Tag: short stories

insecure writers support group, new release

#IWSG New Anthology Release, First Love: The Art of Making Doughnuts

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Writers, join us for the Insecure Writers Support Group, founded by Alex Cavanaugh.

Thank you to this month’s co-hosts: Kim Lajevardi, Cathrina Constantine, Natalie Aguirre, Olga Godim, Michelle Wallace, and Louise – Fundy Blue!

Congratulations to  Linda Budzinski, Melissa Maygrove, Michael Di Gesu, Sylvia Ney, Katie Klein, Kim Elliott, Templeton Moss, S.E. White,Denise Covey,  and Sammi Spizziri for writing stories about first love in the new IWSG anthology!

I was honored to serve as a judge, and I swooned over the sweet and sexy meet cutes in each story.

First Love: The Art of Making Doughnuts

An Insecure Writer’s Support Group Anthology

The sweetness of first love…

Could a fiercely independent cop’s heart be stolen by the guy who makes her favorite doughnuts? Will a maid who used deceit to snare a mail-order husband get a dose of her own medicine? Can her handsome neighbor rescue a modern-day “princess” from a tenacious ex-boyfriend? Can two strangers in a rideshare be honest enough to fall in love for real? Can you remember your first love? How about your second? Third? Fourth?

Featuring the talents of Linda Budzinski, Melissa Maygrove, Michael Di Gesu, Sylvia Ney, Katie Klein, Kim Elliott, Templeton Moss, S.E. White, Denise Covey, and Sammi Spizziri. Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these ten tales will touch your heart and rekindle lost feelings. Prepare to return to that first love…

Release date: September 6, 2022

Print ISBN – 9781939844880, $14.95

EBook ISBN – 9781939844897, $4.99

Romance – Clean & Wholesome (FIC027270) / Contemporary (FIC027020) / Historical (FIC027050)

186 pages, Freedom Fox Press, an imprint of Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C.

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#IWSG The Power of Language and New Anthology

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Ho hey, it’s MAY! My favorite season of summer is upon us, and I can’t wait to swim in the sunshine and absorb vitamin D.

Just yesterday, Dancing Lemur Press released the latest IWSG anthology, Masquerade: Oddly Suited. I’m delighted to join nine authors penning short stories. Check out all of the blogs to read blurbs and learn more about these diverse, engaging characters!

Myles Christensen www.myleschristensen.com

Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh for starting this awesome support group. Sign up HERE.

IWSG Day Question:
What was an early experience where you learned that language had power? 


Wow, this question provokes thought. One time that stands out for me is when I learned to be a therapist in grad school. I remember my supervisors teaching me the importance of language for accurate listening and building rapport with my clients. I learned to use the same words as my clients–if they say, “That pissed me off!” then I reply, “You were pissed off.” But I also developed the skill of listening to the unsaid words, empathizing with something like, “Underneath your anger is a deep sense of hurt.”

Thank you to the awesome co-hosts for the May 1 posting of the IWSG:

Lee Lowery, Juneta Key, Yvonne Ventresca, and T. Powell Coltrin 


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#IWSG Masquerade: Oddly Suited Anthology #YA #romance

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How’s your February going, writers? Join us for the monthly support group at Alex Cavanaugh’s blog.


One of the best aspects of the IWSG is meeting diverse and talented writers across the blogoverse. The opportunity to be part of our next anthology has highlighted this benefit for me.

Check out this shining group of authors contributing stories to Masquerade: Oddly Suited!


Fellow author Anstice Brown created this fun cover reveal video:



If you want to support the anthology, please like our Facebook page.

And you can sign up for the blog tour HERE.

Happy Singles Awareness Day on February 14th!

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New Release: ONCE by @MiladyRonel #faerietales #collection

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Congratulations to Ronel Janse van Vuuren on the release of her faerie tale collection, ONCE!


Publication date: 23 May 2018

Universal Book Links for Afrikaans and English versions of this book:

“Eens…” https://www.books2read.com/u/bwYWzZ

“Once…” https://www.books2read.com/u/bzPPpD

 

Blurb:


Damsels in distress, curses, echoes of faery tales and tragic love affairs swirl together in sixteen stories found in a dragon’s lair by a curious half-fae.

Unexpected changes to reality causes more than one damsel to turn into a strong, independent woman who takes charge of her own life.

A collection of short stories about Faerie and the fae that live in the human realm. A few of the stories had won competitions and all of them had enchanted readers.

Learn their secrets and enter the realm of the fae…

ISBN EPUB: 978-0-6399476-2-4

ISBN Paperback: 978-0-6399476-3-1

My Books Page https://ronelthemythmaker.wordpress.com/my-books/


Excerpt:

Mortals cannot perceive the veil unless they are invited to – or extremely gifted. For centuries, Man and Fae have been kept apart, for nothing good ever comes from them mixing. The collection of The Adventures of Saphira the Faery Dog is proof of this.

Still, there are magical creatures that side neither with Man nor Fae.

Dragons are such creatures. They hold the knowledge of both worlds. Some even collect it in the written word, keeping it safe in their lairs.

An inquisitive half-fae once broke into the lair of a dragon known to hoard books. The knowledge she found was too much to keep to herself…

Here are a few tales, myths and legends from Faerie. Some may sound remarkably similar to legends held by mortals, while others are… well… as otherworldly as the fae themselves.



