New Story in DreamForge Magazine: The Clock-Work Heart

 

My newest short story has released in DreamForge Anvil, a wonderful online magazine that publishes all sorts of science fiction and fantasy short stories -- and fortunately for me, they publish steampunk! 

"A Clock-Work Heart" is a retelling of Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" but with a twist.

Here's a bit to get you started: 

The automaton had served me well, but I refused to feel remorse about decommissioning him. It , not him . Automatons are things, not people. Everyone knows that. Everyone insists . And Oscar was no exception. He— I mean it was metal and gears, nuts and bolts, springs and wires, nothing more. I would not lose a single night's sleep over this.

The screw I'd been turning broke free of its hole and landed on the worktable with a soft tink . I lifted the corroded and warped plate covering the center of Oscar's chest and set it aside. Light from the sconces above the table reflected and shadowed the peaks and valleys of Oscar's form, amplifying the tarnished appearance and highlighting the numerous dents and scratches. The rest of the workshop remained in moonlit dimness.

 
Just a thing. I'd built... it myself. Designed every feature, carefully placed every part down to the last rivet. I'd given Oscar eyes that could rotate, a hinged jaw, jointed fingers and opposable thumbs, but no one in their right mind could mistake him for human. No skin, no flesh of any kind. Brass plating. Glowing lights. Metal that creaked and clanged with every movement when I failed to keep it oiled properly, and then even with constant oiling— until movement became nearly impossible because of corrosion and other damage. It was imperative the body be obviously mechanical. Machines must be inferior to humans. They have their place. Nothing more than tools.

I had, however, put particular care into Oscar's heart.

If you'd like to read the rest for free, just CLICK HERE. 

Friday Flash Fiction - "Clay's Fire"

In honor of Friday the 13th, and to help ya start getting ready for Halloween (seven weeks away!), I've decided to post some of my short horror stories. This one is posted on Wattpad and is my most popular story there by a wide margin. Enjoy!

Clay’s Fire

 (originally published in The Four Horsemen by Pill Hill Press)

            Clay appeared in the bedroom doorway clutching a stack of papers, a wide grin set across his face.

            “Turn off the TV, Katie. I just finished my latest story. I want to read it to you.”

            I reached over the pillow and grabbed the remote from the nightstand. The flickering glow from the television snapped off, leaving the room in almost complete darkness. Clay walked over and turned on the small lamp clipped to the edge of the desk against the far wall.

            “Is this the one you were working on the other day? When you wouldn’t let me in the study?”

            “Yeah, that’s it. Now settle in. Close your eyes.” The chair creaked with the all-too familiar sound of him leaning back.

            “Just this once can’t you sit by me?”

            “Katie, come on. I can’t read with you watching me.”

            “I’ll keep my eyes closed, I promise.”

            Clay laughed. “You’ll keep them closed anyway.” The chair creaked again. “Now be quiet.”

            I pulled the sheets up to my shoulders and rested my head against the pillow. The last thing I saw before closing my eyes was the silhouette of the footboard that served as a wall between us.

            “Ready?” Clay said, his voice already deepening into the storyteller mode I fell in love with.

            “Yes.”

            Clay’s voice drifted through the room, deep and resonating. Smooth. His words caressed me, soothing me, even when he read something terrifying. I never felt safer than when he spoke in that mystical, storyteller voice…

            Charles entered the convenience store at exactly seven-thirty. The clang of the bell ended abruptly when the door slammed shut behind him. The store was crowded, and Charles felt heat climb up his neck.

            Too many people in this small space, with its narrow aisles stuffed full of junk. Bags and boxes of chemical-laden snacks in their neat little rows along the shelves.

            I knew that part of the story came from Clay’s own fear of small spaces. Claustrophobia to the nth degree in his case. Our house had gobs of windows and soaring high ceilings. I felt a pang of discomfort, knowing Clay had mentally put himself in Charles’ shoes and experienced the heat and fear of the crowded and confined store, the kind of place he’d never willingly enter in real life.

            People milled around, avoiding each other’s eyes, as if stopping in to buy a six-pack and a bag of Fritos were some sort of conspiratorial act. Charles lowered his eyes as well, tugging at the collar of his shirt.

            Tight…so tight.

            I pulled at the sheets. Hadn’t they only been up to my shoulders? Why were they pushing against my chin?

            His neck was slick with perspiration, and as he stood in front of the newspaper rack, beads of sweat popped up on his forehead. He swiped his hands through his bangs, the heat from his forehead surging into his palms.

            “I must have a fever,” he whispered to himself.

            The sheets suddenly smothered me, sticking to my legs. I folded the edge over and kicked myself free, trying to stay tuned in to Clay’s voice. Air, not quite cool enough, hit my skin and I settled back into my pillow... 

Continue reading on Wattpad. (No worries if you don't have an account--you don't need one to read it!)

Companion Story to Finding Angel - FREE June 10 -14!

