Tag Archives: anthology

House of Phobos vol. 2 – Call for Pitches

House of Phobos Vol 1 Cover
House of Phobos Vol 1 Cover

Last year I put together a collection of short stories call House of Phobos vol. 1. It’s sold well, as collections go, and I’ve wanted to put out a second book for some time. I want this one to be more of a true anthology (mostly stories from other authors). I’ll be the publisher, hire an editor, and get another amazingly terrifying cover from Scott Pond. I will probably even include one or two of my own tales, but this is for me to showcase the talent of other authors.

So, here’s what I’m looking for:

Flash fiction (500-1500 words) – For these I’ll pay $10. If it’s a reprint, I’ll pay $5.

Short stories (1500-8000 words) – For these I’ll pay $.01/word up to $50. Half that for reprints.

For that I’m asking for an irrevocable, non-exclusive, worldwide license to distribute the creative works in an electronic text format. I have no plans to make this a print book or an audio book. If I do that, I would negotiate for those rights separately and pay additionally for them.

What the story needs to be about. Fear. Show me a phobia come to life. Make it as visceral (with little actual viscera please) and terrifying as you can. You can do that in almost any genre, but lets face it, horror is where this would work best. Throw in a dash of romance or science fiction or fantasy if you like, but scare our readers.

My budget has its limits, but I would like to have as many as eight total stories. Carving out one slot for me, that leaves seven. I hope to have more than that number submit. To make life easy one me, I’ll be accepting pitches, NOT COMPLETED STORIES, starting today and closing on Halloween at midnight. Send me an email with “Phobos Submission: Story Title” in the subject to scott@scottroche.com. Include the phobia, your proposed length, if this is a reprint, and a 250 word max. synopses in the body of the email. All of this will help me plan the budget and make sure there’s no (or minimal) duplication of phobias.

I would prefer that you do not duplicate any of the phobias from volume one (spiders, dentists, heights, failure, losing your memory, loneliness, darkness). There will be at least one clown story. There has to be. If you want that slot, you may have to tear it from my cold, dead fingers.

Once my dance card is full, I will contact the selected authors and give them a deadline.

Dead Ends Author Intro – Paul E. Cooley

DeadEnds-002-sm Paul is a crazed lunatic, possibly homicidal, with a penchant for killing his fans and exploring the furthest reaches of mental illness and delusions for fun. Even the ones he doesn’t have. When he’s not writing twisted tales of psychological torment, he writes enterprise software and applications for the internet and the iPhone.

Paul’s Parsec Award Nominated Fiends collection and Garaaga’s Children collection are available for free from http://shadowpublications.com and in e-book format from Amazon.com. Paul is also the creator of MyWrite (http://mywriteapp.com) which enables authors to personalize and sign their ebooks using tablets and smart phones.

You can find the latest information, stories, essays, rants, and reviews from his site. He welcomes comments and interaction and especially enjoys speaking of himself in the third person.

Paul wrote the short story “Breakers”.

Twitter: paul_e_cooley

Why do you write/like horror?

Not really sure I “like” to write horror. The stories that come to mind have always been dark in some fashion or another. I do enjoy the obstacles the genre creates for characters and the kinds of goals that come out of it. Few things are more compelling examples of the human condition than people fighting for their lives or scared out of their wits because of something they don’t understand.

I believe the horror genre is a fertile playground for social commentary as well as exploring our darkest fears. Therefore, it’s a place my writer mind frequently visits.

What inspired this particular story?
“Breakers” originally started out as a story called “Cash for Corpses.” Because I couldn’t make some of it work, I changed the internals and the motivation. In the process, “the Breakers” were born.

We all have days where we wake up, read/listen/watch the news, and realize the world is spinning out of control. I wanted to paint the picture of a character who’s lost his hold on conventional thinking and ethics. The story is two parts insane justification and one part ideology.

With all the “crazy” people out there who believe everything they read/listen/or watch, “Breakers” gave me a chance to illustrate one without dragging in other political baggage. I like the idea of anarchists working to free humankind from their shackles of corporate greed, political corruption, and the dreams they are sold. At the same time, I wanted to show just how insane those ideas are in themselves. The narrator in Breakers was a perfect vehicle.

What’s the best horror movie you watched recently?
It’s been a few months, but “Sinister” is the best horror movie I’ve watched in quite a while. Its simplicity in the special effects department is made up for by great acting and a soundtrack that sets your teeth on edge. As I’ve often said, anything that involves small children can outcreep any monster you throw on the screen.

