I just found this site. Looks interesting. I haven’t had the chance yet to really check it out.
Well, I just tried to post a link to the site. Didn’t work. The message was “newgothicreview.com refused to connect.” Maybe the site isn’t as cool as I thought. Anyway, that’s the name of the site if you still want to check it out.
Of course, you can also just read my novella, The Dancing Man. I consider it Goth. Maybe Comic Goth? It’s a “real rock n rolla,” as I like to say (well, maybe this is the first time I’ve actually said that). But it’s a good time–a fun read!
I think I usually just say that it’s a “rollicking good time,” or something along those lines. It is fun when ol’ Frank starts swinging his axe and wades into the fray. Total mayhem ensues. It’s hilarious! Okay, I wrote it, so maybe I’m a little biased. All I know is that I had a blast writing it. I figure if I’m having fun writing the story, then the reader should have fun reading it. If I’m not enjoying the writing (which is almost never) then I figure the reader won’t have any fun reading–which is basically what I just said in the previous sentence, only inversely.
I will admit that the first section is a little slow with all of the reminiscing between Frank and Arlen as they stand over Farley’s casket. Then there’s a little action and then Frank trying to figure things out . . . but then things really start to roll and the fun begins. By the end it was side-splitting laughs (for me at least) as I wrote. I felt like I was watching an old ’80s movie with a few cheesy one liners sprinkled about. Though technically the time period for the story is 1876 or so, so it isn’t really the 1980s. But I like a little “tongue-in-cheek,” corny humor (in moderation) in my reading/writing, especially when it’s mixed with Goth.
Anyway, the Goth site I mentioned at the start of the post just popped up on my twitter feed and I thought I would share it here. Alas, it didn’t work exactly right.
And I just had The Dancing Man in mind because I spent last night combining that book with my book The Children’s Home, along with a short story titled “Quicksand” into a new book called A Haunting We Will Go. So I combined two novellas and a short story into one book, basically. And who did I do this for? For you, of course!
“Quicksand” is a short story that was published (and is still available) in my book, And You Shall Not Live! (Volume 3 of the Civil War Dark Tale series). The story was inspired by, and is an homage to Poe’s tale, “The Gold Bug.” So if you’re interested in checking out what the story is about, you can read Poe’s story to get the gist. My story is a different story, but has a lot of the same elements and atmosphere. I even added the same breed of dog into the story, a Newfoundland.
Both tales (Poe’s and mine) are cryptographic puzzle type tales, using a cipher/treasure map to find the treasure. My tale has skulls that have the cipher, or riddle, etched or inscribed within the inner part of each skull. And both skulls are needed to locate the treasure; and then the skulls play a further role in accessing the loot. Very atmospheric.
I really do encourage you to check out Poe’s tale, even if you don’t end up reading mine. Poe’s story is titled “The Gold Bug.” It really is an excellent story. I can’t believe I went most of my life without reading it. I happened across mention of the tale in a book called The Cryptographic Imagination that I was reading a few years ago, and decided to find it and read it. Glad I did. It might even be available for free on Amazon. I’ll check.
In any event, my book was up on Amazon, published, about 4:00 this morning and then I noticed an error that I had to correct. So I took care of that and resubmitted for review. They might be done about now. Here is what the cover looks like:
I’m trying to decide whether to do a Goodreads Giveaway on this book also. I might, in the next day or so . . . We’ll see. So, you’ll be getting two books for one giveaway–lucky you! And the short story. And. And, there is a special bonus in the back of the book. I can’t tell you what it is. It’s a surprise!
And here is a Free collection of Poe that I found on Amazon. Free at the moment but subject to change. https://www.amazon.com/Oakshot-Complete-Illustrated-Footnotes-Classics-ebook/dp/B01LX9BC0D
https://www.amazon.com/Oakshot-Complete-Illustrated-Footnotes-Classics-ebook/dp/B01LX9BC0D
“The Gold Bug” was a little tough to find at first, but it is listed between “The Tell-Tale Heart,” and “The Black Cat” in the table of contents.
There are even some free audiobooks. I fished around and found several that might not be free, but aren’t that expensive. I have audible and have a few credits saved up so that helps. I can download some audiobooks for free to my library. I’m not sure if you have to be an audible member or just have prime.
I listen to the samples. It was interesting to find an audiobook of Poe with Vincent Price and also Basil Rathbone doing the narration. I don’t really love V.P.’s voice, but he is the quintessential horror movie voice. Here is the link to this audiobook: