 |
|
 |
|
July 12, 2007 UPDATE: The editors at Harvard University and Oxford University press have asked me to write several more articles for the African American National Biography. I was more than happy to do it. I had a wonderful time researching and writing the ones that I did last year, and I look forward to working with them again.
Whispers in the Night
January 23, 2006 I finished up the first draft of my new novel Stormy Monday. I think it turned out pretty well. It's about the Mysterious Macabre, one of the only African American traveling carnivals still in existence, and a 19 year old girl who's struggling to find herself among all the macabre monsters around her-literally. I've also started a new blog. Read it here. It's guaranteed to give you a good laugh-or cry. April 20th, 2005. My short story, "The Light of Cree," was accepted into the Dark Dreams II anthology. "The Light of Cree" is an except from my new novel, Sylvia's Sun. Which leads me to other news. I've finished a new novel, Sylvia's Sun, and have begun the rounds of submitting it. Wish me luck. Soon, Recent Blurbs For CHOCOLATE PARK: I read CHOCOLATE PARK …and I must say that I am very impressed. The interconnected stories comprising this chapbook hit very hard. I have rarely seen urban horror done this well. [Chesya Burke] has courageously explored the all too real depths of poverty, despair and hopelessness in the projects...a living hell on earth that drags down its denisens with the easy escape of drug addiction, leading to prostitution and murder. The usual tactic in horror fiction is to portray a nice, "normal" community that becomes threatened by an intrusion of the supernatural. [Ms. Burke] turned that didactic on its head. Here, the community crushes the soul and the intrusion of the supernatural--even black magic--is the only hope for justice. This is extraordinarily powerful work... The prose is lean and
simple. There is as much going on between the lines as there is
on the page. And the structuring is incredibly well done, the way
each story contains the seed of the others. Bravo, [Chesya Burke],
has come a long way in – Garrett Peck, two time nominee for the
Bram
- Linda Addison, author of Consumed, Reduced My short story "The Room Where Ben Disappeared" was just posted at Would That It Were. I'm excited about this story, it's one of my favs. Take a look. Tell me what you think
Dec 1st, 2003, I just found out that my story, "On the Road to Sorrow Street," was recommended for a Bram Stoker Award. Soon, Well, that was fast. Actually, it has been several months and one hell of a lot of networking on my part. Luckily for you, you have the benefit of technology and an inside look. A lot of things have been happening ‘round these parts. Good things. Some can’t be mentioned, but others, I’ll let you in on. A few things at WHC paid off. Undaunted Press has accepted my chapbook collection, Chocolate Park. I’m very excited about this. It’s my chance to show case my talent (?) in my very own book. And I’m proud to have Undaunted Press publishing this chap as they have been touted as one of the best small press markets around. Chocolate Park has been a long time coming, as I have not been able to find a publisher for the story, but Cullen was willing to take a chance on it. Thanks, Cullen. I’ve had a few acceptances to anthologies as well. I’ll be in the Tales from the Gorezone antho, with writers such as Ray Garton and Gary Braunbeck, and in the Dark Dream anthology with Tananarive Due (I love TDue!) and Zane. I also have another project in the works that I can’t talk about yet, but will let you know as soon as I’m given the thumbs up. Which hopefully will be by January or February. My short story collection, When Seven Meet Eight, was accepted by Marietta Publishing for a June 2004 publication date. This was a really great sale, as I sold the collection unwritten through a person to person pitch. Soon, In April of 2003, I attended the WHC (World Horror Convention). I had a blast. The attendance was pretty small this year – not quite sure why that was. Maybe the terrorism warnings, maybe something else all together. It also seemed to rain the entire time during the convention. I heard tales of flooding and leaky roofs in the hotel we stayed in. But none of that bothered me. The small crowd made for a more intimate feel, I think. And the rain even added a sense of horrific atmosphere to the less that thrilling location. Can you say secluded? Thursday was a pretty subdued day. I went to very few panels and readings. But I saw a lot of old writer friends and made some new ones along the way. The parties, as usual, were great and I stayed up until dawn and didn’t crawl into my room until well after daylight. Friday was the big day for me. I had decided to enter the WHC 2003 Flash Fiction contest earlier that day. The whole day I was nervous and not quite sure that I wanted to get up in front of all those people and read a story that had been rejected several times and only found a non-paying market a few months before. Anyway, by the time I got to the room where the contest would be held, there was a line out the door and the sign up sheet was already full. My good friend Adam Pepper urged me to sign the form anyway. So I did. A few others signed after me, and in the end, they allowed us to read, after a vote from the crowd. Before my turn, I got so nervous that I had to go to the bathroom to calm myself. I took a minute to reread my story to myself in front of the mirror, took two deep breaths and went in there and read my story, "Seven Days to Defeat." Guess I must have done all right, because in the end, I took home FIRST PRIZE. It was a cute little award with my name on it, signed by all the judges. I’m still smiling about that one. Saturday, I had dinner with Mort Castle! It was soooooooo cool. He even picked up the tab. After we came back, he signed my copy of Moon on the Water, in a language all his own. By the time I came home, I’d had two invites to anthologies, several editors who asked me to sub to their magazines, talked to an editor about doing a collection of my own short stories, and talked to an editor about publishing my chapbook collection, Chocolate Park. As you can see, I had a pretty productive time. Can’t wait ‘til next year! Soon, Today, October 20, 2002, I just found out that my story "Black October Night" has received several recommendations for the Bram Stoker Award given by the Horror Writer’s Association. "Black October Night" is published by Blood Rose Magazine and is one of my favorite stories that I’ve written so far. It’s in the vain of "The Lottery," by Shirley Jackson and I’ve added a nice twist to the end. And, as always, you can email me and let me know what you think. For information on the HWA, please go here. Soon, OK, I received the first bit of validation for my writing today, April 23, 2002. I don’t normally do a Google search for my name, as well…I don’t have one for my writing yet. But on a whim, I decided to do one. Good thing I did, or I may have never known that my short story, "It Always Comes Back", published at Sinisteria zine, was voted best story of the week by Bella Online along with such writers as Jack Fisher of Flesh and Blood Magazine and Nancy Kilpatrick. This gives me such motivation to keep going. I’ve been writing for a little over a year now, and though I’ve done pretty well for myself, I still don’t seem to be getting the attention for my stories a few other writers have gotten that have been doing it for the same amount of time. We’ll see how this goes. But I’m still on cloud nine. Soon, Chesya
|
 |
 |