Silver Honorable Mention!
I’m thrilled to have been awarded a Silver Honorable Mention in the Quarter 2, 2024, Writers of the Future Contest. Thank you, contest judges and organizers!
The story I submitted is entitled “Stealing Tranquility”, a who-done-it mystery about a jewelry heist on the Moon. I’m hoping to find a publisher for it in the not-too-distant future. Stay tuned!
“Waistland” Now Available Online
I’m happy to report Polar Borealis Magazine has just published my short story “Waistland”. Here’s the link where you can read it online free of charge: POLAR-BOREALIS-31-July-August-2024.pdf (polarborealis.ca)
Hot New Release
Within days of the launch of The Machines That Make Us, it came in #3 on Kindle’s list of “Hot New Releases”. Pretty neat!
Cover Reveal!
The Machines That Make Us
Coming out in August 2023, The Machines That Make Us, will contain my short story “Bubba’s Turn at Bat”. This is the sixth issue of the Enigma Front anthology series, which is now being published by Tyche Books. Cover art is by Brent Nichols.
Here’s the Table of Contents:
A Short Story Sale
Can’t reveal any details yet, but I will have a fun little story coming out in an anthology to be published in August 2023.
When Words Collide 2022
This time around, I was on just two panels: 1) Bread, Brewing and Babies and 2) Dystopian Science Fiction.
Sadly, we’ve learned that 2023 will be the last When Words Collide festival, at least with the current leadership crew at the helm. There comes a time when even the most capable volunteers want to and deserve to take a rest. Thank you for all the years of top-notch programing you’ve brought us over the years, Randy McCharles and team!
Pandemic Projects
Like many other writers, I’ve been taking advantage of our isolation to write, edit, write some more, and re-write a lot. I’ve got the second draft of one book in the works, half a first draft of another one done, and am in the early stages of outlining yet a third. I’ve also written the longest short story of my career to date and am now marketing it around. My beta readers tell me it’s a “fun read”, so fingers crossed.
When Words Collide 2021
Once again, I took part in a few panel discussions hosted by the When Words Collide festival in August: 1) Ghosts–Gruesome, Garrulous, and Godly, 2) Imagery, Theme, and Titles, and 3) the Historical Fiction slush pile judges’ panel. At some point, the first two of these might be posted to the festival YouTube site. Stay tuned.
When Words Collide 2020 Panel Videos
Thanks to COVID-19, the one publication containing a short story of mine slated for 2020 release is now on hold until 2021. Stay tuned! In the meantime, I participated on a number of panels at the virtual rendition of the annual When Words Collide festival in August. These panels and dozens of others were recorded and are now slowly being added to the When Words Collide YouTube channel. The panels I participated in were: Writing After the World Ends, The Heroine’s Journey, and The Cohesive Anthology (not yet uploaded). Enjoy!
Cover Reveal for Neo-Opsis Science Fiction Magazine
My short story “The Ninth Iteration” will be among those in the upcoming issue of Neo-Opsis Science Fiction Magazine, available for order on their website.
Unfortunately, my name didn’t make it onto the cover of the print edition (gremlins), but it’s there on the digital cover. I’m delighted this comic tale of infatuation and mayhem is appearing along with a stellar line-up of stories from other Canadian authors.
Cover Reveal for Enigma Front: The Stories We Hide
Hooray! I can finally reveal that I have a short story coming out in the 2019 Enigma Front anthology. Watch for the book’s release in August of this year.
Enigma Front: The Stories We Hide contains my very first murder mystery. It’s entitled “In Days of Gold and Murder”.
A big thank you to Chris Patrick Carolan, publisher at Exit Zero Books, his wonderful editorial team, and all the other authors who wrote terrific stories for this volume!
Enigma Front: Onward! Launched August 10th
Exit Zero Books, the new publisher of the Enigma Front anthology series, launched Onward! at the 2018 When Words Collide festival. Sixteen of the twenty-one story authors were present, including Chris Patrick Carolan, Robert Bose, Renee Bennett, Elizabeth Grotkowski, Lucas Law, Katie Harse, me (Celeste A. Peters), Adria Laycraft, Calvin D. Jim, Kevin Weir, Chris Marrs, P. J. Vernon, Dan M. Hampton, Dale McShannock, James Grotkowski, and Brent Nichols.
After three years working on the series, I’ve now stepped away from the editorial board, but I do have a contribution to this issue, my fun short story “When the Suite No Longer Fits”. It will be appearing alongside stories from a wonderful cast of new and established authors.
Copies of Enigma Front: Onward! are available from Exit Zero Books and Amazon.ca .
Urban Green Man Featured
Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing is featuring the Urban Green Man anthology June 16-21, 2018. Watch EDGE Science Fiction & Fantasy Publishing and https://twitter.com/EDGEpublishing for details.
