Author Interviews

Today’s featured author is our group member, Sharon Frame Gay. Her story, “Conjoined,” made me misty. It’s a tale of conjoined twins who have very different feelings about their togetherness.

• What was your motivation in writing your story?  

I wrote “Conjoined” a couple of years ago but hadn’t quite finished it. The story simmered on the back burner until I saw the call-out for The Twofer Compendium. I thought it might be a good match for the book.

2. Does it have special meaning?  

The story has no special meaning to me as far as experiences with twins. I am not a twin, nor have I known many twins. “Conjoined” just came to me one day with the first sentence dancing in my head, and the character wanted to be heard. I knew immediately that my main character had been a conjoined twin. I sat down and typed out her story.

3. What draws you to write short stories vs. novels?   

I’m not sure I have the patience to write a novel, although I do think about writing one from time to time. As a pantser, I enjoy sitting down and writing my stories all at once. It gives me a sense of gratification to know that I told a story in just a few pages. Because I never plot anything out, and don’t even know how my stories will end until they do, the idea of a full-fledged book seems daunting.

4. When did you write your first story, unpublished and then published? 

Gosh, I think I wrote my first story when I was about seven. It was about a horse, but I don’t remember anything more about it except I used my grandmother’s old typewriter and pecked away at it. I wrote my first song when I was four. It was about my dog. I still remember the song word for word, corny as it was! I wrote essays and poems and song lyrics throughout my life, but it wasn’t until 2015 when I submitted my first piece ever, a non-fiction essay, to BioStories Magazine and they not only accepted it, but nominated it for the Pushcart Prize. I had to look up what a Pushcart Prize was! Beginner’s luck! This gave me confidence to keep writing and submitting my stories.

5. Where have you previously been published?  

I’ve been published over 130 times internationally, in magazines and anthologies, including Chicken Soup for the Soul, Typehouse, Thrice Fiction, Lowestoft Chronicle, Saddlebag Dispatches, Fiction on the Web, Literally Stories, Literary Orphans. BioStories, Rope and Wire, and many others.

Today’s featured author is Dr. Bruce Meyer. His story, “Magdalen and Matilda,” is a heart-breaking story of conjoined twins’ love and loss.

1) What was your motivation in writing the story, “Magdalen and Matilda?”

I have always had an interest in British folk history. As a subject, it is strange and rich. In the course of thinking about twins (about three months before I discovered the call for The Twofer Compendium), I was reading online articles about conjoined twins, and in one of them about two 19^th century Thai conjoined brothers, the author mentioned, quite as an aside, that one died a day or so before the other. This struck me as a trigger for horror of the most profound kind: the realization that someone else who is part of you has died and is about to take you with them. There were legendary sisters, the Biddenden Maids, who lived in England in the 16^th century. Their father decided to use his conjoined daughters for charitable purposes. The sisters, long dead, are still raising money for local charities in their town: Twin cookies made by the local bakery, as well as jams and various homemade (according to 16^th century recipes) comports are sold to tourists. The sisters were more than a sideshow. They decided early on that their strange fate could help others, and the town sign on the road into Biddenden features the Biddenden Maids in their ‘twofer’ white dress.

2) Does it have special meaning?

Yes. During my late teenage summers, my parents took me on repeated trips to England. I think we covered over 10,000 km by car as we did circuits of various areas of the UK. I later lived in London and did a lot of traveling around the country while I was researching my doctorate. What stayed with me were the details of the houses and towns where people such as Magdalen and Matilda might have lived. In my mind, the house I describe with the broken chimney is the cottage where John Milton wrote Paradise Lost, not far from Heathrow and the London commuter city of Slough. Having been in many period houses, and having a particular interest in Napoleonic period England (I am currently researching a novel that involves the Battle of Waterloo and a family connection to the events that took place in June 1815), I felt comfortable writing about the period and setting my conjoined twins in a town that was in the throes of dying during the late Industrial Revolution. Those kinds of details make me feel as if I were in the town and the house with the twins that I invented for my story.

3) What do you do in your real life?

I guess my ‘real’ life is a life in language. I am a professor of Communications and Liberal Arts at Georgian College in Barrie. There, I teach students (about 95% are ESL students, mostly from the Punjab area of India) how to write essays and develop cogent, correct, and fluid writing for their essays. One night a week, I am a Fellow of Victoria College at the University of Toronto. I did my undergraduate work at Victoria College, where I studied with the great Northrop Frye and the poet Jay Macpherson. They both had a tremendous impact on me. My mother also went to Victoria College. When she walked me through the place when I was three, I told her I would someday teach there. At the time, that startled her. Then I earned my M.A., Ph.D., and a certificate of Post-Doctoral Studies from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. I spent many years as a ‘cobbler scholar’ teaching part-time at a host of institutions. One year I taught six days a week in four different cities; another year I taught at five institutions at once spread over two countries; and subsequently, I taught twenty-eight different courses in a single calendar year before I was hired fulltime at Georgian. Literature is my life. When I am not teaching, I am writing. When I am not writing, I am editing for a number of literary houses here in Canada where I have earned the nickname ‘The Cleaner’ (after Harvey Keitel in Pulp Fiction) for my work in taking books that are considered dead manuscripts and turning them into bestsellers. I have also done a great deal of radio and television work. My broadcasts on The Great Books remain the CBC’s bestselling spoken-word audio CDs. I have also been a regular on TV Ontario, our provincial version of PBS. I have had three national bestsellers, including a book about how literature works, and the Great Books. My passion for discovering ten lost years of Canadian literature, our trench writing from the First World War, has enabled me to produce a number of anthologies and restored novels. One anthology features an afterword by Margaret Atwood.

4) What draws you to write short stories and novels?

I haven’t finished a novel yet. I have three in progress. I returned to short stories after a thirty-year absence. An older student who was editing a literary magazine with me at Victoria College told me my stories were no good, so I stopped writing them and concentrated on poetry and non-fiction. Following an automobile accident, I had to learn to read and write again (I sustained a serious head injury). It was tough because my job as a professor involves so much reading and writing. I turned to flash fiction and started making the stories longer. Some of the more critical fellow students at university and even many Canadian writers I met (I have compiled two books of interviews with Canadian writers and a volume of portrait photographs of ninety writers with short memoirs attached to each photo) made a big fuss over “the craft of fiction.” It occurred to me that “the craft of fiction” couldn’t be any harder than the craft of poetry (I was the Canadian throw-in in the New Formalist Poets Movement of the 1990s). The craft of fiction, as I told the novelist Anne Michaels (a very dear old friend) over lunch one day, was different from poetry in that fiction uses a different kind of logic. Fiction is about keeping track of sequence, details, and the narrative flow. What the craft of fiction comes down to is a simple matter: Just tell your story. I type one hundred words a minute. I lay down a 2000-word story in about a half hour and then I spend two weeks or more editing it, looking for loopholes, points I can develop, material I should extract, and ways to make the prose sing in the same way that poetry sings. I co-taught courses at the University of Windsor with the novelist and short story writer, Alistair MacLeod. He was a great encourager and a wonderful source of advice. His advice was to go over and over the prose until it flows like honey and the story the prose creates moves at a balanced pace. That said, at any one time, I have five manuscripts, some poetry, some fiction, on the go. I shift back and forth, sometimes hourly, between the genres. What is important is that before a writer begins to put words to paper, he or she should see the entire story in their heads. Guesswork, discovery, gradual progress might be fine, but knowing where I have to go with my narrative means I can focus on how I want to get there, and the getting there is the beauty of prose in fiction.

5) When did you write your first story?

When it comes to fiction, I think I spent the first half or more of my life meeting up with horrible, destructive resistance to my writing. In Grade One, we had to write stories for parents’ night and glue them to coloured construction paper. I had lots of construction paper at home, so I pilfered a bundle of our lined paper one weekend. I had been saving up stories. I wrote about 20 stories and glued them to both sides of construction paper because I was running short of coloured sheets. On the Monday morning before parents’ night, I presented the stack of stories to my teacher. She screamed at me, called me to the front of the class, and tore every other page off the construction paper because we were only supposed to glue the stories to one side. I remember screaming back at her and being sent to the Principal’s office where I got the strap–ten whacks on each palm. I had some teachers at high school who wanted to encourage me but their advice didn’t work. The best teacher I ever had for fiction was fiction itself and having to teach it. A person can learn a lot by having to teach something. After teaching umpteen fiction courses at a whole variety of institutions, I thought, “I can do this. Why don’t I?” The commitment to write is that simple. Poetry, on the other hand, was encouraged by my mother, grandmother, and grandfather. They read me poetry constantly. If I showed a story to my mother she would tell me, “No one is going to believe that.” Stories brought out the wilder side of my imagination for some reason. Having lived a lot of life (I’m 62 now), I have a lot of believable material. Even stories such as “Magdalen and Matilda” only work because of the element of verity in them. I realized that my duty as a fiction writer is to take the reader to the places I see in my mind, introduce them to the people who inhabit those places, and to make sure that some element of fiction touches this world, the real world. My friend, the science fiction writer Robert J. Sawyer, who I have known for years, says that at the root of science fiction there have to be two things: good science and sound reality.

6) Where have you been previously published?

My work has appeared in 64 books. I had five more books (three volumes of short stories and two collections of poetry) tentatively accepted on New Year’s Day this year. I have a book of flash fiction forthcoming this year along with, possibly, a book I have finished of translations of a Chinese poet. There is a book of essays on my work that will appear later this year from Guernica Editions. My work has appeared in Canada, the UK, Ireland, Switzerland, Spain, Chile, Italy, Greece, South Korea, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, China, and Australia. I love seeing my work in translations I can’t read. There is the sense of looking at something encased in limestone when I encounter translations. The largest print run of a short story appeared in China in a magazine titled Flying. By Chinese standards, Flying is a very small magazine. The print run was 750,000. My problem recently is that I am outliving my publishers. A number of them here in Canada have shut down because the publishers retired. That’s not a good problem to have.

7) Are there any other details you would like to include?

My books are available on Amazon. I believe I cover seven pages there. My most recent collection of fiction is A Feast of Brief Hopes (Guernica Editions, 2018). My most recent book of poetry is McLuhan’s Canary (Guernica Editions, 2019). My next book, a collection of flash stories, Down in the Ground, will appear from Guernica Editions later this year.

KM Dailey is our featured author today. Her story, “You’re Not Laughing Now,” is a tale of twins playing board games, an activity that is near and dear to partner Ann’s heart.

1. What was your motivation in writing your story? 

A few summers ago, I worked at the Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley, California as an assistant camp instructor. I encountered a six-year-old girl with the most adorable, innocent, round blue eyes I’d ever seen—and she was a tyrant and a bully, one of the worst I’ve seen.  I also met a six-year-old boy who was just as adorable but also an exceptionally sweet, good kid. Somehow, they were best friends. But the more I watched them, the more I saw how he would subtly manipulate and control her, usually for her own good, but certainly against her will. Those two kids inspired the twins in my story.

2. Does it have special meaning? 

For me, this was a character study more than anything. I’m not a twin, but I’m best friends with my sister, so the sibling relationship is very significant to me and one I love to write.

3. What do you do in your real life?

I’m a high school physics teacher full-time (the most fun job ever) and a community children’s choir director part-time (the other most fun job ever). Most of my writing is science fiction, though I do currently keep an active blog.  I also enjoy running, swimming, playing piano, and playing cooperative board games with my husband and friends.

4. What draws you to write short stories vs. novels?

I like working on both short stories and novels. When I’m in the middle of a novel project, I take a break between drafts to write a few short stories. It’s great to be able to finish something in a reasonable amount of time, as compared to spending months or years on a single piece!

5. When did you write your first story, unpublished and then published?

Not counting stories I wrote as a kid, either for school or for fun, I wrote my first short story around 2016, though it wasn’t until May 2018 that it was published, a few days after another story, which was my first publication.

6. Where have you previously been published? 

My work has appeared in Deep Magic and Daily Science Fiction, among others.

7. Are there any other details you’d like us to include?

I blog and keep an updated list of publications at kmdailey.com!

Today’s featured author is George Young. His story, “The Entwisles,” is a funny tale about twins who are models.

1. What was your motivation in writing your story? 

– I had a reasonable amount of success with other short stories and wanted to continue the effort. While I have no immediate plans to put together an anthology of my own, it is something I will pursue along with the novels and non-fiction.

