A New Short Story, A Disaster, and Cat Pictures

Okay…I only added the cat pictures to get your attention. They say (whoever “they” are) that cats make people come to your blog. So here you go:

Sir Duke feigning indifference

Sir Galahad of Kitten being impy

Miss Ella wondering why we’re bothering her

The two newest rescues wondering what the hell is going on

There. Now that you’ve had your daily dose of cute, let me tell you about the disasters. Nah, they’re not mine. In fact, I have little to do with this at all. Dean’s wonderful novel, The High Edge is part of a  Storybundle titled The Disaster Bundle. Others in the bundle include Bob Mayer, Laura Anne Gilman, Kevin J. Anderson & Doug Beason. Full disclosure: I usually don’t like disaster fiction. Yet somehow, I’ve managed to read and enjoy half of the novels in the bundle before the bundle was even assembled. As usual with bundles, you get to set your own price above a minimum, and if you hit $15, you unlock the bonus books (which include Dean’s). You can also opt to donate to a charity while you’re there. Eleven books, fifteen bucks. Go take a look.

Okay. Cats. Disasters. Announcements nearly done. Here’s the last.

For years, I’ve enjoyed the Chicks in Chainmail anthologies, edited by Esther M. Friesner. Humor, fantasy, warrior women…what’s not to love? A year or so ago, she asked me to be in the latest volume, Chicks and Balances, which she edited with John Helfers. I thought about it, wasn’t really inspired by actual chainmail, so I thought about what armor really is, and when it’s needed…and somehow, I ended up at the Academy Awards, on the red carpet, with demons. Yeah, that makes sense—in a Rusch kinda way.

Lots of my favorite writers in here, and bonus! I’d already read two of the other stories. One, a strong Poker Boy story by Dean, and the other, a continuation of the Jelly’s Heroes stories by Louisa Swann. (The first was in Fiction River: Valor) I love all her Jelly’s Heroes stories, and “Saving Private Slime” might just be my favorite.

So, don’t miss this one. It’s tons of fun.

And remember: I showed you the cats first. 🙂