The Treasure of Dragons - OUT NOW!

 

Stop by Aphelion Webzine this month to read my story, "The Treasure of Dragons."

Life is a treacherous thing.

You're born, thrust into a world that is as unforgiving as the gods above us, and expected... Expected to do whatever it is that others think you should do. And if you think you should be expected to do otherwise, you're ridiculed or worse, killed.

https://www.aphelion-webzine.com/shorts/2024/02/TreasureOfDragons.html

Coming Soon...

 

Sarah is back!

The Sarah Vargas Series omnibus, entitled Blood Moon, is coming soon. Includes all three books (Fade to Black, Malevolent Dead, and Blood Moon) as well as a Sarah Vargas Short story entitled "The Unexpected Guests."

And the best part....it will be FREE!

Fade to Black:
Werewolf bounty hunter Sarah Vargas has only one goal in life; to kill the Were that attached and changed her. However, a slew of werecreature murders send Sarah and her partner, Jared Fontaine, on the mission of their lives, ending with a discovery about Jared's past that might destroy them both.

Malevolent Dead:
Werewolf Sarah Vargas thought all she had to worry about was the Blood Moon Corporation's retaliation. She never dreamed that another vampire would arrive, disputing Damian's claim over the throne of Charleston, SC. To make matters worse, he is no ordinary vamp; he's a vampire necromancer. He's exceptionally hard to kill, and Sarah will have to do whatever she can to keep those that she loves safe... Even if it means doing the unthinkable.

Blood Moon:
After she broke her contract with the Blood Moon Corporation, Sarah Vargas knew that it was only a matter of time before they came for her. What she didn't know is what lengths they would go to make sure that she had no where to run. Everyone Sarah has ever relied on is in danger during a time when friends become enemies, and Sarah quickly realizes that the Blood Moon Corporation will never give up until she is dead. The Blood Moon Corporation is coming, and even Sarah doesn't think she can make it out alive.

The Wicked Deed
Published by Every Day Fiction - December 2007

The fire roared around me, like some great apocalyptic monster. I kept my hand raised even though my nose had picked up the scent of charred flesh, and continued to use my magick to keep myself relatively safe. The dragon was no match for a witch on a mission and he knew it, perhaps as well as he knew me.

The dragon had guarded our village for the better part of a century. My twin sister and I used to spend our summers on his back, viewing our village from the heavens above. The fire around me stopped, gusts of wind and the sound of beating wings told me that the beast had taken to the air. I unsheathed my sword, waiting for him to make his move.

Normally, I wouldn’t have bothered such a creature in his lair, but I needed his blood to heal my twin sister. A sorcerer had cursed my twin and there were two ways to cure her. One was to find the sorcerer and force him to reverse it. The other was dragon’s blood fresh from the heart. I had to kill a dragon to get it. Sadly, time was running out and the only dragon I knew was Menian. The sorcerer that had done the deed was long gone, and Alianaha was going to be dead by morning if I didn’t find the cure. As I gazed up at the sky, watching the red scales of the dragon shimmering in the sunlight, I reminded myself that I was doing this for her.

Visit Every Day Fiction to read the rest: https://everydayfiction.com/the-wicked-deed-by-heather-kuehl/ 

Raising the Dead

Raising the Dead
Published in Bewildering Stories - 2008 

It was never easy to raise the dead with magick and Kinandrea knew, now that the old magicks themselves were all but dead, it was almost impossible.

The human who had hunted Kinandrea, following her to the very edge of the earth, wanted her for just that reason. His wife had died four years ago, the result of a war between humans and mountain dwarves, and he knew that the only creatures who could bring her back were elves.

The magicks that were used in such a task hadn’t been seen for a century. The human didn’t seem to understand that, nor did he want to. He wanted his wife back and no one was going to stand in his way.

“Come out, elf!”

