Ride the Moon: An Anthology (29 page)

And this morning she cursed me anyway.

Something must have changed.

She wanted to punish Trulia. I think I must have stopped her. The moon hasn't risen yet; the sky is still black. But I won't doubt anymore. Why would she curse me now, unless Trulia found the leaves and slipped out of her grasp?

I don't know if the blood will drive her away, when she sees me again. It surprises me how little I care. It's enough to know that she's alive, that our baby is alive.

So I pace our apartment, washing as often as I can, scattering green leaves over the floor, so she'll fall here, and not some other place. I pray to the Lord of Green and Crawling things, though I'm not used to his liturgy, and even when the pain is at its worst, I am happy.

Trulia is alive, and she's coming home

Claude Lalumière
is the author of two books from CZP—the collection Objects of Worship and the mosaic novella The Door to Lost Pages —and the Fantastic Fiction columnist for The Montreal Gazette. With Rupert Bottenberg, he's the co-creator of Lost Myths (lostmyths.net), which is an online archive of cryptomythology, a growing collection of pop artefacts, and multimedia live show. Claude has edited numerous anthologies in various genres, the most recent of which is Bibliotheca Fantastica, an autumn 2012 release. (lostmyths.net/claude)

Marie Bilodeau
is an Ottawa-based science-fiction and fantasy author. Her space fantasy novel, Destiny's Blood, was a finalist in the Aurora Awards and won the Bronze Medal for Science-Fiction in the Foreword Book Awards. She is also the author of the Heirs of a Broken Land, a fantasy trilogy described as “fresh and exciting” by Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo award-winning author of WAKE. Her short stories have appeared in several magazines and anthologies, including the recent When the Hero Comes Home, edited by Ed Greenwood and Gabrielle Harbowy.

The native Montrealer is also a professional storyteller. Armed with a Bachelor's Degree in Religion and Culture with a minor in Archaeology from Wilfrid Laurier University, Marie mostly tells adaptations of fairy tales and myths, as well as original stories of her own creation. She's performed in multiple venues across Canada, including Ottawa's National Arts Centre. (
MarieBilodeau.com
)

Kevin Cockle
—With an education in critical theory and literature, a professional background in finance, and a personal interest in the supernatural, Kevin's fiction frequently explores the occult possibilities lying beneath the ordered facade of the business world. Kevin has had a brief, but eclectic writing career to date, with credits including nearly twenty short stories; an idea credit on a screenplay; numerous boxing-related articles and interviews, and any number of writer-for-hire projects.

Rebecca M. Senese
—Based in Toronto, Canada, Rebecca writes horror, mystery and science fiction, often all at once in the same story. She garnered an Honourable Mention in “The Year's Best Science Fiction” and has been nominated for numerous Aurora Awards. Her work has appeared in TransVersions, Future Syndicate, Deadbolt Magazine, On Spec, The Vampire's Crypt, Storyteller and Into the Darkness, amongst others. When not serving up tales of the macabre, mysterious or wondrous, she volunteers at haunted attractions in October to scare all the unsuspecting innocents. She also tends to her rabbits, Domino and Gunther, to stop them from embarking on their plans for world domination. (
RebeccaSenese.com
)

C. A. Lang
is a product of Nelson, British Columbia, and it shows. While meandering through the natural health industry in everything from editing to personal training to sales, he frittered away nearly a decade writing widely, all the while nurturing an unhealthy affair with no less than six guitars. Growing up around Victorian architecture likely had something to do with his appreciation of steampunk, although we're not quite sure why he felt the need to ditch the steam engines and go all internal-combustion on the genre. He has settled in Kelowna, B.C., where sometimes he can be found abusing a gigantic jazz guitar in public, hanging around certain wineries, and running obscene distances just to atone for it all.

