"Hero for Hire"

"If this doesn't have you in stitches, you may be made of stone…"

– Maryam Piracha, Editor-in-Chief of The Missing Slate

"Fowler handles his subject matter with wit and compassion. We feel sympathy for Darrell even as we laugh at him."

– Jeff Chapman, writer/blogger/book reviewer

"Hero for Hire" will always hold a special place in my heart. I sold it to A Fly in Amber in the fall of 2009, and it greeted the world the following January—my first published story. I'll never forget that weak-in-the-knees feeling when it was accepted, and then again when I saw it online for the first time. There's nothing quite like that strangled mix of joy and anxiety: It's published! What if readers hate it? I'm a published writer!

But reprints are pretty cool, too. Some of you might remember back in May when I shared the news that Abandoned Towers had accepted "Hero for Hire" for publication (after a few minor revisions). But alas, the market released all submissions shortly thereafter, and I was forced to submit elsewhere.

Whilst browsing Duotrope, I stumbled across The Missing Slate in my search for markets open to any genre, since "Hero for Hire" is kind of genre-nonspecific (Humor? Satire? Misadventure?). I hoped it would stand a chance, and in the end, it did; although I must say, it has very little in common with the rest of the issue!

Juxtaposed with my silly story, you'll find captivating poetry, art, literary criticism, and even social commentary. The Missing Slate is available in a variety of formats: online, PDF, and digital magazine. Take a look around, and if you happen to like "Hero for Hire", feel free to "Like" it at the end.

Thanks for reading!