There’s a review of the new second Homeless Moon chapbook Imaginary Places, including my story “Adrift in Ishtakar,” on the blog of my writing colleague Shara Saunsaucie.

Shara enjoyed the story a great deal, which is very cool. That story is much more like the sort of stuff I usually write, character-driven secondary-world fantasy, than the story I had in last year’s chapbook, which was more experimental.

If you’d like to read it yourself, along with four other very neat stories by my HM cohorts that are likewise set in lands taken from Alberto Manuel’s Dictionary of Imaginary Places, visit our Homeless Moon site and download a free PDF copy of the chapbook. Thanks!

I had a great time at ReaderCon last weekend! Met lots of very cool folks, many of whom had very nice things to say about Beneath Ceaseless Skies. Hosted the reading for the magazine on Sunday afternoon, which went quite well. Got lots of very insightful advice on magazine things, talking shop with helpful people like Neil Clarke. Heard lots of neat writerly tidbits by listening to people like Gene Wolfe. Picked up lots of reading recommendations. Had more than a few pints of the regional Sam Adams Brick Red Ale. :)

All in all, a great weekend. Will definitely plan to return next year!

There’s a review and discussion of my story “Colonized,” from last year’s Homeless Moon chapbook, posted on the blog of my writer colleague Shara Saunsaucie. It’s a weird story, for certain, so if you’re curious about what I was trying to do, please take a look.  Thanks to Shara for reviewing the chapbook and all her LJ readers for taking the time to comment.

At ReaderCon this weekend, my writer cohorts from the Homeless Moon and I will be premiering our second chapbook of all-original short fiction. This one is called Homeless Moon: Imaginary Places.

My story, “Adrift in Ishtakar,” is about a young doctor in a medieval Arabian world who is facing a terrible plague for the first time without her mentor, who disappeared the previous summer. But she receives an indication where he might be:

“I’ve seen that pendant,” Rifiq said, “decades ago. Didn’t it belong to–”

“Yes. That bombastic traveler says Al-Atibba sent him.”

“And you believe it?”

“His account does seem outlandish. But this pendant is the only sign in the last three months. The only sign at all.”

“His Radiance will be delighted to hear of this,” Rifiq said. “He’ll have soldiers in the saddle within the hour.”

But it was her duty to do every possible thing to cure these patients. She wasn’t needed here in Samarah, yet. And Al-Atibba had sent this messenger for her. She lifted the pendant close. It even smelled of him, of that crumbly, dry-parchment scent that had always lingered behind him as he paced.

She must go herself. And without asking the caliph for soldiers, or telling him at all–he would never let his Chief Healer journey so far from his own ill daughter. She would go alone.

If you’d like to read more, including the other four stories, look for a copy of the chapbook at ReaderCon or visit Homeless Moon: Imaginary Places to learn how you can order a paper copy or download a free electronic one.