"The Matriarchs" by Lois Mei-en Kwa - published in Apex Magazine, issue 137, April 2023. Read it here: www.apex-magazine.com Lois Mei-en Kwa is a writer of science fiction, fantasy, horror, poetry, and tarot non-fiction. A Kundiman fellow from Singapore and Cincinnati, she works and lives with her family in Southwest Ohio. She can also be found at www.loekwa.com. Bobbie Chet, 20, is currently a student and lover of all things entertainment. Past their love for bringing stories to life, they spend their days working on their screenplays and their art to fuel their incessant imagination.  You can find them on Twitter @bobbiechett This Apex Magazine podcast was produced by Alli Nesbit.  Theme music by Alex White.  Music in this episode is by Alli Nesbit. Apex Magazine podcast, copyright Apex Publications. Apex Magazine is a bimonthly short fiction zine focused on dark science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Find us at http://www.apex-magazine.com.

The Matriarchs

"Over Moonlit Clouds" by Coda Audeguy-Pegon - published in Apex Magazine, issue 136, March 2023. Read it here: https://apex-magazine.com/short-fiction/over-moonlit-clouds/ Coda Audeguy-Pegon is at eir happiest when exploring the farthest reaches of the imaginary, where the mundane waltzes with the impossible and the only limit is cohesive world-building. Born and raised at the foot of the Alps, Coda emigrated to South Africa in eir late teens. This story was written in Cape Town, where e is grateful to live and work. Gabe Hicks is a game designer for digital and tabletop. He created the CMM (an alternative character creation tool for D&D 5e focused on class narrative) that has been featured on the D&D twitch channel. He has worked with Paizo, Critical Role, MageHandPress, and Grim & Perilous Studios. Leading a group called Mythic Grove, he focuses on highlighting smaller creators to give them a platform and opportunity through streaming, design, writing, or other creative mediums with the projects that Mythic Grove creates.  Along with designing games, Gabe is a voice actor and a cosplayer.  You can find him on instagram and twitter @gabeJamesGames This Apex Magazine podcast was produced by Alli Nesbit.  Theme music by Alex White.  Music in this episode is by Alli Nesbit. Apex Magazine podcast, copyright Apex Publications. Apex Magazine is a bimonthly short fiction zine focused on dark science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Find us at http://www.apex-magazine.com.

Over Moonlit Clouds

"River Bargain Baby" by K.S. Walker - published in Apex Magazine, issue 135, January 2023. Read it here: https://apex-magazine.com/short-fiction/river-bargain-baby/  K.S. Walker writes speculative fiction. You can often find them spending time outside with their family or starting a craft project but probably not finishing it. K.S. Walker has previously been published at FIYAH, Uncanny, Fantasy, and elsewhere. They are online at www.kswalker.net or Twitter and Instagram @kswalkerwrites. Tonia Ransom is the creator and executive producer of NIGHTLIGHT, an award-winning horror podcast featuring creepy tales written by Black writers, and Afflicted, a horror thriller best described as Lovecraft Country meets True Blood. Tonia has been scaring people since the second grade, when she wrote her first story based on Michael Myers. She’s a World Fantasy Award Winner, and This is Horror Award runner-up. She lives in Austin, Texas. You can follow Tonia @missdefying on all the socials. Risen is her debut book. This Apex Magazine podcast was produced by Alli Nesbit.  Theme music by Alex White.  Music in this episode is by Alli Nesbit. Apex Magazine podcast, copyright Apex Publications. Apex Magazine is a bimonthly short fiction zine focused on dark science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Find us at http://www.apex-magazine.com.

