I have a little ghost story in the second issue of Scarlet Leaf Review, out now:
To Haunt His Own Exhausted Heart - Horror - 604 words
At first he thought that animals — especially birds — reacted to ghosts, but now he thinks it's just random skittishness. But then again, who knows? There don't seem to be any rules as to how any of this works, which remains one of his great disappointments.
Read the full story at Scarlet Leaf Review
Friday, February 19, 2016
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
New story at Podcastle - Send in the Ninjas
Very thrilled to be part of the wonderful Podcastle's Artemis Rising event!
My fantasy story Send in the Ninjas is available to listen to/download now, read wonderfully by Christiana Ellis (although I don't think it will ever entirely stop being weird to hear my stories in an American accent)
Most of my characters aren't much like me (which is probably good, considering how many of them are deranged homicidal murderers) but to chronically indecisive Isabel, I can certainly relate.
Send in the Ninjas - Fantasy - 3,282 words
The streets are more full of snow than people tonight, lending everything an enjoyably deserted, apocalyptic air. Isabel smiles as she walks home, humming happily to herself. Getting stood up never fails to put her in a good mood. She always goes on the dates her mother sets up, but she much prefers it when the other person doesn’t show. That way, Isabel still gets credit for trying, while also getting to skip straight to the part where she doesn’t have to go on a second date.
Hear the rest of the story at Podcastle.
My fantasy story Send in the Ninjas is available to listen to/download now, read wonderfully by Christiana Ellis (although I don't think it will ever entirely stop being weird to hear my stories in an American accent)
Most of my characters aren't much like me (which is probably good, considering how many of them are deranged homicidal murderers) but to chronically indecisive Isabel, I can certainly relate.
Send in the Ninjas - Fantasy - 3,282 words
The streets are more full of snow than people tonight, lending everything an enjoyably deserted, apocalyptic air. Isabel smiles as she walks home, humming happily to herself. Getting stood up never fails to put her in a good mood. She always goes on the dates her mother sets up, but she much prefers it when the other person doesn’t show. That way, Isabel still gets credit for trying, while also getting to skip straight to the part where she doesn’t have to go on a second date.
Hear the rest of the story at Podcastle.
Thursday, February 11, 2016
Love Hurts - Goodreads Giveaway
Meerkat Press are running a giveaway at Goodreads (UK, USA, Canada) for the anthology Love Hurts, which includes my story 'Possibly Nefarious Purposes,' along with tales from Hugh Howey, Charlie Jane Anders, Jeff VanderMeer, Karin Tidbeck and many more!
When she got back from Las Vegas, Dayna found a padded envelope on her doormat containing a set of keys, a glossy brochure for a health spa called Rejuvenation, and a sheaf of paperwork that said she owned it. She didn’t know anything about health and beauty, but she did know that when the aliens dropped that kind of hint, they expected her to take it.
Possibly Nefarious Purposes - 4,308 words - SF
When she got back from Las Vegas, Dayna found a padded envelope on her doormat containing a set of keys, a glossy brochure for a health spa called Rejuvenation, and a sheaf of paperwork that said she owned it. She didn’t know anything about health and beauty, but she did know that when the aliens dropped that kind of hint, they expected her to take it.
Friday, February 5, 2016
New Story at Unsung Stories - Always Room for More
My 1,723 word ghost story 'Always Room for More' is published (and free to read) at the wonderful Unsung Stories today!
This story grew out of a line that was cut from an old flash piece about a man visiting a medium (There You Are, My Love, published at Every Day Fiction). In the deleted line, his skeptic sister said 'Why the hell would people bother to drag their arses all the way back from the afterlife just to come out with nothing but trite and meaningless platitudes?' I always thought that was a very good question.
Always Room for More - Horror - 1,723 words
'If he looked too smooth, people wouldn't trust him. They'd think he was a fake, just in it for the money. A real medium is supposed to look a bit scrappy. A bit distracted. Don't you think? I mean, this isn't supposed to be fun, is it?'
Read more at Unsung Stories.
This story grew out of a line that was cut from an old flash piece about a man visiting a medium (There You Are, My Love, published at Every Day Fiction). In the deleted line, his skeptic sister said 'Why the hell would people bother to drag their arses all the way back from the afterlife just to come out with nothing but trite and meaningless platitudes?' I always thought that was a very good question.
Always Room for More - Horror - 1,723 words
'If he looked too smooth, people wouldn't trust him. They'd think he was a fake, just in it for the money. A real medium is supposed to look a bit scrappy. A bit distracted. Don't you think? I mean, this isn't supposed to be fun, is it?'
Read more at Unsung Stories.
Monday, February 1, 2016
Reprint available at EGM Shorts - An Object Lesson in Misanthropy
My fantasy flash 'An Object Lesson in Misanthropy' has been reprinted at the wonderful EGM Shorts, and is available to read for free.
There’s a common complaint about parapsychology experiments, that psychic powers can never be demonstrated under strict laboratory conditions. And it started me thinking; if you could do that—perform for a scientist on demand—why on Earth would you want to? You can see what the researchers would get out of it, but what about the subject? There’s also the theory that by the time you learn to control great power, you evolve beyond the desire to actually use it. Putting those two ideas together gave me Nina, who could be a superhero (or villain) but who really wants nothing more from the world than to be left alone so she can sit in her bedroom playing online poker. I can definitely sympathise...
An Object Lesson in Misanthropy - fantasy - 986 words
I’d always believed my mother was destined to become a certified Crazy Cat Lady, so the idea of her having a friend of any kind, let alone a boyfriend, took some getting used to.
Read more at EGM Shorts
There’s a common complaint about parapsychology experiments, that psychic powers can never be demonstrated under strict laboratory conditions. And it started me thinking; if you could do that—perform for a scientist on demand—why on Earth would you want to? You can see what the researchers would get out of it, but what about the subject? There’s also the theory that by the time you learn to control great power, you evolve beyond the desire to actually use it. Putting those two ideas together gave me Nina, who could be a superhero (or villain) but who really wants nothing more from the world than to be left alone so she can sit in her bedroom playing online poker. I can definitely sympathise...
An Object Lesson in Misanthropy - fantasy - 986 words
I’d always believed my mother was destined to become a certified Crazy Cat Lady, so the idea of her having a friend of any kind, let alone a boyfriend, took some getting used to.
Read more at EGM Shorts
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