Tag Archives: Short Fiction

Awards, Poetry, Short Fiction, WFH (work for hire/tie-ins)

AWARDS ELIGIBILITY & YEAR-END STUFFS

Writing

First off, I had two short stories published this year:

  • “The Curious Incident of the Blog in the Night-Time,” Multiverse of Mystery anthology, Sept 2024 – FANTASY/MYSTERY
  • “Our Lady of the Gatling Gun,” Shifting, Swirling HERitage anthology, July 2024 – ALT HISTORY

    • I also had a chapbook (Blood Quantum & Other Hate Crimes) published this year, with the following individual poems being printed for the first time:

  • “We Dance Defiance,” Blood Quantum & Other Hate Crimes, Fallen Tree Press, Sept 2024 – CONTEMPORARY, FORM
  • “#Landback,” Blood Quantum & Other Hate Crimes, Fallen Tree Press, Sept 2024 – SF
  • “Blood Crops,” Blood Quantum & Other Hate Crimes, Fallen Tree Press, Sept 2024 – FANTASY/HORROR
  • “The Fabulous Underwater Panther,” Blood Quantum & Other Hate Crimes, Fallen Tree Press, Sept 2024 – FANTASY/HORROR
  • “#MMIWG2TS,” Blood Quantum & Other Hate Crimes, Fallen Tree Press, Sept 2024 – HORROR, FORM
  • “Not Your Mascot: An Iterative Poem in Script Form,” Blood Quantum & Other Hate Crimes, Fallen Tree Press, Sept 2024 – CONTEMPORARY
  • “Tribal Ink,” Blood Quantum & Other Hate Crimes, Fallen Tree Press, Sept 2024 – CONTEMPORARY – NOMINATED FOR PUSCHART
  • “Unasked, Unanswered,” Blood Quantum & Other Hate Crimes, Fallen Tree Press, Sept 2024 – CONTEMPORARY
  • “She Had Some Nightmares,” Blood Quantum & Other Hate Crimes, Fallen Tree Press, Sept 2024 – HORROR
  • “To Keep Us Safe,” Blood Quantum & Other Hate Crimes, Fallen Tree Press, Sept 2024 – CONTEMPORARY
  • “Miigwech, Mishoomis,” Blood Quantum & Other Hate Crimes, Fallen Tree Press, Sept 2024 – CONTEMPORARY
  • “Born Métis,” Blood Quantum & Other Hate Crimes, Fallen Tree Press, Sept 2024 – CONTEMPORARY, FORM

    • All of these things are eligible for various awards (Nebula, Rhysling, Edgar, etc) and some have already been nominated (Pushcart), so if you’re a person who is able to nominate for a particular award and are interested in reading any of these works for that purpose, HMU for a copy.

    I was also one of “today’s top creators”/ “celebrities” (LOL) who participated in the Shadows & Verse: Dark Poems with Celebrity Commentary charity anthology that came out in October.

    And that’s pretty much all you missed over the past few months, aside from some IP hijinks that various NDAs do not allow me to elaborate on, but that I might some day reveal on a convention panel (all the more reason to come see me when I do make the rare appearance, heh).

    Some fun stuff on the horizon for the new year though, so watch my socials: @marsheilarockwell.bsky.social, Twitter (yes, still, for now), and my FB Author Page, since they all get updated far more frequently than my blog, alas.

    Everything Else

    Marching Band, Plumbing Issues, and a Sudden Lack of Free Time, Oh My! Next year looks to be more of the same, hopefully minus the plumbing issues.

    Hope your holiday season is as stress-free as possible and that you find some pockets of joy. Good luck in 2025! May you not only survive, but thrive.

    Awards, Causes, Family, Interviews, Life Stuff, Mental Health, Métis, Poetry, Short Fiction, WFH (work for hire/tie-ins)

    MID-YEAR ROUND-UP

    Writing

    HAPPY PRIDE!!!

    It’s been so long since I’ve updated this blog, you probably wondered if I was even still writing, LOL. I am! I have stuff to talk about! I’ve just been floundering in the Sea of Overwhelm, so actually sitting down to recap All The Things has seemed nigh impossible (this is why you should definitely follow me on social media – I post updates there much more regularly).

