- Home
- Melinda Kucsera
Forgotten Magic (Magic Underground Anthologies Book 3)
Forgotten Magic (Magic Underground Anthologies Book 3) Read online
About Hidden Magic
Magic Underground Anthology Book I
From Magic Mayhem Press
No matter the world, life can be dangerous. Be they wizards and shamans, assassins, or everyday people, Hidden Magic tells their stories about escape, consequences, and most of all, magic. From Earth cities and fantastical new worlds comes twenty-two stories where heroes grapple with the seen and unseen in order to save themselves, their families, and often the world. Hidden Magic features:
Baby chimeras battling for their lives
Children sprouting fluffy tails
A king’s boat thrown off-course
A perfect life coming at a not-so-perfect cost
And more!
Check out the first book in the Magic Underground Anthology trilogy now: Hidden Magic
About Wayward Magic
Magic Underground Anthology Book II
From Magic Mayhem Press
Wayward Magic (Magic Underground Book II) reveals stories of missing people, rescue, and most of all, magic. Our heroes from Book I will grapple with magic gone wayward in order to save themselves, their families, and often the world. This collection features:
A woman’s hidden magic leaving her with more freedom that she wanted
Sisters at the center of a black magic scandal must stop the city from falling to demons
Children separated from their mother must escape the castle on the most dangerous night in history
And more!
Check out the second book in the Magic Underground Anthology trilogy now: Wayward Magic
Forgotten Magic
Magic Underground Anthology Book III
Melinda Kucsera
Raven Oak
Lee French
Erik Kort
H. M. Jones
Alesha Escobar
Devorah Fox
Anela Deen
Tiffany Shand
A. R. Johnston
Majanka Verstraete
Toasha Jiordano
S. Wallace
C. K. Rieke
Leah W. Van Dinther
Barbara Letson
C. S. Johnson
Joynell Schultz
Gwendolyn Woodschild
H. B. Lyne
William C. Cronk
Contents
A Trilogy Of Anthologies
Introduction
Toasha Jiordano
Dreams of Valonde
Gwendolyn Woodschild
The Rebellion
Tiffany Shand
Bound by Darkness
Melinda Kucsera
Spell of Scales & Steel
Anela Deen
Through a Valley of White Mist
Raven Oak
Honor After All
Devorah Fox
The Mouth of the Dragon
Majanka Verstraete
The Secret of the Red God
Leah W. Van Dinther
The Fort and the Fair
C. S. Johnson
The Ones Who Choose
S. Wallace
The Prodigal Son
H. M. Jones
Ariana’s Gift
H. B. Lyne
The Forgotten
Barbara Letson
Aamira
A. R. Johnston
Weather Witch Weapon
Alesha Escobar
The Great Return
C. K. Rieke
Parallel Princess
William C. Cronk
Great Sun Trilogy, Part III
Lee French & Erik Kort
The Greatest Sin
Joynell Schultz
The Mail-Order Witch
Acknowledgments
About Magical Mayhem Press
Forgotten Magic is a multi-author anthology. Copyright © 2020 by Magical Mayhem Press. All authors retain the individual copyrights to their works.
ISBN: 978-1-949145-18-2 (Print)
Dreams Of Valonde © 2020 by Toasha Jiordano
The Rebellion © 2020 by Ghost Stalkers
Bound By Darkness © 2020 by Tiffany Shand
Spell of Scales & Steel © 2020 Melinda Kucsera
Through a Valley of White Mist © 2020 by Anela Deen
Honor After All © 2020 by Raven Oak
The Mouth of the Dragon: Revelations © 2020 by Devorah Fox
The Secret of the Red God © 2020 by Majanka Verstraete
The Fort and the Fair © 2020 by Ghost Stalkers
The Ones Who Choose © 2020 by C.S. Johnson
The Prodigal Son © 2020 by S. Wallace
Ariana’s Choice © 2020 by H.M. Jones
The Forgotten © 2020 by H.B. Lyne
Aamira: Letting Go © 2020 by Ghost Stalkers
Weather Witch Weapon © 2020 by AR Johnston
The Great Return © 2020 by Alesha Escobar
Parallel Princess: The Wizard and the Demon © 2020 by C.K. Rieke
Bands of Iron © 2020 by William C. Cronk
The Greatest Sin: A Sacrifice of Soul © 2020 by Lee French & Erik Kort
The Mail-Order Witch, Episode 3 © 2020 by Joynell Schultz
Cover Art Design © 2020 by Melinda Kucsera, Magical Mayhem Press
All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental. Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Created with Vellum
A Trilogy Of Anthologies
Forgotten Magic is the third anthology in the trilogy of anthologies. Before you read this anthology, the publisher and authors recommend that you first read Hidden Magic and Wayward Magic as the stories are interconnected.
