SNM Horror Magazine

Theresa Newbill made her chilling debut here at SNM Mag with her hauntingly realistic story "Children of the Trade." After reading her poetry and seeing how concise her writing was, it only made sense to have her host our new dark poetry theme as the selecting editor and a regular contributor. Theresa has been involved on staff with another press, doing interviews and has excellent background credentials. She is a former elementary school  teacher turned "dark fiction writer." Her work has been widely published in other print and online magazines. She has received numerous awards for her writing. She is self-described as a free spirit and has quite a vision for poetry. Theresa will be a regular short fiction and poem contributor here at SNM Mag

 myspace.com/isabelleann123

                                      Theresa Newbill

Paula Ray - Harvest

Arthur Crow - Supernatural

Roxanne Hoffman - Spider at Twilight Bar

Donna Burgess - End Song

Michael Garza - The Rise and Fall

Angel Bryant - One Year Survivor

Pavelle Wesser - Daylight Into Dreams

Harris Whitman - Lovers' Eternal Embrace

Brian Newbill - The House and the Room

Editor's Poetry Contributions:

Theresa Newbill - Return

Steven Marshall - Time Heals All Scars

*March 2010 Interview Spotlight Feature:

Dave Kuzminski of Preditors & Editors

Exclusive Interview with George A. Romero

Presented from 2009 Horrorfest Convention.

I am the beauty in darkness.
The elixir of dreams
-- Drink me deep

A slither of fire
betrays the ethos of shadow
as my eyes burn between worlds
Metal witches rise in the dawn,
awakening in dark-meditation
All hallowed is the pagan wind
seducing lost souls in mystical-time
Ebon ghosts adrift;
blood screaming in frozen horizons
Magick glistens in the wounds of trees
The sound of snow beckons my
breath into the fabric of water
where spirits bequest the ether
of unknown dimensions
I am spellbound

Silhouettes in the mist
adorn the robes of sacrifice
Rivers of exile flow in lucid fear
as myth becomes reality..
Slender fingers weave through minds
conjuring the fragrance of purgatory
rippling in haunted dreamscapes
In flame wither the moon
Arcane tears weep from the sky
The temptress leans over naked flesh
tracing ancient signs across my chest
Deeper I sink into the eye of
the supernatural
Undressed in nocturnal gravity,
the blood of the spirit realm
throbs in my veins

Beware the crow
dare you gaze the dust of eons,
for winged-shadows thirst the weary
Suspended in primeval twilight,
I seek love beyond mortal veil
Flicker of serpent tongues covet
altered states; their incantations swirl
in silvery ash over metallic streams
I stand in a labyrinth of alchemy
basking deep in an
exodus of fabled civilizations
Undead whispers paint my soul
in the ink of night
The bridge between worlds
shimmers in blood-fire
Below the black moon I rise

In darkest serenade of
falling roses,
the Vampire is born

www.myspace.com/liquidcrows

Each night, as Time stands still its constant chase,
I leave the sanctum of my inner space
To join with members of the Human Race.

Each night, with drink in hand, I take my place —
To join their nighttime revelry
And feed my ravenous deviltry.

I drink in unsaid thought with gentle sips,
Pluck still hushed secrets whispered from pursed lips
That unlock doors from me to wander in,
To stir up all that has, and might have been:

The Long Lost Friend, you’ve always missed;
The Lover you never could resist;
The Great-Great Aunt, you hardly knew,
Who every holiday remembered you;
The Godfather, you’ve seldom seen,
On whom you always call and always lean;
The Distant Cousin, rarely met,
Whose face you share so shan’t forget.

Through conversation’s constant hum I slip in,
For there’s no debate or heart I cannot win.

As confidant I extend an ear,
A handkerchief to wipe back the tear.
I promise that my lips are sealed;
No secret you entrust shall be revealed.

I play the part of stranger welcomed as a friend,
Whose gracious generosity you’ll gladly spend,
Who captivates you with the tales he tells.
Each word a wand he waves to cast my spell,
To take you places you’ve never been,
While weaving the yarn I slowly spin.

