Welcome, lurkers. As you may know, I'm a writer of speculative fiction and poetry. While I publish short stories under the name A.D. Spencer, feel free to call me Ariyana. Here you'll be able to read about my upcoming projects, learn about new releases from my favorite small publishers, and maybe even read a few free stories of mine.

Enjoy yourself, and feel free to leave a comment if something sparks your interest.


Thursday, July 12, 2012

Free Story & Other Updates of the Published Work Variety


Life


I took part in Camp NaNoWriMo this June, and I'm happy to say I made it to the 50 thousand word mark by the end of the month. While that was nice, I still didn't quite finish the projects I actually *wanted* to work on throughout that month of writing mayhem. There's always August's Camp NaNo session, I suppose.

I'm still working on my collective stories/novels about an ornery woman with a funny name and her adventures hunting fairies. (How can you resist that summary?) I recently finished a short story set in that world, concerning the woman's boss, a leprechaun, and St. Patrick's Day. I'm currently searching for a home for that little shamrock...

I haven't finished my superhero novella either (though I think I've fallen back in love with the universe in which it's set). It's kind of gritty and was originally intended to fall into the subcatagory of "Romance," but I won't be sure if I've fully hit that mark until it's finished.

Don't even ask about my kid's book. Dear Lord in Heaven, don't ask...

Free Read!

 

"On the Unlawful Events Taking Place at Outcast's Last"

Normally, I update to tell you all about my recent publications. This blog post is no different, but this time, I get to share a story that's absolutely 100% free to listen to or read.

I was utterly delighted to be published by Wily Writers. It's such a fantastic site for fans of fantasy and science fiction! Their stories are often themed, with the guest editor making two selections. I'm happy to say my story fit the theme "Space Western."

"On the Unlawful Events Taking Place at Outcast's Last" actually began with an idea, an unfinished story, from my high school years. I believe I was in ninth grade when I wrote the first chapter to a story called "Vertilla." Sadly, it was never finished, and the original copy was lost, but the idea of that world and its characters stayed with me throughout the years. When I saw Wily's theme, "Vertilla" jumped back into my head with a fresh new voice from one of the secondary characters. It was really a pleasure to write, especially since it brought back so many memories.

Here's what the editor and site producer, Angel Leigh McCoy, had to say about the story:
..."On the Unlawful Events Taking Place at Outcast's Last" has such a charming voice. The main character, Mim, comes to life, and brings you into her story. There's so much depth to this story that I found myself thinking about it long after I'd finished reading it. The story continued to expand and advance in my mind. That's good storytelling.
Suffice to say, I was left blushing-happy. If you decide to check the story out here, I highly recommend listening to the fantastic reading by Folly Blaine. I still have no idea how I become tongue-tied reading my own title, but she manages it so expertly.

Shop Til Ya Drop

 

Well, that's all for now, but perhaps you might like to see what else has been published since my last update. Perhaps you'll even find an anthology that strikes your fancy. Check out these titles:

Corrupts Absolutely?

This collection of dark meta human fiction includes my story "Oily." (I mentioned this one in my blog post from Feb.)

Official Description:
The only family member to survive the 9/11 attacks. A sidekick-turned-construction-worker. The teenaged products of an institute for unwanted metahuman children. The man who can make anyone do anything. Are they heroes? Are they villains? Sometimes they're both. Often, even at the same time. Corrupts Absolutely? collects twenty brand-new stories from veteran authors and newcomers, each with a unique perspective on what it might really be like to be superhuman in today's day and age. In the center of such a roiling mass of uncertainty and excitement lies one important truth: the fight against good or evil is never as important as the fight for or against oneself. Contributors: Weston Ochse, Jeff Strand, Joe McKinney, Cat Rambo, A.D. Spencer, A.S. Fox, Andrew Bourelle, Anthony Laffan, Edward M. Erdelac, Jason Gehlert, Jason M. Tucker, Jeremy Hepler, Karina Fabian, Kris Ashton, Lee Mather, Lincoln Crisler, Malon Edwards, Tim Marquitz, Trisha J. Wooldridge, Wayne Helge, Wayne Ligon, and William Todd Rose.


