6/16/2023 Brief - First Missions Release, Murderbugs Table of Contents Reveal, and AwesomeCon DC

Good morning from the far reaches of the galaxy,

In just a few minutes, I’ll be hitting the road to set up my vendor table at a convention, but first, I want to share with you some exciting new developments, hot off the presses. I also want to give you a heads up that in the next few weeks, I’m going to be sharing some workshops for authors and promo opportunities, some of which will be available for a limited time only. Without further ado, let’s get to the news of the day:

New Anthology Release—with continued opSha antics

THE PHOENIX INITIATIVE: FIRST MISSIONS has arrived on the scene, and it’s already making an impact, as a #1 New Release in Science Fiction Anthologies.

You can find it in paperback and ebook (as well as on Kindle Unlimited) here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C7YZCFCK

If you’re hungry for more #4HU, featuring some key players from DEFENDERS RISE, check out my story OpSha Ops, along with a great collection of fun, funny, and suspenseful stories from established and new authors alike.

Murderbugs Table of Contents Reveal

The second installment of the Unhelpful Encyclopedia collection, Murderbugs, is on its way—and the lineup of authors and their bugs is absolutely thrilling. I’m pleased to announce this stellar set of titles:

• Eugene, Such a Sweet Boy by Julia Ashley
• You Are the Mother of Doomsday by Desmond Astaire
• A Firefly's Conscience and the Psychopath by Tammy Burke
• The Collector by Alicia Cay
• Who Should I Feed to the Dragonfly Tomorrow? by Ryan Cole
• Fangs Out by Victoria Dixon
• Gold Bug Fever by Shannon Fox
• The Tomato Liberation Society by Cat Girczyc
• Hive by Jessica Springer Guernsey
• Rise and Fall of Frankie's Patisserie by David Hankins - Author
• A Widow's Word by N. V. Haskell
• The Tell-Tale Cricket by Candice Lisle
• Widow's Feast by Casey Moores Writer
• Cheddar Hunts a Vampire (Moth) by Dae Newman
• Wings Like Broken Glass by Ruth Nickle
• Daring Geni, and the Amazing Arachnidian Astronaut by K. Z. Richards
• Blue is the New Gold by Sam Knight
• As Alive as We by Rebecca E. Treasure
• Where All Memories Are One by Leigh Saunders
• Where the Light Ends by Mike Wyant Jr.

You might recognize some of the names from the previous anthology, as well Writers of the Future alums, and possibly some friends in overlapping author support communities. If not, check them out; you might find a new favorite author.

Also, if you enjoyed the first illustrated collection in the series Murderbirds, please give it a positive review on Amazon and/or Goodreads.

Go Forth and Be Awesome

Today, I’ll be at the aptly named Awesome Con, in artist alley at table C36. This is a new convention for me, so I’m going through the usual pre-setup butterflies—but I tend to have a blast once I’m on the vendor floor talking to people about books or (inevitably) Star Trek. (I haven’t had a chance to watch the premier of Strange New Worlds, season 2, so no spoilers.)

That’s it for me today. As always, happy reading!

Mike Jack Stoumbos

Lead Editor, WonderBird Press