Shadows of the Emerald City now available on AMAZON

Shadows of the Emerald City is now available on Amazon. This anthology of horror tales set in the Oz Universe features my latest story, "A Heart Is Judged."

Like all fairy tales, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has one foot planted in the fantastic and another foot planted firmly in blood. Explore the darker side of Oz...the parts too terrifying or obscene to be told as bedtime stories. 19 tales from some of today's hottest Indie writers peel back the emerald layers of the Land of Oz and reveal the pink, bloody flesh beneath. Shadows DO fall in the Emerald city, and where they are their darkest you will find the true terror of Oz.

Shadows of the Emerald City AVAILABLE NOW

Shadows of the Emerald City, which contains my short story "A Heart Is Judged," is available now from Northern Frights Publishing. The book will be on Amazon soon, but for now is available through the publisher's website. Get your copy today!

Wanderings Magazine Reviews Shadows of the Emerald City

Shadows of the Emerald City, featuring my story "A Heart Is Judged," was reviewed recently by Wanderings Magazine. Check it out at this link: http://www.wanderingsmag.com/rvw_ShadowEmerald.html

Congratulations to a former student

One of my students, James Peak, has placed a story in Ruthless Peoples Magazine, Issue #7. Congratulations James!

Read his story, "The Best Damned Post Hole Digger In The Word."

Lords of Justice on Comic Geek Speak

I was interviewed on Episode 680 of the Comic Geek Speak podcast. I spoke with Peter Rios for about 10 minutes about Lords of Justice and my short story "The Paladin." These guys do a great show, you should check it out.

Another Sale: Shadows of the Emerald City

I'm pleased to announce that I've placed another short story--this time in an anthology called Shadows of the Emerald City, coming this fall from Northern Frights Publishing. This volume collects 20 tales by some of today's hottest Indie writers, peeling back the emerald layers of the Land of Oz and revealing the pink, bloody flesh beneath. Some of the people and places you may recognize from your childhood, but you won't believe what happens to them. Shadows do fall in the Emerald City, and where they are their darkest is where you will find the true terror of Oz.

Here is the line-up so far:

"A Heart is Judged" by Kevin G. Summers
A long time before anyone in Oz had ever heard of things such as Dorothy or Kansas, the Munchkins were enslaved to The Wicked Witch of the East. In return for their lives they agreed to furnish her with a new baby girl on the first day of Spring. When his new baby is chosen, one man seeks to do what no Munchkin has ever done: hunt the Witch, and save his daughter, and ensure that a little girl with a very special future gets a second chance at life.

"The Perfect Fit" by EM MacCallum
In the land of Oz a woman in prison is given a very special gift from a stranger...little does she know that this gift is in fact one of the most powerful weapons in the whole land, one that will change the very fabric of Oz forever.

"The Utility of Love" by David Steffen
A retelling of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz where the Tin Man's quest to understand the use for a thing called "Love" takes center stage. In this version though, the Tin Man is a towering juggernaut bent on ridding Oz of all magic and destroying any Witch that crosses his path. Is Dorothy strong enough to endure the love of a two story metal monster?

"Dr Will Price and the Curious Case of Dorothy Gale" by Mark Onspaugh
A young Psychiatrist takes a job so he can be closer to the woman involved in a crime that fascinated him as a child. Years later, in an effort to draw this woman from her catatonic fantasy land, Dr Price signs her out of the hospital for the day...and in return she plunges them both into a world of terror and wonder that could well take his breath away...and his life.

"Pumkinhead" by Rajan Khanna
A woman brought in to help Jack figure out why the pumpkins in his field rot as soon as they're picked is about to discover a much darker side to her pumpkin headed friend...and she's also going to find out what happens when good jack-o-lantern heads go bad...

"The China People of Oz" by T.L. Barrett
The parents of a terminally ill child obsessed with the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz decide to grant her wish and take her to Kansas to visit the site of Dorothy's farm and find some peculiar little charms that the little girl falls in love with. As time passes and the little girl's illness becomes worse, she becomes obsessed with her little trinkets. To the horror of her parents, the little trinkets appear to be obsessed with their little girl too...

"Four AM at the Emerald City Windsor" by H.F. Gibbard
In a gritty hotel room a man a man finds a spell book with instructions on how to fix his life. Suddenly the miserable life with his unfaithful wife Dorothy and avoiding the murderous jealous rage of the Tin Man are the least of his worries. If someone gave you a spell so you could have your heart's greatest desire...are you sure you know what that would be?

"One Wicked Day" by Frank Dutkiewicz
It has often been rumoured that The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was in fact a manifesto created by L Frank Baum to mock his political rivals and push an agenda stemming beck to the turn of the 20th century. This story takes a light hearted...but still very lethal poke at what the world of Oz might be like if it were saturated in politics and economics, and what it might be like if it was being manipulated by the true power figures of Oz...