Introduction
Writing three stories that stand alone, yet connect in such a way as to encourage readers to remain on a journey across three books is not a light task. While Forgotten Magic is our last anthology together, it is not the last project any of the authors will take part in, so we decided that rather than a traditional introduction, the twenty-one authors would share a fun afternoon panel with you. (Please note that our afternoon took place with appropriate social distancing as we are under quarantine at the time this is being written. If you have no idea what we’re talking about, then it’s far in the future, and you should look up the 2020 Pandemic or Covid19. It’s an interesting read, we’re sure.)
Raven: Hey folks, I’m your snazzy moderator and transcriber for the afternoon. I’m a multi-award winning science fiction and fantasy author and artist who has been published on the moon (No, really!). As I sit here, most of the world is on lock down or quarantine as the Covid19 pandemic rages. Being high risk, I’ve been self-quarantined for four weeks now, and I miss game night with my friends. I know I’m not
alone though. Tell the readers about yourselves. How are you handling all this?
Leah: I’m Leah, horse-psychologist and polymath, and I’m surviving.
Stephen: Ugh. I am not designed for social isolation. Time to catch up on shows and such is cool, but time is just draining. I also hate talking about myself.
H.M.: In 1984, I was born a geek, continued being a drama/art/English geek throughout my many years of schooling, and figured I might as well keep the streak going. That being said, I’m fantastic. I have time with my kids, pup, and husband. I only wish for more writing time, but the kids still think I’m cool, so they want my attention. They will learn…
Melinda: I write fantasy stories about a fun bunch of characters who refuse to stay inside my books. Speaking of…I’m currently hiding from a bunch of them. I know what you’re thinking, but they’re not fictional. They’re real, and they’re in my apartment… They want more page time! Oh, how am I doing? Not too bad, thanks for asking.
Anela: I’m an author of speculative fiction (usually with a little romance and a lot of sarcasm), currently working on new fantasy books, and washing my hands. Today I’m feeling medium-rare.
Raven: I imagine when we look back at this conversation, it’ll feel weird to think on how having so much time could be both good and a curse. Some of you have been using the time for writing, while others have spent it with family or catching up on hobbies and cleaning.
Lee: If there’s an apocalypse on, I’m going to clean.
Alesha: Why? I don’t like cleaning when the world isn’t ending!
Lee: No one wants to be in an accident and found in dirty clothes, right? Well, I don’t want to have a dirty house. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.
Toasha: Marie Kondo forever! This brings joy to my life.
Raven: Speaking of organization and being concise in your life, if you could describe your writing in one word, what would it be? (I’m going to stick to some of the more unique answers on this one.)
Gwendolyn: Surprising.
Anela: Hopeful.
H.B.: Gritty.
C.K.: Sprawling.
Raven: Many of you who I didn’t quote, mentioned your writing being character-driven or story-driven, or fantastical or tech-driven, which fits the speculative fiction genres well.
Toasha: I think by definition, fantasy is fantastical. If it isn’t, it might not be fantasy. Same as how we expect science fiction to have advanced technology. It’s not surprising to hear those words come up in describing one’s work.
Raven: True. Readers have certain expectations when they pick up a genre story. Part of why we enjoy the books we do is because they either fit or bend those expectations in a unique way. One question that gets asked of writers is the dreaded deserted island question. You know the one—“If you were deserted on an island with three books, which would they be?”
Erik:
Raven: Some people pick useful books, texts that would help them survive, while others stick to the enjoyable texts that would give them comfort. Where do you find yourselves on this? I know I’m probably bring a mix of the two.
H.B.: I’d bring Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, The Stand, and The Complete Works of Shakespeare.
C.S.: I’m a mix, too, as I’d bring The Bible, for my soul; a comprehensive herb and plant encyclopedia, for my health; and a blank notebook to keep me amused.
Stephen: Helpful all the way: Boy Scout’s Guide Book. The Lost Ways. An empty 5-section engineers’ notebook (those are books that have college ruled paper on one side and graphing paper on the other).
