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Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Call for Submissions: 'Dreams from the Witch House'


UPDATE: DEADLINE EXTENDED

The deadline to the open call for submissions has been extended to 1 March 2015 to coincide with the anthology's official Indiegogo campaign launch on 27 January 2015.


I will be editing an anthology of Lovecraftian fiction written by women, to be published by Dark Regions Press in 2015.

We have already solicited a selection of established authors to contribute work to the collection. As of 1 October 2014, I am officially accepting unsolicited submissions for an open call period that ends 31 January 2015.

The only set requirement for the anthology is that all submissions must be written by women. Submissions from international, multi-cultural and LGBT/GSD perspectives are encouraged, as this collection will aim to present the diversity of voices within the field of Lovecraftian fiction. All stories must be submitted in English.

There is no restriction on setting, so don't feel like you have to remain within the 1920's/1930's - far future stories, contemporary, steampunk, psychological, horror, fantasy/sf and, of course, historical settings are all welcome.

I am open to a wide interpretation of 'Lovecraftian', but I'm not looking for pastiche work. Nuanced weirdness welcome, as is the overtly strange.

Word count for submissions is set between 2000 and 10 000 words. If you would like to submit something shorter or longer, please query.

No simultaneous submissions or reprints. 

Payment for accepted stories will be 5c per word up to 5k, then 3c per word over 5k.

Email submissions in Word .doc or .rtf file, formatted to standard manuscript specifications to:

witchesdreams AT gmail DOT com

I look forward to reading your stories!

For more details about the anthology, contributors and Dark Regions Press, click HERE.

#look #listen #learn


Friday, September 26, 2014

Dreams from the Witch House

I am very pleased to announce that I will be editing the forthcoming anthology, "Dreams from the Witch House", to be published by Dark Regions Press in 2015.

We have collected a feast of authors to delight and unease readers through stories taking various perspectives on the themes and philosophies of the Lovecraftian universe.

The anthology will also have an open call period (details forthcoming), as one of our aims is to include new voices that will shape the genre in exciting new ways.

Work has been solicited to "Dreams from the Witch House" from the following authors:

  • Caitlin R. Kiernan
  • Joyce Carol Oates
  • Gemma Files
  • Lois H. Gresh
  • Storm Constantine
  • Sonya Taaffe
  • Molly Tanzer
  • Karen Heuler
  • Liz Williams
  • Tamsyn Muir
  • Amanda Downum
  • Nancy Kilpatrick
  • Elizabeth Bear
  • Sarah Monette

The anthology will be published in a deluxe lettered hardcover edition, a signed and numbered hardcover edition and trade paperback. It will be a thing of beauty.

Recipient of the HWA 2010 Specialty Press award and the Italian 2012 The Black Spot award for Excellence in a Foreign Publisher, Dark Regions Press is an independent publisher of horror, dark fiction, fantasy and science fiction that has published quality genre titles since 1985.

Dark Regions Press authors include Ramsey Campbell, Tom Piccirilli, Mort Castle, Kevin J. Anderson, Jeff Strand, Steve Resnick, Simon Strantzas, Rick Hautala, Joe McKinney, Gene O'Neill, Gord Rollo, Michael McBride, Weston Ochse, Charlee Jacob and many more.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

It cannot be highlighted enough that society as a whole is seriously lacking in its understanding of the vast scope under which 'mental illness' can be identified.

People seemingly cannot stand the idea of admitting there is something amiss with the way they are wired. Everyone is so desperate to be 'normal' that they completely miss the fact that the concept doesn't exist.

I make a point, if the situation presents itself, to let people know I have panic disorder. You can always spot the ones who fear the mention of any mental health issue immediately: they think I could potentially DIE ANY SECOND.

I could have a panic attack at any minute, sure. They're unpredictable and a pain in the ass. I don't have to be under a lot of stress for it to happen, either. But I take medication every day to control it and it's been a lifesaver.

That's the other thing: medication. People don't like the idea of being medicated. I don't like it. But sometimes it helps.

As a society we seriously need to focus on understanding all manner of mental health problems. For that to happen, the stigma around it needs to be abolished. If you yourself are dealing with a particular mental health issue and you feel comfortable talking about it, please do. Many people will appreciate you for doing so. They might be trying to come to grips with the same or a similar issue and in need of someone to talk to.

Panic Disorder

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Friday, July 18, 2014

This is how my day starts and it's bullshit


 Can
















Can we please start doing something about this? Israel, you are no more a "chosen" people than anyone else on the planet. You don't own everything, or anything for that matter. Stop using religion as a fucking excuse to kill children.

As for Vladimir Putin - I am absoloutely dumbfounded by the fact that the rest of the world has not officially imposed sanctions on you. In fact, it gave you the Olympic Games and the Football World Cup in 2018. Apparently, it doesn't care that you oppress anyone who does not follow the Russian Orthodox Church. You too - stop using religion as a means to impose your tyranny.


Monday, July 7, 2014

Writing Process Blog Hop

Hoppity-hip-hop. Paul Mannering tagged me in a blog-hop about writery stuff. Here goes:

1) What are you working on? 

As per usual, several things at once. A novel and a short story, all in various stages of completion.

The novel: multi-genre: metropolis, anti-hero. More shits, less giggles.

The short story: someone might be mentally unstable. Or not. And if they are, it might save humanity.

>>Secondary objective - remaining sane<<

2) How does your work differ from others of its genre? 

There are very few explosions or chasing. People think and talk. Sometimes nothing obvious happens. I am that movie you complain about because there is no hero.

3) Why do you write what you do? 

It's (a little) easier to address the things I find frustrating about the world - or the things I am trying to understand - through characters and environments. You can mess with a character's head and put them in all sorts of dangerous situations. I like to think of it as couch-surfing my own psyche.

4) How does your writing process work?

There's a writing process? Some days it feels more like a thing you have to corral. Like a stubborn ox. I suppose if I had the luxury of working on fiction 8-10 hours a day I might have a process to speak of (sit down - write) but as it stands, my process essentially exists of writing things down because I can't get them out of my head. Because they're banging around in there. Like a bloody stubborn ox.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Hello, this book is fantastic

I'm a pretty structured person most of the time when it comes to my work schedule because, you know, if I don't make myself work, I don't get paid. Them's the breaks of working for yourself.

Recently, however, I found myself sneaking time out during the day to read the first book in Jeff Vandermeer's Southern Reach trilogy, Annihilation.

What a wonderful book. It's hard to describe really. It's vegative, much like what the story's biologist discovers in the mysterious Area X. What I felt while reading the book was a sense of density, of lushness and characters in a world that was alive. Annihilation reinforces the idea that we live in a glorious, strange and terrifyingly beautiful world, but that its the distance we enforce between ourselves and that world that robs us of our humanity.

This is the new book I'm recommending to everyone, replacing a good couple of years' run by Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell.

The second and third books in the trilogy (Authority and Acceptance) will hit shelves later this year in May and September. I'm counting the days, seriously. Why do we have to wait? Why?


"We are looking for open-minded individuals passionate about pushing the boundaries of science. Have you got what it takes?

Well do you?


Friday, January 24, 2014

It's Free Range...

...but yes, it is a weakness, I admit.


Friday, January 10, 2014

# WIP


I grew this!

And more like it. Stoked about it. That is all. Carry on.