by R. T. Kaelin
“You had no money,” she told him, wrapping her arm around his waist and leading him toward the cliff where their car waited. “But you still had the potential to earn it all back.”
He nodded in understanding. “So you fired me.”
“I text-messaged your resignation to Sonnerfeld Thompkins,” she confirmed. “I guess it’ll never be Sonnerfeld Thompkins Powell now. I’m sorry.”
Nick blinked a few lingering drops of water from his eyes. “I’m not. Thank you.”
“I’m glad it worked.” She paused. “Nick…your phone list. Number two was your on-line investment number, three and four and five were Sonnerfeld and your office. Number one…”
“Is you,” Nick confirmed with a tired sigh. “You’ve always been number one. I just forgot that for a while.”
She squeezed his hand. His aching, ringless, free hand. “Come on,” she said softly. “Let’s go home.”
*
Author Bios
Michael J. Sullivan is a full-time novelist best known for his debut Riyria Revelations. Originally self-published (and named by io9 as one of the most successful self-published sci-fi & fantasy authors), the series was later published by Orbit (fantasy imprint of big-six Hachette Book Group) as a trilogy from Nov 2011 – Jan 2012. As of December 2012 the series has sold more than 250,000 English language copies and has been translated into 14 foreign languages. The Crown Tower, the first book in his second series (The Riyria Chronicles – also bought by Orbit) will be a released on August 1, 2013 with the second book, The Rose and the Thorn to follow on September 5, 2013. He currently has two projects under development including an urban fantasy and a science fiction title. Learn more by visiting http://riyria.blogspot.com.
Marion Zimmer Bradley was born in Albany, New York, on June 3, 1930, and married Robert Bradley in 1949. She received her B.A. in 1964 from Hardin Simmons University, then did graduate work at the University of California, Berkeley. She moved back to New York and lived on Staten Island in the early 1970s. She wrote everything from science fiction to Gothics, but is probably best known for her Darkover series and for her novel of the women in the Arthurian legends, THE MISTS OF AVALON, which made the New York Times bestseller list both in hardcover and trade paperback. In addition to her novels, Mrs. Bradley edited magazines and anthologies, including Marion Zimmer Bradley's FANTASY Magazine, which she started in 1988, and SWORD AND SORCERESS. She died in Berkeley, California on September 25, 1999, four days after suffering a major heart attack. For more information, see her website: www.mzbworks.com.
Jean Rabe, USA Today bestselling author, has written more than two dozen fantasy and adventure novels and more than 60 short stories. When she’s not writing, she edits…two dozen anthologies and more than 100 magazine issues. She is currently the editor of the Bulletin magazine for the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA). A former news reporter and news bureau chief, she penned a true crime book with noted attorney F. Lee Bailey. Her genre writing includes military, science-fiction, fantasy, urban fantasy, mystery, horror, and modern-day adventure. Her hobbies include reading, role-playing games, visiting museums, dog-walking, fish minding, and buying books to add to her growing stacks. She lives in central Illinois near three train tracks that provide “music” to type by. Visit her website: www.jeanrabe.com.
Rick Novy lives in the Sonoran Desert city of Scottsdale, Arizona. His education is technical, holding degrees in physics, mathematics, and engineering. Through his career, he has flown satellites, helped develop surgical implants, and worked with various integrated circuits and sensors. He has also taught in the mathematics department at the local community college. He started writing seriously in the summer of 2004. In 2005, he attended Orson Scott Card's Literary Boot Camp. Since that workshop, his fiction has appeared dozens of times in both online and print venues. His novels, Neanderthal Swan Song, Rigel Kentaurus, and are available at most major online retailers everywhere. Learn more: www.ricknovy.com.
R.T. Kaelin is a loving husband, father of two, and a lifelong resident of Ohio. While writing for a local gaming group, some suggested he try his hand at something much larger. He foolishly committed to the undertaking and wrote Progeny, the first volume in The Children of the White Lions series. The book garnered critical acclaim and hit top 10 top-rated and bestselling historical fantasy at Amazon. His writing style has drawn comparisons to the giants of the genre, praise which he welcomes yet is most certainly not deserved (according to him). He has published the Terrene Chronicles, a series of twelve short stories that take place prior to the events within Progeny. Volume II in the series, Prophecy, was released in late September, 2012, and promptly hit the top 30 bestselling epic and historical fantasy at Amazon. He is currently writing Volume III. He can be found on Twitter @AuthorRTKaelin or online at www.RTKaelin.com.
