The Realm of Dark Prints Press

So long, Paul

2012-03-05T05:02:00.000-08:00

Such sad news that author Paul Haines finally lost his battle to cancer today. Our sincere condolences extend to Paul's family. Paul is an icon of dark fiction writing. May he be immortalised in his fiction, and in our memories. Rest in Peace, Paul.

Pre-order 'Living with the Dead' by Martin Livings NOW

2012-02-26T04:56:00.000-08:00

Pre-orders are now open for ‘Living with the Dead’, the short story collection of acclaimed dark fiction author, Martin Livings. ‘Living with the Dead’ celebrates the twenty years Martin has been captivating, challenging, and disturbing readers. It features 23 works of short fiction, including 20 of his best tales as well as 3 stories new and exclusive to the collection, with a special cover by award-winning UK artist, Vincent Chong.

The collection will be released ~October 2012 (date to be confirmed when launch venue is acquired), C Format Paperback. The RRP is AUD$24.95 but we have an online pre-order price of AUD$19.95 (plus postage). Secure your copy of history and order via: http://www.darkprintspress.com.au/books_living.html

First Novella Titles Announced

2012-01-28T05:44:00.000-08:00

Dark Prints Press is pleased to announce that the first two titles to launch our novella series have been chosen. The wonderful authors are Greg Chapman and Martin Livings.

Greg Chapman’s ‘Vaudeville’ is a coming-of-age horror tale, featuring an unfortunate boy who is forced to bring an audience of young souls into the woods to watch the final act of the demonic ‘All-American Travelling Troubadours’. Dark yet touching.

To continue along these lines, ‘Rope’ by Martin Livings follows a man who played a key role in the gallows at Fremantle Prison. Drenched in history, with an unfolding drama, completely dark and yet a little heart-warming, this is a side of Martin Livings you don’t want to miss – storytelling at its finest.

Both titles will be released as an eBook edition late July 2012. More details will of course be released as the publication date nears. Dark Prints Press aims to publish ~2 titles every 6 months – submissions for the novella series are still open.

Well done to Greg and Martin!

New Year's bag-o-goodies #2

2011-12-31T19:02:00.000-08:00

To continue our announcement-bombs...

This one is for all those wonderful writers who enjoy creating dark fiction...

The submissions period for our forthcoming paranormal/supernatural crime anthology, 'A Killer Among Demons', is NOW OPEN.

We will be taking submissions from 1 January to 30 June 2012, so you have time to craft that story and get it to us. All details can be found on our main website (Submissions --> Anthologies).

Submissions can be sent to: submissions@darkprintspress.com.au

New Year's bag-o-goodies #1

2011-12-31T18:57:00.000-08:00

A HAPPY NEW YEAR to all Dark Prints supporters (and everyone else, too). We will be dropping a series of announcement-bombs over the first week of 2012, so stay tuned...

The first news continues from 2011 - Issue #17 of Eclecticism E-zine was released just before Christmas Day. If you haven't read the 13 tales of short fiction and poetry yet, what are you waiting for? With a theme of 'Tales 'o Hallowe'en' (yes, we know that was in October), over 114 pages, it features the work of (in TOC order): Martin Livings, Dianne Dean, w.m. lewis, Lynley Stace, Rebecca Fung, Ian Harris, Kate Elizabeth, Iva Vemich, Greg Chapman, Guy Salvidge, Kristina Jensen, Geoffrey Maloney, and Ian C Smith.

Some fantastic authors there. You can download it via Eclecticism's site for FREE! Enjoy.

New Anthology announced

2011-12-19T22:13:00.000-08:00

In 2012, Dark Prints Press is publishing a crime anthology (‘The One That Got Away’) and a horror anthology (‘Surviving the End’). To start 2013, they will be taking the next logical step and combining the two genres.

Dark Prints Press is pleased to announce the forthcoming anthology, ‘A Killer Among Demons’, featuring a mix of paranormal and supernatural crime. ‘A Killer Among Demons’ is set for publication early April 2013, and will be released as both a limited print edition and an eBook/digital edition.

