Originally posted on Tuesday, January 21, 2020, at 12:15 pm.
A while back I entered my (long) short story “Principessa di Fiamme, Princess of Flames” in New Millennium's 48th New Millennium Award for Fiction, which accepts previously published works (“Principessa di Fiamme” was originally published in Eclectica Magazine, Vol. 22, No. 3, July/August, 2018). I’ve just found out that New Millennium has selected my story as a finalist! This story has a special place for me. I originally got the idea from a freak show poster of an intriguing performer. I wanted to write a story about her, but as far as the internet was concerned she didn’t exist. I never learned anything about the mysterious poster or performer, but the idea of the story never left my head. I kicked it around for a long time before I figured out a way to write it out – it was also partially inspired by the Coney Island Circus Sideshow – but I’m so glad I finally got it on paper, and I’m so glad New Millennium appreciates it enough to consider it!
