Two of them, and they’re both positive reviews. Hooray! The first is by Cate Gardner. You can read her review here. The second is by Steven Pirie. His review is located here. Thanks for taking the time to review Shock Totem, you guys! That was very, very cool. 🙂
Excuse Me, But Are You Horrified?
I have a dilemma: I’m genreless. I have no genre. I’m currently running with the horror crowd, yes, but do my stories elicit dread? (I mean, intentional dread, not “Oh my gosh, this writing is awful!” dread.) I watch lame PG-13 movies with my hands over my eyes, so does this strip me of my credibility? My main characters have … Read More
“Bells”
So I had this dream. It was a couple of years ago, and it was horrifyingly vivid. It had to do with a couple of policemen who walked into a gas station, and the situation that ensued. I have a dream journal where I record my more powerful dreams because it seems to exorcise them, but that wasn’t enough for … Read More
Silence, and Breath
My family has gone and I am here alone. Even the cicadas have chosen to be silent. I can hear the sporadic tap-tapping of my keyboard and the sound of my own breathing. When is the last time that I listened to my breath? I’ll tell you: it was forever ago, when I wrote “Life”. Everybody was in bed and the … Read More
Solitude
My issue of Shock Totem just arrived, and it is absolutely stunning. Mine has a special addition of confused, foul-mouthed crows on the inside front cover (Thanks, Ken!), and everything is shiny and glossy. I put it out of the children’s reach, and I can’t wait to pour through and read the stories. That will be my reward for surviving … Read More
WIP Wednesday: Matt Betts Inches Ahead
Seriously, how could he not? I don’t think that I’ve written a single creative work this week. Some blog posts, a few emails. I paid bills and entertained old friends and my father came to visit. But My Demonic Demon Novel: A Novel About Those Darn Demonic Demons! (or, you know, whatever I’ll call it) is lying dead in the … Read More
On Being Unkind
I told you that I was struggling about how best to deal with Things of a Delicate Nature. While I was fighting this personal battle, I read this post by Aaron Polson and I thought, “Amen, brother!” Apparently I’m not the only one feeling the heat. It seems that ugliness is being spread far and wide. I don’t know Aaron’s situation, and … Read More
Things of a Delicate Nature
I went with a group of 15 to “The Secret Garden” at the Utah Shakespearean Festival on Friday. It was wonderful, and I felt homesick for the stage. I flirted with theatre in high school and college, enough to grow addicted to the pre-show jitters and the scent of Febreze. Then we stayed in the family cabin, and it was fun. … Read More
Shock Totem’s Debut Issue
The gorgeous cover art was designed by Robert Høyem (http://www.attheends.com). I want to hang it on my wall, it’s so amazing. Table of Contents * Editorial * The Music Box, by T.L. Morganfield * ‘Til Death Do Us Part, by Jennifer Pelland * One Foot in Darkness: An interview with John Skipp, by John Boden * Murder For Beginners, by … Read More
Oh, Purr.
I’ve been a little down lately, so I drank soda and watched Harper’s Island to cheer myself up. Writing got off to a rocky start this evening, but suddenly I hit my stride and it was smooth and free. My story is deviating from its loosely planned course, but that’s the way I like it. I love when my characters just pick up their … Read More