He entangles you in the web I weave,
Where once you step you never leave.

 http://roxanne.hoffman.home.att.net

Her mind ventures to dark places
Recesses harboring the abyss of malice
Anxiously awaiting the day of release
Release that will expose the terror of her will

The sun sets early, rays fearful
Her control over its radiance immeasurable
The ability of thought controlling everything
The inevitable demise of anyone, anything in her way

Man had done enough
His desire for power – control
All the things she is capable of
All the things she uses with compassion for her victims

It was time for him to pay
Pay not only with his life
But with the lives of his future lineage
Everything after him a shadow of his insolence

The seed planted
Its transference to innocence
They would carry the disease
Disease that would claw its way out of their wombs

It would take hold
Spreading like a virus
Everyone exposed; no one free from its wrath
Fore the future will be a wasteland of dark places

The screen door bangs in the breeze
Creates a back beat of despair
I sit in Gina’s room
Watching as the clouds make yellow moon glow paint spills
And dusky shadows
On grinning bears and dancing elephants
On her pink-gray walls.
Everything is gray in the end.

That moon glow makes even the brightest colors appear dead.
Gina is gray, too,
Skin and eyes and nails
Even rosy lips and silken tongue.
Down in the cellar
Pretty little fingers scraping on the stony floor and walls
Pads ground all the way to bone
She mewls and calls for Mommy
I sit in the chair where I used to hold her
And rock until I doze into a dream of the Birthday Song
Painted with colors other than gray.

http://donnaburgess.com

Lurking in shadows it waits for long steps in a determined way.
The elder watches through eons of sleep and slumber.
Hidden between the shadows it lays,

Beneath the earth and beyond our mind.
Men come calling as they push deeper through the soil.
The unleashing begins with no care for blood or flesh.

The mind drips with tawdry fear from time and torment.
Midnight calls, let the descent begin.
Shifting shapes over cobbled stone roads.
In fiendish delight it devours all that stands in its way.

Power eludes those who held the heart of men.
It shows no reckoning of the things of this world.
In the wake of fire the lost reach for all that they knew.
Finding only a remnant of what was left behind.

The kings have fallen with no throne or crown.
True royalty roused to stand judgment on the folly of ants.
No memory for man, no lasting stain on for our time.
The elder wakes swallowing space and time.

One year ago today, Devastating news
Chased all my dreams and hopes away
As I sat on the cold table, in my paper gown
The Doc was reading from my chart
with his head turned down.

He tried to be positive while giving me the facts
But once I heard Cancer, It hit me like an Axe
My mind took off in a million directions
This cant happen to me. A state of rejection
Hundreds of images flashed before my eyes
My Children and Family, All I could do was cry

In two weeks, They will Cut into me, They will
try to save my breast, but no guarantee
The fear is all encompassing and fogs your mind
Imagining the mutilation made me wish I was blind
But I knew I would do whatever it took
To stay with my Fam, My faith wasn’t shook

Its been a long year filled with sickness and pain
But I've been given a gift and had so much to gain
I’ve found true friends that love me and have my back
Thanks to chemo and radiation, I STILL HAVE MY RACK!!!!

 www.myspace.com/kidrockangel

It is with fatal resolve that you climb
onto the ledge. I yell out from below
STOP
As you fall through the sky, gauze curtains
billow gracefully. The impact of your landing
splinters my bones into a million fragmented
shards, each one reflecting iridescent tints of
HELL
Vacillating between light and shade, awaiting
salvation in the shadow of a dream. One word
rises from the mist of resurrection, so hard to
HEAL
When human frailty is exposed to this extent.
I am in the process of trying when the heavens
whip me into a whirlwind and I spin through
endless cycles of no return, awakening to see
you standing by my bedside, speaking of
WHAT
From the ashes of endless you rise into the
great beyond. Through the darkness of the
interminable night, I watch myself climbing
with fatal resolve onto the ledge, pushing aside
HELP
Gauze curtains billow as bones shatter. The naked
eye will never see the shards that lie scattered across
the pavement reflecting sunlight into daylight into
descending darkness, all of which await an answer
WHY
One final question remains suspended throughout
all of time. This life I live seems but a dream from
which I will awaken only to repeat the same charade
over and over again in the light of a distant dawn

Myspace.com/pavelle.wesser

Leaving was not easy, I loved you more than life itself.
Left behind, a small token on a revered shelf.
Yet I send you tiding, send you love,
With all that is me from high above.

