Greetings, supporters of "These People Mean Nothing To Each Other."  I've started fundraising another short story, and like "These People..." it operates heavily on what's unsaid and not shown.  Unlike "These People..." it's not a gritty crime story.  Instead, it's called "Shrimp" and it's about the martial arts. 

I've been studying jujitsu for years now, and I wanted to tell stories about the sorts of fascinating people I've met in a small suburban dojo.  "Shrimp" is the first such story I've put up for funding, and it's not about badasses fighting for glory and survival.  It's about people coping with divorce and child-rearing.  They just happen to be studying the deadly arts while they do it.

If you're curious, click the link and check it out.  Thanks.

-G.

"These People..." uses switching narratives to let the reader see a mystery unfold.  My novel SWITCHFLIPPED does the same thing, on a larger scale, with an urban fantasy tale of fortunes told, time stolen and loves lost.  (If you're familiar with the other stories I've released for free using Kickstarter, it might remind you of "ENZYMES" or "A Long, Romantic Weekend.")  Currently, it's available for e-readers, but I'm trying to fund a print version as well.  If you'd like it as a bound and printed volume, now is the time to get it cheaper by pledging for it.  

Thanks for your time and attention.

-G.

By which I mean, I've got another story up for ransom.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gregstolze/a-hole-in-the-darkness

This one's hardboiled crime fiction, just like "These People..." and it, too, deals with violence, undetected crime, and the amateur disposal of bodies. The difference is, the characters in A Hole in the Darkness are far more connected than they want, far too aware of one another. They aren't cold and disinterested. They feverishly wish they could be disinterested.

Hope you're interested!

-G.

As long as I keep getting paid to write stories, I'll keep putting them up here. Like this.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gregstolze/wind

"A Wind at the Window" is a cold, dry horror story about dying Finns and marks in the snow.

-G.

You know how "These People..." is all subtlety and implication? "Zombis Blanc" is the polar opposite. It's not about the the ugliness hidden under civilization, it's about the ugliness that explodes when civilization collapses. (In this case, the collapse is the 1791 slave revolt that gripped the nation that would become Haiti. The ugliness? Zombies.) You can check it out at http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gregstolze/zombis-blanc and, if nothing else, enjoy the spectacle of me doing my best Billy Mays pitch*, feverishly wrinkled forehead and all.

-G.

*NB: "Best" does not imply "good."

Thank you thank you thank you thank you, and here's the link...

http://www.gregstolze.com/fiction_library/ThesePeople.pdf

...and did I say "thanks"? Thanks.

-G.

The podcast of the story is the tantalizing perk offered to everyone who pledges a dollar or more. But how can you know it won't just be some nasal-voiced dingus mumbling over the sound of his dryer rolling clothing in the basement?

The same way you can know that the story won't be an amateurish mish-mash of unconvincing decisions and flat characters: By listening to this preview! Here, in its glory, is the first part of "These People Mean Nothing to Each Other." Enjoy, tell your neighbors and relatives, and pledge. Thank you.

-G.

I have been found worthy! Julia Keller, book critic for the Trib, read 800 submissions to the Great Chicago Ghost Story contest and her favorite was mine, "2122 North Clark."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/books/chi-1101-lit-life-contestnov01,0,238327.column

It's quite an honor. So if you're on the fence about backing "These People Mean Nothing to Each Other," you can consider Julia's endorsement.

-G.