A Quickie, A Short Story--"Ring Finger"--And Rome.

Only one more teaser/sample from the second run promo push for my collection, The Dark Is Light Enough For Me, but since I will be finalizing everything for my trip to Rome tomorrow, I figure I will just catch up on a few things here, today, so there's not too much lag time between blog posts, and get to the last story--probably the best story; one of the best stories I've ever written--a day or three after settling in.  Resting. Dealing with jet lag.  Yeah, a day after or simply amidst all that.

What?

If you haven't been following along, paying attention, Rome is where my girlfriend lives.  It is also an amazingly inspiring environment for my writing.  Last year I wrote much there, including the first draft of a novel which will include the tag-line, Sex, Drugs, Rock 'N' Roll...and Cicadas!  This year I want to lock in with some pieces in progress, some new stuff, and do the revisions for that novel. And this and that and writing, man, let me say, no excuses, but sometimes the hectic world around me gets in the way.  When locked in and writing consistently, it does not matter, the words come, I get the work done.  But honestly, for a spell now, seems everything's been in limbo...but no more!  I demand of myself much focus and a LOT of words while there.  I NEED to get everything aligned and ride it not just for the time there, but for the rest of my life. See, while there, getting the rhythm for writing is what I know I must do.  I haven't got time to waste.  There's too many stories frolicking madly in my head.  I need to let them out.  I do this, haha...go through spells where the writing pours out, then spells of getting things aligned, but know that staying locked in is a key for me. 

What?

Yeah, just thinking out loud. 

So, writing and a massive amount of reading--a couple books from Laird Barron, the new Elizabeth Hand, a collection by Lucy Taylor, a novel by Jason Duke that I've already dipped into a bit and leaves me smiling, some Lucius Shepard--a mandatory fix--a bio on Percy Bysshe Shelley, etc.--are in order.

And breathing the Roman air with the woman I love. ;-)

So, you want something short and sweet to read?  How about my latest publication, "Ring Finger," at the new high quality SF, Fantasy & Horror mag, SQ Mag.  I like what I'm seeing from them and am quite pleased to be a part of the mix.  The story was written while I was reading the novel, Winter's Bone, that ambience, the chill...imbuing my words, though of course my story veers into something much stranger.  Here it is for your perusal. 

Also in the pipeline,  my bizarre story about Love lost, "Photograph," will be up as one of the weekly offerings at Phantasmagorium.  I will, of course, keep you posted when it hits the cyber alleyways because it will only be up for a week.  Also coming sooner than later, my story, "The Misfits Of Mayhem Meet Their Match," will be a part of the anthology, Peep Show, Volume 2.  This is most amusing as my story, "The Sunglasses Girl," was a part of volume 1, many years back--2004 I think.  (It was also written by my former alter ego, John Kiel Alexander; no, wait, it was written by me but published by him; no, wait, we are one and the same so...[head implodes].)

So there's the lowdown for the moment. 

Got it? 

Good!

Here's a photograph of...what?  Well, it is summer, the plan is to get a lot of reading in...so this young woman has the write, er...the right plan.  And with an octopus, too?!  Delightful!