HEIDI RUBY MILLER

BOOKS My husband and some friends are in this one! Diner Stories: Off the Menu is a collection of exciting stories and real tales, all serving up a fantastic fare about the one place we all know, love to go to, and enjoy no matter your walk of life. Cozied up inside this collection are people who love and hate, learn and squirm, and above all, eat—maybe some meals that might surprise you. Come on in and join us for a selection of great stories all garnished with sensory delights, served up on a platter of fun and imagination! TABLE OF CONTENTS "Flying Lessons over Lunch with Saint Joseph Cooper Tina" by Eric Fritzius "Layers and Pockets" by Karyn Cantees Stagg "Julian's Restaurant" by Erin Nicole Cochran "All the World's a Stage (But the Diner is my Church)" by Joey Madia "Bleu Plate Special" by Jason Jack Miller "The Bread Bowl" by Rich Bottles, Jr. "Just Think about It" by Mary Lucille DeBerry...

MEMES I've been tagged by Katje van Loon for this year's 777 Meme. Here's my 2013 post and my 2012 post . The rules are: Go to the 7th line of the 7th page of your work in progress. Post the first full 7 lines. Then tag 7 friends. The following snippet is from the short story "Atlatl" which is set in the Ambasadora-verse and features brothers, David and Ben Anlow, during an undercover sting--but only one of them knows that's why they're at the bar. "This part of the city makes the LaTulip Underground look clean and cozy by comparison," David said. "Oh, yeah?" Ben said. "When was the last time you ventured into the Underground? And, before you say anything more, my team swears by this place when they're on leave." His cocom buzzed to life in his ear and Meke's voice sounded like she was inside his head. "For the record, I'm with your brother--I'd never eat in this shithole, on duty or off, ...

RAINER Enjoy some Science Fiction Adventure from the  AMBASADORA-VERSE . There's a story all about the man you love to hate, RAINER, in the third Bolthole anthology, FAR WORLDS . The story takes place right after Ambasadora Book 1: Marked by Light . Get a sneak peek of Manuel Mesones's awesome illustration of Rainer! CONTEST: This scene features an Easter egg for anyone who read Greenshift . You can turn that egg into a free paperback or ebook of Far Worlds if you're the first commenter to tell me who the unidentified assailants are that Rainer mentions. Remember to include an email address in your comment! Check out other wonderful Presents posts at the SFR Brigade . "Rainer" by Heidi Ruby Miller (FROM THE WORLD OF AMBASADORA and FAR WORLDS) "Rogues know how to drag out a celebration." Dahlia unholstered a cender. "How long has it been since the Corruption of Palomin? Three months?" "Corruption of Palomin?...

"Dakota's Gate" from The Worlds of Philip José Farmer 3: Portraits of a Trickster DESCRIPTION: "Dakota's Gate" is a continuation of Farmer's novel Two Hawks from Earth . I fell in love with Roger Two Hawks' character--he's a displaced, romantic soldier just trying to get home. He relies on his instincts as much as his intellect to see him through one crisis after another, and never loses his spirit, though he is quite lonely. What's not to love?! So, I gave him a special someone by introducing a new character, Dakota Cummings, into the Farmer-verse. Now about the anthology... A third venture through the works of Philip José Farmer focusing on his penchant for literary tricksterism featuring essays by Frederik Pohl, Michael Bailey, Steven Connelly, Bruce Sterling, Chris Garcia, Tom Wode Bellman, Jonathan Swift Somers III, David M. Harris, Leo Queequeg Tincrowdor, and Rick Lai and fiction by Charlotte Corday-Marat, Win Scott Eckert, Heid...

