Candy Crushes in ASKEW

Today, a first piece from my new book, ASKEW, is published at the innovative Atlas and Alice Journal. Thanks so much, EIC Ben Woodward and Fiction Editor Cathy Ulrich, who chose this one.

I wrote the first draft in Jonathan Cardew’s Bending Genres February weekend workshop. It coincided with the final edits on ASKEW that I made with Adam VanWinkle of Cowboy Jamboree.

Here is Candy Crushes at Atlas and Alice: https://atlasandalice.com/2022/04/14/fiction-from-robert-vaughan/

And also, another first for ASKEW- my first published review, from Leigh Chadwick. Full of fun, insights, heart and magic, published at Identity Theory:

https://www.identitytheory.com/review-robert-vaughan-askew/

For more information about ASKEW including where to order, visit my publisher’s website: http://www.cowboyjamboreemagazine.com/books.html

It’s so exciting to have a new book, my first in 5 long years.

Thanks everyone for either purchasing ASKEW, offering to review it, or planning on reading it.

Take care,

Robert

Interview at Midwestern Gothic

Midwestern Gothic magazine: http://midwestgothic.com/2017/03/interview-robert-vaughan/ I also want to thank editors-in-chief and founders Jeff Phaller and Robert James Russell. I had the honor of my work appearing at MG in two of their early print journals, and also Kathy Fish and I were interviewed for our book, RIFT, at the MG website in 2016. Midwestern Gothic has expanded into the book business (MG Press) and offer “The Lake Prize” for Midwestern authors to enter. Be sure to check them out, especially if you live in the VAST MIDWEST!!! I’m reading Roxane Gay’s Difficult Women. Love it so far! What are you reading? Any words about it? Also, an image from last night’s Red Oak reading at Comedy Sports (which was fantastic). Me wearing my all-new Ron L. Kibble wearable art hoodie (Ron painted the amazing cover of FUNHOUSE). Thanks RON, and thanks Jonnie for the shot: ]]>

I Got The Boot

SO NICE TO FINALLY MEET YOU– so many new faces at the AWP Conference this year. Among them, Windy Lynn Harris, Jennifer Kircher Carr, Liz Pettie, Maureen Langloss, Levis Keltner, Diem White, Jan Elman Stout, Grant Faulkner, Christine Texeira, Jensen Beach, Sherrie Flick, David Galef, and too many others to count. OH, IT’S YOU AGAIN? Reunions are always the best, and most of mine in D.C. began with “WHAT HAPPENED?” Still, always terrific to see Kyle Semmel, Angela Woodward, Bill Yarrow, Roxane Gay, Lori Brody, Gay Degani, April Bradley, Dorianne Laux, Christopher Allen, Kathy Fish, Nancy Stohlman, Jeff Landon, James Thomas, T.L. Sherwood, Matt Bell, Mary Akers, Joe Millar, Nita Noveno, Matt Lewis, Michael Seidlinger, Janice Lee, Rae Bryant, Ben Tanzer, Joseph Lawrence Dougherty, Anna March, Robert Russell, Lee Krecklow, Jeffrey Phaller, David Atkinson, John Wentworth Chapin, Wendy Ortiz, Brandon Hobson, Gloria Mindock, Annie Pluto, Pamela Painter, and numerous others. FROM A DISTANCE… I saw you, but there was no way I could run to you… or I might have…   Sara Lippmann (pictured above), Lidia Yuknavitch, D. Foy, Kim Suhr, Stephen Gowin, Joani Reese, Chiwan Choi, Joanna Valente, Alex Kalamaroff, Chelsea Hodson, Joshua Mohr, Alice Anderson, Alexander Chee, Jeff Jackson, John Madera, Garth Greenwell, J. Bradley, Michele Filgate, Amber Sparks, Chelsea Bondolillo, Sarah Rose Etter, Mark Doten, Julia Fiero, Henry Hoke, Amelia Gray, Michael Kimball, and too many others. It’s always such a delicate balancing act, that AWP. WHERE WERE YOU? It felt like you were there the entire time. Dream or otherwise. Meg Tuite, Bud Smith, Michael Gillan Maxwell, Meredith Alling, Gabino Iglesias, Josh Denslow, Brandi Wells, Michael Taekens, xTx, Ben Loory, Jules Archer, Seth Berg, Katherine Seluja, Sheila Hanrahan, Cyrus Cassells, Mark Doty, Marie Howe, Aaron Apps, etc. WHAT I LEARNED: Don’t use the bathroom in the middle of the first night, ever. If you trip, you just might break your ankle. (Could have been my neck). Hairline fracture, right fibula. Never ever would have imagined this. I have to thank my gracious Physician’s Assistant, Clarence M. Chan, at the George Washington University Hospital for his tender, consistent care and my splint. GROUND CONTROL TO MAJOR TOM: Len Kuntz, Karen Stefano, Robert P. Kaye- you saviors, I love you all! And Meg, your constant online support and love was (is) stellar, and Andrea & David, you always make me laugh- love you both. And Satchi, who offered to air lift me home- my heart, my soul, always. I I RECAP: My favorite panel was From Flash Fiction to Micro Fiction and included luminaries Pamela Painter, Grant Faulkner, Nancy Stohlman, Sherrie Flick and James Thomas. I sincerely apologize to Joani and my Hot Pillow compadres- I was there in spirit! Also to host John Madera whose reading I had to cancel. And to WordTango: Jennifer and Elizabeth, for sponsoring my Saturday FUNHOUSE signing, you guys ROCK!  Thanks, everyone, or anyone who said a version of “SPEEDY RECOVERY!!!” I am obeying your wishes. See you all in Tampa for AWP18. NO wheelchairs.]]>

