I’ve always wanted to have at least one of my works translated into Spanish. Never mind the why of it, but it’s part of my heritage and I always felt it was necessary. I had plans for how I’d get here, but sometimes dreams take longer than you plan and don’t come together quite the way you expect.

At any rate, I’ve been working with a translator on a fantasy short story called “Snitched, Snatched.” Getting it right in English was hard enough, now Gustavo Bondoni must tackle trying to get it perfect in Spanish. Luckily he is skilled as a story teller, and I’m counting on that skill to come through in “Snitched, Snatched.” He has his own short story collection out (in English) on Kindle: Tenth Orbit and Other Faraway Places (20 stories.)

All of this leads to needing a cover that reflects the story, captures its essence and has a magic of its own. Enter Assnezana and her fantastic artistic talent.

You can find more about her here: Assnezana and see more of her work on Jaguarwoman.com and also on Dreamstime/assnezana .

She has some awesome artwork; more magical settings like the one in the cover, some aquatic settings and some fabulous garden settings. Check them out!

As for the story, look for it on Kindle in about a week if things go smoothly, two if they don’t! I’ll post more about the release date as it gets closer.

dunesteef.com has decided to produce Around the Bend in audio format! I say “produce” because more and more podcasts are not just reading stories–there’s music, acting, different voices–they are getting more complex and more professional. Dunesteef, in particular, wanted to involve authors more so asked me to read a blip on how the story came about.

Me????

I wasn’t too certain this was a good idea. Okay, I was completely against it. I’m basically quite lazy and can be a rather self-conscious creature. I’ve never liked my voice; I took singing lessons off and on for years thinking something might help it, but other than learning how to “breathe” right, nothing rubbed off.

Unfortunately, despite my reclusive nature and extreme laziness, I do believe in supporting the magazines that give authors like me an opportunity to spread stories. So I began recording. Who would think that one tiny paragraph would take so much time? First off, I sounded bored. I don’t mean a little bored, I mean a monotone that could compete with Alan Greenspan testimony, only a lot shorter and sounding more like your grandmother. Second off, who wrote all these extra words??? The more words in a single sentence, the more air that is required…and ups and down in tone so that I didn’t sound like a dead pickle.

I had no idea that so much acting was required to read aloud: Lilting. Pauses. Hints of lightness or intrigue. Emphasis. Pacing. And I wasn’t even reading the story.

After some practice I managed to sound like a moderately interested human, if not a talented one. Then came the technical part of recording. I forgot to turn the sound off on my machine, so incoming email pinged right at the beginning. Got rid of that only to have the stray cat show up in the back yard, which set off the birds–quite loudly–in the background. Husband opened the garage door. Air conditioner came on. Then…the perfect lilt, the perfect pacing…I had it!!!!! Only…the first word was strangely cutoff so “there” could have been “where” or just “ere” or perhaps not a word at all, but a gagging sound.

Hmm. I had no editing tools. I’m sure a professional could have recorded the one word and glued it on the front in place of the miscellaneous chopped noise. Barring that…I had to record it again. Only I had to sneeze in the middle of that one…and so on.

Oh bother.

At any rate, much to my complete surprise, I learned a few significant lessons. One: If I am ever to give a reading of a short story or excerpt, I had better practice. A lot. Two: I should probably avoid doing readings, but if I do, I need to think about whether I will do a single voice, many voices or just try not to sound like a dead pickle. Three: The job these readers do on the podcasts is hard. Adding background music, artwork, introductions, editing the scripts–all a lot of work. And more talent that I would have guessed.

So next time you hear a podcast or an audio book that you like, make note of the reader. If you enjoyed the book/work, it could have a lot to do with a reader making the work sound interesting, because even the most interesting work, read by a dead-pickle reader, is going to be a flop.

My most recent short story has just been published over at www.CoyoteWildMag.com: Around the Bend

In this story, look carefully into the shadows, but beware what lurks there.

Psst: It’s a free read–enjoy!

