Seanan McGuire (seanan_mcguire) wrote,
Seanan McGuire
seanan_mcguire
  • Mood: accomplished
  • Music: Halestorm, "Out Ta Get Me."

Let's get back to Buckley, shall we?

It's time for some free fiction. Hooray! It's Valentine's Day in Buckley Township, Michigan. The year is 1945...and it's almost the end of the world.

In "Broken Paper Hearts," Alice Healy is getting ready for her school Valentine's Day party, complete with pink sugar cupcakes and paper hearts for everybody...and Fran, her beloved mother, has not come back from her latest trip into the woods.

It's the end of an era and the day we've all known was coming for a long time.

Happy Valentine's Day.

You can download the new story now from the InCryptid short fiction page.

This also serves as your discussion post.
Tags: incryptid, short fiction
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fabricant

February 23 2015, 13:53:31 UTC 2 years ago

I really appreciate how you handle character deaths in your fiction. You use it sparingly so that it continues to have impact, and when it happens you give it the weight and significance it deserves without wallowing in the horror and/or grief of it (or allowing your characters to wallow in it).

seanan_mcguire

February 23 2015, 13:57:13 UTC 2 years ago

Well, the next story, "Star of New Mexico," is the funeral and aftermath. So there may be a little wallowing there...

wendyzski

2 years ago

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Deleted comment

seanan_mcguire

February 23 2015, 14:02:11 UTC 2 years ago

I fully understand. But the Alice stories that are coming up won't make much sense if you don't, sadly.

beable

2 years ago

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faecat

February 23 2015, 13:57:46 UTC 2 years ago

Oh. Oh.

seanan_mcguire

February 23 2015, 14:02:25 UTC 2 years ago

She was the flower of Arizona.

anne_d

February 23 2015, 13:58:01 UTC 2 years ago

I'll... just be over here in the corner, curled up in a ball sobbing to myself. I knew something like this had to come, but still, it was hard to read.

Brilliant and heartbreaking, Seanan. I'm going to be hugging the daughters after they wake up, whether they like it or not.

seanan_mcguire

February 23 2015, 14:02:39 UTC 2 years ago

Aw.

melebeth

February 23 2015, 14:43:36 UTC 2 years ago

In a strange way, although this was heartbreaking, it made my awful morning better. Thank you for the lovely story.

seanan_mcguire

July 24 2015, 03:52:25 UTC 1 year ago

You are very welcome.

Deleted comment

seanan_mcguire

July 24 2015, 03:52:33 UTC 1 year ago

Indeed.

geekhyena

February 23 2015, 17:27:50 UTC 2 years ago

Oh, wow. That broke my heart. Fran....no......;_; I wish I was petsitting my labmate's dog now instead of this weekend, because I could really use some puppy cuddles right about now. The starkness of what happened, finding her there.....that hit like a bullet. You do an excellent job of hitting people right in the feels.

seanan_mcguire

July 24 2015, 03:52:43 UTC 1 year ago

Aw.

sparrowpunk

February 23 2015, 18:01:56 UTC 2 years ago

Oh, ouch. I'm always thrilled to see more of your stories, but ouch D:

seanan_mcguire

July 24 2015, 03:52:50 UTC 1 year ago

Agreed.

wombatoverlord

February 23 2015, 19:20:24 UTC 2 years ago

Usually, the Incryptid shorts get to be a reward for doing / writing Science... this one, I'm waiting until I'm home and I have a glass of alcohol in hand. Likely a large one.

seanan_mcguire

July 24 2015, 03:52:59 UTC 1 year ago

Good call.

glinda_w

February 23 2015, 19:47:51 UTC 2 years ago

*cries*

seanan_mcguire

July 24 2015, 03:53:11 UTC 1 year ago

*hugs*

notalwaysweak

February 23 2015, 21:25:40 UTC 2 years ago

Knowing it was coming didn't make it easier. And yet I still read it, on the train and all, cause I wanted to and cause in a funny way I owe it to the Healys to share their bad times as well as the good.

We can tell you're a Disney girl by how things turn out for people's parents though, gosh :p

wendyzski

February 24 2015, 20:50:33 UTC 2 years ago

I made sure to have extra kleenex available and read where no one could see me.

seanan_mcguire

1 year ago

  • New comment

Oh....ouch

arrus

February 23 2015, 23:33:50 UTC 2 years ago

This is heartbreaking. I love your work and I'm not ashamed to say it makes me cry. I was eagerly waiting for this story, but this...It made me need a bit. Still looking for that first collection in bookshops, and she will always be amazing in the old stories. But....wow. Are we transitioning into Alice Healy Stories?