2. Does it have special meaning?  

– “The Entwisles” is based on my experiences with a commercial director in New York City in the 80s. He had a fear of flying, and also hated working anywhere outside his studio complex in Manhattan. He also worked with a specific pair of twins on a variety of print and 35mm projects. During my freelance career as a film producer, I had to get this director to Los Angeles for a couple of very lucrative jobs. Getting him there was more difficult than the actual shooting.

3. What do you do in your real life? 

– My professional life started as a dancer in New York City in 1979, where I worked in Summer Stock, way-off-Broadway in musical theater, and performed in some of the earliest music videos with Diana Ross, The Pointer Sisters, and Louise Robey.

I switched to the other side of the camera in New York City in 1984, and worked on national and international TV commercials for Fortune 500 companies. Directors I’ve worked with include Bob Giraldi, Joe Pytka, and Steve Steigman. I moved to California in 1988, where I spent the next 30 years working on a variety of projects including feature films, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Junior, Serendipity, and The Internship. I also produced three video games for George Lucas based on The Star Wars canon, Rebel Assault, Jedi Knight, and Force Commander.

On the Fortune 500 side I produced several projects for Larry Page at Google, including the launch of Google+, and collaborated with Steve Jobs at Apple on many of the company’s advertising campaigns and the introduction of Quicktime as the standard for computer-based digital video.

In 2018 I turned my attention to my novels: DracuLAND, a story of a New York City real estate mogul who purchases Dracula’s Castle and finds no vampires, but finds plenty of other undead inconveniences; The Google Earth Murders, a serial-killer reboot; and Time Blinked, a baseball story with a chronological twist.

What draws you to write short stories vs. novels? 

– I write both. Some story ideas lend themselves to a quicker resolve, and I pursue those in short fiction form. My latest work in novel length, however, started as a short story, but to quote J.R.R. Tolkien, “The tale grew in the telling.” It will be a novel.

5. When did you write your first story, unpublished and then published? 

– 1979, a Faustian bargain that, of course, ends badly. Published in a literary magazine that no longer exists. It was a contest for writers under 25. I finished 3^rd.The top three finishers received publication.

6. Where have you previously been published? 

– Only in the above-mentioned literary mag. I’ve been pursuing writing fulltime since I retired from producing in 2018.

7. Are there any other details you’d like us to include?

– Yes, I’d like everyone to know what fine editors there are at a company called Gemini Wordsmiths. Please plug them for me.

Thank you for the opportunity to be interviewed.

Continuing with our series of interviews with authors whose intriguing stories appear in The Twofer Compendium: Chitra Golapakrishnan. Her story, “Girls of the Sun,” is beautifully written, taking the reader to the location where two pre-teens live and play.

1. What was your motivation in writing your story?

As a theme for the anthology had already been arrived at in this case, the classic ‘egg or hen’ scenario had already been resolved for all the writers involved. While the twins I know in real life function as separate individuals with distinct personalities, I decided to look sideways and let my gaze wander to two individuals, to two young, vibrant girls who share telepathic bonds, physical sensations, and a deep psychic connect beyond the bounds of their bodies. These confident, self-assured, intelligent girls pulled me along their spirited narrative, to their experiences that were not mundane coincidences but occurrences that were far more mysterious and downright fascinating for which there are no credible scientific explanations. I had no control over them as they took me on their zig-zag journey. At the end, like the readers, I could come up with only unintelligible answers as the questions their story posed were unanswerable.

2. Does it have special meaning? 

This story with a mindscape of its own, one that calls for a bit of cerebral leniency and lots of imagination, is in its intent all about the singular experience of love. One that never fails, never fades. As they say, love conquers all. Omnia vincit amor!

    3. What do you do in your real life?

With a masters in English literature and a degree in journalism, I am a New Delhi-based social development communication consultant and work with several national and international non-profits to put out their messages. At heart, I am a writer and have taken to fiction as a serious pre-occupation now. I also manage an urban farm and indulge in organic farming and aquaponics.

4. What draws you to write short stories vs. novels?

Short stories have the lure to pull you in faster into the very world that a novel accommodates. They can as willfully suck you into a whirlpool of ideas and emotions. And to the contrary, it is a delightful template to explore one theme, one mood, say less, and suggest more. It is certainly tough as a form but joyful as here, less is more.

5. When did you write your first story, unpublished and then published?

I have been telling stories of non-profits for over 25 years. My first piece of fiction was published in 2017.

6. Where have you previously been published? 

My short stories have been published by Black Hare Press, Me First Magazine, Terror House Magazine, Unpublished Platform, eShe, Literary Yard, Truancy Magazine, Spillwords, Runcible Spoon, Reedsy Prompts, Feedly, and Friday Flash Fiction among others.

Diane Gillette is our next featured author. Her story, “Lost and Found,” is an emotional story of two generations, and a secret which, when revealed, changes lives.

1. What was your motivation in writing your story? 

I wanted to explore the idea that our lives and personalities can be shaped by a traumatic experience or loss that happens when we are too young to remember it. I felt the connection between twins would be a good way to explore this idea.

2. Does it have special meaning? 

It’s just a story that I wanted to tell. I don’t have any real-life connection to these characters or their story, but I’ve always loved a good twin story, and I tend to write a lot about complex family relationships because that’s something I can relate to from my own life.

3. What do you do in your real life?

My day job is teaching writing at the college and adult education level. I’m also a certified elementary school teacher. Getting to teach what I’m passionate about is very fulfilling.

4. What draws you to write short stories vs. novels?

I love the challenge of fitting a story into a word limit, having to decide what is important enough to include and what needs to be cut out. I like that a reader can consume it in one sitting and feel the satisfaction of getting to know the characters and their struggles in just a few pages. As a writer, I also enjoy the instant gratification of being able to sit down with an idea and draft an entire story in one writing session. There’s a lot of satisfaction in that.

5. When did you write your first story, unpublished and then published?

I think I started trying to create my own stories as soon as I learned to write, but my first official attempt came when I was around 7 years old.  I still have this yellow, spiral-bound notebook that my mom bought to keep me entertained one afternoon when she had to go to the dentist. It has maybe five stories written in it, complete with illustrations. You could tell I was a voracious reader because I’d sort of instinctively grasped narrative arc, and also because I was blatantly ripping off more than one story I admired, but I suppose that’s how many writers and artists start out! My first published story I wrote when I was in my MFA program around 2004. It got published a couple of years later in a now-defunct literary magazine that no one had ever heard of.

6. Where have you previously been published? 

I’ve been published in over 50 literary venues. A few of my favorites include The Maine Review, Saturday Evening Post, Blackbird, Hobart, Mojave River Review, and Ghost Parachute.

7. Are there any other details you’d like us to include?

If you want to read more of my work or see a complete list of publications, you can visit www.digillette.com. Thanks!

Today’s featured author is Lee. F. Patrick. Her story, “ReBorn,” tells a tale of two sets of twins learning more than they may have wanted to know about ancient Mayan beliefs.

1. What was your motivation in writing your story?

I’ve been a long-time member in my alter ego of IFWA (Imaginative Fiction Writers Association) in Calgary, AB for many, many years. At one time, we did themed readings at various bookstores. Coming up on Y2K (2000) there was a lot of interest in fiction. For those born more recently, there was a lot of ‘end of the world’ hysteria. I chose to write a more hopeful version of another upcoming ‘catastrophe.’ The premise was the end of the world once the Maya calendar comes to the end of the current cycle. But the stars would not go out; instead there was a rebirth that didn’t look that much different from the old world. I’d done some research on the Maya and their beliefs. The Hero Twins, who defeat the evil and rescue their father and uncle, seemed a good subject. Of course, those involved in the rebirth also had to be twins, I thought. So the two sets of twins are chosen to stand at the altar. Their sons represent the next incarnations of Hero Twins.

2. Does it have special meaning?

I enjoyed the research and trying to tell a complex story as a short piece. I tend to think I have a short story idea and they grow on me.

3. What do you do in your real life?

My day job when I wrote this story was that of biochemistry lab tech and lab manager in a research laboratory at the University of Calgary. Now I am a financial planner, give counsel on personal investments and insurance, and prepare tax returns for a number of creative people and small businesses in Canada.

4. What draws you to write short stories vs. novels?

I often think a story idea will fit into the short format but some of them don’t. They grow to a novella or a multi-book series. ReBorn was one that stayed fairly short, though there is a version with lots more description. I tend to write plot first, adding dialogue as I go, sometimes with [condensed ‘this happens’] bits which are expanded later. Setting is usually very limited in the early drafts and can be cut out to conform to a market’s requirements. I sometimes struggle to isolate the problem and point of view character as I’m plotting for a short piece. Sometimes I’m in the wrong world, or the story really needs two viewpoints, which is not encouraged in short fiction. Still, I have managed to produce a number of short stories and poems, and to have published some of them. Others sit on editors’ desks, waiting for acceptance.

5. When did you write your first story, unpublished and then published?

The first piece I wrote was a novel in 1990-ish. It turned into a trilogy which is sitting on my hard drive. I may have to rewrite it yet again. I’ve already done a complete rewrite, but that was some years ago. I’m sure that I will cringe at the writing, as I did before the first rewrite. The first publication was of “The Hunter,” a Celtic-style poem in AnThribihis Mhor, in 1998. A few others followed, but I stopped submitting, but kept writing, for many years, until 2015.

6. Where have you previously been published?

Since I became serious about finding homes for my works in 2015, I’ve been published in Polar Borealis Magazine (two short stories, two poems), Enigma Front: Burnt, and The Stories We Hide: Enigma Front 5, Starklight Press (Wild, Wicked and Sparkling), In Places Between (three times), Manawaker Audio, and Celestial Echo Press’ The Twofer Compendium (“ReBorn.”) I was a finalist for the Prix Aurora Award (the Canadian fiction award) in Poetry for “Shadows in the Mist” in 2018. My novels (Alter Egos, The Alanyo Heir, and Lonely Together) are published with Javari Press, along with some novellas (The Carina Project, Man’s Best Friend and Ethan and Monster) as it is hard to find markets for them. The last two are tie-ins to my novels; the first is sort of a prequel to another series.

7. Are there any other details you’d like us to include?

Never give up your dream of writing. Write consistently and don’t edit your first line until you’ve finished the first draft.

Today’s featured author is Matt McGee. His story, “Dating in the 5’s,” tells the story of two single people who meet in a fast-food restaurant.

1. What was your motivation in writing your story? 

“Dating in the 5’s” started as a conversation between four of us one night, two men and two women. We all agreed we’re after the same thing: flirting and having a good time in whatever form that takes with whoever strikes our fancy that day. We also agreed there’s a strain of human we all strive to avoid: the overly groomed. As the story says, “The one thing good-looking people have in common is options.”

Everyone looks for something different in a lover. Sometimes the people who give us the most, who are the most interesting and ultimately end up becoming long-term relationships, are the ones we’re first to overlook. “Still waters run deep,” as the old saying goes. But to add metaphor to metaphor, sometimes you need those deeper waters when your boat’s loaded down with a lot of baggage.

“Dating in the 5’s” started as notes in my Blackberry (yep, still have one – best writing instrument ever). I took those notes and went from one fast food joint to another in town by night, writing each character’s experiences.

3. What do you do in your real life?

I drive drunk people around seven nights a week and play goalie in local leagues

5. When did you write your first story, unpublished and then published?

My first short story “A Spin of the Wheels” came in 1989 as a college assignment. It was published shortly after in a small press magazine in Chicago. The advent of the internet has made the process so much more fun and made me twenty times more productive.

Today we meet author Rose Strickman, whose story, “Heir to Snow,” is a beautifully written version of The Snow Queen tale.

1. What was your motivation in writing your story? 

I have always been fascinated by fairy tales, both in their classical forms and rewritten for other purposes. But I’ve never been convinced by “happily ever after.” There’s no such thing, not if you’re still living. Questions I often ask myself, when working with fairy tales are, What happened then? What happens after happily ever after? I also frequently interrogate the villains: what are their motivations? Are they really that evil, or is there more to the story? This is particularly true of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen,” which ends with “summer, glorious summer,” but with both Kay and Gerda stuck in perpetual childhood. How could that be? How could such an incredible quest not change both of them? What if those changes led to their eventual estrangement? And what if the Snow Queen experienced her own transformation, brushing so close to mortality? I also felt there was a strong connection between Gerda and the Snow Queen: they are two halves of a single whole. The story grew from there.

