Speculations for June 2026 - A free novelette, a library of free short stories, and the secret lives of squirrels...

All of My Tomorrows is free to read

My hard-to-categorize novelette, All of My Tomorrows is out now and free to read in Issue #3 of Adventitious Magazine. Three or four other stories, along with the entertaining editorial are also free, and the rest will be progressively unlocked over the next couple of months.

Adventitious is a relatively new literary/speculative magazine making its mark on the short fiction scene, and I'm thrilled that this story found a home here. Jay at Tar Vol on Science Fiction and Fantasy (up for a Hugo this year for fan writing!) listed All of My Tomorrows as his favorite story in his pre-release review at the end of May. Read the review HERE​

My editor, Scott Beggs, had this to say about the story on Bluesky: "All Of My Tomorrows by @ldcolter.com defies easy social media promotion, so please just trust me when I say that it’s a gorgeously written heart-crusher with (somehow) thrilling action, a slight bit of magic, and BIG hope/heart."

CW: The story is told in dual timeline and deals with heavy themes of grief in the present timeline for a friend who died unexpectedly, and the Jakarta riots of 1998 in the older timeline. Content warnings are listed at the top of the story.

If you'd like to support a great magazine, you can buy the full issue or a subscription at the magazine link below or Weightless Books, or join their Patreon!

Screenwriting

All three Perilous Gods books are out, as well as their audiobooks, and I'm down to a paltry two short stories circulating. I keep thinking I'll have time to dive into starting that new novel that I've put off writing for the past two years, but other writing obligations plus copyediting for Tachyon Publications have kept pushing my timelines. And now, a new and unexpected project has dropped into my lap: a chance to try my hand at screenwriting with a co-writer, along with the opportunity for some consultation with Hollywood script doctor, Michael Hauge! So, um, wow. Guess that next novel will have to wait a little longer...

InkFoundry: A library of free short fiction

If you like short fiction, this is for you...

Hundreds (thousands?) of links to free-to-read Sff/horror short stories listed in a directory that's searchable by major categories, dozens of dialed-down tags, or a traditional search bar. Check it out!

To wrap up, as usual, a cute animal video

I spend a fair bit of time (some might say too much) watching animal videos -- wildcams, sanctuaries and rehab units, wildlife photography and videos -- but squirrel boxes have found their way into my feed and my heart with glimpses at their secret lives.

(The video is only about 15 sec and loops.)

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Until next time, happy reading!

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L. D. Colter has farmed with draft horses and worked as a paramedic, Outward Bound instructor, athletic trainer, roller-skating waitress, and concrete dispatcher, among other curious choices. She’s an author of contemporary, epic, and dark fantasy novels, a WSFA Small Press Award finalist, and a two-time winner of the Colorado Book Award for science fiction and fantasy. Her website can be found at ldcolter.com​

Other links: https://linktr.ee/L.D.Colter​

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