The human voice echoed over the stone, echoing louder than it actually was. She stayed still in the remains of a small worship hall that was little more than a hole in the ground, waiting for him to pass. He was a skilled hunter and she had gained several scars from his attempts to capture her. He was the predator, like some great serpent, and Kinandrea was a mouse trapped in a corner.

She held her breath, waiting for the human to pass. She didn’t know if human hearing could pick up what hers could. She could hear his soft, even breathing. She could hear his heart rapidly pumping blood throughout his body. He was nervous yet patient, a trait that most humans seemed to lack.

“I know you are near,” he whispered to himself. He poked at the rubble with the tip of his sword, moving aside small rocks and jabbing into open holes. He was trying to spook her into running. Kinandrea took a deep, quiet breath, and convinced her tense body not to do what he wanted. She could run, her long legs able to go farther than the bulky human’s, but her eyes had seen the crossbow on his back. If she ran, he would shoot.

Kinandrea had already gained the misfortune of being shot by one of those arrows and the ragged scar on her right hip was all she needed as a reminder. She knew that, given the opportunity, he wouldn’t miss again. All she had was the knowledge that he wasn’t shooting to kill.

The tip of the blade slid through the rocks and into her hiding place, coming just a hairsbreadth from her face. Kinandrea slapped a hand against her mouth, muffling a cry of surprise, but it was too late. She scrambled further back as the stones began to fall away and the human came into view. She froze as the tip of the sword pressed against her chest, piercing the skin and drawing blood. Kinandrea held back a cry of pain as blood slowly blossomed on her dress.

Want to know what happens next? Visit http://www.bewilderingstories.com/issue288/raising_dead1.html

Time flies...

I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted on here. I wish I could say I've been busy, but I haven't. I'm currently working on the edits for White Wolf, due out in April with MuseItHOT. "Raising the Dead" was featured in Shelter of Daylight and can be purchased on Sam's Dot Publishing's website. "Wedding Wizard" has been accepted by Residential Aliens and is due out in the near future. Other than that, nothing. Nada. My muse has gone on vacation, leaving me all alone.

Okay, it's not as bad as I'm making it sound. I've been catching up with my reading (almost finished Mortal Coils by Eric Nylund right now, and will start reading Secret Circle by LJ Smith next) and watching Supernatural via Netflix. I've got ideas for my future WIP, but right now I'm just going to relax some more.

And I just rememered....NaNoWriMo is next month!!! Holy crap I'd forgotten. Dear Muse, please come back from vacation. It's NaNo time! You can follow my progress on NaNoWriMo.org. My handle is dadewrites.

Whoops!

How could I forget to mention that I was in 5x5 Fiction and that Ruby Red Cravings has been released.

Read 5x5 for FREE at http://5x5fiction.blogspot.com/2011/06/5x5-fiction-presents-issue-two-secrets.html

Buy Ruby Red Cravings at http://www.amazon.com/Ruby-Red-Cravings-Brianna-Stoddard/dp/1617061271

Happy Memorial Day!

Yeah, I know, Memorial Day isn't until Monday. But I still felt the urge to say Happy Memorial Day, especially since my short story "What Heroes Do" is up at Flash Fiction Online. I'm so proud of this story, not just because this was my first professional story sale (WOOT!) but because of the message within it's short length.

To read "What Heroes Do" go to http://www.flashfictiononline.com/f20110503-what-heroes-do-heather-kuehl.html

Free Read - Struck by Beauty

Struck by Beauty is available now from Smashwords for FREE!

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: PG-13

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/49914 A collection of four fantasy stories:

"Struck by Beauty" - Mika is forced to do the unthinkable.

"Homecoming" - Carra returns home to confront her past.

"Blythe's Vengeance" - Blythe seeks vengeance on the sorcerer that destroyed her hometown.

"The Desire of Selkies" - Salena discovers that humans will do anything to get what they desire.

