July 7, 2007

What's Inside:
* New story sold to Cemetery Dance
* First story sale to Apex Science Fiction & Horror Digest
* Das Grab Des Salomon cover art and release date
* Fear and Trembling interview
* New Horror Novel

Hi, everyone. Sorry, it's been a long time since I sent any updates. Whenever I have any quick news blurbs, I've been jotting them down on my blog and have neglected sending this out. I also try and post to the blog weekly to give updates on my works in progress (to keep me on my writing toes). Not that there has been a heck of a lot to report until recently. So, as I get ready to head down to Rhode Island in a couple of weeks for the Necon conference, here's what's been happening:

* My short story, "Living by the Highway", has been sold to Cemetery Dance Magazine. This will be my third story with them, and needless to say I'm thrilled. It's not due to come out until the end of the year, at the earliest, perhaps early 2008. More as I know it. This story got an Honorable Mention last year in the Chizine short story contest (but never published), so I'm glad it's found such a good home. Funny thing about this story is the title: years (and years) ago I'd written another story with the same name, but it was an early piece of work and wasn't all that great, but I loved the title and had long planned on penning a new story to go underneath it. When the story comes out, if you've spent any time in Worcester MA I'm guessing you'll recognize the location where it takes place (though I did take a few liberties).

* I also happy to report another story, "Ray Gun" has been accepted for a future issue of the esteemed magazine Apex Science Fiction & Horror Digest also due out later this year, early-next. As I know better I'll let you know. Apex is an amazing magazine, part science fiction, part horror (which also describes my story, couldn't ask for a better fit ).

* We have a release date for the German edition of Solomon's Grave: November 2007, from Otherworld Verlag, under the title Das Grab Des Salomon. The cover art is done and looks gorgeous! Check it out at my website (and click on the cover for a larger image). Looking forward to this one. Editor Michael Krug seems to really be getting behind the book and is excited about the release, so I am, too.

* I was recently tracked down by the folks at a new website Fear and Trembling, who did a nice interview with me. It's online now, at http://www.fearandtremblingmag.com/, even though I explained I wasn't writing Christian novels these days. They didn't seem to care, so neither did I. :-)

* Speaking of novels, I've been working on a new one, straight forward horror this time. I started it in April, typed THE END on my birthday (June 8th), and am about a third of the way through the second draft. A new record, the fastest I've ever written one of these buggers. This time through, I outlined the plot all the way through before I typed a single sentence, then proceeded to break every plot point I'd planned - sort of. About halfway through the book everything twists around, then again. If it ever sees the light of the bookstore day, you'll see what I mean. And I brought back the two main characters from the above-mentioned story "Ray Gun" ("back" as in I used the same characters, the book and story are not at all related), Hank Cowles and a cute little dog named Nurse Charles. In the new book (no title yet), however, unlike in the story, these two are very, very bad "people". Anyway, cranking through this one quickly, with Janet waiting on the other end with her handy-dandy proof-reader's pen. Can't disappoint. :-)

OK, anything else? Don't think so. Keep an eye on the blog above if you want to keep up with what's going on week by week, and I promise not to take so long between sending these updates out. I haven't given away any prizes lately. OK, tell you what - after I send this out, I'll do one of my random drawings, and whoever I choose will have the usual choice of whatever old VHS sci-fi moves I have left, OR a free signed copy of my old short story collection Christmas Trees & Monkeys. (I'd give away a copy of the Italian edition of Solomon's Grave, il Segreto Di Salomone, but I don't have any extras left).

Thanks for reading
Dan