Leigh Saunders

If you missed my short story, Paper Craft, when it came out in the Ragnarok anthology, That Hoodoo, Voodoo That You Do, I’m happy to announce that it’s making a second appearance as a “QuickFic” selection on DigitalFictionPub.com

I also have to brag a little, and post this review quote:

“…Paper Craft by Leigh Saunders, was a perfect way to round up the anthology. I loved the way the story was structured, alternating between the past and present, and thought the ritualistic element was fascinating.

I also couldn’t help but instantly like the main heroine, Tracy. She’s not a witch, or a sorceress, or a Voodoo Queen. No, she’s a woman using her extraordinary gift to help those around her. The final image of the story was beautiful and magnificently described, and will no doubt stay with you for a long, long time…” 

– S. R. Manev, Amazon reviewer

Browse on over to Digital Fiction Pub – and you can read Paper Craft and a whole lot of other great, short fiction – absolutely free!

Can’t beat that!

And if you’re looking for a collection of short reads to curl up with by the fire, be sure to check out Quickfic Anthology 1 – a collection of 44 short-short science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories, which also includes Paper Craft.

Happy reading!

I got into Steampunk because of the cool costumes and nifty gadgets – and then started reading about the amazing worlds they “came” from. So when I had the opportunity to write an original Steampunk short story for the WMG Fiction River anthology “Alchemy & Steam” (edited by the fabulous Kerrie L. Hughes), I couldn’t resist!

My story, “Heaven’s Flight” adds just a drop or two of magic to a world where gears and clockworks rule the day – and introduces some characters I guarantee you I’ll be writing more stories about.

ISBN 978-1-56146-627-6
ebook, $6.99
Trade paperback, $15.99

Available wherever you like to buy books!

Once in a while, I write creepy dark fantasy, just for the fun of it. Yeah, I know, I clearly have a twisted sense of humor. Go with it.

So when I saw the anthology call for “That Hoodoo, Voodoo, That You Do,” (published by Ragnarok Publications and edited by Lincoln Crisler), I couldn’t resist the challenge: write a creepy, dark ritual short story, that leaves the reader going “but what if…” and makes them go check out what might be hidden in their own attic. I’m proud of “Paper Craft” and hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it (and if you’re looking, it’s the last story in the collection).

And isn’t that just an awesome cover!

Available in paper and pixels, wherever you like to buy books!

Approx. 390 pages (100,000 words)
Categories: Anthology / Short Stories / Supernatural Horror
Release Date: January 26th, 2015
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-941987-30-8 / $20.95
ePub ISBN: 978-1-941987-31-5 / $3.99 USD

I’m very pleased – very, very pleased – to introduce you to my good friend, Brianna Rei, the main character of Gold Record, the first full-length novel in the Memoirs of a Synth series. If you’ve read the short story, Firstdawn, you’ve already met Brianna, and you know that she’s smart, a little sassy, takes risks for a living, and is always on the run.

What you may not know is that she’s been pestering me for ages to tell her stories – and as you might imagine, someone with Brianna’s background has lots of stories to tell! (And yes, I’m already taking notes for the next installment.)

I hope you enjoy Memoirs of a Synth: Gold Record. It was a lot of fun to write – all 149,220 words (almost 400 pages) of it! In future posts, I’ll tell you some of the stories behind the writing of some parts of the book – if you have specific passages you’re curious about, drop me a note and I’ll be sure to tell you about those scenes.

Available from your favorite online retailers –books2read.com/SynthGoldRecord – $3.99

I attended a writing workshop not long ago where thirty writers crowded around large tables listening to four professional editors comment on short stories we had written for them. On some stories the editors agreed, on others they disagreed. It was entertaining, enlightening, and educational. And a whole lot of fun.

For one of the stories, we’d been given the following assignment: “…One of the greatest attributes of mankind is our ability to fight for survival, even when the struggle to continue seems hopeless. [Your assignment] is to write stories detailing humanity’s struggle after a planetary disaster…”

Coincidentally, the same day I received the assignment, I also received a copy of BBC Knowledge magazine – and not just any copy. I got the “Days that Changed the World” copy.

As you might expect, the assignment and the articles in the magazine collided in my brain, tumbled around, and, after a little bit of research and fact-checking, the ideas spilled out onto the page to create a story based loosely on events in our own planetary history. Here’s how I describe the story:

With the world covered in ash and clouded in despair, there are only two choices: lie down in the ash, or find a way to survive. 

While I usually write stories that are clearly science fiction, I think I might have accidentally committed literature with this one. You’ll have to tell me!

Available on Kindle, Nook, and Smashwords. $0.99

Ghost Writer is one of my favorite short stories – and, at the moment, has actually found its way to #10 on the Amazon Kindle Horror list in Italy, rubbing elbows with Stephen King and Anne Rice. I’m thrilled and honored!

I don’t often write stories about other writers, but when a writer-friend of mine developed the unsettling habit of dropping out of sight for unspecified stretches of time, looking for a little peace and quiet while working on her next story, my imagination went into overtime. Fortunately (for her), my imagined scenario hasn’t caught up with her in real life… Yet.

Ghost Writer

a short story

Thomas Browne is a writer with a problem – not writer’s block, that would be easy.

In fact, if he could just stop writing, it might save his life…

Available on Kindle, Nook, and Smashwords. $0.99

I must admit, I’ve never done research for a story in quite the same way as I did for this one – actually sitting down to dinner and taking notes of the flavors as I went along! But it was worth it – or at least Nereus, the sea-god who is the central figure in this story seems to think so!

The One That Got Away

a short story

The search for an exiled sea goddess leads Nereus, Warden of the Outcasts, to a small restaurant in the Pacific Northwest, and a broken fishing float.

Available on Kindle, Nook, and Smashwords. $0.99

Sadly, I’m not going to make it to Renovation, the 69th World Science Fiction Convention. Much as I’d like to be there – both to see old friends and meet new ones – real life demands are keeping me at home.

Fortunately, my publisher, Camden Park Press, came up with an idea I hope will catch on – during the WorldCon weekend (Aug 17-21), we’re discounting the price of my novel, Memoirs of a Synth: Gold Record to just $2.99 (using Smashwords coupon code PG94B).

So if you’re looking for a good science fiction novel to while away the hours and distract you from the WorldCon events you’re missing – or if you’re at WorldCon and want to take a book home to read that doesn’t add any weight to your luggage – I hope you’ll pick up a copy of Memoirs of a Synth: Gold Record this weekend!

And [shameless plug here] if you enjoy it, please post a review and tell your friends!