Brand new dystopian fiction, my short story Beyond the Briar, just published by Rural Fiction Magazine. Beyond the Briar is a retelling of the fairy tale Briar Rose. In this version, while the enchanted kingdom has slept away a century of dreams, the world has descended into dystopian chaos. A lone bowman, a mercenary, finds his way past the thorny barrier of the briar hedge and into the legend.
Read the story NOW!
Rural Fiction Magazine is a lovely ‘Zine and (FREE!) online read. Give them a virtual visit. You won’t be disappointed. Bonus! Read my story Beyond the Briar, but check out the rest of the great stories and poems on offer at Rural Fiction. Just mash the big button or click the link below.
Hotch Potch is a great ‘Zine created by a collaboration of writers and visual artists. And yes, full disclosure, I am one of the founding editors. Hotch Potch Volume Two Issue One is available as a FREE PDF download or a FREE online read. BookFunnel ensures safe downloads and easy online reading. Just click the link below.
Yes, through the looking glass sort of madness, such is the case here at MEF. A cascade of acceptances (Yayyyyyy!!!!) and rejections (Booooo!!!!!). New stories fluttering about, waiting for their turn to venture out into the cold, cruel, literary world. Tune into the MEF blog for all the latest:
i say it’s still summer, so that’s the way it it. And that means summer reading is still a thing. Need a book for theses warm days and cooler nights? Look no further, My Bodacious Readers! How about a post-apocalyptic thrill ride? The Best Dark Rain awaits you:
The Best Dark Rain: A Post Apocalyptic Struggle for Life and Love
Seattle is dead. Almost dead. Liz and Pat are the last couple standing. Survival is only half the battle. Living is hard, trusting is harder.
There is precious little room for love in a dead city, a dead world. For not quite everyone died. Better if they had. Armed bands stalk the streets. In the shadows worse enemies prowl, horrible enemies. At the center of this bleak urban waste lies a makeshift fort. It is the refuge of Liz Walker and Pat O’Shea. They are the last living couple in the shell of what was once Seattle.
There is precious little room for love in a dead city, a dead world. For not quite everyone died. Better if they had. Armed bands stalk the streets. In the shadows worse enemies prowl, horrible enemies. At the center of this bleak urban waste lies a makeshift fort. It is the refuge of Liz Walker and Pat O’Shea. They are the last living couple in the shell of what was once Seattle. Here on these dead streets a woman and a man must learn to love and fight. They bear weapons scavenged from the dead. Each of them carries the shadow of a past that could threaten their future. Amid murderous survivors and unlikely allies, the threat of hunters and the danger of trusting, Liz and Pat must battle for their lives. The stakes are high. For they must protect their newfound love as well as their lives. To lose either means to face alone this horrific world. Follow the adventure of Liz and Pat in The Best Dark Rain: A Post-Apocalyptic Strugglefor Life and Love. Buy your copy today!
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the page above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
Marco Etheridge
Marco Etheridge is a writer of prose, an occasional playwright, and a part-time poet. He lives and writes in Vienna, Austria. His work has been featured in over one hundred reviews and journals across Canada, Australia, the UK, and the USA. His story “Power Tools” has been nominated for Best of the Web for 2023. “Power Tools” is Marco’s latest collection of short fiction. When he isn’t crafting stories, Marco is a contributing editor for a new ‘Zine called Hotch Potch. In his other life, Marco travels the world with his lovely wife Sabine. Website: https://www.marcoetheridgefiction.com/