Tag: The Books of Binding

Representation – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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“You did threaten to dissolve your last attorney.” Winter kept digging in her large, pale denim hobo bag without looking up. The occasional soft chink of thick glass tapping glass rose from the wide opening, the sweet tones of steel striking steel. Something was loose down there. Wonderful. If this kept up, she’d have to go back to the purple bag. But to start, how could a stack of folders that thick go missing in here? There were two full surgical kits, not to mention the complete stock of medical potions, for heaven’s sake. “That’s not how I’d put it.” Read More …

Waiting for Word – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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Cian sat, eyes glued to the clock high on the wall and hands absently bouncing Noel in his baby seat on the worn kitchen table. The second hand dragged its way around the face. The minute hand jumped. 11:28. It was almost time. The mail was usually in the box at the end of the mile long Mulcahy Drive by 11:45. Cian had learned this week that it took him thirteen minutes to calmly walk from the front door to the mailbox. On Monday, he had done it in nine minutes, running with Noel bouncing in his chest carrier. But Read More …

Stolen Goods – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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Color had always had meaning, especially among the fae. Blue and its dance of hues was for weddings. It wasn’t often seen in formal ceremonies. The fae didn’t habitually marry, because vows came with weighted strings. Green celebrated birth, no matter how or who. Even little calves and ducks would parade around with their modest, soft weed wreathes until they were finally broken up and eaten. Purest white was for mourning. Etienne watched the waning sunlight move across the wide stone windowsill, holding still for the royal dresser to wrap yet another layer of white, embroidered spider silk about his Read More …

Kissing – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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Cian loved these early mornings with Winter, when the house was quiet, and it was just the two of them, the scent of rising bread, and the constant warmth of the English stove taking the chill off the predawn air. They would talk about the day, sometimes work on replenishing Winter’s stocks, and inevitably practice Cian’s favorite new skill, kissing Winter. Soon the house would wake—Etienne heading out to the forge, Noel needing to be fed and changed, Jessie getting ready for school, and Alerich and Fitz possibly pouring themselves into bed, still buzzed, from a long night talking literature Read More …

Some Assembly Required – A Books of Binding Short Story

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Aodhán balled up the fragile booklet and threw it to the carpet by his knee. So many nonsensical pictures, so few words, most of which made no sense in any of the languages that he’d picked up over the centuries. Some made sense singularly, but in groups it was a lost cause. Setting it on fire was looking better and better each time he glared at it. Stacks of flat boxes surrounded him, sitting where they’d been delivered that morning, seeming to loom over him where he sat cross-legged on the bare floor. All he had to defend himself was Read More …

Be Mine – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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The February wind chased Cian across the wind-chilled patio concrete and back into the house. He closed the sliding-glass door against the onslaught and set his covered basket of fresh cuttings from the winter garden on the table, tickling little Noel’s toes with cold fingers and eliciting a squeal of delight from the baby. He shrugged out of his coat and draped it across the back of a chair, stooping to kiss his son’s round cheek, then straightening and crossing to the big island counter to lay a kiss on the back of Winter’s neck. “I think I got everything.” Read More …

Ink – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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“You doing okay?” Alerich grimaced in the chair, the uncomfortable feeling of the needle penetrating his skin like the rough tongue of a cat scraping over a sunburn combined with thousands of tiny claws perforating his chest. The pain seemed to grow more intense the longer the artist worked on him, but Alerich was determined to see this through. “I’m fine.” The tattoo artist grunted and bent his head back over the design, wiping away blood and excess ink with a practiced swipe. Alerich watched him work, the outline of the blond raven done in white ink finished, and the Read More …

Understanding – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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Winter tied the last stitch and gently patted the therian wolf’s shoulder. “All done.” The wolf growled, and Winter slowly removed her hand, her eyes hardening as she stared the young therian down. The wolves of Seahaven used dominance fighting as their favorite sport, but Winter was in no mood to resort to fisticuffs against an amped up injured therian with something to prove. Not that she would have any chance against him in a physical match. Wizards were neither as fast nor as strong as therian, and they didn’t heal as quickly. Then there was the problem that wolf Read More …

Knitting for Pixies – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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Knit one, purl two. It was a simple pattern, as patterns went. Knit one, purl two. Knit one, purl two. Etienne could have done something more elaborate, of course, but that would mean more delicate knitting needles. More attention to the details. He was only knitting blankets for pixies, and pixies didn’t care about elaborate patterns. They liked color and they liked being warm in the January nights. That suited Etienne just fine. He could just let his hands go and let his mind wander as he knitted in front of the fireplace. Bess had been the one to teach Read More …

