Guest Post: Stories from a Different World by M.E. Proctor

 

Please welcome M. E. Proctor back to the blog today…

 

 

Stories from a Different World by  M.E. Proctor

 

 

I love short stories. I read at least one a day, usually with my first cup of coffee. It can be a recent publication by a favorite writer or a random pick from a favorite magazine. Collections and anthologies that sit on my reading pile are evening choices. They go best with a comfortable armchair and the light of a side table lamp. And when I get into those, I seldom stop after one story.

 

Then there’s what Substack drops in my in-box. Pieces from Scott MacLeod, Jim Wilsky, Liz Zimmers, or Bill Adler that I read right away. They’re short storytelling at its best. If you don’t know these writers, I strongly recommend checking them out.

 

I don’t keep track of all the stories I read but they probably represent the equivalent of a collection or anthology every week.

 

I was in my twenties when I sold my first short story. It was a crime and horror tale, with a Roald Dahl-Hitchcock Presents kind of ending. The murderer pulls it off, but there’s an ironic twist. Retribution with a wink. I still write stories like that even if I tend to be more forgiving. The scoundrels sometimes get away, but they rarely get everything they want. Perfect and blissful endings are not that interesting. Orson Welles said something about happy endings depending on where you end the story.

 

Beyond riffing on a theme that I occasionally revisit, that first story also displayed my ‘genre’ tendencies. Light horror, cracked psychology, and an unsettling atmosphere. More The Haunting (1963) than The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. In the years that followed, I also dabbled in science-fiction—dystopia and political misdeeds—wrote a crime novella featuring an insurance investigator who goes slightly mad searching for missing diamonds, and dedicated over half a million words to Declan Shaw, my Houston PI.

 

Until four years ago, crime short fiction was glaringly absent from my bio. To be honest, it intimidated me. I didn’t think I could write crime in a compressed format. It took me a long time to give it a try. When Bristol Noir published Cutting Edge in 2021, it was the encouragement I needed and I popped the bubbly. On that day, my writing took a turn as sharp as the knife in the story.

 

I love to lose myself in a book project but short fiction is what kept me writing and coming back to the keyboard with my enthusiasm intact all these years. It’s where I try new things with style, voice and structure, and where a variety of characters get a chance to strut their stuff. It’s also where I play with the kinds of stories that I devoured as a kid. The stories that made me a voracious reader. Adventure, fantasy, historical fiction, space opera, espionage … Anything goes.

 

Which is why I decided to put a new collection together. Unlike Family and Other Ailments, released two years ago, the selection will not include crime stories. The closest is a forensic investigation on a faraway planet that involves an android. Crime or negligence? Roboticide? Definitely a cover-up.

 

Playing with genre boundaries is the unifying theme of the collection. Twenty-four stories at last count. Twenty-five if I decide to expand a piece of micro-fiction that I find a bit too bare bones. I’m currently editing all the texts. They feel different when they’re all together.

 

A few stories lean toward dystopian science fiction. They’re set in scarred worlds where ingenuity means survival, life might be bleak but it’s not hopeless. I don’t do hopeless. The story that anchors the collection and gives it its title is A Book to Live By. It features a resourceful teenage boy and a strange girl on the run. She’s not what she appears to be. The Book of the title is a masterpiece that the boy memorized. He quotes from it, does not understand what it all means, recites or chants the words. They’re both poetry and prayer. Comfort and advice in times of danger. This is the kind of speculative fiction I like.

 

Taking a leap from pure rationality is liberating. Which is why I also play with horror tropes. The collection will have a couple hauntings, a vampire love story, a Renfield tale (with a Dracula cameo), sharks, tomb raiders, ancient gods and rituals. Just like the colorful covers of the paperbacks I grew up with. I’m no longer a kid, but my imagination is still feeding on the treasures these books left behind.

 

In Chimera, maybe the most gothic of the stories in the collection, the accumulation of recovered treasures is in full view. The plot revolves around a garden design obsession. The protagonist is a young man hell-bent (pun intended) on restoring the sculpture garden his grandfather mapped out but never completed. It’s an open-air cabinet of monstrosities and a mythological crucible. Once the main character starts putting the statues on their pedestals and the garden takes shape, the pieces of the story also fall into place. I’m very fond of that one, it’s deliciously weird.

 

Cross fingers, my publisher thinks so too … I’ll keep you posted.

