History That Never Was

Home of Dawn Vogel: Writer, Historian, Geek

“Memorandum from the Panel for the Identification of Consequentially Chosen Youth” in Intercity Illusions

| October 11, 2022

“Memorandum from the Panel for the Identification of Consequentially Chosen Youth” is not the longest title I’ve written, but it’s among them. But this flash fiction piece needed a slightly ridiculous title to go with the tongue-in-cheek “PICCY” organization detailing what should and should not be done when you’re looking for a Chosen One. The […]

Review of Lost in the Archives by E. Saxey

| May 11, 2022

Lost in the Archives by E. Saxey (Lethe Press, 2022) is a collection of the author’s short stories, many of which have been previously published. The stories include several in historic settings with speculative elements, as well as modern and future settings, all rendered with exquisite characterization and inventive plot elements. Some of the stories […]

“Safe Haven” in Intercity Illusions

| May 10, 2022

“Safe Haven” came out of a very specific prompt for an anthology: write a story that takes place in a hotel and only covers five minutes of time. That anthology was Five Minutes at Hotel Stormcove, and I was super excited to place “Safe Haven” in it! My story involved a werewolf who needed to find […]

April 2022 Publications!

| May 5, 2022

I’ve got several new publications out this past month! My poem, “Here, I Rule,” appears in the April Not One of Us. This is a small printed zine, which you can order directly from the publisher. The poem is a look at a child’s adventure to another world. My drabble, “Consequence,” appeared in Martian: The […]

Magic Awakens StoryBundle Ends Tomorrow!

| April 27, 2022

Tomorrow is the final day for the SFWA “Magic Awakens” StoryBundle! For a minimum payment of $5, you’ll get four books, including Promise Me Nothing. If you pay $20 or more, you unlock ten bonus books, for a total of fourteen books! That’s a pretty nice deal! Promise Me Nothing is a young adult contemporary […]

Urban Fantasy Reading!

| April 26, 2022

If you enjoy urban fantasy books and stories, I’ve got a few books that might fit the bill! For slightly darker contemporary fantasy short stories, check out Volatile Figments. The six stories each feature a different female protagonist dealing with something unusual and sinister. If you’d prefer something novella length with only minor urban fantasy […]

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! […]

My Urban Fantasy Books

| August 31, 2021

If you prefer your fiction contemporary but with supernatural elements, I’ve got a few urban fantasy books that might fit the bill! Volatile Figments is a collection of slightly darker contemporary fantasy short stories. Each of the stories has a female protagonist dealing with something unusual and sinister. Cross and Circle is a novella-length book […]

“To Make Haste” in Intercity Illusions

| August 17, 2021

“To Make Haste” is one of the older stories in Intercity Illusions. It was inspired by a day at work when I was scanning pages from books, and my mind got to wandering. I thought how awesome it would be if the books could scan themselves, with a magic spell or something. But I also acknowledged […]

Have You Checked Out Intercity Illusions?

| July 22, 2021

Have you had a chance to check out Intercity Illusions? Cities are filled with the strange and unusual, especially when you add the supernatural to them. This book collects urban fantasy stories and poetry highlighting the abnormal goings-on across myriad cityscapes. These tales will leave you wondering what is real and what is merely an illusion. […]