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Thanks Rebecca for contributing your excellent story, Hermit 2.0 to Burning Love and Bleeding Hearts, and for this fabulous post.
Check out Rebecca's website for a list of her other publications. https://writingandmoonlighting.com/2020/02/17/burning-love-and-bleeding-hearts-charity-anthology-for-australias-bushfire-relief-turning-love-tropes-on-their-heads/?fbclid=IwAR1ShBiJGvB2r1NlejiRUvUP02nGpAvsFI3bFvmGyag2-Nvvq60ZV6bcWYk
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Happy book birthday, Burning Love and Bleeding HeartsBurning Love and Bleeding Hearts is the first anthology I’ve created as an editor – and what a wild ride it was. I co-edited with award-winning author Chris Mason, who I’d not met or talked to prior to this experience. What a way to get to know someone – it was certainly an ordeal by fire! Between mid-December and the end of January, Chris and I read 200 submissions and edited 60 poems and stories – just under 60,000 words. There were days full of email communications, other days with phone calls and Facebook chats. We read each story and poem submitted, most of them several times. We didn’t always agree, often having to revisit stories and reread to find what the other person saw in it that we didn’t. We had long lists, short lists, possibly rejected and definitely rejected lists, and over the six weeks the call was open, things moved with some fluidity between categories. But, we got there, almost all of a sudden. In the week before submissions closed, the theme and categories were clearly established, and the anthology began to really take shape. I would also like to thank all the other people who helped complete the task: first thanks has to be to Chris Mason. It took longer than either of us thought and she just pushed everything else aside to get it done. Everyone else: The proofreaders: Liz Charpleix, Rebecca Fletcher, and Tyler McPherson (who can be found on Instagram: @trmcpher), the cover artist Luke Spooner, and of course, we couldn't have done it without Steve Dillon at Things in the Well and all the authors who contributed their stories. Everyone donated time. Kudos to all of you. When I pitched the idea of a Valentine’s Day anthology to Steve Dillon – just before Christmas I might add – I had no idea, whatsoever, what would be involved. To be honest, I was hoping he would do it and I would help. But he said, ‘It’s yours! Who do you want to work with?’ and suggested Chris Mason. It happened so fast I was saying ‘Yes’ before really thinking it through. At this time, Chris was under threat of the fires in the Adelaide Hills in SA. Thankfully, the fires caused her no harm and a few days later, Chris agreed to be co-editor. There were fires still burning in many other places when we started, therefore it was easy for us to dedicate receipts from this anthology to the victims of the bushfires. It’s been one hell of a journey. Sure, there have been some ups and downs: missed emails, incorrect spellings, misunderstandings, even a little tension here and there. But it was a massive job with a tight timeframe, and we chucked everything we all had into it, so this was bound to happen. Now the project is complete, we are all happy with the result and still talking to each other – which is always a bonus, especially for someone with an Italian temperament (me). Would we do things differently another time? Certainly! For a start, I wouldn’t have to ask so many questions about contracts, acceptances, rejections, process, protocol and – all the other stuff you need to do when publishing a book – printing, sales, reviews and marketing. Maybe I’d also look at a longer submission period with more warning for authors – starting in … November! As we compiled the anthology, Steve would remind me, often, about Hell’s Bells, the 2016 Australasian Horror Writers Association member magazine. Steve was president and I was a general committee member and we’d created Hell’s Bells in two weeks. Two weeks. Could it be harder than that? Could it? Apparently so! For a start, Hell’s Bells was a member magazine and had only forty submissions of 500 words – all of which were accepted. But, knowing it could be done … thanks Steve for the gentle encouragement along the way. The thing I most loved about the submissions for this anthology was the way in which the authors took to the theme. The submission call was brief: “The theme is Valentine’s Day, so we’re after