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<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><rss xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:openSearch="http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/" xmlns:blogger="http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008" xmlns:georss="http://www.georss.org/georss" xmlns:gd="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005" xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0" version="2.0"><channel><atom:id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441</atom:id><lastBuildDate>Sat, 04 May 2024 02:06:42 +0000</lastBuildDate><category>Books</category><category>writing</category><category>creativity</category><category>Electric Spec Submissions</category><category>First Page Critique Game</category><category>Free Advice</category><category>epilogues</category><category>hugs all around</category><title>Electric Spec Editor Blog</title><description>From the editors of Electric Spec, an e-zine featuring shockingly good short works of science fiction, fantasy, and the macabre.</description><link>http://electricspec.blogspot.com/</link><managingEditor>noreply@blogger.com (lesleylsmith)</managingEditor><generator>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>1467</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>25</openSearch:itemsPerPage><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441.post-902974248722633979</guid><pubDate>Tue, 30 Apr 2024 18:23:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2024-04-30T11:23:10.686-07:00</atom:updated><title>Phew!</title><description>Phew! We <A href="http://electricspec.com">Electric Spec</A> Editors finally finished the slush reading for the <big>marvelous May 2024 issue</big>! We got it done just under the wire. This means <i>every</i> author who submitted for this issue should have received an email by now. Said email might be a rejection or it might be we are holding a story for voting. If the former: Sorry! Better luck next time! If the latter: Stay tuned! Good luck!<br>If you didn't hear from us, your story might have gotten lost in cyberspace. This happens every once in a while. I'm not sure why...<p>Next week I'll tell you what happened at the Production Meeting.</description><link>http://electricspec.blogspot.com/2024/04/phew.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (lesleylsmith)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441.post-2605770323193172250</guid><pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 12:00:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2024-04-23T05:00:00.143-07:00</atom:updated><title>Behind the scenes</title><description>The <A href="http://electricspec.com">Electric Spec</A> editors are working hard behind the scenes on the <big>marvelous May 2024 issue</big>! We have scheduled the Production meeting for the beginning of May. Food and drink will be involved!<p>We are reading the stories in the slush pile. Different editors have different processes. Some like to read a few stories every week. At the opposite extreme, some like to power through many stories in one sitting. Obviously, in the first scenario each story gets a lot of individual attention. In the second scenario, it's easier to compare stories with one another. In all scenarios your story will have a better chance if it grabs the reader right away. <p>Of course, editors have their own idiosyncrasies. Personally, I'm not excited about stories over 5,000 words because they're extra work for us in terms of editing and formatting, etc. Each editor enjoys different genres. I enjoy time travel tales and quantum fiction. But, don't worry, we all enjoy <i>good</i> stories. <p>Bottom line: if you submitted a story: Thank You! And Good Luck!</description><link>http://electricspec.blogspot.com/2024/04/behind-scenes.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (lesleylsmith)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441.post-1218624568437380834</guid><pubDate>Tue, 16 Apr 2024 12:00:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2024-04-16T05:00:00.355-07:00</atom:updated><title>Give your story the best shot</title><description>Wow! We're excited about all the great stories we got for the <big>marvelous May 2024 issue of <A href="http://electricspec.com">Electric Spec</A>!</big> Submissions for this issue are now closed.<br>Since we get so many stories, there's an easy way you can give your story the best possible shot at publication: obey our submission rules.Recall, these submission rules are listed on our <A href="http://electricspec.com/Submissions.html">Submission page</A>. The main items are:<ul><li>between 250 and 7000 words <li>traditional manuscript format: indented paragraphs instead of left justification and double-spaced <li>include the title, your name, address, and word length on the first page of your story <li>attachment in Rich Text Format (RTF) <li>subject line: SUBMISSION: Story Title by Author's Name (Word Count) <li>include a a cover letter <li>submit only one story at a time</ul><br>Thanks for submitting! Good luck! </description><link>http://electricspec.blogspot.com/2024/04/give-your-story-best-shot.