Lily's Friday Prediction

Now that the neighbours have stopped partying at 7am I'll attempt to get my brain in gear which, unlike theirs is stone-cold-sober but very, very tired. Thank you guys. 

However, not to be discombobulated I shall persevere, submit the Love story I've written (don't laugh - it's in a Lily Childs flavour) and write a synopsis on something else. Deadlines are tomorrow.

Winner of Last Week's Prediction Challenge

Firstly, I want to thank everyone that has taken part in the Challenge this year, and taken the time to comment and support each other in our little community of Predictioneers. The quality of writing is consistently outstanding and I just want to read more of your work! I can't count the number of times we've said of each others' entries "this needs expanding" or similar. 

I so wish I could afford to set up my own Small Press and publish you all - but that lottery win never happens. In the meantime, I wish you all a very successful 2012 for your writing - and when you're all best-selling superstar authors don't forget to pop in and give us a Prediction from time to time.

On to winners...

Hell. I wish I'd chosen one of you to guest judge - this is a killer.

As we had two weeks to write I'm being naughty and choosing two winners and two-runners up. I hope that doesn't dilute the wins.

Congratulations to my final winners of 2011 Anthony Cowin for the savage horror Apron Strings and John Xero for the epic and powerful Warsmith. Both absolutely stunning.

The runner-up shields go to Charlie Wade for the best twist I've read in ages in The Perils of Washing Up and Dion Winton-Polak for his extraordinarily beautiful and tragic poem Salvation. Very well done both.

Words for 30 December 2011

I swear this old book is getting heavier - oof. My fingers are ready:

• Knuckle
• Connection
• Dial

Right. A challenge indeed.

Rules

The rules are: 100 words max flash fiction or poetry using all of the words above. Please add your entries in the Comments box below. You have the whole week until 9pm UK time on Thursday 5th January 2012 to enter.

Winner will be announced on Friday 6th January. If you can, please tweet about your entry, using the #fridayflash hashtag, and blog if you feel like it.

A very Happy New Year to you all. Charge your pens - I await your creations...

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Preditors & Editors Readers' Poll - a surprise nomination

I was extremely surprised to find that I've been nominated in the Preditors & Editors annual 'Best of' Readers Poll in the Magazine/e-zine Editor category for Thrillers Killers 'n' Chillers.

The awards are run by Critique.org - the well-respected Critters Workshop.

TKnC won the award for Best Fiction Magazine in 2009 and Crime Ed. Col Bury received the award for Best Magazine Editor in 2010.

I'm proud to be included this year alongside other editors I really respect - our own, wonderful DAVID BARBER - The Flash Fiction Offensive, Adam Bradley of Morpheus Tales, Chris Bartholomew of Static Movement, Lori Titus of Flashes in the Dark and more...

You can:

• vote HERE for your favourite and even add comments
• follow the status of the voting so far
• vote/comment in all the categories
• find out more about Critique.org's excellent workshops 

Voting closes on January 10 2012!

LICKING IT UP - a 'Yours Truly' Thrillers Killers 'n' Chillers Editor's Christmas Special

Over at Thrillers Killers 'n' Chillers we editors are having a moment of self-indulgence - each posting a Christmas special of our own.

Crime Ed. Col Bury's WITNESS 'A' is already up for review and comes with a twist.

• Read Witness 'A'
• Read a hell of a lot more of Col's fiction, thoughts and reviews at Col Bury's New Crime Fiction.

As TKnC Horror Ed. my new tale LICKING IT UP might fool you into thinking it's a piece of gastro chick-lit. Give it a chance - it's far tastier than that.

• Read Licking It Up

We await best-selling author and TKnC Thriller Ed. Matt Hilton's special with trepidation!


TKnC SUBMISSIONS

TKnC is open for submissions once again. I would love to receive stories from The Feardom Predictioneers and February Femmes Fatales. Our Submission Guidelines are here but I'd like to add that I'm looking for dark and dangerous; I want to be scared witless or chilled right down to my brittle bones. This is the kind of thing the Friday Prediction is regularly packed full of - and it deserves expansion.

What I don't like is gore without a story. Porn bores me - base and erotic suggestion is far more powerful and very definitely has a place.  Oh, and whilst I like a bit of effin' and blinding - only when called for please. Overt use puts me off. I like the beauty of language - the darker the better - feed me.

I look forward to reading you...

Lily's Friday Prediction

Love it or loathe it, Predictioneers are about to get a Christmas gift - that of TIME itself!

It's a double-edged sword, this time thing - I'm figuring that most of us will be in a semi-frantic state in the lead-up to Yule and beyond - so writing will take a back seat. But then afterwards - we'll have relaxing, extra time when writing will be tickling and teasing us, desperate to pour out. So... I'm giving you TWO WEEKS to enter the penultimate Friday Prediction Challenge of 2011.

Winner of Last Week's Prediction Challenge

The Institution overwhelmed us this week, I feel. And so it should - it provoked some incredible visions and brilliantly-crafted entries.

My winner, with that dangerous sicko Harker is AJ Humpage's cold and terrifying Viewing Room. The cruelty this creature is capable of absolutely petrifies me - but I can't leave it alone. Congratulations AJ!

Two runners-up; aesthetic and twisted, Stu Ayris's untitled entry is a vicious and clever attack on our conscience whilst David Barber's The Game is terrifying in the murderer's normalcy. Well done both!

Words for 16 December 2011

Here you go then - two weeks to write whatever you want (though please - have some respect - keep it dark and disturbing):

• Apron
• Lash
• Grail

Little but pokey!

Rules

The rules are: 100 words max flash fiction or poetry using all of the words above. Please add your entries in the Comments box below. You have two whole weeks until 9pm UK time on Thursday 29th December to enter.

Winner will be announced on Friday 30th December. If you can, please tweet about your entry, using the #fridayflash hashtag, and blog if you feel like it.

Release the Christmas spirit - mine's a Vodka and Russchian please - and imbibe on inspiration...

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Book Review: ALONE by Marissa Farrar

Serenity Hathaway has no reason to celebrate life, coasting between cruel indifference at the office and violence at home. The opening pages of Alone plunge us straight into the hell of this young woman's existence, revealing her self-doubt and plummeting despair.

Despite the very real personal demons that have brought her to this lonely time and place Serenity still controls her own will. And when Sebastian Bandores happens upon the young woman on her knees in a dark alleyway, the encounter leaves her with an inner strength she never thought possible.

Serenity can't stop thinking about the beautiful stranger that pulled her out of an emotional gutter, rescuing her from her lowest ebb. Life suddenly has promise; but life can get worse - far worse - and so can death.

Marissa Farrar carries us through this haunting vampire tale as a feather on the wind, dipping and fluctuating between passion and horror. She masters Serenity's strengths and weaknesses, her resilience and distrust as the reluctant heroine struggles to comprehend the otherworldly extremes of vampiric hunger.

The author's principal characters are passionate, loyal and loving - perfect bait for the vicious antagonists of this chilling horror novel where no-one and nowhere is safe.

Well-written with an addictive pace, I loved this book. I can't wait to read the follow-up Buried (Alone). The author has cleverly gifted us with the prologue of the second book as a wicked tease at the end of book one - and it promises darkness. A generous bonus.

4* out of 5, and highly recommended.

Download Alone from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Read more of Marissa Farrar's fiction at:
http://marissa-farrar.blogspot.com/

Lily's Friday Prediction

With Scotland battered by howling hurricane winds and icy shards piercing the island skies the Lords of Winter have truly made their presence known. Hail and welcome, but we beg kindness.

Winner of Last Week's Prediction Challenge

Tough. Tough. Tough. Outstanding penning all round. Who would you choose?

But that's unfair.

My winner from last week is William Davoll with the skin-tingling The Morning After The Peace Before; it made me shiver, stayed in my mind all night and still filled me with a lost sense of despair when I re-read it alongside all the other entries this morning. Congratulations William!

Runners-up, for there are two -  are new Predictioneer Dion Winton-Polak with the heart-stopping chiller Ache, and Erin Cole with her bizarro, giggle cute-fest The Ad. Well done both!

Words for 09 December 2011

The old book's getting frail. Where are my archivist gloves? Let's peel open those pages and pick:

• Painting
• Institution
• Forget

I have something instantly forming with those - better get the Moleskine out and scribble.

