Ghost Strip: A Roddy Sanchez Micro-Story at MicroHorror

My entry for the 2014 MicroHorror contest, "Ghost Strip," is live. It features my character, Roddy Sanchez, from my novelette, "Son of the Exorcist." Let me know how you like him.

Prayers from Crooked Spines Goodreads Giveaway

I'm giving away 5 print copies of my latest poetry collection, "Prayers from Crooked Spines," over at Goodreads.

Enter the Goodreads giveaway contest here.

Winner of the MicroHorror CJ Henderson Memorial Award

My story, Eye Appeal, is a winner of the 2013 MicroHorror CJ Henderson Memorial Award. Thrilled about this! Congratulations to my fellow winners, Rachel Anding and C.L. Hesser. Great stories. My sincerest thanks to editor, Nathan Rosen, and all the contest judges.

Free eBooks all weekend long!

 

Free eBooks all weekend long! To celebrate the release of my latest poetry collection, “Prayers from Crooked Spines,” my two previous releases, “An Offering of Ink & Feathers,” and “Son of the Exorcist: A Roddy Sanchez Crime Thriller” will be available free for download on Amazon beginning tomorrow, September 27^th, thru Sunday, September 28th. Please spread the word and share this post!

 

Prayers from Crooked Spines

 

An Offering of Ink and Feathers

 

Son of the Exorcist: A Roddy Sanchez Crime Thriller

Thank you to all my friends and family who support my writing addiction. I hope you enjoy reading these babies.

New Poetry Book Release— Prayers from Crooked Spines

My latest poetry collection was released today in print. The Kindle version should be available in the next day or two. The stunning cover art is by author/artist, Gabrielle Faust. Please visit her webpage here. She’s a super-talented woman.

 

The twenty-six poems collected in this book are petitions, each one more urgent than the next. Fear is said to be rooted in the spine, yet the severing of its silver cord will paralyze the inflicted. Is supplication the only recourse? Perhaps, but “the body is never a silent witness. It would rather cat-scratch an arthritic limb than falsify an aura.” PRAYERS FROM CROOKED SPINES confronts “the creeping ivy of the brain,” takes aim at the “thorns at catatonic nerves,” and transforms emotional trauma into “something entirely wonderful and new.”

 

Full cover wrap:

 

 

The Midnight on the Stroll Poetry Contest

Editor, Johnny Longfellow, of Midnight Lane Gallery is hosting a Midnight on the Stroll Poetry Contest. The submission period closes on July 31, 2014.

Per their web page: Poets are invited to submit poetry written in response to our Grand Opening show’s overall theme, an image within the show, or to the music contained therein. Broadly speaking, we seek poetry submissions that can (un)comfortably inhabit the same space as said art and music. More specifically, we seek short poems between 1 to 8 lines. Free verse, syllabic, or (rhymed-) metrical verse are all acceptable. Please submit no more than 8 poems, and do so only once during our current reading period. We will be seeking First Rights / Rights to Republish On Site. All republication rights will return to poets on October 1, 2014, when we announce our top contestants in The Curtained Room. Please, do not send previously published work or simultaneous submissions–we’ll provide a reasonably swift response time of 21 days or less. Our submission window opens May 17, 2014, and closes July 31, 2014, Eastern Standard Time. Work received prior to or after said dates will not be considered. Read full guidelines here.

 

Thus far, work from ten poets, including myself, have been accepted for the "Open Screening." You can read them all here.

 

Plane Jane at Grey Matter Press' Flash Masters Flash Fiction Contest

 

Grey Matter Press is hosting a flash fiction contest. Stories have to be exactly 200 words. Stop by and give my "Plane Jane" a read. If you like it, please vote by replying to the posting.

You can join in the fun too by penning your own entry. Submit by 12:00 PM (Noon CST) Thursday, June 26, 2014.

Goodreads Giveaway of Son of the Exorcist

I'm giving away six copies of Son of the Exorcist: A Roddy Sanchez Crime Thriller over at Goodreads. If you live in North America (US and Canada) you can enter.

