Fantasy Author Gail Z. Martin: The Story Behind the Story—Anthologies

A lot of writers start their careers with short stories. I kinda backed into writing them after I’d already sold my first book series.

My book contract called for a minimum of 175,000 words per novel. I could go over that, but not under it. No problem. Then a friend asked me to do a story for an anthology—maximum of 8,000 words. Terror! How could I possibly write something with a beginning, middle, and ending for so few words?

Then I realized that word limit was roughly equal to a chapter. I could write a ‘chapter’ that conveyed an exciting event and built out the characters. I didn’t want to disappoint my friend, so I agreed to do the story.

That very first short story, Among the Shoals Forever, ended up being part of the history for a series I didn’t know I was going to write at the time—which came about because of another short story.

My editor at the publisher I was with at the time asked me to write an urban fantasy story. I’d only ever published epic fantasy at that point, but I said I’d do it. That story was Buttons, which introduced Cassidy Kincaide and Trifles and Folly. The anthology won some awards, and the publisher asked me to do a series—Deadly Curiosities—based on that short story.

Fast-forward a decade and I’ve now been an invited participant in at least 50 US/UK anthologies both as Gail Z. Martin and as Morgan Brice, my paranormal MM romance alter-ego. Writing a short story no longer gives me heart palpitations, except for figuring out how to fit it into an overcrowded schedule.

Most of my short stories are extensions of the worlds I write about in book series—sort of like extra episodes that occur around and between the books. That lets me explore smaller incidents that don’t belong in one of the books and wouldn’t be enough for a whole book, but that are fun to share and which provide some additional glimpses of the world and the characters. Eventually, those stories revert from the anthologies and we do a collection of them by series. (I’ve done five so far with a sixth coming soon.)

Occasionally, I’ll do a stand-alone story. They aren’t my first choice because it’s harder to do something with them after the rights revert and they don’t have a natural audience like the stories set in my series do. But if the prompt is intriguing, I’ll do it mostly because a friend asked. All of those tales have been fun to write, and a few stand out as some of my most-requested stories at readings. They challenge me because I’m starting with nothing but a prompt, and sometimes they take me far out of my comfort zone. But it’s worth it to support a friend’s anthology and they say it’s good to do something that terrifies you to keep growing. It’s worked out well so far!

This year, I contributed stories to Heart2Heart4 and Fables Retold as Morgan Brice (both limited-time anthologies that have already reverted) and the upcoming Ring in the New at Caynham Castle. As Gail I wrote stories for three more upcoming anthologies: a Poe-themed collection by Falstaff Books; Whisper Wude’s The Four ???? Of The Apocalypse; and Fantastic Books’ Three Time Travelers. We’re also bringing out Trifles and Folly 3, the third collection of Deadly Curiosities stories.

Short stories stretch my creativity and provide a fun writing challenge. They let me support my editor friends and participate in a group project with other writers, whom I inevitably get to know better. Several of the collections I’ve been part of over the years have supported charities. Anthologies can also be a great way for readers to try out new authors and discover new favorites.

That’s the story behind the (short) stories for me!

What’s new in 2021? Plenty!

Here’s what’s new in 2021–Fugitive’s Vow (Assassins of Landria Book 3 plus audiobook), Chicagoland (Joe Mack Adventures Book 3), Legacy (Deadly Curiosities Book 5), Shutdown Crew (Wasteland Marshals Book 4, coming soon), Sons of Darkness audiobook, Trifles and Folly 3 (coming soon), and the ebook re-release of The Summoner and The Blood King!

