
The first project for Belfire Press will be Courting Morpheus, the long awaited anthology of short stories set in the fictional town of New Bedlam.
—Bob Freeman, author of Descendant
—Jeremy C. Shipp, author of Vacation, Sheep and Wolves, and Cursed

J. Bruce Fuller wears many hats in the writing world, and he wears them all well. 28 Blackbirds is a unique collection, dark and occasionally dreary yet always focused on the haiku moment. --Greg Schwartz, author of Bits and Pieces
J. Bruce Fuller's "28 Blackbirds" is to haiku what Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" is to apocalyptic novels. A masterpiece. --Charles Gramlich, author of Cold In The Light
Taking a cue from Edgar Lee Masters, Death in Common: Poems from Unlikely Victimsexplores the unique intersecting lives lived and lost at the hands of an allusive serial killer. The book features work by Wrath James White, Michael Arnzen, Mark McLaughlin, Marge Simon, Christopher Conlon, Bob Freeman (who also supplied the cover), and many others.- Mood:
drained

- Mood:
drained
http://www.belfirepress.com
Sometime in 2006, two writers spoke in hurried whispers… what could cause the wretched insomnia that had taken them over, compelling them to write words of horrors never seen, only imagined? What could keep them from finishing their works, from containing the monsters within, from binding them with one simple word? How could they find their way out of the darkness they called home…into a darkness of release at Morpheus’ hands?
The first project for Belfire Press will be Courting Morpheus, the long awaited anthology of short stories set in the fictional town of New Bedlam.
—Bob Freeman, author of Descendant
—Jeremy C. Shipp, author of Vacation, Sheep and Wolves, and Cursed

- Mood:
cheerful
Once upon a time there were three little girls. One was 16 and pregnant, the other was 8 and cheeky as hell, the last little one was 6, and -- as my father used to call us -- as cute as a bug’s ear (that’s a compliment, in case you were wondering).
Let’s call the oldest girl Suzy, we’ll stick with Cheeky for that middle girl (suits me anyway), and we’ll call the youngest Sally.
Suzy and Cheeky and Sally grew up together. Before them their dads grew up together (and occasionally stole stuff and got in trouble together as young lads, but that’s beside the point). When Suzy got pregnant young, Cheeky’s dad and mom kind of took her in, helped her raise Boy #1 and Boy #2. Father of said boy was around, I guess you could say, but that’s another story, and not for this blog.
Cheeky and Sally helped raise those boys, and they helped each other get through teenage angst. When Sally was going through a particularly rough time, for many reasons, Cheeky helped her get into counseling. Cheeky went with her to those first sessions, to help Sally get comfortable with her counselor, who was a lovely woman, thankfully. ]
Some kids grow up young. Some kids see things no kids should see, and some kids become parents. Cheeky and Sally took care of one another. They grew up fast because they had to, and Cheeky always promised she’d be there when Sally needed her.
Tonight Cheeky called Sally, because Boy #1 and Boy #2 are all grown up, and Boy #2 has gotten into a bit of a bad situation. Sally let Cheeky know about it recently, and it was time for a heart to heart.
Sally said something to Cheeky that made her cry. In fact, that silly old Cheeky is still misting up over it, one hour after she ended the call with fond farewells.
“You got me into therapy,” Sally said. “And I’ll never forget it. I always tell David (Sally’s loyal boyfriend), Cheeky saved my life. I was going through a really bad time, and she saw it, and she made the appointment for me, went with me, and got me into counseling. It helped make me who I am today.”
Cheeky says: “Well, it’s what I had to do. You needed it, and I had to take care of you. Stop it. You’re making me cry.”
“Oh no you don’t,” Sally says. “I’ll cry too!”
Cheeky is glad to know she could help. She never thought it made such an impact on Sally. She never wanted accolades. She just knew her friend was hurting inside, suicidal back then, and she did the only thing she could think to do: Made an appointment with a counselor for her friend, and went with her, to make it easier for Sally. Because she loved Sally, and still does.
