Short Story Collection: Mrs. J's 9th Grade English Class

How about this dot matrix print job! 

The photo is of the original document, 

typed by my teacher, and printed on 

fan-fold paper with tractor holes. 

We didn't learn typing until the 10th grade!

 I have the original, hand-written story, as well.

My deadline for getting my short story collection to my first readers is quickly approaching. I have 14 complete stories, plus three that I feel are very nearly there. I am looking forward to participating in NaNoWriMo this year, and that has been incentive enough to keep me focused on the collection.

I am contemplating the story in the above photo as my final entry in the collection. I wrote it 32 years ago in my 9th grade English class. It is not the most original story, and I am not going to even claim that it is a particularly good story, but I have friends who still say they remember reading it. Honestly, I think they remember visiting my house and being a little bit spooked by our big red barn. And if they weren't afraid before they read the story, they certainly were after.

I wasn't scared, of course. I was never, ever scared of that barn.

The idea of ending the collection with this story is very satisfying to me, and perhaps a bit fun for the readers, too.

Coming next to a bookshelf near you!

Can you believe it? It's not the mystery I was working on. It's not the novel I worked prior to that. It's not the sometimes-promised sequel (or companion story) to Tiger Hunting. It is a collection of my short stories and it is near-enough complete that I will be sending it to beta readers by the first of November, with plans to publish it early in 2017. I have a lot to work on still... like order... a cover... and a title...

I watched a book promotion video this week that said Indie authors should talk more about their works-in-progress! So this is me, talking about what I expect to be publishing next.

If this book comes together as I expect, it will contain at least 14 of my short stories. Some of them have been published and/or won awards. Some of them will be printed here for the very first time. I am considering the inclusion of a piece from my 9th grade English class. If it makes the cut, I will be able to truthfully say that this book took me 32 years to write!

Virtual Farm: Short Story

I guess I was too distracted last month with the publication of Green Bike to share the news that my short story, Virtual Farm, was published at Page & Spine.

"Ed reluctantly lifted the goggles and held them up to his face. It was as if the world immediately tilted. He felt a little dizzy. The rich and vibrant greens of the forest around him nearly pulsed. Small fairies flitted back and forth, their feet not even touching the ground. He pulled the goggles away and examined the people, real people, just like him. He lifted the goggles again, feeling his breath catch. Flitting fairies came into view."

Read the whole story at Page & Spine.