A. Merc Rustad
lives and writes in Minnesota, USA, where she is well prepared for the zombie apocalypse (and other variations). She spends her spare time writing, reading, and creating multiple timelines and/or sliding into alternate universes. Her alternate spare time consists of watching far too much TV, movies, and reading comics or roleplaying. (Obligatory mention of pets: two ferrets and too many cats.) Merc's work has appeared in The Red Penny Papers, Daily Science Fiction, New Fables, and other fine venues. She enjoys hearing from people online, although she offers no guarantee you will meet the actual Merc from your universe. (
mercwriter.livejournal.com
)

Krista D. Ball
was born and raised in Deer Lake, Newfoundland, where she learned how to use a chainsaw, chop wood, and make raspberry jam. After obtaining a B.A. in British History from Mount Allison University, Krista moved to Edmonton, AB where she currently lives. Somehow, she's picked up an engineer, two kids, seven cats, and a very understanding corgi off ebay. Her credit card has been since taken away.

Like any good writer, Krista has had an eclectic array of jobs throughout her life, including strawberry picker, pub bathroom cleaner, oil spill cleaner upper and soupkitchen coordinator. (
KristaDBall.com
)

Theresa Crater
has published two contemporary fantasies,
Beneath the Hallowed Hill & Under the Stone Paw
and several short stories, most recently “White Moon” in
Ride the Moon
and “Bringing the Waters” in
The Aether Age: Helios
. She's also published poetry and a baker's dozen of literary criticism. Currently, she teaches writing and British lit in Denver. Born in North Carolina, she now lives in Colorado with her Egyptologist partner and their two cats. (
TheresaCrater.com
)

David L. Craddock
lives with his wife, Amie, in a tiny apartment where multiple bookcases have forced all other furniture to huddle together and draw straws to determine which of them will be dismissed to make room for even more bookcases. A freelance writer and author, David happily devotes his days to personal and professional writing pursuits..... spanning a diverse array of topics and interests. (
DavidLCraddock.com
)

Billie Milholland
—Born in Alberta, Canada. Spent time as a writer, a farmer, a weaver, a lamp installer, a tarot card reader, a writer, a visual artist, a gardener, a journalist, a photographer, a potter, a chef, an events coordinator, a wild crafter, a herbalist, a writer, a historian, a writer, an educational assistant, a student, a poet, a writer. Has some experience as a human bean. Recent published non-fiction includes articles for magazines and newspapers on the historic use of circumboreal plants for food and medicine. Recent published fiction includes a novella in the Aurora winning anthology, “Women of the Apocalypse” and a variety of stories, both short and long in the ongoing “10th Circle Project”. (
BillieMilholland.com
)

Isabella Drzemczewska Hodson
—Originally from Ottawa, Ontario, Isabella now calls western Canada home. She studied English, Theatre, and Creative Writing at the University of Ottawa and the University of Calgary, and has previously published in Ygdrasil, Liminalities, Making Tracks: A University of Ottawa Anthology, and Northern Flyer. She finds inspiration in legends and myths from around the world, fairy tales new and old, and the natural world around her. She has spent the last four years working as a seasonal Park Interpreter for Alberta Parks, and feels particularly at home in the Canadian Rocky Mountains and the foothills of Alberta. She loves travel, cycle touring, downhill skiing, and hiking, and delights in taking solo road trips across Alberta and British Columbia. She takes great pleasure in reading anything and everything, and particularly enjoys fiction by writers such as Neil Gaiman and A. S. Byatt, as well as non-fiction by Sid Marty, Robert Kroetsch, and Bill Bryson

Tony Noland
is a writer, blogger and poet in the suburbs of Philadelphia. He takes his writing seriously, but has somehow gotten a reputation as a funny guy. He is working on his third novel.

An anthology of his short fiction, “Blood Picnic and other stories”, is now available for Kindle, as is the collection “Poetry on the Fly”. His works have been especially praised for his masterful use of language and keen ear for dialogue. His best known poem, “Ode to the Semicolon”, has been featured on numerous grammar websites. Tony is a regular contributor of short fiction under the #FridayFlash hashtag on Twitter. His work has been featured in numerous e.zines, websites and anthologies.