 

---

Latest Publication:

 

Bop City Swing

By M.E. Proctor and Russell Thayer

 

Publisher: Cowboy Jamboree Press

April 2025, ISBN 979-8315615972

Paperback: 163 pages

eBook

Amazon link: https://amzn.to/4llEsuL

M. E. Proctor ©2025

M.E. Proctor was born in Brussels and lives in Texas. She’s the author of the Declan Shaw detective mysteries. The first book, Love You Till Tuesday (2024), came out from Shotgun Honey. Catch Me on a Blue Day is the next installment in the series. She’s the author of a short story collection, Family and Other Ailments, and the co-author of a retro-noir novella, Bop City Swing. Her fiction has appeared in Vautrin, Tough, Rock and a Hard Place, Bristol Noir, Mystery Tribune, Shotgun Honey, Reckon Review, and Black Cat Weekly among others. She’s a Shamus and Derringer short story nominee. Website: www.shawmystery.com

Would You Like To Be A Guest?

 

As the blog soars above three million page views, and since I have not mentioned this in some time, I thought I would remind you that I welcome guest posts here. 

Guests are more than welcome. Unlike some folks and their places, I don’t have a lot of forms to fill out or hoops to jump through so I have made the process as easy as possible. Most questions you may have are already answered below so please read the post before reaching out. 

The open days are currently Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. I usually run excerpts from published or about to be published works on Sundays as they seem to work best on those days. 

Topic--pretty much anything goes. While my blog is mainly aimed towards items of interest for readers and writers of mystery and crime fiction, I am open to pretty much anything. I do ask that folks avoid the topics of religion and politics unless either or both directly relate to the work being discussed or promoted. I also am not going to run anything that advocates big pharma is hiding the cure for cancer. Folks that come up with that stuff deserve a special place in hell. 

Before contacting me, please have an actual idea in mind. I absolutely do not assign topics. That means I am NOT going to tell you what to write about. This is your opportunity to write what you want to write about. You know your books, your expertise in topics, etc. I do not. Your idea does not have to be set in stone. It does need to have some detail. Have at least a couple of things that you know you want to have in your piece and tell me that in your pitch. 

Word Count: Totally up to you. I do not set a maximum or a minimum word count. 

When your piece is ready, you send it to me by email and include a 100 word or fewer bio. Also send any pics that you think should be included in the piece. While some guest posts are super heavy in pictures, I think it works best to have two or so. While I can and do lift author photos and book covers from Amazon and author websites, it is easier if you just send it from the start as well as any other pics you believe should be included. 

This is, as always, a nonpaying opportunity. Yes, I absolutely value your work. I also have no income other than SSD (and that is just a few hundred each month) and am supporting myself, my adult son, and this old house on what little I inherited when my Mom passed. The bank account is steadily shrinking and I am doing the best I can to hang in here as inflation, my worsening health, and other issues are making it even harder.

While I have no funds to pay you, I can promise to promote the heck out of your appearance. You will be seen. I can’t promise a certain number of sales, but most guests do see a spike in their sales. Guests who are on the blog on a semi regular basis do far better than one off appearances, but everyone does see an impact. 

Questions/ pitches should be sent to me at Kevinrtipple AT Verizon.net 

I hope you choose to be a part of things here. Looking forward to hearing from you.

 

Kevin R. Tipple © 2024

Would You Like To Be A Guest?

 

As the blog rapidly closes in on three million page views, and since I have not mentioned this in some time, I thought I would remind you that I welcome guest posts here.

Guests are more than welcome. Unlike some folks and their places, I don’t have a lot of forms to fill out or hoops to jump through so I have made the process as easy as possible. Most questions you may have are already answered below so please read the post before reaching out.

The open days are currently Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. I usually run excerpts from published or about to be published works on Sundays as they seem to work best on those days.

Topic--pretty much anything goes. While my blog is mainly aimed towards items of interest for readers and writers of mystery and crime fiction, I am open to pretty much anything. I do ask that folks avoid the topics of religion and politics unless either or both directly relate to the work being discussed or promoted. I also am not going to run anything that advocates big pharma is hiding the cure for cancer. Folks that come up with that stuff deserve a special place in hell.

Before contacting me, please have an actual idea in mind. I absolutely do not assign topics. That means I am NOT going to tell you what to write about. This is your opportunity to write what you want to write about. You know your books, your expertise in topics, etc. I do not. Your idea does not have to be set in stone. It does need to have some detail. Have at least a couple of things that you know you want to have in your piece and tell me that in your pitch.