Dark Prints Press is calling for submissions for this anthology. The submission period will be open 1 January 2012 to 30 June 2012. Further details can be found on our submissions page, http://www.darkprintspress.com.au/submissions_anthos.html

Cover Artwork revealed for 'Living with the Dead' collection

2011-12-18T06:02:00.000-08:00

It is our great pleasure, here at Dark Prints Press, to reveal the cover artwork for ‘Living with the Dead’. This forthcoming publication represents the twenty years of short fiction author Martin Livings has graced fortunate readers with. Martin is simply one of Australia’s best dark fiction writers, so it’s only befitting to have one of the best artists create the cover.

Multi award-winning UK artist Vincent Chong has certainly bestowed us with some magic here. It has been an inspiring experience to see Vincent so aptly capture the mood of the title. He has designed a wrap-around cover – if you would like to see the eerie church on the back, you just might have to get your order in for the print edition (there are 23 amazing stories within, too, to add to the incentive). Pre-orders will be taken in February, with publication set at late August 2012.

Survive the End with Dark Prints

2011-10-09T00:54:00.001-07:00

We are extremely pleased to announce the final contributor list for our first horror anthology, Surviving the End, due for release the first week of April 2012. The list does not represent the final story order.

'The Last Boat to Eden' by Jason Nahrung
'Unwanted' by Martin Livings
'The Long Ago' by Amanda J Spedding
'Hiatus' by Michael Bailey
'The Stuff of Stories' by Kathryn Hore
'Harvest' by Ashlee Scheuerman
and an exclusive novella, 'The Failing Flesh', by Joseph D'Lacey
with narrative interludes by the 'Story Collector', Craig Bezant.

The publication will be released in both print and digital editions. The limited print edition, complete with roughly cut trimming and internal sketches, will be available to pre-order 1st November.

Visit our new website for details:
http://www.darkprintspress.com.au

Dark Prints evolves!

2011-10-09T00:42:00.001-07:00

With a very bright future in dark fiction on the horizon, Dark Prints has evolved. With a new logo and a much more streamlined website, we're set for the busy year ahead.

Visit our new site for all the latest information and publication details.

www.darkprintspress.com.au

Anthology Pre-orders now open!

2011-09-02T22:07:00.000-07:00

Pre-orders are now open for the print edition of our first crime anthology, 'The One That Got Away'. Scoop up your copy of this limited print run and save $5 off RRP. With the amazing work of 12 talented authors, including Lawrence Block, Chris Simms, and Will Elliot, you don't want to miss out!

Order now from the website:
http://www.darkprintspress.com.au/books_totga.html

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY - Announcement - Final Contributor List

2011-08-25T06:10:00.000-07:00

Dark Prints Press is very pleased to announce the final contributor list for the print edition of its first crime anthology, ‘The One That Got Away’. This anthology features some amazing fiction from crime masters to new voices in the genre. It will be published early 2012, and pre-orders will open 1^st September 2011 (that’s only a week away). Make sure you get your order in (through our main website) – you won’t want to miss out on dark tales with a twist. These crimes are not solved as neatly as on television, with lives often being forever altered by the ones that got away.

Note: The following contributor list does not represent the final content order in the anthology.

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY

Featuring:

Lawrence Block – ‘Catch and Release’
Chris Simms – ‘Gaffed’
Will Elliot – ‘Hungry Man’
Deborah Sheldon – ‘Garland Cove’
Zane Lovitt – ‘Kahraman’
Cameron Ashley – ‘Whole Lotta Julio’
Vanessa Skye – ‘The Piece’
Brooke Maggs – ‘My Wife and I’
Alan Baxter – ‘In the Name of the Father’
Brian G Ross – ‘A Rhyme for the Crime’
Kathryn Hore – ‘Late Night Train’
Andrew Nette – ‘Two Blind Cats’

The print edition will sell for AUD$24.95 (RRP), but pre-orders will be on sale for AUD$19.95 (because we love you). There will also be an e-book edition released simultaneously. We will keep you updated on this very soon.

