Blogspot for author, Eric J. Guignard.

DARK TALES OF LOST CIVILIZATIONS, was just released for sale over the weekend!

2012-03-04T22:39:00.000-08:00

DARK TALES OF LOST CIVILIZATIONS, was just released for sale over the weekend!

This is the anthology I created, including all new fiction by Joe R. Lansdale, David Tallerman, Jonathan Vos Post, Jamie Lackey, and 21 others.

Buy directly at AMAZON:

http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Tales-Lost-Civilizations-Guignard/dp/0983433593/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330829070&sr=8-1

Buy directly at Barnes & Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-tales-of-lost-civilizations-eric-j-guignard/1038890509?ean=9780983433590&itm=1&usri=dark+tales+of+lost+civilizations

Full Information for this book is also listed at my promotions page:

http://ericjguignard.com/dark_tales.html

BLURB by incredibly famous author, Steve Rasnic Tem:

"As a boy, some of my favorite stories were those of lost lands and civilizations, made popular by such writers as H. Rider Haggard, A. Merritt, and Talbot Mundy. I daydreamed of falling through some hidden cave entrance into a lost and forgotten world (sans injury of course) and if asked about my career ambitions I would have answered that I wanted to be one of those specially lucky explorers. As I gradually became aware that such civilizations weren't terribly likely in our closely-examined world, that fantasy became a bit bruised. But now Eric J. Guignard brings back a bit of that magic with Dark Tales of Lost Civilizations, an anthology mixing the values of pulp fiction (returning us to a milieu where such stories seem more possible) with contemporary standards of fresh description. Here we have lost islands, civilizations on the brink, and uncharted lands imaginatively described with new mythologies. David Tallerman, Mark Lee Pearson, Jamie Lackey, Folly Blaine, Jonathan Vos Post, and JC Hemphill—to mention just a few—all shine, and the new Joe Lansdale piece with a unique slant on a western railroad story is a special treat."

—Steve Rasnic Tem, Bram Stoker and World Fantasy Award-winning author of novels (including his latest, Deadfall Hotel) and numerous collections of short fiction.

AND PLEASE CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING - If you do decide to support this publication by purchasing a copy, please include a REVIEW on AMAZON.COM or GOODREADS.COM

AMAZON Page; CREATE YOUR OWN REVIEW: http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Tales-Lost-Civilizations-Guignard/dp/0983433593/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330923533&sr=8-1

GOODREADS Page; ADD A REVIEW:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13508562-dark-tales-of-lost-civilizations

Thanks so much!!

Reflections on my first ever published story at the age of 16

2012-02-20T09:06:00.000-08:00

This weekend, I went through some old files and found my FIRST EVER published story! It was early 1993 and I was a junior in high school when I submitted this whopping 211-word tale to the local junior college (Mount San Antonio College) Writer's Day Festival. I garnered third place in the category of children's fiction for this little gem of teenage fancy.

The event really was quite inspirational, and the next year I entered again with a new story, which went on to win

FIRST PLACE

at the Festival.

Oh, to change the course of life now… I gave up writing after that. I loved it, but I also loved so many other interests and jumped from one passion to another. I went to college and got a job, and all other manner of responsibilities reared their heads so that I did not write again until one year ago (yes, this is my one-year-fiction- writing-as-an-adult-anniversary - see how this all ties in?) - February, 2011.

Anyway, for your enjoyment, I present the writing of a sixteen year old hopeful author!

Anybody out there want first reprint rights of my first ever story? ;)

*******

Priority

One fine, Sunday morning, little Johnny Miller was just finishing milking the family’s cow, Florence, when he glanced at the horizon, and lo and behold, spied not one, nor two nor three, but an even four llamas floating across the skies. Being a rare sight to see llamas flying side-by-side in unison, little Johnny ran into the house for his camera, because his uncle Floyd collected photographs of such phenomena. Unfortunately, the camera was nowhere to be found and, besides, his uncle already had several such photos, his pa later remarked. So little Johnny returned outside and was content to just sit back and watch the four llamas glide away, out of sight.

