Free Fiction Monday: DNF

Runners do not finish races for a lot of reasons. But when a runner does not finish at the first Night Frights Run in Las Vegas, Warren worries that the Halloween-themed race might prove far more pulse-pounding than anyone intends. With just the right mix of the mysterious and the terrifying, “DNF” demonstrates Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s mastery of the crime short story. “DNF,” by New York […]

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Free Fiction: Bring Me the Head of Anne Boleyn

Elizabeth Tudor: her mother’s daughter, flirtatious and bright; her father’s daughter, ruthless and cold. Which part of her will win? Before her twenty-fifth year, she bore the titles of princess and prisoner, royal daughter and daughter of a traitor. Now, Elizabeth Tudor rules England as its queen and, in her private moments, she cannot quite believe she survived. To figure out how to rule, Elizabeth […]

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Free Fiction Monday: Overworked

When Detective Mick Hanrahan finds himself subpoenaed back to Seavy County, Oregon, for a homicide case involving his former job, he dreads every minute of it. But Mick quickly discovers the case, which he thought a slam-dunk, involves angles he never expected. In a small county with understaffed legal and law enforcement departments, Mick might hold the key to preventing any further injustice. “Overworked,” by New […]

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Free Fiction Monday: My Real Cousin Ruby

For as long as she can remember, she has had two cousins named Ruby. Her so-called cousin, who lives in this world and whom she can’t stand, and the cousin she meets in her dreams—her Real Cousin Ruby. Her siblings all dream about Real Cousin Ruby, too. But why? In “My Real Cousin Ruby,” World Fantasy Award winner Kristine Kathryn Rusch challenges the border between […]

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Free Fiction Monday: Elvis at the White House

Psychic investigator Chelsea LaFronde’s secret vice? The handsome young Elvis of the 1968 comeback special—Chelsea’s idea of a Real Man. So when a handsome Elvis impersonator—the young Elvis, not the old, fat Elvis—shows up at her door talking about a murder, she listens. Even though the impersonator tells her that Elvis knows whodunnit. Chelsea will deal with a bit of crazy, for Elvis. Even a […]

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Free Fiction Monday: The Hanging Judge

People fear Judge Esmé Morell. They call her The Hanging Judge because she actually uses the execution chamber she travels with from colony to colony. She places market value on lives. But she might come to regret that. Because not everyone fears her as much as she thinks. In this insightful story, Hugo Award-winning author Kristine Kathryn Rusch proves that when it comes to space […]

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Free Fiction Monday: Shadow Side

Dan Retsler left Oregon for a reason. He never planned to return. But something draws him to accept an interview for police chief in a small town near the Oregon Caves. After all, the caves call the mountains their home, not the coast, where Retsler still fights haunting memories of strange creatures. He soon discovers that something lurks in the shadows of this mountain town, […]

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Recommended Reading List: May, 2022

Well, May was super busy, with finals and a workshop that I was teaching and the Licensing Expo. I got behind writing up the recommended reading, and then I got sick in the first part of June, so I couldn’t finish this. I did manage to read a startling amount, though, considering I was also reading manuscripts and I was gone much of the time. […]

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Free Fiction Monday: Northern Correspondent

Severson made a name for himself once, as a crack reporter. But now, years later, he hides behind his typewriter. Until the day Molly walks through the door looking for a job. Molly, with her ideals and her determination and her courage. Molly might change his life—but not necessarily in the way he hopes. “Northern Correspondent,” by New York Times bestselling author Kristine Kathryn Rusch, is free on this […]

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Free Fiction Monday: Unknown Baby Girl

A former LAPD homicide detective, Carolyn moved to Oregon to escape crime. Yet when she takes a job making houses energy efficient, she discovers a baby’s skeleton in a crawl space. She can’t ignore the forgotten bones; they speak to her. So, she uses her old skills to track down shocking family secrets, still reverberating from long, long ago. Gritty and powerful, “Unknown Baby Girl” […]

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