IWSG & Jeremy Hawkins Tribute

 It's the first Wednesday of February, which means it's time for another edition of the Insecure Writer's Support Group.

Created by Alex J. Cavanaugh, the IWSG exists so writers can give and get support from fellow writers. This is your opportunity to air your insecurities without risking mockery, because this group is as supportive as they come. Anyone can join. Simply click on Alex's name and put your blog on the list. We post the first Wednesday of each month. Be sure to hop around and visit some of your fellow writers.

The co-hosts this month are: Joylene Nowell Butler, Jacqui Murray, Sandra Cox, and Lee Lowery!

The optional question this month is: Is there someone who supported or influenced you that perhaps isn't around anymore? Anyone you miss?

Woof. Loaded question for me after the last couple years, so I'll just say yes and leave you with a quote from my grandma after I sent her a copy of one of my horror collections: "This is a nice little book you've got here."

Jeremy and I were co-hosts of the A-to-Z Challenge years ago. In fact, my banner is the one he made me, which is why it still says I'm a host on it. I kept meaning to ask him if he could remake it without that, because I didn't want to part with the design since it's exactly what inspired the name of my blog to begin with. But I hate asking people for things, so I just kept it up despite it saying I was a host.

The team in 2012 consisted of Arlee Bird (of course), Damyanti Biswas, DL Hammons, Matthew MacNish, Elizabeth Mueller, Jenny Pearson, Konstanz Silverbow, Stephen Tremp, Tina Downey, Jeremy, Alex, and myself. Tina and I were brought onto the team after we challenged each other to visit ALL the other A-to-Z participants after the challenge had closed. We ended up running the Post A-to-Z Road Trip. I believe Jeremy made us a graphic for that, as well, but I don't seem to have it anymore.

There was a fun trio with Jeremy, Tina, and I during our tenure with the challenge. A lot of joking around. Unfortunately, we lost Tina several years ago. I hope their friendship can continue now.

One of our points of connection was movies and old movie theaters. It was fun discussing our experiences, each with a different old theater (mine was the Elsinore in Oregon, which reverted back to being a playhouse and now may be closed, IIRC; his had been a vaudeville theater, but I don't know the name). We'd both worked in theaters, as well. At one point, Jeremy donated a canvas art piece of his to the conference where I volunteered, Pikes Peak Writers Conference, for a silent auction to raise funds for the organization. 

In the last couple years we spoke mostly via Facebook and weren't as close as we'd once been, simply by virtue of distance and no longer working together. My heart goes out to those who were closer to him and to his family. He was fun, genuine, and kind, and his absence leaves a hole in the online community that can't be filled, just as Tina's did. They were both far too young to be gone and had so much to give the world with their presence.

My newest book came out yesterday! I'm so excited to share this book with you!

Whether you're looking to add short stories to your repertoire as a solo pursuit or in addition to novel writing, The Business of Short Stories covers every aspect from writing to marketing. Learn the dynamics of short story writing, where to focus your editing efforts, how and where to submit, how to handle acceptances and rejections, what to do with reprints, and how to market yourself and your stories online and in person. The information in The Business of Short Stories has been distilled from over a decade of short story publishing experience so you don't have to learn the hard way. You'll find information on submission formatting, cover letters, querying a collection, sending proposals to writing events, how to create a website, SEO, social media, and so much more. This is an invaluable resource for short story writers.

There's never been a better time to get into short stories!

$3.99 for e-book | $13.99 for paperback

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

Reviews posted:

Skavansieur Review Blog

Wonderland Press

Focused on Story by J.Q. Rose

My ongoing book tour schedule is as follows:

January 12 - Beth Camp - Beth and Writing - Part I of Q&A

January 12 - Jean Davis - Discarded Darlings 

January 13 - diedre Knight - Stream Pebbles - Part I

January 14 - Michael Di Gesu - In Time 

January 17 - Jemi Frasier - Jemi Frasier - Q&A

January 18 - diedre Knight - Pensive Pens - Part II

January 18 - Toi Thomas - The ToiBox of Words

January 18 - Victoria Marie Lees - Victoria Marie Lees

January 19 - J.Q. Rose - Focused on Story by J.Q. Rose - Her Favorite Short Story (I already know which one it is, and it's one of my favorites, too!)

January 19 - Rebecca M. Douglass - Rebecca M. Douglass, Author

January 24 - Alex J. Cavanaugh - Alex J. Cavanaugh - Top Five Movies About Writing

January 26 - DeAnna Knippling - Wonderland Press & Writing Craft - Q&A

January 27 - Diane Burton - Diane Burton - Her Favorite Short Story

January 27 - Elizabeth Seckman - Elizabeth Seckman - Her Favorite Short Story

January 31 - Annalisa Crawford - Blogging with My Fountain Pen - Her Favorite Short Story

January 31 - Jemima Pett - Jemima Pett 

February 1 - Beth Camp - Beth and Writing - Part II of Q&A

February 2 - Michelle Wallace - Writer-in-Transit - Q&A

February 9 - C. Lee McKenzie - C. Lee McKenzie, Author - Her Favorite Short Story

February 11 - Sandra Cox - Sandra's Place - 3 Quirky Food Facts

And a thank you to Natalie Aguirre, The Faerie Review, and my brother Alex Kenoyer for individual shoutouts!

May you find your Muse.

