Tag Archives: Fire Anthology

Discount, Fire: Demons, Dragons and Djinn

Fire Up Your New Year!

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We’re ending 2018 with a bang! Between today and January 4th you can pick up an electronic copy of Fire: Demons, Dragons & Djinns for just $0.99! At the risk of sounding like a total commercial, it’s an amazing deal. Whether you’re a reader who loves short stories, or an author who would benefit from seeing what sort of things I’ll be looking for when I read submissions for book two in the series (Earth: Giants, Golems and Gargoyles) you can’t lose when it comes to getting a copy for less than a buck. Honestly.

Get Your Copy Now!

Direct from the Publisher

 

Electronic:

Amazon (US) (CA) (UK)

Kobo

B&N

 

Paperback:

B&N

Amazon

 

And, if you have already purchased and read Fire (thank you, thank you!) please consider leaving an honest review on Amazon and/or Goodreads. I would really appreciate it 🙂 Your review doesn’t need to be long or detailed, but a couple sentences and some stars could really make a difference. Thank you!

 

E is for Evil, Editing, Fire: Demons, Dragons and Djinn, Tesseracts Twenty-one

Award Eligibility Post (2018 Edition)

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Woo… it’s that time again! Generally speaking I put off making these award eligibility posts because I find them a bit awkward but last year I put it off way, way too long and I just stumbled across this photo on a stock art site and I wanted to use it. So I’m actually on the ball this time. More or less. Because look at that girl? How aspirational is that?

Right. Eligibility.

Here is a quick and dirty list of work I did in 2018 which would be eligible for award nomination in 2019:

Anthologies

E is for Evil, Poise and Pen Publishing, May 15, 2018
Fire: Demons, Dragons and Djinns, Tyche Publishing, August 2018
Tesseracts Twenty-one: Nevertheless (co-edited with Greg Bechtel), EDGE Publishing, September 2018

Long Form Editor

Hearing Voices by E.C. Bell, Tyche Books
The Continuum by Wendy Nikel, World Weaver Press
The Grandmother Paradox by Wendy Nikel, World Weaver Press
Black Pearl Dreaming by K. Bird Lincoln

I am also eligible for short form editor for my work in the aforementioned anthologies.

If you are nominating for any major awards (and I count the Auroras among those) and would like to read any of my eligible works, just get in touch and we’ll make it happen.

Thank you.

 

 

 

 

Discount, Fire: Demons, Dragons and Djinn

Good news, everyone!

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“Good news everyone! I think I’ve invented a plague that will destroy all life on Azeroth!”

~Professor Putricide

Sorry, sorry… I just couldn’t help myself, I have had that line stuck on repeat in my head ever since I woke up. Because I knew I wanted to start this blog post with the first three words. Hopefully, you will be more excited about my news than about that very old news from Ice Crown Citadel.

Good news, everyone! For the next few days only, the electronic version of Fire: Demons, Dragons and Djinns will be on sale for $0.99!

The ability for people to control (to some extent at least) fire has long been held as one of the major events that contributed to human evolution, but when fire eludes or escapes our control it is also one of the most destructive forces on earth. Associated with passion, power, transformation and purification, fire is a ferocious element with an unquenchable appetite.

Discover the power of Fire and the creatures that thrive on it in these twenty-one stories, including: the true inspiration behind Jim Morrison’s songs; a special weapon used in World War II; the secret in the depths of a mortuary furnace; a fantastical card game; and a necromancer out on what may be his last job.

Featuring: Blake Jessop; Kevin Cockle; Lizbeth Ashton; Dusty Thorne; V.F. LeSann; K.T. Ivanrest; Hal J. Friesen; Laura VanArendonk Baugh; Krista D. Ball; Mara Malins; Claude Lalumière; Susan MacGregor; JB Riley; Damascus Mincemeyer; Heather M. O’Connor; Gabrielle Harbowy; R. W. Hodgson; Chadwick Ginther; Wendy Nikel; Annie Neugebauer; and J.G. Formato.

