In Praise Of Anthologies by Kiki Howell

I love to buy a great anthology, one with a specific theme and powerful shorts that leave me wanting more. I like the wanting more part actually, I think it is a mark of a great short to leave the reader panting, desperate for more by this author or in the genre, etc. But I don’t only like to read anthologies, I love writing for them.

Early on in my career I would browse through calls for submission and find myself overwhelmed with ideas for the various calls for anthologies. Just reading the little blurbs about the what the publisher was looking for toward a particular theme would just get my imagination going. Having a story accepted into an anthology, well that was all the more thrilling, to get to see my name and story title beside those of other fantastic authors. I looked forward to the release days so much just so I could read all the stories mine got included among.

Allow me to reminisce a minute because this topic takes me back to one of the first anthologies I was in. It was no easy feat, came with its ups and downs and a ton of hard work too, but was well worth it. I’d subbed my short, “To Save A Witch,” a dark story where a frustrated witch meets up with a ghost of her past life, to an anthology called Focus: Highlighting the Power of the Short Story. Guess I should have been more intimidated by the title. LOL Anyway, I didn’t get back a rejection or an acceptance, but more a challenge. The editor said that he had shared my story with someone who had been in the business for years, and they both agreed that the story needed a lot of work but that they saw a writer with great potential. I was thrilled, and I worked my little fingers off on six rounds of rewrites until the editor accepted the story. So you would think I would have soured toward anthologies, but no, I was fueled to keep writing for them. And I will never forget that first review of the anthology either which said, “Every boxing champion knows that knockouts come from short, powerful punches that land with expolosive impact. So does editor/anthologist Kev Henley and the immensely talented authors of these 17 widely diverse but universely gripping short stories.” Now who wouldn’t be thrilled to be part of that?

Looks like I have been in eight anthologies to date now with two personal anthologies as well. So cool! And I am thrilled that this coming year I will be in many more with  Naughty Nights Press. Mistress Gina, my BossLady, comes up with some great, naughty themes. So many that I can barely keep up with the spinning wheels in my mind. In fact, I may even take on a few challenges again, write stories for a few naughtier themed anthologies, go outside of my comfort zone and see what happens. Who knows, right?

Let me remind you of a favorite of mine as a paranormal erotic author here at NNP. I’m one to celebrate the greatness of Halloween all year round anyway.  

Another witchy and ghostly short of mine, as I do love that combo, called “Midnight Showing” was in  in NNP’s Wicked and Wanton All Hallow's Eve Anthology

  

Coming soon is Spontaneous Liaisons which will include my story “Reinventing the Quickie, Diary of Sam” It’s actually a New Year’s Resolution story. Here’s a little peak at what the story is about…

Blurb for “Reinventing the Quickie, Diary of Sam”:

Samantha Donovan writes in her diary when she can, and this year’s new book she is starting by discussing New Year’s Resolutions: her failures with them in the past and what she wants this year as a working mom with teenagers in the house. She decides it would be great to combine a few of things, like weight loss and more sex, by offering her husband an arrangement of quickies in their busy lives, sort of a sex diet she once read about.

Of course her hubby is all for the idea, but with their crazy schedules, it proves harder than they thought. So, they get more creative, use their time more wisely, and even kick up the quickies with little themes. By the end of January, things are suddenly getting sexier and sexier in Samantha’s life…

I also have been working on stories like “The Nephilim Guard” (love angel stories) and “A Dark and Violent Seduction” (tried my hand finally at a succubus story) for a paranormal anthology releasing in 2012 with NNP. You know I am really excited about this one! Currently developing another story about a fairy. So much fun :)

An while I’m not in this one, next on my list to read is NNP’s Campus Sexploits which just released. Can’t wait! Don’t you just love the cover?