Special Delivery – A Books of Binding Short Story

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Cian woke in the dark to an urgent rapping on his bedroom door. Winter’s low voice carried through the wood. “Cian, we’re on.” Cian sat up in bed, trying to parse that. On? On what? English wasn’t his first language and sometimes idioms — he hoped it was an idiom — tripped him up. He pulled his jeans on and made his groggy way across the spacious room to find Winter on the other side of his door, dressed in her usual loose dress and cardigan, her purple bag over her shoulder and her surgical bag heavy in her hand. Read More …

He Offers Countless Hearts – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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Rome. The Olmec stood on the parapet of the long wall guarding the boundaries of the ancient city that sprawled across the seven hills, facing the darkness to the east. If his calculations were correct, and they had been correct for thousands of years, the Sun would rise within the next few minutes. Rise. Please rise. Woodsmoke and the smell of emptied chamber pots tickled his sensitive nose, and somewhere below a drunken fight broke out. Somewhere a whore hawked her wares. Somewhere shops were pushing their eaves open, preparing for the day to come. A city that never truly Read More …

Proof – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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George Joji took another close-up shot. It was real. It was really real. The thickness of the nail, the toughness of the callouses on both hands and feet. The wicked nail edge that could probably slice through flesh. Everything else about the naked man seemed perfectly normal. No fangs, no fur. So where did they keep it all—? “George, you know you’re not supposed to be down here. The mortician is threatening to turn you into a classroom skeleton.” Detective Lawrence Robertson approached from one side of the gurney, George stood on the other. George peered closely at the body’s Read More …

Underwater – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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The crowd finally thinned as they got near the octopus tanks, and Jessie felt something tight inside her uncurl for the first time since they’d arrived at the Seahaven Aquarium. She hadn’t realized it would be this crowded, but she should have, she guessed. The place was lousy with families trying to entertain kids who, like her, were out of school for the holiday week. She desperately wished she had chosen somewhere quieter, maybe the art museum, or hell, what was wrong with an old-fashioned movie, except that her date preferred to watch at home where he could turn on Read More …

Social Climbing – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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Jessie set two overly full fountain drinks on the small table and flopped down into the empty chair. “Rock climbing is thirsty work.” Cat Chen, her new friend from Seahaven Academy of the Arts, smiled around her straw and took a long drink as she adjusted her harness. “Fun though.” Jessie took several long swallows and nodded. “I’m glad we did this today. It’s been a rough month, and like half my house is in mourning. I feel bad for them and everything, it’s just…” “A little much sometimes?” “Yeah, a lot much sometimes. It’s good to get out of Read More …

News About Book Three and a Sale

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Greetings from all of us at Team Lowan. We have been on an extended hiatus dealing with a health problem but are on the mend and nearly back to full speed. We are hard at work on the third book in our Books of Binding series, Beneath a Stone Sky. At this point we are expecting book three to release in early 2020. We are very excited about this book. Many of you have been asking when you’ll see more of Etienne and Cian – you don’t have much longer to wait. We are thrilled to delve deeper into Etienne’s Read More …

Recoil – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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“Spread your feet to shoulder width. Right foot back. No, not that far. Your shoulders are too thin.” Etienne narrowed his eyes. “When was the last time you ate?” Winter gave the faerie knight at her side a wry expression. “This morning, with you and Cian. Remember?” The November wind whispered over the water and blew loose tendrils of hair across her face. She was grateful for the warm felt coat she wore. “Then you need a snack or something. You’re still sickly.” His voice was gruff. She sighed softly. He was only trying to take care of her. She Read More …

Daughter – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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“What is wrong with you?” Aodhán surged into the room, fae energy roiling out in front of him like an approaching firestorm.  The Eldest Himiko, the Jómon, settled a paper onto a neat stack on her desk and looked up, calm. “Good morning to you too.” “No, it’s not a good morning,” he growled, throwing his customary caution to the wind. “I thought you had gotten this out of your system.” Himiko gave him a bland look, the warning in her dark phoenix eyes still subtle, and smoothed a tiny wrinkle in her silk kimono. “To what are you referring?” Read More …

