"Buzzard's Final Bow" is coming to Beneath Ceaseless Skies!
Just found out that Scott Andrews at Beneath Ceaseless Skies has accepted for publication my gritty fantasy story "Buzzard's Final Bow." Io Triumphe!
This story had a bizarre origin. At the Odyssey alumni workshop week (The Never Ending Odyssey, or TNEO), our moderator, the intrepid Ellen Denham, had us do a brainstorming exercise in groups using, I believe, tarot cards of different kinds.
Mine had this dude in a chariot being pulled by tigers or some other massive cats. He looked epic and elegant and as far from what I write as possible. I told my buddies Becky and Rhiannon that the only way I could write a story about this guy was if he was some down and out former gladiator who had to wrestle ancient cats for street money. We all laughed at the idea . . .
But the more I thought about it, the more I dug it. Back in undergrad, I'd taken a full year course on "sport and spectacle" in ancient Greece and Rome, and have always found that aspect of Greek and Roman history fascinating. And, let's face it, this stuff is the granddady to pro wrestling (there's some evidence that some of the fights were rigged). Anyway, I worked on the story for months before submission. And Scott provided some critical insight to make the story sing. I think it's pretty killer, and probably my best attempt at writing something like sword and sorcery (or literary adventure fantasy). Thanks to Scott, Rhiannon, Becky, and Ellen, for helping this sucker come to life.
Huzzah!