And sometimes you have to tell the truth...

This is a blog post that I’ve put off writing as long as possible. Why, you ask? For many reasons. The first being that it’s one bad spot in a year of otherwise positive happenings and I’d much rather focus on them. The second being I want to keep the blog post professional, but the feelings are very personal. It’s not just about shoddy business practices, it involved a betrayal of trust and the demise of a friendship (or what I thought was a friendship). So I’m not going to mention people by name, most will know who I’m referring too, but that’s to help me separate emotion from fact. So here is the story (bear with me, it's a long one)…

Once upon a time, star date 2014, a publisher realized she could no longer keep her business afloat. There was very little money coming in, she’d spent a shit ton of savings keeping it going, put in long hours, struggled, and things just weren’t getting any better. And if she was honest with herself, she should NEVER have been in the business to begin with. Don’t get me wrong, her heart was in the right place, she was good at certain aspects (but not so good at others), and she’d made some invaluable friendships along the way. But you can’t pay your own bills or anyone else’s with good intentions or friendship. She had good ideas, she was very good at working with people (authors, cover artists, other editors, other publishers), she was a good editor (and hopefully helped a few authors become better), she had a fantastic cover artist, help from her sister, and she actually had great math skills. But she did not have good business sense, unlimited amounts of money, or great marketing skills. Those three things are must haves for publishers, or, if you have the second, you can hire people who have the other two. She sometimes pushed book releases back, was sometimes a few weeks late with contributor’s copies, and was sometimes late with royalty payments, though she always paid them. 

So our publisher realized she would have to close up shop. She felt awful about books she’d recently released and one she was currently working on. So she looked around to try to find another publisher who might take these projects on. And she thought of friend who had just that year opened a new publishing company with a friend of his. Talks commenced and they agreed to buy (a word only, no money changed hands) her little company and make it an imprint. And then they asked her to come along and be the managing editor for the imprint. What a stroke of luck!! They were going to re release her latest projects (two novels and two anthologies), publish the upcoming ones (two anthologies and a YA novel (who's author later pulled her book)), and she had a job. Granted, the job wasn’t going to pay much, but a lot of their other employees were working for free, so yay! And her friend was going to be her boss. Problem solved. *sigh* Enter problems stage left.

Skipping back several months, the same publisher had put on her editor/author hat and come up with the anthology idea for Grimm Mistresses. She had a novella length work that had never been published, a modern take on the tale of the Pied Piper. She had an author friend who’d once subbed a modern Cinderella tale to her that could be lengthened. What if she asked three other female authors she admired to contribute modern retelling of Grimm fairy tales? What an awesome book that might be. HOWEVER, since she had a story she wanted to include, she didn’t want to be the editor, nor the publisher. That screamed “vanity press.” So she approached that same friend and his new publishing company and asked if he would be interested in the project. After all, they’d done several anthology projects together. And he was. He told her to go ahead and invite the other authors, and they had more talks and set up due dates and time lines. She invited CW LaSart (the author of the Cinderella story she already had), Allison M. Dickson, Mercedes M. Murdock, and one other author who later pulled out of the project. She discussed who they should invite to replace her and was told the publisher had someone in mind. The authors turned in their stories and assumed (yes, Dad, I do remember what you told me about assuming) that editing was underway. Meanwhile, our stories converge…

January 2015 the former publisher put on her editor hat and went to work for the company. Right away she was unhappy. She was named as managing editor of the imprint, but books were being published she hadn’t even seen. Now, maybe this is how it’s done in big publishing, and maybe she’s the one in the wrong, but she was upset that her name was on something she had no claim to and hadn't approved. And she wasn’t happy with the editing of said book. She sent the managing editor of the company a copy of errors she’d noticed in the published books. She was told they were subjective (since when is grammar and punctuation subjective?). She still wasn’t happy, but let it go. Then she was shown the publishing schedule and sent books to edit. And as she read through them she had to wonder who’d agreed to them. Because she didn’t believe in them. She asked the managing editor of the company and it turned out he hadn’t read them, nor had the other owner. They relied on slush readers and sometimes went with marketability over substance. If they thought the book would sell because of author's name, author’s friends in high places, etc., they signed it, unread. Now, this didn’t sit well with our girl, but she thought well, maybe this is how it’s done and set to work editing the material and working with the author to try to make it better.