What scares you?
People whose ignorance leads them to violent thoughts, insane rationalization, or allows them to be lead into violent acts. The internet is stuffed with them, as are the talk shows, and, unfortunately, most of the folks on Capitol Hill. When ideology or religion leads one to eschew thousands of years of history, science, and simple human kindness, the world is destined for trouble. And we are in a lot of trouble.

What are you working on now?
I just finished writing a long arc in ancient history (Garaaga’s Children: Ancients) and now I’ve slipped back into the modern world to write “Flames” which is another Fiends’ tale. The novel revolves around an arsonist and religious worship. I expect it will be ready for publication by year’s end.

What’s your favorite beverage while writing?
Coffee. Water. Iced tea. Sometimes the blood of lobbyists.

Dead Ends is available at Smashwords and Amazon
All proceeds go to the Office of Letters and Light. Please spread the word!

Stories include:
“In The Deep Dark” by Justin R. Macumber
“Morning Dew” by Edward Lorn
“Power in the Blood” by Scott Roche
“Getting Even” by Philip Carroll
“Breakers” by Paul E. Cooley
“Breakup” by J.R. Murdock
“Blister” by Jake Bible
Edited by Sue Baiman
Cover by Scott E. Pond.

Dead Ends: Meet the Editor and Watch Some Reviews!

DeadEnds-002-sm When I decided to put together this anthology I wanted two things; an awesome cover and someone to make sure that the editing was more than you may expect from an indie property. I got both. Today I want to introduce you to Sue Baiman. You can find out more about Sue at http://SueBaiman.com and http://ChocolateScotch.com.

Why do you write/like horror? I like the kind of horror that is suspenseful, particularly those stories that delve into the human psyche. Mostly, I enjoy stories that have fascinating characters, characters I can care about. The genre doesn’t matter if the character and their plight is compelling.

What’s the best horror movie you watched recently? Insidious

What scares you? Anything happening to my kids. Other than that, not much these days. I used to be terrified to be on my own alone; but I’ve had to deal with that and now there isn’t much that scares me. Facing your fears teaches you that you are stronger than you knew.

What are you working on now? I’m about to publish the first volume of my poetry. It’s titled “Deep Breaths & Chocolate; The Poetry of Divorce, Moving Forward, & Finding Love”

What’s your favorite beverage while writing? I don’t usually drink anything when writing. My words are typically composed in frantic bursts, on my phone, when I should be doing something else.

But wait, there’s more! Here are some video reviews of some of the stories in Dead Ends:

Dead Ends is available at Smashwords and Amazon
All proceeds go to the Office of Letters and Light. Please spread the word!

Stories include:
“In The Deep Dark” by Justin R. Macumber
“Morning Dew” by Edward Lorn
“Power in the Blood” by Scott Roche
“Getting Even” by Philip Carroll
“Breakers” by Paul E. Cooley
“Breakup” by J.R. Murdock
“Blister” by Jake Bible
Edited by Sue Baiman
Cover by Scott E. Pond

Dead Ends Author Intro – Justin Macumber

Today I want to introduce you to another of the authors who participated in Dead Ends, the charity anthology I put out earlier this month (available at Smashwords and Amazon).

DeadEnds-002-sm Justin Macumber wrote the story “In The Deep Dark”. He is the author of HAYWIRE and A MINOR MAGIC. When not hard at work on his next story he hosts the popular Dead Robots’ Society podcast. He and his lovely wife live in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex along with their motley pack of dogs and cats that they think of as their children. Visit him online at justinmacumber.com and deadrobotssociety.com.

Why do you write/like horror? Horror, next to romance, is the genre most dependant on creating an emotional connection with the reader, and I like the idea of being that deep in a reader’s head. Yes, that’s me in the shadows sporting the Cheshire cat’s grin and giggling softly.

What inspired this particular story? A couple years ago there was a reality TV show called COAL about coal miners, and every episode gave me the creeps because of how dark and lonely the insides of the mines seemed. I had to work through that somehow!

What’s the best horror movie you watched recently? THE CONJURING. Creepy!

What scares you? Ghosts and other evil supernatural entities. I’m not a religious person at all, with very little belief in the afterlife, yet I’m a total sucker for possession and haunting stories.

What are you working on now? A short story titled THAT OLD HELL MAGIC for another anthology. I love anthologies!

