Poetry Resurrection: The Immaculate Conceptionally

I’ve recently returned to writing poetry. My goal is to complete a chapbook in the next few weeks or so. I’ve also gone digging in the attic for some of my older work. There was one box up there stuffed with old notebooks, napkins, cereal box tops, and utility bills— all loaded down with my scrawl. This is when I still used pencil, ink, and a Brother typewriter versus the plastic letters of my keyboard. Some of them are unbelievably awful, but there are others that continue to sing. In the next few weeks, I’m thinking I may share some with you. The following small work was written twenty years ago.


The Immaculate Conceptionally

The soft wood,
then a fracture in your dark.
Light footfalls on broken toes;
thickets lean against grassy slivers
of silver moonlit bone.

Soon the thrush
takes flight with the swallow
beneath the gold shelter of skin.
The flurried feathers of thick lashes
thumb and thrust.


Copyright © 1991 Angel Zapata

Absolutely- Kate Pilarcik comes to Georgia!

That's right, the woman behind the veil is no other than Harbinger 33's indomitable force, Absolutely- Kate Pilarcik. She lowered her sails and docked here alongside my home in the peach state. Last night, I had the pleasure to sit down with her and share coffee in the lobby of her hotel.

It's always wild to meet someone you've only corresponded with in the virtual world. You really don't know what to expect. Gotta say, I was impressed.

Our encounter began with a warm hug and a somewhat spiritual assessment of each other's unique energy frequencies. A showdown of wills, so to speak.

I gave her my best hypnotic horror stare and she easily slipped into a jazz note look of surprise. Yes, I know, a bit odd. But our common goal as writers is to bring the weird back… and I think we achieved that. Anywho, this concentrated vibe spawned not only the makings of inspiration, but also a super-critical caffeine crave.

Hell, she even managed to whip out packets of sweetener (Sweet 'n Low, Splenda and Equal) and incorporate them into an improvised pyramid chart of sorts. I got the (Sweet 'n) lowdown on Harbinger 33, discussed up-and-coming writer conferences she'll be attending, and booked a seat on a future Amtrak, mobile writer's symposium. The woman has a wealth of ideas.

I'm so glad I got to meet her and her sweetheart, Matt.

Oh, and in the middle of our conversation her cell phone rings. She answers it, and then says, “Angel, it’s for you.” I was like, “Huh?” Turns out, on the other end of that line was no other than central Florida writer, Harry B. Sanderford himself. How cool is that?

For those of you wanting to learn more about Kate, you can find her lurking in the projectionist’s booth At The Bijou.

Kate, you’re an amazing woman. Maybe next time we’ll meet up at the Waffle House and have ourselves some hashbrowns, smothered and scattered.

My interview at 1st Author Interview

1st Author Interview is a dynamite site that allows the author to promote their book and create their own personal interview.

Per their website, K. J. Robinson states, "1st Author Interviews is a unique website that allows you a chance to personally promote your book and allows your reading audience a chance to get to know you! You'll attract more readers, giving them the opportunity to get to know you and your work better. You get your material out there in front of readers, literary agents, publishers and development executives from films, cable and TV. 1st Author Interviews is your first stop to getting your book promoted to that vast online audience. We offer this outlet to any traditional or self-published author, whether in e-book or print formats."

Head over to their site, follow them on Twitter, and like their Facebook page. BTW, it's offered to authors FREE! My interview can be found here.

The Man of Shadows reviewed at Darkeva's Dark Delights

Darkeva has done a wonderfully thorough and honest review of my book, The Man of Shadows. Check it out here at Darkeva's Dark Delights.

Author, Richard Godwin interviews me over at Chin Wag

Recently I was interviewed by author, Richard Godwin. We had a wonderful time discussing Blake, Wordsworth, Michel Foucault, and cannibals (yes, I was feeling a bit peckish). You can read all about it on his blog Chin Wag at the Slaughterhouse.

Not only is Mr. Godwin a true gentleman, but he’s also author of Apostle Rising, a novel author, Vincent Zandri says is “…a noir tour-de-force that will leave you breathless and teary-eyed…” and Crimetime Magazine calls, “…an arresting and cleverly plotted police procedural married to gothic horror and the aesthetics of the slasher genre.”

I am so grateful to have had the privilege of sitting down with this incredible writer. Thanks, Richard!

You can purchase Mr. Godwin’s Apostle Rising here on Amazon.

