A rundown

With the addition of "The Goddess of Bleecker Street" to my list of publications, I thought to take a minute to note how many different places I have been published. My last best tally is 34. My first publication was "Silvern" in Revolution SF in June 2003, and since then I have had 57 stories published.

Here is a list of the markets.

4 Star Stories (2)
Abandoned Towers
AlienSkin (3)
Andromeda Spaceways In-flight Magazine
Apehelion
Asimov's Science Fiction
Atomjack magazine
Astounding Tales
Bewildering Stories (9)
Beyond Centauri
Continuum Science Fiction
Dark Recesses
Darker Matter
Encounters
Flashes in the Dark
GateWay science fiction
Greatest Uncommon Denominator
Jim Baen's Universe
Kalkion
M-Brane SF
Neometropolis
Nova Science Fiction
OG Speculative Fiction
Planetary Stories (2x)
Ray Gun Revival
RevolutionSF (6x)
Science Fiction Trails (2x)
Shadowgate
Surprising Stories (2x)
The Fifth Dimension
Twisted Tongue (2x)
World SF Blog
Worlds of Wonder
Young Adult Literature Review

"The Goddess of Bleecker Street"

Ironically, on the day "Cowboys & Aliens" come outs, a story of mine which is completely different from anything weird or westerly I've ever writen gets published. The ezine Kalkion has published my short story "The Goddess of "Bleecker Street", a story in the form of a dialogue between a newspaper editor (it's amazing how many of my stories feature characters who are newspaper editors) and a woman who says she is now God - and wants to recruit him to join her pantheon. This story is pretty much a big horselaugh on the Singularity concept.

This is the 57th story I've had published since July 2003.

Here's a little background on Kalkion from its web site:

"Kalkion is a Literature & Science Fiction web-magazine. It is a collaborative effort of passionate writers who have come together for a noble cause. We publish mainstream literature as well as genre literature such as Science Fiction. The most important goal we have in mind is to publish aspiring as well as established writers. While we publish established and known writers we also encourage the new talent which can carry the baton to the next generation of SF writers. We are also creating an atmosphere of community where our editors will make efforts to work with the writers and improve upon their stories.

On Behalf Of Team Kalkion
Swapnil BhartiyaF
ounder, Publisher and Editor-In-Chief
Kalkion Group Websites

Cowboys and Aliens

Called Howard Waldrop Tuesday. I wanted to check to see if he and Lawrence Person will be going to see "Cowboys and Aliens" when it opens Friday. They will be, and they will review it for Locus On-line.

I learned that while he was ReaderCon recently he had trouble reading, and when he got back home the VA health people told him he's got some bleeding going on. He will be having some laser treatment Friday - and then going to see the movie.

Howard said the doctors found some "dead spots" on his retinas, apparently a side effect of diabetes. The laser treatment will stop the bleeding and prevent any more damage.

Hope it all goes well. It's great that Howard served a stint in the Army during the Vietnam Era and now has VA health benefits.

We chatted a bit about George R.R. Martin. Howard and George are contemporaries - Howard said George and he sold their first stories within a month of each other. Howard visited with George at ReaderCon; he said George had a signing the Thursday before the con at the Barnes & Noble in Burlington and peddled 1,600 copies of his latest book.

Back in 2006 Howard introduced me to Martin at Conestoga in Tulsa.

I told Howard if "Cowboys and Aliens" does big box office, he will make a fortune off "The Night of the Cooters". He said if the movie does well, Hollywood will think "Cooters" is a knock off (not bothering to note the copyright is 1985) and if the movies tanks, they will think he's writing in a dead genre.

"Music for Four Hands" on the way

I poked Lynn Stranathan at Yard Dog Press about the status of "Music for Four Hands. She writes back:

"We’re right on track. It’s in the hands of the printers. We should have books by mid-August—the pub date is Sept. 1. If nothing goes wrong with the printing, binding, and shipping, we’ll be right on track to premier the book at Dragon*Con."

Great news. Here is some info I pulled off the Yard Dog page for the book:

Available for Pre-order - "Music for Four Hands", fantastic stories co-authored by Lou Antonelli & Edward Morris. Due out September 1. “Outstanding and unexpected tales that grip the imagination and twist its tale.” —Joe R. Lansdale"This swell collection of four 2-handed stories has all the hallmarks of the best collaborative work: it doesn’t read like either writer’s usual concerns.” —Howard Waldrop

Here is the link:

http://www.yarddogpress.com/Music%20for%20Four%20Hands.htm

"The Centurion and the Rainman"

I've gotten my story "The Centurion and the Rainman" back from the editors at Buzzy Mag. Buzzy Mag is a new publication slated to start at the beginning of next year. It is being produced by Buzzy Multimedia. I have line edits to review as well as the global comments by the editor who read the story.

The comments and edits seems right on target, the story was read carefully. I have promised to have the story back to them by the end of August. Buzzy Mag is supposed to come out at the very start of next year.

Meanwhile, on the personal front, I am having more trouble than usual controlling my blood sugar. I think a lack of exercise is taking its toll. Since it has gotten so hot I really can't do anything outside by way of chores, I'm going to have to pick up the pace of indoor activity.

Short-handed

Between previously scheduled vacation time, illness, and vacancies caused by people taking other jobs, my department at work has been down at least 25% this past week, so I've been coming home pretty tired and not been doing any writing in the evening - or posting. But a new staff writer starts Monday, and no one else is scheduled for any time off for a while, so things look to be getting back to normal.

Updatatorium

Not much shaking genre-wise. I was busy towards the end of this week seeing a project to a successful conclusion at work. I think the special section turned out well. I have about nine stories in various slush piles, which is not bad. There were times when I was first writing that I might have twice that, but I've written up so many story ideas that I'm naturally slowing down.

Where were you when the lights went out?

I've been sending out letters to local Friends of the Library groups asking if they would have me for a guest speaker or host a book signing. It seems to be a good way to promote my books during the summer. I don't plan to spend any time in book stores until after Labor Day.

I have made up a letterhead with my book covers in Microsoft Word. I have been running it off and they typing up the letters on my Smith-Corona portable typewriter.

Last night here in Mount Pleasant a transformer blew out due to the power demand, and - at least at my house - we were without power for a little over two hours. I just carried the typewriter out to a table on the patio and banged out a couple of letters there.

I also wrote a letter to Howard Waldrop.

"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.