"The Hot Gates", my short story/novelette of 10,401 words, has been sent off to a publisher advertising for stories for a horror anthology.
This was the vampired-up version of "300", with Leonidas being a vampire and Xerxes the good guy. Apparently they would prefer period horror, that being horror stories set in the past.
I think "The Hot Gates" fits perfectly and I'm expecting them to take it without delay… but then again, pessimism and reality were never my forte. ;-)
It'll probably make a lot of Greeks angry if it does reach publication though. However, cleverly, Leonidas does turn out to be the good guy at the end. So that should mollify my Grecian friends, especially Jenny who's parents come from Thermopylae and are rampantly proud of their heritage.… confused?
Then buy the anthology if my story's in it and all will be revealed.

I wrote a bit on Frank Delaney as well, and sent it off to Tee and George.
Tee, so she could continue the story and George to make sense of it all, lol.
No, it's not that convoluted, but a fresh pair of eyes never hurt anybody.
That said, when the manuscript is down we'll probably be fighting like cat and dog over the changes. But I suppose a bit of artistic tension adds a tot of spice to life.

Anyway, so now you know.
Tara,
Reg. :-)

Today, at work, I was told that we could be on short time for the whole year. Then I was told we're not on short time until April. Why can't they just be straight with us?
How I hate their blackened, twisted, calculating, cold-hearted ways…
I know you're not interested but it's my Blog, damn it, and this is affecting my world. :-)

Anyway, I had a look at Frank Delaney again last night. There's so much to correct on it but I like it so I'm back on his case.
Tee, it'll be with you inside of this week babes, ok?

I've sent a couple of short stories off over the weekend, the Caesar (note the spelling Tee) is a vampire one and the war criminal in London. See if I hear anything.
Nothing from the publishers I sent my MS off to yet, but I can wait. Hell, it's not like I've any choice on the matter, is it?

Mmmmm, that's about it for now.
Oh, I read a great post on the "How Publishing Really Works" Blog, (should there be so many capital letters in that title? I don't think so).
It was about personalised rejections. You can find it at this link; it's quite interesting getting a view of things from the other end of the literary scope.

http://howpublishingreallyworks.blogspot.com/2009/02/personalised-rejections.html

I left a comment on it too, but hey, that's the type of guy I am.
Right kids?
Right Reg.
Take care
Reg :-)

Right, I'm back on track now.
The Apocalypse story is history.
I wasn't too keen on it anyway, it was trying to be too Blackadder-esque for my liking, with silly metaphors and obscure similes and the like.

The next one is in the New Weird genre, whatever that might be, lol.

New Weird is inserting the strange and phantastical into everyday situations, but with a disturbing undertone.
So no cuddly dogs telling jokes, more like angry Rottweilers exacting revenge on their master because they fancy his wife… or something like that.
Disquieting and bizarre would be a good way of describing it.
Anyway, that's what I'm going to do, take it or leave it.

It's not really my jig, to be honest, but what the hell, eh?
Who knows, I might get into it and do more than one?

Whatever, I'll let you know how it goes.
Have a nice weekend.
Reg

As if the week wasn't already sodden enough with Madame Fate's cruellest bile and spite…

I've just read the Australian Webzine thing that I was planning to send my (almost binned) apocalypse story to has had a change of heart.
Well, what I mean is that they've moved the goal posts on the criteria of the story they were advertising for, which promptly made my approach to the subject redundant.
I mean, lawks a lordy, it doesn't rain, it tsunamis.

This then, on top of the news that I'm on 3 months short time as of March and that it may go on through the summer, has somewhat poured a large amount of cold porridge into my favourite Y fronts, I'm afraid…
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!!!
GIVE ME A BREAK!!!



I'm sorry if you feel like I'm over reacting on the short story thing, but the short time has bummed me out a bit and I'm feeling a little fragile.

I don't know if you noticed.

Just ignore me, I'll be alright in a minute…

Well I didn't bin it after all.
George told me I'm only allowed to bin it after he's read it so I wrote a bit more.
It's ok actually, not my usual style but still readable.

I've just come off nights so I'm pretty tired. I hear my bed calling me so I'll leave you to it.
Night night.
Reg :-)

So I'm back.
No news though.
I had a great week with my family, which was spoilt only by their departure.
I spent far too much money and drank an inordinate amount of booze which I'm sure I'll pay the price for later on in life, but all in all we had a very nice time.

I still haven't heard anything from the publisher I sent my manuscript to. It was sent on the eleventh of december so an answer should be forthcoming in the near future... I hope.
Well, patience is a virtue not often practised, right kids?
Right Reg.

I'll get back to my short story tonight as well. I haven't touched it for a week and the idea I had has somewhat lost its shine.
I might scrap it and start again.
Not sure yet.

Ah well, that's it for now.
Reg :-)

Nothing going to be happening in the next seven days as my parents and youngest brother are visiting.
So, until they go it'll be a closed shop.
See you one the other side of next Sunday.
Reg :-)

Saturday was nice.
We held a reunion of the chaps who were once in QDG (my old regiment) and then stayed on in Germany after their time was up.
We were seventeen present, two AWOL and one left early due to sickness.
I can't tell a lie, it was far better than I thought it would be.
Unfortunately, due to the early start and the late finish, (first beers down the range at 1400 hrs, Steve kicked us out of the bar around 0500) I was rather under the weather on Sunday.
Yesterday too actually.
I'm not too perky today either.
So, needless to say I've done nothing on the End of the World story.

However, that all stops right here and now.
I am about to embark on another literary foray but this time into the world of Mayan mythology, Biblical apocalypse and seedy reporters who find the scoop of a life time only to end up dead with the rest of us.
That's not the story actually but it's along those lines.
Tara.
Reg :-)