Check out senior editor Deb Taber's bone-cracking story over at Fantasy Magazine. The piece is titled "The Summoning of Spirits Too Far From Home."

Fantasy Magazine also interviewed Deb. Did you know her cats have a blog? I didn't until I read the interview.

Back in April, Apex Magazine submissions editor Paul Jessup saw his story "A Word Without Ghosts" appear in Fantasy Magazine.

Both these stories exemplify the usual standard of high quality published by Sean Wallace, Cat Rambo, and Co.

There's one thing I need to tell you about Deb Taber.

She is a fast talker. Not metaphorically, but literally. Words erupt from her mouth in grand geysers of hyperbole and genius. For a slow-talkin' country boy like me, it can be rather distressing.

Two years ago, I needed a part for a chainsaw my father had let me borrow. "Son," he said, "the cog has a broken 39MM connector wire. Get that replaced and it should work just like new." The pear trees in my backyard had gotten out of hand. I was afraid that they'd come to life and spear me and my family with their branches like something out of a scary Lovecraft story.

Unfortunately, none of the local stores had the part. The chainsaw was some off-brand that required parts ordered from a foreign country. I needed to attach the trees soon, so I thought I'd give Craig's List a try.

This was my first experience with Craig's List. Sure, over the years I'd heard the horror stories. But I was just askin gfor a small part for a chainsaw. What's the worst that could happen? I make a posting:

"Need part 39MM for broken chainsaw. Contact me at 859-xxx-xxxx. Signed, Jason Sizemore"

I submitted the post. The phone rang three seconds later. I check the caller ID and see it's somebody from Washington state.

"Hello?" I ask, after picking up the receiver.

"helloisthisjasonsizemore?"

"What?"

"helloisthisjasonsizemore?"

It took me a few seconds to parse the sentence. The lady on the other line spoke too fast!

"Um...yes, this is Jason Sizemore."

"isawyourcraigslistpostingihavethepartyouneed."

"Part 39MM?"

"ohyouneed39mm? ihave38mmbutgivemeasecondimsureihaveitaroundheresomewhere."

At this point, I'm not sure if I should hang up or thank the lady and tell her I don't need the part after all. Through the handset, I hear machinery scraping together, the type of sounds you might hear at a construction site.

"okayigotthepartgivemeyouraddressandiwillmailittoyou."

Over the years of being a publisher and crushing so many dreams with a simple "NO!", I'd grown leary of giving out my home address. I'd dealt with my share of nut cases, and well, this one on the phone didn't exactly give me the warm and fuzzies.

"You know what, I'm good."

"whatdoyoumeanyou'regoodshuttupbobbeforeihurtyou!"

"What? Who's 'Bob'? Who are YOU?"

"nobodydoyouneedthepartorwhat?"

"Uh..."

Then I heard a table saw come to life. Something odd was happening on the other end of the phone and I was starting to get frightened.

"No thanks."

"bobisweartogodiwillcutyourtestic..."

*click*

I hung up. The phone rang in three seconds. It kept ringing until I disconected it from the wall.

Hoping to forget it all, I go downstairs to my office and log into gmail. I'd made a call for editors to help with slush. One person had stood out head and shoulders above the rest. Some young lady who lived in Washington state who's most recent writing credit was a tool pr0n story published in an Australian ezine.

If I'd only known...

# # #

Two years later and I'm still alive. I fear power tools and am considering becoming an avowed Luddite. But Deb does fantastic work as an editor. Here's a few suggestions to writers who submit their work to Apex and hope that it passes Deb's mustard.

1) Unlike the rest of us, Deb isn't into visceral violence, sex, and gore. To that effect, she's been a great counterbalance.
2) Deb loves quiet, thoughtful creepiness. Thus her affection for me.
3) I keep Deb extremely busy working on copy edits, so she generally doesn't slush. She does help make executive decisions on the ultimate judgment of the better stories. She's quick to filter out stories with flat characterizations, overuse of passive voice, and overly happy endings.
4) Two things you better get right in your story when Deb Taber reads it: descriptions of power tools (obviously) and facts about horses. She's a horse expert.

I feel blessed by Deb's presence on the Apex team. She's become somebody I trust with Apex and with my friendship.

Here's hoping she's with us when we make our final global domination move!

(Unfortunately, pictures of Deb are a rare and valuable commodity. If you have any, I encourage you to post links to them in the comments of this blog post.)

This blog has been momentarily hijacked by Deb Taber. Please remain in your seats with your seatbelts fastened.  Pipe down, pay attention, and no one gets hurt.  Mostly.

 

This is a day I have been awaiting for quite some time, or at least it seems that way to me. But maybe I'm just impatient.

 

Today, Matt Wallace's The Next Fix is unleashed upon an unsuspecting world.

 

For those of you who follow this blog, you may think you've heard all about it.  You may be waiting for Wallace to show up on your doorstep and pummel you into a pulp. But I have a secret for you (don't tell Matt Wallace, okay?)...

 

The Next Fix is not going to knock your teeth down the back of your throat and leave you lying in a pool of blood.  It isn't going to ram your head into a brick wall until your pulverized brain runs out your ears. In fact, it isn't painful at all.

 

That's what Matt, Jason, and the rest of the gang won't tell you.  The topics Wallace writes about might be harsh—even blood-soaked at times--but the stories are beautifully written, and in some cases verging on the poetic.  This is intelligent fiction that takes a thoughtful look at the human condition in all of its comedy, tragedy, futility and absurdity, and does it with a subtle touch that builds worlds effortlessly and sends them crashing down with a bang.

 

So if you've heard the hype and stayed away because you don't like the feel of brass knuckles in your face, stop cowering in fear.  Sure, the prose might rip your soul out and hold it in front of you, forcing you to confront your deepest loathings and fears...but isn't that what good fiction is supposed to do?

 

Just think about it; take a peek.  I promise I'll try to keep Matt Wallace off your doorstep for as long as I can.

 

Find your Next Fix:

On Amazon: http://astore.amazon.com/apexsciencfic-20/detail/0981639011/102-3906092-1532126

On the Apex site: http://www.apexbookcompany.com/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=22

Author rants, raves, and free samples: http://matt-wallace.livejournal.com/

 

Now back to your regularly scheduled macho posturing, already in progress.

::This blog has been hijacked by Apex Digest editor and art director Deb Taber:::
:::the authorities have arrived...I'm getting off this blog before they haul me in:::