That over-hyped and tacky day dedicated to commercialism and guilt is almost upon us, but don't fret if you're one of the single people forced to watch others spend lavish amounts of money on horrendous presents for their witless other halves - you can have a present too, and it's actually one you might want!
Jodi Cleghorn, MD of Emergent Publishing, has put together the second literary mixtape, Nothing But Flowers. Twenty four tales of love in a post apocalyptic setting, each story will be posted every hour of Valentine's Day, starting at 9am Australian Eastern Standard Time. You'll be able to read them all for free for two days, after which time they will be available to buy. Not much of a present? Well the proceeds are going to the Grantham Flood support fund so you can read some fantastic stories and help a good cause. Nothing like a spot of altruism to start the day!
In addition, if you "like" the Facebook page, the story links will appear in your newsfeed, while a 'yes' RSVP to the virtual launch party enters you into a competition to win one of four eBooks and a signed paperback. You can also swing by and leave a comment for the wonderful cover illustration, done by my creative partner, Jimmy Misanthrope.
My own story, This Was Paradise, goes live at 3pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (which should be 5am GMT, if my maths is correct). It's based on a true story, set during the 1665 outbreak of plague in England. I spent a lot of time on it, and a lot of time getting the historical details as accurate as I can, so I hope you enjoy it. If you use the player below, you can hear me read the first section.
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Sir Charles Fotheringay-Smythe stood in the study at Whittingdale House. His team fussed over the piles of crampons, sleeping rolls and surveying equipment that lay around the room. Portraits of Sir Charles’ ancestors watched the mild panic from the walls.
“You there! Jones! How are the preparations coming along? We don’t have much time!” he barked, pointing at a young man in safari wear.
“They’re doing well, Sir. Don’t worry, we won’t be long now,” replied Jones.
“Splendid, splendid!”
Sir Charles marched around the room, hands clasped behind his back. He peered over shoulders and prodded knapsacks on his tour of the study. Satisfied with the progress of his team, he paused in front of the large portrait of his father. The painting hung opposite the door, dominating the room. Severe eyes hid beneath bushy eyebrows, and a handlebar moustache disguised a cruel sneer. The famous explorer posed on a beach, surrounded by the natives of the island he once discovered.
“I will do the family proud, Papa. You may have my word,” muttered Sir Charles.
“Sir? Sir? I think we’re ready.”
Sir Charles turned around to face his team. None of his father’s band of explorers wanted anything to do with Sir Charles, a man they claimed could not discover his own lavatory. Instead, he’d hired enthusiastic youths from the nearest village. The farmhands and shop boys would do nicely. He consulted his pocket watch. It wouldn’t be long.
“Team, I’ve assembled you all here to make ready our expedition into the final frontier!”
“Yorkshire?” asked a buck-toothed lad at the front.
“No, you simpleton. We shall venture into a land that no living man has as yet seen!”
“So Yorkshire then.”
Some of the lads snickered, but fell silent beneath Sir Charles’ withering gaze. At least, Sir Charles liked to think it was his withering gaze, but he knew it was more likely the prospect of the loss of a few shillings that would hush the boys.
“Girl I used to know, she said one day man would go to the moon. All the way up into the sky! Is that right, Sir Charles? Are we going to the moon?” asked a blond youth at the back.
“Don’t be silly, man was never intended to leave solid ground. No, we shall be crossing the Styx to explore the land beyond!”
“What land is beyond some sticks? Is that the county on the other side of the woods?” asked the buck-toothed lad.
Sir Charles rolled his eyes, regretting his choice of that particular youth. Time was running out and he wanted to explain his plan first. He flicked open the pocket watch again.
“No. We shan’t be travelling to Yorkshire, or the next county. Instead, we shall venture across the river Styx, to chart the land of the dead!” boomed Sir Charles. He rocked back on his heels, a satisfied smirk on his ruddy face.
“How will we do that, Sir?” asked Jones.
“Well, we will have to die first, but once that necessity is out of the way, we shall journey into the land of the dead and make our discoveries! We may encounter any manner of things, but I propose that we shall be the first to do so with a firm agenda!”
“I don’t want no part of that. I’ve got to milk the cows tomorrow, my dad’ll kill me if I’m dead,” said the blond youth.
“Unfortunately, you have little choice in the matter any longer. I dispensed a slow-acting poison into your refreshments earlier, so that we may all go together. We don’t want to get to the other side and be separated,” replied Sir Charles.
“Sir, I do have one question,” said Jones.
“Very well.” Sir Charles consulted the pocket watch again. Only a few moments more.
“How are we going to come back to tell everyone what we’ve found?” asked Jones.
If you want to use the prompt, all I ask is that you include a link to this entry and a credit to me for the photograph, and that you post a link to your story in the comments box below so I can see what you've come up with! If you don't comment on this entry, then I can't comment on your story.
The nineteenth prompt is Standing Statue.
All photo prompts are my own photography - you can find more of it on Flickr.
All written content and photographic prompts are under copyright to Icy Sedgwick (or respective guest posters) and therefore can't be copied and posted elsewhere, unless you're quoting directly from posts and providing links to the original.
Icy Sedgwick was born in the North East of England, and is based in Newcastle. She has been writing for over ten years, and had her first book, a Western named The Guns of Retribution, published through Pulp Press in September 2011. She spends her non-writing time working on a PhD in Film Studies, knitting, baking and making jewellery.
The search for a murderous outlaw has brought the long roving Grey O’Donnell near to his hometown of Retribution, Arizona. Bounty hunters ain’t popular but old fashioned manners, kindness to regular folk and a face for the ladies make Grey an exception round these parts; and a six gun’ll take care of the rest. Anyway, Grey has a job to do elsewhere. But, the odious Jasper Roberts has made himself Sheriff of Retribution and he has a score to settle with Grey. Jasper ain’t gonna let morals or the law get in the way of a good hanging and the townsfolk are cowed by their villainous lawman. Can you really mess with a man’s momma and get away with it? Sometimes there is more than one bullet with your name on it.
Fifteen previously published stories, collected together for the first time, spanning fantasy, horror, sci fi and speculative fiction. Among other things, Bleed Them Dry puts a new spin on vampires, talking corpses tell their side in The Dead Do Listen, a little girl is fascinated with an antique that hides a dark side in The Mirror Phase, and a devilish game of chess goes wrong in Checkmate.
The First Tale
A vaguely steampunk adventure, set in the fictional city of Vertigo. The Resistance is pitted against the shadowy Weimar Corporation that runs the City. Their stalemate is broken by the death of a suspected infiltrator, setting Resistance Commander Liss Hunt and her bewildered companion Philip Wiseman on a journey into the depths of both organisations to discover the truth behind who - or what - is really running the City. Featuring automatons, mad scientists, chases, a gun-toting heroine and even the Living Dead, The First Tale is a short novella that proves people are not always what they seem.
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I try to keep my fiction free, or at the very least incredibly cheap, but if you'd like to donate and help fund more writing in future, then you can!
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