A Vignette, an Outtake, Set to Music!

Giant Vulva Playlist at Marrow Magazine!

It’s a vignette, it’s an outtake! It’s Giant Vulva Playlist, a companion piece to my Pushcart Prize nominated story Power Tools, LIVE at Marrow Magazine!! Think of it as a Marvel outtake: The story veers away and the reader veers with it. But meanwhile, the police captain is still struggling with a robotic device adorned with a giant vulva and a great sound system.

Wait, let me explain…

Power Tools

In November, my short story Power Tools was published by the bodacious editors at Marrow Magazine. Power Tools tells the tale of an angry White man, a robotic device, a giant vulva, and really loud music. The editors loved it, they nominated the story for a Pushcart Prize, and we all sang Kumbaya around the campfire.

But Then…

The wonderful Marrow Magazine editors asked me if the robotic Vulva was programmed with more than one song. Was there a playlist? What was next up after Public Enemy? I rubbed my inky writer hands and belted out the answer: Hell Yes! Then I sat down and scribbled this vignette, Giant Vulva Playlist.

First, if you haven’t already, read Power Tools to keep everything in context:

https://marrowmagazine.com/power-tools/

Okay… Here we Go!

Then read Giant Vulva Playlist. Marrow Magazine Issue Four is a FREE online treat. Bang the embedded link below and you will be whisked away to my newest story Giant Vulva Playlist at this lovely ‘Zine. Not only that, there’s a real Spotify playlist waiting and ready for your reading soundtrack. Holy Moly! What are you waiting for? Mash the big button!

Better yet, browse the rest of Marrow Magazine Issue Four. This great ‘Zine has a lot to offer besides my stories. Here is the general link:

https://marrowmagazine.com/

Let Me Catch My Breath…

Trouble is, I can’t catch my breath. Those sneaky COVID viruses have laid me low. But hey, My Lovelies, sick and lonely days here at the frosty writer’s garret mean more brand new short stories for you! And there are more coming, believe you me. Stay tuned for more news here at the MEF website. Get all the latest at the MEF blog:

https://www.marcoetheridgefiction.com/whats-new-in-marcos-world-the-blog/

New Flash Fiction

Hares to Hounds

My flash fiction story Hares to Hounds has just been published by the lovely editors at The Metaworker. Hare to Hounds tells the story of a boy confined to his sickbed, a grieving mother, and the boy’s imaginary playmates. Magical realism meets literary fiction in this poignant new flash piece.

Read the Story Now!

The Metaworker is always live, bringing you great new fiction weekly. My flash story Hares to Hounds is a FREE read at The Metaworker! Bang the embedded link below and you will be whisked away to my newest story at this lovely Lit ‘Zine. FREE read! What are you waiting for? Mash the big button!

After you enjoy my latest story, why not browse the rest of The Metaworker. This super ‘Zine supports my writing and I hope you’ll support them by giving them a good read. There’s lots more on offer besides my story Hares to Hounds. I think you’ll dig it! Here is the general link:

https://themetaworker.com/

But Wait! How about a Book Sale?

Smashwords End of the Year Sale!

This is IT! The Smashwords end-of-the-year sale! All of my books, every novel, every collection of short stories, even the flash fiction, 50% off! Yes, even the latest release of flash fiction, U6 Stories! Get ’em whilst they’re hot! Has he gone crazy!?! Yes folks, I must be crazy as a loon, because every eBook in my collection is on sale right now! There are no strings, no tricky stuff, just a square deal for you, my Lovely Readers.

You can find the promo here:

https://smashwords.com/shelves/promos/

If you wouldn’t mind lending a hand to me and the other indie authors taking part in this sale, you can share this promo with your friends and family. Just forward this email to anyone who would love a chance to find their next favorite book!

Thank you for your help and support! Happy Reading!!

New Short Fiction

A Trinket for Madge

My short story A Trinket for Madge, just published by the bodacious editors at Sheepshead Review! A Trinket for Madge tells the story of an old crone who helps or curses young men seeking love and fortune. But this is no fairy tale. The story unfolds in a near-future dystopia.

Read the Story Now!

Sheepshead Review Fall 2022 is now live at ISSUU as a FREE read! Bang the embedded link below and you will be whisked away to my newest story at this lovely Lit ‘Zine. FREE read! What are you waiting for? Mash the big button!

