In Print: "Nighthawk"
A new short story in Go West magazine
Today is a milestone of sorts for me: after thirteen years of indie publishing, I have a story in a print magazine for the first time.
I started out as a young writer not quite realizing we weren’t in the early 20th century any more, and thinking that the way to get started as an author was to submit short stories to magazines. I soon learned otherwise. There just weren’t many markets accepting, much less looking for, straight-up historical and Western short stories.
I did eventually have a handful of Western shorts published online in e-zines, but after those sites ceased publication, I focused entirely on indie publishing for a while. Lately, though, some new Western markets have been springing up, and I decided to give magazine submissions a shot again.
Which brings me to today: I’m thrilled to announce my short story “Nighthawk” is featured in the second issue of Go West magazine!
Here’s a short teaser from the beginning of the story:
When he heard the horse he turned his head, slowly, a deliberate motion that would not spook the drowsing cattle. The droning, crooning song coming from his lips went on uninterrupted, dwindling to a wordless hum, but smoothing over the approaching slow thump of hooves so that, too, blended calmly into the sleepy sounds of the night.
His eyes searched the dark till they picked up the slight movement that showed him the rider. Somehow against the background of overcast night he made out the figure’s outlines, and recognized in it the slim upright form of a woman.
The song ceased quietly; his hand went with the same careful unhurried motion to the brim of his hat—an automatic gesture, whether she could see it in the dark or not. He was not surprised to see her. They were used to seeing Leonora Markham almost anywhere around the herd, though he had never known her to visit the nighthawk before. She scarcely ever rode on the front seat of the bed wagon which they had supposed she would find less arduous, but was always on horseback: riding beside the ramrod, up and down with the flank riders, sometimes even in the dust of the drag; so that the wrangler had to switch her sidesaddle to a fresh horse once or twice in a day.
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Congratulations Elisabeth! I hope print does make a comeback- I think so many people do prefer it.