Choices Read online

  Hailed as “one of the best writers working today” by bestselling author Dean Wesley Smith, Dayle A. Dermatis is the author or coauthor of many novels and more than a hundred short stories in multiple genres, including urban fantasy novels Ghosted and Shaded. She is the mastermind behind the Uncollected Anthology project; her short fiction has been lauded in year’s best anthologies in erotica, mystery, and horror; and in her spare time she’s taken up editing anthologies. She lives in a book- and cat-filled historic English-style cottage in the wild greenscapes of the Pacific Northwest. In her spare time she follows Styx around the country and travels the world, which inspires her writing. To find out where she’s wandered off to (and to get free fiction!), check out DayleDermatis.com and sign up for her newsletter.

  Michele Lang grew up in deepest suburbia, the daughter of a Hungarian mystic and a fast-talking used-car salesman. Now she writes tales of magic, crime, and adventure. Author of the Lady Lazarus historical urban fantasy series, Michele also writes urban fantasy for the Uncollected Anthology series.

  Fiona Patton lives in rural Ontario, where she can practice bagpipes without bothering the neighbors. Her partner Tanya Huff, their two dogs and many cats have taken some time to get used to them but no longer run when she gets the pipes out. She has written seven fantasy novels for DAW Books as well as over forty short stories. “The Once and Future Box” is her eleventh Valdemar story, the ninth involving the Dann family.

  Diana L. Paxson is the author of 29 novels, including the Westria series and the Avalon novels, numerous short stories, and nonfiction on goddesses, trance work, and the runes, and more than 90 short stories. Many of her novels have historical settings, a good preparation for writing about Valdemar. She also writes nonfiction on topics from mythology to trance work. Her next book will be a study of the Norse god Odin. She also engages in occasional craftwork, costuming, and playing the harp She lives in the multigenerational, multitalented household called Greyhaven in Berkeley.

  Angela Penrose lives in Seattle with her husband, seven computers, and about ten thousand books. She’s been a Valdemar fan for decades and wrote her first Valdemar story for the “Modems of the Queen” area on the old GEnie network, back in the 1980s. In addition to fantasy, she also writes SF and mysteries, sometimes in combination. She’s had stories published in Loosed Upon the World, Fiction River, The Year’s Best Crime and Mystery Stories 2016, and of course Pathways, the last Valdemar anthology.

  Growing up on fairy tales and computer games, USA Today bestselling author Anthea Sharp has melded the two in her award-winning, bestselling Feyland series, which has sold over 200k copies worldwide. In addition to the fae fantasy/cyberpunk mashup of Feyland, she also writes Victorian Spacepunk and fantasy romance. Her books have won awards, topped bestseller lists, and garnered over a million reads at Wattpad. She’s frequently found hanging out on Amazon’s Top 100 Fantasy/SF author list. Her short fiction has appeared in Fiction River, DAW anthologies, The Future Chronicles, and Beyond the Stars: At Galaxy’s Edge, as well as many other publications. Her newest novel, Star Compass, is now available at all online retailers.

  Stephanie Shaver lives in Southern California with a prepositional phrase-crushing spouse, two rambunctious children, and a very patient cat. By day she works for Blizzard as a program manager; by night she’s probably trying to catch up on sleep. You can find her full bibliography at sdshaver.com, along with occasional ramblings when she isn’t sleeping or chasing the kids off the cat.

  Kristin Schwengel lives near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with her husband, the obligatory writer’s cat (named Gandalf, of course), a Darwinian garden in which only the strong survive, and a growing collection of knitting and spinning supplies. Her writing has appeared in several previous Valdemar anthologies, among others. After finding a YouTube documentary of unknown origin on the supposed strategies of Harald Hardrada during his time in the Byzantine Varangian Guard, she immediately decided to make use of those tactics in a Valdemar story.

  Growing up in the wilds of the Sierra Nevada mountains, surrounded by deer and beaver, muskrat and bear, Louisa Swann found ample fodder for her equally wild imagination. As an adult, she spins both experiences and imagination into tales that span multiple genres, including fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and her newest love—steampunk. Her short stories have appeared in Mercedes Lackey’s Elementary Magic and Valdemar anthologies (which she’s thrilled to participate in!); Esther Friesner’s Chicks and Balances; and several Fiction River anthologies, including No Humans Allowed and Reader’s Choice. Her new steampunk/weird west series, Abby Crumb, debuted this summer. Find out more at www.louisaswann.com.

  Elizabeth A. Vaughan is the USA Today-bestselling author of fantasy romance novels. She has always loved fantasy and has been a fantasy role-player since 1981. You can learn more about her books at www.writeandrepeat.com.

  Elisabeth Waters sold her first short story in 1980 to Marion Zimmer Bradley for The Keeper’s Price, the first of the Darkover anthologies. She then went on to sell short stories to a variety of anthologies. Her first novel, a fantasy called Changing Fate, was awarded the 1989 Gryphon Award. Its sequel, Mending Fate, was published in 2016. She is now concentrating more on short stories. She has also worked as a supernumerary with the San Francisco Opera, where she appeared in La Gioconda, Manon Lescaut, Madama Butterfly, Khovanschina, Das Rheingold, Werther, and Idomeneo.

  Phaedra Weldon grew up in the thick, atmospheric land of South Georgia. Most nights, especially those in October, were spent on the back of pickup trucks in the center of cornfields, telling ghost stories, or in friends’ homes playing RPGs. She got her start writing in shared worlds (Eureka!, Star Trek, Battletech, Shadowrun), selling original stories to DAW anthologies, and she has sold her first urban fantasy series to traditional publishing. Currently she writes three series (The Eldritch Files, the Grimoire Chronicles, and the Zoe Martinique novels) as well as busting out the occasional Shadowrun novel (her most recent one is Identity Crisis).

  Through her combined career as an author and cover artist, Janny Wurts has written nineteen novels, a collection of short stories once nominated for the British Fantasy Award, and thirty-five contributions to fantasy and science fiction anthologies. Destiny’s Conflict is her current release in the War of Light and Shadow series. Other titles include standalones To Ride Hell’s Chasm, Master of Whitestorm, and Sorcerer’s Legacy; the Cycle of Fire trilogy; and the Empire trilogy written in collaboration with Raymond E. Feist. Her paintings have appeared in exhibitions including the NASA 25th Anniversary exhibit, Delaware Art Museum, Canton Art Museum, Hayden Planetarium in New York, and have been recognized by two Chesley Awards and three times Best of Show at the World Fantasy Convention. She lives in Florida with three cats and two horses and rides with a mounted team for search and rescue. Her life experience as an offshore sailor, wilderness enthusiast, and musician is reflected in her creative work.

  About the Editor

  Mercedes Lackey is a full-time writer and has published numerous novels and works of short fiction, including the bestselling Heralds of Valdemar series. She is also a professional lyricist and a licensed wild bird rehabilitator. She lives in Oklahoma with her husband and collaborator, artist Larry Dixon, and their flock of parrots.

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  *(paraphrased from the last paragraph of The Black Gryphon by Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon)

 

 

 
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