short story – Page 2 – Minerva Cerridwen

Hello!

I’ve got a lot to tell!

First of all, I gave an interview in space—more specifically, on the good ship Space Opera Libretti. You can read it on Jennifer Lee Rossman’s website here. Remember that you can find more info about Space Opera Libretti here—add it on Goodreads and buy it on Amazon. I really feel like it deserves more buzz than it’s currently getting, because who doesn’t want more funny, musical stories in space?

Secondly, some news about Community of Magic Pens! The cover has been announced!!!

Cover for "Community of Magic Pens"

This beautiful, happy piece of art was made by Artistic Journey.

There is also an official list now of the stories and authors that will be included in this anthology: check it out here! My story really is in great company! Release is expected in early May and you can still preorder.

To stay up to date with news from publisher Atthis Arts, you can subscribe to their newsletter on the bottom left of their website.

I’d like to conclude this update with news from my friend Ava Kelly! Their fantasy novel Havesskadi has been re-released this week by NineStar Press. I recommend it to everyone who likes epic fantasy, dragons, and/or ace characters! Read all about it on Ava’s website.

Community of Magic Pens

Part of the Community of Magic Pens

6 February 2020 Minerva Cerridwen

Hello!

I received my first story acceptance of 2020!

My short story Memory Malfunction will be part of Community of Magic Pens, an Atthis Arts anthology. (You might know that publishing house from last year’s Five Minutes at Hotel Stormcove!)

I’m delighted to work with them again and to be included in what will be a collection of amazing, thoughtful stories from many different perspectives. And full of magic pens! You can already preorder the book here; release is expected in May.

The theme of magic pens is close to my heart. I remember scribbling somewhere in my school notes that “the secret of the writer is a good pen”. And it’s true: even in a time when most writing happens at a keyboard, a beautiful pen that’s fun to write with can inspire new stories or ease the brainstorming process. For many of us, pens are a tool that makes our storytelling magic possible.

And that power is definitely not limited to storytelling magic, as you’ll see in Community of Magic Pens!

Space Opera Libretti

Release the Space Divas!

6 January 2020 Minerva Cerridwen

Space Opera Libretti: An Anthology of Modern Comedic Space Opera with Arias. It’s quite a mouthful, but perfect to sing dramatically. And that’s the whole point.

More importantly, the book is out now on Kindle and in paperback!!!

Cover for "Space Opera Libretti" (2020)

The problem with space opera is that there’s not enough opera in it, and certainly a dearth of coloratura diva sopranos in the third act. This anthology sets out to fix that by placing the music front-and-center. We’ve created a glittery disco-ball of fun. 20 stories designed to amuse. Some actually take place in space. There’s even an actual opera in here. We didn’t hold back. Time-traveling cats that quote opera… Intergalactic singing competitions… An endless song that becomes the soundtrack to countless generations of rebellions… And, of course, invisible space bears made of black holes that may or may not be extinct.

The editors are Jennifer Lee Rossman (who also co-edited Love & Bubbles) and Brian McNett.

Get Space Opera Libretti from Amazon US (Kindle|paperback), Amazon Deutschland (Kindle|paperback), or from any other country’s Amazon, and add it on Goodreads.

Stars from the Stars is one of the stories I’m proudest of having written so far. When I’m reading or watching space operas, the scenes I most enjoy often take place on markets, at parties, in casinos, … where a lot of very different aliens can be encountered. Seeing all those imaginative body shapes, the varied ways in which the aliens communicate, the hints of different cultures and peculiar aesthetics… All those things make it feel like I’m properly in space, ready to immerse myself in that bubbling atmosphere of diversity and to learn about unknown civilisations. Since Stars from the Stars tells the story of a siren who competes in a universal talent show, I could explore a similarly wide range of extraordinary aliens and the acts they might perform in such a competition. Those were a lot of fun to come up with, and I hope readers will have just as much fun discovering them!

Gay Apparel

A surprise for the holidays: Gay Apparel

15 December 201916 December 2019 Minerva Cerridwen

‘Tis the season to be jolly!

I have a brand new publication in Gay Apparel: A Queer Holiday Flash Fiction Anthology!

A queer holiday anthology project collecting stories from all over the world. Includes contemporary, historical romance, space epic, weird western, post-apocalypse, gay, lesbian, trans, ace, neurodivergent, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Solstice, New Years, and some new holidays, too.

With 24 stories, it can be read as a fun advent calendar with one story every day running up to Christmas, or all at once to bring you fully in the holiday mood.

You can add it on Goodreads here.

My story is called Invite a Creature. No Christmas trees were harmed in the writing of this piece…

Other authors in this anthology include Rachel Sharp, Rose Sinclair, Amy Michelle, Ether Nepenthes (who were all part of 2016’s Unburied Fables), Jennifer Lee Rossman (co-editor of upcoming Space Opera Libretti), Ava Kelly (who was also in 2019’s Migration and will be in 2020’s Neon Horror), and L.S. Reinholt (my co-writer in several projects, including 2019’s Five Minutes at Hotel Stormcove).

