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WORK TITLE: The Raven’s Table
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE: 3/30/1967
WEBSITE:
CITY: Portland
STATE: OR
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
LC control no.: n 99056707
LCCN Permalink: https://lccn.loc.gov/n99056707
HEADING: Morgan, Christine
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035 __ |a (Uk)003693198
040 __ |a DLC |b eng |c DLC |d Uk
100 1_ |a Morgan, Christine
670 __ |a Curse of the shadow beasts, c1998: |b t.p. (Christine Morgan) about the author (lives in Seattle; residential counselor)
PERSONAL
Born March 30, 1967. Married; children: Rebecca.
EDUCATION:Humboldt State University, B.A.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Counselor in psychiatric treatment facility.
WRITINGS
Also author of novels Murder Girls, Volume 1: Disorganized, Murder Girls, Volume 2: Organized, and Murder Girls, Volume 3: Spree. Work represented in anthologies, including Someone Wicked: A Written Remains Anthology, Dreams at the Witch House, and Stars at My Door, and magazines, including Talisman and Icarus.
SIDELIGHTS
Christine Morgan has produced a diverse body of work, encompassing fantasy, horror, thrillers, historical fiction, and erotica. “I started out writing fantasy because of my roleplaying game hobby, but even then I was a big horror reader,” she told Sean M. Thompson in an interview for publisher Word Horde’s Web log. “I’d go to fantasy and sci fi conventions, even be on panels, and more often than not, the other panelists would be talking about books I hadn’t even read. Then I got into writing fanfiction … and smut, which got me exploring other types of setting than your basic traditional fantasy, and made me confident enough to try writing horror. From there, I’ve kept on trying new things.”
Her interest in the Vikings and their mythology led her to write The Raven’s Table, a collection of short stories of Viking exploits. “I love history, mythology, folklore, and culture, but it took me a lot longer than it should have to discover the Viking era was a true passion,” she told Steve Kozeniewski in an online interview at Manuscripts Burn. “There I was, into fantasy, into Tolkien, into pirates, but then finally I stumbled across Bernard Cornwell’s SAXON series, and a series of recorded lectures by Professor Michael D.C. Drout, and my inner Viking suddenly woke right up.”
The collection consists of eighteen stories, some of which had been published previously. While all are set within the Vikings’ time and culture, they vary in subject and tone. “The Seven Ravens,” a reworking of the European fairy tale “The Twelve Swans,” has an orphaned princess trying to reverse a spell that has turned her seven brothers into ravens. “Thyf’s Tale” is the story of a love triangle, with two men, one a heroic warrior and the other a coward, vying for the affections of the same woman. “With Honey Dripping” is an erotic tale involving shapeshifters and a fertility cult. “A Feast of Meat and Mead” has a Christian taken to the Norse warriors’ paradise known as Valhalla, where he is puzzled because it is nothing like his idea of heaven. In “Aerkheim’s Horror,” a brother and sister sailing to Vinland in the Western Hemisphere encounter sea monsters. Other mythical creatures, such as trolls, turn up frequently in the stories, as do Norse gods, including Odin, Thor, and Loki. Magic is also common in the collection’s world. Morgan sometimes intermingles original poetry with her prose.
Several critics found The Raven’s Table appealing. “Christine Morgan has truly captured the essence of the Viking with stories that incorporate numerous themes and stories that will make you want to don your helm, sword and shield before riding off into battle,” remaked an online reviewer at Beavis the Bookhead. The collection, related Amanda J. Spedding onher eponymous blog, is “a feast of Vikings and thralls, gods and goddesses, curses and cults. … It’s clear from the first story that Morgan knows her mythos, giving the reader insight into the lesser-known aspects of the superstitions and rites of Norse mythology. There’s a depth to each of the tales that creates layers you don’t often see.” Marion Deeds, writing on the Fantasy Literature Web site, admitted that she is not an aficionado of Viking stories, but she recommended Morgan’s book to those who are. “If you are a big Norse fan, you should probably just get this collection, because the world-building, the prose, and the names will satisfy you,” she observed, adding: “Viking fans … gamers, and lovers of dark fantasy and mythic-style horror will find a lot to enjoy here.” A Publishers Weekly contributor concluded that Morgan shows herself to be “a talented author deeply engaged with her source material and genre,” and her stories make for “an excellent read.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Publishers Weekly, January 30, 2017, review of The Raven’s Table, p. 185.
ONLINE
Amanda J. Spedding Web log, https://amandajspedding.com/ (April 20, 2017), review of The Raven’s Table.
Beavis the Bookhead, https://beavisthebookhead.com/ (July 5, 2017), review of The Raven’s Table.
Christine Morgan Home Page, https://christinemariemorgan.wordpress.com (November 15, 2017).
Fantasy Literature, http://www.fantasyliterature.com/ (November 15, 2017), Marion Deeds, review of The Raven’s Table.
Manuscripts Burn, http://manuscriptsburn.blogspot.com/ (October 19, 2015), Steve Kozeniewski, interview with Christine Morgan.
Smashwords Web site, https://www.smashwords.com/ (November 15, 2017), brief biography.
Word Horde Web site, http://wordhorde.com/ (February 3, 2017), Sean M. Thompson, “The Word Horde Interview with Christine Morgan, author of The Raven’s Table.“*
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About
Christine Morgan grew up in the high deserts of southern California and headed north as soon as she was able, in search of water and trees. She found both in the foggy coastal redwoods, attending Humboldt State University. Five years later, plus a Bachelor of Arts degree (psychology) and minus a thyroid (cancer), she moved further north yet and settled in the Seattle area.
That shiny new degree landed her a night shift entry level job in a residential psychiatric treatment facility. After twenty-odd — very odd! — years, she’s still doing pretty much the same job, just at a different facility, and as of late 2015, in a different city and state.
The long overnights play havoc with her sleep schedule, but they offer her ample time to write on the company clock. So, in a sense, her hourly rate is not too shabby when you think about it.
Her daughter Rebecca (aka Becca and sometimes Bex) sold her own first story at the age of fourteen. She recently graduated from college, having majored in stage management and dramatic writing.