Meanwhile, the book she was an author in was getting close to its publishing date. She finally got to read (because she hounded her friend) the other story from the author they’d chosen. And she was super pleased because while the story wasn’t really horror, it was so beautifully written that it was an asset. It would set off CW’s extreme horror, Mercedes’ gut wrenching emotionality, Allison’s sci-fi vibe, and her own story. But then all of the authors began to wonder where their edits were? Time was drawing near and no one had been sent edits to approve. Turned out that’s because no one really did edits. The pieces saw a copy editor, who everyone agreed actually put in a few errors. The authors pointed this out, cleaned up their stories and sent them back. But they were worried. Then the book was published. And our editor was dismayed to find her name in it as managing editor. Wasn’t that the very thing she’d tried to avoid? Her friend’s name was nowhere on it. But the book sold and started getting good reviews, and they did some interviews and such, and no one pointed it out, so she decided to just be happy about the book.

However, on the publishing front, things were getting worse. Her “friend” was getting tired of her pointing out things she thought weren’t right. The co-owner of the publishing company stopped answering her messages at all (which suited her fine) and she was growing frustrated. So she turned in her project (a little late, she will admit, but she was beginning to wonder if anyone else was going to even go over it anyway), and told her friend she thought she’d better leave the company. They agreed she would still turn in the two anthologies she was working on and they’d still publish those.

Fast forward a few months. Things have not gotten better. The authors of Grimm Mistresses have not received their promised contributor’s copies. The signed hardcovers of GM have not been sent to the people who ordered them. And one of the authors confesses  the publisher is late with her royalties from other books she’s published with them. Grumbling ensues. Now our editor is worried about her upcoming anthologies. Will the authors even get paid? Won’t she be partially responsible should that happen? And she begins to drag her feet on turning in the anthology that’s due. She debates on pulling it and looking for a new publisher. And then the publisher pulls a move so heinous, her decision is made.

She had been messaging her friend about the cover art. He had told her he would let her see it as soon as it’s done. A month before the book is due out, an author emails her and asks why she changed the title. What? She didn’t change the title. He says it’s on the cover advertisement on the publisher’s website. She goes to the publisher’s website and sure enough, not only is the cover art (which she still hadn’t seen) been made public, but so has a new title that was never even mentioned to her. The editor is beside herself. Why wouldn’t they have even mentioned that they considered changing the title to her? The anthology is all her’s: her idea, her editing, and they’d signed it with no discussion of a name change. So the editor thinks maybe she’s overreacting and emails the Editor of all editors, Ellen Datlow. She asks if this is standard practice, without mentioning any names, and Ellen assures her that no, this is not done, and it’s rude in the extreme. So our editor messages her friend, who gets downright snotty with her and tells her he doesn’t have time for her attitude. That he was out of town and didn’t know the other guy was going to release the cover art. But he did know about the name change and when our editor states that it would have been common courtesy to have the name changing conversation with her, he suggests they just drop the anthology and not publish it if it’s such a big deal. She agrees. (I mean, she’s having doubts anyway) and states that she thinks it’s best to pull her other anthology also. Her “friend” says “fine,” and BLOCKS her. Yep, you read that right. He blocked her, because that’s professional behavior. No, let’s reconsider what’s going on here after we both calm down. No, we are adults and should be able to work through things. And then he fires off emails to all of the anthology authors saying the anthologies have been cancelled due to “creative differences.” And our editor emails those authors as well and continues the use of “creative differences.” Because, well, what would have been the use in telling the whole story? It’s he said/she said anyway. And she didn't want to be blacklisted as an editor, or labeled “hard to work with,” because she has high quality standards and expects courteous treatment. And so our editor has no further contact with the company.

Why am I telling this story now? Because the other authors have had enough. Because they want to tell their story and mine coincides with theirs. And because I feel responsible for pulling them into this mess in the first place. And to all the other authors who worked with me and thus thought these might be good guys based on my recommendation.I'm sorry, people. Apparently I am not a good judge of character.You can read Allison M. Dickson's blog post on the subject here. And CW LaSart's here.