2. Does it have special meaning? 

One special meaning I take from “Heir to Snow” is both the inevitability of change and its cyclical nature. Gerda’s transformation into the Snow Queen is elementally powerful, a transformation she is helpless to resist; as, in fact, all change is. It destroys her life as a human woman, destroys her initially happy marriage to Kay, but also gives her new life and a new role. This role as the Snow Queen is both eternal—there is always a Snow Queen—and cyclical—the Snow Queen, like the seasons themselves, is always changing as new heirs step up and previous Queens become human women again. In every end there is a new beginning.

3. What do you do in your real life?

In my day job, I work in a legal office. I also spend a lot of time with my two adorable nephews! But I’d say writing is one of the most real parts of my life.

4. What draws you to write short stories vs. novels?

I’m not ruling out publishing my own novel one day—in fact, that’s one of my ambitions. But there’s no denying that I get bogged down when trying to write novels. A short story is a concise thing and is often the perfect length for many of my ideas. It’s a medium that suits my creativity. I also enjoy writing to prompts, and that works better with short stories than novels.

When did you write your first story, unpublished and then published?

I wrote my very first story back in third grade. It was a vampire story that was both a family saga and the tale of a mad king. I submitted it to a school contest in exchange for a picture book, and got some very funny looks from teachers for a few weeks after that. My first published story was “The House in the Desert,” published in the e-zine The Lorelei Signal, back in 2014. I’ve been submitting ever since.

6. Where have you previously been published? 

“Heir to Snow” is my twenty-eighth publication. I’ve been published in e-zines such as The Lorelei Signal, Luna Station Quarterly, Tell-Tale Press, Feed Your Monster and Enchanted Conversation. I’ve also been published in a number of anthologies, including Sword and Sorceress 32, Earth: Giants, Golems and Gargoyles and, most recently, Monsters in Spaaaaace! I’ve also self-published novellas on Amazon.

Continuing in our series of interviews with authors whose fabulous stories appear in The Twofer Compendium: Gregory L. Norris.

His story, “The Echoes,” tells a tale of light and dark, with a little romance mixed in.

1. What was your motivation in writing your story? 

For the entire month of December 2018, I worked on a project called The Fortune Cookie Tales. Every morning that month, I cracked open a fortune cookie leftover from Chinese takeout and penned an entire story based upon the fortune. For Sunday, December 23, the fortune was “Keep your feet on the ground even though friends flatter you.” On all but three of the days of that month of free-writing, I wrote from nothing, no preparation. That day, I matched the fortune with a superhero-themed dream I’d had and had written the details down on a note card in my inventory of story ideas. This seemed a good match for that particular fortune and I dashed off the longhand draft of “The Echoes” by day’s end.

2. Does it have special meaning? 

When I was a teenager, I bonded with the female Captain Marvel from the early 1980s whose powers involved mastery over the entire EM spectrum. I loved her and still do. Often since then, I have dreams in which I’m made of light and flying. This story owed to one such dream in which I was a superhero tasked with saving the world. The true identity of the supervillain came about in that dream, which was such a cool and unexpected surprise!

3. What do you do in your real life?

I am a full-time professional writer, romancing and being romanced by my emerald-eyed muse daily. Writing is the heartbeat inside my heart. It’s all I ever wanted to do from the time I was a teen, all I’ve cared about doing. I publish regularly and have had some recent successes in screenwriting, which I was poised to do in my 30s and likely would have, had I shifted my location from the East to the West Coast. I spent a good deal of time caring for my disabled spouse, which made my writing time at a premium. Somehow, things got done but I’ve felt this way since I was fifteen: there’s never enough time to write.

4. What draws you to write short stories vs. novels?

I write both. But I love the short story format for its brevity, its impact, and, I’ll admit it, its instant gratification. I tend to write “smaller” tales featuring fewer characters. When I have many characters, I go epic – a/k/a novels. I recently finished one such project and have a request for it by a major publisher. So that’s on my to-do list for early 2020 as well as the numerous projects that howl at me in the night to complete.

5. When did you write your first story, unpublished and then published?

I dabbled with writing from the time I was ten. Then, at fifteen, on a summer sleepover at a friend’s house, I raced to put THE END on what was my first “novel” (at the time I didn’t realize it was really a novella). I reached the last line and something incredible happened. My entire body dissolved into electric pins and needles. It was the first time I ever experienced pure inspiration and a light was switched on inside me – I loved to write and I was going to be a writer. With the ink still drying on that finished project, I put pen to a fresh sheet of paper and began another story, then and there. Almost thirty years ago to this day, I wrote a short story called “The Victorian Woman,” a gothic ghost story. I typed it up and sent it off to the late, great magazine Night Mountains. A week later, my story came back covered in pencil. The editor said that if I made her suggested changes, she would be thrilled to publish it. I did, and that was some 4,000 published credits ago. For over a decade I worked for numerous glossy magazines and would often turn in hundreds of feature articles, columns, and short news stories per year.

6. Where have you previously been published? 

My stories have appeared in numerous magazines and fiction anthologies for almost thirty years. Some of the recent standouts include Monsters of Any Kind, DreamForge Magazine, and Whittier Than Thou, in which my short story shared a Table of Contents with a reprint by none other than Mark Twain. In the first week of 2020, my short stories have sold to ParABNormal Magazine and the anthology 20,000 Leagues Remembered, which honors the 150^th anniversary of Jules Verne’s wonderful classic novel.

7. Are there any other details you’d like us to include?

Only that in 2019, I accomplished something I’d only ever done once before in my career. Between 70 finished fiction projects (two novels, two feature film screenplays, 12 novellas, the rest short stories), I put down over half a million total words for the year. I have a generous muse – and one who is often a taskmaster!

Fifth in our series of interviews with the authors whose fabulous stories appear in The Twofer Compendium: Kerry E.B. Black. Her story, “Blanket of Black,” is the tale of the bond between twins who are opposites.

1. What was your motivation in writing your story?

Jaimie and James are twins in my novel Season of Secrets. In developing Jaimie’s character, I explored her grief when James passed. This story was part of that exploration.

2. Does it have special meaning?

Siblings often struggle for their individuality, especially when one is dependent upon the other. James relied on Jaimie, and although she felt a measure of guilt, she enjoyed the independence of separation when she enrolled at school. However, when James died, the exhilaration of freedom transformed into guilt.

3. What do you do in your real life?

My life’s too dull for a bio.

4. What draws you to write short stories vs. novels?

Short stories are cosmologies expressed in few words. It takes practice to compress thoughts into tiny tales, and I enjoy the challenge. Besides, I love reading short stories; there’s something satisfying in reading a complete story in one session. I hope other fans of the genre find something to enjoy in my efforts.

5. When did you write your first story, unpublished and then published?

From an early age, I wrote short stories, most of which I never published. (Back in those days of pocket copyrights, stories were printed out on cotton bond paper and sent with a SASE to prospective publishers.) After a lengthy hiatus to raise kids, I returned to writing and found a supportive online community and some great local friends, too. Their presence makes writing less lonely.

6. Where have you previously been published?

I have, indeed, been lucky enough to have several pieces placed in some amazing publications. And every time one of my stories finds a literary placement, I feel a thrill.

7. Are there any other details you’d like us to include?

If you want to be a writer, never give up on your dream. If you submit something for publication and the editors decline, don’t despair. That means you’ve not yet found the story’s home. All writers feel the sting of rejection. All of them. And remember, editors are usually writers themselves. They have a vision for their projects that perhaps your work didn’t quite fit, but assess the story and try again. Also, I can’t stress enough, find a community that bolsters your enthusiasm. I can’t wait to read your words!

Fourth in our series of interviews with authors whose stories appear in The Twofer Compendium: Carolyn Geduld. Her story, “Multiple Loves,” introduces us to Steph, a woman looking for love online. She meets a man whose name is Roy. Or is it Ray?

Thank you, Carolyn, for your story!

1. What was your motivation in writing your story?

I began writing fiction in September 2018. “Multiple Loves” was written while I was deciding between two genres. One genre was Humor with a grim twist (“Multiple Loves” belongs to this group). The other was Psychological Horror with a humorous twist. Although I enjoy writing both genres, psychological horror has been my mainstay.

2. Does it have special meaning?

I believe all of my fiction is autobiographical in the sense that everything creative is ultimately autobiographical. That said, while I am not a twin, I grew up with twin cousins. They may have some meaningful place in my imagination that inspired “Multiple Loves.”

3. What do you do in your real life?

Writing has become my real life. Other than that, I have been a psychotherapist for the past forty years in Bloomington, Indiana—a university town that is central to my fiction.

4. What draws you to write short stories vs. novels?

Actually, I write connected short stories that may become novels when joined. “Multiple Loves,” for example, is one of five stories with the same main character, Steph, a foolish young woman “looking for love in all the wrong places.”

5. When did you write your first story, unpublished and then published?
   First short story: September 2018. First publication: “The Pink Envelope” in Not Your Mother’s Breastmilk: 4/26/19
6. Where have you previously been published?

I have been very fortunate to have had 17 short stories accepted for publication in literary journals and anthologies in 2019 and one so far in 2020.

Thirty of my connected short stories about a mass killing’s effects on a small town are being published under the title Take Me Out the Back by Black Rose Publishers in August 2020.

7. Are there any other details you’d like us to include?

All of my stories come to me after sleeping. I don’t dream them. I just wake up knowing what to write. If I get stuck, I take a nap. That removes the block.

Third in our series of interviews with the authors whose fabulous stories are in The Twofer Compendium: Steve Carr. His story, “A Bayou Tale,” tells the story of twins who are different as Night and Day.

1.What was your motivation in writing your story?

I liked the prompt of writing a story about twins. I had only written one story before this one with twins as the main characters so I wanted to see if I could do something different in the way of telling a story about twins that also had the feel of being very region-specific.

2. Does it have special meaning?

I have traveled through the Louisiana bayous a couple of times and it evokes for me a place of mystery and magic. It felt like the perfect setting for my story.

3. What do you do in your real life?

I’m retired. I write.

4. What draws you to write short stories vs. novels?

The short story form is art when done well. Since 2016 I have been trying to perfect the art of writing short stories while also reading short stories written by my peers, paying close attention to how others interpret the art for themselves. I have written one novel, but the entire process drove me crazy. It requires a different artistic approach, one that I am not yet attuned to.

5. When did you write your first story, unpublished and then published?                                                       I was a junior in high school and wrote a very lengthy short story, which may have been my first, about something medieval, complete with knights and damsels in distress. It wasn’t published but I think I received an A for it. I didn’t really turn to writing and publishing short stories until 2016, but while in college (back in the 1980s) I wrote and submitted three short stories to different publications and they were all published. I still have them somewhere in my files. I wasn’t interested in writing short stories at that time. My interest was in writing plays.

6. Where have you previously been published?

Literally Stories, Sick Lit Magazine, Door is a Jar, Flame Tree Publishing,Viewfinder Magazine, Fantasia Divinity Publications, Fictive Dream, 50 Word Stories, Centum Press, Short Tale 100, The Spotty Mirror, CultureCult Magazine, Temptation Magazine, Visitant Literary Journal, The Wagon Magazine, Infernal Ink, Tiger Shark, Double Feature, Ricky’s Back Yard, Bento Box, NoiseMedium, Chronicle, Zimbell House Publishing, The Drunken Llama, 67 Anthology, Inane Pure Slush Vol. 14, MASHED: Culinary Tales of Erotic Horror Anthology, Communicators League, Jakob’s Horror Box, Panorama Journal, Midnight Circus, Dark Gothic Resurrected Magazine, The Haunted Traveler, Fixional, The Gathering Storm Magazine, Rhetoric Askew, Wilde Stories 2017 (Lethe Press), Trigger Warnings, Night to Dawn, Not Your Mother’s Breast Milk, Aphotic Realm, Bull & Cross, The Dirty Pool, Thrice Fiction, Story and Grit, Thousand And One Stories, Occulum, Aether and Ichor, 4StarStories, Tuck Magazine, Ariel Chart, Truth Serum Wiser Anthology, Lunaris Review, Trembling With Fear, Boned: A Collection of Skeletal Writing,The Horror Zine, Hot Tub Astronaut, Kristell Ink Holding on by our Fingertips Anthology, Ordinary Madness, The Serving House Journal, Near to the Knuckle, Ripcord, Varnish Journal, Yalobusha Review, Clarendon House Publications, Cadaverous Magazine, Blue Fifth Review, Black Heart Magazine, Linden Avenue Literary Journal, Storyland Literary Review Magazine, Tessellate Magazine, The Airgonaut, Jokes Review, Lycan Valley Press, Two Sisters Publishing, Your One Phone Call, Furtive Dalliance Literary Review, New Reader Magazine, The Galway Review, Deadsteam Anthology, Barking Sycamores, Bewildering Stories, Soft Cartel, Quail Bell Magazine, Dodging The Rain, Fear of Monkeys, Locust Magazine, Dead Mule School of Southern Literature, Cabinet of Heed, Aurora Wolf, Night Garden Journal, As Told by Things, Storyland, Dastaan World Magazine, Saddlebag Dispatches, Screen Door Review, Spillwords, Strangely Funny, Feed Your Monster, Runcible Spoon, Round Up Zine, Literary Hatchet, Enchanted Conversation, The World of Myth Magazine, Taxicab Magazine, Down in the Dirt Magazine, Who Writes Short Shorts, Propertius Press, Nude Bruce Review, Literary Hatchet, Ink Pantry, Clever Magazine, Jete Away Anthology (Hurricane Press), QSF Impact Anthology, Terror House Magazine, Chelsea Station, Mirror Dance, Free Library of the Internet Void, Writers’ Cafe Magazine, Millwork, Qutub Minar Literary Review Magazine, Fantasia Fairy Tales, Theme of Absence, Kingdoms in the Wild, Founder’s Favourites, Other People’s Flowers (podcast), CommuterLit, The Blue Pages, Empyreome, Fear & Trembling Magazine, Altered Reality Online Magazine, Horrified Press (Lonesome Train anthology), The Piker Press, Prismatica Magazine, Retreats From Oblivion, Zany Zygote Review, Writer’s Block, Close to the Bone, CafeLit, Natural Light: 2018 Scars Publications collection book, Brave Voices Magazine, Spill Yr Guts Horror Zine, Colp: Issue 4: A Little Bit of Nonsense, Me First Magazine, Frontier Tales, Pixie Forest Publishing (Modern Fantasy Anthology), Nthanda Review, Fathom Magazine, Chronotrope Magazine, Zooscape, Potato Soup Journal, Mental Papercuts, Slippage Lit, Emerging Worlds, Bending Genres, The Selkie, The Mark Literary Review, Setu, The Elixir Magazine, Turnpike Magazine, Aromatica Poetica, Selcouth Station, Every Writer’s Resource, All Worlds Wayfarer Literary Magazine, The Andreasperat, Rhetoric Askew volume 07, Blackbird Publishing (Golden Door anthology), The Rye Whiskey Review, Mosh Lit, Inner Circle Writers’ Magazine, Teleport Magazine, Our Wonderful Anthology, Still Point Arts Quarterly, District Lit, Foreign Literary Journal, Stinkwaves, Zombie Works Publications Monsterthology 2, Sweet Tree Review, Zombie Pirate Publishing, Pennsylvania Literary Journal, The Creativity Webzine, Words for the Wild, Celestial Echo Press Twin Anthology, Collective Realms, Active Muse, Volume 10 The Best of Frontier Tales, Shlock! Webzine, Portland Metrozine, Drunk Monkeys, Novelty Magazine, Dying Planet Anthology (Flame Tree Press), Great Void Books, Black Poppy Review, Christmas Lites Anthology, Dream Noir, The Stray Branch, Literary Yard, Sweet Tree Review, Breadcrumbs Magazine. Impspired, Breaking Rules Publishing, cli-fi anthology Terraforming Earth for Aliens. 

7. Are there any other details you’d like us to include?

Thank you for accepting and publishing my story. I’m honored to be included along with such great writers.

1. What was your motivation in writing your story?

When I was about seven years old my mom took my sister, brother, and me to the Brigantine, New Jersey pier. One of the things there was a haunted house called Brigantine Castle. Standard fare: dim lights, waxwork figures, people jumping out in the dark. I was terrified! It may well have been the first time I'd ever been to a haunted house. Hated them ever since. I was so terrified that halfway through I begged to be taken out but I was told "it's either go forward or go back past everything you've already seen. You're halfway through so it's the same either way." Or something like that. That is the pinnacle event that inspired "Skippy." After that point I couldn't even hear haunted-house music without getting freaked out ... for years.

2. Does it have special meaning?

LOL ... Just exorcising a terror from my childhood, and then putting another spin on it, as creatives like to do. Overtly, it is about facing and overcoming one's fears, which are not always unfounded.

3. What do you do in your real life?

After more than twenty-five years working in a publishing cube-farm (aka office), I was liberated, neither completely willing or unwilling. While I have started my own independent press called eSpec Books, which just celebrated its fifth anniversary, I also work at a local urgent care clinic.

4. What draws you to write short stories vs. novels?

I write both. Each is a unique experience. As a writer of short fiction, I like the challenge of keeping a tight focus, but still developing a rich experience for the reader. As a writer of novels, I love being able to world- and character-build, exploring the depths of that experience. Of course, as an author, in general, I have a much more pragmatic reason for writing both. Novels take a very long time to write, and should you be fortunate and secure a publishing deal, they can take even longer to publish. With so many new books releasing each day, short stories are a great way of keeping your name out there and visible while you’re waiting for the next book to come out. Short stories released through magazines hit one target audience, and short stories published in anthologies hit another. Both offer the opportunity to get your name out there and attract more potential fans, who will then--one hopes--go out and look for whatever else you've written.

5. When did you write your first story, unpublished and then published?

LOL...wow, you're really asking me to go back, aren't you? The first story I remember was in the fifth grade. It was an assignment that I misunderstood. We were supposed to write a story about cooking a turkey and then we had to get up and read it in front of the class. I thought we were supposed to write how to cook a turkey, so did the assignment completely wrong. When it was my turn to stand up and read I completely winged it :::grin::: I told the class a tale so amusing the teacher wanted to hang it up on the bulletin board ... which is when I had to confess I did it wrong and made everything up on the spot. Needless to say, my A turned into an F...and the story never was published 😉 LOLOL As for the first thing I ever published, it wasn't a story, it was a poem. I can't even remember which one. I had read it out loud at church and one of the ladies in the congregation asked if she could publish it in a magazine she worked at. Of course I said yes. Never did learn where it was published. She was supposed to bring me a copy and kept forgetting it. After that, mostly stories or poems published in school literary magazines or newspapers. No other pro publications until my first novel was published in 2001 by a publisher so small, I jokingly say even their authors didn't know they existed 😉

6. Where have you previously been published?

Having worked for the larger publishers, I have mostly steered clear of them. They take so long to get back to you and beginning authors don't really get any input or attention, so I have focused on small press. My original publisher was Vivisphere Publishing (see ... hear that? Who?), and I have also been published by Marietta Publishing, Mundania Press, Dark Quest Books, Zombies Need Brains Press, Silence in the Library, Padwolf Publishing, Spyre Publishing, Dragon Moon Press, Wordfire Press, Flying Pen Press, Cyberwit Press (India), Space and Time Magazine, Sabledrake Magazine, Fortress Publishing, Celestial Echo Press, and, of course, eSpec Books. I'm sure I've left some out of there, but that is all I can remember right now.

7. Are there any other details you'd like us to include?

One of the drawbacks of publishing through small press is that all too frequently, they go away. A while back ... oh, five years ... my primary publisher closed up shop and ALL my novels and collections were suddenly out of print. As of this year, all of them will once more be out in print through eSpec Books and our imprint, Paper Phoenix Press. The one I am the most excited about is Baba Ali and the Clockwork Djinn, co-written with Day Al-Mohamed. This is a steampunk retelling of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and it will be re-released in time for Balticon.

Titles: Ian and Owen and Twenty-three Feet

1. What was your motivation in writing your story?
   I lost a brother not too long ago, and as a way of coping I conceived a story about twins where one could keep the other alive by commanding the life forces of all living things. This evolved into the story of their birth (Ian and Owen) and the story of the resolution to their dilemma (Twenty-three Feet).
2. Does it have special meaning?
   Though I was not my brother's twin, I thought it would be interesting to illustrate the challenges and bonds of a close sibling.
3. What do you do in your real life?
   I am a software trainer.
4. What draws you to write short stories vs. novels?
   Short stories have that immediate gratification and it is so satisfying to get to the climax of the story within a few days. Usually, the climax is one of the first things I think about when conceiving a new story. So many times with a novel, the story evolves to the point where the climax is no longer what you had in mind originally. And, since I am a linear writer (I start at the beginning and write to the end of the story), the climax I was so excited about has to wait for a very long time to be written.
5. When did you write your first story, unpublished and then published?
   I've been writing since the age of five. My favorite assignments in school were always to write stories. One of my earliest memories of such an assignment was of a garbage disposal that would belch out food to the point where the house was filled with rotten vegetables.
6. Where have you previously been published?
   My first publication was in a sci-fi anthology Grey Matters, Vol. 3 in 2015. Fast forward to last year where two of my stories were accepted into The Twofer Compendium. I also self-published five short stories along with a print version of four of those stories in one volume. I basically experimented with self-publishing to teach myself how it's done and test the waters of independent vs. traditional publishing. I am working on my second novel and am currently querying to get my first one published.
7. Are there any other details you'd like us to include?
   It is my privilege to be included in this group. I am thrilled to be part of the writing community which is unlike any other professional community I've seen. Nowhere else will you find a group of talented, encouraging, and gracious people. We are, technically, each other’s competition, but I've found the writer community to be wonderfully helpful in all areas. I hope one day to be just as helpful and inspiring to other writers as well.

Featured author H. E. Casson’s story, “The Tyndarids,” tells a tale of children dreaming they could fly. But, were they dreaming?

1. What was your motivation in writing your story? 
   I’ve always had dreams where I can fly. It’s less flying and more controlling the way I relate to the Earth. I can move myself closer to or further away from it. One night I had a dream and later, on the bus, heard a mother tell one of her kids not to pull on the other’s ear because they might rip it off. I wondered if this was true — or even possible—with the strength of a kid. I remember believing the common tale that 8 pounds of pressure would rip an ear off. All of these ideas about what we believe and what is or isn’t true mixed in with the flying dream. Add to this, the special place that siblings play in all our best childhood schemes and the story fell together pretty quickly. I wanted to talk about what siblings mean to us as adults. They are the only people we don’t have to explain our childhoods to. Yet we invariably have to grow apart, live in different spaces and react differently to where we began.
   2. Does it have special meaning? 
   It does. It’s about isolation and strength. It’s about what it looks like to be strong when you haven’t anyone to play it off of. Is it just loneliness then? It’s about surviving and not being entirely sure what to do with that.
   3. What do you do in your real life?
   I’m an art studio operations assistant. I work for a small gallery in Toronto. It’s a lovely job that leaves me time to write.
   4. What draws you to write short stories vs. novels?
   I have ADHD and by the time I get 50,000 + words down, I’ve usually forgotten everything I knew about my characters. I have to reread everything, and I get bogged down in it. Timing can be a challenge, too. With short stories, I can research at my own pace, then punch out the story in a short amount of time so I don’t lose anyone or anything along the way.
   5. When did you write your first story, unpublished and then published?
   I have an old cassette tape of me making up stories when I was very little, 6 or 7 years old. I started writing them down as soon as I worked out how to write. My first published story was in my high school newspaper and it was about a kid who dies in a snowbank, so I suppose stories that take a grim turn aren’t new to me.
   6. Where have you previously been published? 
   I’ve published short stories in Apparition Lit, Stonecrop Review, Room, and Grey Borders, and poems in Fireweed, Jones AV, Terse, Writers Resist, Good Girl, Fire & Reason, and ExCite (among others). I’ve also had regular columns in a few local magazines over the years. Anyone interested in my work can see more at https://hecasson.com.
   7. Are there any other details you'd like us to include?
   Interestingly, I saw the call for this collection the day I finished the story — which also happened to be the due date for submissions. I edited it as best I could and sent it in right at the deadline. I had a feeling this would be its home. It was one of the first pieces I sent out after returning to writing. I’d had an almost 15-year step away from it. It felt like a blessing on the decision, to have this story find a home in The Twofer Compendium.

