Hey, kids! My short story “Ink and Blood” is up today at Beneath Ceaseless Skies! And best of all, you can read it for free, and also download it for your Kindelmaschine or other electronic readenings device.
I wrote the first draft of that story with a fountain pen. (Well, I do nearly all of my first drafts in longhand anyway, but it seemed to be particularly fitting for this story.) Here’s the first page from the hand-written draft–note the slightly longer title.
YAY! Congrats! That is wonderful. Also, on a totally ancillary note, you have awesome handwriting. Mine looks as if I’ve written with my eyes closed, holding the pen in my teeth. Not pretty. What kind of a foundation pen did you use? It looks like it writes very well.
I wrote that story with a Reform fountain pen. It’s an old (1970s-1980s vintage) school pen from Germany.
Oh man, what a great story. I’m normally more of an SF guy, but I have a soft spot for steampunk and magical realism, and the world you have pictured has charmed me instantly. Every time I read something from you, I’m left wanting for more. Did I read that right, that you’re writing a full book in this universe? I can’t wait until I can read one of your books. I will PAY MONEY for it even.
I just downloaded your short story from the internet, added it to music software, and synced it to my mobile phone. What an awesome world we live in!
Sidenote: the Info in iTunes shows up as (track name) Beneath Ceaseless Skies and (author) Siohban Carrol. A quick fix, but I thought I’d point it out.
tweaker
Excellent story, Marko! Thank you for the head’s up.
The slow hand lets the right words surface.
Excellent story, it begs for a sequel. Keep it up!
LOVED it. Hurry up and finish that novel so I can read it, man! Hurry, I say!
It’s not fair that your metafictional story is way better than I one I had published in issue 73. I can not wait to read more in this universe. Get working!
You got a tax stamp for that fountain pen, son?
That’s super-cool! Loved the story as well. Congrats!
Nice story, anxious for the book!
There you go again with your “free” samples!
(Just like every other crack dealer, the first taste is always free.)
Can’t wait to dive into a full-length novel in that universe!!
That was fun, usually I don’t buy into anything that has “magic” and shit, but I wanted more. Also good job with the present tense; tricky to pull off without coming across as forced.
Dang, Marko! I have happily paid money, for which I had to work, to buy and read stuff which is not as good as that there story.
More PLEASE.
Too short. I needed more. Kinda thing I could have kept reading well into the night.
The boy is obviously losing his prudence and coolness over the girl. I understand, having been of that age myself, upon a time. He obviously thinks he still has his wits about him, but I can see right now that he’s up for some mental re-arrangements.
If boys and girls didn’t lose prudence and coolness over each other, we’d have all been Megantereon feces a million years ago.
Magical story! I can’t wait to read more.
More please.
Finally got around to reading this and very glad I did. I think I will like this world. Looking forward to the novel.