When you lie alone, restless sleep at night,
I come down beside you, quell the fight,
I’m here now and always, an ever present force,
Watching you as you meander life’s course.

When you weep it tears at my soul,
Your smile making me once again whole.
When I left my earthen state a part stayed behind,
It is always present within you, you’ll find.

You asked for a sign, a signal, wanting to know,
Yet all around you I display, I show
That far from being apart, far from leaving
I’m closer still, holding you as you are grieving.

I’m as your shadow following you wherever you go,
The wind that carries your sail to and fro,
The warmth of a Harvest Moon, cascading upon your face,
As I peer through time, travel through space.

I’m in that ever blooming white rose that knows no bounds;
I’m the rhythmic beat of a sweet song wherever it sounds.
I’m here all along as truth will tell,
Never leaving my beloved Belle.

(Poem dedication to Theresa Newbill.)

harriswhitman@yahoo.com

Love is like most things in life: When you don't seek...you find.

It is dark and it is late
Exhausted but I can’t sleep
A shot of brandy to numb the cold
I light a cigarette and went out
The night is cool and clear
I look up and see Orion, The Hunter
When I come back it will have moved
But it will still be there?
I embrace the darkness even as I fear it
What secrets might it contain that have yet to reveal themselves
What dangers lurk in the shadows of which I am not aware

Walk with me I say aloud
Even though no one is there
The street, both strange and familiar
The house, old but elegant
Confusion now
A thousand times I’ve passed this way
Never saw this house before
Or had I?
For reasons I can’t explain
I felt compelled to approach the door
My God it was she who answered

This woman of mystery
I have dreamt of before
Now stands before me in the shadow of the open door
Was this another dream?
I didn’t know, I didn’t care
She said come in as she took my hand
Come in out of the darkness
She led me to a room
Candles lit the night
Shimmering lace curtains draped everywhere
Reflected the softness of the light

She is so very beautiful
This Angel I named Midnight
She said this is your room now
You can stay here
As long as you like
I said I would
If she would stay too.

She smiled and said I’ll stay here with you…
And then she put out the lights.
And as she held me close to her
I knew that I was safe
I no longer felt alone
I knew I was home.

In Memory of Brian

I noticed the beauty of how faces
can often twist in the outer vastness
of dreams, the way they position
themselves with insight communicating
telepathically the voice of vanilla flesh
that melts into spiritual ecstasy behind
a blinding smile.

If you could feel solidarity with light
without hyperactive interference, would you
be surprised at your inability to sleep?
Thoughts are like a dagger; they have sound,
force, stability, and they penetrate like a
thorn into visualized energy.

There is some tangible recognition to the
skeleton existence of manifesting. It chokes
us up, makes us remember to relax and pay
attention to the essences around us, not just
the structural and tangible.

My eyes glaze over calling my bluff, demanding
I plant the seeds in gardens already exhausted
by the freeway of life. Till, till, till,
my root charka gives me determination to arrive
and flourish.

I'm hesitant to celebrate in color, even as I'm
fully integrated and active in the memory of us
and the powerful forces that brought us together;
before you agreed to split with nature, my nature.

If I could have another opportunity to modify, to
simplify our relationship I would begin functioning
on that level with considerable release, but would
you give me a second chance?

I dare you to say I never loved you while I excuse
myself immersing into shades of Violet, Indigo,
Blue Crystal and Lavender; my colors, as I come
full circle surrounded by love, my love for you.

And that feeling of familiarity and comfort is the
completion of passage that brings return to the
succession of yesterdays, blooming in post-death.
I've cleared your path and I now ask,

"Would I lie to you?"

"Would I lie to you?"

