Apr
18
Charlotte Emma Gledson has only been writing short stories seriously for seven months, though she has a collection of poetry based on her life experiences called "Turbulent Emotions". Four short stories and three of her poems have been published in the acclaimed "Darkened Horizons" horror anthologies. Other works have been published in the Word Weavers horror anthology “Requiem for the Damned” and “The World of Myth” e-zine. Other poems have been published in the Word Weavers “Reverence of Rune – A collection of Verse”.
Residing in the coastal town of Gosport UK, she currently divides her time as a busy Mum to four gregarious children, eighteen ventriloquist dummies, and a scruffy mutt called Reg, whilst writing a supernatural/dark novel entitled “Bluebells For My Baby.”
Other works in progress include the Edward Ballister Project. A new initiative where a collaboration of esteemed and up and coming authors write a single chapter each, in order to create the ultimate horror novel.
Charlotte’s short story The Boys Night Out will be published in the upcoming premiere issue of The Ashen Eye. Here’s a brief excerpt:
Finally, huddled against a damp wall under a viaduct, a victim was found. Debris and neglect engulfed the figure. A roaring train whistled overhead, drowning any evidence of the approaching men.
“Oi mate! Fancy a ciggie?”
Max focused on the hooded figure, forcing a warm inviting smile.
“I feel for you mate. Cold this time of year isn’t it. Not the best way to spend your evenings is it?”
Whist flicking the lighter repeatedly, Max handed out a cigarette. The beggar rose from his dwelling. Unshaven and odorous, his hair covered the majority of his features. His clothes so soiled, it was hard to differentiate between any two colours.
Abruptly, Greg kicked the man forcefully on the back of his knees, watching him buckle. Max swiftly turned around to see if anyone was near. Satisfied, he stamped on the man’s knee, cracking the patella with a harsh snap under his Gucci heel.
Don’t forget to visit Charlotte’s website or MySpace page.
Apr
15
As the release date of the premiere issue creeps ever closer, we thought it was time to share the complete list of the contributions that will grace its many pages. Here’s what you can expect to find in the first issue of The Ashen Eye (in no particular order):
Fiction
Warm Milk – Barry Wood
A Town Built on Dreams – David Price
Petrifaction – David Byron
Karma – Nickolas Cook
Insomnium – Jeffrey Buford
Emily and the City – Wayne Blackhurst
Family Matters – Troy Barnes
Puppeteer – Andrew Wolter
King James Version (Abridged) – Lorne Dixon
The Boys Night Out – Charlotte Emma Gledson
A Fire Goeth Before Him – Debra Leigh Scott
Sex and Rot in the Afterlife – Jim Kelley
The Ghost Painter – Lawrence R. Dagstine
Patience – Ben Eads
Sticky Floor – William Couper
Poetry
Crescent City/Ode to my Beloved New Orleans – Aquilla Rage
Ancient Cults of Vice – Alexis Child
Curtains – Phillip Stecco
The Eater – Greg Schwartz
The Faces – Richard H. Fay
His Legend Secure – Mark Mihalko
Bones and Letters – Misty Lackey
Artwork
Caleb Morgan – Cover artwork & in-depth article
Apr
11
A former laboratory technician turned home educator, Richard H. Fay now spends his days juggling various writing and art projects. He resides in Upstate New York with his wife, daughter, two cats, and a rather confused shepherd-chow mix. History, myth, legend, folklore, and personal experiences with the uncanny and bizarre all serve as inspiration for Richard’s creative endeavors. Many of the fruits of his labor have appeared in various e-zines and print magazines, including “Niteblade”, “Hungur”, “The Fifth Di…”, and “Champagne Shivers”.
The premiere issue of The Ashen Eye will feature some of Richard’s poetry. As an introduction to his work, here is another one of his poems titled The Phantom Dimension.
The Phantom Dimension
by Richard H. Fay
Things little known to scholars and sages
Live outside the bounds of normality,
Slipping in and out of the mundane world
Like pallid spectres and fleeting shadows.
Determined to seek the ultimate truth,
I delve into forsaken ancient tomes
And construct many arcane devices
To uncover dark, forbidden secrets.
Glimmering power surges through the air
As I recite a cabalistic spell.
My fell machines pulse with electric life
As a portal opens between the planes.
A grey mist streaked with gold envelops me.
Spectral streams flow through the eldritch ether.
Strange creatures float past on rainbow currents
As I drift aimlessly through that weird realm.
Disturbed by my odd alien presence,
Dreadful ebon forms gather around me.
