The God and the Devil in the Details- My life shortlist

Posted on 01/27/2012 | 29 Comments

What’s news?

Not too much news on the writing/blogging front (besides the normal writing and blogging), but I thought in these recent days of so many free-books (fre-e-books?), I think it’s important that readers remember the wise words in this post by Glen Krisch.    “Amazon Select: My own reader’s guidelines.”  Check it out, then spread the word.

What does the future hold?

If you follow my blog, you’ll note that this isn’t the post I had originally planned for this week, but circumstance didn’t allow me the time I wanted to work on my intended piece.  But rest assured, next Friday, I’ll be posting “End of the World Stories We Hate to Love, Part I (The Bible through Y2K).”

But without further ado…

A few years ago, a friend informed me that she had started a running list of things that she liked and didn’t like.  And she wasn’t kidding.  She pulled out a small notebook that she carried with her, and already several pages were filled with short details of things that struck her on a daily basis as being either “good” or “bad.”

* not the actual notebook, but you get the idea

Continue reading →

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Interview- Seven Questions with Author Jeff Mariotte

Posted on 01/20/2012 | 18 Comments

What’s news?

Sci-fi/horror writer/blogger Julie Jansen left the following kind comments at Amazon in review of my novel, The Imaginings:

“I read this in an afternoon. The demon is like a horrific version of the baggage we all carry through life. I liked how the author made the demon emerge like a surge of emotion we’ve all experienced at one point or other. The book is well done and an enjoyable read.”

Thanks, Julie.  Wish I could say that I wrote it in an afternoon :)

For the rest of you, I would hope you pay a visit to Julie’s blog when you get a chance.  Click here.

What does the future hold?

Next Friday, my post will be entitled, “End of the World Stories We Hate to Love.”  (perhaps Part I of II.  We’ll see how long I ramble.)  There are a handful that popped into mind when I was trying to think of why we love apocalyptic stories so much, but I look forward to hearing your input, as well.

But without further ado… Continue reading →

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Of Mushroom, RV’s, and Ancient Evil: A Review of Jeff Mariotte’s “The Slab”

Posted on 01/13/2012 | 9 Comments

What’s news?

- I wanted to take a moment to thank Marie Loughlin for her review of my novel, The Imaginings.

To see Marie’s review at my Amazon page, click here.

Please visit Marie’s blog and check out her recent novel, Valknut: The Binding, which brings Norse mythology into a modern hobo subculture.  Intriqued?  For Marie’s blog, click here.

What does the future hold?

As a follow up to this week’s review of The Slab, next week, I will be posting my interview with the author, “Seven Questions with Author Jeff Mariotte.”

But without further ado…

From Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore:

In the grim days following 9/11/2001 three veterans of different wars, whose lives have been intersected by magic, find themselves thrown together in California’s cruel desert – while a group of serial killers ply their deadly trade, and an ancient evil grows beneath them.

Overall, The Slab appealed to me on multiple levels. Continue reading →

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al-Qaeda and Zombies: Is there a connection? Guest post by Dr. Kyle Bishop

Posted on 01/06/2012 | 25 Comments

What does the future hold?

Given this week’s topic, it seems fitting that next week I review The Slab by Jeff Marriotte.  If you’ve read The Slab, you’ll understand the connection.  If not, I’ll tell you next Friday (but it’s not zombies).  And the Friday following (1/20), I’ll be posing my Seven Questions to Jeff.

But without further ado…

As I responded in the comments section of last week’s post, if you would’ve told me twenty-some-odd years ago when I was in high school with Kyle Bishop that I would be featuring an excerpt on my blog from his academic text on zombie films in popular culture, well, my first response would’ve been, “What’s a blog?”

But there would’ve been several other questions that would’ve followed.  For one, I had no idea that Kyle was another horror movie fan.  And for another, at that point in my life, even though I loved writing stories, I was getting ready to major in Biology.  Continue reading →

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Interview- Seven Questions with Horror Writer Blaze McRob

Posted on 12/30/2011 | 51 Comments

What’s news? 

My lovely wife gave me a Kindle for Christmas.

While this is not as big of a coup as some other people I know receiving an e-reader (as one friend has said, “You’d have to kill me and put it in my cold, dead fingers”), it’s still a pretty big step for me.  For a lengthier discussion of this internal debate, you can click my second ever post on this blog, To ‘e,’ or Not To ‘e.’

Otherwise, I’m kind of excited that I’ll be able to read more of my fellow writers’ works, given my meager teacher salary.  Not that I’ll have more free time to read, but at least I’ll have plenty of options when I do.

What does the future hold?

Next week’s take on horror will be a little more academic.  Several years ago, a friend of mine, English professor Dr. Kyle Bishop, wrote his doctoral thesis which has since been converted into a book called American Zombie Gothic: The Rise and Fall (and Rise) of the Walking Dead in Popular Culture.  Next Friday I’ll be featuring an excerpt.

But without further ado… Continue reading →

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The Terrible Old Mr. Roogs: Conclusion of a two-part Christmas ghost story

Posted on 12/23/2011 | 15 Comments

What’s news?

