It's that time of year again: the new issue of Cirsova is out! Not only is it out, I'm in this issue myself, and it's for quite a doozy of a story.
Before we get into it, lets get the issue summary out front so you can see all the talented writers and their cool stories in greater detail. for those curious, the beautiful cover is also drawn by Wistmoor. It's quite a packed issue.
Now, lets get to the stories:
Flight From Reckoning (Part 1) By MICHAEL TIERNEY The Wild Stars hope to find some sign of their distant cousins beyond the Milky Way, humanoid races descended from other extragalactics! Rather than friends or allies, however, an ancient enemy lies in wait at the scene of a long-ago bloodbath!
The American Dream By RODICA BRETIN Kayla Blackmoon’s life is about to be turned upside down when Russell Morgan, a mysterious huckster politician, appears in her town of Dartmouth ready to promise the stars…
Salt Roses By JIM BREYFOGLE After her family is killed by merfolk, Aelia, a young diver, seeks out a legendary sunken treasure that is said to have the power to restore both emperor and empire!
Waegnwyrhta By WILLIAM SUBOSKI Ill-thought out regulatory changes catch up with the new Principal Administrator Waegnwyrhta when she finds herself stranded and at the mercy of her rescue crew!
The Siege of Verisa By RICHARD RUBIN The evil cult of Dewi has kidnapped Burke Fletcher’s wife Llana, forcing her to aid them against Baron Amalrik… whose Alchemist Stone Llana and Burke stole!
Void Railway By JD COWAN Things may not be all they seem on a routine escort gig when a mysterious woman approaches Galactic Enforcer Stone with a glowing gem and an offer of a side job!
The Demacron By GARY K. SHEPHERD A Peacekeeper on the Demacron, a hollowed-out planetoid that is home to a dwindling population of myriad species, must find a repairman who has gone missing!
Machine Dreams for Wired People By JAIME FAYE TORKELSON A family infiltration team is hired to break into a cybernetic AI factory to rescure the itinerant daughter of a wealthy benefactor before her mind can be liquified!
Cracking the Cyber Ziggurat By KEVAN LARSON A band of cyber pirates has been given the job of a lifetime: breaking into the central databanks of Abraham Kursk, one of the wealthiest men on or off the Web!
Paying the Doctor’s Due By WILLIAM DRELL Mickey Vance is due for a tune-up on his illegal military-grade wetware, but his doctor is dead! Can he and his doctor’s assistant evade a bounty hunter on his trail?
In the Last Days By JAMES HUTCHINGS
A lot of great stuff, as usual.
For my story, you might have been able to tell, but it is another Galactic Enforcer story. This time, however, you might have noticed the main character's name is a little different. This is because this story introduces a few new characters into the mix that will be important going forward. Well, if they survive, that is.
The protagonist of "Void Railway" is Detective Brandon Stone, a giant lummox of a man who does not seem to take his job as seriously as our usual protagonist, Detective Renfield, and in fact has rumors going on about him. This is what causes him to be approached by the mysterious woman at the story's start and his personality clash against hired merc Shiro. But when the chips are down and the safety of the Railway and the passengers becomes in doubt, can he rise to the challenge, or is that Renfield guy really just full of hot air about things like this? You'll have to read it to find out!
The stories I've written in the Galactic Enforcer series so far have been more or less standalone adventures that have little relation to each other, though there is some carryover. The ones written since Star Wanderers, however, are more tightly connected, even though they can still be read standalone. Void Railway's events actually does have direct repercussions for later stories, though it might not be in obvious ways. At least, not at first.
I also wanted to expand the world around Detective Renfield more while still keeping the encroaching darkness that exists around the corner due to the nature of his job. You might have remembered the introduction of Dana from Star Wanderers working to lighten up his life when he's outside the fray, well, there are others now dealing with what he has run into out in the abyss away from the safe roads of home, and it might be more than any of them can handle.
In other words, if you enjoyed Star Wanderers, you really should check out "Void Railway" in the new issue. It is the next step forward for the series. There will still be standalone adventures, as there always are with this series, I'm hoping to drastically expand the scope with the next batch of stories going forward. You might have seen hints of that before, but now we're really going into it going forward. It's a wild galaxy out there: how can you possibly tame what can't be tamed?
The goal of the Galactic Enforcer series has always been the quest to explore the idea of enforcing law against the Unknown, and we're about to see just how that can be done so far from home. How do we hold our ground with no firm base to stand on? The Green Hills of Earth are far away from here, after all . . .
You can read all about it, as well as many other exciting tales of adventure and wonder, in the new issue of Cirsova! Check it out today!
It should also be mentioned that this is the tenth(!) anniversary of Cirsova. They've been in operation as a publisher for a decade now, and with no signs of stopping. I could highlight the many releases other than my own they've put out, but I would be here for ages. Suffice to say, head to their website and check them all out for yourself after picking up the new issue. There is no shortage of great stuff to dig into.
That's it for today! Thank you for checking out the blog and supporting my work. It makes all of this a lot more fun than it would be otherwise. And I've got a few more surprises up ahead! I can't wait to show you what's coming . . . but it'll have to wait for now. They aren't all just my secret to divulge, after all.
Once again, you can find the new issue of Cirsova here. I'll see you next time!
Just got word of this, so wanted to put it out before the year wraps up! This is the cover reveal for the first issue of Cirsova for 2025. Notice a familiar name on there? That is because my story, "Void Railway", is in the issue.
For those curious, it is a Galactic Enforcer story that is a bit different from the previous ones you might have read. For one, though he is in it, Ronan Renfield is not the main character. Instead we follow a gruffer more violent Enforcer named Brandon Stone as an escort mission goes awry. Just what is waiting out there in the gap between the stars?
