The Ashen Eye - Issue #1 is finally released! Buy a print copy for only $6.99 or download the free PDF version from our store now!

But, with this good news also comes bad news. Unfortunately, our first issue will also be our last issue. The last six months have been both incredibly rewarding and, at the same time, incredibly stressful. I’ve had assistance and support throughout this period from many different people yet, in the end, The Ashen Eye became a solo job. Due to real life issues, I am no longer able to devote the amount of time to the project that it needs. I have considered many possibilities, but stepping back from the project seems to be the only possibility.

I would like to thank everyone who has supported the project during the past six months. Please keep spreading the word so that as many people as possible may read the works of the contributors in our magazine. The Ashen Eye was a project to promote authors and artists it publishes and, while it is in print, we should all strive to let the voice of the incredibly talented people featured in this magazine be heard!

Thank you all

Bas de Jong

Debra Leigh Scott is an award-winning writer, playwright, dramaturge and arts educator. She is also the Founding Director of Hidden River Arts, a literary arts organization offering competitions, publication, residencies and educational programs to writers. Her short story, “A Fire Goeth Before Him” is part of a collection of inter-related stories called “Other Likely Stories: A Novel in Contradictions”. She’s also completed the first novel of a trilogy, titled “Piety Street”, set in turn of the century New Orleans. Feeding a lifelong fascination with spirituality, mysticism and mystery, Debra Leigh has a graduate degree in World Religions with a focus on Renaissance Studies and Mysticism. This fascination often finds its way into her creative work. Debra Leigh lives in Bala-Cynwyd, Pennsylvania in the United States. But given the state of things in the U.S., she is open to any other suggestions about better, happier and more positive places to live in this world.

Instead of the regular brief story extract, we have a special treat for you: A reading of
A Fire Goeth Before Him by the author herself!

Right-click and Save as on the link below to download the mp3 file.

a_fire_goeth_before_him_reading_56kbs.mp3

Wayne Blackhurst works as a freelance illustrator from his home studio in the UK’s North West. He’s involved in a wide variety of commissions, his main interest being interior book and magazine illustration using a distinctive pen and ink style reminiscent of Aubrey Beardsley. Also fascinated with writing full length and short fiction, his current work includes Still Water, a possible series of volumes containing linked tales accompanied by his artwork. Emily And The City, which will be published in The Ashen Eye, is lifted from this project and captures all of the atmosphere found throughout Wayne’s short stories. The following is a brief extract:

“You really like this shop, don’t you Emily?”

Emily slipped her small hand into mine and led me to an entrance made of glass doors, set back from the barren main road where traffic lights cycled for nonexistent vehicles. I always found it difficult to comprehend the lack of activity in the city. Emily never revealed why it should be that way, content at times, in her naivety, to play her favorite game of hide and seek. Every quiet alleyway, every empty street, and every deserted square became nothing more than an immense playground.

For more information on Wayne Blackhurst, please visit his website or MySpace profile.

William Couper writes in various genres, but has had most success with science fiction and dark horror fiction. He has been published in a few small press magazines including "Darkened Horizons" and "TBD". He is also co-founder and contributor to the alternative arts magazine "Dangerous Ink".

His short story Sticky Floor will make its appearance in the upcoming issue of The Ashen Eye. Here’s a brief extract from it:

I am reminded of my own semen drying to a tacky mess against my skin as I lay on the sticky floor. The smell is completely different though, and I’m happy about that.

Maybe it’s what I did when we moved in.

Phillip Stecco is a 50 year old Michigan native, who has worked for a nonprofit organization for nearly a quarter of a century. His main interests are reading, writing, film noir, and the enjoyment of a certain Canadian beer. Phillip’s favorite authors include Thomas Ligotti, Philip K. Dick, and Jack Vance. The two things which sustain his life are absurdity and dark humor. Since he is highly critical of his own voice these days, he seldom commits his poetry to paper. Most of his free time is spent lurking at Thomas Ligotti Online, where he is a site moderator under the guise of G. S. Carnivals. Phillip has devoted much personal effort to the archiving of Thomas Ligotti quotations. A recent diversion has been the creation of clues and answers for Ligottian crossword puzzles.

Phillip Stecco’s poem Curtains will be included in the upcoming issue of The Ashen Eye. Here’s another one of his poems to give you a taste of his work:

Misty Lackey is from Bryson City, NC. She has been writing poetry since 1995 and in all has had 200 poems published all over the world. Misty has published two poetry books: Shade of the Moon Cross and Beyond the Grave.

For more information, please look Misty up on MySpace.

One of her poems, titled Bones and Letters, will appear in the upcoming issue of The Ashen Eye. As a preview to her work, she has been kind enough to provide us with another one of her poems: