fiction – Page 49 – Phil Slattery, Writer, Publisher

Introducing Literary Open Mic Nights at the Hardback Café, Sponsored by the Farmington Writers Circle

The Farmington Writers Circle is starting a new feature in sponsoring a literary open mic night at the Entertainmart

Official Author's Photo from March, 2015 — Official Author’s Photo
from March, 2015

(formerly Hasting’s) Hardback Café. The first performance will be Thursday, February 16, 2017 at 6:30 p.m. followed by a meeting of the Farmington Writer’s Circle. We hope to have a half-hour performance at 6:30 p.m. preceding each Writers Circle meeting on the second Thursday of each month (February is an exception and we will be meeting on the third Thursday).

On February 16, I will be reading selections from my short story collection, The Scent and Other Stories: The Dark Side of Love, followed by a short open discussion and a questions and answers session. Follow this link to learn more about The Scent…

In the future, we hope to have other members of the Writers Circle read from their works.

However, you do not have to be a member (not at this point, but maybe later) to read from your works. Simply notify me through this website and I will schedule you for a slot. However, members will have the first choice of slots.

All I ask is that, because there are families and children in Entertainmart, that you choose something that does not contain obscenity, explicit erotica, graphic violence, or anything generally considered in bad taste. Please keep your readings to the G or PG level. If you must read a passage containing vulgarities, please bleep them out, whistle, or do something entertaining other than saying them out loud (miming them or acting them out is not allowed either).

Also, please don’t read from someone else’s works. We want to hear your voice, the voice of Farmington. Hemingway and Shakespeare are great, but everyone knows them, even if they haven’t read them.

Be aware, the Writers Circle will not be the only ones attending your reading. The Hardback Café is open to the public and the public will be moving in and out and having their coffee.

For more information, contact me via this website.

The Farmington Writers Circle Meets Again on February 16.

The Farmington Writers Circle meets again on Thursday, February 16, in the Entertainmart (formerly Hardback) Café at 7:00 pm. I will be leading the discussion on the second part of what I have learned from publishing on Kindle and using their marketing tools. Other topics, such as developing a literary open mic night, and developing a website for the Writers Circle will also be discussed. Everyone is invited. There is no charge and no membership requirements.

Preceding the meeting, starting at 6:30 pm, I will be reading selections from my short story collection The Scent and Other Stories: The Dark Side of Love.

The Farmington Writers Circle is a group of local writers who are interested in exploring and developing new means of marketing and publicizing their works.

For more information, contact Phil Slattery at phil@philslattery.com or via @philslattery201 or via this website.

Update on Upcoming Promotions for January and February

Note the promotion timeframe for Diabolical has changed from what was announced in December.

I will be giving away the e-versions of two of my works over the next two months. I will announce each in advance and on the days it is free. Check back frequently for updates.

Diabolical: Three Stories of Jack Thurston and Revenge: January 1, 5, 12, 15, and 19.

The Scent and Other Stories: January 26, February 2, February 9, and February 14 (Valentine’s Day).

Tonight’s Trivia: Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Louis Stevenson Portrait by Girolamo Nerli (1860-1926) — Robert Louis Stevenson
Portrait by Girolamo Nerli
(1860-1926)

[From The Writer’s Home Companion, 1987]

“Robert Louis Stevenson was thrashing about in his bed one night, greatly alarming his wife. She woke him up, infuriating Stevenson, who yelled, “I was dreaming a fine bogey tale!” The nightmare from which he had been unwillingly extracted was the premise for the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.“

Announcing the Advent of “The Chamber” Magazine

Beginning in January 1, 2017, this will be the location of a new on-line quarterly magazine for short stories, poetry, and other short works of the horror genre. You can find the guidelines for submissions on my current Submissions and Announcements page, which will remain the same, with the only exception being that the word limit for submissions for “The Chamber” will increase from 1,000 to 2,000 words. The deadline for submissions for issue #1 passed on December 1. However, please feel free to submit for issue #2, which will be published on April 1.

