CM Simpson: Writer & Gamer

A new project, and one which I'm using to renew the well between older projects. 2,328 words, today, plus 804 words of glossary, DA01, is a predominantly fantasy LitRPG game setting, which I am currently writing 'into the dark.' However, the nature of this genre will demand some outlining as it progresses, and I have already begun making notes beyond the glossary. Last words for today are as follows: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Once the price was decided, the old man signaled to the younger, who withdrew a bag of coin from beneath his cloak, and gestured to where the ship ‘s clerk sat. “Shall we?” The overseer had long released his grip on my neck, and I had very wisely stood still and waited until the whole process was over. I didn’t manage to stifle a flinch when the crewman releasing my hands brushed against my back, but I did manage to keep the protest silent. To my annoyance, my han...

First flash for the week...and for a very long time. An Act of Kindness  A cup of water. Who’d have thought it would matter now that the battle was lost, but it did…or Shiloh hoped it did. He dared to raise his gaze enough to catch his opposite number’s eye, and froze. Not because of the commander’s familiar features, but because of the markings on her armored breastplate. “Y…your majesty?” he managed, staying on his knees, and all too aware of the firm grip on his shoulder. The look she returned was implacable. “You showed me kindness,” she replied in hard tones, “and yet you have rebelled. Tell me why I should spare you.” “Spare my men,” Shiloh said. “Their lives were forfeit if they did not take up arms.” “And forfeit if they did,” she reminded him. “They have families…” Shiloh’s voice cracked, memory bringing grief. “Their lives…” His voice shattered, and he bowed his head, unable to continue. “So do you,” she said, but he shook his head. “Not anymore,” he r...

I haven't been very active in any of my social media channels for the last couple of months, so it's probably time for a quick update on where things are at. Firstly the good news regards publishing. I had a short story accepted into the latest volume of The Expanding Universe, Volume 11 . This is a collection of science-fiction exploration where stories consider the idea that we are not alone in the universe, and contemplate what other entities might share our space. You can find an Amazon link to it here:  https://geni.us/ TEU11 AND The new edition of Stiletto's Luck , a dark fantasy short story about an eternal war, released today, and you can find it at one of the links here on Books2Read : https://books2read.com/u/bwRZG9 Secondly, progress: The following projects are edited and awaiting formatting prior to upload for pre-release: Stand-Alone Short Stories:  The Songster and the Pirates  (Ed.2) Jacob's Vision  (Ed.2) Peace Flower  (Ed.2) Nurse  (Ed.1) T...

This month's IASFA promotion focuses on fantasy short stories! Whether it's wizards, elves, fae, or dragons, you can join the IASFA mailing list and find some discounted or free short stories to explore. You can find the short stories, here: https://iasfa.org/may25/. Some are free, and others range between 0.99 to 2.99, but they are all fantasy, and all short.  My two offerings for this month are: Gulvane and the Dragon : in which an elven wizards faces the ghosts of his past, and the potential of a future unwritten...and a dragon seeks a familiar. It Starts: Gulvane walked the corridors of his mind, going deep into himself to remember who he was, and explore who he might become. The years of an elf were long, many more times longer than the span of an average mortal, and Gulvane was reaching another century, his third as a wizard, his seventh as an elf. In that time, he’d lived a lifetime in each of four different occupations. Walking down the timber-lined hallway, Gulvane ...