A Final Road Trip

I imagine just about everyone will know by now, because she touched so many lives, but Tina Downey of the blog Life is Good passed away this weekend. You can get more information at her blog.

I know I won't be the only one thinking of her today. She was a kind person with a huge heart that did so much for others, even if it was just in supporting them or throwing them a friendly hello. Unfortunately, she was battling health issues the whole time. Even knowing that, I was stunned to hear of her passing. I never thought it could go so far.

By xlibber (Sunflower  Uploaded by russavia) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Today I wanted to say goodbye to a friend I met through my blog, so what better way to honor her? We met as participants in the A-to-Z Challenge. Somehow (and I couldn't tell you exactly how), we started talking via a comment one or the other of us left on the other's blog. This conversation bloomed into the Post A-to-Z Road Trip, where we challenged each other to visit ALL the participants of that year's A-to-Z after it had completed.

We both liked a challenge.

I never would have done the Road Trip on my own. I might have gone and visited a bunch of the blogs I hadn't gotten to, but I sure wouldn't have issued a challenge to everyone else to do the same. I was a newbie blogger, who only found others and learned about blogging via that first A-to-Z (that I participated in--certainly not the first A-to-Z overall.)

But Tina was energetic, vivacious. She took hold of a goal and went for it with her all. She was organized and consistent. And we egged each other on, having a lot of fun in the process.

That little Road Trip got us noticed by Lee, and the next year we became part of the A-to-Z Challenge team. Why? Because Tina posted to them about our little mini-challenge. She was brave and brassy. She was a phenom.

We had even more fun working with that awesome team of folks, and we were able to continue our little Road Trip, which wasn't so little anymore. Through it all, she soldiered on, despite health issues that landed her in the hospital off and on, despite trouble breathing, and the misery that comes with that.

Most of all, she did so cheerfully, with no dip in the level of energy she dedicated to us and the challenge.

Courtesy of Saxo, Wikimedia Commons

When I announced to the A-to-Z team that my dad had been diagnosed with ALS, and that I was going through the CNA certification process so I would be better equipped to care for him when the time came, she told me about her dad, who had Parkinson's. And though we'd been talking via email for awhile, we were now able to give each other support and share the understanding of something that was hard for other people to empathize with. What other people didn't know how to respond to (despite wanting to be able to), we knew what to say and how it felt.

I suspect she would have known just what to say whether she was in that situation or not, though, because that's just the type of person she was. She wasn't afraid to speak, to support, to be honest.

Though I never got to meet her in person, despite living only about 90 minutes from each other, she was a great friend to me, and I hope I gave her just a little bit of that back. Our plans to meet were derailed by various things, the last time because I was sick with a fever and she was back in the hospital. I'm sad we never had the chance to meet in person, but I'm glad I got to know her for awhile, and that I had the honor of calling her a friend.

May you find your Muse among the sunflowers.

Blogging Responsibly - It's Personal

Sometimes I forget that when I blog it's visible to more than just my fellow bloggers. And then something happens, like a friend or family member bringing up something I blogged about. For me, the wake up call to really pay attention to what I was posting if it had to do with a real life topic, such as a historical incident, were blog comments from people that weren't bloggers, but someone who had a personal connection to something I'd posted about.

Natalie Wood
By unknown photographer (ebay)
[Public domain],
 via Wikimedia Commons

You see, my topics for the 2012 A-to-Z Challenge and the 2013 A-to-Z were The Wild West and History's Mysteries, respectively. Several of my posts during those challenges caught the eyes of people who knew more about the topics than I did. One was a post about the mystery behind Natalie Wood's death. I heard from someone who had written a book about her death, and had worked with the captain of the ship they'd been on when she died. The post that drew the most attention, though, had to do with the outlaw Clay Allison. Oddly, he's someone I find few people have heard of, yet the tales of his outlaw days cause Billy the Kid to pale in comparison. I find him fascinating, and I had a lot of fun writing the post about him. 

Bearing in mind, of course, that this was during the A-to-Z, so research time wasn't what it might have been for a regular once per week post, I spent a few hours reading up on Clay Allison. There were some fantastic tales about his escapades, but what got skirted over in the information I found was the reasons behind what he'd done and how he'd become an outlaw. And a good percentage of the information out there was likely false, stuff made up in the publications of the day. 

Photo of Clay Allison courtesy of Find a Grave member John "J-Cat" Griffith

I was in it for fun, though, and posted the various tales and information. I hope that there were folks who did research on their own after reading about him, those whose interest was piqued by hearing his tales. But at the same time, I perpetuated the myths that were out there, too. And a few of his descendants contacted me in the blog comments. They were nice guys, no flaming or accusations, and they thanked me for bringing him back into people's awareness. But their comments reminded me that I was posting about real people, people who had family or acquaintances who were still around. Yes, I'm sure they're accustomed to reading the stuff that's out there, and I even got a book recommendation out of it so I can get more information on a subject that interests me. And I'm not going to lie. I'm enough of a wild west buff that I geeked out internally about being contacted by his descendants. But a subject I enjoyed reading and writing about was personal history to them, not just a story.

So my reminder to you is the same as the reminder to me: When you're posting away, thinking this is just a blog, not a newspaper or novel, remember that there's always someone out there for whom the subject could be personal.

Have you been contacted by someone with personal ties to a subject you've blogged about? How did it go? Are you aware of Clay Allison? Who do you think was responsible for Natalie Wood's death? 

May you find your Muse.

I'm at Alex's!

