Years ago, I formed the idea of making novella-sized short story collections organized around particular subgenres. Sorting through the stories I had at that point, I determined that there should be six of these (or, well, seven, but one of those I set aside for a slightly different plan; it turned into Driftwood).

Today, the last of those six is finally published at Book View Cafe!



I was able to publish Maps to Nowhere and Ars Historica almost immediately; it took a little longer to do Down a Street That Wasn't There and to decide that, really, I wasn't going to write any more short stories set in The Nine Lands, so I could go ahead and publish that one. Because I became determined to balance out the regions featured in A Breviary of Fire, the fifth of the set came out only last year. And then secondary world fantasy lapped the pack with The Atlas of Anywhere a few months ago.

But it took a while to complete the sixth of the original set, A Songbook of Sparks, because its requirements were very particular. As the cover and title suggest, this is a follow-up of sorts to A Breviary of Fire (as Atlas is to Maps), likewise consisting of stories drawn from traditional folklore -- but in this case, it's specifically folksongs. Ballads and the like. And after a spate of writing those while I was in graduate school, I just kinda . . . stopped. Without having quite enough material to cross my minimum threshold for making one of these books. So it's only quite recently that I wrote and published the last story needed to complete this set!

But now it is done, and out in the world: you may buy it in ebook or print, as you prefer. Within you'll find nine stories, one unpublished poem that mashes up sources half a world apart, and -- a bonus specific to this collection -- the lyrics of the traditional songs that inspired the stories. Enjoy!

(originally posted at Swan Tower: https://is.gd/GqaT2h)

In obedience to long-standing tradition, in a month with five Fridays, the New Worlds Patreon turns its attention to matters of theory and craft! This time, we're taking a look at the worldbuilding on-ramp -- which is to say, the vital questions of how much to explain at the start of your story, and how choosing the right entry point can ease the reader's way in. Comment over there!

(originally posted at Swan Tower: https://is.gd/7LsNqj)

Apparently I did not hallucinate a couple of weeks ago . . .



(I opted for the shot where I'm looking pensive rather than trying to smile, because I am atrociously bad at smiling for the camera. There's a reason my author photo features me looking like I'm about to stab somebody; it was preferable to any of the alternatives.)

So, yes: my award came!!! I could have opted to take it with me, but the logistics of getting it packed up -- especially the fragile glass part -- and handed over to me before I left on Sunday were complicated enough that it was simpler to just have them ship it to me. The downside, of course, was that I had to wait a whole WEEK AND A HALF to put my shiny new rocket on display!

. . . hilariously, a rejection for a packet of poems hit my inbox while I was reassembling this.

It's going to live in my office for at least a while, so that I see it every time I come in. Eventually I think I'll move it downstairs to our front room, where visitors to the house will see it, but for now -- nope, it's mine, my preciousssssss.