Update and advice

I've been so busy lately getting ready for the Blood Moon Tour. Not only am I emailing blogs my posts, but I'm also still booking spots. I don't think the lineup will be final until the day the tour starts...which is on March 3 you lovely people. Two weeks away! Don't forget about the Blood Moon Scavenger Hunt that will being going on at the same time. What's better than fun and prizes? IMO, nothing!


Hrm, updates...

I finished Of Wolf and Man! *happy dances & throws confetti* I had just gotten through the hard scene when my computer crashed in 2009 and I lost a good chunk of it. Tells the story of Juliet and Jensen; Juliet discovers Jensen's dangerous secret and now a Clan of rouge werewolves wants her dead. It took alot to get me to sit down and write this, mainly because it was a lot of rewriting what I had already written before the crash. I'm happy it's done now, and I think it's much better now than it was originally.

"Dalamar's Quest" is currently in Bewildering Stories and can be viewed here. This is the first story I ever wrote about Amythist Dyier. Originally it had been accepted by Flashing Swords for publication in Feb 2008, but the magazine went under before it could come out. Major bummer, but hey it all worked out in the end!

"Apocalypse" is in the current issue of Aphelion's Webzine. Aphelion also has their Best of 2010 listed, and "Siren's Song" is on the list for best poem! Sweet!

My Uprinting giveaway is still going on. Go to my blog post that offers the giveaway and make sure to leave a comment. The contest ends on Tuesday!

I've already made a book trailer for Epiphany. It's up on my YouTube page: http://www.youtube.com/user/iryadragyn


Now for something fun! One of the authors on Decadent Publishing's yahoo group posted this link. It gives some no-no's when writing fiction (it's geared to YA, but the no-no's cross the genre gap). http://georgiamcbridebooks.wordpress.com/2010/10/14/newbie-writers-watch-out-for-these-big-writing-no-nos/

1) I've never done this. Luckily, I don't get carried away with backstory and such until later.

2) OMG I'm so guilty of having my main character notice the love interest's eyes first! I just did that in Of Wolf and Man! The reason I do this is because I believe that eyes are windows to the soul, and I want my MC to fall in love for who the person is, not what they look like.

3) I used to do this early on, like during my high school drafts of Promises to Keep. A new writer can't help it. You get this awesome idea, go with it, only to discover that you don't know the whole story yet. This is where outlining can become important.

4) I don't think I've done this, especially since I can't stand to have filler in my books.

5) If my first chapter starts mundane, it doesn't end that way. I have to make sure to keep my first chapters interesting.

6) I've don't overly focus on my first chapter. My goal is to get it out there, and once it's done to go back and fix what desperatly needs fixing.

7) Guilty! I won't catch it while I'm writing, but during edits I'll be like "Haven't I said this before?" That's what I get for staying up late and waking up early to write!

8) Again, I hate useless filler. Not only do I consider scenes to be filler, but characters as well. Hence the reason why T.D. Drake isn't in Fade to Black. I cut her out...but was able to shove her and that cut scene into Malevolent Dead...Yay me!

9) Please see 8 and 4. Filler = bad. Georgia McBride must feel the same way.

10) I always hate when I'm reading a book and the author has no clue what they're talking about. I mean, it's obvious they did no research at all. While I hate research, my readers will know if I pretend to know what I'm talking about. I do the work to give my readers a vividly true reading experience.

11) I've done this. It happens when I get tired or if I am having a bout of writer's block. I don't know what to do next, but I feel that the words NEED to be written.

12) Please see 4, 8, and 9. Yep, Georgia McBride does feel the same way. LoL

I've printed up this blog post and put up above my computer. It's something that all writers, not just newbies, need to remember.

My first article!

I'm so excited! Siren Book Reviews Ezine's first issue is now available, which means my article, "So You've Gotten Published. Now What?" is now available. This is my first published artcile. :o)

My short story, "Whispers of the Night," is also within this issue. Two great things....

AND THEY'RE FREE!!

