Summer Short Story Spectacular, Season 1, Episode 12 - VALERIE DOUGLAS

Today I welcome multi-published author and friend, the very versatile Valerie Douglas. I first met Valerie, as most authors meet each other these days—online—but I can say that she's become a friend. 

Valerie is a prolific writer and a genre-crosser, much to the delight of her fans. A fan of authors in almost every genre she writes classic fantasy, romance, suspense, and, as V.J. Devereaux, erotic romance.

Happily married to the love of her life and her best friend, she's also companion to two dogs, four cats and an African clawed frog named Hopper who delights in tormenting the cats from his tank.

Here is her guest blog post which I'm sure you will find interesting. 

It’s weird, there are times when I look at the words on a page, and I don’t remember writing them. I know I did, but I’m a pantser – I write by the seat of my pants – so I just write, transcribing what’s happening to these people and how their world works. There are times when these characters who have become as close as friends, if not closer, make me laugh or smile, and times when the tears pour down my face even as I type.

But I always say, ‘if I’m not feeling it, my readers aren’t feeling it’ and that seems to be true, judging by my reviews.

An old canard of the writing profession was that you had to write and publish short stories before you could get a publisher to take you seriously. Unfortunately for me, I could never quite manage to write short. Every time I tried, it would get longer and longer – and in some cases, very long. 

Some characters stay with you, though, and in some cases they stay with readers. In this case, beta readers.

I had written one novel – The Coming Storm - with a prologue detailing the events that would lead to the main story, but I quickly realized that the prologue was mostly what writers call back-story, and not necessary to the novel. 

Being a smart writer, though, I wasn’t silly enough to delete it, I just cut and saved it under another name.

However, my beta readers asked how two of the characters got together to precipitate the events that followed. I wanted to know, too… and suddenly, I found the ability to write a short story that explained how that relationship came about. That novel became Not Magic Enough.

That brought up another question – in The Coming Storm, three of the main characters clearly have a history. Although it’s mentioned in the main book, like any memory, no one goes into any details. I wanted to know how their unlikely friendship developed.

I’m not sure that I’ll ever be able to write more short stories – there’s this story based from another series that I thought would be short, but it already looks like it will go longer than I anticipated. *laughing* Not exactly a bad thing….


For more information visit:

www.valeriedouglasbooks.com

Summer Short Story Spectacular, Season 1, Episode 11 - J.M. DAVIS

As  the summer winds down and we begin to come to the end of Season 1 of the Summer Short Story Spectacular,  I'd like to introduce you to short story mystery author, J.M. Davis. 

Tell the  readers a bit about yourself, J.M.

After I retired, I began writing a family newsletter. Prior to that, all of my writing had been factual material pertaining to my career, technical agreements, patent applications, and company polices. In each family newsletter I added one story based on some event that happened during my youth. My brothers and sister told me they really enjoyed reading those stories. Apparently, the only part of the newsletter they actually liked.

In 2001, I decided to try writing fiction. I wrote for nineteen hours straight, only taking short breaks. Writing fiction gave me the kind of enjoyment I had from circuit designs during my early years as a young engineer.

A few years later, I began attending the writers conference held in Oklahoma City each year. Two of my short stories won third place in the categories in which they were entered. The following year, my novel won third place as well. I continued to write mainly for my own enjoyment, until I learned I could publish my stories in digital format.

I published my first short story on March 5, 2013. So far I have published five short stories, one suspense novel, and one romantic comedy. I plan to  continue writing short stories and novels until my mind gives out.

What is your all-time favorite short story and why?

A short story that has stayed with me for decades is The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry, the pen name for William Sydney Porter. I was a young boy the first time I heard that story, but I understood the theme. When I was older, I read the story and thought it was even better than I had remembered it from my youth.

The Gift of the Magi is the story of a poor, young couple who love each other so much they sacrifice the most important things in their lives in order to get enough money to purchase their spouse a gift for Christmas. The gifts then turn out to be useless because Jim sold his watch to purchase a set of combs for Della's long flowing hair, but Della sold her hair to get enough money to purchase a chain for Jim's watch, handed down to him from his father, who had gotten it from his Jim's grandfather. 

J.M. you are the third Season 1 author to talk about that story. Readers, if you want to read it, flip back to my blog with Teresa Leigh Judd, in Episode 9. I put a link in that blog to the story in its entirety.  J.M., what is the most difficult part of writing short fiction?