Word Count: Totally up to you. I do not set a maximum or a minimum word count.

When your piece is ready, you send it to me by email and include a 100 word or fewer bio. Also send any pics that you think should be included in the piece. While some guest posts are super heavy in pictures, I think it works best to have two or so. While I can and do lift author photos and book covers from Amazon and author websites, it is easier if you just send it from the start as well as any other pics you believe should be included.

This is, as always, a nonpaying opportunity. Yes, I absolutely value your work. I also have no income other than SSD (and that is just a few hundred each month) and am supporting myself, my adult son, and this old house on what little I inherited when my Mom passed. The bank account is steadily shrinking and I am doing the best I can to hang in here as inflation and other issues are making it even harder.

While I have no funds to pay you, I can promise to promote the heck out of your appearance. You will be seen. I can’t promise a certain number of sales, but most guests do see a spike in their sales. Guests who are on the blog on a semi regular basis do far better than one off appearances, but everyone does see an impact.

Questions/ pitches should be sent to me at Kevinrtipple AT Verizon.net

I hope you choose to be a part of things here. Looking forward to hearing from you.

 

Kevin R. Tipple © 2023

Guesting On My Blog

With over two million page views and climbing by thousands more each week, my award-winning blog is popular. These days, a slow month in page views is just about 10K. Most months have more than 12k. A month where I have a lot of new content--- guest posts of all types and reviews by me--- will come in above 15K in page views. I have been doing the review thing over two decades now so I am a known commodity. 

I get a lot of emails about being a guest on the blog. Guests are more than welcome. Unlike some folks and their places, I don’t have a lot of forms to fill out or hoops to jump through so I have made the process as easy as possible. Most questions you may have are already answered below so please read the post before reaching out. 

The open days are currently Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. I usually run excerpts from published or about to be published works on Sundays as they seem to work best on those days. 

Topic--pretty much anything goes. While my blog is mainly aimed towards items of interest for readers and writers of mystery and crime fiction, I am open to pretty much anything. I do ask that folks avoid the topics of religion and politics unless either or both directly relate to the work being discussed or promoted. I also am not going to run anything that advocates big pharma is hiding the cure for cancer. Folks that come up with that stuff deserve a special place in hell. 

Before contacting me, please have an actual idea in mind. I absolutely do not assign topics. That means I am NOT going to tell you what to write about. This is your opportunity to write what you want to write about. You know your books, your expertise in topics, etc. I do not. Your idea does not have to be set in stone. It does need to have some detail. Have at least a couple of things that you know you want to have in your piece and tell me that in your pitch. 

Word Count: Totally up to you. I do not set a maximum or a minimum word count. 

When your piece is ready, you send it to me by email and include a 100 word or fewer bio. Also send any pics that you think should be included in the piece. While some guest posts are super heavy in pictures, I think it works best to have two or so. While I can and do lift author photos and book covers from Amazon and author websites, it is easier if you just send it from the start as well as any other pics you believe should be included. 

This is, as always, a nonpaying opportunity. Yes, I absolutely value your work. I also have no income other than SSD (and that is just a few hundred each month) and am supporting myself, my adult son, and this old house on what little I inherited when my Mom passed. The bank account is steadily shrinking and I am doing the best I can to hang in here as inflation and other issues are making it even harder. 

While I have no funds to pay you, I can promise to promote the heck out of your appearance. You will be seen. I can’t promise a certain number of sales, but most guests do see a spike in their sales. Guests who are on the blog on a semi regular basis do far better than one off appearances, but everyone does see an impact. 

Questions/ pitches should be sent to me at Kevinrtipple AT Verizon.net 

I hope you choose to be a part of things here. Looking forward to hearing from you.

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2023

Lesa's Book Critiques: KEVIN’S CORNER ANNEX – DARK YONDER: ISSUE 1

 Lesa's Book Critiques: KEVIN’S CORNER ANNEX – DARK YONDER: ISSUE 1

Guest Post: What’s in a Name? by Tom Milani

 

Please welcome Tom Milani back to the blog today with a guest post on writing a short story for an upcoming issue of Black Cat Mystery Magazine. Published every Sunday by Wildside Press, the read is a mix of genres. More information, including subscription information, can be found on their website.

