A New Skull Salad Review

I've been catching up on my reading over the last week or so, and in doing so have written up a couple of reviews for you to peruse.

Over at Aaron's Skull Salad I've posted a review of Issue 4 of TNBP. As usual, the issue is a good read - go check it out and feel free to comment on the review or leave comments on your favourite piece at the zine.

In the next day or so, I'll also be posting my review of Shane Jiraiya Cumming's new novella 'Phoenix and the Darkness of Wolves' over on HorrorScope and possibly reposting it on Skull Salad as it's being released by another small press organisation.

Target Hit Patch Out

Earlier this year I named Necrotic Tissue and The New Bedlam Project as the two main markets I would be aiming at this year. I've not managed to crack NT...yet, but I'm happy to announce I've secured a spot in the town of New Bedlam - the lead off story no less!

Go take a look and let me know what you think.

Busy

Tonight has been a pretty good night.

I revised God's Piscatorial Church which added 30 something words to it and sent it off to Necrotic Tissue - fingers crossed.

I've also revised Spoilt Rotten and sent that back out to market.

I've since spent an enjoyable time reading Issue 2 of The New Bedlam Zine. Very cool and an excellent follow up to Issue 1. No, I'm not just sucking up to Jodi Lee - it is very good. I was also over the moon to see nobody had stumbled across the angle I'm using for my submission. I'll be doing a final revision on it this weekend and sending it out early next week.

So I have three shorts to review, revise, and resend plus a mountain of reading to do over the weekend. On top of that I have a board game to work on with my little one and a monster amount of mulch and quarry rubble arriving to shift around the front and back gardens - hmm, my back is going to love it!

Best of luck with whatever it is you're working on.

A Late Update

I'm about to go off and watch Mist, but I thought I'd give Jodi...I mean everybody, a quick update.

I worked on my current two stories today. The serial one has started to go off on a weird and not so good tangent. I stopped mid-sentence because I couldn't figure out what the hell I was trying to accomplish and I couldn't see where the characters were trying to take me.

Because of this, I sat down and mapped my New Bedlam sub instead. And then I started to fill that map out and now have quite a chunky outline in place.

If I can get the right words in the right order, I think this could turn out quite nicely. Of course, Jodi Lee could take one look at it and send out assassins with orders to kill me for building up tension and suspense and not delivering.

But that's the risk we boys take all the time...

Joy To The World

Yep - I'm back and just about in the pink. Sleeping Monday and Tuesday away must have done me the world of good - for one thing, I've stopped dripping - that's a good thing, isn't it?

And I've also got a couple of new goals to aim for.

First up, I'm still going to get my assignments done and get this diploma within the minimum four year timeline. Apparently not many do, so I want that.

While doing that, I will finish and submit AKL.

I've also got to finish editing Worth the Wait and submit that (hopefully this week).

And of course I'll continue to write book reviews, which also means I'll continue to read.

But wait, there's more: my two new goals!

I have selected two markets to study, figure out and get published by so I can add their prestigious names to my bio.

What markets, I hear you cry - well, I'm glad you asked.

Jodi Lee, I warned you I was going to take a closer look at New Bedlam, and the other you're already aware of, I'm now targeting Necrotic Tissue.

So to this end, I have a huge amount of reading on plate.

I am already reading through the back issues of Necrotic Tissue. I will be reading the New Bedlam Magazine. I will be reading and reviewing Atrum Tempestas and seven other titles soon to be delivered to my door (I love my job as a reviewer - most of the time).

And that's it.

That's enough, I hear you cry again. Not really. The assignment stuff is one a week, maybe two. I only have 5 left to submit, of which 1 is already done, and the rest should be easy enough (famous last words anyone?).

I've read 4/6 issues of NT - so only two left there. New Bedlam is only one issue so far so that should be quick enough (although it will need a little savouring to get right). Two of my reviews are anthologies, and short stories are always an easy read. Two more are based on Dexter the TV series (I think) so that should have a novelty factor and also be a quick read. And three books with no real deadline although they'll probably be done by the end of July.

Worth the Wait will go out this week, leaving only AKL (again). Sunday evening must be AKL day. I keep getting sidetracked and I need to move forward on this project. It's not that I'm stuck, the outline has been done. It's just waiting for me to fill it in so no more procrastinating.

So, there you go. Out of the depths of despair and illness and into the work load once more.

Now I need to polish up a 100 word story that wouldn't let me sleep last night, but didn't fully form until I woke up this morning.

So what are your short term goals for the next month or two?