Tag-Archive for » Short Stories «
Since it’s up on Storm Moon Press’s website here, I can announce that I have a short story in the upcoming Cast the Cards anthology, available October 31, 2010. It’s still early in the revision process, so I don’t even have a set title for the story yet, but the working title was “Blazing Star” and the story was based around the Star tarot card.
From the website, Cast the Cards includes six new short stories exploring the themes of the tarot’s Major Arcana through the lens of erotic romance.
“Blazing Star” is the story of a mindreader and the fortunetelling woman she loves, set against the very early stages of an apocalypse.
More information as it is available.
Though I started writing my first erotic paranormal romance short story late in 2008 (and it still hasn’t been published, though it’s currently with a publisher and I’m waiting to hear the result), 2009 was the first year I started actively writing and trying to sell short stories. I’m pleased with the way 2009 turned out for me, and I hope to continue this in 2010. (Even though I missed the deadline for the first call for subs to which I intended to submit. I hope the rest go better.)
I submitted six short stories in 2009. One, as I said, is still with the publisher. Two were rightfully rejected, and I am currently rewriting one of those for a call for subs later this year. Three of the stories were published, which absolutely thrilled me.
2009 Publications
1) Like a Thousand Miles of Fire in Bite Me from Torquere Press
“Like a Thousand Miles of Fire” is is the story of a half-demon, Crystal Andraya, and her two vampire lovers, William and Miguel. They defy the rules of their world to be together, and as war looms between vampires and demons, the only place they can find strength and peace is in each other’s arms.
2) Beneath the Changing Moon in the Voracious Vamps line from Total E-Bound
Blurb: Amalia has always loved the way Darren challenged her with his friendship, but as he seduces her romantically and sexually, she knows eventually she will given in to what he truly wants and what is forbidden: the exchange of their blood.
In a world where vampires have almost died out, procreation is the responsibility of every fertile vampire. For Amalia Vallen, infertility is a curse. Not because she’s failing her society but because Darren Lin, the man she’s loved since they were children, is fertile.
Amalia fears their society – and, worse, Darren’s family – will reject their bonding because she can bear no vampire children. To Darren, it doesn’t matter; all he wants is Amalia’s love. As Amalia struggles to overcome the biases she’s internalised, Darren seduces her into romance, sex, and the most important vampire ritual, sharing blood.
3) Hunter, Prey in Like Tooth and Claw from Circlet Press
Blurb: “Hunter, Prey” is the story of Aisha, a black woman in her thirties who loves to hunt, both animals and sexual partners. Her Halloween fling with the strange and sexy Finn becomes something much more when she’s attacked by a mountain lion while deer hunting in the wilds of Missouri and suddenly she’s faced with a whole new meaning for the word hunter — and the word prey.
Though I primarily read and write werewolf stories, I have yet to sell one! I should try to remedy that in 2010. (The story still with a publisher is a werewolf story, though.)
Did you all know that Samhain Publishing has free e-books available? Samhain Publishing Freebies I learned about this when Elizabeth Reeve recommended “Fall, Falling, Fallen” by Karalynn Lee, which she got from Samhain Publishing Freebies. I’m excited to give some new authors a try and will be posting reviews here as I finish reading the stories.
To add to my end of the year joy, today is the release day for Circlet Press’s Like Tooth and Claw anthology, which includes my story, “Hunter, Prey.” (Isn’t that an awesome title? I mean Like Tooth and Claw, but actually, I think “Hunter, Prey” is pretty awesome, too.)
“Hunter, Prey” is the story of Aisha, a black woman in her thirties who loves to hunt, both animals and sexual partners. Her Halloween fling with the strange and sexy Finn becomes something much more when she’s attacked by a mountain lion while deer hunting in the wilds of Missouri and suddenly she’s faced with a whole new meaning for the word hunter — and the word prey.
Like Tooth and Claw is available for sale at a number of places!
