Scared Stiff the web horror series

I live in L.A. where there are a lot of people who bemoan the lack of creative opportunities and talk about the great work they'd do if they only had access to money. I know some of these people and they really are creative but even if they won the lottery tomorrow, they probably wouldn't do what they say they're going to do.

And then there are the talented people at Scared Stiff TV who just decided they were going to do it. Working from a budget that is probably lunch money for a week, they've relied on creativity not cash to get their episodes done.

Some of those episodes, like "The Camera" are extremely inventive. They're working on a whole new set of stories right now, but check out what's up there already.

Mystery Lovers' Kitchen

Is this a blog tailor-made for me or what? Crime and recipes. Food and fiction. Check it out here.

And while we're on the subject of food--if you like brownies and you like coffee, you might want to check out the double chocolate mocha brownies over at bellaonline.com's chocolate site. They're really fast to make, use one bowl and combine two addictive substances in one sweet treat. (Hmmm. Can you tell I've been working on my cookbook ghost-writing project this morning? Everything is all about the yummy when you're writing about food.)

A WTH Moment

Certain kinds of repression have been well-documented in the press--the crackdown on internet use in Iran in the aftermath of the last presidential election, for example. But did you know...
right now, if you live in Russia your paypal account only goes one way? You can use it to pay someone but someone cannot use it to pay YOU. What's the logic behind this, do yo suppose? To keep foreigners from financing a coup?

Dark Valentine is Here!

You can download it free here.

Comments welcome, suggestions and constructive criticism as well. And most of all--we want your submissions! Remember, DV also serializes stories on the site so if you have something that's more than 5000 words, we'd still like to talk to you about it. (We've got Scott Laurange's gothic take on the Canterbury Tales coming up in serial form as well as a dark, French take on Arthurian legend, The Chanson of Dagonet.)

Please QUERY about serializing.

Also, we'll be having more THROUGH A LENS DARKLY story prompts, so I hope you'll consider submitting something for one of those.

Dark Valentine is coming

The premiere issue of Dark Valentine Magazine publishes tomorrow. A quarterly magazine of dark fiction, the project is a collaboration born over a meal of pear cider and Cornish pasties at an Irish pub in Pasadena. Editor Joy Sillesen and Art Director Joanne Renaud and I liked working with each other at Astonishing Adventures Magazine so much that we decided we didn't want the fun to end.

The first issue is stuffed with dark tales and wicked words, all illustrated by artists like Joanne, Pamela Jaworska, Larry Nadolsky, Rena Ez, Jane Burson, Eleni Trigatz, Michael Lauritano, Jennifer Caro and Molly Brewer and more.... The cover image, created by Joanne Renaud, was inspired by Stephanie Dray's story, "The Threshing Floor."

The table of contents is stuffed with goodies--flash fiction from Cormac Brown, Sandra Seamans, Carol Kilgore, and Blue Jackson. There's a paranormal noir from Agatha-nominated novelist Elizabeth Zelvin and Paul D. Brazill's innovative twist on an old monster. (Paul:s "Drunk on the Moon" is one of two stories from Poland-based writers in this issue, with Frank Duffy's evocative "The Fog House" being the other.)

There's a definite international feel to the fiction which comes from the UK (Peter Mark May's "Lurkers"), Canada (Julia Madeine's "Smashed")and points west. The artists hail from all over--Poland, Thailand, Greece, the UK.

And last but certainly not least, the premiere issue contains stories by Chad Rohrbacher, C.M. Saunders, Christine Pope, Sidney Harrison, James Hartley, Gerry Johnson and me. There's something for everyone in the first issue. (And if there's not, we'll be back in the fall with issue #2.)

Available on Friday, June 11 at Dark Valentine.

Foodspotting

Check out the foodspotting link if you find yourself craving a particular dish. It's like Yelp, only focused.

Vote and then Go Buy a Book!

If you're like me, you have a "to buy" wish list that's at least as long as your "to be read" pile. Here are two books you really need to check out. Alexandra Sokoloff's Book of Shadows and Lori Handeland's Shakespeare Undead.
I read Book of Shadows for a client some time ago and loved it. It's a really smart take on a genre that's often kind of dumbed down and a really fast read. (Sokoloff is a screenwriter as well as a novelist, so as you might expect, her books have a cinematic pace.)

The other book is one I haven't read yet myself. I'm a longtime fan of Lori Handeland and her new book Shakespeare Undead just sounds like a lot of fun. She's over at bittenbybooks today and tomorrow and the q and a makes her sound like someone you'd love to take to lunch. I do judge a book by its cover and Shakespeare Undead has a great one.