I woke up to a delightful surprise today! Alex J. Cavanaugh featured me in his "F" post for the A-to-Z Challenge. I miss my A-to-Z co-host team and am a bit sad to not be taking part this year, but it was lovely to be a teeny part via Alex's post. I knew I couldn't keep up with commenting and visiting others this year, so even though I could have pre-scheduled a bunch of posts, that's not the true spirit of the A-to-Z, and I opted to stay out of it. I WILL still be visiting participants as I can, though, (as well as my usual blogs) so hope to see you soon! But I'm on deadlines this week, so no rest for the weary.

I hope you'll stop by and visit all the A-to-Z co-hosts (you can find a list of them HERE in the right sidebar.) Also, Andrew Leon at StrangePegs is doing a fun theme for the A-to-Z on abandoned places. My kinda' topic.

And since I'm posting anyway, I'd like to say that I'm meeting my goals of submitting short stories. I've gotten several rejections, including a nice personal one that said my piece was "beautifully written," which I'll take. It didn't match the theme they were going for (I knew it was stretching the theme when I sent it in, but you never know exactly what they're looking for, so felt it was worth trying.) Once I'm through these work deadlines I'll be submitting elsewhere. I've still got four pieces out on submission, though, and need to find a place to submit two more.

I hope you're out there submitting, or at least writing away in preparation to submit and/or query in the future.

Are you taking part in the A-to-Z? If not, have you found any themes in your usual blog travels that you're particularly enjoying? Feel free to share their links in the comments.

May you find your Muse.

P.S. Gary, I broke my "no posting about blog hops" streak. Sowwy!

Jeremy Hawkins Book Tour - It's Time!

The creative and talented Jeremy Hawkins is stopping by on his book tour today. This isn't your typical book, you know, with words. Instead, he is displaying his pop-culture artwork from over the years in a series of four books. If you've participated in the A-to-Z Challenge, you know Jeremy as our badge and graphics guru. He's our go-to guy for anything visually artsy, with his unique and compelling vision.

Now, here's Jeremy to speak for himself:

***

Did you know that Spaceballs was made into a cartoon? Okay let me back up for the moment. I want to share a short story and then share another one with you. Shannon asked a few of us to see if we wanted to donate anything for a good cause for a Pike’s Peak Silent auction. I had a piece of art I designed that was created from a old slide of Pike’s Peak from the 1960’s and gladly thought sure, she could use this. Off the wall it came and then it was shipped for the event, not sure how it did… I do know someone got it and for me that was cool.

Brings this big hole to my wall and I replaced this with my original framed poster of what else? Spaceballs! And I got to thinking share something about this film. Now we are back to the question of did you know it was made into a cartoon for television, yeah me either. It lasted only a season; here is part from the press release about it:

May the farce be with you! Modern filmdom and popular culture get lampooned at ludicrous speed as “Spaceballs: The Totally Warped Animated Adventures!” comes to DVD from MGM Home Ent. Re-introducing the art of ridiculous satire to the small screen, the animated half-hour episodes pick up where the cult-classic feature film left off, showcasing rollicking parody of pop culture for a new generation of fans.  Executive produced and Co-Created by Mel Brooks reprises the roles of the original Spaceballs cast, including Joan Rivers as the droid Dot Matrix, Daphne Zuniga as Princess Vespa and Brooks as the comic sage Yogurt. Joining the fight against the evil Dark Helmet are unforgettable characters Captain Lone Starr and his half-human-half-canine sidekick, Barf.

• The Moron’s Guide

• Episode I – “Outbreak”

• Intermission – “Satisfied Customers”

• Episode II – “Skroobinator”

• Intermission – “Thanks For Your Order”

• Episode III – “The Deep Ship”

• Intermission – “Sing Along With Skyroob”

• Episode IV – “Grand Theft Starship”

• And That’s Not All

• One More Goodie

It is available for DVD purchase at AMAZON, so if you are checking it out… feel free to look up my books to… see the cool tie into my stuff.

Are you looking for the ADAM WEST [TV’S BATMAN] story I promised to share? Well, on the next tour date… it will be there, promise.

***

It's a four book series 40 pages each and it is the art/design from things I had designed over the years. It's a mish-mash of things that I had seen in my head... and some are future designs that will become shirts. Places I wanted to go artistically as you travel from where I was to where I am now. Is it great journey!  Titles came from the idea of time "12:34, 35, 36 and 37” seems that is when my best ideas came to me... day or night. It's funny I never considered myself a "writer" just a man who likes to paint a canvas if it be words or my art/design.

Giveaways: Some great prizes being given away please stop over at my main page “BEING RETRO” and look just below the header for the “It’s Time” Tour Giveaway link and enter today.

Thank You, for letting me play host and to all who took the “time” to read this… you are all the best.

Jeremy Hawkins

Being Retro

beingretro.com

Available on Amazon

THE COVERS:

So, what do you think? Dig his artwork?

May you find your Muse.

Insecure Writers Support Group & Links

What?! It's a new month already? No way!

Everybody say it with me in true Keanu Reeves-style: Waaaaaay.

So, yes, this means it is time for an Insecure Writer's Support Group post, hosted by the ninja, himself, Alex J. Cavanaugh.

My current insecurities concern time. Time for writing. Time for blogging. Time for visiting fellow bloggers. I've fallen so far behind, and I feel bad about that. I know that I will eventually get caught up, at least for a little while, but I feel a bit panicky about it in the meantime.

