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Thieves and ScoundrelsFlash Fiction Challenge #3 Contributors: Pete “Patch” Alberti, Krista D. Ball, James Beamon, Jodi Cleghorn, Gerald Costlow, David Craddock, Stef Donev, Jacob Edwards, John Hazlett, Diandra Linnemann, Andrew Magrath, Josef Melton, Sarah Melton, John Jasper Owens, Jay Raven, Matthew Stroescu, Marc-Anthony Taylor, Gail Sosinsky Wickman. Pages: 88 FICTION / Flash fiction Release Date: March 31, 2010 Print ISBN: 978-177053-004-1 ($ 9.95) |
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Description:
Continuing on after the success of their first two Flash Fiction Challenge anthologies, Absolute Xpress issued it’s next:
Would your characters try to swindle a dragon out of his treasure? Perhaps they’d try to steal the fastest spaceship in the galaxy? Or are they after something a little more sinister that’s in need of taking? Where ever and when ever they take place, the stories of these Thieves and Scoundrels will take hold of your imagination and ransom it back to you.
“Thieves and Scoundrels” holds 20 stories from 18 established and break out authors from all over the English speaking world; USA, UK, Australia and Canada.
As written by our Special Guest Reviewer, Marie Bilodeau:
…when Absolute XPress challenged writers everywhere to write about thieves and scoundrels in an epic, gripping, and very brief story of 1,000 words or less, I was stoked.
Many writers answered that challenge, and we’re pleased to present you with this selection of winners. I can’t thank them enough for broadening my definition of thieves and scoundrels even further. Their approach to the theme and their writing are what placed them on the top, and we hope you enjoy these stories as much as we do.
The winning stories and authors include are (as the appear in the book):
- Krista D. Ball – A Royal Scheme
- Matthew Stroescu – A Gal’s Got to Eat
- John Jasper Owens – Honey
- Jay Raven –Wreakers
- Andrew Magrath – Stolen Time
- Pete “Patch” Alberti – A Chat over Drinks
- Gerald Costlow – The Lucky Thief
- James Beamon – Love is Beautiful, Stealer of Hearts
- Marc-Anthony Taylor – Soul Search
- John Hazlett – Jack of Hearts
- Jay Raven –Strings
- Josef Melton – Old Friends and Old Whine
- Diandra Linnemann – Emerald
- Jodi Cleghorn – The Chameleon
- Stef Donev – Too Much Magic
- Gail Sosinsky Wickman – A Spell of Luck
- Sarah Melton – Chance of a Lifetime
- Jacob Edwards – The Big One
- David L. Craddock – The Master’s Lesson
- Jay Raven – A Taste of Revenge
About the Contributors:
Check out live author interviews by clicking the image above.
Pete “Patch” Alberti
Pete “Patch” Alberti shares a small but decidedly interesting apartment in Southern California with two cats and one human. Who owns who is a subject of much debate, and always in flux.
When not writing fiction, Pete writes computer code. The two are remarkably similar, though he recommends careful compartmentalizing. (There was an incident with a sword of be-spelling and a server which is best left untold.)
Pete enjoys playing games, baking cookies, critiquing the politics of fantasy novels, and hiding under the bed with his cat when guests arrive.
Krista D. Ball
Krista D. Ball was born and raised in Deer Lake, Newfoundland, where she learned how to use a chainsaw, chop wood, and make raspberry jam. After obtaining a B.A. in British History from Mount Allison University, Krista moved to Edmonton, AB where she currently lives with her partner, two crazy but likable step-boys, seven cats, and a very understanding corgi.
Like any good writer, Krista has had an eclectic array of jobs, including strawberry picker, pub bathroom cleaner, oil spill cleaner-upper and soup kitchen coordinator. These days, when Krista isn’t doing laundry or avoiding getting a day job, she writes full-time in her messy office.
For more information, check out:
Website: http://www.kristadball.com
Twitter: @kristadb1
James Beamon
I spent twelve years in the U.S. Air Force protecting my right to write later. Currently, I am an IT professional where I write in the little free time I have. I am happily married and I have a nine years old son.
