The End Is Near!

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Update: See the best of 2013 by various writers HERE!

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The end of the 2013, that is.

And since the year is rapidly coming to an end, I thought I'd give a chance for others to spread the word about their writing. If you have a favorite blog post, or link to something special you've written that's on the web (or even published), pass it on in a comment and I'll put a link out here for it. This way, all my readers (or those just passing by) will have some interesting reading material to wart off the new year. There's no time limit on this, so if you don't get to it right away, send a comment when you can!

I have to admit, I've stolen this idea from Rum Punch Drunk's blog, so you should visit there, too.

Have a Happy New Year, and I look forward to any posts you want to share!

P.S. I stole this image from Bethanne Strasser's website until I can get one of my own... hmmm.... I've stolen the idea for the post and the image... I should make a resolution to be more honest next year!

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Merry Christmas!

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No news or story - just Merry Christmas!

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Image "Merry Christmas Word" courtesy of jannoon028 FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

FSF Challenge - Silver

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This week's writing challenge from Five Sentence Fiction ( Lillie McFerrin Writes ) is based upon the prompt:  Silver

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week Lillie posts one word for inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the prompt word.

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Shameless plug section!

The horror anthology, Gothic Blue Book III - Graveyard Edition  by Burial Day Books, includes my poem, The Ballad of Drunken Jack. Available on Amazon for Kindle or in paperback.

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One for the holidays... 

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Jingle Bells

     "I know you miss her, but I'm sure that wherever she is, she's alright," he said, putting his arm around wife as they sat in front of the packages they feared would never be opened. "You shouldn't do this to yourself every year."
     "But what else can I do when I have no idea if she's alone or hurt—or worse."
     "She's very strong, you know," he said, as much to reassure himself as anyone.
     In silence, they nestled together, holding on to each other and what was left of their lives, when the small, silver bells hung over the kitchen door jingled ever so slightly, and a tiny, unsteady voice asked, "Mom?" 

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Original image source: http://lilliemcferrin.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/silver-bells-1024x570.jpg

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

This Week's Free Photo - Sunrise Over The Ocean

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A little change of pace this time around. Instead of snow, think summer. Summer along the ocean, to be exact. These are from a few years ago, but I thought it might be nice to see some pictures that would warm people up instead of making them shiver that much more during the shortest days of the year.

I happened to be up and about on a morning when the air was fairly clear over the Atlantic and the sun was visible as it popped up over the horizon. Quite often, there is a layer of clouds that prevent you from seeing this. Also, the ocean was very calm that morning.

By the way, that little fin out there is a dolphin (Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, T. truncatus), not a shark... they're quite common along here. So are sharks, but they don't seem to cause any problems.

You can click on the picture to see a larger version. And if you do use it, the red text below can be used for attribution. I also have a larger version (2160 x 1440) should you wish to use this for a project.

Stop back again! I'll have another photo for you next week!

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Top image "OC SUNRISE 2006_1.JPG" ©2013 K. R. Smith - www.theworldofkrsmith.com - may be used with attribution.

Bottom image "OC SUNRISE 2006_2.JPG" ©2013 K. R. Smith - www.theworldofkrsmith.com - may be used with attribution.

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Shameless plug section!

The horror anthology, Gothic Blue Book III - Graveyard Edition  by Burial Day Books, includes my poem, The Ballad of Drunken Jack. Available on Amazon for Kindle or in paperback.

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Is Twitter Useful?

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I saw a tweet from Bethanne Strasser yesterday asking about the usefulness of Twitter, especially from an author's point of view.

I see maybe 3-5% of what's on twitter, but still post hoping others will see what I post. #notconvinced twitter is a great social medium
— Bethanne Strasser (@Bethanne_writes) December 20, 2013

I sometimes have the same question. I do get some good info from other's tweets, but it's hard to find it among the garbage that comes in, especially when some of those you follow seem to retweet everything that comes their way. Just a hint: it's not always interesting to everyone else.

