Library of the Living Dead

Well, not all news is good news.

It seems the folks at Library of the Living Dead Press are having some financial difficulties, and several anthologies are being cancelled. I thought two of my short stories ("Sparky Save the World" and "Gus and Mariel") would be published and in anthologies by now. Another short ("Grisham's Council") has been in perpetual flux for almost a year.

In an announcement on the LOTLD boards, the publisher says nearly all anthologies have been cancelled. It's too bad, but the publisher pays most of the costs on his own and we all know the economic climate is terrible.

The implication I get is that the rights to "Gus and Mariel" (a story about a building-size puffin) and "Grisham's Council" (about an anti-hero who unwittingly leads a revolution against an invading alien force) will be released back to me, as their anthologies (Attack of the 50FT Book and Beta City, respectively) are probably kaput. I received an email today saying that the Live and Let Undead anthology is going forward, which means we will see "Sparky Save the World" in print. We're hoping that will be some time before Christmas.

Most of this is speculation on my part...the publisher identified only three anthologies that would move forward (Live and Let Undead being one of the three, while Attack of the 50FT Book and Beta City were not listed). If I hear anything different, I'll let you know.

It's a shame this has to happen, especially since "Gus and Mariel" is one of my favorite stories. Once I get official word that the anthology is cancelled, I'll see what I can do to shop it around.

On the other hand, if this move saves LOTLD from going under, it's definitely the right move.

Told You So!

My contributor's copy of Told You So arrived in the mail today!

I know this is very self-indulgent, but it's still a real thrill to see my name in print. One day, we'll see it on the cover of my very own book. One day.

I snapped a few very quick images: the cover, the table of contents, and the title page of my short story.

You can get the book through Pill Hill Press or Amazon.com (at Amazon, you can get the Kindle version for just $2.99!). I'd recommend picking it up...you'll find a lot of talent inside beyond page 112. Big ups to Jessy Marie Roberts for doing the editorial duty on this one!

And the World Stopped: When the world's super-powered heroes and villains suddenly lose their awe-inspiring abilities, Night Wasp gets an unexpected call from the Heroic Legion to investigate. The vigilante's uncompromising effort uncovers a deep, wide-ranging conspiracy reaching to the highest levels and pitting him against his own government.

Live and Let Undead Almost Here!

The short story collection Live and Let Undead is nearly upon us!

Imagine what would happen if the zombie apocalypse ended up being less than apocalyptic. Zombies must co-exist with humanity! How would we do it? Would we put them to work?

My contribution is "Sparky Save the World" --

Harris and his bomb-sniffing partner Sparky work to stop biological weapons and other dangers from going through the nation's ports. Trained to detect hazardous materials, Sparky--an UNDEAD (UNnaturally DE-evolved Anthropological Degenerate) who used to be human--proves his ultimate worth when confronted with a massive, potentially catastrophic weapons shipment.

Fellow contributor Pete Giglio crafted a book trailer for the release, which is coming shortly. The best part is about 1:55 in. I kid, I kid.



Look for Live and Let Undead soon from Library of the Living Dead Press!

"And the World Stopped" now available!

The Told You So anthology is now available through Pill Hill Press. The anthology is a collection of conspiracy-themed stories and includes my shortie "And the World Stopped."

Summary: When the world's super-powered heroes and villains suddenly lose their awe-inspiring abilities, Night Wasp gets an unexpected call from the Heroic Legion to investigate. The vigilante's uncompromising effort uncovers a deep, wide-ranging conspiracy reaching to the highest levels and pitting him against his own government.

The book will soon be available through Amazon.com and other retailers. When it hits those other outlets, I'll let you know.

Take 5: Stan Kirkpatrick

Stan Kirkpatrick--perhaps better known as the Amazing Marvel--sat down for an exclusive interview to talk about his new career as a Hollywood stuntman, the pleasure of working with a talented lead actor, and the possibility of a sequel.

Matt: Thanks for your time today, Stan. I know you're in high demand now as a stuntman. Tell me a little bit about your role in Confessions of an Amazing Marvel.

Stan Kirkpatrick: It's not really a role, Matt. I play a stuntman in the movie version of my life as a superhero. So even though I'm the Amazing Marvel in real life, in the movie--Confessions of an Amazing Marvel--I take care of the action scenes.