Feeling pretty good, he went down to the local fishin’ hole and threw in a line. Oblivious to the fact that he had left the pail of Florence’s milk spoiling in the sun, he lay against a tree trunk happily drowsing. That afternoon he went home with two bluegill and a bass, and received a sound scolding, followed by a whuppin’ for ruining a perfectly good bucket of milk.

Thus from that day forth, he never interrupted his work again to watch llamas fly across the sky. Unless of course, they were being ridden by Albanian pot-bellied pigs.

The End

Acceptance into the HORROR WRITERS ASSOCIATION!

2012-02-06T08:55:00.000-08:00

Great news over the weekend - I was accepted as an Affiliate member into the HORROR WRITERS ASSOCIATION! http://www.horror.org

The HWA is the professional affiliation of horror writers throughout the world. I can claim membership next to such luminaries as Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, Dean Koontz, Ramsey Campbell, and almost 700 others!

My acceptance into the anthology, "SLICES OF FLESH."

2012-01-15T13:20:00.000-08:00

Great publishing news! Recently got my acceptance into the anthology, "SLICES OF FLESH." Amazing line up of authors in this book and I am humbled to be listed in the Table of Contents alongside such masters as:

Ramsey Campbell

Jack Ketchum

Rick Hautala

Graham Masterton

Nancy Kilpatrick

Nancy Holder

William F Nolan

Joe McKinney

David Tallerman

Del Howison

Tim Lebbon

James Dorr

Jason V. Brock

Fran Friel

Nate Kenyon

and many others!

Full list of authors at: http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/Slices_of_Flesh.htm

Cover Art by Mike Mignola

To be released SPRING, 2012

New Anthology Project has been approved with publisher!

2012-01-10T09:51:00.000-08:00

New Anthology Project has been approved with publisher! Open call for Submissions to be announced May 1, 2012. Stay tuned for more details…

Acceptances Announced!

2011-11-14T15:28:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to the following authors who were accepted into the anthology, "Dark Tales of Lost Civilizations"!

(Listed in alphabetical order)

A.J. French Rebirth in Dreams

Andrew S. Williams The Talisman of Hatra

Bruce L. Priddy Gilgamesh and the Mountain

C. Deskin Rink Königreich der Sorge (Kingdom of Sorrow)

Caw Miller The Small, Black God

Chelsea Armstrong The Nightmare Orchestra

Cherstin Holtzman In Eden

Curtis James McConnell Bare Bones

Cynthia D. Witherspoon Angel of Destruction

David Tallerman The Door Beyond the Water

Fadzlishah Johanabas Gestures of Faith

Folly Blaine British Guiana, 1853

Gitte Christensen Whale of a Time

Jackson Kuhl Quivira

Jamie Lackey Quetzalcoatl's Conquistador

Jason Andrew Requiem

Jay R. Thurston The Funeral Procession

JC Hemphill The Island Trovar

Joe R. Lansdale The Tall Grass

Jonathan Vos Post Sumeria to the Stars

Mark Lee Pearson To Run a Stick Through a Fish

Matthew Borgard We Are Not The Favored Children

Michael G. Cornelius Directions

Rob Rosen Buried Treasure

Wendra Chambers The Moral of the Story

In total, there were 204 submissions. There were so many brilliant and well-written ideas that it was agonizing to be only able to select a small handful. I wish I could have included many more authors, but space was limited. Final tally to print is 25 stories comprising about 106,000 words of all original fiction!

All final notices, either rejection or acceptance, have been sent via e-mail. If there are any questions or concerns, you may e-mail me directly at: eric.guignard@gmail.com.

This anthology will be published by Dark Moon Books:

Web: www.darkmoondigest.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Dark-Moon-Digest/144741405546080

This anthology is still estimated to be released next spring for World Horror Convention, 2012 - http://www.whc2012.org/.