Sometimes family isn’t about blood alone. Sometimes it’s about bonds that are formed before you’re born, and carry forward to the next generation.
- Mood:
wistful
I am an author of dark/adult humor and horror as well as the co-founder and associate editor at Skullvines Press.
Every Wednesday from 3-6pm EST, I cohost as Grimm on The Metal Crypt, which can be found at Hard Rock Radio Live, a top ten Internet radio station. It’s uncensored and pretty wild, playing hard rock and metal throughout with guests ranging from horror authors to rock musicians. S.D. Hintz, my good friend and owner of Skullvines Press, is kind enough to put together the YouTube videos of interviews.
I spend most of my days at home caring for my disabled wife, Robin, who suffers from schizophrenia and has appeared in the comic book,Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, #10. She’s a real sweetheart and her hallucinations, etc, keep things interesting when I’m not working from my own insanity. I was once diagnosed schizophrenic so I have literally been there and back. My skull had been shoved into my brain in a car accident in ‘92. Among many other problems, the bipolar region of my brain was swelling under the pressure and therefore kicking in overdrive. But as John Astin used to say in Night Court, “I’mmuch better now.” Having experienced it all firsthand, however, I know exactly where Robin is coming from when she’s having episodes, so I work with her to “talk her down.”
And there were a few years after my skull was fixed – in the late 90s – that I actually missed the unstable reality, so I did a lot of acid and shrooms while in Florida. Fun times. I never did anything stronger than that, though, and while I’ve nothing against pot, I never was a fan of it. I also wrote the first incarnation of the upcoming serial, FEAR THE WOODS, during those times, which was then titled THE OAK CLAN.
So anyway, there’s a little history to help in understanding whatever it is I write here. I hope it helps.
Promote without being a Pest
You’re published! Woohoo! Congratulations! Y
That’s great! But slow down. Take a deep breath and think about how you’re going to do it. With most publishers’ limited marketing budget, you get a pat on the back for understanding how important it is to promote your work, and you get a pinch on the cheek (any cheek will do) for having all that enthusiasm, but you need to go about it with a clear head. Once all your friends and family members have bought your work, it can be difficult to sell it. However, it’s incredibly easy to turn people away forever.
I’m no expert with all the answers, and I’ll never say that I’m always right, but here’s what I’ve learned about healthy promoting, or at least what works for me, and also what annoys the hell out of me (so chances are, they annoy other people, too). Whether you agree with it or not, I hope I can offer food for thought.
For this, let’s assume that your marketing budget, like your publisher’s, is scarce to non-existent. With the Internet, that’s not necessarily an issue. So let’s say you’re on MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, you have your own site with a blog, and you frequent message boards. You’re off to a good start, for sure.
First, a few things to consider with social networks: On message boards, remember that you’re talking to a fairly small group, and it’s likely that only a small percentage will buy your work. If it’s a board with more authors than fans, knock that percentage down further because everyone else is probably there for the same reason – to sell, not buy. The same goes with MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter: Got a lot of friends? How many are other authors who added you for the sole purpose of advertising their book to you? How many of them are likely to buy your work, let alone look at your page once in a while?
With the above in mind, it’s even harder to sell what you’ve got. So don’t be a pest and scare off what chances you do have to make some sales.
The most important thing is to sell yourself. There are so many books out there, they can all blur together regardless of their cool covers or catchy titles. But there is only one you, so use it to your advantage.
Before posting anything, anywhere, put yourself in the reader’s shoes and try to imagine the worst possible way that your message could come across. Let me give you some scenarios of what might be taken as pest behavior, and offer negative reactions to it from readers. It’s not necessarily how I specifically react, or how all readers will react, but we’re thinking of worst possible way, right? And trust me, it happens often.
Say you join a message board, and the very first thread you start is something to the tune of, “Buy My Book!” Your second is “Hey, check out my book!” And your third is “Have you bought my book, yet?”
