Protagonist, Poetry, Issue 29, December 1, 2014

Elizabeth Pagel-Hogan is a writing mom on the run. A mom of three, she relies on humor and patience and loves sharing classic stories with her children. As a runner and triathlete, she relies on tough workouts to spark incredible ideas. She provides school and community workshops. Her writing appears frequently in magazines like Family Fun, and AppleSeeds as well as online newsletters like Writer’s Weekly, Children’s Writer, and Kidsburgh. She has won awards for her fiction and poetry with her most recent flash fiction story appearing in Leading Edge Literary Magazine.

Get to know Elizabeth...

Birthdate? Sept 14, 1975

When did you start writing? In childhood. 

When and what and where did you first get published? My first publication was in seventh grade when I convinced my teacher to let me start the school's first literary magazine. I worked for the paper in college, and my first fiction publication came in 2014 in Leading Edge Literary Magazine. 

What themes do you like to write about? Classic fairy tales, historical moments, memories of childhood and running. 

What books and/or stories have most resonated with you as an author? Why? How do these stories and their characters find expression in your work? Madeleine L'engle's, Anne McCaffrey and Orson Scott Card find ways to weave meaningful themes into fantastic new worlds. I try very hard to include a little bit of magic even in my stories that deal with every day life. 

Discount Mondays, Flash Fiction, Issue 63, Summer 2023

Amanda Pampuro cut her teeth reporting for the Marianas Variety in Guam. Since trading her dive tank for a snowboard, she co-hosts a narrative law podcast from Denver. She’s appeared in 3:AM Magazine, Write Launch, crag, Menacing Hedge, the Cabinet of Heed, Workers Write, and the Accidental Time Travelers Collective. Her debut book Wish List (Alien Buddha Press 2022) follows one woman’s life through things she bought online as told by the algorithm that sold them to her.

She tries not to be an asshole on Twitter/Insta @Bright_Lamp and lists her works at http://amandapampuro.wordpress.com/

Get to know Amanda...

Birthday?

I was born during a brief period of peace on a day that made me an Aquarius. 

When and what and where did you first get published?

My first story was published in 3AM Magazine in 2007. I’ve since clocked hundreds of rejections and a few more publications. 

Why do you write? 

Because I have this pen and the paper is blank, the coffee is hot and the house is quiet. Advanced AI doesn’t change any of that. 

Who is your favorite author? Your favorite story? 

Vonnegut and Orwell have been wonderful teachers. Kafka’s short story “Poseidon” is damn near perfect.

If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say? 

“Long last her last words.”

Alienation, Flash Fiction, Issue 41, December 15, 2017

Kurt Pankau is a software developer in St. Louis, Missouri. Kurt has a weakness for dad-jokes and stories about time-travel. His fiction has appeared in Daily Science Fiction and Escape Pod.

Biography Questions

Birthday?

6/23/1980

When did you start writing?

College was when I first started writing short stories with an eye towards publication. I subsequently committed some atrocious acts of poetry and then spent years working on a terrible novel. So much awful writing, but it was great practice.

When and what and where did you first get published?

I had an abstract short story in my college literary magazine, circa 1999. My first professionally published piece was a flash story called "Leaving Home" that appeared in Daily Science Fiction in April of 2013.

What themes do you like to write about?

I tend to write about characters dealing with isolation: they're either trying to make a connection or having to sever one. I also like stories about redemption. Give me a character whose actions had far-reaching consequences they didn't anticipate and they'll spend the rest of their life trying to make things right. Those are the heroes I want to root for.

What books and/or stories have most resonated with you as an author? Why? How do these stories and their characters find expression in your work?

Most recently, Natasha Pulley's "The Watchmaker Of Filigree Street". She puts together real and fantastical elements in a way that feels very original. The main character has synesthesia, which is not something you read about very often. She does some excellent work with subtext, which I love. In my own writing, I tend to only tell about 80% of a story and leave breadcrumbs for the reader to intuit the rest. I want a story that forces me to meet it halfway.

Another would be "Saga" by Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples. It's some of the most imaginative fiction I've ever come across, but it's driven by characters who simply want to protect the ones they love. The world of the story is far more complex than any one reader can keep track of, but when it's boiled down to its elements, it's the easiest thing in the world to follow. That's a tricky balancing act.

Website? kurtpankau.com

Facebook page? https://www.facebook.com/pankaukurt/

Twitter? @kurtpankau

Expiration Date, Fiction, Issue 16, September 1, 2011

Yeoryios Pantazis attended the Humber School for Writers in Toronto, Ontario. When he isn't revising his fantasy novel, he researches suburban retrofitting in an effort to complete his Masters degree in Urban Planning at York University's Faculty of Environmental Studies.He started writing fiction to impress a girl who sat across from him in English class years ago in high school when his biggest worry was not getting caught for uniform infractions. His reason for joining the ranks of planners and environmentalists is twofold: one, who would hire someone with a Bachelors in English? and two, planning for cities and suburbs joined the practical with the creative, the science with the art. His fiction has appeared in or is forthcoming in Space & Time Magazine, Golden Visions Magazine, Silver Blade, Rogue Blades Entertainment's eSsassins, HUNGUR Magazine, and Sorcerous Signals. You can contact him at: yeoryiospantazis@gmail.com.

Get to know Yeorylos...

Birthdate? September 6, 1986.

When did you start writing? I always thought about writing and storytelling from very a young age, but when I started writing seriously was in high school. I wrote to impress a girl. Letters; stories; poems; plays. Every day I'd have something new to show her. She was my muse for a very long time; then came the day that I realized I wrote not only to impress this one girl but because I was a born storyteller.

When and what and where did you first get published? My first short story was published by Silver Blade. That was about a year or two ago. I was ecstatic about it. Finally, a publication! After hundreds of letters and emails starting with "Unfortunately..." it felt good to finally get a "We would like to publish..." The story was called "City of Lost Souls" and I had written it when I was eighteen. It showcased the sword and sorcery hero Zanis, my version of Elric or Corum or Sojan or any of those fascinating and loveable Eternal Champions by my favourite author Michael Moorcock.

What themes do you like to write about? Love. Family. Heroics. And religion. But I found out the hardway that no magazine publisher will touch a story on religion. Makes sense: often those stories are done poorly and been done to death. If you're going to do a story about religion, it has to be fresh and enjoyable. R. Scott Bakker's The Prince of Nothing taught me that.

What books and/or stories have most resonated with you as an author? The books, authors, and characters that I've mentioned above have definitely resonated with me. Michael Moorcock is the definition of a writer. He writes everything: fantasy, sci-fi, comedy, romance, satire, horror, contemporary, political, biographical, etc. etc. Brandon Sanderson is another favourite of mine: his writing taught me how to make fantasy fresh and not the same boring magic and world building. The writer who practically forced his influence on me with his fantastic writing is Stephen R. Donaldson. The Gap series is the greatest thing in literature. Period. I urge everyone to read it. I urge publishers to re-release them so new generations can read the series.

