CM Simpson: Writer & Gamer

Jalaya is the fourth and final short story to be found in An Anthology of Battle . It is also available as a stand-alone short story. Jalaya is a story of family, long-standing love and of sacrifices made for the sake of community, duty and loyalty. It is a story of heroes, fire-fights, wits and courage. And it is the story of a last battle in a ten-year war. Jalaya is available as part of An Anthology of Battle or as a stand-alone title from Smashwords , Kobo , Kindle , iTunes and Nook. First Pages: Jalaya Michael looked down at the town in the sand. Red, flat roofs of clay interspersed by the elegant, wooden gables of buildings from northern climes, still stood in a basin of protective hills. From where he stood, the rotting boards were invisible, as was the sand that swirled along the unkempt streets. He tried to see the town as it had been ten years before. There had been trees standing inside walled islands of stone dotting the center of the main streets, and ...

Jacob’s Vision is the third short story to be found in An Anthology of Battle . It is also available as a stand-alone short story. Erin writes of her earthbound memories of an interplanetary war, of the fate of a war hero, and of the start of re-building. Jacob's Vision is available in An Anthology of Battle or as a stand-alone title at Smashwords , Kobo , Kindle , iTunes and Nook. First Pages: Jacob's Vision The hill, with its footing of green-studded black, was the same as I remembered it. I stood at the top of the ridge looking out, seeing the city ruins, imagining the glow from its center at night. I’d seen the ruins, and watched that glow before—with Jacob. It had always been his dream that we would return, that the beacon he had set would bring rescue, or aid in the rebuilding he had envisioned. Sighing, I settled myself at the foot of one of the scarred and blackened statues, and set my notecase beside me. I took the hardbound notebook from the c...

A Window on Salukia is the second short story to be found in An Anthology of Battle . It is also available as a stand-alone short story. A Window on Salukia is A short story made up of a series of linked vignettes describing cyclic battles and aftermaths in fantasy, pseudo-contemporary, and science fiction settings. A Window on Salukia is available in An Anthology of Battle , and as an individual title from Smashwords , Kobo , Kindle , iTunes and Nook. First Page: A Window on Salukia   We have been watching for centuries, observing many worlds, many ages, many times. We have been watching, trying to learn and understand, trying to avoid the mistakes of other civilizations. Our observations are directed by a force greater than ourselves, and it is this force that takes us through the window of our observatory to the windows and the skies of other places and their eras of trouble. It comes as a breeze and carries us away. The lesson of the moment concerns the ha...

A Vignette for Rashkah is available as a stand-alone short story or as part of An Anthology of Battle . Rashkah’s mother is mourning the death of Rashkah’s last surviving brother when the raiders attack their village. This short piece explores what happens immediately after. A Vignette for Rashkah is available as a stand-alone short story or as part of An Anthology of Battle . Rashkah’s mother is mourning the death of Rashkah’s last surviving brother when the raiders attack their village. This short piece explores what happens immediately after. A Vignette for Rashkah can be found in An Anthology of Battle or as a stand-alone title at Smashwords , Kobo , Kindle , iTunes , and Nook. Fir st Page: A Vigne tte for Rashkah   Rashkah shifted uncomfortably against the back wall of the hut, watching as her mother laid her head once more on her brother’s dead chest. Rashkah's mother's tears were quiet now, the only sign of her grief the occasional heave of her bo...

Formatting complete. An Anthology of Battle has been uploaded to Smashwords and Kindle and should soon be available for purchase.  

All I have to do is the formatting for Kindle and Smashwords and it will be ready for upload. Now that the shopping and lunching has been done and I have done some digging in the garden, formatting is the first priority.

‘A Vignette for Rashkah’ was written way back in 1995 and updated in 2011. It is the first story in An Anthology of Battle and is 1,200 words long. It is currently available for stand-alone purchase, and it starts like this: Rashkah shifted uncomfortably against the back wall of the hut, watching as her mother laid her head once more on her brother’s dead chest. Rashkah's mother's tears were quiet now, the only sign of her grief the occasional heave of her body as she sobbed without sound. Her fingers traced the badge on the corpse’s uniform, then the familiar lines of its face now frozen in the awful peace of death. An Anthology of Battle is scheduled for upload to Kindle and Smashwords between the 22 nd and 26 th of May, 2012.

Death at War's End is the third poem in Anthology2 — An Anthology of Battle . It has now been released for individual sale on Smashwords. An Anthology of Battle will go up in 4-8 days’ time. Death at War’s End is a 33-line poem taking a different view of the aftermath of war. It is included in the soon-to-be-released An Anthology of Battle .

Keeping the Peace is the second poem in Anthology2 — An Anthology of Battle . It has now been released for individual sale on Smashwords. An Anthology of Battle will go up in 4-8 days’ time. Keeping the Peace is a 14-line noting one of the ironies of peace-keeping. It is included in the soon-to-be released An Anthology of Battle.

A Vignette for Rashkah is the first short story in Anthology2 — An Anthology of Battle . It has now been released for individual sale on Smashwords. An Anthology of Battle will go up in 4-8 days’ time. Rashkah’s mother is mourning the death of Rashkah’s last surviving brother when the raiders attack their village. This short piece explores what happens immediately after. Approximately 1,200 words long, A Vignette for Rashkah is included in the soon-to-be-released An Anthology of Battle , which contains additional material.