R. Michael Burns

Very pleased to announce that my short story, “The Roar of the Greasepaint” will be out in August in the new Evil Jester Press anthology Carnival of the Damned.

What happens when an aging clown realizes he’s sold his soul for cheap laughs?  Pick up a copy and find out!

The antho also contains works by Hollie Snider (author of the novel For the Rank of Master), Amity Green (author of the novel Scales), and J. T. Evans, among others.

The new anthology from Evil Jester Press!

For the first time here, I’ve posted my article “Creative Writing 301”, an article about the use of theatrical techniques to improve the conflict and pace in writing.  This article was selected by Predators and Editors as one of the three best articles on writing when it first appeared on the Colorado Springs Fiction Writers Group’s website.  Just click on over to the Articles page and enjoy!

Thanks to my friend in Japan, Miguel (yes, he lives in Japan, but as his name suggests, he’s French Canadian; no, I don’t get it, either) Gemma Vidal at JETWit has been kind enough to feature some of my work.  JETWit is a website featuring news and information about those of us who have been participants on the Japan Exchange Teacher Programme.  I was a JET from 2000 to 2003 and taught at a couple of junior high schools in my Japanese hometown of Fukaya, Saitama, just northwest of Tokyo.  And — just in case it isn’t clear — none of the tales of Hokage the Samurai would exist had I not had this amazing opportunity to explore the Land of the Rising Sun and its culture and history.

Have a look at the JETWit page here:  http://jetwit.com/wordpress/2013/02/08/new-to-the-jet-alum-author-beat-r-michael-burns/

Thanks Gemma and JETWit!

“Shadows and Hellfire” — the third tale of the samurai Hokage and his shape-shifting companion Sasa — is now up on Heroic Fantasy Quarterly!

You can jump straight to my tale by going here: http://www.heroicfantasyquarterly.com/?p=1293 — but do give the rest of the issue a look!  And remember, you can find the previous tales by poking around in their archives, or by going to the page on my website devoted to the Hokage tales.

The Colorado Springs Fiction Writers Anthology

The Colorado Springs Fiction Writers Group’s first anthology, An Uncommon Collection, is now available from Amazon.com!

The anthology revolves around a mysterious bookstore and its eccentric proprietor, Ezra Frinfrock.

The anthology features my tale “The Door, the Lock, the Key.”

Also featured are 14 other tales by other members of the Colorado Springs Fiction Writers Group.

Order YOUR COPY HERE:  http://www.amazon.com/Uncommon-Collection-Colorado-Springs-Fiction/dp/0615716024/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1354315358&sr=1-3&keywords=an+uncommon+collection

Or check it out at SmashWords:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/260603

Check out some of the other excellent contributors to the anthology here:

J. T. Evans — “A Poor Fellow Soldier”  — An archaeology graduate student discovers a set of strange books and learns that the Knights Templar are not yet dead and gone. . .   http://jtevans.net/

A.M. Burns — “A Dragon’s Tome” — Visit A. M. Burns’ page at www.amburns.com

Check out more about the CSFWG, the anthology, its contributors and editors, here: www.coloradospringsfictionwritersgroup.org