    Some things:

    I sold a poetry chapbook! I can’t give you all of the deets just yet, but the poems revolve around my experiences as a Métis woman and was blurbed by Montana Poet Laureate Chris La Tray (who also happens to be my cousin, but you can’t be a Métis person from Montana and not be cousins, so…). Anyway, I’m super excited about this, since it’s been a goal of mine for a long time now.

    I have a SF story, “The First Gate,” coming out in Permutations: A Well World Anthology, slated for March 2025. My story features the Betareds, which are basically giant teddy bears with red eyes and fangs. Seems on brand, no? You can read more about that here.

    I have an alternate history story, “Our Lady of the Gatling Gun,” coming out in the Shifting, Swirling, HERitage anthology. In my timeline, the Métis women lead their people to victory at Batoche, forever altering the history, culture, and geography of western Canada and the US, and ultimately the entire world. The story features my own Métis ancestors, Charlotte Adam(s) LaFountain and Madeleine Ross LaFountain, as well as relatives by marriage, Madeleine Dumont (wife of Gabriel Dumont) and Marguerite Riel (wife of Louis Riel).

    I will also have another story, “The Curious Incident of the Blog in the Night-Time,” coming out in the IAMTW’s Multiverse of Mystery anthology. This story features an Indigenous Holmes, a Pinkerton Watson, and a monster…or does it?

    I was a contributor to WordFire Press’s upcoming Shadows & Verse: Classic Dark Poems with Celebrity Commentary. Which I guess makes me a celebrity? LOL

    I made an appearance on Russ’s Rockin’ Rollercoaster, doing an episode on tie-in writing with fellow tie-in authors Jennifer Brody and Dayton Ward. You can watch that here, if you’re so inclined.

    I was also interviewed over on the Horror Writers Association website RE: the intersection between horror and mental health.

    Oh, and I just found out my poem, “Tapping on the Void,” was selected to be in the SFPA’s Dwarf Stars Anthology, which also means it’s been nominated for that award. So, yaay!

    Anyway, I think that’s everything.

    Everything Else

    Kids. Pets. Health. Mental health. Genocide. It’s been, and continues to be, a LOT. But today is National Cancer Survivors Day, so hug ’em if you’ve got ’em, and remember to donate to your favorite cancer charity (mine is Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation).

    AWARENESS = FUNDING = CURE

    Comics, COVID, Family, Mental Health, Novels, Poetry, Preorder Link, Short Fiction, WFH (work for hire/tie-ins)

    BLOG TOUR FOR SISTERS AND MORE WITCHY STUFF

    Writing

    First off, Aconyte has set up a blog tour for Sisters of Sorcery that starts TOMORROW, Aug 15, so you should totally check out each of these fine folks to see what they have to say about the book:

    Sisters of Sorcery Blog Tour Schedule.

    Next, I sold another witchy horror poem! This one is called “Final Arrangements” and will appear in the Bloodless anthology from Sliced Up Press. The book releases in October (just in time for Halloween!), but you can find pre-order links here.

    Speaking of which, I have enough witch poems now for a chapbook or collection, so horror poetry publishers, HMU!

    I also sold a (witchy) Halloween story to a very cool market, but I’ll have to wait to tell you about that one.

    Also, also, I don’t know if you know I have an Instagram page, but I’ve been posting some mini-primers on various characters who appears in Sisters of Sorcery, so you should pop over there and read up before you get your copy!

    Finally, I started a ko-fi page where I’m offering personalized poems, personalized poem-spells, and one-card Tarot pulls. Just some fun stuff I like to do that I thought other people might be interested in. You should check it out if you get a chance.

    Everything Else

    Well, let’s see, I slipped and fell TWICE (once UP the stairs, because I am just that talented) and had a pretty bad drug interaction between my antidepressants and ginkgo balboa (which my doctor had suggested for lingering post-COVID brain fog, saying it “couldn’t hurt” – ha! joke’s on her!) of all things. I’m doing betterish now, though.

    Anyway, here’s a picture from our Sedona trip. My amazing photographer/writer/lots of other stuff husband Jeff Mariotte has better ones on his social media, so you should check those out, too.

    Two birds flying over Sedona

    78 more days until Halloween!

    Awards, Collaborations, Mental Health, Poetry, Short Fiction, WFH (work for hire/tie-ins)

    LINK-A-PALOOZA!