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Gail Z. Martin writes urban fantasy, epic fantasy and steampunk for Solaris Books, Orbit Books, Falstaff Books, SOL Publishing and Darkwind Press. Urban fantasy series include Deadly Curiosities and the Night Vigil (Sons of Darkness). Epic fantasy series include Darkhurst, the Chronicles Of The Necromancer, the Fallen Kings Cycle, the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga, and the Assassins of Landria. She and co-author Larry N. Martin write the Spells Salt and Steel, Wasteland Marshals and Joe Mack Shadow Council Archives Adventures. As Morgan Brice, she writes urban fantasy MM paranormal romance. Series include Witchbane, Badlands, Treasure Trail, Kings of the Mountain and Fox Hollow series.

annual Days of the Dead blog tour: The Appeal of Anthologies By Gail Z. Martin + giveaway

The Appeal of Anthologies 

By Gail Z. Martin 

This year, I've had stories in six anthologies that released during this year, and one slated for a Kickstarter to come out next year. Some anthologies pay well, while others pay in author copies and non-tangibles. What's the appeal of anthologies, and why do authors do them?

I've been in over 40 US and UK anthologies. Some won reviewer acclaim, while others passed largely unnoticed. All of the anthologies I've been invited to participate in tend to be created around a central theme, which shapes the sort of stories that fit the prompt. That's part of what makes it fun and challenging, especially when the concept pushes you out of your comfort zone.

The first anthology I did scared me to death. I was used to writing thick epic fantasy, so the (seemingly) tiny short story word count boggled my mind. But I took the challenge and wrote a story I was very proud of, one that, oddly enough, more than ten years later, became the jumping off point in two separate series that weren't even conceived of when the original story was written. 

Anthologies can open doors. My Deadly Curiosities series grew out of a short story for an anthology that the editor liked enough to offer me a contract for books in the same world. Since I learned that I could write a satisfying story, I gained the confidence to participate in many different anthologies with a who's-who of well-known authors, and made friends with new editors and fellow writers.

Once a short story from an anthology reverts back to the author, it can be sold to another anthology, used as a newsletter-builder hook, expanded into a longer work, or sold individually. I've done all of those things, depending on the situation, and found that stories that tie into my book series make wonderful 'appetizers' to encourage new readers to try out my worlds.

Sometimes, you do an anthology just for the fun of the prompt, or because one of your writing idols is part of the project, or because a friend asks you. In other cases, it's for the challenge of stretching outside safe territory, or to play with a new concept. And anthologies can also be a great way for readers to meet new authors without the 'commitment' of a whole book.

I've had a diverse slate of anthologies this year. Release the Virgins came about because of a conversation in a hotel bar at a convention with a table full of writers, an editor and a publisher. Someone said, "Release the virgins!" Someone else said, "That sounds like an anthology!" And yet another person said, "I'd publish that." And we were off and running. Every story had to include that phrase, but there were no other rules. We ended up with a fine slate of tales.

Legends is the third David Gemmell tribute anthology and required dark, maybe even grimdark, fiction. Tales from the Old Black Ambulance, a horror anthology, had to have a hearse somewhere in each story. Hath No Fury, a somewhat ill-fated anthology that survived publisher woes and arrived a couple of years late, persevered and ended up being a fine collection. Across the Universe (due at the end of the year), presents stories that envision what might have happened to the 'four lads from Liverpool' had the Beatles not become rock gods. Christmas at the Castle is a romantic suspense collection with stories by various authors all set in the same fictitious English castle. I'm working with a wide range of fellow contributors in those anthologies, and my stories tie into three different series (and one story doesn't tie into anything else). Give them a try--I hope you'll find them to be as much fun to read as they were to write! 

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Gail Z. Martin writes urban fantasy, epic fantasy and steampunk for Solaris Books, Orbit Books, Falstaff Books, SOL Publishing and Darkwind Press. Urban fantasy series include Deadly Curiosities and the Night Vigil (Sons of Darkness). Epic fantasy series include Darkhurst, the Chronicles Of The Necromancer, the Fallen Kings Cycle, the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga, and the Assassins of Landria. Newest titles include Inheritance, Vengeance, Convicts and Exiles, and Assassin’s Honor. Together with co-author Larry N. Martin, new books include Spells Salt and Steel: Season One, Night Moves (Spells Salt and Steel #5), Wasteland Marshals and Cauldron: A Joe Mack Shadow Council Archives Adventure. As Morgan Brice, she writes urban fantasy MM paranormal romance. Books include Witchbane, Badlands and Treasure Trail series.

