Bec Zugor

Congratulations, It’s a... Gargoyle? has been accepted for the Anxiety Disorders anthology! This is officially the first non-fiction true-life piece I’ll have had published.

I say ‘officially’, because there was a true-life article I wrote for a popular women’s magazine back in 2004, but I’ve tried blotting it from my memory. (They fictionalised it and gave it the title ‘Blow-Out’, and I’m not revealing any more than that, or my cheeks will turn red again).

These days, I’m choosy about where I send stuff. I admire Hidden Thoughts Press, so I leapt at the chance to be in one of their books. I don't have a publication date yet. The Anxiety Disorders anthology is being edited by Suzanne Robb, who’s had her writing published in loads of places. Check out her site here.

HTP are bringing out several anthologies of true stories of inspiration, to help people suffering with mental illness. Sufferers will realise they’re not alone, and hopefully they’ll discover new ways of managing their own situations. So if you have a story to tell, send it in!

Publications and Deep-fried Flip-flops 12/05/2011

A lady told me she couldn’t finish reading my futuristic story Caveat Emptor! because she thought it would give her nightmares, so I’m glad the editors at Adventure Books of Seattle were brave enough to read all of it. It now has a home in Escape Velocity: The Anthology.

I can’t wait to get my hands on a paper copy, but to keep me going I have the Kindle version. I’m not reading the stories in any particular order. My favourite so far is Jack in the Box by Robert Harkess, but there are also some great stories by Sheila Crosby, Robert Blevins, Geoff Nelder, Jonathan Pinnock, David Tallerman, and many more.

Geoff and Jonathan are also keeping me company in The Sixty, a book of awesome science-fiction/fantasy art by award-winning artist Andy Bigwood. Check out some of his work here. My flash fiction piece Taking Root was inspired by one of Andy’s pictures. The Sixty was launched at EasterCon in Birmingham, and is available from Amazon. The artwork in this book is stunning. I’m looking forward to reading all the fiction too.

Last, but definitely not least, I had some feedback on my nonsense poem Deep-fried Flip-flops, which was displayed in a public loo in the Shetland Islands as part of the Bards in the Bog project. A mother wrote to say that her family enjoyed my poem, and that her young daughter has now been inspired to write poetry of her own! I have had the pleasure and privilege of reading one of her poems, and can say that she’s off to a good start. I won’t mention her name, but she knows who she is, so here’s a message especially for her: ‘Well done, and keep going!’

Goodbye to 2010 31/12/2010

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It’s time to look back to see how it all went, so here goes...

In January I heard that my one and only children’s story Escapism, with Raya Riken had been shortlisted in the Writers’ Village Best Writing Award. A good start to the year.

My futuristic flash fiction Flipped was accepted by Weirdyear. I’m fond of this little tale. During a bout of flu, I suddenly remembered one of the What Ifs on the brilliant ideas4writers site, and added my own spin (spin – geddit?) to it. I desperately needed to lie down, but sat and wrote the whole story out in my notepad before keeling over on the bed. I’ve tweaked the story a little, and you can read it here.

Other publications this year include:
Letter to Bertha, 6Sentences: The Love Book
Irresistible, Microhorror
The Tip of My Tongue (inspired by a childhood accident), Weirdyear
Digging (which won 3rd prize), Delivered
Fitting In, Delivered (and reprinted in Town & Village)
Flying Room, Ink Sweat & Tears
Beyond Pessimism (poem), Monkey Kettle.
K (for Kul), M is for Monster.

So far I have three publications lined up for 2011: Taking Root to accompany an illustration in The Sixty, a fantasy art book by Andy Bigwood, Sleep Disorder in Delivered, and Caveat Emptor! in the sci-fi anthology Escape Velocity. There’s talk of a couple of interviews too, but I don’t have a date for those yet.

Other writing activities included setting up my website and blog. I’ve had a great time chatting to other writers online (and horror writer Adrian Chamberlin in 3D) this year, and am so grateful for the support and encouragement they give. So thank you to my friends at ideas4writers, Cafe Doom, Facebook, and especially my lovely blog followers.

And my biggest thanks to my long-suffering husband Laz, who regularly catches me in the kitchen reading a book or jotting down notes when I should be cooking the dinner, but still hasn’t traded me in for a more efficient model.

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Digging Success 05/12/2010

When Digging was published in Delivered recently, I was chuffed, but thought that would be that. But I’ve just found out that I’ve won 3rd prize in the quarterly competition! I’m touched that readers not only liked my story, but took the time to actually vote for it, so if you’re a Delivered reader who voted, thank you.

And this is a story which I nearly abandoned. It just shows you should keep sending stuff out there.

