I knew that there was something wrong on that night with all the fireworks. They don't do that sort of thing in June do they? Can it really be that I was so busy I pretty much missed a month and a half? I still don't believe this is true, but since everyone else is insisting that it's July, I decided that I might as well humor them and go along with it.

This does mean the half way point for the year has passed. A quick check of my writing totals showed that I'm doing fine -- well, over 250,000 words so far. With any kind of luck, I should make 500,000+ for the fourth year in a row. I don't know why this is important, mind you, but it is fun.

The latest issue of Holly Lisle's Vision: A Resource for Writers is up. We have a slightly new look and a lot of really good material for this issue. http://lazette.net/vision In this issue we attracted a two-time Nebula award winner who said he wanted to do an article for us! It's another great issue! We have also won our first award for Vision!

In writing news, I have new pieces up at various ezines, and several other stories that are still available. That makes ten short stories and a novel out there right at this moment. I also just placed my 24th story with an ezine/epublisher in 24 months. This is since my very first sale to Jackhammer Ezine back in July, 1999, and includes two novels. (Only one published so far.)

Three of the pieces were free Flash Fiction giveaways -- but I figure I can afford to give away 500-600 word stories to get my name out there. Another one was sold just before the ezine closed. Still, that's not bad at all.

Here is the listing, with openings to each of the stories that are available right now:

WEAVING THE STRANDS OF LOVE

There was always a storm when Prince Idas visited his brother the magician. He'd come to expect it, and dressed for inclement weather no matter how sunny it had been at the castle. By the time he reached the mountainside, the day would inevitably have turned cold and wet.

http://www.twilighttimes.com

SUMERIAN NIGHTS

When the door to my tavern opened I had been thinking, like almost everyone else in the city, about the evil that walked the streets of Ur each night. I had hoped for a moment that this was a customer, but I knew from his dark green tunic and large, moon-shaped amethyst pendent that was a messenger from the Nannar priesthood. Apparently even the Moon-Worshippers were doing their business by daylight.

http://www.alternaterealitieszine.com/fan.htm

JANA'S WAR (Flash Fiction)

Cold crept through the walls, around the windows, and past the doors, leaving a trail of ice like an invasion of unwanted summer ants.

http://www.anotherealm.com


THE VISITORS (Flash Fiction)

Emily Lynn Rudder-Snide, the sister of the famous (or some might say infamous) Ambassador James Rudder, was widely known to have absolutely no sense of humor.

http://www.anotherealm.com

A FATE CAST IN STONE

The vision was stronger this time.

Fedya Babin had tossed the runes three times a day, three days in a row, and read the prophecy the gods gave him. This was the last of the nine readings, and as the old, worn stones came to a stop he could already see that the promised fate would be the same.

http://www.ideomancer.com

AFTERMATH

A bird flew out of the brown, leafless bush. Tom hadn't seen an animal in years, not a wild one.

http://www.ideomancer.com

A WARRIOR'S WORK IS NEVER DONE

The meat was tough, and so heavily spiced that she couldn't decide if it was lamb, beef, venison, horse or maybe even dog. Luckily, Clarise wasn't particularly picky these days. Any food someone else caught and cooked was a luxury.

http://dragonlaugh.freeyellow.com/04011.HTM

ONE DEMAND TOO MANY

"I told you not to come back," the Sorceress said when she finally looked up from her desk. The feathered quill in her hand twitched back and forth like the tail of an unhappy cat. "I didn't think even you people were that stupid."

http://www.anotherealm.com

LUCKY

Send model prisoners out to work on the new station, some pointy-headed Delta politician said, and made me his pet project. I agreed because they said this was my last chance to work in a field I loved, and it was a damn slim one for a woman with a criminal record.

http://www.ideomancer.com

In publications that are for sale:

Epilog to a Lost Tale, my first published story, is offered in Eggplant Productions 'As Seen on the Web' a collection of the best stories from the now gone (alas) Jackhammer ezine.
http://www.eggplant-productions.com/jintsu

Silky is also still available at Embiid Publishing.
http://www.embiid.net


And here is a listing of all twenty-four pieces!

SOLD/PLACED MANUSCRIPTS

1 EPILOGUE TO A LOST TALE
2 WAITING FOR GOD ON THE EVE OF THE MILLENNIUM
3 SUB TEXTUAL EVIDENCE FOR THE EXISTANCE OF ALIENS AND THE EXTRAPOLATION OF INTERNET PROTOCOLS
4 ELFSONG
5 TRANSGRESSED
6 THOSE WHO REACH
7 TWILIGHT
8 HEY BABY, WHAT'S YOUR GLAMOUR With Paula Fleming
9 UNLIKELY COMPANIONS
10 ONE DEMAND TOO MANY
11 A WARRIOR'S WORK IS IS NEVER DONE
12 A FATE CAST IN STONES
13 AFTERMATH
14 LUCKY
15 LAST DAYS OF FANEH-THENYAL
16 SILKY (Novel)
17 SHEPHERD (Novel)
18 EPILOGUE TO A LOST TALE (Resale)
19 WEAVING THE STRANDS OF LOVE
20 INTRUSION
21 LEGEND
22 SUMERIAN NIGHTS
23 THE VISITORS
24 JANA'S WAR

One of those is a resale, and one was bought just before Jackhammer closed it's doors and will have to find another home, but still...

And that's it for this month! I hope to have more news in August, unless someone sneaks an entire month past me again. Thanks for subscribing, and drop me a line if you read any of the stories!

Lazette Gifford
http://lazette.net