Thursday, March 26, 2009

Halloween in July

The Dunesteef Audio Fiction Magazine has just released my short story, Halloween in July. It's an unintentional prequel to the story Pumpkinseeds, which was produced in audio by the Drabblecast in October of 2007. The story was written in a rush as was the requirement - the Dunesteef was selecting scary stories that were written entirely in the month of October - calling this promotion / contest, The October Scary Story Event. I think they selected four from all the submissions, mine being one. So far I've been impressed with their production, and I can honestly say, I don't think there is another podcast like it. With detailed commentary, sometimes longer than the story, and author's notes which reviel some of the inspiration and thoughts behind the fiction. They don't have the audience size of a Drabblecast or an Escape Artist podcast, but I have no doubt, that they soon will.

They did a great job a few months back producing my dark and experimental piece, Framing and Mounting Fairies. Not being a straight narrative it was a tricky story to bring to audio, but they did an outstanding job. This latest episodes has some very entertaining outtakes, something I think they should make a bigger part of the show. Anyway, take a listen, let me know what you think.

...and you have until Monday to listen to Fear Factor over at Sniplits for Free. After Monday it goes back up to 98 cents.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Fear Factor


This week I am the featured author at Sniplits. For one week (beginning today) my story Fear Factor will be available, as an audio download (MP3), for free.

Brought to life by character voice actor Malcolm Rothman, it is simply the best reading I've ever heard of any of my stories. His reading, which is really a performance, reminds me of Jim Dale's recordings of the Harry Potter novels. He brings the characters to life with their own distinct voices, while selling the jokes with professional comic timing.

Here is Sniplits' summary:

Fear Factor By Kevin Anderson When Nog the dragon tries to put his destructive ways behind him, the Guild of Magical Creatures is not amused.

It runs about 24 minutes - http://www.sniplits.com/

Sunday, March 15, 2009

2nd Place

Got this one yesterday on my son's birthday.

Good evening Kevin,

We here at 2M Magazine have read over your story and have decided to pass. This one was discussed more than any of our other submissions, debated for quite a while before we came to a conclusion....
...it really came down to one simple deciding factor: If we have to convince ourselves we should take it then we shouldn't. The story should convince us, not each other. Thank you for submitting to 2M Magazine and feel free to do so again.

Sincerely,
AJ

Ah, the sweet smell of second place. A swing and a miss. I remember from my years in motor sports marketing that drag racing has this great slogan about second place. Second place is the first Loser! I don't really feel bad, the rejections are personal, but they just seem to be coming in clumps. That's okay, I feel a first place finish coming soon.

That's my old friend Jim Epler back in 2001 at the Sears Craftsman Nationals in Madison, Illinois. He got some bad burns, hands, chest, neck, but he survived this second place finish.



Monday, March 9, 2009

More Rejection

The rejections just keep coming. I received two this Sunday; one from Chizine the leading online horror magazine, and one from Fantasy Magazine. They were both personal rejections which is good, but in the end, they were rejections.

I don't think I've sold anything this year yet and we are already in March. Oh, well. Tomorrow is another day.