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We all have our favorite fictional characters and dream of popping into their world to meet them some day. What if by some miracle all our fave characters could jump out into the real world for one day to attend a special event? Let's see what might happen.
It's October 2nd. My favorite holiday, Halloween, is right around the corner. The weather is starting to turn chilly and I'm not in the greatest of moods. Today is, after all, my birthday, and as I get older, birthdays take on a new meaning. They aren't filled with happy moments or wishes I want to come true some day. No, it just means one year closer to losing my mind, failing health, and watching dreams go down in a ball of flame. However, this year, things are going to be different. You see, my niece is throwing me a spectacular birthday dinner and there are two special guests on the invitation list: Dean Winchester (from Supernatural fame) and Eric Northman (the hottest vampire to exist in today's fictional world).
Everyone is settled in and seated around the table. They have already introduced themselves and from the scathing looks Dean keeps giving Eric, I can tell it's going to be a long night.
"Why did you invite him?" asked Dean, leaning over to whisper in my ear.
"Maybe because I'm more fun," said Eric. He pointed to his ears. "Whispers are for children. I can hear whatever you say perfectly."
Dean straightened his back, looking ready to pounce. I placed a restraining hand on his arm.
"Boys, let's just all get along for one night, okay?"
Dean snarled; Eric growled. I knew this dinner was going to be a disaster the moment my niece opened the door to show off her two surprise guests. Pitting a vampire and a monster hunter in the same room would only result in chaos. Could I have them make peace, if just for the one night?
The kitchen door opened and Emily, my niece, pushed a gigantic cake through the door. "It's time to sing Happy Birthday," she said with a huge grin on her face.
On top of the cake was an image of my latest supernatural novel that had just hit the bookshelves. Emily had written BESTSELLER across the top and underneath "birthday wishes do come true." Today was the day my book made the best seller list, so it was really a double celebration. Unfortunately, the two characters seated next to me were about to make it more interesting.
Eric wished me a happy birthday and then gave me a peck on the cheek. Dean whistled and said in a low voice, "Why don't you just bite her and drink her dry, blood sucker? We all know you want to because that's what monsters like you do."
That was all it took. Eric turned, extending his fangs, and lunged at Dean.
"I'd much rather do away with you, hunter," said Eric, toppling them both to the floor.
They wrestled for a few minutes, looking like school boys fighting over a girl, but I knew it was deadly serious. Emily screamed. The rest of the guests moved away from the table. No one intervened. This was a fight to the death.
Dean pushed Eric off him and got to his feet, pulling a wooden stake out of his coat sleeve. Always prepared, wasn't he?
I tried to step in between the two men but Eric gently pushed me out of the way. The two men went at it again, grappling with each other and falling toward the cake. I heard this loud, "Noooooooo!" behind me and turned to see Emily's horrified face. "Not the cake!" she said.
The birthday cake became a casualty of war as it splattered across the room. I got frosting in my hair; Emily received a few pieces of chocolate in her face. Guess we shouldn't have been standing next to the cake when the boys flattened it. I started giggling then; I just couldn't help it. That was the last straw for poor Emily. Her face screwed up in anger, she approached the boys, grabbing each one by the scruff of their collars. They immediately stopped fighting and looked at her.
"You two ruined everything. Do you know how long I spent on that cake? This dinner was supposed to be the most memorable one ever and well, I'd say it will be but not the way I wanted. I should send you both packing, where you can fight each other to the death outside; however, this place is a horrible mess now and you both need to stop acting like two year olds and take some responsibility. I expect everything cleaned up within the hour, do I make myself clear?"
She shook both of them forcefully, leaving no choice but to obey. When neither man answered, she released them and punched them both in the nose before saying, "Do it!"
Dean and Eric looked at each other, shrugged, and then started laughing. They had come here with the intent of killing each other but just seeing the look on Emily's face now and her ordered command had eased the situation and they no longer feared each other. It was Emily's wrath that kept them on their toes. To disobey her would send her over the edge.
Dean bowed his head and mumbled, "Sorry, Emily."
Eric scowled and said, "Yeah, me too."
Dean picked up a broom and started sweeping the pieces of cake up. Eric grabbed the trash can. Just as Emily and I turned to leave, I saw out of the corner of my eye Dean taking a swing at Eric's head with the broom. I smiled. This had been the best birthday ever. I can't wait until next year!
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Plagiarism in the now defunct Michigan Horror Writers Group...
Updates To News and Criticism:: Easy as 1, 2, 3...See David Boyer Steal a Story! (...: I'd like to thank Ferrel "Rick" Moore for sending me the emails from his recent blog post: http://thewriterandthewhitecat.blogspot.com/20...