Matt: So even though the movie is based on a book you wrote, you're not actually in the movie?

Stan Kirkpatrick: (coughs) When you say it that way, it sounds kind of pitiful. I'm on the screen, you just can't see my face. See, I did all the stunts. All the flying, all the getting beat up, all the being buried underneath buildings. That was all me. The movie again is Confessions of an Amazing Marvel.

Matt: It's funny you say that. Sounds like you got to do everything except actually APPEAR in the movie, which is based on the book you wrote based on your own life. Seems ironic. We've heard the film has quite the ending. What can you tell me about that?

Stan Kirkpatrick: The ending of the movie is absolutely amazing! They bring my arch-nemesis Bloodsport out and we have this epic fight. It's spectacular. The movie's called Confessions of an--

Matt: I think everyone knows the title by now, Stan. The early reviews are coming in and they're good. Everyone seems to be raving about Shia's performance. It's his first real lead action role. How do you feel about that?

Stan Kirkpatrick: (visibly agitated flinch, almost like a mental tic at the mention of Shia's name) He was the most...professional (grits teeth) actor (grits teeth) I've ever worked with. He really got into the role of the Amazing Marvel (grits teeth) and respected the source material (grits teeth). I really enjoyed working with him and learning from him (vein becomes visible on forehead).

Matt: It sounds like the movie is going to be one of those big-time, summer tentpole films. They're already talking about a sequel. What would you like to see happen?

Stan Kirkpatrick: There are plenty of stories within the book to adapt, as the...ahem...movie adaptation left a few things out. I've got more material to mine for a new screenplay. In addition, I'm also a full-time superhero, so I imagine my next encounter with a supervillain will be game for a sequel to Confessions of an Amazing Marvel.

Matt: Stan Kirkpatrick, everyone.

Stan Kirkpatrick: Thanks for letting me have that last title plug.

Matt: No problem.

Read all about Stan's second career in The Stuntman, available now on the Kindle, Nook, and Smashwords.

Moving right along...

After realizing I've neglected the blog of late, I prepped a few blog posts tonight.

Writing progress was slow, but I finally got into a groove, finishing with 1,700 words and giving me another Average Night on the Reggie Miller Writing Continuum.

Take Five with Dementius

Today's interview is with Dementius, former Baron-Count-Lord-President-Sir-Supreme Leader-Emperor (and Tsar) of the defunct United States of Dementius. Captured by the Interstellar Justice Corps, the ex-despot is detained within an IJC facility, where he's (for some reason) still allowed to wear his infamous suit of armor.

MATT: How's the food here?

DEMENTIUS: I find it decent enough. They serve pudding on Fridays. So it's Pudding Day.

MATT: You've prided yourself on being the supervillain who doesn't fall prey to the foibles of supervillainy. Yet here you sit in a maximum-security IJC facility, where you await trial. How does this make you feel?

DEMENTIUS: Insightful question. (grumbles something unintelligible) My idiotic supervillain contemporaries never had vision. Their plans were small-minded. Capture the heroes. Depower the heroes. They needed to do more. They needed to kill the heroes. So that is what I did. And it worked.

MATT: When your plan worked--and I know you expected it to work--what did you think would happen next?

DEMENTIUS: It didn't quite happen as I expected. The president of the United States was dead and Congress immediately caved in. I thought they'd fight back. I thought the other nations of the world would rally together to fight me. Instead, most of them just gave up. They surrendered to a single man and his small army of robot warriors. I did not anticipate taking control to be so easy.

MATT: I see. Take me back to the moment when you finally disposed of your arch-enemy Powerwynd. What happened?

DEMENTIUS: My Ultimation Ray expanded superpowers to uncontrollable levels. When I tracked down my bothersome foe--in addition to her powers, she was a dogged IRS agent who also went after my financials--I turned the weapon on her and watched as her powers reached uncontrollable levels. It was like a person-size nuclear explosion. Quick and satisfying.

MATT: One thing you did not anticipate was the way social media websites would shape the plight of superheroes and supervillains. What role did they play?

DEMENTIUS: Ick. Social media. Facebook. Twitter. YouTube. Turn the Ultimation Ray on me. (audible gagging sound) When my supervillain contemporaries started interrupting TV transmissions, their rants ended up on YouTube. When people started sharing those clips, The Daily Show and Talk Soup picked up those rants. They turned supervillains into jokes. Then, I discovered someone turned my image into a piece of "flair."

