Wicked Wishes: A Fiction Atlas Anthology
Tuesday, April 5, 2022

I'm thrilled to announce my inclusion in the upcoming charity anthology Wicked Wishes, which will be published by Fiction Atlas Press on May 4th!

All proceeds from sales will be donated to the World Literacy Foundation - a global non-profit organization striving to ensure that every child, regardless of geographic location, has the opportunity to acquire literacy skills and books to reach their full potential. Check out their website to read more about their work at https://worldliteracyfoundation.org/

Preorder your copy of the anthology today at books2read.com/wickedwishes
This is a great collection of stories benefiting a great cause, and to whet your appetite here are a few previews, including the blurb for my very own "Soul Tea."
A wish, once granted, can never be undone.

Whoever said “ignorance is bliss” never met Tristan Mallory. The discredited stockbroker turned conman-and-thief has finally crawled out of the ruin of his old life, and he’s determined never to let a lack of knowledge get the better of him again. When he accidentally calls forth a jinn from an antique teapot during a run-of-the-mill robbery, he gets a chance to rewrite the world as he sees fit. He’s about to get everything he’s ever wanted...

L.R. Braden is the bestselling author of the Magicsmith urban fantasy series, the standalone novel Demon Riding Shotgun, and several works of short fiction. Her writing has won the Eric Hoffer Book Award for Sci-fi/Fantasy, the First Horizon Award for debut authors, and the Imadjinn Award for Best Urban Fantasy Novel. She was also honored to be a finalist for the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers 2021 Writer of the Year award. She and her family live in the foothills of the Colorado Rockies, where she spends her time writing, playing, enjoying the outdoors, and weaving metal into intricate chainmail jewelry that she sells in her Etsy shop, WimsiDesign.
Astrid loves to read. Astrid made a wish. Now Astrid's stuck in a book.

Cue the evil kelpie. The Armageddon. The feral troll army. (What's this cute boy doing here?)
The fantasy realm of fiction is everything Astrid ever hoped for. Except it's probably going to take her life. Astrid needs non-fictional guts, determination, and sheer will to survive before she can return to the real world. But will she even want to?

S. R. Breaker lives in New Zealand with her husband and two kids. She writes offbeat, easy reading young adult science fiction and fantasy books. Suburban mum by day and author by night, she loves to live vicariously through her characters. They don’t have to vacuum all day long and are almost always guaranteed to survive any fantastical or thrilling incidents, no matter how treacherous she writes them. She likes binge-watching TV shows and reading books that take her to far enough unknown worlds—but then still have enough time to wash the dishes after.
True wishes, the ones made by a witch as she comes into her power, always have a cost . . .

Before I became the Amber Witch, I was just Amber. I lived with my father and brother under the shadow of the growing Mist. With plants failing, and sunlight fading, we struggled to survive along with the rest of our dying town. But what choice did we have? When a devastating blow strikes our town, I know what choice I have. It’s dangerous, and it’s one no other person here can make, because I’m the witch with a wish to grant. One wish will awaken my magic, but will it spell salvation or will my wish spell the end?
Can humanity finally shake off the shackles of our past and become a perfect race? Or are we doomed to live in a world where we are held prisoner by our own flaws?

Peter Pallister believes in change. He believes that we are hindered by our own history, born into a world where prejudice and hatred have existed for millennia. The only way to stop the cycle from repeating would be to start fresh, with a complete reset of the human race. Peter wishes for this to happen, but when his wish comes true and the world is turned into a seemingly perfect Utopia, Peter finds the world is still full of the same old problems.
Tabula Rasa is a science fiction story of hope, futility, and the endless possibilities of human kind.

Paul Eagle was born in England, but has made Canada his home since 2008. He spends his winters living on a Ski Resort in British Columbia with his wife, and they spend their summers working at a children’s summer camp in Vermont, USA. Paul loves seasonal work, as it gives him the chance to enjoy different jobs in different places. Over the last fifteen years Paul has worked as a cleaner in France, a teacher in Korea, a supervisor at an Olympic games and a rugby world cup, and a photographer in a national park. Paul has a degree in English, a love for Korean food, and a passion for travel.
Some wishes should never have been made.

It was the lowest point in Claire’s life so when she came upon a strange wishing well in the woods, she hoped her life was changing for the better. She should have walked away… Eunice was disappointed when nothing happened with the toss of her coin, but then her wish was granted.
Wishers beware.

Melissa E. Beckwith is a science fiction and fantasy author living in southern Indiana with her husband, Shih Tzu, and two kitties. Her hobbies include spending time with her grandsons, painting, reading, yoga, camping, gardening, and making YouTube videos. She is a practicing pagan and an aspiring homesteader.
Will Alexis' hungry desire for clout and attention get her more than she bargained for?

Alexis Day wants nothing more than to become an influencer on Shutter, the social media platform that’s trending all over the world. But despite her perfect hair, perfect selfies, and shamelessly asking others to share her content, she still finds herself pulling in lower and lower numbers with each passing day. Until she receives a mysterious message from a user known as DreamComeTrue, who claims to know who she is, and most importantly, believes he can make Alexis famous! And all it takes are a few drops of a glittery gold concoction that he’s willingly handing over to her.
Will Alexis finally get what she wants and become a famous influencer?

Viola Tempest is a dystopian fantasy and paranormal romance author who yearns to expose the truth of those in the modern world: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Her inspiration primarily stems from life experiences, those who annoy her, ex-boyfriends, and the crazy dreams that pop into her head every once in a while.