Author Interviews

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!