What’s your favorite beverage while writing? Green tea

Dead Ends is available at Smashwords and Amazon
All proceeds go to the Office of Letters and Light. Please spread the word!

Stories include:
“In The Deep Dark” by Justin R. Macumber
“Morning Dew” by Edward Lorn
“Power in the Blood” by Scott Roche
“Getting Even” by Philip Carroll
“Breakers” by Paul E. Cooley
“Breakup” by J.R. Murdock
“Blister” by Jake Bible
Edited by Sue Baiman
Cover by Scott E. Pond.

Dead Ends Author Intro – Jake Bible

I’m finishing up listening to the next podcast I’ll be reviewing. I expect that review to go live tomorrow. To tide you over I want to introduce you to one of the authors who participated in Dead Ends, the charity anthology I put out earlier this month (available at Smashwords and Amazon).

DeadEnds-002-sm Jake wrote the story “Blister”. It’s a great piece of body horror. He lives in Asheville, NC with his wife and two kids. He is the author the Apex Trilogy (DEAD MECH, The Americans, Metal and Ash), Bethany and the Zombie Jesus, Stark- An Illustrated Novella, and the YA horror novel Little Dead Man, as well as the forthcoming YA horror novel Intentional Haunting. Check out Friday Night Drabble Party every week! Free drabbles for all! Find him at jakebible.com and all his books on Amazon here.

Why do you write horror? I like to go to those dark places others try not to look at. I love pushing boundaries, pushing people’s buttons, and pushing limits of what can be allowed. I also like blood. Lots and lots of blood.

What inspired this particular story? I honestly don’t know. I wanted gruesome and graphic with a twist of bizarro. I think this did that.

What’s the best horror movie you watched recently? Sinister, for sure. I also liked State of Emergency. It’s a low-budget zombie flick. Some acting not so good. Some is great. But I liked the intimate feel of it and thought it was well done. Although, I’d call it more situational suspense than horror.

What scares you? The thought of something happening to my children. That and losing my intelligence. Both of those things scare the crap out of me. Otherwise, I’m good.

What are you working on now? A crazy urban fantasy mash-up. It’s beyond profane. It’s so profane I had to start inventing profanity because I ran out of words. It’s awesome.

What’s your favorite beverage while writing? Depends on the time of day. Morning writing is coffee. Day time is ice water. Evening is beer or bourbon. Late night is bourbon and coke or earl grey tea.

Dead Ends is available at Smashwords and Amazon
All proceeds go to the Office of Letters and Light. Please spread the word!

Stories include:
“In The Deep Dark” by Justin R. Macumber
“Morning Dew” by Edward Lorn
“Power in the Blood” by Scott Roche
“Getting Even” by Philip Carroll
“Breakers” by Paul E. Cooley
“Breakup” by J.R. Murdock
“Blister” by Jake Bible
Edited by Sue Baiman
Cover by Scott E. Pond.

Horror Anthology – Dead Ends

DeadEnds-002-sm In January of this year I sent out an email to some friends of mine. I wanted to create an anthology that would showcase the talents of the writers I know, primarily in the horror genre. I’ve long been a fan of horror and as such I know a lot of writers who publish in that arena. It’s becoming somewhat harder to marker horror, but I know there are a lot of fans out there. So this is for you.

For this anthology I’ve assembled seven bloody, stark horror stories by myself and six other talented writers of horror and suspense. A sinister power in “In The Deep Dark” by Justin R. Macumber is overtaking men at the bottom of a West Virginia coal mine. A golden liquid sur-rounds a boy’s treehouse in Edward Lorn’s “Morning Dew” and its taste for human flesh is standing between the boys and safety. Reggie in Scott Roche’s “Power in the Blood” discovers that his thirst for blood can give him strength, but may cost him his soul. Philip Carroll brings us a tale of “Getting Even” where the wealthy Mr. Hasbrook must pay for his sins of greed and murder. Paul E. Cooley’s “Breakers” remove the broken ‘cogs’ from society’s machinery as ruth-lessly as possible. In J.R. Murdock’s “Breakup”, Ruby wants to leave her boyfriend Victor, but he wants eternity or nothing. Finally, Jake Bible reminds us in “Blister” that going to the doctor early is a good idea, particularly if your affliction makes you a happy little psychopath.

The book was edited by the AMAZING Sue Baiman and the cover done by the SLIGHTLY DISTURBING Scott E. Pond.