Christine’s current household consists mostly of books and cats. Viewing habits include documentaries (history, travel, nature), cooking shows, disaster movies, and British comedy. Christine has also been known to make weird crafts with her hot glue gun.
Contact Christine via email: christinemariemorgan@gmail.com
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Quoted in Sidelights: “I started out writing fantasy because of my roleplaying game hobby, but even then I was a big horror reader,” she told Sean M. Thompson in an interview for publisher Word Horde’s Web log. “I’d go to fantasy and sci fi conventions, even be on panels, and more often than not, the other panelists would be talking about books I hadn’t even read. Then I got into writing fanfiction … and smut, which got me exploring other types of setting than your basic traditional fantasy, and made me confident enough to try writing horror. From there, I’ve kept on trying new things.”
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03
2017
The Word Horde Interview with Christine Morgan, author of The Raven’s Table
NEWSBEOWULF, BIZARRO, CHRISTINE MORGAN, FAMILY, INTERVIEW, LOKI'S GOAT-TUGGED NUTSACK, MYTHS, NORWAY, SEAN M. THOMPSON, THE RAVEN'S TABLE, VIKINGS, ZOMBIES
Christine Morgan’s viking-themed collection The Raven’s Table will be landing later this month, so our intrepid interviewer, Sean M. Thompson, sat down to compose a few questions…
The Raven's Table by Christine Morgan
What was it about Vikings that first drew you into them? Can you remember what the first story about them you wrote was?
CM: I’d been a mythology nut, particularly for the Greek myths, since I was a kid. As a teenager, I got into roleplaying games and fantasy. I also really liked pirates and tall ships. Each of those things were each great on their own but none quite managed to hit the perfect sweet spot of overlap. Vikings, however, had all the elements I craved, with the bonuses of rich language and sometimes over the top descriptions. The first Viking story I wrote was also the first one I sold, and kicks off The Raven’s Table… “The Barrow-Maid,” which originally appeared in History is Dead.
What would you do if Odin was real, and you happened to meet him?
CM: Hopefully, recognize him without immediately letting on that I knew, engage him in conversation, use my wits and word-wiles to persuade him I was a person of interest, and then try to get the whole entire grand tour. During which, I’d glean as much information as I could about the myths and stories that have been lost to us since the Viking age. And maybe ask him who actually did write Beowulf.
How did you first get in touch with Word Horde?
CM: I knew Ross from way back, before he began Word Horde, through various conventions and anthology calls and other small presses. When he was at Night Shade, he lobbied really hard to have one of my earlier books taken on, and even though it didn’t work out, neither of us had ever forgotten it. Then, at some event or another I happened to mention a Viking novel I was working on (currently back-burnered for other projects but I really want to get back to it) and he perked right up, so when I realized I had enough Viking stories to my credit to make up a collection, I decided to bounce the idea off him.
How do you think the environment you grew up in has shaped your work?
CM: Heh, until age 18 I lived in the high deserts of Southern California, so there certainly wasn’t much in the way of environmental influence there. Except it did create in me this craving for trees and water and cool weather, which eventually brought me to the Pacific Northwest. Which still isn’t Norway or Denmark or England, but has enough similarities to satisfy.
What are your ties to the bizarro community?
CM: Chosen family, closer than blood. I love the Bizarros. In a way, now that I think of it, they’ve got kind of a Viking spirit among them … there are rules, but there’s also a fierce independence, a value on merit and deed, a warrior’s bond. Besides, they write some of the most amazing stuff! People may think it’s only just calculated outrageousness, tawdry sleaze and tacky crudity for shock value and offense, but I’ve found a level of erudite intelligence and genius in the bizarro community that I’ve never encountered anywhere else.
What’s the scariest thing that’s ever happened to you at your job?
CM: I have been, in my 25+ years of working residential psych, incredibly lucky in that department. I’ve had coworkers who were physically attacked on the job; one guy got stabbed in the head with a broken lightbulb. Another coworker was very nearly sexually assaulted, and then further given the victim-blame treatment by our own supervisors and agency who were supposed to have her back. Me personally, I’ve been yelled at a lot, sometimes threatened, sworn at in some pretty inventive ways, but that’s been about it. Knock on wood.
You’ve written in a lot of genres. Why do you think that is?
CM: I started out writing fantasy because of my roleplaying game hobby, but even then I was a big horror reader. I’d go to fantasy and sci fi conventions, even be on panels, and more often than not, the other panelists would be talking about books I hadn’t even read. Then I got into writing fanfiction (shhh don’t tell, shameful secret under my own name for decades now) and smut, which got me exploring other types of setting than your basic traditional fantasy, and made me confident enough to try writing horror. From there, I’ve kept on trying new things; I love the challenges of themed anthology calls, for instance. But, ultimately, I tend to gravitate toward historical horror and dark fantasy.
What’s your favorite swear?
CM: I’m a big fan of the classics, but, my current go-to when I am particularly exasperated is “Loki’s goat-tugged NUTSACK!” Which, admittedly, sometimes gets looks.
What’s your favorite food?
CM: Ice cream with crunchy or chewy stuff in. Rocky road, cookie dough, candy pieces, cheesecake bits, that kind of thing.
Sword or axe?
CM: Given my shoulder and upper back nerve damage issues from some past surgeries, I know I’d be pathetic with an axe, or a big sword. But, a short, sturdy, stabbing-blade like a seax or gladius? That’d be much more my speed. If, that is, I wasn’t also a squeamish wuss. The first time anybody’s blood splurted out on me, I’d freak out.
Favorite animal?
CM: My favorite would be various varieties of cat; I only half-joke that I’m training to become a crazy cat lady. I currently have four, plus carry a baggie of kitty treats in my purse for neighbor cats I meet while out and about. Big cats, like leopards, especially snow leopards … lynxes … love them. But the animal I most identify with would have to be the raccoon. Nocturnal, waddly, bottom-heavy, clever, nimble-fingered, fastidious handwasher, often misunderstood.