dark, suspenseful, menacing, memorable tales of human love gone wrong, or monster love gone right!” And we certainly received tales that suited. There were some that didn’t match our interpretation of the theme, and others that were looking for a home in a different type of anthology perhaps, but we enjoyed reading every one. As a writer, this made me realise that some submissions can be very well written, but they don’t suit the editors’ vision for their product. This is really worth remembering when you get your next rejection. The other thing we wished for was more time to work with authors on their stories. Big take home for authors who are submitting to a call out – Don’t submit last minute! Towards the end of the submission period, we had a clear idea of what we still needed and what we already had. It would be true to say that some stories, had they come in first, may have been accepted in place of others. We also saw so many diamonds in the rough that we would have loved to help polish, but just didn’t have the time. When we were reading the submissions, we did not want to be influenced by publishing credits or experience and often read the introductory letter last. Maybe because of this – or certainly in part, who can really say – we’ve ended up with a collection that showcases emerging, established, literary and genre writers, all from a multitude of backgrounds and ethnicities. The stories selected transcend the standard love tropes. The characters in this collection find love in crisis, experience love that is or creates a crisis, and find love born from crisis. Once again, crisis is the catalyst that helps us find what we seek, and is why I love the speculative fiction and horror genre so much. The tales of love, in some instances, extended beyond species, gender and death. Another reason to love this genre – there are limitless boundaries. Now, as I hold the proof copy in my hand and flick through the pages and read the stories anew, it’s like childbirth: I forget the bumpy road and all the work it’s taken to get here. I look at this new creation and know: It’s a damn fine collection. Chris and I love Burning Love and Bleeding Hearts. We feel every piece selected adds to the narrative and makes the anthology richer for its inclusion. With this concluding thought, our wish is that you, the reader, enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed reading and compiling it. Happy book-release day to us, and happy bloody Valentine’s Day, sweethearts!  Burning Love and Bleeding Hearts is now available from Amazon and major online retailers. As the publisher Steve Dillon says: "Scream, shout, jump about and share the news! It's alive!"
Britain's most respected living horror writer Ramsey Campbell has said of this magazine-sized charity book of short stories: "A fine anthology for a fine cause. Invest your imagination in it and you'll be investing in the world as well." "Burning Love and Bleeding Hearts. The title says it all. Who would think love could be so… dangerous? This anthology is a mix of poetry and short fiction that brings you 60 tales of love found, love lost, or love experienced in ways you may never have imagined. Weird and macabre, sometimes humorous, often terrifying, these tales – presented by an international line up of authors – will make your heart skip a beat." https://www.amazon.com/dp/1650175345?fbclid=IwAR1vtjkyKiHlxEGftitEy-5fsUNTFCmYOVOw5bz_ffh8t_blh-AVzjnHseE We're pleased to announce the final ToC for Burning Love and Bleeding Hearts, edited by Louise Zedda-Sampson and Chris Mason and published by Steve Dillon at Things In The Well. We received just under 200 submissions and have selected 60 of these to be included. We thank every single person who submitted. All funds will go to charity to assist those affected by the Australian bushfires. The ToC will read as follows: _______________________ Tender Whisper on a Crimson Tongue by Erik Hofstatter Orchid, Squirrel, White-Hot Star by Russell Hemmell A Saint Valentine’s Day Tale by James Dorr To Cherish, Love, and Obey by K. B. Elijah - author Waxing Her by Michael Arnzen Oldstones by Miguela Considine Melody in the Dark by Sarah Doebereiner The Rose Room by Kurt Newton Teratophile by Blake Jessop Kardia by Donna Laemmlen Smoke Signals by Lynne Lumsden Green Abduction Again by Janis Butler Holm Invisible Boy by Bruce Meyer Valentine’s Volunteer by AJ Collins King Cupie by Josh Dygert Geometric Dilemma or Made for Each Other? by Nadja Maril Fallen Angel by Alyson Faye Dark Wings by Gerri Leen Jarred by N. M. Brown When He Comes by Susan Snyder Seamless by Geneve Flynn Screaming for Love by Diane Arrelle Edible Panties by Kevin J. Kennedy Flowering Night by Mere Rain Love Ya to Death by Steve Carr Honeymoon Lodge by Kurt Newton Cleaning up the Act by Steve Dillon - Writer A Receipt by Joshua Strnad Pit of Love by Claire Fitzpatrick Lover Song, Mantis Instinct by Russell Hemmell Dance of the Forever Wolf by S. M. Fedor Broken Crows by William Falo Bloom by Kurt Newton Wrong Number by Noel Osualdini Vegan Vamp by Donna J. W. Munro One from the Heart by Anthony Paul Ferguson Polluted by Sara Tantlinger Lovers’ Quarrel by Michael A. Clark Threeplay by Suzanne Lafetra DNA by E. E. King Encore by Nic Brady Whiter Shade of Pale by C L Raven Incisions by Sara Tantlinger The Music of the Heart by John Grant The Catch by Eugene Johnson Vampires and Perfume by Michael Arnzen Doris by Ronnie Smart Out of Sight, Out of Mind by Alan Meyrowitz The Lucky Palace by syney khoo A Ballet of Blood and Flames by Liam Hogan Still Broken-Hearted by Lynn White The Lonesome Defeat of Bridge Repair by Gabriel Hart Heart of Dust by Ric Connely Or Something by Sara Tantlinger Damaged by Kevin David Anderson Stonecold by Leslie Wibberley Lovers by Laura Wilde Fermented Fatalities by Sara Tantlinger Hermit 2.0 by Rebecca Fraser The Ballad of Elvis O’Malley by Matthew R. Davis Pre-orders now available at Amazon. Release date 14 February for Valentine's Day... Ebook pre-order: https://www.amazon.com.au/Burning-Love-Bleedin…/…/B083D8K4X1
The submissions have been rolling in and we thank all authors for their generous contributions. Submissions are still open until 31 January.
In the meantime, here's a sneak peak of the current ToC. https://thingsinthewell.wordpress.com/2020/01/20/burning-love-first-lineup-announced/?fbclid=IwAR1IZNjWqdko2ogMIOig71C-R89m7fl54yUXAJ7hvfX6ODvOFKIKbj8kLFE
I'm supporting the cause and offering a spot at the next writers retreat.
I'm pleased to announce I'll be co-editing the anthology Burning Love and Bleeding Hearts: Dark and Dangerous Valentine's Day Tales with award-winning author Chris Mason to be published by Things in the Well Publications due for release on Valentine's Day. This is a charity anthology and all proceeds will go to victims of the Australian bush fires. From the call out page: "The theme is Valentine’s Day, so we’re after dark, suspenseful, menacing, memorable tales of human love gone wrong, or monster love gone right!" Submission call is for original poetry and flash fiction up to 1,000 words, but reprints and longer works will be considered if they fit the theme. If you have something you think is a close fit but not quite - please don't self-reject. Send it in anyway. We'd love to read your work. Submissions are open until the end of January. https://thingsinthewell.wordpress.com/open-submissions/ Thanks to Luke Spooner for donating this most gorgeous cover design.  And the good news continues. A passion project I've been working on over the last few years is complete. My article 'Bowl the Maidens Over' will be published in the MCC's member publication The Yorker on Boxing Day. The article is about the first organised games of competitive women's cricket in Australia, starting in 1874. Many brave women's stories are lost to history and it's been an absolute pleasure to find one that hasn't been told. 
This retreat we ended up with a group of seven. The group consisted of two previous attendees, four new people and me. We had a variety of projects as goals between us - from poems to novels to non-fiction - and came from very different employment backgrounds; all writers at various stages of their careers. But none of that mattered and there were no visible boundaries as we all sat down to work.
... we all needed a change of clothes.
The rest of the time was spent at base, working away. We had lunches supplied by Phillip Island Bakery - which were delicious - and were treated to bacon and egg breakfasts and a home cooked meal by the Tropicana motel. It was bitterly cold, but perfect weather to stay indoors and write up a storm. On the Saturday night after dinner, we even had a chance to sit around next to an open fire and talk books. Does life get any better for a writer?  It was a great group, great conversations and even better, we all managed to get some great words on the page.
Thanks everyone for a super weekend. |
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