 

What’s in a Name?

I have a short story coming out in issue 78 of Black Cat Weekly. Here’s how it came to life.

Years ago, a friend in my writers group told me that one of my character’s names wasn’t appropriate for a guy in his mid-twenties. It turns out that online, you can find the most popular baby names by year of birth. Who knew? After I did a search, Larry became Drew, and the story became better for the change.

More recently, I was drafting a story in which one of the characters was named Jenny. Although the name was age-appropriate for her, I looked it up anyway. According to Wikipedia, Jennifer is the Cornish form of Guinevere. I knew that she was Lancelot’s love interest in the Arthurian legends. That peaked my interest.

As a writer, my focus is sometimes … lacking. But that same lack of focus can be serendipitous when falling down internet rabbit holes. From one of my college professors, I was familiar with Arthurian Romances by Chrétien de Troyes, a twelfth-century writer. I skimmed my copy, then revisited Wikipedia, which calls the tale, titled Lancelot in my volume, Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart. And with that, I was off.

Old Macintosh programs had so-called Easter eggs, unexpected graphics or information that would appear when certain keystrokes and mouse clicks were used. I took that approach to my story, trying to drop into it as many Arthurian references as I could. I began with the title, which I changed from “Jenny” to “Night of the Laundry Cart,” and went onto other character and place names. My protagonist, Nick Melvin, became Mel, after Meleagant, who abducted Guinevere from Arthur. Guinevere became Gwen, one of the love interests, and Arthur became Artie, the villain. In the romance, King Bademagu rules the Kindom of Gorre. In my story, Jill Bademagu is the owner of Gorre’s, the bar where Mel plays guitar as the leader of the Lancers, the band he founded. In the romance, Lancelot, after riding two horses to death, ends up getting a ride in a cart driven by a dwarf. In my story, Mel encounters a dwarf who owns a laundromat. Even minor characters play a part. One of the waiters is named Gawain or Dwayne (Artie couldn’t tell); in the romance Gawain serves Arthur.

A funny thing happened on the way to finishing the story—choosing those names and that title drove the plot in unexpected directions. What I initially imagined as something dark and brooding became far lighter and funnier.

I hope you have as much fun reading the story as I did writing it.

 

Tom Milani ©2023 

Tom Milani's novel Blues for the Road was shortlisted in the St. Martin/Private Eye Writers of America contest. Tom is a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. For 10 years, he edited The Masik, the online journal of Qajaq USA, and for the last 25 years, he has been a technical editor for a federally funded research and development center. Tom has a BA and an MA from George Mason University, where he studied writing under Richard Bausch and Steve Goodwin. He lives in Alexandria, Virginia, with his wife, glass artist Alison Sigethy. His website is https://www.tommilani.com/

Guesting on the Blog

 

With over two million page views and climbing by thousands more each week, my award-winning blog is popular. These days, a slow month in page views is just about 10K. Most months have more than 12k. A month where I have a lot of new content--- guest posts of all types and reviews by me--- will come in above 15K in page views. I have been doing the review thing over two decades now so I am a known commodity.

I get a lot of emails about being a guest on the blog. Guests are more than welcome. Unlike some folks and their places, I don’t have a lot of forms to fill out or hoops to jump through so I have made the process as easy as possible. Most questions you may have are already answered below so read the post before reaching out.

The open days are currently Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. I usually run excerpts from published or about to be published works on Sundays as they seem to work best on those days.

Topic--pretty much anything goes. While my blog is mainly aimed towards items of interest for readers and writers of mystery and crime fiction, I am open to pretty much anything. I do ask that folks avoid the topics of religion and politics unless either or both directly relate to the work being discussed or promoted. I also am not going to run anything that advocates big pharma is hiding the cure for cancer. Folks that come up with that stuff deserve a special place in hell.

Before contacting me, please have an actual idea in mind. I absolutely do not assign topics. That means I am NOT going to tell you what to write about. This is your opportunity to write what you want to write about. You know your books, your expertise in topics, etc. I do not. Your idea does not have to be set in stone. It does need to have some detail. Have at least a couple of things that you know you want to have in your piece and tell me that in your pitch.

Word Count: Totally up to you. I do not set a maximum or a minimum word count.

When your piece is ready, you send it to me by email and include a 100 word or fewer bio. Also send any pics that you think should be included in the piece. While some guest posts are super heavy in pictures, I think it works best to have two or so. While I can and do lift author photos and book covers from Amazon and author websites, it is easier if you just send it from the start as well as any other pics you believe should be included.