I had a lot of fun writing this story, and Alex from Cirsova himself told me it was his favorite of the ones I've written for him, so please be sure to check it out when the Spring issue releases in January. Throw in the other great authors above and you've got a lot of bang for your buck. As always, you can never go wrong with an issue of Cirsova.
Once the preorder link goes live I will be sure to post it on Wasteland & Sky as always. I've got plenty of other things ahead for 2025, but this was one last surprise needed to be shown. Just look at that cool cover by Wistmoor Studio! It's fantastic stuff.
Thanks for reading and I'll be back soon with one last update for the year!
Here we are at the tail-end of summer with another new release! Hope you've been surviving the annoying weather shifts. This time we're going to cover the newest issue of Cirsova, featuring some great writers and talent of the like you might have missed out on. In particular, we're going to talk about issue #20.
And I'm also in this one! It's been a while since I was in an issue of Cirsova, but I can tell you that it was worth the wait!
My story in this issue is called "Mirage Carousal" a tale as odd as its title. This one is of a man named Nick who appears to be riding his motorcycle alone in the middle of the end of the world. Guns, mist monsters, and witchery follows. If you've read "What's It Like in There?" in Sidearm & Sorcery Volume 3 that name might be familiar to you. That is because the two stories are very much related. (I do recommend reading this one first, however!)
But this release, of course is not even close to just about me! There are many other writers with stories to consider in this issue.
Here is the full listing of stories:
The Superior Griefs (Part 3) By MICHAEL TIERNEY The Gravedigger 2 is on its way to Earth with not one but two packs of Griefs! The fate of the galaxy will be decided, with Earth in the balance, as a secret Artomique base prepares to play host to their meeting with Isshla Superior, Earth’s Superior Grief!
The Short Unhappy Immortality of Owen McKinty By BILL WILLINGHAM An ancient vampire has plotted his long revenge against the family that has warred with him and hunted his kind for years and found a new ally in a small-time thug!
Beneath the Samite Shroud of the Grave Sphinx By MATTHEW PUNGITORE An artist is shaken by the death of his patron who hosted the pleasure-seeking New England demimonde! His latest painting is haunted by visions of a mythic creature!
In the Thrall of Tessa Nyx By MICHAEL GALLAGHER Psychic? Clairvoyant? Soothsayer? Whether she is a fraud or the genuine article, Tessa Nyx is in town giving live readings at a large event and needs protection!
The Ragged Red Masque at Carter’s Hall By CAROLINE FURLONG Love blooms between a girl and a young man held captive by a stepmother who wants his fortune—only a troupe of Irish rovers can help the forlorn couple escape!
Necromancing the Stone By TEEL JAMES GLENN ‘Just deliver the box.’ When a job is this easy, Jack Silence, PI and Parafey elimina-tor, knows it’s trouble! But who could say no to a gorgeous Elf offering five grand?!
Qarinah By MOHSIN She is beautiful beyond words, a sprite of the desert! None may possess her, though those who share her embrace will never know joy or happiness again!
Mirage Carousal By JD COWAN When a coven of witches all but ushers in the end of the world, Nick seeks the one dissenter in an illusory wasteland of violence and degeneracy, offering redemption!
In the Garden of Madness By DECLAN FINN Thomas Nolan, “Saint” Tommy, has been called in on a strange murder: a teenage girl has been murdered and seemingly dragged under the earth… by plants!
Melkart on the Isle of the Damned By MARK MELLON Melkart’s business partner is drugged and kidnapped and their goods taken with-out payment! The Brotherhood intends a human sacrifice to summon an evil god!
A Vested Interest By MICHAEL REYES Clock, the mystic warden of Coney Island, is on the trail of two killers... who have been recently brought back to life by the dark powers they serve: the Isaloge!
Dancing with the Indians By RODICA BRETIN Psychic agent Lorena has fallen captive to French and Indian raiders… As the orgy of violence begins, she realizes her powers of suggestion have failed her!
My Name is John Carter [Part 19] By JAMES HUTCHINGS
Otis Stein by MATTHEW D. VEALEY, Art by CARLOS F. RODRIGUEZ
Check it out for some good fun adventure! There's more coming, including from yours truly, but it's not yet time to reveal what those are. Instead, please check out Star Wanderers (and leave a review) as well as Phantom Mission on the Patreon. It's been a busy year with quite a lot going on, so be sure to catch up if you're still behind. Because there's even more on the way!
Thank you for all your support, and I will see you next time!
Surprise! We are already back with a new Story Sheets! Bet you didn't expect one quite so soon, but it was obvious it was coming, wasn't it?
After our last entry, it only made sense to jump right into the next one this week. As you well know, there are two stories (naturally) included in the collection Two Adventure Across Eternity, and you already know about "Duel On Dalpha" and the story behind that one, but what of the second story? Well, let us get into it.
As you might have guessed from just the title of today's story, this isn't another space opera tale of gun fights and mecha battles like the last one. No, it's very much the opposite. This is a story of swords, sorcery, and cursed lands. So why is it even here, being paired in a collection with a seemingly very different story? Well, I will explain that part a bit later on. For now, let us concentrate on the tale itself. What is "Three Gifts of the White Wolf" and where did it come from?
Believe it or not, it's actually a pretty old story I recently edited myself to completion. Since I was a much improved writer by the time I wanted to publish it, I sharpened this older tale up a good deal, though nothing in the piece itself has changed. That said, since this was never published before or looked at by other eyes, it is the readers who get to dive into this one fresh. Therefore I spent a good deal of time tempering this one up.
Anyway, enough of the technical details. What about where it came from? That is actually a very simple question to answer.
What happened is something that occurs every now and then where I will be writing or editing a story, novel, or even blog post, and I will be struck with an idea and have to put everything aside to write it down on the spot. For example, when I was editing Two Adventures Across Eternity to get it out by the end of 2023, I found myself in this same predicament. There was another piece I just had to write, so I dove into said story and came right back to editing again afterwards. When that story releases, I'll share the culprit that nearly delayed the collection. Either way, it happens more to me than I'd like to admit. I am not an organized writer in the slightest.
