Two of my poems, Two Wrongs and Golden Hour (which are completely different from one another aside from the fact both have nature-y stuff in ’em) are included in this month’s issue of Dual Coast Magazine. It looks like quite an impressive line-up of contributors, including Milo James Fowler who I am always happy to share a table of contents with 🙂
“You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.”
Write 1 Sub 1 is a super supportive group of writers who, inspired by Ray Bradbury, have committed to write stories (or poems, or novels, or whatever) and submit them for publication on a regular basis. The hardcore members aim to write and submit one story a week. Some set their goal at one a month. The point, at least to me, is consistency. It’s easy to let our writing get lost in amongst all the other things happening in our lives and W1S1 definitely helps shine a spotlight on it and keeps you motivated and conscious of how much you are (or aren’t) doing in that arena.
I didn’t sign up for W1S1 this year, largely because my goals for 2014 didn’t include a lot of short fiction. However, I’ve been a happily participating member in years past and so, when submissions opened for Drunk on Writing, W1S1’s first ever anthology, I totally sent them my qualifying works. Happily, they accepted one of my poems, Broken.
Drunk on Writing has officially been published (yay!) but best of all, because of the terms of the contract I’m totally allowed to share it here with you for free. YAY!
You can download a copy of Drunk on Writing below.
I hope you like it 🙂
For some reason WordPress won’t let me upload the .Mobi or .ePub versions, but I have them! If you want one, just drop me a line and we’ll make that happen.
Enjoy!
My poem “Hold This Camel” and vignette “Memories” were both reprinted in this month’s issue of Hermeneutic Chaos. Neither were available online before, but now you can take a peek and give them a read for free if you are so inclined. And you should be. Because, c’mon! 😉
When I looked at the list of things I wanted to signal boost this week I actually felt a little dizzy. “How the hell am I going to fit Twitter, Facebook and blog posts for all those things in without sounding like a social media spam-bot?” I wondered.
Then I got smart and decided to just put all the things into one big blog post. Yay!
Firstly, check out this character portrait:
This is Bayne.
He’s a half-incubus swordsman who figures prominently in many of the stories I’ve written set in Aphanasia (Sister Margaret, Lost and Found and the forthcoming Shadows — which is subject to re-naming LoL).
Bayne is also the character I will be playing with at the Character Death Matches at Pure Spec next month and he’s also the only character from those stories who hasn’t been on a book cover… so didn’t have a portrait.
My daughter, Danica, felt bad for me as she watched me struggle to find a stock image I could crop, Photoshop or otherwise fake to fit my character and she drew this portrait for me 🙂 He looks a little younger in this than he is in the stories I’ve written about him thus far… but I’m taking this as a sign that perhaps I ought to write some stories about a younger Bayne… someday.
Anyway, I’m super lucky to have such a talented kid who is willing to draw character portraits for me. Thank you, Danica! He’s awesome and I love it 🙂
As I mentioned, Bayne features strongly in Aphanasian Stories. If you haven’t read Aphanasian Stories and you like straight-up fantasy, have I got good news for you.
This week I’m participating in #CreepyFreebies. As part of that I am giving away copies of the most recent issue of Niteblade and I’m running a raffle to win a copy of Aphanasian Stories.
However… there’s this t-shirt I wanted (Roots of Remedy) but my Paypal account was a bit short, so I spontaneously decided to put Aphanasian Stories on a super big sale — 70% off (Coupon code: VG96R at Smashwords — click here) to try to top it up a bit*.
That made me feel bad for having Aphanasian Stories as the raffled off item, so I’ll also be throwing in a copy of White Noise for whoever wins. And if you win and you already own a copy of Aphanasian Stories, I’ll give you something else instead. Because.
I’m not just doing CreepyFreebies though. I’m also taking part in #CoffinHop2014 🙂 This is a super fun little system where rather than interviewing one zombie author a day, Julianne instead asks several of us one question each day. The posts are pretty short too, which in today’s world full of constant distractions, seems like a good thing. So far the posts have included:
But wait! There’s more!
I was interviewed by Virginia from StarkLight Press recently to celebrate the launch of White Noise. It’s not a very long interview, only about six questions worth, but I really think it gives a lot of insight into what’s going on in my skull. If you’re even a little intrigued, it’s a quick read that ought to satisfy some of your curiosity. You can check it out here:
An Interview with Rhonda Parrish | Starklight Press
Annnnnnd there’s only a few days left to get your submissions in for Scarecrow and Corvidae. Our deadline is Halloween, which is my 10 year anniversary so you can bet I won’t be sitting at my computer watching midnight come around so I can officially cut off submissions, BUT if your work isn’t in my inbox by the time I get up on Saturday I won’t be able to consider it.
Related to anthologies, at the World Weaver Press hosted #SFFLunch last week we announced the subject matter for my next WWP anthology:
When submissions open (in 2015) I’ll be looking for siren stories to fill its pages 🙂
Lastly, I think. I will be attending World Fantasy Convention next month, as will several of the authors from Fae and A is for Apocalypse. I’ll post another reminder nearly the time, but just as a head’s up, C.S. MacCath will be having a reading where she’ll be reading from her A is for Apocalypse story, N is for… on Thursday afternoon (plus I’ll be reading part of it with her, so be sure to come by to watch me shake in my boots) AND Adria Laycraft will have a reading Saturday evening which will feature her story from Fae, Water Sense.