She is also the organizer of the #HoldOnToTheLight campaign www.HoldOnToTheLight.com

GIVEAWAY

My Days of the Dead blog tour runs through October 31 with brand new guest blog posts, giveaways and more! 

You’ve got to visit the participating sites to get the goodies, just like Trick or Treat! 

Get all the details about my Days of the Dead blog tour at www.GailZMartin.com 

Enter my Rafflecopter giveaway for a chance to win a Kindle Prize Package with a free ebook copy EACH of Tangled Web and Assassin’s Honor

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/9751c04224/?

Special Pre-order Deal: Five Horror Anthologies from Crystal Lake Publishing for $11

http://www.crystallakepub.com/

You can now pre-order all five upcoming Crystal Lake anthologies (eBook format) for only $11 (including Twice Upon an Apocalypse). Check out our new Special Offers page for more info and a link.

Save at least $10 by ordering all of these great anthologies together:

Twice Upon An Apocalypse: Lovecraftian Fairy Tales (more details on this below)

Behold! Oddities, Curiosities and Undefinable Wonders

Where Nightmares Come From

Covers coming for:

Tales from the Lake Vol. 4

C.H.U.D. Lives! tribute anthology

These anthologies include the best of the best,

from Clive Barker, Neil Gaiman, Jonathan Maberry, and Joe R. Lansdale, to Ramsey Campbell, Kristi DeMeester, Damien Angelica Walters, Maria Alexander, Gene O’Neill, Kealan Patrick Burke, JG Faherty, Mort Castle, Tim Waggoner, Lisa Morton, and dozens more.

*And, if you order before the end of this June, you’ll be entered into an exclusive draw to win a signed (by the editor) paperback copy of BEHOLD. So order now!

So what will you get for your $11 contribution?

-Five Crystal Lake anthologies
-The opportunity to read these books a week or two before everyone else
-Hours of entertainment
-A chance to win a paperback copy of BEHOLD signed by editor Doug Murano

Twice Upon an Apocalypse, edited by Rachel Kenley and Scott T. Goudsward
Out May 30th, 2017
These aren't your mother's fairy tales.

“You’ll find re-imaginings of “The Snow Queen,” “Jack the Giant Slayer,” “The Little Mermaid,” and several other well-known tales herein, all of them dropped without warning or apology into Lovecraft’s cold and merciless universe.” – Gary A. Braunbeck

Throughout history parents have told their children stories to help them sleep, to keep them entertained. But we're pretty sure none of those parents had this in mind. These are the fairy tales that will give you and your children nightmares. From the darkest depths of Grimm and Anderson come the immortal mash-ups with the creations of HP Lovecraft.

The stories in Twice Upon an Apocalypse will scare and delight “Children” of all ages!

Introduction by Gary A. Braunbeck
“The Pied Piper of Providence” by William Meikle
“The Three Billy Goats Sothoth” by Peter N. Dudar
“Little Maiden of the Sea” by David Bernard
“The Great Old One and the Beanstalk” by Armand Rosamilia
“In the Shade of the Juniper Tree” by J .P. Hutsell
“The Horror at Hatchet Point” by Zach Shephard
“The Most Incredible Thing” by Bracken MacLeod
“Let Me Come In!” by Simon Yee
“The Fishman and His Wife” by Inanna Arthen
“Little Match Mi-Go” by Michael Kamp
“Follow the Yellow Glyph Road” by Scott T. Goudsward
“Gumdrop Apocalypse” by Pete Rawlik
“Curiosity” by Winifred Burniston
“The Ice Queen” by Mae Empson
“Once Upon a Dream” by Matthew Baugh
“Cinderella and Her Outer Godfather” by C.T. Phipps
“Donkeyskin” by KH Vaughan
“Sweet Dreams in the Witch-House” by Sean Logan
“Fee Fi Old One” by Thom Brannan
“The King on the Golden Mountain” by Morgan Sylvia
“The Legend of Creepy Hollow” by Don D’Ammassa

Check out the dedicated webpage to download a sample.

