Read The Best of Penny Dread Tales Online

Authors: Cayleigh Hickey,Aaron Michael Ritchey Ritchey,J. M. Franklin,Gerry Huntman,Laura Givens,Keith Good,David Boop,Peter J. Wacks,Kevin J. Anderson,Quincy J. Allen

Tags: #Literature & Fiction, #Science Fiction & Fantasy, #science fiction, #anthologies, #steampunk, #Anthologies & Short Stories

The Best of Penny Dread Tales (32 page)

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They turned another corner, and the summit was finally in sight.

“What now?” asked Anne-Cathleen. The words came out as a croak.

“Now,” said Ábel, turning to look at her, “we live.”

Hanging in the sky over the memorial park was an airship, its keel almost touching the treetops. Anne-Cathleen almost screamed at the sight of it, expecting Ottoman soldiers and the snap of rifles, but Ábel grasped her hand quickly and stifled her alarm. This airship was different from the ghostly rapiers that were killing Budapest; blunt and narrow, with a pair of squat gas chambers fixed to the fore and rear of each flank. Painted across the shallow curve of its bow was a single word.

Artemis.

“Come on, move yourselves!” The call was urgent, not welcoming. Ábel slowed the trap, and Anne-Cathleen half-jumped, half-fell from the trap’s board as if commanded. Ábel ran to her side, and she let him help her towards the underside of the
Artemis
as her limbs suddenly went slack. Over the side of the airship came a pair of ropes, tied about their ends in quick loops. Anne-Cathleen did not want to speak, for fear of undoing the miracle that Ábel had conjured.

“How?” The word slipped out regardless. Anne-Cathleen’s head swam; too much had happened to her in the last day for her to be certain of anything anymore.

“Later,” said Ábel. “Get in.” Ábel helped her slip the looped rope beneath her arms and around her chest then did the same to himself. The ground fell away from Anne-Cathleen’s feet, and for a moment she felt dizziness threaten to overtake her.

And then she was aboard the
Artemis
, a smooth wooden deck beneath her hands and feet. A man was beside her, dark-skinned hands gently moving her up to sit with her back against the gunwale. Despite the sudden urge to fall asleep, Anne-Cathleen reached up a hand and was helped to her feet by the airman. Ábel was beside her, embracing the huge tattooed man who had shouted down to them. Still dizzy, Anne-Cathleen stepped away from the gunwale and into the lee of the airship’s quarterdeck. The trembling in her limbs returned again, and she slumped back against the wood.

Ábel walked over to her and laid a hand on her shoulder.

“Stand up, Anne. Don’t worry, we’re safe now.”

For a moment Anne-Cathleen contemplated pushing his hand away, remembering the awfulness of the last place Ábel had claimed was safe for her. But instead she reached up and gripped his hand, tired of the hate in her mind, longing only for an end to it all.

Together Ábel and Anne-Cathleen walked to the
Artemis
’s gunwale. The airship was climbing quickly, putting its stern to the Ottoman airships and the devastation beneath them. To the north, above Buda, she could see a few other airships rising in to the sky; the lucky few, like her, escaping the slaughter of a city. She wondered if Gusztáv was aboard one of them.

Ábel put his hand beside hers on the rail, and she did not pull away. She felt like she was back on the bed in the radicals’ den, letting the world move around her. She knew nothing of this ship, its people; even the man she stood beside, not in her heart. Below her, the place she had never called home perished in flames, but she could think of nowhere else she wanted to be.

Anne-Cathleen stood at the
Artemis
’s railing and watched Budapest burn.

***

About the Authors

Cayleigh Hickey

Originally from Madison, Wisconsin, Cayleigh Hickey is currently living in Minneapolis, where she is pursuing a degree in English and French at the University of Minnesota, while trying to find time between classes to work on her first novel.

