Find Your Genie and a Book Tour Stop

Is it Wednesday, August 17th yet? If so you can find me at M. Pax's blog with a guest post on sinkholes. This natural phenomenon is a major feature in Detour, one of four suspenseful tales in Heart Stopper and Other Stories.

M. Pax is the author of science fiction and fantasy works including the Backworlds and Rifters series.

Pretty awesome covers there, Mary! And here's another one to show you:

I snagged this one at a discount price a few months ago on a tip from one of the contributing authors, Loni Townsend. Here's the blurb:

The Ancient is an anthology of short stories, all revolving around the notion of Aladdin’s Lamp. Some of these stories use an actual lamp, some of them use a different object. But in each story, the object has some unusual magical aspect that stays with it from one person to the next. Be careful what you wish for...

This was a quick, fun read and well worth a look even at the regular price (2.99 on Amazon for Kindle). Here's a little bit more about what you'll find inside:

A Wish To Give by Sherry Briscoe: This author turns the tables on the traditional story by giving the mc, Abigail, the task of granting the three wishes. Guess what? It's not as easy as it sounds.

Lily and the Lamp by Catherine Valenti: As a mother of two daughters, this one totally freaked me out. Would you bring harm to another's child if it meant saving your own?

The Golden Pen by Marlie Harris: A unexpected package arrives for Laura Stanley. She will make a wish most writers have, but the consequences, oh!, the consequences. Creeptastic.

A Lauder Way by Rochelle Cunningham: Romance novelist Grace and her niece, Morgan, spend an amazing afternoon in Grandma Lauder's 1920's house. This charming story has a strong Jumanji vibe. 

Multiplier, A Ridge Falls Story, by Troy Lambert: In a potato cellar in Idaho, young Ferris Wilson finds a lamp whose genie takes him to a castle. Years later, as ruler of the realm, dark forces threaten to destroy Ferris's ideal world. Great read.

Reaction by Bobbi Carol: Liz lost Daniel, the love of her life, five years ago, but at least she has Jeremy, their son. Then she unknowingly releases a ghul, a tiny man, from a rock near Daniel's grave. He gives her three stones that will each grant a wish, but here's the creative catch: the opposite of her wish will happen somewhere else. Oh, dear! 

Smokeless Flame by Loni Townsend: Inside a mountain, a team finds a lamp while investigating a strangely perfect, dome-shaped cave with walls covered in mysterious pictures of magicians and mythical creatures. Who will make it out alive? This one has a cool Indian Jones feel.

Are you a short story writer or reader? Any anthologies to recommend?