Amorphous limbs brush against my body;
Their algid touch courses right through my soul.
Then the wraiths flee in a frightful flurry
As a bloated beast rears up from the murk.
A pale, wretched face wreathed in tentacles
Fixes its fiery red eyes upon me.
Its lips part in a parody of speech.
A serpentine tongue lolls out of its maw.
The heaving horror spits sulphurous spume
As it seeks to extinguish my life force.
I fly from the gaze of that monstrous fiend,
But my flight is slowed by a clutching mire.
I struggle across the glowing threshold
And narrowly escape madness and death.
Other examples of his artwork and writing can be seen at his web site, Azure Lion Productions.
Apr
4
“Hey man, look, you know I’m asking out of concern. How are the new meds working?”
“Great actually! Yeah, I’m actually very impressed. The physical ticks have almost disappeared.”
“Good man, I’m glad to hear it. I noticed you were doing a lot better recently. Like I said John, I, out of concern, you know,” Nick said pulling the whole ‘I’m a co worker and I care, but actually I’m just extracting information’ routine.
“I really appreciate it Nick. It’s good to know people are noticing,” John said, returning the same fake smile.
Nick patted him on the shoulder, totally violating the rules. Oh God, John thought, now I’ll be late, I’ll have to count my primes again, then do my threes again, then….
“You alright buddy? You look pale,” Nick inquired.
“Yeah! Just thinking about the day ahead, the meeting with accounting, and I have Sarah to meet with also, to discuss the budget,” John replied.
“Oh yeah? Sarah can be a real ball buster John! I don’t envy you my friend, take it easy ok?” Nick said and left.
“Yes she can Nick… Yes she can,” John said in return. Nick waved in affirmation.
John would deal with Nick’s transgression in time; what mattered now were prime numbers, three’s, and some finger clicks. Sarah as well, the issue of her in general would be addressed soon. He gave it, at the most, another day or two. John walked over to the sink and washed his hands. The itching of his balls was almost unbearable. A small price to pay, in another day or two it will all be over.
You have just read an excerpt from the disturbing short story Patience, written by Ben Eads. The full story is scheduled to appear in the first issue of The Ashen Eye.
Ben Eads lives in Florida and works in the Information Technology field. Aside from reading and writing dark fiction, he enjoys martial arts, philosophy, and finding the secrets to the universe.
He started his own podcast, called “The Dark Fiction Spotlight”, which focuses on up and coming writers and the presses that publish them. Its goal is to spread the word to as many people as possible.
Ben’s work has recently appeared in “Black Petals”, issue #43, and the March/May issue of “NVH Magazine”.
Don’t forget to visit Ben’s MySpace page, home of “The Dark Fiction Spotlight”, and add him as a friend.
Apr
2
The final decisions have been made on the premiere issue of The Ashen Eye and all submitters have, as of today, received a reaction from our side. We had an absolute blast reading and reviewing the many excellent submissions that passed through our hands. All slots have been filled and, once all agreements have been correctly processed, we will release the definitive list of contributors and the titles of their respective works. In the coming period we’ll keep updating our website with information about them as we have done up to now.
Writing rejection letters was hard and we tried to be as constructive as possible. Also, since we couldn’t bare to outright reject some works due to space issues, some works have been given a second chance and will be considered for the second issue.
So, what’s next?
The reading period for issue two has started yesterday, the first day of April, and will continue until the last day of June this year. We’ve decided to use a full quarter per reading/publication period. That way we can accept submissions all year round, and can provide a dependable reading/publication schedule for our readers and contributors. The following decision has been made regarding reading periods and publication dates:
January – March 2008: Reading period issue #1
April – June 2008: Reading issue #2.
End of June 2008: Publication issue #1.
July – September 2008: Reading issue #3.
End of September 2008: Publication issue #2
October – December 2008: Reading issue #4
End of December 2008: Publication issue #3
January – March 2009: Reading period issue #5
End of March 2009: Publication issue #4
and so on and so forth…
And with that, we’ve already given away the final release date for the premiere issue. Unlike the initially projected early quarter three, or end of July, the very first issue of The Ashen Eye will be released at the end of June 2008. A full month earlier! We know it’s still a long wait, but at least we’ve all got something to look forward to.
We would once again like to thank everyone who submitted their work to us and/or helped to spread the word about The Ashen Eye. We hope that submissions will be as plentiful during the next reading period and that everyone will remain as supportive and enthusiastic as they have been during the past three months. We are indebted to you all.
