Lawrence Dagstine: “Historical Works in Progress…”

On Alternate History, Historical Weird Tales, and SF Serials…

In the next couple of weeks I will be continuing my bimonthly series of Free Fiction.  This time I will be serializing a science fiction-themed novella about two orphans that get stranded during an interplanetary adoption. It takes place on the largest planet in the universe — The planet Ragnarok (aptly named after the warring Gods of Norse Mythology, which later supposedly caused a lot of catastrophes concerning Mother Nature and the like for Mankind).  You’ll understand why as you get into it over the course of the year.  There are even a few flashback sequences similar to the series LOST.  On Ragnarok, Quadrant 4, located on the outer rim of the Cat’s Eye Nebula, like most of my worlds, there are eighteen seasons.  Unlike Earth, which has only four.  The good guys are a bunch of giant lizards with chest communicators.  Think the Silurians from Doctor Who, only bigger, stronger.  Bad guys are a bunch of elemental wind creatures who harvest meat by “shadowy” & “vampiric” means.  These guys are the horror element to the story.  Main orphan characters are Chelsea and Blake, and you are sure to fall in love with these two kids.  Mind you, this serial is FIRST DRAFT, so if you see the occasional typo or a bit of redundancy, I don’t plan on publishing this anywhere but my homepage.  Entertainment purposes only.  I could best describe the early portions as a cross between Lord of the Flies, the movie Pitch-Black, and Living Amongst the Lizards (short story).  Serials shall run between 2,500 and 5,000 words in length.  Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.  Once again, all first draft.

Name of planned Bimonthly Serial: “Orphan’s Prey” – Stay Tuned!

On The Great Depression and post-Civil War era…

I already have a batch of finished short stories and novelettes set in these two eras.  Some accepted, too.

Story One: “A Town of Crows” – Killer Scarecrows after the Civil War now appearing in Steampunk Tales #6.  See eBooks & Kindle.

Story Two: “A Time and Place for Monsters” – a very long novelette with vampires and werewolves during the Great Depression coming to Cover of Darkness.  Also, a bit of back history concerning President Hoover and The Monsters.  Never before done.

Story Three: “The Two-Sided Market” – Dedicated to H.G. Wells/Parallel Piece.

Story Four: “The Great Martian Depression” – Scifi currently appearing in The Martian Wave Issue#1.

Story Five: “FDR and the Locusts” – Franklin D. Roosevelt and BIG Insects, with a plot twist.

Cleopatra VII - Brooklyn Museum of New York 2008 - 2009

On Cleopatra and Alternate History…

There are two finished stories, finally edited, featuring Cleo as a fourteen-year-old.  They take place between Ancient Egypt and Rome. Alternate History meets Historical Fantasy, and there will also be mages, sorcerers, the undead, gods, and demigods! Also, the stories begin with Mark Antony as narrator for the first page and ends with him conceptually.  Here, I decided to experiment.

Story One: “Young Cleopatra and The Whispering Ancients”

Story Two: “Young Cleopatra and The Eye of Horus.”

Story Three: UNTITLED (coming 2011, and concerning the suicide of Mark and Cleo).

On Pompeii and Rome…

Next, later in the year off to Pompeii and some more fiction in Rome.  Introducing the Children of Ash short stories/novelettes.  All stand-alone tales, which I often prefer.

Story One: “The Children of Ash” – After Volcano Day.

Story Two: “The Nightmare Lair” – Inside the Volcano.

Story Three: “The Vampires of Pompeii” – The Romans have some neighbors. 😉

I’m also thinking up a totally “messed-up” Caligula-style crossover piece as well.  Of course, this is still not a guarantee that a market will accept all of them.  Never is.

I also noticed that a lot of Fresh Blood PDFs were sold.  Like 40 or 50 in the first two, three weeks.  At $3.50, yeah, it’s a great price. If you own a reader, click on eBooks & Kindle and treat yourself to a copy.  You can also now read PDFs on the Amazon Kindle, or download the free iPhone/iPad application off of Amazon.com as well.  I’d like to thank all of you.  I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it.  The same with my scarecrow story in Steampunk Tales #6 (www.steampunktales.com).

