JEFF FUNK

2008-03-22T18:59:00.010-05:00

HARD HATS � in stores now

Hard Hats, which contains my story "Leaving My Mark," is now available from Amazon.

2007-12-22T01:08:00.001-06:00

NAUGHTY & NICE

Looking for a little something to keep you warm during these cold winter nights?

Click here for your FREE holiday eBook, NAUGHTY & NICE by Jeff Funk.

Also, check out my NEW site dedicated to my erotic writing, Jeff Funk Erotica. I hope all of my readers have a Merry Christmas.

2007-11-05T13:34:00.000-06:00

Story acceptance for CRUISE LINES anthology

Ahoy! I just heard from Alyson Books that they're taking my story "Two if by Sea" for the CRUISE LINES anthology. This was my first time being asked to contribute to one of their invite-only projects, which was a real honor. And I love the cover art. The book will be in stores in May 2008.

2007-09-24T12:55:00.000-05:00

READING & SIGNING � Out Word Bound Bookstore, Indianapolis

Ellen Tevault, Stephen Osborne & Jeff Funk (yours truly) will be reading at Out Word Bound bookstore in Indianapolis on October 7th at 3 p.m. If you're in the area, stop on by. I hope to see some of you there!_{Out Word Bound Bookstore
www.outwordbound.com
625 N East St
Indianapolis, IN 46202
(317) 951-9100

WHEN: October 7th
TIME: 3:00 p.m.}
I will be reading from my stories: "Jimmy in Me" from Dorm Porn 2, "Swarthy Strangers" from Tales of Travelrotica for Gay Men Volume 2, and "Just a Taste" from My First Time Volume 5.

2007-08-31T13:27:00.000-05:00

MY FIRST TIME Volume 5 � in stores now

My First Time Volume 5 from Alyson Books, which contains my story "Just a Taste," is now available from Amazon and bookstores near you. I love the cover. This will be a fine addition to my shelf of published works.

2007-08-18T19:48:00.000-05:00

TALES OF TRAVELROTICA FOR GAY MEN Volume 2 � in stores now

Tales of Travelrotica for Gay Men Volume 2 from Alyson Books, which contains my story "Swarthy Strangers," is now available from Amazon and wherever books are sold. I bought one last night at Barnes & Noble and I received my author copies from the publisher today. I'm really proud of this travel story of exotic hunks in far away lands, and I hope my readers enjoy it!

2007-07-16T16:26:00.001-05:00

Story acceptance for HARD HATS anthology

Just heard from Neil Plakcy that he's conditionally accepting my story, "Leaving My Mark", for inclusion in HARD HATS, to be published by Cleis Press. It's conditional because the Cleis editors have to approve the manuscript first. If they take it this will be my first time publishing with them. By the way, could I possibly love their logo more? Love it, I tell ya.

So I'm conditionally excited! I'm gonna celebrate by gettin' me a pizza, and I can tell you that it's a sure thing it will get eaten.

Next on the agenda: choral music. I'm currently writing a humdinger that I'm going to submit to Carl Fischer Music.

2007-06-27T21:47:00.000-05:00

Story sale to ULTIMATE GAY EROTICA 2008

I just heard from Joe Pittman that Alyson Books is taking my story "Den of Heathen Desires" for Ultimate Gay Erotica 2008 edited by Jesse Grant. It will be out in December. I'm very excited about this piece!

2007-05-30T12:34:00.000-05:00

Two cuts on the new GALS album

I have two cuts on the new GALS Greatest Hits album�my original song, Music of My Dreams, and my arrangement of Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy. GALS is a gay and lesbian choir from Auckland, New Zealand (www.gals.org.nz). Established in 1992, they give several concerts a year and frequently sing at lesbian and gay events, such as Big Gay Out, Gay Games and Herne Bay House on World AIDS Day. I'm really proud that they enjoy performing my music.

2007-04-25T18:54:00.000-05:00

Story sale to MY FIRST TIME, Volume 5

I just sold another story to Alyson Books! "Just a Taste" will appear in My First Time Volume 5 edited by Jack Hart. I love this series, by the way. I have several volumes on my shelf in my bedroom. They're all still in print. Many of my favorite authors have contributed to this series over the years. It's quite an honor to be among them. The book comes out in September.

2007-04-12T12:42:00.000-05:00

News from New Zealand & 13 Symphony Hall Performances

GALS, a gay and lesbian choir in Auckland, New Zealand (www.gals.org.nz), wrote to tell me they'd like to record another piece of mine on their album, my arrangement of "Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy." So I'll have two works on their upcoming album. I'm especially eager to hear their take on my original composition, "Music of My Dreams." They're also going to perform my arr. of "Waltz of the Flowers" at a garden concert. Can I just say: I LOVE this group!