This is, as always, a nonpaying opportunity. Yes, I absolutely value your work. I also have no income other than SSD (and that is just a few hundred each month) and am supporting myself, my adult son, and this old house on what little I inherited when my Mom passed. The bank account is steadily shrinking and I am doing the best I can to hang in here as inflation and other issues are making it even harder.

While I have no funds to pay you, I can promise to promote the heck out of your appearance. You will be seen. I can’t promise a certain number of sales, but most guests do see a spike in their sales. Guests who are on the blog on a semi regular basis do far better than one off appearances, but everyone does see an impact.

Questions/ pitches should be sent to me at Kevinrtipple AT Verizon.net

I hope you choose to be a part of things here. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Would You Like To Be A Guest?

With over two million page views and climbing by thousands more each week, my award-winning blog is popular. These days, a slow month in page views is just about 10K. Most months have more than 12k. A month where I have a lot of new content--- guest posts of all types and reviews by me--- will come in above 15K in page views. I have been doing the review thing over two decades now so I am a known commodity. 

I get a lot of emails about being a guest on the blog. Guests are more than welcome. Unlike some folks and their places, I don’t have a lot of forms to fill out or hoops to jump through so I have made the process as easy as possible. Most questions you may have are already answered below so read the post before reaching out. 

The open days are currently Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. I usually run excerpts from published or about to be published works on Sundays as they seem to work best on those days. 

Topic--pretty much anything goes. While my blog is mainly aimed towards items of interest for readers and writers of mystery and crime fiction, I am open to pretty much anything. I do ask that folks avoid the topics of religion and politics unless either or both directly relate to the work being discussed or promoted. I also am not going to run anything that advocates big pharma is hiding the cure for cancer. Folks that come up with that stuff deserve a special place in hell. 

Before contacting me, please have an actual idea in mind. I absolutely do not assign topics. That means I am NOT going to tell you what to write about. This is your opportunity to write what you want to write about. You know your books, your expertise in topics, etc. I do not. Your idea does not have to be set in stone. It does need to have some detail. Have at least a couple of things that you know you want to have in your piece and tell me that in your pitch. 

Word Count: Totally up to you. I do not set a maximum or a minimum word count. 

When your piece is ready, you send it to me by email and include a 100 word or fewer bio. Also send any pics that you think should be included in the piece. While some guest posts are super heavy in pictures, I think it works best to have two or so. While I can and do lift author photos and book covers from Amazon and author websites, it is easier if you just send it from the start as well as any other pics you believe should be included. 

This is, as always, a nonpaying opportunity. Yes, I absolutely value your work. I also have no income other than SSD (and that is just a few hundred each month) and am supporting myself, my adult son, and this old house on what little I inherited when my Mom passed. The bank account is steadily shrinking and I am doing the best I can to hang in here as inflation and other issues are making it even harder. 

While I have no funds to pay you, I can promise to promote the heck out of your appearance. You will be seen. I can’t promise a certain number of sales, but most guests do see a spike in their sales. Guests who are on the blog on a semi regular basis do far better than one off appearances, but everyone does see an impact. 

Questions/ pitches should be sent to me at Kevinrtipple AT Verizon.net 

I hope you choose to be a part of things here. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Would You Like To Be A Guest?

With over two million page views and climbing by thousands more each week, my award-winning blog is popular. These days, a slow month in page views is just about 10K. Most months have more than 12k. A month where I have a lot of new content--- guest posts of all types and reviews by me--- will come in above 15K in page views. I have been doing the review thing over two decades now so I am a known commodity.

I get a lot of emails about being a guest on the blog. Guests are more than welcome. Unlike some folks and their places, I don’t have a lot of forms to fill out or hoops to jump through so I have made the process as easy as possible. Most questions you may have are already answered below so read the post before reaching out.

The open days are currently Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. I usually run excerpts from published or about to be published works on Sundays as they seem to work best on those days.

Topic--pretty much anything goes. While my blog is mainly aimed towards items of interest for readers and writers of mystery and crime fiction, I am open to pretty much anything. I do ask that folks avoid the topics of religion and politics unless either or both directly relate to the work being discussed or promoted. I also am not going to run anything that advocates big pharma is hiding the cure for cancer. Folks that come up with that stuff deserve a special place in hell. 

