On events in El Paso

I lived in El Paso for a while and part of it a mile from the site of the mass shooting yesterday. As of this moment, I still have not heard the status of a number of old friends, but seeing the area I frequented, even walked to from home and where I walked my dogs, on the news in these terrible circumstances was quite emotional for me today. I am deeply concerned and my heart and thoughts go out to all those affected—which is two entire cities of El Paso and Ciudad Juarez—at this terrible time. And I pray that you will somehow find peace and hope on the other side of this nightmare. I also continue to believe we need a change in this country to curb gun violence and I hope after El Paso, Dayton, the Wine Festival, even a shooting here in K.C.’s Crossroads the other day, that it can finally be approached with the seriousness it deserves.

God Bless and keep us all until then.

My First Print Zine Short Story Sale Is Out

It took several attempts and some polishing but I finally found a home for one of my more unique, non-space opera science fiction shorts, the third ever short story I wrote. It’s in the latest issue of Tales Of The Talismanbought actually last summer but too big for that summer issue, David Lee Summers held it for this year’s issue with my consent. It’s great to not only have it out but have made the cover list. Here’s the full TOC:

Table of Contents for Tales of the Talisman Volume 8, Issue 1

    • Sol Crystalis Miracalis
      Story by Quincy Allen
      Illustration by Teresa Tunaley

 

    • Silicon Searchers
      Poem by Richard H. Fay

 

    • Dear Cthulhu
      Article by Patrick Thomas

 

    • Through a Lens Brightly
      Story by Brock Marie Moore
      Illustration by Tom Kelly

 

    • Frontier Adventure
      Poem by L.B. Sedlacek

 

    • Touch of Silence
      Story by Simon Bleaken
      Illustration by Jim Collins

 

    • The Day That the Screens All Died
      Poem by Ann K. Schwader

 

    • Steam-Truckin’
      Story by C.J. Killmer
      Illustration by Teresa Tunaley

 

    • What Voids Are These
      Poem by Anna Sykora

 

    • End Run
      Story by Robert Collins
      Illustration by Russell Morgan

 

    • How to Construct a Human
      Poem by Lauren McBride

 

    • La Migra
      Story by Bryan Thomas Schmidt
      Illustration by Paul Niemiec

 

    • Shooting Star
      Poem by Louise Webster

 

    • Listening
      Poem by Larry Hammer

 

    • The Devil You Know
      Story by M.E. Brines
      Illustration by Jag Lall

 

    • Tempest
      Story by Neil Leckman
      Illustration by Paul Niemiec

 

    • Mission Stardust
      Poem by Ann K. Schwader

 

    • The Elemental Just Can’t Explain Himself
      Poem by CEE

 

    • The Ultimate Astronaut
      Story by K.S. Hardy
      Illustration by Laura Givens

 

    • A Conflicted Soul
      Poem by Lauren McBride

 

    • Streaming Light
      Story by Kelly Dillon
      Illustration by Morland Gonsoulin

 

    • Obolusless
      Poem by Neal Wilgus
      Illustration by Filo Martinez

 

    • The Reaper’s Scythe
      Story by Bruce Markuson
      Illustration by Jag Lall

 

    • Misdirection
      Story by Scott Allen Abfalter
      Illustration by Erika McGinnis

 

    • Power Of Littleness
      Poem by Alessio Zanelli

 

    • The Forbidden
      Poem by W.C. Roberts

 

    • Portal
      Story by Glynn Barrass
      Illustration by Tom Kelly

 

    • Book Reviews
      Reviews by David Lee Summers and Shawn Oetzel

 

    • About the Contributors