As you see, the holidays are very much a family affair even in the book world! Or perhaps this is what happens when a project comes to life on Twitter, where we’re all huddled together like penguins in the cold. Big thanks to Rachel Sharp for coming up with the idea and editing all the stories. The cosy cover was made by Rose Sinclair.

Of course your big question is now: where can I get this book?!

Well, Gay Apparel is not being sold at any of the traditional places. Instead, you can get it through me.

How does that work?

Please send an email to minervacerridwen at gmail dot com with subject “Gay Apparel”. Show me proof that you have made a recent donation to an LGBTQIA-supporting charity of your choice. By recent, I mean less than a week before the email. Also tell me if you prefer epub, pdf or mobi format.

If you can’t donate (e.g. because you need a credit card but you don’t have one, or you don’t know any suitable charities, or any other kind of reason) but you still want a copy, please contact me anyway so that we can find a solution together.

There’s also a Twitter hashtag where you can see people talking about the stories and where you can find where to donate if you’d prefer to get your copy from another author: #GayApparelStories. Feel free to use it when you talk about the book and join the fun!

Happy holidays!

Minerva

Space Opera Libretti

Cover reveal for Space Opera Libretti!

13 November 2019 Minerva Cerridwen

Front of the "Space Opera Libretti" cover Back of the "Space Opera Libretti" cover

This anthology of space opera about space opera will contain my short story Stars from the Stars, about a siren who lives alone on a rock in space, until he’s being picked up by the Stars from the Stars ship to compete in the universally beloved talent show. Even though he’s completely confident in his abilities, he might learn a thing or two on the way…

I really look forward to reading all the other stories! If everything goes well, the release is expected mid-December.

Link to Editor Jennifer’s original cover reveal tweet: [x]

Also, allow me to remind you that the Neon Horror Crowdfunder is still going!

Musical space salutations,

Minerva

Neon Horror Zine

1 November 2019 Minerva Cerridwen

Hello!

I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween!

Yesterday was also the start of the crowdfunder campaign of Neon Horror Zine, a magazine full of bright and colourful LBTQIA+ horror stories, comics, and art. It will contain a short story co-written by L.S. Reinholt and me. Aside from printing costs, the campaign funds will be used for paying the creators and to support the charities Mermaids in the UK and The Tie Campaign.

Take a look here for more info and a chance to support this project! There’s a list of the other creators as well—friend Ava Kelly has a story in it too!

Our story, The Lost, shows the log of Siek de Void. The agender, pansexual captain of spaceship The Kenophobe is lucky to be accompanied by their more competent, non-human partner and pilot Giri. But with the logs and maps erased, will that luck be enough to keep them safe when they encounter the abandoned ship The Alfaragh?

You’ll find out in Neon Horror Zine!

P.S. It’s the first day of the month, so of course there’s also a new edition of Paranatellonta today. Enjoy!

Migration anthology, Neon Horror Zine, Sherlock Holmes

Two covers, a Kickstarter, and more good news

11 July 2019 Minerva Cerridwen

Last week I said I wouldn’t blog again until I was back from holiday. At that moment, of course, everything started happening at once, so here I am after all with more news!

Let’s start with the pretties. Both the Migration anthology and Sherlock Holmes is Everywhere! have revealed their covers!

Migration cover Sherlock Holmes is Everywhere cover

Migration can be preordered on Amazon Kindle, iBooks, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. It will release on July 24 and contains my flash story Not How We Planned It.

The Sherlock Holmes is Everywhere! Kickstarter is launching today. The book is expected to release in October of this year, and supporting this project means supporting the Beacon Society, a scion society of the Baker Street Irregulars which provides scholarships to schools, libraries, and Sherlock Holmes groups for educational purposes.

The anthology contains the essay Chasing Words by L.S. Reinholt and me, about how we met and started writing together thanks to Sherlock Holmes. It’s a Belanger Books publication, just like Sherlock Holmes: Adventures in the Realms of Steampunk, in which our story The Adventure of the Purloined Piston Valve appeared earlier this year.

The blurb for Sherlock Holmes is Everywhere!:

What makes Sherlock Holmes so special? Why is he one of the most recognizable characters in all of literature? How do people throughout the world connect to the character? Why is Sherlock Holmes embraced by the LGBTQ+ Community? Why do people collect Sherlock Holmes memorabilia? Why do people experience Sherlock Holmes in everything from Science Fiction to Martial Arts?

Find out the answers to these questions and many more in Sherlock Holmes is Everywhere! a collection of essays on how people throughout the world embrace the great detective.

I’m excited about this book! I really look forward to reading the other writers’ essays, and the flag at the centre of the cover made me very happy.

Be sure to take a look at the Kickstarter and feel free to leave any questions you have.

