Shallow Waters - Special Paperback Edition

I'm fortunate to have three stories published in several of Crystal Lake's Shallow Waters flash fiction anthologies. In honor of the Shallow Waters series coming to an end, Crystal Lake put together a special paperback edition containing about 100 stories from across the various volumes.

 

Two of my stories – Rattled (from Vol. 6) and The Perfect Match (from Vol. 7) – are included. 

 

An anthology like this, one you can thumb through, fold down corners, mark up, is an excellent way to find new-to-you authors, ones who will hopefully become favorites. It's also great if you prefer your creepy-crawly chills in small doses. When you've had your fill for that moment, just put the book back on the shelf, where it will sit . . . and wait . . . and watch . . .  

 

BUY ON AMAZON

From the back cover – 

"What you hold in your hands are not just stories. They are the nightmarish visions and eerie dreams of the most talented finalists in Crystal Lake’s Shallow Waters writing contest, hosted on their Patreon page.

Brace yourself to be unsettled, unnerved, and unequivocally captivated. Shallow Waters is not a book—it’s a portal to the twisted, terrifying, and tantalizing world of flash fiction horror."

The Perfect Match - Shallow Waters Vol. 7: A Flash Fiction Anthology

What happens when a car and driver find that the middle of nowhere might actually be the end of the road?

 

Find out . . . in my story "The Perfect Match."

*** AVAILABLE ON AMAZON ***

From the publisher - 

 

Take a Deep Breath and Dive Beneath the Surface of Shallow Waters—Where Nothing Stays Buried.

With 23 Dark Fiction & Horror tales diving beneath the surface of life, death, and the mystery that lies beneath. 

Volume seven includes suspenseful stories with themes of isolation, the drive-in, cars, love, tragedy and loss, post-apocalypse, and camp horror.

Spring . . . Back

Even though we were supposed to spring ahead last month, I pretty much fell waaaaaay back. In time, that is.

 

WRITING

I'm pretty sure the last time I wrote poetry was when I was in college  - over 20 years ago, people - so imagine my surprise when I managed to create some horror poetry for a contest. 

 

***

 

READING

I am so looking forward to upcoming releases by some of my long-time favorite, auto-buy authors: Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson, The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon and Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian. 

 

***

 

WATCHING

Movies - The nostalgia volume was turned to high around here as Pretty in Pink and Footloose had me tapping my feet. I somehow managed to feel both young AND old at the same time. 

 

TV - When my husband and I heard about the death of Larry McMurtry, we looked at each other and said, "We're watching Lonesome Dove this weekend." I read the novel before the mini-series came out, and it's safe to say it's easily one of my all-time favorite books. I fell in love with the mini-series when I first watched it back in 1989. Did it hold up for me in 2021? You better believe it! How could it not with Larry McMurtry's writing and starring actors like Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, and Danny Glover, to name just a few. 

 

***

 

WALKING

Hooray for progress! When I first started, I averaged about 1-1.5 miles each outing. Now, I average about 2-2.5 miles, and I’m inching up to 3. 

 

Miles walked as of 3/31/21 = 83.6/500. (Click here for what this craziness is all about.)

 

*****

Traveled down memory lane lately? Seen either of those movies or the mini-series? Made progress – no matter how little! - on any projects?  

Rattled - Shallow Waters Vol. 6: A Flash Fiction Anthology

What happens when Rosemary finds an old abandoned car seat that might have more life in it yet? 

Find out . . . in my story "Rattled."

*** AVAILABLE ON AMAZON ***

From the publisher - 

Take a Deep Breath and Dive Beneath the Surface of Shallow Waters—Where Nothing Stays Buried.

With 20 Dark Fiction & Horror tales diving beneath the surface of life, death, and the mystery that lies beneath.

Piece Meal - Shallow Waters Vol. 3: A Flash Fiction Anthology

What happens when a gumball machine dispenses something far more sinister - and sweeter - than candy?

Find out . . . in my story "Piece Meal."

*** AVAILABLE ON AMAZON ***

From the Publisher - 

Shallow Waters—where nothing stays buried!