    Writing

    June has been a busy month! First, Diet Riot:A Fatterpunk Anthology has officially released! It contains a ton of great stories, one of which is my witchy, gender-bent Bluebeard retelling, “Blue Hair.” You don’t want to miss this one!

    Next, Jeff and I have another Elin and Kord story out! (Well, minus Kord.) This one is in Cosmic Horror Monthly #24, entitled “Deep Into That Darkness Peering” (which some of you may recognize as a line from Poe’s “The Raven”). They did misspell my name, but what are ya gonna do? Buy it anyway!

    I also had a short story nominated for the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers Scribe Award – “Stepping Stones” from the Voices of Varuna anthology. It’s about colonization and assimilation – in space! You should pick up the antho if you haven’t already – it’s awesome!

    (Also, for those of you keeping count, that’s my fourth award nomination of the year; three for poetry and one for fiction. Just, you know, if you’re keeping count.)

    Finally, the poem I wrote for the Horror Writers Association’s Mental Health Initiative, “The Bullfrog and the Black Dog,” is up. You should go check it out, along with the other great work being put out by members for this initiative. The anthology, Of Horror and Hope, which has more work than is up on the website, will be out on July 1st.

    Whew! That’s a lot! Hope next month is even busier!

    Everything Else

    Recovered from COVID only to have a tooth fracture and have to be extracted. Fun! (Not.) It’s always something, LOL.

    Anyway, this is a long weekend in the US. Not much to celebrate of late, but I hope you find some space for self-care this weekend. You deserve it. (Except you, Roy. You can fuck off.)

    Awards, COVID, Family, Mental Health, Novels, Poetry, Preorder Link, Short Fiction, WFH (work for hire/tie-ins)

    THERE IS TOO MUCH. LET ME SUM UP.

    Writing

    So, it’s been forever since I last posted, I know – my baby girl graduated from high school and then 3/5 of the household came down with COVID, so I haven’t spent a ton of time at the computer.

    But I do have a few things to tell you about. First, I turned in what I hope will be my final edits on Marvel Untold: Sisters of Sorcery today. Don’t forget, the book is due out September 6, and you can (and should) pre-order here.

    Also, my poem, “Damsel in Distress, Redux” (which you can read here) has been nominated for the SFPA’s Dwarf Stars Award, which honors short poetry under 10 lines.

    (If you are keeping track, that’s 2 Rhysling nominations and 1 Dwarf Stars nomination for my poetry this year. Not too shabby.)

    I’ve also had a poem accepted for the HWA’s Of Horror and Hope anthology, which is part of their Mental Health Initiative, an effort to promote hope and #EndTheStigma of mental health issues in the horror genre (and beyond). I’m honored to have my piece be part of such a worthy effort. They are rolling out pieces every day this month; I’m not sure if mine will be one of those posted on social media or not, but it will be in the anthology. More deets as I have them.

    Also, my story “Blue Hair,” a witchy, gender-bent Bluebeard retelling, will be available in Diet Riot: A Fatterpunk Anthology later this month, so be sure and grab a copy of that.

    Finally, Jeff and I will be attending the MCAO Citizen’s Academy in August, to learn more about the legal side of things for our various crime-related efforts. (Books, guys. I’m talking about books. Sheesh.)

    Everything Else

    Still struggling with COVID symptoms. Grateful that I’m fully vaxxed and boosted, as I know it could be much worse. Studies are showing lots of serious long-term effects even from mild cases, so stay safe (and masked), everyone!

    Causes, Collaborations, Poetry, Preorder Link, Short Fiction

    TODAY’S THEME IS RESISTANCE

    Writing

    Quick update to let you know about some new stuff of mine that has been (or is about to be) released into the wild.

    First, a story Jeff and I wrote together, “A Single Feather,” has been updated and reprinted in Black Cat Weekly #34, so you should definitely check that out if you missed the story the first time around. It was inspired by Amanda Polchies’s iconic resistance to fracking and is dedicated to Jeff’s brother Michael Mariotte, whose own efforts to protect our Mother Earth are legendary.

    Also, my SF poem “The Bones On Which They Cut Their Teeth,” is part of this very cool anthology, Resist With Every Inch and Every Breath, which comes out on May 1st, but is available for pre-order now.

    Everything Else

    All these laws trying to make gender-affirming care for trans youth illegal are disgusting, immoral, and downright evil. The people behind these bills DO NOT CARE about protecting kids. They just want to get rid of trans people. That is their only agenda. The definition of genocide does not currently include trying to destroy a group based on their gender identification, but make no mistake – that is what this is.