River Bargain Baby

"The Big Glass Box and the Boys Inside" by Isabel J. Kim - published in Apex Magazine, issue 135, January 2023. Read it here:  https://apex-magazine.com/short-fiction/the-big-glass-box-and-the-boys-inside/ Isabel J. Kim is a Korean-American speculative fiction writer based in New York City. She is a Shirley Jackson Award winner and her short fiction has been published in Clarkesworld, Lightspeed, and Strange Horizons, among others. When she’s not writing, she’s either practicing law or co-hosting her internet culture podcast Wow if True —both equally noble pursuits. Find her at http://isabel.kim/ or @isabeljkim on Twitter. Julian Maclurg is a queer, trans writer, director, and voice actor. He has a first-class degree in creative writing and grew up attending theatre and music schools. Above all, he’s a storyteller and a writer, and couldn’t be more excited to share a story he’s so passionate about.  He helms The Night Shift Podcast, an urban fantasy queer led audio drama about a barista entangled trying to unearth the darkness of Echor City.  He's on twitter @gunpowderstars and the show can be found at www.nightshiftpod.com This Apex Magazine podcast was produced by Alli Nesbit.  Theme music by Alex White.  Music in this episode is by Alli Nesbit. Apex Magazine podcast, copyright Apex Publications. Apex Magazine is a bimonthly short fiction zine focused on dark science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Find us at http://www.apex-magazine.com.

The Big Glass Box and the Boys Inside

"Observations of a Small Object in Decaying Orbit" by Margaret Dunlap - published in Apex Magazine, issue 134, November 2022. Read it here:  https://apex-magazine.com/short-fiction/observations-of-a-small-object-in-decaying-orbit/ Margaret Dunlap is the author of more than a dozen published short stories and novelettes appearing in Uncanny, Shimmer, and The Sunday Morning Transport and as part of the Locus Award-nominated team behind Bookburners. She also writes for television where her credits include cult-favorite The Middleman, Blade Runner: Black Lotus, and the Emmy-winning Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. She lives in Los Angeles, at www.margaretdunlap.com, and on Twitter as @spyscribe. Paxton Clifford lives in a tiny apartment near Salt Lake City, Utah with his cat, Suki. Together they play a lot of games, read a lot of books, and think an acceptable number of thoughts. Some of those thoughts, along with links to his social media presence, can be found on his blog, indefinitegrowths.com. This Apex Magazine podcast was produced by Alli Nesbit.  Theme music by Alex White.  Music in this episode is by Alli Nesbit. Apex Magazine podcast, copyright Apex Publications. Apex Magazine is a bimonthly short fiction zine focused on dark science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Find us at http://www.apex-magazine.com.

Observations of a Small Object in Decaying Orbit

"The Walking Mirror of the Soul" by Renan Bernardo - published in Apex Magazine, issue 134, November 2022. Read it here:  https://apex-magazine.com/short-fiction/the-walking-mirror-of-the-soul/ Renan Bernardo is a science fiction and fantasy writer from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. His fiction appeared in Apex Magazine, Podcastle, Escape Pod, Daily Science Fiction, Translunar Travelers Lounge, Solarpunk Magazine, On Spec Magazine, and others. He was one of the authors selected for the 2021 Imagine 2200 climate fiction contest with his story "When It’s Time to Harvest". In Brazil, he was a finalist for two important SFF awards and published multiple stories. His fiction has also appeared in multiple languages, including German, Italian, Japanese, and Portuguese. Brazilian, born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Diogo Ramos is an English teacher, writer, and the Editor-in-Chief of Revista A Taverna (Twitter @atavernarevista), an online Fantasy and Science Fiction magazine that publishes short stories written by Brazilian authors in Portuguese. He’s been teaching for almost fifteen years and, once in a while, he dares to translate stories from English to Portuguese. Find him online at: diogolsramos.com This Apex Magazine podcast was produced by Alli Nesbit.  Theme music by Alex White.  Music in this episode is by Alli Nesbit. Apex Magazine podcast, copyright Apex Publications. Apex Magazine is a bimonthly short fiction zine focused on dark science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Find us at http://www.apex-magazine.com.