 

Conquest Through Determination: Steampunk in All of Its Splendor

Steampunk! I love it, as you might have noticed. This anthology by Pill Hill Press includes my rather lengthy short story "A Mind Most Desirable," a Victorian England murder mystery with a dash of mad science.

Official Description:
Airships cleave through dawn mists on errands of war and discovery. Polished boots and gold tipped canes echo, nervous fingers adjust finely tuned goggles, and all around you machines and machinations are set into motion in the grand opera that is Steampunk... See more. Be the first. Triumph. Inside all of us burns the desire to love and none of us is immune to the thrill of exploration, the whisper of greed or the keen anticipation that hums whenever we get close to any of them. That hum is echoed in these stories. Time travel and top hats, bodies made of metal and hearts and minds that are even stronger. Peer through clouds of steam at adventures set in the Old West, the dusty Outback, and along the coastlines of loch and sea. Thrill as some stories end in victory and cringe as some go down in flames... But rest assured that every story is told with the flourish and style that can only be Steampunk.

Here There Be Dragons

My contribution to this dragon themed anthology was "A Trade of Ice."  I fell in love with my dragon in this story and have written a flash fiction tale about her set far before "A Trade of Ice" begins. This was a very fun dip back into classic fantasy for me.

Official Description:
Dragons: Beautiful and magnificent beasts. Also cunning, greedy tricksters that won't hesitate to eat you. This collection of dragon stories takes you to the depths of the ocean, the peaks of the highest mountains, and through the dreamlands where they are commonly found. For Here There Be Dragons. Tuck in, grab a blanket, start a fire (with or without a dragon's help) and enjoy the 21 tales brought forth by the talents of Doug C. Souza, Pete Clark, Sevan Taylor, David Hayes, Aaron Renfroe, LaVa Payne, Steven Lloyd, Mel Obedoza, Bennie L. Newsome, Douglas Poirier, Van Muller, Tom Howard, Jull Valuet, A.M. Burns, Livia Finucci, K.G. McAbee, Sarah Adams, A.D. Spencer, M.E. Garber, Brianna Stoddard, and Richard Jay Goldstein.

Wicked Bag of Suspense Tales

Suspense comes naturally in story-telling, but writing a story that is categorized as "suspense" is an altogether different challenge. I wrote the novella "Seeking Sagittarius" with my mother in mind, because she is constantly requesting I try my hand at the suspense and mystery genres. "Seeking Sagittarius" is a tale of paranoia which asks, "Why do people always assume they're at the center of their own mystery?"

Official Description:
Nine minds pull you from the normal and thrust you into places where not everything is as it seems... Sometimes the helpless aren't helpless at all. And a judgmental mind can shadow the truth that is otherwise obvious. When a jealous lover jumps the gun, lives enter a downward spiral in which no one escapes unscathed. Sometimes, everything you once believed can turn out to be a façade, a play on reality that only reveals itself when the end in near. Expect the unexpected in Wicked Bag of Suspense Tales...

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Meta Madness in March

March is going be a great month for me. I'm really excited about a few of the projects making their debut over the next few weeks. The first of which is the release of the anthology CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY? It's due out on March 1st, and I'm buzzing with anticipation. Let me tell you a bit about the book before I get ahead of myself.



CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY? is edited by Lincoln Crisler and published by Damnation Books. Here's the official site description:

"Lord Acton originally wrote, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Modern pop-culture is brimming over with stories of bright, polished men and women with iron wills and indestructible moral codes, who throw themselves into a life of public service after being graced (or cursed) with cosmic powers, a magic ring, puberty-activated mutant genes or robot suits.