I set out to prove supervillains were no joking matter. It was a sweet irony when Brent Sussex--the interminable hero "Cyberclaw"--posted the location of the annual heroes meeting on Twitter. It was, for the most part, one-stop shopping. Finally, I had eliminated most of the heroes. I had finally...

(knock on the door, guard motions for me to leave)

MATT: I guess that's it. Thank you for your time.

DEMENTIUS: I'm not going anywhere.

Find out more about Dementius and his diabolical plot in "I Took Over the World for This?" available now on Smashwords and Kindle!

An Interview with Glider-Hawk

After an interview earlier this week with real author Michael R. Hicks, today we Take Five with Glider-Hawk, a character from my short story "Last Stand on Cyclonus Seven."

Glider-Hawk hails from the fabled world of Klebbia, a place where...um...well...I don't know much about it. Perhaps the man-hawk will tell us more about his homeworld.

MATT: Hello, Glider-Hawk. Thanks for joining me today. What's it like being a part of the Interstellar Justice Corps?

GLIDER-HAWK: They let me fight. I like fighting. (awkward pause)

MATT: That's it?

GLIDER-HAWK: You're using up your five questions quite quickly, human. I grant you an additional one.

MATT: Tell me about the Last Stand. Do you any survivor's guilt about what happened on Cyclonus Seven?

GLIDER-HAWK: No. (awkward pause)

MATT: How many of the enemy did you kill?

GLIDER-HAWK: I cannot say for certain. It was an overwhelming army. (ear-piercing screech of a warrior hawk) If I were to venture a guess, human, I would say thousands. Many thousands.

MATT: What are your impressions of CrimsonStar?

GLIDER-HAWK: (rubs mouth-beak with tip of wing) CrimsonStar was a great man. He proved to this warrior why the Klebbians should care about your earth. When I first heard the distress call from Cyclonus Seven, I did not believe it worthy of my time. Because of my affiliation with IJC (Interstellar Justice Corps), I felt obligated to answer the call for help and doubted CrimsonStar's ability to lead our group of heroes. I underestimated him. He and his mate (Windshear) were very brave. The hearts of Klebbian Warriors beat within their human chests.

MATT: You speak fondly of your homeworld. How would you describe Klebbia?

GLIDER-HAWK: You Earth-men speak of heaven. That is Klebbia, a world with pure, blue skies and rich, shining seas. It is a wondrous place with magnificent, mighty trees and daunting rock cliffs. To soar above Klebbia is to soar on a higher plane of existence and feel the hearts of all Klebbian beat as one nest. A Great Nest it is.

MATT: Thank you so much for joining me today, Glider-Hawk.

GLIDER-HAWK: I grant you one more question.

MATT: You really don't have to do that.

GLIDER-HAWK: (ten seconds of ear-piercing screeching that rivals the Most Annoying Sound in the World)

MATT: Okay, Glider-Hawk. If you could do anything differently regarding the defense of Cyclonus Seven, what would that be?

GLIDER-HAWK: I would not have left CrimsonStar and Windshear. Though my final action is what ultimately saved your planet, it is not the Klebbian Way. My brethren are trained to fight to the death. I regret my wounds kept me from finishing the fight at their side, even though I understand the necessity of it.

MATT: Thank you, Glider-Hawk. May the Great Nest be with you.

GLIDER-HAWK: That is not what we say, Earth-man. (Glider-Hawk squawks and then flies off, presumably bound for Klebbia)

Catch Glider-Hawk in action during the "Last Stand on Cyclonus Seven," available now at Smashwords and the Kindle Store!



Hawkeye picture courtesy jurvetson via Flickr

Smashwords Experiment

A few weeks ago, I decided to put some of my short stories up on Smashwords to see how they'd do. With very little fanfare or advertising, I put five stories up on the site, set the price at 99 cents, and then enrolled in Smashwords' July Summer/Winter Sale, where the code SSWSF allows readers to grab a free short story.

Has the experiment been worth it?

I'm going to say yes. Sure, I haven't made any money off the 257 "purchases" readers have made on Smashwords. Without the promo code, however, would anyone have paid for one of my shorties (anecdotal evidence on Amazon.com suggests the answer to this is pretty much "no")?