The problem with today's entry is mostly that I don't remember quite when exactly I wrote "Three Gifts of the White Wolf" because as soon as I was done I put it aside for later. I don't even think I properly self-edited it at the time. The reason for this is that, much like "Duel On Dalpha" and a few other stories I've written, there isn't much of a market for tales that fall in that novelette groove between novella and short story. Most magazines are desperate for space and the cost of eBooks makes selling them on their own against longer pieces look like a bad value proposition. So I decided to put aside until an opportunity arose where I could finally give it to readers.
And now you've got it!
I'm happy to finally get this one out because it marked a bit of a shift in how I consider writing stories. I believe I wrote it after reading a bunch of Andrew Lang's Red Fairy Book because I wanted to write a tale in that vein but, obviously, not quite so short. That ended up being the story we are discussing as today's subject. Since then I tend to have a lot of fairy tale influence in everything I do, whether I intend to or not.
Custom cover similar to the one for "Duel On Dalpha"
As it might be evident from the above art, a classic painting used for the cover (the art is actually used for the back cover for the paperback version!) sets the tone for the story. For those curious, the painting in question is Eugene Boudin's "Coast of Brittany" work from 1870, only a bit darker and more twisted than the original piece was intended to be. This is because the setting for "Three Gifts of the White Wolf" is the same as an earlier story, "Inside the Demon's Eye" which ran in StoryHack Issue Three a while back, and the location is the same as that one.
You might be wondering if this means the stories take place in Brittany--why else would the cover be like this, after all--but that's not quite the case. No, these stories don't even really take place in the past.
I'll have to explain this the best I can.
I have to be careful here, because a lot of what the Black Lands are, the setting of these two stories, is properly revealed in this very piece, because it is the lynchpin to the tale itself. Please be patient if any of the following explanation sounds vague, as I like to avoid spoilers in this entries if I can. I'm assuming not everyone has read the subject of today's post yet and are perhaps deciding on reading them afterwards.
"Three Gifts of the White Wolf" is about a dying warrior named Sagest wandering the lands, searching for a place to die. His time is up, and he only wishes to stop his suffering and move on from this place where only horrors roam. What he meets along the way are challenges he did not expect and revelations he never considered, all before ending his quest in a way the Black Lands never would have allowed. It's a quest of a different sort.
I've not been very subtle in the past as to what I consider the true name of the Nameless Kingdom, (which has been mentioned in stories outside of these two) or where it comes from, but this tale reveals it all, so I will leave that bit of trivia for readers to discover for themselves. Regardless, the titular "gifts" are meant to be permanent, always there, even if not visible to the naked eye, and are obtainable by those who are willing to seek them out. There are always answers and paths we might not have thought of in our lives that can lead us the strangest of places. All we have to do is keep alert and always get up again. There's always another way out.
"Three Gifts of the White Wolf" is part fairy tale and part sword and sorcery story, but I don't consider those things all that separate from each other in the first place. Mainly, this is a story that needed to be told, and I'm glad I was finally able to finish it and deliver it to readers. As mentioned before, I'd been waiting for my chance for a while. The idea for this release thankfully came to me in a way that gave both these stories proper exposure to readers. And in this story's case, you can read it for yourself for the first time ever!
The original painting of the "Coast of Brittany" by Eugene Boudin, 1870
As for why this story was specifically chosen to be in a package with "Duel On Dalpha" instead of anything else, such an explanation is not quite so obvious on the surface. However, I can assure you that the two of them have connections under the surface.
Aside from the endings having much in common with each other, and both dealing with certain epic events of history that happened long before either protagonist were even born, each story is also about the fact that mistakes of the past, some of which said protagonists had no control over, will always roll out to affect the present in unexpected ways. How we deal with those mistakes also carries on into what the future will be like for those who come after us.
I am very proud of both of these adventures, and am more than pleased that I found a way to release them to readers in a unique package. For the longest time, it felt like I would be sitting on them forever. Thankfully, you can now not only get them in eBook form, but also in the unfortunately rare Pocket Paperback edition. Now anyone can finally enjoy two tales taking place across eternity from the other, yet both with the same general ethos and sense of place. All in all, I'm fortunate to have been given the inspiration to write them at all in the first place.
As for the Black Lands themselves, they might very well return in another story in the future, but the stories set in it aren't a proper series like say, the Galactic Enforcer or Night Rhythms stories are. They are, after all, hinted at in other tales I've written. Perhaps even in the first book I ever published. It is just a setting that may potentially be visited again in the future.
For now, however, we shall leave them behind.
Don't let this release or these entries fool you into thinking that I don't have plenty of material on the way. There are a few more pieces on the side, in production, and waiting in the pipeline still to be jotted down. I've got a lot to put out even still.
With the Star Wanderers publication coming in the near future in tandem with a tale in Cirsova issue #20, as well as other projects yet to be revealed, I am looking to having had put out around 25(!) total short stories by the end of 2024. This does not even include the novels still backlogged in the process. Suffice to say, I have many more on the way even after these, but I still have to get back to them and get them ready for you. That said, obviously more Story Sheets entries will be on the way when I do finally put them out. I look forward to sharing more stories with you when the time comes. This series is always a fun time.
That's all for today! Thank you for all your support and for reading these stories in the first place. It is only thanks to you that I can keep it up.
So lets reach even higher. Next time we'll stretch out touch the stars themselves. It'll be quite the journey, just you wait and see!
Finally I'm free from the doldrums of January for a few moments! I don't know what else to say except there is a reason I try to put more uplifting and hopeful posts out this month because it tends to be a very lousy time both weather and morale-wise. So today we are going to talk about something a little different than we have recently.
