In Medias Res

Recurring

2012-02-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

I like my characters. A lot. And when certain ones start reappearing in more than a few of my short stories, I get to know them better with every tale I write. Take Mercer the coyote (smuggler), for example. I've written maybe half a dozen stories about him, and two have been published so far. The first was "Soul Smuggler" in December 2010's Flash Me Magazine (reprinted this week @ Bent Masses).

Weirdness

2012-02-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

They hadn’t known what to expect, but it sure wasn’t this. The barn stood alone in the middle of a barren stretch of hardpan where weeds might have sprung up from the godforsaken earth once upon a time. Plenty of land for wheat fields or grazing pasture stretched between hills at each compass point, perfect for protection from harsh winter winds and runoff during spring rains. It could have been

Every Day Fiction Presents:

2012-02-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

The captain is back in action today, appearing here in his latest misadventure. If you have a chance, head on over and check it out. Ratings and feedback are much-appreciated! This is my third Captain Quasar story published to date. "Captain Quasar and the 'If Only' Elixir of Opsanus Tau Prime" appeared at EDF in August of 2010, and "Captain Quasar and the Insurmountable Barrier of Space Junk"

horromance

2012-01-29T05:00:00.000-08:00

Should I tell this sordid tale at the beginning or the end — or halfway through, toss you into the pool in medias res and watch you sink or swim? The story already has an inherent flaw to it, as you've undoubtedly noticed: I'm the one narrating the thing. So you know there won't be much at stake for me. I'll live through it. But what about my victims? Let's start with my closet. The faces

interview

2012-01-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

My Coyote Cal weird western "El Diablo de Paseo Grande" is one of 30 stories included in the new Arcane anthology. Recently, I had the opportunity to interview editor Nathan Shumate about Arcane and the work involved in bringing these tales to the masses. MJF: While Arcane itself is a new venture, you're no stranger to publishing. Tell us a little about your history with speculative fiction. NS

"Fool's Gold" - Episode 3

2012-01-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

3. Bear in Mind With a roar, the grizzly rose up on its hind legs and pawed the air, towering over the flames. Both eyes blazed an unearthly red, and its long claws flashed razor sharp. “What the—!” Cal’s coffee went splashing off to the side as he grabbed for his Colt six-gun. A shotgun muzzle dug in between his shoulder blades. “Leave it,” came a rough voice, and Cal’s hand froze. “Bring him

"Fool's Gold" - Episode 2

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

2. A Lesson Learned Dusk came quick to the Trail of Death, almost like a magician’s cape tossed over a glowing crystal ball. The rippling golden orb dissolved into the west with a bloody afterglow, and our heroes decided to make camp. “Bed down the horses, Yap,” Cal said. “I’ll fetch us some wood for the fire.” He ambled off into the dark. “What a way to end a rotten day,” Big Yap grumbled. “Not

"Fool's Gold" - Episode 1

2012-01-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

1. Trail of Death Noon came blazing hot, scorching anything stupid enough to be out in the open and blinding anybody dumb enough to glance upward. But the two riders on this dusty trail weren’t stupid or dumb. They were Coyote Cal and his trusty sidekick, Big Yap. “We muff be cwafey!” Yap gasped, hunkered down in his saddle as grimy rivulets streaked his wizened face and invaded his grizzly

covers

2012-01-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

Nine of my scifaiku are featured in the latest issue of Digital Dragon, which you can read here, if you're so inclined. Topics range from overpopulation and the steampunk craze to time travel and bad indigestion, and there might even be a mosquito woman in there somewhere. "Just Leave" is included in the Frightmares flash fiction anthology, available here. My 500-word tale is just one of 129

EDF

2012-01-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

My first published tale of 2012 greeted the world @ Every Day Fiction this week, and you can read it here if you're so inclined. This was a fun one to write (at the expense of literary science fiction), and thanks to the round of edits, it's much better than the original version I submitted. That's one thing I really like about EDF — whether or not they end up accepting my work, their feedback

resolute

2012-01-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

Some said it couldn't be done, that we'd sacrifice quality for quantity. 52 short stories written and submitted in 52 weeks? Were we insane? Ray Bradbury once said, "If you can write one short story a week – doesn't matter what the quality is to start, but at least you're practicing. At the end of the year, you have 52 short stories, and I defy you to write 52 bad ones. Can't be done." But going

quasar

2011-12-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

Like any other writer who's been submitting his work for a while, I've received a plethora of rejection letters. But over the past two years, I've never gotten one like this: I can't accept Captain Quasar fics. I've gotten many of them from several different authors. My first thought: Maybe the editor didn't realize that I was the one sending him multiple Captain Quasar stories, hoping one would

crime pays

2011-12-18T06:05:00.000-08:00

Have I mentioned before that I was a weird kid? While most boys my age were probably watching MTV or Alf, I used to listen to Golden Age radio shows, and I was into detective stories in a BIG way. No surprise then that I tried my teenage hand at a noirish novel. The private eye's name was Charlie Madison, and he had a very unique sense of humor—due to the plethora of typos I made as I banged away

