PS Publishing - Stephen King Anniversary Editions

[becca69]

Hi Pete!

[Patrick]

Pete, what a great story of good times with good people. You ought to come on out to California and we'll go to a Giants game!

I like the Danny O'Keefe song. Thanks for the recommendation.

Please keep telling stories. You are always welcome here.

[pete at pspublishing]

Thanks, Patrick -- a west coast trip is definitely on the cards. . . and Hi, Becca.

I've had a lot of fun times with Joe, particularly at last year's World Fantasy Con when Joe asked me onto his performance slot talking about 20TH CENTURY GHOSTS, where the pair of us became a bit of a comedy double-act . (In fact, maybe I should post the piece I did on Joe for the big Convention book. I'll see if I can find it.) Meanwhile, talking of 20TH CENTURY GHOSTS, we've just finalised an agreement with Joe for PS to do the 10th Anniversary edition next fall. As you might expect, there'll be a few bells 'n' whistles thrown into the mix! Also, for those who may be interested, we're now working on a BIIIIG volume of Graham Joyce's short fiction, which we're aiming (hoping? praying?) to have available for FantasyCon in September . . . and Owen King is going to write the Intro while Owen's wife, fellow Joyce fan and novelist Kelly Braffet, will pen the Afterword. Hey, neat-o stuff, right? And you heard it here first. For those who like my little (sometimes long) rambling tales, you should sign up for the weekly PS Newsletter. Go to www.pspublishing.co.uk and click the link.

For those who may not know Graham's work too well, check out his blogs. Here's last year's Winter Solstice one.
===========================
(http://www.grahamjoyce.co.uk)
Readers Are Not Strangers: Cancer and the mythical journey
By Graham
December 21, 2013
Cancer and the mythical journey
The experience of being struck down by cancer is very interesting. Assuming it doesn’t kill you very quickly (and it does sometimes kill speedily and without mercy) the cancer sufferer can find himself or herself launched on an heroic journey. By that I don’t mean that I’m a hero because I have cancer; I mean ‘heroic’ in the mythical sense, in that your life is suddenly propelled along a remorseless narrative that has the structure of all great mythical journeys.
Of course, I see things in this way because I’m a writer. I can’t help myself. But here’s how it goes (and so you don’t still think I’m talking about me, I’ll couch this in the feminine mode).
The hero of the journey (or protagonist if you don’t like the word hero) is struck by a lightning bolt from the Gods. She is immediately displaced from the equilibrium of her steady day-to-day world and projected into a frightening and chaotic new world where the rules have been altered. Like Odysseus and his crew, she tries to find her way home. This is the quest.
The quest is for the restoration of good health. Now, health has become wealth. A kind of Holy Grail, or a Vessel of Plenty that was lost and must be found again.
But in that world, and standing in the way of her quest object is a terrifying enemy. Cancer is a ferocious, dark force, a Darth Vader figure from Star Wars, or Sauron from Lord Of The Rings. The enemy pursues her. She is required to do fierce battle with that enemy, and the outcome is uncertain.
Worse, still, she has neither the skills nor the experience to fight or outwit such a terrible enemy. She is reduced to the role of a child in the face of this monstrous opposition. If you think this is fanciful, consider this: when I was diagnosed, my decline was rapid and shocking. I was propelled back to an almost infant state. I even looked like a baby. I dropped masses of weight; the first chemotherapy made my hair fall out; and in those early days I had to be helped to feed. I even lost control over my bodily functions for a while. As I say, for a few weeks I was an infant. Like The Fool in the Tarot I was just setting out, with no experience of this new world. And very quickly the lupine enemy had me in its jaws.
But then came the allies to my defence and rescue. My wife was there at the front line, but, doctors and nurses armed with knowledge, skills and experience took up the fight. Obi Wan Konobi and Hans Sol and Princess Leila. You get the idea. But amongst them Wise Healers, armed with potions of almost magical and dangerous intensity. Read chemotherapy, truly a very volatile and heavy medicine. Slowly the enemy pulled back. For a while the enemy was driven from the castle gates, there to lay siege from a short distance, growling, waiting.
These allies helped me to move from the stage of Fool or Baby to one of Apprentice. In many great mythical stories a period of training then follows. Mental and physical training. A period in which there are trials. Each bout of chemotherapy produces new barriers of pain, discomfort and overwhelming fatigue. But the hero must stay positive. More inspirational allies come with gifts of shields and winged sandals in the form of medication, positive thinking and routines and cleansing rituals. In real life these routines involve exercise, nutritional focus, meditation, spiritual support as Wise Women appeared (from the Penny Brohn organisation) with invaluable counsel.
And the dark road is full of picaresque characters in the form of fellow travelers. On the ward I met a boxer and a biker and a barrister (amongst other professions, not all beginning with B). Sometimes it seems on the ward that you are all shadow figures in an Underworld, all trying to work a way back across the river of Hades, or trying to find a way back to the surface.
Many writers have contacted me, effectively pledging to me their swords. Others -old pals, new friends- continue to rally to the flag. Just as Luke Skywalker discovered a network of rebels fighting against the Dark Force, so you make alliances with fellow sufferers, along with many friends and even strangers who shine a light in the darkness. I wrote about how Readers are not Strangers in a previous blog, alluding to the outpouring of goodwill. It is humbling and elevating.
There are lights in the darkness. Not everyone is overcome by the enemy. There appears for some a way of defeating the enemy. Reports and rumours of survival are numerous. Stars twinkle in the darkness
The Apprentice changes his or her appearance, and is no longer an inexperienced infant or The Fool. Post chemotherapy the colour of my facial hair has changed. It had, to my surprise when I stopped shaving it, turned silver. I joked on facebook that “I was Graham The Grey. I fought with my enemy upon the mountain. I am now Graham The White.” Of course the correct quotation for Gandalf after his heroic battle with the Balrog is “From the lowest dungeon to the highest peak, I fought him, the Balrog of Morgoth… Until at last I threw down my enemy and smote his ruin upon the mountainside.” Which is better but I’m not quite there yet.
I have at least one more dark night of the soul to face. It comes in the form of a choice. A dividing of the path. I have the chance of stem-cell transplant. You can elect to have your own stem-cells transplanted or look for a donor transplant. I have two brothers (haha! there is a world-wide sub-genre of mythic folk-journeys in which there are always three brothers) who are prepared to donate their stem-cells. Sometime the Great Ally can seem treacherous. The donor route offers a slim possibility of a “cure” but the risks of fatality and chronic disability are pretty horrendous. As for me I have elected to go with my own stem-cells, which offers a very good possibility of a deeper remission. The longer term battle will continue.
But something strange happens on the mythic journey. The quest-object, in this case good health, transforms. It is not the same prize that the hero expected to find. Or in another version it was in her pocket, or under her feet. It was there all the time. And it was something even more valuable.
Sue regularly accuses me – a life-long atheist – of being a closet-deist. Or if not a closet deist then certainly guilty of being found in possession of spiritual DNA. Maybe she is right. I’m writing this as we approach the winter solstice this evening. We will light a fire in the garden. I have a thousand gratitudes – no, I mean infinite gratitude – to express and my journey isn’t over. I can still be an atheist when I have the shining love of my family and friends. I have the goodwill of so many of you who read these blogs or who have written encouraging words to me over this past year. My ardent wish for you, reader, as the earth in this hemisphere begins to turn back towards the light, is for creativity, more light and for love.
Winter solstice 21/12/2013
In memory of Joel Lane, writer 1963-2013
===============================
Have a great day everyone.