For me, the most difficult part of writing short fiction is including enough information to convey the story clearly, without writing so much detail it drags the pace down. My first drafts often leave out a few things the reader needs to know to fully gasp the theme I want to convey. Writers understand why their characters do certain things, but if those reason are not made clear to the reader somewhere within the story, the reader may not fully understand the character's motives for certain actions.  

What piece of advice would you give to a prospective short story writer?

I recommend getting the complete story down first, and then go back and start revising it. I have found that works best for me. Paragraphs and scenes can be switched around later. The final versions of my short stories are generally far different the original drafts. 

Which of  your short stories should we read first and why?

My initial thought was to recommend one of the free stories, but after more thought, I decided to recommend the short story, As Tough As They Come. This story is about the bond formed between a mother and her son, that was never broken, even after he was abandoned by his mother when he was eight years old.

The story starts out like a murder mystery, with the main character in a courtroom on trial for a murder he did not commit. When it appears the defendant has no chance of walking out of the courtroom a free man, his mother shows up to save him from a guilty verdict. Before he can ask her why she never came back for him, twenty years earlier, she goes back into hiding.

During his quest to find her, he is charged with a second murder and becomes the most hunted man in the country. While trying to find his mother, a nationwide manhunt for the main character intensifies, and it appears his days of freedom will soon come to an end. With the authorities closing in on him, he has one last chance to find the truth.        

Where can readers find you?

Blog
Facebook Page
Amazon Author Page
Smashwords Author Page
Nook
Kobo

Summer Short Story Spectacular, Season 1, Episode 10 - BOBBI CHUKRAN

Mid-august and still as hot as ever, even though here in Canada, summer is—dare we say it—beginning to wind down. (Oh! Say it isn't so!) Although where my next writer guest lives it's probably hot as ever! Right, Bobbi?

I welcome short story author Bobbi Chukran today to Summer Short Story Spectacular, Season 1, Episode 10. Hard to believe there's been 10 episodes already! If any of you have missed any of the episodes, just click on the links to the side of this blog and you'll get caught up on some great reads!

Bobbi Chukran is a native Texan, born in Ft. Worth. She grew up in Grapevine then moved to Austin to earn a B.A. degree in Studio Art/Design. Her first article was published back in 1982. Bobbi wrote and published non-fiction for over 25 years until she finally turned her attention to fiction. Her first historical mystery novel, Lone Star Death, was published in 2006 and she launched her contemporary Nameless, Texas short story series last year. 

Bobbi lives in a small town outside Austin where she has numerous opportunities to observe strangeness and quirkiness---all fodder for her fiction.

What is your all-time favorite short story, Bobbi and why?

It's hard to choose just one if you're talking about stories written by others. In general, although they aren't mysteries, I love Bailey White's stories. I love small town stories about quirky, sometimes funny people wrapped up in suspense, and to me, hers are suspenseful in their own way. I always wonder how they'll turn out and that keeps me reading until the end. Her characters are so familiar to me. For years, I wondered why that was and finally realized it was because my grandmother was born in Alabama and passed along a lot of that "Southern-ness" to me---although I'm a native Texan.

My favorite story that I wrote is a new one, The Passing of Big Mama Mayhall. It's based on my memories of kinfolks' funerals and some quirky characters I've known (and have been kin to). Although it's come very close a few times, at this time, it's still unpublished. I'll probably include it in a collection of my stories I'm putting together now. It's one of my more "Hitchcockian" stories and those are the kinds I love to write. Small town tales of revenge seem to be my thing.

What is the most difficult part of writing short fiction? 

The writing of short fiction comes easy to me for some reason. Probably because I see the story as a short movie playing in my head and frequently see the ending before I start. Maybe because I've been writing short stories since I was a young child. At one time, in a previous life as a non-fiction author, I wrote thousands of short profiles of artists and business-people. I also write short plays and many of those are just ten-minutes long-—about the size of a short story. So I think that length is sort of ingrained in my mind. 

Another thing is that I watched a lot of television growing up, and many of those shows were 30-minutes long. Somewhere along the way, that length became, to me, to be the perfect way to tell a story.

One of the hardest parts, I suppose, is that I want to write mystery and suspense, and my quirky, funny writing sometimes doesn't lend itself to a story where murder is the centerpiece. So it's a fine line juggling those two things. I've tried being more serious, but I'm afraid at this point it's impossible for me to change.

