Circe Featuring My Short Story “Rise of the Witches” Publishes Today in the UK

A Tales from Burkeland Special Edition

In “Rise of the Witches,” the spirits of murdered women haunt Circe. Not yet a goddess, she must decide whether to answer their calls and claim her identity or to stay safe in solitude but let men tell her story.

Also in Circe:

Introductory essay by Imogen Dalton.

Forward by Dr. Ellie Mackin Roberts.

Modern stories by Z.D. Campbell, C.B. Channell, Mason Graham, Kay Hanifen, M.J. Harris, Elena Kotsile, Claire L. Marsh, Erin Murphy, Lourdes Ureña Pérez, Elizabeth Roberts, Zach Shephard, Jamie Simpher, Theresa Tyree, and Mathieu W.R. Wallis.

The Greek myths and classic tales we know and love.

Mark you calendars! Circe will be available for purchase in the US/Canada/North America in February. You can read more here.

Circe is part of Flame Tree Publishing’s Myths, Gods, and Immortals series. You can see the whole series here. 

The Story Behind “Rise of the Witches”

Creating “Rise of the Witches” brought together what I love about writing speculative fiction: real world issues examined through fantasy and an internal experience for me.

When I read Flame Tree’s call for submissions for Circe in early June 2024, I thought, “I got something for that.” Just one problem. My ‘something’ was a hazy idea at best, and the deadline loomed two weeks ahead. I’d never developed, written, and polished a short story that quickly. I doubted myself. I wrote off the call as beyond my ability.

But that hazy idea kept calling me, telling me a story of Circe set long after the popular myths. This Circe lived exiled on Aeaea, worn down by the stories men told about her and mired in self-doubt. By the end of the week, I had to write the story. After several nights up well past my bedtime, I hit send on the email containing “Rise of the Witches,” sure it would be rejected.

Then, one day in August, I was sitting in the car waiting for a work appointment when my phone dinged. I opened my email app and read, “Circe: Story Acceptance.” I nearly dropped my phone as my mouth fell open. I opened the message and read it twice, just to make sure it was real. It was. Flame Tree accepted “Rise of the Witches.”

It’s fitting I learned of the acceptance at work since my day job as an advocate for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault inspired the story. Often, survivors struggle to find justice for the abuse they experience and face self-doubt as the move forward. At the time of the Circe call for submissions, I had several clients living that reality. From what I knew of Circe’s mythology, she’d be a kindred spirit for them. That thought led to a question: What if survivors of abuse called to Circe for justice?

As I developed my answer to that what if, I worked through my own frustration and anger at the broken systems my clients face. Unfortunately, we can’t offer Circe a bowl of seeds and have her dole out justice Greek mythology style. But we can listen to people crying out, let them know we hear them, and walk alongside them as they seek justice and build their confidence. And, like Circe and the other women in “Rise of the Witches,” we can stand together and build networks of support.

I hope “Rise of the Witches” gives readers the courage to ask for help as they face the challenges of our world and the courage to be of assistance to others. It is through community that we can find justice.