A Real Announcement!

I know I was going to start the every other week “Ask the Author” blog posts today but something came up.

Er, out.

Flight was released on Wednesday by Mischief Corner Books.  It’s a collection of 300-word flash fiction, all of it LGBTQ spec fic.

Tomorrow I’ll share my entry (“Paper Arrows”) in the Rainbow Snippet post, but for today I’d like to share one of the Judge’s Choice entries, chosen by J. Scott Coatsworth.

“Smoke”
by Zev de Valera

He rubbed his temples and squinted at the soft light of his surroundings through the fans of his thick eyelashes. The last drink had been a mistake. Was that a shaker he’d felt, or the onset of a hangover? He clutched a silken pillow and waited.

Suddenly, he felt his home tremble; a few pieces of glass and ceramic ware teetered and then fell to their demise. Shit. This is the real thing. With an effort, he hauled himself from his bed. How many years had it been since the last one? Sixty? Seventy? The shaking ceased, and he looked around his small dwelling.
A model unit when he’d purchased it. Now filled with the result of years of collecting: a gramophone, a first generation television set, a water clock. And much more. All of it all had sentimental value—as did the photos of the various men that sat atop or alongside the items in his collection. Some of these men had loved him. All of them had once owned him. Now he owned their memories. That was the bargain. Another shake. Followed by several unnerving tilts. He willed his cherished possessions to remain in place and willed himself into sobriety and a more becoming appearance as he prepared himself for work. What to wear? He selected a red brocade tunic and pants. A classic look always worked best for the initial consultation. A resounding thud. He peered up into the small shaftway at the center of the ceiling. A pop. Then a small circle of light at the end of the shaft. He sighed, folded his arms, and transformed into a cloud of red smoke. Up and away to meet his new master.

Flight Publisher: Mischief Corner Books
Author: Various (including me!)
Cover & Illustrations Artist: Mila May
Length: 33.6 K
Format: ebook, print
Release Date: General release 9/21/16
Pairing: LGBTIQA
Price: $4.99 eBook, $12.99 print b/w*, $24.99 print color*
*Book contains 5 illustrations inside.

Blurb: A 300-word story should be easy, right? Many of our entrants say it’s the hardest thing they’ve ever written.   Queer Sci Fi’s Annual Flash Fiction Contest challenges authors to write a complete LGBTQ speculative fiction micro-story on a specific theme.  “Flight” leaves much for the authors to interpret – winged creatures, flight and space vehicles, or fleeing from dire circumstances.   Some astonishing stories were submitted – from horrific, bloodcurdling pieces to sweet, contemplative ones – and all LGBTQ speculative fiction. The stories in this anthology include AI’s and angels, winged lions and wayward aliens. Smart, snappy slice of life pieces written for entertainment or for social commentary. Join us for brief and often surprising trips into 110 speculative fiction authors’ minds.

Available:
Mischief Corner Books
Amazon
All Romance
Kobo
iTunes
Goodreads
Goodreads Series Page
Barnes & Noble: Coming soon
Smashwords: Coming soon

Author Bio: In the first year of the Queer Sci Fi Flash Fiction contest, we received about 15 entries for the theme “Endings”. In the second year, it was 115 for “Discovery”. This year, we had more than 170 entries from people around the world, and from all parts of the LGBTIQA rainbow. “Flight” represents 110 of those people and their stories.