I just realized in the last week that it's been awhile since I've talked about stories themselves around here. Mostly it's because I've been distracted writing about other things and dealing with current WIP projects, but that doesn't mean I can't spare some time to talk about a tale I've never really gotten around to discussing even though most of you are very familiar with it by now.
It's time to bring back "Story Sheets," my post series focused on the stories I've written. It's more than due.
What better story to restart this series with than the recently re-released "Duel On Dalpha" in the collection Two Adventures Across Eternity that I put out as a bonus at the tail end of 2023? Discussing this one has been a long time coming.
Unfortunately, I'm not so certain I can reveal a whole lot beyond the surface level. It's honestly just a really cool story that I think more people should read.
To be real, I actually don't know why I never wrote a piece like this on "Duel On Dalpha" before. It must have either entirely slipped my mind, or maybe it was the fact I didn't want to spoil it for non-subscribers to the newsletter back then. It could be anything.
But that's enough of that, let us get into the heart of it. Where did this story come from and why exactly does it exist?
For that, we have to go back to 2020!
The original release, cover by ArtAnon
Those who have read any of the short stories I've written know that I tend to set them in obscure places in the corner of nowhere starring regular people. I frequently choose bizarre places one might never come across outside of their imagination, or maybe somewhere they do but never consider for anything other than what it is on the surface. I do this because it's fun to highlight that the incredible, the weird, and the amazing, can truly happen anywhere.
"Duel On Dalpha" is like that, but was a bit more ambitious for me at the time. If I recall correctly, I believe this was the first story I'd written that takes place on another planet. It hasn't been the last, but it definitely set the blueprint for the type of intergalactic tale I enjoy writing.
As a reminder, it was recently re-released in the $0.99 collection Two Adventures Across Eternity, due to the fact that I had no other outlet left to give it out to subscribers. Also, I wanted to get it in print properly.
But, back in 2020 (Wow, it's been almost half a decade), I put "Duel On Dalpha" exclusively out for subscribers. It ended up being very popular among subscribers, but it's also been nearly half a decade. It is time to both give it a proper look back and make it more readily available.
I said this about it in this post at the time it was first released:
"I was inspired to make this via many different sources. Mainly I liked the idea of a western horror in a swamp with aliens and giant robots. There's plenty of action, of course. Don't think that I don't know what my readers enjoy.
"To explain where this came from is a bit tough. Most ideas I have for stories are just ones that come to me when I least expect them. This is one I had a while back but had to put on the back-burner while writing so many other things last year. As I let it simmer I had more and more of an idea what it was to be about."
Even at the time, it was difficult to describe the origins of this story. Usually in "Story Sheets" I go through the entire process of what lead the tale to its final state, but there was no clear process here. The long and short of it is that it just came to me one day in a dream, as the saying goes. To be serious though, I just had the story pop into my brain one say and decided to write it.
The only thing I really remember about where this story came from was that I was listening to a specific track from the PC Engine Ys IV soundtrack and for some reason this setting came to mind. The game itself doesn't contain this location, it's just what arrived in my brain as I was listening to it. Inspiration can be difficult to describe, in this case it's more or less the entire background of the tale.
I saw a backwater planet, swamps, hidden temples, and a tucked away treasure deep inside the bowels of the world that was . . . alive? What the story eventually turned into, however, is still one barnburner of an action piece that still has those more eerie elements I first imagined. It was definitely different for me at the time, but the pieces of my older work are still quite visible.
"Duel On Dalpha" is one of the most straightforward stories in my style that I've ever written. Shootouts, monsters, mecha, and mystical weirdness, all packed together in the tale of one old sheriff who is running low on time to do the job he needs to do. At the same time, the world he knows isn't quite what it seems--and neither is he.
You might be wondering why I didn't submit this to a magazine or anthology. To understand that would have to realize that state of the market in 2020, four years ago. "Duel On Dalpha" is a full-on novelette, and there was just no market for those at the time. Much as I enjoyed writing this story, I didn't know how else to get it out to readers.
Unless your story was either sub 9k works or short novel length (40k words), any story that slides in that giant chasm just had no market to exist in. Even now I'm not quite sure there is one. Stories of novelette and novella length are too long for the short story market and too short for the eBook crowd. So, writers are kind of stuck here.
As I continued in that old post:
"I never submitted it anywhere, but I knew one thing for sure: nobody would buy this story. It is too long for the markets I usually submit to, and there is too much action for any of the other outlets to give a second glance to. This is pure entertainment, and doesn't exist to lecture the audience about anything. There wasn't any way to sell it, despite how much I love this story. That's just a reality of the modern market. Only certain types of stories are profitable, ones that fall in a specific formula, other types are simply out of luck. There is nothing normal about Duel On Dalpha, but I still wanted to get it out there."
You see, while "Duel On Dalpha" is normal for me, it's still not very normal for the market. Not that I am the most unique writer out there, but I do not write industry standard fare. Nothing I've written would be looked at twice by OldPub, and even smaller publishers would not appreciate the fact that I don't really write standard novel series. That's why this story could only really exist and be presented to you thanks to the way NewPub is now. If you want to know why I am more positive about the state of things than a lot of my peers are, it is because I've lived through this change in the market and see it more clearly now.
Believe it or not, selling action stories was a lot harder back then than it is today. I was also still new enough at the short story game that I didn't have that much experience with how it worked at the time. This led to me releasing it as a bonus for newsletter subscribers. Hey, I had to give it to them somehow, and what better way than as a thank you for their support? The only reason I'm doing this is thanks to them, after all.
After finally getting this tale cobbled out, I got Brian Niemeier to edit it for me and ArtAnon to do the cover, selling it as if it was on par with my normal size books, even though it was for free.
And I still think it is on par with my other works. When editing it over one last time for Two Adventures Across Eternity I was amazed at how well it turned out even back then, and it's still a blast to read today. In fact, I might say this would be the story to read if you've never read any of my stories before. And now you can get it with a bonus story packaged in.