Circlet Press’s sales page (PDF)
Amazon Kindle
Fictionwise
All Romance Ebooks
Smashwords
Scribd
Description: In recent years, paranormal romance has become an incredibly popular and steamy genre, delving into the romantic potential of such fantastic creatures as werewolves, and Circlet Press has certainly done our share of werewolf books (Faewolf, Alpha, Like An Animal, The Beast Within). However, wolves are far from the only animal with fantasy potential. Now, Circlet is taking the next step in Like Tooth and Claw, exploring shapeshifters beyond the traditional werewolves.
The six stories in Like Tooth and Claw feature vastly different kinds of shapeshifters, from lions to seals, but the theme of self-discovery remains constant throughout the anthology. Through their transformations into animals that walk, crawl, swim, or fly, the characters learn what it truly means to be an animal, and what it means to be human. Shapeshifting brings freedom, but at what price? Like Tooth and Claw tackles that question and more.
Table of Contents:
• Hunter, Prey by Marie Carlson
• Eagle Eyed by Helen Dring
• Tonight We Work in Silk by Lee Harrington
• Northern Sea by Alex Monagan
• Waylaid by Julie Cox
• Lioness by Amanda Ferry
Today “Beneath the Changing Moon,” one of the stories in Total E-Bound’s Voracious Vamps collection, is available here.
(Edit: Inspired by a conversation with Eliza Reeve, “Beneath the Changing Moon” is approximately 12,000 words and is therefore a novelette and not a short story.)
I’ve talked about the problems I faced while writing it, and I am still worried about those issues, particularly that it looks like I think women should be obsessed with having babies, which I don’t, but overall I am really pleased with this story.
Blurb: Amalia has always loved the way Darren challenged her with his friendship, but as he seduces her romantically and sexually, she knows eventually she will given in to what he truly wants and what is forbidden: the exchange of their blood.
In a world where vampires have almost died out, procreation is the responsibility of every fertile vampire. For Amalia Vallen, infertility is a curse. Not because she’s failing her society but because Darren Lin, the man she’s loved since they were children, is fertile.
Amalia fears their society – and, worse, Darren’s family – will reject their bonding because she can bear no vampire children. To Darren, it doesn’t matter; all he wants is Amalia’s love. As Amalia struggles to overcome the biases she’s internalised, Darren seduces her into romance, sex, and the most important vampire ritual, sharing blood.
There’s an excerpt at the publisher’s website, but I will provide part of it here as well, to entice you to go there.
Excerpt:
August 2009 – Blood Moon
All vampire rituals took place beneath the cycle of the Blood Moon. Our blood was thick in the heat and sluggish in our veins. I wasn’t quite twenty-five when my mom took me to the Blood-Seer. Mom had a fresh manicure and the sick-sweet smell of the chemicals made me gag. I didn’t know how she could stand it. My appointment was early in the month, because we weren’t rich enough to afford the Seer’s work beneath the full moon, but she was wise and her power always great.
Her fingers were dry and rough like gnawed bone when she took my hand and led me into her workroom. The lights were dim, the windows curtained. Night fell late and I was often tired in the summer, but anticipation stirred me, wound me up.
She laid a fire despite the heat, and the warmth of the room was oppressive. My eyes dried out and my skin tingled. When her fingers passed along my arm, numbness followed her touch.
It was better that way, for she lifted my wrists and laid open my veins.
I had felt nothing like it before. I would feel nothing like it ever again.
The Blood-Seer put her mouth to my skin and drank me down, but did not pierce me with her fangs. If she did, her venom would contaminate my blood and she wouldn’t get a good reading from it. That was almost the worst thing which could happen.
She drank for so long my head lolled back and my eyes closed. It hurt too much—it felt too good—too sleep, but my bones were heavy and my joints ached. I was due another growth spurt soon. Mom measured my progress on the wall. She was pleased I was tall like her. I could tell because she smiled widely every time I grew even a centimetre.
