Tiny Terrors

May I please have your vote?

2012-01-05T13:00:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone!

I have a couple of stories nominated in the annual Preditors and Editors Poll, and I was wondering if you might vote for 'em.

"The Bobble Head of Doom" is nominated for best short horror story here (there's also a link in case you'd like to read it):

http://www.critters.org/predpoll/shortstoryh.shtml

And "Virtual Memory" is nominated for best short science fiction/fantasy story here:

http://www.critters.org/predpoll/shortstorysf.shtml

The way it works is: You click on the little button next to the story title, enter your email address and submit the vote. Then you click on the link in the email they send you to verify the vote. They won't send you any garbage emails.

Any help you could offer would be wonderful.

Thanks!

Boib

2012 calendar from the Great Lakes Association of Horror Writers!

2011-12-26T11:41:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone!

Check out this excellent 2012 calendar from the Great Lakes Association of Horror Writers! Each month features a classic movie poster as re-created by members of the organization. I did "The Shining". Grab your copy today!

http://greatlakeshorror.com/calendarproject.html

Thanks!

Bob

Excellent new werewolf anthology!

2011-12-12T14:08:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone!

There's a wonderful new werewolf anthology available that I was proud to have a part in. It combines excellent stories with narrations, music and custom artwork. Check out Tooth and Claw: A Werewolf Anthology:

http://liquid-imagination.com/toothandclaw/

You can get the whole collection or individual stories. You can choose the text, or the audio versions. I narrated many of the stories, and I know you're going to enjoy them!

Thanks!

Bob

New 100-word horror story!

2011-12-06T09:46:00.001-08:00

Hi, everyone!

For the horror fan on the go...a new 100-word horror story! Check it out at MicroHorror!

http://www.microhorror.com/microhorror/author/robert-c-eccles/open-season/

Hope you enjoy it!

Bob

Local Heroes anthology now available!

2011-12-01T12:15:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone!

The Local Heroes anthology is now available from Static Movement, and I'm excited to report that my short story "Virtual Memory" leads off this wonderful collection! Grab a copy today! An excellent holiday gift for the fiction lover on your gift list!

http://www.amazon.com/Local-Heroes-Robert-C-Eccles/dp/1617061662/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322770027&sr=1-1

Thanks!

Bob

"The Bobble Head of Doom" up at Wily Writers!

2011-11-12T04:36:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone!

My short horror story "The Bobble Head of Doom" is up at WIly Writers!

http://www.wilywriters.com/blog/

You can read it or listen to it. Either way, I hope you enjoy it!

Bob

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T07:43:00.001-07:00

Hi, everyone!

Thought you might like this little story on Halloween:

http://flashesinthedark.com/2011/10/31/the-patch-by-robert-c-eccles/

Hope you enjoy it!

Bob

Best Of anthology from Necrotic Tissue Magazine

2011-10-25T13:18:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone!

Grab your copy of Necrotic Tissue Magazine's Best Of anthology!\

Print edition:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/necrotic-tissue-r-scott-mccoy/1106699320

Kindle edition:
http://www.amazon.com/Necrotic-Tissue-Best-Anthology-ebook/dp/B005WL203W

My 100-word horror story "Spelling Bee for Exceptional Children" is in there.

Bob

Short horror story collection to be published!

2011-10-05T13:58:00.001-07:00

Hi, everyone!

Looks like Black Hound (UK) will be publishing an e-book collection of my short horror stories! Look for "Tiny Terrors" early next year.

Bob

New horror story up!

2011-09-30T14:15:00.001-07:00

Hi, everyone!

My very short horror story "Zombies Day Out" is up at MicroHorror. Hope you like it!

http://www.microhorror.com/microhorror/author/robert-c-eccles/zombies-day-out/

Bob

And now for something completely different...

2011-09-20T12:05:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone!

I'd love to have you check out my latest published story, "The MVP". It's up at Kids'Magination Magazine.

http://www.kidsmagination.com/kidsmagination-magazine

That's right, it's a story for kids. No horror at all. I think you'll really like Kids'Magination. It's full of wonderful stories and illustrations. Please give it a read!

Thanks!

Bob

Update

2011-09-02T12:07:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone!

It appears "Zombies Day Out" sorta got lost in the shuffle at Chizine (Chiaroscuro) and will now be under consideration for a future issue. I can see how it might fall through the cracks - it's only 100 words long. Fingers crossed that it finds its way in next time!

I'm also working on a short story that is so creepy I shudder when I think about it. Fun to write, though!

Bob

Liquid Imagination issue 10

2011-09-01T04:35:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone!

Issue 10 of Liquid Imagination Magazine is up! Don't miss this wonderful collection of stories, poetry, art and articles:

http://liquid-imagination.com/site/

Great stuff! Don't miss it!

Bob

New illustrated e-zine for kids!

2011-08-23T07:52:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone!

Check out Kids'Magination Magazine! It's a new illustrated e-zine for kids! No horror here, just kid-friendly stories accompanied by wonderful atwork.

http://www.kidsmagination.com/

They've accepted my short story "The MVP" for a future issue.

Bob

Short, Michigan-themed horror story up at Flashes in the Dark!

2011-08-22T07:07:00.001-07:00

Hi, everyone!

I have a short, Michigan-themed horror story up at Flashes in the Dark. It's called "Sand Wolf", and I hope you enjoy it!

http://flashesinthedark.com/2011/08/22/sand-wolf-by-robert-c-eccles/

Bob

The New Flesh, Year Two

2011-08-19T12:45:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone!

My very short, very weird story "Immortality" is included in The New Flesh, Year Two, now available as a free download!

http://newfleshmagazine.blogspot.com/p/year-two-free-ebook.html

Hope you enjoy it, and the rest of the stories!

Bob

"The Bobble Head of Doom" a winner!

2011-07-29T13:20:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone!

Found out that my short horror story "The Bobble Head of Doom" took first place in the Wily Writers contest for members of the Masters of Horror online community. It's expected to be published by Wily Writers in September. http://www.wilywriters.com/blog/

Bob

A couple of things...

