Dark Harvest: Six of the Best with Anna Reith

Whenever I pull together an anthology, I'm always keen to include Anna Reith's writing. She totally hits the mark for me. Her tales might not move quickly but they are lush and evocative, and filled with mood, texture and colour. So, she was perfect for Dark Harvest, which is available in print, Amazon, Kobo and Nook. But... Over to Anna.

Tell us about your story. Where did you pick up the story seeds?

The Weeping Blade is a tricky one. It’s probably one of the weirdest stories I’ve written to date, in several ways. It’s to do, loosely, with how places are altered by habitation, and how we’ve altered ourselves, and our perceptions…and maybe a little to do with how thin that veneer of civilisation is. That said, most of it is really quite light-hearted, and I think that was my inspiration. We often cope with the more terrifying aspects of our humanity—and our mortality—either through humour, or the prosaic mentality that Six has in the story.

What creeps you out?

It’s terrible, I know, because they’re very beautiful and interesting critters, but I have a mild almost-phobia of slugs. This is due to a house I once lived in—it was like The Amityville Horror, but with hygroscopic mucus instead of blood.

That aside, I think the scariest things are those we don’t face head-on: not just our worries, fears, or skewed perceptions, but the actual nature of our reality. We understand so little about the universe, and while the limitless potential in it is fascinating, it also makes human beings seem extremely small. The way in which we’re basically hard-wired not to explore that, mentally, is pretty creepy.

Why do you love dark/unsettling fiction?

Well, following on from the universe and infinity, I think weird fiction is the perfect medium to delve into that. It’s the place to put aside conventions and examine the unknown and unseen; the shadows at the corner of our eyes, which are never there when we turn around. Of course, the question is whether there’s genuinely “something out there” that we have yet to understand, or whether all those shadows are simply reflections of us.

What are you working on now?

I…have too many things to do. *grin* My output’s been slowed due to ill health and upcoming surgery, but I’m polishing up the first instalment of a sci-fi series and working on two dark fantasy novels, alongside the forthcoming sequel to my murder-mystery-glam-rock-fantasy-thing Dead in Time. I also hope to be adding some new short stories to my website soon—it’s been a while since I released any new free reads!

What’s the most unexpected thing people discover about you?

That I’m not Polish, I think. A lot of people I meet seem to assume I’m Polish, Czech, or American, for strange and unspecified reasons. Either that, or the fact I knit and quilt a little bit (I studied textile arts for a while). Not sure why this is unexpected, but apparently it is.

Tell us a little more about what you’re reading at present?

Right now, I’m hip-deep in some research reading for a couple of different projects, so I haven’t been reading much fiction. The Christmas Book Fairy did kindly bring me the autobiographies of Frederick Douglass, however, which are a gut wrenching but extremely powerful read. I’ve also really enjoyed Olive Moore’s Spleen, which I hunted down after seeing the sculpture of her by her husband, Sava Botzaris, and deciding I needed to read everything she’d ever written. Lovely, lucid prose dripping with 1930s aesthetics…I think she’s justly described as a blend between Virginia Woolf and Djuna Barnes. Beyond that, I have a To Be Read list longer than my arm, so one thing I’m hoping 2014 brings is the opportunity to catch up on some of it!

For the things I’m getting up to this year, free reads, and associated stuff, you can find me at www.annareith.co.uk or www.specks-of-infinity.tumblr.com

Dark Harvest: Six of the Best with Autumn Christian

Autumn Christian writes the kind of fiction that fills your ears with moth wings and sibilant whispers. That's the only way to describe it. And I'm totally stoked to have her on board as one of the Dark Harvest contributors. You can pick up Dark Harvest in print, on Amazon, Kobo and Nook.

Welcome, Autumn, tell us about your tale. Where did you pick up the story seeds?

Crystalmouth is a dark fantasy about two siamese twin sisters who are stalked by an incubus. I've always been fascinated by conjoined twins, and the relationship they must have. What happens when two girls made to feel like a monster encounter a monster?

What creeps you out?

Mostly everything on earth - especially babies, dark rooms, and other people. I cross the street to avoid acquaintances because I've forgotten their names. I run out of parties with panic attacks. When I was twelve I was convinced I was being stalked by some consort of the devil who only appeared whenever I closed my eyes. I close my eyes in horror movies when someone's eyes are about to be gouged out. I'm terrified someone I hate is going to propose marriage. Maybe one day I'll wake up and find myself on a bed in the middle of the ocean - with no recollection of how I got there.

Why do you love dark/unsettling fiction?

That's a good question, why am I attracted to things that I find horrifying? I'm actually quite a sensitive person, with a sensitive stomach, and yet I'm attracted to gore, melancholia, and everything disturbing. It's a genre that sort of has belonged to me since I was a child - I remember being given BabySitter Club books and ditching them for Goosebumps. Who gives a fuck if Sally Whatever gets a boyfriend, I want to read about dancing skeletons and vampire poodles. I have a strong attraction to the unknown and the mysterious. In a world where anything is possible, what will be the outcome? And if I was thrust into a similar situation, how would I react? If I was being chased by a fanged, spit dripping rabid vampire poodle, would I escape, or join the ranks of the living dead? I love dark and unsettling fiction because it's always a question, and the story an exploration of that question.

What are you working on now?

I'm working on a few short stories, attempting to be a better human being, and a short novel about aliens, demons, and cannibalism that I'm hoping to release later this year. Last year I focused on being happy and failed miserably, so instead I think I'll just focus on writing more. I'll also have paperbacks out of my novels, We are Wormwood and The Crooked God Machine soon. And then I'll throw a party.

What’s the most unexpected thing people discover about you?

This is difficult - that I'm a lesbian? That I'm really short? That I'm incredibly shy in person, or that I'm not shy enough? I have a lot of crazy stories - including one where I got someone to drop a gun with a wrist lock. Six years of martial arts training paid off.

Tell us a little more about what you’re reading at present?

I'm a bit of a grazer when it comes to books, so I'll often have several on rotation. I'm currently reading Rab Fulton's Galway Bay Tales, as well as A Greater Monster, Nightwood by Djunes Barnes, my own book that I'm attempting to edit, and The Shining Girls.

Links
See Autumn's website, follow her Twitter @autumnxtian or go like her Facebook page.

Dark Harvest: Six of the Best with Sonya Clark

Dark Harvest collects some pretty awesome authors. Okay, well, that's my opinion because I'm the editor and I picked the authors because I think they rock. Tonight's special feature is none other than Sonya Clark, who's certainly an established guest here. She's got a lovely novel out with Carina entitled Trancehack, which she terms as witchpunk. Go check it out. 

For now, she's here to chat about the story that appears in Dark Harvest. So, Sonya, tell us about your story, Musicmage? Where did you pick up the story seeds? 

Musicmage is about a mage given one weekend out of an asylum to help solve a murder, but she’s more interested in chasing the music that feeds her magic. The seeds for this story blew into my head from a variety of places. My own love of both music and magic made combining the two feel natural. I also had the desire to write something with a bit different tone than what I normally write. Short fiction is a great way to experiment. Around the time I was fiddling with ideas, I stumbled across some David Garrett videos. His version of Kashmir made its way into a scene in the story.

What creeps you out?

Clowns. Toys that come to life by themselves. Clowns. Weird smells. OMG, clowns. I have some serious clown-fear thanks to Stephen King’s IT. One of these days I’m going to have to face that fear by writing a story - one that involves flamethrowers. “Clown meets business end of flamethrower” sounds like a good idea for a therapeutic story, LOL.

Why do you love dark/unsettling fiction? 

I think it’s a healthy way to deal with our fears and nightmares, and the dark parts of ourselves that aren’t strong enough to dominate our personalities but still exist and need expression. Plus, sometimes it’s just fun to get down with the spooky.

What are you working on now? 

Right now I’m getting started on the third book in my Magic Born trilogy. I’m also tinkering with a few short story ideas.

What’s the most unexpected thing people discover about you?

It seems to really catch people by surprise that I don’t just like music, but that I know music history. And it does seem like that surprise is at least a little bit of a gender thing - “why does a girl know so much about Robert Johnson/Led Zeppelin/whoever?” It’s really blown some minds that I’ve been to all three of Robert Johnson’s gravesites. I love music history, I love knowing the stories behind the songs and albums, the life stories of the musicians and what drives them. I love music-related sites and museums, and since I live about halfway between Nashville and Memphis I’ve been fortunate to visit some really fantastic places. I love new music too, both new-to-me and brand new releases.

And I love being able to infuse my fiction with my love of music. ☺

Tell us a little more about what you’re reading at present?

I was given several books on writing for Christmas so I’ll be working my way through those over the next several months, in my own sort of “home school for writers” thing. Having been published doesn’t mean a writer is through learning the craft. There’s always more to learn, and there’s always room for improvement. So I study and work.

I also read for fun, and I think a writer can learn from that, too. But we all start out as readers first, right? Lately I’ve been reading my way through the Psy-Changeling series by Nalini Singh, along with my usual mix of urban fantasy and romance. I’ve got a book by fellow Dark Harvest contributor Amy Burgess waiting on my Kindle – The Circle: Blood Gift. And of course I’m reading the rest of Dark Harvest, one story at a time. As I make my way through it and take in the diversity of stories and level of talent, it makes me even more proud to be a part of this anthology.

About the author:
Sonya Clark grew up a military brat and now lives in Tennessee with her husband and daughter. She writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance with a heavy helping of magic and lots of music for inspiration. Learn more at her website and follow her on Twitter.

Buy Dark Harvest in print, on Kindle, Kobo or Nook.

Dark Harvest: Six of the Best with Amy Lee Burgess #horror

Today I have Amy Lee Burgess over. Some of you might know her as the mastermind behind The Wolf Within series or would have recently learnt about her through her The Circle: Blood Gift novel. Well, she's also a contributor to Dark Harvest, and I'm really chuffed to have her over for a little Q&A. So, Amy, tell us about your story. Where did you pick up the story seeds? 

I was having a hell of a time coming up with an idea that incorporated the concept of Dark Harvest so I actually Googled the phrase and then hit Images. I found a gorgeous painting of a woman, her blonde hair flowing down her back as she walked across a dark meadow to join a Celtic Samhain ceremony. I decided to write her story only I made her a Wiccan in modern day New England. She was walking with her coven into a graveyard to pay respects to a dead member. She turned to her group and said, “This is a ceremony of remembrance not resurrection.” After that the story clicked into place for me and I wrote it in a white heat over the course of the next two hours.

What creeps you out?

Bugs. Things with stingers especially. Spiders (although I try not to kill them). Small Texas towns on Saturday afternoons in the Wal-Mart parking lot where the local teens gather to socialize never understanding that most of them will never get out and end up getting married after high school and living small, miserable lives where the highlight is going to Wal-Mart, drinking, and watching sports. Horrifying.

Why do you love dark/unsettling fiction? 

It exposes people.  Strips them down to their basic elements where they discover their strengths and prevail or fall victim to their weaknesses.

What are you working on now? 

Three short stories, the second novel in a vampire series, and getting a gargoyle shape shifter novel ready to shop around. Oh, and a blog tour. I should have added “writing guest posts for blogs” to the “What creeps you out” question.  t’s like taking a tour of hell barefoot sometimes trying to come up with something interesting. The woe is so very me.

What’s the most unexpected thing people discover about you?

That I have a wicked sense of humor when you get to know me. And that I’m snarky as hell. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard “But I thought you were so NICE, Amy” I could probably buy a really good bottle of champagne. And I’d drink it all myself too. No sharing.

Tell us a little more about what you’re reading at present?

Right now I’m rereading G.A. Aiken’s Dragon Kin series. And laughing my ass off. Lusty, brawling Scottish dragons who can shift into

hot, arrogant, gorgeous humans. Stuck-up bastards make me laugh so hard. Romance with a sense of humor is the best.  The fight scenes are kick ass and the sex scenes are even better.  And there’s all the laughing.

Dark Harvest is available on Amazon, Kobo and Nook. Go feed your reader now!

Dark Harvest: Six of the Best with Toby Bennett #books

If you're yet to pick up a copy of Dark Harvest, get thee hither to Amazon, Kobo or Nook. Today, however, I welcome one of the contributors, Toby Bennett to my spot to chat about his story and writing in general. Welcome, Toby. Tell us about your story. Where did you pick up the story seeds?