Penguicon Weekend
I will be selling signed copies of my books at Penguicon on Friday, April 27, through Sunday, April 29, 2012 in the dealer's room. Penguicon is being held this year at the Regency Hyatt in Dearborn, Michigan. Dealer room hours are:
Friday: 4 pm to 8 pm
Saturday: 10 am to 8 pm
Sunday: 10 am to 2 pm
Some of the highlights of this year are the Gears of War 3 Horde Mode Competition, Rock Band Rock Off, Brick Challenge, Quelf, and Zombie Walk.
For more information on this convention, please visit http://www.penguicon.org/.
Friday: 4 pm to 8 pm
Saturday: 10 am to 8 pm
Sunday: 10 am to 2 pm
Some of the highlights of this year are the Gears of War 3 Horde Mode Competition, Rock Band Rock Off, Brick Challenge, Quelf, and Zombie Walk.
For more information on this convention, please visit http://www.penguicon.org/.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Norway Shooter Anders Breivik 'Regrets Not Going Further' - ABC News
Norway Shooter Anders Breivik 'Regrets Not Going Further' - ABC News
Right-wing extremist Anders Breivik, who has admitted killing 77 people during a politically-motivated murder spree in Norway last summer, has been declared sane and fit to stand trial and will probably take the stand to say he wishes he had killed even more people.
"The experts' main conclusion is that the accused Anders Behring Breivik was not psychotic during the events on 22 July 2011," a Norwegian court said in a statement. "That means that he is considered criminally responsible at the time of the crime."
An earlier psychiatric report had found that Breivik suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. Both Breivik and some of the families of his victims objected to the diagnosis.
The families want Breivik to be legally responsible for his actions, and Breivik said in a 38-page letter to the Norwegian media that he considered the insanity diagnosis the "ultimate humiliation."
Breivik has confessed to detonating bombs that killed eight people in downtown Oslo and to killing 69 people with a rifle on the nearby resort island of Utoya. Breivik said he committed the acts as part of a war on Islamic immigration to Norway and had targeted government offices and the youth summer camp of Norway's ruling political party. He also told police that he had considered attacking U.S. President Barack Obama with a car bomb when Obama visited Oslo in December 2009 to accept the Nobel Peace Prize.
Lippestad also said that Breivik will provide an explanation for his actions. "He will not only defend his actions," said Lippestad, "but will also lament, I think, not going further."
Given his client's wishes, Lippestad will portray Breivik as sane, but as an extremist. To bolster his case, he plans to call both Islamic extremists and right-wing extremists to the stand. Lippestad says he will call Mullah Krekar, an Islamic extremist now resident in Norway, as a witness. Krekar, who once headed Ansar al-Islam, an Islamist group in Kurdish Iraq, has admitted meeting with Osama bin Laden and requesting backing for his group.
Lippestad said he wants to demonstrate that "Islamists also believe that Europe is the setting for a war of religion" and that therefore Breivik's belief in such a conflict is not delusional. Breivik has written a 1,500 page manifesto outlining his motives.
The attorney told the French newspaper Le Monde that he also plans to call the Norwegian anti-Islamic blogger who goes by the name Fjordman to the stand. Breivik quoted Fjordman, whose real name is Peder Jensen, in his massive manifesto.
In their new report, psychiatrists said there was no evidence that mental illness had "significantly weakened" his ability to evaluate the outside world realistically. The doctors said they would provide more detail on Breivik's mental state in court.
Right-wing extremist Anders Breivik, who has admitted killing 77 people during a politically-motivated murder spree in Norway last summer, has been declared sane and fit to stand trial and will probably take the stand to say he wishes he had killed even more people.
"The experts' main conclusion is that the accused Anders Behring Breivik was not psychotic during the events on 22 July 2011," a Norwegian court said in a statement. "That means that he is considered criminally responsible at the time of the crime."
An earlier psychiatric report had found that Breivik suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. Both Breivik and some of the families of his victims objected to the diagnosis.
The families want Breivik to be legally responsible for his actions, and Breivik said in a 38-page letter to the Norwegian media that he considered the insanity diagnosis the "ultimate humiliation."
Breivik has confessed to detonating bombs that killed eight people in downtown Oslo and to killing 69 people with a rifle on the nearby resort island of Utoya. Breivik said he committed the acts as part of a war on Islamic immigration to Norway and had targeted government offices and the youth summer camp of Norway's ruling political party. He also told police that he had considered attacking U.S. President Barack Obama with a car bomb when Obama visited Oslo in December 2009 to accept the Nobel Peace Prize.
Breivik's trial begins next Monday, April 16. His defense attorney, Geir Lippestad, has said that the Breivik wants to be found guilty of the twin attacks. "He wants to be found sane and accountable," said Lippestad.
