The Brothel: A Whoring Thread for Writers

Look, I made the cover! Looks like Chicago's own Curbside Splendor #3 is now up for ordering. My story "Divining" is in here. It involves tarot cards and bad women.

http://curbsidesplendor.bigcartel.com/product/curbside-splendor-issue-3-...

They have my best story on their online edition. It's a neat place.

^oh sweet! got a link or did i miss it previously, BIG S?

I have no idea if i posted it here. It was a year ago maybe?

http://www.curbsidesplendor.com/index.php?id=220

I was sure it was a shit story because it was rejected so much but i loved writing it and they were the last place i had it out to before i was gonna rewrite it.

^ah, cool story, really liked it. glad they took it!

www.talcottnotch.net/

Well, it's official. I have an agent. I have signed with Paula Munier at Talcott Notch Literary Agency and we will be shopping my second novel, the neo-noir, transgressive thriller, Disintegration. Paula has over twenty years of experience in the industry, and I'm thrilled to be working with her. She gets my work, is excited about it, and together we're going to sell this book to the best press we can find. Wish me luck! And thanks for all of your support.

Much luck, sir. Considering how much you've gotten yourself out there over the past few years, you deserve it.

thanks, caleb. man, when did you land the cover of Time?!?! and i hope it will only help 4C to do well, the better we all do with our solo careers, the better we all do together. and maybe i can talk her into looking at all of you guys too, if you're up for it.

No such thing as luck, 100% skill. I say it all the time.

thanks, appreciate that Big S.

Live at Phil Jourdan's Slothrop blog, my article about taking a Dremel tool to writer's block's Fallopian tubes, titled "Writer’s Block is Just an Excuse for Broken Storytelling."

Here's a taste:

Writer’s block has nothing to do with motivation (if the story is working, you’ll have plenty of motivation). It has nothing to do with a weak plot (plenty of great books are weak on plot; The Great Gatsby is “guy moves into a house next to rich guy”…that’s about it). It has nothing to do with your own seemingly problematic writing environment (Chuck Palahniuk wrote Choke while bound up in a hospital bed; you aren’t allowed to complain). Most of the time writer’s block is simply your brain’s reaction to a weakness in your story.

Head over to Slothrop to read the post. Leave a comment. Let Phil know how much you love the article. Maybe he will have me back.

thanks pete!

My dark little bit of magical realism, "Fireflies," is included in Polluto 9, just out. This is from Dog Horn Publishing, they do some wild stuff.

http://polluto.com/issues/issues.html

Richard Godwin, author of Mr. Glamour, interviewed me over at his blog. A great discussion about identity, publishing, transgressions, ebooks, reality, sex, sadism, violence...the usual stuff.

http://www.richardgodwin.net/author-interviews-extensive/chin-wag-at-the...

My story "Vision Quest" is in the debut issue of SURREAL GROTESQUE. It looks great, tons of excellent artwork, and stories by Bradley Sands, Grigori Black, Dakota Taylor, and many other authors.

Website:http://www.surrealgrotesque.com/
ISSUU http://vertigoschism77.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/surrealgrotesque.jpg

My new Storyville column is up. I dissect one of my stories, the Pushcart nominated "Twenty Reasons to Stay and One to Leave," to show my thought process and the struggles I go through when writing a story. Hope you enjoy it.

http://litreactor.com/columns/storyville-dissection

A fantastic review of my long short story, "Victimized" by Lou Pendergrast. FIVE STARS and some really kind words. And I'm in excellent company at his website, alongside work by Kyle Minor, Alan Heathcock, Flannery O'Connor, Chuck Wendig and many others.

http://more2read.com/review/victimized-by-richard-thomas/

Some new and awesome publication news for me regarding two of my stories.

My horror short, “Roland The Conqueror,” is now being featured through DarkMedia at their multi-media site, DarkMedia Online, under Arts & Literature in Short Fiction and Poetry.

I’m in the Spotlight rotation too this week, which is very cool—so you can find the story that way through the front page, or simply follow this link: http://www.darkmediaonline.com/?p=3401

And another story of mine, “Life and Death and Laughing and Stopping,” is also being featured right now at SPLIT Quarterly as the headlining story for their new “Spank” themed issue, SPLIT6: http://splitquarterly.com/

That link will take you to the issue as a whole on their front page, or go here if you want the story only: http://splitquarterly.com/2012/life-and-death-and-laughing-and-stopping/

I’m very proud of these, especially seeing that some of my peers from chuckpalaniuk.net and LitReactor provided awesome feedback when these stories were in their infant stages.

Definitely hit up the online classes
at LitReactor if you’re a writer giving those any serious thought.

awesome, way to go.

It's about fucking time I get to whore something in here! Second novel, Flashover, been out a couple weeks now in paper and e-. Click the banner for all the details and ordering info. I think you guys'll love it; it's got rednecks and death and all that good religious shit.

Electrocution and a two-story fall from a church rooftop leave former musician Tobe Mohr deaf, burned, and broken. A guilt-wracked priest invites him to live in the vacant rectory during his recovery, where many townsfolk believe Tobe — despite his own skepticism — has developed clairvoyance in his return from death. Adapting to rural life after having toured the world’s stages, Tobe forms an intense relationship with the enchanting Sera and her daughter. But their disappearance forces him to embrace his rewired senses that have helped so many others, as he navigates Sera’s mysterious past to find them, and to become once again the man he thought died long ago.

Going to start this one tonight. I've read a few chapters of an earlier version. Great stuff.