Why? How do these stories and their characters find expression in your work? The way I see it is this: Michael Moorcock's work inspires me to fantasy and literature overall; Brandon Sanderson inspires my work to be original and exciting; Stephen R. Donaldson inspires my work to have powerful emotion and to have at-the-edge-of-your-seat action and drama. My work also finds expression from the people in my day-to-day life. "Expiration Date" is a great example of this. I have a history of dating women for only two weeks (can you say, major commitment issues?). I usually warn them of this on our very first date by stating, "We're only going to date for two weeks, and then we'll break up." I mean it as a joke, obviously, albeit a joke full of douchebaggery; but once a girl turned around to me and said, "I think that's how relationships should be. They should always have expirations dates on them so people don't waste time and don't get hurt." BAM!--the idea struck me and I wrote it down instantly. I have Grapes to thank for that one.

The Redesign, Fiction, Issue 34, March 1, 2016

Biography

I am a musician and writer and graduate of Clarion West 2011. My work has appeared in Lightspeed, GigaNotoSaurus, and has been adapted into a radio drama for Wisconsin Public Radio. I currently reside in San Francisco. Visit me at www.markpantoja.com.

Get to know Mark...

Birthday? June 7, 1976

When did you start writing? I got serious about writing in 2010.

When and what and where did you first get published? November, 2011. "Houses," in Lightspeed Magazine.

What themes do you like to write about? Diverse. I tend towards dark themes with a bit of humor, but there's not any one thing that I solely write about.

What books and/or stories have most resonated with you as an author? Why? How do these stories and their characters find expression in your work? I grew up reading the typical sci-fi legends (Asimov, Heinlein, Varley, Silverberg, Niven, Herbert, Vinge, Clarke) and made it through to adulthood without letting them ruin me as a writer. Nowadays I try seek out new and diverse writers who's work is both interesting as well as well crafted. Such as Karen Joy Fowler, China Mieville, Jonathan Lethem, FX Toole, LeGuin, Butler, Italo Calvino, M. John, Ligotti, Michael Cisco. I love finding new and/or niche writers that I'd never heard of and just going "where the hell did this person come from?" As far as a novelist who's work has stayed with me the most, I'd say that's Iain M. Banks. Broken characters with dark pasts and heavy hearts living in a complex, fleshed out universe and set against a twisty plot, love it. Not all of his books are winners. He started just walking through his plots towards the end of his career (though he had many more years of writing left before he was taken from us so soon), but still, his early novels (Wasp Factory, Use of Weapons, Excession, Against a Dark Background) are, for me, paragons. Plus, he opened up my eyes to other fantastic Scottish writers like Ken McLeod and Charlie Stross (I know, not Scottish, but he's been living there a long while).

Gone Dark, Non Fiction, Issue 45, December 15, 2018

J. Brenton Parker writes novels and short stories in between wrangling a wild toddler.

Get to Know J. Brenton Parker...

Birthdate?  02/06/1993

When did you start writing? I started writing seriously in 2008.

Why do you write? I have so many stories in my head, so many books that haven't been written that I'd like to read. My favorite authors have given me so much joy, I want to be a part of that for someone else.

Why do you write Science Fiction and/or Fantasy? I love the impossible, the magical things that make you stretch your imagination. I love the worldbuilding that goes along with Sci-Fi and Fantasy.

Who is your favorite author? Your favorite story? My favorite author is Neil Gaiman; but my favorite story is Johannes Cabal: The Necromancer by Johnathan L. Howard.

If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say? Here Lies Jocelyn Parker: Hopefully she did something interesting enough in her life to earn her own Wikipedia page.

The Sepultress, Poetry, Premier Issue, December 1, 2007

Inspiration, Poetry, Issue 3, June 1, 2008

http://www.rhondaparrish.com

Get to know Rhonda...

Birthdate? March 15, 1976 – beware the Ides of March ;)

When did you start writing? In kindergarten.

When and what and where did you first get published? Not counting “Letters to the Editor” I was first published in autumn of 2006. The Storyteller published a small poem of mine called Snowflakes.

Why do you write? The cliché, but still true answer is, because I have to. I love writing, I love inventing whole new worlds and new characters. I love being God and I love the ego boost that comes with someone saying, “I really liked that story/poem/word that you wrote”.

Why do you write Science Fiction and/or Fantasy? I’m a Dungeons and Dragons nerd from way back, if I didn’t write Fantasy it would feel like a betrayal of all the entertainment the genre has given me.

Who is your favorite author? Your favorite story? Peter S. Beagle is my favorite author and The Last Unicorn is my favorite novel. It’s exquisite.

What are you trying to say with your fiction? It depends on the story.

If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say? She may be gone but her words live on.

Do you blog? Where? Yes, far too much. I have a personal blog on Live Journal, a very neglected My Space page and my website, www.rhondaparrish.com is one big blog poorly disguised as something more ;)

Wellspring, Flash Fiction, September 2018

Aly Parsons has a story in the DAW anthology, Sword of Chaos, edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley, and republished electronically by the MZB Literary Trust. She wrote the Afterward for Catherine Asaro's collection, Aurora in Four Voices, published by ISFiC Press. Aly leads a writers' group she founded in 1980 that includes professional and unpublished writers, and she is a graduate of the Odyssey workshop for writers of fantasy, sf, and horror.

Get to Know Aly:

Birthdate?

Too near the end of the year for birthday parties.

When did you start writing?

Soon after I learned to write with block letters. My earliest story that I remember was "The Adventures of Tom Thumb and Thumbelina." Writing aimed at publication began in 1979 when I was in my late 20s.

When and what and where did you first get published?

My story, "Cold Hall," won Honorable Mention in a Starstone magazine contest, and Marion Zimmer Bradley invited the story into her second Darkover anthology, Sword of Chaos, which was first printed by DAW Books in 1982.

Why do you write?

Because I must.

Because the blank screen beckons.

Because reading calls me to invent my own stories.

Why do you write Science Fiction and/or Fantasy?

From earliest memory, for bedtime reading, my father read to my brother, sister, and me the works of H. G. Wells, H. Rider Haggard, Edgar Allan Poe, and Jules Verne. Those were among the earliest books I read to myself. Though I read all types of books, I continued to prefer sf, fantasy, and horror. About age 15, I hand-wrote my first fantasy novel, never to be typed, which is much as it should be. In science fiction and fantasy, worlds wait to be created, and I have always wanted to be one of the creators.

What are you trying to say with your fiction?

Different works have different themes. I'm not laying in any hidden political statements--even if some of my critiquers have found some. I just want to share stories that want to be shared.

Cold-Blooded Amphitrite, Poetry, Issue 31, June 1, 2015

Joanna Parypinski is a poet, novelist, and short story writer who seeks the mysterious and the macabre. She received her MFA from Chapman University and spends most of her time hunched over her writing desk. She may also be found teaching community college English, playing her cello (when the planets align), or enjoying the company of her cat.

Website? www.joannaparypinski.com

Facebook page? facebook.com/joannaparypinski

Twitter? twitter.com/joannapary

Get to know Joanna...

Birthday? February 26th, 1989

When did you start writing? I began telling stories before I could even write. When I was 6 or 7, I would scribble on paper, draw a cover, and staple it together like a book—then I would “read” my own scribbles aloud to anyone who would listen, creating the story as I went along. At some point I started writing my stories down, and I never stopped.