    If you don’t believe me, you can read the UN’s definition for yourself:

    “In the present Convention, genocide means ANY of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:

    *Killing members of the group;
    *Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
    *Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
    *Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
    *Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

    Importantly, the victims of genocide are deliberately targeted – not randomly – because of their real or perceived membership of one of the four groups protected under the Convention.”

    Remember, the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.

    #TransRightsAreHumanRights

    Appearances, Awards, Poetry, Short Fiction

    TUCSON FESTIVAL OF BOOKS & OTHER NEWS

    Writing

    Happy Pre-Aries Season! LOL.

    First, a second poem of mine, “Erasing Myself from the Narrative,” published over at Lorelei Signal, was also nominated for the Rhysling Award in the Long form category! Yaay!

    Second, I sold another poem! The contract is signed, so I believe it’s safe to announce that my poem, “EMDR,” about trauma therapy, will be appearing in an upcoming issue of Unnerving Magazine. My first time being published in this cool horror venue!

    Third, today is the last day to get in your nominations for the Nebula Award, so if you’re still reading, I have eligible work!

    Also, Jeff and I will be at Tucson Festival of Books on March 12-13 with the Artisans of Words and Wonders in Tent #116 (formerly the Desert Dreams Conference tent). It’s pretty much the same tent in the same place, just with a new name.

    Members of the Artisans of Words and Wonders who will be in attendance at the 2022 Tucson Festival of Books

    Anyway, I will have a TON of new stuff available for purchase and signing, including:

    Straight Outta Deadwood, which includes my Indigenous weird western horror story, “Dreamcatcher,” which Publishers Weekly said “incorporates Native American mythology” in a “fresh fashion.” (Note that dreamcatchers themselves aren’t mythology in the sense of an ancient belief – we make them and use them for the same purpose today as when we were originally gifted with them. But, whatever. Still nice to get some love from PW.)(Jeff also has a story in this.)

    The One That Got Away: Women of Horror Anthology Volume 3, which includes my Stephen King homage, “The Recliner.” (Note that this story is a reprint, so if you have Bridges, you’ve already read it. But you should still pick this up for all the other great stories.)

    Turning the Tied, which includes the story I wrote for my trans daughter (who was not yet out at the time), “A Prisoner Freed in Oz.” (Jeff also has a story in this.)

    Voices of Varuna: A Renegade Legion Universe Anthology, which includes my Indigenous story about colonization and assimilation in space, “Stepping Stones.”

    Wanderers: Poems from Those Who Cross Borders, a chapbook which includes my Métis poem, “The Things We Pass Down.”

    The 2020 Rhysling Anthology, which includes my nominated poem, “Stormbound,” plus a ton of the best speculative poetry being put out today. (Also, I don’t know why, but I wound up with a metric ton of these, so please come buy some!)

    And I may have this one:

    Bodies Full of Burning: An Anthology of Menopause-Themed Horror, which includes my Lady Bathory story, “It Will Have Blood, They Say.” (I somehow did not order author copies of this, so am, trying to rectify that now.)”

    And a bunch of the old stuff, too, though you probably have all of that by now, heh.

    Anyway, come see us! It’s an outdoor event, but we’ll be wearing masks and making liberal use of hand sanitizer to do our best to keep you (and us) safe. We are also vaxxed and boosted – hopefully you are, too.

    Everything Else

    #StandWithUkraine

    Awards, Family, Novels, Poetry, Preorder Link, Short Fiction, WFH (work for hire/tie-ins)

    A POEM NOMINATED, A BOOK SUBMITTED, A PRE-ORDER LINK LINKED

    Writing

    First, I submitted my tie-in novel to my editor today. Hoping I can talk about it soon. I’ve seen the cover and it is GORGEOUS!

    Second, my poem, “Reservation Fairy Tales 101 – Final Exam,” about #MMIWG2ST, was nominated for the 2022 Rhysling in the Long form category. Yaay!

