The Book I Never Thought I'd See
UPDATED VERSION
Welcome back to another trip through the graveyard. On this particular trip I am writing about something I never thought I’d be writing about.
My short story collection.
Just seeing the words looks a little surreal to me. Oh sure, I’ve written right many short stories and some of them have been published. But I’ve never thought of myself as a particularly good short story writer. Probably average at best. And that’s what makes the story behind this post so odd for me. And it all strted with an email from my former editor at Cemetery Dance.
He had originally expressed interest in re-releasing Something Stirs as part of their (then) new paperback and eBook department. I agreed, contracts were signed, and the slightly updated book (not a cordless phone or fax machine in sight) was released. It did pretty well, and all was right with the world.
Then came the email from my editor, Kevin Lucia.
“Hey Thomas, do you have enough short stories for a collection?”
My initial response was almost, “Why?” But that seemed a little unprofessional, so instead, I responded with, “I probably do. Let me check and I’ll get back to you this afternoon.” or something equally pithy.
Low and behold, I DID have enough stories for a collection. I still wasn’t exactly sure why he wanted to know, but I reported back as promised. Then came the request to take a look at the stories. I dutifully sent him 16 stories and went back to work on my book about haunted sites along the North Carolina coast (that one comes out this August from The History Press…more on that later).
The next day, however, was the mind blower. I received an email offering me a contract for a collection of my short stories. [Insert stunned look here]. I went back and reread the email. Yep, Cemetery Dance wanted to publish a collection of my short stories. In an actual book. And give me actual money to do it. And while I was still a bit stunned, Tommy and Judy Smith didn’t raise any idiots, so I said yes.
Enter, my new Cemetery Dance editor. Dan Franklin. He had the fun job of editing 16 stories, and probably wondering why CD hired a writer who didn’t seem to know the rules of grammar (honest, I do…mostly). Then the decision was made to move the publication schedule up from around September/October to April (it was March at that point). So he hustled, commissioned a book cover from Kealan Patrick Burke (great job!), and made all the final editorial arrangements. Then Lisa Lebel (my other editor and CD guru) who started promoting the collection like it was a cure for halitosis and athlete’s feet.
And here we are. Other Places went live on April 19th and is doing pretty well. In fact, as of this revised edition of the newsletter it is:
In fact, if you click on this link, you might still be able to get the Kindle version for $0.99 for a little longer (I stole the graphic from Lisa).
Other Places was also one of the selections for the 2024 Cemetery Dance Trade Paperback Book Club (already sold out for this term I believe) and it is keeping company with some really great authors:
Bruises on a Butterfly, by Chad Lutzke
Faith of Dawn, by Kristin Dearborn
Hollow Girls, by Jessica Drake-Thomas
Other Places, by Thomas Smith
Blood Covenant, by Alan Baxter
The Monster Variations, by Daniel Kraus
I thought about putting this next part in the book, and decided not to. But I’ll do it here. It’s a little thing called Where Did THAT Come From? In other words, some of the stories in the collection have a sort of interesting (to me, anyway) origin, so if you need to go to the bathroom or fix a sandwich, this might be the place to do it. Anyway, while you’re gone, the rest of us (if there are any of you left) will press on.
Bad Place Alone
Last year I saw a manuscript call for an upcoming anthology of stories based on the titles of songs by Alice Cooper. The proceeds from the resulting anthology, Dismemember the Coop: A Charity Anthology, go to support Alice and Sheryl Cooper's Solid Rock Teen Centers in the Phoenix, Arizona, area. I like Alice Cooper and loved the idea of writing a story based on one of his song titles, so, even though the deadline was really close, I started writing this story about five strangers invited to a dinner and subsequent deal of a life time for each one…or so they thought. But the deadline came and I wasn’t finished. I also couldn’t stop writing the story. I wanted to see what the outcome was going to be for these five people, each of whom had found themselves because of some questionable life choices, in a bad place alone. It was not a happy outcome for them.