I've just released a short story (well, pretty short, about 20 pages) that goes along with Finding Angel. If you haven't read the series, Protection's Prison is a good place to start. If you have already read Finding Angel, all the better!

Here's the description:

Siophra's magic enables her to Protect living things from harm. But there is no way to Protect herself from the heartache she feels over her father's refusal to allow his precious Elven daughter to love a human.
Her father's anger pushes her to make an extreme decision, until her love for him, despite his cruelty, puts her in a place where her magic becomes necessary to keep him safe--a place where her Protection becomes her prison.

And right now - from June 10 to June 14 - it's free on Kindle! Click HERE to snag it!

Short Story Ebook Release

It's a short post today just to let ya know that I've got a short story on Kindle and Nook now. A little under 10,000 words, Ordinary Folk released this weekend. It's a werewolf story with a twist.

Here's the description:


Janey’s symptoms are getting stronger, and stranger. Nothing her doctor and Dawson say can get the idea out of her head: It’s all tied to the full moon. She knows they think she’s being irrational, but she feels the connection in a way she can’t even begin to explain.

She needs answers, and the only way she can think to get them is to visit the town where her parents grew up. But the visit is nothing like she expects…the odd looks, the whispers behind her back. And the old man who seems to know her secrets. Is there something in this tiny town’s history—and Janey’s—that’s not so ordinary?

Ordinary Folk was originally published in the Dark Heroes anthology by Pill Hill Press (which sadly has recently shut its doors).

The awesome cover art was done by a talented teen photographer named Alexa Williams. You can see more of her work on her Dallas Valley Photography Facebook page.

You can find Ordinary Folk on Amazon and B&N.com for 99 cents.

PS--if you read it, I'd much appreciate a review :).

Gift from a Senator!

OK, I never post blogs twice in one day. But since the last one was really just a point in the direction of my latest NAF post, I feel like I can throw this one out today as well.

And, let's face it, this is SO, SO, SO, WAY COOL!!!!!

I opened the mail today to find a big manila envelope addressed to me, from Senator Ronda Storms. She is from my hometown, but I assumed it must be politically-related.

I was wrong. Check this out:

That, my friends, is a laminated copy of the article about me getting a story into Chicken Soup for the Soul: Christmas Magic. The article appeared in the Osprey Observer in December.

I am so busting! Ronda is so sweet! Yes, I immediately wrote her a thank-you note.

(PS--To read the whole interview, click on "Osprey Observer" above, then click on the picture of the newspaper, and then "turn" to page six. Oh, and, it looks like the book is marked down to $8.77, in case you want to do some early shopping for next Christmas ;).

"The Artist" in Print!!!

My short story "The Artist" can be found in the pages of Beyond Centauri's July 2010 issue. Beyond Centauri is a "magazine of fantasy, science fiction, and ewww-gross for younger readers [for readers of all ages], published quarterly on the 1st day of January, April, July, and October. Beyond Centauri publishes short stories, poems, illustrations, puzzles, articles, and movie reviews."



"The Artist" is a story that was originally published online in Mindflights, which has recently closed it's doors. I am thrilled to see the story getting a second chance, and in a print magazine! It's a supplement to Finding Angel--a bit of back story about one of the characters.

To order a copy of the July issue, or a full subscription to Beyond Centauri, click here.

And here is the full line-up you can find in this issue:

Issue 29
Stories
Larry Hodges: The Meteor Always Strikes Once
Barbara Bockman: Area 29
Patty Jansen: From the Parrot's Mouth
Anne Culbreath Watkins: The Dream-Reader
John Bushore: Two For A Dollar
Kat Heckenbach: The Artist
Kate Runnels: Kotoko's Dream
BJ Blanks: Cob And Lobbers
Simon Hardy Butler: The Treasure of the Chickadees
Jessie Peacock: Watercolored Different
Debby Feo: Star Struck
Pamela Love: Something In The Wood
Flash Fiction
Larry Hodges: Patsy At The Snake Show
Poems
Elizabeth Penrose: The Land of the Golden Purse
C. William Hinderliter: scifaiku
M. Grant Reed: Cosmic Wonder
Debby Feo: Hidden In Plain Sight
C. William Hinderliter: scifaiku
K. S. Hardy: The Monk
Guy Belleranti: Rapid Reader
Ruth Naylor: What Might Force?
K. S. Hardy: Funeral For The Dryads
K. S. Hardy: Moon Miracle
K. S. Hardy: Robot Butterflies
Keith Sikora: Solere
Features
Adonis Emir: Tales From Behind The Wall
Tyree Campbell: Pyra and the Tektites [Part 4]
Illustrations
Dominic Ortega: Awakened
7ARS: Two for a Dollar
Richard H. Fay: Tree-Climbing Crimbolain
Lillian Kopaska-Merkel: fairy companionship
Marge Simon: Penaggalar
Cathy Buburuz: Solere