This is not the final tally, of course, there's a little less than two weeks left to get one of my stories (well, actually, ALL of them) for free (shameless self plug site link HERE).

"Last Stand on Cyclonus Seven" is the runaway winner, with "In Memoriam" in second place and my other three in a dead heat. Here are the "sales" numbers:

"Last Stand on Cyclonus Seven" - 61
"In Memoriam" - 57
"I Took Over the World for This?" - 47
"Wing and a Plan" - 46
"The Stuntman" - 46

I set a goal of 300 sales for the month...and I'm getting close. The experience has been well worth it and I'm thinking about unleashing this upon the world:

This is Super, an anthology of superhero/comic book stories that includes 20 of my original works. I'm almost finished with the layout, although I'm going to have my beta readers look through it and there's that little matter of the story I still need to finish for it.

I'm wondering: does this interest anyone? Instead of getting a story for 99 cents, does 20 for $2.99 sound appealing?

Thanks to my fans in the UK....

The proof is right there on the Amazon UK Kindle Store. "Last Stand on Cyclonus Seven" is the #1-selling Kindle Book in the Kindle Store > Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Superheroes sub-sub-sub-sub-sub section.

Champagne for everyone!

And if you're a US reader who wants to get in on that HOT "Last Stand on Cyclonus Seven" action, go here. To my United Kingdom fandom, go here.

Galley Proofs and Edit Notes

Received a pretty cool email today that's a first for me.

My short story "And the World Stopped" will appear in the Told You So anthology from Pill Hill Press. It's looking like the book will come out in the next month or so.

Anyhow, I received an electronic galley of the anthology today. I can't show it to anyone, but it's a first for me. The galley proof is what the book will look like when it goes to the printer. It's one of the final steps in the editing process and gives authors the chance to look over their work.

In this particular case, I'm reading "And the World Stopped" and looking for any inconsistencies before the book goes to the printer. I have spotted a couple minor things, but it's neat to see a preview of the book, complete with copyright page, table of contents, and author biographies.

I also learned that several of the other authors are from Indiana and/or the Midwest. My corrections are due by August 4th, so I'll be working on that.

In addition, I received editing feedback for my short story "Harrigan the Magnificent," which will appear in Timid Pirate Press' Cobalt City: Dark Carnival anthology in September. I haven't had a chance to look at the suggestions (admission: I worked on the Ray Liotta Quality Meter and FORGOT TO DO IT), but will work on giving the piece a bit of a polish this weekend.

Writing production has been down this week. I've been working on doing the electronic formatting for a possible anthology of my own stories. That's taken up time. I've also been reading more (thanks, Kindle!). Combine that with a quick road trip to the family reunion, a few blog posts, and work...and you've got the recipe for a drop in writing production!

Becoming a Kindle Millionaire (Yeah Right)

I wrote earlier about my Smashwords experience, so now I'm tackling the Kindle format.

Other writers have blogged about this and many of them will know more about it than me. I'm sharing what I'm certain is a very basic Kindle experience as it pertains to short stories. I have not formatted a full-length novel for Kindle, so this is the "baby steps" version of adding content to Amazon's behemoth of a platform.

I'm hoping this modest guide will serve as a brief "How To" for anyone intimidated by Kindle Direct Publishing. This is coming from someone who is not an expert and has slightly above average knowledge of tech stuff.

All right, first, head to kdp.amazon.com. You can use your existing Amazon account or create a new one. For better or worse, I've got my consumer account, author central page, and Kindle Direct Publishing account all tied to one email address. You can certainly choose to do it differently.

This is your home screen:

I have three stories on here already...if this is your first time, you won't have anything here. Hit "Add a New Title."

You'll get a lovely form to fill in:

1. Name - Title of your book. Simple enough.

Book is part of a series/series number - This is a checkbox for novels that are part of a series.

Series title/Series volume - If your book is a part of a series (or you plan to make it part of a series), this is where you input the title name and volume number (for a fake example: Circle of Life Series: Volume XVI).

Edition number - If you have plans to expand a story or made heavy revisions, this is where you can note that by numbering the book version.

Description - A summary of your book up to 4,000 words. Based on personal preference, I'm going to say the shorter, the better on this. I don't appreciate 4,000-word book summaries when I'm browsing for a new book. You can, of course, feel free to differ on this.

