duckprintspress

Duck Prints Press’s anthologies He Bears the Cape of Stars and She Wears the Midnight Crown, featuring 34 stories by 34 authors exploring the potential for mlm and wlw relationships growing and changing during unusual masquerades, are now available! From science fiction to fantasy to modern to historical, these anthologies take the reader to many different settings, with larger-than-life characters exploring the world around them, the people they meet, and themselves! The casts are as diverse as Pride itself, and whether they’re looking for love, a second chance, a companion, or a friend, these books have a little bit of everything!

HE BEARS THE CAPE OF STARS, featuring 17 mlm stories, is available for sale on:

The Duck Prints Press Website | Barnes and Noble | Kobo

SHE WEARS THE MIDNIGHT CROWN, featuring 17 wlw stories, is available for sale on:

The Duck Prints Press Website | Barnes and Noble | Kobo

…and many other major e-book sales platforms! And you can request your library purchase it through the e-book lending program of their choice!

AND THAT’S NOT ALL!

Extra merchandise from the masquerade anthologies crowdfunding campaign is now on sale too! Did you miss the campaign? Are you dying for an amazing tote bag, a gorgeous bookmark, an aromatic candle, a glossy sticker or two, a new patch, or some lovely queer art for your walls? You can get this merch, and lots of merch from our past campaigns, from our website NOW!

She Wears the Midnight Crown merchandise: art print | bookmark | dux sticker

He Bears the Cape of Stars merchandise: art print | bookmark | dux sticker

Other campaign merchandise: chibi masquerade patch | scented candle | tote bag

Was there campaign merch you wanted that’s not available on our store? We have very limited quantities left of our enamel pins, and we have a whole heck of a lot of seconds (as in, damaged copies) of the print books! If your interested, feel free to drop us a line on any of our social media platforms or at info at duckprintspress dot com – we’d be delighted to hook you up!

Come now to the Duck Prints Press website and GET YOUR BOOK ON! You’re not going to want to miss these amazing collections or any of the gorgeous merch!

(and if you can help us spread the word by sharing this post, we’d appreciate it a lot, too!)

Who we are: Duck Prints Press LLC is an independent publisher based in New York State. Our founding vision is to help fanfiction authors navigate the complex process of bringing their original works from first draft to print, culminating in publishing their work under our imprint. We are particularly dedicated to working with queer authors and publishing stories featuring characters from across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. Love what we do? Want to make sure you don’t miss the announcement for future giveaways? Sign up for our monthly newsletter and get previews, behind-the-scenes information, coupons, and more!

Want to support the Press, read about us behind-the-scenes, learn about what’s coming down the pipeline, get exclusive teasers, claim free stories, and get backer-exclusive extras when you support our crowdfunding campaigns? Back us on Patreon or ko-fi monthly!

The crowdfunding campaign for our anthologies She Wears the Midnight Crown and He Bears the Cape of Stars has ended, and we’re funded!

A huge, HUGE thank you to everyone who helped spread the word, all the authors and other contributors, and of course to everyone who backed!! We couldn’t have done it without you.

Wondering what comes next? Well…

…we finish editing!

…we order merch!

…we fulfill all our orders!

…we publish the e-book versions on our website!

…and we keep working on publishing more queer books, queer anthologies, queer art, and more!!

(Missed the chance to back the campaign? Well, the books will be available on our website as e-books in – probably – November or December. And, you can always support us monthly – and get lots of awesome perks for doing so! – by backing us on Patreon or ko-fi! Backers get sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes access, exclusive stories, a say in determining themes for future anthologies, and more.)

He Bears the Cape of Stars Contributor Spotlight: Sanne Burg

Biography: I am a Dutch author (born in 1995), and my preferred pronouns are she/her. I’ve been weaving stories for most of my life, but so far they have mostly been fandom-related. This story is my first original (non-Patreon) publication, and I have previously written erotica stories for DPP’s Patreon.

