SPACE, COLLISIONS Now at 2 Dads and A Bookstore

Great news, fellow readers! Just in time for the holidays, print copies of Space, Collisions are now available at 2 Dads and A Bookstore.

2 Dads and A Bookstore is a brand new, independent bookstore in Bellevue, Nebraska, and its owners are incredibly supportive of local authors. Please go check out their books in person, or, if you don’t live anywhere near the store, please consider perusing their online catalog on their website. If you’d like to order a print copy of Space, Collisions, you can do so here!

Want to know more about 2 Dads and A Bookstore? KMTV 3 News Now has their story.

The Novel: An Update

Greetings, dear readers!

I have been hard at work on revising my novel. Currently, I have finished a full revision (second draft) and am starting to receive feedback from my beta readers about it. All of their suggestions should be in my hands by early February. From there, I will revise again. Following that, I will have the book professionally edited. If all goes well, it will be time to seek out an agent!

I have also started writing book two of the series. I am three chapters in, as of today.

As always, thank you for following me on this journey so far. I hope, in the near future, I will have a published book to present to everyone!

Another Flash Story at Rhythm & Bones

Hello, fellow readers and writers! How is April treating you? I’m hoping you’ve read some stellar fiction lately.

Speaking of fiction, the editors at Rhythm & Bones kindly published my new story, “How to Suffocate a Shark.” It would mean the world to me if you checked it out. It’s a little bit of an experiment: one born of my fear of driving in congested traffic. Also, I really love the ocean and all its creatures, so I thought the two ideas meshed well together.

I’m thankful the editors at Rhythm & Bones included the story in their magazine. There are many magical creations in issue four and delving in is encouraged. If you do decide to read “How to Suffocate a Shark,” then I thank you!

Flash Fiction Published at Rhythm & Bones

Hi, friends! The good people at Rhythm & Bones published “Shadows Cannot be Seen in the Pitch-Black” recently. You can find the story here if you’re interested in reading it.

It’s been a tough year for the editors of Rhythm & Bones. As Tianna mentioned in the issue’s “Letter from the Editor,” “We weren’t quite sure we would make it to the end of the year, but here we are: strong as ever; stronger, even. Our passion and motivation have not flickered out, if anything they have grown.” I’m grateful not only for the publication of my flash fiction amid all of the challenges Tianna and her team faced, but I’m also grateful for the story’s early release. I admire Tianna and her team for their hard work, tenacity, and persistence. I hope you will join me in supporting the lovely literary magazine they’ve worked so hard to create.

Space, Collisions at The Bookworm

I talked to the wonderful booksellers at The Bookworm today, and they’ve agreed to sell Space, Collisions! For those of you who’d like to buy a physical copy of the micro-chapbook, I’d encourage you to pick it up at this lovely independent bookstore. You can buy the micro-chapbook online or find it on their local author shelf inside the brick-and-mortar store. The Bookworm has a wonderful track record of housing and promoting local authors. It would mean a great deal to me if you’d consider checking out this family-owned business, especially during your holiday season shopping.

Short Story Published in Nice Cage

Hi, friends! Nice Cage published “All the Waves Resound” yesterday in the newest issue of the online journal. I hope you’ll consider checking out the story, as well as all of the other wonderful poetry and prose in 007. Thanks for reading, if you do!

‘Buried in the Ground’ Published in Barren Magazine

Hi, friends! “Buried in the Ground” is up at Barren Magazine today if you’d like to read it.

Here is an excerpt:

You begin with the vegetable garden because it’s the likeliest place to bury something. You slip the blank paper into your bag and get to work, not daring to put it down until your dad goes back into the house. The ground is still soft in the garden from spring’s tilling and makes the digging less painful. But when you dig up the carrots, you regret your decision. It isn’t until you’re under the soil that you realize the vegetables are still slivers of orange root, born too early. The leafy carrot tops trick you, making the roots appear more mature than they really are.

I hope you’ll check it out! If you do, thanks for reading.

Short Story Accepted at Barren Magazine

I recently had a short story accepted for publication at Barren Magazine. “Buried in the Ground” is one of the darkest stories I’ve ever written and it hits very close to home for me. Like other writers such as Eleanor Kriseman and Melanie Finn, I sometimes write about child abuse and neglect to grapple with and discuss these very real issues. In addition, “Buried in the Ground” also deals with animal abuse.

Fiction can often foster empathy and that’s my goal here. While many of my other stories tend to suggest abuse is happening, this one deals with it directly. It’s my way of acknowledging that, tragically, not all child abuse or animal abuse cases have happy endings. To put the reader in the shoes of the child, I also used the second person. Even though this is a work of fiction, it is a difficult story and I recognize that it will not be one that everybody can read. I respect the decisions made by readers who choose to abstain. If you do choose to read it, then I thank you.

