I did the next layer of fiberglass on the lower jaw of the bear today. Sorry, no photos but tomorrow, I should have a video for you. I’ll be heading in to the studio to finish up the arms and to saw the jaw apart.

Because I need it to be a completely enclosed thing, I’ll have to cut the fiberglass open, remove the clay from the inside and then refiberglass it shut. At the moment, I’m dancing with the weather because I can’t glass in less than five degrees celsius. Yesterday was too cold; today was five degrees. If it’s cold tomorrow then I’ll wait until Saturday to seal the lower jaw and do it in the studio with the ventilator on. The ventilator is pretty wimpy, so I’d rather not do it when people are in the building.

Sometime around the beginning of September, I got an email from Jason Sizemore:

Mari Adkins and I are releasing an anthology titled “Harlan County Horror” under the Apex Publications imprint. All stories will be set or based around Harlan, KY. There’s a rich mountain culture there, the Cumberland Gap,…and there’s also things like the Hatfields & McCoys, coal mine mafia, supernatural weirdness, and scary hillbillies.

I’m not looking to make fun of Harlan. I want to use Harlan and it’s bizarre, rich history to make some good horror.

Would you be interested?

Would I be interested? Oh yes. Yes, very much so.

So, I’ve been reading about Harlan county and toying with story ideas, but mostly I’ve been sitting on the news, waiting for them to make their official announcement about Harlan County Horror.

Here it is.

You guys/gals think you know everything going on with Apex? Nah, you just see the tip of the ‘berg! Our brains work overtime thinking of ways to frighten, to sicken you, the readers.

For over a year now, Mari Adkins has been sharing stories of her past with me. She’s also written a trio of novels, two of which I’ve read. And a handful of short fiction. There’s one thing all her novels, shorts, and dialogues with me have in common: Harlan, KY.

The frightening aspect of this fact? She only lived there for 3.5 years.

I’m hoping to purge Harlan, KY from Mari Adkins. You can call it an exorcism. I will call it an anthology of horror. Harlan County Horror.
Mari will co-edit the anthology with me. Mari will also have the opening story. After all, it is her soul we’re cleansing.

We’ve lined up an impressive list of writing talent to help Mari with her curse. Some names are new, others more well known. All have their own insights into the madness of Harlan Couny.

Contributors:
Mari, Queen of Harlan, Adkins
Cherie Priest
Scott Nicholson
Weston Ochse
Robby Sparks
Kim Colley
Debbie Kuhn
Michele Freel
Alethea Kontis
Mary Robinette Kowal
Geoffrey Girard

Who knows, I might take pen to paper and do my part to squeeze the devil from Mari.

This is slated to be released in the summer of 2007.

Seeing the authors with whom I’ll be sharing the Table of Contest, I’m even more excited and pleased to be in this anthology.