Category: "fiction"
Wednesdays in the Grove
There are a few moments in the writing process that rise above the rest: Today is the third moment. I am thrilled to announce that my story, "Wednesdays in the Grove" is part of Romance for all Seasons: Festive Fall.
Story of the Month: With All My Hearts
My new Story of the Month is, "With All My Hearts." It is free to read here on my website until 9/7/2026. For Patreon McMuse tier members, the ebook will be available until the end of October.
Story of the Month: Shogun Dreams
My Story of the Month program has launched! Here's the deal: once a month I'll post a short story of mine for free here on my website. The catch? It will only be available in its entirety for one week, so be sure to subscribe to my email newsletter so you know as soon as they are...
The Woody and June Kickstarter is Live!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/robertjmccarter/woody-and-june-versus-the-apocalypse-volumes-1-and-2?ref=259xf4
Camp Activities Specialist Bulletin #8
Readers, a bit of a serious note, on July 21st a wildfire broke out in Flagstaff that threatened several neighborhoods. Our home was not in immediate danger, but we have friends whose homes were right on the line. The “Ready,
Zombies and the Dog Days of Summer
now cordially invited to join! It’s my joy to act as the Post-Apocalyptic Reporter, offering regular updates about how the apocalypse is going and snippets about Woody and June’s adventures. To sweeten the deal, Fan
Camp Activities Specialist Bulletin #7
Readers, finally quite hot. Yes, the dog days of summer are here. Our pups are so hot that they only want short walks these days. Teddy got a summer haircut from a professional groomer and he looks adorable. Olivia has been daily shedding the
Camp Activities Specialist Bulletin #6
Readers, for our Camp Activities! Here’s the update:
Woody and June Update!
summertime out west, there is often smoke in the air from the wildfires that seem inevitable and more rampant with each passing year. We remain vigilant about fire watch, clearing pine needles from around our home and staying tuned
Camp Activities Specialist Bulletin #5
has a host of medical issues that have made for many trips to the vet, special food, and meds. Busy times. As for Teddy and Olivia, this is a May/December relationship for sure. It took three weeks before he felt well enough to play
The Disappearing Neighborhood
big one and I can't wait. rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">Pulphouse Fiction Magazine: Issue #6! height="445"> anthologies and gotten paid for a fair number of stories at this point, this is the first one I was paid a
Camp Activities Specialist Bulletin #4
not tending to puppy Olivia, our author has been busy as usual with various projects. He’s working on a novel that will be released later this year, as well as a few short stories; one for a pirate anthology promises to be a big hit with ghost
Camp Activities Specialist Bulletin #3
always, if you have a question or comment, please leave it below. Happy Reading.
Camp Activities Specialist Bulletin #2
your campfire cues from the last survey, Robert has begun work on the second Tale. It looks like he will be writing a mystery with a man/boy superhero as the protagonist that loves to say bazinga
Campfire Tales
O’Reilly, here. I’m Robert’s wife and recently designated “Camp Activities Specialist,” here to introduce Campfire Tales. This idea has developed over years of Robert offering raffle and silent auction items for local fundraisers. Winners were able to join the
Saturday Stories: The Free Story Roundup
If you are in the US, this is Thanksgiving weekend and I imagine you are spending time with family and enjoying some tasty leftovers. And even if you are not in the US, I hope you are taking time to nourish yourself in this crazy world with friends, family, and good food (and, ye...
Saturday Stories: A Postscript for Elizabeth
“Hello, Elizabeth,” I said as you dropped the bag of groceries you had just come in with. I watched as broken eggs mixed with spilled orange juice. You looked tired, as if you hadn’t been sleeping much.
Saturday Stories: Memories of the Breakers
The breaker rolled past the window next to me, a sandy, foamy blur; I thought I could make out a jellyfish being pressed against the glass. It was outlined there for a moment and then gone. All that motion and chaos just inches away from me made me nervous.
Saturday Stories: Jack Who Works the Beanstalk
Jack looked small for his age, which was fine by him. Looking like he was ten when he was twelve was a competitive advantage. He had more experience, he knew more. When you’re competing for scraps from tourists, or the proceeds of an occasional lift, you took what you could get....
Saturday Stories: Connor Bright and the Case of the Purple Unicorn
(Excerpt) The ringing of the phone is like a dentist’s drill to my sodden consciousness. I groan, realizing I hadn’t managed to get undressed when I tumbled into bed. Again. I feel for my cell phone on the nightstand, my hand connecting with a half-eaten microwave burrito be...
Saturday Stories: A Brief Introduction
This whole free thing is a “thank you” to all of you that follow along here or on facebook or twitter.
Of Things Not Seen Stands Alone
Kind of. It is Book 3 in the series and features Jesus, the secondary character from Shuffled Off and To Be a Fool. It also overlaps with the events of To Be a Fool and follows Jesus...
Seeing Forever Extended Sample
I could go on, but you get the idea. These are my books. Even years later, if I pick them back up, they still sing to me. Maybe not quite the same, I'm different now, but the joy of them is still there.
"The Stars in Hoshi's Eyes" is Out!
It was dizzying to say the least, and it was pretty much beside the point that they didn't want the story for their print magazine, but for their online "New Fiction Friday" series. The best part about it being online is that you can
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“The Kraken’s Story” is Out!
That's the story we've all heard, but what does the story look like from the other side? From the "monster's" point of view? Sound interesting? Go pick up a copy of Undercurrents. Want to know a bit more? Here's the first sce...
Seeing Forever is Almost Here
It also breaks new ground, for me, exploring the philosophical and religious implications of a non-biological human consciousness, and some of the political difficulty that comes with that. It also explores what human relationships might be like while living in a more fluid way.
"The Kraken's Story" Available for Presale
My next short story, "The Kraken's Story," is up for presale in Undercurrents: An Anthology of What Lies Beneath. This is another fundraiser for the Don Hodges Memorial Sch...
Drawing the Dead on Sale (January Writing Update)
It's a brand new year, and I have a lot in the writing pipeline. The last few years have been pretty thin on releases and I am going to remedy that this year. So, to that end, I am planning to do a monthly update on all things me and writing.
New Release! Of Things Not Seen, A Ghost's Memoir, Book 3
Wow, there is a lot to say about this one, but I'll keep it brief up here an expand down below.: This is the 3rd "A Ghost's Memoir" book, long sidelined by personal challenges. Unlike book 1 and 2, this is Jesus's story and follows him from when he leaves Tucson in
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Dragons!
As I usually do when submitting to anthologies, I came at the subject of dragons from an unusual angle. "Dragon Years" is the story of an old man reflecting on a long life and the amazing creature he discovered in the forest of North Korea while MIA in 1952. It's a story about li...
Join the Team
If you missed the promo, just sign up for my email newsletter and you can get the first copy for free (click the big green "Subscribe Now" button to the right). And if you want to keep reading and get Toxic Asset for free, just write...
Adventurous Adventures and Heroic Heroes
[caption id="attachment1335" align="alignleft" width="300"] Adventurous and Heroic![/caption]
A Year in Stories, 2015 Edition
Last year, I did a roundup of 2014 writing-wise and what stories had come out. I wanted to do another one around the first of they year, but January has just gotten away from me. So, better late than never, here's what stories came out
Life After Sale
Writing short stories is where I started with this crazy adventure. My first novel was an accident and in many ways the short form is my first love writing-wise. You get to experiment and take chances, you get...
Back to the Graveyard
Enter Walter and Emily. These two have been on my mind for a long time, back when I was writing To Be a Fool. For those of you with a copy, they make a cameo in Transmission #44. Walter was a dentist and an out of work actor before that and has become something of a dete...
Two Short Stories Available in Audio
Two of my short stories ("Death by Starlight" and "The Last Flight of the Acurus") were recently featured on StarShipSofa podcast, episode #394.
A Valentine's Gift
For the next five days Meteor Attack!, the first episode my Superhero/Love Story series, is free over on Amazon. It's Valentines day after all. What could be better than love, action, adventure, and a dash of humor? And in many ways this series...
A Year in Stories
2014 had come and gone in a flash of challenges, business, and unique experiences. Some good, some bad, many a humbling mixture of the two. As this blog is mostly about my writing, I thought I would list out my writing releases as a way to
The Heart of the Hero
My latest superhero/love story adventure is out. Protocol X. In it we get to the heart of our super-hero, Nick Nichols / Neutrinoman. He's a romantic. He's a bit of a boy scout--always trying to do the right thing. He's in love and that l...
A Story for Halloween
We met at the little Flagstaff airport on the second floor, sitting on comfortable couches, watching the planes take off and land. It was a safe space to incubate as a writer and really helped me get moving. I distinctly remember reading this story up there out loud to the group....
Meteor Attack! is free in October
To celebrate the release of Toxic Asset (Episode #2 of Neutrinoman & Lightningirl: A Love Story), Episode #1, Meteor Attack! is
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Toxicwasteman: A Villain? A Hero?
But, that has never made much sense to me. We are all the heroes of our own story and the villain in someone else's. It's a matter of perspective. But I'm writing an epic series of superhero books (with that long view of a love story interwoven). Don't I need a nasty villain? Wel...
Death by Starlight now available!
Every Day Fiction just posted my story Death by Starlight. This is a very short (600 words) experimental piece. In the acceptance email I got, the editor used the phrases “poetic imagery” and “v...