And don’t forget there are wonderful organizations out there, such as The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline, that help with real cases of child abuse. Let’s all work together to create a more loving and safe world for everyone.

“Buried in the Ground” will appear in Issue No. 3 of Barren Magazine, which is scheduled to release October 20.

Short Story Accepted at Nice Cage

Good news, friends! I had a short story accepted for publication at Nice Cage! “All the Waves Resound,” which is loosely inspired by the Greek myth of Andromeda, will be available to read when issue 7 of the journal releases in late October. I hope you’ll check it out! If you do, thanks for reading!

SPACE, COLLISIONS Available through Online Retailers

Space, Collisions can now be pre-ordered from IndieBound, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon! The micro-chapbook releases September 19. Secure your copy today!

SPACE, COLLISIONS Available for Print Pre-Order!

The print version of Space, Collisions is now available for pre-order! If you like brief stories, then this is the collection for you. The micro-chapbook will be 6″ x 9″ with saddle stitch binding. 

Advanced praise:

“Three perfectly paced and elegantly written stories that leave the reader breathless and pensive at once.” —Meredith Allison, author of Blood & Whiskey

“L. N. Holmes has a talented pen and a great imagination. . . .” —Renwick Berchild, Nothing In Particular Book Review

Synopsis:

Space, Collisions is a micro-chapbook containing three brief stories. In “When Continents Collide,” a man waits on the shores of the Outer Banks for the collision of the North American and African continents. “Trace” focuses on the intimate secrets shared between one pining woman and her self-destructing lover. In “Spacefall,” two scientists take a break from work to drive to the countryside and bask in their friendship. Each installment in this short collection offers motifs of physical distance and intimate connection. Overall, the stories emphasize the common longing to overcome the space that divides.

Print options:

The micro-chapbook will be on sale September 19, 2018 with pre-orders available now. *Personalized messages are an option. A single copy of the micro-chapbook is **$3.99.

Individuals, booksellers, general retailers, and other interested parties may submit orders to LeeAnn Adams (leeann [dot] n [dot] holmes [at] gmail [dot] com). Please include in your email the quantity of micro-chapbooks desired, any preferred ***printing and shipping methods, shipping address, PayPal address, and any personalization requests. Invoices will be processed through PayPal. Wholesale discounts are available through IngramSpark Distributors (ISBN: 9780692165065).

Ebook options:

Digital micro-chapbooks are still available through Ghost City Press.

Sneak Peek: SPACE, COLLISIONS Print Cover

Here is a sneak peek of the print cover for Space, Collisions. This a screenshot, so it’s a bit grainy.

It’s been nearly a month since Ghost City Press released the digital version of Space, Collisions. Thanks to Jennifer Potter, the print cover is shaping up nicely as well. Stay tuned for the release date! And a big thanks to my amazing cover artist.

Rhythm & Bones Lit Will Publish Two of My Flash Fiction Stories

I received some really great news last night. Rhythm & Bones Lit agreed to publish two of my flash fiction stories! You will be able to read “Shadows Cannot be Seen in the Pitch-Black” in issue three of the magazine and “How to Suffocate a Shark” in issue four. Many, many thanks to Tianna, Renee, and Charlie for the kind acceptance letter. I can’t wait!

Space, Collisions Releases Today!

Hey, friends! My micro-chapbook, Space, Collisions, is available now! I’m thrilled to have my first ever micro-chapbook released into the world. I hope you’ll check it out. If you’re on Goodreads, remember you can add it to your shelves here. I’m working on a print version too, which will be available soon. For those of you who check it out, thanks for reading!

And don’t forget that the cover art was made by the wonderful Jennifer M. Potter. You can find more of her work here. I hope you’ll choose to support this fantastic artist!

I’m so grateful for the support I received from the good people at Ghost City Press. Being a small part of the 2018 summer micro-chapbook series is a huge blessing. A massive thank you to everyone who helped me with the stories and their publication. This profession is tough, but your kindnesses have made the burden much lighter.

Flash Fiction Published in Fathom

Remember when I wrote that I was trying to read more Christian fiction? Well, I’ve been working on finding good homes for my own Christian fiction too. Thanks to the lovely editors at Fathom Magazine, I now have a new Christian flash fiction story published. You can find the story, “Though the Earth Gives Way,” in the Rebellion issue (No. 20). Thanks to Managing Editor Jonathan Minnema for accepting this flash and, also, thanks to the other editors at Fathom Magazine who had a hand in publishing this story. I’m really grateful to be a small addition to this rad publication.

“One Woman’s Junk” Now in Print

Surprise! “One Woman’s Junk” was selected for Newfound’s annual print issue.