2011-07-06T11:41:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone!

ChiZine has been curiously quiet for a couple of weeks now. Could it be that they're making final decisions on stories to publish? Hope so, because I haven't heard back yet on my 100-word horror story "Zombies Day Out", which I submitted to them back on April 17th.

I also sent a few of my short horror stories to a publisher to see if they'd be interested in publishing a collection of my tiny terrors. We shall see...

Bob

Liquid Imagination Magazine issue 9 is live!

2011-05-31T12:24:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone!
Check out issue 9 of Liquid Imagination Magazine! I was again honored to narrate the stories for this issue.

http://www.liquid-imagination.com/

Bob

Motor City ComicCon 2011

2011-05-16T12:41:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone!

Had a blast at Motor City ComicConc this past weekend. Got to meet some cool actors. It was my first convention (not counting my ill-fated trip to LA for a Moonlight convention in 2008).

Here are some pics. From top to bottom:

1. Me with Lee Arenberg (l) and Martin Klebba (r) of, among other things, the Pirates of the Carribean movies.

2. Me with Peter Mayhew, the man inside the Chewbacca suit for the Star Wars movies.

3. Dirk Benedict (Battlestar Galactica, The A Team)

4. Kristin Bauer (Pam from True Blood)

5. Arenberg and Klebba talking about Pirates.

6. My wife and daughter and I with Julian Glover (General Veers in Star Wars Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back; the voice of the big spider Aragog in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets; Grand Maester Pycelle in Game of Thrones; Walter Donovan in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade)

Got to meet some of the folks with The Great Lakes Association of Horror Writers, too, which was cool. Looking forward to next time.

Bob

"The High Priest" at Cast Macabre nominated for a Parsec Award!

2011-05-14T04:58:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone!

Just got word that "The High Priest", a Cast Macabre podcast I had the pleasure of providing a voice for, has been nominated for a Parsec Award! You can listen to the story here:

http://www.castmacabre.org/2011/03/cm35-high-priest-by-c-deskin-rink.html

Fingers crossed!

Bob

New PodCastle narration!

2011-05-10T07:54:00.001-07:00

Hi, everyone!

Check out my co-narration of C. S. E. Cooney's "Household Spirits" at PodCastle!

http://podcastle.org/2011/05/10/podcastle-156-household-spirits/

Bob

NT issue 14

2011-05-06T11:19:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone!

Received my copies of April's issue 14 of Necrotic Tissue Magazine in the mail today. Can't wait to dive into it! If you're getting a copy, look for my 100-word story "Spelling Bee for Execptional Children" inside.

Bob

Come visit me Under My Blanket!

2011-05-04T13:47:00.001-07:00

Hi, everyone!

There are now eight short horror stories up at "Under My Blanket": http://www.youtube.com/user/UnderMyBlanket?feature=mhum Check 'em out!

Bob

New narration at Pseudopod!

2011-04-22T10:16:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone!

My reading of Ferrett Steinmetz's wonderful story "The Sound of Gears" is up at Pseudopod. Hope you enjoy it!

http://pseudopod.org/?p=322

Bob

Under My Blanket

2011-04-15T12:36:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone!

I now have five short horror stories up on my You Tube channel Under My Blanket! If you haven't checked 'em out, here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/user/UnderMyBlanket?feature=mhum

Hope you enjoy the stories!

Bob

New episode of Under My Blanket is up!

2011-04-04T12:44:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone!

The latest installment of "Under My Blanket" is up! It's a very short zombie story called "Death on the Back Nine". Hope you enjoy it!

Bob

http://www.youtube.com/user/UnderMyBlanket?feature=mhum

My Aflac Duck Audition Tape

2011-03-30T11:44:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone!

Here's my Aflac Duck audition tape. I'm sending an audio file, so the duck pics are strictly for your enjoyment.

Wish me luck!

Bob

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hX0XPdDzlag

There's a new story "Under My Blanket"!

2011-03-21T09:55:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone!

Just posted the lastest installment of "Under My Blanket". I hope you enjoy it!

http://www.youtube.com/user/UnderMyBlanket?feature=mhum

Bob

Under My Blanket

2011-03-14T11:41:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone!

Just posted my first video to my YouTube channel, Under My Blanket. It's me reading one of my short horror stories, "The Vision" It's done in the style of a kid hiding under the blanket and reading with a flashlight. Hope you enjoy it!

http://www.youtube.com/user/UnderMyBlanket?feature=mhum

Bob

2011-03-14T07:45:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone!

Please check out C Deskin Rink's wonderful fantasy story "The High Priest" at Cast Macabre! I had the honor of providing the voice of Ardan.

http://www.castmacabre.org/2011/03/cm35-high-priest-by-c-deskin-rink.html

Thanks!

Bob

NEWS!

2011-03-10T15:40:00.001-08:00

Hi, everyone!

Just found out that I've been approved for Affiliate membership in the Horror Writers Association! Whoo-hoo!

Also, keep an eye peeled for a YouTube channel featuring videos of me reading some of my horror stories. It's called UnderMyBlanket. There's nothing there yet, but I'll let you know when I start posting videos.

Bob

Necrotic Tissue Magazine Closing

2011-02-21T12:45:00.000-08:00

I was sad to hear that Necrotic Tissue Magazine will be closing after issue #14, which comes out in April. Publisher R. Scott McCoy has produced a consistently excellent magazine. It has been my honor to have appeared in a few copies of NT, including the first print issue, and what will now be the last.

I'm not sure any other publications which accept flash horror will appreciate my sick sense of humor the way NT did. Guess we'll find out.

I'd like to personally thank R. Scott McCoy for his support of me as a writer, and I wish him the best of luck as he continues with Stygian Publications, minus NT.