Jaym Gates is a publicist, editor, author and game developer. In her copious spare time, she trains horses, manages a stage group, and obsesses over fashion and second-world military logistics. She can be found on Twitter as @JaymGates.
Vicki Johnson-Steger has had four of her short stories published in DAW anthologies, Spells of the City, Timeshares, Boondock s Fantasy, and Hot and Steamy: Tales of Steampunk Romance. Her novel, FAIRYDALE TALE, was a quarterfinalist in Amazon Penguin’s 2012 Novel Contest, and is currently being shopped. “Auggie’s Wings,” a novella, was recently acquired by Dragonfly Soapworks, to launch their Bitty Bug line of natural skincare products. When not writing or tending her beehives, she volunteers as a guide at several museums in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Many thanks to R.T. Kaelin for the invitation into Triumph Over Tragedy. I am proud to take part in this effort. God bless all affected by Hurricane Sandy.
Maxwell Alexander Drake is an award-winning Science Fiction/Fantasy author, Graphic Novelist and Playwright. He is best known for his fantasy series, The Genesis of Oblivion Saga. Drake teaches creative writing at writers’ conferences and fan conventions around the country. Find out more about him at his website, www.maxwellalexanderdrake.com, more about the Genesis of Oblivion Saga at www.genesisofoblivion.com, and more about his latest graphic novel at www.downfallthecomic.com.
Stephen D. Sullivan is the award-winning author of trilogies for Legend of the Five Rings, Spider Riders, and Dragonlance. He has written dozens of novels and stories in the fantasy, SF, adventure, horror, and detective genres, and worked on countless games and comics. He created the Blue Kingdoms fantasy world—in which this story is set—with his friend and fellow novelist/gamer Jean Rabe. You can contact Steve and find out more about his work on his site: www.stephendsullivan.com.
T.L. Gray, nominated for two GAYA(Georgia Author of the Year Awards) in 2013 for her sci-fi/fantasy books Milledgeville Misfit and The Arcainians, this author is well on her way to literary success. T.L. Gray started out climbing the corporate ladder, eventually owning her own research company, only to walk away in 2011 to pursue her passion for writing. Her first publication, The Blood of Cain, was released by Fireside Publications in October 2009. Since then, she’s signed with Vabella Publishing and published three more titles, and written a screenplay adaptation of Milledgeville Misfit under the tutelage of writer/producer Elisa Demitria Bowman of CINIGI Lightouse Entertainment. When not working on one of her many upcoming manuscripts, T.L. Gray moonlights a contributing writer and reviewer for West Georgia Living and Impact Times magazines. She is also an editor, blogger, and writing tutor at T.L. Gray, LLC, member of the CCWC (Carrollton Creative Writers Club), and the AWC (Atlanta Writer’s Club). T.L. Gray can be found online at www.tlgray.net, @AuthorTLGray on Twitter & Facebook, and Goodreads.com.
Donald J. Bingle is the author of Net Impact, a spy thriller which incorporates real-world conspiracy theories, Greensword, a dark comedy about global warming, and Forced Conversion, a military science fiction novel set in the near future. Also authored more than thirty-five pieces of short fiction in the science fiction, fantasy, thriller, horror, steampunk, romance, and comedy genres
, including stories in the Dragonlance and Transformers universes. World's top-ranked player of RPGA Classic roleplaying game tournaments from 1985-2000. See his writing and gaming resumes at www.donaldjbingle.com. Some of my previously published stories have been collected by theme in my Writer on Demand TM series and published on Kindle, including Tales of Gamers and Gaming; Tales of Humorous Horror; Tales Out of Time; Grim, Fair e-Tales; Tales of an Altered Past Powered by Romance, Horror, and Steam; and Not-So-Heroic Fantasy.
Erik Scott de Bie is a speculative fiction writer, best known for his work in the Forgotten Realms fantasy setting (his fifth Realms novel, Shadowbane: Eye of Justice, third in the Shadowbane series, came out in September) and his creation of the superhero Lady Vengeance (star of his novella "Eye for an Eye," in Cobalt City Double Feature, and his story in this anthology). His genre-bending work has appeared in numerous anthologies including Human for a Day, Cobalt City Timeslip and Dark Carnival, and When the Hero Comes Home series. He moonlights as a game designer, having worked on Shadowfell: Gloomwrought and Beyond and the Neverwinter Campaign Setting. He lives in Seattle with his wife, cats, and dog. He is also entirely too tall. Look him up on Facebook (erikscottdebie), Twitter (@erikscottdebie), or at www.erikscottdebie.com.