-- Best wishes -- Pete

[Bev Vincent]

Hey, Pete -- good to see you here!

And I'll second Pete's recommendation of Graham Joyce, who is one of my favorite authors and people; and, I would have to say, one of my biggest influences as a writer. He has this way of writing the supernatural in an ambiguous way that lets the reader decide whether something weird is going on, or if it's the product of something else. Fans of Joyland should check out Year of the Ladybird, which covers a little of the same territory but in a much different way. But you can't go wrong with any of his books and you should definitely check out The Tooth Fairy. Count me in for this collection!

[pete at pspublishing]

Cheers, Bev. For the uninitiated, Graham wrote LENINGRAD NIGHTS, one of the first two PS titles (the other being James Lovegrove's HOW THE OTHER HALF LIVES) . . . 16 years ago. Wow! He also wrote a story for my anthology TAPS AND SIGHS, called 'Candia'. A truly wonderful tale with an enviably marvellous opening line. -- Best -- Pete

[The Library Policeman]

Hi Pete. Good to see you here!

Quick question if you don't mind. Since I live in the UK, I've ordered the Cemetery Dance Artist Edition of Carrie from you guys. If I get the other 5 books in the set from you as they are released, will you be able to sort out getting my numbers matched?

Thanks in advance,

Alan.

[pete at pspublishing]

Hi Alan -- Sure, we can make sure you get the same number on the future titles as you've had on CARRIE. I'll check with Brian but I'm sure they'll give us the same numbers each time. Best -- Pete

[The Library Policeman]

Hi Alan -- Sure, we can make sure you get the same number on the future titles as you've had on CARRIE. I'll check with Brian but I'm sure they'll give us the same numbers each time. Best -- Pete

Great!! Thanks Pete.