Book Review: Shadowed Souls (Anthology) Edited by: Jim Butcher and Kerrie L. Hughes

Shadowed Souls 

Edited by: Jim Butcher and Kerrie L. Hughes
Authors: Jim Butcher, Kevin J. Anderson, Seanan McGuire, Rob Thurman, Tanya Huff, Kat Richardson, Jim C. Hines, Anton Strout, Lucy A. Snyder, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, and Erik Scott de BieNovember 1, 2016
Publisher: Roc
In this dark and gritty collection—featuring short stories from Jim Butcher, Seanan McGuire, Kevin J. Anderson, and Rob Thurman—nothing is as simple as black and white, light and dark, good and evil..

Unfortunately, that’s exactly what makes it so easy to cross the line.

In #1 New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher’s Cold Case, Molly Carpenter—Harry Dresden’s apprentice-turned-Winter Lady—must collect a tribute from a remote Fae colony and discovers that even if you’re a good girl, sometimes you have to be bad...

New York Times bestselling author Seanan McGuire’s Sleepover finds half-succubus Elsie Harrington kidnapped by a group of desperate teenage boys. Not for anything “weird.” They just need her to rescue a little girl from the boogeyman. No biggie.

In New York Times bestselling Kevin J. Anderson’s Eye of Newt, Zombie P.I. Dan Shamble’s latest client is a panicky lizard missing an eye who thinks someone wants him dead. But the truth is that someone only wants him for a very special dinner...

And New York Times bestselling author Rob Thurman’s infernally heroic Caliban Leandros takes a trip down memory lane as he deals wih some overdue—and nightmarish—vengeance involving some quite nasty Impossible Monsters.

ALSO INCLUDES STORIES BY

Tanya Huff * Kat Richardson * Jim C. Hines * Anton Strout * Lucy A. Snyder * Kristine Kathryn Rusch * Erik Scott de Bie *Author Kim Butcher as editor and editor Kerrie L. Hughes gives the reader 11 stories, all I assume in worlds the authors had written novels for.

Jim Butcher’s has Molly Carpenter in “Cold Case,” once apprentice of Harry Dresden and now, the Winter Lady, a queen of Faerie. Mab has her going to a contingent of Faerie in Unalaska, Alaska, to get tribute. She runs into wizard and Warden of the White Council Carlos Ramirez in a dive in the town. He was sent to investigate odd activity in the town. And when Molly finds her fae, they tell her of their stolen children that she goes to save, along with Carlos. Right into danger of Lovecraftian proportions.

In “Sleepover” by Seanan McGuire, a not completely human heroine, Elsie Harrington, (her other half being succubus) is abducted by a Bigfoot hunter for a bunch of teen boys because a Bogeyman took a young sister of one of them. So she heads underground to retrieve the child.

Vicki, the vampire P.I. in Tanya Huff’s “If Wishes Were” has her working to find a jinn and stop it, get it back in the lamp it had been let loose from.

In “Solus” by Anton Stout, two agents from the Department of Extraordinary investigate a castle on top of a skyscraper in New York City that may be haunted by a ghost.

Kat Richardson’s Peacock in “Peacock in Hell” is hired to bring back Lennie Redmayne from Hell.

In Kevin J. Anderson’s “Eye of Newt,” undead P.I. Dan Shamble is hired by a one-eyed newt to find out why a rock monster and a golem robbed him of his eye.

Jessie Shimmer and her ferret familiar search for a girl named Alice and what may have hatched from an egg inside a statue of Santa Muerte in “What Dwells Within” by Lucy A Snyder.

In “Hunter, Healer” by Jim C. Hines, Julia Chapel tends to otherworldly beings who come to her apartment hurt or ill, no questions asked, no wars allowed on her turf. She is assisted by a hearth fairy named Hob who cusses lie a sailor (actually refreshing, giving him a bit of odd character). Most of all, she is a double soul-her dead twin’s soul inhabits her body with her soul. Someone from her past, her father, Terrance, comes to visit her, asking for her help- with another double soul like her. But she doesn’t trust him, and not due to their past. Then she meets the deadly Shard for the first time.