Oh, starting with a toughie eh? Like I’m supposed to know what goes on in the bubbling recesses of this quivering sponge I keep on my shoulders! I guess I just liked the idea of a monster being born and I suppose if you looked deeper you might find something about not being everything your creator hopped you would be, but being ready to improve yourself. As usual I find myself emphasising with the freakish and bizarre… I forbid any one to read anything into that!  If I’ve managed to add a certain creepiness to the simple idea of being stitched together with a few people you’ve got to know quite well, then my work here is done.

What creeps you out?

Nothing! I’ll never tell … is one of you hiding under my bed?

I’ve always been a bit disturbed by transformations both physical and psychological, the idea that the things and people we take as certain could shift into something else. That works for everything from Norman Bates to the Wolfman. It’s like missing your step in the dark – something to get the heart fluttering… oh yes and I’m afraid of the dark!

Why do you love dark/unsettling fiction? 

I often wonder if one of the reasons we like darker stories is because it allows us to examine the strange and disturbing in a safe environment. Horror stories let us prod at the little inky thing at the back of our minds while keeping it safely in a nice literary test tube… unless, unless that wasn’t the cat coming in through the flap, what if just thinking about them brings them to you? Was that a creaking on the stairs? You really shouldn’t read so late, you’ll never sleep now. Should you even try to sleep? They might be outside now! Is the door knob moving ever so slowly?!

That’s why!

I mean after all “What is this life if full of care – we have no time to enjoy a good scare.”

What are you working on now? 

Most recently I’ve finished a collaborative novel with my most excellent colleague Mr. Benjamin Knox. If you like dystopian futures, vampires, plagues and fiendish medical conspiracies then I think it will be for you. I also threw together a few stories over the festive season for my Creepy Christmas collection and you can look forward to a story in the upcoming The Sea anthology. This year I have a number of things I should be doing and oh so many sweet and bloody songs I’d like to sing but no promises on anything particular right now.  

What’s the most unexpected thing people discover about you?

I’ve been dead for more than a thousand years? My nipples have their own chat show? My favourite colour is not blue!

Yes, I am using humour to deflect any real answer to this question… what of it?

I mean think about it, the moment I tell you what is unexpected about me… well, you’re going to expect it aren’t you! We could be here all day. No, better I remain an enigma, wrapped in a riddle, gently simmered in intrigue…

Oh alright, I’m a goat with a rubber mask and no one has noticed… are you happy now!?

Tell us a little more about what you’re reading at present?

It’s all a bit hectic on the reading front right now. I finally scraped what few pennies I have together and got myself an entry-level tablet since then I’ve been able to get back into reading of an evening. Inevitably that means I’ve been reading a fair amount of Lovecraft and steam punk. I also recently laid hands on Robbin Hobb’s Farseer series again so, yeah good times, good times.

Afraid I’m not much when it comes to author name dropping or knowing what the next big thing is – I shall certainly be downloading Dark Harvest and giving it a whirl… see you all there.

Check out Toby's website at www.thedragontower.co.za 

Dark Harvest: Six of the Best with Rab Fulton

Rab Fulton needs very little introduction to regulars here at my spot. Recently I edited his novella, Transformation, which is a twisted kinda half-fairytale, half-romance yarn with some horror elements thrown in for good measure. I can't really come up with a pinpointed description save to say, if you love tales involving Ireland, then this one will definitely be memorable. Having been to that merry green land myself, I was was immediately transported into a serious dose of nostalgia while reading.

Anyhoo, Rab is one of the contributing authors in Dark Harvest, a collection of short stories recently released via Dark Continents Publishing. A very big welcome to him today to chat a little more about his art. 

Tell us about your story. Where did you pick up the story seeds?

This story was written during an awful bout of depression following 9/11. Like most people I was horrified by the events of 9/11 but that horror was deepened and darkened by the propaganda on all sides - whether anti-Islam or anti-American. I guess I was fortunate in that I was in a position to talk to both young Americans and Muslim refugees in the immediate aftermath. Far from either group fitting into trite and dangerous stereotypes I was surprised by the shared grief and common sense of the men and women I talked to. There was much disagreement but it was reasoned and rational. Those conversations didn't just give me another insight to the aftermath of 9/11 but they managed to lift me enough so that I could set down a response to the ugly propaganda that was polluting the planet. However I had to be very careful not to fall into propaganda myself. I am an atheist but I did not want this to perceived as an anti-religion or anti-god work. The result is one of my darkest pieces of writing but hopefully it will still strike people as beautiful.

