Story Rec: Languaging at Every Day Fiction

Great story posted today at EDF - Languaging by Jessica George

My comment:

This is *fantastic*. Loved it to pieces. Creepy as hell, with a dystopian vibe that reminded me of The Handmaid’s Tale. Like #10, I thought there was a lot being suggested about the silencing of women’s voices. But for all that, the MC was an engaging and sympathetic character (and equally, so were Bekah and Henri, even though they oppose/don’t appear!)

The prose and descriptive details were lush and sensuous, contrasting and complementing the cold, harsh and restrictive world they painted.

Five star fabulous, and one of my favourite stories to date. 

Read: The Irrisistble Inheritance of Wilberforce

The Irresistible Inheritance Of Wilberforce by Paul Torday
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I found this almost unbearably sad. The reverse timeline was fascinating to me, as my assumptions about Wilberforce and his backstory were deconstructed. Wilberforce himself wasn't a traditionally sympathetic character but I found him equally fascinating. As his life and that of those around him implodes in slow motion, it's a compelling and tragic read. This is the 4th Paul Torday book I've read and cements him as one of my favourite authors.

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New Story at Postcard Shorts

I have a mini-flash up now at Postcard Shorts: Grandpa (200 words)

Write 1 Sub 1 week #7

Written: 6 flash,1 short, 2,989 words

Submissions: 10 (4 new, 6 resubs)

• 1 drabble to MicroHorror
• 7 flashes to Word Riot, Flash Fiction Chronicles (contest), Subtle Fiction, Switchback (contest), Shotgun Honey, A-Minor, Postcard Shorts
• 2 Shorts to Roar & Thunder and Infective Ink

Acceptances: None

Rejections: 5

• 5 flashes from Fractured West, Fwriction Review, Word Riot, Microliterature & A-Minor

Publications: 1

• Reparations at Linguistic Erosion

New story at MicroHorror

I have a little slice of creepiness up at MicroHorror now:  Precious Things (100 words)

Heartsick by Chelsea Cain
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A compelling and chilling killer (I love the Master Manipulator type), an interestingly self-aware screwed up detective and a plot that's satisfyingly complex without collapsing under its own weight. A very promsing set up for this series, and I will definitely be looking out for the rest.

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Publication - Linguistic Erosion

I have a 543 word flash piece, 'Reparations' now up at Linguistic Erosion.

This came from the Word of the Day for February 8th, 'piacular' (expiatory; atoning) and sparked the idea of a rather empathy-challenged character trying to make amends to her sister -- in her own special kind of way.

WOTD: an awesome way to get prompts and expand your vocabulary at the same time!

Write 1 Sub 1 week #6

Written new: 6 flash, 2 shorts  total: 5,188 words


Submissions: 8 (7 new, 1 resub)

• 5 Flash to Linguistic Erosion, Crack the Spine, Camroc Press Review, Hogglepot & Fractured West; 
• 2 Drabbles to Flashshot;
• 1 Short to Daily Science Fiction

Acceptances: 1

• Flash from Linguistic Erosion

Rejections: 2

• Flash by Camroc Press Review and Revolution House

Publications: 1

• The Fine Art of Fortune Telling in Escape Collective Publishing's anthology Orbital Hearts

Pending Responses: 16

Publication News - Orbital Hearts Anthology

I have a horror story, 'The Fine Art of Fortune Telling,' in the latest anthology from Escape Collective Publishing, titled 'Orbital Hearts: love's bitter ruins' -- available now at Amazon, Amazon UK and Barnes & Noble

It's an 'Anti-Valentine's Day' collection of SF/F/H stories about dysfunctional or doomed love -- as editor Thaddeus Rice puts it, 'Imagine two (or more) hearts forever linked but forced, like orbital bodies, to never touch; to circle in each other's gravity well, locked in tidal forces but forever pushed apart.'

One reviewer described my story as 'domestic-Lovecraftian,' which is absolutely the vibe that was in my head when I wrote it. 

No saccharine-sweet happy ever afters here :-)

There are review copies available in pdf, epub and mobi (kindle) format, so if anyone fancies the idea of ten awesome SFFH/slipstream stories to review on Amazon, Goodreads  etc, just drop me a comment!

Write 1 Sub 1 Week 5

Written new: 7 flash, 2,446 words

• A Kindness; Other People; Susan Knows; Rewind, Erase; Out Shopping in Hyperspace;  False Pretences; Patchwork

Submissions: 6 (3 new, 3 resubs)

• Flash to Absinthe Revival; Flash to EDF;  Short to The Colored Lens (resub);  Flash to The Monarch Review (resub);  Flash to Microliterature (resub); Short to The Cynic Online;

Acceptances: 0

Rejections: 4

• Flash by Red Lightbulbs, Short by On The Premies Contest, Short by The Colored Lense, Flash by Absinthe Review

Publications: 0

Pending Responses: 11


I love this challenge!

Writing Stats - January 2012

Total new pieces written: 27

• Poetry: 1
• Flashes under 500 words: 23
• Flashes over 500 words: 2
• Short stories: 1

Total submissions: 13

• New: 5
• Resubs: 8

Acceptances: 2
Rejections: 6

Publications: 3

Pending responses: 6

Woo!

Precious things

I was lucky enough that my vampires-in-Tesco story 'Nor Any Drop to Drink' was chosen as one of the winning entries for the MicroHorror 2011 contest, and the absolutely awesome prizes are now ready: a fantastic personalised trophy, DVDs of Ninjas Vs Zombies and Ninjas vs Vampires, plus the Ninjas vs Zombies comic too.

It just doesn't get any better than that, does it?  Bring on the Ninjas!