Poignant new flash fiction – One of These Days is my latest flash fiction story. The story is featured in the current issue of 3Elements Literary Review. One of These Days tells the tale of an older married couple, a conversation at breakfast, and hardening egg yolks. Submission calls from 3Elements Literary Review always require three elements. The elements for this issue are a crowd, an anchorage, and a wedding dress.
Read the Story NOW!
Let me start by throwing down a huge shout-out to the great editors at 3Elements Literary Review. This is not my first try with this fine ‘Zine. I’ve collected a few rejection letters in the past, so I’m hugely grateful to the editors for giving my story the thumbs up. One of These Days is my first piece to appear in 3Elements but I’m hoping to become a steady contributor. Without further ado, mash the big button, and you will be whisked away to the elemental world of a great online literary magazine.
Is themed art and poetry something you’re into? Zowie, you’re in good hands here, Friends! 3Elements offers fiction, photography, art, and poetry. Better yet, 3Elements is a FREE online read. Follow the link, click on the cover, and–Bingo!–you’re reading online. Easey-peasey. Show the editors some love, support an Indie Author (yours truly!), and all without forking over a dime. You can’t lose!
Tell them Marco sent ya, right? I can use the writer’s karma points.
August Slipping Away
Well, Friends and Neighbors, the month of August is slipping past. Tick-tock-tick-tock, the inexorable march of time. I’m reveling in the heat and savoring every precious day of summer. But it’s not all cold drinks and lounge chairs. Things are buzzing here at the MEF garret. Stories to write, stories to submit, and–Yee-haw!–accepted stories to cheer about. Look for more tales going live this month. How will you know when a new story breaks free? 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 to plug a book. What can I say? I need to pay the virtual rent and you need some summer reading. So… how about a great novel for these lazy dog days? That’s right, folks, it’s here! Breaking the Bundles awaits your hungry reader eyes:
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
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/