Wicked Words Quarterly Issue 3

Another issue has now been published for Wicked Words Quarterly, this time there is a small Japanese-theme running through some of the stories which was absolutely accidental.

There were hundreds of Novellas offered for one space and I was wondering if there was call for an annual New Year Novella collection – though this would have to be purely profit share as all other backers have now removed themselves from the publishing and running of this publication and it is all down to me now.

Please let me know what you think.

Contributors for December 2014 are:

This is now available at Amazon UK and Amazon US in Kindle and paperback format.

WWQ3

WWQ3

Dennis Mombauer’s “Nowherian Funeral”

Dennis, born 1984, grew up along the Rhine and today lives and works in Cologne. He writes short stories and novels in German and English and is co-publisher and editor of a German magazine for experimental fiction, “Die Novelle – Zeitschrift für Experimentelles” (http://dienovelle.blogspot.de/).

Samantha Lienhard’sRokurokubi

Samantha has wanted to be an author her entire life, and is currently pursuing her MFA in Seton Hill University’s Writing Popular Fiction program. Her past publications include a horror serial called Sacreya’s legacy, a horror/comedy novella called The Accidental Zombie, a Lovecraftian serial called The Book at Dernier, and numerous pieces of flash fiction. Samantha is an affiliate member of the HWA and her website is http://www.samanthalienhard.com/

Conor Power-Smith’sHarry’s Homework

Conor Powers-Smith grew up in New Jersey and Ireland. He currently lives on Cape Cod, where he works as a reporter.

Gerri Leen’sFox Fire

Gerri Leen lives in Northern Virginia and originally hails from Seattle. She has a collection of short stories, Life Without Crows, out from Hadley Rille Books, and stories and poems published or accepted in such places as: Escape Pod, Ares Magazine, Sword and Sorceress XXIII, Spinetinglers, She Nailed a Stake Through His Head: Tales of Biblical Terror and Dia de los Muertos. See more at http://www.gerrileen.com.

Gary Girod’sMalvore

Gary Girod has previously been published in Tales of Old, Mystic Signals, fiction365.com and the Wi-Files among others. His novella ‘The Last Pet Shop in Belfast’ is available on Amazon Kindle.

Charles Gramlich’sLong Dead Woman in a Black Dress

Some of Charles’ stories have been published in anthologies like Dark Terrors and Dark Voices IV, as well as in a variety of both print and online magazines such as Dead of Night and Beat to a Pulp. Many of his published horror tales were collected in an anthology called In the Language of Scorpions. Charles is an active member of the Horror Writers Association.

Pam Phillips’The Undying Pen

Pam Phillips has been making up stories since she was a little girl pretending her fingers wielded poisonous stingers. Now she plays amateur naturalist learning about the bees in her garden. The bees hardly ever wield their poisonous stingers.

You can find more stories at www.pamphillips.net.


Issue 2 out for Kindle and print now

The contributors for the September 2014 Issue are:

This is now available at Amazon UK and Amazon US in Kindle and paperback format.

WWQ2

WWQ2

Edward McDermott’s “The Sled”

Edward McDermott, born in Toronto, has a professional day job but has chosen to spend his spare time pursuing a writing career. Aside from taking writing courses and participating in writers’ groups, Edward spends his time sailing and fencing, and working as a movie extra. These hobbies, as well as his expansive knowledge of history and quick wit, influence and add context to his work.

Currently, Edward is sailing off the Florida Coast. Perhaps in the Bahamas.

http://www.edwardmcdermott.net/

PUBLICATIONS (limited list)
Nothing but Vacuum, Analog SF/SF (2012)
The Soul Eater, Spintingler U.K. (Jan 2012)
Sleep no More,wifiles(April2012)
Number 21 Rue le Sueur,Pseudopod (2010)

Michael W. Lucht’sClosing Schrödinger’s Box

Michael W. Lucht is an Australian/German/Singaporean writer. (Long story.) He hopes to either create artificial life or publish a novel — whichever is easier. His fiction has appeared in Nature (Futures section), The Drabblecast, Bards & Sages Quarterly and Island Magazine. See: luchtonline.com/fiction.html

Luke Walker’s6/13

Luke Walker has been writing horror and fantasy fiction for most of his life. His novella Mirror of the Nameless is published by DarkFuse, and he has had several short pieces published online and in print. He is currently at work on a new horror novel and a novella. His website is www.lukewalkerwriter.com and he is on Twitter @lukewalkerbooks.