"Feeling Blue Today" from HAZARD YET FORWARD DESCRIPTION: "Feeling Blue Today" is an excerpt from my current speculative thriller ATOMIC ZION. I decided not to use this piece in the novel, but it worked well as a short story. And about the anthology... Seventy-six writers connected to the Seton Hill University Writing Popular Fiction program have created a multi-genre charity anthology entitled Hazard Yet Forward . All proceeds from this project will benefit Donna Munro, a 2004 graduate of the program. Munro, a teacher living in St. Louis, Missouri, was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Genres represented in the book range from horror to romance to mystery - and everything in between. Some of the notable writers in the anthology are World Fantasy Award winner Nalo Hopkinson, Bram Stoker winners Michael A. Arnzen and Michael Knost, Bram Stoker nominees Lawrence C. Connolly and John Edward Lawson, ALA/YALSA Best Book for Young Adults winner Jessica War...

BOOKS Giant multi-author anthology on sale Tuesday, August 7 to benefit cancer fighter. My story "Feeling Blue Today" is part of the charity anthology, Hazard Yet Forward . This story is a tie-in to my thriller Atomic Zion . And I am in excellent company. Matt Duvall , Natalie Duvall , and Deanna Lepsch compiled the nearly 700 page, multi-genre eBook with stories from seventy-six writers who are connected to the Seton Hill University Writing Popular Fiction program . All proceeds from this project will benefit Donna Munro , a 2004 graduate of the program. Munro, a teacher living in St. Louis, Missouri, was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. An active member of the SHU WPF alumni committee , Munro helps organize the school’s annual writing conference, the In Your Write Mind Workshop . To aid Munro and her family, faculty members, alumni, students and friends of the Writing Popular Fiction program quickly responded to compile this massive anthology. The boo...

"The Islands of Hope" from SAILS AND SORCERY: TALES OF NAUTICAL FANTASY DESCRIPTION: Mermaids. Pirates. Flying ships. Creatures from the deep. Magic beyond your wildest dreams. The sea is a dangerous and wonderful realm. It calls to many, promising riches, adventure, or freedom. But just as there are beautiful and remarkable treasures to be found upon and below the waves, do not underestimate the dangers hidden within its depths. Featuring 28 stories and 42 illustrations, including tales by New York Times best-seller Elaine Cunningham, Paul S. Kemp, Patrick Thomas, Chun Lee, Chris Stout, Heidi Ruby Miller, Jon Sprunk, and James M. Ward with an all-new story featuring Halcyon Blithe. SNIPPET #1 -- The Ixchel has been adrift in the Horse Latitudes for three weeks and food has been rationed dramatically. SNIPPET #2: Hungry crew met him, their stomachs grumbling louder than their complaints. A squabble broke out among three nearest Julian. One crewman shoved anot...

"The Islands of Hope" from SAILS AND SORCERY: TALES OF NAUTICAL FANTASY DESCRIPTION: Mermaids. Pirates. Flying ships. Creatures from the deep. Magic beyond your wildest dreams. The sea is a dangerous and wonderful realm. It calls to many, promising riches, adventure, or freedom. But just as there are beautiful and remarkable treasures to be found upon and below the waves, do not underestimate the dangers hidden within its depths. Featuring 28 stories and 42 illustrations, including tales by New York Times best-seller Elaine Cunningham, Paul S. Kemp, Patrick Thomas, Chun Lee, Chris Stout, Heidi Ruby Miller, Jon Sprunk, and James M. Ward with an all-new story featuring Halcyon Blithe. -- SNIPPET: "Where did he come from?" Finn said, pulling at the knots in his peppered beard. "Men just don't appear on a ship in the middle of the ocean." Julian stared up at the crow's nest of the Ixchel . "His name's Kami. He came with the ship....

PUBLICATIONS My short story "Mr. Johnson's Boy" was accepted for the Fall 2007 Issue of Eye Contact . Those of you who were in the SHUWPF critique workshop when I first brought the African-themed story to residency will remember it with the title "The Sands of Deng" . This will mark my first appearance in the literary-art magazine of Seton Hill University . Obviously, I'm feeling pretty good about it.

NEWS I'm excited to announce that my short story "The Islands of Hope" will be part of the anthology Sails & Sorcery: Tales of Nautical Fantasy , published by Fantasist Enterprises and edited by W. H. Horner . Cover and interior artist is Julie Dillon .

PUBLICATIONS My horror flash fiction story Mara's Jellyfish is up at Alien Skin Magazine . You can read it for free.