A Busy Day

            Busy day today. I had a lot to do, and fortunately I have gotten a lot of it completed. I looked over a website today, gothic.net, and found a forum on there. Introducing myself through a post, I have hopefully opened up the blog to more readers. They also take submissions, so I am considering submitting a work. I have sent off numerous works before and have usually met with rejection; it’s the name of the game. “Hey, I feel great today. Let’s send off a work and be reminded that I’m a piece of shit!” Hah! I think my style may work for them. We’ll see and I’ll let you know.

            I took my walk this morning and was hoping to mentally organize things better, but everything is still jumbled. I know I have two short stories to begin and the next novella (which is a lengthening of one of the two short stories). The work on “Mommy’s Gone Mad” is underway – the paper is sitting beside me, yearning for my attention. For short stories, I outline slightly, unlike the novellas and novel, where I had a book of notes and outlines. I’m anxious to start it, as I think it will be a good one. After that, I will start work on my succubus project, as I am calling it. I have a short story and a novella which will deal with the idea of a succubus, or an avenging female spirit. Google it for more info. Those are going to be kickin’ stories.

            If you checked the FB page lately, (and you should check it daily!) you will notice one significant change: my name. Yes, it is still me, but things have shifted slightly. I am trying out my new pen-name. Allow me to introduce Mr. Robert Perry to you all. The name works and I like it.

            I have been in touch with another person who will be assisting with cover designs. There is nothing definite yet, but when I have more to share, I will post it. Look for the new cover for “Mommy’s Gone Mad” coming soon.

            I think I am going to start submitting my works to competitions again. I did that formerly, but have since stopped – the rejections piled up and my morale dropped! There is a Writer’s Digest short, short story contest coming up; I think I mentioned it earlier. I’ll give it a shot. Wish me luck.

            Alright, the characters are growing restless. Got to go…

Looking the Part, Vol. 1

            I was told the other day that I “look like a writer.” I’m supposed to wear glasses; I don’t. I normally dress in black blazers, with dark colors; or vibrant, loud purples and soft lavenders. I like deep blue shirts with black ties (anything actually looks good with a black tie: free tip for you) or forest green with tan ties. Everything must flow and look sharp. My slacks are “modern fitting” (meaning they are tight as hell). Shirts are tucked in, hanging out, matched with jackets or simply worn open at the collar, showcasing my skull necklace - which I always have on. I wear a thumb ring; sometimes, two other rings on my right hand (ring and index finger), or a blue tiger-eye stone: ring finger only. I dress professionally at work, smart when going out, casual at home. So, with all this being said, why would I be told I “look like a writer?”

            First off, how the hell does a writer look, anyways? Do we walk about with pencils behind our ears and dictionaries under our arms? Do we use words like extemporaneous and interpolate when ordering lattes at Starbucks? Do we correct others’ speech, either mentally or verbally? I don’t know. Or maybe it has nothing to do with appearance; perhaps it has everything to do with action. Are we writers because we run through the woods to get a better understanding for what the branches feel like when smacking us in the face? Or because we eat and drink horrible things to comprehend just how disgusting they are, then write about it to you? Again, I don’t know.

            This has been puzzling me for a while. Now understand, I am a gothic writer. If you don’t know what Gothic literature is, hold tight: I’ll write a blog soon about it. But for starters, think Edgar A. Poe. Ok, Gothic. Right. With that out of the way, I am a Gothic writer, hence the pics in the cemetery. You hate cemeteries; I love them. You want a pet dog: I want a raven. Dark, stormy nights scare you: I thrive on them. Flowers adorn your desk: a skull sits on mine; You fear death: I…well, we’ll cover that one later.

I believe that you dress accordingly, and how you present yourself will be your appellation. Now, if you are a sports writer, don’t walk about with a helmet on all day. I don’t carry a shovel with me everywhere I go (read my stories). I don’t feel compelled to dress like anything other than what I am. So, if I dress like President Obama or the Sheik of Napoli, I’m still a writer. If I wear blue jeans and an Eagles tee, I’m still a writer. Bathing suit: same thing. Naked….never mind, you get the point.

The person was being nice. I told them I was writing, and they spoke the line. If I had told them I was in training to be a space shuttle pilot on the manned mission to Mars, they would have said I looked like an astronaut. This is how it rolls for me. All I can say is read my works, then you will know I am a writer.

I really don’t care what I look like (big lie; actually, I put a lot of emphasis on my appearance, but you get the idea). I don’t want to look like a writer: I want to be a writer! And I am one, published or not. Dress is only secondary, though the aesthetics may help.

Briefly, all is well. I am gearing up for another project and some editing of Bleodsian. I have a short story/novella combo I want to work on, the short story coming first; but not before I work on “Mommy’s Gone Crazy.” I think you all will enjoy it. Look for it soon.

