History That Never Was

Home of Dawn Vogel: Writer, Historian, Geek

Review of A Spoonful of Malaysian Magic

| November 22, 2023

A Spoonful of Malaysian Magic, edited by Anna Tan (Teaspoon Publishing, 2023), is a delightful anthology of short stories by Malaysian authors and featuring the legends and tales of Malaysia as elements of those stories. A handful of the stories are also themed around cooking and food, and others around family, though not all share […]

My Latest Fantasy Publications

| November 16, 2023

If you’re looking for a fantasy story or poem to read, here are a few of my recent fantasy publications! Back in March, Wyngraf published my flash fiction story, “The Truth of Their Tunes.” This was a piece inspired by a piece of music, specifically Radiohead’s song “Creep.” Though the lyrics don’t come up in […]

Got an Idea for My Patreon? I’d Love to Hear It!

| November 7, 2023

Have you checked out my Patreon? It’s a way for my fans to support my writing and learn about what I’m working on! I share updates about my works in progress, including snippets of stories for my patrons! I’m also very open to ideas of what people would like to see there, especially now that Patreon […]

Interview with Ada Hoffmann

| November 6, 2023

Today, I’m chatting with Ada Hoffmann, author of the forthcoming collection Resurrections from Apex Book Company! DV: Tell us a little about yourself and your writing. AH: Hi! My name is Ada Hoffmann. My pronouns are they/them. I live in Canada, teach cognitive science at a university, and write stories. I also have a huge interest […]

“At Least No One Else Will Suffer” in Conceits of Whim and Fancy

| October 19, 2023

My story “At Least No One Else Will Suffer” is a brief flash fiction piece about an evil fae king and his new queen. I can’t say too much else without giving away spoilers, but the set up plus the title might give you a clue about what happens. “At Least No One Else Will […]

Soul Jar Out Soon, Plus Author Appearances!

| October 11, 2023

On October 17, Forest Avenue Press will be releasing Soul Jar, an anthology of stories by authors with disabilities. My story, “The Arroyo Fiasco,” is among the stories they selected for the anthology, and I’m so excited to see this one in print! It’s a flash fiction story about a dragon trying to find zher way […]

September 2023 Publications

| October 5, 2023

I had two new publication in September of this year, both fantasy stories. My short story, “Kick in the Door and Improvise,” appeared in volume 11 of Tales from the Magician’s Skull. The title is taken from the common “plan” we use in a lot of our tabletop RPGs, to the point that I cross-stitched […]

“Amanita” in Conceits of Whim and Fancy

| August 24, 2023

“Amanita” is an odd story on the border between reality and dreaming and, perhaps unsurprisingly, given the title, involves hallucination-inducing mushroom tea. (Amanita mushrooms can be poisonous, but they can also be hallucinatory. Or both.) It took a bit of work to get it to balance nicely between reality and dreaming, but I was pretty […]

Review of Sea of Souls by N. C. Scrimgeour

| July 26, 2023

Sea of Souls by N. C. Scrimgeour (Alcruix Press, 2023) is a gorgeous fantasy novel inspired by Scottish mythology and filled with family secrets and loads of heart-stopping action and danger. Isla Blackwood left her family’s home to become a sailor. But on learning that her mother has taken ill, accompanied by a cryptic letter […]

Review of Dragon Whisperer by Vanessa Ricci-Thode

| July 5, 2023

Dragon Whisperer by Vanessa Ricci-Thode (2nd edition, 2023) is the first book in the author’s Fireborn series. This first book introduces the reader to a fantastical world of magic, dragons, and the people who communicate with them. Dionelle is immune to fire, which makes her uniquely suited to communicate with dragons. Though her new husband, […]