When and what and where did you first get published? My first publication was a surreal crime story called “The Fifth,” which appeared in a small-press anthology called Alternate Dimensions in 2011.

What themes do you like to write about? My writing tends to inhabit the darker spaces of humanity. How do we approach death and find meaning against both the horrors of the cosmos and our own demons? I also tend to infuse my writing with mythological elements, which speak to the stories and fears and wonders that connect us all.

What books and/or stories have most resonated with you as an author? Why? How do these stories and their characters find expression in your work? One novel that comes to mind is A Winter Haunting by Dan Simmons. This chilling gothic tale is more about being haunted by trauma and loss than the things that go bump in the night, and even though there are supernatural events, it is the distinctly human element that drives the story. Likewise, I want my characters to be human and to deal truthfully with all the ways I make them suffer—even if those ways are ghastly and fantastic.

Meridian, Fiction, Issue 15, June 1, 2011

Tony Peak lives in rural southwest Virginia with a wonderful view of New River. His work has appeared in numerous speculative publications and anthologies. When not putting madness to words, he hikes mountain trails, researches Late Bronze Age underwear, or searches for spooks behind reality’s grassy knoll. Tony often relaxes with a mug of black tea and a smiling gargoyle that gets naughty with other statues in the house. Check out his website before it’s outlawed by the Cabal:  http://tonypeak.weebly.com. 

Get to know Tony...

Birthdate? February 16th, 1978

When did you start writing? I started writing seriously in 2008.

When and what and where did you first get published? My first published work was ‘Azazel’s Journal’ in Necrotic Tissue, April 2010.

What themes do you like to write about? I like gritty, visceral, existentialist themes:  alienation, despair, angst, and finding meaning in a meaningless reality. Under such pressures, it’s easier for me to care about characters, as it showcases their humanity in struggles of adversity.

What books and/or stories have most resonated with you as an author? I was blown away by Philip K. Dick’s Ubik, and Frank Herbert’s Dune series. I love Robert E. Howard’s storytelling style. George Orwell’s 1984, though the most depressing novel I’ve ever read, is also a favorite.

Why? How do these stories and their characters find expression in your work? I like stories that border on the edge of surreal paranoia (Ubik), or ones that feature ideas of such scale they still haven’t been topped (Dune’s universal empire and long-lived beings). Howard’s material has the dirt of reality smudged all over it at times, and Orwell saw into the darkest depths of human society. I enjoy seeing a protagonist climb up from the abyss within themselves and their surroundings to become more benign, stronger, and wiser. True, Winston Smith in 1984 ultimately fails to achieve this, but he made the attempt against insurmountable forces:  a martyr for basic freedoms.

And Then There Were Infinite, Fiction, Issue 32, September 1, 2015

The Storm, Poetry, Issue 48, September 2019

Lacus Autumni, Poetry, Issue 52, September 2020

Centric, Poetry, Issue 64, Fall 2023

Josh Pearce has stories and poetry in Analog, Asimov’s, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Bourbon Penn, Cast of Wonders, Clarkesworld, Diabolical Plots, Interzone, Nature, On Spec, Weird Horror, and elsewhere. He also reviews films for Locus Magazine. Find more of his writing at fictionaljosh.com. One time, Ken Jennings signed his chest. 

Get to know Josh...

Birthday? May 6

When did you start writing? I first remember writing when I was in the third grade, and my teacher praised a fantasy story that I wrote. Shortly thereafter, I declared to my mother that I was going to write a novel, and I'm still working on making that happen.

When and what and where did you first get published? At some point during elementary school, I published a poem in Clubhouse magazine, but never kept an issue of it, or even remember what year that was. My first sale was a short story in the September 2010 issue of Aoife's Kiss.

What themes do you like to write about? Identity and sense of self, told through unreliable or unusual narrators who may or may not be insane, and who may or may not even exist.

What books and/or stories have most resonated with you as an author?Why? How do these stories and their characters find expression in your work?  Philip K. Dick's work (especially Autofac, The Electric Ant, A Scanner Darkly, and Lies, Inc.) and Alice in Wonderland are probably what I hold in my mind the most as templates — everyday people who are trying to use math, language, and logic to escape from a landscape that is melting around them.

Eden's Cur, Poetry, Issue 43, June 2018

Steven L. Peck is not sure if he's a biologist who loves to write, or a writer who does biology on the side. He has written several novels including, 'The Scholar of Moab,' a magical realism published by Torrey House Press-a Montaigne Medal Finalist (national award given for the most thought-provoking book). His award-winning novel 'Gilda Trillim, Shepherdess of Rats,' was published last year by Roundfire Press. His soon to be published novel, 'King Leere Goatherd of the La Sals,' was a semi-finalist for the Black Lawrence Press Big Moose Prize for literary novel. ]

His book 'A Short Stay in Hell' was reviewed here at NewMyths.com: 

He just published a book of magical realism stories about his hometown Pleasant Grove, Utah.

His work has appeared in Analog, Abyss & Apex, Bellowing Ark, Daily Science Fiction, Dialogue, Glyphs III, Irreantum, Jabberwocky Magazine, Lissette's Tales of the Imagination, Nature Futures, Pedestal Magazine, Quantum Realities, Red Rock Review, Prairie Schooner, Silver Blade, Sliver Thought Press, Tales of the Talisman, Victorian Violet Press, and Warp and Weave. 

A collection of his poetry, Incorrect Astronomy, was published by Aldrich Press. More about his work can be found at his website: https://stevepeckniche.com/where you can sign up for his newsletter.

Get to know Steven L. Peck:

Birth-date? 07/25

When did you start writing? When I was in seventh grade, I wrote a long epic poem about a weasel. It was full of pathos, adventure, heartbreak, and sorrow. It might have been the greatest poem ever written. But alas it is lost. My teacher liked it well enough she had me read it to the class. After, a kid who had tormented me endlessly, chasing me home from school nearly every day to beat me up (he never caught me, I was like a deer in those days), came up and with tears in his eyes (TEARS!), said, 'Peck. That's the best thing you've ever done.' The power of poetry! I was hooked on being a writer from that moment on.

When and what and where did you first get published? My first publication was a chapbook of poetry called, "Flyfishing in Middle Earth" That was published by the American Tolkien Society

Why do you write? It keeps me sane!

Why do you write Science Fiction and/or Fantasy? I love to explore other worlds. Writing in these allows me to do so!

Who is your favorite author? Your favorite story? Jorge Borges, Library of Babel

What are you trying to say with your fiction? The usual. Something true and beautiful.

If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?  He died doing what he loved. Sleeping.

Blog: https://stevepeckniche.com/blog/

Termination Point, Fiction, Issue 62, Spring 2023

Alexandra Peel was born in North West, England, where she now works in education; she has a background in Fine Art and is a Learning Support Practitioner. She lives with her husband of thirty-three years.

Her stories have been featured in Metaphorosis anthology, Singularity magazine, the Asterisk Anthology and A Colors in Darkness Anthology. She is also a self-published, multi-genre author of a Steampunk duology, a Steampunk collection, a novella, and a collection of short stories. 

In 2022, Alexandra won the Maynah Lewis Cup for short fiction in Wirral Writers Club. 