Jodi Cleghorn
In a world-building master class in 2008 Jodi was overheard saying, ‘Oh, but I don’t write science-fiction’. Up until that point she’d never given any real thought to genre.
While her characters are still unwilling to allow their muse to be shoe-horned into any one genre there is a growing appreciation of the freedom to explore ‘what ifs’ in speculative- and science-fiction, along with urban fantasy.
Love, betrayal, identity, dynamics of power and time travel are recurring themes in Jodi’s writing.
As well as writing, Jodi has a passion for editing and publishing, and is the co-owner of eMergent Publishing with Paul Anderson, creating short story anthologies which push the boundaries under the Chinese Whisperings brand.
For more information, check the following:
Twitter @JodiCleghorn
Facebook Fan Page
Website: http://jodicleghorn.com
Gerald Costlow
Gerald Costlow owns up to being slightly past middle age if one plans on living to a hundred or so, and living in Michigan for the past 10 years. Significant events in his life include stumbling across the most marvelous woman on the planet to marry him and ending up with several healthy, growing grandchildren who love to hear his stories but don’t believe there really are dragons out there.
For more information, check out: http://home.comcast.net/~gcostlow/site/
David L. Craddock
David L. Craddock lives with his wife, Amie, in a tiny apartment in California where multiple bookcases have forced all other furniture to huddle together and draw straws to determine which of them will be dismissed to make room for even more bookcases.
A freelance writer for the past several years, David happily devotes his days to personal and professional writing pursuits spanning a diverse array of topics and interests. When he’s not writing, David can usually be found in his recliner with an ever-growing stack of books beside him.
David’s nonfiction book, Renewable Energy Made Easy, was published in August 2008 by Atlantic Publishing, and was the 2009 Green Book Festival Award Runner Up for Best Nonfiction Book. The Master’s Lesson is his first published short story.
Feel free to tag along with his intermittent updates at WillWrite4Books.LiveJournal.com.
Jacob Edwards
Jacob Edwards was born in Brisbane – Australia’s River City – where he now lives with his wife and son. He gained his degrees from the University of Queensland and only left when they put up so many new buildings that he could no longer find his way around. When not writing academic papers and fiction, Jacob helps out onboard Andromeda Spaceways (his duties being to set out the deckchairs and bendy straws, as well as editing #45 of the Inflight Magazine). He has been known to play chess, and once swindled a draw out of Karpov at a simultaneous exhibition. (Karpov, in fairness, was on holiday and not concentrating.) Jacob’s favourite movie is The Blues Brothers.
For more information check out: http://www.andromedaspaceways.com
John Hazlett
John Hazlett has been a Californian all of his life, raised in the small town of Frazier Park and now residing in Bakersfield, where he recently earned his B.A. in Political Science from California Statue University, Bakersfield. He enjoyed writing as a child, though school worked quite hard at disabusing him of that joy, and he is only now rediscovering it. “Jack of Hearts” is his first published story.
For more information, check out the following:
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/jsarek
Twitter: http://twitter.com/jSarek
Diandra Linnemann
Diandra Linnemann, is a translator, soon-to-be crazy cat lady and writer. She studied Japanese, Arab and Sociology, although she would be unable to tell you why she did it in the first place. In her free time she plays guitar and harp, reads, cooks and writes. She has three sisters and several nieces and nephews, and above all she loves animals, foreign languages and chocolate. Her plants keep dying on her. It’s not completely unlikely that she will take over the world or end up in an asylum (or both).
For more information, check out the following:
Everyday blog (in German)
Short stories blog (in English)
Strange things about writing (in English)
Twitter: @LaCaffeinata (posting in English)
Andrew Magrath
Passion comes in many forms. I enjoy writing logical proofs as much as prose. I have always loved science, mathematics, and reason. I see within the mathematical sciences an austere beauty and profoundly elegant worldview. Yet, I also derive great pleasure from the humanities. The printed word can inspire, bring joy, or provoke thought. My education at Oberlin College reflects my duel passions: I majored in Physics and minored in Rhetoric and Composition. After college, my wanderings brought me to Daito, Japan. In Daito, I taught English at Tanigawa Junior High School for three wonderful years. Since returning from Japan, I am pursuing an advanced degree in Logic and the Philosophy of Science, and, of course, writing fiction whenever I have free time.