The story is available at Smashwords and Amazon and all proceeds go to the Office of Letters and Light. Please spread the word!

Dead Ends – New Horror Anthology

DeadEnds-002-sm In a week I’ll be releasing a brand new horror anthology. It will contain the following stories:

“In The Deep Dark” by Justin R. Macumber – A sinister power is overtaking men at the bottom of a West Virginia coal mine.
“Morning Dew” by Edward Lorn – A golden liquid surrounds a boy’s treehouse and its taste for human flesh is standing between the boys and safety.
“Power In The Blood” by Scott Roche – Reggie discovers that his thirst for blood can give him strength, but may cost him his soul.
“Getting Even” by Philip Carroll -The wealthy and reclusive Mr. Scott Hasbrook must pay for his sins of greed and murder.
“Breakers” by Paul E. Cooley – People known as “Breakers” remove the broken ‘cogs’ from society’s machinery as ruthlessly as possible.
“Breakup” by JR Murdock – Ruby wants to leave her boyfriend Victor, but he wants eternity or nothing.
“Blister” by Jake Bible – Going to the doctor early is a good idea, particularly if your affliction makes you a happy little psycopath.

The release date for this e-book is 7/26/13. All proceeds for the books sales will be donated to the Office of Letters and Light. If you’re interested in an ARC for review, a full size image of the cover or any more information, leave a comment or email me at scott@scottroche.com.

Review – Flashpulp (Podcast)

flashpulpicon This week I’m interviewing something a little different. Up until now I’ve reviewed mostly long form fiction podcasts. Flash Pulp isn’t that. It’s an anthology podcast, but it’s no Escape Pod or Every Photo Tells. All of the stories (except for the occasional guest episode) are written by JRD Skinner. As the carnival barker says though, “But wait there’s more!”.

With the help of audio wrangler, Jessica May, and artist and voice actor, Opopanax, he brings three stories a week to your ears. And that’s not all! They’re serialized. He has ten regular story lines and the occasional one off. While the story lines are all “separate” there’s more than one peek into the other strands, letting us see the interconnectedness.

Synopsis: It’s difficult to give you a synopsis given the aforementioned nature of the podcast. I’ll just crib from the show’s about page:

Flash Pulp is an experiment in broadcasting fresh pulp stories in the modern age – three to ten minutes of fiction brought to you Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

While Flash Pulp is obviously in the tradition of classic radio and magazine stories of the 1930s and ’40s, there exists a trinity of specific modern inspirations for this creation: Warren Ellis, and his constant pushing of format boundaries; Kris Straub, for Ichor Falls, and the persistence of his ideas when he should be focusing on things that actually make him money; and Michael Buonauro, for his work on Marvelous Bob – arguably the seed of this entire mess.

Production: The audio production is solid and reliable. Sometimes Jessica May incorporates sound effects, but overall she ensures a clean, consistent sound.

Grade: B+

Cast: Opopanax provides the voices and narration for every story. If you think writing and interconnecting ten story lines is tough, imagine having to bring these characters to life. She manages to do just that. My particular favorite when it comes to her voices, is that of the narrator from The Murder Plague. That particular storyline is a world I can see Hitchcock dreaming up. Imagine a disease that turns you into a paranoid psycopath. Now imagine that most people have it, but you can’t be sure who does until they come at you with garden shears.

Grade: A-

Story: The writing is generally very good. I’ve run across a few that didn’t work for me. When you’re talking about three hundred plus episodes, I guess that’s going to happen. My favorite part about the entire thing is the arcs JRD has built into the fabric of the universe. Most episodes are stand alone tales that fit within their own arc. Occasionally he throws a two or three parter at us.

I have my favorites. The Murder Plague is up there. I also enjoy Ruby Departed, his take on the zombie apocalypse told through the diary entries of a but kicking young women with an assegai (the Zulu spear). I also like Kar’wick. What isn’t there to like about an immense spider god bent on destroying the world?

Grade: A

Verdict: This is definitely one you need to add to your list. I recommend you start with episode one. While it’s not necessary, it’s certainly the nest option in my opinion. You could listen to each arc on their own as I do believe that there are helpful links to do that from the site.

Grade: A

Sidenote: In the spirit of full disclosure, I’ve written one of the guest episodes. I also occasionally contribute audio versions of these reviews for their weekly cast/crew/fan show. That’s right, they have a podcast about their podcast (and their hobbies and a lot of fan generated content).