 May 2008   Author signing, Branson, MO (2005 ) With author, M. G. Miller and western author, Dusty Richards (2005)
 
Dusty Richards showing off his trophy at Ozarks Creative Writer's Conference. (2005) (c) Lynn Carney _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ New Release: May 2008 Voices anthology of short stories features my 1st place story, THE SHORES OF OBLIVION, and stories by New York Times best seller, Jodi Thomas; celebrated author, Velda Brotherton; two time Spur Winner, Dusty Richards; renown journalist Charles Vassel; and other gifted authors. 
Release: December 2007 Writing on Walls, Vol. 2, features writers from across the United States and Canada. Each story is as unique as the author who wrote it. My first place story, SUICIDE WALTZ, is included in this anthology. 
Release: November 2006 
Shadow Regions is a collection of stories that revolve around people's fears and insecurities, capturing events that defy all logic. Editor Cesar Puch promises an anthology that returns to a classic form of storytelling reminiscent of the TWILIGHT ZONE era. Keeping gore to a minimum, these are mostly tales of physiological horror. Premise: The average human being lives a life of uneventful routine. Some are happy about it, others not so much. But sometimes, unknown to the rest of us, something unthinkable occurs. Something that can’t possibly be. Something that defies existence as we know it. And after that single event takes place, after that intrusion of the supernatural, nothing will ever be the same About my story, PULSE: You’re watching late night TV. The network anchor breaks in and tells you to go out and look at the sky. In your backyard, everything seems normal, but the air has a strange metallic feel to it and your dog’s acting weird. A hot rush of wind crawls up your spine, then in the western sky, a massive icy blue star shudders and winks at you like the judicial eye of God. You make a wish, one harmless, selfish wish, never dreaming that anyone up there is listening. Above the treetops, the hum begins, a parasitic buzz, as one by one, streetlights snuff out. The following day, the world as you know it goes horribly, unthinkably wrong. Shadow Regions will be available in a handsome trade paperback format. The striking cover, which has already gathered praise, was created by Pierre Bourgeault. The book also includes interior spot illustrations by the recognized Alex McVey. " . . . the future of horror is a certain guarantee: should any of these new scribes persevere with works even remotely as fine as the ones presented here, then we are in for some very fine reading in the near future. Pick up a copy of Shadow Regions. You'll be glad you did" ~Michael Laimo, author (some excerpts courtesy of the SHADOW REGIONS & Shocklines websites) "A lot of the horror fiction I've been reading lately is very gory or they are angst stories, where most of the time there is a character talking for a very long time about how rotten his universe is. Although some of these stories are very good, I wanted to bring back that classic storytelling, where it was all about the plot and where you got scared in your mind, not in your gut. I got lots of great stories during the selection process, and it was hard to settle for only twenty. I love the way the real world collides with a picture perfect scenario painted by Lynn Carney in PULSE." ~Cesar Puch, Editor, SHADOW REGIONS _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
THE AUSTRALIAN WEB LOG FOR DARK FICTION VIEWS, NEWS, AND REVIEWS Shadow Regions contains many commendable pieces. PULSE, by Lynn Carney, is a dramatic Armageddon science fiction about a woman whose son wants to enlist in the military.
by Miranda Siemienowicz Tangent Review of PULSE: In another small-town story, a mother calms her fears about her son enlisting in the military by wishing for an end to all the tools of war. "Pulse" by Lynn Carney might be a science fiction story about super-powerful aliens, or it might be one of those be-careful-what-you-wish-for stories. Or both. Either way, it provides food for thought.
Surely most of us have, at one time or another, dreamed of a world without wars, without weapons, with no way for us to hurt each other as we have done since before the beginning of recorded history. But perhaps, if we could make that happen, it wouldn’t play out they way we expected—certainly not unless we could somehow change human nature as well. Would Caine have used his bare hands on Abel if there were no rocks?
