A Little Bit of Success

Started reading Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol, and tell me if you disagree, but the first 70 pages reads exactly like the first 70 pages of the Da Vinci Code. All the plot points and characters are there, he just changed their sex, age, race, locations and so forth. I assume the story will divert from the Code at some point, maybe that is what he’s doing, making us think we ….. oh, hell if I was Dan Brown and had written one of the most successful thrillers of all time, I’d just rewrite it too.

The Dunesteef Audio Fiction Magazine has accepted a short story of mine titled, "The Day Hypnotism Died." Its one I've been tinkering with for a couple of years. Originally it was suppose to be a horror piece but it kept gravitating towards dark fantasy, which is probably a better description. Anyway, not sure when it will be podcasted but looking forward to it. Rish and Big always do a great job with their material, and they have assembled a really outstanding ensemble cast of voice talent and producers. So should be good.

Sniplits purchased another story of mine (my second with them). It’s a little twisted Zombie piece called, "Collections." Not sure when this one will be produced but based on the top-notch job they did on my fantasy story, "Fear Factor," I'm really looking forward to this one.

The Young Literature Review is holding a story of mine for a 2nd read. They said they'd let me know by the end of October and if they accept it will be my first published Children’s Story! Anyway, talons crossed.

The live Halloween show from FinalRune Productions and WMPG have put out a promo for the show. Give it a listen at: http://www.radiodramarevival.com/promos/hallo-promo-09.mp3

….and just a reminder you will be able to listen to the show live at: http://www.wmpg.org/include/listenlive.htm

If you are in Maine and want to be a part of the Live Studio audience tickets are available at: http://www.finalrune.com/live-halloween-show-2009

Not sure this will happened but there is a chance that the show may be Video casted as well. Really looking forward to this one.

Have a spooctacular Halloween

DUMBEST SHOW EVER!!!

DUMBEST SHOW EVER!!!!

In order to enjoy the SciFi Channel’s Ghost Hunters, you must first, put your critical thinking, reasoning, skepticism, heck, just give yourself an intelligence lobotomy, and maybe this show will do it for you. But even a lobotomized troglodyte would still stare blankly at the screen and mumble, “What the hell?”

Imagine taking a couple of characters from that reality show in which they sit in a garage all day and build motorcycles, take two of those guys, give them some night vision cameras and a convoy of jet black SUVs (Just like the Evil storm chasers had in Twister) and tell them to go hunt ghosts.

So we have a show where the Skipper and his Little buddy (The Ghost Hunters) have spooky conversations like- “Dude, I totally saw something over there.”
“No, way.”
“Way.”
Does the audience ever get to see what they see? No, all they show us is these two yahoos reacting to all this stuff they claim they are seeing. This isn’t Reality TV, its Remedial TV. The SciFi network should be completely embarrassed putting out this crap. And I’m sure they are,… all the way to the bank.

I don’t know whether or not ghosts exist, but I have to imagine that somewhere out there we have better qualified, educated, and more articulate people on the job looking into it, than Scooby and Shaggy here.

To Recap:
DUMBEST SHOW EVER!!!!

I'm on the Dunesteef

The Dunesteef Audio Fiction Magazine is running an episode with 3 stories this week for their Broken Mirror Event. Its the first of two Broken Mirror episodes and my story/poem/limerick, not sure what it is, kicks it off. Its called The Return, and at 73 words long its by far the shortest piece I've ever had published. The Dunesteef folks really outdid themselves with the production, all three stories sound great. They've also put up the text, should anyone care to read:

The Episode is at: http://dunesteef.com/2009/09/19/page-57-the-broken-mirror-story-event-part-1/

Text is at: http://dunesteef.com/the-return-by-kevin-anderson/

Personally I'd rather listen to the episode then read The Return. Over the last two years listing to my stuff on Psuedopod, Drabblecast, Well Told Tales, Sniplits, etc, I've come to the very honest conclusion that I think my stuff sounds much better than it reads. And besides, its harder seeing all my typos when you're listening.

My ZomCom Novel - I've got 90% of my first round reader's comments back and I'm overwhelmed, with how insightful, and unbelievably positive they are. My group of readers are by far the most diverse group I've ever had and the response has been, well the best response I've had to anything I've written. Many in the group are not fans of horror or genre fiction but all seem to extremely enjoy the book. It's such a silly premise, but I'm beginning to wonder if it might have mass market appeal.

LIVE Halloween Show - I mentioned it before, and I'll probably mention it a million more times but my story Third Shift will be one of four performed LIVE this Halloween, in front of a live audience and broadcast, LIVE, on WMPG in Maine. The event is a fundraiser for WMPG and if you are in Maine on Halloween with nothing better to do, you can read more and get tickets by going to: http://halloween09.eventbrite.com/

But no mater where you are it will be available LIVE via the Internet, on the WMPG site, and later as an episode of Radio Drama Revival.

Happy Halloween

Murky Depths

Finally heard back from Murky Depths, after seven months and two follow up emails. Rejection. Oh, well.

...and having a strangely difficult time rejoining the HWA (Horror Writers Association). No answer to emails but they took my application fee just fine. I've never known them to be this unresponsive.

