#excellent color and native and dog safe!! if not dog welcome

[darkwood-sleddog]

oh no it's buy one get one free of bee balm at the gardening center.....

[dragonrajafanfiction]

Dragon Dancer II: Chapter 1: The Gentleman

The light colored facade and fanciful decor of the hundred-year-old Hotel Le Royal Monceau in Paris was truly fitting for spring. Principal Hilbert Ron Anjou tipped his hat in appreciation of the sight and at the doorman who greeted him with “Welcome back, sir.”

Master list

“It is truly a pleasure to be back!” He gestured behind him. “This is my new special student.”

The doorman, dark-skinned and appearing to be in his thirties, regarded the teenage girl standing behind him. She wore a white jacket, her shapely brown legs curving out from a pleated yellow short skirt that some men might eye, hoping for a glimpse of a little more. She was less than impressed with the gracious amenities, avoiding eye contact and fiddling with the tassels of her hood strings.

The doorman grinned anyway. “Well, a fine student she is.” He earned himself a tip for remaining cheery rather than concerned about her gloomy expression.

Anjou checked in. Though his hair and beard were white, he didn’t move like a man that old. His spine was straight, his limbs strong, his manner energetic and jovial. His eyes were focused and crisp. His voice was strong, despite his happy smoking of a Cuban cigar.

The hotel staff were clearly smitten with him, losing their stiff professional manner and laughing at his jokes, eyes glittering with mirth. Even though he wore a custom tailored suit that cost more than most people made in a year and wore rings of rare crystals -- some of alchemical make, so rare and so precious, they might as well have been alien -- they treated him as a friend. 

That was Anjou’s charisma.

It wasn’t until they stepped into the gold mirrored elevator that that charisma faltered.

His student looked lost, unhappy, vulnerable, and achingly beautiful. Her slight figure added to her fae-like appearance. Anjou watched the elevator operator’s face flicker on her, his natural empathy and need to protect a fellow human welling up in his eyes.

The man surely had worked in this hotel long enough to know he shouldn’t ask questions. Anjou watched in wonder and allowed the man’s feelings to develop, chuckling internally as the sight of her worked its magic -- just as it did on Caesar on the Day of Liberty.

Like Caesar, this bellhop forgot where he was, forgot his duty, and was drawn into a disadvantageous position, risking his precious prize -- in this case, a tip.

“Uh… are you okay?”

She lifted her head, surprised to be addressed. Her wide eyes were like windows to her soul, easily read, hiding nothing.

“Yes… are… you alright?” He asked again, committing to his error.

She smiled at him. “Just a little sick from the flight. That’s all.”

Anjou’s eyes returned to the bellhop as he suddenly realized his blunder. To his credit, he didn’t apologize.

“I hope you understand sir…”

“Oh, I understand perfectly.” Anjou’s voice was so warm and reassuring that he might as well have reached over and patted this fully grown man on the head. “And I commend you on your brave spirit and humanity.”

Anjou took out his wallet and produced a tip of three hundred euros. “Here. Spend it well.”

The man let out a wheeze, eyes wide.”Yes. Thank you sir! Thank you… is there anything more I can…”

“I’ll take it from here.” Anjou interrupted, as the doors opened.

His student blessed the bellhop with one more smile, as she left the elevator. The man only broke her gaze after the doors attempted to close on him.

As soon as she arrived in her room, his student fled to her bedroom and shut the door. This was hard on her.  Normally, high ranking students were eager to get off campus and put their education to good use as well as take advantage of the plush amenities their rank afforded them. But she grew up in modest circumstances and only longed for things money couldn’t buy. 

She’d bewitched the other S-ranked student, Lu Mingfei, into a deep friendship with her. She’d drawn the leader of Lionheart into being her lover and lured Caesar Gattuso into practically handing over Day of Liberty to her. Had he not gotten her off campus, he might have found himself without a school.

Everything she had accomplished didn’t apply here, however. She had no friends, no lover, and no influence. As far as she was concerned, Paris was a desert. 

He pressed a key on his phone. The voice on the other end had a slight French accent over the otherwise impeccable English.

“Anjou, a day is too long to go without hearing your voice.”

“And it has been far too long, Capetian. The student and I have just arrived.”

“Excellent! Were there any problems?”

“None! The passport was flawless.”

“And the flight?”