Available Now:

Direct from the Publisher

Electronic: Amazon | Kobo | B&N

Paperback: B&N | Amazon

“Rhonda Parrish’s fascination with all aspects of fire and fantasy has resulted in a gift to readers: Fire: Demons, Dragons, and Djinns is an incredibly eclectic and carefully curated collection of short stories. The theme is exactly as the title says – a stunningly original array of tales involving fire. There isn’t a clinker in the stack… The authors who have enriched this anthology are among the most imaginative storytellers I have ever read. ”

~Melanie S. Amazon Review

If you haven’t already, please consider checking it out. For less than a buck I guarantee you can’t go wrong!

Fire: Demons, Dragons and Djinn

Fire: Demons, Dragons and Djinns

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This last weekend we launched Fire: Demons, Dragons and Djinns at When Words Collide in Calgary, Alberta and sold out of copies at the show.

And there were a lot of copies.

Like, a lot, a lot.

It set a new record for most number of books sold at WWC (or any single event) for me!

But, that’s not the point of this post. As much as I’d like to just dwell on that forever, life does move on and so must I… but I DO have good news.

Today is the official release day of Fire: Demons, Dragons and Djinns!

That means, if you pre-ordered it either it should be downloaded to your e-reader and ready to go or, if you got the paperback, it ought to be in your mailbox very soon.

Also? Reviews are starting to trickle in. Reviews like this one:

“Fire: Demons, Dragons, and Djinn is an incredibly eclectic and carefully curated collection of short stories… the entire anthology is a treasure of incendiary delights and terrors which deserves a permanent spot on your e-reader’s shelf.”

— Melanie S., Goodreads Reviewer

Yay!

If you haven’t picked up a copy yet, or don’t even know what I’m talking about, all that information is below, and both B&N and Amazon have ‘Look inside’ features in case you want a little taste before you buy.

To everyone who pre-ordered already, thank you SO much for your support. If not for you I couldn’t do what I do (and I love what I do), so thank you, thank you. I hope you love the book as much as I do 🙂

The ability for people to control (to some extent at least) fire has long been held as one of the major events that contributed to human evolution, but when fire eludes or escapes our control it is also one of the most destructive forces on earth. Associated with passion, power, transformation and purification, fire is a ferocious element with an unquenchable appetite.

Discover the power of Fire and the creatures that thrive on it in these twenty-one stories, including: the true inspiration behind Jim Morrison’s songs; a special weapon used in World War II; the secret in the depths of a mortuary furnace; a fantastical card game; and a necromancer out on what may be his last job.

Featuring: Blake Jessop; Kevin Cockle; Lizbeth Ashton; Dusty Thorne; V.F. LeSann; K.T. Ivanrest; Hal J. Friesen; Laura VanArendonk Baugh; Krista D. Ball; Mara Malins; Claude Lalumière; Susan MacGregor; JB Riley; Damascus Mincemeyer; Heather M. O’Connor; Gabrielle Harbowy; R. W. Hodgson; Chadwick Ginther; Wendy Nikel; Annie Neugebauer; and J.G. Formato.

 

Get Your Copy Now!

Direct from the Publisher

Electronic: Amazon | Kobo | B&N

Paperback: B&N | Amazon

Cover Reveal, Fire: Demons, Dragons and Djinn

Cover Reveal: Fire: Demons, Dragons and Djinns

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I love this book. I love this cover. And I’m so excited to finally be able to share it with you!

Fire: Demons, Dragons and Djinns is the first installment in my elemental anthologies series from Tyche Books. The cover art, by Ashley Walters, is fabulous, and the perfect way to introduce readers to the awesome stories within 🙂

Reserve your copy now!

The ability for people to control (to some extent at least) fire has long been held as one of the major events that contributed to human evolution, but when fire eludes or escapes our control it is also one of the most destructive forces on earth. Associated with passion, power, transformation and purification, fire is a ferocious element with an unquenchable appetite.

Discover the power of Fire and the creatures that thrive on it in these twenty-one stories, including: the true inspiration behind Jim Morrison’s songs; a special weapon used in World War II; the secret in the depths of a mortuary furnace; a fantastical card game; and a necromancer out on what may be his last job.

Featuring: Blake Jessop; Kevin Cockle; Lizbeth Ashton; Dusty Thorne; V.F. LeSann; K.T. Ivanrest; Hal J. Friesen; Laura VanArendonk Baugh; Krista D. Ball; Mara Malins; Claude Lalumière; Susan MacGregor; JB Riley; Damascus Mincemeyer; Heather M. O’Connor; Gabrielle Harbowy; R. W. Hodgson; Chadwick Ginther; Wendy Nikel; Annie Neugebauer; and J.G. Formato.