Aaron Michael Ritchey

Aaron Michael Ritchey is the author of
Long Live the Suicide King
, a finalist in the Reader’s Favorite contest. Kirkus Reviews calls the story “a compelling tale of teenage depression handled with humor and sensitivity.” His debut novel,
The Never Prayer
, was also a finalist in the Colorado Gold contest. His forthcoming works include a new young adult novel from Staccato Publishing and a six book sci-fi/western series from WordFire Press. In shorter fiction, his G.I. Joe inspired novella was an Amazon bestseller in Kindle Worlds and his story, “The Dirges of Percival Lewand” was nominated for a Hugo. He lives in Colorado with his wife and two goddesses posing as his daughters.

For more about him, his books, and how to overcome artistic angst, visit www.aaronmritchey.com. He’s on Facebook as Aaron Michael Ritchey and he tweets—@aaronmritchey.

J.M. Franklin

J. M. Franklin, a current resident of Denver, CO, spends her free time crafting stories of adventure and mayhem. She has been published in the short story anthologies
Penny Dread Tales
Volumes I and II, and is the author of the forthcoming
Tunnel Rat
series. She can be contacted at JMFranklin.com.

Gerry Huntman

Gerry is a writer based in Melbourne, Australia, living with his wife and young daughter. He writes in all genres, and most sub-genres, of speculative fiction, with a leaning toward dark tales. Recent sales include
Aurealis
Magazine
,
BLEED
charity anthology,
Night Terrors III
pro anthology, and
World of Horror
pro anthology. He is publishing a young teen fantasy novel,
Guardian of the Sky Realms
, in 2014 (Cohesion Press).

Laura Givens

Laura Givens is a Denver based author and artist. Her art has graced the covers of numerous publishers’ books and magazines. She has provided illustrations for
Orson
Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, Jim Baen’s Universe, Talebones, Science Fiction Trails and Tales of the Talisman
. Her work may be viewed at www.lauragivens-artist.com. She has sold stories ranging from zombie tales to space operas and weird westerns. She was co-editor and contributor to
Six-Guns Straight From Hell
, a weird western anthology, and is art director for
Tales of the Talisman
magazine.

Keith Good

Keith Good abhors author biographies and therefore redacts the following:

Born in the upper regions of the Lunar Sea, he holds several world records for Peach Pit Spitting. President of the prestigious Bloody Yanks Band, this text is absolutely meaningless, keithisgood.blogspot.com. Another block of meaningless text, the secret of life is home roasted, fresh ground coffee.

A previous draft of
American Vampire
appeared online at www.yesteryearfiction.com.

Quincy J. Allen

Quincy J. Allen, a self-proclaimed cross-genre author, has been published in multiple anthologies, magazines, and one omnibus.
Chemical Burn
(http://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Burn-End-Game-ebook/dp/B008EMEHTQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341797014&sr=8-1&keywords=chemical+burn), a finalist in the RMFW Colorado Gold Contest, is his first full novel. He made his first pro-sale in 2014 with the story “Jimmy Krinklepot and the White Rebs of Hayberry,” included in WordFire’s
A Fantastic Holiday Season: The Gift of Stories
. He’s written for the Internet show
RadioSteam
and his first short story collection
Out Through the Attic
, came out in 2014 from 7DS Books. His military sci-fi novel
Rise of the Thermopylae
is due out in 2014 from Twisted Core Press, and
Jake Lasater: Blood Curse
, a steampunk western fantasy novel, is due out in 2015.

He works part-time as a tech-writer by day, does book design and eBook conversions for WordFire Press by night, and lives in a cozy house in Colorado that he considers his very own sanctuary—think Batcave, but with fewer flying mammals and more sunlight.

David Boop

David Boop is a Denver-based speculative fiction author. In addition to his novels, short stories, and children’s books, he’s also an award-winning essayist and screenwriter. His novel, the sci-fi/noir
She Murdered Me with Science
, debuted in 2008. Since then, David has had over thirty short stories published and two short films produced. He specializes in weird westerns but has been published in many genres including media tie-ins for
Green Hornet
and
Honey West
.

2013 saw the digital release of his first Steampunk children’s book,
The Three Inventors Sneebury
, with a print release due in 2014. David tours the country speaking on writing and publishing at schools, libraries, and conventions.

He’s a single dad, returning college student, part-time temp worker, and believer. His hobbies include film noir, anime, the Blues, and Mayan History.