Eclecticism E-zine 4th Anniversary - ISSUE OUT NOW

2011-08-25T05:49:00.000-07:00

The fourth anniversary issue of my baby project, now a big boy (or girl, or really haven't genderised it), Eclecticism E-zine, is currently being celebrated. This was marked with the release of Issue #16. This issue took a VERY long time to make, as I hope is evident through the 92 pages of this monster. With a theme of 'A Pile of Rubbish', it features 10 works of fiction from: Simon James, Lynley Stace, Cameron Trost, Erol Engin, Rebecca Fung, Ian Harrison, Wilda Morris, Harold Mally, Karen Zelas, Guy Salvidge, and Featured Artist Courtney Bernard.

It's completely free to download and read, so after four years you still have no excuse to keep you from diving into an eclectic read. The next issue will be out in time for Hallowe'en. Spooky! Authors such as Greg Chapman and Geoffrey Maloney have already been accepted, so writers, don't delay in getting your submission to us.

Enjoy Issue #16 here: http://www.eclecticzine.com/latest_issue.html

Eclecticism's 4th Anniversary Approaches

2011-07-20T02:27:00.000-07:00

Our online magazine, Electicism E-zine, is approaching its 4th Anniversary, marked with the release of Issue #16. To be published 31 July 2011, the issue will feature the work of 10 authors under the theme 'A Pile of Rubbish'. I assure you, the topic's title is the only thing that stinks about this issue. Here's a teaser of the cover. I'm already preparing to celebrate!

Novella Series Open for Submissions

2011-06-04T01:52:00.000-07:00

WE'RE (NUMBER) ONE!

That's right, our first anniversary as arrived. Along with a half-price sale of our first publication, 'An Eclectic Slice of Life', we have now opened the floodgates for novella submissions.

We are looking for works under the dark fiction rainbow (crime / mystery / suspense / thriller / speculative fiction (in particular, horror)), ranging in length from ~15 000 to 40 000 words. We aim to publish 4-6 books per year, beginning June 2012.

The novella range will initially be published as a digital series (e-books). Editor choice, sales, and reader votes/comments will then result in a ‘best-of' collector's print series, to be published alongside the digital editions.

FULL DETAILS are available on our official website, here. Good luck!

ANNIVERSARY MADNESS

2011-06-04T01:47:00.000-07:00

In honour of reaching our first anniversary, we've hit the frosting with a vengeance and dropped a one-time sale FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE ONLY. That's right, for this month only, you can order a copy of our anthology, 'An Eclectic Slice of Life', through our website FOR HALF PRICE! That's 50% off! AUD$15*! Madness!

What are you waiting for? Order the award-nominated ** publication from the Dark Prints Press website today. And buy one for your mother, too. It's free, technically.

* Postage is extra, depending on location and method; sorry. We're not that mad (all the time).
** 2011 Tin Duck Awards - Best WA Professional Production - 'An Eclectic Slice of Life' edited by Craig Bezant

Anniversary thus approaches...

2011-05-28T00:34:00.000-07:00

As of 1st June 2011, by its official press announcement, Dark Prints Press is 1 year old! Stay tuned for announcements, specials, and a little bit of tomfoolery...

Image: StockXChange: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/783180

Anthology Submissions Now Closed

2011-04-30T19:47:00.000-07:00

It had to happen... The submissions period for our crime ('The One That Got Away') and horror ('Surviving the End') anthologies has now closed to the public. Many, many stories flooded in during the last few days of the deadline, in our wonderfully-organised writers' fashion. I wish everyone good luck. We will have responded to all submissions by the end of May in preparation for editing in June/July. Commissioned writers still have until this time to get their work in. The full list of contributors will therefore hopefully be released late July 2011.

Submissions for novellas under the Dark Prints Press imprint will open 1st June 2011. Details will be posted here, on the main website, and everywhere else we have a virtual presence (eg. Facebook) in the next week or two.

Vote for the Dark Prints

2011-04-12T01:22:00.000-07:00

Usually I stay clear of spruiking votes for work, but this year I'm just so darn proud...

