Tooting My Horn

I am now a published author.

Well, I am now a self-published author. I recently uploaded two of my short stories to Amazon, with the intention of uploading more. These stories have made their rounds on submission, and have been rejected for one reason or another. I don’t think it’s because they’re bad stories, as stories go. They just haven’t been able to find a good home. So off to Amazon they go, with more to follow, I think.

Now it’s just a matter of promoting, which, by its very essence, is unnatural for me. I’m not one to toot my own horn. But in this milieu it’s a must; no one’s going to do it for me. I’ve read The Shy Writer by C. Hope Clark cover to cover, multiple times, but it’s still hard for me to put myself out there, to speak up, to sell myself. This blog was a huge first step, and I’ve managed to live through it. I even enjoy it, immensely. So I might as well put it to work.

The first story I uploaded is called Plugged In, a futuristic story about a world where computer implantation is mandatory. I got this idea when I was contemplating how attached so many people are to their technology–their phones are always in their hand, or not very far away. It infiltrates every part of their lives, a constant stream of info and entertainment at their fingertips. Why not just have it implanted into their brains, I thought, and be done with it? Most people wouldn’t mind. But what if it was the law, and someone did mind? About this time, we were hearing a lot about Snowden and Wikileaks, the line between privacy and security, so I wound that theme in, too. It was fun to write.

The other story is called Hera’s Milk, and it’s a ghost story. It’s about a woman writer of a certain age, full of regret and despair, and decides she wants to end her life. She stops at a bed and breakfast to do the deed, but garners the attention of a ghost child, whose intention is a bit of a mystery. When I was writing this one, I was thinking about the choices we make, about motherhood and aging and unfulfilled lives. It’s borderline horror, because of an ick factor at the end, but nothing too gratuitous.

So if you’re interested, head on over to amazon.com/author/williamstina. They cost less than a buck…or free if you have Kindle Unlimited. If you like it, rate and review it. I’d much appreciate it.