Author: Belinda Brady

Paying Markets For Speculative Fiction Authors | Top Open Calls December 4th-8th, 2023

Welcome, storytellers of the fantastical and the fearful! 🌌🦁 As we journey through the days of December 4th to the 8th, let us blend the realms of horror and fantasy into tapestries rich with wonder and dread. In your world-building, may you find the delicate balance between the eerie unknown and the awe-inspiring.

This week’s ledger of opportunities is imbued with the potential for both the wondrous and the terrifying, each link a gateway to new realms where your stories can flourish in the shadowed corners of imagination.

As we delve into this week, consider the unique character of early December: Did you know that December 5th is known as Krampusnacht in some European traditions? This evening is marked by the appearance of Krampus, a horned, anthropomorphic figure who, in contrast to Saint Nicholas, punishes naughty children. This folklore encapsulates the dual nature of the season – the light and the dark, the joyous and the terrifying, themes ripe for exploration in horror fantasy.

“Sometimes fairy stories may say best what’s to be said,” wrote C.S. Lewis. Let this wisdom guide you as you weave narratives where the fantastical elements serve to illuminate deeper truths, where the veil between worlds is thin, and where the eerie and the enchanting intertwine.

As December’s chill seeps into your tales, let them be a vessel for the ancient stories and myths, the kind that echo the depths of human fears and desires. May your writing this week be a tribute to the power of myth and the enduring resonance of fairy tales, where every shadow holds a mystery, and every light a hope. 📖❄️🌑

You can watch the video below:
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Open Markets For Speculative Fiction Writers | Top Open Calls November 27th-Dec 1st, 2023

Welcome, weavers of the mystical and the macabre! 🍂🌙 As we transition from the fading whispers of November into the early chills of December, spanning from the 27th of November to the 1st of December, let us draw inspiration from the enchanting prose of Alice Hoffman. In your hands, the ordinary becomes steeped in an aura of wonder and the shadows dance with an unseen life, much like the subtle magic that permeates Hoffman’s narratives.

This week’s collection of opportunities opens doorways to realms where the lines between the real and the surreal blur, each link a portal to unexplored territories that beckon your unique voice.

As we bid farewell to November and usher in December, let’s embrace a curious fact: Did you know that in many ancient calendars, December marked the end of the year? It was a time of finishing old business and preparing for the new, much like writing a story where every end is also a beginning, an echo of possibilities yet to come.
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Paying Markets For Speculative Fiction Authors | Top Open Calls November 20th-24th, 2023

Welcome, crafters of cosmic tales and futuristic sagas! 🚀📚 As we chart our course through the week of November 20th to the 24th, let us embrace the inventive spirit and sharp wit emblematic of John Scalzi’s work. In this segment of our interstellar journey, your narratives have the power to traverse not just galaxies, but the intricate complexities of human (and perhaps non-human) interaction, all with a keen eye for humor and insight.

This week’s catalog of opportunities offers a galaxy of potential, each link a wormhole leading to new realms of possibility. Dive in and let your creativity be as boundless as the universe itself.
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Paying Markets For Speculative Fiction Authors | Top Open Calls November 13th-17th, 2023

Welcome, weavers of the wondrous and the whimsical! 🐉🌌 As our journey through November, from the 13th to the 17th, unfolds, let us immerse ourselves in the fantastical tapestries akin to those spun by Anne McCaffrey, where dragons soar through starlit skies and distant planets harbor tales yet untold. In this week of crafting narratives, you hold the power to meld the mystical with the interstellar, creating worlds that resonate with the heart of exploration and the magic of possibility.

This week’s compendium of opportunities is akin to a Pernese dragon’s hoard, each link a gem with the potential to transport your stories to new heights and unexplored worlds.

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Paying Markets For Speculative Fiction Authors | Top Open Calls July 17th-21st, 2023

Greetings, scribes of the stars! 🎉 Align your typewriters as we prepare to launch into another galactic voyage across the vast infinity of speculative fiction. As your unwavering chrononauts, we’re sworn to navigate the most mesmerizing constellations—or dare we declare, markets—for you, the fearless ink-slingers of our age. With each flickering supernova, we radiate extraordinary opportunities that will ignite your interstellar muses and transmute your cosmic narratives into lucrative rewards! 📚✨

This week’s futuristic codex hums with enlightening revelations as we expose 🚀 Newly charted, superior markets dispersed across the boundless cosmos of speculative fiction!

Our celestial map of the unknown is your astrolabe to these radiant opportunities. You’ll decipher the meticulous data for these electrifying missions conveniently broadcasted via the links below:

Let’s excite your neurons with a captivating tidbit about July: did you know that July 20th, 1969 marks the historic moment when man first set foot on the moon? This feat of exploration and science fiction becoming reality can serve as a beacon for your narratives this month, illuminating the path from imagined worlds to tangible truth.

