Each of us has at least one weird friend who defies convention and relishes the bizarre. It’s even possible many of us are that friend. Of course, there are degrees of weirdness — I, for instance, consider myself to be on the charmingly eccentric side of weird as opposed to being on its totally bonkers, crazy-eyed, bat-eating, raggedy edge.
However, even if I were, I would still enjoy indulging in other people’s weird literary thoughts — like the stories inThe Rabbit Hole— just as much as I enjoyed writing “Life Changing” for this anthology.
I hope you’ll consider acquiring a copy or two, in paperback or for Kindle, for your weird friend and yourself. The proceeds will benefit the Against Malaria Foundation, a GiveWell top-rated charity.
Halloween is the last day to pre-order this excellent collection of 35 weird stories for only $1.99. (For a taste of their tone, see a few of their blurbs below.) Beginning November 1, the ebook price will be $2.99, or you can have a paperback book to hold in your hands for $12.50. Even better, the proceeds go to the Against Malaria Foundation, where $2 buys one life-saving mosquito net. (AMF is one of GiveWell’s top-rated charities.)
The Rabbit Hole will be an intriguing addition to your library, and would make a welcome gift for anyone who cherishes a few hours of escape from Normal — or even the New Normal.
Foggy A father and daughter’s boating trip is ambushed by a mysterious, underwater tormentor.
I Should’ve Known Better There’s just one thing wrong with his beautiful luxury apartment: it’s a transdimensional portal. Will the Flying Demon Things get him before he gets one of the centaur Babes?
The Scroll and the Silver Kazoo You never know who (or what) will show up at an open mic event.
Quicksilver Falls A mysterious phenomenon puts the future of the world in the hands of a simple Tennessee farmer and sparks the world’s strangest writing competition.
Satori from a Consulting Gig Management consultant Frank Dow has a new client: God.
The Adventures of Conqueror Cat Herr Trinket (a sharp-eyed and even sharper-tongued shelter cat) traverses an interdimensional rabbit hole into poochlandia to explore the enduring timey-wimey dog-cat dichotomy.
Eggs On End Claudia had a secret: she was ordinary – agonizingly, mind numbingly ordinary. But all that was about to change. And it would all begin with eggs.
Life Changing Lawrence decides to exercise his brain to avoid his Alzheimer-stricken mother’s fate, but when his life twists beyond recognition, he can’t escape the possibility that lost minds must be somewhere.
Carolina Brimstone The passion of the zealot is proportional to the power of the demon inside. Constance Hennfield’s fervor knows no bounds.
“I will not be its illustrator.”S.T. Ranscht, author of Space, Time, and Raspberries.
“Good.” Everyone viewing this page.
Blowing a big, wet raspberry at Einstein’s Absolute Speed Limit (Image credit: S.T. Ranscht, Not a Real Artist)
The only thing Raspberries wants is to go as fast as lightning. But when the teacher says, “Nothing can go as fast as lighting — it’s a Scientific Rule,” Raspberries must either give up the dream or keep trying to break the Rule, even though no one knows what will happen if the Rule breaks.
My beta readers (ages 5-9) — and their adults — have given me such excellent feedback on my most recent edits, that I believe Space, Time, and Raspberries is finally ready to meet the right publisher.
Glad you could join us for the next whimsical episode of Elliot’s Adventures. If you’re new here, you can catch up by returning tothe beginning, and reading really fast…
Photo credit: Jamie MacArthur
“Plummeting is not an altogether unpleasant sensation,” Elliot thought as they fell into the chilly night. “If I didn’t know how it has to end, I might be enjoying it.” He was beyond panic, and the sight of Cassandra tumbling beside him left him feeling only regret.
Glad you could join us for the next extreme episode of Elliot’s Adventures. If you’re new here, you can catch up by returning tothe beginning, and reading really fast…
Photo credit: Wes Lum
From the shadows of Elliot’s mind, came a whistling chirp. “Is this what dying sounds like?” he wondered idly as darkness stole over his eyes and his body rose above the coarse black rocks. “If it weren’t for the squeezing sensation, I would think this was an out-of-body experience.”Continue reading “Everybody Eats”
Glad you could join us for the next beguiling episode of Elliot’s Adventures. If you’re new here, you can catch up by returning tothe beginning, and reading really fast…
Photo credit: S.T. Ranscht
Feeling an itch for excitement in the very soul of his single-footed self, Elliot forged a path up the hill that stretched further than even his fully extended eyes could see.
As his muscles, undulating beneath his glimmering skin, drove him ever forward, the sun rolled lazily across the sky, slowly stirring the air in its wake to blow a warm dry breath over his streamlined form, mocking his efforts with the very real threat of dehydration. His confidently rapid gait struggled against the parching wind and the thirst it left behind, and his progress slowed to the pace of a sleeping sloth.
A dark tendril of doubt crept over the crest of this endless uphill landscape. Should he admit defeat and turn back? Can a person ever go home again?
Tacoma Rainbow Postcards (Photo credit: Duncan James Livingston)
We recently received a form letter rejection ofENHANCEDfrom an agency based in Tacoma, where 41″ of rain fall every year. That’s 2″ more than the national average, and doesn’t even count Tacoma’s annual 4″ of snow.
We inferred Rejection #3 from a Del Mar agency’s non-response yesterday. Today, to commemorate the non-occasion by making something beautiful, I created a book thong whose ornaments and colors imply the sea.
Elation is the tide that ebbs and flows. Happiness, the wave that comes and goes. Beneath them both, unending currents roll, and so Resolve propels us to our goal.S.T. Ranscht
Somewhere beyond the sea, Somewhere, waiting for me, An agent stands on golden sands And loves all the pages I’m sending.
“These things should be selling themselves. Where are all the readers?”
I’ve written a guest post for Writers’ Co-op: Selling Your Baby, and I’d like your feedback.
Writers’ Co-op is a new open forum to share ideas about marketing our books — what you’ve tried, what works, what doesn’t. The more writers who join, the more creative solutions we can come up with that will help all of us.
Come on over! If for no other reason than to read my piece, and tell me what you think, okay? Thanks very much!
Space, Time, and Raspberries 
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