One more, with feeling ...

The Return of the Sword has garnered one more excellent review, and the reviewer named "To Be A Man" one of his favorite stories in the anthology. Pura vida.

In other news, the dominoes appear to be falling in the right pattern for me to participate, likely as a guest lecturer, in the exciting Shared Worlds Camp, the inaugural session of which begins in July. I'll know more soon.

In more or less random thoughts, Tori Amos's Little Earthquakes strikes me more and more as a work of genius each time I listen to it. I aspire to such emotional power in my own work ... and likely have much more aspiring to do. ;)

"Well-crafted writing" in "To Be A Man"

The Fix has posted another positive review of The Return of the Sword and "To Be A Man." Good times.

As a sidebar, I've now read every tale in the anthology and can honestly say it's one of the strongest collections of speculative fiction I've seen. Not one bad apple in a barrel of crisp, fantastical bravado. (Please scroll down for the gorgeous cover and a purchasing link.)

A Review of "To Be A Man"

Bryan Hitchcock, an author who makes his debut in the Lords of Justice anthology, has some fine, insightful comments on "To Be A Man":

Bryan Hitchcock's review of "To Be A Man"

A rewarding highlight for me: "This story has a moral core that caught me off guard and lifts it from the realm of pure entertainment. It's sexy and mature, and that is part of the artfulness of the tale."

Please scroll down to see the gorgeous cover and a purchasing link for The Return of the Sword.