January 2015 Book Raffle

Fourteen Stories, None of Them Are Yours. This linked collection of short stories is stellar, and one lucky individual will get this book for FREE! Unknown And here’s Luke with his other half, Jewely: Portland-writer-Luke-B.-Goebel-e1419287286691 If you are curious, and want to know more about this talented writer, GOOGLE HIM! Or click this link for an article about Luke B. Goebel’s Chaos Theories – Page – Interview Magazine. There is also Brad Listi’s December Other People podcast with Luke Gobel here: Episode 338 — Luke B. Goebel | OTHERPPL WITH BRAD LISTI. Long story short, this guy is one to watch. All you have to do to enter the drawing is to like this post (on Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr). Or re-post, or comment. Share the word. Free book? AND A DAMN GREAT ONE. Happy New Year, everyone! Play safe, love one another, revere yourself.  ]]>

Holiday Book- Giveaway and Salutations

Goodreads | Robert Vaughan (Author of Addicts & Basements).  Often when a new book comes out, Goodreads offers a remarkable plan to host a “raffle” that is free for anyone as a Goodreads user to enter. I’ve entered over three or even four dozen contests since I became a Goodreads member in 2009. This was the first time I ever won! Well, as luck turns out, the book, Doll Palace Stories, written by the uber-talented Sara Lippmann, is one I’d purchased directly through her publisher Dock Street Press (www.dockstreetpress.com) the day it became available! I loved it beyond measure. 22026705 And so, I decided to host my own book give-away, announced on December 21st through Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Tumblr and more sites. All anyone had to do is either “like,” or share, or leave a comment in any spot. I collected the names, threw all eighty-eight of them into a hat, and a friend pulled the winner’s name out: ANDREW STANCEK of Ontario, Canada!!! Congratulations, Andrew! As it turns out, this is actually an INTERNATIONAL contest winner! And this was so much fun, I’ve decided to launch a 2015 monthly BOOK RAFFLE, sponsored by me! Easy to enter, fun to win! This of course in addition to the current fun we’re having with Two for Tuesdays and HUMP Day literary websites that I like to re-blog on occasion. I’m working on the last stretch of my new book, forthcoming in 2015, and will be turning it over to the publisher very soon. Wish me luck! What are you up to? Any plans for 2015? Travel? Marriage? New career? Please do tell us all.  ]]>