Gary Warning: Your eyes may burn, as A-to-Z is mentioned! You still love me, though, right? :(

I've not caught up on all my comments from during the A-to-Z, which means I also haven't caught up on current comments here on the blog. I intend to start going back and forth, replying to comments from my most recent post, then an A-to-Z post, and so on and so forth. I haven't gotten to all the Reflections posts yet, either, so that's not good. Some who I did visit, though, commented in their Reflections posts about people who hadn't visited them back yet, and how they figure those people didn't care or did the A-to-Z just to gain followers and not reciprocate. I feel bad about the fact that people may be viewing me that way.

So I'm here to say that I will ALWAYS visit back those who have commented on my blog. It just won't always be immediately. Well, I should curb that a bit by saying I will ALWAYS visit back commenters whose blogs I can FIND after they've commented. I'm afraid I have run into a few that I just plain can't find. Once I've caught up and am working my way through the A-to-Z list (Road Trip!), I'm sure I will find many of them. I sure hope so, anyway.

Now, before I get to links, I need to thank the lovely, devoted, spirited, and always awesome, Tina, at Life is Good, for the following award:

Thank you so much for thinking of me, Tina! Please visit Tina (after you're done perusing the below links and commenting here, of course!), and say hello for me. You'll never regret visiting the vivacious and entertaining Tina. Nope, nope, nope. (<---said in a Ducky voice, and I'm not talking about Pretty in Pink).

Now for some links. Please note, any links passed along are those I have discovered, and do not indicate sponsorship or recommendation. I have not vetted these companies, and cannot guarantee they are safe. Please always do due diligence in researching a publication or contest before submitting.

Accepting Submissions:

Shotgun Honey is seeking short stories in gritty crime for their second anthology Reloaded: Both Barrels, Volume II. Deadline is June 9. Pays $25 and a contributor copy.

Fringeworks is accepting submissions for several anthologies. Raus! Untoten! seeks short stories involving a combination of Nazis and the undead. Deadline June 10. Pays in 12% royalties. The Last Diner seeks gruesome short stories set in food establishments. Deadline June 30. Pays in 4% royalties. NeaDNAthal seeks short stories involving the reappearance of neanderthal man in modern day. Deadline July 20. Pays 4% royalties. Cadavers seeks short stories about dead bodies (not walking dead bodies, just dead bodies). Deadline August 19. Pays 4% royalties.

Kerlak Publishing has calls out for three anthologies. All deadlines are June 15. All pay $20, plus contributor copy, plus royalties. The topics are Steampunk Superheroes; Full Moon Mayhem (werewolves); A Tall Ship, a Star, and Plunder (pirates).

World Weaver Press has put out a call for supernatural short stories for their anthology Specter Spectacular II: 13 Deathly Tales. Deadline June 15. Pays $10, plus contributor copy.

Baird Speculative Fiction is seeking short stories based on Norse myths/legends. Deadline June 15. Pays using a tier system (see their website for more details on that.) Horror, speculative, fantasy, magical realism, slipstream, etc.

Contests:

The Pikes Peak Writers Fiction Writing Contest is returning this year, but first they need a name for it! So there's a pre-contest contest entitled the 2014 Pikes Peak Writers Fiction Writing Contest Naming Contest (see why they need help?). Submit your proposed name for the new contest. Prize is free entry into the 2013 PPW Fiction Writing Contest. Deadline June 15.

A&U Magazine has announced their first annual Christopher Hewitt Literary Award. There are four categories (fiction, drama, poetry, nonfiction), with a $50 prize for the top entrant in each category, plus publication in their summer edition. All entries must have something to do with AIDS/HIV. Deadline June 10.

New Rivers Press is holding The American Fiction Prize contest. First prize $1000. Deadline June 15. They seek character-driven literary short fiction. Reading fee of $16. They are also taking general submissions through June 15.

Old Timey Hedgehog is holding a free fiction contest. They seek internationalist science fiction. Deadline June 15. Flash fiction and short stories. Pays $25 for short story winners, $10 for flash fiction winners, and publication in Old Hedgy Times. Opportunity for future publication in an anthology that will pay with royalties.

PRADA (yes, the fashion company) is holding a short story contest. Deadline June 18. Winner will receive 5.000 Euros. There's a lot of wordage on the site, so take care to read everything. For instance, it says that they will have the right to distribute your short story as an e-book and paperback (in their stores) without further monetary award to you.

Blog Hops:

Join Dani and Jackie in the Heroes & Villains Blog Hop, June 6.

Lisa L. Regan is hosting a blog hop to celebrate the release of her novel, Aberration. The Aberration Blog Hop will occur June 6 and 7.

Of Interest/Just for Fun:

Blogger Book Fair is a "blog hop" of sorts, intended to help get authors out there. It will involve giveaways. Fill out the form to find out when the next one begins.

Caldera's Artists in Residence Program is taking applications for their month-long artist residencies in the Cascade Mountains. Both visual and literary artists welcome.

(The following 2 links are a bit naughty. Well, one more than the other.)

Lovelyish posted 7 Famous Authors That Worked in the Nude.

This one is the naughtier of the two. There is strong language in it. It's dirty. You've been warned!!!! Don't get mad at me if you read this and are offended! Seriously, the "F" word is used several times. Disclaimer! Warning! Awooooga! This is an Onion piece that I found amusing: If You Wish to be a Writer, Have Sex With Someone Who Works in Publishing.

