Shamelessly Stolen

Well, let's try this one more time, since %$#@!*& Blogger erased all my text and auto saved before I could undo it the first time I tried to post this.

Shamelessly stolen from Aaron, who seems to have jump started a meme without realizing it, here is the list of my favorite stories that I have written.

1. Deadliest Cachalot - Currently shortlisted at the Dead Bait antho. This one was written twice because the first draft was lost in the hard drive crash. I like to think I made it better the second time around. I'm rather proud of the fact that I wrote it twice, seeing it as my way of not giving in to the despair of the crash.

2. The Transcendental Man - Currently subbed. Another story rewritten from scratch due to the hard drive crash. This is one of only two stories I have written in first person, but the opening line wouldn't work as well any other way.

3. The Faceless Ones - Accepted for the Devil's Food antho. This story convinced me that I could write a novel someday. I slaved on this one for the better part of a month before deciding to send it off. I plan on revisiting the bad guys in this one someday.

4. Maximus Rising - Accepted for Sand #5. A simple character driven piece about two brothers dealing with a loss. Ed at Sand asked for a rewrite and helped me make it better.

5. The Horror of Pine Hollow - Currently subbed. This one got my own heart racing while writing it, which proves how much fun I had in the creation process. I despise weak female characters and this one was my attempt at featuring a kickass female protagonist.

6. The Gallery of Final Repose - Currently subbed. A ghost story with a (hopefully) horrifying end. I based the characters on myself and three friends as teens, probably why they were so easy to write.

7. Planting Season - Currently subbed. I love monsters, but this is one of the first times I looked at the monster within a Human being. Still threw in a non-Human monster.

8. Pruritus Maximus - Currently subbed. A tale of dark humor. I really worked hard on this one, chopping, writing then chopping some more, all in an effort to get it at the right length yet retain everything I wanted to include. Men will no doubt find this story horrifying.

9. The Madness in Their Eyes - Rejected once, considering a rewrite before subbing again. About interdimensional non corporeal creatures that are serial killers. I like the idea, but the execution may need reworking.

10. A Cause for Celebration. Rejected more than any other story, it currently sits on the computer while I consider retiring it. The basic premise originated in the mid 90's, but the story has seen several revisions over the years. I like it because it is a character driven piece with a more subdued sense of horror. Too subdued for most markets, apparently. Ed at Sand offered some good things to say about it, but still passed.