Thank you again to all who submitted stories - I truly enjoyed reading every one.

Keep writing!

Submissions are now CLOSED for "Dark Tales of Lost Civilizations"

2011-11-01T13:25:00.000-07:00

Submissions are now CLOSED for "Dark Tales of Lost Civilizations"

Whew! I have just finished logging in all submissions and confirming receipt to authors.

It will take me a few weeks, but I will read everything and respond to submitters as I can. I will issue rejections right away and save stories with potential for my final "short list", from which to make acceptances before the end of November.

FINAL COUNT: I received 204 submissions, over 50 of which arrived within the last two weeks! A few stories come from the same author, meaning I rejected a story early on and they later resubmitted a new tale for consideration.

The average word count for all submissions is 4,469 with a range between 850 words up to 15,100.

Thus, I will have read well over 900,000 words by the time of final selection (or more than nine full-length novels).

I received submissions from 23 countries, including representation from each of the six "major" continents (i.e. all but Antarctica).

I am still estimating this project to be on schedule with a publication date of approximately the end of March, 2012.

Thank you to all submitters and I will be in contact with each of you!

Warm regards,

Eric

One week left to submit!

2011-10-24T23:27:00.000-07:00

Only one week remaining to submit your fiction short story to the anthology, "DARK TALES OF LOST CIVILIZATIONS"!

Deadline is midnight, October 31.

Full submission guidelines at:

http://ericjguignard.blogspot.com/2011/06/now-accepting-submissions-new-anthology.html

Cheers,

ONE MONTH LEFT for submissions to anthology, "Dark Tales of Lost Civilizations"

2011-09-30T22:21:00.000-07:00

As a reminder, there is only one month remaining to submit your story to the anthology, "Dark Tales of Lost Civilizations"! Be sure to get your Dark Tale in on time — this collection is going to be incredible!

Open call ends midnight, October 31, 2011.

Submission Statistics:

As of yesterday, September 29, I have responded to all inquiries and submissions.

I have so far received 121 submissions. Of those, I have accepted 6 stories immediately, added 55 to the short list, and declined 60. The average word count so far is 4,185.

Most stories will be short-listed first and final acceptances selected from the short list within thirty days after open call is ended. I have been generous in adding stories to the short list, because I have wanted to provide feedback to potential contributors as soon as possible (average review time has been four days). Each submission is graded on a rubric scale and so the ones which rank higher will ultimately displace the stories beneath them on the scale. Thus, as I receive more submissions, I will be reviewing stories from the short list and rejecting those which fall far enough below the others. It is a bit unconventional, but I find it to be a very fluid process and it keeps me involved as I continually go back to review stories received, in order to judge them against their peers.

I needed, please see my blog for the original guidelines and monthly updates.

Please connect with me at any of my social media sites for updates to this book and other opportunities!

Blog: http://ericjguignard.blogspot.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/ericjguignard

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/the.real.eric.guignard

Best of regards,

Eric

Anthology MONTH TWO update

2011-08-25T21:56:00.000-07:00

The second month of open call for "Dark Tales of Lost Civilizations" has just passed, and I wanted to provide a current update.

Well, it has been another month of reading outstanding submissions! I have received many dark and fascinating ideas, even though a few of them have explored similar subject matter. I am not at all opposed to including stories in this anthology that discuss the same legend or civilization, as long as each is unique and well-written.

With that being said, I did want to mention one niche that I am lacking a bit of. I would say that at least 75% of the submissions are involved with "discovering" the remains of a lost civilization, people, etc., such as an archaeological or anthropological expedition, or that which explores just a random crossing of times and worlds.

While I would never tire of reading such stories that I love, I am also looking to include a substantial amount of tales explaining "why" a civilization or town collapsed or vanished. I would love to read submissions which are alternative history or speculative fiction, detailing the last days of a nation or world before they were destroyed. What was the reason they failed or horrible fate that befell them? What was learned? For example, why did the Minoans survive for fifty years after a volcano devastated their Island, only to then suddenly fade away? What occurred to the "Lost Roman Legion" that appeared inexplicably in the Gobi Desert, 17 years after going missing? What happened to the Indus Valley people, a culturally-advanced society that spanned from India to Afghanistan - they are considered India's oldest known civilization, numbering over five million in population, yet suddenly vanished at the height of their power!