Do you think if a Raven could read your upcoming collection, it would like it?
CM: I certainly hope so, and if it’s Huginn or Muninn, hey, put in a good word with the big boss, pretty please?
What’s next for Christine Morgan?
CM: Well, let’s see … I will have two other, very different books also coming out this year — Spermjackers From Hell, a succubus-summoning-gone-wrong; and White Death, a frontier blizzard novel based partly on actual events but with added snow monsters. I also edit the Fossil Lake anthologies, the fourth of which — SHARKASAURUS! — will be out in hopefully February maybe March. I’ve got stories coming up in several anthologies. Plus, I want to write my Medusa-smut novella to follow up my previous Minotaur-smut one … and there’s still that Viking novel on the back burner … and two books in a psychic detective series I need to edit and submit … and a sort of hard to classify one about a widow and her kids who go to live with her father-in-law, who’s part of a village of way too dedicated medieval living history types, which I also need to edit and resubmit because it was previously published for like two days before the company folded. So, a lot hanging over my head that I should finish up, but in the meantime there keep being all these tempting new anthology calls and invites!
Preorder Christine’s The Raven’s Table today!
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Christine Morgan
Biography
Christine Morgan divides her writing time among many genres, from horror to historical, from superheroes to smut, anything in between and combinations thereof. She's a future crazy-cat-lady and a longtime gamer, who enjoys British television, cheesy action/disaster movies, cooking and crafts.
Her short stories have appeared in dozens of anthologies. Her most recent novels include Murder Girls, His Blood, and The Horned Ones: Cornucopia. She'll have a collection of bloodthirsty Viking tales coming out in 2017.
She also edits (her current ongoing project being the Fossil Lake Anthology series), is a regular contributor to The Horror Fiction Review, and recently relocated to Portland where she's delighted to be involved with the horror and bizarro writer scene.
Where to find Christine Morgan online
Website: http://christine-morgan.com
Twitter: @CMorganAuthor
Facebook: Facebook profile
Blog: https://christinemariemorgan.wordpress.com/
Where to buy in print
http://www.amazon.com/Christine-Morgan/e/B001K8FJ0C/
Books
Fossil Lake IV: Sharkasaurus! by Christine Morgan
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 94,830. Language: English. Published: May 3, 2017 by Sabledrake Enterprises. Categories: Fiction » Horror » General, Fiction » Horror » Weird fiction
A fourth anthology of the aberrant, packed with toothy chompy monsters!
Fossil Lake III: Unicornado! by Christine Morgan
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 80,950. Language: English. Published: March 17, 2016 by Sabledrake Enterprises. Categories: Fiction » Anthologies » General, Fiction » Horror » Weird fiction
RAINBOWS SPARKLES GLITTER VIOLENCE CARNAGE MAYHEM Gathered here for your twisted pleasure are thirty-two works of unicorn weirdness. From the fantastic to the macabre, packed with savagery, blasphemy, gore, and sex, this is no book of bedtime fairytale stories for kids. This is a book of hooves and horns and horrible destruction.
Fossil Lake II: The Refossiling by Christine Morgan
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 99,220. Language: English. Published: February 12, 2015 by Sabledrake Enterprises. Categories: Fiction » Horror » General
Welcome back to Fossil Lake, where the water is dark, and deep, and strange. Where wonderful mysteries and abhorrent monsters dwell together, lurking far beyond the shadowed reach of reality. Where sediment preserves in its layers a perfect record of that which will never be forgotten. 40 stories and poems, and a bonus cartoon, await in this second anthology of the aberrant.
Daylight Dims: Volume Two by Kristopher Mallory, R.k. Kombrinck, Christine Morgan, Rebecca Fung, Stanley Webb, Matt Wedge, Brent Oliver, Dale Elster, Jason Parent, Rhoads Brazos, Hunter Lowe, James Park, Jack Maddox, Patrick Meegan, & Joseph Zulauf
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 72,870. Language: English. Published: October 2, 2014 by Stealth Fiction. Categories: Fiction » Horror » General, Fiction » Horror » Ghost
Darkness descends Again. Daylight Dims Volume Two features thirteen stories that cross the genres of surreal, dark fantasy, and heart pounding dread. This annual horror anthology is guaranteed to twist your perception of horror. From the common, comfortable tropes, to the more taboo, these handpicked tales have a literary aspect designed to showcase what true horror can be.
Fossil Lake: An Anthology of the Aberrant by Christine Morgan
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 90,610. Language: English. Published: May 12, 2014 by Sabledrake Enterprises. Categories: Fiction » Horror » Weird fiction, Fiction » Anthologies » Horror
Aquatic horrors, cold-hearted killers, lovely monstrosities, fiendish depravity and desire, lost civilizations, ancient secrets, music and movies, murder, madness, pain, hideous humor, hunger, and revenge. 37 stories and poems brought together in this anthology of the aberrant. Venture into the darkness. Venture into the depths. Welcome to ... FOSSIL LAKE
For The Best by Christine Morgan
Price: Free! Words: 4,050. Language: English. Published: April 14, 2013 by Sabledrake Enterprises. Categories: Fiction » Horror » General
(4.00)
Paige and Daniel's new apartment seems too good to be true. A great place for a young couple with a baby on the way. Spacious, good location, fireplace, appliances, and such reasonable rent! What could be the catch? It isn't like it's close to the asylum -- well not that close. And it isn't like it's built on an old burial ground -- not an official one, anyway. Okay, so, maybe there was a secre
Nine Jaguar-Feather by Christine Morgan
Price: Free! Words: 5,350. Language: English. Published: December 19, 2012 by Sabledrake Enterprises. Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » Paranormal
(5.00)
In the sacred city of Axcanan, the time of the Chosen has come again. The sky-god and the goddess of the dark night waters require sacrifices. For Clever Sun-Fox and his twin sister, Red Flower Hummingbird, it is an honor. For Ulli, twinless slave to the temple priest, it is a terrible duty that will reveal a more terrible truth.
