New Voices 004 July-August 2018
Welcome to another unique bi-monthly compilation
...of the inspired visions and universes from four Midwest Journal Press authors:
From their prolific output, we've assembled 16 short stories, grouping them by author and publication date.
While every major genre is represented, you'll also see that in most cases, these books cross genres and plot structures to give you the best possible reader experience and entertainment. While each of these authors are still improving their craft, you will find their short stories to be just springboards to exploring the wider universes that inspired them.
In this compilation, you'll see more where these authors have co-written and produced marvelous takes - and entirely new characters or aspects of existing ones - which flesh out these universes into greater reality and detail.
This Anthology Contains:
Ham & Chaz by C. C. Brower & J. R. Kruse
The Lazurai Returns by C. C. Brower & J. R. Kruze
The Lazurai Emergence by C. C. Brower & S. H. Marpel
The Case of the Forever Cure by J. R. Kruze
One Thought, Then Gone by J. R. Kruze
To Laugh At Death by J. R. Kruze
Voices by J. R. Kruze
The Lori Saga: Escape by J. R. Kruze & S. H. Marpel
The Case of the Walkaway Blues by J. R. Kruze & S. H. Marpel
The Case of a Cruising Phantom by S. H. Marpel
The Training: Beth by S. H. Marpel
The 95% Solution by S. H. Marpel
Harpy's Desires by S. H. Marpel
Falling by S. H. Marpel
The Spirit Mountain Mystery by S. H. Marpel & C. C. Brower
Our Second Civil War by R. L. Saunders & C. C. Brower
Excerpt
(From "" by S. H. Marpel & C. C. Brower):
“SEEMS QUIET NOW.” STANDING on the empty plains under a red-sky morning that rolled out away from a torn and fractured Nevada desert mountain, it seemed pretty obvious. Quiet.
Of course, I soon wished I hadn’t said anything. Something like Finagle’s law. Not just that things will go wrong if they can, but also at the worst possible moment. And in the worst possible way.
A dust cloud soon swallowed us. Sal and Jude together had to put up and hold a force shield around us. And that’s pretty much all they could do, as that dust came with the force of a terrible wind. Something like a hurricane’s - and it came up within seconds of my speaking.
But then a pain seared through my stomach and quickly spread to my veins. A massive headache started in the next moment. All I could do was to clutch my stomach and roll into a ball on the ground.
Sal and Jude saw me and were frantic with alarm, but could do nothing without lowering the shield and watching us all blow away.
The last thing I remember seeing was someone walking through that hurricane right toward us - as if it was a calm day in those Midwest pastures I’d left a thousand miles away. She came right up and walked through Sal and Jude’s force shield like it wasn’t there. Just waltzed in and crouched over to have a look at me. Not a single red hair surrounding her pretty face was even moving. Big, dark green eyes looking into my soul. Did I mention her pretty face? Thought so.
As she put her hand on my forehead, everything went black.
At least the pain stopped...