The Walking Mirror of the Soul

"Nothing That Bleeds" by Leah Ning - published in Apex Magazine, issue 133, September 2022. Read it here: https://apex-magazine.com/short-fiction/nothing-that-bleeds/ Content Warning: self harm, suicide Leah Ning lives in northern Virginia with her husband and their adorable fluffy overlords. She spends her non-writing time drawing, playing video games, and playing piano. Her short fiction appears or is forthcoming in PodCastle, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Dark Matter Magazine, and Human Monsters, among others. You can find her @LeahNing on Twitter and on her website, leahning.com. Erika Sanderson trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London, UK. She works as an actor, director, and voice actor. Her stage career spans over 3 decades in which she has created a myriad of roles in a variety of genres from children's theatre to classical plays and musicals. She is an award-winning voice actor, appearing in audio dramas, video games, narrations and educational resources. This Apex Magazine podcast was produced by Alli Nesbit.  Theme music by Alex White.  Music in this episode is by Alli Nesbit. Apex Magazine podcast, copyright Apex Publications. Apex Magazine is a bimonthly short fiction zine focused on dark science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Find us at http://www.apex-magazine.com.

Nothing That Bleeds

"On the Sunlit Side of Venus" by Benjamin Parzybok - published in Apex Magazine, issue 133, September 2022. Read it here:  https://apex-magazine.com/short-fiction/on-the-sunlit-side-of-venus/ Content Warning: suicide and grief Benjamin Parzybok is the author of the novels Couch (two-time Indie-Next pick) and Sherwood Nation (chosen for the Silicon Valley Reads program). Among other projects, he founded Gumball Poetry, a literary journal published in gumball capsule machines, co-ran Project Hamad, an effort to free a Guantanamo inmate (Adel Hamad is now free), and co-runs Black Magic Insurance Agency, a one-night city-wide alternative reality game. He lives in Portland, Oregon and can be found at levinofearth.com and @sparkwatson. Kira Nesbit has always had a love of storytelling and worldbuilding, and a fascination with characters, their motivations, and the way drama and conflict shapes a narrative. Their favorite avenues of storytelling are video games, TTRPGs, visual media, and audio dramas/podcasts. They run a duet actual play podcast,  RPG For You and Me, and are a cast member on another actual play podcast, Sounds Like Crowes. They love voice work and finding new ways to bring stories and characters to life, and spend most of their time exploring the worlds and creations of others who share that love. Kira is not on any public-facing social media but they can be found on the RPG for You and Me show Discord server which can be accessed through their Patreon at patreon.com/rpgforyouandme.  This Apex Magazine podcast was produced by Alli Nesbit.  Theme music by Alex White.  Music in this episode is by Alli Nesbit. Apex Magazine podcast, copyright Apex Publications. Apex Magazine is a bimonthly short fiction zine focused on dark science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Find us at http://www.apex-magazine.com.

On the Sunlit Side of Venus

"Your Space Between" by Marie Croke — published in Apex Magazine, issue 132, July 2022. Read it here: https://apex-magazine.com/short-fiction/your-space-between/ Marie Croke is an award-winning fantasy and science-fiction writer living in Maryland with her family, all of whom like to scribble messages in her notebooks when she’s not looking. She is a graduate of the Odyssey Writing Workshop, and her stories have been published or are forthcoming in over a dozen magazines, including Apex Magazine, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Dark Matter Magazine, Deep Magic, Cast of Wonders, and Diabolical Plots. You can find her book and short story recommendations at mariecroke.com or chat about writing woes or being book drunk with her @marie_croke on Twitter. Parrish Davis-Sauls is a Chicago actor who specializes in immersive theater and musical improv. She writes in all genres of music and has composed for Shakespeare productions and modern plays as well. She began her journey with classical music and plays guitar, piano, guitalele, and intends to learn many more. She can be found online @parrishdaviss on Instagram. This Apex Magazine podcast was produced by Alyson Grauer. Theme music by Alex White. Sounds used in this episode are licensed from Soundstripe.com. Music in this episode includes “Hidden Beneath” by Michael Briguglio and “Inside the Hidden Forest” by Outside the Sky licensed from Soundstripe.com. Apex Magazine podcast, copyright Apex Publications. Apex Magazine is a bimonthly short fiction zine focused on dark science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Find us at http://www.apex-magazine.com.