Book contributors - This is where you get to add your name and declare yourself the author. If you have a co-writer, you can note that. I would image you can also add various contributors if you're publishing an anthology.

Language - The primary language of the work. Pick Latin just for kicks.

Publisher - This is where you note who published the book. I've published my short stories while listing myself here. If I come up with a great name for a publisher, I'll use that instead. Maybe.

Publication Date - The date you want your book published.

ISBN Number - Ye Olde International Standard Book Number. If you've purchased one for your book, be sure to enter it here. You DO NOT need one to publish on Amazon's Kindle platform.

2. Publishing rights I'm going to assume you're not spamming the Kindle store by uploaded a poorly-formatted public domain book you copied off the internet. Select "This is not a public domain work and I hold the necessary publishing rights."

3. Target Your Book - You can select categories for your book, but only two of them. Be sure to choose carefully and try not to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of options available.

Search Keywords - This is optional, but I'd recommend it. This gives you more control over how people can find your book.

4. Upload Your Cover - Having a good-looking cover is a necessity. Make sure it has at least 500 pixels across and a max of 1280 pixels vertically. Right now, Amazon accepts only JPEG and TIFF formats.

5. Upload Your Book

Digital Rights Management (DRM) - You can set DRM or not. It's up to you. One offers piracy protection, the other doesn't. But know this: once you've made your selection, you can't go back (unless you unpublish your Kindle book, create a new version, and set the new book's DRM).

File - This sets which file Amazon will use as the source for your Kindle book conversion. The Kindle Digital Publishing site has a page with suggestions for formatting here.

SIDE NOTE: If you're a Word user, save your document (.doc) in the "Web Page, Filtered" format. And make sure you import that HTML file into Mobi Pocket Creator as Amazon suggests.

I tried skipping the Mobi step...and realized my books don't have covers. So, um, don't do that.

Preview - This is important. It gives you a pretty good taste of what your ebook will look like on the Kindle. I usually go through, screen by screen, to check for any strange formatting. I am NOT a pro at this yet. If you want a terrific primer on ebook formatting, head here.

Next: hold your breath, grasp the mouse firmly, and click "Save and Continue."

6. Verify Your Publishing Territories - Select "Worldwide Rights" or "Individual Territories." If this is your book and you know you have the rights to it, go with "Worldwide Rights."

7. Choose Your Royalty - You can choose 35% or 70%. IMPORTANT: Your book must be priced at $2.99 or higher to qualify for the 70% royalty. In addition, $9.99 is the upper limit of the 70% royalty. Go any higher, and you'll have to take the 35% rate.

You can also set prices for various Amazon stores, though I've been selecting "set prices based on US rate."

8. Kindle Book Lending - You can choose to opt in or out. If you say "yes," then someone can loan their book to another Kindle user for two weeks. If you say "no," then they can't loan your book.

Are you really sure you want to do this? Make sure to check the box next to:

By clicking Save and Publish below, I confirm that I have all rights necessary to make the content I am uploading available for marketing, distribution and sale in each territory I have indicated above, and that I am in compliance with the KDP Terms and Conditions.

Next: hold your breath, grasp the mouse firmly, and click "Save and Publish." Or, if you're skittish (and understandably so!), click "Save for Later" so you can work up the courage to put your work in the Kindle Store.

The whole process, by the way, took about 20 minutes.

Tomorrow: Smashwords vs. Kindle Store: Which is easier?

He's heating up!

Pounded out more than 1,700 words on the Reggie Miller Writing Continuum in a little more than an hour. If I hadn't spent time tonight making some book covers, who knows where I would've landed?

Superhero story now at more than 4,700 words and has now eclipsed my crime story!

I expect to finish the superhero tale soon. After that, I'll get back to the other one.

Smashwords and a Quick Update

I've put five stories up at Smashwords and am asking for a fair price of 99-cents for them. Actually, I'm part of a summer promotion at the site, and the code "SSWSF" gets you those stories for free. You can find my author profile here. Since I am now a bookselling whore, I've also added a new "Matt's Store" tab to this blog. Some of my stories are also available in the Amazon Kindle Store.

Someone was kind enough to buy a pair of stories on Smashwords today without using the promotional code. If this was a mistake, I apologize, dear customer. If you bought out of the kindness of your heart, I appreciate it (or it could be a case of "Thanks, Mom!"--I really don't know).

