My first two 2011 short story publications
Yesterday, it was announced that Issue 50 of Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine is now available for purchase. With More Scary Kisses on pre-order (antho officially launches at Swancon in a month), that means you can now fork over money for two of my short stories!
Of course, you’re not forking over just for my short stories. Issue 50 is massive, and I was lucky enough to be able to proof a couple of the stories (including an Ian McHugh – the man is a writing colossus!) so I can tell you that you’ll be getting some great fiction for your money there. And More Scary Kisses has had a fabulous pre-publication review from Publishers Weekly, the industry bible.
More Scary Kisses
Edited by Liz Grzyb. Ticonderoga (www.ticonderogapublications.com), $15.99 trade paper (260p) ISBN 978-0-9807813-2-8
Talent shines in this beguiling collection of 17 paranormal romance stories from Down Under, many of which are more haunting and humorous than scary. Mr. Darcy of Pride and Prejudice takes a turn as a barbaric demon slayer in Fraser Sherman's "The Sword of Darcy," while a sugar-crazed cherub does his best to reunite two lovers in Nicole R. Murphy's "The Protector's Last Mission." A telepathic tentacle monster reluctantly wedded to a human woman finds a way toward happy-ever-after in Liz Coley's "Marriage of Convenience." On the creepier end, both Felicity Dowker's "Berries and Incense" and Kirstyn McDermott's "Frostbitten" will leave readers with chills. Martin Livings and Talie Helene close the anthology with "The Last Gig of Jimmy Rucker," a brilliantly hypnotizing and heartwarming tale. Readers will be delighted by this introduction to some of Australia's best paranormal romance writers. (May)
Why yes, that is my name written there – *squee*.
So I thought I’d give you a little taste of the two stories.
I wrote this story in 2008 – it was the first new piece of writing I did after quitting journalism and focussing on publication (the Dream of Asarlai trilogy had already been drafted). It was a wonderful moment for me – inspired by a walk around Brisbane – because it was the first time I realised that my brain had been untrained from the journalism and was now functioning fictionally again.
It took me a while to find a home for it and I was delighted when Mark Farrugia decided he wanted it as his selection for this anniversary edition of ASIM. Old friends will know I was involved with ASIM for a couple of years and edited Issue 25. I’ve been wanting to get a piece of fiction in there for YEARS and was really happy when I finally cracked it.
The Fairy King’s Child is a different story for me. For starters, it’s darker than most of what I’ve been writing lately (although my dark is still pretty light for some people). It’s also by far the most lyrical story I’ve written – the voice is much softer and more passive than you’ll find in the novels for example.
Here’s the opening:
I always knew it was a fairyland.
The adults called it a traffic-calming device, the little patch of woodland that narrowed our street to a winding lane. Our neighbour, Mrs Pratchett, said it was a breeding ground for cockroaches and spiders and mosquitoes and mice. Mother said it had stopped the hoons, and that was what mattered. I seemed the only one that saw that wood for what it really was—the gateway to the fae.
Every time I went outside, I would stare and stare at the woodland and try to spy a little eye, a little ear, a little face. Whenever we drove through it, I would mist the glass on the window as I pressed my nose to it, desperate for a sign. When I was allowed to walk to school, I would pass past the woods, and each time I would sneak up to it, squint and twist and turn with the effort of looking everywhere I could for fairies.
I never went into the wood. Something kept me back, almost a fear of it. Now, I know it was a fear that maybe I was wrong. So I looked as carefully as I dared without actually discovering anything.
Here ‘tis the Brisbane street that inspired the story.
You can order Issue 50 of ASIM here.
Second story: The Protector’s Last Mission, More Scary Kisses.
This was the story that almost didn’t exist. I so wanted to be in More Scary Kisses – I was in the original Scary Kisses and it was one of my favourite anthologies EVER! The premise, the world, the characters for a new story, all came to me pretty quickly. I had just one problem – no plot.
As the last week of the submission period rolled around, I’d given up on coming up with a plot. I’d toyed with idea after idea, but nothing. Then, as I was going to sleep on the Tuesday, it came to me – crystal clear, absolutely perfect. Great, I thought. I’ll go fetch my tax cheque from the accountant in the morning, then spend the day drafting the story.
History will now show that, as I was walking down the stairs from the tax accountant all agog at my tax cheque, I missed the last few steps, fell flat on my face and twisted my ankle really, really badly. It was two days before the pain had diminished enough for me to think and I had one thought in my mind – my More Scary Kisses story.
Wasn’t able to sit at desk, so put laptop on lap on lounge and wrote. I got the draft done, got it quickly critiqued and sent it to Liz with a day to spare. I also got a badly cricked neck from writing in a very uncomfortable position and that pain didn’t pass for some time.
So when Liz, after some revisions, loved and accepted it, I was over the moon. This is more the typical paranormal romance that I’m finding comfortable to write – good characters, big ugly monsters and a sense of humour more quirky than safe.
This is part of the opening scene:
The Queen of the Fae was not the beautiful, statuesque woman that most fairytales spoke of. Actually, she looked remarkably like the real-world Queen – short, elderly, with tight white curls covering her scalp.
Except this queen wore long, whispery layers of translucent glowing cloth – not dowdy suits and florals – and she had wings.
Jazmine bowed, bending in half until she looked down at the floor before straightening. “Your Majesty, how may I serve you?”
“Jazmine, my dear.” The Queen came forward and Jazmine lowered her head to receive the kiss on her cheek. A sweet scent stole away the remains of Jazmine’s annoyance. “I’m sorry to ask this of you so soon, but you are the only one I can trust with my dear Gerbold.” She swept her hand toward the end of the room.
Jazmine looked and silently swore. There, hovering by the window and checking out the stitching on her curtains, was a cherub.
The baby with wings swung around, cocked an eyebrow and grinned. “Well, hello, gorgeous.”
You can pre-order More Scary Kisses here.
