The beginning of 2013 starts with a death close to me and my work.  In the last few days, David Naughton-Shires announced he was closing KnightWatch Press.  Like most small presses in the current climate, it became to much of a draw on his personal finances.  David and crew recently published four of my 100 word drabbles in Little Stories for the Smallest Room (you can buy a copy here before it disappears).  KnightWatch was also slated to release my short story “Stonewall” in another anthology.  Every dealing I had with David and the fine folks at KnightWatch was always professional and they will be missed greatly.  I have the utmost respect for David and I wish him well with his other endeavours.  Good luck sir!

On the flip side, “Stonewall” has struck again.  For those keeping score, this is the second time a press has folded before the story got to print.  It was my first accepted story and after a long wait, the press it was with folded.  I updated parts of the tale and it was accepted by KnightWatch.  Elated, I waited for it to see the light.

But again, it was not to be…

I am left with a big question now.  The rights to the anthology it would have appeared in are now with another press (there is not a signed contract, so the story is free to leave if I wish it).  The press is new and untested, but the man in charge has left a decent impression on me (he’s also working with some other great people to get the book out).  I’m to the point where “Stonewall” needs to see print ahead of Southern Devils and I need some flexibility with the story.  I want it in a book, but if I want to use it in the first Southern Devils book,  I don’t have the luxury of waiting for the rights to revert back.  Things are pretty fluid with the situation right now and once I weigh the options and decide, you’ll be the first or third to know.

Well, 2013 has already started off with a few touches of the bizarre and I’m trying to buckle down to complete more projects than last year.  I have updated the Biblio page with some new stories coming later this year.  A few of them are listed by just the title as I am waiting on some things before making the formal announcements.

Thank you all for the views in the past year and I hope to have a more successful 2013!

Goodnight…

UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!

KnightWatch Press has just been announced as a new imprint for Fringeworks Press.  There will be new anthologies under the new imprint and KnightWatch name and all KnightWatch books not passed off to other presses will remain in print now.  I wish the very best of luck to KnightWatch’s new direction and also to Fringework for letting KWP live on.