Anything to share? Any of these you're interested in? Any success stories? What are your insecurities?

May you find your Muse.

Seeing Ghosts Cover Reveal, Post A-to-Z Road Trip, & Links

In lieu of [Mostly] Wordless Wednesday, I've got an awesome image for you: the cover reveal of James Garcia, Jr.'s Seeing Ghosts!

Paul Herrera finds himself bequeathed a mysterious old house near the California central coast by a deceased aunt he never knew. The woman who shows it to him is the spitting image of his wife, taken from him three years before in a senseless car accident which also took his unborn son. While he deals with the ghosts of a past he cannot let go, there are new ghosts Paul must deal with - alone for the week in the expansive two-storey house that he will soon discover holds many secrets. Eventually, he will see that he is surrounded by ghosts as he struggles to hold onto the only thing that he has left in this world - his sanity.

Seeing Ghosts will be released on June 5! His previous novels are available from Amazon now: Dance on Fire and Dance on Fire: Flashpoint. You can find James at his blog, Facebook, and Twitter.

It's also time for the Post A-to-Z Road Trip! If you'd like to continue working your way through the list to visit all the participating blogs, sign up to accompany Tina, Nicole and myself on the trip. There are no strict rules, no required number of visits. Take it at your own pace, visit who you like. You can find more information over at the A-to-Z Challenge Blog. The linky will be added at the end of this post.

Now for some links.

Accepting Submissions:

Sirens Call Publications has two calls out for submissions. Fear of the Water, an anthology, closes May 20, and is looking for 4,000 to 10,000 word pieces. Pays with an e-contributor copy, discount on paper copies, and royalties. They are also seeking stories for their Bug Issue, with a deadline of May 31. For this, they'll take short stories, flash fiction, or poetry. Pays with an e-contributor copy.

Fringeworks is seeking short story submissions with the theme Dead Man's Tales. Deadline May 29th. Pays in royalties. 2000 to 6000 words.

Daily Science Fiction is looking for speculative fiction stories of 100 to 10,000 words. Pays 8 cents per word. Always open, so there is no specific deadline.

U.S. Kids is looking for stories for Turtle, Humpty Dumpty, and Jack and Jill Magazines for kids. Payment is $70 for two of the magazines, with Jack and Jill paying per word.

All KHP Publishers' imprints are accepting novel submissions right now. They have a wide variety of imprints, so be sure to look through the list.

Contests:

713 Flash's monthly contest deadline is May 20, with the theme of Slipping Through Time. Pays $10.

Of Interest:

M. Bennardo did an interesting post on submitting short stories, entitled Short Story Submissions: Ten Case Studies. A great read for anyone diving into the submission process, or considering it.

Looking forward to James' new book? Isn't his cover gorgeous? Planning on joining the Road Trip? Considering submitting to any of the above publications/contests? Anything of interest to add?

May you find your Muse.

A-to-Z Reflections Post & Linky

It's time for my A-to-Z Reflections. The linky list is at the end. To sign up, make sure you create your post first then link directly to that post, not to your overall blog.

This was my third A-to-Z Challenge, and I had a lot of fun this month with my theme on History's Mysteries. I learned some new things and got a few story ideas from my research. Most of what I wrote about was already known to me in some way, shape or form, but I still learned tidbits about even those events I'd already heard of.

My favorite topic, by far, was the Dyatlov Pass Incident, which was entirely new to me. It's a fascinating story, no matter which direction you look at it from. At least for me.

But my favorite part of this A-to-Z Challenge was not actually my topics or what I learned from them, but the comments people left on the stories. I liked the discussions, the theories, the funny responses, and the great interaction with you guys. Some of you came up with theories that hadn't been mentioned before. Some of them were crazy, but others were just as logical as those already mentioned. All of them were interesting and entertaining.

So for that I have to thank those of you who left comments during the A-to-Z Challenge. Thank you! I had a lot of fun with this one.

Before you think it is completely done, don't forget the Post A-to-Z Road Trip. We'll be announcing it on May 8 on the A-to-Z Challenge blog, as well as posting a linky lists for those interested to sign up. For anyone who isn't aware of what it is, there will be a more thorough explanation on that date, but the gist of it is that you have between the opening date and the next A-to-Z Challenge to visit the A-to-Z participants. This is for those bound and determined to make it through the entire A-to-Z sign-up list to discover new blogs. There are no limits or restrictions, other than that it ends when it's time for the next Challenge.

Will you be posting a reflections post? What was your favorite History's Mystery? What is your favorite History's Mystery that I didn't post about? Will you be joining us on the Post A-to-Z Road Trip?

May you find your Muse.

Z is for Zodiac Killer

It's still the 30th somewhere, right?

Z is for Zodiac Killer.

Most people have probably heard of the Zodiac Killer. He struck fear into the hearts of northern Californians in the 60's and 70's, toying with police and residents by sending letters to the papers. He claimed to have killed 37 people, but only seven victims have been confirmed, and only five of those died. There are also five victims believed to possibly be victims of his, but they are never considered definite victims.

Sketch of the Zodiac Killer, as described by a victim
See page for author [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

For the most part, he shot his victims...multiple times. However, two of his confirmed victims were viciously stabbed, as was one of the possible victims, who was nearly decapitated due to knife wounds to her throat. One of the possible victims went missing, her body still undiscovered. And one of the other possible victims was driven around with her infant for 1 1/2 hours, but she escaped into a field, hiding from the man who'd lured her into his car. He took off and destroyed her car, burning it.