To bring our story up to date, none of the authors of GM have received any sort of royalties, even though the book came out in February 2015. And I do know from other authors in the publisher's stables that books released after have had royalty payments made. But, we were the noisemakers from the start. Sometimes, the squeaky wheel gets ignored. I’m told the book was pulled (at least the kindle version) as of a few hours ago.

As an editor, I never received any payment either. It wasn’t much that was owed to me, but that’s not the point, is it?

The thing I find ironic in this whole mess is that my former friend sued a publisher for just such shoddy treatment.

And the thing I find the saddest, that I can still barely believe, is not that a company (though while small, had a reputation for putting out quality work) was engulfed, chewed up, and spit out, and I had a hand in it. A company I’d worked so damn hard to build. No, what I find the saddest, is that someone I genuinely liked, had poured out my heart too, and trusted implicitly, could turn on me and then shut me out completely. That shit sucks.

I'm not posting this for sympathy. I made poor decisions and I own the responsibility for making them. I don't need 15 minutes of internet fame over it. I'm not even posting this as a warning, though I hope others will heed it as such. Or as an apology, or an excuse. I'm posting it in support of my fellow authors who are pissed and decided to go public with their stories. I want you to know that their stories are true and relevant. They aren't just crying wolf. Watch out sheep and shepherds alike, the wolves are out there, and this is just one example. 

♥Spot

Grimm Mistresses Releases Soon!!

So I just realized I haven't blogged anything about the upcoming release of Grimm Mistresses.WTF, me? For those of you who haven't been bombarded with it on my Facebook or Twitter, Grimm Mistresses is a collection of five novellas retelling Grimm Fairy Tales. The novellas are all by female authors, hence the name. I'm super pleased to have my novella, "The Night Air," included. The collection releases on Monday, February 23rd. Here's the synopsis:

Remember the Grimm Brothers?Those dark fairy tales that made you leave the light on long before Disney went and sanitized them? Well, we do! Now the MISTRESSES GRIMM take back the night,five female authors who will leave you shuddering deliciously. Get ready to leave the lights on again with four pieces of short fiction bringing the Grimm Brother’s tales into the present. Be advised: these aren't your children’s fairy tales!

 And here is the amazing cover art:

Honestly, I couldn't be more excited. And the best part? I got to hang out and work with four amazing ladies, each one a super talented author. Our stories are all different: different writing styles, different approaches to the work, different visions for the theme. And yet, they all blend together into a collection that offers something for everyone. 

CW LaSart's story, "Hazing Cinderella," is hardcore horror. Fans of extreme horror will love it. 

SR Cambridge's story, "The Leopard's Pelt, is an enchanting retelling of the Grimm Brother's "Bearskin." Safe for non horror fans. 

Mercedes M. Yardley's "Little Dead Red" explores the lengths a mother will go to in order to avenge her daughter's death. Lyrically written, but still dark and grim.

Allison M. Dickson's story, "Nectar," is a sci-fi/horror blend that brings new life to "Hansel & Gretel." Scary, sexy, and thought provoking all at the same time.

And my story? Well, I hope "The Night Air" hits the mark of subtly creeping dread. Also relatively safe for non horror fans. 

I hope you'll check the book out. May you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it.

It will be available in eBook form at Amazon and other retailers on Monday, March 23rd. But if you have a hankering for a signed, limited edition copy, you can order those here:

www.ragnarokpub.com

♥Stacey

A little bit of everything....

What a week, month, year this has been. Not quite what I'd expected that's for sure. But it's not time for the yearly wrap up yet, so I'll just talk about this last few weeks. I thought November was going to be a "quiet" month. I actually had a plan for NaNoWriMo (which is probably where I went wrong, you know, planning). I wanted to write ten stories instead of a novel, roughly the same word count, but so that I'd have something to submit. Know how many stories I wrote? Zip. Nada. It was a failure of epic proportions. Although I did get one story edited and subbed and rejected. Once. And I got my novella finished, edited, and sent off to the publisher. So there's that.