RE: Oh....ouch

seanan_mcguire

July 24 2015, 03:53:36 UTC 1 year ago

We are!

alumiere

February 24 2015, 00:32:02 UTC 2 years ago

Thank you!

seanan_mcguire

July 24 2015, 03:53:45 UTC 1 year ago

Very welcome.

marooux13

February 24 2015, 01:05:14 UTC 2 years ago

The time had to come, but still it hurts to read it. And the tears wont stop flowing. I need that brandy now. T.T

seanan_mcguire

July 24 2015, 03:53:55 UTC 1 year ago

Aw.

calico_reaction

February 24 2015, 02:44:33 UTC 2 years ago

Yay! Thank you!

seanan_mcguire

July 24 2015, 03:54:03 UTC 1 year ago

Very welcome.

bekitty

February 24 2015, 02:56:41 UTC 2 years ago

Hail and farewell, Violent Priestess.

joyce

February 24 2015, 08:41:00 UTC 2 years ago

This.

wendyzski

2 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

1 year ago

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ladymurmur

February 24 2015, 03:02:03 UTC 2 years ago Edited:  February 24 2015, 03:08:20 UTC

Oh, the dilemma! On one hand, the story - oh...wantwantwantwanttoreadthestorynowievenfitbreaksmyheart... On the other hand, the critical need to sleep before early meetings because groceries cost money and bawling my eyes out doesn't help me sleep...

Do I have to be an adult today? Really?

seanan_mcguire

July 24 2015, 03:54:55 UTC 1 year ago

Adulting is hard.

acelightning

February 24 2015, 07:42:47 UTC 2 years ago

You have to tell us what killed her, and why. (I daresay that has a lot to do with what Alice chose to do when she grew up.)

seanan_mcguire

July 24 2015, 03:55:23 UTC 1 year ago

Sadly, no, I don't. Not all mysteries are solved in the real world, and sometimes that goes for fiction as well.

acelightning

1 year ago

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kimberkit

February 24 2015, 07:43:21 UTC 2 years ago

A cold spot settled in when I read this. And then I thought, "Can haz revenge?"

seanan_mcguire

July 24 2015, 03:55:32 UTC 1 year ago

Indeed.

phoenix_singing

February 24 2015, 13:11:25 UTC 2 years ago

I read this yesterday while on break at work...I gave the Cornkitten many hugs when I got home.

Those hearts. Oh, poor Alice.

seanan_mcguire

July 24 2015, 03:55:46 UTC 1 year ago

Alice does not care for Valentine's Day.

Sylvia Mcivers

February 24 2015, 18:50:54 UTC 2 years ago

Yay! you make me so happy when you post fic.
And when you put out new books.
You make the world a happier place!

seanan_mcguire

July 24 2015, 03:55:56 UTC 1 year ago

Yay!

ladymurmur

February 25 2015, 02:52:30 UTC 2 years ago

Sniffle.

The mental flavor I'm left with is one of paper hearts on the wind blowing/shifting to headstones a la Escher's transformations. Or maybe headstones blowing away into paper hearts...

seanan_mcguire

July 24 2015, 03:56:08 UTC 1 year ago

Lovely image.

herewiss13

February 26 2015, 01:16:51 UTC 2 years ago

Man, when you do brutal, it's with a full-on Capital Brute.

At this point, after so many novels and novellas and short stories, it shouldn't be such a sucker-punch...especially when you make it crystal clear what's coming.

Of course, that may be _why_ it's such a blow to the gut, knocks the wind right out of you.

seanan_mcguire

July 24 2015, 03:56:21 UTC 1 year ago

I am good at brutal!

Pamela Adams

February 26 2015, 01:34:10 UTC 2 years ago

Sad, sad, sad. I want to give Alice a big hug.

seanan_mcguire

July 24 2015, 03:56:32 UTC 1 year ago

I think we all do.

pujaemuss

February 26 2015, 15:36:50 UTC 2 years ago

You have a talent for making me cry. It's kinda inconvenient at the moment, cause I've only nipped out of work for a few minutes and I've got to go back in again soon. Well done.

Puja

seanan_mcguire

July 24 2015, 03:56:42 UTC 1 year ago

Aw.
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