I studied English language and culture, literary studies, and history, and decided early modern English magic is simply too intriguing to let go, but unfortunately the job market disagrees. I have a steady job but enjoy some hobbies outside of that. My hobbies include bouldering (and talking about bouldering), hiking, researching magic, discussing fandom (most notably Supernatural, The Witcher, and Our Flag Means Death), reading, and occasionally writing. I am also a massive fan of the Efteling and will try to get you to visit if you ever visit the Netherlands.

Links: Archive of Our Own | Instagram | Tumblr | Twitter

Story Title: The Summoning Circle

Teaser:
“This is awkward.”

Jamie’s head snaps up, eyes falling on a blurry shape in front of him. “Wha–”

The shape slowly solidifies into something resembling a man – short, dark hair, stubble on their cheeks, sharp cheekbones, flat chest, a tall and wiry stature visible only because they’re just in boxer shorts and a white tank-top.

They interrupt, “You summoned me, and you’re not even actually asking any questions?”

Jamie blinks and slowly gets back on with the program. “I… wait, but I-I tried to summon a spirit. You…”

“Not a spirit, no,” they say. “Hi, I’m Romaniel, I’m a demon, and judging by your silence, I’ve got some explaining to do.”



She Wears the Midnight Crown Contributor Spotlight: Alec J. Marsh

Biography: Alec lives in the Pacific Northwest, where they write romantic adult fantasy and self-indulgent fanfiction. They make candles inspired by their favorite characters.

Links: Etsy | Instagram | Twitter

Story Title: To Relish a Love Song, Like a Robin Redbreast

Teaser:
They turned to the left of the dais, where a handsome youth sat and watched the crowd. He wore white hose, a black vest and jacket, and brilliant black shoes tooled with iridescent-violet designs.

No, not a youth.

Beneath the tricorn hat and domino mask, the lips were too full, the shoulders too slim.

The woman straightened at Tabitha’s approach and smiled. “Lady Tabitha, how nice to see you again. And where is Hal?” She had a pleasant, low voice, thick with a French accent.

Tabitha smiled. “My husband isn’t allowed to see you again; we both know you’ll take all his money.”

The woman’s smile was smug. “He was a most entertaining partner.” She slid from the chair with a languid grace, and the indigo lining of her coat caught the light. “Pardon my manners, mademoiselle.” Her eyes slid over Myrtle in a way that would be utterly indecent were she the man she masqueraded as, and Myrtle flushed at the sharp attention. No one looked at her that way.

“My sister, Lady Myrtle Teynham,” Tabitha answered. “Myrtle, may I introduce you to Julie de Bellefonds, of the French Royal Opera?”

Myrtle’s breath caught as recognition struck her. “Oh,” she said. “I saw you perform two nights ago. You were marvelous!”

*

Less Than Four Days Left in Our Campaign – Don’t Miss Your Chance!

Welcome to She Wears the Midnight Crown and He Bears the Cape of Stars, two brand-new anthologies that share a common theme – masquerades – but tell different types of stories – wlw in She Wears the Midnight Crown and mlm in He Bears the Cape of Stars. These collections are the latest titles from Duck Prints Press, the indie publisher founded by fans to publish original works by fan creators, and they’re crowdfunding NOW, only on Seed & Spark!

Curious about the collections? Well, here’s a sneak peek of the works of two of our creators!



He Bears the Cape of Stars Contributor Spotlight: A. L. Heard

Biography: Ashley, pen name A.L. Heard, fandom name jhoom, is a 35 year old teacher, writer, and mother of two little boys. She’s been writing fanworks since she discovered fanfiction.net back in her middle school days; the platform has changed and the writing’s improved, but Ashley ultimately still spends her free time writing about characters she adores in worlds she’d like to explore. Her first novel, Hockey Bois, was published in 2021. In between writing projects, she works as a language teacher in the Pittsburgh area, plays hockey, and plays trains with her sons.