C.S. Marks has often been described as a ‘Renaissance woman’. The daughter of academic parents, she holds a Ph.D. in Biology and is currently employed as a Professor of Equine Science at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods college. Her first published work, the Elfhunter trilogy, earned three Reviewer’s Choice awards, and spent several weeks as a top five seller in epic fantasy at Amazon UK. A new Alterran series (Undiscovered Realms) is underway, with the first volume completed and the second in progress. The first in the Alterra Histories series of novellas, The Fire King, has recently been released. An accomplished horsewoman, illustrator, musician, and educator, Chris is in demand as a speaker for writers’ workshops and seminars. She is an avid filker, and enjoys meeting with and encouraging aspiring writers, interacting with readers and fans, and (above all) working on the next book.
Tobias S. Buckell is a Caribbean-born writer who grew up in Grenada, the British Virgin Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. He is the author of the New York Times bestselling novel Halo®: The Cole Protocol. His latest novel was The Apocalypse Ocean. You can visit him online at www.tobiasbuckell.com.
Bradley P. Beaulieu is the author of The Winds of Khalakovo and The Straits of Galahesh, the Books 1 and 2 of The Lays of Anuskaya series. In addition to being an L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Award winner, Brad’s stories have appeared in various other publications, including Realms of Fantasy Magazine, Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, Writers of the Future 20, and several anthologies from DAW Books. His story, “In the Eyes of the Empress’s Cat,” was voted a Notable Story of 2006 in the Million Writers Award.
Steven Saus injects people with radioactivity as his day job, but only to serve the forces of good. His work appears in print in anthologies such as Westward Weird, Timeshares, and Hungry For Your Love, and in several magazines both online and off, including On Spec, the Drabblecast, Pseudopod and the SFWA Bulletin. As Alliteration Ink, he also publishes books such as Eighth Day Genesis: A Worldbuilder's Codex, The Crimson Pact series of dark fantasy anthologies, and Don Bingle's spy thriller Net Impact. You can find him at www.stevensaus.com and www.alliterationink.com.
Gregory A. Wilson is currently Associate Professor of English at St. John's University in New York City, where he teaches creative writing and fantasy fiction along with other courses in literature. His first book was published by Clemson University Press in 2007; his first novel, an epic fantasy entitled The Third Sign, was published by Gale Cengage in 2009. He is a member of Codex and other author groups on and offline. He is currently submitting his second and third novels to publishers, and he has a new story in the anthology When The Villain Comes Home, edited by Ed Greenwood and Gabrielle Harbowy. He also has three articles in the SFWA Bulletin, and along with fellow sff author Brad Beaulieu is co-host of the podcast Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans, hosted at www.speculatesf.com. He lives with his family in Riverdale, NY; his virtual home is www.gregoryawilson.com.
Addie J. King is an attorney by day and author by nights, evenings, weekends, and whenever else she can find a spare moment. Her short story “Poltergeist on Aisle Fourteen” was published in Mystery Times Ten 2011 by Buddhapuss Ink, and an essay entitled, “Building Believable Legal Systems in Science Fiction and Fantasy” was published in Eighth Day Genesis: A Worldbuilder's Codex by Alliteration Ink. Her novel, The Grimm Legacy, is available now from Musa Publishing. The sequel, The Andersen Ancestry is scheduled for release in Spring, 2013. Her website is www.addiejking.com.
Matt Bone lives and writes in Bath, UK, where he is steadily working through the city's supply of caffeine. He has degrees in both Astrophysics and English Literature, supporting his ambition to be entirely unemployable. His debut novel Endless, the first in the Crescent fantasy series, is out now. His website can be found at www.writingmattbone.com.
Rob Rogers is the author of Devil's Cape, a superhero thriller set in Louisiana. Devil's Cape was a Pop Matters pick, with a reviewer saying, “The burgeoning sub-genre of the superhero novel now has its best entry, and one that will set the standard for years to come.” It was also a HeroPress book of the year. His short stories have also appeared in the anthology The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and in Comets and Criminals magazine. Rob lives in Richardson, Texas, where he continues to write about superheroes, pirates, aliens, mad cultists, dragons, interdimensional rifts, carnival freaks, and cowboys, often in the same stories.
