Short Stories
All stories in this catalogue are available to read for free
The Butcher and the Boy who Became a Butterfly (October 2024)
Historical Fiction
Chengde, a small town north of Beijing, is known very little, save for one thing: its magical ducks. Their bones are made of steel, their eggs encased in shells harder than stone; and yet these mystical properties give rise to some of the best cuisine in all of northern China.
But are they really magical?
The answer arrives in 1973 when a mysterious butcher - a woman, no less! - sets up shop at the height of the Cultural Revolution. And only a little boy dares to discover the secret that may alter the story of Chengde forever.
The Woodcrafter (January 2023)
Fantasy
Mei is no witch; she works only with wood. And yet, apparently carving wooden sculptures is enough for the villagers to cry witchcraft. Typical! Now she's rotting away in a cell all because nobody understands her craft.
Then again, perhaps it's best they don't...
If they can't understand her, then they'll never know how she can escape. All she needs is a stick of wood and something to carve with...
In order to break free, Mei will have to revisit old memories that haunt her, made her into a "witch". But time is running out. Something sinister stalks these dungeons, and it likes nothing more than to make a meal out of little girls.
