Mari’s Midnight Garden

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Table of Contents

Introduction by Mari Adkins

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

Afterword: Harlan County: A Short History by Preston Halcomb

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“Harlan County is a jaunty return ride to the land of scary rednecks.” – Weston Ochse, author of Scarecrow Gods and Blaze of Glory

“It’s been a while since I’ve read an anthology as good as Harlan County Horrors. Throughout the project, Harlan County maintains her individuality while the authors offer varying plots and characters that define her people, mountains, and valleys. All the while, Mari Adkins does a great job as tour guide, ensuring a bushel of great old-fashioned storytelling, Appalachian folklore, and well-developed characters. I had a hankerin’ for a chaw of tobacco the whole time I read it.” – Michael Knost, editor of Legends of the Mountain State

“Harlan County Horrors is a breathtaking thrill ride into the nightmarish backwoods of America’s Heartland. Visceral and imaginative, Mari Adkins invites you into the darkest recesses of the Appalachian landscape, navigating through the malefic folklore of a timeless place where the roots of horror run deep.” – Bob Freeman, author of Descendant

“A delightful romp through the backwoods of hillbilly horror.” -Scott Nicholson, author of Scattered Ashes

“The authors of Harlan County Horrors take us not only through the cold, black depths of coal mines, but into an equally dark, mystical core and its effects on humanity. Mari Adkins sends us on a runaway cart through the past, present, and future of a land not meant to be trespassed, let alone punctured miles deep. If you thought the best thing about Kentucky was its fried chicken, I dare you to cross the county line with this book as your guide.” – Jerrod Balzer, author of Fear the Woods and Zombie Bastard

“Harlan County Horrors is a fantastic showcase of some of today’s best up-and-coming writers, ushering readers into a new era of Bloody Harlan.” – Kenneth Wood, Shock Totem Publications

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Future Goodies!
by Jason Sizemore

I’m quite excited about our upcoming books and projects. Like I do every so often, I’m going to catch my breath and share with you our latest global domination plans.

In the immediate future:
July 1st – We’re releasing Nate Kenyon’s cyperpunk-noir novella PRIME. Remember, we’re offering signed copies to those who pre-order. The price also goes up from $10 to $13.95 on July 1st.

August 1st – Gene O’Neill’s dark fantasy & horror collection TASTE OF TENDERLOIN comes out. These stories about San Francisco’s seedy underbelly (the Tenderloin) are currently on pre-order and all copies will come signed by Gene, artist Steven Gilberts, and Gavin O’Neill (Gene’s son, who provides the introduction).

September 1st – THE APEX BOOK OF WORLD SF edited by Lavie Tidhar is released. Featuring stories from the likes of Zoran Zivkovic, S.P. Somtow, and more, this is one you don’t want to miss. Unfortunately, since Lavie is currently hiding in the jungles of Laos, we’re not able to get signed copies.

October 1st – Mari Adkins presents HARLAN COUNTY HORRORS, our first ‘regional’ flavored anthology. If you like stories about hillbillies, coal miners, and rednecks, you’ll enjoy this one. Mari Adkins and a number of contributors will be signing all pre-ordered copies.

November 1st – The dual novella book WHEN DARKNESS LOVES US/BEAUTY IS by Elizabeth Engstrom comes out.

December 1st – DESCENDED FROM DARKNESS edited by Jason Sizemore and Gill Ainsworth. This is the Apex Magazine anthology reprinting all original short stories published on our website since January, 2008.

Further out…we’re buying at least two novels, though final edits have not been completed and contracts still need to be signed so we’re not naming names just yet. I can tell you that one is a wild zombie-comedy that we know you’ll love. The other is an action packed angel/demons/aliens thriller that reads fast and furious.

We’ve got three anthologies in the folds. The biggest is DARK FAITH edited by Maurice Broaddus. Another is Jennifer Brozek’s fun CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE URBAN KIND. Finally, late in 2010 or early 2011 will be Gill Ainsworth’s THE BLACKNESS WITHIN, an odd bit of stories featuring Moccus,a Celtic pig-god.

To round things out, the second of Sara M. Harvey’s novella trilogy is due out next March/April/May and we should have a novella from Campbell Award-winner Mary Robinette Kowal.

Phew, fun times, indeed!

http://www.apexbookcompany.com/blog/2009/06/future-goodies/

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Oy Vey Phrase of the Day:

Usually hearing how he said her name gave her heart winds, but now it turned her heart to lead.

Sometimes it’s painful.

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Trying on several new themes. Pardon me while I try to make up my mind!

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“Books and stories do not write themselves, yet it’s amazing how many people (including some very successful authors) seem to think otherwise. Writing a novel or a short story takes one thing and one thing only-sitting your ass down in the chair and writing it. Posting on a message board does not help you finish. Neither does checking your email or playing a video game or looking at porn or any of the other things we do with our computers.” — Brian Keene

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Yesterday, even with a heat advisory on, Thomas and I stayed busy.

Continue Reading »

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Was typing right along from handwritten draft and out came this gem:

Oy Vey Phrase of the Day:

Later, he told himself; later, when she’d had time to heal and to accept all of the changes that had come into her liver over the last seven months.

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