What I've found is that I don't look at the main Twitter feed, but review tweets from various sources, like Duotrope and Horror Tree, and those from a handful of followers, and ignore much of the rest. I don't have time to read every tweet sent my way. I often wonder if others do the same. And seldom do I get useful feedback from more than a handful of followers.

So....

I've put a little poll on my site that will be up until the end of the year. It's not a scientific poll; I'm just curious. If you have an opinion and would like to cast a vote, please do so. You can always leave a comment, too!

Thanks in advance!

Note: The poll is now closed. If you would like, you may still leave a comment on the subject!

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Zombies And Steampunk - A Natural For Haiku

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I have two new submissions - just for fun...

Both are to Dreamscape Press, a small publisher (as if I submit to any other type), and both are haiku. The subject matter? Zombies and steampunk. "That seems like a natural match," he said while rolling his eyes.

Anyway, they are on their way to the editor for consideration.

That's all for now - except that you may want to check out the book below. Just a thought...

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Shameless plug section!

The horror anthology, Gothic Blue Book III - Graveyard Edition  by Burial Day Books, includes my poem, The Ballad of Drunken Jack. Available on Amazon for Kindle or in paperback.

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

FSF Challenge - Alone

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This week's writing challenge from Five Sentence Fiction ( Lillie McFerrin Writes ) is based upon the prompt:  Alone

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week Lillie posts one word for inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the prompt word.

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Shameless plug section!

The horror anthology, Gothic Blue Book III - Graveyard Edition  by Burial Day Books, includes my poem, The Ballad of Drunken Jack. Available on Amazon for Kindle or in paperback.

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A resourceful mind can adapt and survive... 

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A Crowd Of One

     Billy was rather depressed about his new home in the country as there weren't any other children his own age within miles and he desperately wanted a playmate. He decided to walk to the pond, if for no other reason than to kill time until lunch, and as he did, he began to talk to himself, having a discussion with no one in particular about his plight. He eventually took the other side of the argument to keep the conversation going, enumerating all of the interesting places there were to explore, and to provide a little variety assigned his second voice to an imaginary friend he hadn't conjured up in years. Not much farther along, another voice joined in, and then another, all walking in lockstep through the autumn leaves. Before getting halfway to his destination, he was strutting and high-stepping, leading his own little parade down the trail, the trees standing tall on each side to applaud. 

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Original image source: http://sha-1.deviantart.com/art/Alone-115613573

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Give A Christmas Present To A Library

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...and make an author happy in the process!

One of the writers I follow, Lisa Shambrook, is part of a forty author effort to help the Mount Rose Elementary School Library in Reno, Nevada through sales of a Christmas / holiday season anthology. It's called Tales By The Tree, and it's quite a diverse selection of stories (75 in all), with everything from angels to zombies! There's something in it for all ages and interests.

Lisa with a copy of Tales By The Tree

It's available through Amazon for the Kindle or in paperback—just in time for Christmas! Here are links to the Amazon site:

Tales by The Tree amazon.co.uk

Tales by The Tree amazon.com 

From the Amazon page:

Gather Around The Tree With a Collection of 75 Tales From 40+ Authors

Welcome to Tales by the Tree, a collection of holiday stories brought to you by a group of authors whose imagination knows no bounds. No matter how you enjoy your holidays, our collection features something for everyone. Included are Traditional Tales, Family Friendly, Holiday Humor, and Noel Nightmares.

Grab a cup of cocoa and settle in for a long winter's night with Tales by The Tree, an amazing way to discover new talented authors, many of whom are published and can be found on Amazon.

All royalties benefit the Mount Rose Elementary School library in Reno, Nevada.

Take a look at it and let your friends know about it (it would make a nice gift).

And, yes, I have a copy!

When I opened it I got a surprise as two other writers I follow, Jeffrey Hollar and Lizzie Koch, have stories in it, too!

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

This Week's Free Photo - Snowy Pines

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My last photo, Canadas, was supposed to warm you up a little. This week's photo (yes, I know it's a little early) is going to cool you down a bit. A snow storm blew through yesterday, so I have a number of snowy pictures that I'll be posting over the next few weeks. So get used to seeing that white stuff...

