Twofer: 5 Minute Fiction and an upcoming Publication

Two short bits today. One is about erotica, but not in the blog. The other is in the blog, but not exactly erotica. Lemme ‘splain.

First off:

A story of mine, Plotter, was accepted for the Cleis Press,publication of Gotta Have It: 69 Stories of Sudden Sexy, edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel. It’s due out in February of 2011, and is going to be my first print publication ever. It’s also available for pre-order on Amazon.com.

Here is the little poem snippet that inspired the flash story – it probably won’t be in the collection proper:

Plotter.
You bait me, knowing.
And I oblige.
Monster I am,
but yours.
Oh, so yours.

And second, I did 5 minute fiction again this week, after missing it for the previous two. It’s a special Nanowrimo series this time, but I’m not writing a Nano. The theme was to take a main character from your work-in-progress and write a scene for them “lost in a blizzard”. So, I took my work in progress – Blood Tint – and put two of my main characters in it. It kind of works out to being a snippet of backstory for Alak and Daciana, set sometime in the late 18th century, loooong before the modern events of the story I’m telling in the serial form. It’s also not an erotic bit at all, which is one reason I’m not giving it its own post. On the other hand, my piece made the week’s finalist list. –M

 

Blood Tint ~ Blizzard Interlude ~ Finland, ca. 1780 (November)

“Daciana!” My voice barely rose above the howling wind, and I could barely see Daci’s fur-clad form three paces ahead of me in the gloom.

I was freezing, despite my own many layers.

As well I should be. I was born near the equator, and hadn’t seen snow until I left home, many decades later. It didn’t matter that in the intervening century, I’d traveled the world and seen all kinds of climates. No matter who’s blood I drank, mine would always be on the thin side.

Daci stopped and turned toward me.

“It’s not much farther, Alak, I promise!” She called back.

“It had better be! I can’t tell up from down here!”

I staggered up to her and she took my gloved hand in hers.

“Don’t worry. Nearly there, and then we can rest safe – all winter.”

Even in the blizzard her voice soothed.

“I’m sorry we had to run. I’m sorry I slipped. Again. Chuluun…”

“It’s Ok, Alak. We both knew it would take a long time to escape his demons.”

His demons, she said. Not mine. She never called them mine.

“Once we reach the village, we rest there for the long night. And we’ll go somewhere new come spring. I’m thinking the Dutch colonies in South Africa.”

Chasing winter again. Always chasing the darkness and running from the light. This is not what I had imagined over a century ago, now.

At least I had Daci with me now. She was almost as good as the sun to guide me.

Ahead in the distance, faint flickers of lanterns – the Kvenlander village of our destination.