Alexandra loves foreign films, gardening, foamy bananas and gin. She has an abhorrence for pulses.

Get to know Alexandra...

Birthdate?

1965

When did you start writing?

Briefly, as a child in response to pictures I had drawn. Then again, briefly in my twenties. The stories were terrible quite frankly, and so I stopped. I studied fine art for five years, and continued as an artist until my mid forties. I became involved in the UK Steampunk movement and it was whilst attending one of the Asylum conventions that I wrote an introduction to a story which I was encouraged to continue. I haven't looked back.

When and what and where did you first get published?

My first published piece was a short horror story, which appeared in Game Over, an anthology of stories based on old video games.

Why do you write?

Because I have to do something creative. I've always made things, even in childhood. I used to sculpt, paint, sew and dabbled in graphic design before the advent of computers. Now I feel I have the ability to tell stories, and I'm keen to hone the craft. I want to entertain readers. I don't have any particular message to impart, I just want readers to be involved in the world I created.

Why do you write Science Fiction and/or Fantasy?

These are two are two sides of the same coin, I think. Both deal with the human condition in response to imaginary settings and situations. It's a way to explore possibilities and tell engaging, fantastical even outrageous tales in created worlds that amaze readers. I hope I can learn to do that.

I do write in both genres, as well as literary fiction, historic fiction and speculative fiction. I suppose the imagination of children is all about the fantastical, and some of us never lose that interest.

Who is your favorite author? Your favorite story?

I'm a big fan of Tim Powers work. The Anubis Gates is what got me into the Steampunk scene. Steampunk was born out of literature, and Powers was one of the chaps who coined the term. I love his storytelling, his description, his combining of real historical figures with some arcane, supernatural or other fantasy element. I really love Joe Abercrombie's work. He writes fantasy, but without the elves, werewolves and vampires; although I like Lord of the Rings, I'm not a fan of modern literature that encompasses these tropes. Abercrombie writes grim dark fantasy; magic plays a minimal role. There's lots of fighting, bloodshed and hard living.

There's many authors whose work I enjoy like Pratchett, Mieville, Lessing etc, I suppose what I'm trying to say, laboriously, is that I don't have a favourite. But I do have a favourite story - Perfume by Patrick Suskind. Perfectly horrible. Descriptions are wonderful.

What are you trying to say with your fiction?

I don't think I'm trying to say one thing. It depends on what I'm writing, for what purpose and the genre. “Termination Point” is about one man's commitment to saving people whom he didn't even know. The strength of the human spirit when one is totally empathetic. With a little more empathy in the world, I reckon half our problems would go away.

A horror story is to scare, simple as that. Fantasy is to explore and entertain. Sci-fi is to question and entertain. 

Do you blog?

I do. Intermittently. Flailing Through Life on WordPress is a mishmash of reviews, essays and rants. It's not subject specific. It's me letting off steam most times.

Haiku No. 97, Poetry, Issue 19, June 1, 2012

Juan Manuel Perez, a Mexican-American poet from La Pryor, Texas, is the author of Another Menudo Sunday (2007), O’ Dark Heaven: A Response To Suzette Haden Elgin’s Definition Of Horror (2009), WUI: Written Under The Influence Of Trinidad Sanchez, Jr. (2011), and six poetry chapbooks. Juan is also the 2011-2012 Poet Laureate for the San Antonio Poets Association. His poetry has also appeared in New Texas, Concho River Review, The Langdon Review Of The Arts In Texas, The Mayo Review, Writers Of The Rio Grande.Com, Homenaje A Miguel Hernandez En Su Centenario, Desahogate, Boundless, International Poetry Review, and numerous other publications.

Get to know Jual...

Birthdate? December 20, 1968

When did you start writing? I started writing love poems in middle school in the early 80's. Didn't work out!

When and what and where did you first get published? My first published poem "Summer" appeared in a poetry anthology two years after highschool in 1989. My first paid "gig" was for Starline: The Journal For The Science Fiction Poetry Association in 2007.

What themes do you like to write about? I write in a variety of themes which include: Science Fiction, Horror, Chupacabras, Food, Native Americanism, Mexican-Americanism, Comic Books, Immigration/Field Labor...and anything else that comes to mind.

What books and/or stories have most resonated with you as an author? Why? How do these stories and their characters find expression in your work? The books that have resonated with me are actually (start with) comic books like Marvel's Spiderman and DC's Batman from which I learned to read in English by the 2nd grade (Spanish is my first language), as well as everything by Warren Publications like Vampirella, Eerie, Creepy, 1984/1994 and much of the Skywald group of horror. Other classics include 1984, Frankenstein, and any science fiction from Asimov to Clarke to Wells to many others. My reading has also involved classics like Iliad, Odyssey, Aenid, anything by Socrates, Plato, Aristotle as well as other history/government foundation books of the Enlightment/Renaissance period. Not to forget a very strong foundation in Chicano Poetry like Trinidad Sanchez, Jr., Carmen Tafolla, Lorna Dee Cervantes, Raul Salinas, Francisco X. Alarcon, Corky Gonzalez and into contemporary horror masters like Joe R. Lansdale...and I could go on and on. The point is I read anything and everything. All of it you will find in my poetry.  

Escape, Flash Fiction, Issue 22, March 1, 2013

Susan Pertessis was born in New York but relocated to Southern California when she was seven years old. When she isn’t spending time with her husband and two children, she may be found writing for her online writing group, reading speculative fiction, or participating in book group.

Get to know Susan...

Birthdate? October (yes, I’m a Scorpio)

When did you start writing?  I started writing in 2007, after an eight year assault on our home from every type of critter living in Southern California. The swarm of bees was comical, the tarantulas creepy, and the scorpions scary. After the mountain lion appeared I decided to document these encounters, in part as a therapeutic measure against approaching insanity, and in part as self preservation (written documentation should our dead bodies be discovered.)

When and what and where did you first get published? My compression fiction statement was published by Matter Press & Journal of Compressed Creative Arts on September 13, 2012.

What themes do you like to write about? I participate in an online writing group and my stories are inspired by the group’s weekly writing prompts, but I notice a dark side often creeps into my tales. “Escape” is an example of that type of fiction. I have also noticed those dark stories receive the majority of favorable comments by readers. I suppose we all have our dark sides.

What books and/or stories have most resonated with you as an author? Why? How do these stories and their characters find expression in your work? In elementary school and middle school I devoured all things science fiction and fantasy. Many of my stories have those elements. I am a member of several book clubs, so I am exposed to a variety of stories and writing styles, but I am always drawn to books with a psychological twist or speculative elements.

A Night at the Black Emerald Pub, Fiction, Issue 61, Winter 2022

Brent Peters grew up in the tiny farming town of Aylmer, Ontario, where he fell in love with fiction. He is currently living a Hallmark movie, wherein he works at a small bookstore in Nova Scotia after having taught English in Japan. He’s currently working under a pseudonym on a free-to-read slice-of-life fiction serial at stdrogofiction.com.

Get to know Brent:

Birthdate: November 8, 1995

When did you first start writing?

I started writing when I was thirteen. I’d just finished reading a disappointing YA novel series and thought “man, I could do better than that.” I was wrong. The time since has been spent working on the craft so I can make something worth people’s time and shelf space.