Secondly, I know I need to write something longer, another novel, in order to get the attention I need as an author. That's more of a marketing thing, though.

What piece of advice would you give to a prospective short story writer?

Commit to doing the work and don't expect to get rich writing short stories. So many new writers just don't want to do the work required.  Read thousands of short stories in all genres and especially any that really attract your attention. Track down and read the vintage pulp stories if you're interested in those. They're readily available these days. And there are thousands of older stories online that you can read for free.

Read "how-to" books on writing short fiction (although I have found very few really good ones) and none that talk specifically about writing mystery fiction. 

Realize that a short story is not just a novel that's shorter—the structure and whole purpose of the story is different. Then, when you're ready to submit your work, start small. Swap stories with author friends you respect and take their advice. There are lots of online 'zines out there, and many of them will publish crime and mystery stories. There aren't as many outlets for traditional (cozy) mystery stories, unfortunately. Many authors I know write in several genres, making it easier to market the stories.

And the old adage of "writing what you know" applies to short stories, too. I call this "authentic writing." Some of my best stories are those set in small towns about quirky characters that fall into trouble through no fault of their own. Most of my stories were inspired by things that really happened, snippets of conversation, or people I've observed. Use those observations, because they are a gold-mine for short stories. TAKE notes!

Which of your short stories should we read first and why?

I have a handful of short stories online that can be read for free, and I have my Nameless, Texas series for sale on Amazon as e-stories

My favorite free story is "Sadie and the Museum Lady," published in the excellent online 'zine, The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature. 

Well, Bobbi, I read Aunt Jewel and the Poisoned Potlikker and even though I'm a northerner through and through  it was positively delightful! There are some things that are universals, and small towns wherever they may be all have certain things in common. Where can my readers find you, Bobbi?

My links:

Website
Blog
Facebook
Amazon author page

Summer Short Story Spectacular! Season 1, Episode 9—TERESA LEIGH JUDD

Anyone who gets their author bio picture taken with their cat is a friend of mine. No questions asked. So when I saw Teresa's author picture I knew she would be someone whose stories I would like and someone I could  be friends with. 

 The Summer Short Story Spectacular! Season 1, Episode 9 welcomes short story author Teresa Leigh Judd who writes these wonderfully awesome stories about dragons.

First, let's meet Teresa.

She grew up in Washington state and attended the University of Washington, majoring in Far Eastern Studies. After graduation, she went to work for the government in Washington, D.C. for several years. She married and moved to California where she had three children. They all subsequently moved to Cherry Hill, New Jersey and lived there for 13 terrific years before moving back to California, where she now resides in the foothills outside of Sacramento. She has worked in advertising and marketing and is now an independent sales rep for a number of gift companies. Her work takes her into the Gold Country of northern California as well as northern Nevada.

She began writing in 2008 and joined the Sacramento Chapter of Sisters in Crime. Her story, “Playing House” was published in their anthology, Capital Crimes and this encouraged her to continue writing. She has had a number of stories printed in various anthologies, including the 2009 edition of Deadly Ink where she placed second. She is currently working on a series of cozy mysteries featuring two housewives who belong to a mystery book club and have the unfortunate luck to stumble across dead bodies on occasion.

Teresa, what is your all-time favorite short story and why?

 

Since I love to write stories with a twist at the end, my all-time favorite story would have to be The Gift of the Magi by O.Henry. I love the irony at the end as well as the positive message.

Teresa, you are the second person this summer who's mentioned that story! It is a favorite of mine, too. If you readers want to read it, it's online and can be read in its entirety here. 

Teresa, what, for you is the most difficult part of writing short fiction?

I would have to say it is including all the necessary information to make the story work without going into overly-long details. It is sometimes a challenge, but always fun when it works out.

What piece of advice would you give to a prospective short story writer?

Get the story down first and then do the editing. It’s easy to get bogged down in the writing to the detriment of the story. Although you asked for only one piece of advice, my second piece would be to make sure you read it aloud and have someone else read it for format and typos. Readers are put off by a poor presentation no matter how good the story itself is.

Which of your short stories should we read first and why?

This is a difficult question since of course, they are all my children. I decided that I would probably recommend “A Safe Place”, one of the stories in my collection, Dragon Tales. A young woman moves to a small town to raise her daughter away from a big city environment. She discovers that the townspeople are keeping a big secret. She has to decide what course of action to take. I think it is representative of my writing style and incorporates aspects of the theme in a definitive way.