If you reserve your copy now it will be sent to you on August 14th when the book is officially released. Also, remember these?

These are six-sided dice that have a kick-ass dragon instead of a six. I will be giving one of these away to anyone who pre-orders their copy of Fire: Demons, Dragons and Djinn. In order to claim your dice email me proof of your order to rhonda.l.parrish@gmail.com along with your snail mail address. That proof can be a screenshot of your order confirmation, a receipt, whatever works for you and shows that you’ve reserved your copy.

Reserve Your Copy Now:

Electronic: Amazon | Kobo | B&N

Paperback: B&N | Amazon (coming soon)

Fire: Demons, Dragons and Djinn, Goals, Personal

My Most Favouritest Swag Evar

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If you follow me on social media you know I have been ridiculously excited about the swag I ordered to go along with Fire: Demons, Dragons and Djinn. I am so ridiculously excited about it, and now it’s here! I should probably keep it under wraps until pre-orders for Fire: Demons, Dragons and Djinn become available (because in the absence of that there’s no real ‘call to action’ in this post)… but I just can’t. I have to show them off.

I got the best swag ever to promote this book!! Check it out:

All. The. Dice!!

What are you looking at?

I got custom dice!!

So here is the short-term thing: the book is Demons, DRAGONS and Djinn so I was thinking about Dungeons and Dragons (which I play) and how could I tie that into promotion for the book and then I was like — dice!I love dice.

So, to make a long story short, I commissioned and ordered custom-made six-sided dice. They are red and black with gold pips and where the 6 would normally be is a dragon face and a teeny tiny little ‘RP’.

Sorry about the blurry cellphone photos... I tried really hard to focus but my phone just wasn't havin' it.

All the anthology’s contributors get one, and I’ll also be giving them away with pre-orders and stuff. It’s gonna be awesome! (Just as soon as I figure out the best way to mail them LOL)

Here is the long-term thing: I’ve long looked for some sort of swag that I could do for each of my books that people might actually want to collect (some people do trading cards, which is awesome, but not appropriate for me). Dice are going to be that thing. Moving forward I’ll be producing a die for each of my titles and slowly acquiring them for my backlist, too. Each will be a different colour/pip combination and have a different, appropriate, icon in the place of the highest number but each will also have the tiny little ‘RP’ in the corner. Just so you can tell they are part of the set and not just a really cool die.

And that is one of the reasons I’m so ridiculously stoked about this.

And boy am I stoked 🙂

If you want a die keep an eye on my blog, social media and/or mailing list as we move toward Fire‘s summer launch. I’ll definitely keep you looped in 🙂

Fire: Demons, Dragons and Djinn

Fire Table of Contents

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I’ve been stoked (heh) about this anthology from the very beginning for all sorts of reasons. First, because it’s the first volume in what I hope will be a new and awesome series. Second, because it’s my first foray into working with Tyche Books. Third, because it’s a super fun theme with tonnes of potential. Fourth — demons, dragons and djinn. I mean, c’mon!

But despite how excited I was there’s this stage that happens with every anthology I work on where I’m absolutely, positively certain that things aren’t going to come together and I’m never going to have a table of contents and even if I do it’s not going to do the thing justice and blah blah blah blah. You know what I’m talking about, if not specifically when it comes to anthologies than about something. It’s like Imposter Syndrome and ‘It’s always shinier in my brain than it is on the page’ had a baby and that baby moved into my brain and is having a never-ending temper tantrum. Yeah. That.

It happens every time.

And every time the baby eventually grows up and moves away and I realise that, actually, I’ve put together something special.

And each anthology is special in its own way.

The Fire baby (man I’m really milking this aren’t I? LOL) moved out quite a long time ago, actually, so I’ve had lots of time to really enjoy this anthology and really appreciate the things about it that make it special.

Fire is special to me for two big reasons.

