"Fantastic Texas" now available via Kindle

I spent a little time over the past weekend setting up the account, and today "Fantastic Texas" was released in its Kindle edition via Amazon.

The collection was originally released in Dec. 2009, so it's been over a year and a half that it's been available in print. I thought it was time to encourage new readers with an e-book version.

If you want to order it, follow this link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B005C67GQS/ref=nosim/neweborel-20

More praise for the pen

Over at her blog, "Have Pen Will Write", Rhonda Eudaly has reviewed the Bic fine point pen I gave her at ApolloCon. Here is an excerpt:

"To promote my fiction writing, I work several regional science fiction conventions. During SoonerCon (I believe) in June, I noticed fellow author, Lou Antonelli had a pen I hadn’t seen in probably DECADES. The BIC Biro Fine Point pen with the yellow (or orange – depending on who you ask – like BIC) barrel. I don’t remember WHEN these went off the US market, but they’ve been gone a while. Several of us commented on Lou’s fine point BIC. Like others point out, this is not a sexy pen. But it’s. They’re known for good quality, sturdy, functional pens. This pen is high quality plastic in the standard hexagonal faceted body. But the ballpoint nib is a .07mm or less point. You can even find where they say online that the nib may be .07mm but the ballpoint actually writes narrower – such as Amazon UK’s description of 0.8mm tip 0.2mm line. LOVE THIS. But I’m a “finer is better” point person."

Go over to Rhonda's blog to read the whole review. She gave the pen a rock solid rating of 4 - not bad for a pen not available in the U.S.

Overseas subs

Doing the slush pile shuffle today, it happened that I shot off two stories to markets overseas. I sent "Pirates of the Ozarks" to Albedo One in Ireland and "Custodes" to Something Wicked in South Africa. I was looking around for some new venues, and they kinda jumped out at me. I've submitted to Albedo One before. but not often. I don't recall that I've ever submitted to Something Wicked.

Both stories are alternate histories slash fantasies. Neither magazine pays a lot, but they are well done and I would be proud to be published in them.

I have ten stories is various slush piles now, including "Watch What Happens:, which I finished Thursday.

Latest story

Back on June 21, in a burst of inspiration, I banged out a 3,000 word fantasy story "Watch What Happens" in two hours. I took that first draft to ApolloCon the following weekend where I read it on Saturday. I got good feedback.

Last week I spent most of my free time double-checking the galley for "Music for Four Hands", the chapbook forthcoming from Yard Dog Press that features four reprint tales by myself and Ed Morris.

I got back to "Watch What Happens" this week, and after a couple of rewrites I finished it tonight and sent it off the Ann Vandermeer at Weird Tales. I enjoyed visiting with her at ApolloCon and in this case I want her to have first crack. I'd love to break into the magazine.

This is the 94th short story I've written. I've had 56 published.

Fallout from "Cowboys and Aliens"

With the long-anticipated debut of the movie "Cowboys and Aliens" coming by the end of this month, I've been wondering whether it will create any more interest in the Weird West S-F genre.

That interested already seems to be increasing. In the July issue of Redstone SF, Henry Cribb has a column entitled "Cowboys and Aliens and Time-Travel, Oh My! – Tall-Tech Tales from the Weird Wild West.

In the course of his investigation he found Science Fiction Trails, and he had kinds words for "A Djinn for General Houston":

"Lou Antonelli, whose stories are collected in Fantastic Texas and Texas and Other Planets, also has a reprint in issue #5. In “A Djinn for General Houston” (originally appearing in Surprising Stories), the narrator spins a delectable yarn about antediluvian technology, offering to tell the ‘true’ story of the ‘Yellow Rose’ of Texas and the defeat of Santa Anna (and gives a reasonable scifi explanation for Aladdin’s lamp along the way). "

If you want to read the entire article, head thisaway.

This and that

A few posts ago I mentioned that two stories in Issue No. 6 of GUD earned Honorable Mentions in the “The Year’s Best Science Fiction 28th Annual Collection” published by St. Martin’s Griffin and edited by Gardner Dozois, forthcoming July 5, 2011, my story “Dispatches from The Troubles” and “What Happens in Vegas” by Caroline Yoachim.

I posted that info on the GUD Facebook page. Steven Dines noted that his story "Lost Lying on Your Back" made the HM mention list in Ellen Datlow's annual best horror anthology. That story was published in GUD No. 5. Congrats!

I've noticed a number of Facebook friends citing their HMs.

I went to the local Hastings book store today and ordered the anthology. It probably won't take long for it to arrive.

When I proofed the galley of "Music for Four Hands", it had a date of Sept. 1, 2011, so I assume that will be the publication date.

"Music for Four Hands"

Sent off the list of galley corrections to Lynn Stranathan at Yard Dog Press for the upcoming chapbook "Music for Four Hands". The publication date is currently set for Sept. 1 Lynn said my list was "awesome" and Ed Morris - my collaborator - said my list was "perfect". I hope so, but I know from hard experience typos always creep into print. The goal is to make them look innocuous and harmless instead of stupid and careless.

"Music for Four Hands" is made up of four stories written my Ed and Myself:

* “Off the Hook” was published in Dark Recesses, Dec. 2007
* “Acroscaphe” was published in Planetary Stories, Jan. 2009
* “Stairway to Heaven” was published in Encounters, Nov. 2009
* “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” was published in The Fifth Dimension, Dec. 2009

We have blurbs from Joe Lansdale and Howard Waldrop: Joe said "Outstanding and unexpected tales that grip the imagination and twist it's tale." Howard's take was "This swell collection of four 2-handed stories has all the hallmarks of the best collaborative work: it doesn’t read like, nor is the subject matter, like either writer’s usual concerns.”

Needless to say, Edward and I are thrilled and look forward to its release.