In other news, I received a pretty nice royalty check today, collecting money from thirteen symphony hall performances this quarter.

2007-04-11T16:52:00.000-05:00

DORM PORN 2

Dorm Porn 2 from Alyson Books, which contains my story "Jimmy in Me," is now available from Amazon and should be making its way to a bookstore near you.

2007-04-09T21:44:00.000-05:00

Short story sale to Superqueeroes

My story "Give Me Back to the Wind" has been accepted for the Superqueeroes anthology edited by Ellen Tevault. It's scheduled to be published by the Haworth Press in 2007. This is my second sale to Haworth.

2006-10-18T09:32:00.000-05:00

JEFF FUNK, ACTOR � My mug on Return In Red DVD box cover

Music, books ... and now movies. Which branch of the entertainment industry will I stumble into next?

The guy with the blood dripping from his nose into his mustache in this here photo�third screamer from the left? That would be me. Call me "Crawling Man." That's how I'm billed in Tyler Tharpe's horror movie, RETURN IN RED. Coming in February 2007.

2006-09-23T18:13:00.000-05:00

RECENT SHORT STORY SALES

� I received an e-mail from author/editor Greg Herren, accepting my short story "Be Amanda" for his queer themed science fiction anthology Distant Horizons, to be published by the Haworth Positronic Press in the summer of 2007. I see Haworth books in the bookstores all the time. I can't wait to stroll into Borders and see my story on the shelves.

� Also, I sold my first piece of gay erotica. "Jimmy In Me" will appear in Dorm Porn 2 edited by Sean Fisher, to be published by Alyson Books in June 2007.

� I received an e-mail from Joe Pittman at Alyson Books, accepting my erotic short story "Swarthy Strangers" for the Tales of Travelrotica For Gay Men Volume 2 anthology. Edited by Brad Nichols. To be published summer 2007.

2006-06-23T02:33:00.000-05:00

Rent Me, See Me

Got an e-mail from Tyler Tharpe, the movie director. He sent a note to all cast & crew of Return in Red, the independent horror film in which I'm a featured extra, "Crawling Man." He just signed a distribution deal with Image Entertainment.
_{It gives me great pleasure to announce that a distribution deal has finally been signed with RETURN IN RED! Image Entertainment will release RETURN IN RED on DVD and other formats, hopefully within the next 9 months or so. Image is a major distributor in Hollywood, so I was very excited when they sent us an offer for the film. Believe it or not, they made the offer way back in October, and it took this long to get the deal signed! Anyway, expect it to hit Blockbuster, Hollywood Video, and retail stores on its street date. I'll be sure to keep you posted, but here's Image's website and mine in case you'd like to keep track:

http://www.image-entertainment.com
http://innerworldpictures.com

Hope all of you are doing well -- drop me a line when you get the chance.

Tyler
P.S. I just learned that the deal was finalized today, which, coincidentally, is one year to the day of the cast and crew screening at the Cinema Center (very weird...).}
So rent me, see me. Oh, also: Tyler said that I'm going to be listed in the IMDb. Sweet.

Addendum: DVD Cover Shoot: I had to get back into my dirt and blood makeup for a photo shoot last night. This is for the DVD box cover of RETURN IN RED, the independent horror film which comes out this fall. My character's name is "Crawling Man." A female lead actress and I were the ones being photographed. The director was there, Tyler Tharpe. And the DP, Tony Hettinger, took the pictures. They set up a light behind me and one outside a window. I kneeled since I was too tall for the tripod and they wanted close-ups. I put on my gloves, hat and goggles and had to make my eyes wide and mouth open, as if screaming. Hands up to the ears for some photos. I loved taking direction from Tyler and Tony. "Move your head to the left. Open your eyes bigger. More toward the light. There." Snap! Snap! When we started, Tony jokingly scolded me: "You're too happy. Stop smiling. Tyler, get over there and kick him." It was fun. Afterwards, we went out for pizza and swapped ghost stories.

2005-08-05T17:23:00.000-05:00

The Horror in Rhode Island

I was in Bristol, Rhode Island July 14-17th for the Northeastern Writers Conference, fondly referred to as Camp Necon. This yearly con attracts famous horror authors including Douglas Clegg, Peter Straub, Thomas Tessier, F. Paul Wilson, Tom Monteleone, David Morrell, Rick Hautala, Jack Ketchum, Elizabeth Massie, Matthew Costello, Philip Nutman and many others. It's held on a beautiful campus, Roger Williams University, a picturesque setting located on a bay--sailboats passing by, seagulls, fog coming in at night, etc. It's very laid back. Casual. You hear people toss around phrases like, "this is a place where you can really let your hair down." Parties every night, and these people know how to party, lemme tell ya. And where else would you pass open windows and hear such bits of conversation as: "What's the difference between farther and further?" Only at a writers camp. If we were in the '70s, it might be known as a writer's "colony."