Totally nifty, right?


SBR Feb '11 Issue TOC

4 - SBR sits down with Edward Kendrick, Author of Everyone’s Man

8 - Siren’s Best Books of 2010

12 - Writing Fiction - The Pitfalls, by Chris Burton

14 - Whispers of the Night, by Heather Kuehl

18 - So, you’ve gotten published. What’s next? By Heather Kuehl

20 - Nightseekers by Cindy Jacks

22 - SBR speaks with D.C. Juris, Author of On Solid Ground

Pro market response times

I have to get on my soap box about this...

I just withdrew a short story submission, "Whispers of the Night," from a pro market because it got accepted by Siren Book Reviews Ezine (which I'm happier about). Here's what I got as a response:

Dear Miss Kuehl,

As requested I am withdrawing your story from our reading queue. You will get a second notice of withdrawal attached to your submissions e-mail.

Many pro markets are behind as we are right now and closing their submissions to catch up. Weird Tales being one of them. We certainly have no problems accommodating withdrawals, however I would respectfully ask that in the future you adhere to guidelines and not send us simultaneous submissions. we do not accept simultaneous submissions. In return our newer authors enjoy being in the same magazine as such names as Bradbury, Romero and others.

One thing I might suggest for you that could be helpful for your future in submitting stories in pro markets such as ours, is to expect lengthy waits. for instance it isn't untypical for a publisher like Doubleday to by the rights to a book that doesn't see print for at least a year. One way to do that is to tailor a story for that particular magazine or publisher and then submit and go on to writing the next. All of the top names in the industry we have dealt with do this.

I sincerely hope this helps with the frustration of waiting,


I feel like writing him back. I really do. I don't mind lengthy waits. What I mind is when your site says that you have a four month response time (120 days) and it's been 277 days. When a market gets so far behind, they shouldn't be shocked to find that authors are simultaneously submitting to other markets. (BTW: I submitted to them several years ago. It took 647 days that time (Jul 2007-Apr 2009). I had hoped that they got their game straight over the years. Guess I was wrong.) For that matter, markets shouldn't do that; not allow simsubs. If it takes almost a year to make a 4 month decision, either change the guidelines on your site or allow simsubs. Easy as pie.

I don't mind waiting a year if your guidelines say it'll be a year.


Also, learn to spell. You're a pro literary magazine. Look like it.

T.D. short story

My T.D. short story, "Susan's Ghost," is in issue 9 of Etereal Tales - available now!

Here's a sneak peek of "Susan’s Ghost " (People’s Choice Winner of the Ethereal Tales Halloween Competition 2009)


Tabitha Desdemona Drake hated October.

It wasn’t the shift in the muggy Charleston weather that got to her. It wasn’t the department stores going Halloween crazy, trying to make sure they had enough Halloween supplies for their customers. It wasn’t even the witch costumes. Having been born a witch herself, Tabitha Desdemona knew that those hags were just a product of a fearful human’s imagination. No, it was none of these things.

It was the ghosts.

From November through September, Tabitha Desdemona rarely saw a spirit. It was refreshing. But October… The closer it got to Halloween, the worse it got. Half of the time she didn’t know if the person she was speaking with was alive or dead. She would just hang in there, doing her best to ignore them until 11:59pm on October 31. Then, when the clock struck midnight, it was like they had never been there.

But this year was destined to be different.

It was Halloween, and the ghost was in her bedroom; a first. The ghost looked just like her, with blonde hair and striking cerulean eyes. Tabitha Desdemona stared for a minute, thinking that she was looking at her reflection until she could see her bed though the ghost’s transparent stomach. Then her heart lurched.