Other than that, there are ten brand new short stories and novelettes completed, my first novella is in the editorial screening stages, and ten brand new acceptances for 2010-2011.  I wish I had the time to blog ten times per day, but life does not permit me such luxury.  I’ll try and fit what I can.  Historical stories take two, three weeks alone.  However, some acceptances are to print anthologies.  So stay tuned! SF serial starts Late April/May 2010.  It’s gonna be fun!

Cheers,

Lawrence Dagstine

Print Magazines * Amazon Kindle * The iPhone/iPad * Sony & PDF Download

Other New Entries: “General News”

P.S.: Speaking of crazy historical tales, enjoy the new season of Doctor Who.   Series Five with Matt Smith!

FRESH BLOOD by Lawrence Dagstine… (PDF and E-Format!)

My 2009 debut short story collection, FRESH BLOOD, filled with 160 pages of dark science fiction stories and twisted horror tales is now coming to PDF/e-Format.  You can get it from one of the largest RPG retailers on the Web. DriveThruRPG.com! Or, for just a few dollars more, you can splurge for the print copy and see what all of last summer’s buzz was about. Just do a search for “Sam’s Dot Publishing”.  It might take a while for the publisher’s page to go up.

Vampires * Zombies * Ghosts * Giant Lizards * Alternate Universes

FRESH BLOOD: TALES FROM THE SPECULATIVE GRAVEYARD

Published by Sam’s Dot Publishing

Author: Lawrence R. Dagstine

FRESH BLOOD in PDF/E-Format - ISBN: 978-0-9819696-2-6

Order the PDF or e-Version for upload to your readers at… DriveThruRPG.com:

www.drivethrustuff.com

For a little more, the softcover version at The Genre Mall:

http://www.genremall.com/anthologiesr.htm#freshblood

Fresh Blood by Lawrence Dagstine - PRINT VERSION

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos”

Hungur Magazine #9, November 2009… (Now Available!)

Vampires get your fangs ready! I’ve got a story in the latest issue of Hungur Magazine, No. #9.  Fall 2009.  Edited by Terrie Leigh Relf, and published by Sam’s Dot.  If you think the Obama Administration or any administration is safe from a vampire threat, think again! It’s an issue you won’t want to miss.  Because this issue… The Vampires are running the show.

HUNGUR MAGAZINE

Late Fall 2009 – Issue #9

HungurMagazine_9

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

http://www.samsdotpublishing.com/HungurGL.htm

ORDER DIRECT FROM SAM’S DOT & THE GENRE MALL:

http://www.genremall.com/zinesr.htm#hungur


Bloodletting works by: Tyree Campbell, Lawrence Dagstine, Scot Coon, William Marden, Lawrence Barker, Dev Jarrett, John H. Stevens, Donald Jacob Uitvlugt, Jared W. Vickery, J. Jay Waller, Lawrence Buentello, Allan Wise, Marge Simon, Brian Rosenberger, G.O. Clark, Debby Feo, Terrie Leigh Relf, Tom Galusha, Justin Bohardt, and illustrations also by Marge Simon.

Other New Entries: “Magazines”

Lawrence Dagstine: “Happy Halloween 2009…”

TRICK OR TREAT

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2009

from Lawrence Dagstine

(I love scarecrows; had to go with a scarecrow theme this year)

However, in case you love zombies, werewolves, vampires, and lizards…

Still Available from Sam’s Dot Publishing & The Genre Mall:

 

http://www.genremall.com/anthologiesr.htm#freshblood

Lawrence Dagstine: “FRESH BLOOD Aftermath…”

Or… The BEST WEEKEND EVAH! Thank you sooo much to everyone who stopped by my booth and picked up copies of my books, pulp magazines, and other wares.  Many of you told me you’ve never read genre before, many of you took my card, and a couple of you even stood in line and actually waited.  You don’t know how good that made me feel.  Thank you again.  Here I thought folks don’t read anymore (well, that was before this weekend, assuming I now have new readers – I really hope you enjoy the tales and stay tuned to this spot). 

ISBN: 978-0-9819696-2-6

ISBN: 978-0-9819696-2-6

Good news: I’ll be back next weekend.  Some marketing, diversifying, and injecting the right pitches clearly doesn’t hurt, I see.

