They say that dead men tell no tales, but I’m the one to whom they tell them. Dead men, women, children sometimes. I listen to the stories, and from certain points of view it doesn’t matter if the story happened two days ago or two thousand years. Some things are written on the bone, and others need the more evanescent canvas of flesh. 

It’s not a business for the squeamish, but you knew that. Everyone thinks of the smell and the sights. Those are strong, but you get used to them. The worst of it is the stories, what was done.

***

As I begin revisions on The Shape-shifter’s Tale, I will be posting character interview excerpts for the main cast of the novel. This week’s excerpt comes from the interview with Emma, a forensic pathologist who returns from excavating mass graves abroad to find witch hunts unfolding at home.

Weekend Writing Warriors offers eight-sentence excerpts from a variety of writers; see the other excerpts here.

Publication Update: The Vampire Variations challenge story, now titled In the Laboratory of the Night, will be released on July 2 from Glass Knife Press.

Convention update: On Thursday 4 July, I will be speaking on the CONvergence panel “Stealing from the Best: How SFF Writers Beg, Borrow, and Steal Ideas.” Expect an interesting exchange of ideas!