When were you first published?

I was first published in the anthology COLP: Treasure in winter of 2020. It was a short story called ‘Mr. Cozy’ about a stuffed animal.

Why do you write?

I write because reality is tough, and a lot of the time, I’m confused. Writing helps me make sense of my own head. If I can give other people a good time or some catharsis, all the better.

Why do you write science fiction and fantasy?

My favourite stories are ones that aren’t “about” the plot on the back of the jacket. Aliens, dragons, and vampires are all inherently awesome. Sci-fi and fantasy lets you have fun and create amazing worlds while exploring any theme you want. Do you want a mature romantic drama about adults navigating their responsibilities, regrets, and social norms? What if it has gnomes, magic, and dragons? It’s called Dragonsbane. Fantasy is as joyous, ridiculous, dark, serious, or complicated as you need it to be.

Who is your favorite author? What is your favorite story?

She sticks to nonfiction, but it’s Mary Roach. Her work dives into niche and odd facets of science and society. Her work showcases and promotes an intense curiosity and openness to life that I try to cultivate in myself. For a favourite story: the manga version of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. The way it shows hope as an active process in a miserable situation inspired a lot of my taste in fiction.

What are you trying to say with your fiction?

Still figuring out how to articulate that. Probably something “life-affirming”.

If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?

“Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a nice day.”

Do you blog?

I don’t blog anymore. If anyone wants to read my media analyses, I did monthly posts for goodmorningaomori.com under Media Bug and Chrysanthemum Roots. Some of those turned out well. My current efforts are all in the non-fantastical world of St. Drogo.

The Spider and Contrabass, Fiction, Issue 4,  September 1, 2008

A Literary Agent's Lament, Fiction, Issue 5, December 1, 2008

The Gestatory, Fiction, Issue 6, March 1, 2009

Get to know J.F...

Birthdate? December 28, 1970

When did you start writing? After seeing Mom cry when I shared Flowers for Algernon with her. I was twelve. 

When and what and where did you first get published? Around 1990, I published some poems in a student-run publication at Brandeis University called, I think, Laurel Moon.

Why do you write? The best speculative fiction writing gives us a sense of how things could or should be, either in this world or one created entirely by the author. I want to write stories that deliver readers to that place of dreams and aspiration.

Why do you write Science Fiction and/or Fantasy? Science fiction encourages us to think of what we can make of this world, and it's the only genre that focuses on the interaction between ourselves and our technology. I think that's a powerful place to write from, allowing the author to bring the reader visualizations of the world to come, or as it might have been. Fantasy allows us to walk in worlds disparate from our own, and for the author to portray how we thinking creatures could be given different circumstances. These different approaches to both genres allow a writer to portray the philosophies and ideals of our species in unique settings, and I enjoy writing in them both.

Who is your favorite author? Jack Vance, a master of both science fiction and fantasy. 

Your favorite story? Tolkien wrote a classic with Lord of the Rings trilogy. I'm one of those odd ducks who remembers the lyrics to Tolkien's songs and who constructed melodies so I could sing them. 

What are you trying to say with your fiction? In this life, there can be joy and purpose, even--and perhaps especially--if hope and happiness are lacking.

Do you blog? No.

If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say? Wanted, dead or alive. Actually, I'd rather have my life, and any work left behind, be my epitaph.

The Great Snipe Hunt, Fiction, Issue 10., March 1, 2010

Dale Phillips studied writing with Stephen King, has written three novels, and published short stories in Plot magazine, Space and Time, Ethereal Gazette, Big Pulp, Crime and Suspense, Atomjack, Aoife’s Kiss,House of Horror, Sorcerous Signals, and Kasma. He has appeared on stage, television, and in an independent feature film, Throng. He has also appeared on two nationally televised quiz shows, Jeopardy and Think Twice. He co-wrote and acted in The Nine, a short political satire film, available at www.Libertynewstv.com. He has traveled to all 50 states, Mexica, Canada, and through Europe. He enjoys many sports, historical re-enactment, and his family.

Get to know Dale...

When did you start writing? I began very young, but took a long time for the writing to show any promise. I began writing in earnest in college, where I had Stephen King as a writing instructor.

Where and when did you first get published? First professional publication: Space and Time magazine, 30th Anniversary Issue, #87, Summer 1997. http://www.spaceandtimemagazine.com/wp/issues/?y=1997

Why do you write? As humans, stories are how we make sense of the world. Some people, like me, have voices in their head which keep telling stories. We then have to pass those stories on.

Why do you write Science Fiction and Fantasy? These fields have an intelligent readership which is already engaging in the willing suspension of disbelief, as long as certain conventions are followed. They allow tremendous, unlimited scope of ideas, plots, characters, situations, metaphor. A writer can explore other worlds than just this one.

Who is your favorite author? Your favorite story? So many favorite authors, but one of the best is Harlan Ellison. My favorite story is Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. The power of that story, even today, is incredible, and the humanity and pathos are intense. How many stories can still make you weep, when you know exactly what’s going to happen?

What are you trying to say with your fiction? That the world is a strange place, and it’s up to each of us to give it meaning. The choices we make are important, not just to us, but to others.

Do you blog?

Oh, yes, at: http://dalephillips@blogspot.com

If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say? He lived, laughed, and loved to the fullest. May you be so blessed.

Her Wrinkles Hold the Stars, Poetry, Issue 62, Spring 2023

Marisca Pichette collects whispers. More of her work appears in Strange Horizons, Fantasy Magazine, Flash Fiction Online, and The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, among others. Her speculative poetry collection, Rivers in Your Skin, Sirens in Your Hair, is forthcoming from Android Press in April 2023. Find her on Twitter as @MariscaPichette and Instagram as @marisca_write.

Get to know Marisca…

When and what and where did you first get published?

My very first publication was a poem at a now-defunct magazine, back in 2015. My first paid publication was for a short story titled "Museum of Glass." It was published by Unsung Stories in May 2020. You can read it free here! http://www.unsungstories.co.uk/short/2020/15/5/museum-of-glass

Why do you write?

I write to access the overlooked. It might be messy, beautiful, bitter, or mundane, but it is always wondrous to me.

Why do you write Science Fiction and/or Fantasy?

I see magic in everyday things, most often the natural world. Writing fantasy allows me to elaborate on that magic, imagining deeper layers of enchantment.

What are you trying to say with your fiction?

Listen. Look. Be heard.

If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?

"Growing still."

The God in the Machine, Fiction, Issue 25, December 1, 2013

Renee Asher Pickup is a mellowed out punk rocker living in the California Desert. She has had fiction published in places like Alliterati Magazine, Out of the Gutter, Pantheon Magazine, and most recently, All Due Respect. She is editor in chief at Revolt Daily (www.revoltdaily.org) and cohosts the Books and Booze Podcast (www.books-booze.com) where she interviews authors over drinks.

Get to know Renee...

Birthdate? July 25

When did you start writing? I know a lot of people say this, but for me it's absolutely true, I've been writing for as long as I can remember. My mom has stories and poems I wrote when I was 7 or 8.

When and what and where did you first get published? I've published non fiction here and there, but my first fiction publication was a story called "Revelations" which ran in the September 2012 issue of Alliterati Magazine.

