Heh. I’d totally forgotten that I’d done this. In my new short at Apex all of the names,¹ except Cody,² have something in common.

First person to correctly identify the commonality gets an unpublished short story direct to their inbox.

Edited to add: Through a joint effort, Mike F and Nathaniel Payne correctly identified the names as coming from subway stops. I often write on the train. I’ve sent them both a copy of “Home Safety” which is a spin on Hansel and Gretel.

1. Just to clarify Martian soil and Zeta Epsilon longgrass are not names. [↩]
2. Cody is named after a real dog. I did try to use the same naming convention with her, but Cody was a better name [↩]

Apex has my short story Scenting the Dark up in their new online issue. For those who aren’t familiar with Apex, they do SF Horror.

Here’s the teaser on mine.

Lifting the stopper from the vial to his nose, Penn inhaled slowly. Against the neutral backdrop of his ship’s cleanroom, he picked out aromas of quince, elderberry, and bright Martian soil that hinted of blood, with undercurrents of cinnamon and Zeta Epsilon’s fragrantly sweet longgrass. He sighed, blowing the scents out again. The perfume was still out of balance.

Oo! Look, you can get an anthology I’m in for cheap. Jason Sizemore, proprietor of Apex Books says:

For one week only, the following Apex Book Company titles are on sale for $10.00:

Unwelcome Bodies
The Next Fix
HebrewPunk
Aegri Somnia
Gratia Placenti
Orgy of Souls
Mama’s Boy and Other Dark Tales
Beauty & Dynamite

Make Alexander Hamilton proud. Spend ten bucks and buy a book!

Now, I do have to warn you, just in case you don’t know, that Gratia Placenti is horror. This is not safe for parents — and by that I mean my parents. But the rest of you, have at it. Here’s the teaser from my story, “Tomorrow and Tomorrow.”

The moment Tuyet walked into the Dagenais’s compartment, she knew something was different. The usual pack of dogs swarmed around her, distracting her, before she figured out that the compartment smelled different. Not bad–not like the times they had left everything piled in the sink for her as if they were having a contest to see who could goad the other into doing the dishes. Nor the time they’d fired the dog walker and didn’t bother to walk the hoard of dogs that Hélène kept. But they paid her to come once a week to wipe their counters, load the dishwasher and tidy the compartment. So she’d kept her head down, asked herself what Kant would have done, then said screw the philosophy and wiped up the dog shit and urine.

Kant would not have done that.

Jason Sizemore, editor of Apex Digest, is holding a subscription drive. Since I’m in the next issue, I have a vest interest in helping him get the 150 new subscribers he wants. Like science-fiction and horror? Then this is your magazine.

Subscriptions are a measly $20 for 4 issues in the US. $24 for Canada/Mexico. $34 for the rest of the world.

We’ve re-initiated the APEX FOR LIFE subscription option that gives you Apex until you die. This goes for $100.

If you’re interested in the magazine, but want to check it out before taking out a subscription, then take a look through our ample back catalog.

Or, heck, if you’re wanting to show your support but not necessarily want a subscription, check out our ample back catalog.

Yesterday, I sold “Scenting the Dark” to Apex Digest and felt like, given everything, that I should hold onto the news until after April Fool’s was over.

Many thanks to those of you who read a draft of this. Your comments helped me enormously.

Edited to add: The story will be in the next issue of Apex Digest, lucky issue 13 The Table of Contents is:

“Scenting the Dark” (4000 words) - Mary Robinette Kowal
“Blankenjel” (6100 words) - Lavie Tidhar
“In the Seams” (7200 words) - Andrew Porter
“Nature of Blood” (7500 words) - George Mann
“I Know an Old Lady” (500 words) - Nathan Rosen
“The Limb Knitter” (6300 words) - Steven Francis Murphy
“These Days” (5600 words) - Katie Howenstine
“Collecting James” (5500 words) - Geoffrey Girard

I just found out that the preliminary Stoker Ballot lists Gratia Placenti, edited by Jason Sizemore & Gill Ainsworth (Apex Publications). I’ve got a story in there so I’m tremendously pleased to see the anthology make the list.

Horror World Reviews covered Gratia Placenti, from Apex Digest, with what has to be the best review of any project of which I’ve had the pleasure to be a part.

The final story in the book, Mary Robinette Kowal’s Tomorrow And Tomorrow is yet another strong tale, concerning both a mother’s love and a husband’s hate. It is also a timely look at the idea of class systems and those who come from elsewhere; where, though being well educated and even well respected in their places or countries of origin, are forced to take menial jobs and face constant ridicule to survive in their new environment.

The review closes with this line, “Certainly one of 2007’s best anthology titles, it receives my highest recommendation.”

Not if You Were the Last Short Story on Earth is doing year end summaries. Of Apex, he says:

The strongest stories this year were probably Geoffrey Girard’s multi-part Cain xp11 (not for the squeamish) and Mary Robinette Kowal’s Horizontal Rain.

I’m stunned. It’s not even a story that was in the magazine; it was in the online version.

The first review of the Gratia Placenti anthology is out.
Dark Scribe Magazine gives us a very favorable notice

Concluding the anthology is Mary Robinette Kowal’s futuristic “Tomorrow and Tomorrow”, the tale of Tuyet, a cleaning woman working on a space station hoping to earn enough money to buy her ailing son a new set of lungs. A tale of the desperate things people do for the sake of others, this story presents a sympathetic character who is sucked into a murder plot after the fact, and is too deeply involved by the time she realizes it to change the outcome. With more than just her own life at stake, Tuyet is tragically doomed by either path she takes.

According to Jason Sizemore, tomorrow is the last day to order the Gratia Placenti anthology. There’s a pre-order discount of $12.95 or get the hard cover for $30.00.

Table of Contents – Final Order
“Translatio” – Geoffrey Girard
“Follow the Canary” – Athena Workman
“Crasher” – Debbie Kuhn
“Some Glue Never Dries” – David Niall Wilson
“The Cutting Room” – Shane Jiraiya Cummings
“Bright Red Razors” – Teri Jacobs
“Party Makers” – Adrienne Jones
“Them’s Good Eats” – JA Konrath
“Something Wet” – James Reilly
“Popup Killer” – Bev Vincent
“Only Spirits Cry” – R. Thomas Riley
“The Listening” – Neil Ayres
“Tomorrow and Tomorrow” – Mary Robinette Kowal

Introduction by Jason Sizemore
Cover art by Paul Bielaczyc

The anthology has horror based around the theme of “For the sake of pleasing.” Isn’t there someone on your shopping list who you want to please?

http://www.apexbookcompany.com

Over at Shamus Writes he’s giving away a copy of Apex Digest #6, which contains my story “Cerbo en Vitra Ujo.”

This issue is sold out, so this is a fine opportunity to snag one, if you want to read that story.

Now – I have an extra copy of Apex Digest Issue #6. Mint condition. Never been read. Except maybe by the little fuzz monster that lives under my desk. It’s possible he might have cracked the cover one night while I was sleeping. But if he did, he cleaned up when he was done because the journal still looks pristine.

Alternatively, you could pick up a copy of the 2006 Best of Apex, but that would remove the element of chance and where’s the fun in that?

A Writer’s Vanity - Gratia Placenti available for pre-orders

Date of Publication: December 1st, 2007
Hardcover only available via pre-order
Special TPB pre-order price of $12.95

This is the much anticipated follow up to the Stoker nominated featured writer anthology Aegri Somnia. Gratia Placenti translated means “for the sake of pleasing.” 13 of the most sinister, darkest writers in the horror business were tasked with conveying their take on the theme of gratia placenti.

Table of Contents
“Only Spirits Cry” – R. Thomas Riley
“Crasher” – Debbie Kuhn
“Follow the Canary” – Athena Workman
“Translatio” – Geoffrey Girard
“Party Makers” – Adrienne Jones
“Some Glue Never Dries” – David Niall Wilson
“Some Good Eats” – JA Konrath
“Bright Red Razors” – Teri Jacobs
“Tomorrow and Tomorrow” – Mary Robinette Kowal
“The Listening” – Neil Ayres
“The Cutting Room” – Shane Jiraiya Cummings
“Something Wet” – James Reilly
“Popup Killer” – Bev Vincent

13 stories, 63000 words
Introduction by Jason Sizemore
Cover art by Paul Bielaczyc

Apex Science Fiction and Horror Digest is having a Halloween raffle. Check it out.

You’ll find nothing but TREATS here, guaranteed! Here’s a chance to fill your pillowcase with all sorts of goodies, including rare items from some of the biggest names in the field. For only $1.00 per ticket. And, a percentage of all proceeds made will go to the National Center for Family Literacy!

One “ticket” will be selected as the winner for each item. So, the more “tickets” you buy, the greater your chances… Winners announced on Halloween at midnight . To bid on any of the fantastic items, just visit www.ApexDigest.com and simply put a “1″ in the quantity field (for a charge of just $1). For a better chance at winning your item, just put in a “2″ or a “3″ (or a “20″) and your chances will increase accordingly! Good luck!

This is just some of what you’ll find to bid on:

* In-depth short story critiques offered by famed writers and editors.
* Copy edited original manuscript of Titan signed by Ben Bova.
* Signed HCs of Homebody, Magic Street or Pastwatch by Orson Scott Card.
* Signed MMPB of The Keeper by Sara Langan.
* Signed TPB French edition of The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum.
* Promotional Moral Orel photo or t-shirt signed by actress Carolyn Lawrence (voice of Orel).
* Signed copies of award winning writer M.M. Buckner’s: Hyperthought, Neurolink, and War Surf.
* Original hand-written poem framed with signed photo of Grim Trixter author Brandy Schwan.
* Signed reader’s copies of Mary Doria Russell’s new novel Dreamers of the Day.
* Awesome stuff from Aradani Studios (Paul and Michael Bielaczyc).
* Signed, HC limited edition copy of Dreadful Skin by Cherie Priest.
* Giant gift box from Horrorview.com. including videos, shirts, etc.
* Signed copies of Steven Savile’s Warhammer trilogy: Retribution, Dominion, and Inheritance .
* Three signed, sexy PR photos of author Angeline Hawkes-Fulbright.
* HC of DUNE: The Machine Crusade or Ignition signed by co-author Kevin J. Anderson.
* Signed, HC of Metal Swarm by author Kevin J. Anderson. This is the UK edition.
* Signed, MMPB of The Freakshow by Bryan Smith.
* Signed Tales of… pack by Geoffrey Girard: Atlantic Pirates, Jersey Devil, and Eastern Indians.
* One year subscription to Shimmer Magazine
* Signed & Limited Edition of I Sing the Body Electric! by Ray Bradbury (retail value of $150).
* Signed copies of The Magic Goblet and The Magic Ring edited by Dr. Amy H Sturgis.
* HC of The Last Rakosh by F. Paul Wilson.
* TPB of Wet Work by Philip Nutman.
* Signed, limited HC of Offspring by Jack Ketchum.
* Signed Sterling Edition (publisher’s copy with slipcase) of The Tery by F. Paul Wilson.
* Galaxy Press/Writers of the Future Educators Pack – many books!
* Blood-signed (by contributor Jodi Lee) TPB of Echoes of Terror anthology.
* Extended Play: The Elastic Book of Music anthology edited by Gary Couzens.
* Abaddon Books Gift Pack – many books!
* Autographed ARC of Robert McCammon’s Speaks the Nightbird.
* Brian Keene pack: The Rising, City of the Dead, Terminal, Ghoul, Conqueror Worms, and Dead Sea .
* And much, much more………

Golly, it’s a banner week for reviews. Joe Sherry, at Adventures in Reading, reviewed “Horizontal Rain.”

Here’s a snippet.

Horizontal Rain is a reasonably short short-story, fewer than 2700 words, but Mary Robinette Kowal packs a good deal of story into those 2700 words. Confusion, fear, fairy tales, trolls, death, driving, construction, meetings, phone calls, and a general sense of unease as the harsh Icelandic wind blows the rain sideways.

If you’d like to read the story, it’s at Apex Online.

Mr. Sherry also posted his dream list of authors to invite for an anthology. Lord help me, I have no idea what sorting criteria could possibly have put me on the list at number two. Still, I like his day dream.

It’s an interesting mental game, isn’t it. Who would you invite to your dream anthology?

Look! There’s a sale on Best of Apex Digest 2006, which has a story by me in it. If you’ve been wanting to try more short fiction, but aren’t up to committing to a subscription, this should be a good sampler.

Enjoy eight of the best stories published by Apex Science Fiction and Horror Digest during 2006. Picked by the Apex editors, these stories exemplify the quality and content that makes Apex Digest such a unique presence in the genre.

As a bonus, each story is preceded by an appreciation from an Apex editor or from an editor of other popular genre magazines.

Approximately 112 pages, this title is only available through the Apex Shopping Mall.
Table of Contents (editor appreciation in parentheses)
”Starfish” by Steve Parker (Gill Ainsworth)
”Queen of Stars” by Bryn Sparks (Jodi Lee)
”Blood Baby” by Jennifer Pelland (Deb Taber)
”Cerbo en Vitra ujo” by Mary Robinette Kowal (Alethea Kontis)
”Indigestion” by Robby Sparks (Bailey Hunter – Dark Recesses)
”That Old Sandlands Fever” by Douglas Warrick (Mari Adkins)
”How to Raise a Human” by Deb Taber (Beth Wodzinski – Shimmer Magazine)
”Genesis Six” by Shane Jiraiya Cummings (James Beach – Dark Discoveries)

The appreciation that Alethea did for my story made me all weepy. It’s much sweeter than one would expect for a horror story appreciation.

Edited to add: Right after I posted this the mailman arrived with five copies of this anthology for me.