Ronel Janse van Vuuren is the author of New Adult, Young Adult and children’s fiction filled with mythology and folklore. Her dark fantasy stories can be read for free on Wattpad and on her blog Ronel the Mythmaker. She won Fiction Writer of the Year 2016 for her Afrikaans stories on INK: Skryf in Afrikaans. Her published works can be viewed on Goodreads. 

Ronel can be found tweeting about writing and other things that interest her, arguing with her characters, researching folklore for her newest story or playing with her Rottweilers when she’s not actually writing. 

All of her books are available for purchase on Amazon. 

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New Release BLUE SLUDGE BLUES by Shannon Lawrence @thewarriormuse #horror #shortstory

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This short story collection looks freaky and fun!

Blue Sludge Blues & Other Abominations
by Shannon Lawrence

Release Date: March 15, 2018
Horror short story collection


A collection of frights, from the psychological to the monstrous. These tales are a reminder of how much we have to fear: A creature lurking in the blue, sludgy depths of a rest area toilet; a friendly neighbor with a dark secret hidden in his basement; a woman with nothing more to lose hellbent on vengeance; a hike gone terribly wrong for three friends; a man cursed to clean up the bodies left behind by an inhuman force. These and other stories prowl the pages of this short story collection.

Excerpt

From What the Fire Left Behind:

“Heat suffused my body, and the fire inside me awakened with those screams, birthed from my nightmares, my loss and terror. It scorched its way through me. Where it burned, it cauterized, leaving scars that would never heal.”

Buy the Book


Also available from Apple and other countries through Amazon

About the Author

A fan of all things fantastical and frightening, Shannon Lawrence writes mostly fantasy and horror. Her stories can be found in magazines and anthologies, including Space and Time Magazine, Dark Moon Digest, and Ember: A Journal of Luminous Things. When she’s not writing, she’s hiking the wilds of Colorado and photographing her magnificent surroundings, where, coincidentally, there’s always a place to hide a body or birth a monster.

Social Media Links

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Cover Reveal BLUE SLUDGE BLUES by @thewarriormuse Shannon Lawrence

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Congratulations to Shannon Lawrence on the upcoming release of her horror short story collection, Blue Sludge Blues & Other Abominations! Check out this *creepy* cover.

A collection of frights, from the psychological to the monstrous. These tales are a reminder of how much we have to fear: a creature lurking in the blue, sludgy depths of a rest area toilet; a friendly neighbor with a dark secret hidden in his basement; a woman with nothing more to lose hellbent on vengeance; a hike gone terribly wrong for three friends; a man cursed to clean up the bodies left behind by an inhuman force. These and other stories prowl the pages of this short story collection.

Release Date: March 15, 2018

Available for Pre-Order in e-book now at the following locations:

Will also be available in trade paperback from Amazon US and UK, Apple iBooks and everywhere else Smashwords distributes to, and Amazon in other countries.

Thanks to Shannon’s husband, Jeff Lawrence, for the cover design, and to Jared Hagan for her author photos.


A fan of all things fantastical and frightening, Shannon Lawrence writes primarily horror and fantasy. Her stories can be found in magazines and anthologies, including Space and Time Magazine, Dark Moon Digest, and Spinetingler. Though she often misses the ocean, the majestic and rugged Rockies are a sight she could never part with. Besides, in Colorado there’s always a place to hide a body or birth a monster. What more could she ask for?


You can find her at her website/blog, Facebook, Twitter, and at her author pages at Amazon and Smashwords.


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New Release: LOST and FOUND by @Maria_Savva #ShortStory #Collection

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Congratulations to Maria Savva on the release of Lost and Found.


Available for pre-order HERE. Release date 3/18/16!


I love Maria’s short story collections. Check out my REVIEW for Fusion.


Lost and Found:

Human nature is not neat and predictable.

What makes us betray a loved one?

Can isolation lead to irrational behaviour?

Why do other people’s lives always look more appealing?

Ordinary people living ordinary lives, torn apart by regret, remorse, and deceit. We’re all stumbling through life together. This collection of stories shows you the Lost and Found among us.

It will also be available in paperback soon.

Find Maria!

Website: Maria Savva – Official Site
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Author-Maria-Savva-171466979781/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Maria_Savva

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New Release: Far Away in Time by Maria Savva

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Our lives are a series of stories, and we are the characters with the starring roles. The memories, regrets, secrets, and struggles that fill these pages are at once unique and relatable. These stories belong to us all.

Eight unforgettable tales reaching out to a place Far Away In Time…



Available on Amazon Kindle:


Amazon CA: http://www.amazon.ca/Far-Away-Time-Maria-Savva-ebook/dp/B00J0G11S0/


Author bio:

Maria Savva lives and works in London. She studied Law at Middlesex University and The College of Law. She is a lawyer, although not currently practising law. She writes novels and short stories in different genres, including drama, psychological thriller, and family saga. Many of her books and stories are inspired by her years working as a lawyer, although she has not written a courtroom drama to date. She has published five novels, the most recent of which is Haunted, a crime fiction/psychological thriller. Far Away In Time is her sixth collection of short stories. You can find out more about her work at her official website: http://www.mariasavva.com