The Eye of Mammut by Christine Morgan
Price: Free! Words: 7,790. Language: English. Published: September 1, 2012 by Sabledrake Enterprises. Categories: Fiction » Historical » Ancient, Fiction » Mystery & detective » Historical
(3.67)
As spirit man, Aruk has been called upon to use his gifts to solve many problems. With guidance from the ancestors and the spirit world he has great wisdom and gives good advice. But the first true crime his tribe has ever encountered will put him -- put them all -- to the test.
Scoot by Christine Morgan
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 79,970. Language: English. Published: July 15, 2012 by Sabledrake Enterprises. Categories: Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Crime thriller, Fiction » Women's fiction » Chick lit
An assassin who's just accepted her latest contract, complete with target, weapon, and half her fee up front. A skateboarding purse-snatcher, cruising along, always on the lookout for the next opportunistic score. When their paths cross, it's bad news for both. Lives in danger. Livelihoods on the line. Can't go to the police. What would YOU do? SCOOT!
Endless Miles by Christine Morgan
Price: Free! Words: 5,830. Language: English. Published: May 13, 2012 by Sabledrake Enterprises. Categories: Fiction » Thriller & suspense » General
(3.67)
"How can a guy have driven a hundred thousand miles by the time he turns twenty-one, and never leave the same town?" T.J. Lawton keeps asking himself that question until one desert night when everything changes.
A Hurt Too Deep by Christine Morgan
Price: Free! Words: 4,040. Language: English. Published: May 7, 2012 by Sabledrake Enterprises. Categories: Fiction » Horror » Ghost
(4.00)
Steffa thought that by moving across the country and changing her name, she could start a new life free of the stifling old-money and high-society obligations of Hartford Cove. She should have known better. Her ex-mother-in-law doesn't give up that easily. When Virginia Vandermere wants something, there's no distance too far, no lengths too extreme, and no hurt too deep.
Megan's Wish by Christine Morgan
Price: Free! Words: 3,750. Language: English. Published: April 29, 2012 by Sabledrake Enterprises. Categories: Fiction » Horror » General
(4.00)
A sweet little girl. A bullying big brother. A creepy old well. Beware of what you wish for.
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Christine Morgan divides her writing time among many genres, from horror to historical, from superheroes to smut, anything in between and combinations thereof. She's a future crazy-cat-lady and a longtime gamer, who enjoys British television, cheesy action/disaster movies, cooking and crafts.
Her short stories have appeared in dozens of anthologies. Her most recent novels include Murder Girls, His Blood, and The Horned Ones: Cornucopia. She'll have a collection of bloodthirsty Viking tales coming out in 2017.
She also edits (her current ongoing project being the Fossil Lake Anthology series), is a regular contributor to The Horror Fiction Review, and recently relocated to Portland where she's delighted to be involved with the horror and bizarro writer scene.
Quoted in Sidelights: “I love history, mythology, folklore, and culture, but it took me a lot longer than it should have to discover the Viking era was a true passion,” she told Steve Kozeniewski in an online interview at Manuscripts Burn. “There I was, into fantasy, into Tolkien, into pirates, but then finally I stumbled across Bernard Cornwell’s SAXON series, and a series of recorded lectures by Professor Michael D.C. Drout, and my inner Viking suddenly woke right up.”
Manuscripts Burn
MANUSCRIPTS BURN
"Manuscripts don't burn"
- Mikhail Bulgakov
Hi, I'm horror and science fiction author Steve Kozeniewski (pronounced: "causin' ooze key.") Welcome to my blog! You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Amazon. You can e-mail me here, join my mailing list here, or request an e-autograph here. Free on this site you can listen to me recite one of my own short works, "The Thing Under the Bed."
Blog About Me Info on My Published Work "Burned" Manuscripts Guest Policy 2017 Appearances
Monday, October 19, 2015
Never Mind Molly Ringwald (Interview with Christine Morgan, Author of MURDER GIRLS)
HAWM, loyal guildspeople. Today we have a special treat for you.
I, like most horror-types, am a big fan of The Horror Fiction Review. So I was really glad over the last few years to get to know Christine Morgan, reviewer extraordinaire for the HFR, and an incredible author and editor. Christine was kind enough to take time out of her very busy schedule (seriously - follow her on Facebook to witness the craziness in real time) to talk with us today about the HWA, Vikings, unicorns, and all kinds of other stuff. Let's briefly get to know the author and then jump right in!
About Christine Morgan
https://christinemariemorgan.wordpress.com/
Christine Morgan spent many years working the overnight shift in a psychiatric facility, which played havoc with her sleep schedule but allowed her a lot of writing time. A lifelong reader, she also reviews, beta-reads, occasionally edits and dabbles in self-publishing. Her other interests include gaming, history, superheroes, crafts, cheesy disaster movies and training to be a crazy cat lady. She can be found online on Facebook and her blog.
Interview
SK: Thanks for being with us today, Christine! You've been involved in gaming for some time. Can you give us a rundown, maybe a nostalgia-themed list and a current list, of your favorite games and why?
CM: My pleasure, and thanks for having me! My experience with gaming started in 1981, when my mom came home and announced that some of her friends had this new game we should try. It was an odd way for anybody to be introduced to "Dungeons and Dragons" back then, especially a teenage girl, but it was great. I was soon running my own games for school friends. My first convention was OrcCon ‘83. And never mind Molly Ringwald movies; I got miniatures and paints for my sixteenth birthday.
In college, I discovered the campus gaming club and experimented with various other systems (what, it WAS college!) such as "Champions," "Villains & Vigilantes," and "Traveller." I once ran an all-female "ElfQuest" game at one of the Friday night meetings, which was quite a shocker to the guys in the club. Then "GURPS" came along, and that proved to be the system that suited me best. I still dabbled in a few others now and then – "Vampire: The Masquerade," and "TOON," for instance – but have pretty much been a "GURPS" gal ever since.
I’ve had a couple of long-running campaigns over the years, but the last of them kind of crashed and burned in a spectacular relationship-ending fashion, which left me gun-shy. Fortunately, right around then, I’d also fallen in love with the MMORPG "City of Heroes," and that helped feed my roleplaying craving. Its untimely closure was a devastating moment, and none others have yet even come close.