"Duel On Dalpha" holds up very well, but I never managed to put it out in print and after moving my newsletter to Substack I also didn't have much reason to keep an older story like that up as a bonus. But I also didn't just want to start charging for something that was free before, therefore I bundled it with a new story (which I will talk about in another post) in order to justify the $0.99 it would cost on Amazon, as well as give me the opportunity to try out the pocket paperback option on Lulu. So now there are more ways to read it than ever before.
All that to get it out again and make it more easily accessible to readers again.
The theme that originally inspired the story
There isn't much to talk about behind the creation to "Duel On Dalpha" because there wasn't any rational path or logic behind its creation. The story is based on a feeling, a notion, an emotion, and glimpse of a world far beyond this one that I want to catch in a passing moment in my mind. I'd like to think I did just that. When you read this one, you are transported to an alien place where things aren't quite where they seem and danger lurks about every corner. It's a glimpse of a world hidden just out of reach, but one we can find traces of if we squint hard enough.
The 2010s was not a very imaginative decade, in fact it was very bleak overall. One of the things I wanted to do with my writing was push through the darkness encroaching on everything and bring readers to those lands of the imagination that make life so very much worth living. A land of light beyond the black lands.
In fact, now that I think about it, this story is probably the one that most resembles where I would like to take my writing in the future, tone-wise. It's a sign of things to come. For now, however, I have other projects to get to. But that doesn't change how much "Duel On Dalpha" means to me as a story. It's why I wanted to put it out for readers again so badly, after all.
The setting is one I will probably return to for other tales in the future, too. The idea of legendary knights at the end of time that were actually giants fighting forces of decaying darkness across the entire galaxy is not one that will go unused, I tell you. There are more knights than Gawain, after all. Though, again, it'll probably be awhile.
Regardless, the world of "Duel On Dalpha" is one of wonder and mystery, danger around every bend. Come visit it and see for yourself.
Today I'd like to present you with the newest anthology I am a part of: Sidearm & Sorcery, a compilation of modern sword and sorcery style stories! This one has been in the works for awhile now, and I'm happy to finally present it to you today.
Edited by StoryHack's Bryce Beattie, Sidearm & Sorcery is a compilation of nine brand new adventure stories to get your blood pumping. There's something in here for everyone!
The full list of stories is as follows:
In the modern world, paranormal dangers lurk all around. When there is no chosen one to be found, no altruistic half-vampire around, and no superheros flying overhead, it's up to average people to do the business of defeating evil. They have no powers, no prophecies, and all the odds are stacked against them.
In this short story collection, regular folk find themselves up against nightmare creatures, conniving warlocks, and all manner of supernatural dangers. All set in contemporary environments. Read these nine new tales of magic and adventure today.
This anthology contains the following stories:
Flight Response by Jay Barnson
An army helicopter pilot has a harrowing experience with a mind-controlling sorcerer in Vietnam. Several years later, the sorcerer has resurfaced, but will this wild chance at revenge end in tragedy?
Small Town Sorcery by Bryce Beattie
Supernatural terrors plague a child at night, and her father doesn't seem to be concerned. What nightmare is he trying to hide?
In The Forests Of The Night by Misha Burnett
Politics. Power always brought out the politicians, looking for an angle to drive in a wedge and gain some leverage. Magic was power, money was power, and this case was dripping with both.
From the case files of Erik Rugar comes another tale of magic, mystery, and a detective who is always over his head.
La Bruja by Carlos Carrasco
A New Orleans Police Detective and an Exorcist join forces to rescue a young girl from the clutches of a demonic cult. The trail leads them into the bullet-riddled inner-city streets of the Big Easy where lives and souls are held cheap and rival gang-bangers wage a bloody race war.
Living Land by JD Cowan
After the show, a rockabilly drummer follows a girl who looks like she might be in trouble. The two are swept away into an unexplainable land, where existence turns in on itself.
Under a Mango Sun by Michael DeCarolis
An agent of Thailand's supernatural crime division must infiltrate Bangkok's seedy underbelly to get to the bottom of an enchanted animal smuggling ring, where she finds herself in over her head.
The Undying Past by Dale W. Glaser
A private investigator is coerced into tracking down the cause of a curse on an ancient manor. Will he find the answer before the curse claims his life?
Green Shadow by Jason J. McCuiston
Some New Age cults are fads. Some are nefarious. A rare few actually worship dark gods. When an Afghanistan vet is hired to bring back a runaway girl, he comes face-to-face with the latter.
Prey of the Hamadame by Mark J. Schultis
A mysterious beast is preying on factory workers. A pregnant woman's husband has disappeared. Can an outcast detective find him before it is too late?
For my story, you might find a familiar description in the story blurb. A drummer of a rockabilly band? Didn't I write a story starring the bassist of a rockabilly band? Perhaps there is some relation between the two tales?
Yes, actually! They are members of the same band, Three Wolves. In fact, the third story, which features the guitarist, is due out in the upcoming Pulp Rock anthology. A bunch of weirdness seems to follow this band around as they travel. And in the third story you're about to learn something really wild about the setting this takes place in.
But not just yet!
For now I'll say Living Land is a story that I wrote in literally a single sitting. One day, I sat down, decided to push everything to the side and write this tale which had elements that had been brewing in the back of my mind for years now. It's one of the ones the most like the sort of weird tale that would have ran in the magazine back in the day.
The title might not give anything away, but Edward is a man that loves to live, to be alive, and after following a girl that looks to be in distress ends up in a world that looks to be the definition of life! But reality isn't always what we see on the surface, and the two of them have to find out just what it means to not be dead. Which place really is the Living Land of the title?