Here are some details about No. 4 from Newfound’s website:

• …featuring the best of vo. 8 + poetry by our 2017 Anzaldúa Poetry Prize finalists.
• Full color, perfect-bound, 56 pages, 8.5″ x 11″ on acid-free and FSC-certified paper.
• Purchase also allows three PDF downloads.

Many thanks to the hardworking editors at Newfound for allowing my flash fiction to be part of the print issue. It’s truly an honor to be side-by-side with so many talented creators.

I hope you all will check it out! Thanks so much for reading if you do.

New Flash Fiction at Crack the Spine

This past Tuesday, Crack the Spine included my flash fiction story, “While Taking Photographs in Nepal,” in Issue 238 of the magazine. Founder and Editor Kerri Farrell Foley made the entire experience a joyful one and I’m grateful for the lovely presentation of my work. I’m so thankful to be published in this literary magazine, which I have admired for a while now. Please check out the story if you have time, along with all of the other beautiful offerings in this issue. Thanks for reading!

The 2018 Summer Micro-Chapbook Series Begins!

The annual Ghost City Press Summer Micro-Chapbook Series kicked off today with Sara Adams’s Casserole. There will be new works of poetry, prose, and art released each day from May 28 to September 7. My collection of stories, Space, Collisions, will release July 19. I hope you’ll check it out!

And because I’m writing about my micro-chapbook, it should be noted that the collection now has a cover! The artist is Jennifer Potter, a talented illustrator and the creator of Echo’s Rift. She really went above and beyond to make the cover fit with the writing. To fully appreciate the intricate details added to the cover art, you can watch Potter’s speedpaint video on YouTube.

Cover Art by Jennifer Potter

I’m hoping for some reviews for Space, Collisions, and have submitted an advance reading copy (ARC) of the micro-chapbook to a couple of places for consideration. My hometown newspaper was kind enough to publish an announcement on their website. One of the current editors of Blue River also expressed interest in reviewing the collection for the Blue River blog.

If you know of any places that accept review requests for micro-chapbooks—or if you’re an independent reviewer interested in receiving an ARC—please reach out to me at leeann [dot] n [dot] holmes [at] gmail [dot] com. You can also review Space, Collisions on Goodreads after its release.

It’s going to be an exciting summer. I hope you all will check out the micro-chapbook series. And as always, if you do, thanks for reading.

Micro-Chapbook Accepted for Publication

It’s been a busy year so far and I have more wonderful news. Ghost City Press has accepted my fiction micro-chapbook, Space, Collisions, for the 2018 Summer Micro-Chapbook Series! I’m grateful to Kevin Bertolero and Jack Bachmann for choosing to include my collection. Many wonderful poets and writers will be part of the series. I hope, dear readers, that you’ll check out all of the wonderful collections when they release. If you do—as always—thanks for reading.

The Fancy Arm Hole Series Out Today!

Hello cherished readers, beloved blog followers, and inquisitive newcomers. I’m excited to announce that Likely Red Press released the first installment in The Fancy Arm Hole Series today. You can find my story, “The Squatter’s Inn,” in anthology number one. I hope you’ll check out my work and the other lovely creations in this series. And if you do, as always, thanks for reading.

Surprise! I Won a Flash Fiction Contest.

I am elated to announce that my flash fiction story, “Phoenix Fire Fight,” was chosen as the winner of the Apparition Lit April Flash Fiction Contest. I hope you’ll check it out! Many thanks to Tacoma and the editors at Apparition Literary Magazine for selecting my work.

Flash Fiction Chosen for Publication at Likely Red

Eric Shay Howard and the crew at Likely Red have chosen to publish my flash fiction story, “The Squatter’s Inn!” It will be included in “The Fancy Arm Hole Series,” an upcoming series by the press. I’m grateful to this hardworking group of editors for choosing to publish my work.

New Flash Fiction at The Bookends Review

Hi friends! My flash fiction story, “Abdication,” is now live on The Bookends Review website. Huge thanks to Jordan Blum and crew for choosing to publish my work. Check out the story if you have time! And, as always, thanks for reading.

Microfiction Forthcoming from Crack the Spine

I’m excited to announce that my microfiction story, “While Taking Photographs in Nepal,” has been accepted for publication. I’m super grateful to Editor Kerri Farrell Foley for choosing to publish this story. Watch for it in a forthcoming issue of Crack the Spine! As always, thanks for reading.

Read “Disembodied” in the Inaugural Issue of Laurel Magazine

The inaugural issue of Laurel Magazine launched today and it is gorgeous! You can download it here. I hope you’ll take the time to check out all of the beautiful things this issue has to offer. My thanks to the awesome team of editors that collected all of these shining gems into one place.