Your Space Between

"Creatures of the Dark Oasis" by Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam — published in Apex Magazine, issue 132, July 2022. Read it here:  https://apex-magazine.com/short-fiction/creatures-of-the-dark-oasis/ Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam’s fiction and poetry has appeared in over 90 publications such as Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, Lightspeed, and LeVar Burton Reads, as well as in six languages. By night, she has been a finalist for the Nebula Award. By day, she works as a Narrative Designer writing romance games for the mobile app Chapters. She lives in Texas with her partner and a mysterious number of cats. Laura Jewell is an English teacher in Evanston, IL. She holds a BA in Theater from Miami University and a Master of Science in Education from Northwestern. In her free time she’s a Level 7 Enchantress and a full-time mom to an orange cat named Orange Cat. This is her first narration. This Apex Magazine podcast was produced by Alyson Grauer. Theme music by Alex White. Sounds used in this episode are licensed from Soundstripe.com. Music in this episode includes “Ghosts” by Enoch Yang, licensed from Soundstripe.com. Apex Magazine podcast, copyright Apex Publications. Apex Magazine is a bimonthly short fiction zine focused on dark science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Find us at http://www.apex-magazine.com.

Creatures of the Dark Oasis

"In The Monster's Mouth" by Tim Waggoner — published in Apex Magazine, issue 131, May 2022. Read it here: https://www.apex-magazine.com/ Tim Waggoner has published over forty novels and five collections of short stories. He writes original dark fantasy and horror, as well as media tie-ins, and his articles on writing have appeared in numerous publications. He’s won the Bram Stoker Award, the HWA’s Mentor of the Year Award, been a finalist for the Shirley Jackson Award and the Scribe Award. His fiction has received numerous Honorable Mentions in volumes of Best Horror of the Year, and he’s twice had stories selected for inclusion in volumes of Year’s Best Hardcore Horror. He’s also a full-time tenured professor who teaches creative writing and composition at Sinclair College in Dayton, Ohio. Emmie Christie is a fiction writer and narrator. She has narrated the science fiction novel “The Amaranth Chronicles: Deviant Rising”, written by Alexander Barnes and Christopher Preiman. She has written stories for Flash Fiction Online, Infinite Worlds Magazine, and Three-Lobed Burning Eye. You can find more of her work at www.emmiechristie.com or follow her on Twitter @EmmieChristie33. This Apex Magazine podcast was produced by Alyson Grauer. Theme music by Alex White. Sounds used in this episode are licensed from Soundstripe.com. Music in this episode includes “What You Do Not Know” by Joshua Spacht and “Shadow Passage” by Cody Martin, licensed from Soundstripe.com. Apex Magazine podcast, copyright Apex Publications. Apex Magazine is a bimonthly short fiction zine focused on dark science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Find us at http://www.apex-magazine.com.

In the Monster's Mouth

"Hoodie" by Tonya Liburd — published in Apex Magazine, issue 131, May 2022. Read it here: https://www.apex-magazine.com/ Tonya Liburd shares a birthday with Simeon Daniel and Ray Bradbury, which may tell you a little something about her. She has been the recipient of a 2021 Horror Writers Association Diversity Grant. Her work either is, or has been, used in course materials, including at Writing The Other, as examples of ‘code switching’. She is also an Editor over at The Expanse Magazine. You can find her blogging at https://www.Tonya.ca or on Twitter at @somesillywowzer, or you can join her on Patreon at www.Patreon.com/TonyaLiburd. This Apex Magazine podcast was produced by Alyson Grauer. Theme music by Alex White. Sounds used in this episode are licensed from Soundstripe.com. Music in this episode includes “Dum Dum,” and “Titan” by Ghost Beatz, licensed from Soundstripe.com. Apex Magazine podcast, copyright Apex Publications. Apex Magazine is a bimonthly short fiction zine focused on dark science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Find us at http://www.apex-magazine.com.

