Black Petals Issue #96, Summer, 2021

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Dark Resurrection-Fiction by Michael Hopkins
A Dip in the Pool-Fiction by Hillary Lyon
Far Down in the Credits-Fiction by Roy Dorman
Guilt Trip-Fiction by James Flynn
Ky'thagra's Big Day-Fiction by Devin Marcus
Larger Prey-Fiction by Richard Brown
Lover-Fiction by N. G. Leonetti
Sail Away-Fiction by Chris Allyne
Sleeping Again-Fiction by Russ Bickerstaff
The Poison Doorway-Fiction by Dionosio Traverso Jr.
The Tick Bite-Fiction by Robb T. White
Bake Sale Inspiration-Flash Fiction by Samantha Carr
Hotel with Full Amenities-Flash Fiction by William Kitcher
Reincarnation Jeopardy-Flash Fiction by Kenneth James Crist
Sex Fiend-Flash Fiction by Karen Bayly
Witches' Sabbath-Poem by Mike Collins
Blood-Poem by Mike Collins
Death's Pornography-Poem by Mike Collins
Temptation-Poem by Mike Collins
Painting Light-Poem by Mike Collins
Dark Waltz-Poem by Marilyn Lou Berry
The Last Victim of Vlad the Impaler-Poem by Mehmet Akgonul
The Bravest Ant-Poem by Mehmet Akgonul
Ain't Alien Spores-Poem by Richard Stevenson
Giant Goldfish-Poem by Richard Stevenson
Igopogo-Poem by Richard Stevenson
Megamouth Has Cavities-Poem by Richard Stevenson

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Wow…hot enough for ya? Don’t know what it’s like where you are, but out here in the “Great American Desert” it’s hot and humid. Wheat harvest is pretty much over and the cows are seeking shade. The oil rigs are…rigging. Doing whatever they do.

Here at Black Petals, we are fast approaching the century mark as we bring you issue #96. At four issues per year, well you can do the math. Been at it a long time.

I think the thing that keeps me going is finding and publishing new writers. This issue we have several newcomers to BP. We have writers, poets, a couple of critics (I mean the professional kind) and editors of other magazines. Some of our old standbys are back, too.

We have a poet, Mehmet Akgönül, who contacted us from Ankara, Turkey and a writer who is from Scotland. Then, there’s Samantha Carr from Plymouth, UK and Chris Allyne, who was born in Barbados, but is presently stuck in Finland. We seem to draw writers from all over.

 

I didn’t grow up with computers and the Internet, so every once in a while I catch myself remembering how it used to be. Sending copies of the magazine, printed at some expense by a place in Concord, New Hampshire that specialized in small jobs, to far places on the planet, sometimes costing eight bucks to send a writer a single complimentary copy to Australia. And wondering why the mag never turned a profit. Well, it still doesn’t, but now it doesn’t cost me nearly as much.

Black Petals has been one of my hobbies for years and I don’t plan to give it up anytime soon. Barring any catastrophe, I’ll be here, knocking out that issue quarterly. I know you’ve already looked for your own story or poem, if you have one in here, and I hope I’ve done a good job of getting your material out there. While you’re here, take a look at what some of your fellow writers are doing. Let’s make that hit-counter spin right up there…Thanks, guys and gals!

Wichita, KS

7/15/21

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