From Lifelong Writer to Publisher and Author
Hello and thank you for reading about me and my debut book at Author’s Lounge. My name is Nancy Waddell, and I’ve loved creative writing since I was a child. I studied at the University of Waterloo, where I received a BA in Rhetoric and Professional Writing.
I also obtained a Diploma in Journalism from Conestoga College. I’m currently the publisher and a contributing writer to The New Canadian Stories literary magazine, featuring poetry and short stories from writers across Canada. We just celebrated our one-year anniversary, and I’m looking forward to publishing more issues in the future. I also just self-published my Sci-Fi short story collection, An Orb Over The Strawberry Moon And Other Sci-Fi Tales, on Amazon last May. It’s available on Kindle and in paperback, cover astrophotography by Alex Kepic.
Exploring Humanity Through the Wonders of Sci-Fi
A childhood fascination with Sci-Fi movies and stories has always stayed with me, and I naturally gravitated to writing about space, rocket ships, aliens, robots and the mystique of the stars. Sci-Fi is the perfect genre to explore the common human themes of love, belonging, self-sacrifice, and the question of, “who am I and what’s my place inside this big universe?”
A Race Against Time in a World on the Brink
According to readers, one of their favorite short stories in my book is Asteroid Bennu 101955. A killer asteroid hurtles towards Earth. Noah must frantically prepare his rocket ship and launch his family to the safety of Mars before it’s too late. Here’s an excerpt:
“Noah didn’t know much about Mars Colony. He had heard about a settlement at the caves near Arsia Mons, and he figured they had the best chance of survival there. He pressed down on his bleeding finger, wrapping it tightly with a torn cloth, and went back to the welding. The air was thin on Earth, and he gasped with each exertion. He’d go back to the house soon and grab the oxygen mask from Karinta when she was done with the gardening. Sharing the only mask amongst the four of them made life challenging, especially in the summertime when the sun roasted their skin and seared their throats.”
A Young Girl’s Power Amid Shadows and Struggle
Another story that resonates with readers is the second in the collection, Nina’s Gift. A telekinetic prodigy must deal with her alcoholic father and the KGB. Here’s a short excerpt:
“Nina stood still and silent, transfixed on the plastic orange cup of water on the table – the same orange cup she had sipped apple juice from when she was small. A warm memory popped into her mind of when Mama had tilted the small cup to Nina’s tiny lips while humming a Russian lullaby. Nina pushed the memory away, since emotional thoughts clouded her abilities and focused instead on moving the cup. She coaxed it, and envisioned it sliding down the table in her mind. It didn’t budge.
Nina exhaled and steadied herself. She lifted her hands over it, and then gently guided it with a wave of energy that rippled through her palms. The orange cup slowly skidded across the table all by itself and then stopped.The water sloshed, and then the cup moved again, sliding right to the edge. Masha clapped. ‘Bravo! I knew you could do it, my Nina!’ She ran up to her sister and grabbed her neck.”
Discover More Stories Beyond the Stars
Thank you for reading! I hope you can get a copy of An Orb Over The Strawberry Moon And Other Sci-Fi Tales and add it to your TBR list. You can find it on Amazon here: http://bit.ly/3GcccvF
Or visit my website to purchase: www.nancywaddellauthor.com.
Subscribe to my Substack for more short stories: substack.com/@writerpublishernancywaddell