“The weather could have not been better. Let’s hope it remains that way. Paris is making me fall in love all over again!” He chuckled. “Of course, every season is a good season in Paris. Have you located the others?”

“Yes, sir… they…”

Anjou stopped him. “Now, now… brief me tonight at dinner. I would like you to meet our young genius.” 

After a few more loving goodbyes and reminders not to be late, Anjou hung up the phone and went to the bedroom.

She was Charlotte to strangers, Carli to friends, Meixiu to her lover. She was a young woman of many names. He referred to her most often however, as “my dear”. She was dear to him, having come out from the jaws of death and through sands of time to return to his school like a little turtle dove.

Her scowl reminded him, however, that she was actually a hybrid. First Generation, S-ranked, and just as much dragon as she was human. She was not pleased with him. He’d disrupted her plans to spend time in Chizuru with Chu Zihang and made no mystery of her love-sickness. He weathered her glare. “You’re free to stay here and rest while I make arrangements and prepare for the briefing meeting tonight. The mission itself won’t start for a few weeks while we prepare. Try to have a good time.”

She’d taken these arrangements personally and turned back to the window without speaking to him.

After the Day of Liberty, Caesar said that once he’d gotten close enough, she’d drawn him into darkness so forbidding that he thought he had truly died. When he returned to the land of the living, he was breathless, disoriented. She fought him like a wildcat, and then shot him like a dog.

He would savor these moments when she was still under his wing. He got the feeling they would be a memory all too soon.

Anjou adjusted his tie, donned his light trench coat and went out, leaving the “Do not Disturb” sign on the door.

He enjoyed his walk around the city, admiring the art and architecture, the comings and goings of tourists and natives. Women pushed strollers dressed in tracksuits, older men sat in the square and played chess. It was this idyll that was threatened. He needed her here, but was determined to make her first mission as pleasant as possible before the coming storm.

Just as he predicted, the rain started as the sun began to fall. He only went to the bar on a rainy night.

His student dressed up for the evening, in a modest designer black gown and a string of pearls. The afternoon nap seemed to have done wonders. She was smiling again. Her eyes were brighter. They made their way to the bar on the hotel roof. 

The city’s sea of glittering lights and those of the Eiffel Tower drew a gasp from her.  He put his umbrella to the side and sat near the window. He smiled at the bartender. “How are you doing this year, my old friend?”

Capetian emerged from behind the bar, a glass on his platter. Thin and aged, his dark eyes weary under folds of skin, he smiled. “I’m well, old friend.”

The booths were lit by low hanging directional lamps between pools of shadow that provided privacy despite the open layout. It was next to impossible to hear what was going on at any other table. Something about the design of the place kept the noise down while at the same time, keeping close conversation clear.

The smell of the mint liquor wafted from the cocktail glass. Anjou raised his to his lips and sighed with nostalgia. His student eyed him, content to sit and watch him be happy. A menu was set before her and she looked it over.

The waiter, also older, and so pale he looked like a ghost in the lamplight, softly spoke. “I will be pleased to see to your needs this evening.”

She once again seemed shocked to be talked to. “Um… I need a little more time. Thanks.”

“I’ll take this year's caviar plate for a starter.” Anjou nodded.

The waiter bowed and faded back into the shadow.

Capetian took his seat next to Anjou, who produced a Havana cigar from his jacket pocket and snipped off the tip with a pocket knife. “The Bombay expedition was successful. We’ve found a dragon palace remarkably preserved under the slums. We are currently making our way through the catacombs. However, the dragon is not making it easy to find its chambers.”

He flicked his lighter against the cigar until the tip glowed. “We’ve never seen such a repository of draconic script. And the entry to the complex is predicated on our understanding of it. EVA has done her best with cataloging the known ciphers and arranging and organizing the unknown ciphers along with their context. But this requires a … human touch.” He let out a puff of blue-tinged smoke. “Have you arranged the safe house?”

His student turned to the waiter, ordering a mushroom risotto with a salad. But she was listening. He could tell.

Capetian described a spacious townhouse on the forested outskirts of Paris. At great expense, he’d purchased it, as well as leased the adjacent properties to provide maximum privacy and security for what was bound to be a long term project. He’d stocked the kitchen, installed a private network with direct access to EVA, and a complete off the grid power, water, and sewer system.

The waiter returned with the caviar platter. Anjou offered it to the student who cringed at the sight of the raw fish eggs. “Come now… you’re here to experience new things!” 

While she hesitantly spooned a bit of the roe onto a cracker, Anjou settled on the Kobe beef tartare for his order.

“Have you contacted any of our agents yet?”

“Not yet, I wanted to make sure that nothing came up at the last minute. We’re spread thin here, almost all the agents are occupied with their own projects, but they understand that none are more urgent and pressing than this one. They are willing and available.”

He smiled and nodded. “Your cooperation is deeply appreciated.”

Capetian turned to the girl, watching her clumsily taste caviar for the first time. “And the girl… is she ready?”

“Charlotte?” This time Anjou couldn’t help but laugh, earning him a surprised look from Capetian. Everywhere she went, this uncertainty about her talents followed. He was shaking with laughter, wiping away tears. “Charlotte is the least of my concerns. My biggest concern is your agents’ capability of handling her.”

Capetian’s jaw dropped, “Pardon…?”

Anjou leaned on one elbow, tilting the ash into a silver tray. “She is the winner of the Day of Liberty, S-ranked, and is an essential asset to this mission. I’ll be assigning Agent Robertson to her care and safety. I’ll expect your agents to guard her with their lives and cater to her every request while she works.”

He drew a long puff from his cigar, relaxing to the flavor, the smoke pooling a moment in his mouth. “She has already killed. She can do so again. If they don’t believe me, then they may see for themselves if they try anything improper.”

Charlotte’s gaze lowered and she lost all interest in the caviar.

Capetian swallowed. “Understood, sir.”

[albanlakepublishing-blog]

March View from the Lake

Welcome back, Albanlakers!  [If you’re here, you’re an Albanlaker, even if it’s your first time].

As mentioned in February, our new Managing Editor, Karen Otto, has expanded our presence in the e-world and social media.  In addition to Twitter, we now have a presence on CrateJoy, Tumblr, eBay, and YouTube. On Twitter, you’ll find some daily suggestions of reading material and relevant announcements.  If you haven’t already, please follow us at @albanlake and at @albanlakepub.  If you have, pass these on to your friends, Romans, and countryfolk.

Beginning in April, Alban Lake will feature book introductions and writing tips on YouTube.  Each week, we’ll present one or two of our publications and tell you a little more about them than you might find in the write-ups.  At present, we’re tentatively scheduling something called Tips Tuesday.  Each week on Tuesday we’ll have a brief talk about some aspect of writing and storytelling.  The idea is to help you produce publishable work, whether you are at the beginning or well into your careers.  We’ll have further announcements regarding our use of YouTube in the April View.  However, already there are a couple of panels in YouTube.  Just go into YT and search for Alban Lake Publishing; you’ll find them.

As before, the plan is that some of our regularly scheduled publications—Outposts of Beyond, Disturbed, and Bloodbond, among them—will begin to feature articles by the Sage of Norwalk, Kendall Evans.  He’ll have much to say about Escapism—which is what we publish—and other topics of relevance to literature—which is what we publish.  Watch for him.

BOOKMARKS:  We’ll receive our first batch of Alban Lake Publishing bookmarks in mid-March.  As of 1 April, if you order a print book from any of our stores, the book will include one of these bookmarks free.   We also plan to use them as promotional items in our mystery boxes as well as at conventions and book fests.

As noted above, we’ve expanded our presence.  Here are some places you’ll find us.  Take special note of the last one.

Twitter – @albanlake or https://twitter.com/albanlake Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/kbottowriters/ YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz9Fs6i4qMLcf_gozhIKzCQ Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/approachinginfinityproductions/ Email – evilbookworm at yahoo dot com Tumbler – https://albanlakepublishing.tumblr.com/ eBay – https://www.ebay.com/usr/albanlake

NEW MAGAZINE!  In April we’ll open to submissions for a new magazine.  At this time, we’re still working on the themes and guidelines.  Right now all we can tell you is that it will deal with, among other themes, alienation, with emphasis on science fiction and fantasy.  We expect some moody piece, but probably are not going to want dark material.   Watch for the full announcement in the April View

NEW ANTHOLOGIES:

The Haunted Life—A Paranormal Anthology

There are numerous television shows about it; ‘Ghost Hunters’, ‘Ghost Adventures’, ‘Most Haunted’, and the like. People go exploring old abandoned buildings, houses, architecture or even places that are still alive and thriving but have terrifying stories attached to them. These are the stories we’re looking for. We want the stories of ghosts and terrifying apparitions that people find – through dedicated purpose or by complete accident – and the experiences that come with.

It can be something as elaborate as someone trying to debunk a haunted house finding demons and releasing them to the world or as simple as someone realizing that the reason things keep happening in their house is because their dead mother is trying to keep an eye on them all these years later. They don’t necessarily have to be frightening or terrifying, and they could even be comical in nature, but they have to have a ghostly, supernatural aspect to them entering the life of someone ordinary.

As always:  Please do read and heed the guidelines!  They are posted on our site, in the Guidelines option.

Cosmic Crime [Anthology]

People have left earth and explored the cosmos. However, they didn’t leave their humanity behind. There’s crime – caused by them on their ships or perhaps by aliens or humans on alien worlds. We are interested in those original stories – mysteries set in space. These can be detective tales, police procedurals, private eye stories, or courtroom dramas. You can make up laws on the alien planets. They don’t have to match any laws on earth. The stories should not be shorter than 3000 words or longer than 10,000 words and be fiction. However, we may consider works longer than 10,000 words. Please limit blood, gore, organs, and fluids.  Crime does not mean a slashfest; crime doesn’t even mean it has to be murder.  We want thought-provoking material, not vivisection. As always:  Please do read and heed the guidelines!  They are posted on our site, in the Guidelines option.

OPEN ANTHOLOGIES:

City in the Ice:

A new Lovecraftian anthology has been opened.  It’s called City in the Ice.  It’s inspired by work by Edgar Allan Poe, William Clark Russell, and of course H. P. Lovecraft.  Think “At the Mountains of Madness” and “The White Ship.”  Please do read and heed the guidelines! They are posted on our site, in the Guidelines option.

Trail of Tears:

In “Trail of Tears,” we want to examine the nature of the relationships between native inhabitants and the human settlers who come to live on their world.  The title, obviously, is taken from the story of the forced resettlement of Native Americans by the U. S. Government. History repeats—and the idea here is that it will also repeat on other worlds, if given the chance.

[And yes, we would regard something like the Holocaust as suitable for Trail of Tears—however, this must occur on some other world.  SF/F, right?]

Please do read and heed the guidelines!  They are posted on our site, in the Guidelines option.

The Anatomy of Hate:

As everyone—writers and readers—is aware, hatred on contemporary Earth is practically a pandemic.  Virtually every group and every ideology seems to have found some reason to hate some other group or ideology.  There’s no need for a litany here; all one has to do is read the headlines.

Science Fiction and Fantasy are quite capable of presenting stories that deal with hatred.  What we are looking for are original SF/F stories of:

hatred of humans by aliens, or

hatred of aliens by humans, or

hatred of humans by other humans, in terms of an emotional and/or psychological and/or ideological [includes religion] rationale, carried to some extreme in the future

Please do read and heed the guidelines!  They are posted on our site, in the Guidelines option.

Sounds of the Night

The night is full of sounds—barking dogs, trains passing by, screams and moans. We want to know who, or what, is really making those sounds. Perhaps that dog howling is really a demon that’s spotted its prey. Maybe that cry for help is actually bait for a trap. Open your imagination and let the sounds pour out.

We are looking for original stories and poetry only. We will consider horror stories as long as they fit within the paranormal, science fiction, or fantasy genres.  NB:  NO GORE!  We want spooky scary stuff. Verstehen Sie?

Please do read and heed the guidelines!  They are posted on our site, in the Guidelines option.

The Alban Lake Publishing Catalog:

Yes, you read that right.  We now have a catalog of our publications available.  It’s free; it’s on a pdf format.  It’s updated every three months.  It contains a couple of indexes—by title, by author.  Each title contains a write-up and a specific ordering link, which works when you click on it in the pdf.  We’ve already begun to distribute this via e-mail, as an attachment.  If you would like a copy of this catalog, please e-mail us at albanlake at yahoo dot com.

The 10th Great Lake Drabble Contest:

The Winners of the 10th Great Lake Drabble Contest are:

First Place: Brian Rosenberg for “Kink” Second Place: Melissa Mead for “In the Soup” Honorable Mention: Marcia Borell for “Fired” Honorable Mention: Christina Sng for “Out of This World”

Congratulations to them and to all those who participated in this contest!

Drabble Harvest #10 will be released on 2 April 2018.