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (lesleylsmith)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441.post-4749813699971810300</guid><pubDate>Tue, 09 Apr 2024 12:00:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2024-04-09T05:00:00.134-07:00</atom:updated><title>Grab the reader</title><description>The next submission deadline is fast approaching: <b>April 15, 2024</b>.<br>We've already received a lot of great stories for the marvelous <big>May 2024 Electric Spec Issue</big>! <br>If you've submitted: thank you!<br>Our large number of stories means we get to be very selective about which we ultimately pick. Competition is stiff. For authors, this means you will be better off if you grab the reader on the first page. You will be even better off if you grab the reader in the first paragraph. There are many ways to do this including unique characterizations, dialogue, and/or descriptions, dramatic problems, dialogue and/or settings. Make the reader wonder: what happens next? If the editor is thinking this, we are much more likely to buy the story.<br>Good luck with your story!</description><link>http://electricspec.blogspot.com/2024/04/grab-reader.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (lesleylsmith)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441.post-4162708877284617428</guid><pubDate>Tue, 02 Apr 2024 12:00:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2024-04-02T05:00:00.260-07:00</atom:updated><title>Gruesome murder stories</title><description>We, the <A href="http://electricspec.com">Electric Spec</A> Editors, have been hard at work on the <big>marvelous May 2024 issue</big>! This involves reading a lot of stories from the slush pile. I'm not sure why but recently I got to read several stories that featured gruesome, and/or bloody, and/or gory murders. Some of these were well-written stories. But it doesn't matter. We do not publish gruesome murder stories. Please send these stories to other markets! <br>Thanks!</description><link>http://electricspec.blogspot.com/2024/04/gruesome-murder-stories.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (lesleylsmith)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441.post-356962986719973139</guid><pubDate>Tue, 19 Mar 2024 16:12:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2024-03-19T09:12:35.049-07:00</atom:updated><title>Basking in the February glow...</title><description>Phew! We're still basking in the glow of the fabulous <big>February 2024 issue of <A href="http://electricspec.com">Electric Spec</A></big>.<br>We're so proud to present our stories:<ul><li>"Artifacts" by Christian H. Smith--There's a secret way to bring wonders from dreams into the waking world, but some dreams turn into nightmares.<li>"Family Roots, Family Thorns" by Brian D. Hinson--The heir apparent to a spacefaring agricultural dynasty faces the dangers of ambition, betrayal, and DNA splicing.<li>"Neither Snow nor Rain nor Gloom" by Kathryn Yelinek--Delivering mail in faerie tale land takes muscle and determination... and a bit of sass doesn't hurt.<li>"Wane and Wax" by Devan Barlow--A princess with long hair, a tower, and a handsome suitor. This time, it's not what you might expect.<li>"The Howl of Darkest Night & Other Tales" by Alex James Donne--Horror stories are supposed to haunt us, though maybe not this much.</ul><br>Which one is your favorite? I can't decide!</description><link>http://electricspec.blogspot.com/2024/03/basking-in-february-glow.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (lesleylsmith)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441.post-5235972509138422082</guid><pubDate>Tue, 12 Mar 2024 12:00:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2024-03-12T05:00:00.145-07:00</atom:updated><title>Announcing 2024 RMFW Anthology</title><description><center><img src="http://lesleylsmith.com/Images/RMFWAnthology2024.jpg" width="50%"></center><p>Many of the <A href="http://electricspec.com">Electric Spec</A> editors have been, or are, members of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers (RMFW).<br> We are excited about the 2024 anthology "Without Brakes, Fingers Crossed" which will be published September 7, 2024 and will include a story by the fabulous Paolo Bacigalupi!<p> Read all about it on the <A href="https://rmfw.org/blog/" target="_blank">March 8 RMFW blog</A>,</description><link>http://electricspec.blogspot.com/2024/03/announcing-2024-rmfw-anthology.