- Two more writer/blogger reviews of The Imaginings!  I realize I won’t be able to post every review I get for my novel (or at least I hope it will get to that point where I can’t keep up :) ) but until then, The Imaginings was reviewed at Jonathan D. Allen’s Shaggin’ the Muse and Jill-Elizabeth’s All Things Jill-Elizabeth.

Thanks so much to Jonathan and Jill.

- Speaking of thanks, I have to say thanks to Rainy over at Rainy of the Dark.  She just put out the second installment of her YouTube project, 100 Worlds Book Covers.  In her words, “… a series to depict 100 worlds via fantasy, sci-fi, horror, paranormal, or thriller book covers.”  The Imaginings (with a short tagline) is one of the featured covers in this installment.

What does the future hold?

Just before we ring in the New Year, I thought it fitting to post an interview Continue reading →

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The Terrible Old Mr. Roogs- Part One of a two-part Christmas ghost story

Posted on 12/16/2011 | 25 Comments

What’s news?

- My first blog review for The Imaginings appeared last Saturday at the site of blogger/“the happy horror writer” Aniko Carmean.  Hope you’ll check it out.  She had some great comments and an interesting bit of food for thought for me about the ending (don’t worry, she gives a spoiler alert).  To read the review, click here.

- On the same day, I was also interviewed at Jonathan D. Allen’s Shaggin the Muse.  Jonathan had some great questions for me, and as always, he has provided some great visuals to accompany my responses.  To read the interview, click here.

What does the future hold?

If you think you know how this one is going to end up, you might be surprised.  Next Friday, I’ll be posting Part Two of The Terrible Old Mr. Roogs, A Two-Part Christmas Ghost Story.

But without further ado…

For any of you who don’t know, in addition to writing, I’m also a part-time Language Arts teacher.  I’m not Mr. Roogs (in fact, I’m pretty popular with the kids if I do say so myself :) , but there are definitely some days… Continue reading →

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Review/Discussion of “Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell.” And 7 facts about me.

Posted on 12/09/2011 | 17 Comments

What’s news?

Kate Evangelista from Kate’s Blog put The Imaginings out to her readers for review, and I wanted to take this moment to thank her.  If anyone else would be interested in reviewing The Imaginings for their blog, I would gladly provide you a coupon to pick it up at Smashwords for free.  Just let me know.

What does the future hold?

Next Friday, I’ll be posting part one of another two part serial entitled The Terrible Old Mr. Roogs.  I think you’ll enjoy it.  As the holidays are upon us, I’ll be giving you my take on a traditional ghost story.

But without further ado…

As I mentioned last week, as a part of being awarded the Versatile Blogger Award (thanks again to Blaze McRob), I am supposed to list 7 facts about myself as well as nominate someone else.  I’ll get to the former shortly, but for the latter, I’m passing this award to Jonathan D. Allen at Shaggin’ the Muse.  His blog is worth checking out, and if you haven’t read the interview I did with him, click here. Continue reading →

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The Death of Two Pigs: For Ray Avery (1950-2011)

Posted on 12/02/2011 | 21 Comments

What’s news?

I submitted a story this week for consideration into Horror For Good: A Charitable Anthology.  The proceeds from this anthology will be going to amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research.  They’ve already gathered stories from some pretty well-known authors in the field, and I’m hoping to number among them.  So think good thoughts for me.

(It was The Interview by the way, so I’ll be holding off on publishing that one until I’ve heard one way or another.)

What does the future hold?

One of the requirements of receiving my Versatile Blogger Award from Blaze McRob was to list seven facts about myself.  So that’s what I’ll be doing next Friday.  And don’t worry, I’ll keep them brief because I recently finished Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke, and I want to post a review while it’s still fresh in my head.

But without further ado…

I spent six amazing years in Missoula, Montana.  I will always hold a place in my heart for that town and the surrounding area, including Rock Creek, a small community about 25 miles outside of town.  It was in Rock Creek that I met Ray Avery.  Continue reading →

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One Night after Going to a Horror Movie… or … Why It’s Scary Being Me

Posted on 11/25/2011 | 29 Comments

What’s news?

After considerable debate, I’ve decided to put out some short stories in electronic form (with plans to eventually put out a collection, as well).  I won’t go into all the details of this decision (however, I’d love any feedback from writers who have experimented with this idea), but I did want to show you a working copy of a potential image in the hopes that you might offer your two cents.  If it helps form your opinion, here is the basic description of the story:

The Interview.  A short story by Paul D. Dail. 

Reporter Jay Kipp gets more than he expected from his interview with an old, blind homeless man calling himself simply “Phineus.”

What does the future hold?

I have a couple ideas that I’m batting around for next Friday, so for the first time since the beginning of this blog, I’ll just say that you’ll need to check back then.

But without further ado…

As some of you have seen from my post “10 movies that scared the bejeezus out of me” (and which has caused considerable debate), one movie that got me pretty spooked when it came out in theatres was The Blair Witch Project. Continue reading →

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