Gabriella Balcom’s story, “How Could You Leave Me?” tells a tale of the origin of Gemini. Ruth and I were both born under the sign of Gemini, and so was Gabriella!

What was your motivation in writing your story?

When I saw the submission call for stories featuring twins, I was intrigued, but wasn't sure if I'd try to create something. Although I'm a Gemini and understand the varied aspects of my own personality, I didn't grow up with a twin, much less any sibling at all, and I didn't know if I could do justice to the theme. I kept thinking of the submission call over the ensuing weeks, though. One day as I was driving to work, the ending to my story just popped into my head. I “saw” my twins and just knew them. I also knew how their story began. It was as if they'd revealed themselves to me and “led me,” per se.

Does it have special meaning?

The family is important, regardless of its composition, and it can have a lasting influence for good or bad in people's lives. Also, the loss of a loved one can be devastating.

What do you do in your real life?

My background is in psychology and criminal justice, although I've worked a variety of unrelated jobs, too. I currently work fulltime in the mental health field. The majority of people I deal with are in crisis, with a fair number of them wanting to commit suicide, kill others, or experiencing psychosis. I arrange hospitalization at times, provide minor counseling now and then, and/or give referrals, depending on the situation.

What draws you to write short stories versus novels?

I'm inspired to create stories of all lengths, ranging from drabbles to novels. I also write poetry. It just depends on the subject matter.

When did you write your first story, unpublished and then published?

My mother taught me to read and write early, and I did both from the time I can remember. I penned childish yarns, including one when I was six that won a writing award from a library; it was about animals that met, became friends, and moved in together. I began writing poems when I was thirteen, and some were published when I was sixteen; they were my first publications. However, I stopped writing for years while dealing with jobs, college, marriage, divorce, and my children. During that time period, I wrote a few articles which were published, but they were work- and mental-health-related, and I wrote nothing else. I started writing again in 2012, and it was like floodgates opened. Ideas poured into my mind, and they still do, quite a bit. At the end of 2017, I joined a writing group on Facebook and saw an interesting submission call. I wrote “Bobby – You'd Never Guess” for that call, hired an editor for the first time, and then submitted my story. It was accepted by Scout Media for A Contract of Words, and was published in 2018.

Where have you previously been published?

My stories, drabbles, and poems have been published or are pending publication by several presses and publishers and include the following (books are listed, with story or poem names in parentheses):

Black Hare Press: Angels, Apocalypse, Storming Area 51 (“Stewie”), Beyond, Dark Moments Year One, Deep Underground series (“The Return”), Eerie Christmas (“One Santa, Two Santas...”), Hate, Jibbernocky (“Magic”), Love, Lust (“Chad”), Monsters, Oceans, Pride (“Pride Goeth”), Unravel, What If (“The Red, Grey, Black, and White”), Worlds, Blood Song Books: Curses and Cauldrons, Forest of Fear, Celestial Echo Press: The Twofer Compendium (“How Could You Leave Me?”); Clarendon House Publications: Cadence (“Bernard, Liquor's Slave”), Fireburst (“The Last Laugh”), Gleam (“The Cowboy”), Glamour (“A Little Help”), Gold (“Nun or Not?”), Lantern (“Jacqueline's Heart”), Miracle (“Mouses and Rats Cot Reel Cheep”), Poetica (“Teh-Mah”), Rapture, Tempest (“Damaged”), Vortex (“A New Life for Sara”), and Window (“Kevin and the Unexpected Visitor”). I also won the opportunity to have a book published by Clarendon House when one of my stories was voted best in an anthology, Dastaan World Magazine: Athena (“Suzie's Wish”), Her Only Desire, Justified, and more; Dragon Soul Press: Organic Ink #1, Organic Ink #2; Eerie River Publishing: Forgotten Ones; Fantasia Divinity Magazine and Publishing: Earth of Oblivion, Halloween’s Fright and Autumn’s Delight, Summer’s Splash (“Not Catching On”), Waters of Destruction, Winds of Despair, Wishes of Illusion (“The First Rabjinn”); Horror Tree: Unholy Trinity (“Venostuthulu”); Inner Circle Writer's Group Magazine: “Free's Tale,” “Love and Time,” “Mission Ryan,” and more; Iron Faerie Publishing: Gods and Goddesses (“People Are Not Always What They Seem”); Lulu.com: Share Your Scare (“The Siamese”); Pixie Forest Publishing: Magical Reality (“What I Miss the Most”), John F. Green, editor: Tales of the Southwest, Reanimated Writers Press: 100 Word Zombie Bites, Scout Media and Music: A Contract of Words (“Bobby—You'd Never Guess”), Siren's Call Publications: (“Big Mouth”), Soteira Press: Horror USA: California (“Smoked”), Horror USA: Texas (“The Brat”), Stormy Island Publishing: Sea Glass Hearts, Suicide House Publishing: Scary Snippets Christmas Anthology, Scary Snippets Halloween Anthology (“The Graveyard”), Scary Snippets Valentine's Day (“Yummy”), The World of Myth Magazine: “Edwina,” “Gertrude,” “Mordred the Magnificent and Melina the Marvelous,” “The Boundary,” “The Missing Wallet,” and several drabbles; and Zombie Pirate Publishing: Flash Fiction Addiction (“Younger by the Minute”), Phuket Tattoo (“Shadows of the Anasazi”).

Are there any other details you'd like us to include?

Yes. I live in Texas with my children, and we have three dogs and two cats that could talk your ears off. In my heart, I have a soft spot for other states and countries I've lived in, traveled to, or dream of visiting one day, and I believe wonderful people and beautiful places exist everywhere.   

I write fantasy, horror/thriller, romance, children’s stories, sci-fi, and more. I like music, traveling, good shows, photography, history, interesting tales of all sorts, plants, animals (especially dogs, cats, and wolves), and a lot more. I'm a sucker for a great story and love forests, mountains, and back roads which might lead who knows where. I have a weakness for lasagna, garlic bread, tacos, cheese, and chocolate, but not necessarily in that order, and I adore Italian, Mexican, and Chinese food.

You can check out my author page at: https://m.facebook.com/GabriellaBalcom.lonestarauthor

1. What is the name of the story? “Saving Time.”

2. What was your motivation in writing it? I wanted to write a trench coat story that really changed the way that the reader viewed the trench coat. Yes, the coat has the traditional traits, but I wanted to make it something else, something bigger and more meaningful. And then, in the end, rip it away and have it just be a trench coat after all. While the trench coat appears to be a focal point of the story, it isn’t really; as with most stories, it’s really about a person and emotions.

3. Does it have special meaning? Is the motivation special? I have a tougher time letting go of things than most people I talk with, so I loaded my character with regret, the desperate wish to change the past. So that goal begs the question: What would you do if you thought you could change the past? How far would you go? How many times would you go back and try again, if there was a real cost to you every time you failed? What if you faced the ultimate price of potentially losing your life? Would you go back again? That’s the real question I wanted to explore.

4. Bio: Oh goody, a chance to use third person. By day, Gary Zenker is a marketing professional, creating marketing strategy, implementing it, and writing copy in nearly every medium known to man and woman. By night he collects photography and other people’s home movies, reads graphic novels, and runs two local writers' groups dedicated to helping authors better their craft, get published and form relationships with other writers. He also finds some time to write flash fiction, run sessions on writing, and try to be the best father he can be.

5. What draws you to write short stories vs. novels? I like the challenge of telling a story using the fewest words possible. "Saving Time" is actually twice the length of my other stories, but only because I needed that many words to get everything across. This was more complicated than most of my stories in terms of the multiple elements involved. Time travel does that to a story. I should mention that I also have the attention span of a radish; long stories with endless metaphors and extended descriptions of scenes bore me. I can appreciate the craftsmanship in the work, but there are many kinds of storytelling. I believe that the readers are perfectly capable of filling in some of the more descriptive details for themselves, so I let them, if it isn’t important to the overall storytelling.

6. When did you write your first story, unpublished and then published? I wrote miniature comic books for hamsters when I was eight or ten. I had a column in the college newspaper during my senior year, which is where I found my voice. I also had a column in a couple of newspaper weeklies and didn’t come back to writing fiction (well, unless you call business copy fiction) for another ten years when I founded two local writers' groups – The Main Line Writers Group and the Wilmington-Chadds Ford Writers Group. I’m not super prolific as a writer, but people like my work and my writer's voice. I enjoy working themes into my pieces that make people think.

7. Where have you previously been published?  Several anthologies, including Chicken Soup for the Soul: Laughter Is the Best Medicine, “Going Commando,” a true story about my son and me; The Twofer Compendium, “Second Thoughts,” the story of twin teenage girls told from the perspective of one; Running Wild Anthology, Volumes 1 and 2; Sheepshead Review, “Three Words,” the ones that change our lives in every way; Down In the Dirt, “Soup For One,” an example of how a father relates to his son; and a bunch of others. Plus, a handful of online flash fiction sites.

1. What is the name of the story?

“Eerie Justice”

2. What was your motivation in writing it?

“Eerie Justice” is another in my series of Detective Bragg mysteries.

3. Does it have special meaning?

The story gives Detective Bragg a dilemma. He knows the murderer, but can he bring him to justice?

4. Bio

Joe Giordano’s stories have appeared in more than one hundred magazines including The Saturday Evening Post and Shenandoah. His novels, Birds of Passage, An Italian Immigrant Coming of Age Story (2015), and Appointment with ISIL, an Anthony Provati Thriller (2017) were published by Harvard Square Editions. Rogue Phoenix Press published Drone Strike (2019) and his short story collection, Stories and Places I Remember (2020).

Joe was among one hundred Italian-American authors honored by Barnes & Noble to march in Manhattan’s 2017 Columbus Day Parade. Read the first chapter of Joe's novels and sign up for his blog at http://joe-giordano.com/

5. What draws you to write short stories vs. novels?

I began writing short stories to improve my writing. Now, whenever an idea pops into my head, I’ll put it on paper. My novels have required about a year to draft, whereas I often can write a short story in a couple of days. Both express my observations about life.

6. When did you write your first story, unpublished and then published?

I first tried my hand at historical fiction about the Greek-Persian wars, but my prose was terrible. I had to learn how to write. Short stories were a means to improve. My first short story was published about nine years ago after a landfill worth of rejections.

7. Where have you previously been published?

My stories have appeared in more than one hundred magazines including The Saturday Evening Post and Shenandoah.

8. Optional-what do you do in real life? (more than bio)

My wife, Jane, and I travel, golf, play bridge and dote on our little Shih Tzu, Sophia.

What is the name of the story?

“A Murder on Ganymede”

What was your motivation in writing it?

I wanted to challenge myself as a writer, and trying to find a creative and unusual way to center a story around a trench coat, of all things, seemed a good way to do that. I mulled over ideas, discarding one after the other. Only after I decided to write a science fiction tale — as opposed to a traditional noir story — did it all come together.

Does it have special meaning?

Not really. The trench coat in my story is that worn by Deckard in the film version of Blade Runner. I have mixed feelings about the film as a whole, but I absolutely love Batty’s speech at the end.

Bio

Rebecca Buchanan is the editor of the Pagan literary ezine, Eternal Haunted Summer, and is a regular contributor to ev0ke: witchcraft*paganism*lifestyle. She has released three short story collections and one poetry collection.

What draws you to write short stories vs. novels?

Time! Seriously. I work a full-time “real” job, which leaves me only a few hours every week to write. I’ve started at least four novels, all of which I have had to set aside because I just couldn’t work on them consistently. So, my creative outlet is short stories, which I can usually write in only a couple of days to a week.

When did you write your first story, unpublished and then published?

I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. I have notebooks tucked away in a trunk filled with stories I wrote out by hand in elementary school.

My first published story was an African-based fantasy, “How Kpodo and Lishan Met, and the Adventure They Had After.” It was accepted by Luna Station Quarterly back in 2010.

Where have you previously been published?

A wide variety of places, from short story anthologies to print magazines to online journals. A few include Abyss & Apex, Eye to the Telescope, Faerie Magazine, The Future Fire, Gingerbread House, Mirror Dance, Polu Texni, Star*Line, and Three Drops from a Cauldron; and, of course, The Trench Coat Chronicles!

