is Still Alive (It's All For A Good Cosplay)
   Day 26 Another Poetry Fix (Haiku)
   Day 27 Til I'm Done, I Ain't Leavin' (My Poetry)
   Day 28 I Hope I Won't Be Late (My Dark Friend)
   Day 29 I'm Approaching The Finish Line (Fido)

Friday, April 29, 2016

Day 29 - I'm Approaching The Finish Line

It's been a long grinds, trying to come up with a poem* each day. Many of them were short, a few good, a few bad, and most of them silly. Still, it keeps me writing even a little bit while I'm waiting for things to clear up and allow me time to get back into a my real projects.

Remember: there is only one more to endure after this.

Fido

Once upon a midnight dreary while I pondered, eyes all bleary,
Hoping to come up with a quaint and curious poem for National Poetry Month—
While I wondered what was lacking, suddenly there came a yapping,
Also something gently scratching, scratching at my kitchen door.
"Must be that stupid dog again," I muttered, "yapping at my kitchen door—
Only this an nothing more."

Yeah, I think it was in mid-December,
Although I'm not sure I remember.
Eagerly, I was eating marshmallows; I would have to get some more tomorrow
And I, full of sucrose and not of sorrow, except, perhaps, for the wanting more—
Then checking the price on the name brand I'd gotten—
I'll buy the generic brand, for sure...

And then, my sad, old curtains of uncertain color rustled,
That thrilled me—filled me with terror I'd know too well before.
I'd probably have to fight my way past the little mutt to get to the store,
"It has to be that stupid dog again, yapping at my kitchen door—
The neighbor's stupid dog again," I muttered, "yapping at my kitchen door—
Only this an nothing more."

Presently, my soul grew stronger until I couldn't stand it any longer,
"Fido, or whatever your name is, quit your yapping at my kitchen door.
I'm busy now, if you don't mind, so I don't have time for being kind."
But still there was that awful scratching and, of course, that fitful yapping
Until, so disturbed was I, I opened wide the kitchen door—
Darkness there and nothing more.

Then from behind me I heard a rustle, the sound of plastic in a tussle,
And I saw that ADHD Jack Russel, who had sneaked past my opened door,
Licking up my few marshmallows like the hungriest of fellows,
And, so, I picked the little critter up, setting it outside on all fours,
Where once again he took to yapping, all the time outside my door.
Quoth from me: Never more.

K.R. Smith

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Day 28 - I Hope I Won't Be Late

...in getting this posted. Listening to the Caps game tonight—priorities, you know.

My Dark Friend

The night has a personality,
Character, if you will,
Unique, and alive to those unafraid to listen.

It has a voice,
A distant voice,
That speaks to me in whispers.

Even on a busy street,
Surrounded by crowds and the lights,
I hear it calling from over my shoulder

Bringing comfort,
A protective shroud of darkness,
That puts my mind at ease.

But we are friends,
The night and I,
And most will never understand.

They can neither speak its language,
Nor see its subtle gestures,
Or even sense its presence.

But I can.

K.R. Smith

BTW - The Caps won.

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Day 27 - Til I'm Done, I Ain't Leavin'

And I know many of you wish I was done. "Another stupid poem? Dear God, save us from this freak!"

To which I reply, "It won't hurt a bit. And it will all be over soon enough."

If that doesn't scare you, I don't know what will. Besides, all my poems* aren't stupid. Some fall into the silly category. Still, they do help me to keep writing, and perhaps a few can be salvaged for later rework into something more acceptable.

Perhaps a brief explanation is in order.

My Poetry

My poems are crude,
My poems are scary.
Hardly ever literary.

Sometimes they rhyme,
Sometimes they don't.
Just like this.

But they're all mine
And that's what matters,
Not by Poe or some other mad-hatter.

I write them down,
I write them up,
And... I can't think of anything that makes sense that rhymes with up.

So, here's another poem
For another day,
And that's about all I have to say.

Burma-Shave, uh, I mean K.R. Smith

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Day 26 - Another Poetry Fix

The weather was in play today for anyone outside in my area—pleasant, though windy. And that's how today's poems* came to be.

Haiku #1

Winds come with a rush
Pushing the clouds on their way;
Spring is impatient

Haiku #2

The last dry leaves twirl;
More do-si-do than a waltz,
Dancing to spring's song

K.R. Smith

Monday, April 25, 2016

Day 25 - The Streak Is Still Alive!

You know, after twenty-four poems* in the same amount of days you start to have trouble coming up with ideas. So, for number twenty-five I've enlisted the help of the Internet. I'm not sure this is a good idea, but I'm desperate.

I went to the Writing Forward web site, in particular, A Selection of Poetry Prompts from 1200 Creative Writing Prompts, and took a gander at #6 of 25 Poetry Prompts from 1200 Creative Writing Prompts. With that many to choose from how can you go wrong? These folks are professionals, right?

Here it is: 6. Use all of the following words in a poem: scythe, fresh, bloody, dainty, screaming, deadly, discovery, harrowing.

Piece o' cake.

It's All For A Good Cosplay

"So, just why were you out there using the scythe?"
He asked, his eyes narrowing.
"We've just barely gotten the seed in the ground.
You should've been doing the harrowing."

I hadn't planned on Dad
Making the discovery
Of me in my outfit
All gruesome and bloody.

And Sis,
Usually dainty and fresh,
Was looking more than a little bit deadly
And ready to rip off some flesh.

"We're going to the horror convention today.
There'll be so much to see."
Then, I, forcing a smile,
Asked to borrow the SUV.

I thought there was going to be screaming,
An ugly, unfortunate scene.
Then he said, "Why don't you take the old car into town.
By the way, I've named her Christine."