Around the Bend is also available at Dunesteef.com as a podcast production! At the end of the story, there is discussion from Rish and Big and three songs from Jonathan Coulton.

 
Around the Bend is also available over at www.AnthologyBuilder.com!!! I’ve created two different anthologies with this story in it–you can order the exact anthologies from their library or you can pick and choose your own stories. Check out the artwork on these two!!

I just love them both. The Dragon Wings cover art was done by Jacquelyne Drainville and the Escape cover art was done by Kevin Wasden. Both are just fabulous.

Here are links to the books along with cost and shipping information:

Dragon Wings
Escape

My short story Haunting Clues has been published at www.towndrunkmag.com!

In The Town Drunk’s first detective story a private investigator is hired to expel a ghost from a mansion. To deal with the dead, though, he must disentangle the secret vices of the living.

Haunting Clues is also available in audio over at www.Clonepod.org!!! Leslie Ann Moore (author of Griffin’s Daughter) did a great job recording the story, using a few voices, accents and good pacing–definitely a giggle or three.

More excellent news! Haunting Clues has been accepted over at www.AnthologyBuilder.com. Haunting Clues will be included in the Anthology Builder database for purchase by anyone that wants a print copy. Readers that want to include the story in a “build-an-anthology” can select it as part of a hand-picked short-story book. I think this site has some great ideas, and I’m very excited to have my story available! Hop on over there and check it out!

Here’s a link to a built anthology that includes Haunting Clues: Escape

Here’s a link to the forum–if you have questions or just want to follow progress:
AnthologyBuilder Journal

Some fabulous news to share!!! Over My Dead Body has published my latest short story: Top Secret.

I’m thrilled! This is my first mystery sale that has no speculative (i.e. fantasy) element. The mystery market is a tough market. There are very few short story magazines just for mystery. Many of the markets are noir…and I don’t happen to read or write noir! So it’s a very big thrill to be a part of Over My Dead Body!

(It’s also a bargain: It’s a free read online!)

Sage: Tales from a Magical Kingdom – Now available for download to your Kindle, iPhone or iPod-touch via Amazon.

EDIT: Sage: Tales from a Magical Kingdom is now available in multiple formats, including Sony formats, HTML, PDF and EPUB over at www.Smashwords.com. Here is a link to Sage. The price is still the same: $1.00

Also available via Barnes and Noble.

Sword and Sorcery meets Agatha Christie. Three novellas introduce the Kingdom of Sage and those who protect its boundaries.
Sometimes it takes a more experienced hand to save an entire Kingdom.

The first of these stories, Toil, Trouble and Rot, was published in Coyote Wild Magazine; the other two are all new, original stories. In Dungeons and Decay find out just how far a mother will go when her child is in danger–and how much magic it takes to keep him safe. In Call to Arms, its a family affair; every hand is needed when a ghost invades the kingdom demanding old wrongs be righted.

Kindle has just released Catch an Honest Thief (A Haven Mystery) for download to Kindles, iPhone or iPOD touch.

If you enjoy cozy mysteries, check it out:

An Indiana Jones-style caper across the desert of New Mexico; high-tech gadgets, a mystery and a romance.

Alexia is trying to protect the crystals that power the city of Haven. Going undercover and stealing the crystals seemed like a great idea–until a real thief showed up.

Bait and switch is suddenly cat and mouse–but who is the real thief? And why is the new security chief spending so much time looking into her background?

Confessing her secret plans to protect the crystals might help the security chief narrow in on the real culprit, but it would cost Alexia her job, her freedom, and her status. Of course, if she keeps standing in the way of the real thief, it will cost her a whole lot more.

Young adults may also enjoy this cozy mystery with a romantic subplot.

Pages: ~260 or 3900 locations (Kindle terminology).
Price: $1.99.

Edit: Catch an Honest Thief is now available in multiple online formats, including HTML, Sony Reader and .mobi over at Smashwords.

Also available via Barnes and Noble.

