While updating the site recently, I appear to have broken something. I apologize if some of the links go nowhere or images fail to load. Thanks for your patience while we track down the the gremlins and send them on their way…
– Liz
Just Another Day in Suburbia
Forest Glen, Pennsylvania. A peaceful suburban neighborhood where nothing unusual ever happened — until the day Masaman the Troll moved out from under his bridge and bought the old fixer-upper on Oak Tree Lane.
Now Goblins swarm the neighbor’s front porch and kitchen windowsill in search of freshly baked pies and cookies; a cat-food eating Zombie canvasses the residents, looking for landscaping and interior decorating opportunities; and a Dwarf takes time out from Poker Night to investigate the rash of burglaries that suddenly plague the neighborhood.
And the Neighborhood Watch has no idea who it should be watching.
A suburban fantasy novelAvailable from your favorite online retailers.
What is “Suburban Fantasy”?
We’re all familiar with “urban fantasy” – the gritty, often violent intersection of the real world with creatures from our darkest imaginings. And as entertaining as urban fantasy can be both to read and to write, I thought it was time to throw something new into the mix. I’ve coined the term “suburban fantasy” for my work – stories that blur the boundaries between the real world and the fantastical, but are lighter and less edgy than their urban cousins. And, hopefully, a little more fun.
Whether it’s the exploits of the teenage offspring of the Gods walking the halls of Olympus High, or Faerie Folk moving to the Real World and trying to cope with jobs, neighbors, and mortgages, I hope you enjoy the glimpse into the lighter side of life as I see it.
Because really, we never do know who – or what – is our neighbor!
Dead Fred in “The Year of the Cat: A Cat of Fantastic Whims”
WMG Publishing offers up another installment in The Year of the Cat:
Most cats pursue the business of their lives in ways both fantastic and whimsical. In this entertaining volume of stories, cats perform as muses, inhabit fairy tales, consort with ghosts and zombies, and one cat even reigns as fantasy queen.
I’m delighted to announce that Dead Fred is included in The Year of the Cat: A Cat of Fantastic Whims.
A high school, a zombie janitor, and a psychic cat…
Available in print and ebook.
Of Cats and Lost Socks in “The Year of the Cat: A Cat of Heroic Heart”
As the folks at WMG Publishing said:
Everyone knows dogs save people. Cats do too, in a different way. And although cats feign an aloof detachment, they possess great heart. A cat rescue comes on its own terms and in its own time, and always with dignified heroism…
With that as an introduction, it gives me great pleasure to announce that my story, Of Cats and Lost Socks in the latest installment of The Year of The Cat: A Cat of Heroic Heart.
A witch. A cat. A curse.
When Emmaline McMurtree falls victim to a rival witch’s curse, it’s up to her familiar, Marley, to save the day.
Available in print and ebook.
Imuji in “Wings of Change”
My young, Olympus High dragon in Imuji has found a new home in the fabulous new anthology out from my publisher, Camden Park Press. Wings of Change is an amazing collection of stories about young people and (mostly) young dragons, and I’m proud to be a part of it!
Wings of Change gathers tales of young dragons growing into their scales, and human youths making choices that shape their destinies – destinies that will be forever changed by their interaction with the dragons.
Wings of Change is available in print and ebook from your favorite retailers.
Phouka in “Here be Fairies”
Fairies, fair folk, imps, trolls, and pixies—they haunt our myths from Ireland to Iceland and everywhere else. Join in the fairy fun, or fairy fear, as good, bad, and mischievous they show themselves. Dare you take the trip to Fairyland? No one who returns is ever quite the same.
And Fiona and her phouka are delighted to join in on the fun in Here be Fairies:
Fiona’s mother and siblings are fairies. Sparkles everywhere. Her uncle is a leprechaun, complete with rainbow and pot of gold. But Fiona takes after her father’s side of the family – the plain-old human side, without a drop of magic of her own.
And while the leprechaun did agree to grant her wish for her very own magic, she should have known better than for it to turn out exactly as she’d hoped for…
You can find Here be Fairies at your favorite online retailer.
And Then I Woke Up Dead in “Stars in the Darkness”
I am not a fan of the eat-your-face-off zombies of movies and TV shows, so when Muzak ‘woke up’ on the page, and introduced himself to me as a newly-dead, gay, interior decorator, zombie from Philadelphia, I knew it would be a challenge to write past the tropes and stereotypes and develop him authentically.
Turned into a zombie by accident, lost, and struggling to find his place in the world, And Then I Woke Up Dead is a fanciful depiction of the challenges faced by many displaced individuals. Whether it’s those trying to cope with mental illness, find a job that lets them eat more than dog food, deal with rejection from friends and loved ones, or manage to survive on the street, it’s important that we remember the basic humanity of every person we encounter – even when their outer shell isn’t perfect.
I’m very pleased to have Muzak’s tale included in Stars in the Darkness:
Stars in the Darkness is a collection of stories about why being just matters, and what the ramifications are for individuals, groups, towns, countries, or even worlds if justice is not expected, encouraged, or enforced.
