Tales at Twilight

21 days to Halloween

2009-10-09T13:39:00.007-04:00

Have you decorated yet?

I don't do much decorating for Halloween anymore. Just some scattered reminders that it's October again. I'll have my Jack O Lanterns, a few evil-eye stickers, and sometimes a hanging scarecrow I make out of dried leaves and old clothes. Not the scariest looking thing in the world, sure. Unless, that is, you are walking past in the middle of the night with no idea it's hanging there.

This year, I haven't decorated at all yet. I've been focusing on my Halloween goodies. Today I made some Halloween shaped sugar cookies that still need icing. Next on the list: candy apples and pumpkin pies. But that won't be today.

What are some of your decorations for Halloween?

October Eve and Halloween Radio

2009-09-30T19:53:00.003-04:00

Happy October Eve!

Remember that old Halloween Radio post I mentioned a while back? Remember how I said I still get hits on that particular post? Well recently a friendly blog-prowler, neverendingwonder, pointed out another source for Halloween Radio.

His source, http://www.neverendingwonder.com/

I suggest you check it out. It's free, which is always a plus. But even better is that the music is good. There's a number of different applications you can use to listen (everything from Winamp to itunes), and the website features some contests and other Halloween info. Oh, and it's the only internet radio station with an elf in a jar!

Thanks to The Insane Uncle Ozma for the heads-up.

Little Big Planet

2009-09-23T11:08:00.004-04:00

I like entertainment, and I don't discriminate. I love watching movies as much as I love reading. But I never talk about my other addiction: video games.

There's one video game in particular that I want to talk about called Little Big Planet. It's a fun little side-scroller (like the old Mario Bros. or Sonic games), and you play as a tiny "sack-boy" who gads across the screen.

The most impressive feature of this game, however, is the ability to create your own levels and publish them on the online community for all to play and rate. There are currently over one million of these user created levels available to play.

You must now be wondering why I'm talking about a video game during my "Halloween Countdown."

About a month ago, I tried my hand at creating a level. And of course, the level turned out being Halloween themed. Recently someone was kind enough to make a video as they played through. So I present, for your viewing enjoyment, "The Cursed Pumpkin Patch."

(Feel free to fast forward. The players tend to die a lot and start over.)

Follow Friday: Halloween edition

2009-09-18T11:31:00.003-04:00

On Twitter they have this thing called "Follow Friday" where you type out a bunch of people's user names that you think others should follow. This isn't exactly the same, since I'm spotlighting only one blog. Plus, you know, this isn't Twitter.

Our friend Anita Marie at Anita's Owl Creek Bridge is dishing up the Halloween goodness by the truckload. Head over now and try to catch up; she's been posting some great stuff all through September.

For those wondering if I have mono, TMJ, or spiders nesting in my neck, you'll have to wait another day or two. My lab results took longer than anticipated.

Also, for those masochists who enjoy reading my horror reviews, I have three new ones over at Dark Scribe. You can either use my handy dandy links under "samples of my work" on the right sidebar ------->

Or you can go straight to Dark scribe and peruse the other great content as well.

Let's kick off the Halloween Countdown

2009-09-16T17:39:00.008-04:00

In the past, I've relegated the 12 days leading up to October 31st for my *almost* annual Halloween countdown. But this year, as I'm feeling the tingly fingers of Samhain a tad early, I thought I'd post a smattering of Halloween goodness in September as well as throughout October.

Also, I'm feeling guilty about skipping last year, having taken a yearlong break from the old blog. So the last time I really vomited orange all over Tales at Twilight was in 2007.

To kick us off this year, I want to promote some Halloween music. In 2007 I also posted some links to free Halloween Radio. Interestingly, this post *still* gets hits to this day, suggesting people are dying for good Halloween music.

Kristen Lawrence to the rescue. On her WEBSITE you can find Kristen's Halloween EP, "Arachnitect." It's on sale now as either a download (less than four bucks!) or a CD. And according to her info, this is just the first of many volumes of Halloween music to come.

Kristen has a full version of her song "Ghost of John - Bare Bones Version" for FREE download on her site, as well as a few clips of the other songs.

From her description of the style of music on the CD: "Sounds like J.S. Bach bought some Marshall amps and Danny Elfman tromped through a 16th century masquerade festival."

I strongly (ignore the knife in my hand) suggest you check out the clips. You'll be happy you did.

More Halloween fun to come. Keep posted.