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (lesleylsmith)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441.post-6340746125619810781</guid><pubDate>Tue, 05 Mar 2024 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2024-03-05T06:00:00.133-07:00</atom:updated><title>From February Author Hinson</title><description>We are pleased the author of "Family Roots, Family Thorns," Brian D. Hinson, in the fabulous February 2024 issue of <A href="http:electricspec.com">Electric Spec</A> sent us some comments about the story:<br><hr width="70%"><p> A woman walks into a bar in New Taichung, Callisto… <p><i>Mirjana settled in at the Jammed Neck Ring, where a human bartender served. His braided red-blonde beard reached his belt. As she sat, he asked, “Perhaps you would like to try Quevedo Reposado Tequila?” </i></p><p> A group of New Mexico professional SFF authors, under the banner of Turquoise Apocalypse, meet once a month to critique. The quote above is from my novel that’s currently in search of a literary agent, but when it was under critique, Rebecca Roanhorse (Between Earth and Sky Trilogy) took issue with the scene above. “Would they really have tequila on the moons of Jupiter?”</p><p> Fair point. Tequila is made from blue agave, which takes an average of ten years to mature before it can be harvested for tequila production. It needs mineral-rich soil and a semi-arid climate that’s not excessively hot. The highest quality blue agave is grown in the state of Jallisco, Mexico where the altitude is around 5,000 feet, a major contributor to the necessary mild clime.</p><p> So, Rebecca had inspired me to write about the fictional Quevedo dynasty: centuries-long growers of agave and distillers of tequila. And Liquor Royalty. In the background of “Family Roots, Family Thorns,” the Quevedo family packed up the business when Earth’s climate made growing agave naturally beneath the skies impossible. Instead of going underground with climate-controlled greenhouses to scratch profit from a dwindling earth market, the Quevedos struck out for the Outer, where the market was untapped. Some genetic tweaking with the agave gave it maturity in two years.</p><p> And so the story begins with trouble in the dynasty, when the father chooses an heir to the fortune. And genetic engineering isn’t confined to the crop. It's employed in bizarre and contemptible ways during this brother-against-brother family war. And the effects stretch beyond what either brother predicted.</p><p> So, enjoy a shot of Quevedo Tequila, “…a little sunshine makes all the difference.”<br><hr width="70%">Interesting! Thanks, Brian!<br>Readers, be sure to check out all the February 2024 stories!</description><link>http://electricspec.blogspot.com/2024/03/from-february-author-hinson.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (lesleylsmith)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441.post-4141932002213358463</guid><pubDate>Wed, 28 Feb 2024 22:33:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2024-02-28T15:33:14.077-07:00</atom:updated><title>Fabulous February 2024 Issue Live!</title><description>The fabulous <big>February 2024 issue of <A href="http://www.electricspec.com">Electric Spec</A> is live!</big> <br>Thank you, authors! Thank you to our artist! <br> Thank you to the whole Electric Spec team!<p> Thank you, readers! <br>We hope you enjoy this issue as much as we did.</description><link>http://electricspec.blogspot.com/2024/02/fabulous-february-2024-issue-live.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (lesleylsmith)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441.post-6058756463545928552</guid><pubDate>Tue, 27 Feb 2024 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2024-02-27T06:00:00.158-07:00</atom:updated><title>From February Author Yelinek</title><description>We are pleased to announce one of our featured stories in the fabulous February 2024 issue of <A href="http:electricspec.com">Electric Spec</A> is "Neither Snow nor Rain nor Gloom" by Kathryn Yelinek. Kathryn was kind enough to send us some comments about the story:<br><hr width="70%"><p>Back when I was in college, I studied French. Now that I've been out of college for a number of years, I wanted to pick up the language again. There's a magazine that specializes in easy articles in French for native English speakers. Each issue focuses on a specific region of France or overseas French territory. One issue focused on Réunion, an island in the Indian Ocean. It featured an article about the postal carriers. Because Réunion is so remote, the mail carriers there walk their entire routes, almost a hundred miles a week.</p><p>I found this fascinating. The article focused both on the rigors and dedication of the postal carriers as well as the natural beauty of the land and the connection the carriers have to the people they serve. Me being me, I immediately thought of Fairy and what a postal carrier in some of the wilder regions of Fairy might encounter. I also remembered the dedication of my local postal workers during the pandemic. I wanted to honor them with something a little lighter, because many of my stories focus on heavier topics such as loss or loneliness. I'm pleased with how "Neither Snow nor Rain nor Gloom" turned out.