Goblin Marketplace

Raconteur Press has done it again. Maintaining a breakneck schedule, somehow doing more than two anthologies per month, Goblin Marketplace is now available. My story, Lost and Found, is in this one.

I love the cover for this one. Starting with the Wyrd West anthology, Cedar Sanderson has done interior art as well as the cover art. She is also the editor for this particular anthology. Here’s one of the interior illustrations:

I’m curious to see what illustration will be next to my own story. And just to get you interested, here’s how my story starts.

Lost and Found

I take her hand and tell myself all the choices I made to save my son. Your name? Yes. Your breath? Yes. Your life? Yes! And up to yesterday's shift when—

***

I work at the bug shop. It's easy to find. The shop's in the biggest tree right in the center of Masked Mound. Jinglebeard Toad runs the shop, and I provide the bugs, although I don't quite know how. I'm sweeping the solid wood floor, savoring the tree's gentle sighs, and waiting for my boss to close the shop, so I can get some sleep. Of course a customer comes in right when my boss blows the whistle. It's Lady Reddew. I know her name and rank. She's important to me. I wish I knew why.

"Perditus!" my boss chimes up. "Attend to the customer." He always chimes when he talks. Jinglebeard Toad looks more like a bullfrog, about eight feet around, with bells all over his vocal sack. It's funny how I can remember it's a vocal sack, but I can't remember my name. Usually he advises me not to speak to customers.

I give the Lady my best salesman smile. "Bugs to eat and bugs to wear."