Poetry MS Update

Clocking in at 97 poems, the poetry manuscript is finally sent to S. T. Joshi.  Cross your fingers!

HWA Halloween Recipe Contest!

The HWA is currently having a Halloween recipe contest and I instantly jumped on this opportunity.

 I found this recipe for creamy peas over a decade ago in a Martha Stewart Holiday special Halloween issue.  I made several recipes out of it and followed many decoration suggestions.  I found that this was my favorite Halloween go-to magazine for food, desserts, and decoration ideas.  I remember making these peas for the first time, while watching Killer Clowns from Outer Space one Halloween when I was 13, and that memory just stuck with me.  I think it was the first time I ever made an elaborate Halloween feast for my family.  I wanted to make it a tradition but that was the first and only time I made Halloween dinner.  I made some vast improvements to the original recipe and now it is perfect.

  Rest in Peas

4 slices of potato bread

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Moloka’i gourmet sea salt or coarse salt

Freshly ground pepper

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 garlic, cut into ½-inch pieces or frozen garlic cubes

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 ½ cups heavy cream or half and half

½ cup milk

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Pinch of cayenne pepper

2 boxes (10 ounces each) frozen peas, thawed and drained well

1 carrot

Bacon bits

1.      Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Using a pairing knife, cut bread into shapes.  (Alternatively, cut bread freehand.)  Place on a baking sheet; brush bread shapes with oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Toast in oven until golden, 10 to 12 minutes.

(Before.)

(After.)

2.    Heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until foaming.  Add garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.  Stir in flour; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to turn golden, about 4 minutes.

3.      Whisking constantly, gradually add cream.  Cook until mixture thickens, 10 to 12 minutes.  Stir in milk, nutmeg, and cayenne.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir in peas; cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.

4.      Chop carrots thinly and carve jack-o-lantern faces on them with a fork.

5.      Sautee carrots in olive oil until slightly soft.

6.      Transfer pea mixture to a shallow serving dish.  Arrange headstone croutons on top.   

7.      Add carrot top as a tree and garnish.

8. Sprinkle bacon bits as fall leaves throughout the pea graveyard.    

Table of Contents for Spectral Realms No. 5 by Hippocampus Press

The table of contents and cover art for Spectral Realms No. 5 are now up on the Hippocampus Press page.  My poems Dark Poet of My Heart, Fallen Atlantis, and Ever Fair appear in this issue.

(Cover art by Harry Clarke for E. A. Poe’s “The Colloquy of Monos and Una.”)

Poems

Borean Soul / Jeff Burnett

Sin Eater / Jennifer Ruth Jackson

The First Haunting / M. F. Webb

The Second Haunting / M. F. Webb

The Serpent Borne of Helios / Nathaniel Reed

Coda / Joseph S. Pulver, Sr.

Grin / John J. Mundy

Graveyards of the Living / G. O. Clark

Only in Dreams / Darrell Schweitzer

Angry Gods / Mary Krawczak Wilson

The Forest of Horror / Frank Coffman

The Egregious Error of Werner Witherbye / John Shirley

All Masks Are Mirrors / Ann K. Schwader

The Rime of the Eldritch Mariner / Adam Bolivar

Dark Poet of My Heart / Ashley Dioses

Dark House of Hunger / D. L. Myers

The Ghoul’s Dilemma / W. H. Pugmire

The Resurrection of Death / Gregory MacDonald

The City of Dreadful Life / Richard L. Tierney

The Waves of Fear / Leigh Blackmore

Underwater / Ian Futter

Sylvan Blood / Jeff Burnett

Myths and Legends / Charles D. O’Connor III

Beyond the Stones / Liam Garriock

Cast Away / Oliver Smith

Temple of the Flame / David Barker

Me / Ross Balcom

Dies Irae / Carole Abourjeili

The Alchemist’s Disease / Nathaniel Reed

Transylvanian Darkness / K. A. Opperman

The Sayings of the Seers / Wade German

Antagonist / F. J. Bergmann

Heaven in Your Arms / Jennifer Ruth Jackson

Fallow Fields / Mary Krawczak Wilson

Season Spirits / Juan J. Gutiérrez

Redux / John J. Mundy

Death and a Locket / Jonathan Thomas

The Cold Fog of Regret / John Shirley

The Endless Night / Christina Sng

An Existence / Ian Futter

Postcard from the Night Desert / G. O. Clark

Other Humans / Gregory MacDonald

The Festival / Chad Hensley

The Summons / D. L. Myers

A Traveler to the City / Frank Coffman

Fallen Atlantis / Ashley Dioses.