Bad news: If you’re new here, I’m temporarily sold out of Fresh Blood.  I only have five copies left, and at the moment I need to mail out to review venues.  I will, however, still have a few copies of other books and pulps on hand.  But these will be sparse.

Oh yeah, and I’m planning a contest too!

Order FRESH BLOOD direct from The Genre Mall:

http://www.genremall.com/anthologiesr.htm#freshblood

Check out some of the other goods:

https://lawrencedagstine.com/books-anthos/

https://lawrencedagstine.com/magazine-credits-dagstine/

Order the Post-Apocalyptic SATIRICA ANTHOLOGY:

https://lawrencedagstine.com/2009/04/27/satirica-anthology-nominated-for-ippy-award/

Some of the merch, some of the profits.

Some of the merch, some of the profits.

Fresh Blood scores BIG in Brooklyn, New York!

Fresh Blood scores BIG in Brooklyn, New York!

Even more merch; Dagstine bulk filled almost two big suitcases

Even more merch; Dagstine bulk filled almost two big suitcases

It was a great few days.  My count may be off, but I pushed somewhere well over 130 mixed Dagstine titles: hardcovers, softcovers, magazines, etc.

With that said, I’m off to eat in my favorite sushi restaurant.  I feel like a kid living his dream.  Once again, thank you!

Lawrence R. Dagstine 😉

Lawrence Dagstine: “FRESH BLOOD Signings Pt. 3…”

Technically this should be part 2, but since it laps into the following week, I’ll leave it as is, because it will be 3.  I’m coming back! I’ll be signing copies of FRESH BLOOD at Flea by the Sea on the weekends in Coney Island, New York.  I’ll have copies of obscure pulp mags on hand (with stories of mine in it), hardcovers, other books, and you have Famous Nathan’s Hot Dogs just up the street.  So come say hi, pick up a book or two by yours truly, go to the beach or amusement park, and on the following dates below.

Flea by the Sea

Transportation, Directions, and More Details:

http://www.fleabythesea.com/about.php

LAWRENCE DAGSTINE

Fresh Blood Signings!

July 25th & July 26th

August 1st & August 2nd

 Fridays, unfortunately, no… Saturdays & Sundays, YES!

11:30-12PM up until roughly 7-8PM (when I head out).

Available through The Genre Mall

ISBN: 978-0-9819696-2-6

ISBN: 978-0-9819696-2-6

FRESH BLOOD: Tales From The Speculative Graveyard

PUBLISHER: www.samsdotpublishing.com

PURCHASE THE BOOK AT ‘THE GENRE MALL’:

http://www.genremall.com/anthologiesr.htm#freshblood

With that said, August 2009 will be a pretty low-key month.  That and my laptop screen is falling apart at the edges.  However, be here in September and October.  Autumn time, as usual.  Because I’ll have a plethora — and I do mean a handful — of new publications and new stories you’ll want to check out.  Own a Kindle? An iTouch? Or Sony eReader? Well, my first e-title debuts in September from DAMNATION BOOKS, and at Killercon 2009.

VISITATION RIGHTS – A different kind of ghost story

VisitationRightsEBOOK

DAMNATION BOOKS:

www.damnationbooks.com

VISITATION RIGHTS: Coming Soon…

ISBN (10): 1-61572-008-1

ISBN (13): 978-1-61572-008-8

Lawrence Dagstine: “FRESH BLOOD Signings Pt. 2…”

Come join prolific short story writer, Lawrence R. Dagstine – scifi, fantasy, horror and more! — at Coney Island’s Festival by the Sea.  Books, books, and more books.

Flea by the Sea 

 LAWRENCE DAGSTINE SIGNING:

June 26th – (unconfirmed)

June 27th and June 28th

Saturday and Sunday!!!

12pm to sundown…

FRESH BLOOD: Tales From The Speculative Graveyard

http://www.fleabythesea.com/about.php

Brooklyn Author, Lawrence R.  Dagstine will be signing copies of his new short story collection FRESH BLOOD, rare hardcovers, anthologies, and obscure pulp magazines and more at FLEA BY THE SEA!