Two works from Dark Prints Press have been nominated for Tin Duck Awards, to be presented at the upcoming Swancon/Natcon, to be held in Perth. The Tin Ducks have long celebrated the hard work of West Aussies (or Sandgropers, as some still call us), so if you would also like to share your appreciation, I encourage you to vote for your favourites. We have been nominated in the following categories:

* Best WA Professional Production - 'An Eclectic Slice of Life' edited by Craig Bezant
* Best WA Fan Production - 'Eclecticism E-zine' edited by Craig Bezant

Another two nods for our work to match the great recent reviews on HorrorScope.
Unfortunately, the catch is that to vote you must be attending the convention. Let's hope I can shout enough drinks to make the Dark Prints Posse grow... Good luck to all those nominated. With a cocktail party put on by Gollancz, it's going to be a big night regardless of the outcome!

Joseph D'Lacey to rock Dark Prints

2011-04-11T05:47:00.000-07:00

Dark Prints Press is very pleased to announce we have secured a special story for the forthcoming ‘Surviving the End’ anthology. UK author Joseph D’Lacey (Meat, Garbage Man, The Kill Crew), has written a mesmerising 27,000 word novella for the collection, titled ‘The Failing Flesh’. D’Lacey ventures into post-apocalyptic territory again with a nicely flawed central character and a world gone to hell. I thoroughly enjoyed his last post-apocalyptic novella, The Kill Crew (you can read my review on HorrorScope), and I’m certain this story will please his fans as well as new readers.

The ‘Surviving the End’ anthology is open to submissions until the end of this month (April). Final decisions will be made after this time and the full list will be announced late July 2011. The publication is due to hit physical and virtual bookshelves early 2012, with pre-orders available after the July announcement. Visit our website for full details.

REVIEWS APLENTY

2011-04-09T17:10:00.000-07:00

Well, two is aplenty for now...

Two reviews of Dark Prints Press publications have appeared on the award-winning site HorrorScope.

The first is a review of Issue #14 of Eclecticism E-zine, analysed by Gillian Polack. You can read that review here.

The second is the first review of our new print publication, 'An Eclectic Slice of Life', dissected by Matthew Tait. You can read that review here.

As you will see, mostly great things were said about both publications. I was very pleased to have such great industry representatives (dare I say heavyweights) as Gillian and Mathew review our work. They are two writers whose word is invaluable, so I appreciate their comments.

Remember, you can still purchase your copy of 'An Eclectic Slice of Life' on our main website, and Eclecticism E-zine is always free to download and read. Enjoy!

Submissions closing soon

2011-04-09T16:59:00.000-07:00

Submissions for our two forthcoming anthologies, 'The One that Got Away' (Crime) and 'Surviving the End' (Horror) are closing at the end of this month (April). I encourage you to read the submission guidelines and have a go - there are still a few spaces to fill, but competition will be tight!

A Dark Prints Teaser - part one of the crime lineup

2011-04-04T00:13:00.000-07:00

Dark Prints Press is pleased to tease you with the first list of authors accepted for our forthcoming crime anthology.

The following authors have rightfully earned a place in ‘The One That Got Away’: Lawrence Block (US Crime Master), Chris Simms (UK Author of the DI Spicer novels, listed in Waterstone’s ’25 Authors of the Future’), Deborah Sheldon, Brian G Ross, Vanessa Skye, and Alan Baxter.

But that’s certainly not all! Submissions are still being taken for this anthology, but they’re closing soon, at the end of this month (April). For full details, please read the guide at: http://www.darkprintspress.com.au/submissions.html

The final list will be announced July 2011, with pre-orders opening soon after that. Good luck!

Eclectic News

2011-01-18T03:16:00.000-08:00

Well, this news blog is reappearing and back in business after a template change and the help of the Blogger team. A big cheers.

In Eclecticism E-zine news, Issue #15 is due for release next Saturday (29 January 2011).
It has a theme of 'Greed', with short fiction and poetry by:
Myra King, Beth Battrick, Mark McAuliffe, Mark Smith-Briggs, Ian Harrison, Lynley Stace, Keith Nunes, and Trost.

With all that's been happening in Australia lately (not to mention many other parts of the world), a good, free read is always a plus.

