Beta readers wanted for 9600 word fantasy short story

Been awhile, eh? I wrote two novels in the last year and let short fiction slip to the side. Or back. Or under… or whatever. POINT BEING that I just finished a short story and could use some fresh eyes on it. Here’s the teaser.

THE WORSHIPFUL SOCIETY OF GLOVERS

Outside the window of their garrett, the cockle-seller hollered, “Cockles an’ mussels! Cockles an’ mussels!” Her voice blended with the other London morning street sounds to mean that Vaughn was going to be late.

“Botheration.” He tied off the thread in the fine blue leather of the gloves he was stitching and snipped it with the little pair of silver sheers he’d snuck out of the master’s shop. Be his hide if he were caught taking them home, but worse if he bit the thread off instead of snipping it neat. No telling what his saliva would do when the guild brownie added the beauty spell to it.

Shoving back his chair, Vaughn tucked the shears into the pocket of his waistcoat. He grabbed the gloves with one hand and a slice of rye bread with the other.

His sister laughed, “Are you going to be late again?”

“Was trying to finish these gloves for Master Martin.” He slid the gloves into the pocket of his coat, heading for the door. “I’ll be glad when this damn journeyman period is over.”

Behind him, Sarah made a coughing grunt. Vaughn’s heart jumped sideways in his chest. Not again. He dropped the bread and the gloves and spun, but not in time to catch her.

If you want to read, just comment on my site and I’ll send the story to the first five to ten folks.

Thanks all! I think I’m set now. There’s a chance that I’ll do a second pass with this one, so feel free to raise your virtual hand. For the moment though, I’ve got enough readers.

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23 thoughts on “Beta readers wanted for 9600 word fantasy short story”

  1. Heather Miller

    The teaser definitely serves as a tease, drawing the reader in. I’d be honored to beta-read it… and excited to be one of the first! 🙂

  2. Dagnabit. That’s what I get for trying to be off social media for a while.

    Is there a perpetual list I can get on? I’m pretty much always up for beta-ing for you.

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