Submissions away.

I sent off two submissions this morning:

"Eulogy for Muffin" to "The Blackness Within" anthology (Apex Book Company)

and

"Honoring the Dead" to "Destination: Future" anthology (Hadley Rille Books)

These are submissions 16 and 17 for the year so far. I have high hopes for both of them.

Mama's Boy by Fran Friel

I won this book from the Apex Book Company raffle. Fran Friel is a new-to-me author and one for me to look for in the future. I really liked her story collection filled with dark tales set both in hard reality and soft fantasy. Several of the stories based around a mother's love for her son and keeping him safe, helping him grow up and/or teaching him stretch the concept of "mother," "love" and "son." The relationship, however it is created, is paramount and powerful, lending a sense of emotional density that touches the reader. This collection of short stories runs the emotional gamut from touching and sweet to cruel, sadistic and horrific. There are moments of hilarity that made me ashamed for laughing because what I had just read wasn't funny – but it was. I very much enjoyed it and will look for more stuff by Fran Friel in the future. I highly recommend Mama's Boy for anyone who likes dark, twisted tales.