The 11th Great Lake Drabble Contest:

The 11th Great Lake Drabble Contest is now open.  Guidelines have been posted in the Guidelines section on our site.

Special Clearance Sale

Instead of browsing through the store for Aoife’s Kiss or Beyond Centauri, we have a special offer:  10 different issues of either magazine, at random, for $9.00 plus $6.00 S&H [which would be pretty much the actual shipping.  To take advantage of this offer, please contact Karen Otto at evilbookworm at yahoo dot com, or myself at albanlake at yahoo dot com.  Supplies are limited.  No, seriously, they are.

A note regarding Spaceports & Spidersilk:

At Alban Lake we assume that those of you who have children would like them to read science fiction and fantasy now and then.  The problem—as you might see it—is that there is scarcely any material for readers of ages, say, 6 through 96.  And you’re right—such material is rare.  But Alban Lake publishes several kid-safe pieces just for younger readers.  FrostFire Worlds comes out quarterly.  In our store you’ll find coloring books, novellas, novels . . . In addition, Nomadic Delirium Press, another excellent small indie, publishes a quarterly eBook magazine called Spaceports & Spidersilk that also has kid-safe sf/f.  Here’s the link:   http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/spaceports.htm/  Try it out.  Each recent issue is $1.00, as are most of the back issues, so order a few downloads.  That number once again is:   nomadicdeliriumpress.com/spaceports.htm

eBooks & eStories

As I’m sure many of you know, Amazon is no friend of the small independent press or of self-published folks.  Amazon makes sure first that they get what’s coming to them [ooo, one can only hope].  Now, in the Alban Lake store, many of our titles have eBook versions that you can ORDER DIRECTLY FROM US!  The prices are much the same as Amazon charges, and sometimes even less.  But what this means for those authors who are due royalties is that while they still get the same %, it’s % of more dosh.  So come support your favorite authors.

Some of you may already be aware that we’re touting a new product line:  single sf/f/h e-stories for 99 cents each.  Come buy one.  Or more.

NEW RELEASES

DISTURBED DIGEST #20, MARCH 2018 Completing our fifth year, the March 2018 Disturbed Digest features original stories by Sinead McCabe, John H. Dromey, Jason Radak, Alan Murdock, Joseph Cusumano, and others, while the works of K. S. Hardy and Lisa Hawkridge give you a few moments of respite and calm your frissons.  The cover art is by Judson Michael Agla.

http://store.albanlake.com/product/disturbed-20/

AOIFE’S KISS BY TYREE CAMPBELL In the urban legends it is said that when Aoife kisses you, she takes you to a better place, a better world.  Thus the disappearances of children and the elderly are explained.  But now the elderly are turning up dead.  And Aoife is to blame.

The search for Aoife, be she angel or demon, has reached a dead end. The cold case has been assigned to Inspector Marie Brennan, to work on in her spare time.  But when Aoife’s journal turns up, she goes to the one person who might be able to help her find the mysterious woman—an embittered and disabled veteran named Andy, who operates a tavern.

The trail takes them into the world of Kate, an adolescent street girl who rules the alleys like a Romanov . . . and into the world of corporate greed and a sinister and deadly government conspiracy that threatens to murder tens of millions of people.

Only Aoife can stop it.  But first, she has to be found.

http://store.albanlake.com/product/aoifes-kiss/

BRIDGES INTO THE IMAGINATION BY M. R. WILLIAMSON Stories are Bridges, and they take you deep into the realms of the possible and the what-if.  The four novellas herein find you in rural lands dealing with the native spirits, and discovering a unique hiding place and purpose for dragons, and some ordinary folks protecting visiting aliens from the Men in Black.  Bridges into stories, perhaps, about the likes of you and me.

http://store.albanlake.com/product/bridges-into-the-imagination/

REMINDERS

THE GALAXY JUMP BY S. E. SHELLCLIFFE On their home world of Umvalla, a small group of duckbutts were attempting to complete a Great Scientific Experiment—and instead wound up on Earth.  Oops.  In Earth measures, they were tiny—just three inches short. They looked like humans with their big brown eyes and sweet faces—except for their upturned duck butts, which were covered with white feathers.