Before contacting me, please have an actual idea in mind. I absolutely do not assign topics. That means I am NOT going to tell you what to write about. This is your opportunity to write what you want to write about. You know your books, your expertise in topics, etc. I do not. Your idea does not have to be set in stone. It does need to have some detail. Have at least a couple of things that you know you want to have in your piece and tell me that in your pitch.

Word Count: Totally up to you. I do not set a maximum or a minimum word count.

When your piece is ready, you send it to me by email and include a 100 word or fewer bio. Also send any pics that you think should be included in the piece. While some guest posts are super heavy in pictures, I think it works best to have two or so. While I can and do lift author photos and book covers from Amazon and author websites, it is easier if you just send it from the start as well as any other pics you believe should be included.

This is, as always, a nonpaying opportunity. Yes, I absolutely value your work. I also have no income other than SSD (and that is just a few hundred each month) and am supporting myself, my adult son, and this old house on what little I inherited when my Mom passed. The bank account is steadily shrinking and I am doing the best I can to hang in here as inflation and other issues are making it even harder.

While I have no funds to pay you, I can promise to promote the heck out of your appearance. You will be seen. I can’t promise a certain number of sales, but most guests do see a spike in their sales. Guests who are on the blog on a semi regular basis do far better than one off appearances, but everyone does see an impact.

Questions/ pitches should be sent to me at Kevinrtipple AT Verizon.net 

I hope you choose to be a part of things here. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Guesting On The Blog

With over two million page views and climbing by thousands more each week, my award winning blog is popular and I get a lot of emails about being a guest on the blog. Guests are welcome and I have made the process as easy as possible. Most questions you may have are already answered below so read the post before reaching out.

The open days are currently Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. I usually run excerpts from published or about to be published works on Sundays as they seem to work best on those days.

Topic--pretty much anything goes. While my blog is mainly aimed towards items of interest for readers and writers of mystery and crime fiction, I am open to pretty much anything. I do ask that folks avoid the topics of religion and politics unless either or both directly relate to the work being discussed or promoted. I also am not going to run anything that advocates big pharma is hiding the cure for cancer. Folks that come up with that stuff deserve a special place in hell.  

Before contacting me, please have an actual idea in mind. I absolutely do not assign topics. That means I am NOT going to tell you what to write about. This is your opportunity to write what you want to write about. You know your books, your expertise in topics, etc. I do not. Your idea does not have to be set in stone. It does need to have some detail. Have at least a couple of things that you know you want to have in your piece and tell me that in your pitch.

Word Count: Totally up to you. I do not set a maximum or a minimum word count.

When your piece is ready, you send it to me by email and include a 100 word or fewer bio. Also send any pics that you think should be included in the piece. While I can and do lift author photos and book covers from Amazon and author websites, it is easier if you just send it from the start as well as any other pics you believe should be included.

This is, as always, a nonpaying opportunity. Yes, I absolutely value your work. I also have no income other than SSD (and that is just a few hundred each month) and am supporting myself, my adult son, and this old house on what little I inherited when my Mom passed. The bank account is steadily shrinking and I am doing the best I can to hang in here as inflation and other issues are making it even harder.

While I have no funds to pay you, I can promise to promote the heck out of your appearance. You will be seen. I can’t promise a certain number of sales, but most guests do see a spike in their sales. Guests who are on the blog on a semi regular basis do far better than one off appearances, but everyone does see an impact.

Questions/ pitches should be sent to me at Kevinrtipple AT Verizon.net

I hope you choose to be a part of things here. Looking forward to your pitches. 

Guest Post: The Timely Writing Process by E.E. (Gene) Williams

Please welcome author E. E. Williams back to the blog today. This is not the first time he has discussed his writing process as he did so in this post last July. After you read the post today, make sure you also check out his post from last August which was an excerpt from his book, My Grave is Deep: A Noah Green Mystery.

 

The Timely Writing Process by E.E. (Gene) Williams

A throng of people has asked me about my writing process.

By throng, I mean, um, me. I ask myself about the process each morning when I look in the mirror and wonder who the heck that old man is? What are all those wrinkles and those suitcases under the eyes and the jowls and the gray hair and all that stuff growing out of that his nose and ears and … ?

Sorry.

Anyway, the ancient dude asks what my writing process is and would I like to share it with others, like those nice folks at the Short Mystery Fiction Society. To which I say, absolutely!