<br><hr width="70%">Interesting! Thanks, Kathryn!Be sure to check out all the new stories on February 28, 2024!</description><link>http://electricspec.blogspot.com/2024/02/from-february-author-yelinek.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (lesleylsmith)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441.post-1012613371798930687</guid><pubDate>Thu, 22 Feb 2024 17:55:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2024-02-22T10:55:14.136-07:00</atom:updated><title>Feb 2024 cover sneak peek</title><description>In our upcoming fabulous <big>February 2024 issue of <A href="http://www.electricspec.com">Electric Spec</A></big> we will feature "Jupiter Project" by UK artist and science fiction fan Andrew C. Stewart. <br>About his work, Andrew says: <i> I am a airbrush artist based in Nottingham UK. I like to experiment with different Airbrushes. I like to use a Paasche 1934 vintage Airbrush. My work has evolved over the years and I enjoy experimenting different techniques with the Airbrush.</i><p>Without further ado, let's take a sneak peek at the piece:<p><Center><img src="http://www.electricspec.com/Images/ESpec_Cover_Feb2024.jpg" width="60%"></center> </description><link>http://electricspec.blogspot.com/2024/02/feb-2024-cover-sneak-peek.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (lesleylsmith)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441.post-2019490939610676392</guid><pubDate>Tue, 13 Feb 2024 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2024-02-13T06:00:00.130-07:00</atom:updated><title>Ambiguous Endings</title><description>At the recent production meeting we had a discussion on ambiguous endings. Some editors like everything tied up in a neat little bow. Some editors like readers deciding for themselves how the story ends based on the author's clues. It's actually not the first time the topic has come up. One of our retired editors often lobbied for stories that let the reader decide; she said it was more literary and sophisticated. <p>So, anyway one of our editors is currently working with one of our authors on a story ending. We'll see what they come up with... <p>What's your preference for a story ending?</description><link>http://electricspec.blogspot.com/2024/02/ambiguous-endings.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (lesleylsmith)</author><thr:total>1</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441.post-3452971182098646263</guid><pubDate>Tue, 06 Feb 2024 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2024-02-06T06:00:00.131-07:00</atom:updated><title>Production Meeting report</title><description>Woo hoo! We had a successful <A href="http://www.electricspec.com">Electric Spec</A> production meeting for the fabulous <big>February 28, 2024 issue</big>! If you submitted art or fiction for this issue: Thank you! We appreciate your efforts!<p>Authors should hear back from editors with a yay or nay this week. (Many of these emails have already gone out.) Please check your spam or junk folders. If you got an acceptance, please email us back ASAP because the February issue has a short turn-around. Once we hear back, we will start editing stories. This may involve multiple back-and-forths with authors. <p>After we get a final story version with the author, the story still has to go for proofreading. And, then, we pass the story off to the tech team. <br>We also add the authors' and artist's bios to the website and write the Letter from the Editors. And hopefully, we'll get some fun blog entries to post right here later in the month. <br>If everything goes smoothly, the authors and artist will get paid on February 27, 2024. We <i>will</i> publish on Feb 28--we haven't missed a deadline yet! <p>Check back here next week for more info about the fun new issue! </description><link>http://electricspec.blogspot.com/2024/02/production-meeting-report.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (lesleylsmith)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441.post-6102102472204519532</guid><pubDate>Tue, 30 Jan 2024 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2024-01-30T06:00:00.137-07:00</atom:updated><title>scads of slush</title><description>The Editors of <A href="http://electricspec.com"> Electric Spec</A> are hard at work reading scads and scads of slush. If you submitted: Thank You! We appreciate our authors and our aspiring authors. <br>It's getting to be crunch time as our production meeting occurs in the beginning of February. So, next time, I'll report on that meeting.<p>In the meantime, here are some takeaways from our recent slush pile...