“Be still.” The Blood-Seer’s voice was as dry as her hands. I slit my eyes open and watched as she gathered my blood into little glass vials. She would smell it, analyse it, put it under the microscope, add her powders, do her science-magic. No one but a Blood-Seer could know the exact process. We trusted that she was well trained. We trusted that she knew.
No one ever questioned her.
You can read the rest of the excerpt and buy “Beneath the Changing Moon” here.
Carole at Rainbow Reviews posted the first review of Bite Me that I’ve seen. It’s a very good review overall, and makes me even happier to be a part of such an interesting anthology.
Here’s what she said about “Like a Thousand Miles of Fire”:
Marie Carlson deftly draws a world loosely based on California where demons and vampires are mortal enemies in ” Like a Thousand Miles of Fire.” Half-demon Crystal is in love with William and Miguel, a hot pair of vampires, creating an uneasy alliance with both worlds. The threesome seals their bond in explicitly erotic ways as the world around them hints at war. This story is so well-drawn, so fleshed-out (pun intended!) that it could easily stand alone. I hope that Marie Carlson will continue with more stories in this universe.
I am thrilled with this review both because it is an incredibly kind review and because I am writing more stories in Crystal’s world. In fact, an early draft of “Like a Thousand Miles of Fire” read far more like the first chapter to a novel than a short story, but thanks to my fantastic early readers, I cut an entire scene from the end and beat it into short story shape. So knowing that someone wants more of Crystal’s story absolutely made my day.
Thanks, Carole. I love this review.
My short story “Beneath the Changing Moon” will be published by Total E-bound as a part of their Voracious Vamps series this October. “Beneath the Changing Moon” is scheduled to be published 26 October 2009, which is very exciting. I love horror and Halloween and the way the entire month of October is now one long celebration. I love Halloween episodes of my favorite shows and horror movie marathons and the chill in the air and, especially, October’s full moon (4 October, per the Old Farmer’s Almanac).
I’m thrilled to be a part of the media celebration as an author this year.
“Beneath the Changing Moon” is a story about the love, desire, and bloodlust between vampires Amalia and Darren. In a world where vampires have almost died out, procreation is the responsibility of every fertile vampire. For Amalia Vallen, infertility is a curse not because she’s failing her society but because Darren Lin, the man she’s loved since they were children, is fertile. Amalia fears their society – and, worse, Darren’s family – will reject their bonding because she can bear no vampire children. To Darren, it doesn’t matter; all he wants is Amalia’s love. As Amalia struggles to overcome the biases she’s internalized, Darren seduces her romantically and sexually, and she knows eventually she will give in to what he truly wants – and what is absolutely forbidden: the most important vampire ritual, the exchange of their blood.
Here is the cover for “Beneath the Changing Moon”:
All the stories included in the Voracious Vamps line have the same cover. I like that they’re being published separately and that they have matching covers. It’s an interesting way to use technology to make a collection of stories without physically binding them together.
Of course I love the full moon and the way the city looms, old stone worn and moody, and the angle on the shot of the man. He’s not Darren, but I love the bit of menace to the pose and the darkness to the overall cover.
Now that all the behind the scenes details are done – mostly, I’m finishing edits today and tomorrow – I can announce this. My story “Beneath the Changing Moon” will be published by Total E-Bound as a part of their Voracious Vamps collection this fall.
This is the blurb I wrote for “Beneath the Changing Moon”:
In a world where vampires have almost died out, procreation is the responsibility of every fertile vampire. For Amalia Vallen, infertility is a curse not because she’s failing her society but because Darren Lin, the man she’s loved since they were children, is fertile. Amalia fears their society – and, worse, Darren’s family – will reject their bonding because she can bear no vampire children. To Darren, it doesn’t matter; all he wants is Amalia’s love. As Amalia struggles to overcome the biases she’s internalized, Darren seduces her romantically and sexually, and she knows eventually she will give in to what he truly wants – and what is absolutely forbidden: the most important vampire ritual, the exchange of their blood.