Showcasing…

I am beyond thrilled to announce that one of my favorite authors has agreed to showcase an original story in this anthology!

Joe R. Lansdale - http://www.joerlansdale.com/todaysfeature.html

Joe R. Lansdale is considered one of dark fiction's greatest living authors. Having won last year's top honor at the World Horror Convention for category of best short fiction, Joe has also authored numerous novels, short stories, screenplays and comics in a wide collection of genres, spanning over forty years (he wrote the movie Bubba Ho-tep - c'mon!).

Besides Joe, I will also be including new fiction stories by a few other established authors that I admire and have invited to participate! I will announce more on who they are later.

Submission Statistics:

As of Wednesday, August 24, I have responded to all inquiries and submissions.

I have so far received 75 submissions. I have accepted 4 stories immediately, added 36 to the short list and declined 35. (NOTE that most stories will be short-listed first and final acceptances offered 30 days after open call is ended.) The average word count so far is 4,304.

I am still expecting to receive about two hundred submissions by the end of open call and I am still initially short-listing about half of the stories. Each submission is graded on a rubric scale and so the ones which rank higher will ultimately displace the stories beneath them on the scale. Thus, as I receive more submissions, I will be reviewing stories from the short list and rejecting those which fall far enough below the others. It is a bit unconventional, but I find it to be a very fluid process and it keeps me involved as I continually go back to review stories received, in order to judge them against their peers.

Just a little over two months to get your submissions in! Open call ends midnight, October 31.

Besides updates which may be found at my blog, http://ericjguignard.blogspot.com, I have also set up a Twitter account, http://twitter.com/#!/ericjguignard.

Best of regards,

Eric

Publisher announced!

2011-08-01T22:53:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce that I have signed with Dark Moon Books as the publisher for "Dark Tales of Lost Civilizations"! Dark Moon Books is the Horror imprint of Stony Meadow Publishing and also produces the quarterly magazine, Dark Moon Digest.

http://www.darkmoondigest.com

http://www.lastwritesdmd.com

Over the past year and a half, Dark Moon Books has been immersed in the HDF market producing books, digests, contests, publicity, and preparing to be a major force at the 2012 World Horror Convention.

At this time, my goal is to have this anthology book in print and ready for WHC on 4/1/2012. Submissions will close 10/31/2011. I will edit until 12/31/2011 and then submit the finished book to Dark Moon. They will then format and layout and send to print. Depending on print schedules or other unaccountable incidentals, this should work out great to be right on time!

Updates may be found at my blog, http://ericjguignard.blogspot.com.

Anthology ONE MONTH update

2011-07-23T16:15:00.000-07:00

It has already been one month since the open call for "Dark Tales of Lost Civilizations" anthology was announced!

Each day I am amazed at the brilliant and gruesome ideas that are sent to me. I am so excited to work on this - This book is going to turn out really fantastic.

Big news, Big news:

It appears that I have found a publisher who is as excited to be a part of this anthology as I am! Once the contract is finalized within the next week or two, I will announce the details. The company is an independent publisher which specializes in horror fiction.

ALSO! I am in discussions with a few established authors to include their stories in order to really fill out this collection with fantastic writing. I will announce further details about this later as well, but they are authors who I have long admired and are deeply involved with the HDF writing world.

Statistics and selection process:

As of yesterday, July 22, I have responded to all inquiries and submissions.

The statistics for the first month of submissions are as follows:

I have so far received 44 submissions. I accepted 2 stories immediately, added 22 to the short list and declined 20. (NOTE that most stories will be short-listed first and final acceptances offered after open call is ended.)