<ul><li>Do include some showing within your first 500 words. I saw a lot of <i>telling</i>. Other markets may like 100% telling; we do not. <li>Do earn your death. I saw a lot of people die. I get it; death is very dramatic. But authors should make readers care about their characters before they kill them off. After reading so much death, I'm a little tired of it. :( <li>It's odd but sometimes we end up with some quite similar stories in Hold-For-Voting. When this happens, we only pick one of the bunch. I guess the way to deal with this is to make sure your story and characters are unique. </ul>I'll leave it there. I need to prepare for the production meeting!<br>Stay tuned for more behind-the-scenes info!</description><link>http://electricspec.blogspot.com/2024/01/scads-of-slush.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (lesleylsmith)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441.post-1120979354824651634</guid><pubDate>Tue, 16 Jan 2024 22:27:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2024-01-16T15:27:39.885-07:00</atom:updated><title>Snow day</title><description>Phew! It is very snowy here in the U.S. Rockies with high winds and extremely cold temps. :(What a great day to stay inside and read slush...<p>The submission period for the fabulous <big>February 2024 issue of <A href="http://electricspec.com">Electric Spec</A></big> has passed. If you submitted: Thank You! <br>The editors are all hard at work doing their reading. Stay tuned for more info later in the month. <p>Stay warm!</description><link>http://electricspec.blogspot.com/2024/01/snow-day.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (lesleylsmith)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441.post-335539933702647987</guid><pubDate>Tue, 09 Jan 2024 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2024-01-09T06:00:00.137-07:00</atom:updated><title>Slushy tips</title><description>Welcome to 2024! Wow, time flies! We are already working on the fabulous <big>February 2024 issue of <A href="http://electricspec.com">Electric Spec</A></big>. Editors are reading lots of slush. If you submitted: Thank You!<br>This brings me to some tips for slush authors:<ul><li>Do obey our submissions rules. Failure to do so may make the editor cranky. If you need a refresher, see <A href="http://electricspec.com/Submissions.html">the submissions page</A>. <br>Highlights include: <ul><li>Do stick to our word limits (250 to 7000) <li>Do include an rtf attachment <li>Do include a subject line at least with: Submission: Title <li>Do include at least a brief cover letter </ul> <li> Do not start with all dialogue <li>Do not start with all description <li>Do start your story on page one. If the editor is only <i>confused</i> at the bottom of page one, it doesn't bode well...</ul>I'll leave it there for now. <br>Good luck, Authors! </description><link>http://electricspec.blogspot.com/2024/01/slushy-tips.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (lesleylsmith)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441.post-6848130644009920123</guid><pubDate>Tue, 02 Jan 2024 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2024-01-02T06:00:00.143-07:00</atom:updated><title>Happy National Science Fiction Day!</title><description><center> <br><img src="http://www.lesleylsmith.com/Images/science-fiction-scene.jpg" width="90%"> <br><small><small>Image by liuzishan on Freepik</small></small></center></description><link>http://electricspec.blogspot.com/2024/01/happy-national-science-fiction-day.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (lesleylsmith)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441.post-2938582386068303335</guid><pubDate>Tue, 19 Dec 2023 22:45:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2023-12-19T15:45:00.136-07:00</atom:updated><title>Happy Holidays!</title><description><center><img src="http://www.lesleylsmith.com/Images/Happy_Holidays_2023.gif" width="80%"><br>The Electric Spec staff are taking a little time off...<br>Best wishes and happy holidays to you and your families! </center></description><link>http://electricspec.blogspot.com/2023/12/happy-holidays.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (lesleylsmith)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441.post-4581587032948158210</guid><pubDate>Tue, 12 Dec 2023 22:32:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2023-12-12T15:32:00.126-07:00</atom:updated><title>Year in review</title><description>At the end of the year, <i>Locus</i>, collects information/stats on all the speculative fiction magazines. Thus, I recently looked over the stats of <A href="https://electricspec.com">Electric Spec</A> to send them. Electric Spec is considered a non-profit semiprozine. We had about 1000 unique visitors per month 2023 and about 7600 hits per month. <br>Thank you, readers!<p>We continue to get hundreds of submissions for each issue. Thank you, authors! <p>I do recommend reading Locus' Year-in-Review for lots of great info about spec fic markets. The 2022 summary is <A href="https://locusmag.com/2023/02/year-in-review-2022-magazine-summary/#:~:text=Paid%20circulation%20was%20down%205.8,a%20successful%20winter%20Indiegogo%20campaign." target="_blank">here</A>. <br>I'll try to post the 2023 review here in February (when it usually comes out) 2024.