The Journal of Michael Merriam

Hi everyone.

I know it has been kind of quiet around her lately. In fact, I haven't posted since just after CoreCon. There has been a lot going on over the last month, and I promise to explain, at least in part, the long silence. That post will happen next week, right after 4th Street Fantasy Convention.

Which brings me to this post: I realized I'm going to be at a couple of convention over the next few weeks and have a few other bits of news to share. So here comes the sharing.

This weekend I will be at 4th Street Fantasy Convention. I will be moderating a panel Friday evening, Short Fiction, with a crowd of really talented authors. After that I will be part of the ongoing discussion that is 4th Street Fantasy Con. More info about programming here: http://www.4thstreetfantasy.com/2013/programming/

On the 2nd of July I will be competing in the second semi-final round of StorySlamMN. The storytelling starts at 8pm and is at Kieran's Irish Pub in downtown Minneapolis. Come down and hear me compete with some of the finest storytellers in the Midwest. http://slammn.org/storyslam

And of course, over the 4th of July weekend I will be at CONvergence. I'll post more about my schedule closer to the convention, but in truth, I've dialed it back this year, going down to a mere six programing items, as opposed to the eight to twelve I typically get involved in.

Finally, my new short fiction collection, Whispers in Space will be available in the next few weeks to sale, More information there as I have it.

And I promise, there will be a big update and post after the convention. Promise.

Originally posted at michaelmerriam.net. You can comment here or there. 

It is official: My SF short story collection, "Whispers in Space" will be published next year by SDP. Announcement here. I will post more information closer to publication.

Because I know some of you got eReaders of one type or another for the holidays. And because as much I love writing, I also have to eat and pay bills. So here is my post-holidays marketing sales pitch for all my available books, both print and electronic.

Coffee For Your Body, Flames For Your Soul: Urban Fantasy Short Story

It came to the diner looking for a soul to devour.

At a late-night diner, the manager finds himself faced with a nightmare from his past: The Nalusachita, a mythical-creature of his Choctaw ancestors.

Determined to protect his customers from the shape-changing soul-stealer but unsure how, the manager sets out to clear the restaurant at closing time.

What neither manager or monster counted on was the eccentric patrons of the diner, and how they would react to the mythical creature…

Coffee For Your Body, Flames For Your Soul is available in ebook at Musa Publishing, Amazon, and Smashwords.

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The Horror at Cold Springs: Steampunk / Supernatural Western Novella

When a disparate group of travelers find themselves stranded in a ghost town on the western Nebraska frontier, will they unravel the mystery of the missing townsfolk and survive to tell the tale?

The Horror at Cold Springs is available in print from The Sam's Dot Publishing Bookstore and in all ebook formats from Smashwords.

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Last Car to Annwn Station: Urban Fantasy Novel / Paranormal Romance - Readings in Lesbian & Bisexual Women's Fiction Blog pick for Top Ten Books, 2011.

“The fare is ten cents, miss.”

Mae Malveaux, an attorney with Minneapolis Child Protective Services, is burnt-out, tired and frustrated. Passing on an invite from Jill, her flirtatious coworker, Mae just wants a quiet night in. Leaving the office late, she’s surprised to find the Heritage Line streetcars up and running and hops aboard, eager for a quick trip home.
But this is no ordinary streetcar. Death is one of its riders, and Mae is thrust into Annwn, a realm of magic and danger.

“Your transfer, miss. You’ll need that.”

Mae’s life is turned upside down as human and fae worlds collide. Her budding relationship with Jill takes a perilous turn when they are hunted by mythical beasts, and Mae is drawn into a deadly power struggle. With Jill at her side, Mae must straddle both worlds and fight a war she barely comprehends, for not only does the fate of Annwn rest in her hands, but the lives of both a human and fae child…

Last Car to Annwn Station is available in ebook format at Carina Press, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and in audio format at Audible.

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Shimmers & Shadows: Short Story Collection

These diverse short stories unfold where the faery realm intersects with the mundane world of the Twin Cities, in the spacefaring future of exploration and adventure, and in a mythical land of sorcery and danger. Here you will find tales of adventure, horror, enchantment, humor, tragedy, and romance where:
…a young outcast strikes a hard bargain with the Muddy River
…two very different spirits find sanctuary in a historic shopping mall
…a space transport captain makes a difficult choice and falls headlong into the middle of a conspiracy
…a fallen Seelie champion is caught between his dark past and unusual mortal friends
…estranged lovers discover whether science or magic will save their dying Earth
…death is not the end, time does not always run in a straight line, and the rain blesses both mortals and fae.

Shimmers & Shadows is available at Lulu and in ebook for Kindle from Amazon.

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Should We Drown In Feathered Sleep: Near-Future Post-Apocalypse Fantasy Novella -- Long Listed for the 2010 Nebula Award.

A New Order

A new world is emerging years after war destroyed society. In a Minnesota lake, the last surviving loons, direct descendants of the legendary First Pair, await the one who can help heal the earth. Each year a human sacrifice is brought to them to be endowed with special gifts, but they come at a terrible price.

A Free Spirit

Even as the rest of the world rebuilds, Grace Kriske’s life is shattered. Unable to walk, she feels utterly dependent on her family and trapped in a community that disapproves of her rebellious ways. Grace’s only solace is her lover, David Tvedt, a trader who wants to take her away with him—if she’d let him.

