Some good news today.

So early this morning, I awoke and followed my usual routine which includes checking my email first thing. This is something that for me borders on the obsessive espeacially when I have stories out to editors and am waiting to hear back. Usually though the emails that I receive in the middle of the night, are ones that you might expect. You know ten dollar gift cards to that store, or I am one of only twenty million people who have been “randomly” selected to take part in a crazy ten minute sale. But this morning there was something different waiting for me. I guess that I have to backtrack real quick. Back in early June, I submitted a story called “Messages” to a publisher called Blood Bound Books for their anthology Rock is Dead. The submission call was pretty basic, at least as far as submission calls go. The story had to be a horror story that was inspired by a song. I immediately thought of the way that the song 10,000 Fists by Disturbed makes me feel and wrote a piece inspired by that song. I was proud of the story, I thought that it was one of the best that I ever wrote. But as time began to pass, like all authors I started to freak out. I had written a pretty powerful (at least so I thought) story that relied heavily on its Anti-Iraq War message. Now wait, wait I know what you are probably going to say. I am pro-military, having served in the military myself that will never change. But I am against the war in Iraq and it was this passion for something that translated into the story. After not hearing anything for awhile though i began to wonder, is the story to preachy? Does it tell a story, but still manage to horrify the reader as a horror story? So the more that I started to think about these questions, the more sure I became that the story would not be selected for the anthology. Espeacially because I have never written a story for this publisher, and they have a reputation for being extremely picky, not to mention that everyone and their brother thought that this anthology was a great idea and the publisher received hundreds upon hundreds of stories. Well my friends, it is with great pleasure and no small amount of suprise that I announce that my story “Messages” will be appearing in the Rock is Dead anthology from Blood Bound Books. The book will be available sometime in the fall and I will keep you updated. Another reason why this is so cool for me, is because Rock is Dead will be the TENTH!!!! book featuring work by me. So needless to say, I am floating somewhere above cloud nine today.

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