My first short story is published!

I’m so pleased that my first ever published short story, A Dog’s Life, is appearing in this anthology, edited by Elizabeth Zelvin, and published today.

The kindle version is available here on Amazon UK and here on Amazon US, and I believe a paperback edition will be appearing soon.

Mine is the only story set in the UK – actually in the Liverpool of 1980, and although it’s very much fictional, the setting is very real and I did live in those tenements for a while after dropping out of University.

I was young and naive and I was shocked by the level of poverty I encountered. Then, as now, it was possible to live in ignorance of the deprivation which may just be streets away. Then the terrible housing – damp and rat infested – was council owned. Now it’s still terrible but often owned by private landlords and with far higher rents for the same inhumane conditions.

It breaks my heart how easily people can be persuaded to look away from poverty and write people off as feckless, when there are structural issues involved and not just personal agency.

Living in Liverpool 5, I met some of the loveliest and most generous people I have ever known, and I swore I would never forget them.

There were some arses too, of course. People are people. But the real monsters I encountered on campus.

This is how I looked, all those years ago.

Now I’m off to read the other stories in the anthology – a treat I’ve been anticipating for a while.

Also I love these early reviews from these brilliant writers!

“This anthology is a treasure. Empowering, inspirational, and sometimes wickedly funny. Timely fiction like this provides a special kind of justice giving not only insight and empathy but a new strength to voices that must be heard. – Nationally bestselling author of Trust Me and The Murder List” –Hank Phillippi Ryan

“Elizabeth Zelvin has put together a strong collection that reminds us as if we ever need reminding how the daily lives of women can be affected by the conduct of calculating or even careless men. The characters in these stories will challenge, surprise, and inspire you. – New York Times bestselling author of The Better Sister” –Alafair Burke

“A soul-satisfying anthology of justice and revenge, expertly edited by Elizabeth Zelvin. Each story is a standout in its own way. If the deepest truths are revealed through fiction, then this anthology goes further, reflecting our own lives back and showing us how to live them just a bit better.” – USA Today bestselling author of Cover of Snow and Wicked River –Jenny Milchman

Ann