Niteblade

Posts Tagged ‘Aaron Polson’

It begins with a subtle titillation of curiosity…
groaning floorboards at the dark end of the hall…
the rising musk of something savage…
cloven hooves on cobblestones…
a quivering chill…
And then there’s no going back!

From the mists of antiquity to the edge of madness, the handpicked original fiction of Niteblade Magazine spans the finest reaches of Horror and Fantasy writing. Each issue features short stories and poems that intrigue, terrorize, inspire, and do not let you go!

June’s issue is a riveting mix of selections that soothe with a feather’s touch and wrench you back around with white-knuckle intensity. It’s the full experience and the full release of horror and fantasy at its most compelling.

This issue contains:

Clotho by L.S. Johnson
The Summer I Fell In Love by Aaron Polson
A Means for the Journey by Erin Cole
Monstrovarious by Adam Armstrong
Stone City Old as Immeasurable Time by Kelda Crich
The Bitter Gourd’s Fate by Anne Carly Abad
Looking-Glass Lover by Sara Norja
Labyrinth of Sand by Sandi Leibowitz
My Siren by Amelie Daigle

You can check out the teasers on our website right now. The full stories and poems will be available once we reach our sales/donation goal of $50 for this issue. If you just can’t wait (and who could blame you), you can pick up a downloadable version of this issue right now for $2.99. Not only will that place a full digital copy in your possession immediately, it will push us closer to our goal so other people, not able to purchase their own copy, will be able to read it online for free sooner rather than later. Win/Win 🙂

Niteblade #28: Looking-Glass Lover

Aaron Polson has been published several times in Niteblade. He was kind enough to take time out of his summer schedule to answer a few questions. You can visit him online at www.aaronpolson.net for regular updates.

When did you first recognize yourself as a writer?

Only recently—within the past six months or so—was I able to look in the mirror and say, “Yes, I’m a writer.”  I’ve been writing for a number of years, but it just didn’t seem like I was there yet.  I’m not sure what tipped the scales.  Writing is just something I do every day now (or most every day). It’s become part of who I am, just as much as teacher, father, and husband.

What draws you to speculative fiction?

I’m sure it’s some Freudian need to explain the world and meaning of my existence and all that. Personally, I find speculative fiction fun.  A writer can break the rules of “reality” in a speculative story—break the rules of reality and create his or her own rules.  It’s a little like playing God with a lot fewer consequences.

Is there a piece of writing advice you’ve never followed?

“Write Every Day”

While I feel it is vital to keep writing, there are some days I have to just stay away from the keyboard.  I’ve become better at recognizing those days.  Sometimes I just need to take a break because I feel everything I write is terrible.  I’m currently involved in a fairly sizeable home renovation project (it’s what teachers do during summer “break”).  I’ve only written about a thousand words this week, but I’m still trying.

In the December 2008 issue of Niteblade, Rhonda chose to publish your story, “Bait Worms”.  Is there a story behind how it came about?

My hometown influenced “Bait Worms” like it has with a number of my stories. An old house down the street from my best friend’s place inspired the piece.  I tried to imagine what kind of person lived in the house before it was abandoned. My brain tends to think in horror stories, so it went to a dark place.  We spent a good deal of time fishing as kids, and digging worms from our neighbors’ gardens was a pretty typical pastime. It all sort of fell into place after that.

What have you been working on lately?

I’ve continued to write short stories, but I’m currently working on longer works. One is a MG novel, Raygun, involving an enchanted toy “space gun”.  My wife challenged me to write something Owen, our seven-year-old son, could read. In Raygun, the protagonist, a young boy, finds a stash of his grandfather’s old tin toys—a good, old-fashioned science-fantasy romp ensues.  The other piece is a supernatural thriller involving ghosts and a form of time travel.  I’m sworn to secrecy on the rest.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with Niteblade’s readers?

Stop by my website, www.aaronpolson.net, for free stories, podcasts, or just to chat.

Thanks for the interview!