Nick Nafpliotis’sThe Corruption of Rome

Nick Nafpliotis is a music teacher and writer from Charleston, South Carolina. During the day, he instructs students from the ages of 11-14 on how to play band instruments. At night, he writes about weird crime, bizarre history, pop culture, and humorous classroom experiences on his blog, RamblingBeachCat.com. He is also a television, novel, and comic book reviewer for AdventuresinPoorTaste.com. You can also follow Nick on Twitter @nicknafster79, where he brings shame to his family on a daily basis.

Previous Credits
Publication at T. Gene Davis Speculative Fiction Blog
Publication in Horror in Bloom anthology by Visionary Press Collaborative
Publication in Black Treacle
Publication in Terror at the Beach anthology by Noodle Doodle Publications
Publication at Voluted Tales

Bo Balder’sThe Spume Horse

Bo Balder has published stories in Penumbra, 4starstories and several anthologies, Stitches, Witches and Bitches (Evil Girlfriend Media).

They have also published a Dutch language YA novel(Daughter of the Djinn, BOF, 2011).

Bo Balder is a graduate of Viable Paradise.

S. Kay Nash’sPit Stop

S. Kay Nash is from the desert Southwest, USA. A graphic artist and business writer by day, she writes short fiction, poetry and book reviews. She is a member of the North Texas Speculative Fiction Workshop. Visit http://pulleditouttamyass.com/ or follow her on twitter @Gnashchick for more of her work.

Hugh J. O’Donnell’sThe Duke’s Fountain

Hugh J. O’Donnell is a writer and podcast producer living in Western New York. He is the host of the Way of the Buffalo podcast, and his fiction has appeared or is forthcoming in Over My Dead Body, Bards and Sages Quarterly, A Method to the Madness, and others. He spends most writing time blogging and rambling about comics at hughjodonnell.wordpress.com.

Michael Andre-Driussi’sMy Four Foundling Fathers

Michael Andre-Driussi is a member of SFWA. My fiction has appeared in “Child of Words,” “ParaSpheres,” and “Bards and Sages Quarterly,” among other venues.

P.D. Mack’sRed Zoo

P.D. Mack is a pseudonym for Paul McMahon and Dave MacPhereson. Paul’s work has appeared in the NEHW anthologies EPITAPHS and WICKED SEASONS, among others. Dave is a former professional Slam Poet whose work has appeared in numerous print and web journals, including EVERYDAY FICTION.

Wendy Hammer’sWhatever It Takes

Wendy Hammer teaches literature and composition at a community college. Her stories can be found in Every Day Fiction, Crooked/Shift, and in the forthcoming Suspended in Dusk, an anthology from Books of the Dead Press. Her dark urban fantasy novella trilogy will be published by Apocalypse Ink Productions. More about her writing can be found at www.wendyhammer.com

Justin Koch’sLike Father

Justin Koch is a 30 something writer from USA. He likes Moby Dick, Dostoevsky, mountain biking, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Todd Scott Moffett’sThe Watchmaker

Todd Scott Moffett received a watch for his fiftieth birthday, but all it tells him is that he’s getting older. He most recently published a story, “The Visitors”, at “Redhead E-Zine”, and has published a fantasy novel, “The Flight of the White Horse”. He lives with his family in Las Vegas, Nevada.


Wicked Words Issue 2

It’s done!

Clockwork

Clockwork

This reading for this issue took much longer than the previous issue, this was due to two main factors; I was finishing off my Open University degree and had to write a 4500 word essay concerning 15th century Flemish Altarpieces and the other factor was the amount of submissions, well over 250 this time.