Read A Trinket for Madge

After you enjoy my latest story, why not browse the rest of Sheepshead. This super ‘Zine comes at you from University of Wisconsin, Green Bay. There’s lots more on offer besides my story A Trinket for Madge. I think you’ll dig it! Here is the general link:

https://sheepsheadreview.com/

Back From Egypt…

No, not from exile, but a great three-week jaunt up and down the Nile and the Red Sea. But hey, My Lovelies, it’s chaos here in the frosty writer’s garret. I’m freezing my nads off! Acceptances unattended, submissions running naked through the streets, drafts and deadlines crushing the flimsy furniture. Madness! But wait! Did I mention a new short story collection? Hell yes, U6 Stories – Vienna Underground Tales. Get your copy today!

U6 Stories – Vienna Underground Tales

Every train carries a story.

The U6 is one line of the Vienna underground transit system. The silver and red trains carry stories, many stories. A woman mourns her musical lover, and a man discovers his courage. A Syrian family flees to a fragile new beginning, and a young man helps circus performers during a pandemic. Lovers rediscover each other after decades apart, and a man finds a father he never knew. A contract is broken, and neighbors defend their own. Eighteen tales of love lost and found, of the darkness within us, and the glimmering light that keeps us afloat. Unforgettable characters struggle against the pressures of an impersonal world, and against the burdens they carry within. Welcome, Reader, to the stories of the U6.

Order Now!

About the Book

Marco Etheridge is a writer of fiction, an occasional playwright, and a part-time poet. He lives and writes in Vienna, Austria. His stories have been published in more than seventy reviews, journals, and magazines in Canada, Australia, the UK, and the USA. U6 Stories gathers eighteen of his best short stories into one collection. The U6 is one line of the Vienna underground transit system. The trains transport more than people. Each silver and red carriage carries stories, many stories. A woman mourns the death of her musical lover, and a man discovers his courage. A Syrian family flees to a fragile new beginning, and a young man helps circus performers during a pandemic. Lovers rediscover each other after decades apart, and a man finds a father he never knew. A contract is broken, and neighbors defend their own. These eighteen stories tell tales of love lost and love found, of the darkness that lies within us, and the glimmering light that keeps us afloat. Unforgettable characters struggle against the tides and pressures of an impersonal world, and against the burdens they carry within. Welcome, Reader, to the stories of the U6.

Details

Genre: Short Stories
Tags: Recommended Books, Short Stories
Publisher: Marco Etheridge Fiction
Publication Year: 2022
ASIN: B0BLLQN8WB
ISBN: 9798362399221
List Price: 8.95
eBook Price: 2.99

Order Now

Kobo, Nook, Apple, and more...

Preview

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."

Mulberry Literary

Bardo – A New Short Story. Just Published at Mulberry Literary

My short story Bardo has just been published by the hard-working editors at Mulberry Literary. Bardo tells the tale of passages to new lives and clinging to old lives. A group of disparate strangers begin the process of transcending from on existence to another. The entire process is threatened by the arrival of a vulgar and very loud stranger.

Read the Story Now!

Mulberry Literary Issue V: PHANTASMAGORIC is now live on the Mulberry Literary site as a FREE read! Bang the embedded link below and you will be whisked away to my newest story at this lovely Lit ‘Zine. FREE read! What are you waiting for? Mash the big button!

Read Bardo

While you’re enjoying my latest story, why not browse the rest of Mulberry Literary. This super ‘Zine has a lot to offer besides my story Bardo. Mulberry Literary comes to you from Chicago, Sandburg’s City with Big Shoulders. I think you’ll dig it! Here is the general link:

https://mulberryliterary.com/

Back From Egypt…

No, not from exile, but a great three-week jaunt up and down the Nile and the Red Sea. But hey, My Lovelies, it’s chaos here in the frosty writer’s garret. Acceptances unattended, submissions running naked through the streets, drafts and deadlines crushing the flimsy furniture. Madness! But wait! Did I mention a new short story collection? Hell yes, U6 Stories – Vienna Underground Tales. Get your copy today!

U6 Stories – Vienna Underground Tales

Every train carries a story.

The U6 is one line of the Vienna underground transit system. The silver and red trains carry stories, many stories. A woman mourns her musical lover, and a man discovers his courage. A Syrian family flees to a fragile new beginning, and a young man helps circus performers during a pandemic. Lovers rediscover each other after decades apart, and a man finds a father he never knew. A contract is broken, and neighbors defend their own. Eighteen tales of love lost and found, of the darkness within us, and the glimmering light that keeps us afloat. Unforgettable characters struggle against the pressures of an impersonal world, and against the burdens they carry within. Welcome, Reader, to the stories of the U6.

Order Now!