Another sketch, this time described by a victim who saw his face
By En tecknare i USA baserat på vittnesmål [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

If he doesn't sound familiar yet, one of his common M.O.'s was to shoot couples, either in their car or on a picnic. One set of confirmed victims were parked in their car at night when a man approached them, shined a flashlight into their eyes, then shot them multiple times. He started to leave, but the man made sounds, so he came back and shot them a couple more times. Believe it or not, the male lived and was able to describe the shooter.

Throughout his active period, the killer sent letters to the papers, police, and even the father of one of the possible victims. He included cryptograms in four of them, but only one has been solved at this time. He claimed that solving the cryptograms would give the police his identity, but the solved one did no such thing. He was also the one to name himself the Zodiac Killer, which is not how it usually works. Often, reporters assign the monikers to the criminals they're reporting on. Not the Zodiac--he was on top of things.

Letter from the Zodiac
By Sherurcij at en.wikisource [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons

He obviously hungered for attention, demanding the press print his letters on the front page, even threatening various murders if they didn't do so. He spoke about his crimes in a detached way, not too excited, not bothered or sympathetic toward his victims. After being challenged to provide proof, he did so, first with facts, then eventually by sending a bloody bit of shirt he'd torn from one of his victims (a cab driver he shot).

The police investigated hundreds of suspects, but never found one they could pin down. In 2007, a retired policeman claimed to have discovered the identity of the killer, saying he was forced to withhold the information and to stop the investigation.

There is a ton of information on the Zodiac Killer out there, but one website in particular offers copies of the Zodiac's letters, bios of each of the victims, and much more.

Have you heard of the Zodiac Killer? What do you think happened to him? Why did he stop? Killed? Imprisoned?

Happy last day of the A-to-Z!

May you find your Muse.

Y is for Yonaguni Ruins & YAY!

First for the YAY part: I received an email yesterday accepting a horror short fiction piece for Nightfall Magazine! It will be in the March 2014 issue, so a long ways off, but I'm sure my excitement can hold out that long. This will be the first short story I've had published, and also the first piece of horror. So YAY!!

Today's history's mystery is the Yonaguni Ruins. In 1986 or 1987, depending upon which source you believe, a diver discovered a stone formation under the sea near the Japanese island of Yonaguni Jima. It has been described as a pyramid, with tiered slabs going up for several levels.

By jpatokal http://wikitravel.org/en/User:Jpatokal [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

The reason this is a mystery is multi-fold. For one, experts cannot agree on whether it is man-made or natural. The nature of the stone is such that it has lines along which natural breaks can occur, removing slabs and creating a tiered look. However, the Japanese say they have discovered tool marks that make it look like it was man-made, and since the original discovery, they've found tools scattered along the floor of the ocean that are yet to be dated.

If the stone pyramid is man-made, they feel that it was created on land, then sunk during an earthquake, something they have many of in the area.

Much like the Tarim mummies of Xinjiang, if the Yonaguni ruins are man-made, it changes history as we know it. You see, they would have had to have been submerged in the last ice age, when no intelligent civilization was said to have existed in the east. A man-made structure such as this would indicate the west didn't have a monopoly on intelligent life.

There are both man-made and natural structures similar in makeup around the world, so until they can find a way to better study the Yonaguni ruins, they will remain one of history's mysteries.

What do you think? Man-made or natural? Is eastern history inaccurate?

May you find your Muse.

X is for Xinjiang: Tarim Mummies

In the desert region of Xinjiang, China, a fascinating find was discovered in a desert area in 1978: the mummified remains of people appearing to be of European descent, but dating back to a significant amount of time before Europeans were said to have made it to China.

1910 photo of a Tarim Mummy
Aurel Stein

These bodies had not been purposely mummified. Instead, the dry, hot environment dried their skin out so quickly that it was even better preserved than those purposely mummified, such as the Egyptians. They were buried in small chambers in a fetal position, simple goods laid with them, such as food, combs, needles, etc. They were dressed in felt boots, leather and colorful dyed wool, with some wearing distinctive hats resembling our modern idea of a witch's hat. Purple was a prevalent clothing color. They had blond, red or light brown hair, and the hair of many of the females was braided.

There was a family buried together, parents and children. One man showed evidence of sutures on his neck, showing someone had treated him medically. They were laid upon straw mats and wooden logs.

The Chinese have been excavating these burial sites for over sixteen years now, and have dated the mummies to between 3000 BC and 300 BC.

The remnants of spoked wheels were found, but wheels such as these didn't appear in China for another 800 years. They were, however, found in the Ukraine during this time period.

Chinese texts speak of an alien barbarian race, called the Yuezhi or Wusun. Perhaps these are those people, and they weren't alien after all, just European.

This discovery has shaken everything historians have known about European influence in China. It has long been thought that China was self-contained and only spread influence out, not in, but these bodies change that assumption. Unfortunately, due to political unrest and lack of funds, they haven't been able to put much into researching these mummies to find the necessary answers.

It's a fascinating subject that I don't have much time to touch on (what with keeping these posts short and all), but if you'd like to read a good article on the subject, you can go here.

