Year in Writing 2014: Part 1 (with links and cover gallery)

I look back upon 2014 pleased to note that it was a vast improvement over the previous year, writing-wise. For a list of upcoming anthology appearances, please visit Part 2.

My newest available published story is "Suicide by Cop," a dark crime story that deals with a tough subject. It is available to read for FREE right here. Over My Dead Body also includes several of my solve-it-yourself mini-mysteries. This link will take you to the two most recent entries, and on the page you'll find another link for four others.

Also newly published in 2014:

"Glass Caskets" appeared in Cadavers, from Knightwatch Press. Available here. This is a themed anthology about dead bodies. Not zombies (the un-dead), but corpses, stiffs, cadavers! A variety of genres are present. I'd classify my story as dark fantasy. Thanks to G.P. Stratford for selecting my story.

"Reynolds's Tale" appeared in Darker Edge of Desire from Tempted Romance. This is a themed anthology of romantic horror stories, or supernatural sex stories, if you prefer. The authors aim to give you chills and sweats simultaneously. Thank you to Mitzi Szereto for purchasing my story! Available now!

Doug Murano, C.W. LaSart and I met at SoDakCon in May of 2014. Our experience there exceeded all our expectations. We wanted to do something special for the attendees next year, so we collaborated on a multi-author collection. We each chose four reprints that we are very proud of, and each wrote one brand new story exclusive to this collection.

My stories included are: "You Don't Know Jack" and "There's Not A Word For It" from Bedtime Stories for Carrion Beetles; "The Adventure Never Ends," which is exclusive to this collection; and "Ghost Soup" and "A Misadventure to Call Your Own."

To purchase a copy in paperback, click this link.
To purchase a Kindle edition, this one will work.

"Four Houses Down, on the Bad Side of Town" appeared in In Shambles. This anthology features eclectic and eccentric horror stories. Interesting side note: Kevin J. Anderson, probably the most well-know author included, was the editor who purchased my first professional-rate sale back in 2012. Thanks to Jesse Duckworth for purchasing my story. In Shambles is available HERE.

"Clutterbugs" appeared in Strangely Funny II from Mystery and Horror, LLC. This is a loosely-themed anthology of humorous fantasy and horror stories. Thank you to Sarah Glenn for purchasing my story. Extra credit for going all out on the promotional materials, too. I gave away a lot of post cards and book marks for this one! Available here.

2014 got off to a good start (even though the world ended--sort of) thanks to Vignettes From the End of the World from Apokrupha. Part of the QuickLII series of flash fiction, the theme of this anthology is evident from the title. Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Literary Fiction and more. My story included is "Carrying On". This book is available in paperback, for Kindle, and in hardcover. Check here for details.

"Methods of Coping" and "Coping Methods" are two different stories using the same characters and same premise. One is (much) longer, one is shorter.

"Methods of Coping" (the longer of the two) appears in Beyond the Nightlight, a young adult horror anthology from A Murder of Storytellers. Thank you to Adrean Messmer for purchasing my story. 

"Coping Methods," along with a poem titled "Neck, Romantic," appears in Black Hills Literary Journal: The Family Issue. Thank you to Black Hills Writers Group (Karen Hall and Charlotte Walling, among others) for purchasing my work.

Thank you for reading!

Adrian

Year in Writing: 2014 (with links) PART 2

I look back upon 2014 pleased to note that it was a vast improvement over the previous year, writing-wise. I will soon share Tables of Contents with three of my favorite authors! More on that later...

My newest available published story is "Suicide by Cop," a dark crime story that deals with a tough subject. It is available to read for FREE right here. Over My Dead Body also includes several of my solve-it-yourself mini-mysteries. This link will take you to the two most recent entries, and on the page you'll find another link for four others. Many thanks to editor Cheri Jung at Over My Dead Body for being great to work with and for providing an outlet for most of my mystery writing.

Stories sold in 2014 (but not yet published) include:

 "Estranged" will appear in Shadows Over Main Street, a themed anthology in which Lovecraftian horror comes to Small Town, USA. Hazardous Press will release this in early 2015. Other contributors include Gary A. Braunbeck, Lucy Snyder, Lisa Morton, Brian Hodge, and many more. I've read a proof copy for contributors cover to cover and I loved it. For more information, you can look here. Thank you to editors Doug Murano and D. Alexander Ward for purchasing my story.


(Not pictured:) "Another Mouth to Feed" will appear in Cranial Leakage II: Tales from the Grinning Skull. A horror anthology tentatively set for second (maybe third) quarter 2015 from Grinning Skull Press. More information coming as we get closer.

"Slay it Forward"will appear in Insidious Assassins, an assassin-themed anthology (crime, horror, humor, and more). Smart Rhino Publications will release this in the first or second quarter of 2015. Other authors include Joe R. Lansdale, Jack Ketchum, and many more. For more information, there's a Facebook page well worth a look. Thank you to editor Weldon Burge for purchasing my story. (Cover not final.)

(Not pictured:) "Atop the Ferris Wheel" will appear in Forgotten Places, a horror anthology featuring authors who are members of The Horror Society. The table of contents is still a secret at this point and the cover has not yet been revealed. However the anthology should be available as early as January 2015. Thank you to editor Henry Snider for accepting my story for inclusion.

"I Can Do What I Need to in the Dark" will appear in Surreal Worlds, a bizarro-horror anthology slated for first or second quarter of 2015 by Bizarro Pulp Press. Other contributors include Steve Rasnic Tem, Bruce Boston, Max Booth III and many more. A complete list of the authors can be found  here. Thank you to Vincenzo Bilof for purchasing my story. (Cover not final.)

I currently have about ten other stories out and under consideration, with a trio of others in various stages of completion.


One final note:
I have a mental "Mt. Rushmore of My Favorite Authors." These are the four writers who I hold most dear. I own a great deal of their work and always enjoy what I read. They inspire me to hone my craft and to try new things. I heartily recommend anything they've written. These four authors are: Joe R. Lansdale, Mort Castle, Steve Rasnic Tem, and Gary A. Braunbeck. A glance back at some of the authors with whom I (will) share Tables of Contents in 2015 should clearly show why I consider 2014 to be a huge Writing success.

I enter 2015 fully energized. I'm sure it will be a year filled with challenges, surprises, and new stories!

Thank you for reading,
Adrian