How about the people who look out for ‘Number One?’ With flaws? With serious psychological issues? Who’ve ve been looking for a ticket out of their circumstances and finally lucked into it? Who’ve devoted themselves to their success and have reached it, at long last? The nerdy kid who doesn’t have to be pushed around and isn’t willing to hide anymore? The jealous girl that’s tired of being the ‘other woman?’ The disenfranchised homeless man? The bored housewife who wishes she’d made some different choices?

What would really happen if today’s people had superpowers? Available March 2012 in paperback and digital formats from Damnation Books. Cover art by Jessica Lucero."

If that didn't get your attention, this should. It's the official Table of Contents.

Tim Marquitz
Retribution
Weston Ochse
Hollywood Villainy
William Todd Rose
Mental Man
Jeremy Hepler
The Real Church
A.S. Fox
Ozymandias Revisited
Jason M. Tucker
Enlightened by Sin
Jeff Strand
The Origin of Slashy
Edward M. Erdelac
Conviction
Kris Ashton
Threshold
A.D. Spencer
Oily
Joe McKinney
Hero
Wayne Ligon
Pride
Malon Edwards
G-Child
Jason Gehlert
Static
Karina Fabian
Illusion
Anthony Laffan
Sabre
Lee Mather
Crooked
Trisha J. Woodridge
Fixed
Cat Rambo
Acquainted With the Night
Wayne Helge
Gone Rogue
Andrew Bourelle
Max and Rose

Definitely some recognizable names on that list, right?


I'm always excited about new anthology releases, especially featuring my shorts, but I'm even more thrilled about this particular book because I finally wrote a story for my metahuman Cat's Eye.

While my contribution, "Oily," is a very short story, I have several novella length tales starring Cat's Eye, just waiting to be written. The character came to me in a sudden rush...an angry one-eyed girl, a tragic family history, a father who creates marvelous marbles, and an informant with a hook for a hand. I was inspired by a student I once met who had a glass eye, by a documentary on the machines and craftsmen who make marbles, by a childhood littered with characters displaying telekinetic abilities. Cat's Eye's origin tale is as clear as the pages of a graphic novel page behind my eyelids. I know where her journey began and where it'll end, with that final marble, the Devil's Eye.

"Oily" is just a tiny trip into her world, but I hope to revisit it often. Having her first story published in what I know to be an awesome dark collection is hopefully just the beginning.




Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Sale at Evolved Publishing


A couple posts back, you might have noticed my announcement for the e-release of Evolution Vol: 1, an anthology featuring 10 very different and entertaining tales, including my science fiction short, "Sirius Issues." Well, Feb 21 & 22, the publisher is holding a great mark-down, which includes that anthology, as well as several of their other books. They even have a few free short stories, so I'm sure you'll find something to read, no matter your budget. And remember, just because it's an ebook, doesn't mean you need a Kindle to read it. The reader software is free at Amazon. Hope you enjoy!

Here's the official promotion and a link to the site:

For two days only, all the e-books at Evolved Publishing (normally priced between $3.99 and $7.99) are on sale at the reduced price of $2.99, and all the short stories are FREE!

Whether you enjoy award-winning YA Paranormal with romance, Psychological Thrillers, uplifting Memoirs, deeply touching Historical Fiction, illustrated Children's Fantasy Books or Short Story collections, we've got something for everyone!

http://bit.ly/EPFebPromo

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Steam Works


The long awaited (at least for some of us) collection of Steampunk short stories Steam Works is live at Amazon, and I've to say, it's a fun collection of stories. Steampunk officially won a place in my heart about two years ago. Sure, I'd loved it before,without realizing it. I think I'm one of eight people still begging for dvds of the short lived The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne tv series (that's love, folks). Anyhow, back on point:

Steam Works is a short anthology of Steampunk published by Hydra Publications, but what it lacks in size is made up for in awesome. And I'm not just saying that because it contains one of my stories, "A Gun for Jebediah." No, I'm saying that because it also contains a story by my bff, and all around fan-friggin-tabulous writer, Patricia Puckett. I've read the unedited proof of the collection, and each story was enjoyable. I hope others enjoy the anthology just as much.