I got to hang out with good friends like Douglas Clegg, Matt Schwartz owner of Shocklines online bookstore, Gerard Houarner and Linda Addison--all of whom are among the coolest people on the planet. I met some Live Journal friends, such as Bev Vincent, Lee Thomas, Alyson Benoit, Johnathan Reitan, Nick Kaufman.

Within an hour of my arrival I made some new friends. I met Holly Newstein (aka H.R. Howland) and Rick Hautala (aka A.J. Matthews). Rick wanted to play his son's CD for me, so we piled into Glenn Chadborne's car, a really nice Monte Carlo, and drove a short distance and found a place to park. When I looked at the back of the building next to us, I had the strangest case of d�j� vu. I'd seen that building before in a dream.

The place was crawling with horror writers. You couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting an author or a fan boy. And the people were friendly. They'd recognize that mine was a new face and come up and introduce themselves. When I'd confirm that it was my first time there--fresh meat, a Necon newbie-- they would exchange knowing looks and tell me, "You'll be back." Several of them leaned in conspiratorially and said, "What happens at Necon stays at Necon." I nodded back, with squinted eyes. Understood. I guess I'd better try to keep all scandal out of this blog entry, huh?

One morning, I saw Dallas Mayr (aka Jack Ketchum) holding a big Styrofoam cup of coffee. "Where'd you get that coffee, Dallas?" I asked. He pointed to Trish (aka P.D. Cacek). "Can I have some?" I said, amazed at myself for asking for what I wanted. The old shy me would have gone without. Turns out, they were down to the end of the pot, so Dallas poured some of his coffee into a cup for me. How cool is that?

"You have to write the crap out of you." Was it Peter Straub that said that or was it someone contributing to his advice? Anyway, it stuck with me. You have to write your ass off and discover your talents and get the shitty writing out of your system. I was interested to hear that Tom Monteleone and Straub both wrote first books that they consider stinkers. Straub's first one isn't even available in America--only in Germany, I believe. Gerard Houarner said he's heard you need to write a million words before you're any good.

One night, I saw Linda Addison and two other women belly dancing. In front of whom, I shall not say. Drinking and music were involved. Absinthe was present and offered to me; alas, I declined the drink as I'm not fond of feeling out of control. And I'm reminded of rule number one: What happens at Necon stays at Necon. Damn, so I'd better not tell the other things I saw. Or did. The naming of names, the loosening of lips, could get my ass into trouble.

It might be wise to issue my nondenial denial as to whether I'm a member of the secret society that has formed within the horror community. You may have heard the rumors, the whisper-stream of hushed voices, people talking in low tones and wondering as to its intent, pondering its ramifications. As of now, it's an unnamed organization. I prefer to think of it as The Secret Order of the DILF. I'll admit that, as of now, I've attended my third such meeting in as many years. In two cities. But we have friends everywhere. Our reach grows, as does our power. At least one new member was tapped and admitted for the Saturday night meeting, but I shan't discuss the rites and initiations. Nor will I share the secret conversations from that night. It's secret. Shhhh...

I've always wanted to be in a secret society, and now I am.

2005-02-20T19:20:00.000-06:00

PRESS RELEASE

_{ALFRED PUBLISHING TO PURCHASE WARNER BROS. PUBLICATIONS FROM WARNER MUSIC GROUP

LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK, December 16, 2004 � Alfred Publishing announced today a definitive agreement to purchase Warner Bros. Publications, one of the world's largest publishers of printed music, from Warner Music Group.

Alfred is the world leader in educational music products. With offices in the U.S., the U.K., Germany, Singapore and Australia, and a roster of renowned authors and composers, the company is a global operation that has enjoyed 80-plus years of uninterrupted growth.

Warner Bros. Publications prints and distributes a broad selection of sheet music, books and educational materials, folios, orchestrations and arrangements as well as tutorials and methods.

Under the agreement, Alfred Publishing will acquire the entire Warner Bros. Publications business which is based in Miami, Florida and in the U.K. In addition, Alfred will enter into a long-term exclusive license agreement with Warner Music Group's Warner/Chappell music publishing division under which Alfred will have the right to continue to print and distribute editions of musical compositions administered by Warner/Chappell.

