A Time To... Volume 2 Review

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From Fiction Factor Reviews:

Carol Hightshoe continues to amaze me with the quality of stories she chooses for her e-zines (The Sorcerous Signal and The Lorelei Signal). She's brought another delightful collection together to commemorate the second year of publication. In "A Time To… Volume 2" the stories are well-written, thought provoking and moving. While many of the authors are new, their style and delivery is rich and strong.

Growing up with fairy tales collected by the Brothers Grimm and written by Hans Christian Anderson, I have a special place in my heart for "The WITCH'S REVENGE" by Barbara Davies. She captures the feel and atmosphere of Anderson's work in this sequel to "The Tinderbox". One of my favorite tales, she turns it on it's ear and tells it from the witch's point of view. Justin Stanchfield's "PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST IN MANGANESE AND COPPER OXIDE" is the story of the relationship between a mother and daughter and he brings it to fruition when the daughter finally understands her mother's need to create.

"HARLEYS IN DRIFTWOOD" is a story I read when it was first printed in the Lorelei Signal and I was struck by how it reminded me of some of the early fantasy stories I'd read as a young teen. It left me imagining so much more than C.A. Casey had written and I remembered why I fell in love with the genre.

It would be hard to choose a favorite in this well-crafted collection, but "KASERIE'S CHOICE" is certainly in the top three. Linda Epstein does a wonderful job of world building in a short story format. Never an easy task with so few words, but I was immediately transported to the world she had created and enthralled by the growth of the main character, Kaserie. "MENTOR FOR HIRE" was another favorite and Gloria Oliver had me feeling Rees's frustration, delight and consternation in turn. The tale left me hoping and believing that Rees would find a way to turn this half victory into a full one.

Too often I hear people say that they can't relate to science fiction or fantasy because it has nothing to do with the real world, but Marva Dasef showcases how socially oriented fantasy can be with her story "THE DELEGATE." Even androids can have "a dream" of being human and their struggles can mirror our own world.

Well worth the time and money, A Time To… Volume 2 is a must read for the science fiction and fantasy lover. I'm looking forward to the next anthology...

It's Time To...

March 15th! Write it on your calendars. A Time To... Volume 2 will be out in all its radiant glory.

Read the blurbs about both Volume 1 and Volume 2 here.

That's okay, I'll copy some of it here, so you don't wear out your clickie finger (that's the index finger on your right hand if you aren't sure).

Oh, yeah. Two of my stories are in this volume. Woo hoo! Check it out to read "A Visit to Potter's Field" (you never know what you might dig up) and "The Delegate" (what will racism be in the future?)

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A wonderful collection of well-written stories. I found them exciting, poignant and fun to read. Humor, drama and mythical mystery of powerful female characters. Thank you for the opportunity to view a fine collection put forth by your very gifted, thought-provoking writers. Your readers will not be disappointed. Paula Blois, editor of The Deepening, short story author and poet

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While reading the first poem I knew A Time to....was a keeper. With it's innovative storylines and clever plot twists, the stories were a welcome escape after a frazzled day. It would hard to pick a favorite, but one of the stories that stayed with me long after reading was Tempting the Fates, by J.J. Fellows. Why? I guess you will have to read the story to find out. Barbara M Hodges http://barbarahodges.gobot.com

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What is a woman? Is she shy or determined? Merciless or nurturing? Unyielding or pliant?

Whatever you may think of the "fairer" sex, within the pages of this anthology, you will find eighteen stories that will challenge the preconceptions you have. You will meet women blinded by enchantments, driven by vengeance, or replete and serene. You will meet women with centuries of experience, and ones with scant decades. You will meet witches and scientists, friends and rivals. But, despite their differences, the women in each tale have one thing in common: they are all females who find ways to master situations out of their control, who pursue their own paths, and create their own destinies. Join us as we briefly peer into the lives and decisions of these women.

"A Time To..." Volume 2 is the second volume of an Eppie-nominated anthology and showcases the very best of The Lorelei Signal for 2007. Come and delve into the pages...and let your imagination soar.

Awards Season

My story, "Chilpequin - 22 Miles," was first published on Lorelei Signal in 2006. At the end of the year it was included in the best of anthology "A Time To..."

Carol Hightshoe, the publisher/editor of Lorelei Signal, Sorcerous Signals, and the anthology was recently informed that the anthology is a finalist for the 2008 Eppie. Epic (Electronically Published Internet Connection) is a professional organization for publishers and authors of ebooks and ezines.

The awards will be presented at the EpiCon event held in Portland, Oregon in March. So, the anthology has a shot at winning the top award. In any case, congratulations to Carol and all the authors included in the anthology.

Buy A Time To... at Amazon or Lulu (POD printer for Wolfsinger Publishing)

ADDENDUM: I just heard from the lovely Ms. Hightshoe that two more of my stories will be included in "A Time To..." Volume 2. The anthology will be published in Spring 2008. The stories included in the 2nd volume are "A Visit to Potter's Field" and "The Delegate."

Review by Ed Cox - A Time To...

A TIME TO… Volume 1 Edited by Carol Hightshoe
Reviewed by Edward Cox
Click here for the rest of the Review

The Lorelei Signal is a fantasy webzine dedicated to strong female characters. With three issues now under her belt, editor Carol Hightshoe has commemorated the first year of publication with the release of A Time To… Volume 1. This anthology brings together the best short stories and poems of The Lorelei Signal 2006, and it stands as testament to what a success that inaugural year was.

The best of issue 1 kicks off with Lee Martindale’s Act of War. This piece of flash fiction uses stark descriptions to build a tense and creepy atmosphere, as a group of villagers take refuge inside a warehouse. Outside, soldiers are preparing for battle against something that approaches. The story is tidy and complete, and there’s a great twist at the end, but its briefness has the feel of a prologue, and that makes it perfect for the first story of the anthology.

Blood and Ashes by Michele Acker plumps us straight onto a blood-soaked battlefield during the height of a war. Our protagonist, Sorea, is a woman posing as a man in the army, and facing the complications that brings. And as the day on the battlefield grows long, she soon realises that it sometimes takes a woman to know a woman, and it’s a lesson learned too late. The sense that everything may not be as it seems is carried through this tale from start to finish. Acker packs a lot of character information into a relatively short piece, but it doesn’t detract from an otherwise enjoyable story.

Next up comes Kayelle Allen’s The Last Vhalgenn, which is also the longest story in the anthology. Raik is the king’s concubine, recalled to the kingdom from her duties with the army. The king’s wife is pregnant, and the unification of two lands depends on the birth. Here, with a clash of cultures, Raik is assigned a covert mission, where she walks a precarious line between the greater good and an act of treachery. Although Allen’s prose is easy to read, and the story is both engrossing and poignant, I felt that as a whole The Last Vhalgenn could’ve been developed a little further. The story is 10,000 words long, and with a few thousand more it could go from being a decent yarn to a great tale.

Click here to read the rest of the review

A Fun Quote from a Reviewer

The Lorelei Signal anthology, A TIME TO... is coming together and I'll be posting a link for it soon, but I thought I'd share a fun quote from one of the reviewers the editor passed on:

Kim Headlee - author of Dawnflight, said

"This line alone is worth the price of the whole antho!" about this line from Marva's Dasef's story "Chilpequin 22 Miles" -

"Yeah, my cousins both play for the Seahawks. I've got an aunt who's a linebacker for the Chicago Bears."

As you might notice, this is a lighthearted story and I hope you'd enjoy reading it along with the rest of the stories and poems in the anthology.