SK: Your bio mentions that you're a former member of the Horror Writers Association. Personally I'm interested, and I suspect a lot of my readers would be interested as well, what are the pros and cons of HWA membership? What finally made you choose to leave?
CM: I joined the HWA after my first couple of qualifying pro-rate story sales, but at the time, there just didn’t seem to be much going on with the organization that I felt I could really get involved with or benefit from. Or maybe I wasn’t paying close enough attention. I don’t know. There was the message board, and that was really about all I followed. My decision to leave wasn’t even a decisive decision, more a matter of neglecting to re-up my membership and sort of drifting away. I probably should look into it again one of these days.
SK: So, as an expert on all things Vikings, how do you feel about the History Channel's "Vikings?"
CM: First off, much as I’d love to call myself an expert, I’m really more an aficionado. I love history, mythology, folklore, and culture, but it took me a lot longer than it should have to discover the Viking era was a true passion. There I was, into fantasy, into Tolkien, into pirates, but then finally I stumbled across Bernard Cornwell’s SAXON series, and a series of recorded lectures by Professor Michael D.C. Drout, and my inner Viking suddenly woke right up.
We even chose a Norwegian cruise for our family vacation a few years back and it was phenomenal … seeing the fjords, touring the ship museum in Oslo, visiting an Iron Age farm … BEING there, being able to stand there and take it all in, absorb with my mind and senses and imagination. Well, within reason. I am a total wuss and comfort-holic in real life, so being able to return to the ship for luxuries and buffets was just the best of all worlds.
That said, as far as the television show goes … enh, sadly, not much of a fan. I was excited when it first came out, but it just didn’t FEEL right to me, it seemed like it was missing something, the particular spirit of the Viking age that spoke most to me. I watched a few episodes of the first season, then a few more with the sound off just for scenery and ship porn, then stopped. I expect I’ll go back and binge-watch them all one of these days. And I am glad to see the show stirring up interest, making Vikings popular again. I’m also shameless enough to ride their coattails if that’s what it takes.
SK: How did you get involved with The Horror Fiction Review? Aside from the Warren Buffett-level compensation, what's it like working over there?
CM: Now, that, I think, is one legacy from my time in the HWA that I really can point to. I found out about The Horror Fiction Review back when it was ye olde school photocopied and stapled 8 and ½ x 11 ‘zine (I still have the back issues!). I’d been doing my own sort of rambling book reviews on my all-but-unread blog, so I kind of offered to send some their way, never really expecting anything to come of it. I seem to get into a lot of sweet gigs that way, half-joking or never really expecting anything to come of it, but I must be doing something right somewhere along the line.
So, I started sending in my reviews, and … they became kind of a hit … and then Nick Cato was asking if I had the time and inclination for some free books … I mean, HECK YES; I’ve always been a faster reader than my budget and local library could really keep up with, so this was a dream come true.
Then the dream-come-true got even better, because the next thing I knew, authors were contacting me with appreciative feedback. Edward LEE emailed me, thanking me for a review! I’d get requests! It boggled me. It still does. Boggles and humbles. Being able to go to conventions, be on panels, mention I’m a contributor to the HFR, and have authors approach me to see if I’d be interested in reviewing theirs – I met Michaelbrent Collings that way, and have absolutely loved everything I’ve read by him. Seeing blurbs from MY reviews in the “praise for” sections at the front of subsequent books is a thrill almost like an acceptance letter!
Of course, given some of the types of books I most like to read and review, it can be a little weird when a notification comes in that my review helped influence someone’s buying on Amazon … when I called Shane McKenzie’s PUS JUNKIES quite possibly the ickiest book of all time, for instance, and that convinced someone to buy it...Wrath James White’s books, Monica J. O’Rourke...I sometimes kind of feel like I should apologize for my part in any subsequent psychological damage...
SK: You've written horror, fantasy, superheroes, erotica [takes deep breath] historical and it seems like a few others. Do you have a particular favorite? And do you ever worry about spreading yourself too thin?
CM: I love it all, but yeah, the historical stuff … the Vikings for sure, and the other eras I’ve played with … ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt … the Maya and Aztec cultures … I’ve gone as far back as Mesopotamia, and further still to caveman days (I’ll try my hand at dinosaurs eventually; RAPTOR RED is one of my all-time favorite books) … Victorian, steampunk, Civil War, the Gilded Age, Old West, the World Wars … there’s so much to explore, and the challenge of story and language and character just delights me.
Speaking of challenges, another of my favorite things to do is mix and match, mash-up, cross over, and generally bring together things that might normally not ever seem a natural guess, and see if I can make it work. I ask myself, “can I” or some idea will hit out of nowhere. Lovecraftian elements are hugely fun to blend with others...I’ve done Lovecraft and Austen, various myth-meets-Mythos, Lovecraftian fairy tales, Lovecraftian smut. I’ve combined Poe and Ru Paul’s Drag Race. They gave me a special award at KillerCon one year for my Gross Out treatment of smutty Wodehouse. If it’s wrong, if it seems so, so wrong, so wrong it’s right, I want to try it.
I also love superhero universes, I think mostly because superheroes are our modern version of classical mythology. Also because, in a superhero universe, anything goes. Aliens, magic, psychic powers, high-tech … it all coexists and is simply accepted that way. Just, oh, okay, and everyone rolls with it.
I only worry about spreading myself too thin in terms of over-committing, or having too many projects going so that some fall through the cracks. There are some genres I think I’m unlikely to try my hand at (hard sci-fi, for instance), but even then, I don’t like to rule anything out. My muse, when she wants to do something, I cannot tell her no.
http://www.amazon.com/Fossil-Lake-Anthology-Ramsey-Campbell-ebook/dp/B00MJ482K0/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1444828975&sr=1-1&keywords=fossil+lake
SK: In addition to eeeeeverything else, you've also edited numerous anthologies, including the upcoming FOSSIL LAKE: UNICORNADO. That being said, how many fonts do you own?