What creeps you out?

Mirrors in dark rooms. I keep thinking I'll see the faces of dead
friends in them...

Oh aye, mirrors get me too. When I was staying in a hotel in Killarney in Ireland I was so creeped out by the mirrors in the room I had to cover them with my spare blankets. Why do you love dark/unsettling fiction?

Dark fiction can push boundaries and twist expectations in powerful and shocking ways. It makes the reader doubt the reality they exist in, makes them aware that there are other things beyond our ken - some of which are incredibly malevolent and will destroy you if they can.

Coming from Scotland and Ireland, I was very much brought up with an awareness of the dark side to stories. Irish and Scottish fairies are seldom pleasant beings - and the ways of dealing with them can also be pretty savage. Its something I've long played with, most notably in my books Transformation and Galway Bay Folk Tales. Favourite dark tales would include The Mountains of Madness by HP Lovecraft and from Robert Louis Stevenson The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde or The Beach of Falesa.

What are you working on now?

Oh I'm up to my eyes just now. I'm trying to find the time to finish the draft version of my blog novel Marcus Marcus and the Hurting Heart. The final five chapters are sketched out but finding time to write them is difficult. The draft has to be finished by the end of this month as I'm doing a reading from the book in February at the Muscailt Arts Festival, which originally commissioned the story. But I'm also having to prepare for a theatrical tour in Ireland and a storytelling tour in the UK. Oh yeah add in raising two young boys and you can imagine I'm a little bit frazzled at the moment

What’s the most unexpected thing people discover about you? 

I'm shorter than I look!


Tell us a little more about what you’re reading at present?

At the moment I am reading The Ballad of Reading Gaol by Oscar Wilde. It is one of the darkest and most unsettling pieces ever written in the English language. It is a fictionalised account of the years Oscar Wilde spent in gaol after he was convicted of being a homosexual. The core of the story is the hanging of a murderer and the impact waiting for the killing has on the other prisoners, including Oscar Wilde. Some of the images are just so eloquent yet utterly terrifying, like the Lord of Death with his icy breath and the dance of the evil sprites the night before the hanging of the murderer. It is prison writing as important as any of the work by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn that exposed the horror of Stalin's prison state. Oscar Wilde's poem equally exposes the savagery at the heart of the British Imperial system but sadly it is a work that is little read.

Perhaps there are just too many truths in it...

Oh and i'm also reading Winnie the Pooh. There are some lovely understated moments in those stories like when on a rainy day Pooh manages to float to Christopher Robin on an empty honey pot. He tells Christopher that the pot is either a boat or an accident depending on whether he is on top of it or underneath it. My boys find that hilarious!

Links
Rab's website, Marcus Marcus blog, Transformation, Galway Folk Tales.

Dark Harvest: Six of the Best with Don Webb #horror

Don Webb's been around writing wicked words for quite a number of years now, and when he submitted his story, Nailing it Down: The Doom that came to Ool Athag to Dark Harvest, I was overjoyed. Today he stops by for a good, old-fashioned Six of the Best. 

Tell us about your story. Where did you pick up the story seeds?

My story is about perception. All human horror stories are based on how we see the world – which is a consequence of our biology. We like bilateral symmetry because we have it. We think “up” is good, “down” because if where our brains are. Out art, our religion, and our ideas of government are based on the human body. So what would the Other think and feel?

What creeps you out?

I am frightened by strongly prejudiced people. People (even if I hold the same views) that can see any question ONLY ONE WAY are very dangerous. Consciousness is the most important human gift, and surrendering it to rigidity is the beginning of evil. On a more physical level people that don’t honor personal space set my teeth on edge. Back off, my friend. I’m Texan.


Why do you love dark/unsettling fiction?

The world threatens to overwhelm us with gray routine. Every day crushing waves of sameness fill our cities, our jobs, our TV sets. Every day the forces of Stupidity wage their war against consciousness. We have three weapons – wonder, beauty and terror. The best unsettling fiction uses all three with deadly precision against the great grayness. Writing horror is a sacred act. Giving another soul a momentary glimpse of its own alien beauty is a sublime act.

