Daily Science Fiction is an interesting new SF magazine that works differently than the other online magazines. Basically, you sign up and once a day you get an SF story in your inbox. A week later it goes up live on the site. I find that I’m actually reading most of the short SF stories in the inbox version.
Anyway, I have a fantasy story up today, “American Changeling.” One thing before you read it. I’m using the word glamour in the story in the traditional Faerie sense but the world of magic has no relation to Shades of Milk and Honey at all. I just looked at the teaser and realized it could be confusing if you were thinking of the novel and looking at the story. Completely different universes.
I also need to give a hearty thank you to Ellen Datlow and the Codex Writers Group. I wrote this for a writer’s retreat and Ellen was our guest editor. The feedback I got there was instrumental in making the story what it is.
Here’s the teaser.
American Changeling
Half-consciously, Kim put a hand up to cover her new nose ring. It pissed her parents off no end that she could tolerate touching cold iron and they couldn’t.
Iron still made her break out sometimes, but didn’t burn her. It had taken forever to find someone to make an iron nose ring, but the effort would be totally worth it.
“Kimberly Anne Smith,” Mom’s voice caught her in the foyer as surely as if she’d been called by her true name. “I’ve been worried sick. Do you know what time it is?”
“11:49.” Kim dropped her hand and turned to face Mom, her Doc Martens making a satisfactory clomping on the hardwood floor. “I’m here. Home before midnight. No one with me.” Sometimes she thought about bringing friends home to show them what her parents really looked like after their glamour dropped.
You can read the rest of the story at Daily Science Fiction.
I enjoyed the story even more since I took that class in Irish Myths and Legends from Cathie Ryan at the Swannanoa Gathering.
Oh! I’ll bet that gave you all sorts of insights. I didn’t know you’d taken that class but it sounds fun.