Stories

Who doesn’t love a story?
Click on the title to open the link to my posted short stories or the PDF files of longer stories. I’ve also linked to where you can buy a copy of anthologies which contain my work. There by Candlelight is, literally, a fairy story with changelings, a goblin market, and a capricious Fairy Queen, but it’s really about family and belonging. It was awarded second place in the 2022 Conflux Short Story competition which had the theme of Visions of Time. You’ll have to wait for October 2023 to read the story in the Conflux convention booklet and on their website.

Bad Apple is about inheritance, family traits, and a disturbingly sentient orchard. It took a while, but eventually found a home in a deliciously unsettling collection of tales: Good Southern Witches published in 2021 by Curious Blue Press.

Bad Apple was shortlisted in the Short Fiction category for the 2021 Australian Shadows Awards with the Australasian Horror Writers Association.

Truth Be Told is about lies and borrowed skins. It’s in Unnatural Order, which boasts monstrous narrators and dire protagonists, published in 2020 by CSFG Publishing
Even better, Truth Be Told won the 2020 Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Short Story.

Herding Cats is a YA fantasy set in a hinterland dairy town. It won the 2020 CSFG / Conflux Short Story competition which had a theme of Apocalypse. You can read the story on the Conflux website, and about its inspiration here.

The Tenant of Rookwood Hall is a tale of fairy beguilement, beset with broody Brontë references which I have enthused about. It was published in 2020 in the Heroines Anthology Volume 3, available from The Neo Perennial Press.

Under the Skin is a creepy little story about the perils of anthropodermic bibliopegy at St Guinefort’s Library for the Thaumaturgic Arts. It won the CSFG / Conflux 15 Short Story competition and was published in the 2019 Conflux booklet.

Melusine’s Daughter is about coming to terms with your inner monster. I wrote about the inspiration for this story here. It was published in 2019 in the Heroines Anthology Volume 2, which can be purchased online from The Neo Perennial Press.

A Widow’s Worth is a tale of swords, books, love and ruthlessness published in A Hand of Knaves (2018). You can purchase the collection of scallywags, rogues and scoundrels online from CSFG Publishing.

Bits and Bolts and Blood is my reimagining of the Grimm brothers Little Red Cap fairy tale, with added fairy changelings and tarot. It was published in 2018, and is available for purchase, in the Heroines Anthology by The Neo Perennial Press.

I’ve posted all the short pieces (500 words or less) that I’ve written for the Australian Writers’ Centre monthly Furious Fiction competition.

On Valas Rock the Seals Cry is a short fantasy story about selfishness, selkies and the sea.

Autumn Witch is a piece of flash fiction inspired by blood-red leaves whipped up by the wind.

Taskforce Z is flash fiction inspired by Canberra’s asbestos removal taskforce.

Fowler’s Cut is a fantasy tale about beginnings and bargains, colours and cups of tea.

Bonogin Dusk, Burleigh Dawn is a contemporary short story about family ties and fishing, set on the Gold Coast. It won the Gold Coast Writers’ Association short story competition in 2013.