Possible reaction: “Ah jeez, another spammer. Dude, who the hell are you and why are you interrupting us? I don’t care about your damn book so stop throwing it in our faces!”
Obviously, something about the message board captured your attention or you wouldn’t have found it. So mingle. Read some of the threads and post your opinion. Make some friends. Have fun. Then, if you make the occasional remark about your work, people are more likely to pay attention, perhaps buy something. And if you have a banner or a simple signature with a link, then every post you make comes with promotion without shoving it down anyone’s throat.
The same goes with everything else. Keep sending tweet after tweet about your book and watch how many followers you lose. Post one advertisement after another on your blog and then wonder why you’re not getting any hits. Let people know that you’re a human being. Get personal, and mingle. Post replies on other people’s blogs. Reply to posts on Twitter or Facebook, and try not to bring your book into the conversation unless someone asks. Surely, you have a bibliography page on your blog or website. And you have links to your site on the social networks, right? They’ll seek it out if they like you, not the literary equivalent of a spam bot. And for the record, I regard those irritating application invites as spam. If you have a few friends who are into that, cool. If you see the application on someone else’s page, cool. Otherwise, don’t throw all that crap at their doorstep.
So now you’re on Twitter, being yourself and everything seems cool. But you’re losing followers, anyway. No one seems interested. Look over your tweets. Are they anything like this?
“I’m getting ready to go to work.” “I’m at work. Going to get a donut.” “I’m home now and I’m hungry. All I had was a donut.” “I’m eating a sandwich.” “I’m tired.” “I’m checking my emails.”
Possible reaction: “Booooring! Quit clogging up my Twitter with this crap. What? This person is an author? I bet the books go like this: ‘John went to work. He ate a donut. When he got home, he ate a sandwich and checked his emails.’ No thanks.” Clicks un-follow.
You’re a writer. If you want people to be interested in your writing, don’t “write” boring things on the Net. This doesn’t mean every Tweet has to blow people away, but shake things up now and again.
Say you’re watching the news and something really pisses you off. You jump on Facebook and type: “All democrats/republicans/Christians are idiots trying to oppress mah rights!”
Possible response: “What a jerk. I’m deleting this person forever!”
If you’re talking about controversial topics, be sensible. True, people get offended by everything these days, and political correctness is boring, so what do you do? Well, for starters, don’t be hateful. If you jump on the Net and go off on how much you a group of people sucks, then you just alienated a ton of potential readers. And while it’s probably best to avoid political or religious threads on message boards (they usually end in flame wars), there’s nothing wrong with voicing your opinion, if you can do it in a polite and thoughtful manner.
Speaking of spreading hate, here’s something else: don’t be a douchebag. There’s being shocking, funny, rebellious, etc, and then there’s being a total ass. So many people think they’re being the former, when they’re really the latter. It doesn’t make you a bad boy or girl. It doesn’t gain readership. Sure, it can get hits to your site, but not in that, “Oh yeah, I’m gonna buy a book” kind of way. Even if you think you’re being clever by using alternate names on boards, there can be ways to get your identity if someone really wants to know. Just don’t do it. We all have bad days and blow up once in a while. That’s understandable. But if you’re running around going off on everyone and being an idiot, people will either get pissed at you or point and laugh – neither equates sales. Troll = pest.
Sure, if someone else is being a douchebag, tell ‘em if you want. It doesn’t hurt to speak your mind. But before clicking “Send,” “Post,” etc, consider it for a moment. If you really want it out there, click away. But if you don’t think any possible backlash, drama, or other such nonsense that keeps you from being productive is worth it, then hit “Delete” and move on.
Okay, one more, since I’m getting long-winded: Say you get on Facebook and think, “Hey, if I start a group for my book and a fan site for myself, I can invite everyone on it. Then, they’ll all love it, and me, and tell everyone else to join up, too!”