Saying more would be spoilers, but I was definitely happy to explore the drummer's personality with this one. He is very different from our previous protagonist in Black Dog Bend. Of course, that is by design. All bands are filled with people of varying personalities.
Each member of the Three Wolves is a different person with different goals. You met the bassist: a rational sort that soon finds out that rationality isn't all there is. Now meet the drummer: a wild type that learns being alive is more than the noise you make. As for the guitarist, well, you'll just have to wait on that one. I can't give that away yet! Together they travel down back roads playing shows and stumbling into trouble where there shouldn't be any at all.
These stories were more than a bit inspired by Manly Wade Wellman's Silver John tales, but also from my own interest involving the larger than life mythos Rock music has surrounded itself with since coming into its own over the decades. How much of that is nonsense based on record label hype and how much of it lives in the power of sound itself? To do that, I had to separate music from industry, and that is what the Three Wolves are.
I've been into Rock music since I was a child. Something about the energy, passion, and honesty, really spoke to me. As I got older, I realized how so much of it was corporate controlled rebellion written by poseurs trying to sell an image, but that didn't make the mythic part of modern travelling bards touring the land less interesting. If anything, it made the genuine bands stick out more. What is it that attracts us to the romantic side of this genre?
While I can't listen to groups like Nirvana without retching these days, I can listen to the Meat Puppets or the Replacements, bands attempting to connect with something deeper than empty nihilism or fashion trends in an attempt to forge a bond with the audience. They share something with us, and we take it inside for ourselves.
You're always sharing part of yourself through art, which works better when you have something to share aside from slogans, rote nihilism, or prepackaged politics. You can share a lot in a two and half minute song.
Even more when you realize how much of the genre either explores the romantic side of life and up to the decay of modernity. It's quite the spread. And they do it in such a simple way which allows the initial impact to stick with you even as you get older and wiser.
For example, who would have thought a bunch of ignorant hopeless case teenagers could write songs that effectively skewer the emptiness of the city while also managing to make the audience move and sing along at the same time? It's powerful stuff that shouldn't just be shrugged off. This isn't a medium one can just ignore.
One of the bands that inspired Three Wolves
We'll get some ID, everything is swell
C'mon down, c'mon what the hell
I know it's better than TV, there ain't a whole lot to see
When you're hangin' downtown
Wait, date? No, I can't go
I gotta stick around and watch my show
I know it's better than TV, and there's a whole lot to see
When you're hangin' downtown
Bus stop
Pimps and whores
Liquor stores
Seventh Street
Sixth Street
Bus stop
Bus stop
Bus stop
Bus stop
Anyway, I ain't got no place else to go
Bus stop
Bus stop
Bus stop
Bus stop
We'll get some ID, everything is swell
Downtown, c'mon what the hell
I know it's better than TV, and there's a whole lot to see
When you're hangin' downtown
The song sounds like one of those typical Rock pieces about why TV is bad, but going out and partying is great. Until you get to that breakdown/solo. What is wonderful about hanging downtown? Turns out it's nothing. You might as well stay home and watch TV since it's effectively just as worthless as mindlessly indulging in vice is. But the band manages to do this while retaining rock n roll's biting sound and high energy. It truly is music for guys.
On the other hand, I've also grown more fascinated with the genre's origin points as I've gotten older. As Rock has traveled further from its roots, much like adventure fiction has, it has lost not only its testosterone, but its morality and bearings. The genre as it is now is dead because it hit a wall spurred on by the endless push for Progress at the expense of songwriting. Now, it's all the same early 21st century sounds recycled endlessly, usually with ironic tongue implanted in cheek or obnoxious one-sided, and one dimensional, political screeds.
The only sounds you'll see coming from the genre these days are the same rehashed ones again and again. How many times can you lift from Radiohead or New Order, anyway? And what even are they singing about? Insular psychosis or bland good guy/bad guy political sloganeering. They have nothing left to say beyond empty tropes. They have nothing left to say because they dislike the very source and origins of their own genre.
Rock n roll was built on blues, country, and gospel, three Average Joe Christian forms of music made for the common man to give them hope and inspiration to get through the day. Essentially really coming into its own in the 1950s, it was around 1957 when the freakish concoction known as Rockabilly (originally an insult, because of course it would be) emerged out of the American South to construct a unique combination of rhythm and blues and hard driving fun that the record industry has been trying to make sense of for over half a century since.
This music was made for community get together and fun: socializing. And this flies in the face of the weaponization the industry wanted from the genre. They turned party music into psychosis treatment, and that's why no one cares anymore.
Genre roots: from 1949!
It was only when Brian Setzer and his band the Stray Cats came around in the 1980s that the genre was able to claim its spot as valid by the critique class, who even then would insult it as "warmed over Gene Vincent" and other silliness. This critic group would never understand that good songwriting will always trump "originality" or whatever they're calling the newest Thom Yorke palette swap these days. But even back in the day, being original wasn't enough for Rockabilly: it wasn't saying anything, man. It didn't matter if it was new or people liked it.
But it was saying anything--literally anything. Rockabilly is guy music distilled. It's about girls, cars, hanging out with the boys, having fun, and just celebrating life, even God. It is the core of what makes Rock music so good. It is a celebration of life.
That's what makes it the bedrock of the genre, and why it should be more appreciated by the industry. It is everything about the roots or Rock taken to its base. Without it, your favorite band and song would not exist, because it forms the backbone of that sound.
And that's what I wanted to touch on in these stories. I wanted to bring this energy into a world that appreciates everything except the little things. Where everything is going wrong, a little light can come from anywhere: even a bunch of goobers playing old music that went extinct ages ago. Because why not? As long as it lifts you up, it works.
The main inspiration for Three Wolves
I'll talk a bit more about it when the next story in this series releases with Pulp Rock. For now, I'll just say that it's been a joy to write these and I hope you enjoy them as much as I did when thinking them up. They were a lot of fun to write.
