Amazing Changes on the Writing Frontier

Many of you have likely noted my large repertoire of self-published novels and anthologies. I had a good reason for doing it, namely, I couldn't seem to connect with a publisher who appreciated my writing like, let's face it, I do.

And there's no merit in a story that sits forever in a virtual drawer. So I put them out there, where, they were mostly ignored, but nowhere near as ignored as they were on my computer alone. And, I maintain, that was largely because my marketing skills are not impressive. But the books...

This past year, I've dallied in a field I haven't dallied in in decades, short stories. Prompted first by contests, then a great friend, Chuck Larlham, who enjoyed reading my work and kept finding new opportunities to check out and, ultimately, write a story for. So, after a year, I've got more than a dozen new stories, mostly fantasy science fiction and fantasy, but several that are also in different genres I haven't tried before or, at least, not in a long time.

As I've been rediscovering my writing talent, Chuck's also been key to my sending it out there. I got in JAMM magazine (as I noted previously), have a story accepted in an anthology meant for book club type parties, and another short story in charity anthology to support a charity that works with domestic abuse (Dove).

The publisher for the Dove anthology specializes in science fiction and fantasy and the name could not have been more perfect for me: The Dragon's Rocketship Publishing. They're relatively new and small, which is fine with me, and also accept short stories. So, a story that didn't make any waves in a contest (I seem to do more poorly in those than straight marketing) seemed like something to try because I *liked* it. So did they. They in fact gushed in the way I've been dreaming of a publisher gushing since time immemorial and wanted to know if I could make it into a novel. Well, no, I hadn't intended to make it into a novel, but, oddly enough, I'd written two side short stories that were related to a novel I'd already written (Curse of the Jenri) and was weeks away from self-publishing.

Not the final cover, just my own concept

Well, they liked those stories and then the novel. So, here we are, a few weeks later and I have signed contracts on seven short stories (plus the anthology story) and a novel.

Am I happy?

I, who am never at a loss for words, can't even find a word to describe how fantastic I feel to find people who *get* what I'm writing ans saying.

If you're on facebook, feel free to go by their facebook page and give 'em some love.

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My first BOOK!

At long last with a self-crafted book cover, I have self-published my first e-book: Conjuring Dreams And it's FREE!

"Magic-wielders, shape-shifters, mermaids, empaths and diviners and even teddy bears and computer programmers wander through 26 stories, written into life for situations thought-provoking, compelling or absurd. It's a collection of diverse stories, from the first one written when Stephanie Barr (then Beck) was13-14 years old to the last ones finished last year. The tales show off not only Stephanie's eclectic imagination but the growth of her story telling as she taught herself to write (in the way she wanted to) through writing. So it's all fiction and totally autobiographical at the same time. "

Smashwords: Conjuring Dreams

Hopefully soon it will also be distributed at Apple, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, etc. Will post links when I have them. There are, however, formats available for most if not all readers/computers already available at the Smashwords link. There's also an interview of me.

I've also put it on Amazon but they wouldn't let me do it for free so it's 99 cents: 

Amazon: Conjuring Dreams

My suggestion is to go ahead and download it for free on Smashwords since they have Kindle format there.

More books (namely novels) are coming so "stay tuned".

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Stepping out from the manga for just a sec

Thing is, I don't just write blogs (in fact, one could make an argument I don't even write those given how I've let my blogs go fallow) or fan fiction or reviews of various manga.

I have and have always written fiction and I'm pleased to make note that one of my short stories was recently published in SQ's anthology Star Quake 1, available as both a paperback book and an ebook format. I don't know everywhere it's available, but I know it's available at both Barnes & Noble and at Amazon.

It's not a big thing, as real writing goes, but it's big for me.

More news, I'm gearing up to take my rather large backlog of novels and short stories and self-publish in ebook form (some of many different flavors of electronic book at once). Not because I don't believe in it, but because I do. I don't want to get rich. I want to tell stories.

One way or another, that's just what I'm going to do.

Stay tuned.

(Oh, and I'm still reading manga, one reason I've been so lax with work on the blog). I'll share more of what I've found charming later. No, really!