First, the quality of the stories and their diversity in regard to tone, voice, point of view, theme and style is impressive. By my count, just off the top of my head and going by memory within these twenty-one stories six have demons, six have dragons and three have djinn. Some have all three. Some have none of those. Some are pretty subtle and others couldn’t be more in your face if they tried. There are fire critters I’d never heard of, and stories went in directions I never could have guessed at, and I love that.

Second, there is a fantastic mix between authors I’ve worked with before and those I’m working with for the very first time. Working with people I’ve worked with before is always a bit easier–we’ve been down this road, we know what to expect. It’s comfortable, familiar. We know each other. We might even be friends. And working with new people is exciting, scary and new. I never know exactly how they are going to take my edits, or my sense of humour. In some cases we’ll meet for the first time at a launch, or event. It keeps me on my toes. This anthology has a great mix of comfort and fear… sort of like fire itself.

So without further ado:

Fire: Demons, Dragons and Djinn

 

“Magnesium Bright” by Lizbeth Ashton
“Bait” by Krista D. Ball
“Strange Attractor” by Kevin Cockle
“The Midwife and the Phoenix” by J.G. Formato
“The Djinni and the Accountant” by Hal J. Friesen
“Midnight Man versus Frankie Flame” by Chadwick Ginther
“Cold Comfort” by Gabrielle Harbowy
“Aitvaras” by R.W. Hodgson
“The Hatchling” by K.T. Ivanrest
“She Alone” by Blake Jessop
“A Girl, Ablaze with Life” by Claude Lalumière
“Old Flames” by V. F. LeSann
“Light My Fire” by Susan MacGregor
“Double or Nothing” by Mara Malins
“Aladdin’s Laugh” by Damascus Mincemeyer
“Cilantro” by Annie Neugebauer
“Breath of the Caldera” by Wendy Nikel
“Phoenix Rising” by Heather M. O’Connor
“Ring of Fire” by JB Riley
“Permanence” by Dusty Thorne
“The Second Great Fire” by Laura VanArendonk Baugh
Fire: Demons, Dragons and Djinn will be launched at When Words Collide in Calgary, Alberta this August 🙂
Fire: Demons, Dragons and Djinn, Just Stuff

Fire Wishlist

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I want to take a few minutes to talk about my wishlist for Fire: Demons, Dragons and Djinns, and yes, that is a rooster up there. I chose it specifically because it’s probably not what you’d expect to see at the top of a blog post about fire and fiery creatures.

And the number one thing I really want to see in the submissions to Fire is something completely appropriate and yet wholly unexpected.

Like a fiery rooster. Because why should phoenixes get to have all the fun? 😉

Fire is dramatic. It is bold. Ferocious. Powerful. Beautiful. Terrifying. It can consume everything in its path, or push back the darkness so you can see the terrors which loom all around you. It can purify or purge. Brand or bless.

Above all I want to see stories that embrace those first five descriptors:

  • Dramatic
  • Bold
  • Ferocious
  • Powerful
  • Beautiful

And any tale which captures the dichotomy of fire, the yin-yang of it (without smacking me in the face with it) will get serious bonus points.

Including those things doesn’t mean you need to exclude other things though. A story can be both dramatic and funny. You can write beautifully about ugly things. Meek characters can do bold things — or a bold prose style can make readers fall in love with a character for their weaknesses (or despite them).

I’m going to get a bit more specific here than I usually do on these wishlist-type posts because there are specific creatures named right there in the title of the anthology. Demons, dragons and djinns.

When you’re submitting to an anthology the smart tactic is to try and make your story stand out in a positive way. In this case that might mean choosing to write about the most obscure fire creature/magician/thing you can possibly think of–and don’t get me wrong, that’s not a bad strategy–but here’s the thing… I need some demons, dragons and djinns.

Ideally I would like about a quarter of the stories I accept to be dragon-y, a quarter to be demon-y and the last half to surprise me… but include at least two which are djinn-y.

I say ‘dragon-y’, ‘demon-y’ and ‘djinn-y’ because a dragon-y story doesn’t need to have the dragon as the main character, nor does it need to be all about the dragon. It just has to be dragon-y. It’s like truthiness, I suppose.