An Impossible Choice

Yet something else calls to Grace—the loons. They haunt her dreams, lurking in her mind as if part of her deepest primal self. But when Grace is chosen as the new sacrifice, she’s afraid. Will she risk everything to help the community that shuns her, or will she choose her own path?

Should We Drown in Feathered Sleep is available in ebook at Carina Press, Amazon, and B&N. and in audio format at Audible.

Speculations Reading with Michael Merriam
Friday, February 4, 2011 6:30 PM
DreamHaven Books
2301 E 38th St
Minneapolis MN 55406

The reading will be at DreamHaven Books, 2301 E 38th St, Minneapolis, MN. Speculations Reading is accompanied by a reception with free soda pop and cookies. We will also bring baked goods and there will be prizes! Michael plans to read from his novellas, The Horror at cold Springs and Should We Drown in Feathered Sleep, and from his forthcoming novel, Last Car to Annwn Station.

Copies of The Horror at Cold Springs, Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales and Shimmers and Shadows will be for sale and available for signing.

After the reading, we will probably adjourn to Parkway Pizza (4457 42nd Ave South, Minneapolis, MN 55406) for pizza, drinks, and conversation.

For those of you who wanted to purchase a copy of The Horror at Cold Springs at CONvergence, but found it sold out, I have copies for sale now thanks to the publisher. You can also pick it up at the The Genre Mall.

And a quick reminder that Shimmers & Shadows is now available in a Kindle edition.

is now available in a Kindle edition.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003TQKVJ2

I love living in the future!

Since I'm so pleased with my cover art, I thought it would be a good time for a tip of the hat to the artist, Mitchell Davidson Bentley of Atomic Fly Studios.



I do have to say that I've been blessed with great cover art, be it this piece, Shimmers & Shadows, or the various magazines I've appeared in over the years.

I just wanted to let everyone know that I have some stories up at Anthology Builder. I've been thinking about putting together an anthology made up of people on my flist, and another made up of local Minnesota writers. If you haven't thought about adding your stories to Anthology Builder's site, you should. Any new source of revenue from an old story is a good thing, and it gives your friends a chance to buy stories by you and by other friends and have it on their bookshelf to enjoy forever.

Each of the three stories I have on the Anthology Builder site are also featured in my own short story collection,Shimmers & Shadows, of which I have several copies sitting around the house, looking forlorn. I expect to find homes for them when the convention season in the Twin Cities starts, but if you'd like a copy now, drop me an email.

I also want to point out that neutronjockey is looking for stories for his Pet Rescue/Humane Society Anthology. This is a non-paying market, but the proceeds from sales go to the above charity, so if you are--like me--a writer with little cash to donate, but a desire to help this cause, here is good way to do it. Click the link for the guidelines.

There will be a non-pimpage post this weekend. For now, I need decide on nominations for the Rhysling Awards, and then get ready for dinner out with friends tonight.

Cheers!

Last night's reading went well, I thought. We had a good crowd, nearly 30 people in the store, and Greg had to bring out more chairs for the audience. There were plenty of familiar faces, and some folks I had never met before, which is all to the good.

We arrived early, as is our custom. careswen handled the business end of things, setting up the books, making strips of paper for people to sign for the giveaway prizes, and generally working the crowd. We set the brownies and lemon bars out and Eric Heideman, who runs the Speculation Reading Series, brought drinks. When I bought the gift certificates to giveaway, Greg chuckled about how we really seemed to be organized, and I pointed out that one of the reasons we brought food and gave away gifts was that, even if I sucked, the audience might at least walk away happy from free food and swag.

Eric introduced me, and then I talked to the crowd a bit about what I was going to read. I found myself talking into the bottom of a water bottle. There was a perfectly good reason for this.



Since there were new people and unfamiliar faces, I started by reading from the short story collection, in the hopes we might sell a couple (we did, indeed, sell two copies). I read "Protect and Serve" first, a short, light-hearted piece to help me settle and warm up. I followed with "I Took the Tear," a short poem about love and time dilation. I read it a little too fast, sadly, but it seemed to go over well.

After that I switched to new stuff. I started the new works by reading the entirety of "At the Edge of Twilight, Melissa Remembers Flight." By then I think I had settled down and was reading better, and I was pleased to be reading something new. This seemed to be the piece that received the strongest over-all reaction, with several people telling me after the reading how much they had enjoyed it. I finished with a short action scene from "The Horror at Cold Springs," the Steampunk/Weird West novella that will be coming out later this year. I stopped at a tense moment and had people wanting more. I told them I'd let them know when the anthology it is appearing in becomes available for purchase.



And then I was out of time. I stood around and talked with several folks who had come out, and was pleased to see so many of my friends. (Dudes, there's just too many of you to list by Live Journal names, but you know who you are, and I feel blessed to have you all in my life). I was also pleased that they all seemed to enjoy themselves. After the reading we packed up and headed to The Cardinal, a local sports bar, for after-reading conversation and drinks. I met some new folks and had a great time talking with everyone, staying longer than I thought I was going to, since by then I was starting to feel less than well.

I made some tentative plans to get together with some folks at conventions next year, and to maybe share a signing table with someone. All-in-all, it was good night! Thank you, everyone who came out to hear me read.

All of the photos above are courtesy of and copyright by timprov. Thanks for letting me use them!

And now the anxiety about tomorrow night's reading is hitting me full force...