I have a novelette in an anthology being crowdfunded right now, Beating Hearts & Battle-Axes.

There you see my name on the cover. I am beyond proud to stand alongside the other names: SL Huang of The Water Outlaws, Brent Lambert of A Necessary Chaos, TA Markitan who has stories in A Book of Blades I and II, David C Smith of Sometime Lofty Towers, Valerie Valdes of Where Peace is Lost. Jay Wolf is our wonderful editor.

Six novelettes of about 12,000 words, telling a Sword & Sorcery tale with an integral relationship story.

When Oliver Brackenbury, the publisher, asked me to be a part of the anthology, I was keen for the chance to explore the love relationship between my Goatskin and Sister Chaos (she who goes by several pseuds) more deeply. Previous Goatskin stories can be found in New Edge Sword & Sorcery Magazine issues 0 and 1, and A Book of Blades II. My historical fiction series Amgalant leans heavily into relationships, and has a strong love story — while *not* being historical romance, as the anthology isn’t capital-R Romance. So this was more back to my usual than a new departure.

We have met our minimum funding goal, which means the book’s going ahead. First stretch goal is an internal illustration for each story by Trevor Ngwenya – you can bet I want that one. Second stretch goal is a significant discount on shipping for Rest of the World folk, and as an Australian familiar with the cost disadvantages of book acquisition from overseas, that one means a lot to me too.

After those two goals, funds go toward further projects from Brackenbury Books. This anthology is the first book from what hopes to be a shiny new publisher of Sword & Sorcery. I expect more in the spirit of New Edge Sword & Sorcery Magazine, also from Oliver Brackenbury: innovative and inclusive Sword & Sorcery, in other words so much up my alley you can come and swig a drink with me in the street or the tavern if it lets us in (I write social outsiders, you’ll often be refused at the fantasy taverns). I’m excited to see the future of Brackenbury Books, and I have a great respect for Oliver from our work together in the past.

The campaign runs until July 21. It’s on Backerkit, described as like Kickstarter but better. There are exclusive extras through the crowdfund, and you can add on issues of New Edge Sword & Sorcery at a crowdfund-only discount. I have a Goatskin story, ‘Sister Chaos’ in issue 1 from last year, and a non-fiction piece in one of this year’s issues, 3 or 4.

Here’s the campaign link. I’d be delighted if you choose to back.

www.backerkit.com/c/projects/brackenbooks/beating-hearts-battle-axes