Former Wear
This one had a really odd beginning. I needed a tuxedo for a cruise, and since I knew I would need it for subsequent cruises as well (my wife is addicted to cruises the same way I’m addicted to guitars, though there is a lot more ocean than I have room in my guitar closet) so I decided to buy one. In typing the name of a particular formal wear shop on my phone notepad, I accidentally typed former wear. And before I could correct the error, the complete story popped into my noggin, just waiting to be written down. In editing the story before the book was published, I was sort of surprised Ronald Kelly hadn’t written it first. We are both as southern as grits and outhouses, and in a number of areas, we think a lot alike.
Croatoan
This one took me by surprise. I was writing about The Lost Colony for my book Haunted North Carolina Coast (to be released by The History Press’ Haunted America Series in August), and I started wondering about other places where an entire town, village, etc. just disappeared without a trace. Turns out there are more than a few such places around the world. Then I started to wonder, what if they all have a common cause? I had no idea where this story was going when I wrote the opening line, but I had a really good time finding out. And since one reviewer has sort of let the cat partially out of the bag, I’ll just say thanks and give a tip of the hat to Mr. Howard Phillips Lovecraft for this one.
A Grail By Any Other Name
This one was a true learning experience on many levels. I wrote the original version almost thirty years ago and submitted it to an anthology where it was rejected, but was accompanied by a very positive and encouraging letter from the editor. And as much as I appreciated the letter, something kept naging at me. So, I called the editor. Not the smartest move I’ve ever made. Especially since I didn’t know him and we had no colleagues in common. But not knowing why he didn’t buy a story he obviously liked was driving me crazy. And making that call was as unprofessional as you could get in those days. Unfortunately, with the advent of the Internet, there are much worse ways to be unprofessional if not down-right uncivilized toward editors (and everybody else). But I digress. The editor recognized me for what I was (a new writer trying very hard t do the right things) and remembered his first days trying to be a professional. He was most gracious and explained that he did like the story but he had just bought one with a similar setting about a professor faced with a life and death situation. And while the stories were different, the setting and circumstance was just too similar to allow both in the same anthology. And today, almost thirty years later, I try to emulate the same sense of grace and understanding. [I will also admit, after three decades, the version in Other Places has been rewritten and brought into the 21st Century (but the story remains the same)].
My name is Thomas Smith and this is Whistling Past The Graveyard; an occasional newsletter about what I’m working on, any books/writing projects coming out in the future, and anything else that strikes my fancy. I’m honored you decided to take this walk with me.
News
My story, A Little Cocktail, is part of the lineup for the new Cemetery Dance collection, DREAD. The publication date has been pushed back until early in 2025 from what I understand. But it will be worth the wait. And I’m in some really good company!
The release date for Haunted North Carolina Coast is August 5th. I haven’t been cleared to share the cover yet, but here’s one of the images from the book.
How it’s done…
“The moon was a ghost in the house of night. It rose from the ashes of a sunset in crimson—silent, stained, setting free the shadows that drifted slowly round its passing. Its breath was the dark wind, drawn from catacombs of chilled and chilling dust; its voice the parchment husking of solitary leaves on solitary boughs that clawed at the night air for purchase of a soul. Few saw it without turning aside to a friend, few heard it without wishing they hadn’t known the tune.”
― Charles L. Grant, Tales from the Nightside
You might also want to check these out…
“If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”
― Stephen King
“There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.”
― W. Somerset Maugham
“You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.”
― Jack London
Currently Reading: Long Past Midnight by Jonathan Maberry, Children of the Dark by Jonathan Janz
Currently Watching: The Repair Shop, Various 1950s sci-fi movies
Currently Listening to: iHeart Country Christmas station, Jerry Reed Radio and Jeff Foxworthy Radio on Pandora
As always, thank you for coming along on this trip through the graveyard. It has been nice to have you here. And as always, whatever else you do today, you find somebody to be nice to.