“Oh Susan…”


Get your copy of Ethereal Tales 9 today from http://cutencreepy.co.uk/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=105&products_id=1039

Space Cops

Space Cops is featured on Bish's Beat today. My short story, "To Walk Among Dreams," was featured in this anthology.

http://bishsbeat.blogspot.com/2010/10/pulp-now-space-cops.html


Excerpt from "To Walk Among Dreams" in Space Cops (c) 2009

The turning of pages was the only sound that embraced the soundproof room. I looked around, taking in the light blue ceiling and stark white walls. A small camera was perched above the door, the shining red light indicating that this session was being filmed. The brightness of the florescent lights mixed with the color of the walls was starting to make my head hurt. I took a drag of my cigarette as I waited.

"Tell me why you think you're here."

The woman who spoke crossed her legs, her hands running over her thighs to make sure that her skirt hung right. Her blonde hair was in a long braid down her back with little wispy bangs covering her forehead. It was a flattering look for her. Her skirt was black with little purple flowers on it, the same shade of purple as her blouse. Her black pumps were more elegant that business-like, telling me that she was a woman of wealth. Her hand covered mine, a comforting gesture. I recoiled as though her touch burned. I refused to meet her eyes. I knew all that I needed to know for now. She was new. She had that fresh, just out of grad school feel to her. She was treating me like any other patient.

"Did they explain to you who I am?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Then there is no need for introductions. Did they explain why I was here?"

"Your file states that you suffer from delusions. You wish to make the world a better place..."

"So I have an imaginary world where I dish out justice," I finished for her. "Go get Dr. Cornwell. I don't have time for this."

She smoothed out her skirt - a nervous gesture - and took a deep breath. "The beginning?"

I sighed and leaned back in my chair, tapping my cigarette on a triangluar red ashtray. I raised my eyes up until they met hers; beautiful cerulean blue with flecks of green and gray. Her eyes gave her away. I could read her so easily that it scared me. She stared back into my eyes through my curtain for curly red hair.

I lowered my gaze and asked, "Has anyone ever told you that your eyes are the windows to your soul?"

I didn't want to talk about me. I needed to know about her. After all, I had my orders.

Buy your copy TODAY at Amazon.com

Reprint acceptance

Aoife's Kiss has accepted "Raising the Dead" for publication in October 2011. "Raising the Dead" was first published in Bewildering Stories in 2008 and tells the story of Kinandrea, an elf who is asked by a human named Jackson to raise his wife from the dead.

(FYI: Aoife is pronounced EE-fah)

Acceptance for "Dalamar's Quest"

This has been a long time coming! "Dalamar's Quest" has been accepted for publication by Bewildering Stories. This is Amythist Dyier's debut story. The sequels, "The Hunt" (Ethereal Tales) and "The Final Goodbye" (Ruins Metropolis), have already been published. Amythist is one of my favorite short story characters, and I hope to have the chance to write about her in a longer work one day. So why did it take so long to get Amy's debut story out there?

Here's a little truth about the publishing world; just because it's been accepted, doesn't mean it will make it to print. "Dalamar's Quest" was slated for publication in Feb 2009, but the magazine that accepted it ran into some problems. First, they changed ownership. When that happens, things can either go really good like they have over at Eternal Press, or really bad like what happened there. They got behind on their publishing schedule, and finally they threw in the towel and closed down. I could see this coming from a mile away and crossed my fingers that they could published "Dalamar's Quest" before closing their doors. They couldn't, and all the rights reverted back to me. I started submitting "Dalamar's Quest" again this year.

I'm happy to say that this story has been accepted and you will be able to view online for free. I love Amythist, and I'm happy you get the chance to meet her. Right now I don't know the publication date, but as soon as I have it I'll let you know.

Interview and Acceptance

I'm due to have an interview go live today at Wordshaping, but as of fifteen minutes ago it's not up. I'm sure it will be later in the day.

I also got an acceptance from FLASHSHOT today! "The Escape," which was first published by the now dead Pen Pricks back in 2008, is going to be published again on June 17th!


EDIT @ 12:25AM (5/24/10) - The interview is now live! Why I write kick ass fantasy heroines!