History That Never Was

Home of Dawn Vogel: Writer, Historian, Geek

Dakota Travis: Saurallero Extraordinaire in New Moons Under Which to Sleep

| April 19, 2022

“Dakota Travis: Saurallero Extraordinaire” started with a title prompt, which was originally “Call Me a Sissy, But I’m Going to Ride this Dinosaur Side-Saddle.” The original title was perfectly evocative, inspiring me to write the obituary for a man who had died (of old age, mind you), but was known for this delightful utterance (which […]

Have You Checked Out Avatar of Freya Yet?

| April 14, 2022

Have you checked out Avatar of Freya yet? It’s a collection of four fun Cobalt City Universe stories featuring Friday Jones and friends! It’s an honor to be chosen as the avatar of a god, raised to the ranks of superheroes in Cobalt City by their patronage. But for Friday Jones, a fun-loving biochemistry major […]

Doorways in the Gloom Out Today!

| April 12, 2022

Today’s the release date for Doorways in the Gloom! If you’re looking for a collection of horror and dark stories and poetry, check this one out! It’s available as an ebook only, and is only 99 cents! Doorways can lead to many marvelous places. In this collection, however, the scenes they reveal are shrouded in gloom […]

March 2022 Publications

| April 7, 2022

I’ve had a bunch of publications in March, and all of them are smaller pieces! “The Fall of Ocrone” was published in Martian last year, but recently, the Superfast Stories YouTube Channel produced an audio and video version of my story! It’s a quick sci-fi listen/watch (it’s only 100 words), and I love how it […]

Promise Me Nothing in the Magic Awakens StoryBundle!

| April 6, 2022

I’m excited to share that my novel Promise Me Nothing is part of the SFWA “Magic Awakens” StoryBundle, available from today through April 28th! This is a great opportunity to get four books (including mine) at a “pay what you want” price (minimum $5). If you pay $20 or more, you unlock 10 (!) bonus books! […]

Steampunk Reads

| March 31, 2022

If you enjoy reading steampunk, I’ve got four books out now, and a fifth one coming soon! First off, I have the Brass and Glass trilogy: Brass and Glass: The Cask of Cranglimmering is the first in the series, followed by Brass and Glass 2: The Long-Cursed Map and Brass and Glass 3: The Boiling Sea. […]

“Senchado in Microgravity” in New Moons Under Which to Sleep

| March 29, 2022

“Senchado in Microgravity” began as a flash fiction piece based on a prompt of a very specific tea set. The image was super evocative, and MANY of the people who saw that prompt wrote stories about the “fishy tea set.” (The set had a goldfish theme, including as small sculpted goldfish at the bottoms of […]

“Brick-Red Love” in Intercity Illusions

| March 24, 2022

My story “Brick-Red Love” came out of a Drawlloween prompt of “bride”. While in the context of Drawlloween, I’m sure it was meant to be a Bride of Frankenstein reference, but I decided instead to write a bit of flash about a pair of brides, one of whom is suffering from some nervousness that she […]

Unfixed Timelines 2 Complete on Channillo

| March 22, 2022

Have you checked out Unfixed Timelines 2 on Channillo? At this point, the entire book has been posted! You just need a Channillo subscription to read my stories and essays, and you can read other books there as well! A Russian pilot using a bit of magic and music to rescue her compatriot. The family impacts […]

Cover Reveal and Pre-Order Information for Doorways in the Gloom

| March 17, 2022

My next collection, Doorways in the Gloom is now available for pre-order! This collection contains short stories, flash fiction, and poetry with a darker vibe. Some of the stories approach horror, while others are just slightly spooky. Doorways can lead to many marvelous places. In this collection, however, the scenes they reveal are shrouded in gloom […]