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 Wow! It seems like the last three months flew by, and yet it felt like I had to wait an eternity to publish this issue. As you can see from the layout, the sub-theme is Ghost Stories. The fiction below represents four genre areas--SF, fantasy, traditional horror, and contemporary fiction--and all four stories are very original. I'm sure you will enjoy reading every one of them, as well as the poem by John Meany!
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The REALLY BIG NEWS is that Joseph Collins (aka "JJ"), has joined the Midnight Times (MT) as an Assistant Editor! JJ will be coordinating the online submissions as well as assisting with content development for the Midnight Times web site. There has been such an overwhelming interest in MT that JJ's help has already proven invaluable. Many thanks to JJ for all the assistance he has already provided with the behind the scenes work.--JFM 7/1/04
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FICTION
The Ghouls of Charon by Lawrence R. Dagstine. Lawrence is the author of well over sixty short stories, half of which have appeared in publications such as Pablo Lennis, Gotta Write Network Litmag, Alternate Perceptions, Lost Worlds, The Ultimate Unknown, and more. He is also the author of three novel-length books, entitled Espionage First, Spencer Prague, and the upcoming Death of the Common Writer. In his spare time he enjoys collecting baseball cards, for fun and profit, playing survival horror video games, and cats...
Sarah Smokes Marlboros by Katherine M. Siebenaler. Katherine has only recently learned to appreciate the four years she spent as a disgruntled and angst-ridden student at a highly conservative Catholic academy high school in Toledo, Ohio. She keeps her plaid uniform skirt around for special occasions.
To Keep Something In by Rick McQuiston. Rick lives in Warren, Michigan with his wife and two children. He has been writing for nearly ten years and has had twelve stories published. Currently, he is working on a horror novella as well as more short stories. The idea for "To Keep Something In" was hatched from countless hours of driving on family trips. His other creative pursuits include painting, music (he plays drums, guitar, bass and keyboards), poetry and astronomy.
The Waterghost by Donna Marie Robb. Donna has published a novel as well as several short stories that have appeared in online and literary magazines such as Dark Moon Rising, Fantasy, Folklore & Fairytales and Enigma. She has recently completed a new novel, which will soon be sent out into the world. During the day she works as a children's librarian, making time to write in the evenings and on weekends. She also enjoys traveling to exotic foreign countries with her husband Ron.
POETRY
Vengeance from Beyond the Grave by John Meany. John lives on the Jersey Shore, just south of New York City. Writing haunts him. It's in his blood. Hemingway, Poe, and Stephen King have influenced him greatly. But believe it or not, for fun he sometimes reads Jackie Collins. Eventually, John would like to publish a short story collection and then move on to novels. While he doesn't normally write poetry, he welcomes it when it comes. "Vengeance from Beyond The Grave" was written on Halloween in 2003. Hey, do you believe in ghosts?
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MIDNIGHT TIMES PUBLICATION INFO
If you are a new or beginning writer interested in an opportunity to get published, and you have written work with a "darkness" theme, I encourage you to take a look at the submission guidelines for the Midnight Times. The next issue of the Midnight Times (Fall 2004) will be published October 1. The theme will be "a bizarre twist of fate."
 | A list of previously published works and the contributing authors can be accessed in the Fiction Archive. MT back issues are located here. |
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The Epic Café
Think of the Epic Café as that lonely coffee shop off the beaten path. It's located somewhere down a dark side alley from what used to be Main Street a century ago. It's a place you only know about because some languid stranger who likes to frequent poetry readings shoved a flyer in your face at the local bookstore. The Epic Café is a metaphorical focal point that pulls together the literary threads of the Tower in a unique place that provides a single point of virtual access. What is accessible from this discrete establishment includes the featured poetry reading for tonight, the gallery next door (a place where visual inspiration and creative thought meld within the vast reaches of Cyberspace), and a back alleyway leading to the darkest recesses of the imagination. The metaphor is enhanced by the multidimensional nature of the Web. Feel free to explore, but keep in mind that this is the realm of the imagination...
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The Tome
 The Tome, featuring original works by Webhead, is an online preview of fiction, poetry, and other works by the Midnight Times editor. The Tome is a work-in-progress, and I contribute new material whenever I can find time. Check below in the "Poetry" and "Fiction" sections for a selection of works that I am currently highlighting. My New Year's resolution is to contribute considerably more work in 2004.
Wasteland
"Le Prince d' Aquitaine à la tour abolie¹/These fragments I have shored against my ruins..." Two lines of T. S. Eliot best describe this dark inferno of The Midnight Times. Herein the Wasteland you will find the eternal depth from which we cannot escape. This is darkness everlasting.
¹ "The Prince of Aquitaine in the ruined tower." One of the cards in the Tarot pack is the "tower struck by lightning."
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FICTION
In the Spring 2004 issue of MT I added another chapter to Nightmare. "Alexander Pearl's Letter" is a stand alone chapter that can be read outside the context of the larger work as a quasi short story. In the Winter 2004 issue of MT I included the short story "Cheri", which I suppose is a tale of how idealistic expectations inevitably set people up for even bigger disappointments. For additional works of fiction please visit my Work-in-Progress page.
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POETRY
In the Spring 2004 issue of MT I added another installment to the epic vampire poem Wasteland. In "The End of Life" the narrator relates the endless turmoil he has experienced since the night he became a vampire. Other past poetry additions include "Pharaoh of the Pyramids", "A Moment of Your Time", and one of my personal favorites, "I am the Cyclops". For additional works of poetry please visit my Work-in-Progress page.
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WHAT'S NEW!
Resident Evil: Apocalypse Movie Review by JJ Collins
9/13/04: The MT Forum has been temporarily taken offline. Click here for more information.
9/6/04: AN UPDATE FOR THE FALL 2004 ISSUE (To be published: Oct. 1)
CONTACT US!
Do you want to provide the MT editors with some feedback? (We love compliments but appreciate constructive criticism as well!) Do you have a question about this online literary magazine? Just want to drop us a message? You can contact the MT editors by using the e-mail address posted on the Submission Guidelines page, or you can register for the MT Forum and post on the message board.
NEXT ISSUE:
The theme for the next issue (Fall 2004) is A Bizarre Twist of Fate. It will be published October 1. Due to the overwhelming number of great stories that have been submitted, we have already accepted all the stories we can use for the Fall issue. However, we are doing a special Gala Holiday Fiction Extravaganza for the Winter 2005 issue. I'm considering some various sub-themes, but haven't decided on anything specific yet. I'll announce it as soon as a decision is made.
LAST ISSUE:
The Vampire Fiction Issue (Spring 2004) was published April 1, 2004. Click here for previous back issues. There is also a Fiction & Poetry Archive listing all the past works by contributing authors.
FUTURE UPDATES:
Over the next several issues we are planning on making changes to the Midnight Times that will include placing even more emphasis on the author contributions. There will be more layout space dedicated to the works, as well as author interviews, additional content and other enhancements that are geared toward making MidnightTimes.com the web site to visit to read great fiction and poetry by the most talented new writers.
PREVIOUS UPDATES:
I have added a Writer's Resources web page that provides links to web sites featuring resources and information for writers. I spent a lot of time searching for only the best web sites I could find, so this is a good selection.
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START THE MUSIC (Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata")
