Luna of Pigwell Unearths Quantrill’s Bones, brand new Literary fiction from The Opiate. My latest published short story is Luna of Pigwell Unearths Quantrill’s Bones. This long-format story appears in The Opiate: Summer 2021, Vol. 26. A young woman trapped in a small Missouri town finds her narrow world broken apart by her unlikely friendship with an ex-convict, a man bound to an old farm and a dark family history. The collision of past and present propel the characters forward.
The Opiate Editors on Issue 26:
In our first “post-pandemic” (even though still ongoing) summer, The Opiate offers a splash of cold water on your presumably de-masked face with fiction and poetry from Cara Hoffman, L. A. Ricketts III, Max DeVoe Talley, Salvatore Difalco, Marco Etheridge, Debrah Miszak, Steve Denehan, Donna Dallas, Zeke Greenwald, Ron Kolm, Hedy Habra, Victor Marrero, Thomas Wells, Matthew Peluso, David Estringel, Cynthia Andrews, Mitchell Solomon and Snata Basu.
Read the Story NOW!
The Opiate: Summer 2021, Vol. 26, is available as a FREE download at Issuu. That means, Dear Readers, that Luna of Pigwell Unearths Quantrill’s Bones is a free read! You can also purchase a print copy of the magazine with which to enlighten your world and adorn your coffee table. More on that below.
This is my second story with The Opiate, and I am very grateful to the editors for continuing to support my work. Your digital copy is standing by, so get it now! You can get your very own digital copy by mashing the big button below.
Or, if you’re button phobic and feeling flush, here is the link to The Opiate on Blurb, where you can buy a hard copy of this beautiful literary magazine featuring my story Luna of Pigwell Unearths Quantrill’s Bones.
I’m here to tell you, Friends and Neighbors, July has been the wildest month ever here at MEF. The deluge of stories may have run itself down to a trickle, but a huge wave is cresting the horizon. That wave is titled: Orphaned Lies. That’s right, Dear Readers! My very first collected volume of short stories is live, ready for your eager eyes. You can get your copy today, at fine online booksellers worldwide. All of the details are here at the MEF website. Better yet, get the skinny right here in this blog post:
Orphaned Lies – Collected Stories
The Journey of Orphaned Lies
The fifteen stories contained within these pages tell tales of love lost and love found, of darkness at the end of life, and light at the beginning. Unforgettable characters struggle against the impersonal forces of the outside world, and against the flaws they carry within themselves. There is quiet heroism and unwanted heroes discarded, acts of defiance and of acceptance. The inhabitants of these pages learn who they are, and sometimes, who they are not. Enter here, Reader, and join in the journey that is Orphaned Lies.
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 by reviews, journals, and magazines in Canada, Australia, the UK, and the USA. Here, for the first time, fifteen of his best short stories are gathered together in one collection. An aging veteran who despises his neighbor ends up in hospital under her care. An isolated married couple search for help to deliver their first child. A man pauses on a wind-swept cliff to converse with a dead friend. A young kitchen boy is sent on a perilous journey across a pestilential land. A man and women find love at the end of their lives. The fifteen stories contained within these pages tell tales of love lost and love found, of darkness at the end of life, and light at the beginning. Unforgettable characters struggle against the impersonal forces of the outside world, and against the flaws they carry within themselves. There is quiet heroism and unwanted heroes discarded, acts of defiance and of acceptance. The inhabitants of these pages learn who they are, and sometimes, who they are not. Open these pages and join in the journey that is Orphaned Lies.
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/