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Sometimes, an anthology comes along with a specific theme and has a call for submissions. Recently, I wrote a story for an anthology with a very specific theme, got short-listed, waited a couple of months, only to get the word my story didn't make the final TOC.
Which is okay. I can handle rejection. Of course, though, when there's an anthology with a very specific theme, there tend to be a lot of stories that suddenly flood other markets with that theme that also got rejected by said antho.
Well, rather than add to the pile of rejected stories flooding other markets, I took my story and put it up as a standalone e-book. Above are the links if you're interested. Below is the summary.
Roald Foote’s routine trip from San Diego to Los Angeles takes a sinister turn when he encounters a bizarre clown and his unsettling young companion at Santa Fe Station. Initially amused by the clown’s outlandish appearance, Roald soon becomes unnerved as the pair board the same train and initiate a chilling tarot card reading.
With each card drawn, the clown and the mysterious child reveal increasingly disturbing insights into Roald’s past and present, culminating in the horrifying truth about his recent actions. As the train hurtles towards its destination, Roald realizes he cannot escape the darkness of his deeds or the malevolent entities that have targeted him for retribution.
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