Lots And Lots Of Shorts

You may have noticed I’ve fallen off the short story bandwagon lately.  There are a lot of reasons for that, which don’t really bear going in to now.  One of the things I intend to do this year is get back into the habit, though, because there is a lot of goodness to short stories.  And because I can’t enter Writers of the Future without writing them (or at least novelettes).

That said, I have a few short stories sitting around on my computer that have not found homes in publications.  I’ve meant to put them out myself, but haven’t gotten around to it.  For that matter, I’ve a couple novelettes still sitting around that need to go up as well.  Well, I’ve decided that from now on Sunday is going to be my official “work on publishing, not writing” day.  When I have stuff that’s ready to go up, that is.

So this past Sunday I got all of my short stories together into a big collection, including the couple that haven’t been published yet, and  formatted them into a collection.  I  also created a cover.  I was all set to push publish when it hit me: Copyright Registration.  Is it strictly speaking necessary?  No, not really.  But it does open the door to statutory damages, and it records my pseudonym for posterity and to avoid confusion.  Problem was, several of the stories had already been published, but not registered.  So how do I handle that?  I decided to wait until I could talk with the Copyright office, because their circular wasn’t completely clear on that question.  I spoke with them on Tuesday, got the copyright registered last night, and pushed publish earlier today.

And so, without further ado:

The Short Story 10-Pack.  $4.99 on Amazon.

A bundle of ten science fiction and fantasy short stories – a 50% discount compared with buying the stories individually.

Lords of the Remnant – Aliens strike at the Centauri colony, overrunning it completely. Then, sooner than anyone imagined they could, they arrived at Earth to continue their conquest. An infantryman, certain resistance is futile, nevertheless deploys with his unit to fight against the first wave of invaders. As his comrades die around him and all hope seems lost, he finds the courage to fight on, but is confronted with a choice that will not only affect his own future, but that of all mankind as well.

How NOT To Rescue A Damsel In Distress – Bandits stabbed Larian’s father and kidnapped his girl. Confident in his freshly-learned swordsmanship, Larian set out to track them down, avenge his father, and rescue his first damsel in distress. Things did not exactly go as planned.

The Blob On The Rock – A scientific expedition to deep space makes a discovery that will re-shape what we believe about life in the universe. As long as it doesn’t kill them first.

Falling Softly – An assassin and his partner embark on the biggest job of their careers. The payment if they succeed is enough to set them up for life, potentially allowing the assassin to get out of the business and finally live a normal life. But even succeeding in a high profile job like this carries its own danger.

The Memory Of Justice – In the future, mankind outlawed capital punishment. Instead, the worst convicts had their memories erased and new personalities implanted. Then the authorities set them up in a far-away place and left them to live out their lives. This process worked well, to everyone’s approval. Except for the families of the victims.

Measuring Up – Larian Elesir, a young recruit in the Citizens’ Army, arrives at his first post. Eager to join the war effort, he is nonetheless nervous in his new environment and worried about setting a foot wrong. During his first day in camp, his new companions put him through his paces as they both learn who he is and teach him the basics he’ll need to survive in his job in the army.

A Chat Before Dinner – A record of a Zombie’s rant about the trials and tribulations of his life as a dis-respected member of the Undead. His rant centers around humans’ inherent racism, and he attempts to cajole his human listener into understanding his point of view. Darkly humorous and snarky, this story paints a new picture of a Zombie’s life.

First Blood – Intelligence told the High Command that the Mar Tabban, arch enemies of the Citizens’ Army, had moved into the territory garrisoned by Larian’s Regiment. In response, the Regimental Commander sent the B company scouts, Larian’s unit, out to investigate. On his first operational assignment, Larian has to overcome inexperience and his own fear and uncertainty if he wants to survive and get the information his Regiment needs to emerge victorious.

Who Ate My Sock? – A single sock missing from the wash – the source of universal frustration and untold family bickering. Justine never gave thought to what happened to those missing socks, and where they went. Until the day her mother sent her into the basement to change a load of laundry, and she learned the terrifying truth behind it all.

Brother In Law, Brother In Blood – A great hero can come from a humble past. Great love can bloom from the embers of conflict. And sometimes the two can happen at the same time, to the near ruin of both.

It is up now, and ready to read.  Enjoy!