On Earth, ten-year-old Sylvia lives on a farm in Illinois and dreams of seeing a fairy.  Instead, she gets seven little duckbutts.  She has to feed them and hide them and help them get back to Umvalla.  But how? Find out at the link below:

http://store.albanlake.com/product/the-galaxy-jump/

CANDLE AND PINS BY JACQUELINE WEST

Jacqueline West presents superstitions in a fresh new light.  Her poetry not only clarifies them, but also makes you want to try some of the countermeasures.  Be careful what you wish for.

This collection is a must-read, even if you loathe poetry…and especially if you’re superstitious.  Get a copy here:

http://store.albanlake.com/product/candle-and-pins-poems-on-superstition/

ONLY THE LONELY, Tyree Campbell, ed.

Loneliness is both an emotion and a condition.  It can last for a few moments, or for a lifetime.  Either way, it leads to a theme that we explore in this anthology.  All the main characters you will meet in here experience loneliness in one form or another.  And do not mistake loneliness for a solitary condition.  A person can be lonely in a crowd if he or she is or feels different from the others. Someone can also choose to be alone, for a variety of reasons.  And sometimes solitude is thrust upon an individual.  How they cope, or fail to cope . . . well, that’s what this anthology is all about. Featuring stories by Teri Santitoro, Christa Carmen, Jay Caselberg, Lisa Timpf, Brianna Fenty, and Tyree Campbell, and delicately seasoned with a few themed poems, this is one anthology you don’t want to miss.

http://store.albanlake.com/product/only-the-lonely/

THE GIRL ON THE DUMP by Tyree Campbell

She’s an amnesiac young woman who looks like a princess, but with a dark side to her.  He’s a mage and a former tutor, defrocked because of a relationship with a student.  He seeks atonement; she seeks herself.   And a murderous black mage is seeking both of them.

Yup, it’s a novella.  It’ll take an evening or two to read it.  It’ll stay with you for a lifetime.

http://store.albanlake.com/product/the-girl-on-the-dump/

PYRA AND THE TEKTITES:  THE UNICORN STONE by Tyree Campbell

Pyra is back!  And in trouble as always.  She continues to elude the pirates, but can she and her new friend, Chlorine Collingsworth, avoid being recaptured by Ichthia and sold to the highest bidder?  Can Flanagan negotiate his way to freedom by delivering a Unicorn Stone to the Tektites?  And what of the morrikaru, the creatures that live in the ocean under the surface of Europa?

Pyra acquires skills she could never learn in school—such as piloting a shuttle in space, and how to identify minerals.  But these skills also get her into more trouble, such as when she accidentally steals the shuttle.  Oops.

This one is for readers ages 8 to 88.

http://store.albanlake.com/product/pyra-and-the-tektites-the-unicorn-stone/

UPCOMING RELEASES:

And we expect to be adding more each month.

Bugs in the System by Karen Otto.  Just what the title says.  This innovative space opera tale takes you hither and yon in search of pesticide.  April 2018

Sisterhood of the Blood Moon by Terrie Leigh Relf.  In this science fiction/fantasy novel, Miri sees a past she doesn’t recognize and a future she might, if she could just make sense of the present.  And “The Offering” isn’t helping…yet.  April 2018

Time Off by John Shoberg.  A science fiction novel with all the good stuff:  conspiracy, crime, bad guys, a plot [always a critical item], and a quality of writing that takes you right into each scene.  Looking at May 2018.

Come Dream with Me by Sandy DeLuca.  A collection of the artist’s work, including side notes about each piece.  Looking at May 2018.

The Brigstowe Dragons 2:  Return of the Black Magician, by Eamonn Murphy.  Hey, it’s dragons.  What’s not to like?  April 2018.

The Comfort of Screams by G. O. Clark.  Poetry from a master of the unusual, the perspective not taken.  April 2018.

The Fantabulous Adventures of Ella and Pemingo by J. Jardine.  It’s a fantasy tale for younger readers, with lots of color illustrations.  No date set yet, but we’re looking at April 2018.

Mulciber by Shelly Bryant.  The latest in her series of poetry collections.  May 2018.

Poison Planet by Jerry Neves.  Settlement on other worlds comes at a price.  In the Dark Ages on Earth, it was called “corvee.”  In space, it’s called unprintable.  As you’ll learn in Neves’ new novel.  May 2018.

