Gathering of Gore
As many of you know, I had the distinct honor of being asked to work on the newly released Gathering of Gore anthology, published by Tim Miller, and featuring Shaun Hupp, Peggy Howes, myself, and Bonny Capps. Firstly, let me say that I don't think any experience in my life so far can equal the level of excitement and accomplishment I felt working with these authors.
I have only been writing professionally since late April, early May, and in that time, I've had many amazing things happen. But being asked to work with authors you've read and looked up to for years is akin to Johnny Depp showing up and asking you for a date (that actually happened to me once, I swear).
Now that the brown-nosing portion of this blog is over (I personally don't see it as brown nosing, just honesty, but I've been accused of kissing ass and I won't deny it. Who doesn't want to kiss Tim Miller's glorious behind?), I would like to proceed to my thoughts on the anthology as well as the stories in it. I've read this anthology in its entirety three times now. I was absolutely astounded at the quality and originality of the work. I will not be referring to my story until the very end, and I'll keep it brief. Right now though, I'm talking about the other four author's stories.
From flying spiders to a heartbreaking tale of fatherly love, to an outing gone horribly wrong, to magic and mystery, this collection may be short but it packs a punch. You'll definitely be grossed out, but you'll also feel sadness, confusion, and even a little bit of tongue-in-cheek laughter. Because what is a mess of gore and tragedy without some snarky women and a few moments of filth?
With all that said, I just wanted to say that I'm incredibly proud to have been involved in this work. I got to work with people I admire, and I got to have some fun with my story. I will never be able to thank Tim and Shaun enough for their help and guidance along the way (other authors have been amazingly supportive as well, but that is for another blog). I really hope you all take the time to read through Gathering of Gore. Every story has its own voice and is worth the time. Lastly, I just want to say that I hope my story comes across as I meant it. I wanted to try a fresh approach to a very simple story, that has been done before in different ways. I knew it was a risk, choosing such a simple plotline, but I have the hope that readers will enjoy the humor and insanity I tried to portray in a feminine, yet sociopathic light. I kind of sought to do justice to the crazy women of old, who I've always admired. From Harley Quinn to Delphine LaLaurie, and many more, I wanted to make my leading lady, Leslie, a crazy bitch for the ages. And in doing so, I wanted to make it clear that when we women snap, we really snap, and it is more than just fury. It's utter madness.
Thanks for reading, and I'll see you again soon. Don't miss my soon to be announced new story!
~DQ 🌹