***Trigger Warning: the following contains slurs, hate speech, and depictions of overt racism and LGBTphobia. Intended for an adult audience. Read at your own risk.*** The streets, filled with grime, garbage, and desperation, had been where Trinity walked when the police found her. She stood out in a clean blue dress that went to her ankles, her brown hair brushed out and clipped in a bun with red highlights, her neck decorated in a silver cross, her makeup well placed on

Hello Dreamers I would like to thank anyone who went to Word on the Street Toronto this year. Roughly 130,000 people attended the festival this year, moreso than last year. As usual I had quite the time! Hanging out with some buddies at Toronto Science Fiction and Fantasy, and chatting with other writers I met last year! Grand times! Photo from Rio Murphy, author of The Frugal Chariot So here is a log of my weekend! Staying in a Coffin Hotel I rented a room in Toronto duri

Hello Dreamers Lets take a moment to remember the dark chapter within Canadian History involving the residential school system. An institution designed to destroy Indigenous culture that ran from 1867 to 1996. It worked by having the children of Indigenous people taken to a series of boarding schools, run by Christian Churches and sponsored by the Canadian Government, to indoctrinate them into being proper white people. Considering about 45-50% of these schools were ran by

Order as a shirt or a poster print Hello Dreamers. I assume you heard about President Trump's whim to rename a lake. Not just any lake, but one of the Great Lakes that sits on the border between Canada and the US. Part of a group of four lakes known for being massive, fresh water, bodies of water. Where one of them is the largest fresh-water lake in the world (not the one being renamed). I know what you are asking: What does Trump's Tantrum got to Do with the Names in my F

Hello Dreamers. I want to take a moment to remember September 11th, 2001. While I live in Canada and have never set foot in New York City, this day left its mark on the world. The death toll of ~3000 people, most of which were workers, bystanders, and first responders, drew terror within North America. That terror reshaped airport security, it fuelled bigotry against anyone resemblant of the terror-cultists responsible, justified government overruling rights of habeas corp

Hello Dreamers This is Maeve. She is a kitty. A queen that loved her Temptations, her paper, and Mom. Over the weekend she crossed over the rainbow bridge to reunite with her sister, Bridget. Been placed in the dirt within our backyard, over her sister, on Labour Day. She would be about 11 years old. Her declined started a few months back, when her appetite slowed. A decline that sped up within the last few days leading to her death, to the point where she lost 3 lbs, h

Hello Dreamers If you signed up to be a beta reader you should have gotten a link to the manuscript emailed to you by now. Discount codes will be sent after a time has passed and only to people who fill out a short form concerning what they thought. During the 6-8 week period recommended for a 60,000 word manuscript, I will be getting cover art ready while working on other projects. Again, thank you for those who have volunteered.

Hello my fair dreamers. Would you like to be part of my next book? Would you be interested in being part of the creative process? My up and coming book's first draft, To Reach the Space Whale (working title), will be ready soon, and I am looking for anyone interested in looking it over. A science fantasy where a farm girl and a flyboy team up to approach a being known simply as the Space Whale, believed by some to be a god themselves! There is action, romance, intrigue, and

Hello Dreamers. Last weekend I got hired to write a piece of flash! Link to the incriminating story For anyone looking for ghostwriting, or simply a skilled human writer to write you something there is a form to fill out that outlines prices. $25CAD will get you a work of flash fiction (up to 1000 words) for personal use. Its a way to financially support me while getting a piece of art out there that might not otherwise exist. I mean, I wrote flash about Super Mario Maker

The following is a paid commission. If you would like me to write you a story here is a link to the commission request form: https://www.spacewhaledreams.com/commissions Also Half-Hour of Silence is a Super Mario Maker 2 level created by Daniel Jacome. Level Code is VWG-28S-LDG What is Happening? Hiding within the bowels of Nintendo servers, lies pain created by players of Super Mario Maker, a level designer meant to allow players to build their own Super Mario levels. Such