With twenty-one dark tales diving beneath the surface of life, death, and the pain between them.

Volume three includes horror, thrillers, suspense, and stories of hauntings, monsters, clowns, twisted love, and the beauty beneath it all.

From the Ground Up - The Sirens Call

I am thrilled to once again be included in the Women in Horror Month issue of The Sirens Call eZine.

"From the Ground Up" (p. 177) is short on words but long in the tooth.

In more ways than one.

READ THE ISSUE HERE!

Popcorn, Please!

Did you know The Exorcist was the first horror film to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar?

Did you know Psycho is the first American film to show a toilet? It's also the first time we hear a toilet flush.

For more fun trivia, check out 40 Fascinating Facts About Your Favorite Horror Movies (MentalFloss.com, 10/23/17.) I love this kind of stuff! Here are a few more:

Robert Englund was not the first choice to play Freddy Krueger, and Sissy Spacek was not the first choice to play Carrie. Can you imagine anyone else in those roles?

Gene Hackman was supposed to star in and direct Silence of the Lambs. No Anthony Hopkins?! And speaking of Silence of the Lambs, remember Buffalo Bill's creepy dance? That wasn't in the script, but it was in the book, and actor Ted Levine insisted it be included to help explain the character.

Jaws is one of my all-time favorite movies for many reasons, but one of the biggest is that not seeing Jaws right away escalates the tension and the creepiness. But the real reason the shark doesn't fully appear until one hour and twenty-one minutes into the movie? Because apparently, the mechanical shark rarely worked during filming.

*****

Do you enjoy watching horror/scary movies? Have any favorites? Have any interesting movie trivia to share?

We All Float Down Here

Way back, in 1987, I read this:

Today, the pages are yellowed, the print is probably too small for me to read, and it smells like old books and memories. It's one of my favorite King books.

In 1990, I watched this:

Not on DVD but on TV over the two nights it was broadcast. I'm pretty sure I didn't sleep either of those nights or many of the ones after. Tim Curry terrifies me to this day.

In about a month from now, a new version of IT returns. While I'm usually skeptical of remakes, the trailers for this not only look true enough to the core story, but they also make me want to pee my pants. Seriously. I'm not sure I'll be able to see this movie in the theater.

I've included the teaser trailer below because it's my favorite so far. If you have two minutes to spare, if you're in a well-lit place, and if you're not afraid of clowns or red balloons, I'd give it a look. (Okay, honestly, I just don't want to be the only one with nightmares . . . . )

Have you read IT? Seen the original miniseries? Plan on seeing the movie? If so, are you brave enough to go to the theater or will you wait for viewing from the safety of your couch? Do you have any favorite horror novels or movies? 

Seeds of Bone - MicroHorror

It's not very Christmasy - not even close! - but if you'd like a small shiver that has nothing to do with cold temperatures, go on over to MicroHorror and check out Seeds of Bone. 

The Horror! The Horror!

Even though the title of this post is from Joseph Conrad's story The Heart of Darkness, we're not going to talk about books today. (Shocking, I know.) No, I need help with something else - movies. 

I am banned from picking the next, um, five to ten movies my husband and I will watch. Why? Because the last handful I chose pretty much stunk. Now, to be fair, my husband is a good sport. He knows how much I like a good horror movie and he indulges me in my (occasionally) odd choices . . . to a point. So, I know it's gotten bad when he says enough is enough. 

What I need from you all is help redeeming myself. Plus, I just want to watch some good scary movies for a change. Here's an idea of what I like (and my husband likes/tolerates):

Jaws

Psycho

Misery

the Scream movies 

the Paranormal Activity movies

Joy Ride

Jeepers Creepers

Quarantine

28 Days Later 

The Woman in Black

Dream House

Please share your picks for horror, scary, creepy, suspenseful stuff. Nothing too gross or gory or freaky, please. Older, newer, independent, black-and-white, all fine. If you're not sure it's horror - like, I don't think Jaws technically is but it scared me! - mention it anyway. 

And please, hurry. My husband is talking about us watching some sports documentary DVDs he's got hanging around. Help!