What themes do you like to write about? I like to explore how people change each other. Chance encounters and/or relationships that transform the people in them. In some of my writing, people change for the better and leave with hope, in some... it's quite the opposite.

What books and/or stories have most resonated with you as an author? Why? How do these stories and their characters find expression in your work? Tough questions! My all time favorite book is The Dark Half by Stephen King. I saw so much of myself in the protagonist as a teenager that I fell in love with the story, hard. It definitely affected the way I wrote characters. For my science fiction influences, it has to be Philip K. Dick. A Scanner Darkly blew my mind in every possible way, and I would say it influences the way I use science fiction in my writing. A Scanner Darkly was a very human story, the setting and technology was only there to make the work better.

The Moonlight Eels, Flash, Issue 65, Winter 2023

Sam W. Pisciotta lives in Colorado. After years of difficult training in daydreaming and doodling, he now calls himself a writer and visual artist. Thousands of cups of coffee and hours of contemplation have prepared him to pull worlds from the ether. Sam is a member of the SFWA, HWA, and Codex Writers. He holds a Master of Arts in Literary Studies from the University of Colorado. His fiction has appeared in or is forthcoming in Analog, Factor Four Magazine, F&SF, Asimov’s, and other fine publications. His award-winning artwork has been shown throughout Colorado.

Follow him on Twitter/silo34 and www.silo34.com.

Get to know Sam...

When did you start writing?

My first fan was my mother. When I was around ten years old, I would write stories for her about Quentin the Magician. Judging by her reaction, I began my career as an amazing writer. Ha!

Why do you write?

I think those early stories showed me how powerful language could be, and that my words could get an emotional reaction from someone. While thought-provoking is good, I always hope my stories are emotion-provoking. I believe that emotions are the doorways that provide access to one another. As a writer, I want to open them and say hello to my readers.

Why do you write Science Fiction and/or Fantasy?

Speculative fiction is the literature of hope. It points us forward and shows us possibilities. Even when we’re presented with a dystopia, the message for me is usually, Hey, look at this. We can do better. I want to be a part of that hope; I want to contribute to the collective dream of our future. Plus, Sci-Fi/Fantasy is just fun to read and write!

Fetch Us Another Round, Flash Fiction, Issue 50, March 15, 2020

Chloie Piveral's short stories appear in Kaleidotrope, Apparition Literary, the Flame Tree Press Anthology: Robots & Artificial Intelligence, and others. She's a 2015 graduate of The Odyssey Writing Workshop and a member of Codex. A transplant from the American Midwest, she now lives near the mountains in Colorado with her family and a dog named Ziggy.

Get to know Chloie...

Birthdate?

May 18th

When did you start writing?

I started writing very bad poetry when I was in grade school. In earnest, I started writing better poetry in college, where I minored in creative writing.

When and what and where did you first get published?

My first poetry publication was in 2007 with The Mid-America Poetry Review. My first speculative fiction publication was a flash piece, 50 Miles to Gone with Kazka Press' 713 Flash, which unfortunately has since stopped publishing.

Why do you write?

Writing is proof that magic exists; through symbols on a page I get to create worlds for people I have never and may never meet. 

Why do you write Science Fiction and/or Fantasy?

Science fiction and fantasy are the works I enjoy reading the most. I'm drawn to the thought experiments that occur in science fiction and fantastical works. I'm fascinated by science fiction's ability to isolate an idea and explore it at the exclusion of the mundane everyday world.

Who is your favorite author? Your favorite story?

Too many to name and I'm finding new ones every year, but in the spirit of the question I'll name a few. I loved, The Lifecycle of Software Objects by Ted Chiang, and more recently This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. Stories? I have always loved There Will Come Soft Rains by Bradbury. 

What are you trying to say with your fiction?

I think that I don't know what I'm trying to say with my fiction until I have finished writing a particular story. Most of what I write is from the lens of my experience which is to say the thumbprint of who I am on a given day.

If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?

It will probably be something overly sappy by who ever fills out the paperwork but if its me, "Nothing more to see here, move on."

Do you blog?

Every five-six years during a full moon after the fall harvest.

Love Guaranteed, Fiction, Issue 11, June 1, 2010

Never Too Old, Poetry, Issue 15, June 1, 2011

T.C. Powell starves full-time and is a freelance writer on the side. His poetry has been published by the Christian Science Monitor, Tapestry of Bronze, the Shine Journal, and Big Pulp. A new poem is scheduled for upcoming publication by Death Rattle. His woeful web presence can be found at http://tcpowellfiction.blogspot.com.

Get to know T.C...

Birthdate? June 1, 1977

When did you start writing? I've dabbled for many years, but I started taking writing "seriously" about a year and a half ago.

When and what and where did you first get published? My first fiction publication was in a literary magazine produced by my college--UC Santa Cruz. It was a small tale of a Santa Cruz hippie who's been selected by aliens to be humanity's ambassador in the stars.

Why do you write? I write because I've been deeply touched by things I've read. I'm interested in learning to create such spiritual experiences (for they are), for others.

Why do you write Science Fiction and/or Fantasy?They're fun genres. They allow a writer to use the full measure of his imagination as he creates, not only specific characters and situations, but races, timelines, entire worlds and realities.

Who is your favorite author? Your favorite story?

Does anyone have a straightforward answer to these questions?  :)Among my favorite authors I include Alexandre Dumas, Stephen King, Thomas Hardy, Hermann Hesse, and Victor Hugo. Favorite story? I won't even try to fashion that list, but suffice it to say that I really enjoyed Watership Down.

What are you trying to say with your fiction?

If there are messages in my fiction (which there sometimes are, and sometimes are not), they vary and are specific to the story. My main objectives, regardless of whatever I'm "trying to say," is to say it 1) truthfully, and 2) in an entertaining fashion.

Do you blog? Where? Poorly and sporadically, but yes I do: http://tcpowellfiction.blogspot.com/

If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?

T.C. Powell

1977 - 2418

Husband, Father, Author, Bazillionaire.

What books and/or stories have most resonated with you as an author? Why? How do these stories and their characters find expression in your work? Tough question(s).  I'm a reader first, an author second, and so those works which have resonated with me usually have been on that first level.  I've loved the character work of Stephen King; the plotting of Thomas Hardy; the scope of adventure in Tolkien; the philosophical-theme structure of Hesse.  Comparing what I write to what I've read always leaves me feeling bad, so I try not to do it.  But I'm sure that everything I attempt bears the mark of the things that I love.  To what extent that's true -- as to how derivative I ultimately am -- I'm going to leave that as a question for my centuries-later biographers. :D 

The Warmth of Sun in Winter, Flash Fiction, Issue 32, September 1, 2015

The Tube Worm, Flash Fiction, Issue 52, September 2020

Stephen S. Power is the author of the novel The Dragon Round, now out in paperback. His short fiction has appeared most recently at "Future SF" and "Kanstellation" and will soon appear in "Analog" and "Hybrid Fiction." He tweets at @stephenspower, and his site is stephenspower.com. 

Get to know Stephen...