Bob

Review: Angel of Vengeance

2011-02-19T07:57:00.000-08:00

As a fan of the CBS TV series “Moonlight” I was very excited to read Trevor Munson's “Angel of Vengeance”, the novel that inspired the series. I'm pleased to report that the novel was a thoroughly enjoyable read. And that's coming from someone with no previous experience reading “noir” stories. The story's atmosphere is palpable, almost a character itself. You're sucked into a dark and seedy world populated by criminals, cops, strippers, prostitutes and, of course, vampires. The way Munson describes Michael “Mick” Angel (who would morph into Mick St. John in the series) you feel as if you've known him all your life.

This is definitely not “Moonlight Mick”, but anyone who picks up “Angel of Vengeance” should already know that. And I have news for you: If you think Mick is darker in this novel than he was in the TV series, wait 'til you get a load of Coraline.

Comparisons to “Moonlight” are inevitable, of course. Here's how I see it: Watching “Moonlight” and then reading “Angel of Vengeance” is like having a musical group you love issue a collection of early, working versions of their songs. Sure, they're the same songs, but you're hearing them at the point where they were first imagined by the artist. You're witnessing the birth of the music, the evolution of the music. And it's fascinating to be able to compare the early versions of those songs with the version you've come to know and love.

I don't think I've ever read a book that had me laughing out loud in some places and cringing with disgust in others. And that's a good thing.

If Munson decides to continue the story (and I hope he does), it'll be interesting to see whether the direction taken in the TV series has an impact on how he writes the next installment (and I hope it doesn't).

To borrow a line from the TV series, “Angel of Vengeance” was like a giant thrill ride that I wish hadn't had to end.

Follow me on Facebook!

2011-02-15T07:36:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone!

I have an "author's page" on Facebook, in case you didn't know.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Robert-C-Eccles/69409424020

Check it out if you get a chance!

Thanks!

Bob

"Eye of the Storm" at Flashes in the Dark

2011-02-15T03:16:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone!

My short horror story "Eye of the Storm" is up at Flashes in the Dark!

http://flashesinthedark.com/2011/02/15/eye-of-the-storm-robert-c-eccles/

Hope you enjoy it!

Bob

Angel of Vengeance

2011-02-03T12:26:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone!

Be sure to check out "Angel of Vengeance" by my friend Trevor Munson, co-creator of the TV series "Moonlight". This is the novel that inspired the series.

http://www.amazon.com/Angel-Vengeance-Novel-Inspired-Moonlight/dp/184856855X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1296764774&sr=1-2

Bob

Interview with author AJ Brown

2011-02-02T13:43:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone!

Check out John JAM Miller's three questions interview with author AJ Brown!

http://liquidimaginationjam.wordpress.com/2011/02/01/three-questions-with-aj-brown/#comments

Bob

Tweet Me a Story, P&E. Buy a Book, Help a Kid

2011-02-01T11:11:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone!

Well, I didn't make it to the top 25 in Tweet Me a Story, but I figure getting into the top 100 was pretty good. Thanks for your support and votes!

Looks as though my short horror story, "The Medicine Tree", will come in 5th place in the annual Preditors and Editors Poll. My short sci-fi story, "Tip Line", is in 6th. Thanks for your support and votes in the P&E Poll, too!

Hoping to have news on my latest submission to Necrotic Tissue Magazine before too much longer. Still waiting to hear whether Romance Stories Magazine liked my short story, "War is Hell", too, I have a couple other submissions out there, too. I'll keep you posted.

My friend Steve Lowe is raising money for foster care and helping children in need. Please support him by picking up one of his excellent books!

http://steve-lowe.com/2011/01/21/buy-a-book-help-a-kid/

Thanks!

Bob

I'm a Tweet Me a Story finalist!

2011-01-27T03:07:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone!

My little story got me into the final 100 in the Tweet Me a Story contest!

http://www.nycmidnight.com/Competitions/Tweet/firstround/2.htm

We all get the same word prompt at 7 this evening, then have until midnight to submit up to three tweet-sized stories using the word. I'll post a link for voting when it's available.

Thanks!

Bob

Tweet Me a Story

2011-01-19T16:39:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone!

My tweet-sized story made the first cut in NYC Midnight's "Tweet Me a Story" contest! If you have a second and would like to vote for my story (it starts out "We were famished..."), follow this link:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HWC68CK

Thanks!

Bob

Necrotic Tissue Magazine

2011-01-17T13:25:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone!

Got my copies of Necrotic Tissue Magazine issue 13 in the mail today! It includes my 100-word bite "Translation App" and lots of other great stories. Grab your copy (or a subscription) here:

http://www.necrotictissue.com

Also got word that my latest 100-word bite, "Zombies Day Out", made the short list for NT's current submission period!

Bob

P&E Poll

2011-01-16T06:49:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone!

So far so good in the Preditors and Editors Poll! As of this writing both of my nominated stories are in second place in their respective categories.

"The Medicine Tree", short horror story:

http://www.critters.org/predpoll/shortstoryh.shtml

"Tip Line", short sci-fi/fantasy story:

http://www.critters.org/predpoll/shortstorysf.shtml

If you have a spare moment and would like to help me out with a vote, that'd be great! Voting runs through January 26th.

Thanks!

Bob

New story to listen to!

2011-01-14T15:23:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone!

Check out my reading of Drew Arrants' "A Tale of Cain" at Cast Macabre!

http://www.castmacabre.org/2011/01/cm29-tale-of-cain-by-drew-arrants.html

It's a very creepy story that I know you'll enjoy!

Bob

P&E Poll Back Up!

2011-01-10T08:45:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone!

The Preditors and Editors Poll is back up!

If you'd like to vote for my short horror story "The Medicine Tree", you can do so here:

http://www.critters.org/predpoll/shortstoryh.shtml

Voting runs 'til Jan 26th.

Thanks!

Bob

New story up at The New Flesh!

2011-01-08T12:57:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone!

I have a very strange story, "Clowning Around", up at The New Flesh. Hope you enjoy it!

Bob

http://newfleshmagazine.blogspot.com/

P&E Poll

2011-01-06T13:52:00.001-08:00

Hi, everyone!