"Star light, star bright . . . If there were no weapons, we wouldn’t need soldiers and I could keep my son. Some other mother could keep her son, too. I wish for no more soldiers. No more weapons. Make them all go away." Was someone listening, or was it just coincidence? Desirable though world peace may be, you’d better consider all the possible ramifications before you wish on a star.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Release - November 2006 
Short Story: THE RESURRECTION OF JUSTIN TRAVERS, in the anthology: ECHOES OF THE OZARKS, Vol. 2 A story of second chances. Justin Travers, a grieving western writer from the present, stares into an oil painting and finds himself transported to a wilderness cabin in the harsh winter of 1862. There, he helps abandoned wife, Annabelle Ramey, give birth to her firstborn son, and discovers that love can reach beyond the boundaries of time to place to resurrect broken hearts and shattered dreams. 
GHOST OF A CHANCE (short story) in WRITING ON WALLS Vol. 1 Anthology Allison Ellerby, a stubborn, career driven detective, stares into the stunningly familiar face of her own future when she investigates the death of an elderly woman who died alone and forgotten in a public park. When Allison reads the haunting words written in the old woman's diary, she discovers the key to her own destiny. Is it too late to save her marriage and her life? THE AUSTRALIAN WEB LOG FOR DARK FICTION VIEWS, NEWS, AND REVIEWS This issue presents several stories that are remarkable for the unique, original style that they bring to dark fiction. Shorter pieces display incredible stylistic diversity. Pearl, by Lynn Carney, introduces us to the very human personality of a drowned girl's ghost. Carney's use of dialect in the story's dialogue is tidy and colorful in this small, manageable quantity. At the time of writing, Issue 3 of this new quarterly has just been released. Given the breadth of voice and eloquent craft that has been offered in Issue 2, Surreal Magazine's unique approach to speculative fiction should certainly flourish over the coming years. Its progress will be followed with keen interest. by Miranda Siemienowicz_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Here's a review from England:
TANGENT - SHORT FICTION REVIEW
Review of my story, Pearl, in Surreal Issue 2.
Written by Lindsay Lloyd
Wednesday, 19 October 2005
"Pearl" by Lynn Carney is a vignette featuring that horror staple, a drowned child. It's a well-written, evocative piece that shows just why children are so successful as subjects in horror. Their selfish amorality, which is more usually directed at toys and food in life, becomes chilling when applied to the things the dead concern themselves with.
About Tangent
Dave Truesdale created Tangent in 1993 with the objective of reviewing all the professional short fiction in the speculative fiction field. Since its inception, Tangent has published thousands of reviews, garnered four Hugo award nominations, and has been praised by the likes of Gardner Dozois, James Patrick Kelly, and Ellen Datlow.
Tangent went online in 1997, and it continues to carry out Dave's original mission, reviewing a myriad of science fiction and fantasy publications including The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Asimov's, Analog, Interzone, and Realms of Fantasy, many online and electronic publications, and original and reprint collections and anthologies.
Described as a "one-stop clearinghouse for information on the good, the bad and the ugly in the short-story jungle" by Paul Di Filippo of SciFi.com, it provides insightful, in-depth coverage of the width and breadth of the short SF/F province.
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"It's easy, perhaps, to die for a dream
With banners unfurled - and be forgiving!
It's the hardest part to follow the gleam
When scorned by the world - and go on living!"
~Myra Brooks Welch, poet __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ A Short Story Affair to Remember
You’ve written a short story. Your friends like it. Your mother likes it. But they don’t give out contest awards or select stories for publication. What can you do to assure that your story won't end up in the slush pile?
Believe in love at first sight. An excellent first impression will get you a second look by a judge or editor. If you want to be taken seriously as a writer, submit a polished, professional manuscript. Don’t make your story stand out in a negative way by adding non-standard fonts or creative formatting. Don’t add a personal note saying how much the reader will enjoy your twisted tale or what he needs to know before he reads it. If you aspire to write short stories, it's important that you learn the difference between a short story and a novel. Where a novel can take a reader through a point-of-view character’s entire life, a short story captures an intimate slice of that life using generally from 1000 to 10,000 words. Every author must find her own unique voice. Start with your point-of-view character. Your POV character is the one who sees and feels, tastes and touches and describes what is happening at that moment. She can spin her tale with dramatic flair, as if she is speaking to the reader in person, or with interior monologue as she lives the story and reflects on it. Whichever method your choose, be certain that your characters live and breathe on paper. Give your point-of-view character an intriguing voice that excavates the reader’s heart.
The first paragraph should open like waiting arms, inviting the reader into your story world.