</description><link>http://electricspec.blogspot.com/2023/12/year-in-review.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (lesleylsmith)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441.post-8762125066352518259</guid><pubDate>Tue, 05 Dec 2023 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2023-12-05T06:00:00.133-07:00</atom:updated><title>What a wonderful issue!</title><description>We just published another wonderful issue of <A href="http://electricspec.com" target="_blank">Electric Spec</A>! <br>We were pleased to present:<ul><li>"Coffee with a Repentant Ghost" by Maureen Bowden--It's hard to let go of your best friend, especially when they keep showing up for coffee.<li>"Whispers in the Wind" by Jess L Freed-- Being the chosen avatar of the wind only ever ends in tragedy. Is it possible to change fate?<li>"I Am Your Demise" by Clifford Piel--Is death a mystery, or a puzzle that can be solved?<li>"Meat Flower" by Ian Keith--Tom has a horrible affliction, but he can't see it, and nobody will tell him what it is. Until...<li>"The Tank and the Grasshopper" by J Wallace--You might think a giant war engine would have every advantage over a tiny mechanical bug. You might be wrong.</ul><br>In addition, in Editor's Corner, we have a fascinating interview with Associate Editor Bonnie Ramthun and an excerpt from her wonderful new middle grade fantasy series The Centerville Chronicles!<br>Check it all out!</description><link>http://electricspec.blogspot.com/2023/12/what-wonderful-issue.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (lesleylsmith)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441.post-5594959380117644678</guid><pubDate>Thu, 30 Nov 2023 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2023-11-30T06:00:00.134-07:00</atom:updated><title>We Are Live!</title><description>The fabulous <big>November 2023 issue of <A href="http://www.electricspec.com">Electric Spec</A> is live!</big> <br>Thank you, authors! Thank you to our artist! <br> Thank you to the whole Electric Spec team!<p> Thank you, readers! <br>We hope you enjoy this issue as much as we did.</description><link>http://electricspec.blogspot.com/2023/11/we-are-live.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (lesleylsmith)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441.post-5808549395314523315</guid><pubDate>Tue, 28 Nov 2023 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2023-11-28T06:00:00.140-07:00</atom:updated><title>From November Author Piel</title><description>We are excited to announce one of our featured stories in the awesome November 2023 <A href="http:electricspec.com">Electric Spec</A> is "I Am Your Demise" by Clifford Piel. Clifford was kind enough to send us some comments about the story:<br><hr width="70%">The idea of this story was taken from a dream my father-in-law had before he passed away in 2009. The premise of his dream revolved around a jigsaw puzzle that kept changing, but other details of his dream were murky. He had told my wife’s sister that the dream had haunted him so she thought the concept would be a good springboard for a story. I allowed it to stew in my head for a few months but I didn’t start typing until my wife recently reminded me again of her father’s dream.<p>I used a military veteran as my protagonist since my father-in-law, my son and I are all military veterans. As a father and Operation Desert Storm veteran, I also understand how worrisome it is when a loved one gets deployed, especially to a hostile region. I decided to tap into that worry and fear associated with the terrifying thought of “what if”. Once I got going, the rest just came together. What I have found for myself and writing is that sometimes it is best for an idea to steep in my head a while before I try to make any sense of it. And when I get stuck, I just read more. Reading tends to unclog the blockage.<br>I am very grateful to the editors at Electric Spec for choosing my story.<br><hr width="70%">Interesting! Thanks, Clifford!Be sure to check out all the new stories on November 30, 2023!</description><link>http://electricspec.blogspot.com/2023/11/from-november-author-piel.