Warner/Chappell, one of the world�s leading music publishers, remains a division of Warner Music Group. In addition, Word Music, the print music business of WMG�s Word Entertainment, is not included in the sale.

�We�re very excited to combine Warner�s extensive pop and educational catalog with Alfred�s expertise in educational music publishing to further our mission of helping people experience the joy of making music,� says Steven Manus, Alfred�s Chief Executive Officer. �Together, we will offer exciting new products to consumers and we�ll enjoy a strong leadership position in the print music industry.�

"This is the perfect marriage of education and pop,� says Ron Manus, co-owner and VP of Alfred. �People are what make us strong, and this combination of talent will add up to much more than the sum of its parts. We are very excited to begin this journey together as one dynamic company."

"It is rare for a family business to make it through the 2nd generation,� says Morty Manus, President of Alfred. �Here we are into the 3rd generation and we are not merely surviving but growing rapidly. When Ron and Steve joined Alfred, they added a dimension to the company that made this acquisition possible. For my wife Iris and myself, they made a dream we dared not dream come true."

Said Edgar Bronfman, Jr, Chairman and CEO of Warner Music Group, �The sale of Warner Bros. Publications enables Warner Music Group to focus its resources on its core mission of signing and developing the world�s best recording artists and songwriters. In Alfred, we�ve found an ideal home for Warner Bros. Publications and its employees and we look forward to a long and productive relationship with Alfred as it provides Warner Music Group and Warner/Chappell with the highest quality print music services in the industry.�

Completion of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions. The transaction has already been cleared under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act.

About Alfred Publishing

Alfred Publishing Co., Inc., the world leader in music education products since 1922, is dedicated to helping people experience the joy of making music. With hundreds of expert authors and composers backed by a talented staff in six offices worldwide, Alfred publishes educational, reference and performance pieces for teachers, students and performers spanning every musical instrument and style.

In addition to its own titles, Alfred distributes works from the National Guitar Workshop, Studio 4 Productions, the Dover Music catalog, Faber Music, and Myklas Music Press. Alfred is the world�s largest educational music publisher, with over 15,000 active print, video (DVD, VHS/PAL), software, general MIDI, audio CD and enhanced CD titles in circulation throughout the world.

About Warner Music Group

Warner Music Group, with its broad roster of new stars and legendary artists, is the world's largest privately held independent music company. The company is home to a collection of the best-known record labels in the music industry including Atlantic, Elektra, Lava, Maverick, Nonesuch, Reprise, Rhino, Sire, Warner Bros. and Word. Warner Music International, a leading company in national and international repertoire operates through 37 affiliates and numerous licensees in more than 50 countries. Warner Music Group also includes Warner/Chappell Music, one of the world's leading music publishers, with a catalog of more than one million copyrights worldwide. For more information about Warner Music Group, visit our corporate website at http://www.wmg.com}

2004-08-29T17:34:00.000-05:00

Horrorfind Weekend IV - Went to Baltimore couple weeks ago for the Horrorfind Con. Great city. Beautiful, actually. I can see why it's nicknamed "Charm City." Made me feel like I was on the set for an episode of Homicide: Life in the Streets or The Wire. Saw a bunch of people who have, in a few short years, become good friends. I especially enjoyed the evening of the DILFO room (you know who you are). And it was great to see Dave Barnett, GAK, Matt Schwartz, Doug Clegg, John Everson, Deena & Matt, Val & Diane, Bill Carl and a bunch of others I know I'm forgetting. Oh, Edward Lee--what a guy. We had a great chat about homeless people, bums, homeless shelters and their rigid policies (the hoops you have to go through to get a bed for the night). Lee confessed that he's fascinated because he's concerned he'll BECOME one of them. Heh. There were some great readings there, too. Doug Clegg, Ed Lee, Jack Ketchum, Michael Slade, F. Paul Wilson, Tom Monteleone, Joe R. Lansdale. I didn't really go up to the celebrity room, though it would have been cool to get George Romero's autograph. Oh well. I chose to stick to the little con within the con--the writers/authors circle.

2004-07-03T13:56:00.000-05:00

IT'S A WRAP: Saturday, May 29th, I filmed my last two scenes for Tyler Tharpe's new feature film; indeed, that was the night that principle shooting wrapped. I had a blast! My first scene of the night was a solo shot--just me putting a piece of equipment into place and then trying the garage door. It wouldn't open. So I walked away. My second scene required me to be good 'n' bloody. Hell yeah. The blood smelled like mint. Tyler also applied some scab blood to make it look like I had a gash on the side of my head. For this scene, I was crawling on my hands and knees, disoriented, when a car came racing up to me. (This car had the camera in it, by the way.) When the director yelled, "Action!" I crawled. When he yelled, "Fall!" I fell. And then I slowly got up and held a hand up to the headlights. They said it looked great with those lights right on me. My eyes looked freaked and the blood was good and yucky-lookin'.

