Please pardon the misplaced pixels and digital disarray as we move from our old website to this fancy new home. We should be all settled in by early-June... or maybe mid-June would be a wiser bet.

We're pleased to announce Legally Undead,  first novel in the Vampirarchy series by Margo Bond Collins, is available in trade paperback and ebook today, Tuesday, May 27, 2014.

Praise for Legally Undead:

“I loved this! Margo Bond Collins spins a delightful and tightly woven tale of intrigue and danger, whose protagonist, Elle Dupree, instantly joins the ranks of the great vampire hunters in a story where the blood sucking fiends are dire and the consequences grim.”
– Jenn Lyons, author of MARDUK’S REBELLION and the forthcoming BLOOD CHIMERA

“Finally, a vampire story with bite! Elle is a smart, witty vampire hunter, and I can’t wait to find out what happens to her next.”
– Rebecca Roland, author of THE GRAVEYARD GIRL and SHARDS OF HISTORY

A reluctant vampire hunter, stalking New York City as only a scorned bride can. Elle Dupree has her life all figured out: first a wedding, then her Ph.D., then swank faculty parties where she’ll serve wine and cheese and introduce people to her husband the lawyer.

But those plans disintegrate when she walks in on a vampire sucking the blood from her fiancé, Greg. Horrified, she screams and runs—not away from the vampire, but toward it, brandishing a wooden letter opener.

As she slams the improvised stake into the vampire’s heart, a team of black-clad men bursts into the apartment. Turning to face them, Elle realizes Greg’s body is gone—and her perfect life falls apart.

Read the digital edition exclusively from these retailers:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Read the trade paperback edition from these and other retailers:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million| Independent Bookstores

Margo Bond Collins lives in Texas with her husband, their daughter, several spoiled cats, and a ridiculous turtle. She teaches college-level English courses online, though writing fiction is her first love. She enjoys reading urban fantasy and paranormal fiction of any genre and spends most of her free time daydreaming about vampires, ghosts, zombies, werewolves, and other monsters. margobondcollins.com

What's "Grand Tradition Science Fiction" and why should we care about it?

Bascomb James: "The hallmark of the Grand Tradition story was that it was fun to read. Grand Tradition stories were pure entertainment; they were adventure stories that were found nowhere else. Grand Tradition stories were written in every SF motif (horror, noir, pulp fiction, first contact, spaceship, alien invaders/visitors, political intrigue, hard science fiction, etc.) and they embraced all of the familiar SF tropes. Grand Tradition stories often included social/political commentaries and they opened windows on worlds we could not otherwise see, but these elements were part of the subtext. The foreground story was the adventure, the wonder, the delightful romp through a strange and wondrous universe.

Somewhere along the way, a derisive public wrote off Grand Tradition SF as mere escapism – as if escapism was something unsavory. Fun stories – stories written for entertainment – became childish indulgences in an increasingly tight-sphinctered world. In her open letter to SF, Elizabeth Bear asks why “[SF seems] to think that nothing fun can have value.” I agree with her completely. Mind you, I am not advocating a return to the days of schlocky pulp fiction, but even the most serious and dedicated science fiction fan wants to have a little fun now and then... [Read more at Fantasy Cafe]

Why do you write Science Fiction stories?  

Kat Otis: I blame my interest in Science Fiction on my parents and their basement full of Star Trek books.  I never realized how much those books shaped my view of the world until college, when one of my math professors made an offhand reference to the Kobayashi Maru... and I was the only one who recognized it! [Read more at Good Choice Reading]

What was your inspiration for creating, "Spaceman Barbecue," your Far Orbit story?

Peter Wood: I love space opera. I have read it, watched it on television and listened to it on old radio shows like X Minus One. I guess the story is based on some of the square-jawed hreoes of those pulp classics. What would happen if one of them stumbled into our world? And, if that traveler is really lucky, he might stumble across some North Carolina barbecue. The best barbecue in the world, by the way, is Wilbur's in Goldsboro, North Carolina... [Read more at Speculative Book Review]

What was your inspiration for creating your Far Orbit story, "The Vringla/Racket Incident"?

Jakob Drud: The story first came to life in my mind when I started considering how and why a childcare provider would oversell their services. The answer turned out to be "incidents involving alien babysitters"... [Read more at Good Choice Reading]

Why do you write science fiction stories? What is it about this genre that appeals to you?

Eric Choi: As an aerospace engineer who has worked on a number of real space missions like the Phoenix Mars Lander, I guess you can say some parts of my life are a bit like a science fiction story, so why not write about it? There have always been important linkages between science fiction and the real-life space program. Our knowledge of the Universe, our attitudes towards science, and our understanding of science and technology are some of the key influences to science fiction. In turn, science fiction has helped shape perceptions of the space program, in some cases influencing the politics and funding of space projects and even the design of the missions themselves, as well as inspiring people like me to pursue careers in engineering and science... [Read more at AerospaceWriter.ca]

What is it about this genre that appeals to you?

Barbara Davies: Unlike other genres, Science Fiction has no limits other than the writer's imagination and... sometimes... the laws of physics... [Read more at Speculative Book Review]

What appeals to you about science fiction?

Johnathan Shipley: I enjoy the space opera aspects of science fiction -- clash of cultures, political intrigue, rise and fall of empires -- but brought to a personal scale... [Read more at Speculative Book Review]

Get your copy of Far Orbit and embrace the fun side of science fiction:

Read the digital edition exclusively through these retailers:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | !ndigo | Kobo

Read the trade paperback through these and other retailers:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | Independent Bookstores

Fae cover art has arrived! An anthology of fairies edited by Rhonda Parrish.

Meet Robin Goodfellow as you’ve never seen him before, watch damsels in distress rescue themselves, get swept away with the selkies and enjoy tales of hobs, green men, pixies and phookas. One thing is for certain, these are not your grandmother’s fairy tales.

Fairies have been both mischievous and malignant creatures throughout history. They’ve dwelt in forests, collected teeth or crafted shoes. Fae is full of stories that honor that rich history while exploring new and interesting takes on the fair folk from castles to computer technologies and modern midwifing, the Old World to Indianapolis.

Fae covers a vast swath of the fairy story spectrum, making the old new and exploring lush settings with beautiful prose and complex characters. Enjoy the familiar feeling of a good old-fashioned fairy tale alongside urban fantasy and horror with a fae twist.

With an introduction by Sara Cleto and Brittany Warman, and all new stories from Sidney Blaylock Jr., Amanda Block, Kari Castor, Beth Cato, Liz Colter, Rhonda Eikamp, Lor Graham, Alexis A. Hunter, L.S. Johnson, Jon Arthur Kitson, Adria Laycraft, Lauren Liebowitz, Christine Morgan, Shannon Phillips, Sara Puls, Laura VanArendonk Baugh, and Kristina Wojtaszek.

Publication date: July 22, 2014.