Niteblade

2012 is a year of change here at Niteblade. Not only do we have a new poetry editor, a new backend for our website and plans for a new fundraiser (more on this later) we are also going to try a new format for the magazine. Allow me to copy and paste from the updated ‘About’ page:

Is Niteblade free?
Yes and no. Our super awesome .pdf versions are not free, but they are gorgeous and well worth investing in. What’s more they don’t have any advertising and can be read on any device that can read .pdfs. When things get a little complicated is when we start talking about the web-based versions of Niteblade. The archived web versions are completely free. You can check them out from the Archives page and enjoy all the amazing fiction and poems we’ve published over the years, however, as of the March 2012 issue we are implementing a major change.

After March 2012 the web version of each issue is initially going to offer only a teaser of the full version for free. In order for us to release the issue in its entirety we will have to reach a set sales goal. That goal will be fluid at first, while we test to see what the market will bear. Every sale, donation and all advertising revenue generated each quarter will count against the goal. Once we reach it the web-version will be released to everyone for free. If you need to get your fix before then you can purhcase a .pdf right away, and know that in doing so you are contributing toward making the issue available to everyone.

Here’s the thing, that explanation makes it sound more complicated than it really is. The web version of each issue will be teasers only until enough people have donated, bought copies or advertising to reach the goal, and then everyone can read it for free. We’ll track the goal on one of the Niteblade pages and will try to find a balance between not getting paid for the fantastic work we publish and not being able to share that work in its entirety because the website isn’t free.

I’m excited, I hope you are too.

It’s time to announce to poetry content for our March 2012 Issue:

The Wake of March by Dan Campbell

The Woman in the World by Patrice Wilson

A Hellbound Tragicomedy by Stephanie Smith

Lycanthropist by J.S. Watts

The Coast Guard by Sonya Taaffe

Looking forward to this yet? Good. Spread the word.

As of right now, our March Issue is full in terms of poetry (ToC for poetry will be posted here in a bit). We have a small backlog of all of two poems, so chances are good that you should have heard from me (if not, please check your submission’s status in Submishmash before querying).

At any rate, as of now, I will be primarily looking for vampire themed poems for the June issue, anything non-vamp will be automatically considered for the September or December issues. Yes, a Niteblade Vampire Poetry Special, I kid you not.

It should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: the vampire topic is well-worn, to say the least, so make sure you send me something with a fresh take on things, ‘kay?

Now, keep a weather eye out for that Poetry ToC.

This is one of these hard to write posts, so I’ll just try to be succinct:

In July of 2011, Niteblade received a poetry submission: “Foretelling” was the poem’s title.

After a few edits, I accepted the poem for publication. Then I came across another poem, this one already published back in 2007. To my shock, “Foretelling” was almost identical to that other poem, not just a few words or even a few lines, but word for word, line for line; sure, that other poem had been cut significantly, and there were a few minor changes, some new line breaks, but it was the same poem.

I informed the original author about the incident; I informed the author who had sent the submission that Niteblade would no longer publish anything by them because ”Foretelling” was not theirs, and that this author was no longer welcome to submit to any of the venues I edit for.

A response from the original author told me that the author submitting ”Foretelling” to us had tried this before: they had submitted “their” poem to Liquid Imagination where the editor immediately found that it was not originally theirs.

For editors, this is perhaps a cautionary tale. For all concerned, it’s really just sad.

David Wright, past contributor to Niteblade, announces the debut of his first novel, Flight of the Cosmonaut!

http://www.fictionworks.com/ebooks.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnK-yWWWbmY

About this book:
Georgi Petrov is a brave, young Soviet test pilot recruited into the secret cosmonaut corps to make history as the first man in space, or die trying. But after a few short weeks of training behind the Iron Curtain, he quickly finds himself caught in a dangerous world of volatile rockets, lethal KGB agents, tyrannical commanders and mysterious rocket scientists. How many lives are they willing to sacrifice to achieve their ambitious goals and who will be the next to die? But if Georgi ever hopes to escape his violent past and start a new life with the green-eyed girl of his dreams, he has to take this one desperate chance for glory—this last Flight of the Cosmonaut!

Stephanie M. Wytovich is an Alumni to Seton Hill University where she was a double major in English Literature and Art History.  Amongst having numerous publications, the most recent being her poem “Body Suit,” she enjoys painting and playing the piano. She is currently attending graduate school to pursue her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction, and is a nominee for the Rhysling Award for her poem “The Cheater.” She plans to continue in academia to get her doctorate in Gothic Literature. Follow her on Twitter or stop by Stephanie’s blog to say hello.

When did you first recognize yourself as a poet?

I recognized myself as a poet when I got published with a magazine that wasn’t affiliated with my school, even though I had been writing poetry since I was about eight years old. When Eclectic Flash Literary Magazine published my piece “The Necklace,” it gave me the confidence that I needed to start looking at writing as a full time job, and a career that was now possible, instead of just a dream.

What draws you to speculative fiction?

Speculative fiction calls to me because it allows me to create worlds and situations and then manipulate them to my liking. I can visit faraway worlds, bring back the dead, or fall in love with an alien, and no one can tell me that it can’t happen. The possibilities are endless, and sometimes its good not to have boundaries because then your creativity can flow without fear. And while I love Fantasy and Science Fiction, Horror will always be my first true love because nothing gets my blood flowing like that feeling of pure, utter fear.

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

Write what you know. I hate that saying because why would I only want to focus on stuff that I’ve experienced or could relate too? There is a world of information and possibilities out there, and I want to explore every dark, mysterious corner that I can and sink my teeth into it until I figure it out.

In the December 2010 issue of Niteblade, Rhonda chose to publish your poem, “The Cheater“.  Is there a backstory on how it came about?

I’m a big believer of using writing as a means of catharsis, so as you can probably guess, this piece was inspired by infidelity. It’s ironic because while it was a really bad time in my life, I got a lot of great material out of it because I didn’t censor myself. I wrote what I was feeling no matter how angry or sad I was, and when “The Cheater” was finished, I felt like I could start to breathe again, because I had not only figuratively put an end to a bad situation through the poem, but literally shut the door on a very real and unhealthy relationship at the same time.

For those that have read it, the piece is about a character taking control of their situation after realizing that their partner was unfaithful. As a horror writer, I wanted to portray the confrontation scene with a level of high energy that matched the pain the narrator was feeling…so that’s why he/she was given the chainsaw as their weapon of choice; it’s loud, it’s deadly, and it can rip you to pieces just like a bad relationship can.

There were a lot of tears that went into this poem…from both myself and the character that my protagonist murdered, but in the end, I think we both came out better from it, ha.

What have you been working on lately?

I’m currently working on a poetry series based around dark fairy tales, as well as my first novel (that is currently untitled). If I were to describe it, I would say that it’s Rosemary’s Baby meets The Exorcist meets Paranormal Activity. It’s been a lot of fun to write, and I’ve met a lot of interesting characters along the way and I’m excited to see where it goes!

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

Don’t write what you know. Write what you want to know. Explore the nooks and crannies in the darkest places of your mind, and don’t be afraid of what you find there. Writing is meant to take you places, and even if you’re scared of where you’re going, don’t pass up the ride.

Every year it is my honor and my chore to nominate stories and poems from Niteblade for The Pushcart Prize. It is my honor because it is truly a privilege and a joy to recognise some of the awesome works included in Niteblade’s pages and to shine a spotlight on the writers and poets who have created them. It is my chore because it truly is an immensely difficult task to pick only six pieces from everything we’ve published over the year. As difficult a task as it is, I have done it and I am proud to announce our Pushcart nominations as chosen by myself, Rhonda Parrish.

Niteblade nominees, for works published in 2011:

“Running Empty in a Land of Decay” by Damien Walters Grintalis (March 2011)
“First Loves For the First Time” by Keith Kennedy (March 2011)
“Maribelle Remembers Ice” by Brenda Stokes Barron (September 2011)
“A New Life” by F.J. Bergmann (December 2011)
“Initiation” by Caitlin Walsh (December 2011)
“a stitch in time” by Catherine Edmunds (December 2011)

Congratulations to all our nominees. We wish you the very best of luck.

On this Halloween I’m happy to present you with an interview with Jonathan Pinnock. I hope you find Jonathan as engaging as I did.

When did you first recognize yourself as a writer?

I’m still working on it. But I think the point at which I began to think I might be able to recognize myself as a writer was when I heard I’d been shortlisted for an open competition (the 2007 University of Hertfordshire Creative Writing Awards).

What draws you to speculative fiction?

I think it’s the freedom to go anywhere you want, so that you can take an interesting idea to its logical conclusion and then go a bit beyond that.

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

Loads. Particularly stuff to do with being disciplined and writing so many words every day, that kind of thing. I’m pretty chaotic about when I write and I tend to need a good deadline to focus my mind.

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

As it happens, there is. I originally wrote it during a charity write-a-thon I took part in back in late 2007. The way this worked was that a list of prompts were published every hour, on the hour, and you had an hour in which to write something based on a selection of those prompts.

I can therefore tell you quite precisely that “An Unsuitable Replacement” was written between the hours of 8PM and 9PM GMT on Thursday November 15^th, 2007, using the prompts “I took my looks for granted” and “My body is wearing out”.

Apart from changing the title (it was originally called “A Matter of Life and Death”, I don’t think I did a lot of further editing before submitting it to Niteblade.

What have you been working on lately?

My first novel “Mrs Darcy versus the Aliens” was published by Proxima Books, an imprint of Salt Publishing, on September 1^st, so I’ve been spending a fair amount of time lately promoting that. I’ve also been writing a few short stories and working on a Big New Project that I’m going to keep under my hat until I’m sure it’s going to fly.

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

Well, here’s the website for “Mrs Darcy versus the Aliens”: www.mrsdarcyvsthealiens.com, and here’s a spoof Wikipedia I’ve put together to give a bit of unreliable background information: www.mrsdarcyvsthealiens.com/wiki. Here’s my writing website: www.jonathanpinnock.com, and you can follow me on Twitter as @jonpinnock. You can also follow Mrs Darcy on Twitter as @RealMrsDarcy.

Megan Arkenberg’s stories and poems have appeared in multiple publications. She’s a magazine editor too. I can’t help but think she’s somehow managed to add an extra ten hours into the day. You can visit her on the web at http://www.freewebs.com/meganarkenberg/.

When did you first recognize yourself as a writer?

I was in first grade. We were writing stories about superhero potatoes. My teacher was hard-core impressed by the phrase “as a tear rolled down her cheek,” which I must have
picked up from a book somewhere. That was the day I declared myself “good at writing.”

I didn’t become serious about being a writer until junior high, when we were required to take keyboarding classes. Suddenly, drafting stories stopped being a frustrating rush to record my ideas before I forgot them completely; for the first time, I could get words on “paper” as quickly as they sprung into my head. I’m sure I annoyed everyone around me with my insistence that I was an “author” and my lengthy descriptions of my novels-in-progress until my sophomore year of high school, when my stories finally started getting published.

Ironically, though learning to type was what made me confident about writing in the first place, I’ve recently returned to drafting with pen and paper—it forces me to slow down and pay attention to my sentences!

What draws you to speculative fiction?

Something’s a little screwy in my brain’s wiring, I think. It never comes up with ideas like “high school athlete loses scholarship after drunken party results in manslaughter charge.” No, it suggests things like “girl trains ravens to attack zombies,” or “woman is murdered on page 217 of an obscure poet’s biography.”

I also like the way secondary worlds can reject the historical second-class place of women, people of color, and people who live outside of accepted gender norms. Real Victorian women may have been encouraged to stay in the home, but there’s no reason my female steampunk hero has to put up with that kind of nonsense! Sometimes, I just want to enter a safe space, where I can play dress-up with historical settings without dealing with depressing historical mind-sets. Secondary world speculative fiction lets me do that.

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

I’ve never understood the general animosity towards adverbs. Some writers claim that all adverbs can be replaced by stronger verbs, but I think that’s nonsense. There’s a world of difference between “whispering” and “speaking quietly.” “Running” and “walking briskly” are two different actions. There is no good verb for “fiercely unhooking her necklace.” Of course, it is possible to use too many adverbs, just as it’s possible to use too many adjectives, or too many nouns. But stripping a story to the bare minimum of
adverbs isn’t always necessary or desirable.

In the September 2010 issue of Niteblade, Rhonda chose to publish your story, “Rosewinter“.  Is there a story behind how it came about?

I read a story in an anthology—I don’t remember which, and to be honest, I’d prefer not to remember—about a girl who received a magical rose from her magical
adventuring lover every winter. This irked me incredibly. He’s off having marvelous adventures, and she (and the reader) is stuck at home, waiting for a silly rose! If they missed each other so much, why couldn’t she go adventuring with him?

That became the core idea of “Rosewinter”—why might one lover hide her adventurous life from the other? What dark secrets could that innocent gift, a winter rose, be hiding?

I wish I could remember where I got the idea for the braided chronology, past-present-past-present-future-present-future. I’ve always enjoyed playing with the way I tell my stories; this is most obvious in “Rosewinter” and in one of my other favorite short stories, “The Copperroof War.”

What have you been working on lately?

The combined influence of John Milton and the Book of Enoch has resulted in a lot of angel-and-demon stories recently. For some reason (I blame my screwy brain-wiring), these same stories also include a lot of heavy machinery: trains, wind turbines, warships and dirigibles. I also find myself writing more present-day stories, populated by people in jeans and tee-shirts instead of corsets and waistcoats, though most of these stories still have otherworldly settings—places ruled by tribes of zombies or metal angels, trains that run by themselves or hoard treasure like dragons.

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

I love getting feedback—I think most beginning writers do. Even if it’s just “funny story” or “I liked the part where the guy choked on a fishbone” or “I still don’t understand why Susan married the goldfish,” it tells me someone actually read and paid attention to the story. My e-mail address is markenberg@yahoo.com –I promise I don’t bite!

I’d also like to plug my two e-zines, Mirror Dance (fantasy of all flavors!) and Lacuna (historical fiction, alternate history, and speculative fiction with a historical setting).