"The Last Battle of Trewis" by David Mason
An old soldier, long retired to the pleasures of his caramel apple orchard, is faced with the return of an ancient enemy he once defeated. But is he strong enough to do it again? Especially when his enemy seeks the power to bring all of Oz under his boot heel, and worse...now has the ability to do so?

Shore-Leave 31

I had a good time at Shore-Leave last night. Keith DeCandido's roast was awesome, especially the doctored clip from Star Trek The Animated Series that they played. I hope that ends up on YouTube so it can continued to be enjoyed... and heard. It was hard to make out everything because the audience was laughing so hard. After the roast was the Meet The Pros party, which wasn't bad considering I haven't published anything in the Star Trek universe in about 4 years. But I actually sold some copies of Prophecy and Change, and it was good to catch up with some folks I haven't seen in a while. I've posted a bunch of pictures on my facebook page, so check them out.

Comic Geek Speak

Lords of Justice was mentioned on episode 645 of the Comic Geek Speak podcast. They pull the book out of their mail bag around the 25:00 mark of the episode.

Shore-Leave 31

I'm pleased to announce that I will be a guest at Shore-Leave 31 in July. Please come by and visit me at the Meet The Pros party on Friday, July 10. I would be happy to sign anything, even if it was written by Keith DeCandido, and will have a few copies of Lords of Justice for sale.

Here's a picture from my last Shore-Leave, when I met Casey Biggs:

Back on track

After 8 weeks of teaching my writing class, I'm finally done.  I suppose it's because I take on so much additional reading when I teach, but find that my writing productivity goes right down the toilet.  Thankfully, I am back in the saddle again.  I finished Issue #3 of my intentionally-vague, yet-to-be-announced comic book project this week, and after I make an editorial pass, I'm ready to dive into #4 and #5.  After that, I have the rest of the year planned out with a fantasy series that I've been planning for a long, long time.  It sure feels good to be writing on a regular schedule again.

Raging Bullets Episode #156

Lords of Justice is once again sponsoring the Raging Bullets podcast. Here's a rundown of their latest episode:

Episode 156: Longtime friend of the show Art Lyon joins us in a massive two part segment devoted to his recent work on Brave and the Bold 20-22. Also joining us is Jason Page to discuss the Denver Comicfest and he gives us some insight on the behind the scenes of putting together a comic convention.

Show Notes:
0:00 Show opening, heroinitiative.org, DCBService.com, Instocktrades.com, our ongoing contest (Ragingcontest@gmail.com), show voicemail line 1-440-388-4434 or drnorge on Skype,and more.
5:43 Art Lyon joins us in the first of a two part interview looking at his work on Brave and the Bold 20-22.
1:37:34 Comicfest chat with Jason Page, April 17-19 in Denver.
2:41:05 Show closing
2:44:14 Raging Reel : From New York, Jim has an interview segment about comics in libraries.
We’ll be back in next week with our next episode. Check Ragingbullets.com and the forum for regular updates.
Don’t forget to submit your own content for the web site and the show. We love your participation.

Art Lyon
http://artlyonart.com/

Bill Reinhold (For some great examples of the uncolored Brave and the Bold work, as Art mentioned.)
http://billreinhold.deviantart.com/

Lords of Justice
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0982135203?ie=UTF8&tag=kevingsummerc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0982135203"

Jason Page (ComicFest in Denver April 17-19, 2009)
http://www.fanboyface-off.com/
http://www.starland.com/sf-sc/sf09/CF_index.php

Drawer Boxers
http://www.collectiondrawer.com/

Raging Bullets Episode #155

Lords of Justice is sponsoring episode #155 of Raging Bullets.  They are also featuring our ad on their site, which you can check out here.

Lords of Justice sponsors Raging Bullets podcast

Check out the Lords of Justice sponsorship on the Raging Bullets podcast.  We are featured in episode #154, with a great excerpt reading by the "Sensei Of The Whatnot."   Check out their show, which is one of the best comic-related podcasts available.

New homepage artwork

Did you notice the awesome pencil drawing on my homepage?  I'm not at a point where I can announce what that's all about, but I can tell you that there is a comic book project in the works, and that the amazingly talented artist is a fellow named James Hale.  After seeing about 30 pages of his work, I'm pretty sure this guy is going to be recruited by DC and Marvel just as soon as our book hits.  I wish I could say more, but for now, you're just going to have to wonder.

Great article for aspiring writers

As a writing teacher, I was impressed with and article by Randal Jarrell of Oni Press.  His advice here should apply not only to writing comics, but to all aspiring authors.  They key to being successful at writing is writing, my friends.  Talent, persistence, patience, they are all important, but above all else, you need to love the process of writing.  In any case, check out the article at this link.

New Job!

I started work at my new job a few weeks ago as the Editor of Submarine Telecoms Forum, an online trade magazine dedicated to the submarine cable industry.  Thus far, this has been a great experience.  I've added several new features to the magazine, and will be writing an editorial column in each bi-monthly issue.  I realize that this magazine is published for a very select audience, but that should stop you from heading over to our website (www.subtelforum.com) and checking it out.