Window to the Monster’s Eyes by Tyson E. Lewis.  We find our heroine, Leda, transformed—her body the body of a gorgon’s—and imprisoned in a mysterious, underground chamber where she is forced to turn unsuspecting victims into stone in order to appease her captors and feed her own unspeakable desires.  Will she be able to harness the powers of Medusa to launch an escape?  Will she discover the secrets behind her transformation?  April or May 2018

OUR MAGAZINES:

At the present time we publish six print magazines.  Five are quarterlies, three of which publish short stories, poems, articles, and art.  Outposts of Beyond features science fiction and fantasy.   FrostFire Worlds presents science fiction and fantasy for younger readers.  Disturbed, or Disturbed Digest, caters to the darker side with dark fantasy and horror, as well as paranormal.  Scifaikuest, also quarterly, publishes scifaiku [haiku with a science fiction or fantasy, sometimes horror or humor, twist] and other minimalist poetry forms.   Bloodbond is a semi-annual magazine of stories, poems, art, and articles about vampires, werewolves, and shapeshifters; a science fiction twist to the material is preferred, but not mandatory.  Illumen is a quarterly digest of science fiction and fantasy poetry, including articles and art.

A word here about horror and dark fiction in general.  We’re not into gore, splatter, gouts, gushes, fountains, and so forth.  It’s not really scary, just icky.  Our horror is spooky.  We’d rather rattle your nerves than make you retch.  That’s about enough said on that topic.

So, let’s see some submissions and some subscriptions!

And please be sure to stop back in April, if not sooner.

Tyree Campbell Editor-in-Chief

[sunnydawn444]

New Post has been published on Sunny Dawn Johnston

New Post has been published on http://sunnydawnjohnston.com/blog/the-texas-hurricane-and-the-love-that-came-through-sunnys-store/

The Texas Hurricane and the Love that Came through Sunny's Store

SUNNY’S STORE

It was Saturday, August 26th of 2017 – I was in the midst of Sunny’s Body Revival class – when Hurricane Harvey blew into the Houston area. I reached out to my Soul Sisters for love, prayers and support for everyone involved. At that time, I felt underwhelmed by the media hype due to the fact that I had experienced numerous hurricanes and various types of storms in the past here in the south. As the storm system kept circling the area however, I began to get anxious and fearful. The media kept us informed and warned us about potential flooding that would occur later that Sunday evening due to the release of damn water from two reservoirs. In preparing for impending doom, my neighbors and I raised my prized possessions off the floor anticipating the worst. As I began to pray to God, the universe, angels, saints and ascended masters (and whoever else was listening, LOL) to keep the water out of my house, I burned and blessed every room with Palo Santo wood. The water continued to rise, and fear began to take over. I received many calls and text messages with a sense of urgency to leave as soon as I could. I heard an inner voice telling me “It’s time to go.” With strong convictions I persuaded my neighbors to leave too. We eventually evacuated our homes by boat with very few belongings. As we were floating down the street I remember thinking to myself, “What will I find when I come back after all of this is over.” As I was standing in the rain, waiting to be rescued, I felt like a limp noodle. Once I reached a dry area, I was rescued by my cousins. I have never felt so happy to see their smiling faces. They drove me to my friend Monica’s house. Ironically, she lives on a street named Drybank Creek Lane. Frightened and weakened at this point, I knew that I was safe, and that God, and my angels had saved me from any potential harm.

One week later, as the water receded, I was able to return to my home safely to find very little damaged by the flooding. I felt so blessed, full of gratitude for myself, but was so heartbroken for those who were not so fortunate. This included my own neighbors, family members and coworkers. I had a flood of emotions for the next few weeks to say the least. I felt as though I needed to do more and render aid somehow to people in need.

                                       Sunny reached out to me to see what people needed and if I would be willing to distribute goods (personal care items and money) directly to the people in need. I graciously and confidently said “Yes!” Numerous packages began to arrive daily for a couple of weeks. Feeling a bit overwhelmed, I asked my friend and coworker, Lisa Marie, to help me with all of the donations we received from Sunny’s alliance. I am an emergency nurse practitioner and Lisa Marie is a medical assistant at Next Level Urgent Care in the greater Houston area. Every day we provide excellent care and service to our community … but this was a God-sent assignment, channeled by Sunny. Once everything was organized in the trunk of my car, Sunny’s Store was born and open for whoever was in need and willing to receive.