But aside from my Living Land, there are eight other off the wall adventure tales in Sidearm & Sorcery, so be sure to check it out for yourself! It's a ride, I'll tell you.
As for when the physical edition will be out, I do not know yet. It should be on the way in the very near future. I will update when that happens. For now, I am just thrilled that this anthology is finally out the door for everyone to read. It's been a long time coming.
Anyway, that is all for me from 2021! The next time we speak it will be 2022, a whole new year of possibilities.
Have a safe New Years and I will see you next time!
From now until the New Year, you can get yourself a free anthology of superhero stories both in print and illustrated. I'm included in this deal, which means you can get a free story of mine for no cost at all. This is a lot of content, but there are also quite a few deals inside!
It's been a long year, so why not end it with deluge of free content from creators who wish to entertain you? This is what escapism is for, after all. You deserve it.
Check out the description here:
"THE SUPERHERO MEGA ANTHOLOGY is:
Over 500 pages of independent superhero comics and prose!
Over $600 of giveaways, including a critique of YOUR work, posters, clothes, music, and of course, tons and tons of books!
A collection of hopes and dreams that cost well over $30,000 in artist work and writer time over more than 13,200 hours, compiled over the course of a YEAR
A massive tome that would cost over $100 in print at bookstores
A celebration of all skill levels, from professional artists who’ve worked for Marvel and an actual director of the Science Fiction Writers of America, to first-time creators drawing on their tablets
Comics ranging from black and white to full wild color
"Don’t forget, as you’re reading, at the end of every story in the anthology is a chance for you to win up to $600 of stuff. So definitely check out those good things, and click the links in the pdf!
"AND, if that’s not enough, you’ll also be sent special things in your email by artists and writers from the SUPERHERO MEGA ANTHOLOGY. We wanted this to be basically the best present ever to end what has been, for many people, a very rough year. Go ahead and take it, below. It’s a gift we want you to have. <3"
The story of mine you can get is Under Suspicion in Summerside from my book Someone is Aiming for You & Other Adventures. This was a story that was unfortunate to just miss being included in multiple other releases due to various issues, but now here it is where it can finally have its place to shine. And you can even read it for free!
When you download it and read to the end you can also find a raffle for a free copy of one of two books. Which ones? Read the anthology to find out! Remember: it's free! Not only me, but everyone else in the above anthology is offering free deals. You are getting quite the bang for your buck.
Once again, you can check out this free anthology here.
I started Story Sheets at the beginning of the year to talk more about my journey into writing and as a way to give more readers content. Two birds with one slingshot pellet, as it were. However, keeping those posts up meant spending more time writing more about writing than actually doing it. That's just no good, especially for a writer. So as a compromise I instead decided to shelve the series until there is a valid time to make a post about such a thing.
Today is that time! Planetary Sol, the ninth volume in the eleven volume Planetary Anthology series just came out and, as can be inferred, I have a story in it.
For those unaware, the Planetary Anthology series are a series of short story anthologies that each contain stories based around the classical planets. Each volume contains stories based from myths to legends and even the scientific history therein. It's a celebration of our past with new stories! What you get are eleven volumes based on different themes and planets (as well as the sun and moon) from many different writers in many different styles. It's a unique project that has produced unique results. The only thing that unites the stories is that they are all superversive in intent. Otherwise, you have no idea what you're going to get!
If you're wondering why it took so long to write another one of these Story Sheets entries, it's because I've been busy writing this entire year. I've instead tried to promote other writers putting out stories worthy of your attention. I'd rather save talking about my writing when I have something to show for it. The truth is that I don't really like talking about my writing, but since I know readers enjoy updates and learning about my stories, I still try to put them out. It's a compromise! You can consider this post both an update and one talking about writing. And in 2020, I've been writing quite a bit.
You better believe I've bee taking advantage of what I can to write in 2020, of all years. Most creators are. It's been a year, but you know that.
As I said, this year has been spent writing. I've written a good deal, including having the second and third Gemini Man books written and sent in to Silver Empire, publishing both Someone is Aiming for You & Other Adventures and The Pulp Mindset, finally getting around to finishing off Brutal Dreams (More on that soon!) and releasing stories in StoryHack #5, the free Corona-Chan Anthology, and Planetary Uranus. I've more than doubled my usual writing output this year.
On top of those, I published a free novelette edited by Dragon Award winner Brian Niemeier that you can get for free by signing up to my newsletter! You should jump on that one, it's a great piece.
It's been quite a year. And that's only what I have published and am readying to put out. That's not everything, not at all.
Behind the scenes I have some cool short stories in my back pocket and a new project coming in 2021 that should be quite special. This on top of the above books being released. 2021 is going to be even bigger than this year!
But I haven't really mentioned one last project I worked on that just released. That would be my story Judgement Sun in the Planetary Sol which just came out on Tuesday! So for today, I'm going to talk about this sword and planet story that hit me randomly in a flash of inspiration.
"Orion awakens to find his world of Hesperis turned into a desert. His savior, a stranger in a white cloak and a flaming sword, is his only ally as he faces down the sorcerer who took everything from him. There they storm the Black Pyramid where fate awaits their final clash."
The first thing to note about Judgement Sun is that it is a sequel to Cold Heart of Ouranos from the Uranus Anthology. It might not be so obvious from first glance, but continuity is not that important for what happens here. These stories are episodic, though there is a subtle progression you will not see until the end.
In Judgement Sun, the Dead World Drifter continues his journey of traveling to planets that are out of time and on the brink of extinction. As always it is his job to delve into the deeper cause of the poison and expunge the cancer before it is too late. Just like in the first story, he finds a planet in hopeless distress. Unlike that one, however, the planet is suffering from a far different issue. Can he even save Hesperis? You'll have to read and find out.
