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    With a Twist of the Nib
    With a Twist of the Nib
    With a Twist of the Nib
    Ebook53 pages39 minutes

    With a Twist of the Nib

    By Karen J. Carlisle

    ()

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    About this ebook

    A collection of ten speculative fiction short stories. Dwarves, vampires, time travel, detectives, steampunk adventures or supernatural events - take your pick.
    With a Twist of the Nib is full of quick-read stories - reading times from under two minutes to under fifteen minutes per story.
    Perfect for commuting, waiting in line or when time is short.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherKaren J. Carlisle
    Release dateFeb 6, 2017
    ISBN9781370610525
    With a Twist of the Nib
    Author

    Karen J. Carlisle

    Karen J Carlisle is a writer and illustrator of speculative fiction - steampunk, Victorian mystery and fantasy. She graduated in 1986, from Queensland Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Optometry and lives in Adelaide with her family and the ghost of her ancient Devon Rex cat. Karen first fell in love with science fiction when she saw Doctor Who as a four-year old (she can’t remember if she hid behind the couch). This was reinforced when, at the age of twelve, she saw her first Star Destroyer. She started various other long-term affairs with fantasy fiction, (tabletop) role-playing, gardening, historical re-creation and steampunk – in that order. Her first book, Doctor Jack and Other Tales, was published in 2015. She has had articles published in Australian Realms Roleplaying Magazine and Cockatrice (Arts and Sciences magazine). Her short story, An Eye for Detail, was short-listed by the Australian Literature Review in their 2013 Murder/Mystery Short Story Competition. Karen's short story, Hunted, is featured in the Trail of Tales exhibition in the Adelaide Fringe, 2016. She currently writes full-time and can often be found plotting fantastical, piratical or airship adventures. Karen has always loved chocolate - dark preferred - and rarely refuses a cup of tea. She is not keen on the South Australian summers. 

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      Book preview

      With a Twist of the Nib - Karen J. Carlisle

      WITH A TWIST OF THE NIB:

      FOR WHEN TIME IS SHORT

      A collection of speculative fiction short stories

      by Karen J Carlisle

      Smashwords Edition

      Copyright 2017 Karen J Carlisle

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes.

      All rights reserved.

      This ebook is for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold, reproduced or redistributed or given away to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favourite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the work of this author.

      All characters and events in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real places or events or real persons, living or dead, is purely incidental.

      Cover design: Copyright Karen J Carlisle 2016

      Thank you for purchasing this e-book.

      Introduction

      This collection is full of quick-read short stories - perfect for commuting, waiting in line or when time is short. Each section has a nominated reading time – from under two minutes to under fifteen minutes. Just pick the appropriate section and chose a story to fill the time you have.

      CONTENTS

      Flash Fiction: Under Two Minutes

      Mum’s Theory on Cats (fantasy)

      Lost (fantasy)

      Dagnal’s Bane (fantasy)

      Blood Moon Rising – From The Wizard of St Giles series (fantasy)

      Short Shorts: Under Five Minutes

      At Aunt Enid’s (fantasy)

      Curiosity (fantasy)

      At Sun’s End (steampunk)

      Longer Shorts: Under Ten Minutes

      Fashioned in Black (urban fantasy)

      Derailed – (science Fiction/steampunk)

      Bonus Short: Under Fifteen Minutes

      The Soul Café – (urban fantasy)

      Author’s Notes

      About the Author

      Other Titles by Karen J Carlisle

      Flash fiction: UNDER TWO MINUTES

      MUM’S THEORY ON CATS

      That damned cat! A blur of black fur skittered under Mum’s feet. It just appears out of nowhere.

      Binky sat, cleaning himself. Watching.

      He is always watching, said mum, as she rubbed her ankle. Smiling at his handiwork, no doubt. She glanced in his direction. The spot was now vacant. See! Maybe he has gone off to report back to the alien mothership? Mum grinned mischievously.

      I found Binky in my bedroom, staring into the air and mewing. The air shimmered before him. A feline hologram that listened intently. It disappeared.

      I gasped. Binky winked.

      Ssh, our secret, he mewed.

      THE END

      LOST

      The one thing mother had said was to stay close. If only she had not stopped to pick up her beloved doll. If only she had not lagged behind.

      Their light had faded up ahead, long ago. Only the faint glimmer of the cave's famous glowing moss guided her now. It had not helped. She stumbled over the uneven ground. With the end of the man-made pathway, went all hope.

      Amelia's legs trembled and collapsed beneath her. The ground was cold. The chill of the thick air enveloped her, chilling her to the bone.

      Perhaps if she stayed put? Perhaps they would eventually find her? Amelia sobbed. Her numb fingers clung tightly to her doll. At least she

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