Your tales are the pulsars that light our universe. They sketch your journey through the celestial sphere of creative science fiction. So, let’s calibrate our coordinates and boldly warp through the science fiction cosmos, one stellar saga at a time! 🚀

To end this transmission on an empowering frequency, contemplate this profound wisdom from the visionary Frank Herbert, “The mystery of life isn’t a problem to solve, but a reality to experience.” Permit the gravity of your unique imagination to guide you, and persist in your galactic craft. The nebula of narratives eagerly awaits your cosmic tales!

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Epeolatry Book Review: At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities by Heather Webber

Disclosure:

Our reviews may contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through the links in this article we may receive a small commission or referral fee. This happens without any additional cost to you.

Title: At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities

Author: Heather Webber

Genre: Magical Realism

Publisher: MacMillan Publishers

Publication Date: 1st August 2023

Page count: 320

Synopsis: A mysterious letter. An offer taken. And the chance to move forward.

When Ava Harrison receives a letter containing an unusual job listing one month after the sudden death of her ex-boyfriend, she thinks she’s being haunted. The listing—a job as a live-in caretaker for a peculiar old man and his cranky cat in Driftwood, Alabama—is the perfect chance to start a new life. A normal life. Ava has always been too fearful to even travel, so no one’s more surprised than she is when she throws caution to the wind and drives to the distant beachside town.

On the surface, Maggie Mae Brightwell is a bundle of energy as she runs Magpie’s, Driftwood’s coffee and curiosity shop, where there’s magic to be found in pairing the old with the new. But lurking under her cheerful exterior is a painful truth—keeping busy is the best way to distract herself from the lingering loss of her mama and her worries about her aging father. No one knows better than she does that you can’t pour from an empty cup, but holding on to the past is the only thing keeping the hope alive that her mama will return home one day.

Ava and Maggie soon find they’re kindred spirits, as they’re both haunted—not by spirits, but by regret. Both must learn to let go of the past to move on—because sometimes the waves of change bring you to the place where you most belong.

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Paying Markets For Speculative Fiction Authors | Top Open Calls June 12th-16th, 2023

Salutations, architects of the arcane! 🎉 Ready your pens as we descend into another eerie expedition through the uncanny abyss of speculative fiction. As your dedicated cryptographers, we’re resolved to excavate the most spellbinding sepulchers—or dare we suggest, markets—for you, the audacious authors of our epoch. With each passing moon, we summon astonishing opportunities to stoke your eerie muses and transform your narrative necromancy into palpable profit! 📚✨

This week’s cryptic tome is awash with uncanny revelations as we disclose 🚀 Newly unearthed, top-tier markets dispersed across the infinite panorama of speculative fiction!

Our eldritch chart of enigmas is your beacon to these glittering prospects. You’ll unearth the precise incantations for these intriguing convocations conveniently manifested in the links hereunder:

Here’s an eerie tidbit about June to tantalize your minds: did you know that June is the most popular month for “ghost marriages,” a strange tradition in some cultures where deceased individuals are wed in the afterlife? May your narratives this month resonate with the chilling echoes of these spectral unions, captivating your readers with your creative undead.

Your tales are the phantoms that inhabit our crypt. They etch your journey through the catacombs of creative horror. So, let’s decipher our cryptograms and valiantly delve into the horror chronicles, one unnerving tale at a time! 🚀

To cap this with an inspirational whisper, reflect upon this provocative thought from the esteemed H.P. Lovecraft, “The process of delving into the black abyss is to me the keenest form of fascination.” So, let the potency of your unique dark creativity guide you, and persist in your craft. The mausoleum of tales eagerly awaits your spectral stories!

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Paying Markets For Speculative Fiction Authors | Top Open Calls June 5th-9th, 2023

Greetings, extraordinary weavers of fables! 🎉 Sharpen your quills, as we embark upon another enchanted quest through the mesmerizing territories of speculative fiction. As your trusted scribes, we’re committed to uncovering the most magical kingdoms—or should we say, markets—for you, the courageous composers of our generation. As the phases of the moon pass, we manifest spellbinding opportunities that will make your creative spirits soar and turn your narrative enchantments into tangible rewards! 📚✨

This week’s enchanted codex brims with priceless knowledge as we unveil 🚀 Emerging, top-echelon markets strewn across the boundless tapestry of speculative fiction!

Our mystic chart of marvels is your guiding star to these shining opportunities. You’ll find the specific lore for these captivating calls to arms meticulously provided via the links at the bottom of this text!

Here’s a captivating morsel about June to pique your curiosity: did you know that in June, the days are longest in the Northern Hemisphere, inspiring poets and writers alike with extended daylight? May your stories this month reflect the luminosity of these days and enthrall your readers with brilliance.

Your sagas are the mythic beasts that roam our lands. They sketch your passage through the dominion of creative spellcraft. So, let’s decode our runes and valiantly journey through the fantasy annals, one epic saga at a time! 🚀

To conclude on an inspirational note, ponder on this empowering axiom from celebrated author Ursula K. Le Guin, “It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” So, let the might of your distinctive creativity steer you, and persist in crafting. The kingdom of tales anticipates your narratives!

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