This image is a little larger than most I post out here, but I thought it needed the detail. It'll also take a while longer to download. It could be used as a book cover or other background, and is free to use as long as attribution is given (see notes on this below). This is a stand of white pines (pinus strobus) in Gunpowder State Park, Maryland, USA. If you're in England, you'll know these as Weymouth pines.

Pines with snow

You can click on the picture to see a larger version. And if you do use it, the red text below can be used for attribution.

Stop back again! I'll have another photo for you next week!

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Image "PINES_WITH_SNOW.JPG" ©2013 K. R. Smith - www.theworldofkrsmith.com - may be used with attribution

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Shameless plug section!

The horror anthology, Gothic Blue Book III - Graveyard Edition  by Burial Day Books, includes my poem, The Ballad of Drunken Jack. Available on Amazon for Kindle or in paperback.

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

This Week's Free Photo - Canadas

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It's getting cold around the area and some ice and snow storms are on the way, so I thought I'd try to bring a little summer back with my blog, maybe warm things up a bit.

Just a couple of Canadian geese swimming on a pond, looking for something to eat on a lazy summer day...

Update: I found another picture I thought I'd throw out here, too...

He's just doing a goosestep down the road...

Feel free to use the images, or any part thereof, as is or modified, so long as attribution is given. You can use the text below for that:

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Image "CANADAS.JPG" ©2013 K. R. Smith - www.theworldofkrsmith.com - may be used with attribution

Image "GOOSESTEP.JPG" ©2013 K. R. Smith - www.theworldofkrsmith.com - may be used with attribution

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Shameless plug section!

The horror anthology, Gothic Blue Book III - Graveyard Edition  by Burial Day Books, includes my poem, The Ballad of Drunken Jack. Available on Amazon for Kindle or in paperback.

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

FSF Challenge - Highway

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This week's writing challenge from Five Sentence Fiction ( Lillie McFerrin Writes ) is based upon the prompt:  Highway

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Shameless plug section!

The horror anthology, Gothic Blue Book III - Graveyard Edition  by Burial Day Books, includes my poem, The Ballad of Drunken Jack. Available on Amazon for Kindle or in paperback.

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The adventures of Ralph and Wanda, my favorite couple...

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Ms. Direction

     "Gosh, Ralph, isn't it just so great that they've finally opened the new highway interchange?" Wanda asked as they made their way up the entrance ramp, her voice bubbling over with enthusiasm. "We can go anywhere in the state without dealing with a million stop signs, traffic lights, or speed bumps on some winding side road."
     "I suppose," Ralph replied, tapping his fingers impatiently on the steering wheel as traffic slowed.
     "Well—where would you like to go first?"
     "Home." 

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Image source: http://lilliemcferrin.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/highway1.jpg

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Submissions Update - December 5, 2013

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This is just another brief update on my submissions...

The Fisherman and His Wife: (Short story - humor/fairy tale) Accepted a long time ago, but I'm still waiting for something back from Fringeworks about a more concrete schedule. Is anybody home?

Skarett's Treasure: (Short story - humor/horror/pirates) Also accepted a long time ago by Fringeworks (for the KnightWatch Press imprint). Mellissa Black, the latest editor, tweeted back to me that the stories for this anthology were being edited, but it feels like Dead Men's Tales project has dropped off the face of the Earth. I hope to hear something soon, but I'm not counting on it...

Dance (Short story - fae/horror) was rejected by World Weaver Press / Rhonda Parrish. At least they were quick about it. I may rework the story and try elsewhere, but not right away.

A Matter of Personal Taste (Short story - horror) was submitted to Penumbra - actually a re-submission of a slightly reworked version of what was posted on The Were-Traveler. This is a long shot, but why not try?

I'm working on another entry for The Were-Traveler (Lovecraft/Poe issue) with a January 15, 2014 deadline.

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Image "Feathered Quill And Ink Pot" by Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved