JournalStone $2,000 Advance in 2012 Publishing Contest

Calling all HORROR writers!


Now accepting 75,000 words or more manuscript/novel on or before April 1, 2012. The winner will receive a $2,000 advance against future royalties and have his/her novel published by JournalStone.  Grammar counts, have it edited before you submit your entry.


JournalStone is a small press publishing company, not a vanity press.  We pay all the costs associate with publishing your novel. All an author is required to do is submit a freakishly scary book and rock our world.  There are no entry fees.
Genre: Horror only.  Nothing else counts in this contest. 

For more details please visit JOURNALSTONE webpage.

Why am I posting this on my author blog?  Because I am on the 2012 contest panel of judges!  Woot! 

BIO: Charlie Courtland is a fabulous dichotomy that embraces all her ridiculousness. She’s a published author of three gruesome books in the historical fiction/horror genre. She founded Bitsy Bling Books to give a voice and free review forum to indie/self-published authors, but also reviews for tall, grande and venti mainstream publishing and Amazon Vine. She graduated from the University of Washington with a B.A. in English Literature with an emphasis on Creative Writing, and a minor in Criminology. Courtland rarely sleeps, drinks copious amounts of coffee and mutters endlessly to her dog.

• What we'll be looking for:  Judging Criteria

Plot, Character Development, Setting, Rhythm, Grammar, Structure, Uniqueness, Style, Marketability, Judge’s Objective

2011 Advance in Publishing WINNER

That Which Should Not Be
Author Brett J. Talley
Miskatonic University has a long-whispered reputation of being strongly connected to all things occult and supernatural. From the faculty to the students, the fascination with other-worldly legends and objects runs rampant. So, when Carter Weston’s professor Dr. Thayerson asks him to search a nearby village for a book that is believed to control the inhuman forces that rule the Earth, Incendium Maleficarum, The Inferno of the Witch, the student doesn’t hesitate to begin the quest.

Weston’s journey takes an unexpected turn, however, when he ventures into a tavern in the small town of Anchorhead. Rather than passing the evening as a solitary patron, Weston joins four men who regale him with stories of their personal experiences with forces both preternatural and damned. Two stories hit close to home as they tie the tellers directly to Weston’s current mission.

His unanticipated role as passive listener proves fortuitous, and Weston fulfills his goal. Bringing the book back to Miskatonic, though, proves to be a grave mistake. Quickly, Weston realizes he has played a role in potentially opening the gate between the netherworld and the world of Man. Reversing the course of events means forgetting all he thought he knew about Miskatonic and his professor and embracing an unknown beyond his wildest imagination.

Character Cussing: My Guest Post at A WORD PLEASE!

I'm ranting some place else today.  Author Darcia Helle invited me to invade her blog and share my point of view.  She's a brave soul and a wonderful woman so drop by and give us some love!  We're talking about character cussing.  Agree, disagree?  Let's discuss.  I kick off the chat with my lively rant, but remember it's all in good fun with a hint of seriousness. Love to hear from you and get your perspective.

Character Cussing:  To F-Bomb or Not? 

by Charlie Courtland

To view full article: A WORD PLEASE!

Wow! You've Got _______ Eyes!

Did I miss the writing seminar where it was recommended to drop eye color as often as possible, especially when characters are gazing….um, anywhere? I’m fifty-eight books deep in this year of reviews and if I have to digest more eye color descriptions I just might gouge my own eyes out. They’re hazel by the way, just in case you needed the visual. Does it really matter what my eye color is? Is it significant to this article or further help you understand the depth of who I am? The answer is NO!


Lets make like crystal, not all eye color descriptions should be eliminated. However, just like every other detail in fiction writing, it should present for a reason and not just simply as a DMV statistical identification report. Unless your character has been kidnapped and the fictional police are putting out an alert, introductory descriptions should not read like a wanted poster: 5’5, violet eyes and black hair that curls around her cheek. Which brings me to the violet eye epidemic that is sweeping the fictional nation.


No one is born with violet eyes. There are some situations that will lead to eyes appearing violet. This can occur when the combination of a person with not enough pigment in the iris to cover blood vessels meets with light that reflects off those vessels. Hence, the Elizabeth Taylor photo effect. It also can happen to persons with blue eyes when experiencing ‘bloodshot’ due to irritation. The violet is temporary. Sorry to burst the pop culture bubble, but your character does not have violet or black eyes unless they come from the plant Zandor, invested in colored contact lens or photoshopped those babies. The initial intention of the violet eye was probably to make use of an unusual color for uniqueness, but now violet is overused making it cliché.


But wait, eyes are so pretty and mysterious, intriguing and the windows to the soul. Perhaps, but I’m more likely to imagine, putting skin on bone of your character through events, intentions, actions, reactions, habits and dialogue. Trust me when I say, his deep blue eyes does nothing for my imagination but it does turn my stomach and make me groan. If you just can’t refrain, then make it count and do it once. Here’s a suggestion: Her eyes were the color of day old puke splattered against white bathroom tile. His eyes were the color of a knock-off Nike blue swish imported from Japan. You get the idea, right?

Also, keep in mind you do not need to include eye color throughout the story as part of the action. Example: She turned her head, her green eyes connecting with his as the firebomb exploded in the background. The fact she has green eyes does not matter and is taking up valuable space in my head now. Besides, why are all these characters spending so much time contemplating the mystery of eye color when they are being hunted by zombies, stabbed, abducted, stalked by werewolves and vampires, fighting cancer, curing cancer, saving the world and being sucked into a romantic comedy or teen dream novel. Okay, the last two make sense – but the others? If you’re covered in blood and just discovered the new guy with no parents shape-shifted to rescue you from a bullet train that a zombie shoved you in front of, why are you wondering if his eyes look darker (almost black, my personal fav.) than they did yesterday when you spoke in the cafeteria?