I am creating this magazine primarily because it is not fair to my contributors to submit a work for publication, when that work will be at the top of my blog posts for only a day, and then that author and his readers will have to wade through a morass of unrelated blogs to find that one post. To remedy this, I am creating a separate page on my blog for my new magazine, “The Chamber”, where each quarter’s selections will appear on a separate page for eternity (or until WordPress folds, or until I give it all up and wander off to buy a bar in Key West, or etc.) Issue 2 will appear on April 1st. Send submissions for Issue #2 per the Submissions and Announcements guidelines, but specify Submission for “The Chamber” in the subject line, if you want your work published in The Chamber, or Submission for The Blog, if you want to be published in the regular blog. I will continue to publish submissions in my regular blog until December 31.

Why call it “The Chamber”? The word chamber has numerous sinister and macabre connotations: a chamber of horrors, a torture chamber, one chambers a round into a rifle, etc. A chamber can also be where a sorcerer, an alchemist, or an Inquisitor stores his library. It is with this last connotation in mind that I am developing my Chamber for the storage of my selection of sinister and macabre works from the best up and coming authors that seek to contribute to my blog.

So, start editing your best, most powerful material and see where this new venture takes us! I want powerful, hard-hitting material that leaves its readers gasping and awe-struck at the end.

My posts are now on Google+ and LinkedIn

Writing at Hasting's Hardback Café, October, 2015 — Writing at Hasting’s Hardback Café, October, 2015

My WordPress posts are now being disseminated to my Google+ profile and to LinkedIn in addition to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Path. Watch for them there.

Three of My Works Now Available on Kindle!

Just a reminder for those seeking Christmas gifts at the last minute: I now have three works available on Amazon Kindle.

My novelette, Click, has received a five star rating from one reader, who stated, “Author has a wonderful ability to develop the characters using few words. Great foreshadowing to build suspense. And then a really outstanding twist at the end that left me smiling.” In Click, A Texas policeman, on a secluded island while recovering from the guilt of shooting an unarmed man, suddenly finds himself under attack by unknown assailants and caught up unknowingly in a web of intrigue.

Several of the stories contained in my two short story collections have garnered high praise from readers.

In my first collection of previously published and unpublished short stories, A Tale of Hell and Other Works of Horror, I offer a look into the minds of people who perpetrate horrors, from acts of stupidity with unintended results to cold-hearted revenge to pure enjoyment to complete indifference. Settings range from 17th-century France in the heart of the werewolf trials to the Old West to the present and on to alien worlds in the distant future.

In The Scent and Other Stories, another collection of short stories, I explore the dark, sometimes violent, sometimes twisted, sometimes touching side of love, the side kept not only from public view, but sometimes from our mates. Set in the modern era, these stories range in setting from forbidden interracial love in the hills of 1970’s Kentucky to a mother’s confession in present-day New Mexico to the callous manipulation of a lover in Texas

Both The Scent and Other Stories and Click are also available in paperback. A Tale of Hell and Other Works of Horror will be in paperback before the week is out.

While you’re surfing Amazon, don’t forget to check out my author’s page.

A Blatant, Shameless, Ballsy Call for Reviews

If you are one of the you are one of the incredibly intelligent and tasteful people who has purchased one of my books from Amazon, please show your appreciation for my awe-inspiring writing skills by going back to Amazon and leaving a good review. Good reviews help move books up in the Amazon ratings and help sales, AND you’ll be able to sleep better tonight knowing you have done something to benefit mankind.

If you are one of those incredibly intelligent and tasteful people, and haven’t yet purchased one of my books, this is your opportunity to improve not only your lot in life, but mine as well, and to benefit mankind’s lot by raising the average I.Q. a smidgen.

If you’re not one of those people and haven’t purchased one of my books and, God forbid, don’t intend to, well, a good review still wouldn’t hurt.

Announcing the Advent of “The Chamber” Magazine

Phil Slattery Self-portrait, August, 2016 — Phil Slattery
Self-portrait, August, 2016

Why call it “The Chamber”? The word chamber has numerous sinister and macabre connotations: a chamber of horrors, a torture chamber, one chambers a round into a rifle, etc. A chamber can also be where a sorcerer, an alchemist, or a member of the Inquisition stores his library. It is with this last connotation in mind that I am developing my Chamber for the storage of my selection of sinister and macabre works from the best up and coming authors that seek to contribute to my blog.

