I’ve been accepted and rejected in the same day. One said the story was imaginative, which usually means way outside what they were looking for. The one that was accepted had the editer giggling by the end. That usually means I was on target. Oddly, I love both responses. They tell me that my stories were memorable.
It’s the year of the horse, and I celebrated it by freshening up one of my stories featuring Leroy with a bit more oomph. He head butts riders off their little ponies, screams challenges to everyone, and kicks his enemies with silver-shod hooves. He laughs at those who think they can stand against him, and then demands head scritches from his rider who is clearly designed to provide that needed service to the best warhorse in the wild wild West. It was a fun story to freshen up and I love it even more now than when I first wrote it.
I submitted a story yesterday, and I’m looking to submit another in the next couple days.
This year is the Year of the Horse, and so one of the many anthologies out there looking for writers is wanting to do things focused on horses.
Well, I happen to have a horse that shows up in most of my stories.
Captain William Carter has a warhorse that is rather fun to write. Leroy. Yes, he is named after a rather fun song that came out a while back.
Leroy is a bit of a beast. Fearless, and yet smart. Also, he’s always there. From the 1770s to the 1870s, every story that has a horse has Leroy. I’ve never explained it, but it is the same horse every time. He’s been Captain Carter’s partner for a long time, and he knows what he’s doing.
Now the anthology wants stories between 1-6k, and the story I have in mind to send them is just over 5k, which is right in their ballpark. So I’m going to give it a nice little run over tomorrow, make certain it gives Leroy all the attention he deserves, and send it in. This is going to be fun.
I submitted another story today, this one is about Mishipeshu, the Chippewa guardian spirit of Lake Superior. Who usually manifests as a a Great Lynx or an underwater Panther. I went with the idea that the explosion of the Independence in 1853 was the work of Mishipeshu, and went from there. The story flowed as it usually does for me, from a single idea and starting point, into a series of events that became a story, and I didn’t know if I had the full story down until I came to the end. And when I found that end and looked back, I knew I had a story I was happy to have written. Now it is off into the ether and I am happy. I hope the people who get it like it.
Michipicoten Island is the third largest island in Lake Superior, inhabiting its eastern reaches. It is largely uninhabited during winter due to the extreme cold and isolation, but it is a favored destination of vacationers and travelers in the other seasons. The island’s core is made of ancient lava bedrock, it is heavily forested, and has over 20 lakes of its own scattered across the island. Yes. There are over 20 lakes on an island in the middle of the Great Lake Superior. It’s approximately 17 miles long and 6 miles wide, larger than most cities in America. And in many Indian traditions, it is the home of Mishipeshu, a great feline spirit that guards all of Lake Superior from those who would ravage or disrespect it. It is an interesting island, and while I do not intend to write a story on it at this time, it does shape a story I write now.
Forge of War on Amazon
Angel Flight on Amazon
Angel Strike on Amazon
Angel War on Amazon
Wolfenheim Rising on Amazon
Wolfenheim Emergent on Amazon