Links: Archive of Our Own | Discord: jhoom#6351 | Tumblr | Twitter

Story Title: Masquerade on Melchor

Teaser:
Masquerade on Melchor!
You are invited to join the Royal Family in their celebration of the
upcoming nuptials of Lady Vensel, Crown Princess of Melchor,
to Lord A’velle of the Wanydean Nebula.
This invitation permits entry for one guest to the Royal Masquerade.
Formal attire and mask required; dancing shoes recommended.
Come experience a night you’ll never forget!

Andrean reads the invitation one more time, hoping to gleam something new from the familiar words, now that he’s actually on Planet Melchor. Nothing. This is… not Andrean’s usual heist. On first glance, it’s straightforward enough: get into the palace, sneak past security, steal the crown jewels of Melchor. It’s everything else about this job that makes it challenging. The extreme lack of information about the palace and royal family. The masquerade ball and the hundreds of guests pose obvious issues. The fake identity he’s traveled here under. The unbelievable pressure of having to pay for the invitation and get the funds to continue his career…

It’s a lot.



She Wears the Midnight Crown Contributor Spotlight: Lex T. Lindsay

Biography: Lex T. Lindsay likes cats, tats, and cool hats. When she isn’t shaking words loose or yelling about Captain America, she can often be found lurking in the woods. Find other sapphic love stories in ADD MAGIC TO TASTE (also from Duck Prints Press); UPON A TWICE TIME (Air and Nothingness Press); and CLOCKWORK, CURSES AND COAL (World Weaver Press). Occasional Tweets lextlindsay.

Links: Goodreads | Linktree | Twitter

Story Title: Tidally Locked

Teaser:
The life of a god was a lonely one most days, lonelier still when—

“I would like the next dance if you’re not otherwise engaged.”

Ellie turned to face her would-be partner. She was a large woman—larger than Ellie who could rarely stand to manifest in a body that felt small. She wore a blue brocade corset and a matching gown of a deeper blue. On her face sat a mask of intricate silver filigree, a myriad of moving parts guided by so many gears twining together.

Something about her made the night feel new again, and Ellie became conscious of the constant hum of prayer singing through her soul.

Ellie’s head angled toward the floor, and she took the hand offered to her.

*

Five Days ‘Til the Campaign Ends! Don’t miss your chance to get these gorgeous books in print!

The Seed&Spark crowdfunding campaign for the paired queer anthologies He Bears the Cape of Stars and She Wears the Midnight Crown includes the two books, each of which features 18 stories of mlm and wlw relationships growing and changing during stories inspired by broadly conceived masquerades. In addition to this already fabulous offering, we also have a bunch of awesome merch on offering. We’ve already posted highlighting about the cover art, which is also featured on two lovely, frameable art prints, and about our bookmarks with art by Pippin Peacock and enamel pins with art by Miss Aceriee. Today, we’re featuring…everything else!

Dux Die-cut Stickers

Alessa Riel, our wonderful and hard-working in-house graphic designer, has worked her magic again making two distinct, quirky, party-ready dux! These two are featured on die-cut stickers being sold as part of the campaign!



These two cuties are being printed as die-cut stickers by Sticker Ninja. The wlw dux is approximately 3 in (7.5 cm) tall and 2.75 in (7 cm) wide; the mlm dux is approximately 2.75 (7.5 cm) tall and 3 in (7.5 cm) tall.
Patch

After hearing great things from others who worked with Reshipkmn, we approached them to do art for a patch, and the results exceeded even our high expectations!

These two cuties are being printed as die-cut stickers by Sticker Ninja. The wlw dux is approximately 3 in (7.5 cm) tall and 2.75 in (7 cm) wide; the mlm dux is approximately 2.75 (7.5 cm) tall and 3 in (7.5 cm) tall.

Patch

After hearing great things from others who worked with Reshipkmn, we approached them to do art for a patch, and the results exceeded even our high expectations!