EDIT: Just another note. Kristen's newest CD, a full length offering entitled A Broom With A View will be available very soon. Keep posted on her website in the news section.

The Mysterious Case of the Swollen Lymph Nodes.

2009-09-15T12:10:00.003-04:00

A few days ago I noticed a hard cyst-like bump near my jawline, and slightly under my ear. My first panicked conclusion was that I had some sort of cyst or tumor. Grainy films of large needles and scalpels played in my mind as I contemplated the draining or removal of the lump.

Until more levelheaded and knowledgeable people explained it is probably a swollen gland. Over the following two days, the lump became painful, and other nearby areas of my neck and head began to hurt. And besides, I didn't feel sick. I had no sore throat or cold-like symptoms. Just these swollen glands.

I managed to come up with all sorts of fanciful diagnoses. I felt a couple of large bug bites on my head and decided they were made by a particularly venomous spider, and my swollen glands signaled my system fighting the poison. Or I have telepathic glands, and they were responding to a coming virus, yet to arrive.

I decided insurance or no insurance, I was going to the doctor.

The doctor confirmed, swollen glands. She asked questions like, "Have you been scratched by a cat recently?"

To which I said, "No."

She asked, "Any other complaints?"

"No."

She checked my ears and throat. All clear.

I told her my bug bite theory. She laughed.

Then she told me her theories. And *I* laughed.

Her diagnosis? She said I may have mono. Or, I may have TMJ.

Mono because of the swollen glands. TMJ because I was chewing gum when I walked in. I asked, "How else would I know if it's TMJ?"

She said, "Your jaw would hurt."

"But my jaw *doesn't* hurt"

Shrug. She wrote something on a prescription pad and handed it to me. "Go for blood-work. Call me in a few days. Take ibuprofen three times a day."

So I went and let them stick a needle into my arm (those fever dreams weren't so far off after all), and here I sit, contemplating my possible illnesses.

The hell of it is, once she told me what it *could* be, I started feeling really tired, and my jaw started to hurt. Like a good hypochondriac, I've got all the symptoms to the two possible sicknesses I probably don't even have.

So, I ask you, good readers, can you solve the Mystery of the Swollen Lymph Nodes? I've given you all the facts. Now you tell me:

Do I have mono?

Do I have TMJ?

Do I have a third, as yet unidentified illness?

Write out your deductions in the comments section. I'll have the answer by Friday, at the latest.

Gosh, isn't this fun?

Good thing there's Twitter.

2009-08-28T10:41:00.002-04:00

I almost named this post, "Thank God for Twitter," and immediately scrapped it. I wouldn't want to imply that I think Twitter is heavenly. Besides, if God created the world in seven days, Twitter would have been a sneeze. But I digress.

I'm glad there's a Twitter because when I lapse into anti-blog mode, which I'm known to do, I still have that nifty "Twitter Update" device over on the right side of the blog -------->

That way at least the two or three people who stop by know I haven't croaked. They'll see my last tweet, "I've got the bacon sweats," or "2 x 2 = murder," or "The sweetest sound on Earth is a thump in my trunk," and know that I'm alive and well. "Well" in the physical sense, and not necessarily mentally.

It's like a placeholder. "Out to lunch."

Keeping you informed of my whereabouts 140 characters at a time.

Speaking of keeping you informed, I've been hard at work lately. I finished writing a new story called "Just Once More, Little Sister." Yeah, I know. The title creeps you out and makes you think it's about something extremely nasty. Well, it's not. Or, it is, but not what you think.

I sent out a couple more stories to some magazines. Put out a few more queries as well. I like having lots of papers floating around the ether. Makes those lazy days feel constructive knowing submissions are being considered.

Or not.

The Kult

2009-08-15T12:05:00.003-04:00

I can't say enough good things about Shaun Jeffrey's new novel, The Kult.

Bottom line, if your looking for a fast-paced thriller, you owe it to yourself to check it out. For my full review head on over to Dark Scribe.

Hint Fiction Anthology

2009-08-10T12:15:00.002-04:00

Hint fiction stories are 25 words or less. They "hint" at a larger story just beyond what you've written.

You have till the end of August if you'd like to submit to the Hint Fiction Anthology. Check out their website for the guidelines.

Good luck!

The Sour Aftertaste of Olive Lemon

2009-08-09T10:17:00.004-04:00

Our good friend Catherine J Gardner, from The Poisoned Apple has just released a new chapbook through Bucket 'O' Guts.

