Michael’s never-before-published “Columba” stories up at eQuill

This was a long time in coming, folks.

I’ve done my best to keep my beloved husband’s work alive since his untimely death in 2004.  It has been a struggle, but I’ve managed to sell a few things now and again — my story “Trouble with Elfs” sold in ’07 (Michael added 10% to it, so it’s credited as a collaboration), “A Dark and Stormy Night” sold in ’05 (this was his story, which I’d added 10% to round it out a little), — after our first sale to the BEDLAM’S EDGE anthology in ’04 (“Bright as Diamonds, released in ’05).

But all this time, I knew Michael had three completed fairy-tale fantasy stories set in an alternate United States of America — technically, in the demense of Illinowa, where Princess-Coronet Columba had a great deal of distress trying to separate herself from all the drama of being royal.  Columba, you see, wanted her own, independent life — she was a musician, and a mage, and a very strong woman, stuck in a life that wasn’t right for her.

Then she rescues a cat . . . and things dramatically change.  The cat isn’t a familiar, quite  — you’d have to read the stories at eQuill to understand what’s going on fully — rather, he’s the gateway to an unexpected romance between two lonely, complementary souls who are equal, but not the same.

Michael wrote these stories for me — the first, “Columba and the Cat,” was written in early 2002 after we became engaged to be married.  The second, “Columba and the Committee,” was written to celebrate our marriage in June of 2002.  Finally, “Columba and the Crossing” was written for our anniversary — our second, as it had been in progress for well over a year due to the vagaries of life (a move across country, some ill health for the pair of us, and trying to find work in a new, strange place).  A fourth, “Columba and the Cromlech,” was in progress at the time of Michael’s passing in September of 2004.

I wrote the blurbs, checked over the Columba stories, and am pleased to offer them now for the very first time to the public.   I also am pleased to announce that the fourth “Columba” story will be completed, by me, as soon as possible.

Don’t be put off by eQuill being an Australian e-book publisher, folks — they have a monetary conversion thing through PayPal that allows any currency to be used as far as I am aware.  (I checked this before I placed any of my or Michael’s stories there.)

Please check out Michael’s author’s page at eQuill and the stories available for sale now:

http://www.equillpublishing.com/manufacturers.php?manufacturerid=13

And if you wish to see my page at eQuill (so far only one of our stories is listed with me; the others are listed with Michael), it is available here:

http://www.equillpublishing.com/manufacturers.php?manufacturerid=12

Thanks, and as Michael always said, “Good reading!”