Black Dragon, White Dragon / Magic and Mechanica
Ricasso Press owner Rob Santa has announced that his publishing house will soon release its "Black Dragon, White Dragon" anthology, and two of my stories made the volume. He also notes that "Magic and Mechanica" will be released, and I have one in that volume as well. I'll post a link here as soon as I can so you can order your copies early and often. Following are a few words about my stories.
"Lesson Learned" (Black Dragon, White Dragon) is a tale that examines pride, prejudice, ignorance and dragons. Here's an excerpt:
...Former top assistant? I ran a finger along the smooth bone of his desk. His comment about women was a personal gibe. The previous week, still heady from my triumphant return south with my prize, I had requested my sister’s admittance. This dressing-down had been looming ever since. You fat, little jealous slug, you’ve never discovered anything more interesting than a butterfly. And the Dung-spotted Forktail isn’t even a pretty butterfly.
Pluchus was just warming up. “A new species of dragon! Pah! It doesn’t even look like a dragon! It’s an oversized, pale frog!”
"Rip-Snorter" (Black Dragon, White Dragon) is a tale modeled after the frontier "tall tales" of 19th-century America, involving such characters as Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill and Mike Fink. Here's an excerpt:
Gosh amighty, folks, jes’ sit back an’ let me tell you about them thar hills.
Here’s how it happened: A few years ago, as I was sayin’, up there in Minnesoty … Wah’ll that’s no place to start a story.
Lessee. Back in old Englund there was this ol’ critter, some say he was a lizard, some say a dragon. If’n a dragon’s a lizard that’s growed real big and has pockets o’ gold and this fearsome fiery breath, well, then, I reckon it was a dragon. His name was Rip-Snorter, getting the name natural-like from his father’s side of the family and all.
"Iron Hearts of Death" is a tale involving one of my serial characters, John Humble. Here's an excerpt:
Coming soon!
