| As a break between novels, I love to write short stories. In some ways, they're actually harder than a novel because you have to figure out how to pack all that world building and character development into a bite-sized package and oh-by-the-way include a fully fledged plot with beginning, middle and end, On the other hand, focusing on something 5K words or less is refreshing, and sometimes those short story scribblings spawn ideas for novels. In that vane, I'm proud to announce that I've had a new short story recently published. A Cricket in Hell's Acre recently released as part of Harvey Duckman Presents Issue 13 and offers a black-humored sci-fi/horror for your consumption Buy Now: Amazon |  |
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In a few words, she found me in the slush pile. But...before that, came a lot of pain and anguish. I mean, a lot, a lot. The plus years of a lot. So let me tell you about that to hopefully encourage some of you to keep going. Firstly, how about some big picture statistics:
So, that happened and I moved on, and eventually I started querying the weird western that got me my agent. Ya want a few stats for that? Sure ya do, so let's hit it:
A few things worth noting in those statistics:
So, with all the agents out there, how did I end up querying Kimberly? Simple: while scouring the MSWishList site for leads, I stumbled across her post. From there, I checked out Kimberly's website to learn more about her agenting preferences and spotted this little nugget of pure gold:  Sometimes you get lucky and all that patience and rejection pay off. We've all see the posts from authors racking up double digit agent requests and signing after just a few months (or weeks) of querying. That happens, but this also happens--there are a lot of authors out there querying for years to try and make it. If you're one of those (one like me), I hope this post offers enough encouragement to keep you going.
To all the authors out there reading this, I hope you find your Kimberly, too. That's right! After 10+ years of writing and querying, I've finally found an agent who appreciates the weirdness of my scribbled words. I couldn't be happier to announce that I've joined forces with the most wonderful Kimberly Fernando and Olswanger Literary. Kimberly's the kismet fit for my wee weird western, Far Yonders, and I honestly couldn't ask for a more passionate and enthusiastic supporter for my dark novel of dust and grit.
Do you like FREE READS? Of course you do! Everyone likes free! And lucky for you, I've got a whole bunch. A few months back, the lovely people at Rooster Republic tried something a little different: an online anthology of bite-sized horror doled out of the course of several weeks. And all of them--ALL OF THEM--absolutely, positively, 100% free to read. Ladies and gentlemen, I give to you: Two-Thousand Word Terrors, and my particular contribution to this science experiment, Ravenous: Ravenous | J.B. Rockwell
 Recently the wonderful people at Mannison Press invited me to submit a piece for one of their Mannison Triplets: 3 linked stories from 3 different authors centered on a common theme. Writing to a pre-defined theme is always an interesting challenge, but I'm quite proud of the piece that resulted. So, mark your calendars: Belongings and Possessions featuring my short story, We Always Belonged Here, releases February 28, 2023. Or better yet, hit the 'buy' link below and reserve your copy now!  Sometimes it's the people. Sometimes it's the structure. Sometimes it's the land itself. But once a deep evil settles in, it can transcend time and space. Three powerful voices in women's horror share this tale of woe. Together, their stories weave a dark tapestry about a pervasive malevolence luring generation after generation of hapless, innocent victims into the demon's snare. "They Belong to Her"... A newly renovated ballet studio at Heathermeade is beset by an ominous presence intent upon claiming a young dancer as its own. Although Anya's family is increasingly aware of the mounting threat, the distraction of a famed ballet troupe's arrival incites deadly jealousy from beyond the veil. "Longing to Belong"...Lily is an exceptional dancer, but she feels like an outcast at dance school. Her secondhand ballet shoes draw the attention of jealous classmates who mock Lily mercilessly. When Lily hears the story of the vengeful spirit Margaret Lee, she decides to call on the ghost for help…but summoning such a spirit isn't always wise. "We Always Belonged Here"... A day in the country seems harmless enough when Nana Hazel invites Essie to tag along. Only, the troubled teen didn't think to ask enough questions about the crumbling old Mallory House. Murder, mayhem, something wickedly evil—Essie finds it all there, where the catkins grow.  Crimson King recently featured on topical internet site, The Big Smoke and I'm both flattered and extremely grateful for Jospeh Edwin Haeger's thorough and thoughtful review. 
It's come, it's come, Release Day has finally come! Thanks to the lovely people at Journalstone Publishing, I can finally unleash my cute and cuddly Murder Bull on the world
“Crimson King is a darkly comical story of a young boy’s personal apocowlypse at his grandparents’ farm. J.B. Rockwell milks this wonderfully strange tale of udder catastrophe for all it’s worth!” — Michael Patrick Hicks, author of the Salem Hawley Series and Broken Shells
“Echoes of Stephen King here, as a finely drawn cast of ordinary folks encounter the ominous, unstoppable menace of a gruesome red beast. Tension-filled and terrifying.” — Colin Sinclair, author of Midnight in the Garden Centre of Good and Evil Hello, hello, hello! I know I've been quiet for a while but I'm back just in time for the spooky season with some (exciting for me, at least) news! Crimson King, my Halloween creature feature novella, releases 29 October 2021 and is now officially available for pre-order. So, if you want to skippity-skip to the front of the queue and make sure you don't miss it, head on over to JournalStone's website and place a marker for the book's release. Interested in the best deal possible? Grab the paperback--that gets you a physical copy with Nick Day's absolutely gorgeous artwork on the cover AND a free e-copy for your e-reader's tummy. WIN-WIN!
“Crimson King is a darkly comical story of a young boy’s personal apocowlypse at his grandparents’ farm. J.B. Rockwell milks this wonderfully strange tale of udder catastrophe for all it’s worth!” — Michael Patrick Hicks, author of the Salem Hawley Series and Broken Shells “Echoes of Stephen King here, as a finely drawn cast of ordinary folks encounter the ominous, unstoppable menace of a gruesome red beast. Tension-filled and terrifying.” — Colin Sinclair, author of Midnight in the Garden Centre of Good and Evil  Say hello to my creepy-weird baby! Crimson King is a fun little supernatural/weird novella I wrote a few years ago that came so close to publication a few times but never quite made it through to the final cut. Fortunately, Bizarro Pulp Press had a brief 'pitch yer shit' window last fall (in conjunction with Rooster Republic Press) and my Cujo meets The Thing concept won them over. You can feast your eyes on the absolutely gorgeous cover art for Crimson King below, and head on over to Rooster Republic to get a little sneak excerpt of the story. Crimson King drops October 29, 2021.    It's here! It's here! It's here! After weeks and months of waiting, FORGOTTEN STARS is finally live and available to grace your eyeballs and all just in time for Christmas! And you, yes lucky you, can grab your very own copy right... HERE.  |
J.B. Rockwell
J.B. Rockwell grew up reading fairy tales, folklore and mythology, as well as anything and everything about ancient cultures and their history, and never lost her taste for any of it. She currently lives in West Virginia with her husband and four (yes, four) cats, all of whom provide inspiration for her stories, whether they know it or not. 
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