Don’t waste too many words on the build-up, or present a rambling preamble that drags your story down. Establish conflict in the first paragraph. Something rocks your storyteller’s world. Grab the reader’s hand, make him follow. A short story should narrow the reader’s focus to that one frame of time when everything changed.
Pace yourself. Short, punchy sentences and paragraphs denote action. Later, when the pace is slower, you can pause and glance back at the reader and flash a hint of what happens next. But not too much. Leave your reader wanting more. Leave something to the imagination.
Write tight. Words are muscles. Exercise those babies. Revise. Polish. Make your reader feel the burn.
Establish a clear theme. Define the underlying message behind the narrative. Don’t weigh your story down with too many characters and subplots.
If you reveal background through exposition, do so in a way that illuminates the storyteller’s character and advances the plot, demanding the reader’s undivided attention.
Show don’t tell. Let the characters reveal the story through action, reaction and dialogue.
If you must use tags, remember ‘said’ is invisible. Tags are added weight, and you want your story toned to perfection.
One perfect noun can have more impact than a whole page of feathery adjectives and adverbs. Make every word count.
Like a successful love affair, a memorable short story has a thrilling beginning, an intriguing middle and a satisfying ending. Know when to leave. Your reader won't forgive you if you make the ending too predictable or clichéd.
Your short story may be a one-night-stand, but your reader wants an experience to cherish for a lifetime. Leave him with a feeling of resonance at the end of the story, as if he shared a delicious intimacy with your storyteller.
As Benet said, (a short story is) - “Something that can be read in an hour and remembered for a lifetime.”
A literary affair to remember. (c) 2008 All Rights Reserved Lynn Carney A version of this article appeared in the OWFI Report, 2004. ~ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Facts and Fiction
There are advantages to being a writer. For instance, I can sit in a crowded mall and chatter aloud to myself like a lunatic. If someone questions my bizarre behavior, I simply say those three magic words: “I’m a writer,” and all is forgiven.
Everyone knows writers are slightly off the charts. If someone has the audacity to suggest I might be a wee bit aloof, I smile vacantly and say, “Possibly. You see, I’m trying to get an agent. Plotting my next chapter. Marketing my manuscript. Working on a deadline.” Or, most horrific of all, the dreaded: “I’m writing a synopsis.”
If that doesn’t convince people to back off, I tell them I'm a freelance editor and that I have the compulsive habit of editing everything I read, every sentence I hear, editing life in general—and it's my professional opinion that most people should be highlighted and deleted.
Trust me, they clear a wide path.
Inevitably, every writer encounters someone who believes the story of his or her life would make a great 800 page book (screenplay, Spielberg movie, mini series, whatever) and could we ghost write it?
“How short shall we make your life?” I ask, flashing my best Norman Bates smile. Funny. They suddenly decide their life isn’t that interesting after all.
There are definite advantages to being a writer. If my significant other catches me checking out some sexy guy, l shrug and say, “I wasn’t flirting, honey. Wouldn’t he make a great protagonist?”
Works like a charm.
My favorite perk to being a writer? I have an excellent excuse to ignore the doorbell and telephone. The perfect reason why I can’t cook dinner or clean house, mow the lawn or weed the flower bed . . .
. . . because I’m working on my masterpiece, thank you very much.
(c) 2008 All Rights Reserved Lynn Carney
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Please see my Cozy Cabins page for my cabin reviews.
"In a mood of faith and hope my work goes on. A ream of fresh paper lies on my desk waiting for the next book. I am a writer and I take up my pen to write. " ~Pearl S. Buck, author "Cherish your visions; cherish your ideals; cherish the music that stirs in your heart, the beauty that forms in your mind, the loveliness that drapes your purest thoughts, for out of them will grow delightful conditions, all heavenly environment; of these if you but remain true to them, your world will at last be built."
~James Allen ~Henry David Thoreau Top of Page My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart forever. Psalm 73:26 Reviews and upcoming projects from author, Lynn Carney (c) 2008 All Rights by Lynn Carney, Designer & Owner Terms of Service Scripts from Dynamic Drive: http://dynamicdrive.com/ Graphics, quotations and prose copyrighted by individual artists, speakers and writers. The wonderful graphics on these pages are not for download. If you love them. please visit the sites of these generous graphics designers. Thanks!    
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