The Journal of Michael Merriam

If I said I was excited, it would be a horrible understatement. This is one of those moments that as writers we work toward, but fear will never happen.

Except sometimes it does.

I’d like to thank my wife, Sherry L.M. Merriam, who was the first reader and helped me edit the manuscript into something I could submit to publishers.

Thanks to Adam Stemple, Alison Ching, Jaye Lawrence, Joanne Anderton, Kevin McIntyre and Hilary Moon Murphy, all of whom read the novel in various drafts and offered thoughts, ideas, occasional smacks to the back of the head and all the encouragement I needed to finish it.

A special thanks to the editors and staff at Carina Press for choosing to publish my novel and helping me polish it until it shined. They are a joy to work with.

Thank you to everyone on Live Journal who cheered me on as I wrote the novel and who, when I described it as “a dark urban fantasy revenge and redemption paranormal romance and supernatural horror novel with mythological and fairy tale overtones and lesbian protagonists, featuring the ghost of the defunct Twin Cities streetcar system,” had a good laugh about me finding my little niche.

And a final thank you to the late Mr. Thomas Lowry (February 27, 1843–February 4, 1909). For the streetcars.

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

Founded in 2004, The Minnesota Speculative Fiction Writers (MinnSpec) is a 280 members strong organization of working writers. Our membership includes writers who have published multiple novels with major publishers house, editors of highly respected magazines, emerging writers with several professional and small press sales, and brand new writers just making their first nervous forays into submitting their work.

We provide our members with a variety of activities and events, including a monthly meeting to discuss topics of interest to writers. We sponsor three different monthly workshop groups. MinnSpec offers its members a chance to share writing goals, discuss market news, keep each other on task, and provides a place for general networking and chat about writing speculative fiction, both in person and on our message boards. We hold small celebrations to honor our member's publishing milestones and offer occasional short group readings where members can share works-in-progress and receive light feedback.

MinnSpec organizes periodic Kaffee Klatch chats with well-known local authors such as Lyda Morehouse, Patricia C. Wrede, Lois McMaster Bujold, and Pamela Dean. We also promote the Speculations Reading Series at Dreamhaven Books and hold occasional "Dinner and a Movie" events where we watch great films of the genre. MinnSpec is an active participant in local, regional, and national science fiction, fantasy, and horror conventions, helping provide programming, readings, and book signings for both the group as a whole and individuals members.

For more information, please visit us at: http://www.meetup.com/MNspec/

Purchase Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales here.

Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales ToC: #20. "Run of the Fiery Horse" by Hilary Moon Murphy

One of the original members of MinnSpec, and our fearless Chief Organizer, Hilary is a tremendous networker and tireless cheerleader for the writers in MinnSpec. Hilary is one the people who encouraged me to send out my first stories, as she has with many members of MinnSpec, and loves to cheer us on when we make sales.

I knew we needed a story by Hilary: It would not be a MinnSpec anthology without a story by the organizer and main driving force behind the group. I knew I wanted "Run of the Fiery Horse" for this collection. Besides being a strong story, it delves into a non-western culture and more importantly, it ended on the exact right note that I wanted for the anthology. I hope you agree.

"Run of the Fiery Horse" was originally published in Realms of Fantasy, June 2002

Purchase Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales here.

Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales ToC: #19. "The Robber King and the Blood Orange Tree" by Maggie Della Rocca

I've know Maggie online and in person for a long time. Before we meet in person through MinnSpec, we were also on The Online Writers Workshop together. Maggie, besides being a strong writer, is also great with the critiques. A friendly demeanor and being widely read makes Maggie a treasure to the group.

I loved "The Robber King and the Blood Orange Tree" when I first read it. Everything about it is pitch-perfect. Both fantasy and a fairytale, you are able to identify and sympathize with the beleaguered characters quickly. They face real dangers and solve them with courage and sacrifice. I promise you, "The Robber King and the Blood Orange Tree" will not disappoint you.

"The Robber King and the Blood Orange Tree" was previously published in Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine # 36, June 2008.

Purchase Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales here.

Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales ToC: #18. "The Radiator Burped" by Abra Staffin-Wiebe

Abra Staffin-Wiebe is the real deal. I knew this when I heard her read from a story at a MinnSpec meeting. Not only was it a tight, imaginative, enthralling story, but her reading voice and style were perfect. One of my favorite people to hang around with, some of my most memorable conversation at conventions -- be they about fiction and publishing or not -- have been with Abra in the room taking part.

"The Radiator Burped" is, in a way, the dark mirror of "Kissing Frogs." I haven't been able to decide if this story is horror or dark fantasy, or maybe a slightly twisted love story, but I can say I loved the wry bits of humor and the well-realized characters.

"The Radiator Burped" was originally published online at Strange, Weird, and Wonderful Magazine. October 2009

Purchase Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales here.

Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales ToC: #17. "Narcissus in Links" by Joel Arnold

Joel Arnold is a scary man.

Okay, actually, Joel is one of the nicest guys you are ever going to meet. But the things that come out of his brain, those are scary, scary things. Joel is one of the writers who inspires other writers in MinnSpec. He writes great fiction, sends it out, take his lumps with grace when he gets rejected and shares his sales with the group, showing what you can do if you develop your skills and talent and stay tenacious.

I loved this story the first time I heard Joel read it at CONvergence a couple of years ago. When it showed up in my inbox, I couldn't have been more thrilled. I placed it here as a shift in gears from the two stories previous, and to ramp up the pace of the anthology as we head into the home stretch. Trust me, this one will get your pulse pounding.

"Narcissus in Links" was originally published online at LateLateShow.net, March, 2006 and published in Bedtime Stories For The Apocalypse, Sam's Dot Publishing, February, 2009.

Purchase Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales here.

Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales ToC: #16. "The Question" by Sharon Boerbon Hanson

At a workshop earlier this year, Sharon hit the nail on the head with the trouble I was having with one of my novels. Everyone else had gotten me on a plot hole, but Sharon's eye caught the heart of the matter, and she asked me a simple question that helped bring what I needed to do to make the story stronger into focus. That is a rare talent.

"The Question" is a quiet little bit of fantasy/magical realism with a devastating ending. The story sneaks up on you with its question, and hammers you with the bitter answer. It feels so light, yet underneath is so heartbreaking.

Purchase Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales here.

Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales ToC: #15. "Oh, Hell" by Britt Aamodt

Every time I'm around Britt, I've enjoyed her company. Another of our multidisciplinary, multitalented writers, Britt works in scriptwriting, among other types of fiction.

I had to read "Oh, Hell" three times before I decided to take it. At first I thought it was kind of cute, but not really what I was looking for. However, after a couple of days, I went back read it again. And again. And somewhere in those reading the story grew on me, and I realized the subtext of the story was deeper than I had originally thought.

Purchase Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales here.

Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales ToC: #14. "Sabine Baring-Gould and the Werewolf" by Roy C. Booth

Roy Booth gleefully calls himself a "literary mercenary" and you really can't argue with him. He writes fiction, scripts, plays, non-fic, and does a little script-doctoring, as well as running a comic shop. A mainstay at local conventions and the consummate networker, Roy can make his business cards appear from thin air. His no nonsense, business-like attitude toward writing makes him one of my favorite people to talk with at conventions.

I chose "Sabine Baring-Gould and the Werewolf" because of the style. Atmospheric, dark, the fear and dread builds and builds until...well, you'll just have to read to find out. This is old-school throwback horror--the kind that actually scares you instead of grossing you out. The plain, matter-of-fact reporting of the horror by the narrator adds to the feeling of dread.

"Sabine Baring-Gould and the Werewolf" was originally published in Necrotic Tissue #8, October, 2009,

Purchase Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales here.

Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales ToC: #13. "Daedalus" by Patrick Sullivan

I've had the pleasure of watching Patrick Sullivan grow as a writer. One of the nicest guys in MinnSpec, Patrick writes hard SF, and I fully expect to see his name on the spine of a book in a brick and mortar store any day.

"Daedalus" is true hard SF, driven by interesting characters. It is also my favorite type of SF, a story about people living and working on a dangerous frontier, trying to make a living, trying to make a life. I also get to say "I discovered Patrick Sullivan" since this is his first sale. Now you get to discover Patrick Sullivan as well.

Purchase Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales here.