You can learn more on his fanpage, www.facebook.com/dboop.updates or on Twitter, @david.boop.

J.R. Boyett

J.R. Boyett was born on a rural island in the Puget Sound and spent much of his youth in the heart of Dixie. He enlisted in the U.S. Army at the age of 17, where he served for 5 years before suffering a career ending injury. In 2010 he received his Bachelor of Arts from Pacific Lutheran University and is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity at Fuller Theological Seminary.

A Philosopher and Theologian, J.R. Boyett follows in the long tradition of using fictional narrative to not only entertain the reader, but to examine essential questions about ourselves and the world in which we live.

Vivian Caethe

Vivian Caethe is a writer, editor and general miscreant. When not editing, she writes across all genres of speculative fiction, and especially loves weird westerns and science fiction. While doing all of these things, she drinks copious amounts of tea, which she’s told will help her retain her sanity. So far she’s not convinced. But she’s too wired to really tell.

Aaron Spriggs

Aaron Spriggs is a living model of an electron. You either know what state he lives in, but not his income, or you know his income but not which state he currently resides in. I’ll tell you this much, he’s in Denver, Colorado these days.

Aaron has published a few short stories and several poems and is sitting on a few novels, like everyone else. His fixation is on steampunk, but has written the entire gamut of genres including horror, fantasy, and creative non-fiction.

Entomologist by day and poet/musician by night, Aaron has gone on several musical tours around the USA and is in that rare animal—a signed band. He plays trumpet poorly and theremin passingly (one of the world’s only mobile theremins, so no one knows where or when he’ll show up). During the heat of summer, Aaron can be found at Burning Man every year.

Peter J. Wacks

Peter J. Wacks was born in California sometime during 1976. He has always been amazed and fascinated by both writing and the world in general. Throughout the course of his life, he has hitchhiked across the States and backpacked across Europe on the Eurail. Peter writes a lot, and will continue to do so till the day he dies. Possibly beyond. Peter has acted, designed games, written novels and other spec fiction, and was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award for his first graphic novel
Behind These Eyes
(co-written with Guy Anthony De Marco). Currently, he is the Managing Editor of Kevin J. Anderson & Rebecca Moesta’s WordFire Press.

David W. Landrum

David W. Landrum has published speculative fiction in numerous journals and anthologies. His novellas,
The Gallery, Strange Brew,
and
The Prophetess
, and his full-length novel,
The Sorceress of the Northern Seas
are available through Amazon. A novella titled
The Sorceress of Time
, which features the Princess Jing Lin, from “The Weather God” as its main character, is forthcoming from Eternal Press.

Sam Knight

A Colorado native, Sam Knight spent ten years in California’s wine country before returning to the Rockies. When asked if he misses California, he gets a wistful look in his eyes and replies he misses the green mountains in the winter, but he is glad to be back home.

As well as being part of the WordFire Press Production Team, he is the Senior Editor for Villainous Press and author of three children’s books, three short story collections, two novels, and more than a dozen short stories, including a Kindle Worlds Novella co-authored with Kevin J. Anderson.

A stay-at-home father, Sam attempts to be a full-time writer, but there are only so many hours left in a day after kids. Once upon a time, he was known to quote books the way some people quote movies, but now he claims having a family has made him forgetful, as a survival adaptation. He can be found at SamKnight.com and contacted at [email protected]

Mike Cervantes

Mike Cervantes is a graduate of The University of Texas at El Paso with a degree in Creative Writing. He is a participant in many of Denver’s local steampunk and creative writing conventions and conferences. He is currently writing an ongoing series featuring the adventures of
The Scarlet Derby and Midnight Jay,
which you can find online at http://thescarletderby.tumblr.com.

Jonathan D. Beer

Jonathan D. Beer fancies himself a writer of science-fiction and fantasy, and spends much of his time exploring the alternate-history 1840s glimpsed in “Budapest Will Burn.” He lives in Kent, United Kingdom, with his girlfriend, a requisite pair of cats, and a pair of rats who are just along for the ride. You can read more of his tortured prose at www.jonathandbeer.com.

***

Additional Copyright Info

Iron Angel
Copyright © 2014 Cayleigh Hickey