We'll keep you posted when the issue is released. For now, here's a peak at the cover:

Disappeared

2011-01-17T01:01:00.001-08:00

Seems our blog has been absent on the virtual waves for a few days, the link to it down. We are trying to correct this. If, in the meantime, you happen to see our site and this message, please let us know at: info [at] darkprintspress [dot] com [dot] au
so we know we're getting through to someone.

Cheers.

Special News Part 2 - Fantastic Author Collection on the way...

2011-01-08T05:48:00.000-08:00

We here at Dark Prints Press are absolutely thrilled to announce that we shall be publishing the collected short fiction works of author Martin Livings. If you haven’t heard of Martin, you need to school yourself on some Australian horror – well, dark fiction in general – immediately. Author of the award-winning novel, ‘Carnies’, and well over sixty short stories in the speculative fiction realm, Mr Livings has certainly earned his stripes. In fact, the publication (set for late 2012 / early 2013) will mark twenty years since Martin’s first piece of published short fiction.

The collection, tentatively titled ‘Living with the Dead’, shall therefore be the literary equivalent of a greatest hits album – a huge helping of the best Martin has offered readers over the years, plus some new work and rarities thrown in for good measure.

We shall of course keep you posted as the collection takes shape. This book has been long overdue and we are honoured to provide a home for one of Australia’s horror masters.

Special News Part 1 - Anthology Update

2011-01-08T05:43:00.000-08:00

Bestselling UK crime author Chris Simms, one of our favourite authors in general, is on board for our forthcoming crime anthology, ‘The One That Got Away’. This book is going to be huge!

Submissions from the public have already started creeping in; we shall keep you posted on the authors/stories chosen in the coming months.

SUBMISSIONS NOW OPEN

2010-12-31T17:22:00.000-08:00

Hi all, and welcome to 2011.

Kicking off the new year, submissions are now open for two of our forthcoming anthologies:
'Surviving the End' (Horror) and 'The One That Got Away' (Crime).

We are looking for stories between 5 000 and 10 000 words, to suit the chosen themes, with a payment of AUD$75 flat (both digital and Australian print rights). The submissions period is open from now until the end of April, but I urge you to submit sooner rather than later. The success of these anthologies will help launch a strong future lineup for Dark Prints Press, leading us to expand into novels and other realms of fiction.

Much more information regarding the publications and submission information can be found on our Dark Prints website.

Have a great celebratory season!

- Craig

Dark Prints is Interviewed

2010-12-26T15:42:00.000-08:00

We trust you had (and are still having) a wonderful festive season and/or simply a holiday/rest. We here at Dark Print Press received a wonderful Christmas present in the form of an interview.

You can read all about co-founder Craig Bezant's background and ideas for the future on the esteemed horror site, Horror Reanimated.

Enjoy!

P.S. We have some more exciting announcements to come, but we'll wait until the new year. Have a fantastic celebration, and try to remember it.

20% OFF SPECIAL NOW ON

2010-12-16T18:33:00.000-08:00

Whew. After recovering from the wonderful book launch, we are pleased to announce that for the rest of December, you can get 20% off the RRP of 'An Eclectic Slice of Life'. Simply order the print anthology via our main website:
www.darkprintspress.com.au/eclecticslice.html

Officially out there...

2010-12-12T01:06:00.001-08:00

Thus ends our online launch party. Thanks for stopping by, and of course keep an eye on this page for all future Dark Prints Press news. Our baby is now launched, I'm as pleased as punch. Time for a celebratory drink!

The shift to the eBook realm

2010-12-12T00:44:00.001-08:00

The anthology 'An Eclectic Slice of Life' is a print version because, well, Eclecticism E-zine has always been online (so the desire to hold its stories was overwhelming). But all future Dark Prints Projects will see both eBook and Print versions. What are your thoughts on eBooks?

Story 13 excerpt - The Ward of Hours by Jason Fischer

2010-12-12T00:27:00.001-08:00

Raoul wandered the corridors till he was thoroughly

lost. The Hospital resembled a maze, an irony not lost

on the Minotaur. He drew a sharp breath through his

wide nostrils and behind the antiseptic cloy he caught a

whiff of rot, the smell of faeces and old blood.

