Mariah's Prologues 1-8

Mariah's Prologue #1-8

by Grace Bridges

"Mariah's Prologues" form an introduction to the world of "Mariah's Dream."
#1 The Dog with No Name - One eventful night in Belfast, a soulful dog makes a split-second decision that will change his life forever.
#2 Mothers of Belfast - Three mothers. Three children. And a man willing to suggest desperate measures to keep them all fed in perilous times of famine.
#3 Rue the Night - He wishes the job hadn't been forced on him. For her, it couldn't come soon enough. Follow two cyborgs on an ordinary night patrol, where anything might happen...
#4 Strawberry Dreaming - Mariah is exhausted at work and keeps nodding off, to dream of her uncle's once-lush garden. But perhaps there's still magic in Belfast after all.
#5 Callum's Alley - Callum is only eight, but he's working already because the corporations dictate it. Childhood is rough and he dreams of his brief escapes to the riverbank. Then, in the alley, a surprise encounter brightens Callum's day...
#6 One Man's Work - Ellis Flanegan's workplace at the grain mill in urban Belfast is loud and oftentimes inhuman. It's all he can do to keep hold of hope as fates are decided before his eyes and treasured trinkets traded for food. His greatest accomplishment, in his view: his daughter Mariah.
#7 Foe or Forager - In famine-ridden Belfast, edible harvests are rare and wild fruit even more so. The perfect reason why two young men go head to head over... a plant.
#8 The Fate of the Ring - Jasmine agreed to barter away her wedding ring to feed her family for a few more days. Now it's up to Dougie to make it happen or lose his cut of the deal; he must venture into unknown territory and confront a crime lord in Belfast's dark underbelly.

80 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 9, 2015

About the author

Grace Bridges is a geyser hunter, cat herder, editor and translator, and Kiwi. A former longtime president of writers' organisation SpecFicNZ and Chair of GeyserCon, New Zealand's 40th national science fiction and fantasy convention held in Rotorua in 2019, she is often found poking around geothermal sites or under a pile of rescued kittens. She is a two-time winner of the Sir Julius Vogel Award from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Association of New Zealand, a founding member of Realm Makers, an editor and mentor for Young NZ Writers, and has edited dozens of published books including many anthology projects. Her own published books include Irish cyberpunk, a shared-world space opera project, and the Earthcore urban fantasy series based in New Zealand. More information and free stories at www.gracebridges.kiwi.