I am absolutely thrilled to let folks know that I’m published in On Spec’s Dec 2025 issue! The short story is ‘The Dragon She Didn’t Want’, a piece about a girl with some unusual skills who is put in a difficult situation (magically and emotionally) after the death of her mother. And, yes, there’s dragons!
Sadly, this is also On Spec’s final issue. An institution in Canadian speculative fiction, the magazine will be closing its doors after this issue, as its long-time editor is retiring. I am super excited that I got into this amazing (double-sized) final issue, given that, as On Spec will always have a fond place in my heart. When I was young and first dabbling in sending my fledgling writing out into the harsh world, I submitted to On Spec and received some kind and complimentary personalized responses. At the time, I didn’t realize how precious that type of editorial feedback was, so I took a break from submitting for a while afterwards, but once I learned more about the business, I looked back on those replies with a fond affection. And so I am thrilled to finally land in their pages, even if many years later. Please take a look!
Link here: https://onspec.ca/2025/12/22/on-spec-the-final-voyage/