CM: My husband being the font-slut of the family, he got custody of most of those in the recent divorce (I got the cats). I’m a little anxious about UNICORNADO, actually, because while I have loads of experience on the editing end, I am not at all up to speed on all the layout and such. That’s going to be a scary learning curve these next few months.
The editing gigs, though, I also sort of meandered into in some roundabout ways. I put together our college gaming club’s newsletter, and the resident-written one at the first psych facility I worked at, and did one for my daughter’s Girl Scout troop for a while. I – now, this is top-secret confession time – used to write a lot of fanfiction, and became very involved in the "Gargoyles" fandom, to the point I took over a fanzine called "Avalon Mists" and did four fanfic anthologies for the conventions. We had the online "Sabledrake Magazine" for many years.
All that, and I still didn’t (and don’t!) really think of myself as an editor. Not a REAL one, not compared to the ones I’d worked with. Some of my editing gigs happened because another editor had to back out of a project, so I volunteered to help out (a couple of times, I’d already had a story accepted, which is why the upcoming GRIMM BLACK, for example, might look like double-dipping).
The FOSSIL LAKE phenomenon, though, was where I really found myself having fun. Except for sending out rejections. That part sucks no matter which end of it you’re on. I will never like that part. I mean, yes, rinky-dink small beans market and all, but people send me stories … a lot of stories, really GOOD stories, more than I can use, and I am constantly blown away by the amount of trust and talent and willingness to work even with the likes of me that these really awesome people continue to show.
http://www.amazon.com/Fossil-Lake-II-The-Refossiling-ebook/dp/B00TM0253O/ref=pd_sim_351_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1EWB6BR96AEZZ8T1CZGT&dpID=51H%2B5eV5cbL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR104%2C160_
SK: Well, thanks so much for being with us today, Christine. Before we part, do you have any closing words or anything you'd like to mention that we didn't cover today?
CM: More words? Like I haven’t done essays here already? Well but hey, give a mouse a cookie and all that; give me a chance to ramble and I will do it. So. Yes. Ahem.
First off – buy books. Mine, sure, yes please, ones I wrote, edited, contributed to, reviewed, whatever...I have a daughter in college and four cats to feed...but really, just, buy books. Buy books, read books, give them as gifts, tell your friends.
Secondly – enjoy, play and enjoy. Language is amazing. Writing is amazing. Creativity, imagination, characters, emotions, travels of the mind, it’s all there. It’s passion. It’s telepathy. Art and invention and language and storytelling, in all their various forms, are what we’re meant to do, what fuels and feeds the soul, what really does make us human.
And, finally – when you find your niche, your community, your place to belong and feel at home … cherish that. I’m finally getting there myself, and it is, simply, the best and warmest and most incredible sensation...to be where you’ve always been meant to be.
Coming soon:
evilgirlfriendmedia.com
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Quoted in Sidelights: “a talented author deeply engaged with her source material and genre,” and her stories make for “an excellent read.”
11/6/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
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The Raven's Table
Publishers Weekly.
264.5 (Jan. 30, 2017): p185.
COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
* The Raven's Table
Christine Morgan. Word Horde, $15.99 trade paper (306p) ISBN 978-1-939905-27-7
These original stories of Viking adventure ring with historical glory and drama, rising and falling in the rhythms of
legends and myths passed down over the generations. Thriller and fantasy author Morgan (Murder Girls) taps into the
power of fireside tales in a collection that is steeped in tradition and yet completely fresh. Previously published in
various anthologies, these stories move from darkly magical ("The Barrow-Maid") to frightening and horrific ("The
Fate-Spinners") without a moment to catch one's breath. Lyrical stories of bold adventure ("In the Forests of the Far
Land") and triumph ("To Fetter the Fenris-Wolf') offer relief from the tension, but are no less stirring than the grimmer
ones. These works have the sure, solid feel of a talented author deeply engaged with her source material and genre.
They're an excellent read for those who enjoy myths and legends of all kinds. (Mar.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"The Raven's Table." Publishers Weekly, 30 Jan. 2017, p. 185. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA480195196&it=r&asid=e3c3b20091aab89d5ade0d9620f68d6e.
Accessed 6 Nov. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A480195196
Quoted in Sidelights: “Christine Morgan has truly captured the essence of the Viking with stories that incorporate numerous themes and stories that will make you want to don your helm, sword and shield before riding off into battle,”
To quote one of my favourite movies, it’s time to “Crush your enemies. See them driven before you. Hear the lamentations of their women.”
The Raven’s Table is a GREAT collection of Viking stories from the pen (mightier than the sword?!) of Christine Morgan and publisher Word Horde. I think that the cover art and title gives away what this collection is about so I will get straight into the meat of it. I loved this book, loved it, loved it, loved it. Norse mythology has always held great fascination with this reader. Stories of Odin, Thor, Loki, tales of fierce battles, brotherhood and camaraderie, tales involving the skulling of many a mead by a fire after a day of plunder, it is wonderful stuff! I love it, and with this collection of stories, Christine Morgan has truly captured the essence of the Viking with stories that incorporate numerous themes and stories that will make you want to don your helm, sword and shield before riding off into battle.
The first tale, The Barrow Maid, dragged me in straight away. A tale of betrayal and the undead! It features disembowelment, murder and more. What a great start. With its string of near-unprenouncable names, we then enter bard territory for Thyf’s Tale, another great piece. Spiders and Trolls occupy the next couple of stories and what is beginning to stand out to me is the wonderful prose that takes you deep into these stories. It is as if you are hearing these stories told around a camp fire, deep in enemy territory, resting whilst you shine your axe. The heat from the fire and the strength of the mead making you feel relaxed and eager to hear more of these gripping Viking tales.
Old magic, the afterlife, shapeshifters and even a surprise appearance from the great old one himself all feature in The Raven’s Table. Morgan isn’t afraid to use familiar horror tropes in her stories, though they are used sparingly. The Vampire tinged Sven Bloodhair delivers in bloody spades. In this story, a clan leader is bitten during the capture of a strange woman and goes through a change that puts both his enemies and his friends in grave danger. Other horror themes are included but Morgan keeps them in the background and lets her characters shine. And shine they do, as brightly as the polished steel which they wield! The dialogue is superb, and it needed to be for the book to give you that epic mythological feel.