To my friends who live overseas, I haven't forgotten you. There will be an opportunity to win Kindle copies in the very near future.

GOODREADS GIVEAWAY.

Son of the Exorcist: A Roddy Sanchez Crime Thriller

So excited to say my latest work is now available at Amazon.

SON OF THE EXORCIST
A Roddy Sanchez Crime Thriller
By Angel Zapata

It’s Halloween night. Rodrigo “Roddy” Sanchez is released from prison after twelve long years. During his incarceration, his mother— a local exorcist— disappeared and is believed to be dead. Roddy boards a bus back to the old neighborhood. One way or another he’s going to find out what happened to her. Armed with two daggers and a bad attitude, Roddy is following the mysterious trail of notes left behind for him. He feels sorry for the poor bastards who get in his way.

DAYS OF MADNESS 4: HIDDEN HORRORS Now Available for FREE at Smashwords!

DAYS OF MADNESS 4: HIDDEN HORRORS is available now for FREE at Smashwords!

An embalmer with sticky fingers gets a tip that he'll never forget.
Firelight reveals the ghosts of conscience past.
Film noir femmes fatales take on their craziest caper yet in a trip beyond the stars.
Horrors crawl from the kitchen sink, only to find itself a monster among monsters.
And six other stories full of twisting, turning hidden horrors await in Days of Madness 4.

Featuring new stories by Absolutely*Kate, Chris Allinotte, R.S. Bohn, Erin Cole, Park Cooper & Barb Lien, William Davoll, Richard Godwin, Mav Skye, Benjamin Sobieck, Angel Zapata.

Prayers from Crooked Spines at Writing Tomorrow Magazine

Three of my poems appear in this month’s issue of Writing Tomorrow Magazine. If you get a chance, stop by and read my latest works, “The Anonymous Dead,” “Mission Aborted,” and “Prayers from Crooked Spines.”

Heartfelt thanks to editor, Miranda Kopp-Filek, for the publication and her encouraging words.

Chris Allinotte's "DAYS OF MADNESS" has begun!

Chris Allinotte’s “DAYS OF MADNESS” is in full swing. This year’s fiction theme is “Hidden Horrors.” As Chris detailed on his blog site, “While the overall theme of ‘Days of Madness’ is, and always will be, psychological horror stories, this year, I'm looking for secrets and mysteries.”

Over the next ten days, ten authors take on this theme and offer you their own unique interpretations. My story kicked off the event. C’mon and celebrate the madness with us.

Day 1: The Arrow Appears Ahead of the Hunter, by Angel Zapata

Day 2: The Other Side of Lucy-Lou, by Erin Cole

Day 3: Honey Trapp, by Absolutely*Kate

Day 4: Perfectly Indifferent, by Benjamin Sobieck

Day 5: Lifting the Veil, by Park Cooper and Barb Lien

Day 6: The Talking Hand, by William Davoll

Day 7: Five Hundred and Twenty-six Sugar Pills, by Mav Skye

Day 8: The Embalmer, by R.S. Bohn

Day 9: Feet, by Chris Allinotte

Day 10: Cupboard Full of Knives, by Richard Godwin

Leap to Conclusion published at Hellnotes

I have a new micro-fiction piece, "Leap to Conclusion" published over at Hellnotes for their "Horror in a Hundred" series. It's a fantastic site that offers horror genre news and shares information on the horror industry. Topics include "horror movies, horror fiction, horror comics, horror writers, and more." Spend some time there. Be sure to like their Facebook page too.

Book Giveaway-- Get Two Books Free

All weekend long (thru February 5th) An Offering of Ink and Feathers— A Chapbook of Poetry and Flames of Quiet Light: Thirteen Tiny Tales of Love and Loss are available for FREE. Pick them up for your Kindle.

New Poem, Chalk Dust, at The 5-2 Crime Poetry Weekly

Gerald So, editor of “The 5-2: Crime Poetry Weekly,” has published my poem “Chalk Dust.” He also reads the audio version.