This adorable piece will be made into a 100% woven patch by Alchemy Merch; it’s a 4 in (10.25 cm) circle, iron-on with merrowed edges.

Candle

Our campaign candles are being made by Speculative Wicktion, a small business that makes fandom-themed candles owned by author Alec J. Marsh, who is also contributing a story to She Wears the Midnight Crown.



Candles are 2 in (5 cm) tall and 2 in (5 cm) circular at the base, a lovely shade of blue, and scented with Midnight Waters, which Alec has described to us as “like sitting by a lake in a pine forest.” Also, they have glitter in them. SO MUCH GLITTER in them.

Other Merchandise

Tote Bag (21 in x 14.5 in x 7 in/53 cm x 37 cm x 18 cm) with our logo stamped on the side. (Customized by AnyPromo).

Charm Bracelet featuring seven charms (a book, a rainbow, a crown, a mask, a moon, a sun, and a star), hand-assembled by contributor and lead editor Nina Waters using decorative elements purchased from multiple Etsy sellers.

Box of Six Chocolates from Uncle Sam’s Candy.

Rubber Ducky (this one)

Bath Bomb (one selected from this collection based on your preference)

Lace Rainbow Mask (purchased from E-Bay)

All this, AND two amazing (and amazingly queer) books CAN BE YOURS!

Check out our crowdfunding campaign – ending in one week! – today!!

She Wears the Midnight Crown Contributor Spotlight: N. C. Farrell

Biography: N. C. Farrell (they/he) grew up in California’s Silicon Valley, where they spent long days hiking the coastal mountains, reading an impressive number of books about dragons (and cats, and spaceships, and magic, etc.), and creating stories with their friends. He moved to Massachusetts for college, where he studied psychology while reading more books (some of which were even for classes!), participating in LARPs, and ensuring that the SF/F club’s student-run convention had a solid schedule. Since graduating, N. C. Farrell has worked in various education-related roles. They currently spend much of their free time reading (more translated webnovels than paper books right now), writing (a lot of fanfic), practicing aikido, playing TTRPGs, and being supervised by a small shadow in the shape of a cat.

Story Title: Eldest Daughter Seeks Her Wife

Teaser:
I couldn’t help but think Bea would want to document this as I mixed milk and honey in my mother’s silver bowl. Bea wanted to document everything; it made her a fantastic journalist while also making any journey we took last twice as long. The photos were worth it, though; Bea’s scrapbooks were tomes of rich memory from our college meeting to graduating together to marriage and the newness of a home of our own.

She took in the whole world, and I wasn’t going to let anyone take her away from it.

I pricked my finger and squeezed a few drops of blood into the honeyed milk before wrapping a bandage tight around the tiny wound. I didn’t want the fairies having free access to my blood; there were too many things they could do if they touched it outside of my own ritual.

Then I picked up the silver bowl and approached the fairy circle. “I wish you were here to see this,” I whispered to Bea. “You should be the one making history.”



He Bears the Cape of Stars Contributor Spotlight: Era J. M. Couts

Biography: I’ve been a writer for over 20 years.

Well, if I actually think about it carefully, it has probably been longer than that. I do remember writing a story on MS Paint when my age was still single digits. I could have used Word, but Paint was funnier, it let me draw my scenes there too.

So maybe I should rephrase it: I have been a fanfic writer for over 20 years. There, that looks a bit better. I wrote a few originals, too, but those never saw the light of day. They will, eventually.

I like to write about characters and their development. I like to write about feelings and struggles and how complicated life can be even when it looks so simple. I like to write epic love stories that don’t always have a happy ending. But most often they do.

I will, one day, write a dystopian series that I’ve been plotting for over a decade. One day, certainly one day.

Aside from being a writer, I’m a reader, an opinionated mind, an Aries, an immigrant, a coffee lover, and a night owl that has been forced to conform to the social norm of waking up early only to become a “Morgenmuffel.”

