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...