April and May were great writerly months for me: three of my stories saw the light of day in three wonderful zines. I also got a whole lot of writing done, both revising old stories, and writing new ones.
I have a newsletter! It’s basically this bi-monthly post, but in email format, and you can sign up here: Maria’s Mostly Harmless Newsletter.
My latest columns at B&N SciFi & Fantasy
- My SFF short fiction roundup for March.
- My SFF short fiction roundup for April.
- My SFF short fiction roundup for May
- An anthology roundup: 10 Recent Anthologies That Show Us What SFF Can Do.
Short story roundups on my blog:
Stories in the wild
- My story “The Root Cellar” is available in issue #251 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies. It’s a strange and dark tale, infused with some rather terrible magic. Read online / buy the issue / subscribe to Beneath Ceaseless Skies at Weightless Books.
- My story “Mothers, Watch Over Me” is available in Mythic Delirium . It’s a science fiction story about dogs, puppies in peril, and (sort of) the end of the world. Read it online / buy from Weightless Books or Amazon.
- My story “Long As I Can See the Light” (a reprint from the anthology People Are Strange) is now available in the gorgeous hardcover edition of Alien Invasion Short Stories from Flametree Press. Buy it from Flametree Press / Amazon / Barnes & Noble.
- You can read (or listen to) my story “Una’s Hand”, written for the April episode of the Word Count Podcast: Read it. / Listen.
- You can also listen to my latest story for the Word Count Podcast, “The Prince and the Dragon”: Listen.
- If you haven’t checked it out yet, you can read my story “The Guitar Hero” in the Spring issue of Kaleidotrope. It’s a story about rock’n’roll, guitars, evil entities, and two middle-aged women fighting evil backstage. Read it / support on Patreon.
- My story “A Strange Heart, Set in Feldspar” is available in Abandoned Places, an anthology from Shohola Press. I share the TOC with Poe and Bradbury! Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / Indiebound / Indigo.
Reviews
- A.C. Wise featured my story “Hare’s Breath” from Shimmer in her column Women To Read at The Book Smugglers (thank you!). Wise says: “Hare’s Breath” isn’t an easy read, given the subject matter, but it’s beautifully written. Haskins’ language is poetic, her imagery draws the reader in, and the way the story moves through time gives the piece a dream-like feel. Read “Hare’s Breath”.
- My story “The Guitar Hero” from Kaleidotrope was reviewed at SFRevu. Their verdict: “Great story with a good look at the rock scene and a killer ending.”
- Charles Payseur at Quick Sip Reviews reviewed my story “The Root Cellar” from Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and says: “The piece has a heavy darkness and a feeling for me a bit like a fairy tale, where death doesn’t always mean death, magic isn’t often clean or good, and families are really fucking messed up.“
- A.C. Wise featured my story “Mothers, Watch Over Me” from Mythic Delirium (and several other fantastic stories) in her Words for Thought column in Apex Magazine. I quote: “It’s beautifully written, full of striking imagery, telling a story of faith and dogged (sorrynotsorry) determination. Haskins paints a picture of a mother’s love for her children that transcends the species barrier, telling a universal story.”
Story sales
On June 1st, two of my stories were picked up by two wonderful publications. Details to follow once all the contract bits are signed!
Bits & bobs
- My short fiction roundup at Barnes & Noble’s SciFi & Fantasy Blog is mentioned in Kirkus (wow!) in some great company. The post is titled An Impatient Reader’s Guide to Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror.
- Australian guitarist Graham Greene’s album Rage of the Innocents is now available. It includes a track inspired by my short story “The Gates of Balawat” (available in Odin’s Eye). Graham is an AMAZING musician and I often listen to his music while writing, so this is just about the coolest thing that has ever happened to me as a writer. Pick up a copy of the album by heading over to his website.
Maria Haskins 