Saw on a blog that Dave Kuzminski of P&E says the poll site is down, and the person who can fix it is out of town, so it'll probably be next week sometime before it's back up. They may end up extending the voting past Jan 14. I'll keep an eye on it and post an update when it's back up.

Bob

Preditors and Editors Poll

2011-01-01T12:53:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone!

My short horror story "The Medicine Tree" is up for best horror short story in the 2010 Preditors and Editors Poll. Voting is underway now through Jan 14. Could I trouble you for a vote?

http://www.critters.org/predpoll/shortstoryh.shtml

There's a link in case you haven't read the story and would like to check it out before you vote.

Thanks for your support!

Bob

Bob Eccles, romance writer?

2010-12-21T13:47:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone!

I submitted a short story (6,000 words, which is long for me) to Romance Stories Magazine today. Yep, a romance story. I'll keep you posted...

Bob

30-Word Stories

2010-12-13T13:10:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone!

SmokeLong Quarterly recently held a contest to find the five best 30-word stories to include in their 30th issue on December 22nd. I submitted three such stories. Unfortunately none were selected to appear in the ezine. I thought I'd post 'em here, in case you're interested.

Bob

Choices and Consequences

One last drunken breath and river water filled the car's interior. She glanced behind her and saw her toddler son struggling in his booster seat; regret, her last conscious thought.

Sacrament

The priest sprinkles holy water on the rings in our best man's hand. I slide yours on, and your finger starts to smoke. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

Excused Absence

I cry as I watch the school bus rumble past in the pre-dawn dark. My daughter waves and climbs aboard that bus each day, but only in my mind.

Jeremy C. Shipp's "Fungus of the Heart"

2010-11-29T13:37:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone!

Got my copy of Jeremy C. Shipp's "Fungus of the Heart" in the mail today. I've only had time to read a couple of the shorter stories, but they're wonderful! Get your copy today!

http://www.rawdogscreaming.com/fungus.html

Bob

Necrotic Tissue accepts "Spelling Bee for Exceptional Children"!

2010-11-23T15:27:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone!

I'm pleased to announce that not only have I figured out how to log into my blog, my 100-word horror story "Spelling Bee for Exceptional Children" has been accepted by Necrotic Tissue magazine for their April, 2011 issue!

Bob

Peter Straub and I in the SAME MAGAZINE???

2010-09-30T06:58:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone!

I was thrilled to find out that Issue 12 of Necrotic Tissue Magazine will include not only my 100-word horror story "High Definition", but articles by Peter Straub and a number of other luminaries of the writing/publishing community!

You can order your copy, or subscribe to Necrotic Tissue Magazine, here:

http://www.necrotictissue.com

Thanks!

Bob

News!

2010-09-08T08:02:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone!

A couple of things...

My 100-word horror story "The Autograph" is included in the July 2010 issue of Necrotic Tissue Magazine. Grab your copy (or even better, subscribe!) here:

http://www.necrotictissue.com/magazines_O.html

And my reading of M.K. Hobson's wonderful story "The Warlock and the Man of the Word" is up at PodCastle:

http://podcastle.org/2010/09/07/podcastle-121-giant-episode-the-warlock-and-the-man-of-the-word/

Thanks!

Bob

Stories available in anthologies!

2010-07-22T11:28:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone!

I have a few stories now available in anthologies published by Static Movement.

My short sci-fi/horror story, "Orbiting Saturn", is included in the "Deep Space Terror" anthology:

http://www.amazon.com/Deep-Space-Terror-Chris-Bartholomew/dp/1617060267/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1279823527&sr=1-1

And my short horror stories, "The ATM" and "No Deposit, No Return", can be found in the "Flash!" anthology:

http://www.amazon.com/Flash-C-Douglas-Birkhead/dp/1617060283/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1279823446&sr=1-1-spell

I hope you enjoy them!

Bob

Thrill Ride

2010-07-04T20:16:00.000-07:00

Here's a little 100-word story I hope you like.

Thrill Ride

My wife and daughter didn’t want to ride the roller coaster, so I strapped myself in next to some guy I’d never seen before. He looked nervous.

“First roller coaster ride?” I asked.

“You can tell, huh?”

“No worries,” I said. “It’s a piece of cake.”

The guy screamed like a girl. Then about halfway through the ride he went quiet.

When the coaster came to a stop I looked over. The guy’s head had been torn off, which explained his sudden silence. I chuckled. He had clearly gotten more bang for his entertainment buck than I had.

© 2010 Robert C. Eccles

Liquid Imagination Magazine Issue 6 now available!

2010-06-02T12:57:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone!

Issue 6 of Liquid Imagination Magazine is now available! It includes my reading of the eight amazing speculative fiction stories and two literary fiction stories. Check it out!

Bob

http://www.liquid-imagination.com/Issue6/LI_Issue6.html

Uninsurable

2010-03-12T14:34:00.000-08:00

This story first appeared at Flashes in the Dark on July 24th, 2009.

Uninsurable

Morton sat across from the insurance company representative, fuming.

“So my insurance has been canceled because my son is a zombie?” Morton’s son, Jeff, moaned in the seat next to his.

“That’s correct, sir.”

“That doesn’t make any sense. I’m not the zombie, my son is.”

“Does he live with you?”

“Of course he lives with me! He’s my son!”

“Then I’m afraid he poses an uninsurable risk to your household, sir.”

Morton couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“What do you expect me to do, put my son in a dog house out in the yard?”

“Would said dog house be on your property?”

Morton’s face turned a dangerous shade of purple. He took several deep breaths.

“What do I have to do to get my insurance reinstated?”

“Your son will need to leave your residence, sir.”

“And where would you have me send him? Disneyland?”

“I can’t legally offer you advice, sir,” the insurance representative said. “I’d contact the Bureau of Zombie Affairs.”

“I tried that. It’s closed. Budget cuts.”

“Hmmm,” the insurance man said, scratching his chin. He turned to his secretary. “Mary, would you bring me the zombie housing files, please?”

