Only 5

Once upon a time I would blog at least once a day, every day for the duration of the month. Often it would be more than once a day. And then I would do it all again the next month, and every month there after.

This is my fifth post for this month - which is nearly over. That's sad.

When I have writerly things to talk about, I post. When I've not had time to scratch my writerly bum, not so much.

Why?

A few reasons.

The good wife and I are preparing the house for sale. With the blooming of Spring in three months, we expect to place our love nest of the past five years onto the market. Before then I need to do the few jobs that we've been intending to do but never found the time or inclination to do before.

As is my normal linear thinking is want to do, I made a list. I went from the fence at the front of the house, to the fence at the back of the house and every room in between and made a list of what needs to be done. Some jobs are small, some are large, some need me to find some extra cash, some require additional consideration on which way forward we go, but all of them add up to around 100 jobs. I have 122 days until a man's fancy turns to the fairer sex.

Of course I still have my full time job, my wife still works, we share the load in a second job three days a week, and there's the family to consider. We are not particularly interested in living in a building site so things have to be done as when time allows.

This will make for a tight push to get things done on our current deadline, especially since we're still waiting on a couple of things falling into place before we can progress much further. These things are out of our control so the wait is frustrating. But while I'm waiting, I'm trying to whittle down what jobs I can. Tonight I patch the kitchen wall where the old exhaust fan once lived (and never worked), in preparation for the installation of a new range-hood unit.

Last week we finally knocked the stuffing out of the bathroom renovation. It took us a long time to get to where we are but it does look pretty good. Once the kitchen is done, I can worry about landscaping front and back and then the jobs are all pretty small(ish) (except for the de-cluttering).

So with all this going on (and no Jamie helping me out) I have exactly zero time for anything else. I've promised to read a manuscript for a publisher friend (I know more than one) and provide a review/blurb. I'm still going to find the time to do that (oh, the life of a famous editor/part time writer...(shoot me now)). I'm still helping another friend with a series of competition entries by tearing them to shreds providing insightful and helpful critiques. But I'm doing naff all else with writing = very little to post about on the blog.

Still reading your posts when I can and even occasionally, okay, rarely, posting a comment or two. You're all still in my thoughts and wishes.

Best of luck with your submissions and Works in Progress.

Swept Away

My short, and yet again, nautically-themed piece is up on 52 Stitches. There have been a lot of seriously cool stories in this years version of the micro/mini-flash anthology.

Thank you to those who have read it and left nice comments.

And yes, I totally forgot it was out this week until today - I'm getting very slack and wandering way off course from my writing.

Life is what is.

Hope you enjoy the story.

***Breaking News***

Rumour has it, Dark Pages Volume One could be available in the very-not-too-distant-future!

You must all buy it--and an extra copy for your partner, possibly one for your Mum, and another for your local library.

Seriously, if we don't sell heaps, then I don't get anything more than the satisfaction of editing a kick-arse anthology. Warm fuzzy feelings are all very nice, but they won't buy me a new golf bag (yes, I've started playing golf again).

Happy reading!

Dark Pages Volume 1

Here it is in all its stunning beauty, the cover art for Blade Red Press Dark Pages Volume One anthology. 

(I believe if you click on the image it will open in its own window for better viewing)

Superb - isn't it?

The official release blurb can be found here. Check more images from the artist Halinka Orszulok here (worth the trip).

We have excellence both inside and out now sorted with the cover art above and the previously announced ToC listed below.

The Stain of the Psychopomp King by Lucien E G Spelman

Heart Of Ice by Martin Livings

Neptune’s Garden by Lisa A Koosis

Dust by Naomi Bell

To Die For by S D Matley

The Franchise by Joe L Murr

Clip Notes by Marty Young

Blood on Green by Victoria Anisman-Reiner

Cargo by Aaron Polson

Nepenthe by Felicity Dowker

Yellow Water Pike by Derek Rutherford

Surveying The Land by B D Wilson

Nightwork by Robert Neilson

Hand And Cradle by Trent Roman

Almost there. Keep watching this space and/or the Blade Red announcements page.

Sweet.

Much To Do About Nothing

Today I was going to write about the unique, and very odd, thing long distance writing friendships are in this age of the Internet and email. But I'm still mulling it over in my head on exactly how to phrase things.

So I figured I'd talk about how different writers approach their public image and how some have blogs and websites and twitter and etc, etc, etc - and how others only have their stories out there. But that needs me to come to a set of conclusions on how I feel about it all and therefore more consideration.

And then I figured I just wouldn't bother posting anything today as I've written nothing, edited nothing and read nothing, but that seemed like a very defeatist attitude and it has been that type of thinking that has stopped me from doing anything anyway.

In the end, I have nothing to say of any consequence.

But I wish you all the very best with whatever writing project you are currently wrangling with, or should that be with which you are currently wrangling? You know what I mean...

And finally, I've decided to throw up a bizzare picture of .... (fill in the blank) every now and then as I like seeing pictures appear occasionally on a blog. It breaks up all the blocks of text nicely. So for the first of such bizarre stuff I give you the perfect Valentine's gift for that special woman in your life who has everything.

Moving Right Along...

I'm at work and they've blocked access to Youtube and other Internet video access - again :c(

Kermit & Fozzie Bear
Things are picking up a few paces in the world of Dark Pages.

Final tweaks are just about done on the master copy (removing typos, finding missing words, etc), and the gathering of blurbs from wind-swept and interesting people is going well(ish).

In tweaking the master copy, I've once more had an opportunity to read the stories we've chosen and I'm happy to say I'm still blown away by what we have coming up for you. After you've purchased a copy and read it a few times because you can't put it down, I fully expect you all to nominate us (and your favourite story from the collection) for every award under the sun. I'm clearing space on my shelf as we speak...

With the content just about put to bed, the publisher's foreword has been done, the editor's (that's me) foreword has been done, the back cover blurb has been done (and will be released when the publisher says I can), and things are starting to look good for the whole thing to go to the printers within weeks.

Not long now till we have cover art to reveal...

Stay tuned.

Edits

We have finished editing the stories for Dark Pages!

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all the editorial staff and the authors on getting through this period - an excellent job was done by all. We now move on to more mundane stuff like an editorial foreword, the gathering of quotes from ARC readers, blurb writing, and cover art finalisation! As promised by Blade Red, it will be released in the first half of this year.

I've also done 'another' final edit on Dreaming, my piece in the Apex anthology "The Blackness Within", which is due for release around August. This was a request from the editor, Gill Ainsworth--not something I did off my own bat. Hopefully it is now well and truly done and the next time I see it will be inside the cover of my contributor copy...

One last thing of note - I've not written often or recently on this blog, and yet I'm still gathering followers. Kind of scary to be reminded that what goes up here will be available for the rest of time. I guess it's a timely reminder to always be very aware of what you publish, and never ever burn a bridge with harsh words because it will be around to haunt you for a long time to come!