A lot of strong stories which made it even harder to choose which to include, but the ones I have included are:

  • The Sled by Edward McDermott
  • Closing Schrödinger’s Box by Michael W. Lucht
  • 6/13 by Luke Walker
  • The Corruption of Rome by Nick Nafpilotis
  • The Spume Horse by Bo Balder
  • Pit Stop by S. Kay Nash
  • The Duke’s Fountain by Hugh O’Donnell
  • My Four Foundling Fathers by Michael Andre-Driussi
  • Red Zoo by Paul McMahon
  • Whatever It Takes by Wendy Hammer
  • Like Father by Justin Koch
  • The Watchmaker by Todd Scott Moffet

A few weeks of formatting and editing ahead to get it ready to publish in September and then continue reading the stories already submitted for the December issue, there are already approximately seventy submissions, a large majority of which are Novella-sized.


Halloween special?

Was wondering what the thoughts would be on an extra issue for Halloween – horror, ghost stories, frights of 2500 words or less?

This could then become one of the regular extra issues focusing on specific genres?

Maybe also have a Space Opera special issue on April 6th to mark the passing of Isaac Asimov?

But one of the biggest possible changes to genres accepted would be a romance/erotica special issue for St. Valentine’s day.

These are all the extras I could think of at the moment but please contact me with ideas 🙂


June comes early

WWQ1

WWQ1

I had a few days free last week to concentrate on formatting and putting together the first issue of Wicked Words Quarterly and lo and behold I was able to get my Kindle Direct Publishing account set up and the first issue published.

It can be found on Amazon – Wicked Words Quarterly – Issue 1 June 2014

Now to concentrate on reading the next 100 submissions for the September Issue and start in on the novellas that have been submitted for the December Issue.

This has been much more of a success than I initially thought it would be and that is thanks to the number and quality of submissions I’ve received.

Thanks for all of them and I look forward to reading more from all of you.


Wicked Words Issue 1

All the stories for the first edition of Wicked Words Quarterly have now been chosen and I’m in the process of editing and formatting for publication. It still seems to be on track for the 1st of June 2014.

The contributors for the first edition are:

  • Nicole Tanquary’s “In a Tower”
  • Logan Merriweather’s “Pipe Monster”
  • Jason D’Aprile’s “Odin Waits”
  • DJ Cockburn’s “Spookmoth”
  • Deborah Bailey’s “Stranger Has Disconnected”
  • Robin Wyatt Dunn’s “The City of the Wren”
  • Phyllis Green’s “The Diary of Margreth Frogonne”
  • Terri Cross Chetwood’s “Diamondback”
  • Adam Gaylord’s “Mac the Repairman”
  • Mai-Chi Pham’s “Dinner Time”
  • Matthew Barbour’s “The Flicker of Farolitos”
  • J.J. Steinfeld’s “The Old Neighbourhoods of Mars”
  • Maggie Denton’s “2007 OR-10”
  • Tony Peak’s “Dare to Sleep”

The final count of submissions was 242 and this is what made most of the choosing difficult as there were so many good stories to read and it was a great privilege to do so.

Hopefully you will enjoy these stories when they are released in less than a months time as much as I’ve enjoyed compiling them.


Three Days!

Wicked Words Quarterly has now been open for three days, and in those three days visitor numbers to the site has exploded (thank you all 🙂 ), the magazine has received more than 10 submissions a day and the Twitter feed [@MyWickedWords] has started to gain followers…

This is all down to my resolution to visit The Daily Post and start writing, the writing is still happening but the Quarterly seems to have taken on a life of it’s own and I’m learning something new everyday.

The hard part comes now, I’ve set some time apart today to start reading some of the submissions and this is where I have to harden up a bit and write nice acceptance or rejection emails. The acceptance ones aren’t going to be too hard, but the rejection ones will be, right now I can see myself giving personal rejections but if it gets any more popular it may have toe be a form (which I really don’t want to do) with some personal comments.

This is fun, but hard work. I didn’t realise it was going to be such hard work, though when the first issue is done I should have all the tools and skills for the next issues.

So any horror, sci-fi or fantasy stories you want to submit there is still over a month to get them in for the June issue.