"Would I lie to you?"

www.myspace.com/isabelleann123

Time waits before it heals a broken heart

Memories fade in your lifetime -- like a work of art

You must move on now, leaving your heartbreak behind

You will find, in good time, life you can't just rewind

The rose and its thorns, a sign of beauty

Greedy hands seek your mystique

Magical rose, savage grace flows

Where there is beauty lies a greed that grows

Nobody knows, nobody cares

That you were peacefully lying there

Rose knows, its beauty can shame us with pain

With its last breath it will struggle, for our human gain

It's lying dead now, its memories fading of life

Now this rose feels your pain, it is lost, yet remains

Time heals all scars, life bleeds new wounds

Watching the pain drip down you

Thorns of a rose, beauty that grows

Breathing the rain deep inside of you

Sadness can wait, plenty tomorrow

And time like fate you can borrow

And life can wait for your sorrow

Life is not fair if you breathe air

Were we aware you had a right to blossom there?

Now we just stare, without a care

But here's a lament that we can now both share

www.stevenmarshallhorror.com

20 Questions Unmasked!

SNM: Greetings Dave, pleasure to have you here. There’s quite a history behind Preditors & Editors. Let’s start with how and when P&E came about. What fueled the fire and how did you form the directory?

Dave: P&E came about when I created a web page to answer questions from writers after I had accepted a chat moderation position on Prodigy. It didn't take me long to realize that almost every new writer had the same questions so it made sense to create a web page that I could refer writers to instead of typing in the same answers every time. About the same time the web page exceeded a printed page in length I gave it a name because I could see then that it would grow. The name came out of recognizing that writers wanted to know who to trust and who not to trust. What truly fueled the fire was an attempt by one non-recommended business to shut down P&E. The harder they tried, the more I saw a need to resist and the more important P&E was to writers. They needed a site that would stand up to bullies and zombies. So far, we've stood our ground and no writers have had their brains eaten.

SNM: How many on staff in total and what are their functions?

Dave: Right now, it's just me and some volunteers who email info to me. Last two months, there were just two of us.

SNM: What was your background prior to starting P&E?

Dave: Prior to P&E, I had worked as a programmer and had also had some limited success in getting short stories published in print and online and was just starting to see my first efforts succeed in getting my novels published.

SNM: So you also have a background in writing? Please share your published novels with our readers. Any how-to published works?

Dave: I had various non-fiction articles and a couple of poems in magazines along with a monthly bulletin for a Fortune 500 business I put together for over three years and some computer programs that were published in computer magazines back in the mid 1980s. But no “how-to” publish articles that I can recall. These are my novels to date as my short story publications are too numerous to mention:

Protector of Seaswams

Guardians of Riverswams

Touch of the Sea Witch

Shield of Truth

The Aliens Is Coming!

Beasts Are Us

Censored by Earth Command: Arrows and Lasers

Censored by Earth Command: Bullets and Lasers

Censored by Earth Command: Cavalry and Lasers

Crystal Creasure

Dark Unicorn

Karmic Warrior (Available for free on Scribd)

Knight Spirits

Mark II

Redwing, Dragon Detective

Attack Butterfly

Dust Bunny

Paravoid

Rust Bucket

Space Rescue One

Washout

Will Fight Evil For Food

SNM:  Since your listing information is posted on the website under the “Freedom of Speech Act” and I’m just asking your opinion who are the top 3 Preditor Pariahs you’ve encountered?

Dave: There are no top three predators. We consider every scam to be equally reprehensible. For the record, we misspell predators as Preditors for trademark purposes.

SNM: How often do you update your listings and how long do you post dead markets for?

Dave: Except for a few instances such as when power was knocked out, P&E has been updated on a daily basis. That means we post new listings or updates every single day of the year and we've been doing that since 1997 when we took on our name. I believe P&E was actually in operation as early as 1995 or 1996. We keep dead listings because sometimes they come back to life when they acquire new funding or they come back when they realize playing dead doesn't work to get them out of being not recommended. And other resources don't always provide information about a market being dead so our listings help fill that gap.

SNM: If a bad press preys on writers and closes shop then operates again under a different name, how do you connect the threads?