Hoodie

"To Live and Die in Dixieland" — published in Apex Magazine, issue 130, March 2022. Read it here: https://www.apex-magazine.com/to-live-and-die-in-dixieland Russell Nichols is a speculative fiction writer and endangered journalist. Raised in Richmond, California, he got rid of all his stuff in 2011 to live out of a backpack with his wife, vagabonding all over the world ever since. Look for him at russellnichols.com. JV Hampton Van Sant is a voice actor, tarot reader, and writer living in Western Massachusetts. They can be found on most social media platforms @RedBlaqueGolden. Bee Zelda is your nonbinary busy bee! They play on various podcasts and streams such as The Broadswords, Iron Edda Reforged, Anime Attache, and many more! They are on Twitter @bee_zelda and on Tiktok @beezelda.  Malcolm Ray is a SAG actor and voice actor repped by Stewart Talent. Graduating from Columbia College Chicago, Malcolm has spent nearly a decade in commercial voice-over and being a YouTube personality. He can be heard in various indie projects as well, including The Black Sands, Lackadaisy Cats, Bulletville, and TOME Rpg. This Apex Magazine podcast was produced by Alyson Grauer. Theme music by Alex White. Music in this episode includes “New Whip” “Godfather’s Shoes” and “Gravity Dust” by Jay Will, from Soundstripe.com. Find more from Jay Will on Tiktok and Instagram @ xJWill.  Apex Magazine podcast, copyright Apex Publications. Apex Magazine is a bimonthly short fiction zine focused on dark science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Find us at http://www.apex-magazine.com.

To Live and Die in Dixieland

"It Rises And Falls And Rises Again" — published in Apex Magazine, issue 130, March 2022. Read it here: http://www.apex-magazine.com/ RJ Taylor is a queer speculative fiction writer who writes mostly fantasy, near-future, and weird novels, short stories, and flash fiction. She received her MFA from Emerson College and was part of the pilot year of Grub Street’s Novel Incubator program, a year-long intensive novel writing and revision course. She’s also had the honor of participating in four Out of Excuses Writing Retreats from which she gained two writing groups and a husband. Her flash fiction is forthcoming from Factor Four Magazine. You can find her at rjtaylorauthor.com or, when the occasional fit of social energy strikes, on Twitter @rjtaylorwriter. Addison Peacock is a writer, podcaster, voice actor, and soup enthusiast based in Los Angeles who can currently be found writing and voicing things all over the great big internet. She plays Moriah Harris on the award-winning actual play podcast A Horror Borealis, and recently appeared as Graham Anderson in The Subjective Truth, Karen in Two Flat Earthers Kidnap a Freemason, and Doris in It Listens from the Radio. Her favorite things are scary stories, cats, and making weird art with her friends. This Apex Magazine podcast was produced by Alyson Grauer. Theme music by Alex White. Other music in this podcast includes “You Are Enough” by Moments. Music and sounds were licensed through Soundstripe.com. Apex Magazine podcast, copyright Apex Publications. Apex Magazine is a bimonthly short fiction zine focused on dark science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Find us at http://www.apex-magazine.com.

It Rises And Falls And Rises Again

"Sheri, At This Very Moment" — published in Apex Magazine, issue 129, January 2022. Read it here: http://www.apex-magazine.com/ Bianca Sayan (she/they) works in civic technology and resides in Toronto with her spouse and daughter. You can find her previous work in Analog, Augur Magazine, and Tesseracts. JV Hampton-VanSant (they/she) is a voice actor, tarot reader and writer living in Western Massachusetts. She can be heard most frequently on Creepy Podcast. They can be found on most social media platforms under the screen name RedBlaqueGolden. This Apex Magazine podcast was produced by Alyson Grauer. Theme music by Alex White. Other music in this podcast includes “Those Lost” by Moments. Music and sounds were licensed through Soundstripe.com. Apex Magazine podcast, copyright Apex Publications. Apex Magazine is a bimonthly short fiction zine focused on dark science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Find us at http://www.apex-magazine.com.