In case you haven’t guessed, I love this collection from Christine Morgan. I can imagine it being a bit too much perhaps for casual readers, but for though those of us that like a little Grimdark fantasy in our horror fiction, they would be well advised to invest in a copy of this fine, fine book.
Word Horde is a publisher that continues to deliver strong books. You never quite know what their next release will be as they are prone to release anything that has quality within its pages. They are one of the most consistent publishers out there in terms of editing, presentation and originality of their releases, long may it continue. Follow me now into Valhalla where we shall drink and celebrate long into the night!
5/5 bloodied swords from the Grim Reader.
Pick up a copy from here.
Quoted in Sidelights: “a feast of Vikings and thralls, gods and goddesses, curses and cults. … It’s clear from the first story that Morgan knows her mythos, giving the reader insight into the lesser-known aspects of the superstitions and rites of Norse mythology. There’s a depth to each of the tales that creates layers you don’t often see.”
BOOK REVIEW: THE RAVEN’S TABLE BY CHRISTINE MORGAN
APRIL 20, 2017 AMANDA J SPEDDING LEAVE A COMMENT
Collections are a notoriously hard sell in the publishing world, especially if you haven’t got the household name to back you, but sometimes you come across books that turn that notion on its head. Christine Morgan’s The Raven’s Table – Viking Stories is one such collection, with tales and saga-esque poetry set in the Norse world, it’s a feast of Vikings and thralls, gods and goddesses, curses and cults.
In my previous post I reviewed Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology which, despite its glorious cover, felt over-indulgent on the author’s part, and left me feeling… meh. The Raven’s Table does all the things Gaiman’s collection should have but didn’t. With each tale, Christine Morgan drops you into the character(s)’s world without preamble. There’s no over-explaining of the mythos ‒ it just is. It’s this type of storytelling that allows the reader to be fully immersed.
The Raven's Table
The Raven’s Table has eighteen tales and poems within this collection, four of which are originals. Don’t let the ‘reprint’ status give you pause, though, as each story is a vicious delight of blood and gore, war and betrayal, monsters and mayhem. It’s clear from the first story that Morgan knows her mythos, giving the reader insight into the lesser-known aspects of the superstitions and rites of Norse mythology. There’s a depth to each of the tales that creates layers you don’t often see in storytelling, and boy does she nail her imagery.
Morgan takes poetic licence with her narrative, often melding stanzas in the form of storytelling by the characters within her tales, which only reinforces the saga-esque feel of the book. Morgan is the skald who has sat you around the fire, retelling the places she’s been, the things she’s seen, and giving warning to those who dare defy the gods.
Not one story is alike, although Morgan’s narrative-style is the thread that binds. There are some truly beautiful turns of phrase in the stories, pieces that will transport the reader entirely into the fear of a thrall, the struggle to stare down a Valkyrie, the absolute certainty that monsters are real. When stories start with: ‘Men died screaming.’, you know you’re in for some bloodied fun.
It’s hard to pick a favourite from the collection, but I’ll give the top five of those that have stuck with me now that I’ve finished the book: The Fate Spinners, The Barrow Maid, Njord’s Daughter, With Honey Dripping, and Sven Bloodhair. That was a tough top five to pick, I have to say… so I’ll sneak in At Ragnarok, the Goddesses.
I mentioned earlier that The Raven’s Table did all that Gaiman’s Norse Mythology didn’t, and I stand by that. If you’re wanting to read seriously impressive Viking tales that cover the gamut of the Norse mythos without that didactic feel, then ignore Gaiman’s offering and instead pick up Christine Morgan’s collection – you won’t be disappointed.
Fair warning, for those who don’t like blood and gore and sex in all its forms, this might not be the book for you. For the rest of you – it’s the best collection I’ve read in a long while.
On a Goodreads scale I give it five stars.
Quoted in Sidelights: “If you are a big Norse fan, you should probably just get this collection, because the world-building, the prose, and the names will satisfy you,” she observed, adding: “Viking fans … gamers, and lovers of dark fantasy and mythic-style horror will find a lot to enjoy here.”
The Raven’s Table: Viking fans, horror fans and gamers will find plenty to like
Readers’ average rating:
The Raven’s Table: Viking Stories by Christine MorganThe Raven’s Table: Viking Stories by Christine MorganThe Raven’s Table: Viking Stories by Christine Morgan
Christine Morgan’s work has appeared in various anthologies, such as History is Dead, a Zombie Anthology, and Uncommon Assassins. Her work is closely related to role-playing games and she is a dedicated gamer according to her website. The Raven’s Table: Viking Stories is a story collection of her Norse or Viking-themed works. The collection includes poetry, adventure, fantasy and horror in a couple of flavors. Five of the eighteen pieces are original to this collection.
Morgan’s work has its roots deeply in epic fantasy, and almost all of these tales are set during the Viking years. A couple take place in a locale that might be the Norse colonies in Labrador. Morgan’s language is right for an oral tradition, and several of the prose tales are augmented by her original poetry.
I was not the perfect audience for this collection. The Norse peoples and their habit of raiding and plundering everybody they could reach are not my fantasy favorites although I’ll admit they are interesting. Morgan successfully created a sense of a world (or worlds) and while The Raven’s Table wasn’t my usual kind of book I found several stories I enjoyed. I will review in more depth the ones that appealed to me, but if you are a big Norse fan, you should probably just get this collection, because the world-building, the prose, and the names will satisfy you.
These stories are not in any particular order and I will provide a table of contents at the end of the review.
“The Seven Ravens” is a Norse retelling of the European fairy tale “The Twelve Swans.” Ingihilde is the daughter of a strong queen and a good king. The king has been killed in battle, the queen died mysteriously, and Ingihilde’s seven brothers have been turned into ravens. Ingihilde swears to undo the spell. The brothers fly to an Althing of birds (a delightful bit) and learn of a dwarf who may know how to break the curse. The way Ingihilde tricks the deceitful, lecherous dwarf into giving her the information she needs is clever. She is a brave and smart character. The story follows traditional lines, and at the end the murderer of the queen and the truth of the old king’s death are revealed. I enjoyed the writing and the imagery here, and Ingihilde was a great character to spend time with.
