I need to make a not-so-brief announcement today. There's a new small press fantasy anthology out called The Return of the Sword.

I'm in it, but it's nonfiction.

The volume is heroic fantasy but, though I haven't finished all the stories, don't expect loinclothed barbarians. Not that there's anything wrong with loinclothed barbarians; I'm a fan of loincloths because I drink a lot of tea and there's no fumbling with a zipper. Try and ignore the cover copy, please. It's not representative of the fiction inside. No, these are stories, as Mako put it in Conan The Barbarian "tales of battles, heroes, witches and women." The very first story is by a woman, as a matter of fact. My own contribution is an enhanced version of my "how to write a novel" post (retitled "Storytelling"). Howard penned a nice intro for my piece. He talks about how we met. Which is good, because honestly I'd forgotten. I feel like I've known him since high school. Howard's contribution to the antho is a old Harold Lamb story which fits right in to the "excitement-and-adventure" feel of the pieces. There are old friends in this volume, names from the earlier Lords of Swords antho and people I know here on livejournal. I hope it does well.

Berg, Stacey – Author – [no web presence] – “Altar of the Moon”
Stacey Berg writes from Houston, Texas, where she lives with her partner and three cats. A scientist, gardener, and aspiring surfer, Stacey is hard at work on her third novel.

"Altar of the Moon" is a story about what happens to the weapons and the heroes who wield them after the battles are over. It is a tale about the aftermath of heroics, about the marks left forever after the battles are won. It is also a tale of promise, for in the end it tells us that both weapons and heroes return in time of need.


Bryce, S.C. – Author – http://www.scbryce.com – “The Dawn Tree”
SC Bryce is a long-time reader and writer of speculative fiction. For more information, please visit www.SCBryce.com

"The Dawn Tree" - Dermanassian, the last desert elf, must ask the keeper of the fabled Dawn Tree to plant its seed and, therefore, start the dawning of a new era. But making the request is just the beginning of his troubles.



Crystalwizard – Publisher – http://flashingswords.sfreader.com/staffbios/cwiz.htm and http://sojourn.omnitech.net/
Crystalwizard is an author, a graphic artist, the managing editor of Flashing Swords and the owner of Cyberwizard Productions. She shares her desk with three cats and the occasional free range chocolate bar that got too close. She has several books in print, a number of stories scattered through issues of Bewildering Stories and a smattering of book covers in her art gallery on artwanted.com. In her free time, she fixes computers for other people.



Draper, Jeff – Author – http://scriptoriusrex.blogspot.com – “The Battle of Raven Kill”
Jeff Draper lives near Seattle with four kids who have all been recipients of twisted bedtime stories, although the one year old sometimes fails to grasp the intricacies of why the Dark Faerie Queen wages eternal war on Little Baby Zebra. Jeff writes stories, not for noble or intellectual causes, but because he is a control freak who thinks he can tell them better.

How – and why – would one man guard a bridge with only his life and two friends called Mace and Stick?


Durham, Bruce – Author – http://www.brucedurham.ca – “Valley of Bones”
Bruce Durham has appeared in publications such as Paradox, Flashing Swords and Amazing Journeys. He administers the community forums for the official website of Conan Properties Inc. and moderates the Fiction Forums for Paradox Interactive Games. His short stories ‘The Marsh God’ and ‘Homecoming’ won back-to-back Preditors & Editors Readers polls for Best SF&F in 2005/2006 respectively. Both tales appear in Flashing Swords. Visit his website at ww.brucedurham.ca

Mortlock was a good soldier. A veteran of countless campaigns. But his experience would mean little when faced with the horrors on the field of battle, in the "Valley of Bones."



Ehart, Michael – Author – http://mehart.blogspot.com/ – “To Destroy All Flesh”
Michael Ehart's stories have appeared recently in Ray Gun Revival, The Sword Review, Every Day Fiction, Flashing Swords and Fear and Trembling, and in anthologies including Damned in Dixie, Return of the Sword and Unparalleled Journeys II. His book The Servant of the Manthycore from DEP is considered by critics to be one of the best fantasy books of 2007. Michael Moorcock writes in the foreword, "It resonates with the authenticity of genuine myth, bringing a deep, true sense of the past; a conviction which does not borrow from genre but mines our profoundest dreams and memories; the kind which give birth to myths." Ehart is married to one of the most beautiful women in the world and would offer "pistols for two, coffee for one" to anyone who disagrees but pesky laws get in the way and so offers instead to naysayers a referral to a good optometrist. You can find out more about what he is up to at http://mehart.blogspot.com.