The Parting Glass – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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The wizard, Alerich Ashimar, ran a loving hand down the neck of the old guitar, chord after gently played chord resounding in softness, the mellow sound filling the dark music room. It wasn’t his rosewood-fretted Hummingbird beauty, hidden away in his rooms at Ashimar House in England, but the old Martin Dreadnought he had found still fit his hands well and was a joy to play. “Of all the money that e’re I’ve had,I spent it in good company.And all the harm that e’re I’ve done.Alas it was to none but me.” “Alas it was to none but me.” But Read More …

“Warriors” – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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The sun flared over the horizon, blinding him for a moment. Erik Eriksson shifted his stance, taking the measure of the warriors on either side. They seemed like a seasoned lot, their armor well-crafted and their weapons honed sharp. He gripped his bow and notched an arrow. The battle was coming. He could feel the anticipation among the ranks swelling their number into a throng, warriors jostling in position, checking their weapons, watching the horizon. A horn sounded and they surged toward the enemy, some riding, others, like Erik, running ahead, weapons at the ready. Their enemy poured over a Read More …

Welcome to Seahaven Arts – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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“Are you new?” Jessie looked up from the slip of paper she was reading, her new class schedule. She was finally here, at The Seahaven School of the Arts, where she had been dreaming of going for as long as she could remember. She nodded. “I seem to be a little lost. I’m looking for Room 311B, but I can’t find it. It goes from 311 to 313, but no B.” The girl in the long broomstick skirt and lacy purple poet’s shirt smiled. “That’s because it’s in the old building. All of the classrooms that have a “B” in Read More …

Personal – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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“I don’t have this recipe. Are you sure this is right?” Winter frowned as she seeped magic into the thickening crimson liquid while she stirred with her focus object, a graceful oaken spoon thickly engraved with spell glyphs inherited from her great-grandmother. The nascent potion—poison?—had little odor, but the color just looked… malevolent. “Yes. Just keep pouring in power. It’s just about there.” Elspeth picked up her own focus object, a large silver spoon with glyphs elegantly engraved over the handle following the art deco pattern of polished and unpolished metal and began tapping it in a rapid pattern on Read More …

Lead Me Not into Temptation – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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“It would be so easy.” Elspeth blinked, confused. She did not remember coming outside. Could not remember anything past laying down for a nap. But here she was, in the cold quiet shade of the clifftop gazebo, staring at Winter’s back with Arariel’s voice in her head. Again. Nothing she did would shut him up. No matter how violent, how painful, she could not chase the demon away. “Just a push. No one is looking. And you’ll have Alerich all to yourself again.” Elspeth’s breath caught. She didn’t want that—did she? To be honest, she did not like the other Read More …

Musketeers – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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“Work in groups of three and be ready to present your project to the class at the next session. I’ll give you the rest of our time to find your groups and get started.” Alerich looked to the desk on his right at Thomas, his roommate and newest friend. Thomas was kind and funny and put up with Alerich’s melancholy and exuberance, both. They had been thick as thieves since the first day of term. “You and me then, mate?” “Yeah, but we’ll need a third, won’t we?” Alerich looked from the chestnut-skinned boy to the other lads in the Read More …

A Difference of Opinion – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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Lunch with his fiancé. Alerich stood beside the corral gate, watching Celia’s car arrive. That was going to take some getting used to. Lunch with his fiancé. His grandmother, Hildreth, the matron of both House Ashimar and House Van de Mere, considered it the arrangement of the decade, and it seemed a lot of their set agreed. The congratulations flowed in in an endless stream. Grandmother thought Celia was perfect for him. She was politically powerful, the only child of Roland Carralond, the Archwizard of the Wizard’s Council. With Alerich as his father’s heir, marrying Celia would give their family Read More …

Lively – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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“Girls, it’s time to stop playing and help me get dinner on the table. Sorcha, Mirilyn, you two go out to the garden and dig up a basket of potatoes and half a basket of carrots. Winter, you can help me snap beans. Now everyone, scoot!” Winter giggled as Grandma Maria brandished her spoon at her and her sisters, but they all moved to obey. Grandma Maria might look funny shaking her glyphed focus object, but she was also known to apply it liberally to shirking backsides and none of the girls relished a spanking today. Six-year-old Sorcha and Mirilyn Read More …

Lelia – A Books of Binding Short Story

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Lelia did not remember much about the night she met Jeremy Moore. She remembered going to the club, Fever, in Midtown. She remembered drinking, but not that much because they were overpriced and not that awesome. She hadn’t been looking to hook up. She’d just wanted to dance and celebrate her new job, and mentally flip her parents off for their snotty attitude about her dropping out of college. She didn’t need a liberal arts education to be successful, no matter what they said. She remembered seeing Jeremy watching her from the other end of the bar… and then she Read More …