Gwendolyn: Do I have to choose only three? That’s cruel and unjust! The first book I would bring is Exiles: The Ruins of Ambri by Melanie Rawn. It flips gender roles on their heads, has compelling characters, and so many blindsided twists and turns that it’s hard to put down. My second book would be The Stand by Stephen King. I’ve read it four times, and every time I read it, I find new details that I somehow missed before, and it gets better with every read. For my last book, I would try to sneak in the entire Cradle series by Will Wight! Action, the underdog winning the day creatively, and a good dose of humor make the entire series worth reading over and over again.
Raven: I haven’t read Exiles: The Ruins of Ambri in a long, long time. Now I feel the need to go back and reread it.
Leah: I’m with Stephen as I’d want to survive, so I’d bring a guide to complete cabin-building, an electronics textbook, and a book on astronomy.
Anela: Why not just ask me which of my children I love best?
Raven: Okay, okay, we’ll move on from the cruelty question, and on to something completely random. What’s your favorite season of the year and why? For this, we’ll do a quick poll as well.
Spring: 4
Summer: 4
Fall: 9
Winter: 4
Raven: So most of us prefer fall. Interesting.
Tiffany: I prefer spring as it’s somewhere in between hot and cold. You have nice weather without it being too hot or freezing cold.
Barbara: Autumn! I love when the extreme, chaotic activity of a hot and thoroughly enjoyable summer relaxes into the last warm breeze and newly crisp evenings of Autumn. The world takes a few languid last breaths and offers up bounteous crops and lovely autumn flowers, then resigns itself to a cold and cleansing winter, hunkering down until the glorious renewal of spring.
Alesha: How can anyone follow an answer like that? I mean, if I say “I like fall,” that somehow sounds totally inadequate.
William: I’m brave, so I’ll answer! I like fall because it’s a transitional period, and the colors are amazing.
H.M.: I love the smell of wet earth and decomposing leaves. I love to scoop out the slimy guts of cold gourds and bake the slippery seeds to a crisp. I love the feeling of ghosts on the breeze. Fall, of course, is my answer. The season of layers and spooky stories.
Raven: Something about that answer could almost sway me, though I’m a winter baby myself. Something about the crispness in the air, and the bareness of winter trees… It wakes me up to the knowledge that we are a small part of a much larger universe.
Lee: I like that. In mythology, winter has always served to teach others about death and rebirth, the chance to begin again with a clean slate.
Raven: Speaking of clean slates, when you start a new book, story, or whatever—it is a clean slate. You have to create all new characters and worlds. Some authors start as pansers and write by the seat of their pants (e.g. no outline). Some are plotters and plan their writing before they begin (outline). Are you a panser or plotter or somewhere in-between/a mix of the two? Let’s get a quick poll on this one too.
Pansers: 6
Plotters: 2
Mix of both/in-between: 13
Raven: So most of us use a mix of the two techniques. I figure that might be true for most authors.
C.S.: I’m an in-between; I call it a “jazzer,” since I describe it as writing with jazz hands.
Erik: I’m officially stealing that.
Lee: Not if I stole it first.
Joy: Um…I wear shorts. I jot down a quick four sentence outline, then I dive in. From there, I outline as I go.
Raven: Does anyone here use zero-drafting? My zero-draft is a mix of outline and snippets of dialogue or description. Whatever pops into my head. It usually ends up about 30-40,000 words long, and I use that as my loose outline. But I’m up for changes as they appear since we all know characters sometimes order us in a different direction than we (writers) expected.
Toasha: Absolutely. Especially if they are dragons.
Raven: Speaking of dragons…
Stephen: A muse. I want to inspire people to excellence.
Joy: A dryad because I l
ove being alone in the forest, surrounded by trees and all of nature.
Majanka: Hopefully a vampire, because I’ve always been fond of those, although they’re a little bloodthirsty.
Devorah: A dragon. I have one, you know. He goes on tour with me.
Leah: Dragon here, too. It’s all about the eyes…
Raven: Wait, how many of us would say dragon?
C.K.: Well, technically I’d be half-man, half-dragon.
C.S.: I want to be a supermodel who can eat like a sumo wrestler. I think I would enjoy that.
Raven: I think we’d all enjoy that! Maybe that’s a superpower you could have. Speaking of eating, I had another author ask me this question the other day. I couldn’t answer it without a ton of thought, so I’ve been horrifically mean and have been asking it of every author I can. If you had to go the rest of your life without cheese or chocolate, which would you choose to give up?
Cheese: 10
Chocolate: 8