Rereading One's Work

My Facebook friends and Instagram followers might have seen my author's copy of MSCI: Magical Crime Scene Investigation, which I received last week. (Naturally, I had to post it here as well.) Yesterday, I reread "Henry's Harness," my short story in this anthology. As always, I'm my own worst critic. I'm not going to list specific examples so as not to spoil anything, but there are stretches where I think my writing craft could be improved and sentences I'd like to rephrase. On the other hand, I do think the setting details work. Most importantly, the emotional heart of the story is there. It should be interesting to read the rest of the stories in the anthology and see how they fit together as a whole. It'll also be interesting to revisit this story in a few years, though I'll probably be even more critical of it by then.

How do you feel about rereading your stories? Are you self-critical, amazed that it turned out so where, or something else? Feel free to share in the comments.

MCSI Now Available!

For those of you celebrating Labor Day today, I hope you're enjoying the day off. A holiday may not be the best day to make this announcement, but I didn't learn about the release of MCSI: Magical Crime Scene Investigation in time for Wednesday's post Anyway, if you missed the chance to participate in the Kickstarter for this paranormal investigation anthology, you can still get a copy. It's available on Amazon in ebook and paper formats. If you're looking for other ebook formats, it's also available through Smashwords. My short story, "Henry's Harness," is part of the collection, but I'm looking forward to reading the other stories as well. Here's the blurb and full list of stories and authors:


Cold cases, cold coffee, rushing into situations other people run from - being a cop is tough. But it gets even tougher when the particulars of the case don’t match up with the way the world is supposed to be. But some investigators take these paranormal speed bumps in stride. Your murder suspect is a dragon? Bring it on. Your evidence comes from a conference with the spirit world? No problem. Your kidnapping suspect is an undead creature sprung from Old World folklore? Okay, that might take the fortification of an extra cup of coffee and some back up.

We have 18 urban fantasy stories about solving the case with a little magical help ready for your curious mind. Come along for the ride and enjoy the thrills of investigation. Remember, Quod Sequitor - Follow the Evidence.

Our Stories and Authors:
The Mercury Division by Lynda Collins
How Many Hearts Will it Take? by Karen Thrower
Meat Market by Aaron C. Smith
Henry's Harness by Sandra Ulbrich Almazan
Nachtkrapp by Michelle D. Sonnier
You've Goat to be Kidding Me by Andrea Stanet
Half Someplace Gone by Blake Jessop
Le Dragon de Bronze by K.A. Mielke
The Twins in the Fog by Rie Sheridan Rose
Chief Hunkypants vs. the Magic Door by Josie Dorans
Harvest Moon by Jasmine Brown and Simon Young
Elemental Forensics by Elizabeth Hosang
Arm-in-Arm with Alchemy by Rosie Wylor-Owen
Corpus Delicti by Jade Black
The Clean-Up Crew by Edmund Lester
A Dead Mermaid on Eel Pie Island by Liz Tuckwell
The Advantages of Unofficial Consultation by Brian M. Milton
Poppies by Ashlea Adams

MCSI: Magical Crime Scene Investigation Kickstarter

Today is a very important day: my son's eleventh birthday! Happy Birthday, Alex, and many more birthdays to come! (And no, you can't drive my car--at least, not yet.)

And now for something completely different: MCSI: Magical Crime Scene Investigation. This is the anthology (by Otter Libris) that will include my short story "Henry's Harness," and it's live on Kickstarter! Pledges start at $2, ebook rewards at $6 (available in multiple formats), and paper copies at $20. Higher tiers offer multiple copies of this book in multiple formats, and you can add on custom dice and other books by Otter Libris. This project only needs $1,500 to proceed, and with over $1,100 already pledged after the first week, it's likely to meet goal. If the project reaches $2,000, it'll unlock a secret stretch goal. There are still almost four weeks left to back this project. Back it today, and you can read "Henry's Harness," along with many other intriguing stories, this August.