New cover for Faerie Rising: The First Book of Binding

The Faerie Rising Paperback is Now Available and Other Team Lowan News

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It’s finally here! We are excited to announce that the paperback of Faerie Rising: The First Book of Binding, is now available at Amazon.com. We appreciate the patience and support we have received during this long process. For those who prefer e-readers, Faerie Rising is available in e-book as well. What’s coming up? We are hard at work on the sequel, Ties of Blood and Bone: The Second Book of Binding, which should be available in both e-book and paperback Spring of 2018. For those who enjoy audiobooks, we are working on audio editions of both books to be released Read More …

Exposure – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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“Erik, you have to hold still for this to work.” “I still feel like it needs some adjustment.” Jason rolled his eyes in the direction of the new, breadbox-sized Kodak ‘Brownie’ camera and muttered softly in ancient Greek before raising his voice. “You do know that Katherine’s going to kill you, right?” He returned his attention to the viewfinder. Erik had a bee in his bonnet about getting this… picture… taken and wouldn’t be dissuaded. The Vampire King laughed. “Isn’t that the point of this exercise?” “Hold still. I’m still getting the exposure.” Dammit, Erik had moved again. “We’re going Read More …

Leftovers – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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Jessie St. James felt a grin growing as she watched Justin MacDowell toddle around the worn wood floors of Otherworld Books, the stubby felt feathers on his turkey outfit sashaying with each bit of progress he made. She looked at Brian and found him grinning, too, teeth a flash of white against terracotta skin, before he leaned over and redirected his adopted little brother. “It’s hard to believe how much he’s grown in just a month,” she said, and decided to plant her plump butt in the doorway of the stock room to corral him a little. Brian chuckled and Read More …

Ties of Blood and Bone Cover Reveal

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We are thrilled to reveal the cover for our next full-length book! Preorders for Ties of Blood and Bone: The Second Book of Binding are available now. We are offering $1 off the list price of $3.99 to anyone who pre-orders before January 15, 2018. Click here to grab yours! This cover, like our beautiful one for Faerie Rising, was designed by the incredible team at Deranged Doctor Design. We are just left speechless by them each time we work with them. You can find them here. We are also working on print and audio editions for both books. We Read More …

Things Fall Apart – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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He sniffed the air. The scent of burnt bones and under it—blood. A lot of it. And the outhouse smell of violent death. He walked the utility area carefully, reconstructing the deadly dance from a lifetime lived among its devotees. The spatters of brown flecks. The dust-free smears where a body had been dragged, struggling. A broken fingernail caught in the chain-link. The cloying smell of burning hair and garbage, and just a hint of cucumber. Acetone. At least they had destroyed the body, but it meant the attackers were not human. A human gang might have doused the body Read More …

There’s A Monster at the Door – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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The little monster crept toward the door of the enormous stone house. Maybe this was not such a good idea after all. Her friends had dared her to come here. They’d called her weak and scared. She swore she would show them that she was made of tougher stuff than they thought. But standing here, at the end of the mile-long drive, the house gave her pause—squatting here on the edge of the world, nothing but water as far as the eye could see on the other side. She eyed the door and tried to summon her courage. It was Read More …

Faerie Rising is on Sale for 99 cents to Celebrate Virtual FantasyCon 2017!

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We are having a wonderful time talking about all things Books of Binding at Virtual FantasyCon this week. If you haven’t had a chance to stop by, there are plenty of games, writing discussion, and story details at our VFC Booth. To celebrate this year’s convention, the e-book for our first novel, Faerie Rising: The First Book of Binding, is on sale for only 99 cents at Amazon.com. If you haven’t had a chance to check it out, this is a great opportunity to save 75%. The sale is running from Oct 15-Oct 21.  You can grab one here. We Read More …

Morning at the Vineyard – A Snippet from Ties of Blood and Bone: The Second Book of Binding

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Alerich woke up to wintery sunlight filtering in through the gauze curtains and his grandmother’s lady’s maid, Odette, rapping on his door, her pretty, polite voice carrying through it. “Breakfast is served.” Alerich rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. Odette’s presence meant his grandmother, Hildreth, was here. And if Hildreth was here it would be non-stop wedding talk for the next two weeks. He wondered if there was a trellis outside the window. Was it sturdy? It wouldn’t be the first time he’d escaped out a window and wouldn’t be his first trellis climb, but he Read More …