For details on transportation by subway, bus, or car, see website above.  There will be amusement park rides, entertainment, food, and thousands of people are expected to attend.  There will also be arts & crafts, photography vendors, jewelry and clothing merchants, and tons of other stuff!

Hop on the train, grab a tan, and get some books!

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos” 

The Horror Fiction Review: June 2009… (Now Posted!)

THE HORROR FICTION REVIEW is now up.  Horror author and book reviewer, Nick Cato (Novello Publishers), has now put up the book reviews for June 2009.  It’s a delightful little site and I highly recommend checking them out.  If you scroll down, you’ll find a positive review of my debut collection FRESH BLOOD in-between authors Jack Kilborn and Louise Bohmer.  The site also has an interview with Robert Dunbar.

THE HORROR FICTION REVIEW – June 2009 edition

The Horror Fiction Review

The Horror Fiction Review

MAIN SITE: http://www.freewebs.com/hfrzine/

JUNE 2009 REVIEWS: http://www.freewebs.com/hfrzine/june09reviews.htm

Other New Entries: “Author Resources” 

Fresh Blood Reviews 1: “Nick Cato reviews the Book…”

I’m pretty new at this, and since I’ll be soliciting a few more reviews over the course of the year, I decided to number them accordingly.  I also felt that would be easier.   For example, Fresh Blood Reviews 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.   Today we have Nick Cato, reviewer, long-time horror fan and reader, and author of the soon-to-be released zombie-mafia crossover DON OF THE DEAD (www.coscomentertainment.com). 

Nick Cato REVIEWS Dagstine’s Fresh Blood…

ISBN: 978-0-981-9696-2-6

ISBN: 978-0-981-9696-2-6

FRESH BLOOD REVIEW (click below):

http://nickcato.blogspot.com/2009/05/scifi-and-horror-meet-drugs.html

ORDER THE BOOK (from The Genre Mall):

http://www.genremall.com/anthologiesr.htm#freshblood

Fresh Blood in a nutshell: “SciFi and Horror meet… DRUGS!”

Dagstine’s writing is quick and to the point, and the stories flow quite well despite the genre jumping. A solid, entertaining collection – Nick Cato, author DON OF THE DEAD.

Author’s Note: Fresh Blood is published by Sam’s Dot Publishing.  This review will also premiere in June’s HORROR FICTION REVIEW. 

Lawrence Dagstine: “Coney Island’s Summer of Horror…”

It’s the Summer of Horror! No, not just Fresh Blood signings and book promos.  If you happen to be in the Brooklyn, New York City area between now and September on a Saturday evening, hop on the subway.  You might just be interested in checking out a couple of old-school movies at The Coney Island Museum.  The Coney Island Film Society presents: “SUMMER OF HORROR!”

Dante's Inferno

Dante's Inferno

The Coney Island Film Society – Schedule 2009:

http://www.coneyisland.com/films.shtml

Psycho, Army of Darkness, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, and much more! Admission is $5.00 for non-society members, $3.00 for film society members.  Free popcorn.  Series run: May 16th thru September 26th 2009.  Doors open at 8pm, film starts at 8:30pm.

Photo Credit: Lawrence R. Dagstine, 2008.

Author of Fresh Blood: Tales from the Speculative Graveyard

FRESH BLOOD: “Merchandise now available…!”

To kick off the FRESH BLOOD summer 2009 tour, this post goes out to Sam’s Dot Publishing’s graphic artist, Mitchell Bentley (www.atomicflystudios.com), who did the cover for the book you see below, along with many other great Sam’s Dot authors: Lawrence R. Dagstine, Joel Arnold, Rick Novy, Armand Rosamilia, Tyree Campbell, Edward Cox, John Lance, Maggie Bonham, and MORE!

GET YOUR FRESH BLOOD MERCH TODAY!

Crafted by Mitchell Bentley

Crafted by Mitchell Bentley

CLICK BELOW:

http://www.atomicflystudios.net/Pages/14ArtPage.html

 Fresh Blood: Tales from the Speculative Graveyard

A Collection by Lawrence R. Dagstine

ISBN: 978-0-9819696-2-6

ISBN: 978-0-9819696-2-6

 Order the book: http://www.genremall.com/anthologiesr.htm#freshblood

Love zombies and space stations? Whether it’s a coffee mug, a T-shirt, a tote bag or a hat, or who knows, maybe even a skateboard, Mitchell Bentley will design it for you… And he’ll do it to perfection! You can also view some of his artwork at the same link. 