Besides the United States, I have received submissions from 9 other countries, including representation from each of the six main continents!

I am adding stories to the short list based on three qualifying factors:

1. The story is interesting

2. It is without obvious flaw

3. It fits the theme of this anthology

Once a story achieves the nomination of the short list, I assign a rank (grade) to it, of which I will then select the best ranked stories after open-call has ended. If the short list becomes too long, I will begin rejecting stories throughout this open call process.

I anticipate that I will receive about two hundred submissions to this anthology. So far, I have short-listed about half of the submissions that I received and I expect that percentage to remain steady until the closing date of October 31.

The average word count per story so far is 4,371. My original estimate was to have a book of about 88,000 words which would calculate to 22 stories if the average word count was at 4,000 words. With a higher word count, it will be less stories accepted. Thus, if the current average word count of 4,371 remains, I would probably accept only about 19-20 stories. However, since I am adding in a few stories from established authors, I will try to increase the overall size of the book to about 100,000 words (estimating 3 authors' additional works), so that I can still accept the same amount of competitive stories. This is all a bit speculative right now and the numbers may change, but I just wanted to share my thought process.

I have received tales in many fiction sub-genres, the greatest amount being "Speculative Fiction". I would really like the overall feel of this book to be horror and dark-fiction oriented, so preference will be given to stories with those elements in it. With that being said, I do have room for tales of humor, experimental work, etc., as long as it relates somehow to a collapsed (collapsing) civilization, either real or imagined, and focusing on discovery of its genesis or destruction as a society.

Updates may be found at my blog, http://ericjguignard.blogspot.com.

Best of regards,

Eric

Anthology ONE WEEK update

2011-06-30T18:31:00.000-07:00

It has only been one week since I announced open call for this anthology and already I have received some fantastic submissions!

The statistics are as follows: As of yesterday, June 29 (one week since open call began), I have received twelve submissions. I have responded to each of those first twelve as of this afternoon. I accepted one, short-listed four and declined seven. NOTE that most stories will be short-listed first and final acceptances offered after open call is closed. I did accept one story right away because I loved it and it gave me a warm & fuzzy feeling to know that the Table of Contents for this collection had started. ;)

I have received a few more submissions today, although I have not categorized or reviewed those yet. I should be able to do so within the week.

Of the initial 12, four were submitted from countries outside of the United States.

Of the initial 12, not one covered the same society or civilization as the others.

Of the initial 12, seven stories were set in ancient past, three stores were set in present time, and three stories were set in the future.

Of the initial 12, seven stories dealt with "real" or well known "mythological" civilizations, while five stories dealt with fictional or "invented" civilizations; although a few of those stories blended between the two spectrums.

Anyways, just wanted to provide a feel for what I am receiving. Every story was a pleasure to read, whether I felt that it fit the overall character of the book or not. I am astounded at the breath of ideas relating to the theme of this anthology! I look forward to reading many more extraordinary tales over the next four months.

Best of regards,

Eric

NOW ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS! New Anthology, "DARK TALES OF LOST CIVILIZATIONS"

2011-06-23T15:15:00.000-07:00

Title: Dark Tales of Lost Civilizations

Edited by: Eric J. Guignard

Publisher: To Be Announced

Release Date: Spring, 2012

Send submissions and questions to: eric.guignard@gmail.com

I am looking for dark tales of Horror, Speculative Fiction, and to a lesser degree Science Fiction, relating to civilizations that are lost, or have been forgotten, or have been rediscovered, or perhaps merely spoken about in great and fearful whispers.

Arguably, the most famous lost civilization is Atlantis. Why did Atlantis sink? Was it under attack by shadowy creatures of the underworld or victim to spiteful Gods of mythology? Where is Atlantis today? Are there still undead denizens moving amongst the wrecked buildings in their gold togas, just waiting for a scuba diver to happen by? What is the real reason for the MOAI statues standing on Easter Island? Is it a landing strip for invading aliens, or perhaps each statue is really a living creature simply in slumber? The mysteries of ancient Egypt hold many tales of buried treasure guarded by mummies and spirits amongst the monuments and pyramids, still hiding in that bleak desert. Some of the most fanciful stories I have ever read involved stalwart English professors in the 1930's engaging in scientific archaeological excavations, that unearthed horrible curses rather than the prizes they sought.