The stories cover a wide range, from historical fiction to fantasy to alternate realities. Every tale, whether set in ancient Egypt, in a future where only the rich can afford to increase their children’s intelligence through genetic engineering, or about a man turned into a zombie by accident, sends a message about what matters. These stories show bravery, compassion, courage—and consequences.
All proceeds from this collection will be donated to the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Human Rights Campaign.
Available on Amazon, iBooks, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and Books2Read.
Of Cats and Lost Socks in “The Witches’ Brew” bundle!
What better way to kick off October than to announce my newest Suburbia short story: Of Cats and Lost Socks.
A witch. A cat. A curse.
When Emmaline McMurtree falls victim to a rival witch’s curse, it’s up to her familiar, Marley, to save the day.
Of Cats and Lost Socks is now available in The Witches’ Brew Bundle, exclusively through BundleRabbit. Check it out!
Imuji in “Fantasy in the City” collection
I’m excited to announce a new Olympus High short story – Imuji.
Tim’s would-be girlfriend has snakes in her hair.
His best friend appears to be incombustible.
And during the night, a dragon tattoo has appeared
on Tim’s arm, a symbol of his half-Korean heritage.
Tim MacLaren was an ordinary student at Olympus High,
until the day after his seventeenth birthday when he discovered
that, like most of his friends, he was anything but “ordinary.”
Imuji is part of the Fantasy in the City bundle – an exciting collection of twenty short urban fantasy stories, offered through BundleRabbit.
What’s BundleRabbit? I’m glad you asked! BundleRabbit is a cool new way you can get collections of stories, by authors you know and authors new to you. The Fantasy in the City bundle is only available for a limited time, so you’ll want to “hop” on over right away!
— Liz
A drop of rain…
Sitting by my window, drinking my morning coffee and watching this crazy spring weather, I couldn’t help but think just how magical the rain really is. I love the rain and a good thunder storm, I love how it can truly go with every mood/emotion. It gives life, washes away the dirt, and brings beauty to the scary things in life.
Too often, we let ourselves be distracted by the busy-ness of our everyday lives, and miss the beauty of something as simple as a raindrop.
Whether it’s a gentle spring shower or a full-blown thunderstorm, or simply the scent of raindrops pattering in the dust on a hot summer day, I hope you’ll take a moment to find the magic in the little things.
Spring into Books
I’ll be reading an excerpt of “Dead Fred“ from the Fiction River: Sparks anthology at the League of Utah Writers Spring into Books event on May 28th.
I’ll have copies of the anthology available for purchase, as well as previews from Eternally Grounded and Phouka (both available on Amazon and Kobo) and Imuji (coming soon from BuundleRabbit), all part of my Olympus High short story collection, .
Hope to see you there!
*****
UPDATE: It was wonderful seeing so many people at the Spring Into Books event – and thanks for dropping by my website! Be sure to sign up for my newsletter (the form is in the upper right corner of the page) for updates on future appearances and publications! And happy reading, everyone! –Liz
“Dead Fred” in Fiction River: Sparks
I’ve written several short stories about the characters in Just Another Day in Suburbia, and writing for this anthology gave me the opportunity to tell you a little more about Muzak’s friend, Grace Hewlett.
In Dead Fred, which takes place about three years before the events in Just Another Day in Suburbia, Grace is still in high school – and trying to figure out what she thinks about the school’s new janitor, a zombie named Fred. Her father makes an appearance, together with the dreaded Mrs. Simpson, as do Mrs. McMurtree and her cat, Marley.
I had a wonderful time writing Dead Fred, and was delighted that my editor, Rebecca Moesta, chose to include it in this collection with so many other wonderful stories. I hope you enjoy it, too!
Fiction River: Sparks is available in electronic and paper formats from WMG Publishing, or your favorite electronic bookstore.
Enjoy!
Phouka
Fiona’s mother and siblings are fairies. Sparkles everywhere. Her uncle is a leprechaun, complete with rainbow and pot of gold. But Fiona takes after her father’s side of the family – the plain-old human side, without a drop of magic of her own.
And while the leprechaun did agree to grant her wish for her very own magic, she should have known better than for it to turn out exactly as she’d hoped for…
An Olympus High short story
Available on Amazon and Kobo, and coming soon to Nook and iBooks. $0.99
Woodland Music
A magical, inspiring video of a large xylophone winding through the forest of Kyushu, Japan, made me think of walking through Faerie and hearing this beautiful music playing in the distance. And imagine, if while you were listening it started to lightly rain – not just any rain, but a warm rain, glistening with all the colors of the forest.
It’s so peaceful – the beautiful sounds of nature together with the clicking of the ball dropping down the wood is simply magnificent, and magnificently simple! It constantly amazes me, the things that people create. It shows us that there is still plenty of magic to be shared here in the Real World.
To experience this beautiful video for yourself, follow this link: “Touch Wood in a Japanese Forest with Bach.”