Mari Lwyd / Liam Garriock

Yesterdawn / Jeff Burnett

In Nether Pits / David Barker

Dancer / Christina Sng

Alive / Joseph S. Pulver, Sr.

Origins / Nathaniel Reed

Atu II: The High Priestess / Leigh Blackmore

Visitor / Fred Phillips

The Fetch / John J. Mundy

R’lyeh / F. J. Bergmann

Whisper / Oliver Smith

Beauty’s Veil / Gregory MacDonald

Ever Fair / Ashley Dioses

Agents of Dread / David Barker

Classic Reprints  

The Song of the Sea / Edgar Saltus

Voodoo / Annice Calland

Articles

The Poets of Weird Tales: Part 2 / Frank Coffman

Reviews  

The Generalist and the Specialist / S. T. Joshi

Leaves Grown Heavy with Omens / Wade German

Sex and Sin / Sunni K Brock

HWA Poetry Showcase Volume 3

My poem, Ghoul Mistress, appears in this year's Poetry Showcase put together by the HWA.  This is the second year I have entered and was overjoyed when I found out my poem was accepted for it!  I am also happy to hear that they will be made into physical copies from now on.  I absolutely can't stand to read ebooks.  I need something physical and in my hands.  I don't own a kindle or nook and have no interest in ever getting one.  Solid books are a thing of beauty such as this copy of the Poetry Showcase.

And speaking of physical books, Brett Talley was kind of enough to send me a copy of Limbus, Inc., Vol. III for consideration for the Stoker award.  If you have something longer than a short story the best way for me to read and consider it is to send me a physical copy.  Just saying.

In other news, I won a beautiful copy of The Dark Verse Vol. 2 by M. Amanuensis Sharkchild!  Now I must get the first volume to fix the out of order-ness.  And there's a 3rd volume as well.

  

The Literary Hatchet #15 by PearTree Press is Free to Download!

My poem, Dark Valentine, appears in the latest issue of The Literary Hatchet by PearTree Press.  It is free to download as is all their issues.

At midnight, on February 14th, 2012, I received an email with a poem, written in Alexandrines, asking me to be someone's Valentine.  This poem was written in response and mimicked that poem in length, rhyme, and Alexandrines.  And ever since that night a beautiful relationship blossomed.  There are 3 dark Valentine poems for the first 3 years of our relationship. We just celebrated out 4th year together last month.

(Isn't that art gorgeous!?)

    

Skelos: The Journal of Weird Fiction and Dark Fantasy Has Arrived!

I have been dying to get my copy of this ever since I heard about it.  The kickstarter for this awesome weird journal raised $19,318 and made all its stretch goals which funded the first four issues!  This brand new weird journal not only contains fiction and poetry but articles, essays, commentary, and reviews.  This journal is packed full of awesome goodies including art which gives it a beautiful touch.

Right now they are shipping their first batch to those who contributed to the kickstarter.  You can purchase copies and find other updates here.  FYI, my bibliography page, the link is on the top right, not only lists everywhere I've been published but also contains the links to where you can purchase and/or see the poem/work.

My poem, Diary of a Sorceress, appears in this.  Also, a little fun fact, Diary of a Sorceress shares it's name with my upcoming poetry collection and will appear as the first poem in the book.  Okay, scratch that, the second poem.  The first poem is a prelude poem, inspired by David Park Barnitz's prelude poem in the Book of Jade.  It was published in Gothic Blue Book VOL 5 by Burial Day Books.

The brains behind this creation are Mark Finn, Chris Gruber, and Jeffery Shanks.

(That blew my mind.)

(I'm on the cover!  I share a cover with Robert E. Howard! *swoons*)

(The artwork that accompanies my poem.  Badass.)

  

The Audient Void: A Journal of Weird Fiction and Dark Fantasy Arrived!

My long awaited contributor's copy of The Audient Void: A Journal of Weird Fiction and Dark Fantasy has arrived!  And with various signatures.  I was asked if I wanted to wait until after the release party, which was held on July 23 in Salem, OR, to get my copy, which would get passed around for signatures from any author that showed up.  Of course, I said hell yes.  The great balladeer Adam Bolivar, also a contributor to the journal, was kind enough to recite my two poems, The Glass Vial and My Corpse, My Groom, at the release party since I could not attend myself.

In other news, my poem, Dark Valentine, has been accepted for publication for the next issue of The Literary Hatchet by PearTree Press.  It says the next issue comes out this month so that's awesome.  I've been published here once before (Issue #13) and their journal is pretty awesome.  It was freakin packed with material and for only $14, it's totally worth it.  I believe that it can also be viewed free on their site.