So here goes.

First thing in the morning, I grab my computer, turn it on and go make breakfast. After I finish eating, I sit in my easy chair, place my computer on my lap and turn on the TV. I check Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Prime Video, and PBS for anything worth watching while I write. I find a movie and begin watching. In the meantime, I call up Yahoo and read a couple dozen stories on the computer as the film plays in the background. I miss something important in the movie and rewind. It happens again, and once more I rewind and then figure I might as well start it over because the characters are speaking French and my knowledge of the language extends to Oui, Oui. I finish with Yahoo and move to Collider, followed by Entertainment Weekly, followed by Screenrant, followed by The Hollywood Reporter, and, finally, Movieweb.

Thus mentally stimulated, I type the word IT. Then the word WAS. Then the letter A.

Exhausted, I break for a snack. Two hours later, having consumed two giant chocolate chip cookies, a bag of peanut M&Ms, a tub of Cool Whip, and a 24 vanilla Oreos, I return to the computer. I type DARK … and break for lunch.

I drive to Publix and pick up popcorn chicken and return home. Realize that I forgot to get Diet Coke and return to Publix. Come back home. Realize it slipped my mind that I have a prescription ready at Publix and get back in the car again. Return home. Eat lunch. Sit back down at the computer. Type AND.

Fingers stiff and sore, I put the computer down, watch another movie, this one in Spanish (Si, Si) and fall asleep in my chair. I dream of writing a novel.

When I awake a few hours later, it dawns on me that I haven’t yet done the laundry. More hours later the clothes are washed, dried, folded, and put away.

During this time, my mind has been working furiously, overtime really, to determine the direction of my story. A lightbulb blinks on. I have it. I rush to the computer and type the words, STORMY NIGHT. Add an exclamation point. Add a second. Hit the paragraph return.

And … that’s it. Time to make dinner. After that, find some Scandinavian mystery with subtitles that I haven’t watched before.

At 8:15, it’s time for bed where I’ll dream of writing the next best-selling novel.

It may take some time.

E.E. Williams, aka Gene, is the author of three Noah Greene mysteries. The fourth Greene novel will be published … sometime. 

E. E. Williams ©2021 

E.E. Williams is a former journalist who worked at some of the country's best and biggest newspapers. A 1971 graduate of Kent State University, he published in 2002 his first Noah Greene novel, Tears In The Rain. His second novel, Tears of God, was published in 2014. The third Noah Greene thriller, My Grave Is Deep, was published last year.

 

 

Guest Post: OUTSIDERS ARE POPULAR IN FICTION, MYTHS, AND OUR HISTORY by Lynn Hesse

Please welcome Lynn Hesse to the bog today....

OUTSIDERS ARE POPULAR IN FICTION, MYTHS, AND OUR HISTORY

 

 

Protagonists in American crime and mystery novels and film are usually outsiders. The moral fortitude we all hope to muster in a crisis is in reserve in our fictional heroes. The insurmountable mountain is climbable by our main character, whether it’s built on bureaucratic red tape, corruption, or violent street crime. True, the gray areas of discretion creep in and when justice isn’t served by our institutions, sometimes our main characters deliver their own brand of justice.

 

Texas Rangers, the 2001 western movie based on real life after the Civil War, which was directed by Steve Miner and starred Dylan McDermott, didn’t do well at the box office. Probably, the harsh justice doled out by McDermott’s character to most criminals without a trial disturbed the public’s comfort zone concerning what a “good guy” is.  James Van Der Beek played a young ranger recruit that reminded Captain Leander McNelly he must conduct himself according to a higher standard.

 

There must be a code. Jeff Lindsay’s Dexter series is based on the premise that even a serial killer can balance the scales of justice by taking out the guilty, who should’ve been punished for heinous acts but weren’t. The reader or the viewer of the Showtime series overlooks or understands Dexter’s need to kill because he cleanses society of violent criminals. Many times, the wrongdoer appears as a valued, respectable member of the community, whereas Dexter is a sociopath with a learned code of behavior, a misfit with a high-functioning reclusive personality.

 

Clara Shannesy Blythe, the protagonist in my upcoming suspense novel, The Forty Knots Burn, is a con artist. She can tell a fortune or pull off an elaborate art heist of an Edward Hopper painting at a gallery opening. Clara charms her marks and uses illusion to promote the promise of good fortune or slight of hand to steal a masterpiece while their attention is directed elsewhere. She understands that charismatic people can make us believe anything is possible.

