Collections and thoughts...

I've been having some serious thoughts about it, may need to look into it further, will also need to find an editor that is willing to put up with it. Yup, I'm thinking about a collection of my short works. I have plenty of pieces on my lappy, the majority of them have never been read by anyone. I should really go through them, give them a little life and get 'em out there. I suppose I should really chat to people who has done this, see what their experience was like. What they did/do for exposure. Self publish, or look for a publisher who is looking for collections? I could look into publishing collections through TT. Hmm... this does need a lot of thought.

Changing the subject, I found out what drug you need to numb the muscles ... may work well in a wee piece: killer on the loose, drugs 'em, numbs their muscles so they can't move and then slice 'em open while awake -- I know, that type of stuff has been done before, I'll have to look for a new slant. Give it a new edge -- somehow, don't know how, but I will do it.

Lately, I've been getting a rush of ideas to work on short stories, looks like the advanced creative writing course through the OU has given me some inspiration. I've also been thinking of Barry, my wee novel, I'm glad I didn't accept the last publisher to print him as I now want to change a couple of things and add some new pieces to it, these will give the story a more realistic feel. Before I can delve deep into that I need to get this latest course finished, which will give me a couple of months free before I start my next course -- not long now before I've finished my OU courses, I'm really looking forward to getting that degree.

Right, I'm off now. Need to read some emails for TT.

Reading and Reviews

Well at least this time it ain’t been that long since I last blogged, so you can’t complain--you can try and complain, I won’t listen.

I’ve just realised today how many books I have sitting on my desk waiting to be reviewed for Twisted Tongue Magazine, and I thought I had caught up! Never mind, I’ll get them done. I need to type up Derek Muk’s ‘The Occult Files of Albert Taylor’ and pop him a copy of the review. I have enjoyed reading his book, it has the X-Files feel to it but with out all the super-dooper posh worded machines that know one really knows how they work. I especially enjoyed reading ‘Dear Boss’, Jack the Ripper lovers will love this one! The thrill of Jack killing in modern times ... shh, no spoilers here.

Next up to review is Rachel Kendall’s collection ‘The Bride Stripped Bare’, and Johnny S Geddes’ collection ‘Séances with the Living’. In PDF form Leigh Pierce’s ‘Stained Shorts’, and Marc Lowe’s ‘Sui Generis’. If I remember correctly I’m only waiting for one delivery and that is from the talented writer Jeani Rector, she is sending me a collection from the e-zine she works on ‘And Now the Nightmare Begins: THE HORROR ZINE’, this is packed from contributions from August 2009 till December 2009. I don’t have any links handy at the moment but if you can quite easily find these books through Google.

I just want to quickly add that I prefer to have a printed copy of books to be reviewed as reading off screen puts a lot of pressure on these old eyes. However, if financial strings are tight I don’t really mind. Anyways, the books look brilliant on my shelves. I’m a little bit of a hoarder where books are concerned...

I suppose I best get back to it ... now, what was I doing?

Forgetting the Blog

Oh wow, look at what I remembered I had--the Blog!!! Jeez, it's been years and years since I last used this. Mind you, with my constant illness's and studying with the OU I haven't had time to write never mind Blog.

Okay, another new year, and here's another promise (to use my Blog regularly) that I'll make which I'll most likely end up breaking. Come to think of it, I'm sure I've used other Blogs in the past, bugger me if I can remember which ones though! Stuff it. Okays, now then, what will I be writing in this Blog ... good question, I ain't certain but most likely to whinge my tits off about something or jot down notes on my writing, maybe moan about the studying that I'm doing, may also mention the mag too. I suppose anything will go.

Right now I want to wrap my sons racing track around his neck. I have the lurgy--again! And my head feels like it is going to explode, and with the amount of mucus that has been coming out my nose if my head does go bang there's gonna be one heck of mess.

Hmm, there's some new buttons on this Blog, not sure what they're for. Think I'll go and have a wee play.

Catch you laters.