A. E. Lowan Will Be at Virtual FantasyCon 2017

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Please join A. E. Lowan for a free week-long convention at Virtual FantasyCon 2017, October 15-21. We will be in our booth daily for games, writing discussion, and, of course, all things Books of Binding. Our booth is located at: https://www.facebook.com/events/330256554102386/ Here is our booth schedule for the week and what we’ll be talking about in each session. Can’t make it during those times? No problem! Please stop by whenever you are available, see what others have said, and play along when it’s convenient for you. Don’t forget to check out the Reader’s Corner to find the booths for all Read More …

Liminal Space – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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Etienne paused within the cold-flame-wreathed rift, within this liminal place between realms. Before him lay the Mortal Realm, and behind him, Faerie. He had spent weeks seeking a rift to pass through. He had wandered alone, his body aching with the agony of knife and fire that still wracked each step. His mind aching with the sting of humiliation, desperation, and betrayal. He had endured it all, looking for this passage—this escape. But now, he paused There was nothing for him among the mortals. Not anymore. Not since his beloved Bess had died. Not since the plague that had robbed Read More …

Uh-Huh – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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Elspeth plunked down the last square tile with enthusiasm. “I’m out.” Alerich eyed the pieces, trying to keep the corners of his mouth from twitching into a smile. He waved at the board. “You’re cheating.” Indignation gave her voice an edge. “Am not.” “Elspeth, ‘spong’ is not a word.” “Yes, it is.” “No, it’s really not.” “Yes, it really is.”  She picked at a speck of lint on her blouse. “It’s a potions word.” “Uh-huh.”  Alerich settled back in his chair and took a sip of his bourbon, then motioned at her with the glass.  “Define it.” “A spong is Read More …

Faerie Rising: The First Book of Binding - Coming April 1, 2017

An Excerpt from Faerie Rising: The First Book of Binding

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With a little over two weeks left before release, we thought you might all like a peek at an excerpt from Faerie Rising: The First Book of Binding.  In the next couple of weeks we will be taking a closer look at many of the characters from Faerie Rising as well as releasing a few new flash fictions.  We hope you enjoy the excerpt! An Excerpt from Faerie Rising: The First Book of Binding The world shifted sideways. Winter braced herself against the wall with her one good hand, the chalk grinding against the concrete as she fought the initial Read More …

New cover for Faerie Rising: The First Book of Binding

Cover Reveal for Faerie Rising: The First Book of Binding

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We are very excited to reveal the cover for Faerie Rising: The First Book of Binding at long last!  The wonderful design team at Deranged Doctor Design blew us away with this cover.  We hope that you all enjoy it as much as we do.  Faerie Rising (in e-book format) is now available for pre-order at Amazon and will release on April 1, 2017.  The paperback will be available soon.

Sleight of Hand – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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Winter Mulcahy thought the girl by the necklace rack was maybe eleven, probably twelve. She had a bruise peeking out just beneath the collar of her oversized coat, fingermarks if Winter was any judge, and she was an excellent judge of abuse. The girl was heavy in that way that said weight would follow her throughout her life, but she moved easily through the store, caramel eyes flickering constantly towards Winter from behind too-large glasses. The girl was stealing. That wasn’t unusual, though. Homeless kids often stole from the stores in the Historical District, trying to fill empty pockets and Read More …

Seashells – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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The boy was crying under a picnic table, but Winter didn’t know why. He was a lot older than her, six, maybe even seven. She crawled beneath and sat down next to him, not caring that her red and white sundress would get mussed. She’d lost her sandals somewhere but she’d managed to hold on to her red hat. Grandma Bridget said it was important so she didn’t burn in the summer sun. The boy looked up at her, his expression wary, and wiped his face on his coat sleeve. It was peculiar, wearing a suit jacket to a family Read More …

Kristin Vinck, One Third of A. E. Lowan

Welcome to the Grand Reopening

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Welcome to the new and improved A. E. Lowan. We have been on hiatus, rebuilding and reinventing. Please come in, excuse our renovation mess, and get to know the new team.   Kristin Vinck Raised as a Navy brat, Kristin Vinck began writing as a child on the West Coast, learning her love of words at her mother’s knee. Her first story, composed at five-years-old, was an instant classic in her house. “Ghostie-Ghost” was a harrowing tale of the adventures of, well, a ghost, and her friends. Kristin won her first writing award for urban fantasy in Seattle at eight-years-old Read More …