Just the FAQ

Q: Do you write many short stories?  Will we be seeing more of them?

A: I don't write short stories, as a rule.  My short story ideas always seem to spin out of control and end up as novellas.  I keep asking, "but what if..." and running off with it.  Or the characters do.  However, I used to write at least one short story a year as part of an ongoing Christmas/Holliday challenge as a member of the Fairwood Writers.  It's a thing we do every year.  We try to keep the word count at under 3,000 words (after no one was able to stick to the original 1500 word limit) and read them to each other during our holiday get-together. 

Each challenge story has to have certain agreed-upon elements.  One year, the things we agreed to include were an alien encounter, and that it had to take place on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.  Another year, they were snow, and a cow.  The last one I did, the required elements were, fire, a gift, and liver.  Believe me, hearing everyone's individual interpretations of those concepts was absolutely fascinating, and always a major surprise.

Every once in a while, we also did challenge stories wrapped around Halloween or other events.  I have a couple of those as well.  And there are several stories that I did just when I was learning to write, just as exercises, that I've since pulled out, re-written, and sent forth into the ether to find homes.  Sometimes successfully, some not, but they all deserve their chance to be read.

Anyway, I have thought about putting out 3-story collections in e-book form.  In fact, I've more than thought about it.  I plan on doing it.  Probably in the fall of 2011.

 Q: Thanks for including the short story Knight Erring at the back of Strawberry Roan.   What a great surprise!  Do you have other short stories?  Will all your novels have bonus stories at the end?

A: I was planning on doing that just for The Strawberry Roan and Ironwolfe; the other novels are "stand alone" books; they're already sufficiently huge.  I'm more a novelist than a short story writer, but over the years I've written a few.  Dozen.  Some are published, some not, some are still floating out there in the electronic ether, awaiting the right home.  But yes, I will be publishing them, one way or another.

Q: Are there other books or stories about Black Bess and Buddy out there?

A: Not yet.  And I actually haven't planned on revisiting that world; the work was intended as a stand-alone.  But every once in a while, I get a twitch from Black Bess that tells me she might not be finished with me.

Q: What other series do you have besides The Triads of Tir na n'Og?

A: I'm currently at work on the next installment of the Knights of the Far Horizon series, which I originally intended to be a mystery series, but that has morphed into a sort of urban fantasy/mystery series.  Jane Smith is the viewpoint character. 

I also have a "prequel" to the series planned, but only after I do a LOT more research.  It's the story of what happened to Jack, Deke, and Ollie in the service, years before Jack decided to start the Knights of the Far Horizon.  And how they got tangled up with the Seelie court in the first place.  I think it's going to end up more military fantasy than urban.  Hey, I could start a new sub-genre!