Ephemera & Tales

Each year since 2004 I've had a story to share for Halloween, because it's a significant date for me. By the skin of my teeth, this year's it's another Tawnholme story, for a little Halloween sweetness...

( Sweets for my sweet, by Alex Draven )

Each year since 2004 I've had a story to share for Halloween, because it's a significant date for me. This year's is another Tawnholme story, wherein things do not go ( According To Plan )

Each year since 2004 I've had a story to share for Halloween, because it's a significant date for me. This year's a taste of Tawnholme sweetness, although as it turned out, my weather forecast was completely wrong! Many many thanks to A, for helping me get this ready to share - all mistakes and misunderstandings that remain are my own sweet fault, especially as I have changed things since she saw it.

Happy Halloween, and happy reading!

( Unexpected callers, by Alex Draven )

Each year since 2004 I've had a story to share for Halloween, because it's a significant date for me. This year is no exceptions, despite the best efforts of non-writing life to get in the way.

This is another Tawnholme story, but a very different mood from last year's - this year is more about sadness and stillness and the potential inherent in the turn of the seasons at this time of year.

Mellow Mist by Alex Draven

"So, hey."

Karl kicked desultorily at the fallen leaves, lying in damp, sodden drifts. It was cold, and damp, and the mist hadn't lifted even though it was mid-afternoon. The trees the far side of the clearing were soft-focus, and the far side of the valley a ghostly rumour.

"I came out here. I don't know what I thought that was going to achieve, but - here I am."

The trees didn't say anything back.

It wasn't exactly silent - the wind moving the branches, the distant thrum of traffic, the odd thump and crackle as birds launched themselves from branches or ripe crab apples hit the ground - but it was a lot quieter than Karl was used to. ( read on )

If you're interested in reading the previous stories I've posted as Halloween gifts they are:

Dream Come True (2004)
Thirteen Kisses (2005)
All Souls (2006)
Favour ($0.99) & two free snippets Soar and Raining Cats (2007)
Tradition (2008)
Everything changes (2009)
It’s not the dead that haunt graveyards (2010)
Here Comes The Rain (2011)

You'll find these and other seasonally appropriate snippets under 'seasonal : autumn' in the tags list

(If I was doing this as a promotional thing, I would have picked a less popular date, because there's an awful lot of fabulous fiction being released for Halloween - more of it every year - but I'm doing this because it's a significant date for me, so, thank you, everyone who reads this, and twice thanks to those of you who let me know that you did.)

Every year since 2004, I've posted a story for Halloween, because it's a significant day for me. This year's offering is an idea that's been rattling around in my subconscious for years, which sparked against a recent visit to a local civil cemetery, to become this story.

It’s not the dead that haunt graveyards
by Alex Draven

( Read more... )

If you're interested in previous years' stories, here's the list:


Dream Come True (2004)
Thirteen Kisses (2005)
All Souls (2006)
Favour (2007) (for sale)
Soar and Raining Cats (2007)
Tradition (2008)
Everything changes (2009)

(plus, there are the two zombie stories. They are seasonally appropriate, but they do come with a 'you click on the link, you take responsibility for your own sanity' warning - the titles are terrifyingly accurate on these two - Zombie Incest Wrongness and the infamous necrophiliac plushy gangbang story)

(If I was doing this as a promotional thing, I would have picked a less popular date, because there's an awful lot of fabulous fiction being released for Halloween - more of it every year - so, thank you, everyone who reads this, and twice thanks to those of you who let me know that you did.)

I had plans for my Halloween story this year, but as the saying goes, there's many a slip t'wixt cup and lip. The new plan is that you'll get that next year.

Instead of the planned story, I have a little snapshot of the boys from last year's Halloween story, Micky and Rhys, on their one year anniversary, fresh of the keyboard, unedited, and so on. I hope it makes you smile.

Tradition

Rhys was half watching the muted black-and-white film on the tv, and half watching Micky. Micky was sitting sideways in the big battered armchair, tv remote resting in the space under his knees where his feet were tucked up against the arm, talking on the phone, and picking at the chipped black polish on his nails.

From Micky's half of the conversation, and the way his accent was just that bit stronger, Rhys had deduced that it was a member of Micky's family on the other end. Either his mam, his nan, or one of his aunties, most likely.

He ought to go back upstairs, where the problems for next week's seminars were waiting for him, but what was the point of Saturday afternoons if you couldn't slack in the living room for a while?

( snipped for length )

If you'd like to read about how Micky and Rhys got together, you'll need to pick up Favor. As I said last year, when it came out, Favor's sweet like candy, and it has laser-quest, fake fangs, and boys making out in graveyards. It's also on sale right now, and available for a mere $1.03.

Free Halloween stories from the past four years can be found linked in this post, or under 'seasonal : autumn' in the tags list.

Happy reading!

Those of you who've been reading me for a while will have figured out that I enjoy Halloween, and I've posted a short story for the season each year for the past few.

Dream Come True (2004)
Thirteen Kisses (2005)
All Souls (2006)
Favour (2007)

(plus, there are the two zombie stories. They are seasonally appropriate, but they do come with a 'you click on the link, you take responsibility for your own sanity' warning - the titles are terrifyingly accurate on these two - Zombie Incest Wrongness and the infamous necrophiliac plushy gangbang story)

This year, the main story is Favour, but I do have a couple of extra sketchbook ficlets for you.

( sketch the first - Soar )

and ( sketch the second - Raining Cats )

And to celebrate, I have an e-book out! Favour is one of Torquere's Halloween Sips. It's sweet like candy, and it has laser-quest, fake fangs, and boys making out in graveyards. If that sounds like your kind of thing, it's also a mere $1.29, so an affordable treat.

( have a little (work safe) taster )

Partly for oct31challenge, but mostly because I have had something to share for Halloween every year since I really started writing and it feels wrong not to have anything to offer. My main idea for the challenge somewhat ran away with me, so this was hammered out in my lunchbreak ....

*********

Father Pete sat vigil. On the eve of All Souls, in a little place like this, the parishioners liked to see the chapel lights glowing against the night and to know that one of their priests was inside, praying for the souls of the dead and the protection of the living. Father Mortimer was elderly now, too old for a long night on his knees when there was a curate to take his place. So Father Pete sat vigil, by candlelight. ( Read more... )