After a fun day of celebrating the Fourth of July weekend with my in-laws, I pounded out 1,500 words, putting me at Average Night on the Reggie Miller Writing Continuum.

I'm now about 3,000 words into a new superhero short story.

The other crime fiction story I'm working on is about 4,100 words now. I need to get back to that one soon.

Working on a new story!

I'm doing something I normally don't do: I've got two stories going at the same time. One is straight up crime fiction, while the other returns to my love of the superhero fiction genre.

I started the superhero story tonight and churned out more than 1,500 words, which puts me at Average Night on the Reggie Miller Writing Continuum.

Attack of the 50FT Cover!

You see this thing on the bookshelf, you think it may just take your arm off!

Wayne Goodchild, editor of the upcoming Attack of the 50FT Book sent this image of the cover to all of the anthology contributors.

Sounds like this one's coming out soon...my shortie "Gus and Mariel" appears.

A Solid Effort

Working on a short story that's straight-up crime fiction, which makes it different from anything I've written before. No superheroes, no extraterrestrials, and no talking animals for this one.

We're at 4,400 words now...1,900 of them written tonight. That's an Average Night on the Reggie Miller Writing Continuum. As the story is going right now, it's feeling like it's going to be a bit on the long side. We'll just have to see.

Writing in Carbonite: A Story in Purgatory

I like a good short story. On occasion, I write a decent one.

Like any other writer, I've been rejected. A lot.

Like any other writer, I've been accepted. A little.

But this afternoon I'm writing about a new experience I'm having with short stories: the hold request.

Let me be clear: this is not a rant. This is not a complaint. This is not a blog post in which I whine about the unfairness of waiting, waiting, and waiting. Complaining about the way publishing works does absolutely no good for writers.

That being said, there is something worse than rejection. It is the impossibility of knowing. On two occasions in the last two weeks, I've received "hold" requests for submissions.

This is not a rejection.

This is not an acceptance.

This is purgatory, as if someone took my story, transported it to Cloud City, and threw it in Ye Olde Carbon Freezing Chamber.

To quote Lando: "You put him in there, it might kill him."

On the plus side, Han eventually got out. Of course, then Jabba tried to kill him.
The hold request, in all honesty, is a good thing. The editor has read my story, deemed it worthy of inclusion in his/her anthology, and asked permission to hold it back.

These are usually handed out early in the submission process for stories turned in well before the deadline.

But it does not guarantee my story will make it.

The other way to look at it: my story is good, but not good enough to garner an enthusiastic, "I'll take it!" from the editor. Some new, shiny story could come along and bump mine out of contention.

The "hold request" will either turn into a story acceptance or become a casualty of a word war.

Until then, I will continue to wait...a writer whose story is in suspended animation, frozen in carbonite.

New Short Story in Progress

I outlined a new short story a couple of weeks ago and started working on it last night.

This one is a different genre for me; it's not sci-fi, it's not superheroic, there's little "fantasy" to it. The story is more straight-up crime fic with influences from The Godfather. And I hope I mean "influenced" and not a complete ripoff of a classic.

The idea for this story came after reading the Mario Puzo's book and re-watching the Godfather movies. I promise there will be no Joey Zasa. Or Andy Garcia.

What it all means, however, is that it's time for an update on the Reggie Miller Writing Continuum. I wrote for about an hour and a half last night, churning out more than 1,500 words. It's not a banner night, but it is an average one.

Updates for my updates

Tuesday, I provided some quick updates for some of the writing projects I've been working on. You'll find the original post here.

Ah, but today I have updates for my updates!

It looks like the Live and Let Undead anthology will go to press next month. The cover art is still being worked on, a couple of writers are still doing some deep editing, and the book won't quite be ready by the end of June. My story, "Sparky Save the World," will appear in this one. I'm proud of "Sparky" (like a doting parent, I'm proud of all my kids...er...stories) because the story stretched me a bit. I'd never written a zombie tale before. Now I have.

I only have two stories still out on submission at the moment. One was requested as a "hold" (which means the editors didn't reject it, but haven't accepted it outright--a kind of submission purgatory, if you will). I still hadn't heard about the other.

I can't say that now.

That story is also a "hold," which means it has a good chance of making it into the anthology, but could still be rejected.

So I'll either go two-for-two, one-for-two, or oh-for-two with these stories. When I find out, I'll post it here.