M.A. Carrick's Blog, page 3
July 24, 2023
Kickstarter Artist Preview: Avery Liell-Kok
In the lead-up to the launch our pattern deck Kickstarter, I want to give you all a glimpse of the art style to expect — starting with Avery Liell-Kok’s work!
I’m cheating a bit here because it lets me show off the painting Avery did as a gift for me. She asked for one of my favorite photos out of my own work, with no context; when I got to a certain point and then stalled out on trying to choose, she selected this one:
Her style lately is based on blind contours, drawing multiple times from a ...
July 21, 2023
New deleted scene is up!
Our author copies for Labyrinth’s Heart having arrived, we’re celebrating by sharing another deleted scene from The Liar’s Knot — aka the “Westbridge protection hit”!
The post New deleted scene is up! appeared first on M.A. Carrick.
July 20, 2023
Only brief rest for the wicked
The problem with vacation is how much you have to hustle beforehand to get matters squared away, and then when you come back there’s a new pile of things you have to dig out from under.
But hey, at least the pile of things in this case includes author copies of several things! On Spec #124 is out now (and will be available at NASfic, for those of you who are going), with my Greek mythological story “Your Body, My Prison, My Forge.” ZNB Presents: Year One has been out for a little bit, but now I ...
June 29, 2023
It’s coming: the pattern deck Kickstarter!
Get ready . . . because in August, we’ll be launching a Kickstarter to fund the pattern deck from the Rook & Rose series!
Yes, after years of talking about how much we’d love to have an actual, physical, illustrated deck — after an entire trilogy’s worth of fiction in which I laid all the patterns using blank cards written on with colored Sharpies — we’re girding our loins for a Kickstarter campaign. It’s gonna be a big undertaking, y’all; we are paying three wonderful artists to create the card...
June 26, 2023
New flash, and an upcoming novelette!
I was so busy this past weekend that I failed to post on the day of, but Flash Point SF honored me by choosing my story “The Merchant With No Coin” to run on the 24th, which was National Flash Fiction Day! It’s a little snippet of folklore from the Rook and Rose setting, very quick to read.
I’m also pleased to say I’ve sold another story in that world to Scott Andrews at Beneath Ceaseless Skies! This one is a novelette set some years before the novels, a fun little heist that also ties in with s...
More Rook and Rose short fiction!
In honor of National Flash Fiction Day on June 24th, Flash Point SF published Marie’s “The Merchant With No Coin,” a bit of Vraszenian folklore — complete with an illustration of the Face of Gold and the Mask of Hollows!
Also, we’re very pleased to announce that Beneath Ceaseless Skies will be publishing another novelette in the setting of the Rook and Rose trilogy: “The Naming of Knots,” a heist story set some years before the events of the novels. That will be coming out in August, shortly bef...
March 8, 2023
More Rook & Rose short fiction!
We didn’t expect to have more news today (after the flood of the last two days), but the universe had other ideas! I woke up this morning to an acceptance from Flash Point SF for my Rook & Rose folkloric flash story “The Merchant With No Coin.” Not sure yet when that will be published, other than “some time in 2023,” but I will keep y’all posted!
The post More Rook & Rose short fiction! appeared first on M.A. Carrick.
March 7, 2023
Discover the origin of the Rook . . .
Because it is just raining news around here, in addition to yesterday’s cover reveal for Labyrinth’s Heart and call for artists for the pattern deck (please spread the word!), we have EVEN MORE excitement for you today:
My Rook & Rose novelette “Pearl’s Price” is out at last, in the anthology When Swords Fall Silent! Because the anthology’s theme is “assassination,” “Pearl’s Price” tells the story of the origin of the Rook and the downfall of Kaius Rex. If you’ve read The Liar’s Knot you’ve alr...
March 6, 2023
Calling all artists!
Alyc Helms and I — the two halves of M.A. Carrick — are looking to recruit an artist for an upcoming Kickstarter to fund the creation of a pattern deck, the divinatory card deck featured in our Rook and Rose fantasy trilogy. Feel not only free but actively encouraged to share this post where artists might see it; we’re trying to cast as wide a net as we can!
The scope of the project is sixty-seven cards, plus an image for the card backs. You can find a description of how pattern works here on ou...
We! Have! a Cover!
Gentlebeings of all stripes, we are delighted to share with you at last the cover for Labyrinth’s Heart!
That’s another milestone cleared on our way to August, when all of you will have the complete trilogy in your hands!
And look — don’t they all look gorgeous together?
Stay tuned for some more exciting news today and tomorrow . . .
The post We! Have! a Cover! appeared first on M.A. Carrick.