As I mentioned earlier, if eye color is important to the story, symbolic and meaningful for more than just identification purposes, then by all means use it, but make it count and make it clear why it should count.

Write What You Know

I'm guest blogging over at author R.A Evans site today!

R. A. Evans writes…

A SHORT YET SWEET JOURNEY INTO THE MUSINGS OF A HORROR WRITER.

Write What You Know: Guest Post by Author Charlie Courtland

Click HERE to see full article

Quirky Question Monday!

It's quirky question Monday over at A Word Please!  Stop by and see what weird answers I had for Darcia.

A WORD PLEASE!

A Glimpse Into the World of Author Darcia Helle

The Secret of A Spicy Jalapeno

My latest book is available in paperback, ebook and on Kindle at Amazon.  Below is the blurb.  I hope you check it out!


Beyond the urban sprawl of a Pacific Northwest city lurks the peculiar little town of Providence and in it, an organic farmer named Joe Parker. Joe's lurid story, or rather this particular piece of it, begins when Sheriff Caine fashions the big idea to grow jalapenos, albeit with questionable methods. The gritty scheme is plucked from the undercurrent of the sheriff's self-righteous mind and carried out with the help of Joe's skill, two local agents, and a coroner. Everything is progressing as planned. That is, until Vera Cruz, a prostitute and girlfriend of a drug dealer, is delivered late one night on Joe's doorstep. The new houseguest suddenly complicates his routine. The woman bunking on the rear porch not only threatens to upset the jalapeno operation, but also Joe's conviction about what is rightly just and intrinsically wrong. Will Vera save Joe or lure him further into depravity?

The creation of The Secret of A Spicy Jalapeno derives from the unequivocal influence of acclaimed Southern gothic writer, Flannery O'Connor.

"Sometimes it takes a violent and grotesque act for a character to experience a moment of grace. Perhaps, this is the truest path toward fictional redemption." ~ Charlie Courtland

Local Family's Dogs Protest Treat Cuts

BREAKING NEWS!!!! I digress from my normal blog programming to bring you an update about a disturbing event currently taking place in my very home. It appears my dogs are forming a picket line in my kitchen!

After viewing countless hours of protests on CNN, 2 miniature schnauzers were inspired to peacefully gather in the kitchen and rally for their own cause.   They claim more dogs will run into the neighborhood if called and at least 1 dog has already threatened to play dead if she doesn't get her way.

"We've seen refusals to walk or fetch, and some less scrupulous dogs are doing their business in the yard. Since Monday, spontaneous rallies have popped up in every corner of kitchens across the state, denouncing owners extremist agendas.

"The dogs of Washington are crying out for democracy - democracy in the home, and democracy in the dog parks. Let's hope our owners have the wisdom to listen," Ruby growled.

Ruby and Molly are upset over their owner's proposed changes, which are part of a new household budget to decrease the amount and size of treats per day and also, limit the amount of savory beef gravy topping to only one meal, supposedly, dinner. Since this is a master dominated ownership, the dogs feel there is no room for negotiation and this must change.

The owner of the 2 miniature schnauzers defended the Lee household budget on Sunday, posting on Twitter. "This is all about balancing the budget."

The alpha male of the household put forth the bill in an effort to curb the family's budget shortfall; The Lee house is facing an immediate deficit of $137 million for the current fiscal year which ends July 1. Most of the money is currently going to dog treats and squeaky toys. However, the dogs bark that other areas of spending could be cut, like the weekly amount delegated for toilet paper since they don't use it. Not to mention the owner's over-inflated book allowance.

"We must take immediate action to ensure fiscal stability in our house," the owner said when he announced the budget today. "This budget will meet the immediate needs of our household and give me the tools to deal with this and future budget crises. Once the Washington 520 toll 'Good to Go' plan was announced I knew we'd have to take drastic measures and make the tough decisions."

If the treat crisis wasn't bad enough, it appears Molly's proposal for a new doggie basketball court will be put on hold for the time being and if things don't improve, will be tossed completely. "This is an outrage!" Molly grumbled.

The owner has already made concessions by giving free and fair access to the toy bin. Also, he has shoveled a path on the patio and cleared a patch of grass for potty breaks. This is to prevent cold, wet paws during the snowy days. However, it appears the dogs are not taking advantage (note paw tracks in snow) of the cleared area.

When asked what the dogs plan to do, Ruby said, "If we are forced, we will ask to go in and out more often in order to increase our treat intake." Apparently, the dogs are rewarded with treats after potty breaks but sometimes they are expected to perform, by sitting, staying, shaking and dancing. Both Ruby and Molly expressed their humiliation at performing such tasks and believe they are entitled to treats whenever they want one.

"I think the treat bin should be lowered and placed on the floor, maybe it could be some kind of dispenser that allows us to snack whenever we want," Molly suggested.

The owner noted that this is unlikely to happen.

Lastly, when questioned about allowing the dogs to watch CNN news all week the owner commented, "Perhaps, I should have changed the channel.  If I had, maybe none of this would have happened.  I just want the mat in front of my kitchen sink back."


I don't know about you, but I needed some comic relief this week :)

* This is meant to be humorous.  If you are offended, I deeply apologize for your lack of humor.  Perhaps, you should seek therapy or immediate medical attention.