These tales are sword and planet stories, but at their heart they are about second chances and cleansing the soul. I first created this series because I wanted to follow a lone wanderer type, but wanted one who had a mission that was as crystal clear as it was mysterious. They are my own personal take on C. L. Moore's stories of spiritual terror mixed with a more traditional tangible threat more prominent in sword and sorcery. Hence the man in the cloak who travels from world to world to destroy more than a single antagonist. His work is of a much higher level. We don't even know his name.
But, they are meant to be enjoyable adventures of pure escapism. The main character also carries a fire sword, so there's that, too. If you know my writing you know I will never pass up the chance for more action, and Judgement Sun is nothing if not action packed. You could find this one in Weird Tales back in the day and it wouldn't feel out of place.
As I've said before, I am a believer in the classic storytelling setup of the lone wanderer who appears out of nowhere to save the day before vanishing again. It's a good concept. The reason this is used so much is because it is endlessly flexible as a device. It's about execution, not so much the chrome plating. I prove it with Judgement Sun as, despite it being a sequel to a previous story and having the same formula, it is quite different from that one.
For one, you might notice there is no dialogue in the story. There's a fairly obvious plot-related reason for that choice, but it is also for a choice in mood. I needed a certain feel for Hesperis, and it is one that makes it much different from the cold snow-covered fields of Ouranos. The planets are just as much characters as the cast.
These Dead World Drifter stories are meant to show speckles of hope in a situation that shouldn't have any, but Judgement Sun goes a bit further in that direction than the previous one did. The hope that is found at the end is a far different type than you'll find in modern storytelling, and quite a bit different from Cold Heart of Ouranos. Nonetheless, this is still pure pulp. It's a quick read, full of action and to the point, and it contains a theme that I never tire of.
I have a few short story series, as you've certainly noticed by now, all of which have their own flavor and overarching themes and plots. For one example, check out Someone is Aiming for You & Other Adventures. I enjoy employing episodic storytelling that can be read standalone of read into as part of a greater whole to get two different experiences out of it. Be cause of that, Judgement Sun is just one piece of a larger story that is also strong enough to stand on its own. It's really up to the reader to choose how they wish to engage it.
I'd explain more about the story, but then we'd be going into spoilers, and there's no sense in that! Either way, you can get Judgement Sun in the Sol Anthology here. There are a dozen other great stories to enjoy, too. S be sure to jump in. You can't get a better deal than with the Planetary Anthology series.
The overarching plan with this series is that there are four stories. Each star our main drifter character, but each deals with different sorts of collapses and foes. Cold Heart of Ouranos has a winter theme and Judgement Sun has a summer theme. The final two will have an Autumn and Spring theme, and no, they are not scheduled to be in the remainder of the Planetary Anthology series. One of them hasn't even been written yet! Despite that, the cycle does have an ending in sight. Be sure to read the first half of this exciting series in these Planetary Anthologies. You're going to like where this goes, believe me.
So what's next for the Planetary Anthologies? Well, they are now at 9 of 11 volumes released and the final two volumes (Neptune and Saturn) are now finalized. After several years of work from many talented editors and writers, they are now in the home stretch. From all reports, it looks as if around 90 authors contributed over 180 stories for the entire series! As you can imagine, this must have been a very tough project to manage. With that much content, there s something for everyone.
2020's been quite a difficult year for many, but we're still putting out stories to help make it a bit more easier for you all. Be sure to check them out and enjoy.
It’s just another day, but not for you. The other kids are out playing and their excited shouts fill the stuffed schoolyard. Recess always brings out the best in everyone. You laze under the boughs of your favorite tree with hands nestled behind your head, and just listen. Chirping birds and roaring car motors remind you that the neighborhood is alive.
One of your friends might be calling your name somewhere out there in the chaos, but it doesn’t matter right now. You’re here, and everything’s fine. There’s always the next recess.
The soft, freshly watered grass under your shorts and scuffed up red sneakers make you comfortable. You cross your legs, close your eyes, and take the oncoming summer in.
You can smell the humidity building—only weeks until school lets out. But it won't be out forever. You’re not that lucky. Your eyebrow twitches at that realization. It’s okay, though. Autumn is a ways away. Why bother worrying now?
A soft breeze carrying the scent of a nearby barbecue grill makes your mouth water just a bit. Porterhouse steak. You just had lunch, but it was only a lousy bologna sandwich. Maybe Mom will make steak for the family tonight. Heck, maybe Dad will decide to order pizza! The sky is the limit.
Bells ring from the nearby church. They seem to rattle with the constant beat in the back of your brain. It’s about time to pick up a new CD or two—the old ones are getting samey. One of the guys mentioned a catchy song playing on the radio recently. Oh well, one more mowed lawn and you’ll have enough to get whatever you need. Heck, there should be enough extra to spend at the arcade with your pals. They might have gotten some new games recently.
Today it’s Friday, and tonight there’s a familiar television block waiting for you at home. You also have your pick of cartoons on Saturday morning. The weekend schedule is packed. Time to kick back and relax. Everything is lining up just right.
In the corners of your mind, a tinge tickles your thoughts. You’re supposed to be remembering something important, but it remains just out of reach. Is it homework? Did Mom ask you to do the dishes? Maybe, maybe not. It could be anything. You brush the thought away. You can deal with that later. Why bother worrying now?
The school bell rings and the sounds of children silence as they slip away like water down the drain. They’re gone now, and you’re alone. No big deal, they’ll be back. They always come back, and they always will.
But there you remain, sitting under your favorite tree. You could get up, but there's no need. They won’t notice one kid sitting alone outside.
You open your eyes to catch fat puffs of white clouds drifting through the the harsh beams of sunlight and bright blue sky. The summer heat makes you sigh. That sun is merciless today. You might as well be sitting in a desert.
However, none of that is important right now. Why worry about any of it? The weekend is near.
The silence overtakes your busy thoughts as you slip into slumber.
