For those savvy tech people, Harlan County Horros is now available on Fictionwise. And they're having a big sale on horror right now, so it's only like three bucks. What are you waiting for? Go for it.

What better way to get in the mood for Halloween?

Excerpt:

At first, she sang to remember. It was a way to pass the long, dark time, a way to drown out the buzz in her head when the earth shook and the bunker rattled, a way to live outside the bars of her cage, to be a woman who smoked and drank, flirted and pined, flipped her pin curls and married a man for his car. Eventually, Patsy Cline became Kerri’s reason for living. In five years, she hadn’t found a better one.

“Good morning,” said Stella. It was the only clue Kerri ever had to the time of day, or the notion that days passed at all. Stella opened the cage hatch and slid the food through. “I have a surprise for you today.” She smiled. “You’ll like it.”

Let’s see…what would she like? Kerri would have welcomed a hot poker in the eye, an asteroid hitting the earth, or the blast from that damned super volcano the world had been holding its collective breath about for the past decade. It would be ironic, Kerri mused, if all three suddenly happened at once. About as ironic as someone surviving cancer just to live out the rest of her days in a prison.

Read the rest of "A Poor Man's Roses" over at Apex Magazine. Or just make me look popular and click on the link.
 

Happy October! I have a book out today!
You should go buy a copy.

Table of Contents:

“The Witch of Black Mountain” – Alethea Kontis
“The Power of Moonlight” – Debbie Kuhn
“Hiding Mountain: Our Future in Apples” – Earl Dean
“Psychomachia” – Geoffrey Girard
“Yellow Warbler” – Jason Sizemore
“Kingdom Come” – Jeremy C. Shipp
“Trouble Among the Yearlings” – Maurice Broaddus
“Spirit Fire” – Robby Sparks
“The Thing at the Side of the Road” – Ronald Kelly
“Inheritance” – Stephanie Lenz
“Greater of Two Evils” – Steven Shrewsbury
“Harlan Moon” – TL Trevaskis

Yay! I sold a story to Jason Sizemore at Apex Magazine called "Poor Man's Roses." It's a 2400-word dark science fiction tale set in the near-apocalyptic far future. It's also a total homage to Patsy Cline.

I dedicate it to my fellow author and BFF Kelli Dunlap, who inspired me to come up with the idea (the woman being bled by her husband stuff, not the Patsy Cline stuff. I take full responsibility for that part).

I should have a contest to see how many Patsy Cline references people can guess. Of course, by now I've forgotten how many I actually crammed in.

Turns out, Jason was so excited about this story, he's going to run it in the October issue. I'll be sure to post a link when it's out!

Note: The contest ends August 25th, 10 p.m. EST.
Click the book (or this link) to preorder!

Win a piece of Harlan County! This doesn’t mean we’re giving away Miss Harlan County, Mari Adkins (or her enthusiastic suggestion of coal mine slurry water). No, we’re talking about actual Harlan County memorabilia!

What can you win?

*A Harlan County Horrors poster signed by the editor, Mari Adkins, the cover artist, Billy Tackett, and the mayor of Harlan, KY, Danny Howard

*An authentic Harlan County High School Black Bears T-shirt

*An authentic Harlan County postcard signed by Mari Adkins and Mayor Danny Howard

*The Criterion Collection copy of Barbara Kopple’s famous documentary, Harlan County, U.S.A.

It is easy.

1) Just link to the Harlan County Horrors book page (http://www.apexbookstore.com/products/harlan-county-horrors) from your blog, Facebook, website, or Myspace page.

2) Be sure to mention the contest with the link.

3) Bring your linkage to our attention via a comment on this post or via an email so that we know to enter you for the drawing. If you link AND pre-order* the book, you get two chances.

By the time this book comes out, Mari Adkins wants Harlan, KY, to be the most recognizable city name in the world. Let’s make that happen!

*If you’ve already pre-ordered, you will automatically be entered in the drawing.

Publication date: October 1st, 2009

Table of Contents:

“The Witch of Black Mountain” – Alethea Kontis
“The Power of Moonlight” – Debbie Kuhn
“Hiding Mountain: Our Future in Apples” – Earl Dean
“Psychomachia” – Geoffrey Girard
“Yellow Warbler” – Jason Sizemore
“Kingdom Come” – Jeremy C. Shipp
“Trouble Among the Yearlings” – Maurice Broaddus
“Spirit Fire” – Robby Sparks
“The Thing at the Side of the Road” – Ronald Kelly
“Inheritance” – Stephanie Lenz
“Greater of Two Evils” – Steven Shrewsbury
“Harlan Moon” – TL Trevaskis

Cover art by Billy Tackett

There's a new Apex Magazine out, featuring a new Beauty & Dynamite essay ("Here Lies an Era"), and me reading my flash fiction horror short "Foiled." (run time: 3:08)

It's my first time, but I hope to do a lot more readings in the future. Let me know what you think!

Check it out -- I have a link! Preorder your very own copy of Harlan County Horrors RIGHT HERE. The anthology features a bunch of awesome, dark, creepy stories (My "The Witch of Black Mountain" being the best, of course).

Apparently, that link goes straight into my royalties and no one else's MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! <ahem> So please, only use that link. Or I will assault you with some Cheetos.

Apex Book Company has a really cool lottery going on right now -- including this one for a bunch of my books and some bonus swag.

One ticket for $1.00 -- ten tickets for $8.00. Go on. You have a dollar. I know you do.
(Did I mention all the books are signed?)

Jason is also adamant about leaving up my pin-up girl shot (the one I used to have on my Twitter profile). Which is totally fine with me. But he is NOT allowed to put it on the Apex calendar. Nope. No way, mister. I don't care how persuasive you think you are.

I like this one from yesterday of me and my new friend author Ally Carter:


You are now ded from cuteness. Ur welcome.

The Harlan County Horrors anthology is now up for preorder on the Apex website. Order now, and save almost 20% off the cover price!



**************************************

Here's an excerpt from my story, "The Witch of Black Mountain":

      Letting Anthony Gentry get her pregnant was the stupidest thing Ennica Jamison had ever done. Hiking to the summit of Black Mountain to see a witch was the second. It had been a warm November afternoon when she'd left her stolen horse on the path at the base of the mountain; now it was cold and dusk. She placed a foot on the first step of the abandoned lookout tower. She'd been walking for hours, slow but determined, sprinkling what sanity she had left behind her like breadcrumbs in the dirt. She grasped the rusted orange railing firmly with a gloved hand. One last thing left to climb. One last moment before she discovered just how stupid she really was.

Want to read the rest? Order your copy today!

Due to some technical difficulties, the Fantasy magazine con reports didn't go up as immediately as we sent them. Day Two is live now. I'll let you know when Day Three hits newsstands.

If you're jonesing for more, "The Still & the Storm" -- my new Beauty & Dynamite essay --  is now up, along with the latest issue of Apex magazine. Yes, it's true that the online mag is going on hiatus, but I'm still commissioned to put a few tricks up Jason's sleeve, so be sure to keep watching the skies.

And here it is, your Lee Pic of the Day:


Proof that hanging out with me at conventions really is *THIS* much fun. (Miss you, Kit!)

Go win a copy of Beauty & Dynamite from Apex Books.

So I was working on some questions for my upcoming interview with ccfinlay to talk about his novel trilogy...which led me to EscapePod for a production of his short story "Pervert." Since I was in the neighborhood, I decided to catch up on my Hugo Award nominees, so I listened to "26 Monkeys, Also the Abyss" by Kij Johnson, "Exhalation" by Ted Chiang, and "Article of Faith" by Mike Resnick. As a bonus palate-cleanser, I added two quickies: "A Preference for Silence" by Lucy Snyder, and a side-trip tp Podcastle for "Elf Aware" by K. Tempest Bradford (who had a birthday yesterday -- Happy birthday, ktempest !).

