Strange Beasties is an anthology of short stories published by Third Flatiron Publishing, a SFWA professional rate paying market (thank you, Juli–you understand the hours that go into creating a well-crafted story). My humorous fantasy story “Beast of the Month” appears in this book, just released today on Amazon! You can get it now as an e-book, or if you prefer hard copy, the trade paperback will be available in about a week. Either way, check it out by clicking HERE!
I wrote this story some years ago at Rockaway, Oregon, a coastal writing retreat that the Eugene Professional Writers (WORDOS) go to once a year, to get away from writing stress by going to a beautiful ocean beach and then sitting in their rooms all day WRITING. Let’s face it: writers write. It’s the only way we’re truly happy. So at the end of Rockaway Retreat, we all gathered to see what came out of our heads. It’s not as gruesome as it sounds–there are many Nebula, Stoker, and Hugo winners in WORDOS. These folks are sharp shooters, and it’s where I cut my teeth.
So I read my piece. Humor is a tricky thing to write–one woman’s funny bone is another man’s appendix. The only way to know if you pulled it off is if your audience of jaded Nebula, Stoker, and Hugo winners laugh. I am happy to report writers were rolling in the aisles, and paramedics had to be called in. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it! My favorite memory was when Bruce Holland Rogers (one of those Nebula, Stoker, Hugo winners) came up to me chuckling. That in itself was a good sign: Bruce is the strong silent type, with a universe glimmering behind eagle eyes. And then he made my year when he said, “I hope you find a market for that. That story deserves to be published.”
It took me awhile. I had so many near misses. I know because editors wrote back to me, saying they held onto it but couldn’t find the right placement, and were regretfully returning it (it even got semi-finalist in Writers of the Future). I’ll post some of those letters sometime, but honestly, the best of them was the one from Juliana Rew: Dear Moon, Congratulations, I’m buying your story!
Thank you, Juli, for giving that wandering beastie a home. And Bruce Holland Rogers, I can successfully report after twenty years, “Mission accomplished!”
P.S.: The editor, Juliana Rew, sent me this letter today. If you are a reviewer, details on requesting a copy are included below. And for those of you purchasing a copy, thank you! You make the writing world go round. If you’d be so kind as to post a review on Amazon or Goodreads (and I’d love comments here!) Juli would really appreciate it, it really helps! Thank you!
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Hi, Authors–
Third Flatiron’s Fall anthology, “Strange Beasties,” is now available
on Amazon at:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B074YGJ7MS
It is available free to Kindle Unlimited members. The trade paperback
version is publishing on Createspace and will be available in about a
week via Amazon.
The 18 stories contained in the book are largely dark fantasy, horror,
and humor, matching the reflecting the unsettling times we’re living
through (or hope to!)
If someone you know would be willing to write a review on
Amazon or Goodreads, please let me know. I’d be happy to
provide a free review copy. Please also give the book a mention on
your blog or website.
Details are on the website at:
http://www.thirdflatiron.com/liveSite/pages/current-issue#Beast
Although it’s hard to think about Halloween already, we hope this
issue will help everyone get in the spirit. Our Winter issue will be a
“Best of 2017” selection of stories. It’s been a great year.
(Personal author details here…)
Thanks again for sharing your strange beasties, which make this issue so special.
Cheers,
Juliana Rew, Editor
flatsubmit@thirdflatiron.com
http://www.thirdflatiron.com