Even a Negative Review is Better than Nothing.

I knew when I wrote it that my short story "The Party" wasn't for all tastes. Here is the section of the review on Tangent reviewing my story. Perhaps another case of genre types disliking anything that isn't concrete, but it's obvious the reviewer hated it:

"The Party" is another "Am I dead or not?" story, though it's pretty clear that Curt is (This type of story only has two possible answers, and to actually have a story, then the answer has to be "yes"). He's at an endless party, going around, meeting and interacting with strangers. The "cocktail party hell" trope was probably tired by the 1950s, and Christopher Nadeau does not make you long for its return. It's also voluminously unclear.

Click here for the entire review

I can console myself with the knowledge that it was one of the anthology editor's favorite stories. So be it, on to the next one~

A Sneak Preview of "Echoes of Infinity's Core"

The following is the foreword that opens the second book in the trilogy. Just know it is subject to change following final edits:

This is not where we left off last time.

We are not starting at the very next moment.

Time has passed. Things have changed. People have changed as well. Such is the nature of sequels, at least the ones that are done well. A rapidly vanishing life-form, the quality sequel is a continuation of what has gone before. This is in contradiction to Hollywood’s approach, which takes one, some or all of the important characters from Part One and places them in different yet comfortably familiar environs.

Conventional wisdom in America is that familiarity sells.

People don’t like it when beloved characters die or are replaced by new characters or actors. It pisses people off. Perhaps it should. There is, after all, an emotional investment, testament to the talents of those involved in the finished product.

The rule of continuing story arc applies in particular to science fiction and fantasy, hence the Star Wars and Lord of the Rings films which carry the same story through three films at a time. In fiction, where the audience is generally more intelligent and open-minded, there is often more breathing room for the author. Each book can occur generations apart.

That isn’t the case here.

Consider this more like an action film series where everything has not been neatly resolved. Remember what went before and the questions that were left unanswered. Don’t forget which characters were affected and how. Ask yourself what story is left to be told.

In other words, only a mental midget would read this book first.

This is a continuation of something that began in the mind of an author and eventually spilled over into a universe facing Armageddon. Jerry Bruckheimer was nowhere to found, but there were still explosions and witty rejoinders aplenty. However, there was no neat ‘n tidy resolution that left the audience smiling and chatting happily all the way to a theme restaurant with yummy potato skins.

There was a victory, but it did not come without its costs. Loves were lost, friendships were strained. Successes that came were hollow and far too late. We were left feeling that something was still on the horizon for these characters.

So, those who know what has gone before should prepare themselves for all the new developments. And, in the words of the Great and All-powerful Yogurt, “God willing we’ll all meet in the sequel. Spaceballs II: The Search for More Money.”

Enjoy the show!

Quote of the Day

"We really don't need a businessman in office. The first rule of running a business is to maximize profits. That means, at no point do you sacrifice earnings to help the people that work for you. You sacrifice those people to increase earnings. Having someone like this in office would leave a lot of people further left in the dust."

-A Facebook Poster

And the #1 Reason John Steinbeck is my Literary Hero...

Two-Way Street?

Editors are always going on and on about professionalism and how the slightest misstep during the submission process can result in an unread, discarded manuscript. Some are so particular that the style employed in a cover letter can be the death knell for hopeful authors looking to wow an editor with their stunning prose. In other words, the editor might not even read your work based solely on the way you introduced yourself.

One of the major pet peeves of editors, and understandably so, involves writers with poor attention to detail. For instance, mentioning that it's midnight in one sentence and then describing the hot sun beating down on the pavement in the next. That pet peeve extends into the writer's correspondence, i.e. making sure the correct names are used when establishing contact.

Shouldn't that extend both ways? In fact, shouldn't it be more important for an editor to ensure accuracy before sending a rejection letter?

I only bring this up because, much like for the editor who disregards the story of a writer whose attention to detail is lacking, it's difficult to take seriously the critique and rejection from an editor who misses simple, vital detail.

Case in point: The email correspondence below:

EDITOR: Mr. Murphy,

I have decided to pass on this story. It's hard to find any empathy for the main character on his killing spree, and it's probably something that would fare better in the third person. It goes for the jugular just a bit much and too fast, and I think the pacing of it needs work. Feel free to try another submission, but this one just didn't grab me.

Sincerely,
Editor

ME: It is actually "Mr. Nadeau." Murphy is the last name of the protagonist in my story. I appreciate the feedback.

CN

EDITOR: Chris,

So sorry, was looking up at the Document name,.....that's a first! Sorry if that seemed rude!
Editor

ME: Not at all. Just wanted to clarify in case the next story knocks your editorial socks off :)

But it turned out well, because when it comes down to it, professionalism is the key.

A "Poem" I rattled off in about one minute.

O winged bird that floats on air
How the hell'd you get up dere?
Did God Himself make them wings
'Cause God can do most anything.

Did God also make your beak,
If so, you like just like a freak.
And lo bird look at dem feet,
They're all just bone with no real meat.

And why do you eat slimy worms,
Can't you see how they slither & Squirm?
Who the hell could eat dem things,
Except an idiot with God-made wings?

***ACCEPTED WITHIN FOUR HOURS***

You know how I'm always saying not to write stories to suit specific anthology themes because it will be difficult to get them published elsewhere? Forget it! At least, until something else gets rejected and I get all pissed off and disgusted again.

For now, I am elated. When I saw the following X-Mas themed zombie anthology accepting submissions,



I knew I had to drop everything else and try my hand at it. Which is odd because I don't really "do" zombie fiction, discounting my story "The Cubicle Dwellers," appearing in the current issue of Ghostlight.

I will take any opportunity to fly in the face of the accepted conceit of zombies originating form viral outbreaks, and so I scribed me up a voodoo-influenced tale of religious fanaticism that made me giggle school-girl-like. I wasn't sure it was what the kindly editor who had encouraged me to go ahead and send it was looking for BUT:

Four hours later, he wrote,

hey

i can use it.

Four hours, people. That's practically unheard of. So, for now, ignore what I said before y'know, until I say it again and really mean it~

Oops!

Not sure how I did it, but I wound up sending a story that had just been rejected the previous day back to the same magazine! I tried to email the editor and let him know, but apparently the emails and the submissions don't communicate very well with each other.

So, it got rejected again, only this time instead of the standard "I'm going to pass on this one" response, I got a more personal rejection. See below:

Dear Christopher,

Thanks for submitting this story, but I'm going to pass on it. It's nicely written and I enjoyed reading it, but overall it didn't quite win me over, I'm afraid. Best of luck to you placing this one elsewhere, and thanks again for sending it my way. I look forward to seeing your next submission.

Sincerely,
(Editor)

I have no analysis or anything, but it really makes me wonder what takes place on the "other side" sometimes.

Overlooked.

Somehow, some way, I overlooked one of the upcoming anthologies with my stories in them.




It is currently in the process of being edited and should be out soon. My short story "Emergence" appears in this one, a rather unique take on the whole monster hunter thing. I'm especially proud of its acceptance because, technically, I went against the guidelines in regards to the types of "monsters" they're interested in seeing.

Not something I recommend doing for new writers, but if you are capable of providing a riveting story that still respects the editor's wishes, you might be surprised at what happens.

I'll post the link once this one is available to purchase.

The Complete List of Songs that were Banned from Radio Play on 9/11/11.

I will offer no commentary on this, except to say how ridiculous this entire concept is to me. Below is the entire unedited list of banned songs with the stupider among then highlighted in red:

3 DOORS DOWN – Duck and Run
311 – Down
AC/DC – Dirty Deeds
AC/DC – Hell’s Bells
AC/DC – Highway to Hell
AC/DC – Safe in New York City
AC/DC – Shoot to Thrill
AC/DC – Shot Down in Flames
AC/DC – TNT
AD LIBS – The Boy from New York City
ALICE IN CHAINS – Down in a Hole
ALICE IN CHAINS – Rooster
ALICE IN CHAINS – Sea of Sorrow
ALICE IN CHAINS – Them Bone
ALIEN ANT FARM – Smooth Criminal
ANIMALS – We Gotta Get Out of this Place
LOUIS ARMSTRONG – What a Wonderful World
BANGLES – Walk Like an Egyptian
BARENAKED LADIES – Falling for the First Time
FONTELLA BASS – Rescue Me
BEASTIE BOYS – Sabotage
BEASTIE BOYS – Sure Shot
BEATLES – A Day in the Life
BEATLES – Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
BEATLES – Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
BEATLES – Ticket to Ride
PAT BENATAR – Love Is a Battlefield
PAT BENATAR – Hit Me with Your Best Shot
BLACK SABBATH – Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
BLACK SUICIDE – Suicide Solution
BLACK SABBATH – War Pigs
BLOOD SWEAT & TEARS – And When I Die
BLUE OYSTER CULT – Burnin’ for You
BOSTON – Smokin’
BROOKLYN BRIDGE – Worst that Could Happen
ARTHUR BROWN – Fire
JACKSON BROWNE – Doctor My Eyes
BUSH – Speed Kills
CHI-LITES – Have You Seen Her
DAVE CLARK FIVE – Bits and Pieces
PETULA CLARK – A Sign of the Times
THE CLASH – Rock the Casbah
PHIL COLLINS – In the Air Tonight
SAM COOKE – Wonderful World
CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL – Travelin’ Band
CULT – Fire Woman
BOBBY DARIN – Mack the Knife
SKEETER DAVIS – End of the World
NEIL DIAMOND – America
DIO – Holy Diver
DOORS – The End
DRIFTERS – On Broadway
DROWNING POOL – Bodies
BOB DYLAN – Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
EVERCLEAR – Santa Monica
SHELLY FABARES – Johnny Angel
FILTER – Hey Man, Nice Shot
FOO FIGHTERS – Learn to Fly
FUEL – Bad Day
PETER GABRIEL – When You’re Falling
GAP BAND – You Dropped a Bomb on Me
GODSMACK – Bad Religion
GREEN DAY – Brain Stew
NORMAN GREENBAUM – Spirit in the Sky
GUNS N’ ROSES – Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
HAPPENINGS – See You in September
JIMI HENDRIX – Hey Joe
HERMAN’S HERMITS – Wonderful World
HOLLIES – He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother
BUDDY HOLLY & THE CRICKETS – That’ll Be the Day
JAN & DEAN – Dead Man’s Curve
BILLY JOEL – Only the Good Die Young
ELTON JOHN – Benny & The Jets
ELTON JOHN – Daniel
ELTON JOHN – Rocket Man
JUDAS PRIEST – Some Heads Are Gonna Roll
KANSAS – Dust in the Wind
CAROLE KING – I Feel the Earth Move
KORN – Falling Away From Me
LENNY KRAVITZ – Fly Away
LED ZEPPELIN – Stairway to Heaven
JOHN LENNON – Imagine
JERRY LEE LEWIS – Great Balls of Fire
LIMP BIZKIT – Break Stuff
LOCAL H – Bound for the Floor
LOS BRAVOS – Black Is Black
LYNYRD SKYNYRD – Tuesday’s Gone
MARTHA AND THE VANDELLAS – Nowhere to Run
MARTHA AND THE VANDELLAS – Dancing in the Street
DAVE MATHEWS BAND – Crash into Me
PAUL MCCARTNEY & WINGS – Live and Let Die
BARRY MCGUIRE – Eve of Destruction
DON MCLEAN – American Pie
MEGADETH – Dread and the Fugitive
MEGADETH – Sweating Bullets
JOHN MELLENCAMP – Crumbling Down
JOHN MELLENCAMP – I’m on Fire
METALLICA – Seek and Destroy
METALLICA – Harvester or Sorrow
METALLICA – Enter Sandman
METALLICA – Fade to Black
STEVE MILLER – Jet Airliner
ALANIS MORISSETTE – Ironic
MUDVAYNE – Death Blooms
RICK NELSON – Travelin’ Man
NENA – 99 Luft Balloons/99 Red Balloons
NINE INCH NAILS – Head Like a Hole
OINGO BOINGO – Dead Man’s Party
PAPER LACE – The Night Chicago Died
JOHN PARR – St Elmo’s Fire
PETER GORDON – I Go To Pieces
PETER GORDON – A World Without Love
PETER PAUL & MARY – Blowin’ in the Wind
PETER PAUL & MARY – Leavin’ on a Jet Plane
TOM PETTY – Free Fallin’
PINK FLOYD – Run Like Hell
PINK FLOYD – Mother
POD – Boom
ELVIS PRESLEY – (You’re the) Devil in Disguise
PRETENDERS – My City Was Gone
QUEEN – Another One Bites the Dust
QUEEN – Killer Queen
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE – [all songs]
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS – Aeroplane
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS – Under the Bridge
REM – It’s the End of the World as We Know It
ROLLING STONES – Ruby Tuesday
MITCH RYDER & THE DETROIT WHEELS – Devil with the Blue Dress
SALIVA – Click Click Boom
SANTANA – Evil Ways ‘
SAVAGE GARDEN – Crash and Burn
SIMON & GARFUNKLE – Bridge Over Troubled Water
FRANK SINATRA – New York, New York
SLIPKNOT – Left Behind
SLIPKNOT – Wait and
SMASHING PUMPKINS – Bullet with Butterfly Wings
SOUNDGARDEN – Blow Up the Outside World
SOUNDGARDEN – Fell on Black Days
SOUNDGARDEN – Black Hole Sun
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN – I’m on Fire
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN – Goin’ Down
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN – War
EDWIN STARR – War
STEAM – Na Na Na Na Hey Hey
CAT STEVENS – Peace Train
CAT STEVENS – Morning Has Broken
STONE TEMPLE PILOTS – Big Bang Baby
STONE TEMPLE PILOTS – Dead and Bloated
SUGAR RAY – Fly
SURFARIS – Wipeout
SYSTEM OF A DOWN – Chop Suey!
TALKING HEADS – Burning Down the House
JAMES TAYLOR – Fire and Rain
TEMPLE OF THE DOG – Say Hello to Heaven
THIRD EYE BLIND – Jumper
THREE DEGREES – When Will I See You Again
TOOL – Intolerance
TRAMPS – Disco Inferno
U2 – Sunday Bloody Sunday
VAN HALEN – Dancing in the Streets
VAN HALEN – Jump
J FRANK WILSON – Last Kiss
YOUNGBLOODS – Get Together
ZAGER & EVANS – In the Year 2525
ZOMBIES – She’s Not There

