Sunny Days Are Here Again
Hello, and a special welcome to my new subscribers! We made it to June, and I’m thrilled you’re all here with me.
Before I get into my latest publication news, I just wanted to tell you that this past month I did a photoshoot for new author pix. If you’ve visited my website, follow me on social media, or noticed the headshots accompanying my published stories and interviews, you’ll have seen pictures that are now about six years old. While I don’t look drastically different, I thought it was time for an update.
My old photos were taken by my friend and professional photographer, Michelle Ward. I was really pleased with those pictures, so of course I recruited her again for this latest shoot. We had a blast walking around Hamilton, Ontario on the hunt for fun urban settings to pose in.
Over the next little bit, I’ll be updating my website images, social media profile pix and more, and of course going forward I’ll be using these new photos for a while.
But before I update everything, here’s a sneak peek of one of my faves just for you, my newsletter readers:
PUBLICATIONS IN JUNE
This month brings with it not only a long-awaited Summer (for me, at least), but a few more publications you should keep an eye out for.
First up, I finally have a definitive date for my story, “The Collective Memories of Dogs and Robots.” This story will be published in Augur, Issue 6.1, on June 20th. In this SF flash story, a dog and robot bond over their mutual experiences with human beings, in a world that no longer includes us.
Just a few days later, on June 25th, my story, “The Bullet in My Pocket Has Your Name on It,” comes out in Cossmass Infinities. This is a post-apocalyptic revenge story that marks my fourth appearance in this publication.
Also coming this month, following a successful Kickstarter campaign, is the publication of the Worlds of Possibility anthology which will include a reprint of my fantasy story, “Things Most Meaningful.” This story was first published in February for subscribers to WoP and has since been made available to read or listen to for free. You can own this and all the stories from this year’s issues by purchasing the anthology when it comes out. I’ll share the link on my socials when I have it. In the meantime you can find out more via the Worlds of Possibility website or by following editor Julia Rios on Twitter and Instagram.
FORTHCOMING PUBLICATIONS
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…
In May my SF story, “Hard Time” was published in Darkness Blooms, an anthology by The Dread Machine. This is a story about the sacrifices a parent is willing to make for their child. It takes place in a deep space penal colony where a father doing hard time writes letters in his mind to the son he’ll never see again.
“A World Unto Myself,” was published in Apex Magazine. This story is about a decommissioned robot searching for new purpose and meaning. Thus far it’s only been available to Apex subscribers, but it will be free to read online on June 13, so keep an eye out for that. I’ll also announce it on my social media when it happens.
INTERVIEWS
A little while ago I participated in a roundtable discussion about Canadian SFF with some other writers and editors. You can read our thoughts on the state of the genre in “Canada in Conversation” published in On Spec Magazine.
I’ve also recently completed an Author Q&A for Immigrant Sci-Fi Short Stories that will appear on the Flame Tree Press blog as a companion to the release of the anthology. These short author interviews will be published in two parts with the first one coming June 14 and the second following on June 21.
WORKS IN PROGRESS
I’ve been busy with life stuff lately, but I’ve also continued work on my novel and short story collection.
In addition to that, I wrote two brand new short stories this past month. The first one’s a fantasy piece that’s different from what I normally write. It tackles some difficult and personal subject matter for me, and some political themes I don’t normally write about, so I’m really taking my time with the editing process to ensure I get this story right. I hope to have it ready for submission soon though.
The second one’s a science-fiction piece about artificial intelligence which is kind of on the mind of a lot of writers these days. This one’s ready to go and I know where I want to send it so that one will start doing the rounds probably right after this newsletter hits your inbox.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW?
Each month I send you this newsletter as an update on what’s going on with my writing, but I’m interested to know if there’s other content you’d like to see. If you have suggestions, leave a comment here or via my website’s contact page.
Thanks as always for reading, and don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share!
P.A. Cornell