Think of the great splendors and mysteries that have existed over many eras on our planet and even beyond! How many societies considered themselves to be the most advanced, yet now are barely remembered through legendary lore? How many of those societies are waiting to be rediscovered, hidden under jungle vines or even under the asphalt streets we walk upon?

This fiction anthology is craving to be filled with strange tales of discovery and explanation! I am very open as to the style and content. I prefer stories which relate to real historic places or that relate to common mythological societies (meaning Greek and Indian mythology, NOT "fantasy" as in societies of elves and ogres). However, I am also very open to you creating a lost civilization either on this world or another. The focus should be that the civilization is currently in ruins and what is occurring there now, along with back story of why that civilization crumbled in the first place. You may write about one person's experience among the ruins that they have discovered or the narrative of a diary found composed during their final disaster or the omniscient voice of a dying population. I open my hands wide to you, dear author!

Interested to participate? I would love to read your submission! Please just read and consider the following guidelines.

Submission Guidelines:

Word Count for each story is to be approximately 2,000 words to 7,000 words. I am not strict however. Less than this or more than this is perfectly fine, within reason (no flash and no novellas). Total word count for this book will be in the range of 88,000 words and I estimate to include about 22 short stories (assuming an average of 4,000 words per story).

Original works only (meaning unpublished; AKA "No reprints").

Payment is 1 cent per word and 1 contributor copy, payable upon publication.

Please no simultaneous submissions (meaning that you submit to me and another source at the same time), but if you do let me know right away.

No multiple submissions (meaning no more than one submission to me at a time). If I reject a story and there is still time during open call, you may submit a new tale.

Submissions are open until midnight, OCTOBER 31, 2011. This date may be extended, depending upon the quality and quantity of submissions. I also may slate stories for a second volume, being "Dark Tales of Lost Civilizations II", but I will let you know more about that (if applicable) as the closing date arrives.

This book will be available as trade paperback (available on-line and at a few independent physical store locations) as well as available in digital format (.pdf version).

I ask for first print and electronic rights to your story and exclusive rights for one (1) year after publication date, after which you are free to re-sell it.

This anthology is intended for a mature audience (i.e. "R" rating). Profanity and sexually-related material is acceptable, provided it is not excessive. What is not acceptable is anything relating to torture or sexual abuse of children or graphic sex or "erotica".

Send submissions as an attachment only; do not embed in the body of an e-mail. I should be capable of opening any attachments that you send, being .doc (preferred) or .rtf or .docx or other. You know who you are if you use a "special" word processing program - ask me in advance if you think I may have an issue opening something.

Include your real name (and byline, if using one), address, phone, email, story title, and word count on the title page of the submission.

Also include a short biography (about one to two paragraphs), written in third person P.O.V., which will be printed in the anthology if your story is selected for publication.

Format your masterpiece as it will be read, meaning use italics, bold, and underline when appropriate.

Use double space between lines.

1" margins all around.

No headers or page numbers.

Any font is fine; standard is generally Times New Roman or Courier or Verdana or Arial.

Questions about how to format a submission properly? Here are a couple of links that will enrich your career as an author:

http://www.fitz42.net/writer/resources.htm

http://www.shunn.net/format/story.html

Response Time:

I will confirm receipt of all stories within one week. I will try to read each story within 60 days and provide either a rejection or a short list nomination. I also may ask for a revision (rare and does not constitute a future acceptance). I will announce all acceptances within 30 days after close of submissions (thus November 30, IF October 31 remains the deadline). I also may accept stories at any time during the submission period if such story astounds me with its sheer brilliance! Note however, that I will compile most stories into the short list until all submissions have been received.

