catherineldf | Entries tagged with short fiction

Seeing as all the cool kids are doing it.

Eligible for short fiction awards:
"Preserves" (sf/horror)
"Miss Lucy's Glass" (horror)
"Duchess" (horror)
"Cherubim" (horror), all in Unfinished Business: Tales of the Dark Fantastic
"Lost Girl" (horror) - Fireside Magazine
"Hunger" (horror) - American Monsters Part 2 edited by Margrét Helgadóttir (Fox Spirit Books)

Horror is often eligible for fantasy awards, for what that's worth. My favorites in here are "Preserves," "Lost Girl" and "Hunger."

Queen of Swords Press:
"Wireless" by Alex Acks is eligible for novella length awards; the other stories in Wireless and More Steam-Powered Adventures are reprints and not eligible. It's already on the Nebula Reading List so if you're a SFWA member, maybe check it out?

Wireless is currently up for the Midwest Book Awards and the Colorado Book Awards.
Unfinished Business is up for the new Ladies of Horror Fiction Awards and the Midwest Book Awards.

Thanks for considering!

In the past couple of weeks, I've seen Black Panther twice, done a bunch of day jobbery stuff and almost got a new book published, so it's been hectic. And I've been terrible at posting. Will try and do better.

My new Out of The Past column is up and this time around, I'm looking at the very recent past with an interview with editor and author Bogi Takács about recent trans and nonbinary speculative fiction.
My story, "One Night in Saint Martin," about pirates and spies and ladies kissing in the 17th Century Caribbean will be getting a professional reading on Heather Rose Jones's Lesbian Historic Motif Podcast on 3/31, the day after my birthday!
Queen of Swords Press will be releasing Alex Acks's Murder on the Titania and Other Steam-Powered Adventures on 4/1. It's currently up for preorder at Amazon and Smashwords, with more platforms coming soon.
Speaking of Queen of Swords Press, I really wanted to do an anthology this year, so submissions are open! Send me you pirate stories! Details here.
Speaking of my birthday, I'm turning 55 and I don't need much at present so in lieu of gifts, I'm asking folks to donate to my fundraiser for Sage, a nonprofit that works with LGBTQ elders. I'm hoping to raise $550, so please spread the word even if you can't donate.
Other than this, I'm writing and rewriting and formatting and trying to get stuff done. Hopefully good news coming soon on various fronts.

It's here, it's here! Respectable Horror, edited by K.A. Laity, is out from Fox Spirit Books today and readily available on Amazon in the U.S. and U.K. as well as sundry bookstores. More outlets coming soon!

I will also have copies available at my April readings, including the one at Bingley's Teas. And Bingley's is just down the street from the MIA, which is hosting Guillermo del Toro's "At Home with Monsters" for the next two months. Plus a showing of Crimson Peak, just saying.

Other things of note:
- I got our yard designated as a "Pollinator Friendly Zone" by the City of Minneapolis. It's a cool program - answer 10 questions about your yard and get a flat of bee-friendly plants, a sign and a certificate. Our yard is ruthlessly organic and our landscaper put in some plants that are like bee catnip so it's nice to have that recognized.
- I attempted to go and volunteer at the MN Advocates for Human Rights International Women's Day miniconference on Saturday, but they had enough warm bodies so instead I went to a couple of interesting talks, one on Basic Income Guarantees and how it could be set up and the other by the Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment, which works with refugee and immigrant kids, teens and young women to help them access scholarships, mentors, job training, assistance with language skills and related stuff.
I followed that up by going to a several short plays about domestic violence at Theatre Unbound to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Susan Glaspell's play, "Trifles."

Hoping to make it to a City Council candidate talk on affordable housing tomorrow night and planning on going to a Restaurants Rising, a citywide benefit for the Immigration Law Center of MN on 3/15. We'll see how all jives with needing to fix website problems, finish another Emily story and get some publicity stuff together for Queen of Swords Press as well as the next book. We like to keep it lively around here at least.