Tony writes a monthly column of writing advice at Write Anything, and he is active on Twitter as @TonyNoland. (
TonyNoland.com
)

Jay Raven
is a UK-based writer of horror, dark fantasy and twisted fairy tales—with the occasional chilling sci-fi tale thrown in. He specializes in unnerving stories with a historical theme, transporting readers back to an enchanted and violent age of monsters and muskets, highwaymen and harlots, gaslight and ghouls. His work has been widely published on both sides of the Atlantic.

Jay lives in Bristol, a brooding west country seaport with creepy alleyways, Gothic buildings, rain-soaked graveyards and a past littered with murderous deeds, ghosts, smugglers and dangerous secrets. (
JayRaven.com
)

Lori Strongin
—Inspired by the likes of Joss Whedon and Piers Anthony, and fueled by the power of chai lattes, author Lori T. Strongin is a firm believer that “Normal is Overrated.” She's an avid reader, a hard-core Taurus with a love for elves, zombie squirrels, and cannibalistic cotton balls, and can usually be found glued to her laptop, killing people.

Lori currently lives in theme park central—otherwise known as Central Florida—and is the author of more than a dozen creepy and twisted tales—most containing fairly high body counts.

Check out
www.LoriStrongin.com
for pictures, fan art, and the occasional murder spree.

Shereen Vedam
—Though Shereen was born in Sri Lanka, her roots are firmly planted on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. After thriving for five years in friendly Winnipeg with its -40°C wind chill factor, she decided sandals and shorts for nine months of the year was infinitely preferable to six months of parkas, snow boots and frozen nose and headed west.

Vancouver Island's magical rain forest climate with its ancient red cedars, red-barked arbutus trees and giant weeping sequoias inspired Aloha Moon's west coast setting. (
ShereenVedam.com
)

Amy Laurens
is an Australian author of fantasy fiction for both adults and young adults. She has lived in the same city all her life, which other people think is boring; she prefers to think of it as stable. At present, Amy lives with husband, brand new baby, and two yellow Labradors who think they are lapdogs. Surprisingly, the dogs are the most jealous of the time Amy spends on the laptop.

After a university education involving many twists and turns, Amy is a high school English teacher at an all-girls school by day. By night, she is a story-writing goddess; at least, that's what she tells herself to get the words done, and since it seems to work, let's not disillusion her. Her short fiction has appeared in magazines such as Allegory, Tower of Light Fantasy, and AlienSkin. (
ink-fever.blogspot.com
)

Chrystalla Thoma
—Greek Cypriot with a penchant for dark myths, good food, and a tendency to settle down anywhere but at home, Chrystalla likes to write about fantastical creatures, crazy adventures, and family bonds. After having lived in France, England, Germany and Costa Rica, she now lives in Cyprus with her husband Carlos and enjoys wandering the countryside sampling local food and wine. She writes mainly fantasy and science fiction, primarily for a young adult public. When not reading or writing, she works as a freelance translator and text editor. (
ChrystallaThoma.wordpress.com
)

Edward Willett
is the award-winning author of more than 40 books of fiction and nonfiction for children, young adults and adults. He won the Regina Book Award at the 2002 Saskatchewan Book Awards for his YA fantasy
Spirit Singer
, and the 2009 Prix Aurora Award (Canada's top award for science fiction and fantasy writing) for Best Long-Form Work in English for his adult science fiction novel
Marseguro
(DAW Books); the sequel,
Terra Insegura
, was shortlisted for the 2010 Aurora. His nonfiction book
Historic Walks of Regina and Moose Jaw
(Red Deer Press) won the City of Regina Municipal Heritage Award. His latest novel is fantasy/steampunk epic
Magebane
(DAW Books), written as Lee Arthur Chane. A former newspaper reporter and editor, Ed writes a weekly science column for the Red Deer Advocate and online subscribers, and is also a professional actor and singer. He's married and has one daughter. (
EdwardWillett.com
)

Ada Hoffmann
is twenty-four years old, and has been publishing speculative fiction short stories since 2010. She currently attends graduate school in Ontario, working towards a Master's degree in computer science. When the computers and short stories aren't eating her soul, she feeds the leftovers to online roleplaying games, church music, and her book collection. She enjoys blood and alone time, but would probably not kill people over them. Probably. Unless she was in a really bad mood that day.