Then I stayed after for a while and helped create an effect. Amy, Tyler's wife and star of the movie, was in her car. And I was behind the car and waved a piece of cardboard in front of a light -- to create the appearance of motion, passing trees, etc. It was such a blast. In fact, I've been feeling the old after-play let down since the film shoot wrapped. All told, I believe I was in over a dozen shots. So I oughta make it into the movie.

2004-05-10T00:09:00.000-05:00

Just got back from filming some more scenes. I was on the set on both Saturday and Sunday. Met three guys from Pittsburgh: Tom Colbert and Eric James. And Michael Schneider, award-winning director of Maggot Films whose film, A Tribute to Sanity won for best cinematography and best horror at the New York International Independent Film Festival. It was truly an awesome experience seeing these guys work their special effects magic. My favorite shot was Michael's screwdriver scene. He ran an IV-tube up through his nasal cavity and out his mouth, connected it to a pressurized jug of fake blood for the shot where the screwdriver was supposed to be jamed inside his head. The blood projectile-sprayed from his nostril. It was sick. I loved it.

2004-05-06T09:27:00.000-05:00

I�m in the new Tyler Tharpe horror flick!

I never thought I'd appear in front of the camera in my lifetime, let alone be in a movie. But I'm in the new Tyler Tharpe horror flick that's due out in 2005. (It's currently untitled.)

I'm friends with one of the lead actresses and she called me up and asked if I wanted to be an extra. They're filming just five miles from where I live (Auburn, IN) in town called Waterloo. The farm they're using for a lot of scenes is the farm where my dad grew up when he was a young boy. How's that for fate?

I was in three scenes as an extra, a factory worker. And I was in a close-up scene with my friend, Linda McCormick.

I just got an email from the director. He wants me this Saturday for the finale. I'm going to be one of the "affected" factory workers who gets "injured." I have to get there early to get into some special effects makeup.

Tyler Tharpe had a movie out last year, FREAK, which got some decent praise in Fangoria. I'm really psyched to be working with him! And the Director of Photography was the cinematographer for IN THE COMPANY OF MEN, a movie that shot locally years ago which launched Neil LaBute's career.

All of my roommates in college were theatre majors. I used to rehearse lines with them all the time--and learn accents, various techniques, play the piano for their auditions, etc. Never thought I'd actually USE this acting stuff!

2003-08-23T14:32:00.000-05:00

Asylum Vol. 3: The Quiet Ward premiered at Horrorfind Weekend III in Baltimore last weekend. It was surreal to see my story in print. I bought a couple copies for my family.

I attended the con and had a wonderful time. I saw a lot of familiar faces. These are starting to feel like a big family reunion. It was great to see Matt Schwartz, Doug Clegg, Lee Cushing, Dave Barnett, gak, the Laymons, Linda Addison & Gerard Houarner, Keene-Coop-Oliveri-Huyck, Trey Barker, Alan Beatts, Gary Braunbeck, Joe Konrath, Jen Orosel, John Urbancik, Michael Arnzen, Garrett Peck, Feo, Victor Heck and Sean Wallace.

Asylum Vol. 3 is available at Shocklines.com

2003-07-28T14:32:00.000-05:00

I sold my first short story! "Treat and Street" will be published in the Asylum Volume 3: The Quiet Ward, edited by Victor Heck. This is a trade paperback, which is FLYING into print. I received my acceptance letter on July 17th. Contracts have been sent out, art work was to be finalized this past weekend. The book comes out in time for Horrorfind Weekend, August 15th. I'm really psyched.

2003-05-26T15:05:00.000-05:00

Memorial Day: I'm having a relaxing weekend--for once. Last weekend was hectic; lots of social obligations. Yesterday, I finished proofreading/editing a collection of short stories by David G. Barnett. I need to e-mail the correx. to him sometime today. I'm reading a killer novella, "Confessions of the Archivist" by Patrick Lestewka. Kid's only 26 years-old and can write like Edward Lee. I'm also going to read The Haunting of Hill House by S. Jackson in the next day or so, too. Then, I'm going to read Asylum vol.'s 1 & 2 since I'm planning on submitting a story to the upcoming Asylum vol. 3.