Dave: We have many sources who provide P&E with various documentation. Some of them voluntarily help P&E keep track of the bad sites and their operators. Obviously, the bad sites don't like that especially since we keep all of the information on file so we can alert writers when a bad site has a long history of misbehavior.

SNM: P&E, Duotrope, Ralan are the 3 best known directories today. Who else was around when you started, directory wise?

Dave: There were other resource sites around but they were shut down by sites who opposed them or had a lack of funding. Writers' Island for instance was crushed by PublishAmerica.

SNM: With so many start-up presses, would you recommend publishers/magazines begin online before going print  today?

Dave:  If a publisher of books or magazines doesn't have the funds to do it right, then it makes no difference whether it starts operations in print or online. Without proper funding, it's unlikely to succeed. Also P&E doesn't reveal its criteria for being recommended.

We did so briefly only to have a scam attempt to weasel-word its way into being recommended. And we accept all sites onto our listings regardless of whether they're recommended or not. In fact, the majority are listed as acceptable though we prefer not to list a publisher until it has produced at least two books or issues. That's generally a good sign that it's a stable market.

SNM: Are the number of failed presses today increasing or decreasing?

Dave: This is difficult to state one way or another since P&E and I don't have any concrete numbers about how many are in business or have failed. In fact, too many hide the fact that they're failing until their actions cause harm to writers and themselves. My guess, however, is that the number of failures is probably more because too many individuals are desperate to be published and see that failure as reason enough to start up a publishing company.

SNM: What are some of the keys to success for magazines and publishers to have staying power in the industry?

Dave: Learn the business first. Hire knowledgeable individuals with the right skills for the tasks that need to be performed in order to succeed.

SNM: What are some trends you’ve noticed in the downfalls of magazines and publishers?

Dave: They lack funding, lack skilled personnel, don't know how to market and distribute their product, and read too little. Also, they're usually too much in a rush.

SNM: When did you start hosting the award polls and how many total votes were tallied from all categories this year?

Dave: The Readers Poll began in 1997. The last poll was our thirteenth. This year we received well over 19,000 votes.

SNM: Has ballot stuffing and duplicate emails become more of a problem in tallying the votes? 

Dave: Actually, our programmer (not me) has managed to build a new program that weeds out most attempts to stuff the ballot. Beyond the programming, we do a manual review of all the votes to eliminate anything that might have gotten through. The good news is that our programmer's efforts have resulted in far fewer suspect votes getting through

SNM: Will there be future awards that reflect the “opinions of the editors” based on certain criteria, rather than popularity via voting? 

Dave: It's something I've given thought to for the past few years. What's needed is a way to approach that so that the results are equitable and fair.

SNM: How long do you plan on continuing to host P&E?

Dave: I plan on operating P&E until I'm no longer able. I'm sure that's both good news for writers and bad news for those who don't like P&E.

SNM: What is your preferred genre of reading and what are your top 5 all-time favorite books?  

Dave: I tend to like science fiction, humor and history. My top 5 favorites include several of my own. I think it's important for a writer to like his own work. If I can't like mine then I guess I shouldn’t be a writer. Anyway, in no particular order, I like Knight Spirits, Guardians of Riverswams, Robert A. Heinlein's Starship Troopers, Keith Laumer's Bolo and Andre Norton's Galactic Derelict. There are many others I equally like but these I remember exceptionally well.

SNM: Do you have any plans on revamping the layout of the website in the future or listing information differently?

Dave: P&E has always undergone revamping when it became obvious that a change would be good for writers.

SNM: What other sources of income does P&E generate aside from public donations? How can writers, editors and publishers donate?

Dave: Except for legal expenses, P&E has not asked for nor received any funds from the public. At present P&E has only a donation button for legal expenses.

SNM: What is the best way for writers to access your directory?

http://anotherealm.com/prededitors/

Thank you, Dave, for taking the time to give us this behind the scenes glimpse into P&E. Many new writers see P&E listings as a writer's Holy Grail. I’ve been using the site and heeding to the recommendations since 1995. 15 years later, you're still around providing an invaluable service to all writers. Keep up the good work; the writing community needs you.