    Third, I can announce now that I made my first sale of the year! My story, “Blue Hair,” a Dark & Twisty gender-swapped witchy Bluebeard retelling, will be appearing in the super-cool Diet Riot: A Fatterpunk anthology, out in June 2022. Here’s the cover/TOC:

    Fourth, my poem “The Honorable Iris C. Thaumantos, Presiding,” about a goddess who trades her rainbow for the black of a judge’s robes, will be appearing in the Musings of the Muses anthology from Brigid’s Gate Press this April. It’s available for pre-order now. You know what to do!

    I think that’s everything for now. More bulletins as events warrant!

    Everything Else

    So, after two years of isolating, mask-wearing, social-distancing, etc., the kids got COVID. Grrr. Luckily, they were vaxxed (tested positive a week before they were scheduled for boosters), so it was pretty mild, and we are thankful for that.

    Also, after more than two years of waiting, we have finally been able to schedule my youngest’s tonsillectomy. Hopefully when they are removed, his severe sleep apnea issues will resolve and he won’t have to use a CPAP anymore. Fingers crossed!

    Happy Valentine’s Day if that’s your thing, and Happy Super Bowl Sunday if that’s your thing. Otherwise, happy generic weekend, because I’m pretty sure that’s everybody’s thing!

    Comics, Novels, Poetry, RPGs, Short Fiction, WFH (work for hire/tie-ins)

    GOODBYE TO THE OLD, HELLO TO THE NEW

    Writing

    So, everyone is doing their end-of-year posts. I don’t usually do these, but it’s been a rough year and I’m proud of the things I managed to accomplish despite that.

    In 2021, I:

  • Sold 13 new poems; saw 7 of those published
  • Sold 4 new stories; saw 3 of those published
  • Pitched, sold, & delivered a story for a WFH RPG anthology; saw it published
  • Pitched, scripted, sold, & delivered a comic book story
  • Pitched, sold, & delivered a WFH RPG adventure
  • Pitched & sold a WFH novel

    • (I can’t talk about those last two yet, but will of course share more when I can.)

    That’s a lot for me, especially considering that the nerve issues in my neck I’ve been dealing with since I was rear-ended in 2019 make it so I can’t spend a lot of time at the keyboard.

    Things I am looking forward to in 2022:

  • Finishing & delivering the WFH novel
  • Writing a solicited story for a WFH anthology

    • More RPG work? More WFH work? Nothing firm in those areas yet, but some good possibilities, so we’ll see.

    Also, I got this really nice tweet about my poem, “The Things We Pass Down,” in the Wanderers chapbook. (Note that “moved” in the tweet should be “woven.” Thanks, autocorrect! LOL)

    Nice tweet about my poem, “The Things We Pass Down.”

    Everything Else

    I hope you all had a wonderful [insert your preferred winter holiday/break], that you have a very happy New Year’s Eve/Day, and that 2022 makes up for how crappy 2020 & 2021 have been for most of us.

    A cool blurry picture of my youngest with a sparkler on New Year’s Eve (2020).

    Awards, Short Fiction

    AWARDS ELIGIBILITY POST FOR 2021

    Writing

    So, I actually had quite a few (for me) short stories published in 2021, all of which are speculative in nature, so eligible for the various awards that recognize that sort of work (you know what they are). Only one was published online, but if you are a voting-type person and would like a copy of one of the stories that isn’t online, HMU.

    So, without further ado:

    “A Prisoner Freed in Oz,” Turning the Tied charity antho, IAMTW, March 2021. This story is special to me, as Ozma of OZ was a childhood hero of mine. She is also widely considered to be one of the first transgender characters portrayed in speculative fiction and my story is dedicated to a young transgender girl who is near and dear to me.

    “Stepping Stones,” Voices of Varuna anthology, Budgie Smuggler Games, June 2021. Colonialism and assimilation from the Indigenous perspective. In space.

    “Applesauce,” Enchanted Conversation, June 2021. A Dark and Twisty™ fairy tale retelling.

    “It Will Have Blood, They Say,” Bodies Full of Burning antho, Sliced Up Press, Sept 2021. A Dark and Twisty™ Lady Bathory tale.

    “Play It Again, Sem,” Fall Into Fantasy 2021 antho, Cloaked Press, Sept 2021. Gods in hiding, Titan assassins, budding romance, and bad beer. Something for everyone, LOL.

    Everything Else

    Friday saw the end of the worst Husker season in modern history. If this season were a video game, yesterday I would have rage quit. They are going to need a miraculous turnaround in 2022 if Frost wants to keep his job. Sigh. /football