[Kingfan24]

Hi Pete - I recently purchased a matching set of Carrie and let sematary from eBay. The seller said he is withholding the rights for all future titles - is he able to do that? Seems pretty shady to me.

[WeDealInLead]

You did the same thing with a GRRM book. You then deleted your post when Bill from SP posted that you can't do that and rights transfer when you sell the book.

"Pretty shady" indeed.

[T-Dogz_AK47]

Hi Pete - I recently purchased a matching set of Carrie and let sematary from eBay. The seller said he is withholding the rights for all future titles - is he able to do that? Seems pretty shady to me.

You did the same thing with a GRRM book. You then deleted your post when Bill from SP posted that you can't do that and rights transfer when you sell the book.

"Pretty shady" indeed.

HAHAHAHA!!! I like the bit where the post got deleted after Bill at Sub Press responded to the question. Classy!

Reputation points for an awesome post WeDealInLead, your response made me ROFL!!!

[Aronstg]

Well that is good to know

[Kingfan24]

You did the same thing with a GRRM book. You then deleted your post when Bill from SP posted that you can't do that and rights transfer when you sell the book.

"Pretty shady" indeed.

Actually I will excuse this comment due to the ignorance you have of the situation.

I was contacted by Bill privately through eBay and he told me he was uncomfortable with me including the rights to the book. I said okay, took the rights off. I made arrangements with the buyer that when the book came out, I would buy it and he could have it at cover price.

Bill came here and then stated rights would be transferred upon the sale of the book. Fine by me, I sold it to the original guy and he automatically gets the rights.

I wasn't trying to gouge the guy, I was unaware of the rules (which have apparently changed from book to book according to other members here and on the westeros forum).

So, like I said, ignorance of the situation can be excused.

[WeDealInLead]

I'm not talking about eBay. You had the book posted for sale here. You were trying to sell the book and keep the rights to the next one.

[swintek]

But getting back to that day at Fenway Park, it was truly magical: the air hummed with summer and the sound of people applauding the action out there on the diamond . . . and Joe's dad came over from his own seat and sat with us for a while, helping me (with undisguised amusement) battle my way through scoring. If we can each of us get a handful of days like that one then I figure we're doing okay.


Best

Pete

And this is proof that not only is this man the head of a top publishing company- he's a great writer! Put a tear in my eye in an off-hand messageboard post! And, from my limited experience, a helluva guy, as well. Great to see you here, Pete! Please visit often.

Ron

[pete at pspublishing]

Aw shucks, Swintek, I just tell it like I see it. But I won't say that your comments didn't give me a nice feeling cos they did. And I'll keep on coming back . . . so long as you keep having me.

I'm not too sure about the problem raised by Kingfan 24 so I'll watch from the sidelines until I can figure it out. But I certainly am curious as to why someone with, say, Pet Sematary #57 who went on to sell that book should then want #57 of, say, Carrie. Surely the person who bought Pet Sem would want to go on and buy all future titles with the same number. But, heck, I'll learn as I go along. Best wishes -- Pete (truly a bear of little brain)

[Kingfan24]

Aw shucks, Swintek, I just tell it like I see it. But I won't say that your comments didn't give me a nice feeling cos they did. And I'll keep on coming back . . . so long as you keep having me.

I'm not too sure about the problem raised by Kingfan 24 so I'll watch from the sidelines until I can figure it out. But I certainly am curious as to why someone with, say, Pet Sematary #57 who went on to sell that book should then want #57 of, say, Carrie. Surely the person who bought Pet Sem would want to go on and buy all future titles with the same number. But, heck, I'll learn as I go along. Best wishes -- Pete (truly a bear of little brain)

So they can resell at a higher, above market price to the person who does want the matching number

[Patrick]

Thanks, Patrick -- a west coast trip is definitely on the cards. . . and Hi, Becca.

I've had a lot of fun times with Joe, particularly at last year's World Fantasy Con when Joe asked me onto his performance slot talking about 20TH CENTURY GHOSTS, where the pair of us became a bit of a comedy double-act . (In fact, maybe I should post the piece I did on Joe for the big Convention book. I'll see if I can find it.) Meanwhile, talking of 20TH CENTURY GHOSTS, we've just finalised an agreement with Joe for PS to do the 10th Anniversary edition next fall. As you might expect, there'll be a few bells 'n' whistles thrown into the mix! Also, for those who may be interested, we're now working on a BIIIIG volume of Graham Joyce's short fiction, which we're aiming (hoping? praying?) to have available for FantasyCon in September . . . and Owen King is going to write the Intro while Owen's wife, fellow Joyce fan and novelist Kelly Braffet, will pen the Afterword. Hey, neat-o stuff, right? And you heard it here first. For those who like my little (sometimes long) rambling tales, you should sign up for the weekly PS Newsletter. Go to www.pspublishing.co.uk and click the link.

