<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[Mythic Bios]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[http://matthewkirshenblatt.ca]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[matthewkirshenblatt]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://matthewkirshenblatt.ca/author/matthewkirshenblatt/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[This Year In Passing: Hell, Everland, And Fascinating&nbsp;Beginnings]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p>I said I was going to make another post in December, but I have to say that this is kind of cutting it close. A lot of people are making New Year recaps on their social media statuses and Blogs and I&#8217;m probably going to be no different to this regard.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s just &#8230; hard to remember everything I accomplished this year. In some ways, 2014 was a short year for me in which a microcosm of things happened. I suspect that I may have been stuck in a time dilation field that stretched out or contracted at a whim. So what I&#8217;m going to do is reach into my mind and pull out the things that stand out at me the most.</p>
<p>I got my first story published in print in Janet Morris&#8217; <em>Heroes in Hell</em> shared universe. I have also written for GeekPr0n for over a year and got to interview people such as David Hayter, Larry Wilson, and Will Brooker. I also got to write reviews for Volume One of <em>My So-Called Secret Identity</em>, <em>She Makes Comics</em>, and a whole <em>slew</em> of Toronto After Dark films. Anthony Martignetti has quoted me in the endorsement section of his writer&#8217;s Blog. I got to attend the Toronto part of Amanda Palmer&#8217;s Book Circus and I got to meet her. I also got to meet Kelly Sue DeConnick and begin reading her comics work: of which I love <em>Pretty Deadly</em>.</p>
<p>In addition, I made the acquaintance of Jovanka Vuckovic &#8212; whose advice and encourage has helped me a lot in my endeavours &#8212; and I think you may be seeing me dealing in some more horror writing fairly soon.</p>
<p>My friend John Chui dragged me out to Fan Expo and I got to see him and my friend Angela O&#8217;Hara again midst all the geekery. I also got to travel a bit.</p>
<p>And I met someone awesome who challenges, levels with, and has become special to me. I just want to say that I love you Gaming Pixie and to everyone else who was here along the way.</p>
<p>I won&#8217;t say that I&#8217;ve accomplished everything that I set out to do and that there won&#8217;t be other frustrations and challenges along the way. But there are and there will be. But tonight, right now, I prefer not to focus on those. They will have their time. Instead, I&#8217;d like to do three things.</p>
<p>First, I want you to take a look at the Critters Writers Workshop and vote for <em>Poets in Hell</em> on the <a href="http://critters.org/predpoll/antho.shtml" target="_blank">Anthology page</a>. And if you have more time, please vote for one of the three stories in the <a href="http://critters.org/predpoll/shortstorysf.shtml" target="_blank">Science Fiction and Fantasy short stories</a> section: Chris Morris&#8217; &#8220;Words,&#8221; Joe Bonadonna&#8217;s &#8220;We The Furious,&#8221; and Janet and Chris Morris&#8217; &#8220;Seven Against Hell.&#8221; All three of these stories exist in Poets in Hell &#8212; the volume of which my writing is a part &#8212; and this could help us considerably. Remember, if you do vote, please confirm your vote in your email. And check out <em>Poets in Hell</em> as well if you haven&#8217;t. It&#8217;s diabolically good.</p>
<p>Secondly, there is Cody Walker&#8217;s <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2048096852/everland-a-32-page-fantasy-comic" target="_blank">Everland Kickstarter</a>. Imagine a darker version of Peter Pan and Neverland: where Peter realizes that he is essentially a god and things get, shall we say, twisted. It looks very promising and I highly suggest that you check it out.</p>
<p>And now, finally, I want to wish you &#8212; all of you &#8212; an excellent 2015. May it truly be a eucatastrophe.</p>
<p><a href="https://matthewkirshenblatt.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/30999_10151271469022125_1569100593_n.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="1708" data-permalink="https://matthewkirshenblatt.ca/2013/01/07/still-trying-to-go-beyond-myth-and-legend-novels-and-short-stories/30999_10151271469022125_1569100593_n/" data-orig-file="https://matthewkirshenblatt.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/30999_10151271469022125_1569100593_n.jpg" data-orig-size="600,800" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}" data-image-title="Looking Outward" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://matthewkirshenblatt.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/30999_10151271469022125_1569100593_n.jpg?w=225" data-large-file="https://matthewkirshenblatt.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/30999_10151271469022125_1569100593_n.jpg?w=600" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1708" src="https://matthewkirshenblatt.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/30999_10151271469022125_1569100593_n.jpg?w=600&#038;h=800" alt="Looking Outward" width="600" height="800" srcset="https://matthewkirshenblatt.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/30999_10151271469022125_1569100593_n.jpg 600w, https://matthewkirshenblatt.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/30999_10151271469022125_1569100593_n.jpg?w=113&amp;h=150 113w, https://matthewkirshenblatt.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/30999_10151271469022125_1569100593_n.jpg?w=225&amp;h=300 225w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></a></p>
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