One of the neatest things so far about running my magazine Beneath Ceaseless Skies has been getting into steampunk.

I had never read much steampunk at all, but I’ve been sent lots of great steampunk stories. Check out “ Clockwork Heart, Clockwork Soul” by Kris Dikeman, or “Preservation” by Jonathan Wood, or “Kreisler’s Automata” by Matthew David Surridge. And we’ve got several more great ones on the way later this winter.

So when I set out looking for my next cover art for the magazine, I sought out Myke Amend‘s work. I had seen his steampunk airship artwork before, and I’m delighted to have one of those pieces, “Sabicu,” as our new cover art.

Now I need to chase down a steampunk anthology or two. And I think, later this winter, I may try my had at writing some steampunk of my own….

The LiveJournal for the Odyssey Writing Workshop, which I attended in 2005, interviewed me about my approaches to writing and my reasons for starting Beneath Ceaseless Skies.

If you’re interested in my musings about my writing approach, or the genesis of BCS, or the most common weakness I see in submissions to BCS, check it out.

Two weeks ago, I read from my short story “Ebb” at the TNEO 2009 Flash Fiction Slam at the Barnes & Noble in Manchester, NH. That story, in the summer issue of Space and Time, has gotten some great reviews. TNEO is a week-long workshop for alumni of the Odyssey Writing Workshop, which includes me and my Homeless Moon cohorts and many other great young writers.

Another Odyssey alum, Abby Goldsmith, took some nice photos. Here’s one of me reading from “Ebb”:

Another very positive review of my short story “Ebb” that’s in Space and Time #107, this time on the SF/F review site Tangent Online. Reviewer Steve Fahnestalk calls “Ebb” a “wonderful story, wonderfully told.” Visit their site to read his full review.

As I noted in a previous post about the equally glowing review of “Ebb” on SFReader.com last May, “Ebb” had a long and difficult path to publication. I’m delighted to see that my vision for that story, that world, and that character is resonating with so many people.