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| The End of Winter, by Norbert Somosi |
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| Hungry Thing, by Norbert Somosi |
As mentioned in a previous post, I dedicated myself to writing and submitting ten, science-fiction drabbles (the maximum allowed for one author) to a "FIRST CONTACT" themed drabble anthology announced by Starry Eyed Press. Happily, all of my submissions were accepted, and I signed a publishing contract them today.
To further incentivize participation, a Black Hare Press Tee-shirt was offered as first prize, for the submission judged best. I am delighted to report that I won the Tee, for my submission, titled "The Poppet Tree." Here is the publisher's review of "The Poppet Tree."
Well crafted story, blending horror with dark fantasy. The vivid imagery of blood-soaked poppets and the eerie atmosphere kept me on edge. The unique concept and unsettling details made it an unforgettable and captivating read.
Mine and every story submitted for this specific contest will be published in an anthology titled "HEX", part of a new series by BHP which began with "REAP". Here is the order link: https://books2read.com/BHP-HEX
I asked ChatGPT, "Who is Shawn M. Klimek?"
"Shawn M. Klimek is an American writer and poet known for his work in the genres of speculative fiction, fantasy, and horror. His writing often includes short stories, poems, and flash fiction that explore imaginative and thought-provoking themes. Klimek has contributed to various literary magazines, anthologies, and online publications, gaining recognition for his distinctive voice and creative storytelling.
His works are characterized by their brevity and impact, often delivering powerful narratives within a limited word count. Klimek's ability to blend dark and whimsical elements in his stories has garnered him a dedicated readership. He is active in the literary community, frequently participating in writing challenges and competitions.
Klimek’s writing style is noted for its clarity, inventiveness, and the ability to evoke strong emotions and vivid imagery. His contributions to speculative fiction have made him a notable figure in the genre, and he continues to be an influential and active writer."
Caution following the response: ChatGPT can make mistakes. Check important info.
Just published: Lockdown Fantasy #8, the last fantasy-themed anthology in the lockdown series, became available today. It contains two, dark drabbles by yours truly.
COMING 10TH JUNE!
https://books2read.com/lockdown-scifi-7
FEATURING:
Parasite by Christopher T. Dąbrowski
The End of the World by Christopher T. Dabrowski
Social Glitch by Eric Fomley
A Girl Like Us by Eric Fomley
Post by Gordon Sun
Restored by Hedda Stangeland
It Ends with a Scream by J.M. Meyer
Thou Shalt See by J.W. Garrett
Beware of Cat by Joachim Heijndermans
Elevator 13 by K.R. Pendergrass
Time-Skip by Kimberly Rei
Last Shuttle to Sirius by Mark J. Schultis
Aboard the Silver Apple by McKenzie Richardson
On the Tip by Shawn M Klimek
The Last Loophole by Shawn M. Klimek
Titan by Stephen Herczeg
Haven by Trevor Jess
Journey to Atonement by Victor Nandi
Gifts in the Dark by Vonnie Winslow Crist
I will share the prepurchase and free-to-read links for the anthology once they become available.
Fellow patient contributors to the Unity 2 anthology have been promised that it will also follow, soon.
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I'm proud of both works. This will be an anthology worth reading and owning.
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Forget Snow White. Forget Sleeping Beauty. The most beautiful princess in the world who ever lived was Princess Barbie.
My comic horror fairy tale, "Princess Barbie and the Troll Baby" will appear in this free anthology by Black Hare Press. See link below:
This news was first announced here in 2020, while the pandemic was in full bloom and before other projects and priorities bumped it to the wayside. The original contract had long since elapsed before BHP finally returned its attention to the series in the Fall of 2022. If there are no cancellations and the momentum continues, my works are expected to appear in 12 of the 30 total books planned for this series.
If you want to do something really nice for an indie author, besides buying their book, review their book.
During the year following its publication in late December 2019, sixteen kind-hearted readers (chiefly fellow indie authors) left five-star reviews for Hungry Thing. During 2020, it gained one more review; and another in 2021, totalling 18 five-star ratings including 15 reviews. Thanks to poor marketing and, perhaps the fact that it is not available as an e-book, there it has more or less languished, until today.
Today, February 15th, 2024, it received its 19th 5-star rating.
I have some idea of who may have left the rating. A few weeks back, a neighbor of mine shared that he'd spotted the book at our local library, and had already ordered his own copy from Amazon. He then asked whether I would be willing to autograph it, once it arrived. Naturally, I agreed. Since we are neighbors, I did him one better: I dropped off an autographed copy from my private supply.
This morning, he passed me on his way to work and stopped to enthuse that he'd enjoyed the book, that he'd already read it three times because it was "very deep", and that he'd even left an Amazon review. Wow!
I looked hopefully for the review but found a rating instead. ...
UPDATE: The review showed up after a short delay!
Last week, I woke up having dreamed up a pretty solid Western story, worth developing for waking readers, though it naturally needed some revisions. While driving for hours and hours across The Republic of Korea this past weekend with my wife, I worked out the needed changes and finished composing the whole plot to my satisfaction. Now, I just need to write it.
I haven't written a lot, lately: one new poem, and one new drabble, both of which were submitted to exactly one publisher each, and both rejected.
Conversely, two pieces both written more than a year ago have been accepted for publication by non-paying publishers. I'm glad for some news in a positive direction, however meager.
The latest acceptance is a reprint of my humorous poem, "On Her Deathbed, Aunty Rose", first published by Dastaan World Magazine. It will be published next on "Spillwords". I'll share a link when it becomes available.
A crow-themed anthology by Fairywren Publishing, "Tree Full of Crows", will feature a reprint of my drabble, "Murder of Crows" (first published in Zoey Xolton's "Cauldrons & Curses"). I signed the contract, today. I've already had a look at the proof draft, and it looks excellent.
This long-delayed anthology, Nightmare With a Twist, by Penned in the City (and Barrio Blues Press) which includes my horror story, "Birthday Desserts", is projected to be published immediately following a final copy edit, next week.
Submission News:
I do not advocate using cheap and expedient AI-generated art as a substitute for original human artwork in commercial publishing, and personally, I'll never do it. However, I'm not convinced it's always reprehensible. If it were, then all computer-modeled shapes, characters, and effects sold as original artwork deserve our scorn.
As a former college art major and one-time, award-winning illustrator, such snobbery sometimes comes easily to me. But until persuaded otherwise, within certain boundaries, I think an AI and a computer are just two more tools in an evolving kit available to artists. The boundaries I mean? Well-established artists with truly distinctive styles (and not yet in the public domain) deserve control over whether their artwork is used to train AIs. And when and if they permit it, every time their name or style is used as a generative prompt, they deserve to be compensated.
The controversy is new and my opinions may yet evolve on their own. I welcome your opinions.