(Quick side note about dragons, specifically — it probably goes without saying but for this anthology I’m looking for fiery dragons. Save the water, air and earth dragons for those later anthologies :-p)

The point I was trying to make before I went off on that bit of a ramble is I really do need some dragons, demons and djinns in this anthology so if you have a great idea for a demon story and a good idea for a salamander story but you’re thinking, “Nah, everyone is going to be sending in demon stories and I don’t want to compete with them all — I’ll write this salamander story instead.” don’t. Go for the great idea.

Confession:

Djinns are mostly in the subtitle because I am an alliteration hound, I love djinns, and I could make an argument for them being fiery creatures. Alas, since I can also make an argument for them being born of air I don’t intend for them to take up as much of the Table of Contents as dragons and demons. Though you never know, if I get enough amazing djinn stories that could totally change.

I want an ifrit story (bonus points if it’s actually set within ifrit society and the ifrits are demonstrably different from humans!), and a salamander story. Someone please send me a story with a lava monster and, possibly related, a fire mage. No fire anthology would be complete without a phoenix story, and any story that includes a hellhound (especially one that’s misunderstood) will likely discover the path to my shortlist is… well, short.

But you don’t need me to give you a list of creatures associated with fire, do you? Google can do that better than I can.

And, because I’ve been asked, you don’t need fire-based creatures in your story, fire itself can fulfill the required fiery element for your tale.

Wildfires? Sure!

Michael Bay-type explosions? Why not?

Bombs dropping during The Blitz? Please!

Other things that will give you an advantage while submitting:

  • I am completely infatuated with WWI & WWII as a setting. Any story set during, between or shortly following them will definitely make my eyes light up when I begin reading.
  • A fiery solarpunk story? Think you can pull that off? I’d love to read it!
  • Anything that matches the aesthetic of artist Omar Gilani’s Pakistan+ series (plus fire!)
  • For this anthology I’ll be leaning further toward fantasy than science fiction or horror but fire in space? On a whole other planet?
  • Is fire sentient?
  • I’d like something that dates back to when humans first gained control over fire. Whether this takes the form of something set in prehistoric times or a take on more of a ‘How raven brought fire to the people’ or ‘How Prometheus stole fire from the gods’ type thing… well, that would be up to you.
    • Does man command fire, or does fire command man?
  • I like diverse characters and settings. And by diverse I mean in every way you can possibly imagine.
  • Have you got a fiery story that is set in the Arctic? *makes grabby hands*
  • Fiery fairy tale?
  • A story with absolutely no humans in it at all would be awesome.
  • Fire can transform. Got a fiery shapeshifter story to tell?

And if your story is nothing like anything I’ve described here — send it. Please send it. I love reading a great story about something I never could have imagined.

This anthology is the first volume in a brand new series. That means, to some extent, it is going to help define that series. Which means you get to help define that series. Is it going to be upbeat and fast-paced? Angsty and emotional? Fairy tales and folklore? Well, we’re going to find that out together 🙂

Finally, because it’s become an FAQ–probably the best way to get an idea of what I like is to read one of my other anthologies, but when in doubt–submit. The worst thing that can happen is I’ll say no. And I’m not a jerk about it, I promise.

Dragon castle
Rooster metal
warrior and a dragon
phoenix bird flying up in the sky, painting graphic collage.
Black Angel. Pretty girl-demon with black wings. An image for Halloween. Image of an old book of fairy tales. Fashionable toning
Fiery stallion
Man walking through darkness
Man and dragon

Call for Submissions:

The ability for people to control (to some extent at least) fire has long been held as one of the major events that contributed to human evolution, but when fire eludes or escapes our control it is also one of the most destructive forces on earth. Associated with passion, power, transformation and purification, fire is a ferocious element with an unquenchable appetite.

We want to explore the many facets of this beautifully furious element and the creatures associated with it so Fire: Demons, Dragons and Djinns will be filled with stories about every kind of fiery creature you can imagine, not only those listed in the subtitle. We’re looking for phoenixes, ifrits, salamanders, lava monsters and fiery beasts no one has ever heard of before. And of course this anthology will not be complete without at least one demon, dragon and djinn!

Rights and compensation: Payment: $50 CAD flat fee and a paperback copy of the anthology. In exchange we are seeking first world rights in English and exclusive right to publish in print and electronic format for six months after publication date, after which publisher retains nonexclusive right to continue to publish for the life of the anthology.