To Destroy All Flesh" From the world of Michael Ehart's critically acclaimed novel The Servant of the Manthycore comes a new tale of bloodshed, betrayal and redemption. Ambushed, robbed and left for dead on the way to obtain the herbs that may end her 800 year bondage, the Servant with her adopted daughter must deal with corrupt priests, desperate bandits and an ancient mystery older than the Servant herself. "To Destroy All Flesh" builds on a mythos that Michael Moorcock says, "resonates with the authenticity of genuine myth, bringing a deep, true sense of the past; a conviction which does not borrow from genre but mines our profoundest dreams and memories; the kind which give birth to myths."



Emery, Philip – Author – [no web presence] – “The Last Scream of Carnage” (Editor’s Choice)
Phil Emery works as a writer and lecturer and teaches creative writing at Keele University in Staffordshire. Besides his story in ‘The Return of the Sword’ he has a gentler piece in the British magazine 'Scheherazade’ out soon. This one’s called ‘The Last of All Enchantments’ which he hopes isn’t prophetic.

"For generations they would talk of it. They would talk of it as a last resort to frighten children into obedience, use it – in day – as an oath, and they would talk of it on nights when other, lesser screams echoed from the cavern.” ‘The Last Scream of Carnage’ is not a romantic comedy.


Enge, James – Author – http://jamesenge.com/ – “The Red Worm’s Way”
James Enge lives in northwest Ohio with his wife, their two children, two cats exhibiting various forms of mental illness, and a plecostomus who is partly squamous and partly rugose. He teaches Latin, Greek and classical civilization at a medium-sized public university. His stories have appeared in Black Gate, at Flashing Swords (flashingswords.sfreader.com), and at Every Day Fiction (www.everydayfiction.com). His novella "The Lawless Hours" (Black Gate #11) was selected by Dave Truesdale for his "Best of 2007" list. He can be reached through his web-page (jamesenge.com) or his blog (jamesenge.livejournal.com).

In "The Red Worm's Way" Morlock Ambrosius reluctantly agrees to sit a wake for a corpse, and must confront treachery, cannibal witches, and himself.


Goble, Steve – Author – http://stevegoble.com/blog - “The Mask Oath”
Steve Goble's fantasy, horror and science fiction has appeared in numerous venues, including Flashing Swords ezine, A Thousand Faces ezine, Down in the Cellar ezine, All Possible Worlds magazine, the Black Dragon, White Dragon anthology from Ricasso Press and more. He welcomes comment at his blog, "Swords Against Boredom" (www.stevegoble.com/blog).

"The Mask Oath" is pure sword-and-sorcery, pitting his hero against not only the demons unleashed by his mad-sorcerer father, but against his own preconceptions and worldview. The hero, one of the legendary Faceless Sons, learns that the thing we seek most is not always the thing we need most.



Hawkes, Angeline – Author – http://angelinehawkes.com – “Lair of the Cherufe”
Angeline Hawkes received a B.A. in Composite English Language Arts in 1991 from Texas A&M-Commerce and was named 2007 Alumni Ambassador for the Literature Department. She has publication credits dating from 1981. Angeline's collection, The Commandments, received a 2006 Bram Stoker Award nomination. Her newest fantasy series is entitled: Tales of the Barbarian Kabar of El Hazzar [various publishers]. Her story, "In Waters Black the Lost Ones Sleep," appears in Chaosium's anthology, Frontier Cthulhu. Angeline has seen the publication of her novels, novellas, fiction in 30+ anthologies, several collections, and short fiction in various publications. She is a member of HWA and REHupa. Visit her websites at www.angelinehawkes.com and www.fulbrightandhawkes.com.

"LAIR OF THE CHERUFE" is a 7745-word Epic Fantasy story. Imprisoned and in peril, Kabar of El Hazzar must save Princess Laraine, daughter of a long time friend, from Caspian of Sardiel and his horrifying Cherufe.



Hawkins, Nicholas Ian – Author – http://nihawkins.wordpress.com – “What Heroes Leave Behind”
Nik Hawkins’ fiction has appeared in Flashshot and is forthcoming in Magic & Mechanica, by Ricasso Press. To find out more, visit http://nihawkins.wordpress.com.