At one stage the pale green corridor made a

crooked dogleg, the wall briefly becoming a stretch

of damp cement and half-hearted plaster. Someone

had scribbled on an unpainted stretch of dry-wall in

black permanent marker, spider-jittery letters that

ran together:

the doctor is

the hospital is

Ducking through a low door, Raoul found

himself in a skinny corridor, this one painted in mission

brown and flanked with dusty louvre windows and

office doors.

There were letters stencilled into the frosted glass

on each door, and finally Raoul found the one marked

WARD OF HOURS. He paused, took a nervous breath.

Gripping the brass knob in his enormous sweaty fist, he

gently opened the door.

[info] The location of Jason’s story reminded me of several rundown or haunted hospitals, including this one: Waverly Hills Sanatorium (Kentucky)

http://www.prairieghosts.com/waverly_tb.html

Where to buy?

2010-12-12T00:19:00.000-08:00

So where can you buy 'An Eclectic Slice of Life'? Well, for now it is only available via the Dark Prints Press website (www.darkprintspress.com.au ). Soon, however, we hope to have it on shelves in independent bookstores. We'll keep you posted via the Facebook page and other news channels, such as this news blog.

Story 18 excerpt - Memories by David Such

2010-12-12T00:10:00.001-08:00

Everyone wants to live forever, that was why Dan was

on the track. Using just the right combination of brake

and accelerator, he took the perfect line through the fast

left hander at Turn 12. He was driving right on the

edge of his ability - at this speed he wasn't consciously

deciding the next move but flowing with the road in

a Zen-like state. This turn was arguably the most

important as it set you up for the long straight. If you

got your exit speed right it could take half a second off

your lap time. He may not be able to walk any more but

damn he could drive.

SPECIAL - LAUNCH DAY 30% OFF THE RRP

2010-12-12T00:05:00.001-08:00

Remember to order your copy of the anthology via Dark Prints Press:
http://www.darkprintspress.com.au/eclecticslice.html

Story 7 excerpt - Drone by Joseph D’Lacey

2010-12-11T23:59:00.001-08:00

Mirazel looks up. Always up.

Among her herd, and those scattered across the

Fells, Plains and Lakeland, Mirazel is respected. Despite

being the youngest of the mature females, she is tuned

to threat at all times. Always the first to shout the alarm.

Always the first to bolt.

She's the fastest Landrunner alive.

For this reason, each time a Plainsherd child is

orphaned, Mirazel is the one to foster it until it is old

enough to run alone.

Story 8 excerpt - A Dog Called Wolfgang by Jacqui Dent

2010-12-11T23:55:00.003-08:00

Maybe he wouldn't come. George drummed his fingers

on the table. Maybe the brute couldn't read. Or tell time.

And even if he could, would he really be interested in

George's invitation? No. There was no way he would

come. George let out a deep sigh. Then a knock at the

door made him wet his pants.

Story 20 excerpt - The Workingman’s Pandora’s Box by Myra King

2010-12-11T23:55:00.001-08:00

Today I have hit the trolley jackpot - as much luck as I

can expect in my life at the moment. I am nearly through

the supermarket and my trolley's still behaving itself

like a new pram, not like a go-cart with three wheels.

Then my luck drains away as quickly as sump oil

when you don't have the pan in the right spot. Just up

ahead, in the chemist section, is Justin, an old friend of

ours. Ours being my wife, Sarah, and me when we were

a pair. She walked out five months ago, leaving me to

fend for myself.

Having to buy Sarah out, I will be, for the next

ten years or so, living on instant noodles and sausages

bought an hour's whisker before their use-by-date.

I try to slide past Justin before he sees me. At

that moment my trolley decides to put its worst wheel

forward and I steer into his leg. He spins around,

holding up a box of condoms. To my disappointment

he doesn't even look embarrassed.

Story 6 excerpt - Pieces by Simon James

2010-12-11T23:47:00.001-08:00

I search the house. The piece is missing. It was here the

last time I looked. Now it's gone. Without the piece,

nothing is complete. There will be no peace. So I seek,

comb, scour and won't stop until I find it. The bedroom.