Moon Pie featured at The New Flesh

It's been awhile since I've had anything published over at The New Flesh. This time, I give soft sci-fi a try. The story is called Moon Pie.

It begins, "Glen Horn believed his mother was a portal for interstellar travel..."

Stop by and support this publisher of all things weird.

Thanks to editor, William Pauley III.

5x5 Fiction presents ISSUE TWO: Secrets, Scuffles and Surprises

ISSUE TWO is out! 5x5 Fiction.

My story, Keeners wins First Place for The Lost on the Rock Contest!

I’m very happy to say my story, Keeners has won first place for The Lost on the Rock Contest! It’s a departure from my usual supernatural horror, and deals more with the reality of death. It was hosted on Laurita Miller’s Calling Shotgun and Alan W. Davidson’s Conversations From Land’s Edge. They also feature an interview with me here.

There were several winners and honorable mentions, so please make sure to read them all as they are posted over the next few days.

1st Place
Keeners by Angel Zapata

2nd Place
Lost by Denise Covey

3rd Place
Oubliette by Susan Harding

4th Place
Where is Esther? by Mike Jackson

Honourable Mentions
Simply Lost by John Wiswell
Numbers by Gerard Smith

Upcoming schedule at Calling Shotgun:

Monday - 1st Place story Keeners by Angel Zapata
Tuesday - Interview with writer Denise Covey
Wednesday - Interview with writer Susan Harding
Thursday - 4th Place story Where is Esther? by Mike Jackson
Friday - Honourable Mention story Simply Lost by John Wiswell

Upcoming schedule at Conversations from Land's Edge:

Monday - Interview with contest winner, writer Angel Zapata
Tuesday - 2nd place story "Lost" by Denise Covey
Wednesday - 3rd place story "Oubliette" by Susan Harding
Thursday - Interview with 4th place writer Mike Jackson
Friday - Honourable mention story "Numbers" by Gerard Smith

Thank you Laurita and Alan!

Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia is up at Flashes in the Dark

It’s been awhile, but I have a new flash piece up at Flashes in the Dark.

Jim’s little phobia has a very long name. Drop by and read Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia.

Many thanks to editors, Lori Titus and Robert Eccles.

BTW, Lori has a couple of dynamite books, Green Water Lullaby and Lazarus, both available at Amazon. I’m sure she won’t mind you buying them.

And Bob was just nominated for a Parsec award. He provided voice for a podcast over at Cast Macabre. Swing by his blog, Tiny Terrors and wish him luck.

Book Review: Grave Echoes by Erin Cole

Some of you may not know Erin Cole. She's a dynamite writer from the west coast, a writer I very much admire. She's also the author of the mystery novel, Grave Echoes. Here's my take on why you should buy and read it:

Kate Waters is a woman of science, a geologist who suffers from narcoleptic visions. The sudden death of her sister, Jev catapults her into unfamiliar ground, ground that seems to be steadily crumbling beneath her feet. Now she’s seeing the ghost of a little girl in her home, and even worse, suspects a very real stalker may be after her for the key she acquired from her dead sister’s belongings. And to top it all off, it seems Jev may have been a practicing witch.

I think mystery, horror, thriller, and paranormal junkies will find this book quite delicious. There’s a wonderful balance of ghostly happenings and witchcraft with concrete, by-the-book police procedurals and scientific fact. Erin shows great skill at creating creepy atmosphere and nail-biting suspense. And her characters are people we can relate to, void of clichés or one-dimensional caricature studies.

It’s always the small things that win me over. Early on in the book, the lead investigator attends an autopsy, and, in order to mask the smell of death, he chews on a piece of peppermint. Most readers would skim right by this. But as a person who’s actually attended autopsies, the use of something as mundane as peppermint validates this novel for me. It shows me an author who pays meticulous attention to detail.

You can classify Grave Echoes as a paranormal mystery, but at its core, it’s really about transitions and transformations. Kate Waters is at a crossroads. On the one side, she must remain true to how she's defined by her vocation, standing firm on rock. But on the other side, she must deal with her grief by stepping off the cliff of her emotions and trusting in unseen forces. Erin Cole has done an outstanding job at scripting a very believable parallel between Kate’s emotional turmoil and the seismic rumblings of Mt. Hood’s volcanic activity happening all around her.

Erin Cole’s Grave Echoes does just that; it resonates perfection. I anxiously await the sequel.

Learn more about Erin Cole and her writing at her blog here. You can purchase Grave Echoes on Amazon here.