Joel Burcat

1. What is the name of the story?

"The Truth"

2. What was your motivation in writing it?

I wanted to write a story about someone who gets into trouble for telling the truth. I spent some time thinking about how that could happen, and this story pretty much wrote itself.

3. Does it have special meaning?

Yes. Never tell a lie … unless you have to.

4. Bio

Joel Burcat is a novelist and environmental lawyer. His debut novel, Drink to Every Beast, about midnight dumping, was the first in his series of Mike Jacobs environmental legal thrillers. His latest novel, Amid Rage, is the second in this series. It is about a coal mine permit dispute and was released on February 2, 2021. He is at work finishing the third book in the series, Strange Fire, about fracking. He is also finishing up a young adult novel, Hush Little Baby. Drink to Every Beast and Amid Rage are published by Headline Books.

His novels have received awards from PennWriters, ScreenCraft, N.Y. Book Festival, and Readers’ Favorite. In addition, a number of his short stories have been published.

Burcat was selected as the 2019 Lawyer of the Year in Environmental Litigation (for Central PA) by Best Lawyers in America. He has also received “Super Lawyers” and “Best Lawyers” designations for environmental and energy law, and he was selected by the Pennsylvania Bar Association as a recipient of its annual award in environmental law.

Burcat lives in Harrisburg, PA with his wife, Gail. They have two grown daughters, a son-in-law, and a granddaughter.

5. What draws you to write short stories vs. novels?

I have been writing both. I like reading both. Sometimes you can say everything you need to say in under 5,000 words. Sometimes you need 100,0000 words. Often an idea lends itself to a longer treatment than I can write in a short story and it becomes a novel.

It is very different writing short stories and novels. Both require conflict and interesting character development. Writing a short story requires a precise use of language, precision, and clinical attention to detail. Generally, a short story describes a single event or setting. In a short story, unless you are writing about an anti-hero (as in "The Truth"), one expects the protagonist to change, to become a better person, or learn some lesson as a result of what happens. In a novel, readers are expecting a lot more character development, subplots, movement through events and settings, and detail.

6. When did you write your first story, unpublished and then published?

I doodled on paper for many years and took writing courses in college. I actually had a poem published while I was an undergrad. My first published short story was called "Surviving Forty," and was published in Harrisburg Magazine in 2000. I laid writing aside after that and didn’t start writing again until July 4, 2007. I was lucky, and that next story, "The Best Beer I Ever Had," was published several years later in Hobo Pancakes. Since then, I’ve written about 35 short stories and have had seven or eight published.

7. Where have you previously been published?

Harrisburg Magazine

Kaleidoscope

Ragnarok

Diverse Voices Quarterly

Hobo Pancakes

Montreal Review

Euphony

Two anthologies

8. Optional-what do you do in real life? (more than bio)

I’m very fortunate. I’m now retired (disabled, actually) and am able to devote every day to writing. I start writing in the morning, generally between 8 and 9 a.m., then write until lunch time. After lunch, I work on the “business of books” and may get in a little more writing. I try to fit in exercise during the day, either very early, or after my creative sprint. Like everyone else, COVID has impacted my life in ways large and small. Fortunately, my writing space is on our third floor, so I haven’t had to change anything about the actual writing process.

One more thing. I have a motto: “Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never …” –Winston Churchill, Oct. 29, 1941, speech at Harrow School.

1. What is the name of the story?

"Raguel"

2. What was your motivation in writing it?

My recurring series detective, Isiah Funderburke, wears a leather walking coat (often mistaken as a trench coat) as his signature piece of outerwear. I'd been meaning to tell the origin story of that garment for a long time, and when I heard about The Trench Coat Chronicles, I realized that this was the perfect opportunity.

3. Does it have special meaning?

We get little glimpses of Funderburke's mysterious past throughout the series. I thought that this was a good time for an extended look at one of his first cases as a private detective.

4. Bio

I am a lifelong Wisconsin resident with an M.A. and Ph.D. in U.S. History from Marquette University, and an MLIS from UW-Milwaukee. My interests are literary history, the history of crime and punishment, Chinese-American history, and mass consumption.

5. What draws you to write short stories vs. novels?

I often have ideas for mysteries, but I realize that there isn't enough plot to stretch the story out to a full novel, so I go as far as the narrative will let me, which leaves me with a short story.

6. When did you write your first story, unpublished and then published?

My first full story (which remains unpublished as of this writing) was a mystery novel I wrote during my last year of college as a senior project. My first published short story was "Death's Door," in the anthology Holding Fire: Short Stories of Self-Destruction, which was published in 2015. I'd written a 15,000-word version of it a year earlier, then cut it down to 10,000 words for the anthology.

7. Where have you previously been published?

My work has been published in Mystery Weekly, The Wisconsin Magazine of History, The Strand Magazine, Gilbert! Magazine, Masthead: Best New England Crime Stories 2020, several anthologies from Belanger Books and MX Publishing, the 2018 and 2020 BOULD* Awards anthologies, Serial Magazine, and Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine. My first full-length book Sherlock & Irene: The Secret Truth Behind "A Scandal in Bohemia" was published by MX Publishing in August 2020.

8. Optional-what do you do in real life? (more than bio)

I am an educator, teaching online history and government courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and I work as a substitute middle and high school teacher. I also work as a researcher and "International Goodwill Ambassador" for Agatha Christie Limited.

1. What is the name of the story?

“The Haunted Detective.”

2. What was your motivation in writing it?

I’ve always wanted to write a story about a hard-boiled private detective in San Francisco. Before I had even heard of this anthology, I wrote variations of Margie Potter’s story on my blog, some for online writing challenges, and some just for giggles. I developed “Haunted” as a short story for another submission call, but it didn’t sell. To meet your word count, I had to cut the original (much grittier) story in half. I’m still satisfied with the outcome.

3. Does it have special meaning?

In a sense. Margie is a woman who grew up in an orphanage in California’s Central Valley, abused in many ways. She ran with a tough crowd and learned pickpocketing, shoplifting, even safecracking at a fairly early age. She trusted no one until she moved to San Francisco and met Preta, who would become her best friend. It was Preta’s disappearance right before Pearl Harbor that led Margie to become a private investigator. Preta’s ghost would eventually lead Margie to solve her murder. Her friendship with Preta, even beyond the grave, along with that of Police Inspector Miles Cowen and his family, changed Margie from a hard, bitter person to one who embraced companionship, loyalty, and even love.

I used to work in social services many years ago, and most kids raised “in the system” ended up having very tough lives as adults, often repeating the same tragic mistakes as their parents. I wanted to change that for Margie while channeling all of the “energy” imparted to her by her history into, if not a hero, at least someone who could see beyond their own pain and help others.

4. Bio

James Pyles is a published science fiction, fantasy, and horror writer. By day, he is a technical writer for a large, diversified company in southwestern Idaho. He also takes the occasional freelance Information Technology assignment. A growing number of his short stories have been published in anthologies and periodicals since 2019. He also has a passion for reading the genres he writes and is currently working on more interesting and compelling projects for 2021. You can find him at https://poweredbyrobots.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jamespylesauthor/

5. What draws you to write short stories vs. novels?

Part of it is attention span. Even though I’ve written numerous textbooks which are novel length, by the time I get to the end, I can’t stand them anymore and am more than ready to move on to the next project. Also, I have a tough time sustaining a theme across a novel-length work. I still hope to write novels someday (maybe this year, who knows?), but in the meantime, short stories are who I am.

6. When did you write your first story, unpublished and then published?

If you mean fiction story, I took a creative writing class in high school. I also took a writing class some years later at the U.C. Berkeley Extension. Both experiences taught me that my writing was shallow and my characters two-dimensional. However, the “bug” to write fiction never really left me. I guess I just needed several decades to grow into it. I started writing fiction seriously in 2016 but didn’t sell my first story until 2019. Since then, it’s been gangbusters. My most recently accepted short story, “Saving the Apostle,” a time travel thriller, is coming out in the Tuscany Bay Press's planetary anthology, Saturn, in February 2021.

7. Where have you previously been published?

If you mean fiction, all in small indie houses. In addition to Celestial Echo Press, my stories have been published by Zombie Pirate Publishing, Pixie Forest Publishing. Cloaked Press, Hellbound Books, Black Hare Press, Immortal Works, Tuscany Bay Press, and others.

8. Optional-what do you do in real life? (more than bio)

As I previously mentioned, since May 2020, I have worked as the technical writer for the IT department of a large, diversified company in Southwestern Idaho. Most of that time, thanks to the pandemic, I’ve worked at home. In addition, for the past nearly 20 years, I’ve been a published author of technology textbooks and self-study guides. I still take side contracts and contribute to technical manuals, usually writing test banks to be used with textbooks in a (virtual) classroom setting. Beyond all that, I play with my grandkids, which reaps its own rewards.

• What is the name of the story?

“Peanuts on the Half Shell”

• What was your motivation in writing it?

My motivation can be anything. I have a visual memory of seeing a bulldog in a trench coat once, and I suppose that inspired the story. That, and the kids at the schools I used to work at all seem to want to be YouTube stars.

• Does it have special meaning?

Well, not anything too deep. But a family member has been regaling me with stories about the antics of the squirrels that come up on their porch during happy hour, and was sending me photos. So I suppose that got translated into the title “Peanuts on the Half Shell.”

• Bio

“Bringer of Nightmares and Storms.” Author Willow Croft is usually lurking deep in the shadows of her writer cave. French fries lure her out to play. https://willowcroft.blog.

• What draws you to write short stories vs. novels?

I write both, but I haven’t had a full-length novel published. I have about ten separate drafts, and a more polished middle-grade manuscript that I’ll probably end up self-publishing at this point. My next full-length projects are a horror manuscript and maybe a collaborative self-help/nonfiction book of sorts.

• When did you write your first story, unpublished and then published?

I was really young, and I started to write a story about a large, magical, rainbow eagle.

• Where have you previously been published?

Articles, reviews, or short stories? Cat Fancy (now Catster), Renaissance Magazine, Rio Grande Sun, Rock N’ Roll Horror Zine, New Mexico’s Emerging Writers: An Anthology, America’s Emerging Horror Writers (West Edition), The Sirens Call, Mad Scientist Journal, Bloody Red Nose: Fifteen Fears of a Clown, Isolation: A Fantasia Divinity Anthology, The Hollow Volume 3: Where All Things Evil Lie, Outsiders Within, Neon Druid: An Anthology of Urban Celtic Fantasy, and EconoClash Review  (forthcoming), along with a forthcoming anthology by DBND Publishing.

I also sometimes write book reviews over at Madness Heart Press and write guest posts at a cat blog called Katzenworld.

8. Optional-what do you do in real life? (more than bio)

Aside from rescuing animals? Uh, well, I was previously a substitute teacher. Right now, I am settling into my new state of Kansas, and taking long walks in a local cemetery. When I’m not writing, that is.

1. What is the name of the story?

“The Halston Butcher” is the name of my story.

2. What was your motivation in writing it?

I was a private investigator in the State of Texas for many, many years. So, the trench coat thing caught my imagination and brought back memories.

3. Does it have special meaning?

Yes. There is special meaning for me in the detective or investigation field. I touched so many lives and that is why I loved the work. It felt like I was making a difference in my small way. A way of giving back. I always said when people come looking for us, they’ve got trouble! Our job was/is to take that trouble to as positive a resolution as possible.

4. Bio

Elaine Marie Carnegie-Padgett, a paralegal and PI, worked as a newspaper journalist for many years, then a part-time history and foodie columnist for a decade before accepting a publishing partnership. She then opened Stone Pony Publishing and Author Services. She worked with both the FBI and Texas Rangers, has written for Discovery ID, and works for the PI in a consultant capacity today. Her articles have been used in the Texas legislature, utilized in regional Texas school systems, published in both print and online venues, magazines, and anthologies as well as in charity and collaborative projects. She is a published short story author and poet. Her first novel is in the works, titled The Path of Totality. Elaine makes her home in the idyllic East Texas Piney Woods on a private lake, doing what she loves and living her best life! You can find her at https://www.authorelainemarie.com/.

5. What draws you to write short stories vs. novels?

I began writing short stories in March 2020 while my novel was in “query limbo” and found that I loved the writing process of the short story. I will always write them as well as my novels.