All artwork and merchandise licensing copyright Mitchell Davidson Bentley, Atomic Fly Studios: http://www.zazzle.com/mitchbentley

Lawrence Dagstine: “Welcome to your world…”

turmoilgirl

Welcome to My World…

Wanna get scared tonight? Visit another planet?

 

fresh_blood_final2

Fresh Blood

by Lawrence Dagstine

Published by Sam’s Dot Publishing

www.samsdotpublishing.com

Now Available at THE GENRE MALL:

http://www.genremall.com/anthologiesr.htm#freshblood

ISBN: 978-0-9819696-2-6

fresh-blood-2

“Lawrence Dagstine has a wonderfully fertile imagination and he has crafted many wonderful, original stories.” – David Lee Summers, Editor, Tales of the Talisman and author, Heirs of the New Earth.

“Lawrence Dagstine never ceases to amaze me with his abundant talent. His short stories are incredibly imaginative, exceptionally well written, and thoroughly captivating.” – P.S. Gifford, Author, The Curious Accounts of the Imaginary Friend.

“Dagstine injects some much-needed freshness into his monsters; he endows them with complex qualities both human and inhuman, which somehow makes them all the more disturbing.” – Ben Thomas, Editor, The Willows Magazine.

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos”

Sam’s Dot Publishing: “Convention Calendar Early 2009…”

This comes a little bit late, but Sam’s Dot Publishing books and magazines will be available at the conventions just below.  Aoife’s Kiss, Beyond Centauri, Sounds of the Night, Champagne Shivers, and more! I would say once the April conventions hit, you can ask for FRESH BLOOD (my latest collection).  It should be available then.  They publish a whole array of wonderful periodicals, novellas, and other genre fare. 

samsdot1

www.samsdotpublishing.com

EVENT DATES AND LOCATIONS:

20-22 March: MidSouthCon, Olive Branch, Mississippi
27-29 March: ImagiCon, Birmingham, Alabama

10-12 April: MiniCon44, Minneapolis, Minnesota

24-26 April: Conestoga, Tulsa, Oklahoma

1-3 May: DemiCon, Des Moines, Iowa

22-24 May: ConQuest, Kansas City, Missouri

As for myself, due to the recent woes of the U.S. economy, I probably won’t be leaving the Northeast anytime soon.  But I will be walking the floor of this year’s FANGORIA Weekend of Horrors.  If you see me, stop me.  Say hi.  I’ll be representing a bunch of publishers and handing out free merch! Also, now that the weather is getting nicer, I’ll be attending book fairs and book festivals, and hopefully the odd reading or two. 

More to come.

Doctor Who: Series Five Monsters…

New Monsters! It’s about time… Hmm, am I making any sense? I don’t know, I might not make any sense ever again.  Fanboy-ism aside, and as a science fiction writer to boot, I’m here today to declare my love yet again for one of the longest running shows in TV history.  That’s right — Doctor Who! Torchwood would probably come in second or third for me.  And, as we all know, David Tennant regenerates after this year and becomes The Eleventh Doctor.  This role will go to the then 27-year old Matt Smith. 

regeneration_stunt

Now I will admit, at first I wasn’t too keen on the idea of Smith taking over the role; I had fingers crossed for Paterson Joseph, Adrian Lester, or even Colin Salmon.  But I guess it’s only right that we give the boy a chance.  After all, Stephen Moffat is a remarkable writer and it’s as if he were born to lead such a fantastic show.  Also, Matt Smith promises to bring a lot to the role as the Doctor — retracing the 70’s show model, Matt and Stephen? — and you know these newbies, one night they’re nobody, the next they’re a guaranteed success and eating the pie from the Actor’s Guild.  Matt Smith you have my attention.  I will give you a chance, I promise.  But what adversaries will you face? What monsters will you go up against? What surprises does Moffat have in store for us in 2010?