So, start editing your best, most powerful material and see where this new venture takes us! I want powerful, hard-hitting material that leaves its readers gasping and awe-struck at the end.

Two of My Works Now in Paperback

Now available at Amazon in paperback: my novelette Click, an action/adventure tale set on the south Texas coast, and my short story collection examining the dark side of love, The Scent and Other Stories.

In Click, a Texas policeman, on a secluded island while recovering from the guilt of shooting an unarmed man, suddenly finds himself under attack by unknown assailants and caught up unknowingly in a web of intrigue.

Reader Charles Stacey gave Click five stars and commented: “Author has a wonderful ability to develop the characters using few words. Great foreshadowing to build suspense. And then a really outstanding twist at the end that left me smiling.”

In this The Scent and Other Stories, I explore the dark, sometimes violent, sometimes twisted, sometimes touching side of love, the side kept not only from public view, but sometimes from our mates. Set in the modern era, these stories range in setting from forbidden interracial love in the hills of 1970’s Kentucky to a mother’s confession in present-day New Mexico to the callous manipulation of a lover in Texas.

Readers comments on The Scent and Other Stories include:

On “The Scent”

“This story has a lovely dreamy quality whilst being unsettling too. It lingers on half processed emotional experiences and leaves the reader asking ‘what if’ and ‘if only’ – feelings that are familiar for so many people.”

“You wrote about something we can all relate to – how, out of the blue, the scent of something evokes a memory of something long past; and the emotions we felt at the time! A clever story …”

“This descriptive piece about remembrance, the thought of what might have been, is a common sad thread that will resonate with those have experienced the pain of that one love lost. Slattery’s use of scent was exquisite as we feel Quinn’s pain and hope that he finds his peace, at last.”

On “Decision”

“Fantastic writing – I held my breath for most of the story. The descriptions of the countryside and the people were beautiful and the tension compelling. This could possibly be the start of a novel or a suite of stories. Thank you very much and good luck with your writing in the future”

“Suspenseful and engaging. The dialogue and descriptions kept pace with the action. Well done.”

On “A Good Man”

“Lots of detail examining an old question of how do you judge a person’s life. It left me wondering.”

“Great job capturing the social climate of the sixties. Good choice for how to present the story – deathbed “confession” by the mother. I enjoyed it.”

On “The Slightest of Indiscretions”

“Excellent writing brings this poignant story to life and makes the reader work to understand more of what might be. Very many thanks for a satisfying, emotionally intelligent read…”

A Tale of Hell and Other Works of Horror is currently available only on Kindle, but it should be out in paperback in the very near future. Watch for it at Amazon.

Readers of the stories contained include:

In this collection of published and previously unpublished stories of horror, I offer a look into the minds of people who perpetrate horrors, from acts of stupidity with unintended results to cold-hearted revenge to pure enjoyment to complete indifference. Settings range from 17th-century France in the heart of the werewolf trials to the Old West to the present and on to alien worlds in the distant future. Comments on previously published stories include:

Jay Manning, editor of Midnight Times commented in its Spring, 2006 issue: “Wolfsheim” is basically a traditional horror story that tells the tale of a small European village confronted by the threat of werewolves. If you like stories about lycans, you definitely need to check this one out. Great stuff.”

Publisher Charlie Fish of Fiction on the Web summarizes “A Tale of Hell” as a “… chilling vision of hell”. Other comments on “A Tale of Hell” from readers of Fiction on the Web:

“An intense and well paced story, cleverly leading the reader up a number of garden paths before Jack’s reality finally clarifies and appears in all its horror. The writing is focused and spare as Jack’s malevolent characteristics and idiosyncrasies manifest themselves…Overall a strong tale that lingers in the imagination…”

“brilliantly descriptive piece on man´s apparently unstoppable descent, literally into hell,…”

” Enjoyed this story. I thought it was nicely written. Started with a familiar vision of hell, but added several unique treatments; kept me interested in how it all would end. Thanks”

Publisher Charlie Fish of Fiction on the Web summarizes “Dream Warrior” as a “…powerful revenge epic about a man who visits his Mexican grandfather for spiritual guidance after a violent crime results in the death if his fiancée”. Fiction on the Web readers commented:

“quite literally a rite of passage, mystical and with an interesting payoff, one which Miguel may have to reckon with in time. some very good writing and characterisation. well done”

“…this is a rite of passage, complex and rich with significance. The cultural invocations are vivid and intense, the work of a writer in his/her full stride. The future for Miguel, who knows? The readers interest is fully engaged with what is to come…”

“Really enjoyed the story-kept me up past my bedtime reading it!”

“I loved the concept, was fascinated by the almost hallucinatory detail of legend with its fatal shadowlands.”

Reader comments on “Murder by Plastic” includPhile:

“Chilling and brilliantly economical”

“Very well-paced and intriguing”

“Fabulous story! Five stars!”

While you are at Amazon, visit my new author’s page and visit it frequently to keep up with my newest releases and stay on top of my new miniblog.

Today is the Deadline for Submissions to Issue #1 of “The Chamber”

Beginning in January 1, 2017, this will be the location of a new on-line quarterly magazine for short stories, poetry, and other short works of the horror genre. You can find the guidelines for submissions on my current Submissions and Announcements page, which will remain the same, with the only exception being that the word limit for submissions for “The Chamber” will increase from 1,000 to 2,000 words. The deadline for submissions for issue #1 passes today, November 30. However, please feel free to submit for issue #2, which will be published on April 1.

Why call it “The Chamber”? The word chamber has numerous sinister and macabre connotations: a chamber of horrors, a torture chamber, one chambers a round into a rifle, etc. A chamber can also be where a sorcerer, an alchemist, or a member of the Inquisition stores his library. It is with this last connotation in mind that I am developing my Chamber for the storage of my selection of sinister and macabre works from the best up and coming authors that seek to contribute to my blog.

So, start editing your best, most powerful material and see where this new venture takes us! I want powerful, hard-hitting material that leaves its readers gasping and awe-struck at the end.

Publication Announcement: The Scent and Other Stories

I am happy to announce that I have published a third book on Amazon Kindle: The Scent and Other Stories (64 pages/16,005 words). The five stories in The Scent… are more mainstream literary works that I have written occasionally over the years. In this collection of short stories, I explore the cryptic side of relationships, the side kept not only from public view, but sometimes also from our mates. Set in the modern era, these stories range in setting from interracial love in the hills of 1970’s Kentucky to a mother’s confession in present-day New Mexico to the callous manipulation of a lover in Texas. Visit my page at Amazon Kindle, pick up a copy, and leave a review. For the next few days, Click is free as a promotion of my works.

Praise for Stories Contained in The Scent and Other Stories
“The Scent”

“You wrote about something we can all relate to – how, out of the blue, the scent of something evokes a memory of something long past; and the emotions we felt at the time! A clever story …”

“Decision”

“Suspenseful and engaging. The dialogue and descriptions kept pace with the action. Well done.”

“A Good Man”

“Lots of detail examining an old question of how do you judge a person’s life. It left me wondering.”

“Great job capturing the social climate of the sixties. Good choice for how to present the story – deathbed “confession” by the mother. I enjoyed it.”

“The Slightest of Indiscretions”

“Excellent writing brings this poignant story to life and makes the reader work to understand more of what might be. Very many thanks for a satisfying, emotionally intelligent read…”

Publication Announcement: A Tale of Hell and Other Works of Horror

With Iced Tea, Farmington, New Mexico, March 20, 2015

I am proud to announce that today I published a collection of my short horror fiction entitled A Tale of Hell and Other Works of Horror on Amazon Kindle. It is a collection of the best fiction I have published so far and some previously unpublished stories as well.

Comments on previously published stories contained in this volume include:

“Wolfsheim” is basically a traditional horror story that tells the tale of a small European village confronted by the threat of werewolves. If you like stories about lycans, you definitely need to check this one out. Great stuff.” –Jay Manning, editor, Midnight Times

Publisher Charlie Fish of Fiction on the Web summarizes “A Tale of Hell” as a “… chilling vision of hell”. Other comments on “A Tale of Hell” from readers of Fiction on the Web

“brilliantly descriptive piece on man´s apparently unstoppable descent, literally into hell,…”

” Enjoyed this story. I thought it was nicely written. Started with a familiar vision of hell, but added several unique treatments; kept me interested in how it all would end. Thanks”

Publisher Charlie Fish of Fiction on the Web describes “Dream Warrior” as a “…powerful revenge epic about a man who visits his Mexican grandfather for spiritual guidance after a violent crime results in the death if his fiancée”. Fiction on the Web readers commented:

“quite literally a rite of passage, mystical and with an interesting payoff, one which Miguel may have to reckon with in time. some very good writing and characterisation. well done”

“Really enjoyed the story-kept me up past my bedtime reading it!”

“I loved the concept, was fascinated by the almost hallucinatory detail of legend with its fatal shadowlands.”

Reader comments on “Murder by Plastic” include:

“Chilling and brilliantly economical”

“Very well-paced and intriguing”

“Fabulous story! Five stars!”

I invite everyone to go to Amazon Kindle, pick up a copy, and leave a brief review.

Announcing the Advent of “The Chamber” Magazine

The blogger on the banks of the San Juan River, Farmington, NM, 2013

I am creating this magazine primarily because it is not fair to my contributors to submit a work for publication, when that work will be at the top of my blog posts for only a day, and then that author and his readers will have to wade through a morass of unrelated blogs to find that one post. To remedy this, I will create a separate page on my blog for my new magazine, “The Chamber”, where each quarter’s selections will appear on a separate page for eternity (or until WordPress folds, or until I give it all up and wander off to buy a bar in Key West or etc.) Issue 1 will appear on January 1st. Cut-off date for submissions will be November 30 (I don’t want to work over Christmas). Selections will probably be made by December 15. Send submissions per the Submissions and Announcements guidelines, but specify Submission for “The Chamber” in the subject line, if you want your work published in The Chamber, or Submission for The Blog, if you want to be published in the regular blog. I will continue to publish submissions in my regular blog until December 31.

Why call it “The Chamber”? The word chamber has numerous sinister and macabre connotations: a chamber of horrors, a torture chamber, one chambers a round into a rifle, etc. A chamber can also be where a sorcerer, an alchemist, or a member of the Inquisition stores his library. It is with this last connotation in mind that I am developing my Chamber for the storage of my selection of sinister and macabre works from the best up and coming authors that seek to contribute to my blog.

So, start editing your best, most powerful material and see where this new venture takes us! I want powerful, hard-hitting material that leaves its readers gasping and awe-struck at the end.

Publication Announcement: Click

I am proud to announce that just now I published my novelette Click on Amazon Kindle. It should appear there within twelve hours.

Click is not horror. It is a tale of action and intrigue set on a small island along the Texas coast, where a policeman, recovering from the guilt of shooting an unarmed man, is attacked by unknown assailants and is unknowingly wrapped up in a web of intrigue. Like many of my works, it contains adult language and situations.

The story of the writing of Click is a short one that spans many years. I conceived the idea around 2000, when I was living in Corpus Christi and working on Padre Island. I have toyed with it over the years as my writing has developed. Sometimes I have gone years without writing a word, but it has always loitered in the back of my mind, waiting for the next fit of inspiration to bring it out of the literary ether and into being.

A month or so back, I submitted it to a magazine, which responded a couple of weeks ago, suggesting some revisions they would like to see before reconsidering it. I completed the revisions tonight, but decided afterwards that it would make a good novelette (hopefully making more money faster than I could with the magazine) to test out self-publishing on Amazon Kindle. Amazon Kindle is amazingly easy to publish on, but if you want to have a good-looking book to sell, do your research and know your layouts, formatting, front and back matter and so on. Because Kindle is so easy to use, it is also very easy to screw up if you don’t know what you’re doing.

If you like Click, tell your friends about it.