My story "Bringing In the Sheaves" is now live at Beat the Dust. Not only did they publish my good friend Craig Wallwork in the last issue, but they have a history of great authors there: Roxane Gay, Joshua Mohr, Lindsay Hunter and many more.

Are we born flawed, sinners in our hearts, or does the world just beat us into submission?

http://www.beatthedust.com/beat-the-dust.asp?bid=389

"Are we born flawed, sinners in our hearts, or does the world just beat us into submission?"

BOTH!!

My story "Cassandra Left Behind" is now live up at ThickJam. Hope you enjoy it.

http://thickjam.com/no-91

My new Storyville column is up at Lit Reactor. For those that can't make my July 23rd class on horror writing here in Chicago at Story Studio Chicago, this may help. Enjoy.

http://litreactor.com/columns/storyville-writing-horror-stories#comment-...

"Cassandra Left Behind" brings the goods, and Storyville is one of the best and most favored columns at LitReactor. Rightfully so. Nice update.

By the way, in case everyone hasn't heard...

The Parade Is Almost Here. The Parade Is Happening July 1st.

http://solarcide.com/fiction/nova-parade/

My story "Wicker Park Pause" is in the latest edition of One Buck Horror, Volume Five. Only .99 at Amazon, for the Kindle.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008AETPIG

Well you can't beat .99, so....purchased!

I love anthologies. A lot.

It only goes up to volume 4 on the nook store. Tell Mr. Hawkins to get it up over there!

i THINK it'll be up on Nook eventually, PG. And thanks, Alecia!

Snubnose Press is one year old today. Read the article by Brian Lindenmuth, and pick up a FREE copy of Speedloader (with my work, as well as that of Nik Korpon, Matthew C. Funk, Jonathan Woods, Nigel Bird and W.D. County.) Cover art by Boden Steiner.

http://dosomedamage.blogspot.com/2012/06/snubnose-press-is-one-year-old-...

LitReactor mentions Solarcide and our upcoming anthology Nova Parade in their latest "Week In Discussion." Very Cool! http://litreactor.com/news/the-week-in-discussion-61912

I probably won't be posting every article I write, but I thought it would be cool to let everybody know that I'm a staff writer for ManArchy Magazine. I have my own column where I get to write stuff. I think there will be a mix of health and fitness stuff and then crazier more entertaining stuff like my first column below:

http://manarchymag.com/core/2012/06/zombie-blackout-a-toast-to-the-undea...

Woohoo! Congrats Pete.

Noice!

Ladies and Gents, Solarcide Presents… NOVA PARADE.

AVAILABLE NOW—FOR FREE—Just Follow This Link: http://solarcide.com/fiction/nova-parade/

Nova Parade received a nice, shining reviewing from Booked., as they discussed a lot of the great stories featured, including stories from Richard Thomas, Bradley Sands, Chris Lewis Carter, Amanda Gowin, and Clint Rhodes—better known as XyZy.

You’ll also find stories from Jeremy Robert Johnson, Caleb J. Ross, Martin Garrity, Paul D. Brazill, Phil Jourdan and Michael Paul Gonzalez.

But Solarcide is especially proud to present stories from The New Breed: Dakota Taylor, Nikki Guerlain, Rebecca-Jones Howe, Laurance Kitts, Jay Slayton-Joslin, and Jessica Taylor.

Still that’s not everyone. There are many great stories. The anthology is FREE, and you can download the PDF version of the new release right now at Solarcide.

Downloaded

Yeah, I've been waiting for this one too.

This is the part of the thread where I feel dirty for urging you guys to pop over to LitReactor and discuss that novel down there in my signature line. Pretty-please? Of course, you could always just read it without discussing. . . I'm happy either way, and am quite sure you'll dig it, regardless of whether you liked my last one or not. Way different.

I'm no good at discussing, but I'm way good at reading (everything), so....just got it from Amazon for my kindle.

P.S. I enjoyed your last one, too.

One of the best books I've read all year. CATACLYSM BABY is dark, lyrical, post-apocalyptic stories of birth, myth, deformity and fable. This is a must read for fans of literary fiction with a sharp edge. I've been reading Matt for years, and this is some of his best work.

http://www.thenervousbreakdown.com/rthomas/2012/07/review-of-cataclysm-b...

I loved that book so much. I shook Matt's hand and told him it was one of my favorite books I've read this year.

Buuuuut - I wouldn't recommend it to everybody. It's so dark and depressing. It's hard to read in spots. And Matt's wording is so spot on, he just injects everything with emotion.

where did you see matt? very cool, pete, i know you loved it, and i'm glad the review is finally up. matt's a great guy, always been very supportive of my work. matt and SGJ are two people i really look up to, try to emulate. Dzanc ALMOST took Disintegration.

Would you recommend it to me? I trust your input, for sure.

By the way, thanks Alecia. Winning readers over, one at a time...

And I've got Cataclysm queued up a few down the list.

To figure out if you like Matt's style though, he has pdf's of two of his (now unavailable) chapbooks on his website.

http://www.mdbell.com/thecollectors/
http://www.mdbell.com/howthebrokenleadtheblind/

Check those out to see if you like his style. And then if you like a dystopian future and maybe a little bit of steam punk feel with mutant babies, you might also like Cataclysm Baby.

Personally, I think you'd like it though Alecia.

Okay, I'm convinced...just bought it. Thanks!

Did you check out the free stuff? It's pretty good too.

Yep, got a little pile of stuff to keep me busy reading for a couple days now.