The Brothel: A Whoring Thread for Writers

My story "Misty" is now live up at ManArchy. Cool new site with a Playboy kind of vibe, plenty of sex, drugs, rock n roll. Oh, and fiction!

http://manarchymag.com/core/2011/12/misty-by-richard-thomas/

Awesome, Richard. I didn't even know till today that you were involved with ManArchy as well.

Here's what else we have to look forward to in January: Essays!

1-8-12: In Christopher Hitchen's Wake : Reflections on Cancer and Losing my Religion

1-15-12: Christianity Ad Absurdum : How to Waste a Life

1-22-12: The Church of Judas Christ of Latter Day Sins

Now if those titles don't stir the pot, nothing will.

awesome, ant. i had no idea about anybody else being there.

Yeah, Dan did a pretty good job of soliciting a ton of great writers and keeping it all under wraps.

My story "The Handyman" is now live in the debut issue of Conjectural Figments. Also in here, the extremely talented Simon West-Bulford and Craig Wallwork. The layout and design is really good.

http://www.issuu.com/conjecturalfigments/docs/conjecturalfigments_feb_20...

I read these two the other night. Nice. You're a funny guy. Gonna go pick some more to read.

Thanks. Though I do try to be serious once in a while, lately I've been in a very facetious mood. I think it's been coming through in my writing.

Glad you enjoyed them.

Even in a serious essay, a little cheek is a good thing. You're not reporting on genocide in Darfur, you're ruminating on whiskey and YHVH's New Clothes. Bring on the yucks says I.

Also, w00t, Richard. Keep crankin' 'em out!

YVHH's New Clothes -- Now there's an essay waiting to be written.

thanks, tuffy. i'm trying!

In Christopher Hitchens' Wake : Reflections on Cancer and Losing My Religion is now live.

Just a quick note for those who having been bombarded by my TweetBook ramblings:

All eBook versions of either Charactered Pieces or Murmurs: Gathered Stories Vol. One are only $0.99 from now through January 17th. Why January 17th? Because that is the official release date for my newest novel, I Didn’t Mean to be Kevin.

Just click a link below to go either directly to the Amazon Kindle store or to the Smashwords pages where other formats can be purchased (including NOOK, Sony, Kobo, iBooks, etc.)

Please, spread the word if you are willing and able. This is a damn fine deal, I must say, and is a great opportunity to whet your appetite for the upcoming I Didn’t Mean to be Kevin.

Those interested can go to my website for direct links: http://www.calebjross.com/book-news/99-cents-now-through-january-17th-ch...

My new Storyville column: Research and Duotrope, is up at LitReactor. This is a really informative read for anybody that sends out their short stories (and novels).

http://litreactor.com/columns/storyville-research-and-duotrope

My short story, Negative #6, which was published in October's Kindling, is now being featured in their "behind the music" type blog, The Woodpile. Just some neat little side notes and what not about the story, etc...

http://gatherkindling.blogspot.com/2012/01/woodpile-negative-6-by-anthon...

I was interviewed by Nathan Pettigrew over at Solarcide. Excellent in-depth questions, had a great time.

http://solarcide.com/special-guest-content/guest-interviews/dreaming-neo...

Speedloader, with stories by Nigel Bird, Nik Korpon Matthew C Funk WD County Jonathan Woods and myself is FREE! Pick it up while you can.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0056UBJ22/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_u2skpb03TR6NT

Nik Korpon and I were two of the five stories that won the Punchnel's Hard Boiled-Down Noir Fiction Contest. Winners are invited to read with Frank Bill next Friday in Indy. I'm going to try to make it.

http://www.punchnels.com/fiction/we-have-winners/

My debut novel, Transubstantiate, is FREE at Amazon for one day only—TODAY! So if you have a Kindle, head over there right now if you want to pick up this neo-noir, speculative thriller. This offer will probably never happen again.

http://www.amazon.com/Transubstantiate-ebook/dp/B004NIFNY8/ref=sr_1_2?ie...

What are other people saying? Here are some blurbs:

“Transubstantiate is, is — it’s a visual: that 2001 baby opening its eyes in the monolith, but the monolith is shrouded in this story of loss and hope and identity, and encoded in the cadence of that story, if you listen close, is the genetic map with which to draw this impossible celestial infant, opening its eyes on the page, looking right into you.”
—Stephen Graham Jones
All The Beautiful Sinners, Bleed Into Me: A Book of Stories, Ledfeather, The Ones That Got Away

“Transubstantiate is an intricately-woven dystopian thriller, with every thread pulled tight. This is a solid debut from Richard Thomas.”
—Craig Clevenger
The Contortionist’s Handbook, Dermaphoria

“Richard Thomas’s Transubstantiate constructs a collection of voices that reveals a disturbing futuristic vision of terror and beauty. The novel’s island paradise, its imprisoned inhabitants, and the digital presence that works to control them, merge with ancient forces of rite and belief to create a surreal and devastating collage. This is a work that captures a world we almost know, its realities enough to raise an uneasy sense of potentiality.”
—Karen Brown
Pins and Needles, The Best American Short Stories 2008 (contributor)

“Told through various shadowy narrators, Transubstantiate is a trippy, intriguing novel that forecasts dystopia for our near-future. Thomas successfully blends several genres here—noir, literary fiction, sci-fi—all with abrasive, haunting language.”
—Joey Goebel
Torture the Artist, The Anomalies, Commonwealth

Oh man, I wish I had Kindle!

I don't have a kindle either... Amazon has a cloud ereader or some such ridiculous sounding thing that lets you read shit on your browser.

@rosiemoonjumper - yeah, you can get a reader at Amazon, free download, that allows for you to read the files. thanks, @labelleza. like the valentine's day avatar, lol.

I got it.

^sweet! thanks, Irina. hope you enjoy it.

I have the Ltd. Hardcover and the Kindle version, both of which I paid full price for; neither of which I regret. A solid read no matter how you go at it.

thanks, tuffy, i really appreciate that. so very cool of you.

My winning entry in the Punchnel's fiction contest, "Jimmy Five Ways" is now live. Hope you enjoy it. The rest will be up this week, including Nik Korpon's story.

http://www.punchnels.com/fiction/jimmy-five-ways/

My review of Damascus by Joshua Mohr is now live at The Nervous Breakdown. Shades of Bukowski and Barfly. Check out the review for all of the details. I read with Josh at a recent event in Chicago and he's one hell of a nice guy.

http://www.thenervousbreakdown.com/rthomas/2012/02/review-of-damascus-by...

^thanks.

My review of Ampersand, Mass by William Walsh is now live at The Nervous Breakdown. Excellent collection of stories.

http://www.thenervousbreakdown.com/rthomas/2012/02/review-of-ampersand-m...

My latest Storyville column is now live up at Lit Reactor. It's about where to get your ideas. Hope it helps.

http://litreactor.com/columns/storyville-where-do-you-get-your-ideas

My attempt at a Rashomon, "Dyer" is now live at Beat to a Pulp

http://www.beattoapulp.com/stor/2012/0304_rt_Dyer.shtm

My latest Storyville column is up at Lit Reactor. It's about how to get an agent. Like I know.

http://litreactor.com/columns/storyville-how-to-get-an-agent

I don't now that I ever actually announced that I Didn't Mean to be Kevin was officially available in paperback now (it's been available in Kindle for a while). Anyway, my super-dooper apologies if anyone was waiting her for an announcement (though I whore myself out plenty elsewhere, so you've liked contracted something from me already).

• Amazon.com (print)
• Amazon.com (Kindle)
• Barnes and Noble (print)
• Powell's (print)
• Books-A-Million (print)
• Chapters (print)
• Indie Bound (print)
• Hot Book Sale (print)
• EbookXP
• Lendle

Available in non-US countries, too. Just do a search anywhere online and you should find it.

My review of THREATS by Amelia Gray is now live up at The Nervous Breakdown. I remember hearing these threats many years ago at a live reading (Quickies! I think) where I shared the stage with Amelia, Blake Butler and Aaron Burch (who read from Mary Miller's book BIG WORLD) and thought...man, what is she going to do with those? Loved this book.

http://www.thenervousbreakdown.com/rthomas/2012/03/review-of-threats-by-...

I did it. I broke down and created an official Caleb J. Ross author page on Facebook. I've been averse to doing this for a while, primarily because I want to avoid perceived ego as much as possible (well, as much as a guy with a self-titled website can do).

But's it's happening. Anyone interested, head over and Like the page now.

It's official. I'm one of six authors (and six visual artists) to be selected by Flying House. I pair up with a painter, as it turns out, and we create a collaborative piece. We'll have a release party, gallery showing and reading all in one later this year. And then there will be a nicely produced coffee table book produced, as well. Check out the website for more details. I'm honored to be a part of this excellent Chicago non-profit. Should be a lot of fun. More info to come.

http://ourflyinghouse.com/

I've got a new one, a horror story (yep) in the Ice Picks: Most Chilling Stories from the Ice Plaza anthology, from Rainstorm Press. I've never thought of what I write as horror, but when S.S Michaels approached me about writing a story I took the invitation as a challenge. I came up with Different People Entirely, a story about a breaking family traveling to Scandinavia on vacation to help repair their relationship. Spoiler alert: it doesn't quite work.

The anthology also features the following authors and is currently available on Kindle, but will be in paperback soon.

• Jeremy C. Shipp
• Caleb J. Ross
• Robert R. Best
• David Dunwoody
• Todd Austin Hunt
• John Edward Lawson
• Cate Gardner
• Stacey Graham
• Damien Walters Grintalis
• S. S. Michaels (Editor)

very cool, caleb. JCS is great, always nice to publish alongside him. lots of people i know in there.

Terror Scribes is out. New anthology from Dog Horn Publishing. My story "Transmogrify" is in here, energy vampires! (Yes, it's a reprint.)

http://www.lulu.com/shop/adam-lowe-and-chris-kelso/terror-scribes/paperb...

Great job, Adam Lowe and Chris Kelso.

What was the original collection? (I'm guessing that was the story because you said reprint and energy vampires sounds familiar)

The collection that also had that story by Axel - A Light to Starve By...

I've wanted to read both your story and his since hearing about them on booked.

And, yes, I've been obsessed with booked lately. But it's pretty awesome. Robb and Livius are doing a great job.

First, was the Living Dead Press fiasco, Eternal Night: A Vampire Anthology. They screwed that up so bad, was a great anthology when Dwyer and I started it. Yep, Axel was in there. Then I donated "Transmogrify" to the Dark Moon Digest anthology, Dark Moon Presents: Vampires. Now, it's in this one, too. I don't write that much straight horror, believe it or not, and this is my ONLY vampire story to date. I'd be happy to email it to you, save your cash. Although, the WC/Cult/LR people that are in that LDP book are really good stories.

RE: Eternal Night, I'd say my first kinda horror story is my vampire story in that anthology. Though, I stayed far away from the established vampire tropes. In fact, you'd probably barely consider it a vampire story if it weren't collected with others. It's a good story, though, if I do say so myself. All the Cult/Velvet/W-C stories in there are.

As for my whoring:
After more than a few (a few+2) questions regarding the paperback availability of my first story chapbook [I]Charactered Pieces[/I], I’ve decided to do something with the distribution rights I’ve been squatting on for a couple years now. Why the squat? Laziness, mostly.

Re-available for your tactile reading pleasure, [I]Charactered Pieces: stories[/I] is now back in print. Right now, it’s only at Amazon, but the rest of the internet stores should catch up within the next couple of weeks.

The too-orange book with the weird hermaphroditic foot penis thing is now holdable in your very hands. Get the paperback version here: http://www.amazon.com/Charactered-Pieces-Caleb-J-Ross/dp/0615622135/

A bit of new whoring for me. My article "Writing a Book Doesn't Make You an Author" is now live at Phil Jourdan's Slothrop blog. I've long thought just about everything this Phil guy mutters on paper is gold, so it's nice to be embraced by his site. Check it out here: http://slothrop.com/2012/04/14/writing-a-book-doesnt-make-you-an-author/

Also, this article acts as a bit of a sneak peak into one of the sessions that I will be teaching at this year's Tallgrass Writing Workshop in June.

Look! A story that's not by the ever prolific Mr. Thomas (how does he do it??) or Solarcide or that annoying atheist nobody likes who thinks he knows whisky!

http://blackpetalsks.tripod.com/yellowmama/id807.html

It's one of my favorite tales.

Edit: Link didn't work earlier...

^lol, Big S.

Laurance Kitts interview me over at SYWM. Might be some new stuff in here, news and other goodies.

http://slityourwristsmagazine.com/2012/04/14/transubstantiating-all-of-t...

For those of you who are fans of Stephen Graham Jones, we’ve posted an interview with the literary giant at Solarcide, in which we discuss his latest novel, Zombie Bake-Off, among other great things to come.

Or if you’re not familiar with his work, then now’s a great chance to get acquainted with the author and professor through our in-depth interview right Here.

His interview was, by far, the best booked Warmed and Bound sessions interview. So good. I haven't listened to his other interview on there yet, but I imagine Solarcide's interview will be equally great.

My new Storyville column is now live up at Lit Reactor. It's all about how to reveal character.

http://litreactor.com/columns/storyville-revealing-character