Mary grunted and slowly rose from her desk and shambled toward a filing cabinet. Morton was livid.

“So you work with a zombie, but you won’t insure people who live with zombies? That doesn’t make any sense!”

“I don’t insure my secretary, sir, I only share a workspace with her.”

“That’s it!” Morton raged. “I want to speak with your supervisor!”

“Very well, sir.”

The insurance representative picked up the phone and punched a couple of numbers. “Randy, I have a customer who’d like to speak with you. Thank you.” He hung up. “He’ll be right out.”

An uncomfortable minute or two passed with Morton and the insurance man staring at each other across the desk in silence. A door on the other side of the office opened.

“Ah, here he is now,” the insurance guy said. A decomposing man in a suit shuffled through the door and across the office toward them.

Morton’s mouth dropped open. “You’ve got to be kidding!”

The insurance representative glanced at his watch.

“If you’ll excuse me, sir, I’m due to take my lunch break. I’ll leave you to discuss your issue with Randy.”

At the mention of lunch, Morton’s son Jeff’s mouth began to water.

“You know what?” Morton said. “It is lunch time. Jeff, you wanna grab a bite?”

Jeff grinned. Morton grabbed the insurance man and held him as Jeff shambled around the desk. And Mary and Randy decided to join Jeff for lunch.

© 2009 Robert C. Eccles

Liquid Imagination Magazine, Issue #5!

2010-02-01T11:08:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone!

Check out issue #5 of Liquid Imagination Magazine, in which I played a small role:

http://www.liquid-imagination.com/Issue5/LI_Issue5.html

Thanks!

Bob

Have a great horror story? Submit it to Flashes in the Dark!

2010-01-26T12:34:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone!

Flashes in the Dark is always looking for great short horror stories. If it's scary and 1,000 words or less, Flashes in the Dark would love to read it!

http://flashesinthedark.com

Thanks!

Bob

Two Minute Drill

2010-01-20T12:45:00.000-08:00

Check out Steve Lowe's tongue-in-cheek interview of yours truly:

http://stevenelowe.wordpress.com/2010/01/20/2-minute-drill-robert-c-eccles/

Bob

Thank you!

2010-01-15T07:43:00.000-08:00

A huge Thank You to everyone who voted in the Preditors and Editors Poll! My story, "Class Reunion", came in second in the Short Horror Story category in the unofficial results! The "Toe Tags" horror anthology (which includes my story, "The Lesser of Two Evils") came in second, too! Flashes in the Dark was tenth in the Fiction Zine category, and FitD Editor Lori Titus came in 13th. Thanks for your support, and we'll aim for even bigger and better things next time!

Bob

Please vote for my story!

2010-01-10T09:26:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone!

My short horror story, "Class Reunion", is up for Best Horror Story in the Preditors and Editors Poll! I'd sure appreciate it if you could take a minute and vote for it here:

http://www.critters.org/predpoll/shortstoryh.shtml

While you're there, why not vote for the wonderful Toe Tags horror anthology (which includes my story, "The Lesser of Two Evils":

http://www.critters.org/predpoll/antho.shtml

Flashes in the Dark, the horror ezine I help select stories for, is also up for an award:

http://www.critters.org/predpoll/fictionzine.shtml

As is Flashes in the Dark Editor, Lori Titus:

http://www.critters.org/predpoll/zineeditor.shtml

You can vote through January 14th. Thank you in advance for your support!

Bob

The Vision

2009-11-01T13:56:00.000-08:00

This story first appeared at MicroHorror on April 9, 2009

The Vision

An oracle came to young Jeremy in a dream.

“Your family will rise above all others,” the oracle told Jeremy. “You will be like fruits on a great tree.”

Jeremy told his mother about his dream. She scolded him and warned him not to tell anyone else, for they lived in a community that did not tolerate believers.

At school, Jeremy told his best friend about his wonderful dream.

That night, an angry mob dragged Jeremy and his family out of their house and strung them up by their necks from the great tree in the town square.

© 2009 Robert C. Eccles

Potholes

2009-10-25T06:35:00.000-07:00

This one first appeared at Flashes in the Dark on March 31, 2009

Potholes

I used to think that potholes were created by the expansion and contraction of pavement in warm and cold weather. I also used to think that there are a lot more potholes now than usual because of the lousy economy, and the fact that states don't have the money to repair all the potholes. Boy, was I wrong. It's because of the economy, all right, but not in the way you'd think.

I was driving home from work one night when I drove over a pothole I hadn't noticed before. There was a crunch from my car's undercarriage as it bottomed out. That didn't surprise me. What surprised me was the blood-curdling scream that accompanied the crunch from under the car.

I pulled over to the side of the road and got out. I checked my tires, and saw that miraculously the pothole hadn't given me a flat. I glanced back down the road and decided to examine the hole. Maybe I could report it to the road commission in the morning.

As I drew closer, I saw what appeared to be tiny beams of light shining here and there from inside a jagged hole in the road that spanned at least two feet. I also thought I could hear whispering voices coming from the vicinity of the pothole. I reached the edge of the hole and peered in.

I couldn't believe my eyes. Three tiny men in construction gear and holding flashlights were huddled over the broken and twisted body of a fourth miniature man at the bottom of the hole. These micro-construction workers were no more than eight inches tall, including their yellow hard hats. The man lying at the bottom of the hole was clearly dead. The three other men looked up as I arrived at edge of the pothole.

"You ought to be a little more careful," one of the tiny men admonished me. "You killed Danny."

"I"m terribly sorry," I said, finding it hard to believe I was actually speaking to three tiny men at the bottom of a pothole. "I didn't see him."

"Well, these things happen," another of the men said. "Making potholes is dangerous work."

"I'm sorry, did you say you make potholes?"

"Yes, sir. We're a little-known division of the state department of transportation. It's all part of the economic recovery plan."

My mind swam as I tried to take this all in. "So you're making potholes to help the economy?" It sounded ridiculous to even say it.

