A couple of months ago, I was surprised and delighted when Adrian Collins of Grimdark Magazine asked whether I would consider contributing a short story to an anthology he was putting together.

Well, I thought, I don’t really do short…

…stories told from the villain’s point of view, he went on…

oh HELLZ yeah.

Now, it’s probably no secret at this point that I enjoy reading and writing ambiguous characters. And by ‘ambiguous’ I really mean dark, disturbed, and bloody-minded. Write what you know, eh? There’s nothing much I enjoy more than turning over the slimy rocks of a human (or humanish) psyche to see what lies beneath.

What makes us tick?

What makes us…kill?

I am pleased to announce that the Kickstarter was fully funded, and the stretch goals are falling like main characters in one of my stories. Look at this author lineup. LOOK AT IT:

• R. Scott Bakker (The Second Apocalypse)
• Adrian Tchaikovsky (Shadows of the Apt, The Tiger and the Wolf)
• Michael R. Fletcher (Manifest Delusions)
• Shawn Speakman (The Annwn Cycles)
• Teresa Frohock (Los Nefilim)
• Kaaron Warren (The Gate Theory, Mistification)
• Courtney Schafer (The Shattered Sigil)
• Marc Turner (Chronicles of the Exile)
• Jeff Salyards (Bloodsounder’s Arc)
• Mazarkis Williams (The Tower & Knife)
• Deborah A. Wolf (The Dragon’s Legacy)
• Brian Staveley (Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne)
• Alex Marshall (Crimson Empire)
• Bradley P. Beaulieu (The Song of the Shattered Sands, The Lays of Anuskaya)
• Matthew Ward (Shadow of the Raven, Coldharbour)

And it’s a pretty book too, Precious; not only does it have a gorgeous cover, but the stretch goal for interior art has been met, as well:

My own story, BLOOD PENNY, introduces Awitsu and Kanati, two daeborn children from Sindan trying to survive in a world that wants them dead.

Cute kids, aren’t they?

Spoiler: they survive…more or less.

Teaser: the rest of the world may not, by the time they get done.

If you haven’t backed this Kickstarter yet, do it now while there is still time. This is a volume you will NOT want to miss out on, trust me. I’d hate to see you kick yourself later on when all your friends have this awesome book and you are stuck rereading your mom’s old Agatha Christie novels.

Ok, I lied. I’d love to see you kick yourself. Because that’s how I roll.

Which may or may not be evil…

…depending on your perspective.

Jai tu wai,

Debi