Under the bed, in the cupboards, the bookshelf. The

lounge room. Under the couch, in the video cabinet,

the CD rack. The kitchen. Under the sink, in the pantry,

the fridge.

In the fridge I forage among the rotting contents.

There's a thick rancid smell. It amazes me how things

accumulate in the fridge and then decompose in the cold

darkness, life leeching out like truth from lies. I can

never recall how they get there, the jars and bowls and

food. All the spoiling goods get sucked to the back

as though a magnet is attracting them. Or do they

withdraw a little each time the door is opened, cringing,

recoiling from what appears before them?

Story 5 excerpt (poem) - Spine-Cutting by Keith Nunes

2010-12-11T23:42:00.001-08:00

I'm not sure about breathing

So regularly,

Sleeping every night,

Eating when the clock says so.

I'm in love with the thought

That goes: Do it till you

Can't do it any more and then

Enjoy toppling over.

Story 23 excerpt - Stainsie's Sister by Mark McAuliffe

2010-12-11T23:41:00.001-08:00

There were $10 blow jobs on offer around the back of the

Ferny Grove Tavern.

I checked my money. Two fives and change. I

could either stay a bit longer for a few more beers or go

home early with a rosy glow.

Story 4 excerpt - A Matter of the Heart by Jacqui Dent

2010-12-11T23:38:00.001-08:00

The beating of fair lady's heart stopped abruptly when a

stray shard of wood, flying from the prince's lance,

embedded itself in the back of her head. Damn and blast,

she thought to herself, falling lifeless to the floor, if it

isn't frightfully inconvenient; to be struck dead at the very

moment the charming prince, my accidental slayer, had

favoured me so graciously with a gentle tilt of his visor.

It was at least fortunate that she had chosen to turn

her head away from the joust at that instant, else the

splinter would surely have buried itself in her face - a

disfiguration far more difficult to overcome. Even as her

body hit the ground, the impact of the fall jammed

the splinter of wood deep into her skull and this was

satisfactory. It would barely be visible.

[game] Joust – the original Nintendo classic

http://nintendo8.com/game/480/joust/

Story 24 excerpt - Lost in the City by Julia Brannigan

2010-12-11T23:36:00.001-08:00

Ken had been waiting for a fare since three o'clock.

It was nearly four. Not much more of his shift left and

still no sign of a pick-up. It was going to be a quiet

afternoon. The dwindling number of tourists were out

for sure, but the sunshine, its weak warmth tempered

by a cool sea breeze on this late autumn day, meant

they were quite happy to explore the city on foot. No

business people either in a rush to get any place quick.

Winding down the window of his smart Nissan Bluebird

- Ken took pride in his work and his car reflected that -

he breathed in the air, tasting the saltiness mixed with

the bitter fumes from the container wharf. Beyond

the cranes he could make out the peak of Rangitoto

silhouetted on the skyline.

He drifted into a reverie: Would Lynda cook him

a nice piece of snapper this evening? Would Alex have

finally decided on whether he wanted to continue at the

sail club? The boy was costing them quite a few bucks.

That and his rugby trips and his general apathy were

beginning to irritate the usually mild-mannered man

that Ken was.

Now, what wouldn't he do with a win on the

Lotto, hey? Nice house with a big pool somewhere in

the better part of town, bought outright with cash to

spare for a few toys! Yep, he'd get them out of that

cramped leaky shack south of the city quicker than the

blink of an eye.

But no luck, as usual.

Story 3 excerpt - Pet Fets and Pot Plants by Myra King

2010-12-11T23:35:00.001-08:00

The town had a carrot up its arse.

The streets were uniformly paved, the paths

straight-edged with roses and prunus trees in alternate

order. Tyler McClain is sure they're colour-coordinated.

Even with their winter undress, he can tell.

He's not surprised when he passes a billboard

with loud print declaring this to be one of Australia's

tidiest towns since 1965. He smiles to see that a bird has

slashed shit across Tidiest, making the word almost

indecipherable.

He notes, in an off-minded sort of way,

that everything holds an air of not-long-built, or

makeover-madness. The facades, neatly written with

proclamations of their internals, are as unremarkable

as oatmeal.