Horror Reanimated… the home of Bloody Books

Short Fiction News by JD’L

January 15th, 2010

So far, I have stories appearing in four anthologies this year.

 

Here’s a little inside information about each book, its publisher and editor, as well as what my contribution amounts to in each case.

 

First off is When the Night Comes Down released by Dark Arts. This is an approach to horror collections I hadn’t come across before. The four contributors to the anthology provide four or five stories totalling 20-25,000 words each. The other writers in this volume are Nate Kenyon, Bev Vincent and Robert Weinberg. Editing the collection is Bill Breedlove, closely assisted by John Everson and Martel Sardina. I’ve come to like Bill very much just through our email communications. He is a wise and free-thinking editor and I’ve welcomed his comments on my work. Happily, I’ll be meeting Bill, some of the contributors and the rest of the DA staff at WHC 2010 in Brighton – When the Night Comes Down will launch on Friday 27^th March in Bar Rogue between 10pm and midnight. I’ve contributed five stories to this collection.

 

Longer in the making but probably to be released well before WTNCD is Darc Karnivale published by The Evil Nerd Empire. The editors, David Byron and Corey R. Scales have put a great deal of time and effort into collecting and organising the stories for the anthology. The artwork has been provided by the talented Nick Rose. The image he’s created for my story ‘The Food of Love’ is superb. Other contributors include Paul Kane, Ralan Conley and Jeremy C. Shipp. With luck the anthology will be available at WHC 2010 in the dealer room, but failing that, it will be stocked by all the usual online suspects.

 

Next up is Holy Horrors. To give you an idea of how long this anthology has been in the pipeline, I submitted my tale ‘The Germ of His Ideas’ to Matt Cardin and T. M. Wright on 8^th September ’06. It was accepted about ten months later. Since then, watching the ups and downs has been quite disturbing. At times, I was convinced – and so were the editors, I think – that the book would never be published. However, we’re finally on course for Holy Horrors to be released in two volumes by Ash Tree Press. Volume 1 in spring and Volume 2 before the end of the year.

 

I include both TOCs because they excite me so much

 

VOLUME 1

1) “Sanctuary.” Jim Rockhill.

2) “The Dreams of Cardinal Vittorini.” Reggie Oliver. Reprint.

3) “Bavel II.” Jens Rushing.

4) “Saviour.” Gary Braunbeck.

5) “Vom-Beist.” Mike Norris.

6) “Magog and I.” Craig Holt.

7) “Darshan.” William R. Eakin.

8 ) “Ezekiel Remembers.” Kurt Dinan.

9) “And You Shall Be Adored.” Regina Mitchell.

10) “Sicarii.” Andrew Tisbert.

11) “Porta Nigra.” Darren Speegle.

12) “The Dead Must Die.” Ramsey Campbell. Reprint.

13) “At the Feet of the Forest Primeval.” Randy Chandler.

14) “The Editor.” Pamela K. Taylor.

15) “Behind the Bathroom Door.” Sara Joan Berniker.

16) “The Hands of God.” Michael McBride.

17) “Cold to the Touch.” Simon Strantzas.

18) “Anubis Has Left the Building.” Tim Waggoner. Reprint.

19) “On This Day of Reckoning.” Joseph Nassise.

20) “Rapture.” Robert Morrish and Harry Shannon.

 

VOLUME 2

1) “Abandon.” Adam Browne.

2) “In the Name of God.” Stuart Young.

3) “The Sect of the Idiot.” Thomas Ligotti. Reprint.

4) “The Shaft.” Brian Hodges.

5) “Waters Dark as a Raven’s Wing, Flames Bright as a Dove’s Breast.” Dru Pagliassotti.

6) “Uncaged.” Paul Finch.

7) “Intentions.” William Freedman.

8 ) “The Tattoo Artista.” Eric S. Smith.

9) “Redemption.” David Niall Wilson.

10) “The Bishop Receives a Visitor.” Marion Pitman.

11) “A Prayer for Captain La Hire.” Patrice E. Sarath. Reprint.

12) “Purifying Vows.” Kim Paffenroth.

13) “The Temple.” Quentin S. Crisp. Reprint.

14) “The Monsters We Defy.” Karen Williams.

15) “The Wound of Her Making.” Gerard Houarner. Reprint.

16) “Bad Religion.” Douglas M. Chapman.

17) “The Germ of His Ideas.” Joseph D’Lacey.

18) “Darkness.” Jude Wright.

 

Finally – but only for the moment, of course – Mark Deniz of Morrigan Books asked me for a story to complete a pet project of his. Scenes From the Second Storey was The God Machine’s debut album. Released in 1993, it has been hailed as one of the best albums of that decade. It’s one of Mark’s favourites of all time, so the collection bears the same name. Each of the stories in the anthology takes the title of, and is inspired by, one of the songs. Mine was track eleven: Seven. It was a pleasure to write and I’m happy to note that Mark will be giving himself the book for his 40^th birthday present! Other authors include Carole Johnstone and Gary McMahon.

For those of you who’d like to see a free JD’L horror tale right now, the gruesome ‘Read my Lips’ is in Ecelcticism #9.

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