Whoot!
Unrelated to this post at all, but I have noticed that my website is running slowly these days. I’m in the process of moving domains over to a new host as they come up for renewal so please bear with me until that process is done at which time things should speed up significantly.
*Great plan except that the Smashwords quarter comes at the end of December LOL Oops. #brainfart
Each year Milo James Fowler hosts an event he calls Creepy Freebies where he invites horror writers to join together and give readers a little taste of what we do for free. Last year I joined in, and this year I’m going to as well 🙂
In honor of the season, and Creepy Freebies, please download a free copy of the latest issue of Niteblade, Porcelain Doll:
Click here (or on the cover image above) to go to the Smashwords page for Issue #29 of Niteblade and use coupon code GJ48A to download it for free.
This coupon will only work until November 1st, so don’t hesitate.
But wait! There’s more!
You can also enter to win a copy of my collection of straight-up fantasy stories (set in, as you might guess from the title, Aphanasia), Aphanasian Stories:
If we get lots of entries I’ll give away more than one copy, so please help me spread the word.
Aphanasian Stories isn’t creepy… not really, but it IS a fantastic collection that deserves a bigger audience than it’s had to date and I am offering a copy as a freebie so… there’s that 😉
ETA: Several days after I scheduled this I spontaneously decided to put Aphanasian Stories on sale at Smashwords (75% off using coupon code VG96R – Click here) Soooooo I’ll also give the winner(s) of the Rafflecopter draw a copy of White Noise.
My short story, Coming Storm, has been accepted for publication in a future issue of Shroud. I am *so* stoked.
Lately I’ve been writing a lot of things with a ‘magi vs mundane’ theme, but this is the first one I’ve sold. I began Coming Storm with the intention of submitting it to a speculative anthology about the American Civil War, but I didn’t get it done in time. And I’m okay with that, because Shroud!
The very first time I ever submitting to Shroud it was my short story, Spoiled Picnic. Editor/Publisher/Boss Dude, Tim Deal, accepted the story, not for his magazine, but for the anthology he was putting together:
Abominations.
My inclusion in Abominations was one of those pivotal points in my…is it too cheesy to use the word path here? Too bad :-p. My inclusion in Abominations was a pivotal point in my path, my career, the road that took me to here. It was a sign I was doing something right, encouragement to keep going when I needed it most. All sales are awesome and vindicating, but this is one of those ones that really, really mattered.
I’m much more confident now than I was then, but even so, sometimes I need those jolts, those ego boosts, those signs that yes, this is what you’re meant to be doing. And the acceptance of Coming Storm came at just one of those moments. The sine wave that is my confidence was taking a dip and I was having a really bad day, but my to-do list said ‘Submit Coming Storm somewhere’ so I did some research and sent it off to Tim at Shroud.
And he accepted it (very quickly).
And my day was made a whole lot better.
Circles… ya know?
So, what I’m trying to say is, Coming Storm will be coming soon to a Shroud magazine near you. I’ll let you know the details as I learn them 🙂
If you follow me on social media you have definitely seen me bragging about this LoL
This is the cover for the very first, Mythic Delirium print anthology:
How freaking gorgeous is that?
And did you look at the back cover? Halfway down the second column of names? THAT’S ME!
*squee*
I am freaking blown away that I’m sharing a table of contents with all those amazing people. Oh. My. Gawd.
Also? I’ll say a special oh my gawd just for Jane Yolen because, c’mon! It’s Jane-freaking-Yolen. Oh my gawd!
*deep breaths*
Okay… so… yes. My short story, Seedpaper, is included in this amazing anthology. And for the record? It’s not just me who thinks it’s amazing, this anthology received a starred review by Publishers Weekly.
Look at this table of contents and you’ll get an idea of why that might be LoL:
“Myths and Delusions: An Introduction” by Mike Allen
“This Talk of Poems” by Amal El-Mohtar
“The Wives of Paris” by Marie Brennan
“Cuneiform Toast” by Sonya Taaffe
“Hexagon” by Alexandra Seidel
“Unmasking” by Sandi Leibowitz
“Ahalya: Deliverance” by Karthika Naïr
“Katabasis” by Liz Bourke
“The Art of Flying” by Georgina Bruce
“Dreams of Bone” by Christina Sng
“India Pale Angel” by Robert Davies
“a recipe” by Lynette MejÃa
“Anna They Have Killed” by Jennifer Crow
“The Two Annies of Windale Road” by Patty Templeton
“Zora Neale Hurston Meets Felicia Felix-Mentor on the Road” by J.C. Runolfson
“Princess: A Life” by Jane Yolen
“Present” by Nicole Kornher-Stace
“Old Bone” by Sandi Leibowitz
“Backbone of the Home” by Lisa M. Bradley
“Flap” by David Sklar
“Rhythm of Hoof and Cry” by S. Brackett Robertson
“The Silver Comb” by Mari Ness
“Milkweed” by Cedar Sanderson
“Never Told” by Jane Yolen
“Foxfeast” by Yoon Ha Lee
“Seeds” by Beth Cato
“Seedpaper” by Rhonda Parrish
“The Onion Prince” by David Sklar
“The Girl Who Learned to Live with Bees in Her Hair” by Brigitte N. McCray
“The Giant’s Tree” by Yukimi Ogawa
“Two Ways of Lifting” by Virginia M. Mohlere
“Levels of Observation” by Kenneth Schneyer
“Cat’s Canticle” by David Sklar
“Nisei” by Beth Cato
“Echoes in the Dark” by Ken Liu
“Voyage to a Distant Star” by C.S.E. Cooney
“WereMoonMother” by Brittany Warman
Holy crap, amirite?
