I wanted to share an excerpt from a short story I sold a few months ago. This is taken from near the beginning: He could not look away, could not move, could not speak . His chest was tight and his lungs constricted, and a distant part of his mind… Preview: Panic Attack
Sometimes you walk away from a story in progress for a little while — in this case, because I’ve been working a lot and traveling — and you forget what you were doing. And then you come back, and you read over what you had, and you’re like,… Found Story Bits
Why write from history? Because seriously, even my caffeinated imagination couldn’t make some of this stuff up. From my (very rough) NaNoWriMo work in progress: “Now, don’t judge him too harshly,” Saman said. “After all, the man is capable of deep love. When he left for the dangerous… History: When Fiction isn’t Whack Enough
I’ll be honest, there’s a trick to this treat: this is only an excerpt. Not the complete story. (Sorry!) I’ve turned in three stories in the last two days, and there just wasn’t time to get this one done, too.
But I wanted to share at least a bit of it, because it’s seasonal, and it’ll be a fun peek behind the curtain of the writing process to see how it develops. Some stories keep a similar feel from the beginning, while others are hardly recognizable by the end. This one will change significantly before it’s done! but that’s why it’s called a draft. Also, please enjoy a glimpse of the quite-real Irvington Halloween Festival and maybe mark your calendars for next year!
I’d love to hear your comments on this work in progress, so please don’t be shy. Also please note that it will be available for a very limited time, because it is just a draft — and trick or treating doesn’t last forever!A Halloween Treat
It’s hard to pick a favorite time of year — I like pretty much everything except March — but October would be near the top of any list. The colors, the slanting light, the crisp temperatures along with favorite traditions such as bonfires, pumpkins, and spooky stories.
I write this from a train car rolling through autumn colors. Trains are a great way to experience scenery, and I’ll have a travelogue post soon to share with you. But I have something else to share as well.
It’s October!
Hi! Can I get your opinion, please?
I’m making some new author business cards, and rather than doing the same old business card thing, I decided to have some fun with it. So I made myself a card as if from a trading card game. And I’d really love some feedback before I order up a thousand or so of them.
So here’s a sneak peek of my new author cards. Whaddya think?Author Trading Cards! I Need Your Thoughts
You’ve probably heard of the survival of the fittest? It’s where things first broke down. An immortal doesn’t have to be fit for anything; he’s going to survive anyway. Immortality was evolution’s biggest screw-up, and any ecosphere worth its salt is going to do its best to make sure an immortal never breeds.
But they try.
This is the opening of “And Only the Eyes of Children,” my urban fantasy short appearing in Fae. Fae is an anthology edited by Rhonda Parrish, full of fairy tales quite unlike traditional nursery stories.
It’s a pretty cool book, I’m really looking forward to it, and today I get to share the cover with you! Also, a contest, because we want to.
Ready?
Cover Reveal: FAE
I am ridiculously excited to get to share this with you.
I asked Kristie Good of Crash Bang Labs to do the Con Job cover art, in great part because she is also a longtime geek and would understand the flavor such a cover needed. Kristie does comics as well as artwork, so check them out on her site.
She obliged with very fun, manga-inspired front and back cover art. The front features our protagonist Jacob and his friend Sam, and the back shows their friends Jessica and Zach in their costumes. I have the front here for you today.
Are you ready? Can I get a drum roll, please?CON JOB — Cover Reveal!
A quick blur of moment drew his eye — a mouse, skimming over the ground? No, a tiny youkai, galloping through the tangled grass, waving stubby arms and piping something in a shrill, unintelligible voice.
Kaworu bent toward him. “What?”
Metal split the air above his bent shoulder and struck the tree beyond. Kaworu did not waste time looking after it but made his lean a roll, dodging to one side and coming up in a crouch.
Tiny Youkai
Want a sneak peek? Here’s a glimpse from chapter 3 of Kitsune-Mochi (sequel to Kitsune-Tsuki)….Excerpt from KITSUNE-MOCHI
