Tag Archives: Beneath Ceaseless Skies

Beneath Ceaseless Skies #150

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Scott Andrews has published his 150th issue of Beneath Ceaseless Skies today, including my own “The Manor of Lost Time.”   This from Scott’s own description of the issue:

“BCS #150 is out today! A special double-issue, in honor of our 150th issue.

It includes “The Manor of Lost Time,” a story of demonic imprisonment by Richard Parks, author of the Lord Yamada tales, and “The Inked Many,” a novelette by Adam Callaway set in the Ars Lacuna world of strange ink and writings that has been featured in his many other BCS stories.

Plus “The Black Waters of Lethe,” a short piece of maddening isolation by Oliver Buckram, and “The Unborn God,” a tale of strange discovery and quest by returning BCS author Stephen Case.”

There’s lots more, including a giveaway of Brandon Sanderson’s hardcover novella “The Emperor’s Soul” (a Hugo winner) and a reprint of my “In the Palace of the Jade Lion” from issue #100. That’s become one of my favorites of my own stories, not that this should influence you or anything. And sometimes I think the characters in “The Manor of Lost Time” deserve their own book, but that’s further down the road. Regardless, check out the issue. Tthere’s a lot there for any lover of adventure fantasy.

Edited to Add: A couple of times lately I’ve gotten anonymous comments on the blog. Nothing abusive, and I know sometimes there are legitimate reasons for keeping your identity on the down-low. I don’t mind, and I’ll respond to those comments indirectly where appropriate. But I can’t clear anonymous posting for public display on this blog for obvious reasons. Thanks for your understanding.

Reprints, This and That but not the Other

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Now that the contracts are signed and everything’s more or less final, I can mention that I’ve sold a reprint, “Lady of the Ghost Willow” (Beneath Ceaseless Skies) toThe Mammoth Book of Warriors & Wizardry ed by Sean Wallace. It should be out later this year. The lineup is impressive, see below.

 

 

 

 

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To Those Who Wait

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Heavenly Fox - eBook1You’ve heard the old saw, “Good things come to those who wait.” And of course, bad things as well. “Good” and “Bad” are matters of perspective. Something happened late last month that I consider very bad. However, it may lead to good things eventually, perhaps even better than matters would otherwise be. I just don’t know. Time and perspective are required, so I’ll wait for both, in the sense that I’m paying attention for when they arrive. In the meantime, I’m not waiting for anything. I’m doing my job and trying to accomplish things I consider important, so perhaps when more time and perspective have arrived, I’ll be ready for them.

That’s the key, of course—it’s not about waiting. It’s about being prepared. Doing your work, no matter what else may be going on in your life. Sowing the fields. And while you’re busy not waiting, crops can suddenly appear. Within the last week I’ve sold one new story and given permission for two reprints: one for production as a podcast and another for reprint in a new Mammoth anthology. More details when everything is set and ironed out. The new story is called “The Manor of Lost Time,” and, pending editorial approval of some relatively small revisions, it’ll be published by Beneath Ceaseless Skies, probably in late spring.

None of which would have happened if the work hadn’t already been done. I’ve told this before but it certainly applies here–I remember when one of our old writing group comrades, then still unpublished, was marveling at those of us who were selling—sporadically, sure, but selling—“Any day you check your email or go to the post office, something good might come to you.” When I pointed out that, on any given day, it was more likely that nothing at all would happen, she rightly dismissed that. “But it might. I can’t imagine what that’s like.” I understood what she meant, since I’d been on the other side too for a lot of years. Yet even then you’re laying the foundation, plowing the fields. Preparing for what may yet arrive.

Now and then, you get a sprout. But not if all you do is wait.

Nice Surprises and Not Surprises

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Taylor312e-caseIn general I’m not a big fan of surprises, as they’re more likely to be nasty than nice in my experience. But every now and then…. On Saturday I was doing some of the finishing work on our hall bath (long story, and even longer process). Carol had gotten out of the house rather than strangle a contractor, and when she returned that afternoon she had a surprise for me.

That’s it in the picture. A Taylor 312e Grand Concert. I did have a decent acoustic but I’d realized the size wasn’t a good fit for me and I was looking with lustful eyes at a used Martin Custom and a Taylor Mini GS, but the Martin had sold and it was out of my price range anyway. The Taylors I’d tried had a bright, chiming tone that appealed to me as much or more than the warmer Martins. I had some writing money coming so I was thinking of the Mini GS, but then my darling wife beat me to the punch with this beauty, which is a few steps further up the line and cost over twice what the Mini GS would have. I had to ask her why, and she just said, paraphrase, “You settle too often. You deserve a good guitar.” Not really, not yet. I don’t deserve her, either. Life isn’t fair, and as often as not that’s a good thing.

In the category of Not a Surprise, To Break the Demon Gate has been pushed back to May. Of course, I only know this because of the Forthcoming  Books section of Locus Magazine. What? You don’t think they tell the writers these things, do you? Silly people.

Also in the NAS (not a surprise, or at least not to me) category, I’ve sold another—and at the moment, only—Yamada story to Beneath Ceaseless Skies. The only odd thing about that was this story had already sold to Weird Tales for their fairy-tale issue a couple of years ago, then became unsold. This doesn’t happen very often, and usually because the venue in question has died (lost one, for example, when Realms of Fantasy ended). Not this time, and in a circumstance I hope never repeats. Regardless, I’m glad I found a new home for it. It’ll probably be published this year, but maybe not until fall.

I need to write a movie review of a very odd Japanese fantasy flick. Maybe next time. If my fingers ever recover from practicing barre chords.

Beneath Ceaseless Skies #131, Fifth Anniversary

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Yoshino-1Partly for selfish reasons, but also because sometimes people get annoyed when they aren’t told these things, I’m proud to announce that my own “Cherry Blossoms on the River of Souls” is the lead story in Issue #131, the Fifth Anniversary Double Issue of Beneath Ceaseless Skies. The remainder of the issue’s contents, featuring stories by Adam Callaway, Alberto Yáñez, Rebecca Gomez Farrell, and Naim Kabir, plus a special audio fiction broadcast, will go live on October 10th.

“Cherry Blossoms on the River of Souls” you can read now. If you want.