“What Heroes Leave Behind" An aging warrior faces the fear, doubt, and regret of his waning days while battling enemies old and new.


Heath, Christopher – Author – [no web presence] – “Claimed by Birthright”
Christopher Heath lives in Indiana and has been writing fantasy for over a decade, either as a role-playing game designer under the official Dungeons & Dragons logo or producing short stories and novels for his Azieran fantasy world. Such works have seen publication in over thirty venues, including professional pay rate sales to Fantasist Enterprises and Pitch-Black Books.

The classic battle of sword and sorcery expressed through direct conflict between barbarian and sorcerer. Of course, the plot is more detailed than that, but that’s the core of the story.



Jackson, Mike – Artist – http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons_portfolio/default.aspx - Interior art “The Last Scream of Carnage” for Editor’s Choice story
Mike Jackson draws the visions that he sees because he has no choice. His head will explode otherwise. When he reads stories like “The Last Scream of Carnage” a single powerful image grips his imagination and compels him to work on it until it is right. For more of his fevered imaginings, visit M.D. Jackson’s gallery at http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons_portfolio/default.aspx.

Mike’s powerful black and white illustration for “The Last Scream of Carnage” renders the protagonist of the Editor’s Choice story in the midst of a passionate battle for survival – the picture of an ultimate warrior in the peak of his strength. What, then, happens to this fierce reaver?



Johnston, Ty – Author – http://tyjohnston.blogspot.com – “Deep in the Land of the Ice and Snow”
Ty Johnston has been writing fiction for nearly twenty years, though he has only become series about it in the last few years after battling and defeating the dreaded monster known as Writer's Block. He is currently wrapping up a fantasy trilogy, and is always working on more short stories, including a series of tales about his immortal character, John Dee. For a day job, Ty has twenty years of experience as a newspaper editor. He has a wife, a beagle and three house rabbits. Though not necessarily in that order.

"Deep in the Land of the Ice and Snow" Cold and stone make up the world Belgad, son of the chieftain of Clan Thunder, finds himself wandering. In this tale, the young barbarian seeks out a skein weaver to tell him his future as the ruler of his people. But upon accomplishing a task set out for him by the weaver, Belgad realizes the future might be best left unknown.


Jones, Howard Andrew – Contributing Introductions & Provider of the Classic Harold Lamb tale “Red Hands” – http://bg-editor.livejournal.com/
Founding father of swordandsorcery.org, the ‘New Edge’ movement in genre tales, and Flashing Swords magazine, Howard Andrew Jones is also the man who brought Harold Lamb back to readers’ attention. Four collections of the master storyteller’s works are available now at Bison Books, and several more are on their way, thanks to Howard. Now the Managing Editor of Black Gate Magazine, Howard has long championed tales of swords and sorceries.

Howard penned the intros to the Harold Lamb classic and the EE Knight nonfiction pieces.


Lamb, Harold – Author (deceased) - http://www.haroldlamb.net/ - “Red Hands”
Harold Lamb not only wrote outstanding histories and biographies, he poured dozens of short stories into the pulp era magazines and served as inspiration to many other authors. With his nonfiction written like novels and his fiction written with the authority of his fine historical mind, Lamb created a whole class of literature unmatched both in his time and since.

Cossacks, gypsies, river pirates, foreign elitists – characters such as these tossed together with a good sense of humor and a good dash of action deliver a thoroughly enjoyable tale.



Lloyd, Allen B. & Clunie, William – Authors – [no web presence] – “An Uneasy Truce in Ulam-Bator”
Allen B. Lloyd and William Clunie are just a couple of old college buddies who happen to write fantasy and horror stories over dinner. They have written one novel and over twenty short stories over the years, with “An Uneasy Truce” being the first in a projected series.

Barbarian and sorcerer, each other’s Achilles heel, bound together upon the same quest. What could go wrong?


MacKay, Thomas M. – Author – http://www.myspace.com/tmmackay - “Guardian of Rage”
Thomas MacKay is an Associate Director of IT for Christopher Newport University, the father of two, and a student of the martial arts. He crafts stories in order to explore the nature of compassion and conflict, the growth and consequences of ones actions; ultimately, what it means to be human.