Given his client's wishes, Lippestad will portray Breivik as sane, but as an extremist. To bolster his case, he plans to call both Islamic extremists and right-wing extremists to the stand. Lippestad says he will call Mullah Krekar, an Islamic extremist now resident in Norway, as a witness. Krekar, who once headed Ansar al-Islam, an Islamist group in Kurdish Iraq, has admitted meeting with Osama bin Laden and requesting backing for his group.
Lippestad said he wants to demonstrate that "Islamists also believe that Europe is the setting for a war of religion" and that therefore Breivik's belief in such a conflict is not delusional. Breivik has written a 1,500 page manifesto outlining his motives.
The attorney told the French newspaper Le Monde that he also plans to call the Norwegian anti-Islamic blogger who goes by the name Fjordman to the stand. Breivik quoted Fjordman, whose real name is Peder Jensen, in his massive manifesto.
In their new report, psychiatrists said there was no evidence that mental illness had "significantly weakened" his ability to evaluate the outside world realistically. The doctors said they would provide more detail on Breivik's mental state in court.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Accidental Horror Writer by T.W. Fendley
Accidental horror writer: Genres can be tricky
By: T.W. Fendley
Writing genre fiction can get confusing. You think you're writing science fiction, but others tell you it's fantasy or horror.For those of us who write speculative fiction, I think the lines are often blurry. At least, they're pretty tricky for me. Here are a couple of examples.
A little over a year ago, I had the pleasure of getting to know Fran Friel, the Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of MAMA'S BOY AND OTHER DARK TALES. Although it had been years since I'd read horror, immediately I downloaded her book. I was glad I did. What really surprised me was finding I'd already read one of the short stories--a tale about malevolent dust bunnies. When I learned Fran's new story, "House of the Infinite," was out in the May 2011 issue of Necrotic Tissue, I rushed to get it, too. As I read the futuristic gladiator story, it struck me that I wouldn't have been surprised to find it in a science fiction magazine.
That made me wonder about some stories I hadn't been able to sell. I decided to test my hunch. In my email inbox was a Writer's Digest reminder about its short story contests, so I entered one of my science fiction stories in the horror competition. A few months later, I learned it placed second! Even as I danced around my office, I was thinking, "Hmmm, I guess that means it's horror." Always quick to catch on, I am.
And that wasn't the first time I'd had a blindspot about what makes a story "horror." I thought my first novel, LITTLE SISTERS, was a mystery until an agent told me otherwise. In that case, my murderer telepathically controlled black widow spiders. I guess it should've been easier to for me to figure that one out.
Anyway, that's why I sometimes think of myself as an accidental horror writer. I don't think I've ever intentionally tried to write horror, but what I write sometimes has a mood or an edge that simply isn't "right." Or the "evil element" isn't completely vanquished. It's more than just a gory scene or two. I used to love scary stories and movies, and Edgar Allen Poe has always been a favorite. Maybe that's what comes out when I'm writing?
Well, at least I've worked out the genre for my short story, "Origin of the Species," but now I'm rethinking some others. I've been bombarding traditional sci-fi and fantasy 'zines with my queries, but what if the stories are actually Young Adult, or mystery or horror. It sent me back to the basics, to get more clarity about the differences between the genres. Writer's Digest offers one of the best lists of Fiction Genre Descriptions I've found, but you have to register. (It's free and you can also access other free stuff, like their list of 101 Best Websites for Writers). Writing to Publish also has an extensive list of Fiction Genre Definitions that even breaks each category down into subgenres (more than 25 for horror).
If you've been having trouble finding a home for one of your horror stories, it's possible that you need to reconsider the markets where you're submitting. Check out the genre lists and try sending it to a different kind of publication. You may find you're an accidental fantasy writer!
Thanks, Black Widow, for being a Party Host in my Virtual Book Tour Party!
You can find ZERO TIME at:
Ebook $4.99
By: T.W. Fendley
Writing genre fiction can get confusing. You think you're writing science fiction, but others tell you it's fantasy or horror.For those of us who write speculative fiction, I think the lines are often blurry. At least, they're pretty tricky for me. Here are a couple of examples.
A little over a year ago, I had the pleasure of getting to know Fran Friel, the Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of MAMA'S BOY AND OTHER DARK TALES. Although it had been years since I'd read horror, immediately I downloaded her book. I was glad I did. What really surprised me was finding I'd already read one of the short stories--a tale about malevolent dust bunnies. When I learned Fran's new story, "House of the Infinite," was out in the May 2011 issue of Necrotic Tissue, I rushed to get it, too. As I read the futuristic gladiator story, it struck me that I wouldn't have been surprised to find it in a science fiction magazine.
That made me wonder about some stories I hadn't been able to sell. I decided to test my hunch. In my email inbox was a Writer's Digest reminder about its short story contests, so I entered one of my science fiction stories in the horror competition. A few months later, I learned it placed second! Even as I danced around my office, I was thinking, "Hmmm, I guess that means it's horror." Always quick to catch on, I am.
And that wasn't the first time I'd had a blindspot about what makes a story "horror." I thought my first novel, LITTLE SISTERS, was a mystery until an agent told me otherwise. In that case, my murderer telepathically controlled black widow spiders. I guess it should've been easier to for me to figure that one out.
Anyway, that's why I sometimes think of myself as an accidental horror writer. I don't think I've ever intentionally tried to write horror, but what I write sometimes has a mood or an edge that simply isn't "right." Or the "evil element" isn't completely vanquished. It's more than just a gory scene or two. I used to love scary stories and movies, and Edgar Allen Poe has always been a favorite. Maybe that's what comes out when I'm writing?
Well, at least I've worked out the genre for my short story, "Origin of the Species," but now I'm rethinking some others. I've been bombarding traditional sci-fi and fantasy 'zines with my queries, but what if the stories are actually Young Adult, or mystery or horror. It sent me back to the basics, to get more clarity about the differences between the genres. Writer's Digest offers one of the best lists of Fiction Genre Descriptions I've found, but you have to register. (It's free and you can also access other free stuff, like their list of 101 Best Websites for Writers). Writing to Publish also has an extensive list of Fiction Genre Definitions that even breaks each category down into subgenres (more than 25 for horror).
If you've been having trouble finding a home for one of your horror stories, it's possible that you need to reconsider the markets where you're submitting. Check out the genre lists and try sending it to a different kind of publication. You may find you're an accidental fantasy writer!
Thanks, Black Widow, for being a Party Host in my Virtual Book Tour Party!
The ZERO TIME 2012 Virtual Book Tour Party is here!
To celebrate, T.W. Fendley is giving away a Maya-Aztec astrology report, a Mayan Winds CD, ZERO TIME tote bag and fun 13.0.0.0.0. buttons. Check out the prizes and other posts on the Party Page.
1) Leave a comment here or on any of the other PARTY POSTS listed on the Party Page.
2) Tweet about the Virtual Party or any of the PARTY POSTS (with tag #ZEROTIME2012)
Example: Join the Virtual Party for historical #fantasy novel ZERO TIME by @twfendley for a chance to win prizes! #ZEROTIME2012 http://bit.ly/x91NgP
3) Facebook (tag @T.W. Fendley) about the Virtual Party. (NOTE: tag must have periods to work)
Example: Join the Virtual Party for historical fantasy novel ZERO TIME by @T.W. Fendley for a chance to win prizes! http://twfendley.com/?page_id=510
3 ways to enter (multiple entries are great!)
1) Leave a comment here or on any of the other PARTY POSTS listed on the Party Page.
2) Tweet about the Virtual Party or any of the PARTY POSTS (with tag #ZEROTIME2012)
Example: Join the Virtual Party for historical #fantasy novel ZERO TIME by @twfendley for a chance to win prizes! #ZEROTIME2012 http://bit.ly/x91NgP
3) Facebook (tag @T.W. Fendley) about the Virtual Party. (NOTE: tag must have periods to work)
Example: Join the Virtual Party for historical fantasy novel ZERO TIME by @T.W. Fendley for a chance to win prizes! http://twfendley.com/?page_id=510
Ebook $4.99
- Amazon Kindle,
- AllRomance/OmniLit
- Fictionwise (multiformat)
- Nook
- Amazon
- Barnes and Noble,
- Main Street Books (St. Charles, Mo.)
- Garden District Book Shop (New Orleans)
- Octavia Books (New Orleans)
Monday, March 26, 2012
The Wind Glides, poetry by Jason Greiner
The Wind Glides
by Jason Greiner
The wind glides between the foliage
In this smoky, southern sanctuary
Away from the staleness
Of the rising metropolis
Illumination flows down
From a supernal scene
Of captivating ice blue
So tranquil, so pure
Still untouched
By an evolving universe
Jason Greiner is an American poet from Pittsburgh, PA. He is the author of two poetry books, "Wishing Wells: The Poetry of Love, Emotion and the World We Alive In" (2006) and "Shadows and Shade: A Collection of Poetry and Images" (2009) from which this work is taken.
"Shadows and Shade" link - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadows-and-shade-jason-greiner/1017220870?ean=9781440152153&itm=1&usri=jason+greiner
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