I asked fellow The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey anthology contributors to share some things about themselves prior to publication and those generous enough to do so will be appearing here for the next week or so.
Each entry gives a taste of their contribution, a little about them, how to contact them, how their story came about, and definitely a link to The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey (which you should purchase because it would make each and every one of us happy.
you do want to make us happy, don’t you?
i mean, considering what we wrote, you want us to know you’re a good person, right?).
Let’s start with an introduction to the anthology as a whole:
“Life is a journey, not a destination.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Emerson’s point has been echoed by many, but in the Land of the Weird the question arises, “A journey to what destination?” At the same time, you might ask, “Is the journey therefore the destination?” The journey may well be an individual’s destination, because it will define them physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And in the Land of the Weird, that journey can take twists and turns that amuse, sadden, or horrify.
This trip into the Land of the Weird offers you 39 unique trails to follow, assisted by 35 different guides, each leading you down their own singular paths, manifesting their own view of journey as destination, some laughing, some weeping, and some, eyes wide with fear, shaking as they point out the spectral footpath for you to follow on your way down The Rabbit Hole.A Writers Co-op Production
Stories by: Chere Taylor, Brian R. Quinn, Arthur M. Doweyko, Donna J. W. Munro, Tom Howard, Kayla Whittle, Leslie Muzingo, Pete Barnstrom, Emmie Christie, Thomas Nicholson, GD Deckard, Richard DeRobertis, M.C. Schmidt, James Dorr, Rosalind Goldsmith, Margaret Karmazin, J.W.Wood, James Rumpel, Bill McCormick, v.f. thompson, Fran Tabor, David K. Slay, Joseph Carrabis, Jane Frankel, Alice Baburek, Susan R. Morritt, Bobby Rollins, Lee Clark Zumpe, Denice Penrose, Stephen McQuiggan, H. Donovan Lyón, Anna Ross, Michael Pudney, Beth Gaydon, and Tom Wolosz.
Leslie’s contribution is Emerald Eyes. Here’s the opening:
The last stretch of new train tracks had been laid in catty-corner fashion. Funny how the engineer who directed this strange design was never seen again once the last spike was driven and the champagne toast drunk. Perhaps he knew the chaos he’d caused and wanted to get away before his crime was discovered. Those passengers returning to the station had no problems as the tracks were split and only the tracks for outgoing trains were affected. But what an effect those catty-cornered train tracks had on those who dared to ride! You’d think you were on the train to Boston and arrive in Timbuktu, or to New York and find yourself lost in Shanghai. It was unbelievable. It was magical.
How the story came about:
I wrote this story for a contest. That contest had a theme. Honestly, it was so long ago that I don’t remember much about it! So I guess it goes without saying that I didn’t win the contest, huh?
About Leslie Muzingo:
After dropping out of high school, Leslie Muzingo worked as a waitress, bartender, census taker, high-school teacher, shelter aid in a battered woman’s shelter, and an attorney. She made it through law school by sheer grit, her boyfriend’s ’56 red Ford pickup, and one pair of blue jeans. No longer a practicing attorney, most of her published stories can be found on Goodreads or Amazon Authors. She can also be followed on Twitter. Stories not so easily found were published by Literary Mama, Fudoki Magazine, and Pink Panther Magazine. She expects to have another story published soon with Smoking Pen Press. She makes fantastic pies. If you ask her nicely, she will tell you her secret to a perfect crust. Leslie is also an award-winning beader and an adequate quilter. She lives with her husband and dog in Mobile, Alabama in winter and in Prince Edward Island, Canada in the summer. That novel she spoke of in the Rabbit Hole V bio is now in its final edits before she goes through the long journey of finding a publisher. So if you drink the tea that says “Drink Me” and click your heels together three times, there is a chance she just might find a home for her pride and joy.
See all The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey stories here.