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Story Seed Challenge - Shakespeare's idea

I remember reading about the story circle in a book when I was a kid. Someone would start a story and pass it to someone else to continue. Unfortunately, the attempts I've done before at "writing exercises" haven't gone well. However, I'm always ready to try again. I know I enjoy doing them.

So, here goes. I have no plan. I'm just going to start writing and see what happens...See what you can do with it.

Lotha didn't know this place. Even before he opened his eyes, he sensed the difference, the scents, burning his nostrils with unfamiliar fumes that covered the smells he was used to like earth and plants and the animals, even himself. Beneath his back, the ground felt unnatural: cold, smooth, hard. Nor did the air feel right. The air flowed, but not as he was used to and there was a staleness to it.

He opened his eyes to the stillness, the blackness. This was a new darkness - no moons, no stars, just the emptiness of all he knew. His hands searched the ground. No dirt, no plants, no roots. It was unbroken and smooth like a river worn pebble, only flat. And it seemed to go on and on until he found another surface the same standing from it, like a tree, only with the same lack of texture, the same flatness.

There were no smells except the foreign ones that filled his head and choked his throat. Tears flowed unnoticed down as his cheeks as he searched for an escape from the unassailable smoothness, the featureless sameness, the absolute emptiness of where he was. In desperation, his hands scrabbled over his own face, to ensure it's known features were his own, were the ones he knew.

They felt like his features, felt like what he knew as himself, what he'd seen in the reflecting pool, only the hair he knew was gone, his chin strangely smooth like the space around him. And his hands and body smelled different, as if his odor had been covered by the strange smells.

Was he done, gone to the land of the Gods? Was this horror the afterlife, one that not even the greatest elders had predicted? He threw back his head and cried, only to hear his voice echo unnaturally in this strange place.

And then there was light.

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A request

OK, I know I have some more questions and I'm still going to do that, but I'm going to digress for today. Today, it's because I've got a request. I also am doing something new - putting this on both blogs.

See, here's the thing. I have a fairly large backlog of short stories I've written, almost all in the fantasy, science fiction or, in one case, I don't know what to call it. I'd like to market some of these, get some visibility, some interest going, perhaps even some money. And the short stories are already written.

So, what's the problem? Well, I wrote most of these years ago and, though I like them, I'm not objective about them. Many are overtly feminist and violent - I was young. Most are exercises in swift character building, effective description, surprise endings. Many are old ideas I wanted to play with. And I have too many of them to effectively try to market them all at one time. I'm just not that organized.

What I need are objective eyes to look at some of these short stories (or all of them) and tell me (a) which ones are just too immature to be publishable (or that there's not enough there for publishing), (b) which ones seem publishable and, (c) of the publishable ones, which ones do you like best or think are the best bet for getting a publisher's attention.

So, I'm asking you all, would any of you be interested in reading all or some of the short stories? You don't have to read them all, but I do want to know what you think about whatever you read.

I know most of you are quite busy. I know you all have lives. It isn't a short turnaround situation, because I'll be going back over these (given that many of them haven't been touched in years or longer). But I could use some help if any of you could spare it. Do note that all of the sword and sorcery include violence.

List:

• Charley - Story about a teddy bear
• Time of Change - Science fiction exploring the notion of parallel universes (going at different time scales or directions).
• Captain of the Guard - Sword and Sorcery playing off the Phoenix legend Graphic violence
• Backseat Driver - Science Fiction - AI
• Dark of Night - Dark Fantasy - Graphic violence
• Seeds of Tomorrow - Fantasy
• Windmaster - followup to my favorite Windrider - Fantasy
  
• Tryst on the Balcony - my only foray into vampires
• King of Swords - first of the Tarot Queen stories - Fantasy
• Intemperate Sword - Sword and Sorcery - crude humor
• Stormmistress - Fantasy
• Precipice - Fantasy (mermaid)
• Castles of Sand - Fantasy
• Masks - Fantasy
• Echo - Fantasy

Just let me know if you're interested in reading some or all. I would really appreciate it. Please leave a comment and I'll figure out how to get back with anyone interested

Update: Check here to read stories. Let me know, though, so I know how long to keep the webpage up.

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