If you're a subscriber to
Daily Science Fiction's free email list, you should find a story of mine called
Child Soldier in your inbox this morning.
Edited to add: The story is
now up on their website, as well.

As I've mentioned here before, DSF has been one of my favorite markets, so I'm excited to see my work appear there for the first time. They publish original science fiction and fantasy every weekday, often by some of the top names in the field. If you'd like to give them a read there are two ways: you can subscribe to their mailing list and get a new story in your email inbox every day, or you can
visit their site if you'd prefer to read from a web browser (the content on the site runs a week behind the mailing list, however, so my story won't be up there until January 2nd). Both are
free of charge, and many of the stories DSF publishes are flash length, making them perfect fodder for that morning coffee break.
Child Soldier is a flash story inspired partly by my ponderings as a kid, when I would sit in front of the television watching G.I. Joe, thinking about my dad's real-life service in the Vietnam war. When you're that young, it's hard to wrap your mind around the complex reasons for military conflict, and everything gets painted in shades of black and white—the Good Guys versus the Bad Guys. Obviously, this can change quite a bit when you grow up and gain a little perspective.
Happy holidays, everyone. I hope you're all having a great year's end and you're looking forward to the new year as much as I am. Here's to much success in 2014!
I was deeply touched by Child Soldier. Painting such a vivid, heartfelt scene in so few words is a wonderful gift. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteWow, thanks so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it, and I really appreciate your kind words.
DeleteCongratulations! I'll have to subscribe so I can read it now.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Alex!
DeleteCongratulations! Heading over there now. :)
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
Thanks, Krystal! And same to you!
DeleteChild Soldier.....wow....just plain Wow. Paul Cole here, I do the radio program Beam Me Up on WRFR lp/fm (wrfr.org) and maintain a blog archive of my programs at beammeuppodcast.com I mention this because I would really like to read this story to my listeners when your obligation to DSF expires. WRFR is a low power community station that is non profit so the reading would not be for profit but simply the listeners entertainment.
ReplyDeleteIf you have any questions or alternative selections you think they would enjoy, you can email me at beammeuppodcast@gmail.com and thanks again for writing such moving fiction, I really enjoyed it.
Paul
Thanks very much, Paul. Glad you enjoyed it! I'll definitely keep Beam Me Up in mind when the time comes to find a new home for Child Soldier. Thanks for reaching out.
DeleteYou got in! I've sent every story I've ever written to them without any luck. Congratulations! I'll be sure to check it out.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Adam! And keep plugging away! I've got a nice little pile of DSF rejections for previous stories. Persistence, persistence!
DeleteCongratulations!
ReplyDelete