Year: 2016

For the first of our Hearts Asunder Valentine anthology interviews, StarkLight Press features Robert Mackey.

Mr. Mackey is a retired construction worker and real estate investor turned writer. Robert’s works intended for the mg/ya age groups are free of sex, killing and profanity.

His works for adult audiences can’t even begin to make this claim.

Robert currently resides near the megalopolis of Addy, Washington, a hamlet working desperately to attain the coveted ‘One Horse’ status. He lives there with his lovely wife Janice and his teenage son Joshua who has a vocabulary consisting of two sentences which Joshua feels are sufficient to get him through the balance of his life. They are as follows: “Huh?” and “I don’t know.”

(In case you have any toddlers and are trying to teach them to speak, these few words should be all they need to master in order to make it through high school. Robert has learned these sentences must always be used in conjunction with one another and in the order in which they’ve been presented.)

Robert lives by the following adage: No matter how many heads have to roll in the attainment of you goals, be certain to smile and wave at them as they pass. It’s best to do your beheading on a hill with your opponent uphill from you to insure the head rolls and to prolong the amount of time you get to smile and wave. (Very important.)

After that rousing introduction, here is our exclusive interview with Robert Mackey:

1. Do you have a real life horror story of love gone wrong in your life?

All love stories gone wrong are horror stories, and yes I have many. Love stories gone right also are capable of containing copious amounts of horror. I.e. daily updates on how cute her cat is, unrinsed toothbrush because she forgot hers, little surprises like this:

“Who’s kids?”

“Mine.”

“All six of them?”

“Yeah. Could you watch them for a while I need to go help my mother do some shopping.”

“Uh….okay.”

Returning a week later she says, “Oooh you built some raised bed planter boxes. Where are the kids?”

“What kids?”

2. What do you feel makes the combination of love and horror such a potent one?

 

This was my first attempt at the genre. I feel I’ve turned the ‘love’ aspect into something more resembling erotica. I was very surprised how stimulating the combination of sex and murder was. Please take a good look at my author photo and watch the nightly news. It’s quite possible I could make an appearance there.

 

 

3. What is the source of your inspiration for the StarkLight Press Valentine’s Day anthology?

As with most of my works I take a very obscure idea and just start writing. I usually have no direction whatsoever and am always surprised at where things go. I think there might be some possibility that my character was inspired subconsciously by the main character in my editor Kat Hutson’s Daughter of the Dracken, a character that I fell head over heels in love with because she’s gorgeous, wild as hell, deadly and more often than not, naked.

 

Check out more our writer interviews right here between now and Valentine’s Day!

Look for Hearts Asunder in our online bookstore by Feb 1, 2016.

 

The holidays are officially over and it’s back to work officially for StarkLight Press.

Although we’ve enjoyed our downtime, the editors and layout artists at SLP have been working hard to get our latest works ready for sale.

In case you missed it during the holidays, Holly and Ivy- A StarkLight Steampunk Anthology, is available at our e-store for download in ebook and print versions. That’s one you can’t miss- it has a talking tiger and dirigibles over Detroit! Go to our bookstore page (on the menu to the left) to have a look at this exciting new anthology.

 

StarkLight Volume 4 is due to be released by the end of January. This volume features some of our best, most thought-provoking fiction to date. It includes stories from The Program at Green Hill, Jeren Nethers’ DragonKin world, work from Will Norton and more.

StarkLight Volume 1 is set to be re-released in print and ebook versions by the end of January as well. This controversial and touching volume has not been available since its first printing was completely sold out- be sure to get yours while supplies last!

We will be featuring a spine-tingling Valentine’s Horror anthology  just in time for the holiday. Many of the stories in this title are evocative of the horror greats like Stephen King or Clive Barker at their best. Look for publication dates later this month.

Our nonfiction imprint, Arras Books, is due to release two titles about life in the South Peace this year. In addition, we are still open for submissions for our first mega-anthology entitled simply Peace.  Arras Books is looking for poetry, nonfiction and historical fiction about the Peace region. Submissions for manuscripts are up to 10,000 words and poetry may of course be any size. We are also looking for artists  and photographers who would like to contribute to the book as well. You can send copies of your work, both print and visual, to starklightdesk@gmail.com.

Last but not least, StarkLight Press is working with GAF Mainframe to publish its third science fiction novel in the exciting, fascinating GAF Universe. This novel is written in a collaborative fashion and features seven authors advancing the story of an interplanetary war from seven characters’ perspectives. Look for publishing dates later this year on this title.

It’s shaping up to be a great and action-packed year for the writers, readers and fans of StarkLight Press! Keep up to date on our releases and public appearances by following our blog or visiting us on Facebook at StarkLight Press .

– Tony Stark,

Publisher and CEO,

StarkLight Press.

 

 

StarkLight Press attended the Annual General Meeting of the South Peace Regional Arts Council today and is happy to report we received an enthusiastic welcome into the arts community in the Peace Region!

The South Peace Regional Arts Council is an umbrella organization that promotes constant activities in all artistic fields. We had our first look inside the amazing space of the Calvin Kruk Centre for the Arts, which kindly hosted the meeting. The building hosts not only revolving art shows, but offers theatre and concert space as well as practice space for local dance, theatrical and music groups. It also boasts a delicious smelling cafe and restaurant :0)

 

At the meeting today, we were pleased to meet heads of the local artists’ societies, including:

The Potters’ Guild

The Quilting Society

The Peace Region Songwriters’ Society

The Historical Society

The Archives and Roots Society

The South Peace Players Theatrical Group

Local Choral Groups supported by Kiwanis

The Art Gallery Society

Child and Youth Activities Council

 

and more, if you can believe that!

StarkLight Press is happy to support all of the many activities that the Arts Council has planned for this year, including two multicultural days and Circus Camp for Kids. We are hoping to attract even more local writers, artists, photographers and, most of all, readers, for our fascinating and original fiction and nonfiction.

Our press is delighted to join the ranks of this varied and talented group of dynamic art promoters and craftsmen, and look forward to keeping all of our fans posted about the great events coming up in the Peace Region!

 

– Tony Stark,

Publisher and CEO,

StarkLight Press