Writing “Beneath the Changing Moon” was an interesting experience. For one thing, it was the second erotic short story I ever tried to write, though that first version is much different from the version which will be published. It was also the first time I tried writing heterosexual vampire sex in a short story. (The first one I wrote was a threesome story about werewolves, two women and one man.)
For another thing, I was worried what the thread I could see running through the first two stories, especially if they were both published. (The threesome werewolf story is still with a publisher but I don’t know if it will be published.) I did my time in literature classes, I know how fun it can be to analyze stories and themes that run through an author’s canon. In particular, because infertility plays such a large part of Amalia’s story and the threesome werewolves story also deals with pregnancy and the dangers of giving birth, I feared the two stories together would make it look like I was obsessed with pregnancy and babies. I’m not. I have no plans to ever be pregnant and I rarely spend time around kids, but I also don’t spend a lot of time thinking about pregnancy or children. I certainly didn’t want either of the stories to come across like all women should be obsessed with babies or having children, or that parenthood is the be all and end all for women. (As with everything else, I think it should be a choice. If you want babies and to be a parent, power to you. But no one should feel forced into it.)
Finally, the story I wanted to tell was a nonlinear story and I wasn’t sure I was skilled enough to pull off a story told out of order. I’m so glad I tried, though, because I think themes and imagery running one from section to another really pulled it together well. I am a big fan of nonlinear stories, but talk about difficult writing.
I’ll share the cover as soon as I’m allowed. I’m really looking forward to all the stories in the Voracious Vamps collection and I hope people find “Beneath the Changing Moon” enjoyable too.
Today is The Outer Alliance’s Pride Day. The Outer Alliance is a group of Sci-Fi and Fantasy writers coming together as allies for the advocacy of LGBT issues in literature. Its goal is to educate, support, and celebrate LGBT contributions to SFF.
The mission statement: As a member(1) of the Outer Alliance, I advocate for queer speculative fiction and those who create, publish and support it, whatever their sexual orientation and gender identity. I make sure this is reflected in my actions and my work.
Another part of Pride Day is to post an excerpt from one of your projects. I already posted an excerpt from “Like a Thousand Miles of Fire” (part of Bite Me from Torquere Press, available here), so instead have an excerpt from a work in progress.
I’m not going to get this story polished in time to submit it to the Girl Crush anthology, but I do intend to find a home for it someday. Maybe as a novella instead of a short story. It’s about two women in their thirties who have been best friends their whole lives, and who have experienced a shared loss, and who are now falling for each other. It’s set in Hawaii and has surfing and public sex and light bondage, though this section doesn’t really have any of those things.
Excerpt from “Sand, Surf, Sun”(2):
The air was hot and so wet it was practically a solid mass in my lungs. Sweat trickled between my breasts and pooled inside my sports bra. Ostensibly I was just about to head out the door for a run along the beach, but the heat beat me down and left my sleepy and slumped on the couch.
I shifted my weight. It could be a prelude to actually getting up. My legs were damp and stuck to the couch when I moved. Gross. Instead of standing, I tilted back my head and closed my eyes. My thoughts were syrup, thick and dark and slow, and I drifted in that strange space between sleep and wake.
Something cold and wet pressed against my stomach and I shot up off the couch.
Lani grinned down at me. Deep shadows curved under her eyes and tight lines framed the corners of her mouth, marks of the past year and our loss. When she smiled, she was as beautiful as ever, the vivid, vivacious girl I’d known my whole life turned into a strong, phenomenal woman.
“What was that for?” I tried to sound put out, but there was no heat to my words. It was too warm to fight. Besides, she was a delightful distraction. She stood so close to me I could practically feel the skin of her legs against mine. My stomach tightened and I wanted to squirm.