We didn't get back from California until the 5th and then I took a day or two off to rest. The grandbabies were sick pretty much the whole time we were there so I wanted to make sure my body had time to adjust and not end up sick myself. Then we got heavily involved in a project I'm doing that has nothing to do with writing and cannot be explained at this time. Let's just suffice it to say it's huge and I'm super excited about it and will share as soon as I can. But it ate up like a whole week. Then we got CJ for a visit. And two days later Mike got sick and was hospitalized for six days. We've been home for less than a week and boom! the month is over. How does that even happen??

Good news, Mike is mending. Not as quickly as he'd like, but he's mending. And he doesn't have colon cancer, and he didn't end up septic (just really, really close). That's a lot to be thankful for. Sometimes I think The Universe gives us these little scares in order to remind us not to take things for granted.

Mo's pregnancy is going well. She's fifteen weeks along. We're all super excited for that 20 week sonogram so we can find out if it's a girl or a boy. I'm betting boy. She's going to have a houseful of rough and tumble hooligans.

Sean is doing well in North Carolina. Unfortunately he won't be making it home for Christmas. I had planned to drive out for Thanksgiving, but you know, The Universe intervened and all. I miss that boy like crazy.

And, I put up three previously published short stories on Amazon and Smashwords. All three had been published in different anthologies but the rights have since reverted to me, so I thought, why not? Maybe those of you who don't want to purchase a whole anthology of authors you don't know might like to purchase a story at a time. The fantastic covers were done by Rebecca Treadway of www.atrtink.com. I highly recommend her excellent cover art. She's the master behind the truly frightening Snow Globe cover. So here are the covers, click on any of them to be taken to Amazon. But if you have a Nook, or other reading app, they are also available on Smashwords.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving, and are going into the holiday season with the most joyous of moods. I, myself, am feeling unusually Christmas-y this year. And for a change, I'm almost done Christmas shopping.

 

Stayed tuned for some big news headed your way on the Angelic Knight Press front this week. But above all, be good to each other. 'Tis the season.

 



♥Stacey

News, news, and more news!

Yeah, it's me. I know it's been awhile and I'd promise to be more forthcoming and prolific in the future, but since we both know that probably won't happen, I'll not bother. That way I won't feel like I'm letting anyone down.

So I moved to Macomb. It's about a 45 minute drive from camp. The house is old (built in the 1920's) and beautiful. Small, but cozy. And I love it. I did not love the moving process (who does?). Packing, cleaning, unpacking. And I've still got to get at least two of the rooms painted before Thanksgiving when I have company. That is Sunday's goal. Other than that, I love being here. Well, okay, I miss Mike. But other than that, I love being here. I will say the house has some strange noises and goings on, but I'll save the story for my next post.

Onward to news--since I last blogged, my beautiful daughter has had another baby boy. Killian Gilbert Flanagan made his entrance on October 3rd. I was present at the birth and just want to say Molly is a baby-birthing rock star. My first grandson, Dylan (or Boo, as we call him), is in love with his baby brother. I see the beginnings of a super strong sibling bond. So excited for their futures.

My baby, Sean, left for Air Force BASIC training on October 7th and it was more than a month before I got to talk to him for the first time. He's doing well (knew he would) but has to shave twice a day because his beard grows so quickly. Totally his dad's fault. We will be heading down to San Antonio to see him graduate the first week of December. I can't wait! Molly's family will also be there which is just icing on the cake.

CJ is doing better in his group home and I get to see him much more now that I'm living in the same town. I also get to see more of his staff so I can see what's being put in place to support him. You have no idea how much stress that lifted from my life.

And on a professional note, AKP is doing well. We've got an amazing line up for next year and I'm super stoked to work with all the fantastic authors we've signed. We have some awesome books to finish getting out this year as well: Cadaver Dogs (a zombie novella), No Place Like Home: Tales From a Fractured Future (scifi/horror anthology), Death's Kiss (our first YA paranormal), and Conversations with the Demon of Devil’s Tower: The Story of Rose Jenkins (a Gothic tale of horror and romance).

