FREE FOR KINDLE - Last Day!

Here's a change of pace.

My friend and long-time critique group partner Kassandra Kelly has just released this eBook, aimed at folks with a yen to paint with wax. Now, I'll admit I don't know jack about encaustic art, but I know good writing when it see it - and there's plenty in this book.

If you happen to be artistically inclined, or know someone who is, you, he or she ought to hop over to Amazon and grab this book before the end of its free promo period. Tomorrow, the price goes up to $7.99. To an encaustic artist, of course, I'm sure it's worth way more than that, but hey - FREE is a very good price.

Here's the review I posted on Amazon, and every word is true:

COMPREHENSIVE, INFORMATIVE – AND A GREAT READ!

If you’ve ever dabbled in encaustic art, ever WANTED to dabble in encaustic art, or just want to know what the heck it is—this is the book for you.

This step-by-step manual is not only a thoroughly-researched guidebook to the creation of encaustic art—it’s also a heck of an entertaining read.

The focus here is helping you to DO-IT-YOURSELF, and ON THE CHEAP, everything from acquiring tools, equipment and materials, to using them safely and wisely—helping you produce works of art that will be around long after we’ve all turned to dust.

It’s clear that Kassandra Kelly has learned by doing, through trail and error and trial again, and she’s passing her secrets on to you, to save you time, money and a whole lot of frustration. And the writing is all so clear—and conversational—that you almost forget you’re reading. It’s like she’s standing right there next to you, explaining the finer points and guiding you every step of the way. 

But hey, that’s what you’d expect from a book titled Encaustic Materials Handbook. The bonus is that Kelly’s prose is so entertaining—and so informative. Did you know that the Egyptians used encaustic methods to create portraits for mummy cases? Or that pieces of encaustic murals survived the destruction of Pompeii? You will after reading this book. You’ll also be party to the secrets imparted by Pliny the Elder before he was fried to a crisp on Mount Vesuvius. And you’ll know how the encaustic process is related to the production of such widely divergent products as soap and hockey pucks. 

Trust me. You’re going to LOVE this book.

Click HERE to "buy." 

La Ronde Pt. 11 (THE END) by Dan Fleming - A FREE Podcast at Sniplits - AND - A Kick-Ass Review of BEAT to a PULP: Round One

 

Yep, La Ronde has come to its last round-up, and Dan Fleming burns the house down in the final chapter, "Problems in the Final Act." If you've been keeping up, buzz on over and check it out, right HERE. If not, here's your ticket to whole thing:

Part 1: The Dish Ran Away With the Spoon by Patti Abbott

Part 2: Blinded by the Brilliance of his Own Reflection by Dana King
Part 3: Provocateur by K.A. Laity

Part 4: Enter the Fat Lady by Sandra Seamans
Part 5: It's a Dog's Life by Rob Kitchin   

Part 6: The Lesser Evil by Evan Lewis

Part 7: Mirror Image by Eric Beetner
Part 8: La Ronde by Nigel Bird
Part 9: Knocked Out Loaded by Kassandra Kelly
Part 10: It's Raining Down in Texas by Graham Powell
Part 11: Problems in the Final Act by Dan Fleming

PLUS Sniplits is offering a free podcast of a creepy-cool tale of evil doings and love after death by Kassandra Kelly. Give a listen to "The Blesser" right HERE. 

AND In other news, Ron Scheer delivers a long and insightful review of BEAT to a PULP: Round One over at the always-amazing Buddies in the Saddle. Check it out, then read the book!

La Ronde Chapter 9: Knocked Out Loaded by Kassandra Kelly

Patti Abbott's La Ronde is winding down, but that doesn't mean the stories are. This week, Kassandra Kelly delivers a BEAT to a PULP-worthy tale called "Knocked Out Loaded," featuring the return of one our least beloved characters.You'll find it on Kassandra's blog, The Hive Encaustic, right HERE.