For those who may not know Graham's work too well, check out his blogs. Here's last year's Winter Solstice one.
===========================
(http://www.grahamjoyce.co.uk)
Readers Are Not Strangers: Cancer and the mythical journey
By Graham
December 21, 2013
Cancer and the mythical journey
The experience of being struck down by cancer is very interesting. Assuming it doesn’t kill you very quickly (and it does sometimes kill speedily and without mercy) the cancer sufferer can find himself or herself launched on an heroic journey. By that I don’t mean that I’m a hero because I have cancer; I mean ‘heroic’ in the mythical sense, in that your life is suddenly propelled along a remorseless narrative that has the structure of all great mythical journeys.
Of course, I see things in this way because I’m a writer. I can’t help myself. But here’s how it goes (and so you don’t still think I’m talking about me, I’ll couch this in the feminine mode).
The hero of the journey (or protagonist if you don’t like the word hero) is struck by a lightning bolt from the Gods. She is immediately displaced from the equilibrium of her steady day-to-day world and projected into a frightening and chaotic new world where the rules have been altered. Like Odysseus and his crew, she tries to find her way home. This is the quest.
The quest is for the restoration of good health. Now, health has become wealth. A kind of Holy Grail, or a Vessel of Plenty that was lost and must be found again.
But in that world, and standing in the way of her quest object is a terrifying enemy. Cancer is a ferocious, dark force, a Darth Vader figure from Star Wars, or Sauron from Lord Of The Rings. The enemy pursues her. She is required to do fierce battle with that enemy, and the outcome is uncertain.
Worse, still, she has neither the skills nor the experience to fight or outwit such a terrible enemy. She is reduced to the role of a child in the face of this monstrous opposition. If you think this is fanciful, consider this: when I was diagnosed, my decline was rapid and shocking. I was propelled back to an almost infant state. I even looked like a baby. I dropped masses of weight; the first chemotherapy made my hair fall out; and in those early days I had to be helped to feed. I even lost control over my bodily functions for a while. As I say, for a few weeks I was an infant. Like The Fool in the Tarot I was just setting out, with no experience of this new world. And very quickly the lupine enemy had me in its jaws.
But then came the allies to my defence and rescue. My wife was there at the front line, but, doctors and nurses armed with knowledge, skills and experience took up the fight. Obi Wan Konobi and Hans Sol and Princess Leila. You get the idea. But amongst them Wise Healers, armed with potions of almost magical and dangerous intensity. Read chemotherapy, truly a very volatile and heavy medicine. Slowly the enemy pulled back. For a while the enemy was driven from the castle gates, there to lay siege from a short distance, growling, waiting.
These allies helped me to move from the stage of Fool or Baby to one of Apprentice. In many great mythical stories a period of training then follows. Mental and physical training. A period in which there are trials. Each bout of chemotherapy produces new barriers of pain, discomfort and overwhelming fatigue. But the hero must stay positive. More inspirational allies come with gifts of shields and winged sandals in the form of medication, positive thinking and routines and cleansing rituals. In real life these routines involve exercise, nutritional focus, meditation, spiritual support as Wise Women appeared (from the Penny Brohn organisation) with invaluable counsel.
And the dark road is full of picaresque characters in the form of fellow travelers. On the ward I met a boxer and a biker and a barrister (amongst other professions, not all beginning with B). Sometimes it seems on the ward that you are all shadow figures in an Underworld, all trying to work a way back across the river of Hades, or trying to find a way back to the surface.
Many writers have contacted me, effectively pledging to me their swords. Others -old pals, new friends- continue to rally to the flag. Just as Luke Skywalker discovered a network of rebels fighting against the Dark Force, so you make alliances with fellow sufferers, along with many friends and even strangers who shine a light in the darkness. I wrote about how Readers are not Strangers in a previous blog, alluding to the outpouring of goodwill. It is humbling and elevating.
There are lights in the darkness. Not everyone is overcome by the enemy. There appears for some a way of defeating the enemy. Reports and rumours of survival are numerous. Stars twinkle in the darkness
The Apprentice changes his or her appearance, and is no longer an inexperienced infant or The Fool. Post chemotherapy the colour of my facial hair has changed. It had, to my surprise when I stopped shaving it, turned silver. I joked on facebook that “I was Graham The Grey. I fought with my enemy upon the mountain. I am now Graham The White.” Of course the correct quotation for Gandalf after his heroic battle with the Balrog is “From the lowest dungeon to the highest peak, I fought him, the Balrog of Morgoth… Until at last I threw down my enemy and smote his ruin upon the mountainside.” Which is better but I’m not quite there yet.
I have at least one more dark night of the soul to face. It comes in the form of a choice. A dividing of the path. I have the chance of stem-cell transplant. You can elect to have your own stem-cells transplanted or look for a donor transplant. I have two brothers (haha! there is a world-wide sub-genre of mythic folk-journeys in which there are always three brothers) who are prepared to donate their stem-cells. Sometime the Great Ally can seem treacherous. The donor route offers a slim possibility of a “cure” but the risks of fatality and chronic disability are pretty horrendous. As for me I have elected to go with my own stem-cells, which offers a very good possibility of a deeper remission. The longer term battle will continue.
But something strange happens on the mythic journey. The quest-object, in this case good health, transforms. It is not the same prize that the hero expected to find. Or in another version it was in her pocket, or under her feet. It was there all the time. And it was something even more valuable.
Sue regularly accuses me – a life-long atheist – of being a closet-deist. Or if not a closet deist then certainly guilty of being found in possession of spiritual DNA. Maybe she is right. I’m writing this as we approach the winter solstice this evening. We will light a fire in the garden. I have a thousand gratitudes – no, I mean infinite gratitude – to express and my journey isn’t over. I can still be an atheist when I have the shining love of my family and friends. I have the goodwill of so many of you who read these blogs or who have written encouraging words to me over this past year. My ardent wish for you, reader, as the earth in this hemisphere begins to turn back towards the light, is for creativity, more light and for love.
Winter solstice 21/12/2013
In memory of Joel Lane, writer 1963-2013
===============================
Have a great day everyone.