Marian Allen writes fantasy, mystery, science fiction, humor, and anything else she can wrestle into fixed form. She has been published in print and online, on the label of coffee cans and on the wall of an Indian restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky. Visit her blog, www.MarianAllen.com for updates and free stories.
Sarah Hans is a writer, editor, and Steampunk enthusiast. Her stories have appeared in Historical Lovecraft, Candle in the Attic Window, and Volumes 1, 2, and 4 of The Crimson Pact series. She's currently editing her first anthology, Sidekicks!, due in March of 2013 from Alliteration Ink. In the Steampunk world, Sarah is the Second Lieutenant aboard the Airship Archon, as well as Chief Ohio Valley Correspondent for Doctor Fantastique's Show of Wonders, an award-winning Steampunk news site. You can read about Sarah's adventures in the aether and find more of her fiction at www.sarahhans.com.
Elisabeth Waters grew up in southwest Connecticut (Greenwich and Stamford). She sold her first short story in 1980 to Marion Zimmer Bradley for THE KEEPER'S PRICE, the first of the Darkover anthologies. She then went on to sell dozens of short stories to a variety of anthologies. Her first novel, a fantasy called CHANGING FATE, was awarded the 1989 Gryphon Award. She is now working on a sequel to it, in addition to her short-story writing and anthology editing. For more information, see her website: www.elisabethwaters.com. She has also worked as a supernumerary with the San Francisco Opera, where she appeared in La Gioconda, Manon Lescaut, Madama Butterfly, Khovanshchina, Das Rheingold, Werther, and Idomeneo.
Bryan Young works across many different mediums. As an author, he's written the bestselling comedy novel Lost at the Con and the critically acclaimed sci-fi adventure Operation: Montauk. As a film producer, his last two films (This Divided State and Killer at Large) were released by The Disinformation Company and were called “filmmaking gold” by The New York Times. He’s also published comic books with Slave Labor Graphics and Image Comics. He’s a contributor for the Huffington Post and StarWars.com, and he's the co-founder and editor in chief of the geek news and review site Big Shiny Robot!
Philip Athans is the New York Times best-selling author of Annihilation and a dozen other books including The Guide to Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction, and the recently-released How to Start Your Own Religion and Devils of the Endless Deep. His blog, Fantasy Author’s Handbook, (
http://fantasyhandbook.wordpress.com/) is updated every Tuesday, and you can follow him on Twitter @PhilAthans.
Tracy Chowdhury is one of the authors of two fantasy /adventure series: Shadow Over Shandahar and Dark Mists of Ansalar. Before beginning her writing career, she graduated from Miami University with a bachelor's degree in Zoology. Since then she has worked for the Cincinnati Zoo, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and the University of Cincinnati. Currently she helps her husband run their real estate business. In her spare moments, she is either writing the next novel in her series or one of the many short stories that go along with the books. Tracy lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband and four children. You can get more information about her books on the website she shares with her co-author, Ted Crim (www.worldofshandahar.com).
Sarah Chorn is a book blogger and the owner of Bookworm Blues, a popular speculative fiction book review website (www.bookwormblues.net). She has been a compulsive reader all her life. Early on, she found her reading niche in the fantastic genre of Speculative Fiction. She blames her active imagination for the hobbies that threaten to consume her life. A freelance editor and photographer, world traveler and recent college graduate, she’s also a new mother, cancer fighter and survivor. In her ideal world, she’d do nothing but drink lots of tea and read from a never ending pile of speculative fiction books. Respected as a reviewer, she receives book ARCs from all of the major and most minor publishers in science fiction and fantasy. Given her love of stories, she’s always wanted to be a part of the creative process, and editing is her first step in that direction.
SM Blooding lives in Colorado with her pet rock, Rockie, Ms. Bird, the Chicken and SistaPITA. It's quite the zoo. She’s taken a break from the piano, which Ms. Bird is quite happy about, and now knows more than one word in Arabic. Basically, she can say hello, good-bye, give it to me, and hurry up! She’s dated vampires, werewolves, sorcerers, weapons smugglers and US Government assassins. Yes. She has stories. She’s also an investigator with a local paranormal investigation group, Colorado Paranormal Rescue! Find out more about at: www.smblooding.com