I've also sold two more stories since the last blog. "The Depths" sold to Daverana Enterprises for their Fossil Lake anthology, edited by Christine Morgan. And "Martin" (first published in Rymfire's Erotic Horror anthology) sold to Crowded Quarantine Publications' Of Deviants and Devils anthology. I'm super stoked to be included in both.

I've also received four rejections from places I subbed to that asked me to send something else. The problem is I don't have any "something elses" written. So I'm going to have to carve out some writing time around all of my other business and life shenanigans.

And just so you know what to expect in the future, I'd like to go back to doing author interviews and maybe some publisher interviews on this blog. And blogging more regularly. We'll see how that goes...

Take care, everyone!

♥Stacey

Stressed

So, remember last week's post about how I was going to start writing more, submitting more, and so forth? Why is it that every time I make a plan the Universe decides to throw me a curve ball? Not fair, Universe. Not fair.

I received my share of "whammies" these last two weeks and I feel like everything is all off course. I'm not ready to share some of the bombs that got dropped right now, and might never be, but suffice it to say the last two weeks have been an emotional roller coaster. The last week of last month I was so shell shocked I spent several hours on the couch in my office watching bad reality TV (Teen Mom 3, anyone?), worse movies (Anna Karenina. Why, Kiera Knightley, why?), and eating chips and salsa (we were out of ice cream). I did get the normal shit done: cook supper, feed cats, laundry. But only because I do those things by rote. The brain was on automatic pilot. That is, until I decided wtf, me? You need to figure this stuff out and make some plans. Sitting on the couch watching other people's lives go down the drain is called wallowing. So I got off the couch and started to deal.

I thought I had things under control, but then Sean got sick and ended up in the hospital, further throwing a wrench in my plans. I got calls about CJ from his house. My mom had another neurology appointment. And another small bomb got tossed in. The result? I'm stressed to the breaking point. Seriously. There is not one aspect of my life that isn't at code red stress level right now. It's a good thing I'm one of those "glass half full" people or I'd be huddled in a small pool of my own tears.

So what it comes down to is this: I must ask anyone who is currently doing a project with AKP to be patient right now. They will get finished, they will get published, they will be awesome. It just might not all happen according to schedule. I have less than two weeks before I head to California for the birth of my second grandchild. In those two weeks I have things that, although I LOVE my job, have to come first. Those are time spent with Sean, who leaves for BASIC while I'm in California, and who has been in the hospital. A visit with my oldest son CJ because our last visit got cancelled and I miss him terribly. And also because I will miss his birthday. Another brief visit with my parents, because life is short. Packing and sending all the rest of Molly's baby stuff to her because she will need it. Stocking the house with groceries before I leave. Packing. Paying bills. Preparing to be gone for three weeks. And then flying to California to help my daughter the last week before her due date.

So yes, I am putting my family first. But if I didn't, I wouldn't be who I am. And if I wasn't who I am, you might not want to work with my anyway. But I will finish edits on the No Place Like Home anthology, and the YA novel, and the two fantastic novellas, and Fairly Wicked Tales anthology. You know why? Because next to my family, they are my passion. So a little patience is all I'm asking for. I'd do the same for you if the situation was reversed.

I figure things will get back to normal (or maybe a "new" normal) sometime around October. So stay tuned, friends. Good things are coming.

♥Stacey

I bet you thought I died or something...

Well, I'm still here. And yes, I am the worst blogger in the history of blogging. So without further ado, here's what's going on ...

On the author front, I got a new Facebook fan the other day. How on earth they found me is anybody's guess, but thanks new guy (Jason)! You made my morning. Currently I'm working on some new short stories to add to that "will be published at some point in time" collection of mine. Meanwhile, I've subbed one story lately, with two more waiting to go out. One is waiting for an image to go with it, which Rebecca Treadway is being kind enough to make for me. And the other is in beta reader extraordinaire Caren Widner Hanten's (aka C.W. LaSart) hands.

Fading Light: An Anthology of the Monstrous was released in September, and my story, "Born of Darkness," got a little bit of good attention. Thank you to all who read it and commented. People keep asking me to tell more of the story, or "What happens next?" Originally, I didn't plan on writing anything with those characters. But as the months have gone by, I've found myself contemplating the world they live in, and the lives of the other Lightbringers. It all may just have to be written down. You can click on the cover of the anthology on the right side of the page to bring it up on Amazon. To those of you who already bought it-- "Thank you!"

