“The Key” Now Out in Morpheus Tales #15

At last issue #15 of Morpheus Tales, a UK quarterly magazine of horror and science fiction, has arrived!

“It’s a beautiful casket.”
The story begins as a boy finds a key around his dead father’s neck as he lays dear old dad to rest. Curious as to what secrets the key holds he begins a surreal journey through the present while using clues from his past to ultimately arrive at an answer he surely wishes he never found.

My story also brags art from the talented Vladimir Petkovic.

A free preview of the issue can be found at:
http://issuu.com/morpheustales/docs/mt15preview

You can order the issue here:
http://www.morpheustales.com/

The cover art of #15 reminds me of the cover Berni Wrightson did for the Spiderman graphic novel “Hooky.”

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Reflections: Rejected Again

My dark fiction piece on a lost soul floating his way through life and discovering what he may or may not be through various mundane every day occurrences has once more been rejected.

Originally declined by Pseudopod the editor gave me the following feedback : “I really liked the style of this piece, and the tone is great, but I didn’t really care for the way the
narrator deals with his ……. Finding out that ……just didn’t deliver the impact it really
needed to.”

Then I sent it to Morpheus Tales and the editor said: “we enjoyed reading your story we do not feel the material is right for Morpheus Tales and unfortunately we cannot use the material offered. We liked your writing style, but felt the story could only end one of two ways and it was too easy to predict….”

I deleted some plot reveals from the feedback above, but taking what the editors told me I added some depth to the main character and an extra twist or two making the ending much less predictable. Apparently, the changes weren’t enough for the fine people at Apex Magazine, so onward to another publication!

“The Key” to be published in Morpheus Tales

One of my favorite stories has found a home. “The Key” will be published in a future issue of Morpheus Tales, a beautiful looking magazine of horror, science fiction and fantasy.

In “The Key” a young man finds a key in his father’s coffin that he hopes can answer the mystery of his father’s difficult life and their strained relationship. Will he find what he is looking for or regret that he ever lay eyes upon the key? You’ll have to wait until 2012 to find out. That’s right 2012! Hey, good magazines have a long waiting list.

In the meantime, while you’re waiting, please check out:

“‘Til Death” my vampire story available in Dark Gothic Resurrected Magazine, which is chock full of Vampire goodness. You can download it for a measly $5 or buy the print copy for $10 here:

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/dark-gothic-resurrected-magazine–summer-2010/11609560

“Cookers” a story about a family making there way through a world of overheated, man-eating zombie. Oh, the vegetation has mutated to eat flesh as well. This is truly an After School Special loaded with lessons in family values. Check it out FOR FREE here:

http://www.talesofworldwarz.com/stories/2010/08/10/cookers-by-matt-piskun/