The Type of Writing I Wish Came Easier to Me.

Here's an excellent example of taking an image and turning it into a rumination on the human condition.





The stillness and emptiness of a rowboat on a shore of Loch Maree. Does its stationary position represent hope of future travels, the end of travels once pursued, or does it represent reality? What's reality? Reality is void of hope. It simply is what it is. If the rowboat's stationary position...half on stable land and half on the icy darkness of a Scottish Loch represents reality, then the beauty of this photo is nothing more than delusion.

by Lorie Wallace

Publishing Update Addendum.

Just when I thought I'd finally posted an up-to-date list of my most recently published and soon-to-be published work, another anthology editor sent word of one I've been waiting to hear about for a while. So...


This family-friendly cover is for an anthology featuring a reprint of my story, "Rosa, Rosa Come out of Your Room"

More on this one when it is available to purchase.

Publishing Update.

Although my submitting frenzy has died down a bit these past few months, I still have stories appearing in different anthologies and magazines. Below are the most recent addition to my list of publishing credits in case you're stalking me and are good at taking direction:




"Soul-Mate Express" appears in this one.
















"The Cubicle Dwellers" appears here.


















"You With Me" was accepted for this one. I'll provide a release date when it becomes available.












And this juicy 354-page mammoth volume features my short story "Outside the Box." It will be available in hardcover and trade paperback. I'll update when it's available.














That's the most recent stuff. I will post a more comprehensive list including previous stories sometime later this week~

Quote of the Day

Goes to "All My Children" soap icon Susan Lucci, who described the ABC executive she believes is most responsible for the show's cancellation as possessing “a fatal combination of ignorance and arrogance.”