“Guardian of Rage” brings Jack face-to-face with a part of himself he’s not very eager to meet. A part he may end up being indebted to.



Meyer, Nathan – Author – [no web presence] – “The Hand that Holds the Crown”
Nathan Meyer is 37 married and the father of sons ages 7, 5 and 18-months. He currently works as a contract author for Harlequin imprint Gold Eagle where he publishes under the house names Don Pendleton (The Executioner, Mack Bolan, and Stony Man series) and James Axler (The Deathlands and Outlanders). He is presently in contract talks with Mirrorstone, the YA imprint of publisher Wizards of the Coast. His first publishing credits were at Flashing Swords magazine and it was under the initial guidance of its editors there that he went on to have a subsequent professional publishing career.

"The Hand that Holds the Crown" On the border of a rugged land where all is not as it seems, the fate of a nation comes down to the edge of a blade. There contenders for a throne struggle to defend a family legacy stained by infidelity and murder. In the end the kingdom will go only to the hand that holds the crown...


Perkins, Johnney – Artist – http://www.myspace.com/jperkins24 - cover art “The Return of the Sword”
Commercial artist during the day and life-long fan of Fantasy, Sci-Fi and Horror ever since an early age, Johnney Perkins found inspiration first in the works of Robert E.Howard and Edger Rice Burroughs, and then discovered his calling at first sight of Frank Frazetta's artwork.

"The Return of the Sword" is a stunning piece of art that Johnney created with minimal input from the editor. I thought it amazing, when I first saw the completed work, how closely his imagination mirrored how I had pictured my cover to be!


Pitchford, David – Author – http://bitterhermit.wordpress.com – “Fatefist at Torkas Nahl”
Poet, novelist, fiction writer, wine seller, sometimes editor. Writing is as much what David is as it is what he does. He writes because he breathes; fortunately he is much better at the writing. His poetry blog is at http://fringemonkey.wordpress.com

Arnoux Trav must break a vow of silence and step forward to claim his destiny. Yet will it – or the foes arrayed about him – break the young Fist first?



Rhodes, Robert – Author – http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=532844875 – “To Be A Man”
Robert Rhodes is a professional storyteller (i.e. attorney) who also writes speculative fiction. His story "Devotion" will appear in a forthcoming issue of Black Gate, and he is a co-author, with Howard Andrew Jones, of "The Sword in the Mirror: A Century of Sword & Sorcery," forthcoming in a literary encyclopedia. Rob can be contacted at rrhodes.writer@gmail.com or on facebook.com.

“To Be A Man” - The thief Vasili has enjoyed a rich and ribald life with his partner, the notorious Titania Brashnova. But when Titania finally goes too far, Vasili must attempt his greatest con yet: ending their partnership ... without ending himself.


Stewart, Jeff – Author – [no web presence] – “Mountain Scarab”
Jeff Stewart is a hunter, not a writer. He hunts for the stories that need telling, for he is a storyteller.

Sometimes, no matter how hard someone tries to fit in, a person’s true colors comes to the forefront in times of stress. It’s usually not the safest thing to have happen.



Waltz, Jason M. – Editor – http://flashingswords.sfreader.com and/or http://hvond.wordpress.com/ - “Swords Drawn”
New editor, longtime reader, sometime reviewer, struggling writer. What’s new, right? I tossed my hat into this editing ring with the intent to better my own writing. Little did I know that I wouldn’t have any time for my own writing! Seriously, though my time is pretty much no longer my own, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this editing gig and hope to gather many more writers into many more creative outlets in the years to come.

Heroes are those who continue to do the ordinary in extraordinary times, and to do the extraordinary in ordinary times. We, as a people, need to know such tales. Heroic adventure? Open this book and start reading – there’s a whole world of it before you.



Ward, Bill – Author – http://www.billwardwriter.com/ - “The Wyrd of War”
Like most people that share his name, Bill Ward answers to it. Find outmore about him at billwardwriter.com. See? Both flippant and dull. Feel free to supply extra details, like how I fought in the Falklands (on the side of the sheep) and once spent the night drinking jaegermeister with a cardboard cutout of Marlon Brando. Or that all writers are liars, but you didn't hear that from me.

In "The Wyrd of War," even those who would defend mankind in the battle at world’s end do so at the cost of their humanity. But at the last, one man discovers that his fate, his wyrd, has come at too high a price.