The collection was a lot of fun to write since I challenged myself to think of as many dragon items as I could and then wrote stories about them. So, among the stories is a woman who dreams of dragons and a drawing of a dragon that brings the owner good luck and then disappears. There is one story about “real” dragons and their dragonslayer and one about an embroidered robe that transforms the owner. There are seventeen stories in all. 

Teresa, I loved that story. It drew me in with its simplicity and the obvious love between mother and daughter yet with an edge of fear and suspense which held me until the end! Where can readers find you?

My links:

website

Summer Short Story Spectacular, Season 1, Episode 8 - ROSEMARY McCRACKEN

I'm so pleased,  really, really pleased (am I overdoing it?) to introduce you to another fellow Canadian and fellow mystery writer Rosemary McCracken on this Summer Short Story Spectacular, Season 1, Episode 8. The reason I could  be accused of "overdoing" my effusive praise is that I love getting the word out there about our wonderful Canadian crime writers. And Rosemary is a remarkable writer! Just read The Sweetheart Scamster in the Mesdames of Mayhem, and I know you will agree!

Let's meet this wonderful writer!

Born and raised in Montreal, Rosemary McCracken has worked on newspapers across Canada as a reporter, arts writer and reviewer, an editor. She is now a Toronto–based freelance journalist, specializing in personal finance and the financial service industry. Rosemary's short fiction has been published by Room of One's Own Press, Kaleidoscope Books, Sisters in Crime Canada, Nefarious North, Mesdames of Mayhem, and on numerous blogs.

Safe Harbor, the first novel in Rosemary’s Pat Tierney mystery series, was shortlisted for Britain's Crime Writers' Association's Debut Dagger Award in 2010. It was published by Imajin Books in 2012. Its sequel, Black Water, was released in May 2013. “The Sweetheart Scamster,” a Pat Tierney short story in the crime fiction anthology, Thirteen, was a finalist for a 2014 Derringer Award. The Toronto Star’s Jack Batten calls Pat Tierney “a hugely attractive sleuth figure."

Time for a few questions. Rosemary, what is your all-time favorite short story and why?

My favorite story isn’t a crime story. It’s The Gift of the Magi, American author O. Henry’s classic Christmas fable about a young couple who wanted to give each other the perfect Christmas present. The story is a lesson in selfless gift-giving that resonates with readers. I, for one, delight in its twist ending and its characters’ concerns. Haven’t most of us deliberated on what gift to give someone we love…and what kind of gift really matters? Since it was first published in 1905, the story has been retold in a number of films, an opera, a TV movie and in countless stories. 

I did my own take on “The Gift of the Magi” in my Pat Tierney Mother’s Day story, “All Maxed Out.” It ran on author Lorie Lewis Ham’s blog, King’s River Life, on May 7. Read it here.

What is the most difficult part of writing short fiction for you, Rosemary?

Novel writers, like myself, may find it difficult to turn their hands to short stories, probably because we assume that a short story is a short novel. This is not the case. The two are different forms of story-telling. Not only are short stories much shorter than novels, but they are also less complex, with a single plot line, a few characters, a single point of view, and one or two settings. A story that has a large cast of characters, multiple plot lines and points of view, and a variety of settings and time periods should probably be a novel. 

What advice do you have for a prospective short story writer?

Organize your ideas for your story. What is the central conflict? Who are the characters? What will the climax—the story’s turning point—be? Jot down a few ideas of how you could end the story.

Decide who will tell the story: a first-person narrator, a second-person (“you”) narrator or by an outside, third-person narrator. Keep to this point of view.

Open with a scene that introduces the story’s central conflict. In my story, “The Sweetheart Scamster,” financial planner Pat Tierney learns that her elderly client, Trudy Sullivan, has a new man in her life. Pat is instantly on the alert because she knows that a lonely, wealthy woman can be an easy mark for fortune hunters.

Then start writing. Let the story tell itself.

When the story is finished, walk away from it for a few days…or a few months. Return to it wearing your editor’s hat. Check for the story’s overall flow, and how the characters are introduced. Have you given each character a short physical description—a tag such as sparkling green eyes or a long, sad face like a Basset Hound? Look for grammar and spelling mistakes, and typos. And for word repetitions.