Possible reaction: “What the hell? I don’t even know this person and he wants me to be his fan? Aren’t fans supposed to create fan pages? Well, I’m not doing it.” Clicks ignore. Next week: “What?! He’s inviting me to be his fan again? Every week, it’s the same thing!” Deletes the person. Next week: “Another friend request from that fan author! Stop it!” Blocks the person. Then: “And now someone is trying to get me to join some group for a book I’ve never heard of. Fine, if they’ll stop sending invites, I’ll join it but I won’t look at it.” Later… “What’s will all the damn emails from this group? Arghhhh!” Leaves group and receives more invites to join it…
See the pattern here? If some people are seeing sales from that, great! But I imagine there are more annoyed people than intrigued.
Develop an honest fan base first and let it go from there. Otherwise, it’s an evolved version of what I’d mentioned earlier, where authors friend you so you’ll look at their book, with no care whatsoever about who you are. If you accept it, the next thing you get is an invitation to be their fan and… well, see above. Again, if enough people like your work, they’ll come together and either put something like that together or request it of you. Then, by all means, do it! But don’t force it.
So with all that said, if you’re not flipping the bird at the screen (yes, I saw that!), you might be saying, “What the hell, Jerrod? Am I not allowed to talk about my book?” Of course! Just in moderation. Even better, play it up in emails to those who conduct interviews for their radio show, magazine, or website. When something is lined up or available, post about that. Point people to reviews and interesting news related to your writing. And once in a while, post an excerpt or something. I’m not saying you can’t promote your book; just don’t be a pest about it. Balance it out, and have fun doing it.
-------------------------------------
Speaking of Mr. Balzer, you really should check out the archive of last night's THE FUNKY WEREPIG with Michael Knost. Our Jerrod literally peed all over the show! hehehee
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/The-Funky-W
- Mood:
amused
- Mood:
sleepy
Sometimes Louise is an idiot. Sometimes Louise forgets.

- Mood:
bouncy
Hey folks,
A most Happy Halloween to you all!
----------------------------------------
- Mood:
contemplative
Hey folks,
Many thanks to W.D. Prescott for hosting another guest blog from me. This one is entitled: Writing with Your Ego on the Backburner Hop overe here to check it out:
http://wdprescott.wordpress.com/2009/10/2
Hope you enjoy it!
----------------------------------------
And don't forget to check out the Dark Fiction Show this Friday for a special presentation! Guests will be Gregory L. Hall and Kentucky Hobbit Jason L. Keene!
Dark Fiction Show

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Dark-Fictio
- Mood:
content
Of Wolf and Man
"Christopher Fulbright's fiction is steeped in the classic pulp tradition, yet is always fresh, original, and wholly entertaining. If you want an author who can actually deliver terror, look no further. Fulbright's future is bright indeed." -- Brian Keene, author of THE RISING and GHOST WALK
"Christopher Fulbright's prose is as lean and mean as a starving bobcat. As you read, you feel each sentence come straight from its claws, quick and sharp. By the end you realize you've just been eaten...and liked it." -- Charlee Jacob, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of DREAD IN THE BEAST and HAUNTER
"Christopher Fulbright will sneak up on a lot of readers. His stories are sharp and deadly, like an assassin's blade on a dark night. Keep an eye on him, or you'll be sorry." -- Steven E. Wedel, author of CALL TO THE HUNT and MURDERED BY HUMAN WOLVES
T.L. Trevaskis
- Mood:
chipper
Hey folks!
First off, The Black Act arrived today! Yay! Those waiting for copies, they'll be coming soon!
Grab a copy now at:
http://www.amazon.com/Black-Act-Louise-B
Thank you, Doc Pus!
--------------------------------------
The Black Act Reading on Library of the Living Dead Podcast
Head over to the Library of the Living Dead Podcast now, and you can hear me read from The Black Act.
http://dr-pus.podomatic.com/entry/2009-1
Much thanks again, Doc! You rock!