Getting a weird feeling.

THE END

Finally, finally - THE END-

After sitting down to write what I assumed was a novella, a fast 20,000 word story that I'd have done in about 3-6 months, I was dismayed to learn that my fast easy little zombie project was a novel. So almost a year after typing the opening sentence, 300 pages, and 62 thousand words later I was finally able to type the words THE END. Draft number one is in the can, and after some clean up, I'll be sending it off to my beta readers. I had hoped that it would be fun summer reading for my reading volunteers, but the kids are back in school and it feels like summer is pretty much gone. But hey, it's a big planet, I'm sure it's summer somewhere.

In other short story news, one of my short tales (written back in 2004) will be apart of a live 2 hour Halloween radio show, broadcast this Halloween. Here is the blurb from the producer:

FinalRune Announces Live Halloween Radio Drama
This Halloween, FinalRune Productions teams up with WMPG and members from the Mad Horse Theater Company for a live spooktravanganza at the University of Southern Maine.The 2-hr live radio event will feature original work from writers Fred Greenhalgh, Mark LaFlamme, Kevin Anderson, and Roger Gregg. The stories range from the darkly funny to the terrifically dark: a city couple moves to a country mansion to find that all is not as it seems, a man finds himself doomed to fall in love with the same cursed woman, ice fisherman in Maine get an unexpected chill one winter's night, and a company will rent you laborers at a firesale price... just don't send any of the living too close to their work.The show will be held from 7-9PM EST on Halloween and is being performed as a benefit for WMPG's PowerUP! Campaign, which seeks to raise $250,000 for a new radio transmitter. The show will be performed before a live audience, and simultaneously broadcast and offered as a live internet stream. The show will also be archived in podcast format on Radio Drama Revival, http://www.radiodramarevival.com/.

I know its only August, but I'm already jazzed about Halloween!

Featured Story

My fantasy tale Fear Factor is one of five others in the featured story spot over at Sniplits, for the week of 7/26/09. It was produced last year, voiced by Malcolm Rothman, who did one of the best readings of any of my stories. It's available year round but this week its up on the Sniplits home page so I'm hoping it gets more notice. It's not my usual kind of story but its definitely one of my favorites.

www.SnipLits.com

Hate Mail

I guess it was bound to happen. I just received my first bit of hate mail in regards to writing. This came in today about noon.

Date: July 15 2009 12:28 pm

You are a terrible obvious writer with clearly a very limited imagination. Please stop writing. You are an embarassment to writers everywhere.

Wes Yoakam

I don't mind saying that I was stunned. Somebody actually read my stuff. And they think I am well known enough to be an embarrassment to other writers. Wow. But on the down side, he was being pretty harsh about my writing skills, so that's kind of negative. I wondered if I should write the guy back, find out what he really meant by "Please stop writing," which seemed a very sincere request, not to mention polite. He did say please.

So I wrote back

Date: July 15, 2009 1:43 pm

Very sorry that you feel this way Mr. Yoakam. May I ask, was there a particular piece that made you feel this way?

He then responded

Date: Wed, Jul 15, 2009 3:47 pm

Well I'm will say I'm impressed by a personal reply. I bought "the edge of the world" (or something close, I don't have it with me)because I was entrigued by the title, as I wrote a song with a similar title a few years ago, and I love Sci Fi and a good adventure story. But I must say it just seemed like really lazy writing. There were the Christians, Muslims, and the Jews Fighting it out in Jerusalem (I mean the Tierrans, Urabans, and the Saedreans fighting it out in "ishsalem". I mean really, with the creativity you show in parts of the story, I'm sure you could be a little more creative in the names)The real story of Jerusalem is facinating enough, so do the research and write that amazing story! Keeping the stereotypes with barely disguised name changes just felt so contrived and really ruined the story for me. So there it is...but you still got the money, so here's to good marketing! Good luck and continued success.

Wes Yoakam

My response

Date: Wed, Jul 15, 2009 7:58 pm

Dear Mr. Yoakam

Thank you for your last response. It has relieved my confusion. I understand you are dissatisfied with The Edge of the Earth, and I am pleased to announce, that I did not write it. I am Kevin Anderson, a writer of short stories, mostly horror. The author deserving of your comments is Kevin J Anderson, Sci-Fi novelist.

You can reach him at his website at www.wordfire.com,
or email him at anderzone@wordfire.com.

He receives fan mail via snail mail at:
AnderZone PO Box 767Monument, CO 80132

You can comment on his novel on Amazon at:
http://www.amazon.com/Edge-World-Terra-Incognita/dp/0316004189

I hate hearing that anyone has had a bad reading experience, and I am sorry for that, and I apologize for any confusion my name may have caused. As for your opinions on Mr. Kevin J Anderson’s talent I can neither confirm or deny them, as I have not yet been able to finish one of his novels.

On a side note, I had the pleasure of listening to some of your music this afternoon. Brilliant, Fantastic. I particularly enjoyed, In Space, A Postcard, and One Second – with In Space being my favorite. You have a new fan.

I sincerely wish you good luck in all your creative, artistic, and musical endeavors.

Take Care
Kevin Anderson