A. L. Kaplan

Tag: Fantasy

  • A.L. Kaplan Wins Flash Fiction Challenge

    A.L. Kaplan is the readers’ choice in this week’s Indies Unlimited Flash Fiction Challenge.

    The winning entry is rewarded with a special feature on Indies Unlimited and a place in their collection of winners which will be published  at year end.

     

  • Young Adventurers: Heroes, Explorers & Swashbucklers Available on Amazon

    Young Adventurers

    WELCOME TO A WORLD OF ADVENTURE Enter here for cool stories of action, adventure and intrigue, featuring heroes and heroines who prove you don’t have to be a grownup to save the day. Inside you’ll find: A teenage spy trapped on a train with men who want to kill her. A young man earning his pay hunting dragons in a hot air balloon. A girl who talks to wolves in a frightening dystopian future. And Young Jack solves a mystery years before he grows up to be F. Paul Wilson’s Repairman Jack. PLUS 14 more thrilling tales set in the past, the present, the future, and in worlds of fantasy, written by Jeffrey Westhoff, Jeff Ayers, Kevin Lauderdale, Victoria Pitts Caine, Kevin Singer, C.A. Verstraete, David Perlmutter, M.M. rumberg, A. L. Kaplan, Deborah Walker, Anne E. Johnson, Chantal Boudreau, David Turnbull, Milo James Fowler, Jack Mulcahy, Nathan Hystad, and H.L. Pauff.

    Order now on Amazon

    Don’t forget to check out the Facebook page for contest information.

  • HOWARD BEAR

    Santa’s village was in trouble, big trouble. A massive force of ogres, goblins, and gremlins advanced. All the land escapes were blocked. The village was unarmed and outnumbered; in short, doomed. Elves and other animals ran in panicked circles through the village, unsure of what to do.

    “We’ll never get everyone off the ground before they overwhelm us,” said Santa. His big jolly belly sagged. “What are we going to do?”

    Howard Bear scanned the marching troops. Monsters, all of them, out to destroy Santa’s peaceful haven. He may not have gotten his dream job, pulling Santa’s sleigh, but this was his home. There was no way he was letting those awful people win.

    “I have an idea,” said Howard. “Continue evacuations.”

    He ran to his workshop at the tinsel factory and did what he did best. Using steel instead of aluminum, his sharp claws slashed and twisted the metal with rapid speed. Howard raced back to Santa with bails of barbed tinsel.

    “Spread this out around the village. It will keep them back long enough for you to escape.”

    Howard got his dream that day. He pulled Santa’s sleigh and the last of the villagers to safety. The barbed tinsel entangled the monsters until the gnome army arrived. Thanks to Howard everyone was saved. If you’re ever in Santa’s village, check out the statue Santa had built for Howard the Hero Bear. It’s right next to the one for Rudolf.

  • FLOWERS

    Tears stained her face as she slipped from the car. A loud snore made her jump and cringe. Last night’s beating marred her face. He never let her stop here, the one place that made her happy. If he woke….She didn’t breathe until she was sure he still slept.

    Bright yellow flowers stretched as far as she could see. They called to her, singing, swaying in the sun; a peaceful contrast to her turbulent life. She pushed through thick stems to take a picture.

    Flower heads pressed against her. Their bright yellow faces bent and swiveled like no plant should. Sweet perfume filled her nostrils. Fear and pain vanished. Sunshine kissed her lips. When she opened her eyes thousands of yellow faces beamed at her as she hovered above the field. She smiled back. What a beautiful place to rest. No pain. No tension. Far from his reach.

    A patrol spotted her car later that day with her husband still passed out in his seat. Searchers followed a wide trail to the center of the field where they found her battered body under a blanket of flowers. Amongst the bruises a peaceful smile graced her face.

    Denials were useless. The officers were as moved by her husband’s tears as he had been to hers. Those same fists that had hit her so brutally shook when they cuffed him. They hauled him away, far from the beauty he denied her. Forever locked in shadows while she soared free.

  • Freedom’s Landing

    Still propelled from his cliff leap, Ramone smacked face down onto a snowdrift only to look up into a maelstrom of flakes. Nothing but swirling white met his eyes. The sweat on his body froze into an icy sheen that fell in crackling shards as he moved. Ramone’s belly twisted. At least in that dreadful island prison he hadn’t frozen. Fifteen years, wasted, imprisoned for opening a portal into the wrong world. All he wanted was to go home.

    Beneath him the ground lurched, tossing Ramone into the air before dumping him back into the snow. Earthquakes and freezing cold. What hellish world had he landed in this time? He brushed away as many flakes as he could and trudged forward. There were no more spell components, but he’d come too far to give up now. Eyes down and half closed against the biting wind, he continued moving. It was all he could do. All he had left was hope.

    Something hard smacked his forehead, nearly knocking him over. Ramone looked up, his brow wrinkled in confusion. Behind him the storm raged, but in front, a bright open space. There was no rock, no wall, only an invisible barrier. He pushed against the smooth surface, moving along its length while his heart galloped. Step by step he broke trail through the snow drifts, stopping only when he reached a set of prints identical to his own. Tears streamed down his face, freezing as they fell. A rat, caught in a crystal cage.

  • Balticon

    This Memorial Day weekend is Balticon, Maryland’s premier Science Fiction/Fantasy Convention. It’s loads of fun with activities that range from writing workshops/panels, readings, science programs, anime, games, costumes, and so much more. It runs from Friday through Monday. I’ll be doing a costume panel this year. My friends, daughter and husband are doing their first panels as well.

    If you are in the area, come check it out. For more information on the convention go to Balticon and check the list of my friend’s panels at http://marylanddreamweavers.wordpress.com/ 

    Hope you see you there.