I am pleased to announce that the anthology has a release date set for October 1, 2024!
The anthology has its beginnings with a challenge to write in a new genre. For me, that meant I couldn’t write fantasy or science fiction and was challenged to write a western story. For others who participated, the challenge meant writing steampunk, romance, adventure, mystery, myth, and many more new and exciting genres.
George Lies, founder and former leader of MWG, enjoyed the challenges and the stories we produced, so he organized two challenges per year. He also believed we should do something more with our stories. He didn’t want us to toss them in the trash after our contests, so he asked me to help him develop a collection of challenge stories to publish.
This project stalled out for various reasons, and sadly before it could be completed, George passed away this April. I wanted to finish this project to honor him and his belief in all the writers of MWG. The members agreed and volunteered to help. So, they sent me new stories and poems to be included with those George and I already had. Our small project doubled in size!
Patricia Patteson helped me with scheduling, editing, proofreading, and managing contracts, but more importantly, she lent me her wisdom. She has published several novels of her own and is familiar with the entire process; from writing, editing, revising, proofreading, to formatting and marketing. She is a wonderful mentor and was a huge help! After several cups of coffee and tea at Terra Cafe, dozens of emails, and many phone calls and Zoom meetings, we have hit quite the milestone.
River and Stone is set to be released, both in print and ebook, on October 1, 2024.
I have learned a lot in the last four months about formatting and cover design, but with the support of the MWG writers and Patricia’s guidance, the anthology is finished. We are simply waiting to inspect the final proof and make any needed adjustments.
I look forward to holding a copy in my hands, and I am sure many of the MWG writers feel the same. I am honored to present this anthology dedicated to George Lies and showcasing the many talents of the MWG authors.
Be sure to get your copy on Amazon as well as many other platforms. If you are interested in hearing a discussion about the making of this anthology, The Metaworker Literary magazine has made a two part episode on their podcast featuring myself, Elena Perez, and Cerid Jones. I discuss what I have learned, the origins of this anthology and my hopes for its future. Cerid, also working on an anthology for New Zealand’s Spec Fic Writers Association titled Artificial Sweetener – Tales of AI (100% written by humans), speaks about what she has learned and how our processes differ. We are still editing this episode but anticipate its release in the coming weeks.
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