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (lesleylsmith)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441.post-1984245560866298717</guid><pubDate>Tue, 21 Nov 2023 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2023-11-21T06:00:00.134-07:00</atom:updated><title>From November Artist Quinn</title><description>In November we're excited to feature another piece of art from Brian Malachy Quinn, "Of Mice and Men." Brian was kind enought send along a few words about his piece... <br><hr width="80%"><p> "Of Mice and Men" was inspired by my early days as a children’s book illustrator where I got my start as an illustrator. Of course, you do lots of cute animals wearing clothes and engage in anthropomorphism. I took it to the limits here as you do with speculative fiction and put our raging rodent in armor and made him fierce. Illustrating children’s books severely limits what you can do as an artist and my passion was in speculative fiction which when I went to basically shut the door on illustrating in the children’s genre – but so be it. I’m quite content with where I am today.</p> <p>The background here had to be unique and eye catching as is my calling card. Whereas the title refers to the futility of a nobler idea to the overpowering by a trite concept such as vanity - we have the banality that mice can be vanquished by men easily, but maybe all will be turned on its head and here our mouse can not only stand up to any mortal but be the better of any homo sapien on the battlefield. Will future evolution or accidental DNA manipulation in a lab undo the current status quo? Maybe not such a bad thing considering the state of the world today. </p><br><hr>Thanks, Brian! Very interesting!Without further ado, here's a tiny sneak peek at our cover art for the November 2023 issue of <A href="http://electricspec.com">Electric Spec</A>:<br><center><img src="http://www.electricspec.com/Images/ESpec_Cover_Nov2023.jpg" width="40%"></center></description><link>http://electricspec.blogspot.com/2023/11/from-november-artist-quinn.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (lesleylsmith)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441.post-3662491149961791379</guid><pubDate>Tue, 14 Nov 2023 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2023-11-14T06:00:00.145-07:00</atom:updated><title>From November Author Bowden</title><description>We are excited to announce one of our featured stories in the awesome November 2023 <A href="http:electricspec.com">Electric Spec</A> is "Coffee with a Repentant Ghost" by Maureen Bowden. Maureen was kind enough to send us some comments about the story:<br><hr width="70%">I belong to a little circle of writers. We discuss and critique each other’s work, as well as chatting about life, the universe and everything. We constantly put the world to rights but unfortunately the world won’t listen. We also take turns in setting a writing challenge every month. A recent one was to write about meeting a ghost for coffee. It inspired my story, ‘Coffee with a Repentant Ghost.’<p>I approached the story by considering what would be the ghost’s motivation for hanging around on the physical plain. It must be more substantial than just nostalgia. I hit upon match-making with a touch of emotional blackmail thrown into the mix. I added a couple of references to non-fictional characters and actual places to assist in the suspension of disbelief and I had my story. It was great fun to write. I hope you good folk find it fun to read.<br><hr width="70%">Interesting! Thanks, Maureen!Be sure to check out all the new stories on November 30, 2023!</description><link>http://electricspec.blogspot.com/2023/11/from-november-author-bowden.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (lesleylsmith)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441.post-5115620210139852848</guid><pubDate>Tue, 07 Nov 2023 15:54:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2023-11-07T08:54:00.723-07:00</atom:updated><title>Spooky Production Meeting</title><description>Phew! The <A href="http://electricspec.com">Electric Spec</A> Editors managed to get through the slush pile before the November issue production meeting. Thank you for all your submissions! We appreciate it! There were many excellent stories to choose from.<p>We had a spooky Halloween-influenced meeting. There was a Covid-19 scare. <i>Boo!</i> There were a lot of spooky horror stories among the finalists. <i>Boo!</i> Consequently, we had to discuss a lot of spookiness. <i>Boo! </i></p> <p>Authors whose stories didn't quite fit the issue should have been contacted by now. (Check your spam or junk folder.) Authors whose stories did fit the issue are being contacted this week. (Check your spam or junk folder!) Once we hear back regarding the contract we will start editing. We are excited to work with our November authors!</p> <p>The bottom line for readers: the <big>notable November 2023 issue</big> is well in hand. I'll start telling you about it next week. Maybe we'll even have some blog entries from contributors!</p></description><link>http://electricspec.blogspot.com/2023/11/spooky-production-meeting.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (lesleylsmith)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item></channel></rss>If you would like to create a banner that links to this page (i.e. this validation result), do the following:
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