      Sunny’s Store

We began our journey in the Cinco Ranch neighborhood in Katy, where every house had three to five feet of water from the release of water from the Barker Damn.  Here are a few pics of the tragic damage. My heart sank to my toes and tears fell down our faces as we drove through the streets witnessing the piles of life-long possessions rotting and molding on their front lawns. Even though the exterior part of the houses looked intact, the interior part of the houses were completely destroyed. Just like the people we met, their physical appearance looked normal, but their inner world was completely shattered. Even in their shattered states we witnessed neighbors helping neighbors. In the spirit of oneness, all barriers were broken – no matter color, creed, race or religion. We stood – Houston strong.

                                                      We had the pleasure of meeting many people who wanted to share their stories and experiences from the flood. These people were broken but were full of hope to rebuild their homes and lives. One of the first people we met was Lisa. As we pulled up to her house and rolled down the window, Lisa Marie asked her if she needed anything like personal care items. Tears began to roll down her face as Lisa Marie jumped out of the car to hug her neck. She told us that she lost her job that morning because she had to make a choice between going to work or dealing with the rebuild of her house.

  The people that were open to receiving our donations were deeply grateful, but surprised that we were going directly to the people that were most affected by Harvey. Many voiced that as the weeks went by, they felt forgotten. We brought new life and hope to their current situation. While some people were open to our presence and donations, we found some who were reluctant to receiving “handouts” and came across closed to having any conversation and would send us on our way.

  This is the fire chief for the area and their neighbors in the Mayde Creek subdivision next to mine. This is the third time they have flooded, and they have decided to move this time. There were also good Samaritans from a local church giving BBQ to the flood victims in the Mayde Creek neighborhood.

    This is Leslie an eighty-three-year-old woman and her dog. She affected us the most because she was so vibrant and full of hope. She was such a beautiful spirit that we could have talked to her all day. We could see God’s love working through her as she told us about her childhood, all the places that she had lived and the jobs she had. She openly embraced our presence and invited us into her home to show us the damage and her lifelong treasures and antiques. We will definitely be back to visit her very soon.

      It’s amazing how small acts of kindness bring people to tears, especially those who have been affected by Hurricane Harvey. Just the words “do you need anything” can mean so much. No one could get through their story without breaking down. Every time we would hug someone’s neck we could feel everything they were feeling. We were hoping that the love we were giving to them would ease some of their pain. Lisa Marie and I were just two people pouring out love to complete strangers experiencing some of the darkest times of their lives. But after our encounters they would never be strangers again. Our hearts were full and filled with a plethora of feelings and emotions. After handing out donations in the Bear Creek area we met one last family on our way out. I decided to give this woman and her family some money (in the second photo below). When I approached the woman, Lisa Marie was sitting in the car. She told me later “I could feel the love wash over me as I watched the tears stream down the woman’s face.”

    This is Juliana, an eighty-three-year-old woman from Romania. She lives here all alone while the rest of her family lives back home. She had people from Alabama volunteer to demolish and help to rebuild her house. She was extremely thankful for goods and money. She could not stop kissing and hugging on us.

      This is Jim. He works from home. He decided to take his office outside to his front lawn to enjoy the fresh air while the workers were rebuilding his house. He expressed how blessed he was through the whole ordeal and that things were progressing well for he and his family. He had a great attitude but declined personal goods because he felt there were others who needed them more than he did.

Jim told us about a house a few streets over that had burned down.  As the story goes, the woman who owned the house had evacuated but returned to rescue her cat … and as she closed the door to leave, the house exploded. The woman and her cat escaped, and they are safe and sound.

    In conclusion, we have learned that in the midst of tragedy and devastation, there are people wanting to give and receive love. People wanted to tell their stories and we were willing to listen and embody all of their experiences. It felt gratifying to go out into the community, shine our light, to listen and give love where it was welcomed. I thank Sunny Dawn Johnston for this opportunity to serve people in a unique way. Thank you for trusting me to do the work of God. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and for our highest good, and indeed it did. And so it is.

  Lisa Attales, an emergency nurse practitioner, is a native of Louisiana where she attended LSUMC in New Orleans and graduated with her BSN in1991. She then traveled and explored the United States from coast-to-coast, working in numerous emergency departments for a few years. She came to Houston in 1999 to pursue her Master’s Degree at UTHSC and graduated from the emergency practitioner program in 2001. She has worked in emergency departments throughout the Greater Houston area for thirteen years.  For the last four years she has been employed at Next Level Urgent Care.