persperistence

2011-12-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

When a story survives 14 rejections over 2 years to finally find a good home, I can't help but feel awash with relief. According to fellow writer Steve Ramey, perspiration + persistence = persperistence, and that's the formula necessary to succeed as writers. We can't give up on our stories, and we can't lose faith in ourselves, no matter how long it takes for our work to be published. I wrote

crowns

2011-12-04T06:01:00.000-08:00

Jennifer’s eyes reminded him of cheese. Something about the way they oozed cream while she argued her point, like they were liquefying and he had to quick find some tortilla chips while the stuff was fresh... My one and only stab at bizarro fiction is greeting the world again, thanks to the kind folks at Liquid Imagination. This story originally appeared at Linger Fiction which, alas, is no more.

homage

2011-11-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had a story to tell, and you knew it was inside you waiting to burst forth, but you were too afraid you wouldn't be able to do it justice? This stinkin' thinkin' hit me hard when I came up with the idea for "Soulless in His Sight." Who was I to think I could write an homage to Faulkner's As I Lay Dying and McCarthy's The Road with Diogenes (crossbow and hatchet instead of a lamp)

"Hero for Hire"

2011-11-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

"If this doesn't have you in stitches, you may be made of stone…" – Maryam Piracha, Editor-in-Chief of The Missing Slate "Fowler handles his subject matter with wit and compassion. We feel sympathy for Darrell even as we laugh at him." – Jeff Chapman, writer/blogger/book reviewer "Hero for Hire" will always hold a special place in my heart. I sold it to A Fly in Amber in the fall of 2009, and

blogiversary

2011-11-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

Has it been two years already? In November of 2009, I took my first tentative steps into the blogosphere as an unpublished writer with one story scheduled to appear online the following January. I'd attended a writer's conference where blogging was encouraged as a way for writers to create a web presence and start building a following. They failed to mention what blogging really is:

"Tomorrow's Dawn" @ Daily Science Fiction

2011-11-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

They say you never see the one that kills you. But they might have been referring to weapons fire in an open battlefield, not a plasma charge on a crowded lunar tube. He sits facing me, and the way he's looking me right in the eye, I have a feeling this will be the end. With the close proximity, I'll see his green hand reach for it, concealed beneath his double-breasted, razor-sharp pressed suit

eBook

2011-10-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

I'm a sucker for pro-paying zines. As soon as one shows up on Duotrope, I've got a story in the works. So when Penumbra emerged a few months ago offering 5 cents/word, I sent them "Identity Thief" (3K). The editor responded four days later: Unfortunately your story doesn't quite fit; however, I really enjoyed it. Our parent company, Musa Publishing, is producing great short stories as standalone

"Power Chords" @ Fear and Trembling

2011-10-23T05:27:00.000-07:00

Emaciated by time, the hollow-eyed wraith at the cash register drew on his smoldering cigarette and released a ragged cough. "You play?" he croaked. I glanced up from the book of guitar chords, a dog-eared paperback with coffee-stained pages, but at forty-nine cents a real pawn shop bargain. "Yeah." "Bored with the standard crap? Those open chords and whatnot?" He spewed smoke like a dragon in

"I Am FanFare" @ MindFlights

2011-10-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

"It's been a long road, getting from there to here..." After two years, sixteen submissions and fifteen rejections, my story "I Am FanFare" is finally available for you to read here, thanks to the editors at MindFlights who have graciously offered it a good home. Originally entitled "Attack of the Killer Online Social Network," this story has seen its share of form letter rejections, short

hopalong

2011-10-14T04:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh and the Pay it Forward Blogfest, today I have the distinct pleasure of sharing three writers' blogs that have impacted me in a positive way: 1. Aaron Polson: Short story maestro, indie author, and all-around cool guy, Aaron is a fellow teacher who somehow manages to carve out enough time to write and market a plethora of speculative fiction. Stop by and see what he's

"You Kill Me" @ Misfit Magazine

2011-10-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

</ br> Looking at you now, it’s tough sometimes to see the person I fell in love with. Your eyes, once hazel with enough blue in them to capture my attention, pulsate blood-clotted, staring at me with a hunger different from what overcame us in the back of your Toyota 4Runner all those years ago. Your lips, soft and tender back then, crack like dry plaster, gaping at me from where I’ve got you

"A Creature Stirring" @ 10Flash Quarterly

2011-10-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

</ br> “Don’t leave me in here.” Alfred shut the closet door on his kid sister, blind to her trembling, deaf to her whispered pleas. “It’s too dark. Please, Alfie.” Alfred held the doorknob in place, resisting Lillie’s attempts to turn it from inside. “I won’t be a pest, I promise.” “You must be quiet,” he hissed, pressing his forehead against the cool semi-gloss. “Remember?” “But that was just a