As some of you know, I've been pulling together a new collection of my queer speculative fiction stories. This will be my first book for Queen of Swords Press, the small press venture I've been working on for the last couple of years. What's taken so long? Life, mostly. And so much of it. But I'm getting the website finalized, the first book is in final edits and formatting and I'm working hard to get a book out this year. What's next? I'm working on a collection of erotica, which will be an Emily L. Byrne book. Then, I have enough historical tales for another collection, enough erotica for a second collection, two novels in edits (including an updated version of Silver Moon), a collection of fairy tale retellings in embryo, 3 other novels in various stages of completion and...once I have a better idea of what I'm doing, I do want to open the Press to authors who are Not Me. When will that be? Guessing later on next year, depending on how things go. More updates as events warrant.

So, Out of This World: Queer Speculative Fiction Stories.

The cover is by KaNaXa, known for her fabulous book covers for many well known romance publishers and indie authors. And the stories themselves? This will be a mix of my fantasy, horror and science fiction with queer protagonists. Some of these were collected in my now out of print single author collection, A Day at the Inn, A Night at the Palace and Other Stories. It's worth noting that A Day at the Inn is on the Sirens Conference of Women in the Fantastic Reading Challenge for 2017, so I'm going out on a limb and guessing that some folks liked it. It was never very widely read, however, so I'm hoping this one goes a bit further. Other stories in here are long out of print and/or never collected anywhere before. Several stories were award finalist or got honorable mentions in Best of lists and such so I like to think this is some of my best short fiction work. I hope you think so too. Stay tuned here or on my Facebook Author/Editor Page or on the email list that you will soon be able to sign up for on my shiny new Queen of Swords Press website (I'll link when we've got a few things set up).

Table of Contents:
Great Reckonings, Little Rooms
Medium Méchanique
The Egyptian Cat
At the Roots of the World Tree
A Scent of Roses
At Mother Laurie’s House of Bliss
Spell, Book and Candle
Beauty
Red Scare
A Day at the Inn, A Night at the Palace
Vadija

I'm tidying up my website, so I'm moving some of the lists of my older works out here, for the sake of posterity. Entire list appears below cut for those interested. In order: fiction (nonerotic), fiction(erotic), nonfiction.

Short fiction (non erotic):
"Purple Thumb" in Best Lesbian Romance 2009, edited by Radclyffe. Cleis Press, 2008. IT, gardening, cancer- all the things that normally pop up in romance fiction. (Romance)

"Regency Masquerade" reprinted in Kissed By Venus, May, 2008. Originally published in the Harrington Park Lesbian Fiction Quarterly. Vol. 3 (1), Alice Street Editions, 2002. (Historical Romance).

"Three Views of the Maiden in Peril" in Farrago's Wainscot, edited by Darin Bradley, April, 2008. Cardboard female characters, see my lack of fondness for. (Fantasy).

"Spell, Book and Candle" in Khimairal Ink, edited by Carrie Tierney, January, 2008. Why bespelling your ex usually doesn't work. (Fantasy)

"A Winter's Tale" in Q-Spec Fiction Sampler 2007, compiled by Don Sakers. Speed-of-C Productions, 2007. (Fantasy).

"A Scent of Roses" in So Fey: Queer Faery Stories, edited by Steve Berman. Lethe Press, 2009. (Fantasy). A lesbian sequel to Tam Lin. Originally published by Haworth Press, 2007.

"At the Roots of the World Tree" in Kenoma: Speculative Fiction and Myth, edited b H.F. Gibbard. Vol. 2, December, 2004. 2005 Spectrum Awards short list. (Fantasy).

"The Temporary" in Simulacrum, edited by Lynne Jamneck. Vol.1 (6), November, 2004. Reprint from The Twin Cities Magazine of Science Fiction and Fantasy. (Fantasy).