You can go straight to the Bucket 'O' Guts site to purchase for a mere $6, or you can check out Catherine's blog for more information. She is also holding a competition for some prizes, and offering free signed bookmarks for her new chapbook.

Go take a look. I command you.

Unintentional Mistakes and Their Consequences

2009-08-05T09:37:00.002-04:00

Has this ever happened to you?

You spend weeks, months, years, writing a short story or novel. It's looking pretty good. You like the characters and plot. It flows. You think it will sell, but first it needs editing.

You workshop your novel, taking it through edit after edit, and critique after critique. You spend another week, month, year, perfecting your masterpiece until finally, it's ready.

You craft a query letter and send them out to a few agents. Then, hope beyond all hopes, you get requests for material! This is great, but you aren't fooled. You take your time to read over your manuscript and make some final changes before sending it out into the world.

Phew! What a journey it has been. But now you can finally relax a little, and maybe work on something new. But, wait. You're anxious about this manuscript being read by an agent. Will they like it? Will they offer representation, or send you a form rejection? With these thoughts burning through your head, you decide to read over your manuscript again.

What's this? A mistake!? But how??? You edited it so many times! How can this be!?

Has this ever happened to you? Because it has happened to me.

A few days ago I decided to peruse my novel. Call it masochism, call it idiocy, call it whatever you want. But I did it. And you you know what? I found a mistake that recurs throughout the novel, from beginning to end, that somehow through dozens of edits, critiques, and polishing, I never caught.

One of my characters can see auras. In fact, she makes a living doing readings of people's auras. She's an "aura reader." At some point during the writing, I started calling her an "aural reader," saying that she did "aural readings," and talking about "aural trails."

I don't know when or why the switch occurred, but it did. And somehow, the problem never occurred to me. Until now.

Aural: of or relating to the ear or to the sense of hearing.

Aura: a distinctive atmosphere surrounding a given source

What does it mean? It means that there's an agent reading my manuscript wondering what it means that this character can do readings "of or relating to the ear or to the sense of hearing." And what that has to do with auras.

Not good my friends. Not good.

Dark Scribe Magazine

2009-08-03T15:47:00.002-04:00

As some of you already know, I've had a couple reviews published with Dark Scribe in the past. Recently, when I showed an interest in continuing to submit reviews, I was offered a freelance position with them as a "contributing scribe."

Over the weekend my bio was posted on their editorial staff page.

They also published two more of my reviews. The first is a review of S. Boyd Taylor's story "Teddy Bears and Tea Parties." You can find his story in the new issue of Chizine.

The second review is of Lisa Morton's story, "The Devil Came to Mamie's on Hallowe'en," found in the new issue of Cemetery Dance.

I should have a steady stream of reviews coming out with Dark Scribe. It's a great site, so go check it out. It's much more than just reviews.

July Stats

2009-08-01T11:38:00.004-04:00

Another month has come and gone. It's been a fairly busy one for me, and even though I got nearly no new writing done, I did get a lot of polishing and editing work done on my novel.

So, some stats:

Query Rejections: 2
*Full Manuscript Request: 1
Still waiting to hear: 1 partial, 2 queries
Consumed double bacon cheeseburgers(with extra bacon): 6
Batches of homemade ice cream: 3
Death threats (made by me): 2
Death threats (for me): 5 and a half. The half is because one was lost in the mail, and the sender mysteriously died in the interim.
Cups of coffee consumed: How do you do the symbol for infinity with a keyboard?

*A note on the full manuscript request. This happened only two days ago. I received a phone call from the agency to request the manuscript.

Like Catherine J Gardner, I wasn't completely happy with my letter. Some recent comments about my query in a contest seemed to verify that it wasn't up to par. So when I received the call, I was relieved, happy, and above all else, surprised.

I'll now enter manuscript purgatory, where I'll wait for a response. There's no telling how long it will take, so in the mean time, I'll write, write, write!

Happy August everyone. Get ready for Halloween. It's coming.

It's Time For the Percolator!

2009-07-27T10:01:00.004-04:00

Howsa 'bout a random informational post? You see, I don't want to neglect my cozy little blog here, but I also don't want to put off writing today--I'm percolating! (No I'm not doing that crazy dance. I have ideas percolating.)

I'll break it down into bite sized info-nuggets. Easily digested, and tasty to boot.

