Yeah, a short story I sold just dropped today. New Year’s Eve for all that it’s worth. Talk about good news, this is the best. Oriental Excess put out a call for authors back in September. I took up the challenge, pitched a story, and got a spot in the anthology. All that remained then was to write something so awesome that fans of cyberpunk and Japanophiles alike would dig it so much they’d want to butter their morning toast with it.
Yeah, the hard part. I slaved over this thing for the next two months. Writing and re-writing because I just couldn’t be happy with it. Tokyo Yakuza: Mob Dance has had about ten endings, all of them where underwhelming. None of them qualified to butter toast. Especially cyberpunk toast. Then in November, with some isolation and dedication, I had a breakthrough. This story is now whipped butter nicely warmed and ready for any variety of toasted bread. Even $9 toast, although we’re only charging 0.99 pennies for it.
The anthology, in hard back, is supposed to come out this spring, so wait if you must. But if you enjoy frenetic story telling doused with plenty of funky tech with a sprinkling of the fantastic from the Korean Peninsula you’re going to love-love Jihoo. It’s unique and new, and for the first time since I left these parts of Asia I feel like I got to use some of what I learned there. And just a brief reminder, it is the holiday season, your reviews are the only thing on my wish list.
Right now I’m plotting ways to get in on future editions of the anthology. Despite the challenge of writing in someone else’s world and needing to interweave plot threads across multiple authors and story lines I had a lot of fun with Mob Dance. I hope you enjoy it.
FeetForBrains 