I am passionate, energetic, lazy, and sarcastic. I’m a CrazyCatLady in the making, a food lover that cannot cook, the Man™ my grandma wanted me to marry, and a happy soul in my own shoes.

And, above all, I am weird. I am queer. And so damn proud of it.

Links: Archive of Our Own | Tumblr

Story Title: Fragments of Sand

Teaser:
“Do you miss it?” Aoi’s voice was so low Kaveh could barely hear him. The witch’s Mask was old past an age any human should reach, frail as wet paper. They sat together in the belvedere of what had been a castle, eyeing the ruins taken by nature. Kaveh’s Mask – tall, handsome, healthy – contrasted with Aoi’s. He sighed, unsure of what the witch meant but too tired to ask. “Your home.”

“It’s a dark and humid place, devoid of life except from the ones I feed from,” Kaveh shrugged, flexing his hand. The burn in his palm gently fading, pointing to the success of yet another mission. Year 317 of 400, mission no. 3981. “There’s nothing to miss there.”

“I meant the desert,” Aoi said, as though commenting on the blue colour of the sky. Kaveh closed his eyes, clenched his teeth, shook the damn tingle from his blood before staring at the centenarian woman next to him. Aoi gave him a delicate smile. “Your soul smells like the desert. Dusty, dry herbs, and camel breaths. Far older than most of the religions that walk the earth today.”

“Aoi,” Kaveh warned, low and gravelled, a bleeding wound refusing to heal.

“An ancient Bedouin turned vampire…” It wasn’t pity that crawled under Aoi’s broken voice. It was a cold tone of deep sorrow, a relatableness that Kaveh hadn’t encountered before. It was foreign and, in all its passiveness, it pulled strings that Kaveh thought long broken. “Born under the scorching sun only to have it turn into your demise… it must’ve been hard.”

“What’s your point?!” he snapped, glaring at the Mask next to him.

“There’s no point…” Aoi said, soft, delicate, the weight of several lifetimes on his eyes. “I miss home too.”

*

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She Wears the Midnight Crown Contributor Spotlight: Lucy K. R.

Biography:

Exhibit Depicting: Lucy K.R.

Born: North Georgia (United States), Summer of 19XX

Died: Nova Scotia (Canada), Winter of Not Yet

Role: Author, waitress, enthusiast

Eager for a change after a decade of waitressing, Lucy K.R. took the chance in March of 2021 to make her first steps into the world of published work. Prior to the success of Nicht Deine Götter, the largely fabricated German translation of the short-story found in this collection, she was best known for her work on Mageling: Rise of the Ancient Ones and in the second anthology of Duck Prints Press: And Seek (Not) to Alter Me.

She was often seen in the company of what ancient texts describe as “weirdos,” and had a particularly deep connection with an entity known as Tomo, which she appeared to worship. While some historians theorize that Tomo was a type of deity known as a GalPal, newly unearthed records have identified them simply as wives.

Though largely described as a gentle and quiet person in her daily interactions, there can be no doubt that Lucy K. R.’s true legacy lives on in her stories: a legacy of terror, bewilderment, and an enduring love of humanity.

Links: Archive of Our Own | Twitter

Story Title: The Hollow Mass

Teaser:

“Do you dance?” Sage whirls in a ruffle of fabric.

Under the lanterns, I can see her for the first time. The fullness of her lips, and the sparkle of her dark eyes. Her skin is deep brown under her Spanish-moss lace sleeves, only a shade paler than mine. Her driftwood mask twists together as if the tree grew its branches in that pattern just for her.

“I’ll try?” is all I can give her.

The ground is stable here, and the space is ringed in ragged old trees, twisted and grown as if hundreds of years ago they all turned their backs on this circle and have grown around it ever since.

One of Sage’s arms slips around my waist, drawing me close against her. Our bodies press, our clothes still wet. I fear for a moment that she intends to lead me in some complex step pattern, but instead she just starts… turning.

She holds me, stepping quick and light. She turns us faster and faster snickering as I stumble to keep up. Her arm keeps me on my feet even as we whirl.