Give the edited version of the story to a friend or a colleague whose opinion you value for feedback. And consider joining a writers’ group that meets regularly to critique members’ works. My writers’ group is one of my most valuable writing resources.

Which of your short stories should we read first and why?

I hope you’ll read “The Sweetheart Scamster” that was published in the 2013 crime fiction anthology Thirteen. It features Pat Tierney, the first-person protagonist of my mystery series. Like some stories, it seemed to be a gift from the Muse and it almost wrote itself. In the opening scene, Pat learns that her elderly client may be target of a sweetheart scam, in which a con artist tries to win the affection of a lonely person and then takes over her financial affairs. A number of red flags in the next pages—the story’s rising action—seem to support Pat’s suspicions. And the story ends with a twist. 

But while the writing seemed to be almost effortless, “The Sweetheart Scamster” is based in a good deal of research that I did in my other line of work as a journalist. I write articles about personal finance, which involves interviewing people like Pat Tierney and attending their conferences. The financial services industry revolves around money, so it will always attract some bad apples bent on chasing easy money. But there are a lot of committed people in the industry, people like Pat who care about their clients and have sleepless nights during market downturns. They want to see fraudsters weeded out and punished, and believe that the system is too soft on offenders.

“The Sweetheart Scamster” will be part of a collection of Pat Tierney stories I hope to launch in a few years. 

Where can readers find you?

Website
Blog

Summer Short Story Spectacular! Season 1, Episode 7—KAYE GEORGE

During these heady days of hot summer sun I would love for you to meet an award winning author Kaye George, my guest for Season 1, Episode 7 of the Summer Short Story Spectacular. By her own admission, Kaye "writes all over the place." Some of her stories are sweet, some are mysterious and dark, some are sad, some are happy, but all are worth loading onto your Kobo or Kindle to head down to the beach with. 

The first story in her anthology, the award winning Flash Mob (In A Patchwork of Stories), chilling and left me with the feeling, whoa, wow, that was not what I was expecting! It stayed with me a long time. I'm not surprised it was a second place winner in the Fire to Fly short story contest. 

Let's meet this remarkable writer. Kaye George is a short story writer and novelist who has been nominated for three Agatha awards and has been a finalist for the Silver Falchion. She is the author of four mystery series: the Imogene Duckworthy humorous Texas series, the Cressa Carraway musical mystery series, the Fat Cat cozy series (coming in 2014), and The People of the Wind Neanderthal series.

Her short stories can be found in her collection, A Patchwork of Stories as well as in several anthologies, various online and print
magazines. She reviews for Suspense Magazine and writes for several newsletters and blogs. Kaye lives in Knoxville, TN.

If you've been following my summer blog you now know the drill. Time for some questions, Kaye! What is your all-time favorite short story and why?

Anything by O. Henry. I can't pick a favorite, but would someday like to write one as good as his worst.

What is the most difficult part of writing short fiction for you, Kaye?

Finding the time! I sandwich them in between working on novels, which is where the money, such as it is, is.

What piece of advice would you give to a prospective short story writer?

Read a ton of them. Write a few. Read another ton. Keep writing for several years. Then you'll be there, if this is what you really want to do.

Which of your short stories should we read first and why?

I don't think it matters at all, but be prepared. My shorts are all over the place. Some are light and fluffy, some are dark. One is a diet spoof, one is a Chicago cop story. There are even some dark fantasy/ horror singles for sale online. I've never settled down into one set kind of story. The ideas pop up like afternoon thunderstorms and I feel I have to capture them before they evaporate.

Here's where you can find Kaye - 

Kaye's website

Kaye's Amazon page

Kaye's short stories can be found here

A free audio story can be found here

Summer Short Story Spectacular, Season 1, Episode 6 - VJ SCHULTZ

Today's guest and I have something in common. We share a love for Edgar Allan Poe. So, right off the bat, I knew I'd love her writing, and I was not disappointed. Her Death of Bigfoot is a wonderful and fun read. 
Here is a bit about today's guest, VJ Schultz 

VJ wanted to write books ever since she could read them by herself. Her latest book is a collection of romance short stories, Undercover Love & Other Tales. She enjoys writing in multiple genres including mystery, romance, and fantasy. She and her husband live in Missouri with three spoiled inside cats, one less-spoiled outside cat, and one happy parakeet. When she isn’t writing or teaching writing, she takes photos, reads, and does Tai Chi. A member of Sisters in Crime, VJ is also a founding member of Sleuths' Ink, a mystery and suspense writing group.VJ, what is your all-time favorite short story and why?