Sheri, At This Very Moment

"It Happened in Loontown" — published in Apex Magazine, issue 129, January 2022. Read it here: https://apex-magazine.com/it-happened-in-loontown/  Lavie Tidhar is the author of Osama, The Violent Century, A Man Lies Dreaming, Central Station, Unholy Land, and By Force Alone. His latest novels are The Hood and The Escapement. His awards include the World Fantasy Award, the British Fantasy Award, the John W. Campbell Award, the Neukom Prize and the Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Prize. You can find out more at lavietidhar.wordpress.com. This story was narrated by Drew Mierzejewski. Drew Mierzejewski is a writer, actor and overall creative based in Chicago. When he is not working on homebrew D&D campaigns and his podcast Skyjacks: Courier's Call, he is often found collaborating on projects with and cooking food for his wife, Aly. Drew loves creating stories, playing games, and spreading hope in a brighter future. He’s on Twitter @worldstoforge. This Apex Magazine podcast was produced by Alyson Grauer. Theme music by Alex White. Other music in this podcast includes “Onward Home” by Ryan Saranich, “Silver Screen” by The Night Train, “Cotton Club Electric” by Dresden The Flamingo. Music and sounds were licensed through Soundstripe.com. Apex Magazine podcast, copyright Apex Publications. Apex Magazine is a bimonthly short fiction zine focused on dark science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Find us at http://www.apex-magazine.com.

It Happened in Loontown

"Soil of Our Home, Storm of Our Lives" — published in Apex Magazine, issue 128, December 2021. Read it here: https://apex-magazine.com/soil-of-our-home-storm-of-our-lives/ Renan Bernardo is a science fiction and fantasy writer from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. His fiction has appeared or is forthcoming in Dark Matter Magazine, Three Crows Magazine, Simultaneous Times Podcast, and Life Beyond Us, an anthology organized by the European Astrobiology Institute. He was one of the writers selected for the Imagine 2200 climate fiction contest with his story “When It’s Time to Harvest.” In Brazil, he was a finalist for two important SFF awards and published multiple stories. His fiction has also appeared in Portuguese and Italian. He can be found on Twitter (@RenanBernardo) and his website www.renanbernardo.com. This story was narrated by Sanderson Tavares. Sanderson Tavares is a Brazilian musician, translator, and copy editor, with a not-at-all-secret love for voice acting, a career that he's been pursuing ever since one of those infamous pandemic identity crises hit him in the head (We've all had those, right?!). If you can't find him on a stage playing bass with his pop-rock band Kenzzy, try looking for him on one of his 4 weekly RPG sessions, where his love of storytelling matches his nerdy interests in a perfect marriage. This Apex Magazine podcast was produced by KT Bryski. Theme music by Alex White. Other music in this podcast includes "Immersive," "Thunder Dreams." and "Scissors," all by Kevin MacLeod and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license. Some sounds in this podcast are provided by the Free Sound Project. Find out more at www.freesound.org. Apex Magazine podcast, copyright Apex Publications. Apex Magazine is a bimonthly short fiction zine focused on dark science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Find us at http://www.apex-magazine.com.