I'm still plugging away at Olivia's Tale, though rather slowly. Finding time to write, or even submit my own work is difficult. I know, I know, if I was dedicated I would. But, sometimes there's so much life going on that I get distracted. Also, running a publishing company and being a full time editor is kind of time consuming. About that~

Angelic Knight Press has released a slew of new books since the last time I blogged. And we've got something for everyone. We have paranormal romances in the form of the Wysteria Hedge Haven Clan series by Cindy Keen Reynders. If you like your romances a bit on the spicy, humorous, and magical side, you can't go wrong with these books. For those who like creepy southern gothic ghost stories we offer the Southern Hauntings Saga by Bryan Hall. His protagonist, Crate Northgate, a man haunted (literally) by his past, is easy to fall for. Any of you ladies who like bad boys--once you start reading about Crate, you'll be hooked. Not that they're romantic by any means. They are full on scary.

We have the gritty historical drama, Amery House, by Samantha J. Moore. Miss Nadine is yet another character unable to escape a less than perfect past. If you like Jazz, New Orleans, or historical dramas, look no further. We've also got a chilling tale about an elemental demon, possession, and gruesome murders in Tool Shed by Armand Rosamilia. Armand is well known for his zombie fiction, but this book proves he can write just as well about non-zombie horrors.

And we've released the third and final installment of the Satan's Toybox series: Terrifying Teddies. Personally, I think we saved the best for last. All of the anthologies are good, but the stories in this one are creepier. Maybe it's because Teddy Bears look so innocent? These stories will make you think twice about your choice of a fuzzy bedtime companion. My story, "Dead Nicky," is included. It's one of my favorites that I've written. So if you read the book, please leave me a comment and let me know what you thought.

Upcoming anthologies include 50 Shades of Decay, a 50 story anthology about zombie erotica. A little weird? Maybe. A little over the top? Nah. It promises to be an eye-opener. Hoping to have it available on February 14th. What's more romantic than zombies? We'll also be releasing the long awaited No Place Like Home anthology this month. You won't want to miss these tales of government gone horrible wrong. It's packed tight with great authors, both established and new. And we've just started taking subs for Fairly Wicked Tales. Think you know your fairy tales? What if they were all wrong, horribly wrong? This anthology's about to bust that world right open.

You can find links to any of these titles on the website www.angelicknightpress.com. Along with submission calls, guidelines and upcoming releases.

And just reading those last few paragraphs should tell you how busy I am as an editor. Plus, I'm still doing a few freelance jobs. But I love it. I wouldn't trade my job for any in the world. And I want to thank everyone out there, especially my team at AKP: Rebecca Treadway, Danielle Day, and Blaze McRob, for every ounce of support, encouragement, friendship, and love you throw my way. Also, my family for everything.

♥Stacey

News, updates & a photo

I know, right? I'm a horrible blogger. Which is funny because I used to be a fantastic blogger. My other blog, What Passes for Sane on a Crazy Day, was like my baby for a long time. I blogged faithfully (and funnily, so I'm told) nearly every day. For years. Now, I'm lucky if I post once a month. What happened? Did I lose my zest for blogging? Did my life become unfunny? The answer is a resounding "no" to both questions. I still love blogging, I just can't seem to find the time. And my life become unfunny? Seriously? With my family? Not likely.

So what did happen? I got busy. I know, it's a pretty lame excuse for a writer. "I was too busy to write." Um, but I am. I'm running a company. It takes a lot of time. Seriously, some days I barely have time to go to the bathroom. I know you think I'm kidding, but I swear I'm not. My bladder pinky swears. But I'm not here today to give you excuses or facilitate a conversation between my readers and my bladder. I'm here to give you news! Yay! News! No, no, not that boring election coverage news (how many different ways can they insult each other after all?), not sad news about murders, hate crimes, tragic accidents, or drought conditions (but seriously, if it doesn't rain soon and settle some of this dust soon I'm probably going to sneeze myself to death). No, news about me.

