Editors Note: Heartcore is Broken A Cautionary Tale and Apology

What concerns me is the drama surrounding this anthology. As many have told me about their professions --- "It's like high school." Well, this was middle school. And so is much of writing and publishing these days. Perhaps this is heightened more in the arts because of the narcissism of those who see themselves as creators and their arrested adolescence.

I offered my services as well my offices services, free of charge, to generate contracts; to seek out writers for supplemental stories; and to set up the non-profit again without charge.

For my efforts I was ignored entirely by individuals who regularly contact me in favor of 'poor me' postings on social media. I was invited and glad to join but after months and months of publishers going in and out of the project for undisclosed reasons; for never being told the full story of what is going on; for watching writers fighting amongst themselves with a false sense of their own importance and the editors promoting other projects ahead of this one; I am disgusted.

Normally I would keep these thoughts to myself and soldier on. But I think this experience serves as a lesson. I am disappointed the project fell through as we did fail to help those we wished to; but even more so I feel betrayed by many people involved. This has been a crazy few months where similar projects have crashed for similar reasons. What seems to be happening in this genre is a lack of civility and humanity on the part of the many; thank God it is not the whole.

The whole anthology scene is becoming stranger than the fiction it promotes. Editors now openly will tell you it is proper to simply accept a submission and not respond any further. One refused to respond to me in favor of discussing his troubles with video games or wanting to write comic books on Facebook. Writers involved feel more and more that it is necessary to trash fellow writers on social media and all the while you can see their own self-exalted work suffering.

There was once, just a short time ago, a camaraderie amongst the many; unfortunately it is now with the few. Writers were a community and supportive. I have no idea what happened; I have no idea where the venom came from. Such is life.

I am confident my story will appear somewhere else soon, but all of the drama of this saga is beyond unprofessional; it is distasteful and I apologize for leading anyone astray in thinking this book would ever appear in print.

I feel used and fooled as much as you and unlike others who hit and run with sophomoric insults and soap opera antics I am here to offer my apologies.

But the best is yet to come. We have stories coming out with true professionals very soon. As I indicated at the beginning of this year, I had a sense this would be a year of transition and man has it ever.

Yes, we have made strides and the yes, the best is yet to some. Stay tuned.

Milford Connecticut's 375th Birthday

No we are not among the list of local writers and authors included in the library bash to celebrate our talents as just local folks. The literary giants that walk among us see it fit not include a simple horror writer like me.

I guess my head isn't pointy enough for that tri-cornered hat.

According to several in the arts scene I am one step lower than a pornographer.

Recently I spoke with another gentlemen who relayed his parallel experiences as a horror and science fiction writer in his own town.

Mundane story telling's discrimination against horror, science fiction and fantasy writers is age old. I could tell about some of those writers who did all they could to demean the work of our forefathers  but frankly those frothing at the mouth bigots have all been forgotten.

MY GHOST STORY To Be Published

Just received the artwork to preview. Details will follow.....

Maybe It's Just People In General....

I recently became aware of a viral posting where a news anchor gently reprimands her idiot viewers for their repeated and heated telephone calls complaining about tornado warnings interrupting their evening television viewing. I applaud the anchor for not sidestepping the stupid. I applaud the anchor for taking them on, not making excuses and calling them out from under the rocks that occupy their skulls.

The selfishness and narcissism; not to mention the neon-like low IQs of the Walking Duds continues their march. It seems to be worse and worse everyday; infecting all manner of business and profession camouflaged by political correctness, political payback and quota.

For those liberals who appear to be at the heart of the problem --- its a form of bullying. It is exactly what you claim you battle everyday.

For you progressives who appear to be the heart of the problem --- it is a suppression of expression. Whining is not asserting it is telling others that they should conform to you.

Its all about control and always about control.

Just the other day I announced that yet another anthology dropped. This is becoming an industry wide problem based on the wonderful economy we are all experiencing. Hey, life sucks and then you die. But what now appears I that a group of writers may be involved.

I hate soap operas too. I am writing the editors and I thinks its time to shine a light on this issue. Let's see what we need to do with this charity book and let's see whose self-absorbed relevance needs to disappear.

HEARTCORE / SNOWFLAKES ANTHOLOGY CANCELLED

WATCH THE BOUNCING BALL therefore will not be out as promised. Two publishers have backed off the charity anthology for undisclosed reasons. This is disappointing because all involved attempted to do good and have been denied. AND this is the fourth anthology for me to go down the tubes.

I have also noticed other anthologies struggling as well. The times they are tough and not changing; people are reading less and 'netflixing'  more. While I have confidence this tale will find a home, I am getting increasingly impatient with a genre that is homogenizing more and more in an effort to chase a public that really is only made up groupies in search of a fad.

I will trudge on like Pink Floyd in a world captivated by disco. In the long run I'll still be standing.

TO DANGLE A RAT to be published in SCHLOCK! WEBZINE

Yes it will be. Details and specifics to follow. Thank you Schlock!

A Revolutionary Lovecraft Series Is Reviewed on Lurid-lit.com Now!!!

This week I review three groundbreaking graphic novels by Bruce Brown that re-introduces H. P. Lovecraft to children compromising the 'Howard Lovecraft Series':

HOWARD LOVECRAFT AND THE FROZEN KINGDOM
HOWARD LOVECRAFT AND THE UNDERSEA KINGDOM
HOWARD LOVECRAFT AND THE KINGDOM OF MADNESS

You need to check this out.