Closure, reviews, friends, etc.

All right. One of these days I'm going to get back to writing. I swear. But I did get a lot of rest today and I feel recharged.

Off to an interview for a new job this week! Pretty excited! Hopefully I'll be working there in the next couple of weeks after I get my Commercial Core license. Yay!

I also tried something I've never done before (Closure) and even though it was tough, I think it was necessary. I learned some great lessons and had a lot of laughs and really can't complain about anything that's happened over the last year. Life is right. No use getting bummed about what may or may not have been when what I had was definitely the best thing for me at the time and she gave more than anyone else ever has. (I can be quite demanding and unmovable.)

I am eager to write again, just need a little more time to process what the hell happened. Until then, a couple things:

Got a wonderful review of NURSERY RHYMES 4 DEAD CHILDREN at ***Literary Mayhem***. Thanks, Peter! And thanks to anyone who reads and comments!

My talented buddy Bec has a story in this you could check out: M is for Monster

I'm working on an adaption for a local theater production which should be pretty awesome and something I've wanted to do for a while! Once everything is finalized I can't wait to get some pics!

My story THIS FINAL DECEMBER DAY is out in Apex's The Zombie Feed anthology, volume one now. Good deal! *Clickie*

I also worked in the few edits for my story BENEATH THE WEEPING WILLOW (my favorite short so far) which will be in Shock Totem issue 4 this July. I can't wait until people read it. I hope it shakes them up as much as it did me.

My buddy Jassen Bailey is making some great tees and the proceeds are going to Lungevity, which is awesome. Plus there are some great prizes to be had from the likes of author Jack Ketchum and artist Zack McCain. Take part! Make a difference! ***Here***

And I heard from my publisher that ***Nursery Rhymes 4 Dead Children*** is at the binder. Can't wait to have the signed/limited hardcover and the trade paperback on my bookshelf!

Been getting some great feedback on my direct to digital coming-of-age novella ***BEFORE LEONORA WAKES***. It's a damn good little story. I love this kid who is essentially me at that age (though he's probably a helluva lot smarter than I was. Probably a helluva lot smarter than I am now.)

Read a sweet novella by Brian James Freeman called The Painted Darkness. I'm working on a review for the Crow's Caw right now. Good stuff.

I'm also working on my next guest blog "On Editing," which will be on Ms. Cindie Geddes blog in the next few days! These things are a lot of fun to write and help me in ways I can't explain. Kinda like Fruity Pebbles.

I think I'm pretty blessed. People don't owe me crap yet they support me, make me smile, they're there for me. It's kinda numbing really. Where the hell did all of this luck and good fortune come from?!?! People used to hate me.

It creeps me out a little. :P

But thank you!

Heartache and Other Good Times

It's been a very rough and exhausting week, yet an enlightening one. Man, have I learned some great lessons that will help me for the rest of my life. But I think I still need work on forgiving. I have some values I will not bend on and when someone else tells me they agree, hell, they feel the same way and would never do that certain something... and then their actions contradict their empty words, it makes me furious. But there are a lot of gems hidden inside conflict. Oh yeah. Things we wouldn't learn any other way.

One thing I've learned is that I need to limit my writing time. I've been at it hard for a few years, working 8 hours a day on top of my normal job. That has a hard impact on relationships and there's no one to blame for that but myself. Good lesson to learn. I think I can cut back work to two hours a day (maybe three--then I can get a novel, two novellas and a half dozen short stories a year) and take the weekends off to get out and have fun, learn new things, indulge in other interests I love like music, theater, martial arts, jogging, hiking, art, etc. There is a neat aviator course I'd love to take this summer (I'd probably giggle a lot), and I'd really like to start rock climbing again (Oh, how I miss Colorado.)

I have some great friends. Man, do I. Thank you for the support, for love, for your time, for your advice, for listening, for your faith, for everything. I enjoy the hell out of so many people (though there are some people I'll never like, god knows why.)


Pretty cool to see that the paperback for NURSERY RHYMES 4 DEAD CHILDREN will be available in ***Whitcoull's stores in New Zealand.*** I have no idea where that is, but it sounds spiffy.

NURSERY RHYMES 4 DEAD CHILDREN is also ***#2 on Horror Mall's pre-order bestseller list now.*** Sweet. Thanks to everyone who has dropped their hard-earned cash for a signed/limited hardcover! It's going to be a beauty and include some of my dead flesh (I had to sign a lot of signature sheets!)

My last guest blog is up on ***Blu Gilliand's October Country*** for anyone to check out who hasn't read it. I should have had the next one finished by now but I've been unable to focus as I sorted through a mountain of emotions. I've got things in order now; I'm feeling ready to start on it this week.

Also received news there's a new review of AS I EMBRACE MY JAGGED EDGES in ***Morpheus Tales April Supplement.***

I hope everyone else is loving hard and living large. Embrace those who treat you well because they don't have to give you anything. They do it out of the goodness in their hearts. I'll be back around on Fb and all that pretty soon. Got a bunch of emails to catch up on over the next two or three days! Thanks again!

New reviews and next guest blog

I hope everyone is doing well. Just dropping three links to new stuff. I hope you dig 'em.

My next guest blog is live on Blu Gilliand's cool site *October Country: Using Destruction to Build Something Beautiful.*

Jennifer at Book Den reviewed my short story CROOKED STICK FIGURES. *Here*

And Sheri White landed the first review for my forthcoming novel NURSERY RHYMES 4 DEAD CHILDREN. *Here*

Thanks Blu, Jennifer, Sheri, and anyone who takes time to check out what they sacrificed time to do.

Don't make me hurt you...

because that's not good for either one of us! You know what is good though?
Been busy with work lately, not my normal job, but it's paying the bills while I scribble. I'm a man of many means. Like Austin Powers without all the fancy outfits.

I haven't been able to write as much as I want to lately but I'm not sweating it. When I do have time I can get some quality work done.

Also got great news from my publisher that involves later this year. Looking forward to sharing that when the time comes!

Then there's this:

*#3 on Horrormall's February bestseller list--Thanks sexy people who have given me your time and money and trust!*

and...

*Horrorworld's review of As I Embrace My Jagged Edges--Thanks T.T. Zuma!*

and...

*Review of Crooked Stick Figures--Thanks, Greg!*

*Another review of Crooked Stick Figures--Thanks, Neal!*

*Another, nother review of Crooked Stick Figures--Thanks person I don't know but like anyway!*

*Possibly another review of CSF or it could be something else. I think it's something else.--Thanks Ken!*



My first two guest blogs are live:

*Number 1: On Becoming a Writer--Thanks, John!*

*Number 2: On Persevering--Thanks, Bec!*



and I'm working on the third one for this weekend--On Knowing What You Want--which will be on the fantastic Mr. Neal Hock's blog: The Bookhound's Den.

I'm also pretty excited about some short stories coming out this spring/summer/fall in Shock Totem issue 4, Apex's Zombie Feed anthology, Dark Discoveries, an antho that I haven't been able to announce yet, and another antho I was invited to recently but need to write the story for in the next couple months. Fun times!

How is everyone else? I hope you're all having a wonderful time!