November 30, 2009: it was exactly one year ago today that my first writings saw the professionally-printed page. My first story, a 4000-word, quirky little end-of-the-world tale entitled “The Nuances of Disassembly” (still probably my favorite title I’ve ever came up with), began what can only be described as a whirlwind year of activity for someone who has always had an interest in creative writing but never gave it a go before (and never had any formal training on the subject, for that matter).
Here I am, one full year later, and over 100,000 of my words have seen professional print across eleven anthology collections and one full-length novel of my own. Another 35,000 words can currently be found on The G.O.R.E. Score website, the beginnings of the second volume of the novelized series, and another 40,000 or so are being written for a zombie movie review novel that is already contracted to be released in Spring 2011. Two of my short stories were chosen by two different publishers to be included in their “best-of” compilations. I am part of a collaborative fiction novel with 17 other writers, and have participated in two different “writer’s shootouts” this year. And very excitingly, I have recently been asked to be a recurring columnist for a new horror magazine to debut in early 2011.
Simply put: in terms of writing, 2010 has been a good year.
And that doesn’t even include my greatest accomplishment this year: the birth of my daughter, Amelia, on February 14, 2010, my own little Valentine’s Day present. Whenever I get frustrated in life, whether it be from a rejection letter from an editor (yes, I do get them, just like all writers do) to simply having a bad day at work, one smile from my little darling is all it takes to remind me of how blessed I truly am.
But I digress: this entry is less about me “tooting my own horn” and more about reflection and thanksgiving, so to everyone who has supported me on this journey in one way or another – fellow writers, family members and friends, fans and well-wishers, and of course those who purchased the books – to you, I give my heartfelt thanks and my undying gratitude. Here’s to another great year on the horizon.
My works, in reverse-chronological order (feel free to visit the “My Published Writings” page for in-depth info on each production):
- “The G.O.R.E. Score, Vol. 2: A Review Guide to All Things Zombie,” full-length zombie media review guide, to be released in Spring 2010
- “Reviews of the Dead: A Zombie Movie Companion” (working title), full-length novel/zombie movie guide, to be released by Living Dead Press in Spring 2011
- “Accepting Death,” a 4200-word zombie horror short story included in the anthology novel Zombiality: A Queer Bent on the Undead, to be released by The Library of the Living Dead Press in January 2011
- “The Last One,” a 1500-word zombie horror short story included in the anthology novel Rotting Tales: A Zombie Anthology, released by Pill Hill Press in October 2010
- “A Disagreeable Affectation,” a 1000-word zombie humor short story included in the anthology novel Daily Flash 365, released by Pill Hill Press in October 2010
- “The Last (One-Night) Stand,” a 1000-word zombie humor short story included in the anthology novel E-Mails of the Dead, released by Living Dead Press in October 2010
- “On-Ramp,” an 8500-word sci-fi humor short story included in the anthology novel Probing Uranus, released by The Library of Science Fiction and Fantasy Press in September 2010
- “Duplicity,” a 3000-word sci-fi short story included in the anthology novel Patented DNA: A Catastrophic Clone Collection, released by Pill Hill Press in August 2010; reprinted in 2010 Sampler, a “best-of” anthology produced by the publisher in October 2010
- “The G.O.R.E. Score, Vol. 1: A Review Guide to All Things Zombie,” full-length zombie media review guide, released independently via Amazon.com in July 2010
- “Closing Costs,” a 1500-word horror short story included in the anthology novel Haunted, released by Pill Hill Press in July 2010
- “Grand Opening,” a 6600-word zombie horror story included in the anthology novel Book of the Dead 4: Dead Rising, released by Living Dead Press in March 2010
- “Sylvania’s Best,” a 3200-word vampire horror short story included in the anthology novel Eternal Night, released by Living Dead Press in January 2010; reprinted in Best of the Dead, a “best-of” anthology produced by the publisher in August 2010
- “The Eagle Has Reanimated,” a 14000-word zombie horror novella included in the anthology novel Dead History, released by Living Dead Press in January 2010
- “The Nuances of Disassembly,” a 4000-word apocalyptic short story included in the anthology novel End of Days, Vol. 2, released by Living Dead Press in November 2009
Currently Listening to: Vertical Horizon "Burning the Days" (2009)