He Bears the Cape of Stars Contributor Spotlight: Tevye J. Schmidt

Biography: Tevye has been published as an undergrad while interning at the Linden Gold at Lindenwood University, and also had a fiction piece accepted into the Arrow Rock Literary Journal at the same school. While at Lindenwood he was also invited to present the novella he wrote as his Senior Capstone at the Student Academic Showcase. He hails from northeast Missouri and spent much of his childhood pestering his parents into visiting Six Flags St. Louis, the Arch, and the St. Louis Science Center. He’s passionate about learning and creating, and is currently branching out into writing fiction in his second language, Spanish. Tevye is Jewish, and his works all contain themes inherent to the tenets of his identity and his faith. His goal in future publications is to create science fiction and fantasy that are welcoming to those who exist outside of the dominant culture of Christianity.

Story Title: In Plain Sight

Teaser:

“No way.”

“I’m sorry, but there’s nothing else. You’ve rubbed too many people the wrong way. It’s either take a leave of absence–”

Aaron let out a loud scoff, which the admiral ignored.

“–or you take on the trip to…” the Admiral trailed off, glancing down at the tablet in front of him. “Epsilon 55/G.” His fingers hovered, unmoving, above the tablet’s surface. Aaron met his eyes briefly, and then his gaze skittered away. Admiral Jeffries smiled and pressed down on a button labelled “Assign.” Lightning flashed on cue with the assignment, and then thunder clapped and reverberated through the building. The cool fluorescents overhead flickered off and then, a moment later, the backup lights kicked on. Aaron’s warm-brown skin now appeared a deep red, and Admiral Jeffries smiled wryly. “It’s storm season here.” They both watched the cars speeding through the air past the window as rain began to pour down. The Admiral cleared his throat. “Your orders have been sent. You’ll pick up Dr. Nichols on the Ganymede satellite, just outside Jupiter station.”

“I’ll pass by Old Earth?”

Learn all the Campaign Details Now!

She Wears the Midnight Crown Contributor Spotlight: Emma Victoria

Biography: Emma Victoria was born an old soul, because you’re destined to be one when you’re given two old-fashioned names like that. She grew up with a taste for folklore and history and a penchant for going into the woods to have conversations with trees. As an adult, she’s dedicated herself to the study of photography and art criticism, but writing fantasy is a bedfellow she just can’t give up. After all, it’s the only way to meet dragons.

Link: Twitter

Story Title: The Scent of Roses

Teaser:
She was still wearing a single white dress-glove, the other one nowhere to be seen. Tris pulled it off, feeling the soft fabric catch on the callouses of her work-roughened hand. It had all been as much of a costume as the mask had been, but she had enjoyed it: not just pretending to be the kind of person who attended balls, but taking on the role the masculine clothes had afforded her. Women had curtsied to her and given her their hands to bow over; they had giggled and blushed over her compliments and let her lead them on the dance floor.

Just a few inches under six feet, Tris was tall for a woman, and had little in the way of curves. She kept her hair cropped short, and in her usual gardener’s slops she was, at best, a tolerated eccentric.

The masked ball and its anonymity had offered an interlude. Under the glittering candlelight, the borrowed doublet and the half-mask had transformed her from an undesirable woman into a lean and graceful young man in the eyes of the other revelers.

In her heart, Tris did not want to be a man.

She just wanted women to look at her the way they looked at men.

What harm could one night of deception do?



He Bears the Cape of Stars Contributor Spotlight: Julia Perroni

Biography: Julia Perroni (she/her) is a lifelong writer of fiction who was born and raised in not-so-sunny Vancouver, BC. She has been previously published in Geist Magazine and in several student writing contest anthologies, and writes on Archive of Our Own in various fandoms in her free time. Some of her favourite fic tropes include hurt/comfort, arranged marriage, and truth serum, but she’ll read (or write!) just about anything.