What are you working on now?

Hippocampus Press is preparing a 30-year retrospective of my Lovecraftian fiction that will be out in late 2014. I am working on a nonfiction book about the Tarot, and finishing up a couple of short stories that I’ve promised folks. I’ll be teaching creative writing for UCLA Extension in the spring, and I’m planning on a big road trip across Texas with my wife during bluebonnet season.

What’s the most unexpected thing people discover about you?

I’ve worked as a Christmas tree salesman and a professional fireworks operator.

Tell us a little more about what you’re reading at present?

Currently I am reading The Prague Cemetery by Umberto Eco, Sergeant Chip and Other Novellas by Bradley Denton – as well as several books on the history of the Tarot. I have a deep love for Eco, who is a well-known genius, and for Denton – who should be well known.

Feed Dark Harvest to your Kindle or buy the dead-tree version. Alternatively, top up your Kobo.

Dark Harvest unleashed #books #horror

Might as well bounce up and down with joy: Dark Harvest is unleashed today (though we'll only be doing the official release on Tuesday and be all official-like on the DCP blog). In the meanwhile, go get this anthology I edited. (I was naughty and slipped in one of my own stories too.)

A whisper of butterflies’ wings promises a lonely old man his heart’s desire; mages draw upon music to work magic; and a fearful symmetry threatens an alien realm. Be it in our dreams or flights of fancy that take us into uncharted territory, our hopes and desires often birth twisted imaginings. This selection of tales, some devious or whimsical, others downright eerie and unsettling, offer glimpses into other, darker realities. 

Allow Amy Lee Burgess, Anna Reith, Autumn Christian, Carrie Clevenger, DC Petterson, Don Webb, Liz Strange, Nerine Dorman, Rab Fulton, Sarah Lotz, SL Schmitz, Sonya Clark and Toby Bennett to remove you from what’s familiar – just for a short while – and bring you back changed. 

Go buy this on Amazon, Kobo, and Nook, or add it on Goodreads.

And for those of you who want a small taste, here is an excerpt of my short story...

Lord Sithra has his back to me, and whether he hears my approach or reads a shift in Steward Harman’s stance, he turns to face me.
Warmth creeps up my cheeks and my quest to hand him the injured bee seems foolish and, as Aunt Gira suggests, the behaviour of a child.
“Your majesty.” Lord Sithra inclines his head.
“L-lord Sithra.” I draw a deep breath then summon the most imperious tone I can muster, like that of my aunt, I hope. “A bee flew into the solar. I think it might be injured.” I hold out my sleeve and release the fabric pocket.
The insect clings to the weave and crawls about. Gently, Lord Sithra places his long fingers so that the bee might crawl onto him, which the insect does. The tiny creature gains vigour the moment it comes into contact with his skin, and I watch, fascinated, as it sinks into his flesh and becomes one with him.
Lord Sithra’s smile lights up his face. “Not one of mine, but I must thank the kind lady anyway.” He winks.
I exhale and allow myself to smile too. “I’m glad.” 

Dark Harvest cover reveal

Oh haaaai, here we go. Cover reveal for Dark Harvest (release date to be announced soon because I like being mysterious, okay). But it's via Dark Continents Publishing, and it was a closed call where I collected fiction by some of my favourite authors.

This is the blurby thing: 
A whisper of butterflies’ wings promises a lonely old man his heart’s desire; mages draw upon music to work magic; and a fearful symmetry threatens an alien realm. Be it in our dreams or flights of fancy that take us into uncharted territory, our hopes and desires often birth twisted imaginings. This selection of tales, some devious or whimsical, others downright eerie and unsettling, offers glimpses into other, darker realities. 

Allow Amy Lee Burgess, Anna Reith, Autumn Christian, Carrie Clevenger, DC Petterson, Don Webb, Liz Strange, Nerine Dorman, Rab Fulton, Sarah Lotz, SL Schmitz, Sonya Clark and Toby Bennett to remove you from what’s familiar – just for a short while – and bring you back changed.

Cover art is a combination of photography by the super-awesome husband of mine, Dr-Benway and my soul sister, Carmen, who's not only a fecking amazing photographer, but I think she's a fecking hot designer.