The Mightier Penn

#Answer We could not have known. He'd been wrong so many times before. He'd become the boy that cried "aliens." He watched the skies, sure that he'd find them. And this time, when we asked what happened to decimate the nation overnight, he was the one with the #answer . #Joke It was su pposed to be a #joke . Steal the crown, see the heads of state in a flurry. But since the dawn of the country the crown was what ordained the ruler of the kingdom. So when Jeff successfully snitched it, the kingdom became his. Along with all the royal problems. #Elsewhere #Elsewhere was what Tali told the cabby when she climbed in and he asked where to. #Elsewhere was her only focus. Away from Jane and her new boy Ash. Away from Eric's bitterness. It didn't matter where she went. The cabby was going to see if that was true. #Unlikely Sharon threw a temper tantrum for the ages. Her hair and limbs flailed about. She stomped her feet and turned her face up a

Clarendon House is an excellent publisher to work with. Grant Hudson is exceptionally scholarly about his story craft, he's a wonderful artist, and he knows what he's looking for. I love all of that. So when I missed their first Flash Fiction Anthology of 2019 I was upset. I enjoy being part of his anthologies when I get lucky enough to be chosen (I don't always get accepted). So when Gleam, the second Flash Fiction Anthology of the year, came around, I submitted as soon as I could. Luckily that haste did not make waste and he found my story "Tulip and the Wizard" a good fit. It's out now and available for purchase. There are some excellent authors in this anthology, so it should be well worth a good read.

Drabbles are a curious little beast of a story. They are 100 words long. That's all you get. Sometimes they can be funny, sometimes they're a little ephemeral. Black Hare Press has made an art of collecting dark drabbles in various themes. They also run monthly themes on their website. September's theme is "Coming of Age." My drabble Tali's Future is one of twelve stories picked to represent that theme! I hope you enjoy!

#Mood "Big # mood ." "What?" "Sigh, weird flex but okay?" "Um?" "Hey, yeet me those candies over here." "Huh?" And that was how I knew I'd gotten too old. #Iron He'd been threatened into wearing the mystical armor, and then grabbed the enchanted blade. But the witch told him that he'd need the strongest body, too. So he wished for # iron bones, and when it was granted had about 12 seconds to regret his choices. #Bistro Scott loved the magical world that he'd found. Dragons and unicorns pranced through glens. Mountains were purple in their majesty. He'd made friends with fairies, elves, and dwarves. But he missed his favorite # bistro . No one here could make a good pasta dish. #Vintage Everything was perfect. # Vintage earrings, timeless clothing, and nondescript hairstyle were prepped. Genine was ready to travel back to the 20's and finish her rese

I have three drabbles (100 word microfiction stories) in this anthology from Black Hare Press. They are Manifest Destiny , The Planetary Survey Crew , and The Beasts of the Land . They are "dark" drabbles, but the anthology should be excellent fun. Tons of small bites of literature and some really awesome illustrations! Follow the link here to purchase either paperback, hardback, or ebook!

#Collected The potential energy from lives that could have been lived sometimes tore the weave of life's tapestry creating holes and dripping sparks. The weavers made the cloth, but Lyra # collected the energy and Reys mended the tears. And sometimes, they tasted the lives unlived. #Robe Erik placed the # robe on the hook. It would stay there, untouched for another year. The ceremony was done. Why the demon required such a sacrifice, he'd never know. But Erik would do the can-can every year in the frilly robe if it meant he could stay in power. #Second "I love cooking, I just don't like that # second part." "But you can't just not do it." "Yes, I can." "So, you're just going to live in filth?" "Better than washing dishes!" #Poet Sara summoned her muses: # poet , fiction writer, painter, chef, architect, musician, etc. The ones who had paved her road, drawn the maps, and inspired every