About the Book

Marco Etheridge is a writer of fiction, an occasional playwright, and a part-time poet. He lives and writes in Vienna, Austria. His stories have been published in more than seventy reviews, journals, and magazines in Canada, Australia, the UK, and the USA. U6 Stories gathers eighteen of his best short stories into one collection. The U6 is one line of the Vienna underground transit system. The trains transport more than people. Each silver and red carriage carries stories, many stories. A woman mourns the death of her musical lover, and a man discovers his courage. A Syrian family flees to a fragile new beginning, and a young man helps circus performers during a pandemic. Lovers rediscover each other after decades apart, and a man finds a father he never knew. A contract is broken, and neighbors defend their own. These eighteen stories tell tales of love lost and love found, of the darkness that lies within us, and the glimmering light that keeps us afloat. Unforgettable characters struggle against the tides and pressures of an impersonal world, and against the burdens they carry within. Welcome, Reader, to the stories of the U6.

Details

Genre: Short Stories
Tags: Recommended Books, Short Stories
Publisher: Marco Etheridge Fiction
Publication Year: 2022
ASIN: B0BLLQN8WB
ISBN: 9798362399221
List Price: 8.95
eBook Price: 2.99

Order Now

Kobo, Nook, Apple, and more...

Preview

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."

New Short Fiction at Quagmire Magazine

The Myth and the Small-Town Man

My short story The Myth of the Small-Town Man has just been published by the lovely and hard-working editors at Quagmire Literary Magazine, where pigs can fly. This new story tells the tale of a man driving a truckload of pig manure, a sheriff’s car, and the opinions of five inhabitants of Chestnut Grove on just what the hell happened next. This story is the first of a trio: The Chestnut Grove Tales. Look of these great stories in an upcoming collection!

Read the Story NOW!

Quagmire Magazine is a FREE online treat. Bang the embedded link below and you will be whisked away to my newest story at this lovely Canadian ‘Zine. What are you waiting for? Mash the big button!

Read Myth and the Small-Town Man

Better yet, browse the rest of Quagmire Magazine. This super Canadian ‘Zine has a lot to offer besides my story The Myth and the Small-Town Man. Quagmire Magazine comes to you from deep in the Canadian prairies. It’s a wonderful and playful ‘Zine. I think you’ll dig it! Here is the general link:

https://www.quagmiremagazine.com/read

Drum roll, please…

Hey My Lovelies, busy times here at the frosty writer’s garret. A brand new short story collection, submissions running naked and wild through the streets. Madness! But wait! Did I mention a new short story collection? Hell yes, U6 Stories – Vienna Underground Tales. Get your copy today!

https://www.marcoetheridgefiction.com/u6-stories-vienna-underground-tales/

U6 Stories – Vienna Underground Tales

Every train carries a story.

The U6 is one line of the Vienna underground transit system. The silver and red trains carry stories, many stories. A woman mourns her musical lover, and a man discovers his courage. A Syrian family flees to a fragile new beginning, and a young man helps circus performers during a pandemic. Lovers rediscover each other after decades apart, and a man finds a father he never knew. A contract is broken, and neighbors defend their own. Eighteen tales of love lost and found, of the darkness within us, and the glimmering light that keeps us afloat. Unforgettable characters struggle against the pressures of an impersonal world, and against the burdens they carry within. Welcome, Reader, to the stories of the U6.

Order Now!

About the Book

Marco Etheridge is a writer of fiction, an occasional playwright, and a part-time poet. He lives and writes in Vienna, Austria. His stories have been published in more than seventy reviews, journals, and magazines in Canada, Australia, the UK, and the USA. U6 Stories gathers eighteen of his best short stories into one collection. The U6 is one line of the Vienna underground transit system. The trains transport more than people. Each silver and red carriage carries stories, many stories. A woman mourns the death of her musical lover, and a man discovers his courage. A Syrian family flees to a fragile new beginning, and a young man helps circus performers during a pandemic. Lovers rediscover each other after decades apart, and a man finds a father he never knew. A contract is broken, and neighbors defend their own. These eighteen stories tell tales of love lost and love found, of the darkness that lies within us, and the glimmering light that keeps us afloat. Unforgettable characters struggle against the tides and pressures of an impersonal world, and against the burdens they carry within. Welcome, Reader, to the stories of the U6.

Details

Genre: Short Stories
Tags: Recommended Books, Short Stories
Publisher: Marco Etheridge Fiction
Publication Year: 2022
ASIN: B0BLLQN8WB
ISBN: 9798362399221
List Price: 8.95
eBook Price: 2.99

Order Now

Kobo, Nook, Apple, and more...

Preview

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."