Official BBC Doctor Who Homepage:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/

I know the one monster I don’t want to see anymore is The Daleks — NO MORE! They’ve been done to death.  Russell T. Davies abused them enough, I think.  I love the Cybermen, don’t get me wrong… but please exit right.  And it’s safe to bet that the Sontarans were just a “one-time” gig.   I want monsters that harken back to the Baker years.  Or they should be, at the very least, considered.

matt-smith-doctor-who-1

I have read rumors (and they are only that), that the “Weeping Angels” will be making their return.  I’ve seen The Sea Devils being tossed about the Net.  The Troclafane were mentioned on one “source” forum, but I hope they weren’t serious.  And like the Sea Devils, my money is on the Ice Warriors all the way! I wouldn’t be surprised if they are a major villain in Series Five. 

There are so many monsters that haven’t returned, that should.  I mean, what about the Nimon? These were Minotaur-like monsters who could shoot you down with their horns.  In the insect department, you have the Wirrn, who are most memorable from Baker’s second story, The Ark in Space.   A Horror of Fang Rock-like story involving the Rutans would be kind of interesting.  Or how about using CGI to remake The Gravis and a new sort of Tractator? Perhaps The Zarbi? No, even better, how about the Rani?

nimon

As I get ready for PLANET OF THE DEAD, I wonder what surprises are in store for Matt Smith.  And us… 

What monsters do YOU want to see return to Doctor Who? Would you like to cast a vote?

Come, take a Doctor Who poll with me…

For another Matt Smith/Doctor Who related poll, go here:

https://lawrencedagstine.com/2009/01/05/doctor-who-matt-smith-is-not-the-eleventh-doctor/ 

Like monsters? Then read my latest collection, FRESH BLOOD.  There’s plenty to be had there, in PG-13 color:

https://lawrencedagstine.com/books-anthos/ 

 

Cheers,

Lawrence R. Dagstine

Aoife’s Kiss #28, March 2009… (Online Version!)

Aoife’s Kiss, published by Sam’s Dot Publishing and now going into its 28th quarterly issue, is  bigger than ever.  They offer a print version and an online version.  However, starting June 2009, they will become a straight-on print only venue.  I can be found this month, March 2009, in their Web edition.  Would you like to order a copy of the print version? Links provided below.  And remember to vote for your favorite story by your favorite author, as these get chosen for future Wondrous Web World anthologies.

AOIFE’S KISS # 28; March 2009

Published by Sam’s Dot Publishing

ORDER THE PRINT VERSION:

http://www.samsdotpublishing.com/purchasecenter/magazines.htm

READ Volume 7, No. 4 online and VOTE!

http://www.samsdotpublishing.com/aoife/main.htm

Fiction by: Lorraine Pinelli Brown, Kurt Kirchmeier, Linda A. Gould, and Lawrence R. Dagstine.  Cover art by Teresa Tunaley.

Other New Entries: “Magazines”

Also published by Sam’s Dot, and available for PRE-ORDER at The Genre Mall!

Artwork by Mitch Bentley - Atomic Fly Studios

Artwork by Mitch Bentley - Atomic Fly Studios

FRESH BLOOD: Tales from the Speculative Graveyard

by Lawrence R. Dagstine

PRE-ORDER HERE: http://www.genremall.com/anthologiesr.htm#freshblood

A Collection of Science Fiction & Horror: ISBN: 978-0-9819696-2-6

Sam’s Dot has come a long way in the last ten years, its authors being nominated for such awards as the Nebula, the Hugo, and the Bram Stoker.  Many a famous name have made a guest appearance there.  Most important, if you are a new writer, I am living proof that you can slowly work your way up the ladder and get a “book deal” or “payment” or things such as an “advance” or “publicist” for your efforts (bear with me, there’s a lot in the pipeline, and there are only twenty-four hours in a day).

I think this month’s “tuppence” column by SF award-nominated editor Tyree Campbell will be overlooked, and it’s such a terrible shame.  Especially for new talent.  Please, I urge you to read it and follow it with all your heart:

http://www.samsdotpublishing.com/fifth/Column34.htm

This is one way of becoming a WRITER…

This is being YOURSELF…

If someone tells you there is only one way to cross a street, well, you and I both know that that is ridiculous…

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos”