I Don’t Know What Else To Say Right Now…

A: Someone who is going to miss you, Rick.

Rick Hautala (February 3, 1949-March 21, 2013)

Coming soon…

Coming soon…

Redneck Zombies From Outer Space

Now that it’s official, I can go ahead and announce it: my short story “Shadow Men From The Moon” has been accepted and will be included in the new Woodland Press anthology “Redneck Zombies From Outer Space”, edited by Michael Knost and Jonathan Maberry. All the stories are written in the style of the classic B-movies of the 50’s and 60’s. Here is the list of all the authors in this anthology:

Lucy Snyder
Jeff Strand
Gary Braunbeck
J.G. Faherty
Scott Emerson
S. Clayton Rhodes
James Roy Daley
Frank Larnerd
Benjamin Kane Ethridge
K.J. Kabza
Gary Frank
Brian J. Hatcher
Pete Rawlik
Lesa Pascavis Smith
Tim Waggoner
Thomas Erb

Once again, I am honored to be included in such rarified company. I’ll announce the release date when it’s made official.

"There are people of the day, and the creatures of the night. And it’s important to remember that the creatures of the night aren’t simply the people of the day staying up late because they think that makes them cool and interesting. It takes a lot more than heavy mascara and a pale complexion to cross the divide."

—Terry Pratchett, Soul Music

"Magic is believing in yourself, if you can do that, you can make anything happen."

—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Dark Faith: Invocations Now Available For Pre-Order

Dark Faith: Invocations

Dark Faith: Invocations, is now available for pre-order at Apex Publications. Use code “DFHatcher” to get 10% off your pre-order price.

Dark Faith 2

Now that the table of contents has been released, I can finally announce that my short story, “The Divinity Boutique” has been accepted into the Dark Faith 2 anthology, edited by Maurice Broaddus and Jerry Gordon. The anthology is being published by Apex Press, and when I know the publication date, I will announce it to everyone. Here is the full TOC:

  • “Subletting God’s Head” by Tom Piccirilli
  • “The Cancer Catechism” by Jay Lake
  • “The Big Blue Peacock” by Nick Mamatas
  • “Kill the Buddha” by Elizabeth Twist
  • “Robotnik” by Lavie Tidhar
  • “Prometheus Possessed” by Matt Cardin
  • “Night Train” by Alma Alexander
  • “The Sandfather” by Richard Wright
  • “Sacrifice” by Jennifer Pelland
  • “Thou Art God” by Tim Waggoner
  • “Wishflowers” by Tim Pratt
  • “Coin Drop” by Richard Dansky
  • “Starter Kit” by R.J. Sullivan
  • “A Little Faith” by Max Allan Collins and Matthew Clemens
  • “The Revealed Truth” by Mike Resnic
  • “God’s Dig” by Kelly Eiro
  • “The Divinity Boutique” by Brian J. Hatcher
  • “The Birth of Pegasus” by K. Tempest Bradford
  • “All This Pure Light Leaking In” by LaShawn M. Wanak
  • “Fin De Siécle” by Gemma Files
  • “The Angel Seems” by Jeffrey Ford
  • “Magdala Amygdala” by Lucy A. Snyder
  • “A Strange Form of Life” by Laird Barron
  • “In Blood and Song” by Nisi Shawl and Michael Ehart
  • “Little Lies, Dear Leader” by Kyle S. Johnson
  • “I Inhale the City, the City Exhales Me” by Douglas F. Warrick

.

With the awards and nominations the first Dark Faith anthology received, and the number of talented writers in Dark Faith 2, I am quite honored to be included in this rarefied company of authors.

Jerry Gordon has a breakdown of the acceptance process for Dark Faith 2 on his blog: http://www.jerrygordon.net/2012/06/01/behind-the-scenes-dark-faith-2/. This is a rare peek behind the curtain, and new writers especially should check it out.

Special Announcement

Special announcement on my blog this Friday afternoon. Stay tuned.

Apparently, Prolific Is More Important Than Ever

Writer’s Cramp: In the E-Reader Era, a Book a Year Is Slacking, by Julie Bosman of the New York Times

Being Prolific, And My Failure In Doing So

My friend Grace sent me this picture today, and boy does it cut to the heart of what I’ve been thinking about for a while now.

March was quite a slow month for me writing-wise, but a heart attack will do that to you. Yes, in case you hadn’t heard, I did have a mild heart attack in March. Even a minor brush with death can make one reconsider certain things, as I have done. And in this case, I’ve been thinking a great deal about my writing. To be more specific, the amount of writing I have produced in my career.

I am currently working on a short story that is unique in that it is the first piece I’ve ever failed to bring in by the requested deadline. Again, March was a tough month, and it has taken me some time to get back up to speed. But I can’t honestly say I’m very happy with my productivity, or have ever been. I’ve never been very prolific, but recent events have caused me to re-evaluate my work habits. I have told writing friends recently that I’d grade my output level around a C-. Upon further consideration, I’d say it’s more like a D. I sat down and figured it out, and at the current rate of production, I would say I’d be lucky to produce 4 to 6 finished short stories a year. And that’s not good at all.

So the short answer is, I need to do better. But the long answer is, well, a longer answer. I have a great deal of thinking to do concerning my writing, and how I can increase both quantity as well as quality in my work. I need to reconsider and restructure my process. I have to answer some very tough questions. And I will need the help and advice of my writer friends. I must come to terms with what is important in my life and what is good but unnecessary and has become a weight. Because my heart attack didn’t kill me, I have more time to write. But I don’t know how much more time I have. No one knows for sure. A morbid sentiment on the surface, but an empowering one when understood to its fullest. To paraphrase the movie “Fight Club”, it’s time to let that which does not matter truly slide.