Open submission period: June 1, 2017 – August 31, 2017 (extended from August 15th)

Length: Under 7,500 words

No simultaneous or multiple submissions.

No reprints.

Submit here

(http://bit.ly/FireAntho)

Because I’ve been asked — though payment is in Canadian dollars you do not need to be Canadian to submit. Everyone is welcome.

Fire: Demons, Dragons and Djinn

Call for Submissions: Fire

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Yesterday submissions opened to an anthology that I’ve been looking forward to for over a year!

Fire: Demons, Dragons & Djinn

This is the first in a brand new series of element-based anthologies edited by myself and published by Tyche Books. I’ve included the call for submissions below and I’ll write up and share a ‘Fire Wishlist’ in the next couple weeks and share that here, too. In the meantime, if you’ve got a story about a fiery being I would really love to see it!

Call for Submissions:

The ability for people to control (to some extent at least) fire has long been held as one of the major events that contributed to human evolution, but when fire eludes or escapes our control it is also one of the most destructive forces on earth. Associated with passion, power, transformation and purification, fire is a ferocious element with an unquenchable appetite.

We want to explore the many facets of this beautifully furious element and the creatures associated with it so Fire: Demons, Dragons and Djinns will be filled with stories about every kind of fiery creature you can imagine, not only those listed in the subtitle. We’re looking for phoenixes, ifrits, salamanders, lava monsters and fiery beasts no one has ever heard of before. And of course this anthology will not be complete without at least one demon, dragon and djinn!

Rights and compensation: Payment: $50 CAD flat fee and a paperback copy of the anthology. In exchange we are seeking first world rights in English and exclusive right to publish in print and electronic format for six months after publication date, after which publisher retains nonexclusive right to continue to publish for the life of the anthology.

Open submission period: June 1, 2017 – August 31, 2017 (was originally August 15 but has been extended)

Length: Under 7,500 words

No simultaneous or multiple submissions.

No reprints.

Submit here

(http://bit.ly/FireAntho)

Fire: Demons, Dragons and Djinn

The Elemental Anthology Series

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Elemental Anthology SeriesI am so very excited to share this news. I’ve been sitting on it for a while but now the contract for the first book is signed and so it’s safe for my superstitious self to shout the news from the rooftops… or, ya know, my blog.

I’m going to be working with Tyche Books to publish a brand new anthology series!

I got to work with Tyche when I had a story included in their Masked Mosaic anthology and ever since I’ve been looking for a chance to repeat the experience. You can imagine, then, how happy I was when they accepted my proposal to do an anthology series with an elemental theme.

I am super stoked–not least of all because the tentative titles and subtitles are full of alliteration (and I am a sucker for alliteration). These are all subject to change but tentatively speaking we are looking at:

Fire: Demons, Dragons and Djinns

Earth: Gargoyles, Grotesques and Golems

Water: Selkies, Sirens and Sea Monsters

Air: Sylphs, Spirits and Seraphim

After Tyche Books accepted the series there came the tricky issue of choosing which one of those anthologies to start it off with.

As awesome as Sirens is I thought it might be nice to take a break from air and water before diving (heh!) back into them so I narrowed the decision down to earth or fire. And then I got stuck, I was sincerely considering just flipping a coin, and that didn’t seem like the best way to choose which anthology to start with, so I let my newsletter subscribers decide for me.

We took a vote and the winner was:

Fire-Wings

Whoot whoot!

I plan to fill this anthology with every kind of fiery creature you can imagine–not just the ones listed in the subtitle. I definitely want at least one phoenix story, and an ifrit–a salamander would be awesome! Also, some sort of lava monster? Can we get a lava monster? That would be fantastic 😉

There will be an open call for submissions to fill this anthology, but not for a few months. We’re looking at a 2018 publication date, which means there isn’t a huge rush. I don’t know exactly what the timeline looks like just now (I need to sort out the details around the next Magical Menageries title before I can pin this one down) but I will announce it as soon as I know it. I just couldn’t sit on this news anymore and had to share it, even if some of the details are a bit hazy. On the plus side, that gives those of you who write lots of time to sharpen your pencils and brainstorm some ideas.

In the meantime, I’m just gonna leave you with this:

Dragon in the fire

#FireAntho