I get a free copy of this book because I’m a contributor, but I’m totally considering buying several more just to give out at Christmas LoL If you, too, are considering picking up a copy it’s currently available at a lot of places:
AMAZON: trade paperback €¢ Kindle
AMAZON UK: trade paperback €¢ Kindle
BARNES & NOBLE: trade paperback €¢ Nook
iTUNES: ebook
KOBO: ebook
…and if you’re coming to World Fantasy this year, bring it along. I think a lot of contributors (including the editors and myself) will be there and happy to sign it 🙂
My vignette, Memories, and poem Hold This Camel have both been accepted for inclusion in the November issue of Hermeneutic Chaos Literary Journal. Both of these are reprints, but Memories is one of my personal favourites, and Hold This Camel has never been available online before, so I can’t wait to share them with more people.
Hermeneutic Chaos have also offered to share audio recordings of me reading each of these, which I think is pretty cool. I’m not sure I’ll actually manage to record something I don’t hate, but I’ll see what I can do. November isn’t very far away though, so I’m not overly optimistic, but you never know… you never know… *fingers crossed*
Today I have a guest blog over at My Book Addiction where I’m talking about music and the apocalypse. I’m also giving away copies of Waste Not (and other funny zombie stories) *and* sharing excerpts from A is for Apocalypse.
Also? I’m giving away an electronic copy of A is for Apocalypse on the zOctober Facebook page today. It is also worth checking out
🙂
Just in time for zOctober (because, ya know, I didn’t have enough apocalyptic awesomeness to celebrate with A is for Apocalypse and Waste Not) I’ve released my zombie poetry collection:
Yay!
I’ve been meaning to put this collection together for honest-to-gawd years but things never seemed to work out, until now. That’s why, though I’d normally wait, set a launch date and try to build up some excitement and publicity before officially launching a title, I’m not doing that with this one. It’s ready to go, and so I’m going to set it loose upon the world before something else goes wrong to delay its release LOL
White Noise contains 20 of my zombie apocalypse poems, some of them are reprints (including the one which was included in Imaginarium: Best Canadian Speculative Writing [2012] and the one which was nominated for a Dwarf Star award) and some are being published for the very first time.
Ghosts of the city
peer out of the gloom
around him
As a child he’d loved it
when the ‘clouds fell down’
and cloaked his world
in mysteries
Now, though,
it was just one more thing
to hide the shamblers.
One more obstacle to
his survival.
One more enemy.
Amazon (paperback)
Amazon (kindle)
Smashwords
White Noise is $5.99 for physical copies and $0.99 for electronic ones.
Exceptions to this are if you buy a paperback copy (a great way to fill your cart when you need $5.99 more for free shipping, amirite?) you’ll get the Kindle version free and also, if you were subscribed to my newsletter yesterday you received an electronic copy for free.
“A collection of vivid scenes laid out in sharp and articulate verse, that when assembled, construct a grim narrative filled with tension, stark imagery, and unusual beauty. WHITE NOISE reaches in and evokes a visceral response— not always the one you’d expect.”
—Tim Deal, Shroud Quarterly
“In this collection of poems, Rhonda Parrish manages to capture all the emotions of life during an apocalypse: From fear and desperation to pain and sorrow. She even shows us love and hope. Some serious but most tinged with humor. This is a great collection of poems about the zombie apocalypse.”
—Carol Hightshoe – author of the Chaos Reigns Saga and Editor of Zombiefied I, II and III
“As soon as I read the first poem I was hooked! It was macabre but it wasn’t too far. Poetry puts our insides on our outsides and when it comes to zombies, well, that could get pretty gross in a hurry.
These poems were really good! They were passionate and made me think about zombies from new angles than I had thought about them in the past. There was a dash of the metaphysical put in and a lot of real living, non-zombie feelings as well. I’m going to go back for a second read, because they deserve it.”
—Virginia Carraway Stark, Starklight Press
My poem, Matches, is in the most recent issue of Ruminate Magazine, which was published just this week. Matches may very well be my most poem-y poem ever and I’m incredibly proud of it.
If you’d like to check out a copy of Ruminate I’m told the code TSAVE15 will give you 15% off either a single issue or a subscription 🙂