I have almost forty ‘likes’ on my page. Please tell your friends, neighbors, and anyone you can trap in the elevator to look at and like my page. I’d appreciate it. Also, follow me on twitter and check out my works at bn.com. All links are posted on the blog page.

Thanks for reading.

The Writing Conference

            I would really love to attend the Writer’s Digest Conference coming soon. Would anyone want to wire me the money to go? Please? I really need to attend one, but not now. Hopefully soon I will be able, as they usually have 60+ editors/publishers there, waiting to tear your work to pieces, and your soul! Sounds like fun, doesn’t it? Imagine standing in line for three hours, waiting rather impatiently as you slowly nudge forward. The woman in front of you has a voice to match her girth and talks only of her cats at home; the man behind you can’t breathe through his nose, and so uses his mouth, nearly sucking your blazer into his throat. You begin to have thought of moving aside and allowing the human vacuum to inhale the cat-woman; you smile to yourself at the thought. Oh, the woman wrote a story about her cats. Imagine that! 200 hundred pages of furry paws and whiskers you endure slowly and painfully, much like torture. Finally, it’s your turn and you hand them the work. They (meaning some awkwardly looking, intimately deprived woman in her mid-forties who wears her glasses on the tip of her hawk-like nose) look at it with sadistic pleasure while you try not to compare her to that Chihuahua  you saw taking a shit on the sidewalk earlier in the day.

            She puts it down, adjusts her glasses (even though they are nearly cemented to her nose) and stares up at you with this look, half-crazed and wildly bizarre, as if saying “if you ask me out tonight, I will publish your book.” You can’t say yes because you are still hung-up on the idea of that dog, and so stare blindly at her. She then, realizing you will return to your hotel room alone, begins a diatribe of your work, telling you first that it is utter shit (see previous sidewalk comment). You still smile. She then tells you about your characters, you know, the people who have been living in your head for over a year and are nearly like family. They are too dry, too human….wtf, you think; but still you stand there, smiling and dying. Then, for the final blow, and she removes her glasses for this one, folks, she says the only think your work is truly good for is pipe cleaning: no, not the ones beneath your sink. No, the only pipe she has in mind was the one connected to my ass, the same one she now wants me to shove my story up!

            As you leave the building, feeling more like trash and less like a writer, you see that same dog. He’s finished doing his business, and out of compulsion you desire to kick him. What’s the use, you say, and walk back to your hotel, where you will probably cry until the sun rises.

            So, would anyone want to sponsor my trip to the conference?..................

The New Photo

            The Photo shoot blog was very popular and I heard a lot of laughter about it today at work. That’s good (if you think watching me get my ass kicked by some tough bikers is amusing!) Anyways, thanks for all the support and perseverance; you guys have more endurance than I do. I’ll just turn this publishing thing over to you and you all let me know when I’m famous. How’s that?

            Two days ago I purchased my first photo for a future cover from Joe Sheehan. I have his link posted on my blog site. His works are great, if I may say. Joe exhibits a dark streak with rather light colors; it’s brilliant and amazing how bright yet dark his images are. The work was shown to me a few days ago, and when I saw it, I knew immediately the picture would be perfect for my next little project, the story “Mommy’s Gone Crazy.” Joseph, (we’ll be proper here) unknowingly captured the essence of the story with his picture. He is also a professional portrait photographer working in Central Florida. I like his works and think he has a good grasp on things macabre; so, his works will certainly appear on my covers in the future. We both are excited to collaborate with one another, as our works seem to fit nicely together. Check out his site and remember him for your next family photo. If you have an awesome picture and think it would be great as a cover, feel free to email me at accantoallatomba@yahoo.com, and we’ll talk.

            Holly is doing well editing the photos; the poor girl is rather busy with all her endeavors, so for her to fit this into her schedule is truly both kind and generous. I will no doubt have them soon, and I promise you all will get the first glimpse of the new book covers. I will also be working with another individual who will construct the covers locally. A little more on him later.

            The story mentioned above, “Mommy’s Gone Crazy,” is a work I will start shortly. It’s about a man who gets a frantic call from his daughter that her ‘mommy’ (his ex-wife) has suddenly succumbed to her mental derangement and is trying to kill her. His whole mission is to get into the voluminous and vaulted mansion and save his daughter. But with all my stories, what appears to be simple is not always the case; the villain could be more sinister and more secretive than once imagined. Has mommy really gone mad, or is there more residing in the shadows of the house?

            This story gives me an exciting opportunity to work with a character-type I have been molding for many months now, perhaps years, even. Collectively and individually, she is known as Alexandretta, and she is singularly the most prominent driving force behind all my female characters. I mentioned her in an earlier blog from several months ago, but now she has come into her own, and in this story, I will deal with her directly, making her the star of the occasion and not simply the major influence. Look for more on all of this in a future blog.

            I say now, Behold, the Rise of Alexandretta….

            Thanks for reading!

