New Short Story and Stoneskin Press

Hi everyone,

I am pleased to announce that my short story entitled “Fangs and Formaldehyde” will be published in an upcoming anthology from the newly-launched publisher Stone Skin Press. The theme for this anthology is about iconic characters. The idea is so “big” that they’re publishing two of them!

The iconic character I created goes by the name of “Atlas” and he’s a vampire who helps other vampires. In my setting, vampires are not the romanticized kind that well… Glitter. They are the kind that feed (and feed regularly) on humans. To them, we’re food.

If you’ve read any of my other stories, you know I often build worlds for my characters to live in. This story is no different and could easily be part of something bigger. I won’t give any more away, because to tell you what my vampires are all about will spoil the surprise.

Be sure to watch for news about how you can get your hands on a copy of New Heroes or New Heroes Two, edited by Robin Laws. With names like James Lowder, Matt Forbeck, Ed Greenwood, Alex Bledsoe, Kyla Ward and Monte Cook in the mix, I can guarantee that you won’t want to miss out.

– M

My Role with Apex Book Company

Hi everyone,

As you know, I’ve been looking for new professional opportunities. After posting about my pursuit, I had a good discussion with Jason Sizemore who runs Apex Book Company who decided to help me out while I continue to look for a full-time job.

For a few hours a month, I’m going to be consulting and directing their marketing efforts to help coalesce their initiatives into a big picture strategy I’m designing. Apex has a really smart and dedicated team of people in place that the previous Marketing Director, a lady by the name of M.G. Ellington, helped put together. My efforts will be behind-the-scenes.

I’m really excited about helping Apex for a few reasons. Months ago I turned to a few recruiters who suggested that since this is an employer’s market, in order to get a good job, I really need to keep my online marketing and writing skills fresh. I’ve been able to do that with my writing, because like so many writers, that’s something I’ve always done, even when I was working. Now, I’m able to elevate my visibility for online marketing and pad my resume a bit.

Another reason why I’m happy to provide a few hours of marketing support for Apex, is because this is my chance to apply six years of online marketing knowledge to the publishing industry. Apex produces quality books, anthologies and a magazine. Jason has made it clear that I wouldn’t be given any special treatment. So, if I want to publish a story through Apex, I better write a good one.

Believe me, I am doing everything I can to step up my writing and my career to new heights. I’m excited, because ever since I posted my news about how things have been going, so many people like Jason have reached out to me cheering me on. I don’t know what 2011 is going to bring, but I’m ready to find out.

If you’re job-hunting like I am, I really hope you consider reaching out to uncover potential opportunities–regardless of whether it’s a volunteer position or a few hours a month. I know I am.

– M

Alternate Cover for THE QUEEN OF CROWS

Just how important is a book’s cover? Well, I’m going to find out. After a tip from Lori Devoti, I decided to try a different cover for the Kindle and Nook editions of THE QUEEN OF CROWS. I was going to add a starburst that read “bonus content included” but going to try this first.

The Queen of Crows e-Book | Alternate Cover

My Guest Article at BookLife.com: Rolling the Dice in Freelancing

The Bones | To help promote THE BONES, a collection of essays about dice, Jeremy Jones is running a series over at BookLife.com about rolling the dice in freelancing. Jeremy is an excellent interviewer who writes “the best” introductions about people. Just recently, he talked about how Matt Forbeck was his hero in If You Play It Safe: Matt Forbeck on Taking Risks In Writing. (Mine, too.) After reading what he said about me, I was thinking about paying him to write my bio for me. Sheesh.

I first met Valentinelli at GenCon three years ago. I was immediately struck with her ability to distill a complex project down to its core elements and by her seemingly undying enthusiasm for whichever creative project she was working on.

Both as a gamer and as a freelancer, Valentinelli has rolled a lot of dice. Here’s what she had to say about the importance of taking risks in writing and freelancing. — SOURCE: Always Rolling the Dice: Monica Valentinelli on Taking Risks in Writing

To read what my responses were, be sure to check out Always Rolling the Dice: Monica Valentinelli on Taking Risks in Writing.

Not sure who else is slated for this series, but BookLife always has some great career advice for you to read. So don’t be shy and check the site out!

Daily Bites of Flesh Now Available

Daily Bites of Flesh: 365 Days of Horrifying Flash FictionJust wanted to drop in and mention that DAILY BITES OF FLESH: 365 DAYS OF HORRIFYING FLASH FICTION is now available! My story entitled The Saint, The Pickpocket and the Manticore is the entry for July 15th.

Here’s a little bit more about the anthology:

DAILY BITES OF FLESH 2011: 365 DAYS OF HORRIFYING FLASH FICTION is a 2011 flash fiction calendar anthology, with a 500 word or less horror short story featured for every day of the calendar year. Filled with 365 short stories, this is a fun and practical anthology designed for busy readers of the horror genre.

The book is 552 pages long and features dozens of authors. Each of us wrote a story with a flesh-eating creature as part of the theme. Besides being available online, you’ll also be able to pick it up in several bookstores as well.

Hope you enjoy it!

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