“Brynja’s Beacon” almost read as a YA adventure to me, because of the youth of the protagonist and the simplicity of the story. Unn, a slave, is purchased and brought to the rich landholding of Skuthorpe, held by Lady Gethril while the lord Hrothgar is out raiding. Gethril is not Hrothgar’s wife, but his sister-in-law, and she bought Unn to be the caretaker for the elderly man she has sequestered in a shabby cabin away from the great hall. He is the grandfather of Hrothgar, and he is in disfavor. So are Hrothgar’s two children, and the rumors are that Hrothgar’s ship has sunk and he will not be back. Clearly the two children are in danger. The pleasure of this somewhat predictable plot is the growing relationship between Unn and the children, and Unn and the old man. The old man has a secret, there are trolls in the forest, and the great bonfire on the point of the headland, called Brynja’s Beacon, hasn’t been lit for months. You will anticipate almost everything that happens in this tale, right up to an implausibly happy ending for Unn, but it is still an enjoyable read.
“The Mottled Bear” also had the feel of a fairy tale, with a wicked queen who enchants the virtuous man who spurns her affections, and turns him into a bear. He grows more bearlike until he finds the human woman he loved in human form, and she, somehow, recognizes him. Despite an idyll in the forest, things are not fated to go well for a human woman and a bear even if the bear is a prince. The straightforward, slightly tragic tone of this story was a perfect match for the material, and parts of the story are intentionally heartbreaking as the enchanted animal-man goes unrecognized by those who love him.
“Thyf’s Tale” goes in another direction, in which evil-doing is rewarded. In a great hall, a king holds a feast. King Hodvard calls for a tale, a grim one, and a young skald shares the story of two friends, Guldi and Svarti. Guldi makes his reputation in war, but Svarti is a coward and their friendship ends. Guldi and Svarti both fall in love with the same woman, and Svarti pays a bag of gold to an assassin to kill his former friend with poison. The skald’s tale ends on a cold and fearsome note, and the warriors in the hall give in to their nervousness, peering into their drinking horns, wondering if poisoned herbs have been thrown into the fire, but the king laughs and gives the skald a bronze broach. That is not the end of the story. The poem of Guldi and Svarti is a lovely set-piece, and it is going to play out again. The who and the why are the important surprises in this short dark tale.
“With Honey Dripping” follows the “goat girl” of a community that worships fertility in the form of the goat-goddess Sib-Njurath. This is a version of the name Shub-Niggurath, the Black Goat of the Woods, a Lovecraft character. “With Honey Dripping” is pure erotica, with some strange transformations and lots of goats. This is a completely violence-free story, filled with several explicit erotic encounters. It was strange, but I like erotica sometimes and I liked this.
I liked “A Feast of Meat and Mead” because of the reversal at the end, and because of the sincere and innocent character of Osbert, the protagonist. Osbert has been raised Christian in the house of the Christian bishop, which has just survived an attack by the Danes. King Harald has paid off the Danes with gold and their ships are leaving, but Osbert, who sometimes sees beyond the veil of this world, says they will be back. In the aftermath of the battle, he does a kind deed for a dying Dane and then stands his ground before a Valkyrie. Impressed by his courage, the Valkyrie takes him to Valhalla, for he is as brave as a warrior. Osbert is baffled by the Norse idea of a warrior’s heaven: it’s all drinking and fighting, with no peace. Once again, Osbert clings to the courage of his convictions, and the story ends in a startling way. I did wonder if this was inspired in any way by the ninth century King Osberht of Northumbria.
“Aerkheim’s Horror” appeared in Cthulhu Fhtgan. Brother and sister, fraternal twins, guide a ship with a group of colonists to Vinland. There they encounter horrifying monsters from beneath the sea. Once again, Lovecraft fans will feel right at home. The use of color and mood here, to depict the black sea, the rushing waves, and the increasing sense of foreboding, is well done.
“Njord’s Daughter” uses alternating points of view and relies heavily on a twist ending. It’s a cautionary tale about obsessive love.
“Sven Bloodhair” follows the character of Sven, a bold and brutal warrior who cares only for his reputation as a fighter. Sven has the habit of dousing his head in blood, preferably human blood, before a battle, and if there isn’t a captured enemy around, a slave will do. One night Sven has a slave woman killed and drained, and then things start going wrong. It’s a nice twist on a familiar horror trope.
In “Nails of the Dead,” Morgan’s prose creates a grim, morbid atmosphere that permeates every page. Here’s an example:
I show it to her, the bag, brimming with nails of all sizes. She stirs through them with her own long, pale hand. The sound is a dry susurration that hisses and whispers, harsh utterances of loss, wistful sighs of the dead.
The story takes place partly in Niflheim, the land of the dead, presided over by Hel, goddess of the underworld, daughter of Loki, told from the point of view of one of her children, Nagl-Safne, the Nail-Taker. Despite the beautifully rendered atmosphere and its otherworldliness, “Nails of the Dead,” based on a Norse myth, was more of a powerful vignette than a story.
The contents are:
The Barrow-Maid
Thyf’s Tale
The Fate-Spinners
The Vulgarity of Giants
In the Forests of the Far Land
Njord’s Daughter
A Feast of Meat and Mead
Nails of the Dead
Sven Bloodhair
The Mottled Beat
To Fetter the Fenris-Wolf
At Ragnarok the Goddesses
With Honey Dripping
Aerkheim’s Horror
The Shield-Wall
The Seven Ravens
We Drown and Die
Brynja’s Beacon
Overall, while The Raven’s Table wasn’t a perfect match for me, I think Viking fans (the Norse ones, not the football team) gamers, and lovers of dark fantasy and mythic-style horror will find a lot to enjoy here.
Published February 28, 2017