So, why were these obviously European people in a region they weren't supposed to have reached yet? Did they spread the use of spoked wheels and animal-drawn carts? Were they in contact with the Chinese long before they were thought to have been? If so, why did they not spread farther into China, and why were they forgotten? Were they the barbarians spoken of as alien beings?

May you find your Muse.

W is for Wisconsin Giants

In January 1870, a group of unusual skeletons was discovered in Wisconsin. They were not the first to be discovered. Indeed, there were burial mounds all over the mid-west, especially along the Mississippi River, that yielded these giant skeletons, believed to be a Native American tribe of the mound builders time period that was unknown. Their heads sloped directly back from above the eyes, they had high cheekbones, and they were said to have a double row of teeth. Some report that they possessed six fingers on each hand, six toes on each foot.

                                              By James Steakley (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons                                                                           

In August 1891, more skeletons were found, along with a defense system that came to be known as Fort Aztalan to researchers.

In May 1912, eighteen of these skeletons were discovered by Beloit University. They were said to be seven to nine feet tall, and to have elongated jaw bones, resembling apes.

Skeletons ranged in size from seven feet to nine feet tall. They were buried with arrowheads, copper rods, and other hand-worked items.

It is said that giant remains have been found around the world, and that a race of giants is reported in the bible. Some of the giants in other countries are much taller than the North American ones.

Sadly, these skeletal remains, some of which have been photographed, have disappeared. One skeleton is on display, called the Aztalan Princess, but she is of normal height. Could she be just a teenager? Did these skeletons ever exist? Or were they simply a hoax? Is it possible there were taller races at some point, despite the fact that we're supposed to be getting taller, not shorter? Could it have been that a genetic defect existed, like the current gigantism, and was more common amongst certain groups? People suffering from gigantism these days tend to be between seven and nine feet tall. Coincidence?

May you find your Muse.

P.S. If you're interested in this topic, I found a blog dedicated to reporting the discovery of giant human skeletons.

V is for Voynich Manuscript

Voynich Manuscript
See page for author [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Source: Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Yale University 

The Voynich Manuscript is a document of about 230 vellum pages that is believed to have been written in the 14th or 15th century. It surfaced in 1912, when Wilfrid Voynich, an antiquarian bookseller, purchased it.

The book is filled with some sort of script that no one can determine or decipher. Analysts have determined that it is an alphabet of over twenty letters, but probably less than thirty. Though it has been reviewed around the world, no one has yet been able to state what the alphabet is or what the language is.

Detail from page 78r of Voynich Manuscript
 depicting the "biological" section 

In addition to the unreadable words, there are drawings of some form of plants, though none have been affiliated with modern day plant life. There are also drawings of tiny naked women in some sort of round bathtub or other item. In addition, there are pages that seem to be related to astronomy and other things.

It is generally thought to be either magic-based or scientific, due to the botanical drawings and what are theorized to be herbal recipes (perhaps).

See page for author [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

The text is written left to right, there are paragraphs (some set apart by "bullets"), and there are words that repeat throughout, but there are also words that don't repeat, symbols/letters that appear only at specific points in each word (some only in the center, some at beginning or end), and very few two letter or short words. It is obvious that some pages are missing, and it is considered that the pages may have once been in a different order. One odd thing is that there are absolutely no signs of mistakes or corrections. It was either written sans mistakes (or the mistakes weren't corrected, but left in place) or it was copied from another manuscript (like monks used to do, perhaps).

I did find an article from someone who claims it is Italian anagrams written in embellished script.

If you want to see a significant chunk of the pages, visit the Wikimedia Commons page.

So who wrote this book? Is it written in code, or is it some language we have yet to decipher? Was it copied or written perfectly from the start? What the heck is it about? Is it a scientific text, a magical one, or some combination thereof?

May you find your Muse.

U is for the Disappearance of the USS Cyclops & Underwater [M]WW, Plus Links

For [Mostly] Wordless Wednesday, how about a quick glance underwater?

Now, U is for USS Cyclops, or rather, the disappearance of it. How could I address history's mysteries without bringing up the Bermuda Triangle?

In March of 1918, a Proteus-class collier, the largest in the U.S. Navy, disappeared without a trace. The USS Cyclops was carrying over 10,000 tons of manganese ore, having completed an exchange of goods in Rio de Janeiro.

USS Cyclops
Photographed by Sargent. [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

No distress signal was ever sent out, no wreckage was found, despite the fact that ships from all over combed the ocean. She was overstuffed for what she was supposed to be carrying, so this could have contributed to the demise of the USS Cyclops. Not only did she carry tons of ore, but there were 309 people on board. This was considered the Navy's largest loss of life without conflict/war being involved.

The ship was in the middle of the area known as the Bermuda Triangle, an area said to suffer issues with navigational equipment going crazy.

It has been stated that one of her engines was having problems, so there could have been engine failure as a factor.

Theories state that a massive rogue wave may have come along and caused her to capsize. The wreckage may have been carried off by the gulf stream, causing the searchers to miss it. There is also a theory concerning methane pockets under the water. If a methane bubble bursts, it is thought that it can change the density of the water, causing anything floating on the surface to sink rapidly, and with no warning. Once again, the wreckage could have been caught up in the gulf stream. The USGS says these pockets don't exist in the general area the ship disappeared in, and haven't for thousands of years, but perhaps they're wrong.