When she’s not writing creatively, she can be found in the library studying Ancient Greek for her ongoing graduate degree in Classics, working on her podcast, or out on the cliffs with chalk under her fingernails.

Link: Twitter

Story Title: Porcelain Skin

Teaser:
Favourite clients had come and gone over the years: some he saw only once, and had been delighted to work for; others every few years; still others once a year at least for three or four years in a row before they met their match and married, never to walk through his door again. Or so they hoped, of course. He’d had his share of widows and widowers, too, and always did his best for them.

But none were like James Elenbrook. The young lord had been through his door several times a year, every year since he succeeded his father as master of Elenbrook Grove. The first time, Benjamin had barely agreed to the job. He had been young and still building a reputation and resources from nearly nothing – he’d been nowhere near his current popularity – and it had been a very late order. In recent years, Benjamin’s time filled so quickly that he had considered creating some manner of waiting list. But he always saved a little slice of time for the man he wished he could know as James.
*

Intrigued? You should be! But, if you want to read the rest of these stories you’ll need to back our campaign, running now through July 14th, 2022!

Want to See Their Happily-Ever-Afters? Back the Campaign to Read the Whole Stories!

Welcome to She Wears the Midnight Crown and He Bears the Cape of Stars, two brand-new anthologies that share a common theme – masquerades – but tell different types of stories – wlw in She Wears the Midnight Crown and mlm in He Bears the Cape of Stars. These collections are the latest titles from Duck Prints Press, the indie publisher founded by fans to publish original works by fan creators, and they’re crowdfunding NOW, only on Seed & Spark!

Curious about the collections? Well, here’s a sneak peek of the works of two of our creators!



She Wears the Midnight Crown Contributor Spotlight: S. Z. Meriläinen

Biography: Satu Meriläinen grew up exploring the Great Barrier Reef off Queensland, Australia, and foraging through pine forests in rural Finland. Now she lives with her wife and two dogs in Melbourne. She adores fantasy and science fiction with sprinklings of magical realism. In her spare time, she sings along loudly to any song she knows, cross stitches, bangs out a few sentences at a time, and plays video games badly.

Links: Personal Website | Twitter

Story Title: Carved of Ice and Snow

Teaser:
Tendrils of ice had squirmed beneath it and were winding their way towards the stranger’s supine body. Siofra lunged forward and stomped her heels hard into the ice, shattering it below her heel. It splattered the floor with shards and mud from the tread of her boots. Muttering, she glared at the tendrils, which quickly slunk back to linger, uncertainly, by the door. To vent her frustration, she sent her kicked-off boots to thud against the door above them.

Despite her anger, the ice tendrils lingered. Siofra almost fancied they were wistfully waiting for a chance to reach for…

She turned to the stranger, moving closer to kneel by their side. Despite the heat filling the room, the snow that coated them was still intact. Siofra brushed it away with brisk swipes of her hands, hands travelling up the stranger’s body, fingertips trailing over powerfully built muscles. The stranger was, so far as Siofra could tell, a normal elvish—no, human, judging by the rounded ears—woman who wore a loose dress dyed in irregular starbursts of colour that shifted like sunlight off a flowing stream.



He Bears the Cape of Stars Contributor Spotlight: Maggie Page

Biography: Maggie Page lives in Texas with family, including her incorrigibly clumsy mom with a green thumb, two silly dogs who are also mother and daughter, and a fierce feline hunter. Maggie has previously published several poems and a piece of flash fiction with collegiate and independent journals.

When not indulging the urge to write, Maggie enjoys music, traveling, camping, dabbling in various art forms, principally watercolor and graphic making, and torturing her loved ones with her ruthless board game victories.

Story Title: Sincerely and Enigmatically Yours

Teaser:
“You’re all ready. Paid in full.” Felicia fussed with the card attached to the aubergine ribbon tied around the vase. “I do hope you enjoy them; be sure to pay close attention to the note.”

“Thank you. Have a nice day.”

Felicia winked. “You too, dear.”