There is something wrong with the sky. I rose out of bed in partial darkness, overlooking a sunrise that looked more like a sky on fire than a sunrise. Its eight AM, and the sun is barely visible, its glow blocked by an unseen, yet very visible sight. I draw a breath - the air feels weird, like its thinner, yet thick. I rub my eyes - they feel so dry and itchy. A look in the mirror tells me their red. What is happening to the atmosphere? Will it last? I check my phone, ge

Hello Dreamers. I haven't posted in a while because I had been tired and running around doing back to back market fairs that were utter failures. June's been harder than it ought to have been. Some good news is that the launch party for Beckoning from the Stars will be going ahead as scheduled at the Catacombs Cabernet on July 11th at 7PM. In Toronto with nothing better to do on a Saturday night? Come down into this dungeon on Queen St and get a live reading and opportunit

Hello Dreamers Update on the book. I am doing one last pass of editing. I am about a third done. Once that is done I will be finishing up the coverart, and then I would start the upload process. I'm aiming for June 20th. Worst case it will be the week of the 21st. I'm racing to get this book ready for the Launch Party at Catacombs Cabernet on July 11th, so those who show up can get a signed copy of the book. Are unable to show to the party? Well, I can give you 2 options

Hello Dreamers Here are excepts from the book that will come after Beckoning from the Stars. I literally started drafting it this Monday, and I plan to have the draft finished by the end of the month. “Dammit!” Enzo cursed as he jumped to his feet and reached for the throttle and the wheel. Looking over the deck he clearly saw the narrow fastboat of the coast guard, their tempered ferrous haul gleaming from the sun and the Space Whale. I have no eyes so I can’t cry. I have n

Hello Dreamers. As the title said. The human editor, Isabelle Betitia, has finished her hired duties and the manuscript is now back in my hands. The next few days will be me going over the edits, making the changes as recommended. Depending on how much extra will be needed to make it publish ready, the book would be ready and uploaded within the next few days, or within a couple of weeks. Stay tuned! Consider joining the mailing list if you haven't already.

Hello Dreamers Beckoning is coming along nicely thus far. The editor is finishing her first pass on the book and the coverart is looking gorgeous. I thought I take a moment during to show case these people who are not me whose playing a vital role in the book. Editor Isabelle Betita The brave soul that took on this daunting task of editing this twisted piece of work would be Isabelle Betita. She specialises in fantasy and horror, and has edited many books for Simon and Shu

Hello dreamers I am thinking about what my next book will be, as it is important to keep the publishing numbers up while finding ways to get an audience. Suggestions are welcome, though I researve the right to not act on it. The Kickstarter for Beckoning from the Stars isn't Even Finished yet, why are you thinking of another book? Said Kickstarter is also less than 1% funded and its almost halfway done. This usually indicates that the campaign will certainly fail. I still

Hello Dreamers. Below is the first chaptrer of Beckoning from the Stars. Beckoning from the Stars is still a WIP so this is subject to change, however the soul of the chapter shouldn't change that drastically. Enjoy: Chapter 1 Detective Frances Clark had never seen anything like this: blood everywhere. The body of a middle-aged man laid on the hardwood floor, covered in blood and stabbed beyond recognition. “The victim’s Walter Keller.” Constable Gregory Durem said, visibly

Hello Dreamers May the 4th be with You Happy May 4th, a day invented by a silly pun. (Get it! Cus it sounds like 'May the force be with you?') That's it for this post, other than back my kickstarter. There is even a poll for a change to the coverart. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/shannonfrancessmith/beckoning-from-the-stars-a-tale-of-love-and-cosmic-horror

Hello Dreamers: Here is all the stuff that is scheduled to happen from May to July. May 1st: Beckoning from the Stars Kickstarter campaign starts. May 12th: Early bird 10-15% discount for non-subscribers ends. The 20% for those subscribed on the mailing list do not expire until end of campaign. May 31st: Campaign Ends. June 1st: Earliest Upload-Launch of Beckoning from the Stars. Also start wrimo sprinting for next book. June 20th: Words, Art, Craft market in Innisfil. Ear