Snail mail rejection from an agency, 5 days round trip. Made homemade ginger ale with carbonating yeasty beasties. New review assignments. Entered a query contest on Miss Snark's blog. Made pulled pork barbecue. Consulted the Handbook for the Recently Diseased--Ahem!--Deceased on a few matters. Awaiting word on a partial.

Yum. Tastes like chicken.

(Edit: I really have to start proof reading these things better...)

Midnight Writing Prompt

2009-07-20T22:57:00.005-04:00

Did you ever notice it's easier to write about a season when it is that season? It must be a natural side effect of being sensory animals. How can you not want to write a story taking place during the summer when you're gardening, hiking, swimming, and enjoying other seasonal activities?

Everything is so immediate. If you need some inspiration, just go outside and snatch your setting descriptions.

With this is mind, I present a writing prompt. At midnight, go out for a walk. First, breathe in and smell the air. Then stand quietly and listen. Let those few things soak in and walk.***

Once you return, sit down wherever it is you write and start a short story with this: "It was midnight, and I/he/she/it went for a walk."

If I get enough responses from people who do this, maybe I'll post some of them. Your call of course. Otherwise, enjoy the walk.

***Needless to say, if you live in an area where a walk at midnight equals much unpleasantness flung in your general direction, maybe skip it. Or take a knife.

Note: The image is sourced from http://ideas.veer.com and was created by Tom Huveners.

The Sunday Edition

2009-07-19T10:19:00.003-04:00

Sunday. The end of one week, and the start of the next. The converging of two plains. A day of rest. A day of praise.

More than any other time of the week, Sunday has a permeating quiet to it. I can wake a little later than I usually would and enjoy a cup of coffee in the warm morning sun, looking over my vegetable garden and the surrounding forest. It puts me at ease, helping to alleviate the stresses of the previous week, and cushion the stresses of the coming week.

Let me admit one thing. I don't have a plan for this post. It's one of those writing tricks I picked up along the way. You know. Look around your room, pick an item, start writing about it, and hope it leads somewhere. Or maybe it's like that movie, Anchorman.

"Brick, are you just looking at things in the office and saying that you love them?"

Either way, it's Sunday. So I wrote about it. That's probably why the first paragraphs were a tad purple.

Phew. I feel much better having got that off my chest. It was weighing on me like a two headed rhino giving birth. Or one of those screaming albino apes.

So...a little writing update? Yeah, that's probably best.

-3 pending agent submissions.
-1 pending 50 page partial to an agent
-1 review article pending

I'll do a more complete "stats" at the end of the month. I know some of you are wondering if there were any maimings or writing-related deaths this month, but you'll just have to wait. Or read the obits, scanning for the keywords "crazed," "bloody pencils," and "rabid". But I've said too much.

On this wonderful Sunday, I'll leave you with a little afternoon delight.

The Great Garbage Wars. Or, Why You Don't @#*! With Raccoons.

2009-07-11T10:04:00.003-04:00

The other night, I found a raccoon on my deck eating garbage. I usually wouldn't leave a bag of stinking trash out in the open like that, but what can I say. I forgot.

Around 2 in the morning my dog alerted me, and half the neighborhood, to the presence of our uninvited guest. I did what any other rational, half-asleep adult would do in this situation: I opened the window and said, "Scat! Hey, you, raccoon. Scat!"

He looked at me dead in the eyes and shoved another piece of food into his mouth. I swear the little bugger smirked. My dog was having none of it. He jumped onto the chair opposite the window and barked in protest. The raccoon, unmoved, tore a new hole into the black bag.

I was plum out of ideas. I mean, I already yelled "scat!" What else was there to do? I was ready to let the bandit have his feast and call it a night. But Leo, my dog, displayed his disappointment in me and turned away. What an embarrassment. How could I let down my dog?

With new purpose, I went to the kitchen and retrieved the broom. Now, I'm not a complete moron. I know raccoons are dangerous, and I would never try to hurt or confront one. However, I did open the screen just enough to stick the broom handle into the raccoon's face, hoping to scare him off.

You know those horror movies where there's this cuddly little creature? And someone assumes it's safe to pet it, so he goes over to and holds his hand out? And then, without warning, the cuddly poofball opens it's razor-toothed maw and claims two or three of the idiot's fingers?

Yeah. That's pretty much what happened. But the raccoon only got away with the broom. Well, managed to knock it onto the deck anyway.

