A New Lovecraftian Collection this Summer from Dark Regions Press

At ye churchyard in Brooklyn that inspir'd "The Hound"

One of the experiences that continues to charm my memory is the three week tour of New England and New York that was a gift from my patrons, Greg and Maryanne.  I knew that I would love New England, but I was prepared to be bored to death with New York.  I loved it.  Above is me on our first night there, in the Dutch churchyard that inspired H. P. Lovecraft to write "The Hound" (HPL had chipped off a wee bit of tombstone during his visit to the site).  That's me, above, during a moment of writer's inspiration, jotting down some notes in either my commonplace book or my travel journal, both of which I constantly carried with me.  That was a great night.  Derrick Hussey, of Hippocampus Press, took us on a walking tour of Lovecraftian sites, including Sonia's apartment into which Lovecraft moved after their marriage.  I'm hoping to write a wee segment based on visiting the churchyard above for the new prose-poem sequence I am now writing for a collection that may be happening.  Jeffrey Thomas and I are working on a collaborative book of Lovecraftian tale concerning a sinister New England artist, and have found a publisher who is interested in the book.  The publisher also suggested he'd be interested in bringing out a solo collection of my own work, which would have to be mostly reprints.  I find it next to impossible to say no to publishers who shew such keen in working with me, so I quickly assembled what at first I thought would be a reprint collection of most of my urban horror stuff, my tales of my dead lovers &c.  I thought to call the book Dead Boyfriends & Other Freaks -- but then I thought the title was perhaps not quite right.  One of the new tales in my collection from Terradan Works, "Into the Depths of Dreams and Madness," really fails to please my and I've been wanting a chance to completely rewrite it as a 15,000 word novelette.  It concerns Lovecraft's character, the artist Richard Upton Pickman, visiting Sesqua Valley so as to paint ye portrait of Simon Gregory Williams.  The story as it now stands is a ludicrous failure because my portrayal of Pickman is simply inept.  My need to write a story with HPL's artist as a character is an obsession I cannot relinquish -- despite the fact that I may not have what it takes to write such a tale -- & thus I am gonna completely rewrite this stupid story and try to turn it into a brilliant novelette, that I will then entitle "Depths of Dreams and Madness," which would then be the title of this new book.  Here's the book as I have proposed it to this publisher:

Introduction by Jeffrey Thomas
"Your Kiss of Corruption" (newest version, 1,255 words)
"Yon Baleful God" (1,063 words)
"Time of Twilight" (739 words)
"These Deities of Rarest Air" (new prose-poem sequence, of which 5,000 words is now written; hoping to make it around 15,000 words total; very Lovecraftian)
"The Woven Offspring" (1,747 words; I revised this tale for its inclusion in The Tangled Muse, but was still unhappy with the ending, so I have revised the ending yet again and now feel I have it down exactly as I want it -- maybe...........................)
"The Book that Told the Hidden Way" (yet to be written new Mythos tale)
"Bloom of Sacrifice" (1,670 words)
"The Tangled Muse" (6,093 words)
"He Who Made Me Dream" (880 words)
"Cool Mist" (newest version, 992 words)
"Descent into Shadow and Light" (1,312 words)
"Serenade of Starlight" (3,233 words, slight revision from ye version in The Children of Cthulhu)
"Graffito Flow" (2,134 words, newest version)
"Depths of Dreams and Madness" (yet unwritten but hopefully 15,000 words or there about)

The collection offers newer versions as they appeared in The Tangled Muse, for which I revised all of the old stories, in some cases completely rewriting them, plus some items that have never been collected in any of my books.  Seems a pretty solid collection, and I have gobs of energy for the writing of the new stuff and will have it all completed within a couple of months, so that it could be published end of this year.

Okay, darlings, back to work with me.  All of this frantic writing is keeping me occupied, so it may be a while before I feel the desire or have time to record new vlogs on YouTube.  (Ha!  Spoke too soon -- just got the new E.O.D. mailing from S. T. and I'm gonna open it before me webcam.................................)  (oh great YUGGOTH!!!  it's not a new apa mailing -- it's S. T. Joshi's manuscript for his just-completed novel concerning young Howard Phillips Lovecraft -- whut I am to read & critique ------ oh my gawd!!!!!!!!!!)

Joe of DARK REGIONS PRESS has just confirm'd his desire to publish this new book this summer, as limited edition hardcover, trade pd and ebook!

Twisted tree at entrance to Dutch churchyard in Brooklyn