First Photo Shoot

            Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Mine rocked! I was finally able to take my pictures for my new facebook page. Allow me to paint you a picture, if I may; we, my wife and I, went to the Pinewoods Cemetery in Daytona Beach to take pictures. I like cemeteries and figured it would be a perfect fit for a horror writer photo shoot. It was, save for the fact that this deliciously morbid cemetery was across the street from biker central, where all these leather-clad guys were staring at this pansy-looking “Hollywoodesque” guy in a black blazer and tight pants hanging over tombstones! I was scared shitless! Actually, it was a lot of fun, and Melissa exhibited her photographic dexterity in taking all the pictures. Many of them came out really well, much to her praise. I sat beside stones and laid upon the ground; it was awesome! There were some wonderful staircases and some depth to the cemetery that made the place perfect. I love cemeteries, just sayin.’ You see, gothic writer at heart. What else would you expect from me? Fields of daisies with butterflies fluttering about, or fluffy clouds and soft music? Com’ on? Read my works and you, too, will puke at the idea of fields or clouds.

            Got the pictures; next step was the FB page, which I completed last night. I thought it a brilliant idea to make myself a hot chai before going to be; you know, a hot, caffeinated beverage designed to sustain the body and mind for hours on end? Yeah, that one! So, when I couldn’t close my eyes for love or money, I decided to construct the page. I selected my favorite pics from the photo shoot, and finally, after much cursing and yelling, figured out how to start the page. I hate the new FB. Bastards! Anyways, it’s up and running, so check it out! Search my name and you will find the page. Every friend who likes it makes me feel less like a turd, so help me out here!

            With both of these going, I feel pretty good. I have my first shoot out of the way and my page is finished. Like it and receive updates on all my efforts. Also, I have a new email address, if you care to send a lengthy correspondence. You can find it on the page. Also, I will be posting some new links at the right, so keep an eye out to learn more about the photos on the covers!

            Busy weekend? Yes, it was! But a good and productive one. Keeping reading, and like my page. Oh, and for an infomercial: buy my works at bn.com!

            Thanks for reading!

An Introduction to Bleodsian

            I started Bleodsian two years ago, and the work has taken so much of my time to bring it to completion. It is, however, nearly ready for the web, with the exception of some minor “touch-ups.” Working on a project for such a length of time can be wearisome, and this one had its moments. I will say, however, that when I got to the end, the whole episode sped up quickly and the ending came out wonderfully. When you all get a chance to read it, I would love to hear the feedback.

            The story is about a middle-aged man who is diagnosed with a rare blood disorder which turns out to be fatal. With the aid of a voice only he can hear, a voice which nearly commands him, he sets out on a course to restore his health with a “plan” devised by the sinister voice. The question arises, to what lengths would you go to restore your health? Another question, and paramount in the story, is what is our relationship to nature and the entire natural world? And what is death in relation to everything? Should something die in order for something else to live? Ponder these, as Mr. Cacciare did.

            I am anxious to post it on bn.com and can’t wait to hear what everyone says about it. There is a definite shock factor to the story, one which will hopefully raise questions for everyone to think over. I am not trying to change society with the tale; merely, I am trying to help us think through our own existence and how we correspond to the natural world around us. Look for it soon.

            That’s all for now. I will post more on Bleodsian as the web-publication date draws nearer. Check out my stories this weekend and find me on twitter, where I post updates on my writing career.

            Thanks for reading…..

A Freezing Walk

            I did a search for my blog on line today and found it rather easily. It was surprising, to say the least. I noticed, though, that I have more work to do in order to make it more accessible. On a walk I took earlier, I had all of these things running through my mind. It was pretty out, but sadly enough I paid little attention; I am still debating about the pseudonym issue. I teeter back and forth, not knowing if I should take on a new name or embrace my original appellation. Help me here…

            So, it’s cold outside. For those of you who enjoy it, I’m delighted for you. For the rest of us who hate this shit, my sympathies. I’m out trying to think (I always take long walks to help me process an issue) and freezing my ass off. Oh well, at least the walk was nice and fruitful.

            I looked over my stats from yesterday, and had quite the international community reviewing my blog. That’s pretty damned cool! People from the UK, Russia and Germany read my blog. I have several friends in the UK, friends I made on a writing site based in that country, and they seem to be checking it out. It’s exciting to see the endeavor grow. Keep reading and telling your friends!

            I am starting to put together a little blog on my latest novella (a work shorter than a novel but longer than a short story), and I will have that up soon. I’ll start to go over some of my works for you all, so you can get a feel for my style, and maybe even learn a thing or two about me. I’m proud of Bleodsian; it came out really well, and the ending will nearly have you in tears. It has taken me two years to write and edit, but now it is complete and nearly read for bn.com. Look for it soon!

            Gotta run now; have to go to work soon. Thanks for reading and remember to check out my works on bn.com