L.S. Reinholt and I also got another acceptance this week! Our queer horror story The Lost will be published in The Haunted Bouncy Castle‘s upcoming Neon Horror Zine. More info will follow!

Migration anthology, Sherlock Holmes

Flash fiction and essay publication

5 July 2019 Minerva Cerridwen

Hi!

Time for some news about future publications!

My story Not How We Planned It was selected for publication in the Migration anthology by Queer Sci Fi. The book will contain 120 flash fiction stories that have 300 words or less, all with a speculative element and queer representation. As there were over 250 entries for the flash fiction contest this year, I’m honoured that my story was chosen to be part of the book! You can see the full list of published stories here. Note that my friends Ava Kelly and Ether Nepenthes are in there too! *high fives*

The Migration anthology will be out on July 24, 2019. On that day the contest winners will also be announced, so if you’re curious about that part, keep an eye on the Queer Sci Fi website. (But don’t be afraid to miss anything; I’ll blog about the book release as soon as I’m back from my holiday.)

And then, a first: the publication of a piece of non-fiction! I know, it’s shocking, but I promise it won’t be boring.

L.S. Reinholt and I will have an essay in the Sherlock Holmes is Everywhere! anthology from Belanger Books. It’s going to be a charity collection for The Beacon Society. In the essay, we talk about how we met thanks to Sherlock Holmes, and how the great detective shaped the way we work together. We had a lot of fun writing the essay, and we look forward to reading the stories about how Mr Holmes influenced other writers’ lives. As soon as there’s any news about the release date and where you’ll be able to buy the book, you’ll hear from me.

But first I’ll be counting down a little longer to a holiday in Paris! I hope you’ll all have a great summer full of wonderful stories.

Hotel Stormcove

Release Day at Hotel Stormcove

7 May 2019 Minerva Cerridwen

Five Minutes at Hotel Stormcove is out now! This book with bite-sized stories in all genres has something for everyone and lets you expand your horizons.

L.S. Reinholt and I co-wrote the fantasy short Dragon in the Cove. The anthology also contains science fiction, romance, crime, quiet stories like the one about the cat, and so much more.

So far I’ve read about a third of the book and there hasn’t been one story yet that I didn’t like! And for my writer-friends, it may be nice to know that the Atthis Arts team has been an absolute joy to work with.

Get the book on Amazon US, Amazon Deutschland, iBooks, Nook, Kobo, or another retailer of your choice that I didn’t conveniently get the link from yet 😉

Find it on Goodreads here.

Enjoy your stay at Hotel Stormcove!

Sherlock Holmes

Steampunk Sherlock Holmes anthology out now!

21 April 20196 May 2019 Minerva Cerridwen

Happy Easter!

Both volumes of Sherlock Holmes: Adventures in the Realms of Steampunk are now available as ebook and paperback!

Volume 2, Mechanical Men and Otherworldly Endeavours, contains The Adventure of the Purloined Piston Valve by L.S. Reinholt and me. An original Sherlock Holmes story with a hint of feminism and some interesting inventions!

Get it now from Amazon US, Amazon Deutschland or a retailer close to you, and find it on Goodreads here.

Volume 1, Tales of a Retro Future, can also be found on Amazon and Goodreads.

The World’s Greatest Detective in the Retro Futuristic Realms of Steampunk!
Imagine a slight change to our historical timeline where the Industrial Revolution heated up much quicker than expected. Technological marvels such as airships, trains, battleships, and submarines came into being much earlier. They were followed by steam-powered wonders such as mechanical men, flying ships, and even crafts capable of reaching the deepest fathoms of the sea or traveling to distant celestial orbs.
That is the world where Sherlock Holmes and his Boswell, Dr. Watson, find themselves in Sherlock Holmes: Adventures in the Realms of Steampunk.

Mechanical Men and Otherworldly Endeavours – Volume two of the anthology features stories with a focus on robotic creatures and otherworldly adventures. See Holmes team up with intelligent animals from an alternate Earth, switch bodies with Dr. Watson, and travel to another dimension.

Table of contents:
• The Adventure of the Purloined Piston Valve by L.S. Reinholt & Minerva Cerridwen (The Dragon of Ynys)
• The Deductive Man by Paul Hiscock (Under the Weather)
• The Adventure of the Tiger’s Topaz by Derrick Belanger (Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Primal Man)
• Sherlock Holmes and the Moongate Sabotage by Derek Nason (Sherlock Holmes: Adventures in the Realms of H.G. Wells Vol. 2 )
• The Adventure of the Brompton Mausoleum by Paula Hammond (Alternative Truths)
• A Second Case of Identity by S. Subramanian (Airship 27: Sherlock Holmes, Consulting Detective)
• Doctor Bear, I Presume! by Harry DeMaio (The Casebooks of Octavius Bear)
• The Adventure of the Violent Violets by Dr. Watson (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes)
Plus an introduction by Editor Derrick Belanger