 

For example, Abraham Lincoln must have had a certain something to compel people to trust him. This heroic historical figure had an elongated build caused by Marfan syndrome, which made him stand out as different and prone to melancholy. A person from humble beginnings with mental health issues and physical restrictions can even be the President of the United States of America — or so his life or the myth surrounding his life promotes. It gives us hope.

 

Many myths revolve around the idea that the underdog should win. In principle we don’t like bullies. This feeling is not surprising because our country was founded by revolutionaries. We celebrate when the least favored team or person wins on any playing field. Even Santa Claus is a recluse living in the North Pole with his wife and elves. One might think in the beginning it took a while for the general public to grasp the idea of giving every child in the world a gift on Christmas Eve as economically and physically feasible by the jolly guy in a red suit. Of course, the 1923 poem “A Visit from St. Nicolas,” which later became “The Night Before Christmas” claimed by Clement Clarke Moore in 1837, furthered the myth in United States.

 

In contrast to the idea of the little guy winning the big prize is the human desire to blame others when we are hungry, afraid, or weary of poverty and isolation. We pick the groups unlike ourselves and deem them dirty or evil. We vent our anger on minorities. In fact, we may invent reasons to hate them. In The Forty Knots Burn, we see bias on both sides of the Roma and non-Roma cultures. Clara must come to terms with her own prejudices when her non-Roma mentor dies.

 

In this decade with social media, the truth hidden between the societal fringes is more complicated than in the past and affects the books being read. The term “prepper fiction” literature floats through the news in connection with the “redoubt movement” phenomenon; VICE #2, Episode 10, Land of The Free & Ethiopia’s War Within, documents this trend. In the first part of the exposé, citizens move to less populated states like northern Idaho to live with like-minded conservative people. Some would declare they have dropped out. However, journalist Vegas Tenold interviews a mother who hosts a popular podcast and lives in the Idaho wilderness with her family. She tells the reporter she is willing to go without a working toilet in lieu of gaining many freedoms. This idea of being an outsider or eluding restriction is part and parcel of the American mystique as exemplified in Walden or Civil Disobedience by transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau. He might agree it’s not any wonder our fiction and film are full of characters portraying rogue individualists.

Whether a fiction writer, screenwriter, or historian we embrace our myths and tell our stories.

 

 

Lynn Hesse ©2021

Lynn Hesse won the 2015 First Place Winner, Oak Tree Press, Cop Tales, for her mystery, Well of Rage. Her novel Another Kind of Hero was a finalist for the 2018 Silver Falchion Award and won the International Readers’ Chill Award in 2021. Her short story “Jewel’s Hell” was published September 2019 in Me Too Short Stories: An Anthology by Level Best Books and edited by Elizabeth Zelvin. Her short story “Bitter Love” was accepted for publication in Crimeucopia’s November issue 2021 for Murderous Ink Press, United Kingdom.

 

Want To Be A Guest?

You could be and the process is as easy as I can make it. The open days are currently Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. I usually run excerpts from published or about to be published works on Sundays as they seem to work best on those days.

 

Topic--pretty much anything goes. While my blog is mainly aimed towards items of interest for readers and writers of mystery and crime fiction, I am open to pretty much anything. I do ask that folks avoid the topics of religion and politics unless either or both directly relate to the work being discussed or promoted.

 

Before contacting me, please have an actual idea in mind. I do not assign topics. This is your opportunity to write what you want to write about. You know your books, your expertise in topics, etc. I do not. Your idea does not have to be set in stone. It does need to have some detail. Have at least a couple of things that you know you want to have in your piece and tell me that in your pitch.

 

Word Count: Totally up to you. I do not set a maximum or a minimum word count.

 

This is, as always, a non paying opportunity. Yes, I value your work. I also have no income other than SSD (and that is just a few hundred each month) and am supporting myself, my adult son, and this old house on what little I inherited when my Mom passed.

 

While I have no funds to pay you, I can promise to promote the heck out of your appearance. You will be seen. I can not promise a certain number of sales, but most guests do see a spike in their sales. Guests who are on the blog on a semi regular basis do far better than one off appearances, but everyone does see an impact.

 

Questions/ pitches should be sent to me at Kevinrtipple AT Verizon.net