"Red Scare" in Simulacrum, edited by Lynne Jamneck. Vol. 1 (2), January, 2004. (Science Fiction/Mystery).

"The Last Tea Party" in the Harrington Park Lesbian Fiction Quarterly. Vol. 4 (3), Alice Street Editions, 2003. (Literary Fiction).

"Vadija" in Such a Pretty Face: Tales of Power and Abundance, edited by Lee Martindale. Meisha Merlin Press, 2000. (Fantasy).

"M. Le Maupin" in Lesbian Short Fiction, edited by Jinx Beers. Vol 3, Fall, 1997. Tantra Publications. Alicia Austin did the cover based on my story. Squee! (Historical Romance).
( Read more... )
"Origin Story" in Close to the Ground: A Powderhorn Writer's Anthology, edited by the Powderhorn Writer's Festival Committee. Powderhorn Writer's Festival, 1997. (Fiction).

Erotic Short FIction (reminder that the new stuff is out as Emily L. Byrne, AKA Other Me):

"Wine-dark Kisses" in Girl Crazy, edited by Sacchi Green. Cleis Press, 2009.

"Spoonbridge and Cherry" in Best Erotica 2008, edited by Berbera and Hyde. Mondadori Books, 2008. Italian translation of my story from Crave. My first story in translation!

"Just Another Girl on the Train" in Dirty Girls: Erotica for Women, edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel. Seal Press, 2008.

"Diplomacy" in Periphery: Erotic Lesbian Futures, edited by Lynne Jamneck. Lethe Press, 2008.

"Twilight" in Best Fantastic Erotica, Vol. 1, edited by Cecilia Tan. Circlet Press, 2008.

"Spoonbridge and Cherry" in Best Lesbian Erotica 2008, edited by Tristan Taormino and Ali Liebgott. Cleis Press, 2007. Reprint from Crave.

"Phone, Sex, Chocolate" in Sex and Candy, edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel. Pretty Things Press, 2008.

"The Goddess Within" in The Mammoth Book of Lesbian Erotica, edited by Barbara Cardy. Constable and Robinson, 2007.

"An Incident in Whitechapel" in Best Lesbian Bondage Erotica, edited by Tristan Taormino. Cleis Press, 2007. Reprinted from Night's Kiss and Best Lesbian Erotica 2005.

"Viva Las Vegas" in Best New Erotica, Vol. 6, edited by Maxim Jakubowski. Constable and Robinson Press, 2006. Reprinted from Night's Kiss and Stirring Up a Storm, edited by Marilyn Jaye Lewis, Thunder's Mouth Press 2005.

"The Changing Room" in Caught Looking: Erotic Tales of Voyeurs and Exhibitionists, edited by Alison Tyler and Rachel Kramer Bussel. Cleis Press, 2006.

"The Hands of a Princess" in Amazons: Tall Tales of Strong Women, edited by Sage Vivant and M. Christian. Running Press, 2006. Reprinted in Crave.

"Cowgirls and Science" in Ultimate Lesbian Erotica 2006, edited by Nicole Foster. Alyson Books, 2006. Reprint from Night's Kiss.

"Planet 10" in Best Lesbian Erotica 2006, edited by Tristan Taormino and Eileen Myles. Cleis Press, 2005. Reprint from Night's Kiss.

"Room with a View" in Erotic Travel Tales 2, edited by Mitzi Szereto. Cleis Press, 2005. Reprinted in Night's Kiss.

"The Permanent" in Blood Surrender, edited by Cecilia Tan. Blue Moon Books, 2005. Reprinted from The Mammoth Book of Best New Erotica 4, edited by Maxim Jakubowski. Constable and Robinson Press, 2005 and The Big Book of Hot Women's Erotica 2004 and Hot Women's Erotica, both edited by Marilyn Jaye Lewis. Venus Club and Blue Moon Books, both 2004.

