Free Fiction Monday: Songbirds

Prince Tadeo has his heart set on a Songbird for the coronation. He sends Reynaldo, the best magic hunter in the business, after it. Once upon a time, Songbirds served the king. Now Reynaldo must convince one Songbird to return. Just one. Or he will use devastating magic to make sure she never sings from her heart again. “Songbirds,” by World Fantasy Award-winning author Kristine Kathryn Rusch, is […]

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Free Fiction Monday: Domestic Magic

At a high school for the magical, the most picked-on kid dreams about J. Rutherford Wisenhauer III killing people with a fire spell. She knows her nightmares portend the future, but her domestic magic lacks the power to do most difficult spells. To make matters worse, no one will believe her. She must take matters into her own hands—but how? “Domestic Magic,” by New York Times bestselling […]

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Free Fiction Monday: Puckish Behavior

When Noah Whitestone approaches Portia with a problem, she considers it with skepticism. Portia solves theatrical problems with her two sisters. Magical theatrical problems. But the Whitestones’ problem proves particularly tricky. To solve it, Portia and her sisters must risk not only themselves but also a lot of innocent lives. Originally written for the Fiction River anthology Superstitious, “Puckish Behavior” continues the Wyrd Sisters’ adventures […]

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Free Fiction Monday: Handfast

When Ry gave her the gun, she thought it the most romantic gift she’d ever received. But after his death she had to put the magic gun in her past or risk losing her future. Until the day she can no longer keep the gun at bay. It demands answers. Answers only she can find. Answers that involve a ceremony she never fully understood. Until […]

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Free Fiction Monday: Dispatches from the Front: Number Sixty-One

War correspondents and soldiers possess one thing in common: They only see pieces of the war—even a magical war. Everything rests on a single magical weapon, dispatched by Pixie Air, which the soldiers believe will solve everything. One war correspondent questions how. But for the first time, she finds herself on the battlefront, hoping that her people succeed in this last attempt at saving their […]

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Free Fiction Monday: Nutball Season

According to Officer Nick Mantino, Nutball Season runs from Halloween to Christmas.  This Christmas season, he sees more than his usual number of nutballs. Like the geezer who thinks he has been cast in Miracle on 34th Street. And Mrs. Billings, who tells everyone she will shoot Santa if he lands on her roof. Mrs. Billings’ threats scare the local children, so Nick must investigate. […]

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Free Fiction Monday: The Light in Whale Cove

Sheriff Dan Retsler finally believes in magic. His experiences in Whale Rock make magic impossible to ignore. But Retsler never signed up for magic, so he plans to leave Whale Rock. His successor arrives just as the ghosts return to the lighthouse. Now, he must train a newcomer in the dark side of Whale Rock, while making sure the terror entombed in the lighthouse won’t […]

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Free Fiction Monday: Monuments to the Dead

When Mount Rushmore suddenly disappears—no more presidents gracing its face—The American Observer sends Emelia Sunlake to give the California perspective. Emelia wants to put “a white, middle-class, female California perspective” on the experience. But she soon discovers that everyone—white, black, Native and non-Native—sees this strange phenomenon differently. Chosen as one of the best stories of 1994, “Monuments to the Dead” shows Kristine Kathryn Rusch at […]

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Free Fiction Monday: Oathbreaker

Nils wants nothing to do with his family or their magic. He hopes for nothing more than to live a normal life. Kasey offers him that life, but more importantly, she offers him love. When Nils’ father warns him against marriage, Nils refuses to listen. He vows to fight his destiny and win. But at what cost? Part of Warlocks, an Uncollected Anthology. “Oathbreaker” by […]

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Free Fiction Monday: Salem Week

Shanika never wanted to pursue a career in magic. Her mother dreamed that up for her. So, when she makes it to the finals of the American Magic reality show, she figures she’ll do it for her mother—and the money. But her talent might just garner her unwanted attention, and a choice she never expected. “Salem Week” by New York Times bestselling author Kristine Kathryn Rusch, is free […]

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