6. When did you write your first story, unpublished and then published?

My first fictional short story was “Revenant” donated to Doctors without Borders in the Unity anthology by Barrio Blues Press. It brings to mind the subject of human trafficking and it had a home one month from the time I finished it. I went on to write a dozen short stories last year and all but three have been sold. My favorite story was “The Halston Butcher” for The Trench Coat Chronicles by Celestial Echo Press. It gave me a chance to visit the world of detectives as an outsider and have fun with it. I see many detective stories in my future.

7. Where have you previously been published?

I have been published frequently in areas of journalistic law and media interest, both in print and online. I did in-depth studies of the dark web and pedophilia, human trafficking, apathy in politics (back when it was apathetic … lol) internet safety for teens, health, food, and travel. My work has been published and used in Lifestyle and Leisure magazines, the Texas legislature, school systems, newspapers, magazines, visitor guides, and teaching venues. When I semi-retired I dove into fiction, which I always wanted to write, and I am quite happy ignoring the horrors of my former occupation and making it up as I go along!

8. Optional-what do you do in real life? (more than bio)

My significant other is a truck driver. I run the admin side of our company and dispatch our trucks. I homeschool two of my grandchildren (temporarily). I am a mother and grandmother of many… the matriarch, and I write… I love my life.

1. What is the name of the story?

I was so darn lucky, two stories chosen! "Date with Destiny" and "Fire Brigade."

2. What was your motivation in writing it?

Inspiration hit when I saw the call-out for submissions. Who doesn’t love a good who-dunnit? And the fact that the trench coat was to be an integral part of the story spoke to me. My guy, Syd Malloy, Private Detective, has been with me a couple of years. I’d written a few Syd stories and was lucky enough to have my first printed in Mid-Century Murder (Darkhouse Books). So there I was, with Syd rattling around in my brain. I’d previously written a first line—Syd standing on a dark, deserted highway late at night when a vintage motorcycle comes careening around the corner, sending him diving for the ditch. I dug out that first line and the story "Date with Destiny" unfolded. When I’d finished the first draft and had a good inkling of where the story was headed, Syd once again filled my thoughts. This time he was meeting up with his old pal Detective Al Simms with the Vancouver police force. Syd is told the big Brahman bull that initially caused the loss of his beloved trench coat has been killed. That led to "Fire Brigade." Yowzers! A second story flowing from the first! Never was I ever so grateful when Ann and Ruth chose both stories for the anthology. Needless to say, this girl is (and was) thrilled. Thank you, ladies!

3. Do they have special meaning?

Both stories were simply a ton of fun, for me. My guy, Syd, is real in my world, so seeing two more stories in print, how cool is that? On a side note, when I write, I have my twin sister, Carol, standing over my shoulder and offering encouragement. Sadly, she passed away in 2008, a huge loss for those who loved her. She was always my staunchest supporter and there’s not a day goes by I don’t think of her and talk to her in my head. I know she would’ve loved my stories. I write for her, and for me. And yes ladies, I am enjoying The Twofer Compendium. Carol would’ve loved it too!

4. Bio

Karen Keeley has published short fiction in literary journals and a number of anthologies, the most recent Peace, Love, and Crime: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of the ’60s (Untreed Reads). Her story, "Crying all the way to the bank” was one of the winners in the international short story competition Round Midnight published by Strange Days Books (Greece). Stories are forthcoming in Coming Through in Waves (Gutter Books) and Fiction Junkie Vol. II. Karen is a former communications analyst with the Yukon government, now retired, and living in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

5. What draws you to write short stories vs. novels?

I first fell in love with short stories back when I was a kid. One of my grandmothers gave me the book East ‘O the Sun & West ‘O the Moon, Norwegian fables, and I was hooked. (I still have that book, ’though it is pretty beat up these days and showing its age.) Anytime I could find collections of short stories, I’d grab them and devour them. For me, it’s the whole enchilada in one sitting. I love novels too, but I find I don’t have the writing discipline (or the thought processes) to stick with a longer piece of work over a longer period of time. I love telling the story in short-story format, binga banga bung, and it’s done!

6. When did you write your first story, unpublished and then published?

I began writing in the 1990s, something I’d always had a hankering to do. My first published story was in the Chronicle Journal newspaper, Thunder Bay, Ontario. I think that was back in 1995. The newspaper ran a short-story contest one summer and my story "White Horse in a Snowstorm" won first place. That was pretty thrilling!

7. Where have you previously been published?

I’ve had stories accepted by On Spec (Edmonton, Alberta) and The Malahat Review (University of Victoria, BC) in years past. One of those stories was subsequently included in GUSH Menstrual Manifestos for our Times (Frontenac House). When I lived in Thunder Bay, Ontario, I had two stories published in Flying Colours, stories by Northwestern Ontario writers. When the calendar rolled over to the year 2000 it brought with it a diagnosis of Stage IV Hodgkin’s Lymphoma so I had quite the battle that year but happily I am now 20 years cancer free. In 2010 I self-published Telling Tales, a collection of short stories (Blurb). After retirement in 2020, I self-published three murder mysteries in Sticks and Stones (Amazon).

8. Optional-what do you do in real life? (more than bio)

Now that I’m retired from the day job, I’m a total hermit, so COVID hasn’t been too hard on me because I tend to live in my own little world, in my own head. I’m hitting the big 7-O birthday this year, which is really weird. I keep asking myself, how in the world did that happen? I was married twice, divorced twice, and have two amazing kids, all grown up and what I call functioning adults, along with a sweetheart of a daughter-in-law who sees me as a friend (and not the wicked mother-in-law, phew!) I’m the grandmother to the cats.

A few years ago I taught myself how to make photobooks. I think I’ve made about a dozen in all (family related pictures, holidays, birthdays, etc.), and calendars. An aunty of mine turned 90 a few years ago. I made her a book, Growing Up Gladys (documenting the stories she’d shared with me), which was subsequently printed for family and friends. I had great fun with that project.

My work history includes manufacturing, retail, insurance, the not-for-profit sector and government, all of my jobs challenging and fulfilling, meeting my need to learn something new every day while interacting in a team environment. I’ve always loved the adage: There is no “I” in teamwork. And yes, retirement is fabulous, meaning teamwork for me is following my characters down the rabbit hole and seeing where they take me, allowing them to tell their stories.

Born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, I’ve lived in many locations across Canada and met the most amazing people—there are good people everywhere! Travel has also taken me to S. Korea, India, Mexico, and of course, the good old U.S. of A—great holidays in most states including Alaska and Hawaii.

During the 15 years I lived in Yukon, I returned to school on a part-time basis (that was after losing my twin, my way of dealing with the grief, probably denial and deflection, but hey, to each their own). I enrolled in the Multimedia Communication program at the college while working a fulltime communications job with government. It took four years to complete the program, graduating with Honours, which only goes to show an old dog can learn new tricks.

Calgary, Alberta is now home, and this past year, I expanded my writing network, meeting fabulous people online through the submission process. All of them have been so kind, offering words of encouragement and giving me the heads up on other call-outs for submission. I’m ever so grateful!

I know we hermits tend to stick to the shadows, but I continue to enjoy the storytelling. As long as my aging brain keeps on working, I’ll keep writing stories (and hoping for publication). I am after all, fulfilling my passion, and if you love what you do, it’s never work; it’s always a lot of fun.

And thanks again, ladies for the opportunity to be included in The Trench Coat Chronicles. I’m truly honoured.

1. What is the name of the story?

"Trench Coat Burial"

2. What was your motivation in writing it?

The idea of writing a murder mystery involving a trench coat struck me as fun.

3. Does it have special meaning?

I’d like to be buried with my trench coat.

4. Bio

I love trench coats, singing with my dog, and potatoes.

5. What draws you to write short stories vs. novels?

There are some ideas that fit perfectly in a short story. When I have several ideas percolating, especially when inspiration strikes, short stories are ideal.

6. When did you write your first story, unpublished and then published?

I’ve been writing stories, in some form or another, since I was a little kid. Unfortunately, I didn’t keep track of them.

My first published story was in 2017. I’ll never forget that feeling of stunned joy.

7. Where have you previously been published?

Horror Tree and Eerie River Publishing.

What is the name of the story?

"The Missing Body Mystery".

What was your motivation in writing it?

When I saw the call for mystery stories involving a trench coat, I was actually in the middle of writing another story featuring DS James Steele. The whole idea really appealed so I dropped that story and started anew.

Does it have special meaning?

I have now written several stories with Steele as the main character and I am becoming quite fond of him, so writing this story was really fun.

Bio

L.T. Waterson lives in a house full of books, halfway up a hill in Southampton, England. As well as the books, her home is also full of boys—three sons and a husband—meaning that finding a quiet spot to write is quite the task! Finding the real world a little mundane, her favourite genres for reading and writing are fantasy and mystery. In the past she has been both a journalist and an archaeologist, and has an abiding interest in history. She has written many short stories which have been published by Clarendon House Publications and Zombie Pirate Publishing to name just two. She is currently working on the first draft of a fantasy novel.

What draws you to write short stories vs. novels?

I actually like to write both. Novels are so much more complicated than short stories, which is what I have been finding with my current project.

When did you write your first story, unpublished and then published?

The first story I remember writing was when I was 8 or 9. I loved it and I have been writing ever since, although I have only recently had the courage to submit my stories for publication. My first published story was 'Kitty', a flash fiction piece that was published in 2018 by Clarendon House Publications, in the Flashpoint anthology.

Where have you previously been published?

I have been published in several anthologies. Publishers include Clarendon House Publications, Zombie Pirate Publishing, Stormy Island Publishing, Iron Faerie Publishing, and Writers Unite. I have also been published in some charity publications, the most recent of which was Unity, a magical realism anthology.

1. What is the name of the story? “A Murder In Rabbit Town”

2. What was your motivation in writing it? Years ago I saw a Bugs Bunny cartoon where he wore a trench coat and I thought, What if I wrote a story where the main character was a trench coat-wearing rabbit detective and made the whole story about rabbits, somewhat along the lines of Watership Down?

3. Does it have special meaning? No. It’s purely for fun.

4. Bio: Steve Carr, from Richmond, Virginia, has had over 470 short stories published internationally in print and online magazines, literary journals, reviews, and anthologies since June 2016. He has had seven collections of his short stories, Sand, Rain, Heat, The Tales of Talker Knock, 50 Short Stories: The Very Best of Steve Carr, LGBTQ: 33 Stories, and The Theory of Existence: 50 Short Stories, published. His paranormal/horror novel Redbird was released in November 2019. His plays have been produced in several states in the U.S. He has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize twice. He is the founder of Sweetycat Press. His Twitter is @carrsteven960. His website is https://www.stevecarr960.com / He is on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/steven.carr.35977

5. What draws you to write short stories vs. novels?

I’ve written one novel and hated the entire process. I think I’m wired to write short stories. It suits my attention span and I thoroughly understand the short story structure.

6. When did you write your first story, unpublished and then published? I wrote short stories for classes while in college, but I didn’t really write my first short story for pleasure until 2016 when I was mentoring a college student interested in writing fiction. I wanted to show him how it was done from the point of actually writing the story to getting it published. I submitted my story, and it was immediately accepted.

7. Where have you previously been published? I have been published in both anthologies by Celestial Echo Press: The Twofer Compendium, and The Trench Coat Chronicles. Additionally, I have been published in more than 400 other journals and presses.

8. Optional-what do you do in real life? (more than bio) I’m retired now, but I spent many years running programs and agencies in the public health sector, focused on rural health care, health education, mental health, and substance abuse. I retired from that and went back to my first love, and back to my college education in English/Theater, and established a theatrical production company that was very successful and allowed me to retire early.

1. What is the name of the story?

"Chasing Popeye"

2. What was your motivation in writing it?

I like to be challenged. Especially if I've never written in that genre before. I've written a two-sentence horror story, a 280-character "twitterature" story, and a 100-word drabble, AKA micro-fiction.

3. Does it have special meaning?

I was feeling nostalgic that day. I had a thing for Olive Oyl when I was age seven, but Olive was always Chasing Popeye—so. …

4. Bio

Antaeus writes from a lakefront home in Southwest Florida. At age nine, he wrote his first poem on a piece of toilet paper. Antaeus is the author of The Prepared Citizen, a three-book series on how to react to and avoid dangerous situations and active shooter attacks. Antaeus has also published multiple sci-fi, action-adventure, and humorous fantasy novels in addition to nonfiction.