"Thursdays at McKinney's" in The Mammoth Book of Women's Erotic Fantasies, edited by Sonia Florens. Constable and Robins, 2004. Reprinted in Crave.

"Persistence of Memory" in Shameless: Women's Intimate Erotica, edited by Hanne Blank. Seal Press, 2002.

"Black Belt Theater" in Body Check, edited by Nicole Foster. Alyson Books, 2002.

"She Who Waits" in Best Lesbian Erotica 2001, edited by Tristan Taormino and Pat Califia. Cleis Press, 2001. Reprinted from Taste of Midnight, edited by Cecilia Tan. Circlet Press, 2000. Reprinted in Night's Kiss.

"Down at Shug's" in Electric: Best Lesbian Erotica, edited by Nicole Foster. Alyson Books, 1999. Reprint from Pillow Talk, edited by Leslea Newman. Alyson Books, 1998.

"El Tigre" in Best Lesbian Erotica 1999, edited by Tristan Taormino and Chrystos. Cleis Press, 1999. Reprint from Cherished Blood, edited by Cecilia Tan. Circlet Press, 1998. Reprinted in Night's Kiss.

"The Party" in Lip Service, edited by Jess Wells. Alyson Books, 1999. Reprinted in Crave.

Erotic Horror:
"Emily Says" in Lust for Life, edited by Claude Lalumière and Elise Moser. Véhicule Press, 2006. Reprinted in Crave.

"L'Heure Verte" (The Green Hour) in Eternally Noir, edited by Captivatex, 2005.

Erotic Romance:
"Beauty" in Zowie! It's Yaoi!: Western Girls Write Stories of Boy Love, edited by Marilyn Jaye Lewis. Running Press, 2006.

"Her Guy Friday" in That's Amore! Four Romance Novellas, edited by Marilyn Jaye Lewis. Magic Carpet Books, 2004.

Nonfiction:
"Setting the Scene, Lights, Camera...You Know the Rest." Guest blog post out on Oh, Get a Grip! 2009

"Grassroots Books" in Booking in Iowa: The Book Trade in and Around Iowa City by Joseph Michaud. Camp Pope Bookshop, 2009.

"Melissa Scott" and "Women's Bookstores" in Women in Science Fiction and Fantasy: An Encyclopedia, edited by Dr. Robin Anne Reid, Greenwood Press, 2008.

"An Interview with Bryan Thao Worra" in Tales of the Unanticipated, edited by Eric Heideman. Vol. 29, November 2008.

"A Science Fiction Convention of Our Own" at Gay Lifestyle Monthly, edited by Ellen Tevault. GayLifestyleMonthly.com, January 2008.

"Writing and Selling Erotic Fiction" at Today's Woman.net, edited by Rose DesRochers. www.todays-woman.net, 2006.

"Nuts and Bolts: Building a Better Story" was my bimonthly erotic writing column at the Erotica Writers and Readers Association website from 2005-2006.

"Historical Research for Fiction Writers" at Writing-World.com, edited by Moira Allen. www.writing-world.com.

"An Interview with Melissa Scott" in the Specficme Writer's Newsletter, edited by Doyle Wilmoth. January, 2004.

"A Field Guide to Genre Fiction Writers' Organizations" in Speculations: for Writers Who Want to be Read. April, 2003.

"Minnesota Center for the Book Arts" in Hand Papermaking Magazine (Vol. 15, No. 1. Winter, 2000).

"Tattoo Me" in Looking Queer: Body Image and Identity in Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay and Transgender Communities, edited by Dawn Atkins. Haworth Press, 1998.

"Chain Reaction: Indy Bookstores Shutting Down" in American Writer: Journal of the National Writer's Union. Summer, 1997.

1996-1997 - various articles and a semi-regular column for ICON: Iowa City's Independent Newspaper.

"Feminists Reconstruct El Salvador" in Off Our Backs, Vol.22, No.4, 1992.