K.R. Smith

Sunday, April 24, 2016

Day 24 - There's Still More

I've been thinking of moving, so that's where this poem* came from...

Questionable Premises

Have you ever gone to an open house?
The kind where a house is for sale?
Have you ever looked at how people have lived
And considered their tortuous tale?

Did you ever wonder why that wall is blue,
Or why there is no wall at all?
Remember when that hue was all the rage
And how it's now so banal?

Don't you think every sink and discolored tub
Should have all it's hardware replaced
Since they're so out of style and hopelessly old
They should have their questionable ancestry traced?

And just what is it the kitchen is missing
Besides a replacement for everything there,
And if they didn't have pet dogs or cats
Why is there so much hair?

And should the floors all be sanded down,
And are they of oak or of pine?
Don't you doubt how the house could possibly sell,
And worst of all, why is it mine?

K.R. Smith

Saturday, April 23, 2016

Day 23 - And Another Poem For Free

It's raining today, so a short thought about the rain in the city fills my post for Day 23 of National Poetry Month*.

Downtown Rain

There is something about the city when it rains softly.
The road glistens,
The noises are muted.

There are fewer people about.
They amble along,
At peace in their own world.

The night brings an explosion of reflective fireworks
From every surface
Now shiny and wet.

The lights are somehow more comfortable and inviting seen through the mists—
Not harsh,
Not glaring.

And in the morning, a flower may bloom,
Rising from the cracked walkway
Or beside a tree.

I know it can't rain all the time,
But there are days
When I wish it could.

K.R. Smith

Friday, April 22, 2016

Day 22 - One More For You

Human 76: A post-apocalyptic surprise is coming!

Google says it's Earth Day, so it must be true.

I saw a Tweet from Beth Rhodes asking what we (or me, for this blog post) did to protect the Earth.

Earth Day. My husband is a huge supporter of preserving Nature, protecting the Earth. I don't know why it... https://t.co/4DEbTVrJ5Y
— Beth Rhodes (@BethRhodes99) April 22, 2016

It brought back some memories. I "participated" in the first Earth Day. Yes, I'm old enough to have done that. In fact, I'd been around for a few years prior to that (April 22, 1970). Our school had a big to-do about it, and us kids, we didn't have a clue what was going on. I still don't have a clue about much of anything to this day—at least that's what most folks will tell you. It's something I'm good at.

What did we do? They had the police block the road with a patrol car while we all weeded dandelions from the edge of the road. Tied up traffic for some time. All those V-8 engines idling away burning leaded gas. I'm sure that helped save the world...

Allow me to pause for a brief wheeze.

I grew up spending every moment in the woods, or by the water, or both. I get good feeling when I'm in a natural environment, and that's becoming increasingly difficult to find in the Mid-Atlantic area. Of course, many kids spent time outdoors in the woods or fields when I was young. I don't see that interest in the younger folks these days, but I don't want to generalize too much. I haven't done any research into this that would stand up to scientific scrutiny. But when I go on hikes with local groups, it looks like we all came out of a retirement (nursing?) home. Just an observation.

I hear a lot of people are into recycling. That's nice as far as it goes, but it's probably better to buy/create things that don't need to be recycled so often, things that last longer before that recycling process has to start, or can be repaired. Recycling takes time and energy. Like some electronic devices that get shipped half-way around the world to a facility that handles them (and often in a not very environmentally friendly fashion). Do you really need that latest (fill in this part with the name of your latest gadget/item), or do you just want it? If you don't buy it, it doesn't need to be recycled. Take a moment to think about what you want and what you really need. That might protect the environment as much as anything, and it will certainly protect your wallet.

There are a lot of little things you can do if you want to make a difference. Right now I'm wearing pants (or trousers, if you're in the United Kingdom) that are made (partly) from recycled polyester. I know that sounds a little disgusting and perhaps a bit weird, but if they can stand up to the abuse my fat backside inflicts, they can't be all bad. And it might save a little bit of oil. Okay, with the size of my backside, a lot of oil.

I also like to garden, grow some of my own food, and I've done my share of composting when in a situation to do so. I'm not sure how much it helps the Earth, but it helps my mental state.

Just one more item - I really don't like the new plastic egg cartons. While they are easily recycled, they don't protect the eggs as well as the old paper ones. It doesn't help anyone if the product isn't as good. The paper ones could be recycled just as easily. They could even be composted. I want my paper egg cartons back. Or else.

Anyway, enough of the soap box, here's today's poem*. Then I'll go back and republish yesterday's poem when I get a chance. Had to edit it. That's what I get for trying to do all these poems in between working overtime, or on the train commuting. This has been a busy month (or three).

The Other World

Between the patches of trash-strewn ground,
Away from the walls of graffiti,
Are bits of the Earth that somehow survive
In an alternate-world reality.

Hidden by scrapyards
Stacked high with remains
Of yesterdays treasures
Now in disdain

There still is a place
Where a trout-lily blooms
And irises show off
Their tall purple plumes,

Where birds fly above
The tops of the trees
And dragonflies flash
Their blues and their greens.

Yes, this is where
I've been spending my day,
Though if anyone asks
I'd rather not say.

For if others discover
This wondrous display
They'd enjoy it so much
It would all go away.

K.R. Smith

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Friday, June 17, 2016

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Saturday, May 28, 2016

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Monday, May 16, 2016

Monday, May 9, 2016

Saturday, April 30, 2016

Friday, April 29, 2016

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Monday, April 25, 2016

Sunday, April 24, 2016

Saturday, April 23, 2016

Friday, April 22, 2016

Subscribe To