Birthday? May 1967

When did you start writing? I wrote poetry throughout college to no real success. My favorite moment was entering a poem in a poetry competition at my school and getting a form response back that said no poem was up to snuff, so no prize would be awarded. Handwritten in the margin was a note from the judge that said my entry was, however, the best of the bad lot. 

While spending a year abroad, then in grad school, I turned to writing literary fiction, in particular flash, inspired by several anthologies that came out at that time. I had a half-dozen stories published in small magazines, including an honorable mention in the World's Best Short Short Story contest, but ultimately I realized I didn't have much to say.

A few years later, inspired as cliche would have it, on a road trip to Iowa, I went back to poetry. I puttered about in free verse for a few years before devoting myself for more than a decade to formal verse, first sonnets, then longer works. I've had more than 70 poems published, including one that was nominated for a Pushcart.

After finishing an immense poem, "The Hanging of Robin Hood,' which took more than six years, on and off, to write and eventually appeared in Measure, I figured I'd done my part for poetry. I got the idea for my novel and dove into that. Once it was sold, I then poured myself into writing stories while editing it. Currently, I'm also outlining a sequel to The Dragon Round.

What themes do you like to write about? I'm trying to write more positive things--"Warmth" was an important step for me because it was consciously my first story in which no one is obliterated in some way--but I can't help myself, so I tend to write something upbeat and hopeful, then something full of despair for the future.

What books and/or stories have most resonated with you as an author? Why? How do these stories and their characters find expression in your work? I've been a book editor for two decades, mostly for trade nonfiction, so I pull a lot of ideas out of the books I've worked on. For instance, now that I handle business books, many of SF stories deal with the gig economy, automation, corporations, etc. I'm not above taking classic plots too: The Dragon Round is essentially Count of Monte Cristo with a dragon. My biggest struggle is trying to not sound like Jack Vance, one of my favorite authors. Finally, I tend to ramble, so I very deliberately write as sparingly as possible. This style also sets me apart from worldbuilders like GRRM or Tolkien. I couldn't compete on their turf anyway. They're too awesome.

The Annual Witch Convention, Poetry, Issue 60, Fall 2022

Ken Poyner’s four collections of brief fictions and four collections of poetry can be found at Amazon and most online booksellers. He spent 33 years in information systems management, is married to a world record holding female power lifter, and has a family of several rescue cats and betta fish. Individual works have appeared in Café Irreal, Analog, Danse Macabre, The Cincinnati Review, and several hundred other places. He

has had seven Pushcart nominations without fielding a single win.

www.kpoyner.com,

 www.barkingmoosepress.com

Stone the Monsters, or Dance – speculative poetry

Lessons From Lingering Houses – speculative poetry

Engaging Cattle – flash fiction

The Revenge of the House Hurlers – flash fiction

Avenging Cartography – flash fiction

Victims of a Failed Civics – speculative poetry

The Book of Robot – speculative poetry

Constant Animals – flash fiction

Get to know Ken

Birthdate? 

1/13/1956. Yes, it was a Friday the Thirteenth.

When did you start writing?

1972. I was trying to impress a girl by showing I read poetry. I found at pure random in the poetry section at the school library Randall Jarrell's The Lost World, and a few poems into it forgot the girl and realized I needed to write poetry. I had never even thought of doing so but hit the ground running.

When and what and where did you first get published?

Sometime in 1974. In a magazine out of New York called Nocturne. I have long since lost that poem, whatever it was. Nocturne, at least that Nocturne, did not last long. This was long before the idea of “on-line” was even thought of, so it is not out there anywhere. It is probably good that it is not.

Why do you write?

For the sense of discovery.

Why do you write Science Fiction and/or Fantasy?

It allows a breadth of speculation not available in other genres, except perhaps surrealism. Unfortunately, some surrealist work deals more in grand gestures than interesting juxtapositions.

Who is your favorite author? Your favorite story?

Likely Jared Diamond, for non-fiction. James Tate for poetry. Favorite story would be "The Nine Billion Names of God"; by Arthur C. Clarke. The entire short story collection The Nine Billion Names of God, named after that one central story, is filled with wonderful, awe-inspiring stories. For poetry, try Tate's "Return to the City of White Donkeys".

What are you trying to say with your fiction?

Readers should open up a little and try a different perspective. The world is not one string of numbers. It is many strings of numbers. And a few irreducible equations.

If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?

“I hope it was fun for you, too.”

Do you blog?

No.

The High Card, Fiction, Issue 61, Winter 2022

Humphrey Price is a space systems engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) who has had the pleasure of contributing to a number of real space missions to the Moon, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Although a native Texan, he has resided in Southern California for the past few decades. His hobbies are dabbling in science fiction and trying to help NASA send astronauts to explore Mars sooner rather than later. He has written two novels which are as of yet unpublished plus a bunch of short stories.

Get to know Humphrey…

Birthdate?

1954

When did you start writing?

I've dabbled off and on with writing fiction since I was in middle school, but was really terrible at it, and English was my worst subject. I've tried to get more serious about improving my skills and really started writing in earnest about 15 years ago.

When and what and where did you first get published?

Although I have many technical publications, my first fiction publication is this one in NewMyths!

Why do you write?

I have these ideas in my head that I would like to get out in a way that might have some impact. This includes my technical writing.

Why do you write Science Fiction and/or Fantasy?

I am passionate about introducing what I think are plausible ideas regarding space travel, aliens, and the future of the human race. That said, I do love more fanciful stories too.

Who is your favorite author? Your favorite story?

My favorite contemporary author is Andy Weir. My favorite science fiction author of all time is Jules Verne. I have so many favorite stories! If I have to name just one, I'll go with Dracula by Bram Stoker.

What are you trying to say with your fiction?

That there is a bright future for the human race and a place where we fit into the universe at large. Although we will always face daunting challenges, the positive aspects of human nature will overcome the negative ones.

If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?

"It's been fun."

Do you blog?

Not yet, but I do plan on going live with a personal website when I have a few more publications to point to, and I have had some additional acceptances.

That night, Poetry, Issue 61, 2022

Dr. Pearl Ketover Prilik, Dsw, is a poet/writer, psychoanalyst. PKP, as she often refers to herself, is moved by a strong belief that poetry more closely approximates the multi-layered diaphanous experience of internal thought and the way the mind processes the world in which all live alongside the narratives that one creates from the lived experience.  Born in Boston (where she only spent her first ten days and returned with her parents' to New York), PKP spent her earliest independent adult years living in St. Croix and St. Thomas which are still home to her heart.  PKP is the author of three nonfiction books: (Stepmothering Another Kind Of Love, The Art of Stepmothering, Becoming An Adult Stepchild), was editor of the “Adelphi Post-Doc Society for Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy” newsletter and editor-contributor of two international poetry anthologies (Prompted- An International Collection of Poems and Beyond the Dark Room, An International Collection of Transformative Poetry.)  She has been delighted to see her poetry and short fiction appear in a variety of journals and collections including among others, The World Of Myth, Indigo Rising, Burningword Literary Journal, Haiku Journal, Four and Twenty, Pyrokinection, Scissors & Spackle, Tuck Magazine, Postcard Shorts, Poetry Quarterly, Red Wolf Journal, Bards Annual, NewMyths. Waiting since grade three for “her novel” to appear; PKP now, with over one thousand poems written, has concluded that perhaps she is indeed, a poet after all. Dr. Pearl is a long time resident of the barrier island of Lido Beach, N.Y. where she lives close enough to the ocean she loves with husband/proof-reader/best friend, D.J./Ira Prilik and the humanoid black cat Oliver. You can read more of her work and background at her site "Imagine” at http://drpkp.com

Get to know PKP…

Birthdate?  