Soil of Our Home, Storm of Our Lives

"To Seek Himself Again" — published in Apex Magazine, issue 127, November 2021. Read it here: https://apex-magazine.com/to-seek-himself-again Marie Croke is an award-winning fantasy and science-fiction writer living in Maryland with her family, all of whom like to scribble messages in her notebooks when she's not looking. She is a graduate of the Odyssey Writing Workshop, and her stories have been published or are forthcoming in over a dozen magazines, including Apex Magazine, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Dark Matter Magazine, Deep Magic, Cast of Wonders, and Diabolical Plots. You can find her book and short story recommendations at mariecroke.com or chat about writing woes or being book drunk with her @marie_croke on Twitter. This story was narrated by Leeman Kessler. Leeman is a Nigerian-born American actor and village mayor who, since 2010, has been performing as HP Lovecraft on stage, film, and in his popular web-series advice show, Ask Lovecraft. You can find more of his narration work on the Escape Artists network and on Audible. This Apex Magazine podcast was produced by KT Bryski. Theme music by Alex White. Other music in this podcast includes "Blue Sizzle," "Apprehension," "The Dread," "Magic Forest," "Wounded," and "Stages of Grief," all by Kevin MacLeod and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license. Some sounds in this podcast are provided by the Free Sound Project. Find out more at www.freesound.org. Apex Magazine podcast, copyright Apex Publications. Apex Magazine is a bimonthly short fiction zine focused on dark science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Find us at http://www.apex-magazine.com.

To Seek Himself Again

"Security Breach at Sugar Pine Suites" — published in Apex Magazine, Indigenous Futurists special issue, October 2021. Read it here: https://apex-magazine.com/security-breach-at-sugar-pine-suites Pamela Rentz is a citizen of the Karuk Tribe and works as a paralegal specializing in tribal affairs. She is a graduate of the Clarion West Writers Workshop and has been published in Asimov’s, Apex, and has a story forthcoming in Fantasy Magazine. Her personal website is www.pamrentz.com. This story was narrated by Marguerite Croft.  Reared in Idaho’s Magic Valley, Marguerite Croft (Ojibwe) is a writer, mom, graduate of Clarion West, and part of the team behind the Point Mystic audio drama. She’s narrated stories for PodCastle, Escape Pod, and Pseudopod, and recently voiced the character of Octavie Thomas for Kalila Stormfire’s Economical Magick Services. She currently lives just south of San Francisco with her family. This Apex Magazine podcast was produced by KT Bryski. Theme music by Alex White. Other music in this podcast includes "Over Under" and "Numinous Shine," both by Kevin MacLeod and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license. Some sounds in this podcast are provided by the Free Sound Project. Find out more at www.freesound.org. Apex Magazine podcast, copyright Apex Publications. Apex Magazine is a bimonthly short fiction zine focused on dark science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Find us at http://www.apex-magazine.com.

Security Breach at Sugar Pine Suites

"Cottonmouth" — published in Apex Magazine, issue 125, September 2021. Read it here: https://apex-magazine.com/cottonmouth Please note that this story includes racial violence against Black people and references to slavery. Joelle Wellington grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where her childhood was spent wandering the main branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. Her love of the written word led her to a B.A. in Creative Writing and International Studies. When she isn’t writing, she’s reading and when she’s not doing that, she’s attempting to bake bread with varying degrees of success. She is represented by Quressa Robinson of Nelson Literary Agency. This month's narrator is Angela Naomi. Angela is a Los Angeles-based actress. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where she earned a BA in Sociology. The years in between college and her move to LA were spent teaching dance, acting, and pageant coaching along with performing in musical theater and modeling.  She also worked as a social media marketer for small businesses around the world. Angela served in the US Navy Reserves as a Corpsman then a recruiter. Often mistaken for an extrovert, she’s an introvert whose most cherished moments are spent with her family and close friends. This Apex Magazine podcast was produced by KT Bryski. Theme music by Alex White. Other music in this podcast includes "Hush," "Very Low Note," "SPC-x2x," and "Discovery Hit," all by Kevin MacLeod and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license. Some sounds in this podcast are provided by the Free Sound Project. Find out more at www.freesound.org. Apex Magazine podcast, copyright Apex Publications. Apex Magazine is a bimonthly short fiction zine focused on dark science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Find us at http://www.apex-magazine.com.

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