On the bright side, he did leave, and I promised I'd never leave garbage on the deck again. Which would have been a good plan, until I woke up this morning to find the entire trash can tipped over and it's contents strewn across the lawn.

Of course you know, this means war.

Review in Dark Scribe

2009-07-07T14:21:00.003-04:00

A little bit of good news on this wonderful, rainy Tuesday. A review I wrote for the short story, "The Woman in the Club Car," written by Thomas Tessier, has been published by Dark Scribe Magazine. The review is live, so if you're interested, take a look: Review Article

The story I reviewed is in the current issue of Cemetery Dance (issue #60), which also has an interview with Mr. Tessier.

I'm hoping this is the start of a string of good news.

The Bacon Wrapping Experiment (BWE)

2009-07-03T14:40:00.004-04:00

Over the holiday weekend, I will conduct an experiment to discover if there is a type of food in existence that tastes bad when wrapped with bacon. It is a widely held belief, backed up by scientific data, that bacon is one of the top ten most healthful foods, and one of the top five most tasty foods in the world.

Dieting tip: For breakfast, instead of that fattening oatmeal, mix a tablespoon of bacon grease into your scrambled eggs for a heart-healthy alternative.

These facts are common knowledge. But what many people do not know is bacon can actually enhance the flavor of most foods. Why else wrap such high end products as shrimp, scallops, and even lobster with bacon? That's right, to enhance the flavor.

However, after years of in depth research, I have found that there are no studies to prove this foodie phenomenon. So I have taken it upon myself to, over the course of the fourth of July weekend, randomly wrap different types of food with bacon, and publish my results.

The results will appear on my Twitter account periodically for the next three days (through Monday). If you'd like to take part in this ground breaking project, follow me on twitter and "@onipar" your results.

God speed brave food explorers. God speed.

June Stats

2009-07-01T10:50:00.012-04:00

Inspired by the ever-glorious, intrepid writer Catherine J Gardner, of The Poisoned Apple, I have decided to post my writing stats for the month. I'm afraid I can't be as accurate as Catherine in terms of word counts, but I'll try to make up for it.

Sales: 0, the old goose egg.
Query submissions: 4
Story/review submissions: 1
Rejections: 2
Maimed bystanders: 3 1/2
Dead: Only my ego
Confrontations with other drunken writers: 1. But calling him a writer is generous.
Confrontations with rabid animals: 1. Raccoons should not be placated.
Useless Critiques: None. I have the best crit group in the world.

So, there you have it, my monthly stats for the Juneyith June ever. Seriously. If there was a contest for the most June-like June of all, it'd be June of 2009. Only challenged by June of 1986, which as we all know had an abundance of Juneyosity rivaled by few other Junes. There was just something in the air that year.

Have you had a grammar inflicted seizure yet? Oh, don't worry. Continue to read this blog, and you will.

Schedules, Shame, and the Demon in my Computer

2009-06-29T14:15:00.001-04:00

When to read, when to write, when to get drunk and thrown out of the local watering hole?

It’s all a matter of self control, and some of us just don’t have it. Recently as I reread Stephen King’s On Writing, I noted his strict daily regimen. Almost as quickly, I noted my lack of said self control.

It’s not that I haven’t tried to set a schedule for myself. In fact, I’ve set more schedule’s than I care to remember. The problem is following them. I suppose I like the idea of it more than I like the actual practice.

In my head, I imagine waking with the birds and clearing my head with a nice hot shower. Then, as the sun continues to rise, I make a hearty breakfast and steaming coffee from freshly ground beans. The new day beckons me, and since it’s so early and I have the whole day ahead of me, I go out for a morning hike with my dog. Refreshing.

As the eight o’ clock hour approaches, I prepare a new pot of coffee and sit down for a three hour session of writing. My fingers flash fast across the keys as I transfer every thought onto the page. Time passes.

Eleven o’ clock. Time for a light lunch accompanied by CNN, or maybe my new issue of Cemetery Dance. Noon brings some outdoor activities. Another hike perhaps? Or maybe some yard work or gardening, followed by my second three hour writing session at two.

A beautiful picture, no doubt. My mind reels at the sheer idealism. But the truth that emerges the day after such a visionary treat is sobering.

I wake at nine thirty after a night of debauchery and think, “It’s still early.” But after a shower and surfing the internet, I suddenly realize an hour has passed. No time for breakfast or a morning hike after all. I brew a quick cuppajoe from pre ground beans, and the product tastes like sawdust. I spit it out, cursing. Not a great start.