I was born at the end of April (29th) in a year (1949) that is now becoming frankly surreal to document.

When did you start writing? 

I began writing as a very young child; I often laugh to think that I perhaps peaked at toddlerhood - speaking in my first year and reading by age 2.  I'm not quite certain I ever reached or shall reach such fame again. I began waiting for "my novel" to appear in third grade where I began writing 'seriously.' At age 9 in response to a homework assignment to write a story about a color, I wrote a story about a little girl who was painfully grieving her father's death and particularly his absence on a dark night of what would have been his birthday.  The child is drawn to a screen door flapping in the wind and finds a birthday cake with blue icing on her splintery porch on his rainy night.  In an interesting leap of synchronicity, it occurs to me that this story has a similar theme to the poem found in this issue. 

When and what and where did you first get published?

Elementary school graduation handout—where a poem of mine was published a line on the bottom of each page.  My first published book was in 1988, (Stepmothering-Another Kind of Love, 1988). My first poem "Spill" was published by Poets for Living Waters about the Valdez Oil disaster followed by several poems "The Ketchup Wars", "The Champion of 35C", and others in Burningword Literary Journal and Poets Quarterly. 

Why do you write? 

This perhaps sounds both trite and grandiose, but I often think that I do not write poetry so much as provide myself as a vehicle through which poems travel.  I often do not recall a poem as my own; however your question was why do I write ... I write because for me poetry is another language in which to express layered experience in a way that eludes linear expression.  I write for catharsis, for organization of thoughts and psyche, for communication, for a multitude of reasons but mostly because I simply have no choice in the matter.  Writing is a function as natural and necessary as breathing.

Why do you write Science Fiction and/or Fantasy? 

I write all sorts of poetry and prose; I am enchanted with the magical realm of life itself and the fantastical manner in which science fiction and fantasy find pathways toward sharing alternate realities.  In a very real sense I believe that poetry itself is science fiction or fantasy; the creation of felt vision and the concomitant transmission of such to another is the wonder of myth and magic at its finest.

Who is your favorite author? Your favorite story? 

Answering this question would be as complicated and impossible as choosing a favorite wave in the ocean.  Of course there are some that come to more immediate mind: authors I love, admire and am enthralled by:  Margaret Atwood (Cat's Cradle one of my favorites), William Styron (Sophie's Choice), Stephen King (in spite of being chastised for being prolific the fellow can turn a phrase like no one's business), Peter Straub, Vonnegut, and Asimov, as said sunlit waves in an infinite sea!  I was an English major before becoming a psychoanalyst so throw in every classic you can imagine particularly O'Neill's plays, just about all "the Russians", though Faulkner was no slouch and yes, impolitic as it may be Lawrence made my young girls heart beat fast. As far as a story—I return to earliest childhood: Saccharine as it may seem, it is true that my favorite stories were Anne of Green Gables and Little Women both of whom captured my heart in the summer that I was seven or eight for different reasons:  Anne of Green Gables read at age seven; that little girl, the green fields, and the "kindred spirit" named a feeling that lived within me and the possibility of kindness overcoming all among green fields and friendship shimmered.  That volume sits as the lone book atop my workspace—a comfort. Little Women, enthralled, not so much by the young Jo but rather by the power of the written word to transform which hit my young psyche as a thunderclap. I had detested strawberries in cream until I read a passage that described the very same in luscious terms—and suddenly found myself craving enjoying and forever a strawberry/cream aficionado: I was mesmerized and personally transformed by the sheer magnificence of the power of the written word.

What are you trying to say with your fiction? 

This is what I feel, this is what I see—join me. In my poetry I hope that I am communicating a vision of a felt experience and offering a pathway that resonates and/or opens a road that was formerly obstructed. Frankly, "what I am trying to say" is not only an interesting question but one that is perhaps the seminal obstacle in my novel writing. I think that what I am trying to say is obviously clear in nonfiction and natural and flowing in poetry but in longer fiction what I am trying to say has eluded me and left me with a collection of words, phrases, and characters, rambling and wandering about aimlessly. The loosey-goosey response to what I am trying to say is that everything is connected in ways that may be obvious or unseen.  Thank you for this question which has me thinking.

If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?  

Oh I'm tempted to reach for a joke though I take death quite seriously ... I'll have to think on this one.  My father always told me to look for him in the wind.. that might do just fine.   

Do you blog?  

I intend to, especially given the current tilted upside state of our world which more closely approximates science fiction than science fiction itself.  I am planning to blog, but in the current tumultuous times I more often defer to posting on social media, writing a poem, sending out GOTV postcards, or spilling my guts across a journal page: Blogging might be far more satisfying. I do have  several groups that I administer on Facebook and a good deal of my poetry and flash fiction on a site called Imagine @http://drpkp.com

Here Be Dragons, Nonfiction, Premier Issue, December 1, 2007 

Knockers, Nonfiction, Issue 4, September 1, 2008

R. S. Pyne lives in rural West Wales and has a PhD in Micropalaeontology. Published work has appeared in: Scribble, Apollo's Lyre, New Cauldron, Delivered, Long Story Short,Twisted Tongue, Orphan Leaf Review, Albedo One, Coin News, Picture Postcard Monthly, Country Quest, Country Smallholder, Smallholder, Countryside Tales, Pen Cambria, SALT, Stitches, Crimson Highway, Shine, Midnight Horror, MicroHorror & FlashShots.

Get to know Rebecca...

Birthdate? October 1973

When did you start writing? From age 12, submitting to magazines from 2001 onwards; 1st novel completed 2006; 2nd novel 75% finished

When and what and where did you first get published? Various short stories and articles in school magazines 1984-91; short story in Scribble magazine, 1999. First magazine articles - Coin News & Country Quest 2003

Why do you write? It is an obsession.

Why do you write Science Fiction or Fantasy? Fantasy - I was a member of the Iron Age Celtic Society, a re-enactment society focused on British life during the 1st C BC. The majority of my fantasy is based on Irish & Welsh mythology, using first hand weapons experience to bring authenticity to battle scenes! I have a scientific background and like writing sci-fiction that doesn't take itself too seriously. I am intrigued by crypto-zoology, especially sightings explained by geological or biological explanations. The Menai Bridge sea serpent article stems from this interest.

Who is your favorite author? Favorite story? Ray Bradbury; Stephen King Sometimes they come back, Chattery Teeth, You know They've Got a Hell of a Band, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption and most of his other short stories. It was the only novel I have ever read that gave me nightmares afterwards. I also liked The Dark Half; M. R. James Casting the Runes & Oh, Whistle, andI'll Come to You, My Lad; I like Roald Dahl short stories, especially William & Mary and Lamb to the Slaughter.

What are you trying to say with your fiction? I like dark pieces with a little humour; bad things happen to people every day but that doesn't mean they have to like it.