Antaeus still lives in Florida but now writes on real paper. www.antaeus-books.com.

5. What draws you to write short stories vs. novels?

This may sound like I'm crazy, but it's true. Characters are running around in my head who want their story told. On top of that, I see the inspiration for stories all around me. I have a virtual notebook full of ideas.

6. When did you write your first story, unpublished and then published?

I wrote my first short story when I was twelve years old, as a class assignment. I called it "The Boy Who Spoke to the Wind." It was about a young boy adopted by an American Indian tribe after his family was killed by a cyclone. All of the boys in the class laughed at me when I read it to the class. The nun said they shouldn't laugh because I had written a poem that she put to music. The name of the poem was "We love you, Monsignor." It was for his fiftieth anniversary in the priesthood celebration. The nun played it at the recital, took the bows, and gave me no credit. After school, they ganged up on me because, "Only gay people write stories and poetry." I didn't write again until I was in my thirties.

7. Where have you previously been published?

Some of the places I've been published are Gravel, Ariel Chart International Literary Journal, Lycan Valley Press Publications' anthology, Untimely Frost, trampset, armarolla, Heart and Humanity Magazine, Blue Monkey Magazine, Fleas on the Dog, Adelaide Literary Magazine (twice), Scarlet Leaf Review, Literally Stories, and The Pangolin Review. Most importantly, I've been published in the Celestial Echo Press's anthologies, The Twofer Compendium and The Trench Coat Chronicles. I've also self-published twelve books.

8. Optional-what do you do in real life? (more than bio)

I am a retired telecommunications executive. When I tell people I am retired, they usually say, "Oh, that means you do nothing, right? Wrong!

• I volunteer for Florida Animal Rescue.
• I am the president of our homeowners' association.
• I create covers for my books using Adobe Photoshop Elements.
• My wife and I are competitive shooters; we participate in matches around the country against hundreds of other shooters. We've both won a few matches, but mostly we try to outdo each other. My wife insists that I've only won the matches that she didn't enter.
• I instruct seniors on Situational Awareness and hold informal lectures on the subject.
• I teach seniors how to use computers, Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook.
• I help other aspiring writers whenever I can. Unfortunately, some of the younger ones expect me to completely rewrite their work for them. When I don't, they get angry, call me names, and go away—which is a good thing.
• I'll tell you a secret—I love to cook, give belly rubs to my cat, and foot massages to my wife. Don't tell my wife about the foot massages, though.

1. What is the name of the story?

"Murder at the Museum"

2. What was your motivation in writing it?

The prompt was very intriguing. A trench coat and a crime didn’t really match up in my mind and I was interested to let my imagination develop it into a story.

3. Does it have special meaning?

Each piece I write has a special meaning for me as it’s based on meaningful emotions and experiences. I love reading crime fiction and immensely enjoyed the process of writing this story, so that makes it very special.

4. Bio

Steffi Siby lives in Blackpool, England with her family. She has always loved reading and writing, but she never found the time or opportunity to share her words with the world until recently. As her passion for writing was rekindled, she started posting on her blog https://spreadyoursmile.home.blog/ weekly on a wide range of topics intended to spread positivity. She has also written a few articles inspired by her Christian faith and talks about her personal testimony at https://shalomtidings.org/every-step-counts/. She hopes to keep writing stories that touch people’s hearts.

5. What draws you to write short stories vs. novels?

A short story is a wonderful opportunity to focus on a specific character or plot line. You can explore one particularly exciting aspect. Novels are so much deeper with multi-faceted layers. I hope to write a novel someday but for now, I find short stories a great way to express myself. I feel that they are more accessible to readers who may not be able to read a whole novel.

6. When did you write your first story, unpublished and then published?

My first story would have been many, many years ago when I was a little kid. According to my mum, I wrote way too much and just used to babble on. I hope I’m a bit more concise now. My first published story is "Murder at the Museum," so that is very exciting and encouraging.

7. Where have you previously been published?

I have written articles for a magazine, newspaper and websites.

1. What is the name of the story?

"Kinurie Mist"

2. What was your motivation in writing it?

I couldn’t resist the challenge of creating a mystery in which a trench coat played a key role. The trench-coated PI might be a stereotype of the genre, but making the trench coat a meaningful part of the story isn’t. Going back to the war that gave the coat its name proved an inspiration.

3. Does it have special meaning?

My great-grandfather was gassed in the First World War, so there has always been something of a morbid fascination with it for me, that was lurking in the back of my mind as I wrote the story.

4. Bio

DJ Tyrer is the person behind Southend-on-Sea-based small press, Atlantean Publishing, studied history at the University of Wales at Aberystwyth, and placed second in the Writing Magazine 'Local Reporter' and 2019 Dead of Winter (Toasted Cheese Literary Journal) competitions.

5. What draws you to write short stories vs. novels?

I love the format. As much as there are novels I love, on the whole I find myself drawn to short fiction and tend to prefer reading anthologies. From a reader's perspective, the novels that work are great, but too many are overextended and begin to sag, whereas a good short story will always pack a punch. As a writer, I like to be able to explore a variety of ideas, not all of which would be able to carry a longer story (and, I always have the option of reworking and extending them if they would).

6. When did you write your first story, unpublished and then published?

I’ve been writing stories since I was a small child. I helped create the first issue of Monomyth (which formed the basis of what would become my small press, Atlantean Publishing) in December 1996, and which included my first published writing. I was regularly being published in small press magazines by 1999 and have been going ever since.

7. Where have you previously been published?

My stories have appeared in a lot of horror magazines and anthologies, and I have had mystery fiction in such anthologies as Mardi Gras Mysteries (Mystery & Horror LLC), and History and Mystery, Oh My! (Mystery & Horror LLC), and three volumes of Sherlock Holmes stories. In addition, I have a weird-fiction novella available in paperback and on Kindle, The Yellow House (Dunhams Manor). DJ Tyrer's website is at https://djtyrer.blogspot.co.uk/

1. What is the name of the story? 

"The Last Case"

2. What was your motivation in writing it? 

I've always loved monster stories, and when I saw that the only guideline was that a trench coat had to be included, my mind immediately wondered if a monster would wear one (or what other fantastical direction I could take the story in).

3. Does it have special meaning? 

It doesn't have any special meaning - the characters weren't based on anyone I know, nor do I have any personal attachment to the location or time period. It was just plain old fun to write!

4. Bio 

Alanna Robertson-Webb is an author and editor who enjoys long weekends of LARPing, is terrified of sharks, and finds immense fun in being the editor-in-chief at Eerie River Publishing. She aspires one day to run her own nerd-themed restaurant, as well as her own LARP game. She has edited more than ten books, including Infected by Blair Daniels, A Cure for Chaos: Horror from hospitals and psych wards by Haunted House Publishing, The Deliverer by Tara Devlin, and all of the current Eerie River Publishing anthologies. Alanna's writing has been published in more than eighty collections, and her work can be found at: https://arwauthor.wixsite.com/arwauthor and amazon.com/author/alannarobertsonwebb.

5. What draws you to write short stories vs. novels?

My only real constraint is time! When I see an open call for a short story, I know I can write up something in so many hours, but just thinking about the time it takes to write a novel feels exhausting.

6. When did you write your first story, unpublished and then published?

I wrote my first story at the age of six, but nothing of mine saw the light of day until I was in college. A short (roughly 1,000-word) piece of mine was published in a national collegiate newsletter, and it was my proudest moment at the time.

7. Where have you previously been published? 

I've been published at quite a few places, including but not limited to: Black Hare Press, Nocturnal Sirens Publishing, Carpathia Publishing, Macabre Ladies Publishing, and Ghost Orchid Press. This list could be a lot longer, so checking out my Amazon page is the fastest way to see more details.

8. Optional-what do you do in real life? (more than bio)

By day I'm a burial specialist at a local cemetery, and, I'm the editor-in-chief at Eerie River Publishing as a side job. Can you tell that horror is my favorite genre of stories?

1. What is the name of the story?

"Who Profits?"

2. What was your motivation in writing it?

It was written for the anthology, but I had wanted to write more fiction in my Assassins Justice series, and the idea of a police detective came to me. Actually, when I first heard about the idea for The Trench Coat Chronicles, I was slightly peeved because I’d self-published another story in that series—though in Man’s Best Friend, the person wearing the trench coat is a serial killer who the assassins have to track down and stop. *Sigh.*

3. Does it have special meaning?

Not really, but now that Detective Krogal is in my head, he wants to be in more stories. Which he will be. There’s a murder story that’s percolating through my thought processes, though he won’t be the major character in that one.

4. Bio

Lee F. Patrick writes science fiction, fantasy, and other genres from Calgary, Alberta. Four cats and a loving hubby keep her company while her head is in various books, short stories, and poems. All of Lee’s published works are available on Amazon and Kobo. You can find Lee on Facebook.

5. What draws you to write short stories vs. novels?

Novels need a big story to tell. Multiple arcs both of plot and character. Short fiction allows a smaller plot problem to solve, and allows for the characters to slowly come to life over several works. Though many of my short stories that have appeared in anthologies or magazines have been ruthlessly pruned so they fit within the word limits, I hope to expand them to show more of the action and the steps taken by the characters rather than simply tell the reader that the characters got from A to H, and they learned lots of things, with a summary. An expanded version of "Who Profits?" is in preparation.

6. When did you write your first story, unpublished and then published?

That’s a long time ago. I told myself stories in my head in my twenties, but the first book I wrote, in the mid 1980s, The Far Traveler (which turned into a series), hasn’t been published yet. I need to rewrite them as I’ve learned a LOT about writing over the years. First published short was "Jackpot," in a zine, The Sixth Sense, in 1998. I also published a poem that year, "The Fir Tree," in An Thribis Mhor.

7. Where have you previously been published?

Most recently, "Tonnstaill, The Stallion of the Waves" (Polar Borealis) and "Between the Worlds," (On Spec). Both are out as of February, 2021. "Into the Darkness" was published by Mythaxis in December 2020. My novel, Always My Love, part of the Coalition of Shifters series, was released in December by Javari Press.

Alter Egos (Javari Press 2017) was the first novel in the Assassins Justice series along with Recruit (Javari Press 2020), a novella on how Barrat becomes an assassin.

Of course, "Reborn" was in the first Celestial Echo Press anthology: The Twofer Compendium.

Can’t wait to hear what the next anthology is going to be about!

8. Optional-what do you do in real life? (more than bio)

Real life: I was senior lab technician in a biochemistry research lab for many years, then I swapped to financial planner, tax preparation, insurance and investments broker. I learned a lot about running small businesses and I share that info with writers and artists at writing festivals. It also makes its way into my writing at times.

1. What is the name of the story?

     "A Heap of Cloth"

2. What was your motivation in writing it?

    I thought it was a fun idea. All my published stories have been science fiction and I enjoyed turning a detective story into a science fiction story.

3. Does it have special meaning?

    I like to have fun with my writing!

4. Bio

    I've traveled, camped out in Baja California, worked on a kibbutz in Israel, and visited the British Isles, Europe, and China. I've worked at a variety of jobs and picked up a couple of degrees. My jobs have included being a counselor with the homeless mentally ill in Los Angeles, working in a senior center, and raising chickens. I thought with that background I really should be a writer.

5. What draws you to write short stories vs. novels?

    I've been working on a novel, but I find the quick explosion of an idea is much more satisfying. My short stories are often close to flash fiction for that reason.

6. When did you write your first story, unpublished and then published?

    I was first published at age 14 in American Girl Magazine. I was paid all of $5, which was an enormous thrill. I then did other things for a few decades. My next publication was a science fiction story for an anthology, Fall and Rise. After that, I began to be published regularly for some years.

7. Where have you previously been published?

    All my publications have been in science fiction anthologies, mostly Whortleberry Press. I also had two different travel journals published in local newspapers.

8. Optional-what do you do in real life? (more than bio)

    I am retired. I have done some volunteer work, mostly being a museum docent. I read extensively. Several years ago, I set a goal for myself that if I heard about a subject I knew nothing about, I would research it. Anyone who looks up my google history would probably end up very puzzled!