Ghost Tour Story Is Live (Afterlive?) At Jim Baen's Universe!

[dr_pretentious]

Sound the trumpets! Joy makes a braggart of me.

My short story New Jersey's Top Ghost Tours Reviewed and Rated is in this month's issue of Jim Baen's Universe. It's my first appearance in a SFWA-qualifying market, which is a Very Big Deal. I've been enjoying the fruits of their four-figure check for a while, and now I get to see that this month's cover art is straight out of my story. I am a very happy creature.

So, what's the story about? A ghost tour operator gets a haunted cabinet for a birthday present, and next thing he knows, all his ghosts are unionizing on the eve of the Halloween tourist season. For fans of the Rugosa Coven stories, there are some cameo appearances, but this piece is completely freestanding, with far more humor than horror. Enjoy!

Comments

[kistha.livejournal.com]

That is so fricken' awesome! I wondered what happened to this little gem! I am curious how the ending changed...

Go you!!!!

*doesthehappydanceofjoy*

[dthon.livejournal.com]

Huge congrats! If I'd known, I would have sent a cake!

(Hell, I still might!)

You rock!
-Scott

[jasminewind.livejournal.com]

Yay! I love Bob's cameo in this story! Wait, is his cameo still in this story? Not that it matters, I'm still excited!!!

Tell me how we can support you? Is there a hard copy to buy or an issue to download? So far I have copies of all your stuff on my 'puter. I want to keep up my streak!

[rednikki.livejournal.com]

YAY!

[vgnwtch.livejournal.com]

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!

[vgnwtch.livejournal.com]

Oooh! Oooh! The haunted cabinet from Ebay!!

Sorry, it's just I haven't read this one, so I'm all excited.

[vgnwtch.livejournal.com]

Ooh! Ooh! The thing with the fennel bulb! One of the best things ever - EVERYONE loves the thing with the fennel bulb! It's now part of Thanksgiving Across The Pond.

[freefloat.livejournal.com]

Congrats! Your extremely brief synopsis makes me want to read the story.

I was eager to see the cover art at your link but alas, the link appears to be broken :'(

[sabrinamari.livejournal.com]

I love it---yay! A new story to read!

[jeneralist.livejournal.com]

Yippeee!!!!!

[peartreealley.livejournal.com]

Congratulations! :D

[radiotelescope.livejournal.com]

Nice.

[dr-pretentious.livejournal.com]

I think it was advice from you and dthon that brought the bright notes into the ending that I'd had in my head but that only made it onto the page in very late drafts. For which, if I'm remembering the process right, thank you both, by the way.

[dr-pretentious.livejournal.com]

Bob and his family still appear on stage, and Jane still has her moment, all in the second half of the story. I was so relieved that the editors didn't ask for any cuts. Some of my critique partners were concerned that the cameos might be distracting for people who hadn't read the Rugosa Coven stuff, and some of them urged me to cut them, but I really felt like Bob was doing something structurally important for the plot. Jim's whole trajectory would be different without the stuff that happens during Bob's brief appearance. Jane was kind of a grace note, and I'd have acceded on that point without a fight if an acquiring editor had wanted it out. Glad I didn't have to.

(I do wish, though, that they'd noticed the minor infelicity I only discovered yesterday. Ah, well. I'd read the ms fiftysome times before submitting it, so really my little glitch should have been fixed on reading number forty-nine or so. Can't blame anybody else.)

There is an issue to download. According to the contract, it's theoretically possible that the story could appear in anthologies later. I'm not sure whether the fact that the magazine is scheduled to fold after the April issue makes an anthology appearance more likely or less likely. I'm just glad the story has made it out there while the magazine still exists.

[dr-pretentious.livejournal.com]

Yes, and thank you for calling my attention to the haunted cabinet from eBay.

There's another piece out there in the world that I suspect was also inspired by that same eBay listing--the first novel by Joe Hill (nee Joe King, but if you were the son of Stephen King, you might also want to launch your writing career under a pseudonym, just to prove you could). When I read the jacket copy of Heart Shaped Box, I thought, Oh crap, someone has beaten me to the whole ghost auction thing, and with a much higher profile than I'll ever have, so now my story will never sell. Fortunately, I kept sending it out, anyway, out of pure ornery stubbornness.

[dr-pretentious.livejournal.com]

Which fennel bulb thing do you do? The roasted one with the savory veggies, or the sauteed one with the pears and lemon zest?

[dr-pretentious.livejournal.com]

Yes, I finally wrote something freestanding, so you don't have to wait for a series to end!

[violet-moon25.livejournal.com]

I just read the first half online and was reminded how much I like that story. Glad it has a published home so more people can enjoy it too. I love that the ghost came off ebay. I have gotten some great stuff on ebay but it is very much a caviat emptor sort of situation.

[kistha.livejournal.com]

I know that feedback we gave you was centered ont he somewhat abusive ending. And so if we did indeed help you along, you are more than welcome!!!

I'll need to get a membership and read that puppy!

[vgnwtch.livejournal.com]

Pears and lemon - huge hit every single time. Makes people think I'm a sophisticated cook. I give you credit each time.