Stef Donev
As a reporter for the Toronto Star, the Associated Press, in Detroit, and other Canadian and U.S. news organizations, Stef Donev covered three county fairs and a hog show, so he does not impress easily. But he does still have all his fingers, even though he’s shaken hands with more prime ministers, premiers, presidents and other politicians than he wants to count. He’s also heard a president burp, helped a Canadian cabinet minister get a cab back to his hotel from the Toronto Press Club at 4 a.m., and bluffed a Canadian diplomat who regularly negotiated tariffs and treaties out of a large pot with a low pair (threes) in an all-night poker game.
He writes fiction and non-fiction, and occasionally knows the difference.
Josef Melton
Josef Melton is, as he is sure most of his friends would describe him, a twisted freak (but in a good way). His aberrant nature was formed from a series of contradictory influences, such as growing up in Los Angeles, but being born and spending summers in central/northern Louisiana. And while he is incredibly unsubtle, he greatly appreciates subtlety in art and style.
He loves Pink Floyd (and other music), science fiction, classical literature (especially mythological), games of all kind (in which he’s passionately and deeply competitive), comic books and movies.
He resides in the Santa Cruz area of northern California, where he has made his home with fellow writer Sarah and their two wonderful children, which are the central focus of his life.
Sarah Melton
Sarah Melton is a native Californian who grew up with a large, boisterous family and a deep love of the arts. She dabbles in many mediums, such as singing with local choirs and clubs, creating jewellery, voice acting for podcasts, and of course her latest love, writing fantasy fiction. A mother of two and full time administrative professional, she often tends to forsake “burning the candle at both ends”, and just picks up a blowtorch to finish the job. Still, she wouldn’t have it any other way.
John Jasper Owens
John Jasper Owens lives in the South and was not named after the painter, although he thanks you for your concern. When not fending off satire groupies he attempts to raise enough money to get married by offering unpublished humor and fiction at low, low prices.
For more information, check out:
http://www.yankeepotroast.org/archives/john_jasper_owens/ or
http://www.thebigjewel.com/tag/john-jasper-owens/
Jay Raven
Jay Raven is the pen-name of a UK short story writer who – having grown weary of 15 years writing tear-jerker romances and humorous twist-ender stories for mainstream magazines – decided to abandon himself to the dark side.
His first horror yarns Weapons of Mass Destruction and Blood Money appeared in the Absolute Xpress Creatures of the Night collection. And he has three more disturbing fantasy tales in Thieves and Scoundrels.
Scottish-born Jay, whose influences are classic fairy tales and the British “Hammer Horror” films he watched as a child, is currently working on his first novel, Pray For The Dawn – a gothic vampire chiller.
For more information check out: http://jayraven.com
Matthew Stroescu
Science fiction got me started in my interest in physics. I read a great deal of Piers Anthony, Isaac Asimov and Robert Asprin growing up. This lead to me eventually studying physics in school. I now teach introductory physics at a Canadian University. When not reading science fiction or teaching science I enjoy swing dancing. I also enjoy playing classical and flamenco guitar.
Marc-Anthony Taylor
Marc likes to make things up, so much so, in fact, he thought he would share some of them with you. He currently raises funds to support this habit of lying, by teaching Austrians how to speak English with a Scottish accent. His first story was published on Christmas Eve 2009, which leads him to believe he will soon dominate the planet. He does not, at this time, own a kilt. You can see more flash fiction from him at http://gileadslostson.blogspot.com or follow him on Twitter.
Gail Sosinsky Wickman
A Wisconsin native, I am currently living in Western Pennsylvania where I teach Rhetoric and Composition at a local university. I have a bachelor’s in journalism, which taught me how to ask questions, and a master’s in English, which taught me how to find answers. My favorite movie is “The Quiet Man,” my favorite fishing lure is a Johnson Silver Minnow, and my favorite soup is chicken dumpling like Grandma used to make. A great evening at home involves sitting with my husband, two children and two (obligatory) cats and watching Buster blow up on Mythbusters.