"That's correct," the third tiny man said. "We make the potholes, and motorists drive through them. More often then not they get flat tires. Those folks buy new tires, pumping money into the local economy."

I was nodding my head in agreement until I realized I was doing it. This was insane!

"And," the third tiny man continued, "we help ensure continued employment at the road commission by keeping them busy filling the potholes we make."

"You've got to be kidding."

"No, sir," the first man said. "It's a line-item in the governor's budget. You can find it under 'road repairs'."

I shook my head in disbelief, then motioned toward the bloody little body lying in the pothole. "So what happens to your unfortunate co-worker?"

"Whenever something like this happens," the second man said, "we simply find a replacement."

I chuckled. "There can't be too many volunteers for this job."

"You'd be surprised," the first tiny man said, grinning. "You ever hear stories of people who go missing, and then they find the person's car on the side of the road, but there's no trace of the owner?"

I was about to say that I had heard stories like that, but instead I glanced back up the street at my car, sitting empty on the shoulder. I tried to run then, but those little men were fast.

© 2009 Robert C. Eccles

The Thing in the Drain

2009-10-18T05:27:00.000-07:00

Coming Sunday...

2009-10-17T10:05:00.000-07:00

Check back on Sunday for my audio presentation of my short horror story, "The Thing in the Drain"!

Emergency Exit

2009-10-16T05:44:00.000-07:00

This story appeared at Flashes in the Dark on January 27, 2009

Emergency Exit

Bob had completely botched the Schilling presentation, and his boss had told him on the phone last night that he shouldn't bother coming to work when he got back into town. Bob had considered himself pretty fortunate, with the economy in the shitter, to still be employed. Now, he wondered how he would make the payments on his house and car. His wife would leave him, for sure. And she'd take the kids with her. At least he had secured a seat in the emergency exit row for the flight home.

He slid into the window seat, fastened his seatbelt and closed his eyes. He must have drifted to sleep, because when he opened his eyes again and looked out the window, they were flying high over endless stretches of farmland. His ears felt plugged up, so he yawned and popped them open.

"Anything interesting out there?" The question had come from the seat next to his; a seat he hadn't realized was occupied until he glanced in the direction of the deliciously sultry and distinctively female voice. Sitting next to Bob was the most beautiful, perfect woman he had ever seen. It was as if someone had taken the best features of every woman he had ever found attractive, created a composite from them, and sat that woman next to him. She was wearing a dark skirt and jacket, with a ruffled blouse. An antique-looking broach hung from a gold chain around her neck. She wore nylons and black patent leather heels. Her chestnut hair was long, and she had flawless cream-colored skin and full lips. But it was her eyes that really got Bob's attention. They were an incredible shade of dark blue he had never seen before. The more he looked into those eyes, the more he noticed about them. The flecks of gold in the irises. The thick lashes that framed them. He thought he could stare into those eyes for the rest of his life and be completely happy.

Bob suddenly realized that he had been staring. "I'm so sorry," he said. "It's just that you're...well, I've never...I mean..."

"I think I know exactly what you mean," she said, cutting him off in mid stammer. "And please don't apologize. I was thinking the same thing about you." Bob blushed and looked down into his lap.

"Oh, I doubt that," he said. The woman reached over and took Bob's chin in her hand, turning his face toward her.

"I was thinking you're the most perfect man I've ever seen," she said. Bob looked into her eyes, and the depth of her gaze made him dizzy. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"But I'm just..."

"I don't want to hear it. You're handsome. You're sexy. You're perfect."

The cabin bell rang as the plane descended through 10,000 feet and the captain turned on the seatbelt sign. A flight attendant made an announcement that all electronic items should be turned off and stowed for landing, but Bob barely heard it.

"You can't be serious," Bob said. "Is this some kind of joke? Who put you up to this?"

"Look into my eyes," the woman said. "Are these the eyes of someone who's joking?" Bob stared into her eyes. Her wonderful, dark blue eyes.

"No...I don't...I'm, I'm not..." his voice trailed off.

"Would you like to get together after we land?" the woman asked. Bob was still looking into her eyes.

"Yes, I'd like to get together after we land,"

"Then why don't you go ahead, and I'll catch up with you later?" A weak frown wrinkled Bob's forehead. He tried to pull his eyes away from hers, and found he couldn't.

"Go ahead?" he asked.

"Sure," the woman said. "You head down first, and I'll catch up with you."

"I...I don't know..." Bob stared into the woman's eyes. He found he felt better when he didn't try to look away. Looking into those gorgeous eyes made him feel warm and comfortable. He had begun to drool.

"It'll be fine," the woman said. "You go ahead, and I'll join you later." She placed her hand on Bob's crotch. "It'll be worth the wait, I promise." Bob looked down into his lap, barely registering what he was seeing. He looked back up, and stared questioningly into the woman's eyes.

"It’ll be fine?"

"Would these eyes lie?"

Bob didn't hesitate. "No." He reached for the handle on the emergency exit door.

"Wait," the woman said. As Bob hesitated, she tugged at her seatbelt to make sure it was snug.

"You may proceed."

Bob's naked body wasn't found until the following spring, when a farmer plowed it up in his field. It was speculated that his clothes had been torn free of his body during the fall. A male passenger who had been sitting across the aisle told investigators that he had seen Bob reaching for the emergency door handle and had yelled at him to stop. He said Bob seemed to hesitate, but by the time he had unfastened his seatbelt Bob had pulled the door open. It was all he could do not to be sucked out through the open door right behind Bob. Flight attendants reported observing Bob speaking to the empty seat next to his. They had seen a lot stranger behavior from passengers over the years, so they didn't think anything of it.

© 2009 Robert C. Eccles

Fangs for your Support

2009-10-15T18:49:00.000-07:00

This one appeared at MicroHorror on March 1, 2009

Fangs For Your Support

The United States wasn’t ready for a vampire president.

The candidate’s platform seemed plausible. He proposed a network of regional “turning centers”, which would create jobs for the unemployed. He argued that a U.S. military made up of vampires would be unbeatable. And he suggested that in an America populated by vampires, health care costs would be a thing of the past.

