Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Every Day Poets: Drive-By

Many thanks to editors, Oonah Joslin, Constance Brewer, and Nicholas Ozment for featuring my poem Drive-By on Every Day Poets today.

Every Day Poets: Drive-By

And to all my fellow poets, "What are you waiting for?" I want to read your work on this site and I'm sure there are others who feel the same. Shuffle through those boxes of poems and submit your best.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Short Story Library: My Wife is a Peculiar Bird

Editor, Casey Quinn of Short Story Library was kind enough to accept my poem My Wife is a Peculiar Bird for the latest edition of their online magazine. There are of plenty of short stories, flash and poetry to keep you delighted for a very long time. And they’re open to submissions too.

Short Story Library: My Wife is a Peculiar Bird

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Flashes in the Dark: Angel Zapata Interview

I was recently interviewed by horror author and editor, Lori Titus over on Flashes in the Dark. For those of you unaware of this great horror e-zine, it happens to be one of the preeminent sites for Horror Flash Fiction. Every Sunday, they feature an interview with either an editor or horror writer, and today it’s my turn. Stop by and get a glimpse into why I do what I do. If you miss it today, look for it in the right hand column under "Recent Posts."

Flashes in the Dark


They are also hosting The Summer Chiller Contest from August 1st, 2009 - September 22, 2009. All stories MUST employ some sort of summertime theme! Per their guidelines, “For the Summer Chiller, we will accept stories of 1,200 words, a slight bump up from our usual limit of 1,000 words.” Click the link below for further details.

Flashes in the Dark: The Summer Chiller Contest

Friday, August 14, 2009

Financial Disclosure: Rage Gets Paid

As you may or may not know, A Rage of Angel was originally created to voice the soulful fury of the unpaid writer. Just look at the header above.

“I don't get paid. Nope. Sure don't.”

I’m fairly certain most of us are unable to support our families simply by our writing prowess, and sadly, must take (dare I say it aloud) an actual job amongst society. I don’t know all the reasons why each of us spends hours in solitude penning the fantastic tales twitching around our minds, but I like to believe the majority of us do it because our hearts would explode without this incredibly satisfying outlet. Yes, I know “poor in money, rich in spirit,” but the periodic layoffs from my current place of employment beg to differ.

Okay. So here’s the rub. I actually have received payment for my writing this year. I’ve grossed a grand total of $41. And that’s real American money too. Obviously not a large sum, but it does pose a conflict.

“I don't get paid. Nope. Sure don't.”

So now what? Must I edit this statement out? Add a disclaimer? Hmm…what would you do?

Let me tell you what I’ve decided.

Whenever there’s a choice to accept payment or donate it back to the publication, I will choose to donate it back. Any checks addressed to me will be cashed and utilized to support the e-zines, printed press publications, and editors I respect and enjoy. I’ve seen so many of my favorite print and e-zine publications fold.

Sure “I need money” and “I get hungry,” but it’s the hunger that continues to drive me.

No, that’s not a soapbox under my feet, and neither is there a halo over my angelic head. I’m not trying to sway you one way or another— no political or religious agenda; I’m just sitting here sharing my thoughts with you, not judging you. And hell, if tomorrow I happen to win a $2,500 short story contest, I may have to come back here and delete this post. In all honesty, I need my rage— that desperate passion to unite words. I can always find a way to pay my mortgage.

How you spend your money is your business, but as for me, I know I’ve wasted a lot of it over the years on fruitless joys. I’m ready to invest more than just my time into this irresistible craft. In fact, I’m inclined to give back everything it means to me. My measly donation or subscription renewal may seem insignificant, but it could make all the difference in the world to a struggling magazine.

Who knows…my boys may one day grow up and decide to become writers.

I want to ensure they have somewhere to submit.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

John Wiswell: Writer Spotlight

My recommended author of the week is the thoroughly engaging satirist, John Wiswell. He cleverly forges sarcasm and irony into a humorously appealing language. There are no forbidden topics for this intrepid scribe. On his blog site, The Bathroom Monologues, he confronts the controversial issue of abortion and presents us with the flipside of the proverbial coin: fetuses aborting their mothers. “One mother argued her own case in a French court this April, claiming she feared her baby would terminate her just because she couldn’t promise that the doctor wouldn’t spank him.” from Take the Other Side.

His rationalist perspective of a perceived shark attack pleases both the intellect and the funny bone. “A Washington D.C. Rationalist Think Tank was on holiday at the undisclosed beach that day. Three employees saw it break the surface. Tammy saw a deck of playing cards. Guido saw a platter of fried shrimp. Ironically only one of the rationalists, Virginia Welsley, saw a shark fin. Even more ironically, she was the only rationalist in the water.” from Rorschark Attack.

He’s a completely versatile writer who can easily pen a good old-fashioned, supernatural horror tale. “A bride with a bloody gown and knives for fingers stood in Chantal’s door. Her lipless mouth grinned, asking, ‘You said Bloody Mary in the mirror three times on October 29, 1984, right?’” from Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody...

But moreover, he can create a cerebral killer capable of expatiating philosophies during a gruesome act of violence. “He dropped the left hand to start on the right. It lolled off the side of the workbench, bushing against Matvey’s knee. He kicked it aside and continued. ‘Now your country’s Mark Twain said familiarity breeds children, which is funnier. Also less true, I think. I am mighty familiar with my siblings, but unless I blacked out one holiday, I never fathered a baby by them.’” from Familiarity Breeds.

John Wiswell’s writing is bold, bright, beautiful, and a bunch of other “B” words I’m too excited to recall.

Works of interest include:

Take the Other Side
flash fiction published on the author’s blog:
The Bathroom Monologues


Rorschark Attack
flash fiction published on:
Short Story Library


Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody...
flash fiction work published on:
Six Sentences


Familiarity Breeds
flash fiction work published on:
Powder Burn Flash


Broadcasting from Unconfirmed
flash fiction work published on:
MicroHorror


Visit John’s blog to view “something you don’t see every day.”
The Bathroom Monologues