Author and all-round accomplished fellow Daniel A. Rabuzzi chatted me up for his art and lit site, Lobster & Canary. Want to hear about dead pigeons in the freezer? How about which artists, living or dead, I’d have over for dinner? Read to find out.
“A Good Thing and a Right Thing” out now in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine
My knees are beginning to ache from the cold soaking up out of the lichen-covered rocks. The rest of the archaeological team is gathering near the tallest remaining ruins, perching their asses on walls a meter thick and a thousand years old to eat peanut butter sandwiches and slurp instant coffee from styrofoam cups. Between there and here, abandoned digging and sifting tools lie scattered on the moss-green ground, glinting in the hard near-arctic sunlight that passes for summer in Greenland.
I turn my attention back to the private little square where I kneel, its parameters neatly marked with twine and pegs, tiny flags planted to show the exact location of artifacts already excavated. I know those pieces so well I can close my eyes and see them, practically smell the millennium-old damp earth hint of rot clinging to their surfaces: three bits of a badly deteriorated iron staff, a silver amulet the shape of a chair carved from a tree-stump, a typical Freya’s necklace pendant. . . .
This is a woman’s grave.
Read the rest of “A Good Thing and a Right Thing” in the June 2013 issue of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, on newsstands now!
Masked Mosaic: Canadian Super Stories is live!
Today is the official release date of the superamazing superhero / supervillain anthology MASKED MOSAIC: Canadian Super Stories. Co-editor Claude Lalumière and I are thrilled with this incredible bundle of awesomeness. Over the coming days, Tyche Books will be posting little mini-views Claude and I crafted about every story. I have no idea what Claude wrote about each one, so this is going to be fun — almost as much fun as putting together the anthology itself.
Go. Read. You will not be sorry.
[More details about Masked Mosaic and links to our miniviews in the sidebar thisaway —-> ]
HERE BE MONSTERS – Tongues and Teeth trailer
The publishers say: “Tongues and Teeth continues Here Be Monsters‘ mission to show off the weird and wonderful in short fiction. There are 13 stories in a variety of genres. If you are a fan of the strange and exciting, then we think you’ll enjoy Tongues and Teeth.”
This one contains my story “Children of the Device.”
[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/50794166 w=400&h=300]
Piers Anthony reviews FUTUREDAZE
The redoubtable Piers Anthony has posted a substantial review of the forthcoming FUTUREDAZE anthology, including the lowdown on my short story “Over It.”
He says:
“YA stands for Young Adult, what in my day was called juvenile. I vaguely expected somewhat sanitary, simplified stories, the kind that parents, teachers, and librarians approve. The hell! It turned out to be aimed and young readers, yes, but these are hard-hitting pieces. . .”
Check out the full review at his site.
“Light as Air and Death” now in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine
This double issue is perfect to warm up with this winter for readers of all types. In some places, it’s full of action, such as in S. L. Franklin’s “Raptors” (featuring PI R.J. Carr) and John M. Floyd’s “The Long Branch.” In other settings, such as Sanibel Florida, rural New Hampshire, and an upscale Boston jewelry store, the action simmers below the surface (procedural “Museum Man” by William Hallstead; twisty “Small-Town Life” by Brendan DuBois; surprising “Diamond’s Aren’t Forever” by Raymond Goree). If you’re a radio or film buff, you’ll enjoy Michael Mallory’s “White Lotus” and Terence Faherty’s “Margo and the Silver Cane.” And if you’re into science-fiction or fantasy mysteries, you won’t want to miss Jay Carey’s possible-future tale “We Don’t Call It Stolen Property” or Dana Cameron’s “Finals,” which follows some . . . alternative teenagers living in Salem, Massachusetts. The emotional stakes are raised in three tales that particularly explore all sides of human nature: “Light as Air and Death” by Camille Alexa; “Reconciliation” by K. J. Egan; and “The Dog Walkers” by D. A. McGuire.
No matter who is on your gift list this season, the January/February issue is sure to please.
[from the AHMM site]
“Children of the Device” in HERE BE MONSTERS
The latest HERE BE MONSTERS anthology has arrived. This one contains the Camille Alexa story “Children of the Device.” The cover is incredible! Truly a standout piece from artist Annabelle 
Métayer. Hard to do this one justice, but here’s a cover flat.
Full contributor list and purchase information on the HBM site, as well as information about the fantastic editors and teaser snippets from the stories.
Found at these fine Montreal bookstores:
http://www.co-opbookstore.ca
http://www.encorebooks.ca
http://www.paragraphbooks.com
Masked Mosaic cover revealed!
Mexican luchadores wrestle primordial evil in Vancouver … The Intrepids battle Nazis in Nova Scotia … A mysterious masked man rescues an adventuring heiress in a steampunk Gold Rush–era Yukon … Zombies and ancient Viking magic are unleashed in downtown Toronto … A godlike oracle wanders Calgary with her cyborg handler … The fearsome Iron Shadow stalks the streets of Kingstonia … The Coachwhip and Cat-Girl fight crime in lurid wartime Montreal …
MASKED MOSAIC is a thrilling collection of Canadian Super Stories from Tyche Books compiled and edited by Claude Lalumière & Camille Alexa.
PUSH OF THE SKY e-released!
PUSH OF THE SKY has been released as an e-book! You can get it in various formats at:
Lightning Source
… and of course if you prefer oldfashioned ink and glue and paper, you can still buy it that way too.
SHANGHAI STEAM
One of the contributors has made a book trailer for the forthcoming SHANGHAI STEAM anthology. Future Mars? That can only be my story. I think. . . .
“From ancient China to a future Mars, from the British Empire to the Old West, 19 authors show you worlds with alcohol-fueled dragons, philosophical automatons, and Qi-powered machines. SHANGHAI STEAM is a unique mashup of steampunk and the Chinese literary genre known as Wuxia.”
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liLb31mHpRs]