I’m super excited to announce (finally!) the launch day for my very first Kickstarter. I’ve backed 50 (yes, 50) Kickstarter projects. They’ve varied from my Pebble watch to my friend’s books, from expensive things I haven’t yet gotten (but almost certainly will) to perfectly delivered delights. Only 5 have failed to fund. And here I am leaping into the Kickstarter water. At least I’m not going in alone – there’s six of us! How lucky can a writer be?

The project: Six by Six.  That’s six fabulous stories from each of six writers. The writers include me, Tina Connelly (one of our SFWA readers and the author of the very enjoyable “Ironskin” and two sequels), the Hugo winner Will McIntosh, Stephen Gaskell (who’s work brought me to tears once when Kate Baker read  Paper Cradle), well-known fantasist Martha Wells, and Bradley P. Beaulieu, who has been our guiding light on this project (I believe I have read ALL of his books so far, which is a big deal – I don’t read that much fantasy).

Which leads me to my secret for this project – my six stories are all fantasy. Most people think of me as a science fiction writer, but about a quarter of my short work in fantasy. Here, I am pleased to present six linked stories set in a world I call the High Hills. The world-building is based on some of the most magical moments of my teenaged years, when I worked at the Sawdust Festival in Laguna Beach.

I hope that you give us a chance and back us, and I promise that between the six of us, there will be stories that you love.  And I want to also shout out to Julie Dillon, who’s art is being used for the Kickstarter (with permission, of course).