Captain Worley
By probably United States Navy
 [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

It has been claimed that Captain Worley, who commanded the ship, was a German who had changed his name. Perhaps he stole the ship for the goods, or he sunk it intentionally, picked up by a German boat. It was said that he picked up some additional crew in Rio, including a friend of his, one consul-general Gottschalk. Did they work together to steal the ship or sink it? Either that, or a German boat sunk the ship, and it had nothing to do with Worley. The issues with both of these are that it wasn't war time quite yet, and that they weren't in an area known to have a heavy German presence. Also, the Germans have found no record of attacking a ship in the area, nor was it documented that they obtained a U.S. ship resembling this one.

Worley was not a well-liked man. He abused his crew and acted insane at times. Could be there was a mutiny, but then what happened?

Then there are the aliens and the sea serpents. We can't forget about them!

What do you think happened to the USS Cyclops? Does anyone else have absolutely no desire to sail anywhere there might be methane pockets (because that thought freaks me right out)? Was it a pre-war move by the Germans or an act of nature? Or was it, simply, the Bermuda Triangle?

Now for some links.

Accepting Submissions:

Press 53 is seeking prose pieces of between 1000 and 7000 words for their anthology, Surreal South '13. Pays in copies and discount on more copies. Deadline May 1. Either the author or the work of fiction must have something to do with the south.

Over My Dead Body! is a mystery magazine open for submissions. 750-4000 words. Paying market.

Funny Times is looking for funny cartoons and stories. 500-700 words stories. Pays $60 for stories.

Contests:

The Pikes Peak Branch of the NLAPW flash fiction contest is coming to a close May 1. Theme: Hidden Amongst These Worlds. $10 entry fee, $100 first prize.

The Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition closes on May 1. $1500 prize with publication. 3500 word maximum.

Blog Stuff:

C.M. Brown is holding a Blogger Buddy Appreciation Competition. Vote for your favorite blogger buddy who's always there for you, and they could win an Amazon GC.

Anything to add? Any of these you're interested in? Have you voted for your Blogger Buddy?

May you find your Muse.

T is for Three Flannan Isles Lighthouse Keepers Disappearance & Time to Reflect

Before we jump into the "T" topic, I'd like to make a quick announcement about the A-to-Z Reflections post. We will again be doing one this year, and there will be a sign-up list for it. The post can go up anytime between May 3 and May 10. We ask that you not enter your blog on the sign-up list until your post is up, at which time we'd appreciate it if you would link directly to your A-to-Z post, not just your overall blog home page.

What is a Reflections post? It's simply whatever you want to say, post-A-to-Z. What did you find challenging? What did you enjoy the most? What did you learn about? You can give overall commentary or make it specific. Just as with theme, it is entirely up to you what you write about the A-to-Z.

Okay, on to "T"!

T is for Three Flannan Isles Lighthouse Keepers Disappearance.

On December 26, 1900 (Boxing Day), a relief team arrived at the lighthouse on Three Flannan Isles, Scotland. Specifically, the lighthouse was on the island of Eileen Mor (Gaelic for Big Island/Isle). It had been reported that the light had not been on for several days, beginning on the 15th during a violent storm. A heavy mist had kept those nearby from being able to check on the lighthouse with a telescope, a means they employed in order to watch for emergency signals from the island.

Lighthouse of Three Flannan Isles
JJM [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

When they arrived, they found the lighthouse locked up, and were forced to use their keys to get in. Inside, they found a chair overturned, beds unmade, two pairs of boots missing, and two coats missing.

What they did not find, were the three lighthouse keepers who had been dropped off on the uninhabited island on the 7th of December. These three men were Donald MacArthur, Thomas Marshall, and James Ducat.

The island was searched, the lighthouse examined. They found that a section of railing had been torn loose, with part of it missing. Also missing was a box where ropes and such were stored. The ropes had been torn loose from the crane and lay on the rocks below.

Some have claimed there was food on the table as if they had just sat down to a meal, but actual reports from those who arrived on the 26th do not indicate this. Instead, it appears all utensils were cleaned up, making it appear that they disappeared after their meal.

A different view of the lighthouse on Elieen Mor, Three Flannan Isles
Marc Calhoun [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

The official log wasn't filled in beyond the 13th, but there were notes on a slate for the 14th and 15th, so it is thought they disappeared sometime after dinner, but before midnight (when a passing ship reported the light being out) on the 15th.

The question was, why had they disappeared?

Of course, lots of theories exist. A giant freak wave could have taken them out, dragging them from the rocks or possibly even the lighthouse. But why were only two of them in coats, while the other must have just been in his shirt?

Another theory is that one of them killed the other two, then committed suicide out of guilt.

Some put forward that it could have been a giant sea serpent or bird that tore them from the side of the lighthouse.

A strong theory is that two of them put on their boots and coats and headed outside to repair something. The third man may have seen a massive wave coming and run out to warn his friends. Or on a similar bent, one might have gotten swept off while two of them were out there working. The second man may have gone back to get the third man, causing both of them to get swept out to sea, as well.

Other theories include spies taking them into custody, a ghost ship taking them prisoner so as to roam the seas forever, and a storm of such force that it ripped a hole in the space-time continuum that sucked them in.

Finally, need I say it? Aliens.

More information for you:
An old newspaper story about the incident
A poem about the incident, by Wilfrid Wilson Gibson
A website with links to official reports from the incident

What do you think is the most likely cause of their disappearance? Why were all three men together outside? Why was one not wearing his coat when conditions were terribly cold? 

May you find your Muse.