Happy Saturday! It’s Pride in my city, and my family will be in the parade with a group from our church. My younger child insisted I needed a better shirt this year, so I bought one. Pictures next week. 🙂
Today, I won’t be sharing from my own work. At least, not from something I wrote. The anthology I curated for Supposed Crimes, UPSTAGED! An anthology of women who love women in performing arts, is finally available. I love every single one of these.
I’ll share snippets of other ones in the future, but I’m starting with one by JL Merrow, since she’s one of our regular Snippeters. Her story is a highly original steampunk, and it’s simply delightful.
The first time I met Miss Pandora Piper, her what was to become the shining star of the Criterion and the darling of London society, she was in a right state, lying in the gutter with both legs broken and her head hanging off to one side.
“It’s proper criminal,” I told my gaffer, old Arthur the tinkerer, as folks call him, although it’s Mr Tunstall to the likes of you and me, “what the toffs’ll do to their playthings.”
Top notch goods, she was, fine featured and with soft ivory skin, so lifelike you’d almost have mistaken her for human, if it hadn’t been for the metal poking out of her poor torn limbs. Lying there abandoned in the gutter, like any other beggar what’s fallen on hard times. “It ain’t right,” I muttered.
“Now then, Hodgkins,” old Arthur said in that soothing old gin-and-baccy voice of his. “We’ll see her straight, don’t you fret.”
Blurb: London Lark, JL Merrow – Repairing a salvaged automaton becomes a labour of love for apprentice tinkerer Harriet Hodgkins. But the clockwork coquette is destined for resale, and Miss Pandora’s restoration will signal their separation—unless Hodgkins can engineer a more auspicious ending.
Rainbow Snippets is a safe and welcoming space for LGBTQIA+ authors, readers, and bloggers to share 6 sentences each week from a work of fiction—published or in-progress—or a book recommendation. Feel free to join in!
Ooh. Compelling story idea. Thank you for sharing. And Happy Writing!
Yeah, this one grabbed my attention right away. I thought it was written in such a unique voice.
Such an intriguing beginning to the story. 🙂
When I read this one, I immediately included it in the anthology because it really does draw you in! The whole story is like this.
Thanks for featuring my story, Amy! It’s a great anthology. 🙂
No problem! 🙂 And I agree—it’s all so good. (Though I may be a bit biased, LOL.)
Nice double helping we’re getting of J.L. Morrow this Saturday…thanks, Amy! I bought this anthology, so I’m looking forward to reading this story. (heart) Excellent description…I’m getting ticked off at said toffs myself. Hopefully they’ll be able to help.
Argh, stupid spell check! I meant to type J.L. Merrow…sorry, J.L.! (bows apologetically)
I would say it’s my favorite story, but…they’re all my favorite. Can I have 10 favorites? LOL. I hope you enjoy it. I think it’s a unique collection!
I’m super stoked about the collection, I love short story anthologies. I was knee deep in a novel when the call went out and I remember thinking it was going to be spectaular. I like this snip so much.
Fun read — love the accents and slang and the whole set up.
I have got to read this one now. I’m hooked!
Sounds like a great anthology and nice intro to it.
What an intriguing snippet!