Two things today. I received word that the Running Wild Press Anthology, named Running Wild Anthology Number Three will be published on September 15, 2019. It will include my story, "Madame Ursa's Performing Bears." More when I have a cover, price, and purchase location.

Today, I ran 5.3 miles for a total of 438 miles in 100 consecutive days. A 100 day running streak. I lost 7 pounds, an inch off my waist, and wore out a pair of New Balance 860 running shoes.

I write a drabble (100 word story) based on the historical happens in the world of Edgar Rice Burroughs. The drabbles are posted on the ERBzine Facebook page daily and on the ERBzine website as "Robert's Drabbles" on a monthly basis.

Here's the item for today - the 419 entry in this series. The photo is of the Van Nuys, California High School circa 1930.

July 28, 2019 and on this day 89 years ago in 1930, Edgar Rice Burroughs decided that he was pleased with Miss Adele Bischoff’s manuscript editing. 

She had been recommended to him by Van Nuys High School principal, J. P. Inglis. Burroughs promptly sent her The Dancing Girl of the Leper King and three installments of Tarzan and the Leopard Men. ERB’s employed freelance editor Adele Bischoff as he readied the first books of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. for publication. Irwin Porges, in Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Man Who Created Tarzan (1st edition, 455-456, 758), presumes that this high school English teacher from Van Nuys, California assisted with Tarzan the Invincible, and expressly states that she edited The Dancing Girl of the Leper King (Jungle Girl) and Tarzan and the Leopard Men. Although Bischoff may have corrected galley proofs, she also addressed the actual manuscript for Leopard Men. ERB, in a letter to Bischoff, complimented her “painstaking and intelligent editing.”

Porges’ final reference to this editor-English teacher is in regard to ERB’s submission to Bischoff of three chapters of Leopard Men on October 2, 1931. Although Porges provided no documentation of additional contact between the two, the fact that ERB began writing City of Gold just 50 days later on November 21 (completing it January 7, 1932) is circumstantial evidence that Bischoff likely is responsible for the abnormalities in the latter novel. 

Miss Bischoff was assigned to Van Nuys High School on September 11, 1922. The photo is of the high school in 1923. I would appreciate any additional information about Adele Bischoff.

“New Sheriff in Town” is the drabble for today.

“Mr. Inglis, my name is Edgar Rice Burroughs.”

“As in Tarzan Edgar Rice Burroughs?”

“Yes, guilty as charged.”

“Love your work. I’m a big fan. How can I help? You don’t have children or grandchildren in school here, do you?”

“Nothing like that. I’m forming my own publishing company. I need an editor and proofreader. I don’t want a person who’s afraid to hurt my feelings. I want someone who’ll really edit my manuscripts before I publish them.

“You want Adele Bischoff. She’d edit the Ten Commandments down to four and give the writer a C for lack of brevity.”

My short story, "Stays The Same," a little time travel, a little ecology and a little humor, was released today on the webzine, The New Accelerator." My thanks to David and Andy. Here's the link The New Accelerator.

Here's a drabble for today. A drabble is a story with exactly 100 words. I write one everyday for Edgar Rice Burroughs fans. Over 400 of them are available at ERBzine, an online magazine with over 20,000 pages of information. The link is to my drabbles from )ctober 2018.

Robert's October 2108 Drabbles



The Drabble is called, A Tree Falls in the Forest.

The druid was angry and she toppled a giant tree and it knocked Olson, the lumberjack, unconscious.

Fred, another lumberjack, pulled Olson from under the tree.

Olson woke and asked, “Who are you? What happened to me?”

“A tree fell on you. Don't you know me?”

“I can’t even remember my name." 

          

“Your name is Olson.”

Olson rubbed his head. "If you say so. A beautiful woman was in the tree. She was really pissed off."

Fred said, "This may hurt. He kicked Olson’s head with a heavy lumberjack boot."

“Why kick me.”

“To return your memory. It’s called rebooting.”

Awaiting publication

Haven't posted in over a week. Lot going on in the publishing world, but nothing coming out at the moment. Running Wild Press will release my story, "Madame Ursa's Performing Bears," in an anthology in the next few weeks. Thirteen O'Clock Press's anthology, "Dark Transitions," is due out in August and will include two, count 'em, two of my stories. The magazine, Stupefying
Stories, purchased "Kiddie Patrol" in December, but no word on the publishing date. "The Ballad of Fiona Campbell Part One," is a true western. It should see print in August as should "Take a Deep Breath." "Cloudnapper" and "Stays The Same" are sold but unscheduled. My sold, but unpublished story, "Penny For Your Thoughts," should be out this year. Hopefully it will be released by Halloween. "Oven of the Flaming God," is scheduled for release in October by Blasphemous Rumors.

Of course, there are always a dozen stories making the rounds.

It's been hard to find time to write this summer. Busy, too busy. I've got a dozen stories in process. I need to sit down and finish something. I'm going to begin assembling my third book of short stories in August. The working title is "Whiskey for the Soul."

On the plus side, I've run for 85 consecutive days. Think I'll change clothes and make it 86 days.

Trembling With Fear Year Two Released

Today, Horror Tree released Trembling with Fear Year Two, an anthology edited by Stuart Conover and Stephanie Ellis. The book includes my very short story, "Dinnertime." It is available in paperback and Kindle format at Buy Trembling with Fear.

The Horror Tree is a great resource for writers. Check it out.

Gypsum Sound Tales released a new anthology today. "COLP-BIG". The publisher was kind enough to include my story, "Tardigrade on Parade," a little science fiction story about invasion by invited aliens.  Be careful, objects in the rear view mirror are larger and closer than they appear.

The book is available at:

COLP: BIG

Thirteen O'Clock Press released the anthology, "Lonesome Train." It contains my ghost story, "Last Train Through Pearson Switch."

Pearson Switch was originally a manually operated railroad switch. It was used to divert trains into the oil fields and some small towns in central Oklahoma . The small community near the switch  became known as Pearson Switch.

The railroad line was closed and the town was gone by the 1950s. The train tracks were salvaged, but for some reason the remains of the old switch gear weren't. It stood like a lonely sentinel rusting on the raised berm where the old tracks used to be.

Our scout troop camped nearby. We were forbidden from playing with old switch gear, which made it all the more attractive.

 Lonesome Train

Interesting day yesterday. I had three story sales and two rejections.I'll take those percentages every time. Gypsum Sound Tales, located in Tumbi Umbi,New South Wales, bought "Tardigrade on Parade," Hellound Books Publishing in Austin, Texas bought "New Witch in Town," and The New Accelerator, a British online science fiction magazine bought "Stays the Same," a time travel story.

Additionally, 13 O'clock Press released "Lonesome Train," an anthology. It includes my ghost story, "Last Train Through Pearson Switch." Here's the link.

Lonesome Train

Here's a short excerpt from the story:

Harvey said, “David, you really think the old railroad switch is haunted?”

“Nah, my grandma just says that to keep me away from here,” I answered. “It was never haunted, but folks say sometimes you can hear the old trains from Romulus or Tribbey come through on nights when the sky is troubled and the moon is full.”

Jimmy said, “Train to Romulus hasn’t run since they closed the oilfields during the depression.”

Greg snickered, “Quit talking bullhockey. Wood ain’t gonna jump in the fire and the tent won’t set itself. The stew will take an hour to cook. I wanna be up at sunrise and catch me some river catfish. Time enough for ghost stories later.”