Now for some horror news: If you have a Kindle, the Kindle edition of M is for Monster is now available from amazon.co.uk. And there are two great reviews on there!

Taking Root - in an art book! 15/11/2010

I’m going to be in an art book! No, my watercolour daubs aren’t going to appear in public any time soon, but I love art, so when my writing buddy Geoff Nelder mentioned this project I jumped at the chance. The book, entitled The Sixty, will have 60 fantasy/sci-fi pictures by the award-winning artist Andy Bigwood, and each will be accompanied by a piece of flash fiction. My fantasy story is called Taking Root. I’m unable to give a publication date yet, but I’m looking forward to seeing the finished book. You can see some of Andy’s awesome work here.

Geoff and another writer friend, Jonathan Pinnock, will have flash fiction in the book too. Did I mention that the three of us are in M is for Monster? Of course I did.

M is for Monster: An Alphabetical Anthology of Abominations - OUT NOW! 31/10/2010

It’s out! The monster book has been released and has been spotted prowling around Amazon, in both paperback and Kindle forms! Magically, it’s also lurking on my website, so if you’re in the UK and you’d like a copy of M is for Monster: An Alphabetical Anthology of Abominations for yourself or the horror-lover in your life, then you know where to come.

Despite the title, this is not a children’s book. You may want to sleep with the light on after reading it... Are you ready to learn your ABC all over again?

Here’s the back cover blurb:

“Monsters and creatures and horrors, oh my...

With each letter of the alphabet comes a different monster, and with each turn of the page comes a new foray into another author’s sinister imaginings. From new twists on traditional favourites to modern glimpses into lesser-known mythology, from time-honored staples of the horror genre to never-before-seen beasts of the authors’ design, these twenty-six tales take you on a wild roller-coaster tour of wicked conjuration.

A shrieking banshee of the High Moor... a seductive (and deadly) incubus spirit... a ghastly lot of blood-frenzied hogs... a biblical giant whose side of the story has never been told... the sword-slinging God of War himself... a vampire, a demon, a jabberwocky, and a whole hellish host of other creatures and fiends known only by a few...

It’s all jam-packed inside M is for Monster: An Alphabetical Anthology of Abominations. Twenty-six international authors, twenty-six diverse tales. Legend and lore the world ‘round have come together to bring this collection to chilling, spine-tingling life.

And the alphabet has never been so frightening.”

Monster delivery 26/10/2010

I had a great weekend. My copies of M is for Monster arrived, and I got to meet one of my favourite horror writers, Adrian Chamberlin. Adrian very kindly drove all the way from Oxfordshire to West Sussex to deliver a box loaded with books. It’s always a thrill to have a story published in a magazine, but to see my story in a 250-page book was on a different level. I touched one of the books to make sure I wasn’t dreaming, but then remembered my manners and offered to make tea.

Luckily Adrian hadn’t heard about my previous cooking disasters and agreed to stay for lunch, and it was lovely to chat about writing and stuff. Later, I signed a book for the very first time, which made me feel like a proper writer!

I’ve been reading some of the stories this week, and they’re awesome. I’m deeply chuffed to share anthology space with such amazing writers.

M is for Monster: An Alphabetical Anthology of Abominations (compiled by John Prescott) will be available from me, or any of the 26 authors’ websites, or from Amazon.com from 31st October.

To find out more about Adrian's writing, please visit http://archivesofpain.com
John Prescott is at www.john-prescott.com.

Birdcage Tales 19/10/2010

When I was a kid, my dad built an aviary – housing 24 budgies – on a third of our small back garden. The other two thirds were taken up by a vegetable patch and a brown corrugated plastic – yes, plastic – shed.

I had mixed feelings about the aviary. As far as I knew, none of the other kids at school had one, and I couldn’t decide if I was excited or embarrassed by that. And I’d really have wanted all three thirds of the garden to be, well, a proper garden. A lawn, a little pond, flowers, and a swing. Room to have fun.

But we don’t always get what we want, and so the colours, sounds and smells of this garden-hogging birdcage remain fixed in my memory. I’m glad that they do, because my first ever short story was about the aviary, and imaginatively entitled The Birdcage. That story went on to win a prize in the Writers Bureau Short Story Competition in 2004. I wrote a flash fiction too, and Flying Room can be read at Ink Sweat and Tears. And I’ve started writing a horror story based on an aviary. Would I have written stories about the lawn and swing I longed for? I don’t know.

My story Fitting In was published in the October issue of Town & Village magazine, and I now have a lovely colour copy of the mag on my bookshelf.

What else? I’m currently working on a fantasy flash fiction piece for an art book project, but I’ll give more details about that next time.