Vivienne Cain, aka Lady Vengeance, a former demon-possessed supervillain and now a super hero drinks to keep her fear powers in control in “Baggage” by Erik Scott De Bie. She joins a fight gym and one night stops a guy hitting on the young woman behind the front desk.

In Sales Force by Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Kaylee, loses her fiancée due to a car accident. He had promised they be forever, but death took that away. So, she goes back to her job, one she never told him what she did. But it would help her, as killing something day in and out can numb those feelings, so she’d never get hurt again. Except the job she is assigned first day back isn’t quite what she has always done. They want her to see if a love potion guaranteeing someone giving up on love 0r lost too much in life could have their belief repaired.

In the last dark tale, “Impossible Monsters” by Rob Thurman, Caliban came from the first murderers to walk the earth. Except there’s more beneath his human-looking skin. As he planned to let Coach know it.

Nothing is black or white, but again, that makes the hero/heroine a complex character and each story a great autumn read.

I give Shadowed Souls 5 sheep.

Pamela Kinney

Seventh Star Press Announces Three New Anthologies

Seventh Star Press is pleased to announce that three brand new anthologies are now available in eBook format!

Hero’s Best Friend: An Anthology of Animal Companions

Kindle-Nook

How far would Gandalf have gotten without Shadowfax? Where would the Vault Dweller be without Dogmeat? And could the Beastmaster been the Beastmaster without his fuzzy allies? Animal companions are more than just sidekicks. Animals can be heroes, too!

Found within are twenty stories of heroic action that focuses on the furries and scalies who have long been the unsung heroes pulling their foolish human buddies out of the fire, and often at great sacrifice—from authors both established and new, including Frank Creed, S. H. Roddey, and Steven S. Long.

Whether you’re a fan of Epic Fantasy, Sword & Sorcery, Science Fiction, or just animal stories in general, this is the anthology for you!

So sit back, kick your feet up, and find out what it truly means to be the Hero’s Best Friend.

Featuring 20 tales, from 21 authors, the new anthology features a spectrum of sub-genres in speculative fiction, but all of them contain the common element of a focus upon animal companions. Hero’s Best Friend will be available in eBook format at the end of the first week of February, with the print version to follow one week afterward.

The authors contained in Hero’s Best Friend, and the stories they contributed, are as follows:

Joy Ward: “Toby and Steve Save the World”
Frank Creed: “Dusk”
Cassie Schau: “The Hunter’s Boy”
Steven Donahue: “Grit”
Jason Cordova: “Hill 142”
Herika R. Raymer: “Dook”
Essel Pratt: “Brothers”
Lisa Hawkridge: “Ezra’s Girl”
S. H. Roddey: “Look What the Cat Dragged In”
Steven S. Long: “The Wolf Sentinel”
Laura Anne Ewald: “Memorandum”
Cindy Koepp: “The Hat”
Ian Hunter: “Scarheid in the Glisting”
Steven Grassie: “The Masterless”
David Wright: “Wind of Change”
Renee Carter Hall: “The Emerald Mage”
Nick Bryan: “The Violet Curse”
Lillian Csernica and; Kevin Andrew Murphy: “The Restless Armadillo”
Douglas J. Ogurek: “Stuck on the Squigglybounce”
Sheila Deeth: “Passage”

A Chimerical World: Tales of the Seelie Court

edited by Scott M. Sandridge
Kindle-Nook

The Fey have been with us since the beginning, sometimes to our great joy but often to our detriment. Usually divided (at least by us silly humans) into two courts, the first volume of A Chimerical World focuses on the Seelie Court: the court we humans seem to view as the “good” faeries. But “good” and “evil” are human concepts and as alien to the Fey as their mindsets are to us.

Inside you will find 19 stories that delve into the world of the faeries of the Seelie Court, from authors both established and new, including George S. Walker, Eric Garrison, and Alexandra Christian.

But be warned: these faeries are nothing like Tinker Bell.

