Foote Notes - July 2020

Greetings Foote Soldiers

I don’t know about you, but I remember little of July. It flew by so darn fast!

I’m happy to report that I finished my 10-week writing class with Matthew LeDrew with a much better understanding of how to write a full-length novel. As a short story author, my technique has followed this basic format: Beginning/Opening, Rising Tension, then Climax. A novel isn’t much different, but those minor differences were very eye-opening for me. My simple formula needs layers, reminders and branches of subplots to take a story to a proper novel and this class provided much needed tools.

Exciting news on the publishing front, Slipstreamers from Engen Books, has rolled out its pre-orders. This sixteen part series of novellas features the Archaeologist/Adventurer Cassidy Cane as she travels to alternate worlds for adventure. Part Doctor Who, part Lara Croft, and part Sliders these YA (Young adult) stories have something for everyone. The first book is “New Worlds! New Adventures!” book two is “The Island Artifact”. My story (book 3) “Boulders over the Bermuda Triangle” should be available for pre-order soon.

Now that my writing class is over, I want to focus my new knowledge and begin the process of novel rewrites. While having my own novel out in the world is a dream, I also want to continue focusing on creating short stories. So I will try to juggle several projects and switch back and forth to keep me mentally engaged.

I'm curious about you. What are YOU doing to stay creative this summer? Do you have a garden? Have a home project? Trying a new recipe? Please drop me a line and let me know.

Story Corner

"Angels, Dark Drabbles Book 2"

From Black Hare Press: Beatific angels, holy wars, kitty saviours, epic battles between good and evil, devils and demons, fallen angels and many more tantalising tiny tales of blasphemy and piety.

What miracles can one hundred debut to bestselling authors do with 100 words?

More than three hundred 100-word drabbles from around the world.

While I only have the one drabble in this collection, "Wings of Many Colours", I have since taken the unnamed character of that story and started fleshing him out for a longer tale. Who knows when I'll get to write it, but it never hurts to be prepared.

Buy

Grump's Ground Rules for Mortals and other Non-Aggregates

Dear Grump: As we recently seen, during a pandemic certain items become a hot commodity. (you could have sold toilet paper for a car). During a zombie apocalypse, what items would become the new currency and why?

Signed, Rock Hoarder

Dear RH,

Holy Mother of Chisel’s! Who’s screening my mail, are they purposefully pulling these from the bottom of the barrel???

Zombie Pandemic Currency? Not brains as there isn’t enough out there already if this letter is anything to judge.

Fine... Let’s get this over with.

All the normal things come to mind, weapons, food, and fortification, but those are stop-gap measures. Sure, maybe you could hold out for a while this way, maybe even years, but then what? You’d still be alone and hunted and that isn’t any kind of life believe me, I had some rough years during the renaissance.

So you want to know what I think would be the “new currency” during a zombie apocalypse? I say “Kindness”.

Stop looking at me like that, gargoyle’s have feelings too. What do you think we do while we hang off the edge of buildings, we ponder and think. And when we have time to mingle with our own kind, we revel in it because we know it’s fleeting.

Now how about you bugger off and let me have a nap.

If YOU have a question for Grump, email peterjohnfoote@gmail.com with "Dear Grump" in the subject line.

Author Highlight:

Every month I plan on showcasing an Atlantic Canadian Author chosen randomly from the membership of 'Genre Writers of Atlantic Canada'.

Paul Carberry is the Maritime Master of the Macabre.

Paul has published three novels with Engen Books: Zombies on the Rock: Outbreak, Zombies on the Rock: The Viking Trail, and Zombies on the Rock: The Republic of Newfoundland. He has also had numerous short stories featured in publication, including The Light of Cabot Tower, Into the Forest, and Halloween Mummers. His fourth novel, Carcharodon, focusing on shark attacks off the Newfoundland Coast, will be released in October 2020. Paul has also been featured in Black Hare Press's Oceans and Ancients Anthologies. Most recently, Paul has tried his hand at writing comics, and will be published in the horror anthology Mississippi Zombies.

Amazon Page

Carberry's Crypt

Fabebook Author Page

Swap & Meet

Meet writers and get free stories. You just might find your new favourite author!

"Blood & Silk" by: Zoey Xolton

Edo period Japan is full of beauty-lethal beauty. Under the rule of the Tokugawa Shogunate and the three-hundred Daimyō, social order is strict, the country is isolationist, but culture and the arts flourish.

Amongst it all a young man, born the seventh son of an impoverished farming family, leaves everything he's ever known in search of adventure, wealth, and a good wife.

Stay on the path...

Failing to heed his mother's dire warning Takashi soon discovers that the ancient yōkai of legend are much more than myth, and that not everything is always as it seems.

Buy

Neen Cohan - Author

Neen Cohen is an LGBTQI and spec-fic Aussie author and poet whose heart is in making art from dead trees and squiggles of ink. Her first poetry collection Forgiving Reflections was published 2020.

Neen loves roaming cemeteries and botanic gardens and writing while sitting against a tree or tombstone.

Author Blog

Lockdown Horror #2

Horror stories for LOCKDOWN.

Interpretation by Andra Dill

Left Hanging by Beth W. Patterson

Fast Food by Chris Bannor

The Weathermaster by Christopher T. Dabrowski

Death Becomes Her by Cindar Harrell

Isolation by D.M. Burdett

Flock by David Green

Something Wicked Lives in the Woods by E.L. Giles

Open Windows by Frederick Pangbourne

Done Just Right by Gabriella Balcom

An Unknown Fact by Galina Trefil

A Recovered Letter by Horatio Marissa

The Watcher by Jacqueline Moran Meyer

Eyes for You by K.B. Elijah

The Seed by McKenzie Richardson

Rain by Sarah Jane Justice

Sissy Fuss by Shawn M. Klimek

Bus Trip by Stephen Herczeg

The Face in the Fabric by Tim Mendees

Grave Concerns by Zoey Xolton

Free Anthology

Submissions Tracker

July Submissions: 2 YTD Submissions: 42

July Acceptance: 0 YTD Acceptance: 9

July Rejections: 1 YTD Rejections: 27

Notes: I'm "hoping" now that my writing course is over I might find/make time to submit more stories to markets. I'd appreciate it someone would poke me with a stick once in a while and keep me motivated, any volunteers? lol.

Goodbye until next month

That's all for this month's newsletter, I hope you enjoyed it, as always feedback is appreciated.

All my social media links are below if you want to follow me. Also, if you know someone who might enjoy this newsletter, please pass it along.

Peter J. Foote

1506 Meghan Dr, Coldbrook
NS B4R 1A1 Canada

peterjohnfoote@gmail.com

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