Rules

The rules are: 100 words max flash fiction or poetry using all of the words above. Please add your entries in the Comments box below. You have the whole week until 9pm UK time on Thursday 15th December to enter.

Winner will be announced next Friday 16th December. If you can, please tweet about your entry, using the #fridayflash hashtag, and blog if you feel like it.

Forget Christmas shopping. Hide away and create your own storm, but bring me thunder...

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Lily Childs on Facebook

As many of you know I am a complete numpty when it comes to Facebook. My well-behaved alter-ego Michele has an FB account she rarely uses but set up a Lily Childs Author Page last year. Could I get my head round it? Could I f*ck.

So finally I have a brand new account, just for little ol' me (or at least, today's persona). I may well have got this wrong - please tell me (you wouldn't believe I work in web design as a day job) but here's the link:

Lily Childs on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/lilychildsfeardom

I've invited a whole pile of peeps to be friends but please do seek me out if I've neglected you, or you are new to my strange world. And if you don't mind this inept little fool asking, wish me luck!

Lily's Friday Prediction

An important note for our lovely lady Predictioneers.  I have sent out the first round of invitations to next year's February Femmes Fatales showcase. If you haven't received your invitation and would like the opportunity to submit, please complete my online contact form and I will email you details and submission guidelines.

To get an idea of what I'm looking for - last year's stories and poems are all listed and linked on the February Femmes Fatales page.

Winner of Last Week's Prediction Challenge

A quiet week; every person I know is frantically running around screaming for the gift of extra time to live their lives so I'm not surprised if Predictioneers were too busy to enter. No problem - there's always this week, next week and...

I'll jump straight in as my clock also seems to be whirring on at a rate of knots. I'm only picking a winner and not a runner-up.

And that winner is... Nick Mott with Neon Flecks of Blood. This is a sordid tale of lust and reciprocal death that I simply lapped up! Gorgeous, congratulations Nick!

Words for 02 December 2012

Flicking, clicking fingers... Here we go:

• Affection(ate)
• Scrape
• Mustard

Hope these make you lick your lips.

Rules

The rules are: 100 words max flash fiction or poetry using all of the words above. Please add your entries in the Comments box below. You have the whole week until 9pm UK time on Thursday 8th December to enter.

Winner will be announced next Friday 9th December. If you can, please tweet about your entry, using the #fridayflash hashtag, and blog if you feel like it.

Make me something tasty with your clever fingers.. I'm hungry..

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Houska Castle - on TV (UK) December 2nd at 11am

Houska Castle (c) http://www.hradhouska.cz 

For readers in the UK that have bought or plan to buy Magenta Shaman Stones The Crow, you may be interested to watch or Sky+ the episode of Ghost Hunters International that features Houska Castle - the setting for Magenta's terrifying journey.

Tthe episode is being repeated at 11am tomorrow, Friday 2nd December on Sky Livingit (channel 122) then again at 12 noon on Sky Livingit+1 (channel 123).

Regardless of what one thinks of these type of programmes (believe me, I'm a cynic) I did find Houska Castle in Blatce near Prague incredibly eerie. I've done a lot of research around it and it has a very strange and disturbing history stretching back to the Bronze Age.

The question is - was the present 13th century Bohemian building constructed to protect the people from the demonic creatures that allegedly dwell beneath its floors, in the legendary bottomless pit known as The Gates of Hell?

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For more photos and history of Houska Castle visit the owner's website at http://www.hradhouska.cz. Google Chrome will translate from Czech to English. for you.

Erin Cole's Holiday Book Blog Catalog 2011

Our Predictioneering friend and author of blissfully dark fiction, Erin Cole has opened her annual Holiday Book Blog Catolog for business!

This brilliant initiative showcases books from a variety of familiar and new authors including:

• Laura Eno
• James Garcia Jr
• Marissa Farrar
• Eric Beetner
• Lori Titus
• Chris Allinotte 
• Paul D. Brazill
• Jessica A. Weiss
• Michael Solender
• Erin Cole
• Lily Childs and more...

The aim is simple - take a stroll through the titles, buy at least one book and write a review. Well, I've read several on there already, have others on my wish list and can see even more that are new to me - where to start?

Do support these authors and take a visit to the catalog. Huge thanks to Erin for organising such a generous showcase.

Happy reading!