Please do not doubt your own writing genius if I should reject your story. I am putting this project together myself, so that means I am one sole opinion. What I don't find as a perfect fit for the theme of this anthology may go on to be the world's next most beloved piece of literature! Everyone has their own style of vernacular and their own potential fan base, as diverse as the colors of the cosmos (colors as an analogy of writing to be expounded upon later).

Here are a couple of websites detailing famous rejections:

http://www.writersservices.com/mag/m_rejection.htm

http://www.examiner.com/book-in-national/30-famous-authors-whose-works-were-rejected-repeatedly-and-sometimes-rudely-by-publishers

Ready to submit?

Please send submissions and questions via e-mail to: eric.guignard@gmail.com

Good luck!

P.S. - Additional Inspirations & Ideas:

Here are some additional general thoughts to spur the creative forces ready to be unleashed from your head. Whatever you decide upon, please remember that I am looking for stories written in the style of Stephen King, NOT J.R.R. Tolkien.

Aztec and Mayan fortresses hidden under wet jungle foliage (such as the movie "The Ruins").

Palaces found carved in the sheer cliffs of mountains.

Mystical towns drowned inexplicably by flood.

Immense cities discovered undisturbed in the deserts of the Middle East (such as Clive Barker's "Jericho").

Monuments explored in the arctic (such as H.P. Lovecraft's "At the Mountains of Madness").

Sinking castles of wraiths in Celtic legend.

The effect of Plate Tectonics on cities; volcanoes, earthquakes, shifting land masses.

Cook Islands where ancestors of Captain Bligh's men founded their own society amongst the natives.

Ghost towns in American old west genre and Indian tribes.

King Solomon's mines and voodoo in Africa (such as Allan Quatermain series, penned by H. Rider Haggard and many others).

Remnants of statues or treasure found in icebergs or the desert or your cellar.

Zombies or vampires that haunt the temples in Pompeii or forts in Assyria.

An Interplanetary explorer that finds lost civilizations on a far reaching planet.

Species that live or lived underground, in the cavernous bowels of the center of the world.

A plane crash survivor that stumbles upon a warrior tribe hunting in the Amazon.

Tomes and manuscripts found in a book dealer's shop that provide clues or maps to vast riches.

The oasis mirage in the Sahara that is really a ghost for what once existed.

Forgotten tales of men and curses in mighty Athens or haughty Jerusalem or wild Sri Lanka.

Was Stonehenge built as protective runes against marauding demons?

What happens to those lost in the Bermuda Triangle?

What is the origin of the mystical healing practices at Anuradhapura?

Where lies the famed city of El Dorado, sought by Spanish conquistadors?

What happened to the Colony at Roanoke?

In addition, you may find inspiration even in the news we read today! Just remember, this is a FICTION anthology. I am not interested in your factual research conducted in world history class (although I am sure it is fascinating).

"Lost" Civilizations are even still thriving! Just recently, a new tribe has been discovered in Brazil that has never had contact with modern society.

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/americas/2011/06/23/photos-new-isolated-amazon-tribe

(The news story also reminds me of M. Night Shyamalan's movie "The Village".)

Remnants of an ancient civilization buried underwater off of the coast of Cuba have recently been excavated: http://www.stonepages.com/news/archives/004339.html

Deforestation along the Amazon unveils a lost civilization! http://news.discovery.com/earth/deforestation-unveils-lost-amazon-civilization.html

Here is a list of 10 of the greatest mysteries of Lost Civilizations:

http://wup-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=18029

Here is a virtual encyclopedia of Lost Civilizations:

http://www.crystalinks.com/ancient.html (Left Hand Column lists links and numerous sub-links)

Have fun!

Opening Post!

2011-06-21T20:48:00.000-07:00

Break out the champagne! My first blog post has gone live. I know, I know, it's epic.

I may post things here once in awhile, but if you choose to follow me, don't expect updates more than a couple times a year!

Cheers,