Writers: Be sure to check out this directory if you're submitting and see if any other authors have had any past difficulties or positive experiences with the said listed presses and magazines. It can save you lots of grief and money as it did for me. They have been in existence since 1995 and list the complaints and compliments that authors have made with certain publications .

                       

                   By Michael Knox

For SNM Horror Magazine

                   mknox@modernfilmzine.com

                www.modernfilmmagazine.com

“Thank you so much for the warm welcome,” Romero said. “It’s wonderful to have people show all of these old movies. I can’t believe you guys actually sat here and watched a movie that’s older than me.”

The comment drew laughs from the crowd before Romero, jokingly corrected himself, “I’m a little older than the movie, but not by much.” George addresses the crowd after Friday's screening of "Night of the Living Dead."

More than 400 people came to the screening of Romero’s 1968 classic “Night of the Living Dead” movie in Charlotte, N.C. on Friday night. The movie was part of a three day Romero festival, titled American Zombie, which continues Saturday and Sunday.  The event is being organized by The Light Factory and Reel Soul Cinema in Charlotte.

Romero may poke fun at his success, acting surprised that people care about his films, but officials know his importance to the film industry.

Aaron Syrett, the director of the North Carolina Film Office, talked about Romero’s work to the crowd.  Syrett traveled from his office in Raleigh, N.C. for the event.

“He’s such a prolific filmmaker,” Syrett said. “A lot of scary stuff. My favorite was ‘Creepshow.’”

In addition to the screening of Romero’s movie, Friday night’s events
included a zombified rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”

DeKendrick Randolph, 22, of Charlotte, N.C., led the pack of zombies, dressed as a monstrous remake of Michael Jackson, with the crowd whooping and hollering in delight. He led the pack of zombies across the stage, dancing along to the music, obviously enjoying himself and the crowd.

The evening had also included the announcement of Creative Loafing’s American Zombie short film competition with  George Romero himself picking the winner among the top five finalists.

Afterward, Filion said the news of Romero liking his film was a big boost.

“I was a little bit floored, you really can’t work yourself up for it or prepare yourself in any way,” Filion said. “It’s one of those things that you just kind of have to take in stride and hope you don’t stumble over every single word that comes out of your mouth.”

Filion said that he shot the film specifically for Romero since the American Zombie film competition was a big part of the Romero festival.

“I am a huge Romero fan,” Filion said. “’Dawn of the Dead’ and ‘Creepshow,’ those are two of my favorite Romero films.”

Filion said he also made the movie in honor of his mother, June Filion, who recently died.

“It kind of held a special place there,” Filion said. Robert Filion, 36, of Rock Hill, S.C., is named winner of the American Zombie short film competion with George Romero personally picking Filion's film as the winner.

Robert Filion, 36, of Rock Hill, S.C., was named the winner of the American Zombie short film competion with George A. Romero personally picking Filion's film as the winner.

Filion said preproduction on the short was about three weeks with four days of actual filming. He said the short was shot entirely in his neighborhood and at his home. He would often have more than 50 people in his home at one time.

“I once thought I had a big house, but I do not,” Filion said with a laugh. Filion said post-production on the short took about seven days.

Filion has worked on other projects before “See the Dead,” working as a cinematographer, writer, producer, editor and even production manager. He was the unit production manager on the 2006 feature film, “Cold Storage.”

Romero said that Filion’s background helped him when the film competition and have Romero choose “See the Dead,” out of the other films.

During a Q & A session of the screening a fan had asked what aspiring filmmakers should do to get their work more noticed. Romero talked about how people simply need to make films in order to build a career and a
reputation.

“I judged this film competition and all five of the films were really deserving, it was hard to make a choice,” he said. “The film that won I thought just had beautiful shot selections and I just thought it was that little inch above the other ones. But I would never have known this filmmaker or this film if not for this competition.”

George A. Romero, the director of such hit films as “Dawn of the Dead,” still seems surprised by the popularity his movies generate. Romero said so himself on Friday night during a screening of one of his films after waiting for the crowd’s applause to finally die down.

 

SNM would like to thank Michael Knox for conducting and reporting this most awesome interview with George, master of the Living Dead.We featured this interview in March of 2009.