Catch up on La Ronde here:
Part 1: The Dish Ran Away With the Spoon by Patti Abbott
Part 2: Blinded by the Brilliance of his Own Reflection by Dana King

Part 3: Provocateur by K.A. Laity
Part 4: Enter the Fat Lady by Sandra Seamans
Part 5: It's a Dog's Life by Rob Kitchin   

Part 6: The Lesser Evil by Evan Lewis

Part 7: Mirror Image by Eric Beetner
Part 8: La Ronde by Nigel Bird

And just for kicks, here are MORE wild and crazy stories by Kassandra Kelly:
Tales of the Zombie War: ValkYra of the Damned
Spinetingler: The Red Tent
Sniplits: The Blesser
On the Premises: The Moon Dreams of Water
Reflection's Edge: Nine- or Ten-Foot Angels
Madison, After: Beadie and the Blesser
clonepod: The Cat, The Desert and Lucky .003
The Future Fire: The Cat, The Desert and Lucky .003

ZOMBIE ALERT!!!

A brand-spanking-new story over at the Internet mag Tales of the Zombie Wars features the grisly handiwork of Kassandra Kelly, who was last seen tingling spines at Spinetingler Magazine. The flesh-eating horrors in Kassandra's tale, "ValkYra of the Damned," are not your traditional zombies, they 're a new breed of nightstalker called the Demented, and you won't want to miss the ruckus that ensues when stop into the Hamburger Palace for a snack. To check out the story, click HERE.

Links to more stories by Kassandra Kelly:
Spinetingler: The Red Tent
Sniplits: The Blesser
On the Premises: The Moon Dreams of Water
Reflection's Edge: Nine- or Ten-Foot Angels
Madison, After: Beadie and the Blesser
clonepod: The Cat, The Desert and Lucky .003
The Future Fire: The Cat, The Desert and Lucky .003

Let the Spinetingling Begin

The Almanack extends congrats to Portland writer Kassandra Kelly, whose fine new story "The Red Tent" is now featured in Spinetingler Magazine. Check it out! Kassandra and I are charter members of one of the city's premier critique groups, and I've had the pleasure of reading her stuff before the rest of the world gets a peek at it. She blogs (now and then) at Madison, After.

More stories for Kassandra Kelly fans:
Sniplits: The Blesser
On the Premises: The Moon Dreams of Water
Reflection's Edge: Nine- or Ten-Foot Angels
Madison, After: Beadie and the Blesser
clonepod: The Cat, The Desert and Lucky .003
The Future Fire: The Cat, The Desert and Lucky .003

New Story on SNIPLITS: The Blesser

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Because you're reading this blog, I know you to be a person of distinguished taste and fine judgment. That's why I know you'll enjoy "The Blesser," the latest story from the pen of Kassandra Kelly. And you can enjoy this one with your eyes closed, because it's a new downloadable audio short from Sniplits.com.

The site describes it like so...

As if living with the ghosts of her addictions and her boyfriend's suicide aren't enough for realtor Ronnie to cope with, now she's got a House Blesser who keeps discovering ghosts in the houses she's trying to sell....

But hey, you don't have to believe them. Check out these reviews from real-life listener-readers:

This story slides in smoothly under the radar and before you know it you're ready to check the yellow pages for someone to bless your house.  - rkelstrom

This one's a triple threat - a treat for the ear, the brain and the heart. Kassandra Kelly deftly draws us into a world where evil spirits are every bit as real as evil habits. And just when we begin to get comfortable, she shifts reality yet again. When is her next story appearing? - defunct

It's 34 minutes and 54 seconds of audio bliss, all for the bargain price of $1.08. Check it out here: The Blesser.

And when you're done, you'll no doubt wish to explore more of Kassandra Kelly's work. (You can listen to "The Cat", but you'll need your eyeballs for the others):

The Moon Dreams of Water
Nine- or Ten-Foot Angels
The Cat, The Desert and Lucky .003

She'll also have a story in the forthcoming issue of Spinetingler.