-- Best wishes -- Pete

I've had the pleasure of meeting Joe Hill on four occasions. He has always been friendly, gracious, and clearly fun-loving. Congrats on landing the 10th anniversary edition of 20th CG. I look forward to checking it out!

Thank you for sharing Graham Joyce's piece. Well written and personally meaningful.

I will keep an eye out for your announcement about the collection of his short stories.

[Merlin1958]

Take that, Pete!! LOL

[killbourne]

You did the same thing with a GRRM book. You then deleted your post when Bill from SP posted that you can't do that and rights transfer when you sell the book.

"Pretty shady" indeed.

Actually I will excuse this comment due to the ignorance you have of the situation.

I was contacted by Bill privately through eBay and he told me he was uncomfortable with me including the rights to the book. I said okay, took the rights off. I made arrangements with the buyer that when the book came out, I would buy it and he could have it at cover price.

Bill came here and then stated rights would be transferred upon the sale of the book. Fine by me, I sold it to the original guy and he automatically gets the rights.

I wasn't trying to gouge the guy, I was unaware of the rules (which have apparently changed from book to book according to other members here and on the westeros forum).

So, like I said, ignorance of the situation can be excused.

I think the above post explains his actions.

[killbourne]

I'm not talking about eBay. You had the book posted for sale here. You were trying to sell the book and keep the rights to the next one.

Why does it matter? He already explained his reasoning. Plus, if whoever bought the book is happy...then that is all that matters.

[pete at pspublishing]

Hey Patrick -- Yes, Joe and I have got some neat stuff planned for the anniversary edition of GHOSTS. Watch this space and keep tuned into the PS Newsletter.

Looks like the 'ownership rights for certain numbers' issue has been resolved, and I think I understand it now.
-- Best -- Pete

[CyberGhostface]

J/w when you say 'next fall' for 20th Century Ghosts, do you mean the fall of this year?

[pete at pspublishing]

Hi Ghostface -- Sorry, I should have been clearer. I mean fall 2015. We published the original in 2005. There are big plans for that book as well, but that's a long ways off right now. Best wishes -- Pete

[Kingfan24]

Hey Patrick -- Yes, Joe and I have got some neat stuff planned for the anniversary edition of GHOSTS. Watch this space and keep tuned into the PS Newsletter.

Looks like the 'ownership rights for certain numbers' issue has been resolved, and I think I understand it now.
-- Best -- Pete

So what is your rule? I have number 118 of both Christine and pet sematary - so can I have 118 for Carrie?