Kwik Krimes

Today is the release date of Kwik Krimes, an anthology of 1,000-words or-less crime stories, edited by the esteemed Otto Penzler. And yes, yours truly has a story appearing in it, and let me tell you, I am psyched! To have a story chosen by Mr. Penzler (founder of Mysterious Press and editor extraordinaire) is an honor in and of itself. But to also be included among the likes of Joe R. Lansdale, Ed Gorman, Patricia Abbott, Chuck Caruso, Gregory Gibson, Christopher Fowler, William E. Chambers, Cindy Rosmus, and so many, many other wonderful writers is a dream come true. 

For all of you who like to read while riding the bus or waiting in the doctor’s office; for those of you who like fast stories with a beginning, middle and end that you can digest in one sitting with your coffee; and for those of you who have the attention span of a squirrel, I highly recommend grabbing a copy of Kwik Krimes. The great thing about this anthology is that if you don’t like one story, it’s over in a flash and you’re free to try a different one in a mere matter of minutes. 

So go grab a copy. Now.

It's Really Quite Simple

In my youth I was a big fan of Robert Heinlein. My reading tastes have since strayed from SF/Fantasy, but I still refer to Heinlein's famous "Rules of Writing" when I feel I need a kick in the rear to get back to the keyboard. Like today.

Heinlein's Rules of Writing:

1) You must write.
2) You must finish what you write.
3) You must not rewrite unless to editorial demand.
4) You must mail your work to someone who can buy it.
5) You must keep the work in the mail until someone buys it.

As these rules were written in 1947, a modern addendum (as suggested by author Dean Wesley Smith) to Rules 4 and 5 for self-publishers in today's digital era might be:

4a) You must upload your work to Amazon, BN, or Smashwords so someone can buy it.
5a) You must keep your work on said sites until someone does.

Writing is really quite simple, isn't it?

A Short Introduction

I like to write what I like to read: all things dark and edgy, twisted and bizarre. I started reading Alfred Hitchcock anthologies while still in elementary school, Stephen King in middle school, and anything and everything demented and deranged from high school onward.  It's a wonder I didn't end up a serial killer.

Instead, I went the opposite route and became a federal law enforcement agent. I guess after reading all that disturbing stuff, I felt driven to rid the world of all its wrongs. Didn't happen. Eventually marriage and babies took precedence, and the gun and badge got traded in for a laptop and a minivan. Freelance magazine writing became my new trade and served me well for several years. More recently, I've decided to concentrate on writing fiction. Some of my shorter pieces are available to read online at the links to the right. (Yes, it's me in the byline. One of my many names.)

Stay tuned for posts about the writing life, the publishing world, and anything else that happens to interest me at 1:30 in the morning. I promise not to talk about my kids. I don't promise, however, that I won't shamelessly plug my own work as it becomes available. Thanks for stopping by. I hope you'll check in again soon.