Taa-Daa… my latest published short story and new literary fiction. My story “Roy Knuckles Down” is featured in Hotch Potch Literature & Art Volume Four Issue Two. A hard-working man, both husband and father, wrestles with need, hope, and a desperate choice.
Read Roy Knuckles Down NOW!
Mash the big orange button, and you’ll be whisked away to Hotch Potch Literature & Art and my literary fiction story “Roy Knuckles Down”. Hotch Potch is a very cool online ‘Zine. They offer great fiction inspired by visual art. Read with no paywalls! That’s right, Friends and Neighbors, Hotch Potch is a FREE read. Enjoy the whole issue without forking over a dime!
“Roy Knuckles Down” is one of several of my stories published by Hotch Potch Literature & Art, and I’m proud to be back between the pages of this great ‘Zine. Besides reading my story “Roy Knuckles Down” (yes, please!), you can peruse all the great content Hotch Potch has on offer. Lots of excellent reading awaits. Here’s the link:
The fascists are on the march, Folks, and no mistake. We are being flooded with a tidal wave of lies, false videos, AI-generated memes, and worse. I urge you to do what you can to resist. Here are some simple steps you can take. Verify the source of the information. Corroborate with other reliable news sources. Look for the agenda behind the lies. These sonsofbitches are selling fear, and you are their intended point of sale. Please, don’t fall for it!
We need stories now more than ever, stories crafted by human beings, not computers. So, how will you know when a new story breaks? Glad you asked, Friends. Read On! Drum roll and… Meanwhile, don’t miss any upcoming stories. You can stay tuned for all the latest by following the MEF blog:
And finally, with your indulgence, allow me a blatant book plug. Yes, I know, pesky artists wanting to get paid for their work. Will they never learn? Well, probably not. Even writers need to eat. So please, buy a damn book. Thanks!
Breaking the Bundles
The Past Can Kill.
Vienna, Austria, a city of palaces, music, and cafés. But behind the cold, grey stone lies a dark secret. Against this backdrop of culture and shadows, the fates of three unforgettable people will be drawn into a common peril. As the lives of the characters cross, revenge shifts to passion, betrayal becomes an act of honor, and the past exacts a heavy toll from the present. The secrets of the past threaten the lives of those that hold them; the same secrets threaten the men who work in the shadows. The weight of the past will pursue Perry and Zita across two continents, threatening their love and their lives. The chase becomes a conflict of revenge and desire, of shadow and light, of love and the struggle to survive.
Vienna, Austria, a city of palaces, music, and cafés. But behind the cold, grey stone lies a dark secret. Against this backdrop of culture and shadows, the fates of three unforgettable people will be drawn into a common peril.
Perry Farmon is an American photographer on sabbatical in Vienna, searching for his lost creative spark. A strange friendship and a mysterious love alter Perry’s quiet world, drawing him into a shared secret. The powers threatened by that secret force Perry into a deadly flight from danger. He must learn trickery and cunning to survive. His life and love hang in the balance.
Zita de Luca is a woman marked by a wine-colored stain on her temple, the shame of her family, and anger. An opportunity for revenge is complicated by an unexpected passion for an American professor. She must choose between the two.
Käru “Charlie” Villiger is a habitué of cafés, either an outrageous liar or a dangerous man. He holds the key to the past, but time is running out. Charlie must pass on what he holds before he is silenced by those he has betrayed. He must choose someone else to carry the burden.
As the lives of the characters cross, revenge shifts to passion, betrayal becomes an act of honor, and the past exacts a heavy toll from the present. The secrets of the past threaten the lives of those that hold them; the same secrets threaten the men who work in the shadows. The weight of the past will pursue Perry and Zita across two continents, threatening their love and their lives. The chase becomes a conflict of revenge and desire, of shadow and light, of love and the struggle to survive.
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 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://bro.uxw.mybluehost.me/