---------------------------------
Check out my entry on The Dominatrix Pose Promo. Here's an LJ link to it:
http://louise-bohmer.livejournal.com/199
I'm making this promotion even easier for readers. Cause I loves ya. All you have to do to get your picture is tell me two other witches in The Black Act besides Anna and Claire. Then we just need to sell 1000 copies by September 22, 2010, and the picture goes out to all who send me the names of two other witches in the novel. It's that easy!
Send your answers to: blackfaery76@yahoo.ca or louise@louisebohmer.com
---------------------------------
Speaking of Library of the Living Dead / Library of Horror, my fellow Library of Horror author Barry Napier is running a great contest to celebrate the October release of his collection Debris. I'm really looking forward to this book. You should check out his contest at:
http://barrynapierwriting.wordpress.com/
You can grab a copy of Debris now at:
https://www.createspace.com/3403792
And check out the kick ass book trailer:
* * * *
That's it for now, folks. Off for a walk, dinner, and then more editing.
Louise xox
- Mood:
ecstatic
Don't miss The Funky Werepig this Sunday! It's a special Halloween show, featuring Mr. Brian Keene.
http://www.briankeene.com/
The Funky Werepig
Date: Sunday, October 26
Time: 9:00 PM EST
URL: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/The-Funky-W
And you can now check out past piggie shows at the Choate Road Piggy Page!
http://www.choateroad.com/werepig.htm
- Mood:
bouncy
I'd like to let you folks know about a wonderful new publishing company: Bandersnatch Books.
Rich Ristow
Scott Colbert
Bob Freeman
- Mood:
ecstatic

Autumn’s Midnight Sincere ....
As a narrow road climbs through a darkened dream,
I follow a cloudless sky, among a demon’s scream,
Where I, without restraint, dare to ridicule such horror,
I step back, ponder, and smell the putrid odor,
Of all the decay nestled between the fractured stones,
To the endless fields and caverns of discarded bones.
I have seen it, I know. Madmen can see through the night,
Where I open coffin lids with a faint candlelight.
Restless guilt, hollow glee, and sorrowful pain,
I answer to them, for I know they are sane,
Intoxicated by misery’s chilly air,
October night’s mist curled around my hair,
I feel the loss of blood in my core,
A spirit I shall remember no more,
For I have shaken off this mortal coil,
Alas, thou shall bury thy sadness within this soil.
Who, I ask, shall open such a grave?
A gentle autumn breeze comes my way.
I feel her touch; I know her nostalgia and beauty,
I keep her close and I know she shall fulfill such a duty,
To shelter a weakened heart from melancholia’s kiss,
To that devilish serpent and his eternal hiss,
From the ravenous stream of insidious delight,
Along Satan’s watchtower and his burning light.
No one shall see where the worms crawl through,
Into the emptiness no one ever knew.
I follow the wind to the graves below the past,
Closing my eyes, I walk aghast,
To the grave autumn has built in the hill,
I shall always and forever remember her still.
.. ..
Copyright ~2009~ Jeffrey L. Buford, Jr.
.. * * * *..

- Mood:
tired
- Mood:
happy
Joey was cool without trying to be cool. Me? Not so much...
- Mood:
dorky
Coming later this month, a special autumn poem from our pal Jeff (Bean) Buford.
----------------------------------------
October's Contributor

Autumn.
Just writing that word brings me countless joys. Brittle leaves crumbling under foot. A nip in the night air that makes you want to zip your jacket up. Barren trees with their extended, arthritic branches that seem to reach out for you with malevolent intent.
The first fire in a fire place to warm your feet and nourish your soul.
The days shrink, as the night takes control.
And the creatures of dark and blighted imagination take center stage. Thoughts turn to that one day of the year when we embrace our inner monsters. That one twenty four hour slice of madness and mayhem where we face every devil and demon; every ghost and ghoul; every vampire, werewolf, zombie and undead who make their presence known, demanding their due. We do the Monster Mash as Bobby Pickett instructed, we bob for apples in a tin tub of water, we roam candle lit neighborhoods dressed in our soul cleansing costumes in hopes of confusing the real monsters.