I'm hoping that some of you have been seeing the posts on my FB author page or AKP's FB page about the upcoming anthology Fading Light, which I'm ecstatic to be in. I'm sharing a table of contents with some amazing heavy hitters in the horror genre. I'm very proud of my story, though it's a huge departure from my usual writing. And to top it all off--the cover art rocks. The anthology should be available on September 1st. So start saving those pennies now if you want to purchase it. In the next few days I will be posting some excerpts and a closer look at the antho.

And--in even bigger news--I have a short story collection coming out next month. I'm equal parts excited and petrified. Excited, because, well, it's all about me. And I love the stories in it (surely hoping you do too). They are all tales of horror or dark fantasy, some previously published, some new to the public. There are also a few poems. And yes, AKP is the publisher. I know that some look down on releasing work by the staff of a publishing company. If it's all we ever did, promote the work of our staff, I could understand the criticism. But we don't. The fact is we publish a variety of works by new and established authors in multiple genres. I could have shopped my collection around, but why? AKP has a very generous royalty split with it's authors (and yes, I'm taking the same deal that we give our other authors, so that part of the royalties go back to the company). AKP has a fantastic cover artist and is getting a good reputation for quality work. So it seems like a no-brainer to me. But, in part to help silence the critics, and in part because I just think he's a damn fine editor, I have hired Rob M. Miller (you can check out his website here) to edit the collection. It would be impossible for me to edit my own collection, I don't believe anyone is that good of an editor. And I wanted someone outside of our staff to take a look at it.

I'm working with Rebecca Treadway, AKP's amazing cover artist (her new website is under construction), to incorporate a photo of my daughter, Molly Flanagan (she doesn't have a website), on the cover. Molly is gorgeous (okay, I could be slightly biased, but I doubt it), has modeling experience, and will work for books. It's a win-win. And I'm having a blast playing photographer and scouting locations. I posted some of the photos we took, but unfortunately weren't quite awesome enough for print covers (something about DPI's & ISO settings & light) on my FB page. You can see them there, but my favorite is this one:

She looks so sad.

 

 

Although, all of them were cool, in my opinion. So hopefully, we will manage to take one that does work for the cover. We're doing a photo shoot next week in a historical cemetery. Fingers crossed.

 

 

And last but not least, I'm currently reading the submissions for the upcoming anthology No Place Like Home: Tales from a Fractured Future. I will be editing the antho, but will not have a story in it. This one is strictly an editing cred. The theme is sci-fi/horror dystopian. It's an odd amalgamation, but the authors who've submitted really ran with the theme of the future gone horribly wrong. I'll have a table of contents on this one by the end of the month and hopefully, a sneak peak at the cover art (which is amazing) to share.

 

And that's what's going on in my world. How about yours?

 



♥Stacey

Updates!

This has been an exciting week so far! It's a good thing I'm not one of those little yappy dogs who pees everywhere when they get excited or you'd all be wet. Family updates I will do over at What Passes for Sane, but writing updates are:

Angelic Knight Press announced our opening to submissions for an upcoming anthology Satan's Toybox: Demonic Dolls. We are looking for ten tales of dark and scary horror centering around dolls. Because creepy evil dolls and the children they play with are scary! The Satan's Toybox brand will become an ongoing theme for upcoming anthologies. I'm proud to be a part of this team and editor of these books. So get your writer juices flowing and send me a story! We will start taking submissions on August 1st and stop on August 31st. I will post the email address to send them too very soon. If you have questions, feel free to email me.

I'm going to start doing reviews & articles for Chupacabra Magazine. Because I don't have enough to do right now. And because I think it's a worthwhile project.

Claudia Lefeve has finished her novel! She's sent it to her beta readers and then this girl gets to edit it! Very excited. I reviewed Claudia's last novella and am pleased to get to work with her again!

And last but not least, I'm doing another guest post today. This one is over at Tyr Kieran's blog. It is another short story, but very different from Monday's story. I'd love it if you all went over there and read it. Check out Tyr's blog while there, there's plenty of excellent content!

See you back here for #FridayFlash!

♥Stacey