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Jazz Age Mermaids
Today is publication day for my latest short story, Mermaids in the Ballroom, and I am feeling that particular, zingy happiness every author must experience when a character finally steps out into the world. Edith, who came to me on a lonely walk during lockdown, is now tripping her carefree way through the eternal labyrinth of the internet. Let’s face it, writing is hard. Most days I sit and grind it out, a pony pulling on a millstone. Occasionally, I knock out a 1000 words without even trying. And sometimes, rarely, a story is handed to me, like a gift. I unwrap it, and there it is, fully formed. It…
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Bodikin
Very happy to announce that my modern fairytale, Bodkin, has now been published online by Gingerbread House Literary Magazine. I love the work that Gingerbread House is doing; creating an enchanting venue for literary work of a speculative nature. I wrote Bodikin last year, and reworked the story several times to tighten it up. I wanted something that portrays both the antagonistic, joyful, tribal energy of teenage boys and the mystery of their inner lives. I wanted to put the Xbox child into a fairytale, with all its attendant dangers. Life, of course, is all about negotiation–the things we win, and the things we give up, the things we consciously…