Convinced the day could still be saved, I head to my computer, where I’m distracted by e-mails and twitter for another hour. There’s a demon in my computer; I know it. I decide I need to relax with a good book, but after only twenty minutes, I black out. Waking four hours later in a puddle of sweat and shame, I slink off to the bar.

Idealism can be a brutal bitch when confronted with reality.

What’s your daily schedule? Have you managed to whip the procrastination devil on the ass and reclaim your day?

Agents Who Represent Horror

2009-06-23T16:15:00.004-04:00

There are none.

Okay, I'm overreacting. But after my recent trip to the bookstore, I swear that's not too far off.

You see, I'm searching for representation for my novel, Soundtrack to the End of the World. I've done all the proper research on query letters, synopses, and formatting. The novel is done and edited many times over. And I have the query set. So all that's left to do is find agents that represent horror.

My quest began in the simplest, and most logical place: the internet. I found a few good sites, one or two of which even had search bars for "subject." So I type HORROR.

And bam! Seventy-five listings. That wasn't so hard. That is, I didn't think it was hard until I began to peruse the listings.

The first few did in fact have "horror" under the types of fiction they represent. But once I read further, it became clear that many agencies simply list anything they may be open to. And not necessarily things they currently represent.

The listings I looked through had "what we are currently looking for" sections for each agent. And invariably, no matter what the front page of the listings said, the more in depth looks lacked "horror."

Okay, no problem. Just keep looking. A few more listings in and I started seeing "Not currently accepting unsolicited submissions."

Sal-right. So-kay. Keep looking. A few more in, and I start to notice that the search also lists people who are specifically not looking for horror. This is because the word horror appears in their listing, I assumed.

So I found one or two agents that actually want to represent horror. A good start, but I need more.

Today I went to the bookstore and snatched the holy grail of agent and publisher listings: Writer's Market. I flip to the agents and start my search.

Unlike the previous listings, these mysteriously lacked "horror" in any of their "what we're looking for" sections. They simply just left it out. And the few times I did see a mention, it was not comforting.

Does not want genre fiction. No horror. Does not represent horror.

Wuh oh. Again, I only managed a few agencies. It's too bad I don't write chick-lit, thrillers, or commercial fiction, because these seem to be the big three that nearly every agency wants.

So, as a last ditch effort, I checked the acknowledgment pages of a bunch of horror writers I like. I came away with another two or three. Not bad considering my luck so far.

At least I have a good starting point now.

Does anyone have tips for finding agents that represent horror?

Ice Cream, Cheesecake, and Muddy Trenches

2009-06-20T11:40:00.003-04:00

What do they all have in common?

They are all a big part of my weekend. I'm making the ice cream and cheesecake for father's day. And I dug a trench...also for father's day. Don't worry, I'm not putting my father in it. Just burying a tube to funnel water. Not as exciting, I know.

I hate the greeting card movement. I don't see the point in spending money so someone else can tell my father how important he is. Instead, I let my trench do the talking. "Happy Father's Day!" it exclaims as a sudden downpour turns my hard work into a mudslide. And was that a maniacal laugh I heard?

Oh well, it's the thought that counts...right?

It's been a long time...

2009-06-17T13:47:00.002-04:00

Hello all of my long lost friends...well, those of you who might still check this long dead blog of an unknown writer.

Over the past year or so, I've been working hard on editing my novel, Soundtrack to the End of the World. At last count--if you look at my word meter below--I had around 58,000 words. It's now closer to 61,000 words. It seems for every page I deleted, I added two.

But finally reaching a point where I think it might actually be publishable, I have started drafting my query letters. I hope to send out a few submission packages soon.

So, what else have I been up to? The short answer is "not much." It's been work work work for me. I may start posting here more often again. But if you'd rather not take the chance--oh, I know you missed me--you can follow me on Twitter (my name there is "onipar"), where I post mostly small nuggets of wisdom such as "Two words that should never, ever, go together: canned meat," and "I'm bored of beef. God needs to invent a newer, tastier animal for me to consume." Or, you can even catch me over at Facebook.

With so many new avenues for idiocy, it's a wonder I get any work done at all.

Published Review

2008-02-26T08:41:00.002-05:00

I didn't bother posting when I had this review accepted, since I knew it was coming out so soon. Instead, I waited until now so I could simply post the link.

This is a short review I wrote, appearing in Dark Scribe Magazine:

"Circling" / Tom Piccirilli