A woman walks into a bar. One more time, with feeling!

My first short story appeared in Andres Fragoso’s Las Vegas Authors Anthology 2019 under the title “A Woman Apart.”

A slightly revised version of the story under the title “Woman Apart” appeared in Antipodean SF #269 on February 20, 2021.

A revised and expanded version of the story has now been published for a third time in MetaStellar Magazine on April 21, 2023.

Read one, read all, as you prefer!

Personal note: Thank you for submitting such a thought-provoking piece. This poem made it to the second round and it is with a heavy heart that we must let it go. I greatly enjoyed the style and voice in this and was especially drawn by the lines:

“What about that…”

The perfect balance of humor and disgust. Best of luck!

Dear Keech,

The latest issue of Fantasy, which features a story by you, is now available for purchase. You can find the full issue details here: issue link (right click, select copy)

If you clickthrough to the issue, you can see what else is in this month’s issue alongside your story. This month’s issue is (or will be shortly) also available on Amazon, BN.com, Kobo, and Weightless Books. Links to the third-party seller editions can be found on the following page, if you click on the Purchase/Subscribe button: subscribe link (right click, select copy)

We would appreciate it if you could spread the word about your story being available in the ebook edition now, and then also when it’s available online to read for free later in the month (except for novellas and novel excerpts, which are exclusive to the paid editions of the magazine). Also, feel free to let people know that they can subscribe for just $23.88/year.

For those of you whose content will be appearing in the online edition of Fantasy, we’ll be emailing you again the week your story goes live online with a link to your story when it’s available on the Fantasy website. At the end of this email you’ll find the posting schedule for when the various content for this issue will be posting on the Fantasy website.

Thanks for being part of Fantasy!

Dear Keech,

Thank you for sending us ‘Wodehouse Blues’ yesterday. I’m sorry to say it’s not quite the right fit for TSS as we skew to CNF that is on the more personal side – although it was a thoroughly enjoyable read and sent me on a hunt through via Google to find out more about the mysterious Guy Preston. 

As a whole, I felt the piece might benefit from more focus on either a tighter exploration of who the author is or a more academic close read of one of his short stories – The Inn, perhaps. That said, the digressive nature of your work does have a charm and may well suit other journals – in particular those with an emphasis on horror etc. 

I hope you may find the above useful – they are thoughts and suggestions only. As someone who writes and submits work myself, it’s worth repeating that it’s very much a subjective matter.

If you’ve found the experience of submitting to TSS a good one, I would be very grateful if you could share this on any social media you have, as well as with writer friends and colleagues. We’ve been on hiatus for a few years and so we’re looking to spread the word that we’re publishing once again. Any help is appreciated. We’ve also to a tip jar to cover website costs & coffee and are always grateful for any help in that direction too.

Thank you again for sending us your work and have a lovely weekend,

TSS Publishing

The Universal Field Operative (UFO) wants you! The creation of the universe explained. Partially. Forthcoming in April.

Get the message?

A brief stroll down memory lane. An introduction to the secret history of Transportation Demand Management. A paean to the many contributions of Mel Webber to planning sciences. Take your pick!

I recently had the opportunity to participate in a short fiction contest sponsored by Cast of Wonders. Although I did not win, it was a lot of fun, and I learned a lot, both about the publisher, and the market for YA speculative short fiction.

There are 206 bones in the human body. Keech Ballard rides again, this time as a flashy purveyor of incipient horror inspired by a moral sense of outraged sensibilities.

There are 238 pages in Step into the Light, a new anthology of daylight horror from Bag of Bones Press, available in paperback or Kindle format from Amazon.

Join Keech and many others on a journey into night, I mean day, I mean daytime nighttime is the right time…

Click below to set yourself free.

Muhaha!

Where the drabble meets the haiku.

A new anthology from independent publisher Hiraeth, composed of 60 entries, two of which were composed by yours truly.

58. Mermaid Central

59. Unicorn Station