I’ve had a great writing year. I had seven short stories (one co-written with Marie Croke), five flash, and one reprint published.

This is the second year that I’m eligible for the Astounding Award. For those looking to read at least one of mine, I recommend Wings of Light for fantasy readers and Lady of the Dullahan for sci-fi or horror. Both are free to read.

Here’s my list:

Wings of Light HEXAGON — Issue 4, March 2021 (fantasy, 4000 words). An insectoid warrior faces an unexpected battle. *Reviewed in Quick Sips.

It was dark, humid, the scents of earth a familiar shackle. Ochre crept through a drainage tunnel. Her squad followed behind her, the Nyla emblem visible on each of their left shoulder guards.

Heart of Ice ZOOSCAPE — Issue 10: Coffee with Dolphins, March 2021 (fantasy, 1000 words). A story about the heart of a dragon.

Ashmoda had attacked any male foolish enough to advance since her hatchling’s death. Her old mate was no exception.

Madame of the Vein APPARITION LIT — Flash Fiction Contest, April 2021 (sci-fi, 1000 words). An underworld deal unfolds. A story based on Stephanie St. Clair.

The Vein, for all its flaws, never tried to pretend to be what it wasn’t.

A Daughter’s Aim HEXAGON — Issue 5, June 2021 (science fantasy, 3200 words). About a hunt for a wounded dragon in the desert. *Reviewed in Quick Sips.

Mom was there, and then she wasn’t, a great searing hole in the world as big as the endless sky.

Wildflower DARK MATTER MAGAZINE — Issue 004, July 2021 (dark sci-fi, 2900 words). A bounty hunter must earn back his surname before sunset.

Chase stared across the prairie of Aelous, a planet named for a long-forgotten god. Like any frontier, this place bred trouble.

Omega of the Nest Wanted! Night Shift, Permanent Position APEX MAGAZINE — Microfiction Contest, July 2021 (dark fantasy, 250 words). A harpy flock seeks a new member for their nest.

Seeking an Omega male to serve our flock within the greater Manakin Village area. This is a nest like no other!

Two Brothers, One Stone DREAMFORGE MAGAZINE — Issue 8, Summer 2021 (fantasy, 4500 words). Two dwarven brothers search for a fallen comet.

The starry oak was one of the rarest of the great trees, and it had a sizeable hollow—almost a perfect circle. It was too small a passage for an ordinary man. For a dwarf, though, even in armor, it was only a tight squeeze.

Lady of the Dullahan DARK MATTER MAGAZINE — Special Halloween Issue, October 2021 (dark sci-fi/horror, 4000 words). A huntsman responds to a multiple homicide.

The crime scene was in the Vein, a ghetto-slash-mine built beneath the pretty glitter, sprawled out like hoary black roots over a large deposit of anthracite.

Rootstock BARDS AND SAGES QUARTERLY — Volume XIII, Issue IIII, October 2021 (sci-fi, 2100 words). Humankind has left Earth, but life continues in their wake.

Humans had been like prey—no claws, soft hides—but they had acted like predators. They had worn their ferocity on the inside.

Garden of the Gods ORION’S BELT — October 2021 (fantasy, 1100 words). About mortality and identity, with wings and riddles and flower petals.

I am the desert, the call of the wind. I want to taste life, warm and finite and wet against my tongue.

The Last Petal PODCASTLE — *Reprint, October 2021 (fantasy, 4000 words). Narrated by Eliza Chan. Originally published in DREAMFORGE MAGAZINE. A retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

Miss Lily Dale preferred hands to faces. Hands told a story that faces could hide.

Ten Poisons That Cannot Kill the Queen LACKINGTON’S — Issue 24, Fall 2021 (fantasy, 4400 words). *Co-written with the talented Marie Croke. About a queen and her companion and the dangerous plants that come between them.

I botched the interview to be the queen’s companion on purpose. Told her that the colour of her dress did not suit her complexion.

Ten Ridiculous Items Returned to Fae-Leaf Landscape Boundaries of All Seasons MYRIAD — Issue 1, December 2021 (fantasy, 500 words). The stories of ten unique items and their purchasers.

7) An arbor with cracked supports found thrown into the store’s backside compost pile. An inscription across the latticing read: Made of Heartwood. Like all hearts, this one is easily broken.

Thank you for reading!