Manion knows how to fix the women in his life in ‘Companions’

Photo courtesy of Ann W of Flicr by way of a Creative Commons license. See below for link.

I wrote this story back in 1993. The editor of Crossroads, a small press magazine, invited me to submit a story, and one does not turn down an invitation from an editor. Crossroads was a themed publication, the requirement being… READ MORE

What happens when the artist creates his own monster?

Cover image by Zde by way of a Creative Commons license.

What do I remember about this story? Well, this: The year was 1982 or thereabouts. I was living with my parents, but things were looking up. I had a career-track job and a steady income. I had lost my baby… READ MORE

Out there in the dark, there are things like ‘Animal’

Photo courtesy of ph.

I say this story was written in 1988 but I wouldn’t quote me on that. It was written in the 1980s, I’m sure. It has the tone of my ’80s fiction – bleak sketches usually set in a rural back… READ MORE

You’ve got ’13 Seconds’ to get that pizza to my door … or else

William Warby, flickr

I can say without equivocation I have never shot a pizza guy for being 13 seconds late with a delivery. I have never shot anyone for any reason. But I swear to you I have talked on the phone with… READ MORE

Beware the crafty kitty criminals of ‘Aunt Edna’s Cats’

[ Cover image by Del Stone Jr. ]

In 1993 I decided I needed a dose of furry companionship. I went to the animal shelter and picked out a cat. A black cat. I named him Pavlov. Get it? Moving on, that first night, when I came home… READ MORE

Next Halloween, remember this story, ‘Trick-or-Treat’

[ Cover image by Eugene Kim. ]

This is a short story, and it is short even for that. I say up front because I don’t want you to think you’ve been tricked out of your money (pardon the seasonal pun). At 99 cents, “Trick-or-Treat” is priced… READ MORE

A future without the web in ‘Live without a Net’

[ Cover image courtesy of rawpixel.com . ]

[ Cover image courtesy of rawpixel.com . ] From Amazon: Imagine a future without cyberspace or without the Web or virtual reality. What would happen in an alternate Information Age? What would you do? What would you fear? What wouldn’t… READ MORE

Eye of newt, hair of bat, and ‘100 Wicked Little Witch Stories’

[ Main image courtesy of SplitShire at Pexels by way of a Creative Commons license ]

The genesis of my story, “I Feel My Body Grow,” in “100 Wicked Little Witch Stories” was simple: I wanted to sell a story to “100 Wicked Little Witch Stories.” During the ‘90s writer and editor Stefan Dziemianowicz edited a… READ MORE