“You looked thirsty, Jessie.” She handed over the bottle of water and widened her stance a little. Now one of her legs pressed against mine. I twisted the cap off the bottle and gulped half of it down. Rivulets of cold liquid slipped down my chin and dripped onto my chest.
When I stopped to breathe and glanced up at her, I found Lani watching me. My nipples went tight and hard. It was from the shock of the cold water, of course it was, and not from the weight of her watching me.
“It’s so hot.” I couldn’t keep the whine out of my voice. I’d lived on this side of the island my whole life but I never adjusted to the heat of summer. Winter was better for me, when the waves kicked up good surfing and I found the warmth delightful.
“Let’s go for a ride then.” She wore most of her thick, dark hair pulled back in a tight ponytail, but pieces near her temple had come loose. She pushed them out of the way with her fingers, tucking them behind her ears.
“Is the top off the Jeep?” It was too hot to be stuck in a closed box, but if it was open, it might be fun. Slightly cooler at least.
“It can be.” She shrugged and glanced at the digital clock on the wall, giving me a good look at the line of her back and her smooth brown skin. Date, time, and temperature filled the face in thick black digital numbers. Triple digit temperature for the fifth day in a row. No wonder I felt like I was melting.
“Okay. Let me get changed and we can go.” I tried to sit up, but my bones were heavy. She laughed when I flopped against the back of the couch and held out both hands. I stared at them a second, at the short fingers and jagged nails, and then I placed my hands in hers. Her skin was rough, callused, and her grip firm. She curled her fingers around mine and she peeled me up off the couch.
We were almost the same height, and our faces were angled toward each other. She was so close I wouldn’t have to lean forward at all to kiss her cheek, to press my lips to the corner of her mouth, to taste the salt of her skin.
I sidestepped and put space between us. Lani smiled at me again and in it there was a lazy insolence which made my toes curl. My breath caught in my throat and my chest tightened. She was reading my mind, I thought, and I couldn’t decide if it was the worst thing in the world or the best.
“I’ll get the Jeep ready.” She stared at me a moment longer and then turned and walked away. I caught myself staring at her ass. Her jean shorts were baggy, but I thought she looked good in them.
I gave myself a good mental shake. I wasn’t gay. Even if I was bisexual – and I wasn’t sure, I’d never even touched a girl with sexual intent – Lani certainly wasn’t the girl for me.
She’d been my best friend as long as I could remember. We were born hours apart in the same hospital and photo albums from my childhood had us together in our cribs and our playpens, seated next to each other in our highchairs, taking our first steps and speaking our first words. There was even a terribly embarrassing photo of the two of us on matching toddler toilets while we were potty training.
It had been the two of us together for thirty-six years. We had pictures to prove it. And in the background of many of them, a little blurry, not the focus of most of the shots, lurked my big brother.
He had been the love of Lani’s life and when he died thirteen months, two weeks, and three days ago, he’d taken her heart with him. I missed him constantly, a low, uncomfortable pressure which made me feel sick and empty, but I couldn’t imagine how much worse it had to be for her.
Which was why I absolutely, positively did not want to fuck my best friend.
(1) I am not yet officially a member, because I am behind on life right now. Joining is on my giant To Do List of Doom, though.
(2) Working title.
Today I received the cover for the Bite Me anthology which includes my story “Like a Thousand Miles of Fire”(1). Sexy cover for a sexy story!
Here’s the blurb I wrote for the story: Since the dawn of time, demon and vampire societies have existed under a shaky truce. As the threat of war looms, half-demon Crystal Andraya finds strength and the heat of passion in the arms of her vampire lovers William and Miguel. The world they’ve built together may be falling apart around them, but they know what they want and nothing is more important than the love they share.
I’ll share the publisher’s blurb as soon as it’s available.
Here’s the anthology cover. I’m a fan, particularly of the arms. I love defined arms.
Cover for Bite Me anthology
(1) Possibly actually titled “Like a Thousand Miles of Fire”. I should confirm which is correct.