The Premiere Issue of Dark Valentine is here!

It's finally here, the Premiere Issue of Dark Valentine Magazine, which you can download here on PDF.

Editor Katherine Tomlinson introduces* us to the newest venue in dark fiction-

The premiere issue of Dark Valentine Magazine is here. A quarterly magazine of dark fiction, the project is a collaboration born over a meal of pear cider and Cornish pasties at an Irish pub in Pasadena. Editor Joy Sillesen and Art Director Joanne Renaud and I liked working with each other at Astonishing Adventures Magazine so much that we decided we didn't want the fun to end.

The first issue is stuffed with dark tales and wicked words, all illustrated by artists like Joanne, Pamela Jaworska, Larry Nadolsky, Rena Ez, Jane Burson, Eleni Trigatz, Michael Lauritano, Jennifer Caro and Molly Brewer and more...The cover image, created by Joanne Renaud, was inspired by Stephanie Dray's story, "The Threshing Floor."

The table of contents is stuffed with goodies--flash fiction from Cormac Brown, Sandra Seamans, Carol Kilgore, and Blue Jackson. There's a paranormal noir from Agatha-nominated novelist Elizabeth Zelvin and Paul D. Brazill's innovative twist on an old monster. (Paul:s "Drunk on the Moon" is one of two stories from Poland-based writers in this issue, with Frank Duffy's evocative "The Fog House" being the other.)

There's a definite international feel to the fiction which comes from the UK (Peter Mark May's "Lurkers"), Canada (Julia Madeine's "Smashed")and points west. The artists hail from all over--Poland, Thailand, Greece, the UK.

And last but certainly not least, the premiere issue contains stories by Chad Rohrbacher, C.M. Saunders, Christine Pope, Sidney Harrison, James Hartley, Gerry Johnson and me. There's something for everyone in the first issue. (And if there's not, we'll be back in the fall with issue #2.)

*The names in bold are my doing.

F-F-F #33

Don't follow me...




...I'm lost, too. The people have spoken, and they have picked the following starter sentence-

David says, "It was a shortcut that I would regret for the rest of my life."

All you have to do is build a story around that. Sounds simple enough, but if you've done this before, you know better. You know the deal, if you are in, please say so. Have it done by Tuesday @9 AM Pacific, June 14th, all right?

Starter Sentence Poll #17

You can crank it and crank it...

...but let's face it, you'll never get that jalopy started. Why don't you choose a starter sentence instead?

Choose from the following-

David says, "It was a shortcut that I would regret for the rest of my life."

Flannery says, "Taut and alert, she laid in bed with a cell phone in one hand and a candlestick in the other."

Nicole says, "I awoke and answered my ringing phone at 3:31 am. Where the caller immediately asked, 'Is this (insert name)- I was told you could help me?'"

The Professor says, "He (She) gritted his (her) teeth while wrapping the bandage tightly around the bloody gash on..."

The results will go live on June 11th, 2010, @ 8:00 AM.

Line up those starter sentences!

Right about now, we are supposed to line something up. Hmm, what could that be?

Oh yeah, line up those starter sentences!

You know the drill or if you don't, check out the older posts to get an idea. Please remit your new sentences or submit your old ones in the comment section. I will then load them into poll form tomorrow, Thursday, June 10th @ 7:30 AM, Pacific Time. Please note that the time is earlier than usual.

Good night, good luck, and Woody? I'm going to steal your girlfriend!

F-F-F #32, The Stories

No football heads, The World Cup hasn't started just yet...

...so until that time? Read some Friday Flash Fiction instead.

Nicole came up with the starter sentence, "So much for plan B." Now there's a sentence that teems with possibilities. So let's see the results-

Sue tells us of a death in Tuscany.

Deegan mentions murder and an art heist in Montreal.

The Professor speaks of a man at odds with age and other things.

Lewis J. wonders what goes on in the corporate world.

David takes us on a caper.

Wells takes us on through to Chapter Two.

Nicole says revenge is a dish that is actually best served piping hot!

Randal shines some sunlight on this session.

F-F-F #32

Soar with eagles...



...or stumble with geese. The choice is yours.

The people have spoken, and they have picked the following starter sentence-

Nicole says, "So much for plan B."

All you have to do is build a story around that. Sounds simple enough, but if you've done this before, you know better. You know the deal, if you are in, please say so. Have it done by Tuesday @9 AM Pacific, June 8th, all right?

Starter Sentence Poll #16

It's simple enough, pick the starter sentence that is just right for Friday Flash Fiction #32 or...

...these birds will go Alfred Hitchcock on yer neck.

Choose from the following-

Paulie Decibels says, "If everything Tony says is true then this time next week we'll be kings of the world."

Flannery says, "Let's not count our chickens before they hatch, gentlemen."

Sue says, "You break eggs to make an omelet, but you break legs to make a point, or maybe just for revenge."

Lewis J. says, "As last laughs go this one was short and sweet."

Nicole says, "So much for plan B."

The Professor says, "The sound was much like a hiss..."

The results will go live on June 4th, 2010, @ 10:30 AM.

Joyce is the winner of Dark Valentine's "Through A Lense Darkly 2"

If you get a chance, check out Joyce Juzwik's winning entry for...

...Dark Valentine's "Through A Lense Darkly 2" flash fiction contest. The story is called "Penance."

Line up those starter sentences!

I'm back from vacation...

...and it's safe to say, that surfing with alpacas is overrated. Some of you are chomping at the bit and some of you are new to this process. This is where you come up with a sentence that you believe is worthy enough for all of us to write a story around. If you still don't get it, check out the older posts to get an idea. Please remit your new sentences or submit your old ones in the comment section. I will then load them into poll form, Thursday, June 3rd @ 12:30 AM (the time was moved up yet again, so I could get some sleep), Pacific Time.

Note that the time will be early than usual and that if you turn it in after that time, it won't be added to that session. Now, there once was an alpaca from Peru...

Dark Valentine's "Through A Lense Darkly" Flash Fiction Contest

From editor/author Katherine Tomlinson comes this item-

I always enjoy photo story prompts, so we've put another one up at Dark Valentine. We're looking for flash (under 1000 words) inspired by the photo. Here's all the info.

We don't pay for the stories published on the site but Dark Valentine is a paying market for stories published in the magazine. Our first issue will be available in mere weeks, but we're open for submissions to issue #2 now. Here's a link to our guidelines. Dark Valentine is looking for any sort of dark fiction--you pick the genre.