M.M. Schreier's Blog, page 6

Publication Alert: Intrepidus Ink

Very excited for this new story to make its debut today at Intrepidus Ink.

“Knock, Knock” is a bit of SciFi/Dystopian Flash. It’s a quick read, but big on the feels.

Intrepidus Ink is a new venue for flash fiction that specializes in out-of-the-box tales, bold characters, and fearless, unapologetic narratives. I’m really honored that this story was the first one they accepted for their magazine and is the anchor story in their 6-week launch showcase. Don’t forget to go back and read the other 5 featured stories as well.

Take a peek–you won’t be disappointed!

Publication Alert: 72 Hours of Insanity v11

If you haven’t been following along, I often participate in The Writer’s Workout’s prompted fiction contest The Writer’s Games. It’s a marathon–five consecutive weekends where contestants have 72 hours to write a piece of fiction ranging from 1000 to 6000 words, inspired by a set of prompts.

It’s a lot of fun and a hell of a slog. I’ve won it twice and placed top ten another half a dozen times. I’ve generated almost fifty stories that wouldn’t have existed otherwise. It’s kind of wild.

After each competition, the top five stories for each weekend are compiled into one of their iconic, green-bound anthologies.

72 Hours of Insanity: Anthology of The Games v11 is now available for your reading pleasure. It’s a wildly eclectic anthology, as there are no genre constraints in The Games. Contemporary, drama, sci-fi, fantasy, noir, romance, you name it–there’s something for everyone in this book.

I have two pieces in this book:
“To Call an Ancient Echo”
“Sanctuary”

While they are both fantasies, they are very different, one being a sort of sword and sorcery type and the other a folklore piece, based on a creature out of Hindu mythology. I hope you enjoy reading them!

Publication Alert: The Fourth Corona Book of Horror Stories

Are you ready for the spooky season? Now is the time to dive into a great new anthology of short horror stories: The Fourth Corona Book of Horror Stories: The Best in New Horror Short Stories

These folks always put together a great book, so I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

Everyone loves scary clown stories, right? Creepy circuses? Dark deeds that haunt you in the night? Well then, flip through and find my story – “Darla and the Clown.” I promise it is not what you expect.

Happy reading!

Publication Alert: Dream of Shadows

I’m pleased to announce that my story “A Rainbow of Sins” is now available in issue 4, at Dream of Shadows. You can get both the kindle version and the paperback here.

I’m pleased to publish again with this great market — they always have such interesting stories.

“A Rainbow of Sins” is a twist on the classic Welsh Sin Eater mythology. It’s a saucy tale of desperation, and hope, and family. I hope you enjoy it!

Publication Alert: TL;DR Press

I’m excited to announce this new anthology: Mosaic, from TL;DR Press.

For the past three years, the good folks at TL;DR Press do a very fun flash fiction contest called the 1K WordHerd, and have published a charity anthology featuring the top 25 stories from the competition.

I’m pretty pleased to say, that for the third year in a row, I’ve made that list. (My understanding is that there aren’t too many authors who have made the top 25 all three years.)

My story–“To Teach Myself to Fly”–is a bit of a heartwrenching tale about a young woman who has endured the worst things life could throw at her, and how a ghost dog tries to save her. Or maybe that doggo is all in her head, and she saves herself. You decide.

For very short money, you can get the e-book, and all proceeds go to the Doorstop Library–a community-based, UK charity that helps bring books to at-risk youth.

Publication Alert: Wyldblood

I’m really excited to share this story with you all today – A Mathematical Betrayal at Wyldblood Press.

I really love this story of love and loss and self-awareness. And it features a robot dog. I mean, how can anyone resist a robot dog?

It’s a pleasure to publish again with the great folks over at Wyldblood.

Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Publication Alert: All Worlds Wayfarer

I’m really pleased to announce this new anthology from All Worlds Wayfarer: Prismatic Dreams

Released just in time to kick off Pride Month, this book contains 30 speculative fiction stories featuring LGBTQIA+ protagonists. I truly believe, now more than ever, that representation in literature matters.

I’ve published a few times with All Worlds Wayfarer, both in their online magazine, as well as in another anthology, and I say without reservation that they always put out great stuff. My story in Prismatic Dreams, titled “Resistance,” is a bit of ancient mythology meets modern dystopia, with a rich and vibrant literary feel to it.

The digital version is availible now, and print versions are forthcoming. Enjoy!

Contest Results: Writers’ Playground

I’m excited to announce that I won third place with my story “Waiting in the Everafter” in Writers’ Playground’s Short Fiction competition.

This is a fun contest where each participant has 10 days to write a short story (up to 3,000 words) using their list of prompts. They give us a list of 5 characters and 5 settings to choose from, as well as one item that must appear somewhere in the story.

I chose a musician for my character and the afterlife as my setting. The item that had to be included was a stained baby blanket.

If you are interested in reading my prize-winning story, check it out here!

Publication Alert: MetaStellar

I’m super excited to announce I have a new story published today: “A Taste of Online Dating”
MetaStellar is such a great speculative venue, and I am so pleased to be able to have a story with them.

Teaser:

Online dating can be predatory, but who exactly is doing the hunting?

I had a lot of fun writing this story – it’s a little dark, and probably counts as scifi, but there’s no tech. It’s perhaps a creepy commentary on being a woman in today’s society. I’ll leave it at that. It’s a quick bit of flash. Hope you enjoy!

Publication Alert: Musings of the Muses

Check out this amazing new anthology “Musings of the Muses” by Brigids Gate Press. If you love mythology like I do, this is the book for you.

So often myths and legends are about the male characters — now is the time for goddess and monsters and priestesses. This book is all about the women in mythology.

Flip to the very end, and my dueling pantheon story “As Long as There’s One” closes the book.

I hope you enjoy all these tales about strong woman!