Reports of Enigma Front’s Demise Greatly Exaggerated
What do you know? Another publisher decided to pick up the Enigma Front series and run with it! The 2018 volume will be named Enigma Front: Onward. Although I’ve decided not to participate as an editor this year, I did submit a story for their consideration and they’ve accepted it! So watch for my superhero story, “When the Suit No Longer Fits”, when Enigma Front: Onward launches in August.
Enigma Front: The Monster Within Now Available
Our third and final installment in the Enigma Front anthology series launched August 12, 2017 at the When Words Collide festival in Calgary, Alberta. Enigma Front: The Monster Within is our homage to the upcoming 200th anniversary of Mary Shelly’s seminal science fiction work Frankenstein.
Our team of authors and editors crammed into one last photo as we said good-bye to what has been a wonderful project to be involved with over the past three years. From left to right: Liz Grotkowski, Robert Bose, Calvin Jim, Selene O’Rourke, Erin Sneath, Jeanette Dover, Steve Swan, me, Renee Bennett, Robert Easton, Susan Forest, Brent Nichols, Kevin Weir, Chris Patrick Carolan, Justin Acton, and Al Onia. Missing: Shannon Allen, Ron Friedman, Michael Gillett, Colin Maheu, Kristine Saretsky, and Robert J. Sawyer. Thank you all!
Enigma Front: Burnt on 2017 Aurora Awards Final Ballot
Enigma Front: Burnt has made it onto the final ballot for Canada’s Aurora Awards! Thank you so much to all our great contributing authors, who made editing this volume such a joy. I’m actually doubly excited because, in addition to serving as Managing Editor on this volume, I also have a short story in it called “The Cure”.
If you’re Canadian and would like to read the finalist works, join the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association (http://www.prixaurorawards.ca/) for only $10. This will also allow you to vote for your favorite books, short stories, artwork, and TV/movie productions of 2016. Winners will be announced September 23, 2017 at Hal-Con in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Beginning Work on Enigma Front: The Monster Within
It’s that time of year again. Holiday season, yes, but also our reading period for story submissions to the 2017 issue of Analemma Books’ Enigma Front anthology series. We’ve received some excellent pieces so far and I’m looking forward to what else shows up before the early February submission deadline.
Launch Party a Great Success!
We had a full house at the When Words Collide launch party for our annual anthology, this year entitled Enigma Front: Burnt.
Enigma Front: Burnt is the second publication launched by Analemma Books. I have been privileged to serve as Senior Editor this time around and also have had my short story “The Cure” chosen for inclusion in the book, which contains contributions by award-winning authors such as Robert J. Sawyer, Jayne Barnard, and Ron S. Friedman, as well as many exciting upcoming and brand new authors. We are also honored to have Craig DiLouie as the author of our forward this year.
Thank you so very much to all the wonderful people who came and listened to our authors read passages from their stories. And congratulations to the lucky winners of our door prizes: books, posters, and bottles of Enigma wine!
We even managed to wrangle together most (but, sadly, not all) of our authors and editors for a group photo.
Included in photo are (roughly left to right and front to back): Kristine Saretsky, Elizabeth Grotkowski, Renee Bennett, Colin Maheu, Adria Laycraft, Robert Bose, Tim Reynolds, David Worsick, Celeste A. Peters, Rick Overwater, Valerie King, Craig DiLouie, Susan Forest, Christopher M. Chupik, Chris Patrick Carolan, Katie Harse, Brent Nichols, Sandra FitzPatrick (aka Lee F. Patrick), Erin Sneath, Chris M. Jessop, and (at the far right) Justin Acton. Not shown: Robert J. Sawyer, Ron S. Friedman, and Jayne Barnard,.
Copies of the anthology are now available for purchase in print or as e-books from Amazon.com and Kobo.
Enigma Front: Burnt Anthology Set to Launch in August
This is it, folks. The anthology I spent all winter working on as Senior Editor for Analemma Books. The collection of 21 great stories includes works by award-winning authors such as Robert J. Sawyer, Jayne Barnard, and Susan Forest right alongside with the imaginative expressions of first-time authors and those of us with varying degrees of publishing success. (Yes, I have a story in the book too–my new work entitled “The Cure”.)
Enigma Front: Burnt will receive a formal launch Saturday, August 13, 2016, 2 pm, at the When Words Collide Festival, complete with author readings and door prizes! The event will take place in the Acadia room at the Delta Calgary South Hotel and you don’t have to have a When Words Collide membership in order to attend. Sure hope to see you there!
“Shackling God” Receives Honorable Mention
My short story “Shackling God” was a finalist in the 2015 Robyn Herrington Memorial Short Story Contest. Results of the judging were announced at this year’s When Words Collide readers’ festival on Sunday, August 16th, where the In Places Between chapbook of finalist entries was also launched. What a weekend (see entry below)!
Enigma Front Is Here!
We launched our new anthology, Enigma Front, Friday, August 14th, 2015, at the When Words Collide readers’ festival in Calgary. Thanks so much to all our supporters who came out and joined in the celebration!
The Enigma Front team: (from left to right) Justin Acton, Michael Gillett, Calvin Jim, Chris Jessop, Lesley Sackett, Selene O’Rourke, Adria Leycraft, Renee Bennett, Celeste A. Peters, Shannon Allen, Erin Sneath, Robert J. Sawyer, Ron S. Friedman, Brent Nichols, Hayden Trenholm, and Timothy Reynolds. Not shown: Christopher Chupik, Jayne Barnard, Les W Kuzyk, Chantal Gallant, and Kristine Saretsky.
Copies of the anthology are now available for purchase in print or as e-books from Amazon.com and Kobo.
Enigma Front is the first publication launched by Analemma Books. I have been privileged to serve as co-editor and also have had my short story “A Fable for Those Who Would Mess with Fate” chosen for inclusion in the book, which includes contributions by award-winning authors such as Robert J. Sawyer, Hayden Trenholm, Jayne Barnard, and Ron S. Friedman, as well as many exciting upcoming and brand new authors.
Indigogo Campaign Surpassed Our Goal!
Thank you so much to all the wonderful people who made our Indigogo campaign to raise funds for the Enigma Front launch party a total success. We were aiming for $500 and reached $641 by the end of the campaign. The excess is being split between author royalties and start-up funds for the next anthology.
Indigogo Campaign Now Underway to Raise Funds for Enigma Front Launch
Can you help us out? Just go to https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/enigma-front-book-launch-party#/story. We have some great perks to say ‘Thanks’ for your generous donations.
Coming Out in August 2015: Enigma Front
For the past few months, I’ve had my nose to the grindstone co-editing an exciting new anthology called Enigma Front. Our theme is “a wave of possibility rolls across the land and nothing remains the same in its wake”. Anything can, and does, happen! We’ve got dragons, dinosaurs, earthquakes, aliens, sinister artists, clowns… Never a dull moment!
The volume will feature eighteen stories written by members of our Imaginative Fiction Writers Association (IFWA), including works by Robert J. Sawyer, Brent Nichols, Tim Reynolds, Adria Laycraft, Renee Bennett, Ron S. Friedman and a bevy of others–me too.
We’re aiming to launch Enigma Front in August at the When Worlds Collide festival. It will be available in both print and e-book format. Our awesome cover artwork has been done by Brent Nichols.
Amok: An Anthology of Asia-Pacific Speculative Fiction Made the 2015 Aurora Aurealis Awards Shortlist
Close, but no cigar…again. Darn. That’s three missed in a row now. (First, the 2011 In Places Between Aurora nomination, then the 2014 Urban Green Man nomination.) Nonetheless, congratulations to Amok anthology editor Dominica Malcolm and authors for a job well done.
Listen to “Caesar’s Soliloquy” Podcast
Calgary voice actor Elijah Lucian has included my piece of flash fiction entitled “Caesar’s Soliloquy” on his first volume of flash fiction readings. You can listen to it by clicking HERE, or go to his website and listen to other stories he recorded as well. Thanks, Elijah. It sounds great!
Urban Green Man Anthology Shortlisted for an Aurora Award!
While Urban Green Man didn’t win the ultimate prize on October 4th, it was wonderfully exciting to have a story in a publication that was in the running. Thank you to everyone who participated in the voting process.
“Caves of Noble Truth and Dangerous Knowledge”
Yep. I have another short story being published this spring. Watch for Solarwyrm Press‘ Amok: An Anthology of Asia-Pacific Speculative Fiction slated for launch in May 2014.
The cover artwork has been done by Junhunyap. Click here to see other covers he’s created.
“Without Blemish” Is in the Urban Green Man Anthology
Last August, Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing‘s Urban Green Man anthology launched at the When Words Collide 2013 convention in Calgary. My short story “Without Blemish” is included among the 31 tales contained between the covers. This is my first official sale of fiction, so I’m very excited!
Green Man legends show up in the mythologies of cultures from around the world and focus on the theme of renewal. This anthology brings the Green Man, traditionally a forest entity, into our modern-day cities and towns, with magic along for the ride.
If you would like to order a copy, just click on the book cover image at the left.
“A Fable for Those Who Would Mess with Fate”
Wins Award
Yipee! My initial foray into the world of fiction has been well received, winning Honorable Mention in the Robyn Herrington Memorial Short Story Contest. It can be found in the chapbook of winning entries entitled “In Places Between”.
Contest results were announced August 13, 2011, at the When Words Collide conference in Calgary, Alberta. If you are an aspiring or established genre fiction author seeking to improve your craft and receive encouragement from your peers, I can’t think of a better event to attend. Keep an eye on their website for details of next year’s event and registration information.