The opposition Van Helsing party candidate countered that while unstoppable at night, a vampire army could easily be vanquished by the enemy as it slept during the day. He wondered aloud where the “turning center” jobs would go once everyone became a vampire. And he questioned where a vampire nation would find sustenance when there weren’t any humans left to feed on.

In the end, a radical faction of the Van Helsing party found the vampire candidate in his coffin in a Motel Six in Poughkeepsie, New York and fed the candidate and his casket to an incinerator.

Despite the setback, the vampire party wouldn’t rule out fielding a candidate in the next election.

© 2009 Robert C. Eccles

Blackout

2009-10-15T18:43:00.001-07:00

This story appeared at MicroHorror on February 14, 2009

Blackout

Consciousness returns as she tastes river water. The car fills up, and she flails against the seatbelt. She's drunk again, and she can't unfasten it. The water surges in; bubbling higher and higher around her. She tilts her face up to suck one last breath from the shrinking pocket of air, and then she's underwater. She looks behind her and sees her toddler son struggling in his booster seat. She screams, and her lungs fill with water.

© 2008 Robert C. Eccles

Voices

2009-10-15T14:51:00.000-07:00

Toe Tags anthology now available!

2009-09-28T12:34:00.001-07:00

Grab your copy of the wonderful "Toe Tags" horror anthology now! My story, "The Lesser of Two Evils", is in there.

http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/toe-tags/7716877?showPreview

Orbiting Saturn

2009-09-18T11:09:00.000-07:00

This one appeared in the April, 2009 issue of Sonar 4 Science Fiction and Horror Ezine.

Orbiting Saturn

Major Don Malone opened his eyes. It was dark on the flight deck. Only the colorful blinking lights on the flight status display panel provided any respite from the darkness. But it wasn’t the light that had awoken Major Malone. It was the voice on the intercom.

“Mission control to Saturn Explorer.” The voice was faint and static. “Mission control to Saturn Explorer, do you read me?”

Major Malone climbed out of his pod and stretched. His muscles were a little stiff from his time in hibernation, but nothing compared to his two previous flights to the ringed planet. He approached the control panel and toggled the talk-back switch.

“Mission control, this is Saturn Explorer. I read you loud and clear.”

“Don? Is that you?” The voice on the other end belonged to mission team leader Brent Scofield. Major Malone thought he sounded strange – worried, and more than a little tense.

“It’s me, Brent,” Major Malone answered. He scanned the flight status display and saw that they were orbiting Saturn, exactly as planned. “Is something wrong?”

“We’re not sure, Don,” Scofield said, “but we seem to be having some trouble with the telemetry from your ship.”

“What sort of trouble?”

“Well, yours are the only vital signs we’re receiving. We aren’t getting anything from Mike, Jim or Tanya.”

Major Malone turned around and took in a sharp, surprised breath. His eyes grew wide in horror.

“Is something wrong, Don?” Scofield asked.

Major Malone didn’t answer. Instead, he walked over to the pods that had cocooned the bodies of Mission Specialist Michael Turner and Cargo Specialist Tanya Southland. The curved sliding glass doors on the front of each pod were shattered, and nothing remained inside the pods but piles of colorful crystals.

“Don, are you all right?” Scofield was trained to remain calm in stressful situations, but he sounded on the verge of panic.

Major Malone ignored the intercom and moved to Communication Specialist James Neal’s pod. Neal’s pod door was open. Inside, Neal had been bludgeoned to death. His head was misshapen. Major Malone could find no trace of what had been Jim Neal’s face in that bloody mess. Blood and flecks of brain tissue coated the top half of Neal’s cryo-suit, and a lithium wrench protruded from a gaping hole in his midsection.

“Don! What’s going on there?” Scofield demanded.

Major Malone stumbled backward away from the pods, bumping into the control panel. He reached for the switch that would turn on the flight deck overhead lights. He found the switch and flipped it. Back on earth, Brent Scofield heard what he would later tell investigators sounded like Major Malone sputtering “Oh, my God.”

“What is it, Don?”

In the harsh, new light Major Malone looked at his arms and saw that they were covered in blood up to the elbows, and more blood was spattered across the front of his cryo-suit. His hands were covered in blood, too, and he had left dark red imprints on everything he had touched.

“Don, are you there? Answer me, damm it!”

Major Malone no longer heard the voice on the intercom. His eyes had gone blank. He shuffled zombie-like over to the weapons rack and picked up a photon pistol. He switched the weapon on and put it to his temple. Through the intercom at Mission Control, Scofield heard the unmistakable sound of a photon pistol discharging, followed by the clumping thud of a body hitting the floor.

I Heart Tony

2009-09-16T14:22:00.000-07:00

This one appeared on January 20, 2009 at MicroHorror.

I Heart Tony

Having Tony around for holidays like this one was nice, Veronica thought to herself as she picked up the small heart-shaped box of candy and walked toward the door at the rear of the house.
She’d had some issues with boyfriends in the past, and Tony had been no different. He was wonderful at the beginning, but then he became abusive. First he used his mouth, then he used his fists. But they’d worked things out, and everything was fine now.

Veronica reached the door and opened it. Flipping the light switch, she stepped into the garage, reflecting on how Tony had been with her since just after Christmas. She’d have to do something really special for him next time Christmas rolled around. For now, the candy would be fine.

Veronica stopped in front of the industrial-sized freezer. She opened the lid and waved away the escaping fog to reveal Tony’s frozen corpse. She gently fitted the heart-shaped box into the hole in Tony’s chest where his own heart used to be. She leaned down and kissed his frosty, grey lips, then straightened back up and smiled, licking the moisture from her lips. “Happy Valentine’s Day, baby,” she said, and she closed the freezer lid.

Copyright: © 2009 Robert C. Eccles

Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep

2009-09-16T04:39:00.000-07:00

This one appeared at MicroHorror on December 30, 2008

Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep

The little girl knelt by her bed.

“Please bless Mommy and Daddy,” she prayed.

“Please bless my brother Jayden and my cat Buttons.”

The little girl jumped into bed and pulled the covers up to her chin.

A hideous screeching from behind her closet door raised goosebumps on her arms. She leapt out of bed and back to her knees.

“And please don’t let the monster in my closet get out! Amen!”

She jumped back in bed and pulled her legs up. If the monster did get out, she didn’t want it touching her feet.

Copyright: © 2008 Robert C. Eccles

No Deposit, No Return

2009-09-14T14:11:00.000-07:00

Going generally in chronological order, here's the next story of mine to be published. It appeared at MicroHorror on December 17, 2008

No Deposit, No Return

No one paid much attention to the huge man in bib overalls, a stained white T-shirt and dirty work boots as he pushed a cart toward the grocery store’s bottle return area. There was a black plastic bag inside the cart, and the cart’s front right wheel wiggled and squeaked. It wasn’t until the man arrived at the bottle return and began removing body parts from the bags that people took notice.

The giant hefted a human leg from the bag and guided the bare foot into the receptacle. Toes painted hot pink disappeared into the hole. The machine beeped loudly. Its display indicated that the store didn’t accept that brand of bottle. The man grunted, and shoved the leg in up to the knee. He leaned into it, and the rest of the leg went into the machine.

Customers who had been redeeming bottles and cans fled the bottle return, their faces green, their hands covering their mouths. Only the store clerk who was in charge of the bottle return area stayed behind. He watched with horrified fascination as the man reached into his bag and pulled out a woman’s severed head.

The giant held the head up to the bottle machine’s opening by its long, matted brown hair. The head was too big. The man pressed the head against the hole and pushed. The bones in the head began to give way with wet, cracking snaps and pops. Fluids seeped from the head’s ears, eyes, mouth and nose. He pushed harder, wedging the head halfway into the opening. The machine beeped again. The display requested that the item be inserted bottom first. Ignoring the request, the giant put all of his weight behind one final push. The head sounded like an imploding cantaloupe as the man crammed it into the receptacle.

Blood dripped down the front of the machine. Strands of long, brown hair and one pink toenail stuck to the gore that surrounded the opening. The read-out flashed and fizzled for a moment, then indicated the man had $4,372 in returns. The giant pressed a button and took his receipt. The clerk held his breath as the man pushed his cart past him and out of the bottle return area. The clerk let his breath out and shook his head, reaching for the phone on the wall. As the giant pushed his cart down the aisle, its right front wheel wiggling and squeaking, a voice came over the store intercom.

“Cleanup in bottle return.”

Copyright: © 2008 Robert C. Eccles

The Man in the Toilet

2009-09-07T18:01:00.000-07:00

"The Man in the Toilet" was my first published short horror story. It appeared at http://www.microhorror.com/ on December 3rd, 2008

The Man in the Toilet

“There is no-one living in the toilet!” I had tried to reason with my young son, but he insisted he couldn’t use our bathroom because of the man in the toilet bowl. My patience with Gerry was running thin.

“Da man in the toilet wanna touch my bo-bos”, Gerry said. You can thank my wife for teaching him to call his nuts “bo-bos”.

“Nobody wants to touch your bo-bos!”

“Da man in the toilet do,” Gerry insisted.

“There is no man in the toilet!”

“Der is! I seen him in der! I seen his face!”

“What you saw was your own reflection in the water,” I told him.

“Den why I doan see him in da school toilet? Or at gamma-gampa’s?”

I didn’t have an answer for that, and that made me even angrier. I hated losing arguments to a toddler.

“Look, Gerry,” I said, placing my hands on his small shoulders. “You’re a big boy now, and big boys use the toilet. Big boys don’t think there’s a man living in the toilet bowl.” Gerry’s bottom lip began to quiver, and his eyes filled with tears. “You’re staying in there until you use the toilet.”

Gerry’s tears overflowed, and as he turned toward the toilet silent sobs shook his small frame. He walked toward the commode like a death row inmate toward the electric chair. The poor kid -- I couldn’t take it. But maybe there could be a compromise…

“Gerry, how about if I use the toilet first to show you it’s OK?” Gerry sniffed and nodded his head, wiping tears with the back of his hand.

I walked toward the toilet and, standing in front of it, I unzipped my fly.

“No, daddy,” Gerry said. “You gotta sit.”

I started to argue the point. “Why do I gotta…” then I thought, what the hell, if it’ll get the kid over his fear. “OK, I’ll sit. You wait outside.”

Gerry shuffled out of the bathroom, and I closed the door. I walked back to the toilet and dropped my pants and jockey shorts down to my ankles. I squatted down on the bowl.

“I’m sitting down!” I hollered at Gerry through the door. “Everything’s fine!” Then I heard bubbling in the water beneath me. I jumped, and looked down between my legs into the bowl. There was a man in there! I nearly leapt to my feet before I realized it was my own face I saw reflected in the water. I chuckled, and settled back down on the seat. When after a few moments I felt cold, wet fingers reach up and caress my testicles, I screamed. I jumped to my feet and yanked my pants up. I edged my head over the bowl and peered in. Just my reflection. But I couldn’t explain away the wet spot in my jockeys from the toilet water on my balls.

“You OK, daddy?” Gerry asked from outside the bathroom door, his voice shaky. I buckled my pants and opened the door.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I said, tousling his hair. “And you don’t have to use the toilet if you don’t want to.”

“Yay!” Gerry yelled, taking off down the hallway. “I don hafta use da toilet! I don hafta use da toilet!”

Gerry almost ran into my wife, who was standing in the hallway. She gave me a curious look. All I could do was rub my bo-bos and shrug.

© 2008 Robert C. Eccles

Welcome!

2009-09-03T14:41:00.000-07:00

Welcome everyone to my little corner of the blog-o-sphere! I'll be using this space to post many of the short horror and sci-fi stories I've written. If you enjoy them, I hope you'll let me know and tell others about them!

Thanks, and happy reading!

Bob