I announced back near the end of May I would begin podcasting Jack in the Green, the sequel to Goblin Market, in July. Well, here we are in August and as you can see, I have yet to start podcasting Jack in the Green. Life gets in the way sometime, but that does not mean Jack in the Green is not coming.
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Desperate times call for desperate measures, and with everything going on right now, it will be months before I am able to write the last two stories I wanted to add to the collection. With ten additions complete and an added bonus story not published as part of the collection, the electronic compilation includes twelve short stories ranging from science fiction and horror to dark fantasy and suspense.

The whole collection has brand new cover art and an 8,600 zombie apocalypse story called “Two Weeks,” which was originally published in Book of the Dead: A Zombie Anthology last July.

As of tonight, you can order a PDF version of Dark Journeys: A Short Story Collection for just $2.99 right here on my website.

After ordering the PDF version directly from me, I will email you the PDF within 24 hours.

For those with electronic readers like the Kindle and the Sony eReader, it is also NOW AVAILABLE on Amazon.com and Smashwords.com in a much wider variety of formats.

Thank you to all who have supported this Dark Journey from beginning to end. With James and I facing some tough times right now, it’s really meant a lot to both of us to have our friends gather around to support us.

I hope you enjoy the full collection as a whole.

Despite his older brother’s nasty remarks about Cleve’s disability, Cleve discovers he has a unique talent. He can take things apart and put them back together again. When he’s done, they work better than before. It drives his family crazy that he’s always disassembling things around the house, but it makes Cleve feel smart and important, something he’s never felt before in his life. When Cleve realizes there’s something wrong…something broken inside his older brother, he realizes it is his duty to try and fix it.

The tenth story in the Dark Journeys Short Story Collection is NOW available for download on Amazon and Smashwords for just $.99. This is one of the darkest stories I’ve written in awhile, and may not be suitable for sensitive readers. On that note, I hope you’ll check it out and help me spread the word!

Below is a short excerpt from The Handy Man, so check it out after the jump!
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It’s been a couple of weeks since I published a Dark Journeys story, with the last tale, “The Gentle Sound of Tapping,” lingering in Lovecraftian darkness as my final word for awhile.

I’ve been busy, world. Doing edits and formatting on the upcoming From the Dark Side anthology, prepping to start edits on the Farrago anthology, edits for Goblin Market, writing, writing, writing like mad between work and fiction… but finally, I’ve got another story for you.

I just finished the second draft for “The Handyman” last night, and will drop a sneak preview of the cover art, but no excerpt yet. The excerpt will drop Wednesday in prep for the story’s release next Friday.
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Walter Winthrop does not believe in anything he can’t see with his own two eyes. He thrives on logic and fact, and takes comfort in the certainty of mathematics and science. While working on a special government contract, he becomes careless after an argument with a coworker, and doesn’t notice a bottle of correction fluid that bounces off his keyboard before rolling to the floor. That one mistake in numbers is powerful enough to open up the portal between worlds, allowing something dark and sinister to cross over and follow Walter home from work…For the first time in his life he prays… for the gentle sound of tapping to go away.

The ninth story in the Dark Journeys short story collection is now on sale for just $.99 on Amazon and Smashwords.
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In a future world where prostitution is mandated by the government, cybernetic sexbots, like Unit 33B, roam the streets and fill the city brothels. A honey-skinned dream with bubblegum lips and a body designed to stir the senses, she calls herself Velvet, and you should too. Sex-related crime statistics are at an all-time low, but when a hard-edged homicide detective finds himself questioning Unit 33B in a grisly murder case, he unearths a powerful secret that sheds light on man and morality.

How far will mankind go to protect the innocent?

The ninth story in the Dark Journeys Short Story Collection, “Black Velveteen,” was first published in eMuse in Spring 2009, then podcasted on my original website in July 2009. It inspired the Black Velveteen campaign, Travis King’s humbling attempt to get the story nominated for a Nebula Award. King described Black Velveteen as, “A tale in the tradition of Isaac Asimov and Philip K. Dick, an emotionally-charged tale of artificial life. It is “I, Robot” for the 21st century.”

Inspired by the Lenny Kravitz song, “Black Velveteen,” this story resonated in my brain for over two years before I finally committed it to paper. Now, I am offering it on Amazon and Smashwords as part of the Dark Journeys collection, for just $.99.

If you have already read “Black Velveteen” since it’s original publication, I ask that you please take a moment to leave a review on Amazon to let other readers know what you think. Reviews are a great way to help spread the word, and get the story out to more people. If you have not read “Black Velveteen” before, I hope you’ll check it out. It is still one of my favorite stories I have ever written.

I am so excited because the Dark Journeys Blog Tour kicked off today, and the first interview of the tour is now live for all to hear.

I sat down with fellow author, Jim Ryan, earlier this week and we talked about freelancing, Goblin Market and of course, the Dark Journeys Collection.

Please take twenty minutes, jump over to visit Jim’s site and check out the interview.

I also wanted to share with you some exciting giveaways the generous people who are doing this blog tour with me are offering just for you to check out the blogs on the tour and leave comments so they know you were there.

Patrick Pillars is giving away a Dark Journey’s story of your choice, and so is Chandra Jenkins. Drew Beatty is giving away a personalized copy of his novel, Lost Gods.

I am so excited right now, I can barely contain myself. Thanks to the help of some good friends and fellow creators, I am kicking off my first ever blog tour this Friday.

The Dark Journeys Blog tour consist of a combination of podcast and written interviews in which I talk about all kinds of stuff, including Goblin Market, the two charity anthologies I’m editing, but most importantly The Dark Journeys Short Story Collection, which is now available on Amazon and Smashwords piece by piece.
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The people have spoken, and they want more zombies. Since it’s Zombie Awareness Month, I’m not going to argue.

“Ahoy, Matey” is a tale that many of us can relate to on a very personal level. Anyone who was ever bullied or picked on in school will want to check out this story, and live vicariously through the main character. Sondra was given a horrible and embarrassing nickname in high school on account of her slow blossom into womanhood and boyish figure, Ahoy, Matey. As her ten-year high school reunion approaches, Sondra wants to show them all that she’s not only more woman than any of them can handle, but that despite the horrid way they treated her, she has an amazing life, a gorgeous husband who adores her and a brand new set of Double-Ds that are gonna knock their socks off.

Unfortunately, one of her implants ruptured during a bizarre sexicapade with her husband Todd, and something sinister leaked into her bloodstream. An army of microscopic, vengeance seekers are on the march toward her brain, and with every step they grow closer to taking over her mind. They hunger for brains, thriving on the sustenance of human glial cells. What better place to fuel that unnatural hunger than her high school reunion?
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Edward Whitaker’s life has been a downhill battle since his father died and his mother got remarried. Eight months ago, he started taking the long walk home after school, spending his afternoons in silent council by the stream with his inner-father. Both Edward and his inner-father are infuriated by his mother’s betrayal. When he’s unable to spend an afternoon in his favorite spot, he treks further down stream than usual. A chance encounter with an imprisoned faerie poses a unique opportunity. If he can swallow his fear and save her, she’ll grant him one wish. There’s just one problem; her captor is a giant.
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