I asked fellow Curses 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 Curses (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?).
Yesterday and today it’s my turn.
What fun, huh?
And now, my Grafton’s Ghost-Child:
Grafton turned the knob on Cloe’s bedroom door slowly, thankful for the patience that came so naturally to him. The doorknob would sometimes crick, and he didn’t want to wake his daughter, just peek in to watch her sleep, make sure she was snug under the covers. Sometimes Amanda would open the window in their daughter’s room to let the night air in, and Cloe would curl up into a tight little ball, just her nose exposed, forming a little steam tent.
How the story came about:
Sometimes the overwhelming ignorance of our race staggers me.
In this case, it’s trophy hunting. Most people know I’m active with wildlife and prefer the company of The Wild to the company of my own species (much like Captain Nemo in Jules Verne’s classics 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and The Mysterious Island). Some may remember the true story of the upper mid-west dentist who killed a protected lion simply because he wanted a trophy (referenced in the story, the seed of the story, if you will).
My reaction? Let me be blunt and direct: Stupid fucking idiot!
And that’s just me.
You can find out about me here. Follow me on Twitter, FaceBook, LinkedIn, Goodreads, Pinterest, Instagram, BookBub, YouTube, Substack, down the street, to the grocery store, ….
See all Curses stories here.
And for our finale, a teaser to the anthology on YouTube.And as a special treat, here’s me reading “It’s a Man’s World” for Kaye Booth’s Curses promotional blog tour.
2 Responses
This scene really captures the quiet tenderness of a parent’s love. Grafton’s patience and the care he takes not to wake Cloe say so much about his character without a single line of dialogue. The image of her curled up in the cool air, with her breath forming a “steam tent,” is both vivid and touching, it’s such a small, everyday moment, but it feels sacred in the way it shows a father simply watching over his child. And yes, stupid fucking idiot
Thanks, Joe.
So I achieved my goal? Hooray!
Lots of people tell me this is a scene in a novel, or a prelude to a novel about the Merchant-Ghosts. Any thoughts?
And yeah, stupid fucking idiots.