Saturday Podcast: "In the Primal Library"

This week for your listening pleasure, "In the Primal Library" from my short story collection, The Saints are Dead. Now available in dead tree format (paperback) or e-book (Kindle) from Aqueous Press. If the Rapture does indeed happen today, at least I will have gone down swinging.

Happy Valentine's Day Podcast

Matt Cowens has created a nifty little podcast of "Better Lessons" for Every Day Fiction.

Give it a listen, if you like. It's sort of a love story. I guess.

And this heart's for you (happy Valentine's Day):

The Sub-Basement Podcast

Today, for your listening pleasure:

Tomorrow: What is art?

#fridayflash Barrel 2

Today's podcast, "Barrel 2", is dedicated to Jarron, Ken, and Mike. Where the hell are you guys, anyway?

This one's "not quite horror" but received a handwritten note on the rejection from Cemetery Dance (that and $5 will get you a coffee at Starbucks).

Listen to "Barrel 2" or download for later.

Yes, this wasn't what I had "scheduled".

Patience.

Have a great weekend.

Halloween Treats

I've added a reading of "The Ox-Cart Man" to my podcast stable. One of my favorite (written-by-me) stories, "The Ox-Cart Man" appears in Northern Haunts and won the 2008 Whispering Spirits Flash Fiction Contest.

Enjoy the story.

Also...don't forget to read "Seven-Year Itch" by Joshua Reynolds at 52 Stitches today. This is a special, Halloween treat (our 53rd story). 52 Stitches also opens to submissions today. Pour 'em on.

Oh, the candy I'm going to eat later...

"God's Creatures" - Podcast

Summer means more time to play with my tech toys, so I've dusted off an entry for last year's MicroHorror flash fiction contest and recorded it as an audio podcast.

Give a listen to "God's Creatures", a story inspired by the root cellar at my grandparents' home when I was a child. Read the text if you choose.

It's Alive!

It being me.

The drive to St. Louis was rainy and cold. Traffic slowed to a stand still in three separate places on I-70, and we saw at least fifteen vehicles in the ditch.

Owen developed pneumonia after a rather intense Christmas day.

We bailed on St. Louis two days early so Owen could recover at home. The drive to Lawrence was rainy and cold. Traffic slowed to a stand still twice within ten miles of our exit. An overturned Chevy Tahoe, lying in a pile of snow ten yards from the road, is a frightening sight.

But we are home safe, and Owen is recovering. I managed to bang out a 3,400 worder, "Grim Adaptations", for the Dead Bait anthology. Fins crossed. I wasn't planning on writing something for that one, but the muse clamped her spines around my throat. My story was inspired by listening to "The Sons of Carbon County" by Amanda Spikol on my iPod (courtesy of Pseudopod) on the drive to Grandma and Grandpa's. Great imagery in that one. If you haven't checked out Pseudopod, you're in for an audio-treat.

I'm spending the rest of my writing time over break (I go back to work on January 2nd) on revisions. I might even crack open Rock Gods and Scary Monsters.

Don't hold your breath. I won't be holding mine.

The Man in the Hallway - Podcast

As promised, a special Halloween podcast. Yes, that's my slightly nasal drone reading my first published story, "The Man in the Hallway". If you want to read the text, the link is on the sidebar. When I was a boy, I struggled when going to bed because I would imagine the shadows in the hall outside my room were actually people. Or monsters.

Have a safe and fabulous Halloween!

The Ghost of Halloween Past

Finally, All Hallows Week ^TM has arrived. Time for a little stroll down memory lane.

Wal-Mart (aka the evil empire) used to sell these vinyl costumes with a mask for about two bucks. My journey to the dark side started when I was three and a half (way back in 1978), and my mom bought this costume.

Scary.

As a treat (or trick?) for Halloween, I've put together a podcast of my first published story. If you have a spare five minutes, stop by for a listen on Friday. I enjoy playing around with sound editing, so this might be a regular feature.

More Halloween goodness to come.