Here is a list of the authors and stories to be featured in A Chimerical World: Tales of the Seelie Court

“Extra-Ordinary” by BC Brown
“Dead Fairy Doormat” by George S. Walker
“Taggers” by Christine Morgan
“Wormwood” by Alexandra Christian
“The Harpist’s Hand” by Steven S. Long
“Sanae’s Garden” by Chantal Boudreau
“Mark of Ruins” by SD Grimm
“Birdie’s Life at the School for Distressed Young Ladies” by JH Fleming
“Cultivated Hope” by Jordan Phelps
“Seelie Goose” by Eric Garrison
“I Knocked Up My Fairy Girlfriend” by Brandon Black
“The Body Electric” by Sarah Madsen
“The Last Mission” by Cindy Koepp
“The Beggar-Knight & the Lady Perilous” by Matthew A. Timmins
“The Filigreed Lamp” by Edward Ahern
“Keys” by Michael M. Jones
“Like a Sister in the Proper Court” by Lisa Hawkridge
“Gnome Games” by Saera Corvin
“The Goat Man’s Garden” by Marten Hoyle

A Chimerical World: Tales of the Unseelie Court

edited by Scott M. SandridgeKindle-Nook

The Fey have been with us since the beginning, sometimes to our great joy but often to our detriment. Usually divided (at least by us silly humans) into two courts, the second volume of A Chimerical World focuses on the Unseelie Court: the court we humans seem to view as the “evil” faeries. But “good” and “evil” are human concepts and as alien to the Fey as their mindsets are to us.

Inside you will find 19 stories that delve into the world of the faeries of the Unseelie Court, from authors both established and new, including Michael Shimek, Deedee Davies, and Nick Bryan.

But don’t be surprised if these faeries decide to play with their food.

Here is a list of the authors and stories to be featured in A Chimerical World: Tales of the Unseelie Court:
“In Plain Sight” by Rebecca Leo
“The Wunderhorn” by David Turnbull
“Treehouse” by Kim Smith
“I’ll Watch Over You” by Angeline Trevena
“The Enemy of my Enemy” by Deedee Davies
“Maestro” by Nicholas Paschall
“Prey of the Boggart” by Rony Blechman
“Fear of Little Men” by Mike Pieloor
“Faerie Stories and the Bean Nighe” by Carmen Tudor
“Gifts” by Michael Shimek
“Djinn and Tonic” by S. Clayton Rhodes
“The Bet” by Jodi Ralston
“The Fool and his Money” by Nick Bryan
“The Yielding” by J. A. Ironside
“The Tamer of Beasts” by Doug Blakeslee
“The Last Sword of Barrow Thorns” by Matthew A. Timmins
“The Rose and the Dragon” by Steven S. Long
“The Brothers Doran” by John A. McColley
“Wonderland” by Stephanie Jessop

Book Review: Writers of the Future, Volume XXVIII

I have always had a cordial relationship with science-fiction anthologies in the past. Whether it's something like Zoo 2000 that included various stories from different authors, or The Complete Robot  which included many short stories from one author I always enjoyed the bite-sized tidbits of science fiction goodness. And there were plenty of hours between exams or on long road trips where a handy anthology saved me from utter boredom. Plus, one of the great benefits of an anthology like the one I'm talking about today is you get to experience the writing styles of many different authors in one book and get introduced to some authors who you might to read more stories from in the future.

Writers of the Future, Volume XXVII, contains thirteen stories from 2011 written by first-time fantasy and science fiction authors and judged by a professional panel. I think it's really great that there's a way for aspiring authors to put their work out there and have the opportunity for it to be read by a wide variety of people and maybe get doors opened for them in the publishing world. I also enjoyed the stories contained within this anthology so I am thankful to the panel of judges for picking excellent stories for publication.

If I were to go into specific detail about all thirteen short stories we'd be here all day, so I'll instead keep this brief. There were definitely a few stories that I didn't really care for, but that was more my personal taste rather than the stories being outright bad or offensive. This book is a great way to kill time if you're waiting for an appointment or have a spare half hour, because you can read just one story and then put the book back down. Plus you might end up really liking what the author wrote and look for more stories and books from those authors in the future.

Overall it's a good anthology and I like its mission. If you're looking for thirteen quick stories to tide you over on the bus then you could definitely do worse than this.

- Kalpar