Despite being a final-round judge for the Audie Awards, I'm not a complete convert to audiobooks -- it's got to be pretty freaking spectacular to keep my attention for HOURS (and there have been some...perhaps I'll make a list of my favorites one of these days). My lack of patience makes me a great judge...and a big fan of podcasts of stories that run less than an hour long.

Here are my quickie reviews of this morning's fare:
"Pervert" -- Odd. I got the point of the message, but the setting didn't quite suck me in.
"26 Monkeys, Also the Abyss" -- Fun, light, and a good message.
"Exhalation" -- A little long, but very well done, and beautifully executed. I see why I should be a fan of Ted Chiang.
"Article of Faith" -- one of those classic talking head SF stories that is the exact reason some of that old-school preachy SF is not my cup of tea.
"A Preference for Silence." -- Evil, and fun. Go, Lucy!
"Elf Aware" -- I have to say, of all of the above, this tiny tidbit was my favorite. It was an emotional little piece, and the reader (Marguerite Croft) had the PERFECT voice for this. Highly, highly recommended.

Of course, I had another reason for doing some research on podcasting stories this morning...keep an eye on Apex Magazine to find out!

For those of you who missed Millennicon last weekend (I know who you are), there's a treat waiting for you over at Apex Books. I signed all Jason's Beauty & Dynamite stock...and I had lots of time at the table while he was gone, so they've all got my famous, multicolored, one-of-a-kind, decorated & doodled signatures.

Click the banner! There are only 7 or 8 left...so order now!


What happens when Lee is left in charge of a dealer's table. You have been warned.

If you're into that sort of thing, click here and check it out.



Meet Alethea Kontis, a self-proclaimed Genre Chick whose life is an adventure that tears through these pages like a hurricane. Carrot-a-day cancer cures and Murphy as a guardian angel (yes, that Murphy, the guy with all those irritating laws) are just a part of the daily routine for the Incredible Whirlwind of Beauty and Dynamite, the force of nature masquerading in human form. Through essays, poetry, and commentary from family, friends, and famous authors alike, a world of Blood Oaths and road trips, broken hearts and mended cars, comes alive with the strength of one woman's conviction that the world is there to be befriended. You have now been introduced. Let your adventure begin.

Don't forget, you can always get the pretty-picture-filled hard copy straight from the publisher. (He might even have some signed ones left, if you're lucky!)

The new issue of Apex is live, complete with the essay where I admit to shoving my little sister in a closet when we were kids. Come on...doesn't she look like a brat to you?

And what are you shoving in your closets?



And hey -- if you love Apex like I do, you can have a PDF subscription of your very own sent to you for only $2.00 an issue! Check out the details here.

It's been a long time in the making, but Harlan County Horrors is going to be released this fall, just in time to creep you out for Halloween. (You know, in case Kentucky doesn't creep you out at any other time of the year.) And we have a cover! Woohoo!



The authors include:

Alethea Kontis ("The Witch of Black Mountain")
Debbie Kuhn
Earl Dean
Geoffrey Girard
Jason Sizemore
Jeremy C. Shipp
Maurice Broaddus
Robby Sparks
Stephanie Lenz
Steven Shrewsbury
TL Trevaskis
Ronald Kelly
(I was pretty sure Mary Robinette Kowal was in on this one too, but let me check.)

Be sure to keep an eye on the Apex website for updates!

Per apexdigest : "You'll want to mention your wonderful publisher will send copies of B&D to interested HWA Actives (or PDFs if they prefer)."

If you are a voting member of the HWA and would like a review copy of Beauty & Dynamite, please email my wonderful publisher: jason[at]apexdigest.com.

Apex also celebrates fellow nominees Maurice Broaddus, Wrath James White, and Fran Friel. GO APEX!

Hooray! Beauty and Dynamite has officially made the preliminary ballot (aka "the long list") for the Bram Stoker Award. (Greg Lamberson has the whole kit & Kaboodle here.) So...um...vote for me.

And then go read The Dude Who Collected Lovecraft, by Nick Mamatas and Tim Pratt.

...is one who emails you this picture with a note that says, "I saw this in the bookstore and immediately thought of you."
I heart Jason.