Why I’m hoarse...

Ahem...

I spent most of the day reading a 160+ page manuscript out loud, proof-editing and revising as I went. As of tonight my third collection is ready for a final draft. I just have to stomp through and type in the corrections and typo-fixes that I've marked and hammer on two specific stories that require some serious work and it will be ready to go to Nimbus.

Then I have to do some photographing to go with the stories.

I'm having a ball.

*  *  *

Speaking of having a ball, I should tell you about the upcoming column in Shroud Magazine. I am writing a column entitled "Hauntings, Freaks and Mysteries" for Shroud Magazine - beginning with issue 3 and an article on the ghost of Duc D'Anville on George's Island and issue 4 - an article on the Jersey Devil.

Here's subscription info for Shroud Magazine.
http://www.shroudmagazine.com/

Shroud is also working on putting together a collection of New England haunted short shorts entitled NORTHERN HAUNTS. I've sold a story to that as well.

Steve

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at a loss...

9:45 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Evolution, baby...

I've been meaning to post on this but I've been pretty busy.

Friday night, four nights ago, Belinda and I worked our last Hafla in the studio. As of today, the studio space now belongs to the mall and Belinda will be teaching a reduced schedule of three nights a week at a private studio.

Evolution, baby.

Life has moved on and Belinda has started a brand new job at a local uniform shop that makes uniforms for all of the local restaurants, hospitals, and the like. It's a growing company that is in the midst of a move and an expansion, and they had a position open and Belinda took it.

It was time for a change.

I believe this is a positive change. Belinda has had her own studio for eight years. That's a long time to be carrying a lease, insurance, and all of the other expenses and responsibilities that come with owning your own business. That's over 200 students a year. That's a lot of weight to tote around.

I worked the gate at most of her Friday night Haflas. The Haflas took place on the last Friday of every month. Every month we'd gather up and organize a small herd of bellydancers, hip hop dancers, jazz dancers and dancers of other assorted styles and we'd open the doors and dance before packed houses. It was my job to man the door and sell the tickets, make change and sell the occasional copy of Haunted Harbours. On Halloween I'd tell a ghost story or two. I used to curse the Hafla, having to go and sit after sitting for so many other folks all week at the shop - but at the end of every performance I was grinning - simply because I'd get the chance to watch Belinda dance.

We are still planning on having our Hafla, but at a different space. There will be a big show in the Fall and Belinda will continue to hold her classes and they are packed. But I'm going to miss that studio. I helped hang the curtains and lay the flooring - (lord I suck at handyman work) - and stacked and unstacked the Hafla chairs many times. I dustmopped the floor after Hafla as well.

Enough moping. Enough of the maudlin. It's evolution, baby.

Onward.

*   *   *

Drawing the door prizes at the last Mumford Road Hafla.



*   *   *


It's Canada Day and I'm going down to the Pier today to sign and sell some books. Hopefully the bookstore will have copies of Haunted Harbours by now, but they definitely have copies of Wicked Woods. I am confident.

I'm banging away at the finished draft of the collection. I'm about 40 pages in and the work is coming together nicely. I'll be roughing in a little final research over the next few weeks - honing some very specific details, but by late July I will have this book to the publisher.

Wish me luck.

Steve

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Rambo IV...

Wow.

I finally got to see Rambo IV last night.

Wow.

Stallone delivers. This movie shows what war is really like. There's damn little nobility, no neat bullet holes that look as if they were drawn on in magic marker, no fakery or phoniness involved. In Rambo IV we are given a character who is pushed too far - exactly like the character Morell first created.

I expect there's been a lot of controversy over the insane amounts of gore and graphic violence in this movie. Some will tell you that this movie "glorifies" war. No way. I don't see that at all. This movie shows how sickening war can be. Nobody is grinning or making quips or winking. This is primeval.

And the ending shook me. Such a perfect note, such a perfect nod to the icon of Rambo - in much the same way as Stallone caught Rocky perfectly on the chin in his last Rocky movie.

The man's is rising up like a goddamn phoenix. This ain't no A-Team.

I'm impressed.

I am goddamn impressed.

Steve

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Catching up...and fiddling around!

Several weeks ago the local crop of fiddleheads came in season and I bought a mess of them and ate them up.

Now, I have mentioned fiddleheads in the past and folks always ask me - "What's a fiddlehead?"

So I took a photo or two to post and then got busy. So here, after some delay, is what a fiddlehead is.




That's an individual fiddlehead. They grow wild, and they're only good to eat for a very short season of the year. You steam them or saute them. Some folks like them fried up with bacon, like dandilion greens, but that's a little rough on the calorie count. I just saute them with a very little bit of olive oil, some lemon juice and a sprinkle of salt.

And this is what the completed meal looks like. If you like strong crunchy greens with a lot of flavor, then fiddleheads are for you.





*   *   *

I did some figuring on my collection, and I figure I'm done the rough draft. I'm not anywhere near 60,000 words, but I don't need to be. I just picked that number out of my head, but as I look at it now I realize just how this third collection stacks up to the other two.

Haunted Harbours = 102 manuscript pages = 30,000 words
Wicked Woods = 152 manuscript pages = 37,750 words
Third collection (rough) = 157 pages = 34,260 words

So I am already beginning polishing up the rough draft. Unfortunately I'm also getting set for a long series of local signings, a couple of signings every week for the next month or so. Nevertheless, this book will be done on time. Steve Vernon makes his deadlines.

Steve

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A warm Thursday night...

It's a warm night and I'm going out to do a bit of weeding and pitchforking.

I've got tomorrow morning off and plan to beat the heck out of the collection.

Tomorrow will be our final Hafla at the studio, before we close it down. A little sad, that, but this closing door has opened a lot more opportunities.

In the meanwhile, here's tonight's tally.

38,750 / 60,000 (64.6%)

Steve

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Wednesday night...

Had a slow day at work. Its hot and I'm pretty tired. Still, I managed to push a little further with the collection.

Here's tonight's tally.

37,750 / 60,000 (62.9%)

Steve

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Captain Nothing...available now!

You are under my power...

Check NOTHING TO LOSE out over at the HorrorMall.

...you are under my power...
 
Order it now.

You are under my power...

The last time this little book was out there it disappeared fast.

You are under my power...
aren't you?

7:36 AM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Prom Night...

Well, I'm heading out later tonight to read palms at a Safe Prom. I did this last year and its a pretty hard gig. You get those kids lined up twenty deep around the booth all wanting a little bit of your time. It's a two hour gig and I expect to be talking non-stop.

I pushed a little further on the collection. Took it easy because I'm going to need my wits to be awake at 1-3am, (prom time).

Here's today's tally.

36,250 / 60,000 (60.4%)

Steve

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Tonight’s tally...

34,500 / 60,000 (57.5%)

 

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