"The Boy," New Fiction

National Reading Day and other notes

"The Boy," New Fiction
"The Boy" is a short fiction piece I wrote, literally, in my sleep. I was dreaming this right before I woke up this morning, in almost these exact words, as nearly as I can remember. Parts of it recall George Gordon, Lord Byron, but it isn't strictly historical fiction. It's only a dream."What am I? A poet, some would tell you. A monster, others would say. They call me “monster” because they have never known one like me. What they call badness I merely call enjoying the full range of pleasures bestowed on me by my Creatrix."I traveled with a man-servant I was in the habit of calling The Boy, because he had been in my service since, when he was eleven, his aristoc

National Reading Day and other notes
Happy Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)! Speaking of seeing dead people, my vampire chef Oliver is back, along with his werewolf companions Natalie and Matthew. Torquere Press accepted "Oliver's Good Night Kiss." It will be coming soon as a Single Shot. Please check out this new blog, publishing my story about my husband's Aunt Phil: http://newssip.comNight Owl Reviews had nice things to say about "In the Lair of the Monster" in Circlet Press's Like a God's Kiss anthology. Read the review here.National Reading Day, republished

Win Your Wish List!
(This is an e-mail I reposted with permission.)AllRomance eBooks turns 3 in November and we'll celebrate by making your wishes come true!Every day in November we will choose a winner at random from that day's purchasers and buy them the books they have on their wish list. *To get a head start simply fill your account wish list with books you'd like to read (be sure to log in first) and then every day that you make a purchase during the month of November, you'll be eligible to win. (Hint: Start with BELTANE by Erin O'Riordan!) Go to www.allromanceebooks.com.So what are you waiting for? Head to your All Romance/OmniLit account and start making o

Inspiring, Romantic Poetry Takes Flight From Debut Author
Cause and Effect Poetry by Chessly Nesci (2009, AG Press, $10.95) is a diverse collection of poems and poetic short story/essay/ruminations. They range from recession-era ("Economy," "Dream House") to romantic ("Dream," "Crush") to inspiring ("Strength") to fairy-tale-like ("The Hidden One"). Along the way, Chessly meditates on such topics as the tragic loss of her father, an emotionally abusive past relationship, and personal insecurity. She deals with these weighty topics with a hopeful, yet realistic, determination. Which is not to say she can't be lighthearted: see, for example, her loving ode to coffee:"...I love the smell of coffee beansAnd how they sound

In Sleeping Beauty's Bed: Bawdy Fairy Tales by Mitzi Szereto
Pure, naughty fun: Mitzi Szereto's multicultural fractured fairy tales (Cleis Press, 2009)aren't for kids, but they are the kind you could read out loud in a pub to amuse your friends. In that, they resemble the oral versions of classic tales told around campfires in ages past. (Along with the tales, the author also includes a brief introduction giving some information about the story's origin.) Like the ale-soaked storytellers of old, Srezeto injects a good dose of humor into each bawdy yarn. She retells European fairy tales, including "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Rapunzel," but also ventures into Middle Eastern and Asian fairy tales, giving each a unique, humorous twist undreamt-of by th