It's not really FREE until you know it's available! And it is...

Peggy Elam at Pearlsong Press kindly let her readers know about, Valkyrie in the Demon Realm my new short story FREE for the clicking on Amazon and in all other formats. Thanks, Peggy!

At long last, a short story...FREE for your reading pleasure!

Once upon a time when dinosaurs roamed the earth, I dedicated my life to writing fiction. I started by trying to write science fiction short stories. I followed Heinlein's 5 Rules for Success in Writing.

Rule 1. You must write. Got it. I could do that.

I got hung up on Rule 2. You must finish what you write.

I could not finish writing a short story to save my life. I was pretty messed up in my personal life in those days--trying to get out of a religious cult without losing my religion, drinking too much, alternating dieting and bingeing, doing temp work and walking around talking to the wall a lot. My best friend told me, "You say you want to write, why don't you write down what you say when you talk to the walls."

I did. Three years later I finished my first novel, a sensitive story of disillusioned youth. Totally unreadable. I would blush to even tell you the title--even that was beyond bad. But I finished writing a novel and I liked writing novels. I had found what I was meant to do for better or worse. I've since written nearly a dozen novels, many of which have been published.

I've also written lots of short nonfiction. (Even ghost wrote a nonfiction book, although I signed a contract not to talk about it.)

But I would have sworn that it was beyond me to finish a short story. It seemed like in the time I wrestled with a short story I could have gone ahead and finished a novel.

Until last week.

Somehow I wrote and finished, and published a short story Valkyrie in the Demon Realm! It's free on Amazon and in other formats. Check it out if you feel like it. What the heck, the price is right! It's based on the short novel Gravitas: Valkyrie in the Forbidden Zone.

I'm writing another short story (vampires this time) very close to finished.

It took a few decades, but I feel pretty good about that.

I to prove that sometimes less really is more.

My Review of Fat Kids: Truth or Consequences

Rebecca Jane Weinstein has put together an important book that consists of reports from the front lines of the War on Fat Kids. Here's my review on Body Impolitic Here's the book on Amazon.

Wonderful YouTube Review of Gravitas from D.M. Cain

Today I was happily surprised to find my first YouTube review of Gravitas. Sincere thanks to D.M. Cain, author of The Phoenix Project and A Chronicle of Chaos and generous #Awethors communicator on Facebook and Twitter to authors both shy and not-so-shy. I didn't exactly do a happy dance to see this--some things are not possible--but I kissed my cats a couple of extra times to celebrate!

The Report from Awesome Authorland

Last Sunday I took part in a Facebook/Twitter 24-hour event that brought together over 200 authors to play with words and each other--not like that! It was simply a some wildly creative, witty folks from all over the world talking fiction.

Writing is a lonely business and most of us handle that well. You have to be comfortable talking to imaginary people in your head in order to do it at all. But we’re human, we want other people to read and enjoy our work. Engaging with actual humans can be hard because we aren't sure they'll be nice to us. We're supposed to be "competing" for readers. Actually readers are addicted to fiction, so they can probably consume more than all of us combined could create. It takes way longer to write a book than to read it! But that doesn't stop the anxiety and self-doubt.

So you ask yourself: How to prepare? What if they are so much better than I am? FYI, some of them probably are, but if they’re snooty about it, screw them. Actually nobody proved to be snooty at this event. Au contraire, everyone was warm and welcoming with no necessity to retort or retreat.

A couple of people who participated on April 12th were surprised and touched at the supportive nature of authors to each other. Michael J. Elliott’s posted about his experience.

The kindness of strange authors was less surprising to me because I have seen so much support, knowledge-sharing and mutual aid among authors in the past, particularly in mystery circles such as Sisters in Crime and the DorothyL list. I've also been to marvelously supportive events through Pearlsong Press. But last Sunday the interaction was both real time and extended, through fast-moving discussions on Facebook and Twitter that stayed up for responses to contribute hours later.

The giveaways and contests were managed by the amazing DM Cain and Rocky Rochford.

I put together a semblance of a competition to give away a copy of Gravitas: Valkyrie in the Forbidden Zone. There were no takers. If nothing else, this amused me (ya know, "can't give it away and all that").

Those who want free stuff from me will have another chance if they sign up for my new mailing list--another thing I was inspired to try. Sign up here for new book and free story info.

The verdict: A good time was had by all, friendships forged and future projects launched. Also, I was totally trashed for a couple of days but that goes with the territory!

Fast Approaching the speed of Awesome - Proof Positive Interview

Things are heating up as many, many authors gear up for this 24-hour event. As L.E. Fttzpatrick puts it in her Limelight Literature blog “More awesome authors than you can cram into a bus” -- I think we may need a few more buses, as we gladly stop for hitchhikers! Glad to see my Bride of the Living Dead among the giveaway bundles here I'm happy to have a pre-event interview posted at Christie Stratos' Proof Positive blog. Here's the Interview

Christie Stratos explains the 24-hour April 12 event

Christie says it clearer than I could feel free to drop by. I'll be there from 3:00 to 4:00 P.M PST, but probably will be checking in earlier than just to see what's happening.