If you grew up in my neighborhood (Islip Terrace, NY) you avoided the high school kids who loved egging the younger kids. For those not familiar with this ritual of childhood, it involved older kids throwing raw eggs at the younger kids. Sometimes they took your pillow case full of candy, sometimes not. I suppose it depended on if there were any adults with you or not. Without exception, I remember trick or treating with friends and my sister, well, at least until she got too old to do so anymore. Yes, that’s right, when I made the rounds it was with friends. My Mom or Dad would drive us to the beginning of a block, and wait in the car until we went down one side of the street and up the other until we got back to the car (a ’74 blue Gremlin, but that’s another story). There was no fear of being lured into a stranger’s house never to be seen again, now did we worry about razors in the apples, poison in the candy, or any other deed most foul. Everyone knew everyone in the neighborhood and it was also a more innocent time, I think. In fact, the worst thing that could happen would be missing “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown” on our floor model Zenith with aluminum foil wrapped around the antenna. Aside from that and rain, the worst thing that could happen was being egged.
One of the last times I remember going out in my frayed, ill fitting pirate skeleton costume provided the biggest scare of my young life. I was with my friend Steve on his side of town (which was merely across the main drag), and it was only the two of us. I could be wrong about that, but it’s how I remember it. I know we were close to the railroad tracks, and Main Street High School, which was maybe a mile or so from my own home. It was pitch black, windy and cold. Some houses had their lights off-you know, the ones who pretended not to be home, even though you could see a tv set flickering inside. Others had plastic pumpkins with a flashlight tucked inside set out at the start of the driveway. A couple had some toilet paper strung like a spider web from trees (not surprisingly the same homes with no lights on), and many had no decorations at all-apparently oblivious to the holiday.
There was one house though, which defied all others. It stood as a testament to the owners love of all things black and orange. There were cotton cobwebs cocooning the dried tree limbs. Two dozen or so real pumpkins lined each side of their driveway, all with a candle planted firmly in the center. Each had a different and equally scary face carved in a crude, demented style. A skeleton hung from one tree, his eyes lighting up as we passed it on the way to the porch. On the porch was one of the biggest pumpkins I’d ever seen, bright orange, and all malevolent glare. There was no candle in this beast. Instead it was overflowing with candy. Not the cheap little boxes of dots, or plastic wrapped sour balls, no sir, here was the granddaddy of all mother lodes. Mini Snickers, 3 Musketeers, and Milky Ways fell from the opening. Steve and I looked at one another, jaws down to the ground.
“We could take the whole thing!” one of us said, with the greedy delight only a sugar deprived preteen could muster.
That’s when we noticed the scarecrow. It sat obscured in a dark corner of the porch, where candlelight couldn’t reach. I already had my hand in the treasure, Steve was getting ready to dig in, when it started to move. Slowly.
At first I thought it was simply a trick of my the eye, combined with the wavering shadows thrown from candle flames, but it continued to stand. Ripped jeans with hay protruding like broken bones, a flannel shirt with the yellow straw poking out. Leather gloves, grimy with dirt and god knows what else-it all came together as the scarecrow began to move in our directions. It’s arms were held out as if it were Karloff’s infamous monster, reaching, stretching, ready to claw at the kid flesh which had defiled it’s trove of chocolate.
“Take one, and only one,” it said in all too human female voice, though to me it sounded like it came from the pits of hell. “I’ll haunt you and chase you forever if you don’t!”
That was all we needed to hear, as we ran screaming down the driveway, flinging our pudgy little bodies to our respective homes as fast as we could. For weeks afterwards, I dreamt of that damn scarecrow, chasing me in my dreams, and trick or treating lost its appeal. I don’t think I ever went again.
That was over 30 years ago, and yet that one moment in time is still etched in my memory as if it happened last night.
- Mood:
amused
- Mood:
busy
- Mood:
amused
Hope to see some of you folks there.
Louise xox
- Mood:
busy