Malpractice: An Anthology of Bedside Terror

One of my students, incomparable Wayne Helge, send me a link this week to a new anthology that features one of his stories.  The book, Malpractice: An Anthology of Terror, is available from Necrotic Tissue at this link.  Congratulations Wayne!

A Thousand Faces - Interview

Here's another interview promoting Lords of Justice, this time with A Thousand Faces:

A Thousand Faces Interview

Slate Magazine Interview

In my other life as a Colonial Historical Interpreter, I was interviewed last summer by Slate Magazine. The article has finally appeared, and it includes an awesome video, which you can see below:



You can read the article here.

Lords of Justice is finally available

I have in my possession a box of Lords of Justice books. I'm amazed that finally, after 2 years and 3 publishers, the book is at long last available to the public. You can order your copy here:

Hitman

I met a hero of my misspent youth on Sunday: Bret "Hitman" Hart. Bret is one of a handful of professional wrestlers who has gone on to write an autobiography. The most notable of the other biographers is Mick Foley, whose book spent several weeks at the top of the NY Times Bestseller list. If what I read of Bret's bio while I waited in line to see the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be, this book is going to be just as good if not better. When I finally got to the front of the line, I found Bret to be soft spoken, friendly, and more than willing to sign both my book and a carded action figure that I brought along. He was known as one of the smaller wrestlers, but for a guy that's closing in on 50, and that's had a stroke in the last 5 years, this guy is cut. He looks like he could tear a football player in half. All in all, it was a great experience to meet a man who has traveled the world and been at the ce

nter of one of the darkest wrestling controversies in the history of a pretty messed up business.

Lords of Justice Interview

Static Movement magazine conducted an interview with several authors of Lords of Justice, and it is now online. You can read it here.

Lords of Justice Announcement

I suppose it's time to finally announce what's going on with Lords of Justice. Carnifex Press has decided to close up shop and has released the contract for LoJ to another publisher, Cyberwizard Productions. Crystalwizard, the book's new editor, is quite familiar with the project as she is also the cover artist.

What this means is that all the books that were supposed to ship last spring will FINALLY be delivered, hopefully by the end of November. The only significant change to book, other than the publisher, is that the limited edition covers have been scrapped. I hate to see them go, but at this point, getting the books into the hands of the good folks that purchased them back in February seems like the top priority. I want to personally apologize for the incredible delay. I am truly sorry. I just hope that the stories can live up to the long wait.

I received a galley proof of the book in the mail today, and it looks pretty sharp. Oh, and there's a new introduction by Eric S. Brown, author of The Season of Rot. He's been helping to publicize the book and he seems like an awfully nice guy.

Thank you for your patience on this cursed project. Don't forget, Carnifex is the 2nd publisher to shut down with LoJ as the next book on its schedule. Hopefully the third time is a charm.

Publicity for Anne of Green Gables

Two articles came out this week reporting on my show, Anne of Green Gables. We had our final dress rehearsal last night, and they looked great! This cast has been awesome to work with, and I'm going to miss them all when it's over. Links to the articles are below.

Leesburg Today

Ashburn Connection

Anne of Green Gables, Shore-Leave & writing update

So, where the heck have I been for the past few months? I've been keeping myself busy with several projects, the most pressing of which is a community theatre production of Anne of Green Gables. I'm directing this time, and I have a wonderful cast that has been hard at work since the end of June. I'm also happy to be working with Emily Price once again. Emily, you may recall, played Young Susan in my one act play "The Box Step," a role for which she won an award at the NVTA One Act Festival. She's playing Anne Shirley, and she joins a talented cast to bring Leesburg Theatre Company's first children's show to life.

What else is going on? I attended the Shore-Leave convention in the beginning of July, where I signed copies of Tales of Moreauvia, and even a few of my old Star Trek books. It was a fun time, as usual, though a little lonely with my wife and girls sitting this one out. I ended up sitting with the colorful A.C. Crispin, author of who knows how many books, and she was very insightful about where I should be headed at this point in my career.

Finally, I've been keeping busy with my writing. I've got 2 comic book projects in the works at this point, and the pages on both look absolutely fantastic. I'm hoping to post more on these soon. I have a non-fiction article about my hero, John Brown, that is just about ready to start sending out, and when that's done, I'm heading back to my novel. Lords of Justice, featuring my story "The Paladin," is supposedly at the printer, so hopefully that will be out soon. I apologize for the long delay on this book... timing is everything, and I hate to say that I think the delays have really hurt this book. I saw that there is another superhero anthology coming out from someone else, and I'm sure that's going to steal any thunder we might have hoped for if we came out on time. Also, the comic book world has been introduced to a character called Kick Ass since I first wrote about the Paladin in the fall of 2006, and there are quite a few similarities between theses characters. It makes me crazy to think about what might have been, but who knows, maybe there's still some hope for this character that is starting to feel cursed.

Thanks for all your support. Make sure you come see Anne of Green Gables. You can find out more information at www.leesburgtheatre.com.