Overdue News

As those of you who read my business blog know, I just finished a 170,000 word novel. To get it done, I jettisoned almost everything, including updating you all on nifty stuff. I’ll have more news on that novel after Dean finishes it. He’s my first reader, and if he hates it…well…it might take a while for you to hear more about it. 🙂

Anyway, here’s the overdue news from December.

First, my novella “The Application of Hope,” appeared in Paula Guran’s marvelous Warrior Women anthology. Frankly, the anthology is on my to-be-read list–as soon as I finish reading some mystery stories for the best-of anthology I’m editing.

Warrior Women got a starred review in Publishers Weekly, and has two dozen stories, including stories by Aliette de Bodard, Ken Liu, Nancy Kress, and some dude named George R.R. Martin. So this one looks like a must-read.

Here’s what PW said:

Each story contains strength and compassion, even when the personal cost is high. The depictions of battle and trauma are rarely graphic, but they’re as hard-hitting as the subject demands. This is a truly impressive accomplishment for Guran and her contributors.

You can find Warrior Women in any retail store, as well as in ebook editions.

Speaking of anthologies, the latest Fiction River appeared at the end of November. I edited this one. It’s called Hidden in Crime, and I think it has some of the best crime stories I’ve ever read, bar none. The Annie Reed and Kelly Washington stories alone are worth the price of admission but all of the stories are strong. The volume also has one of my Kris Nelscott stories from a new series I’m toying with.

Here’s the back cover copy for the book:

Imagine paying a fine for walking across town. Or hiding an illegal marriage. Or losing your life for playing the harp. Strange crimes, dangerous activities, some from the not-so-distant past, return to life in Hidden in Crime. See why Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine says Fiction River’s crime volumes have “high quality throughout,” and why Publishers Weekly states “… fans of the unconventional will be well satisfied.” Join some of the best authors in the business as they uncover once-hidden crimes.

I hope you pick this one up–or better yet–subscribe to Fiction River. The series works wonderfully, and you get all kinds of excellent fiction in all sorts of genres. Once again, you can find this in all retailers, whether they be online or brick and mortar.

My other bit of news probably means more to me than it does to you, but I just had to share it. As of December 31, my novella “Inhuman Garbage,” which appeared in Asimov’s March issue, has been picked up for three different year’s best anthologies. That’s a first for me. I’ve had stories picked up for two different year’s bests (and in different genres, just once), but never three.

“Inhuman Garbage” is a standalone novella in my Anniversary Day series. I had one of those writer-anxieties when I finished the novella, because I wasn’t sure it worked outside of the series. Sheila Williams, the Asimov’s editor, told me it did, and it’s nice to get not just her confirmation, but these other accolades as well.

Now, before I forget, let me wish you all a Happy and Prosperous New Year. May 2016 be better for all of us than 2015 could have dreamt of being. 🙂