Well, it took a while, but Snitched, Snatched is FINALLY ready for readers! The book contains both the English and Spanish versions. Turns out that translations have their own worm holes and are very hard to pin down. Gustavo Bondoni was amazingly patient and did a great job on the translation to Spanish. Assnezana provided the artwork for the cover–she is many kinds of awesome!

In celebration I’ll be giving away two e-copies. If you’re signed up to receive my blog by email, you’re already entered! If you don’t subscribe, no worries, just leave a comment and you’re entered. For fun, tell me if you’ll be reading the English or the Spanish or both! Also let me know what e-format you’d like to receive if you win (there will not be print copy.)

I’ll choose the winner on Thursday morning when I’m also choosing the winner for Steve Stack’s book (see blog tomorrow for details.)

Snitched, Snatched is available at all the Amazon outlets: US, UK, France and Germany. For all other formats, please check Smashwords. Eventually Snitched, Snatched will make it into Barnes and Noble and Kobobooks!

Hopefully someday Amazon will have an ebook store in Argentina, Brazil, Spain,…

I’d like to extend a special thanks to Marisa and Terisa of Spain for their help with the translation. Ladies–thank you for the time you dedicated to my dream.

About the story:

When a spell goes wrong, can Zoe unwind it before it’s too late?

June 10, 2008  –  I’m very excited to announce that Coyote Wild Magazine has just released my short story, Toil, Trouble and Rot. This story is a little different from my other two published short stories…okay, it’s a lot different. It’s sort of like an Agatha Christie in medieval fantasy…or maybe it’s Agatha Christie meets Amelia Peabody (Elizabeth Peter’s Egyptian series) in a different time zone!

It’s a free read–enjoy!

Note: There seems to be a small formatting problem when viewed under Internet Explorer 6 and 7. It only interferes with the top paragraph and should be fixed soon. Coyote Wild recently redesigned their website and something was lost in the translation. The front page and stories look just fine under Firefox.

I mentioned the other day that Darwin’s Evolutions had picked up my short story, “Year of the Mountain Lion” for publication. Well, it’s live on Amazon, Amazon UK, and Barnes and Noble.

Here’s the blurb:

Cursed as a drought-bringer, Jolan lives a harsh life of nomadic exile in the desolate desert that surrounds her former home. Now, though, she is being hunted by those who have already cast her out for purposes she cannot fathom. Unfortunately for her pursuers, Jolan is not helpless and she is determined to survive.

A gripping short story by skilled author Maria Schneider that shares a powerful woman’s refusal to surrender in the face of either nature or the society that abandoned her.

The artwork was done by the very talented John Dotegowski. I know! At first glance, it’s kind of an “eep!” because it is quite different from my usual cover. But…I like it. And it serves me right for not describing that Jolan, the main character, wore deerskin pants/shorts. Let this be a lesson to all you authors out there. Yes, I know there are usually word-count limitations with short stories, but John is a rare breed of artist: He read the story. From there, he imagined the details and drew a fabulous cover. It was very interesting to see the story come to life via someone else’s imagination. (I saw the mock-up before the final. It did change in a couple of important aspects, but John really captured some important story details–little things like Putla and the Wing-ones that would normally be completely absent without a read of the story.)

For all you authors out there–check out John’s website. He does cover illustrations, short story illustrations and so on. Here is what he had to say about working on the artwork for Year of the Mountain Lion:

I feel I’m obligated to read the story if I’m doing a picture for it. When I started drawing as a kid it was from reading books and copying covers. I’d have a scene in a book that jumped out at me and I wanted to try to picture it. I’m still the same way. I don’t feel it does justice to the story if I try and wing it. In your covers case it could have been just a portrait of a girl but I think adding Putla (found her yet?) the 4 winged hawk and the cactus hopefully add to the personalization. Hopefully…..

(You may have to click on the picture of the cover above to see the items John is talking about. When you click the picture, it will open to a larger size and you can see some of the fabulous details John added.)