Stepping out the door felt like leaving another dimension. He carried his prize as if the plants harbored a little bit of magic and settled the bouquet carefully into his car. Unable to resist his curiosity, Marcelo reached for the card. Inside, he found a poem like those in the adventure stories he’d read as a child.

A rose for love is too cliché
to express what I would say.
These blooms for you instead convey
noble qualities you display:
You never do a thing halfway.
When others go, you always stay.
You take the time to savor play.
One final hint with no delay:
The liar wetly will relay,
“In company, I hide away
among the twins and scales that weigh.”

*

Intrigued? You should be! But, if you want to read the rest of these stories you’ll need to back our campaign, running now through July 14th, 2022!

Visit Our Campaign Page!

He Bears the Cape of Stars Contributor Spotlight: Alex Ransom

Biography: Alex Ransom is a longtime fan writer and translator recently expanding into original fiction. Her favorite trope, as both reader and writer, is “Earn Your Happy Ending,” in which characters fight through perhaps inordinate amounts of difficulty to come out happier and more content on the other side. She is especially interested in the intersection between social circumstances, personal history, and the formation and maintenance of identity. Her favorite genres are space opera, fantasy, queer romance, and poetry.

As a child, Alex thought everything was better if it was more complicated and that the best answer to a yes or no question was usually “both”. Consequently, today she is bi/pansexual, trans/nonbinary, has worked a variety of jobs, and has three degrees in completely unrelated fields. When she isn’t writing or doomscrolling on the internet, she likes to travel, hike, and build marginally functional furniture. She lives outside Boston, Massachusetts, with her spouse and adult daughter.

Story Title: A Midwinter Night’s Dream

Teaser:

“So, Pluto; you’re requesting galley usage for” —Barnacle cleared his throat and quoted from Pete’s form— “’a team bonding and cohesiveness exercise with emphasis on work-life balance.’”

“That’s right,” Pete affirmed, although he suspected half those words were meaningless. Management jargon was not his forte. Pussycat from Heavy Equipment had helped him trowel it on.

Barnacle peered at Pete over his reading glasses. Tufts of hair stuck out of his comb-over and waved softly in the breeze from the Preway heater like the feelers of his namesake. An artificial ficus stood guard over near-empty in and out boxes, proclaiming either Barnacle’s efficiency in middle management or the decreased bureaucratic workload of winter on a remote research station.

“In other words, a party,” he said bluntly.



She Wears the Midnight Crown Contributor Spotlight: D. A. Hernández

Biography: Mexican. In love with the world. Teacher. Daydreamer. Collector of fascinating facts and stories. I will tell my dreams to anyone who listens. Voracious reader (and occasional writer) of fanfiction since I was a teenager. My artistic credentials include juggling, match improv, stand-up comedy, and making silly poems and songs I can’t sing. Through my writing I wish to transmit hope, joy, and the courage to come to terms with tragedy and imagine a better future.

One of my horror stories, “Maneki Neko”, was published in Penumbria Magazine #54 Oct 2021 (in Spanish). This will be my first published story in English.

Link: Twitter

Story Title: Are you in love with the squid?

Teaser:

Once in the bathroom of their rented pod room, Squid let Emilio drop along with the overalls and cap. They allowed their face to relax, softening like putty as they reshaped it, rounder and with a wider nose and thinner lips, imitating the features of a chubby little girl with bright gray eyes and black braids, smiling from a worn photograph tucked in a corner of the mirror. At her sides, her parents smiled at the camera, gray-haired and tired-looking but still full of hope.

Squid vaguely remembered visiting the aquarium that day, a special treat after the first round of tests and experimental genome injections that both saved their life and doomed their little family. When GeoCorp had decided to retroactively charge for the treatment, Squid’s parents were pushed from lifelong debt into bankruptcy and eventually prison.

When Squid finished, the face staring back was still not their own. It was nothing but a mask, pasted on an empty puppet that could only imitate people.

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