Mischief Corner Books has a new issue of their marvelous quarterly out:
The Quarterly is an eMagazine of LGBTQ fiction – of all kinds. This volume features four short stories:
- Communications Down by Mina MacLeod
- About a Dog by Jess Faraday
- Healing Agent by Cairo Amani
- Translation by J. Scott Coatsworth
It also includes an Interview with Erika Orrick talking about “Editors, Editing and Writing”, and a Featured Author section about SA Collins. And our very own Toni Griffin offers and Op-Ed on “Convention Going & What’s Right for You.”
Excerpt
TRANSLATION, BY J. SCOTT COATSWORTH
“Vado a letto.”
Dominic stared dreamily out the window at the vibrant ivy climbing the brownstone across the street and at nothing at all. His desk was littered with paper, half-empty cans of Wild Cherry Pepsi, and his iPhone, attached to his ears via a long white cord.
It was another Monday morning in the office.
The sexy male Italian voice on the instructional podcast repeated itself. “Vado a letto. I am going to bed.”
In the window’s reflection, he could just make out his boss, Dante, in the office behind him. Dante was behind his desk, his handsome Italian features drawn tight in concentration. “I’d like to vado a letto with him,” Dominic whispered.
“What?” Kristen was at the desk next to his. She looked vaguely annoyed at the interruption, frowning at him.
He pulled out the earbuds. “Nothing,” he said, smiling privately. “Just a little Italian study time.”
She grinned. “Still doing that, huh?” She glanced over her shoulder. “He’s out of your league, you know.”
“Shut up. At least he plays for my team.”
“If he’s even single.” She stuck her tongue out at him and went back to work.
Break time was over. He stared at his screen, where the layout for page seventeen waited.
It was easy money, writing copy for a home decorating magazine. In Habit paid the rent, so he could spend his nights writing the great gay American novel. He’d finished one already and had sent it off to a dozen publishers in the hopes of getting his big break.
Sometimes he wondered if he spent his most creative hours and energy on the magazine at the expense of his true passion. Maybe cranking out copy dulled his writing muscles.
Five years out of college, and he’d been published in two prestigious writing journals (which paid next-to-nothing) and had his first novel rejected by ten of twelve publishers. “We’re sorry, it’s just not what we’re looking for” was the universal refrain. Add in his short story and poetry rejections, and he was closing in on seventy. If that old rule of thumb was right, he was only thirty rejections away from getting published. Really published, with a paycheck.
If only it were that simple.
Buy Links
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Smashwords: Click Here
Issue One is also available:
MCB: Click Here
Amazon: Click Here
Author Bio
AUTHORBIO