Edgar Allan Poe’s The Tell Tale Heart is my favorite short story. Poe wrote it with a wonderful psychological angle and the story is packed-full of suspense.

When writing many of my own stories, I tend to employ suspense and psychology. I love to throw in a twist.
What is the most difficult part of writing short fiction?

I don’t really find it difficult to write short fiction, so this question is a hard one to answer. But I guess it would be keeping a story short that decides it wants to be long. The reverse is true for writing novel-length and finding it hard to make the story longer when it naturally comes to a shorter ending.

What piece of advice would you give to a prospective short story writer? 

In one word, “Start.” If you don’t start a story, you won’t tell the tale, and you certainly won’t end it.

Which of your short stories should we read first and why?

This is one of those “It depends” questions. If you like mystery and suspense, then pick up my collection, Death of Bigfoot & Other Tales. The title story Death of Bigfoot is a fun tale to read. 

If you like weird, odd and the paranormal, then try on Truth or Dare & Other Tales for discomfort. My favorite within this volume is “White Lightning” because it has a distinct Ozark Mountains flavor, a bit of history, and...well, I’m not going to ruin it for you.

If you like sweet romance stories, Undercover Love & Other Tales is for you. The story that means the most to me in this collection is Dancing Down the Aisle because one of the characters, Opal Brewster, is loosely based upon my mom.



How can readers find you, VJ? After this enticing interview I'm sure they will want to!
Website

Blog

Summer Short Story Spectacular! Season 1, Episode 5 - C.A. ROWLAND

Raise the balloons everybody this Saturday for short story writer, C. A. Rowland!

C.A. is currently working on short stories and a mystery novel set in Savannah, Georgia. She is a regular blogger on mostlymystery.com. She’s also a member of Sisters In Crime, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Virginia Writer’s Club, Inc., and Riverside Writers. Her short stories, An Interview with a Rabbit and The Crock of Gold, were originally published in 2013 in the e-magazine, Kings River Life, and An Interview with a Rabbit was included in the anthology, Rappahannock Voices .

With an introduction like that, I'm sure we're all eager to hear more about you. Tell me, what is your all-time favorite short story and why?

My favorite short story is Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery. However, I also love Edgar Allan Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado and many more recent stories. Each one struck a chord that has remained with me. One of my writing workshop instructor’s once made the point that short stories are written, at least in part, to provoke an emotional response. Both of these stories had that quality in spades. That’s not to say that all short stories have to do that but these were so well constructed that they touched many people in a way that’s not quickly forgotten.

The Lottery! What a chilling story! You are the first of the Season 1 writers to mention that story - but it is one, I know, that stays with the reader for a long, long time. And readers, if you haven't read it here online. It was written back in 1949, and is just as gripping today as it was back then. Okay, back to the questions, tell me C.A. what is the most difficult part of writing short fiction?


For me, honing the story down is the most difficult part. I have many short stories that quickly move to novella length or longer. In a long work, you can have multiple tangents and subplots, but in a short story you need to try to narrow the story line to one main storyline. In addition, if you are writing for a particular magazine or anthology, you have word count limitations and that can be difficult as well. However, being able to write a solid memorable short story is an dart and the skills can be applied to longer pieces.

What piece of advice would you give to a prospective short story writer?

Write, re-write, re-write and re-write again. Read the work aloud to find rough patches. Have your work critiqued by someone you trust that will provide constructive feedback. Critiques can be extremely helpful but a writer needs to select who to give their work to with care. Preferably someone who has written or likes short stories and someone who knows your genre well.

C.A., which of your short stories should we read first and why?



I am still honing my craft but the story that I would read first is The Gift which was a semi-finalist in Bethlehem Writer’s Roundtable 2014 Short Story contest. Unfortunately, it is not yet available so I don’t have a site or anthology reference for it but as soon as I have one I will post it on my website. Sadie’s Selkie is a quirky story about a woman’s encounter with a summoned selkie and will be available in the anthology, Strangely Funny 2 ½ in the fall/winter. Otherwise, I have 2 stories in King’s River Life which is a free e-magazine and the link to the e-zine is in my bio below.


Where can readers find you C.A.?

Website


Twitter handle: @writer4993