CM Simpson: Writer & Gamer

This week’s short story takes us f rom the adventures of a space pilot lost in the warp to an urban fantasy setting where elven politics have a brutal impact on a troll-hunter's life. Welcome to The Queen's Game . Never get involved with the Otherworld Fey. Take my word for it. I saved the Queen of Summer, and was betrothed to a lord of Winter by way of thanks—and then the human underworld got involved. So what do I do, when every choice is bad? What would you choose: death by troll, or the mercy of an elf? The Queen's Game (Excerpt) There were twenty-one rosellas in the tree outside my window. Twenty-one. All blue and red and green and squawky. They arrived in a chattering flock and a rush of wings, stealing fruit, eating buds, and taking out the contents of the seed boxes hanging in the tree. “Good morning, boys,” I said, looking up from my desk. “Well, good morning, yourself,” said a voice behind me, and I pushed my chair back. At leas...

The ebook for my latest dark urban fantasy short story, The Queen’s Game , is now available for pre-order on Smashwords , and will soon be available from Amazon, DriveThruFiction and via Draft2Digital distribution. Flash fiction with these characters can be found in 366 Days of Flash Fiction , which releases at the end of this week.   Never get involved with the Otherworld Fey. Take my word for it. I saved the Queen of Summer, and was betrothed to a lord of Winter by way of thanks—and then the human underworld got involved. So what do I do, when every choice is bad? What would you choose: death by troll, or the mercy of an elf?

I started NaNo late this year. There were exams and a whole bunch of stuff that happened, so I didn’t sit down and start typing until November 13. I figured 3,000 words a day was possible. Well, in theory... but it takes time to get back into the swing of things so it hasn’t quite worked out that way. Here is a brief view of what’s happened so far. 13 November 2014: First Sentence Written: With a swirl of leaves, the first magic came. Last Sentence Written: The blade sang briefly, before it bit into the leaping darkness and its song was drowned out by a shriek. Words for the Day: 3,013 Word Total: 3,013 14 November 2014: First Sentence Written: The ball of fur broke in two, pieces of it hitting the ground with meaty thunks as the rider finished his strike. Last Sentence Written: If the prince heard any of what was spoken around him, he gave no sign. Words for the Day: 1,839 Word Total: 4,852 15 November 2014: Words for the Day: 0 Word Total: 4,852 ...