Cracked lines. Shattered glass. Light distorted through water, waves bent and twisted so my eyes do not understand. Grating like shearing metal and screeching tires. Fingernails across steel. And the sterile, gaunt scent of alcohol and latex. I focus on sensations rather than sight. A hand grips my own, so hard I can feel bone…
Read MoreAll articles filed in Amira K.
Writer, explorer, and keeper of Alder the dog.
Half-Marathon; Or, How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love My Body
I’ve never told anyone these things. My parents, my sister, my friends – no one. So heads up. You’re the first to know. For the last few years, I have grown, slowly but steadily, to despise the way my body looks. When I was a kid, I was always told how skinny I was. I…
Read MoreCaptivate Your Reader In Three Easy Steps: Guest Post by Peter Samet
I’d like to welcome to The Z-Axis one Peter Samet, newly-published author of ZERO ECHO SHADOW PRIME. Peter’s compelling debut proves how well he knows how to tell a good story – here, he shares his insight into the keys to crafting a narrative, and how writers can capitalize on our human nature as storytellers. Why…
Read MoreCulling: A Poem
Some moments are so bittersweet They taste like a drop of honey on the tongue, and A pinprick on the finger, The bee’s sting, reminding me that Beauty comes with a price. They linger, these moments, through the dawn Foggy, settling into the valley for the night. They creep, these moments, culling memories from the…
Read MoreWriting and Running: On Triumph And Sacrifice
Writing a book is like running a marathon. You start out feeling great. You’re flying. You’re not tired yet (not even a little bit!) and you fucking love what you’re doing. That’s the first few miles, the first few chapters, dominated by euphoria, the thrill of your story, the thrill of activity. Then you get…
Read MoreA Sun-Drenched Moment
A sun-drenched moment in the afternoon When the black eyes of the field light into a thousand candles, Sweaty and shining pure green, Illuminates my memory With thoughts of those who have come and gone. Ghosts walk between these trees Lingering, Stygian, tucked into shadows, into The space between the raindrops And the veined blooming leaves.…
Read MoreA Poem: Thirst
Never would Thoreau have thought That one day, the sight of a simple creek Would be so rare, so strange, so uncommon That it might bring tears to the eyes of a passer-by As I was. Thirsty, Awestruck by the green grass, the minnows flickering The crinkled sound of water dripping over grey rock A…
Read MoreZERO ECHO SHADOW PRIME LAUNCH DAY
All right, y’all. It’s here. Peter Samet’s debut novel ZERO ECHO SHADOW PRIME, the story of one girl, four ways. I’m not shitting you when I say you need to go get your copy right. the. fuck. now. or else I might personally come hunt you down. That’s not a threat. It’s a promise.* And…
Read MoreAuthor Interview: Alison Morton
Please welcome to The Z-Axis Alison Morton, independent author of Roman-themed alternate history thrillers with strong heroines. She holds a bachelor’s degree in French, German and Economics, a masters’ in history and lives in France with her husband. Her debut novel, INCEPTIO, was shortlisted for the 2013 International Rubery Book Award and awarded a B.R.A.G. Medallion. The next in series, PERFIDITAS,…
Read MorePorous, Chapter Thirteen: Double Vision
This is the second part in the two-part section finale to POROUS. If you haven’t read the previous chapter, please click here to do so. The world spins around me like a golden pinwheel, sepia-toned now through the haze of alcohol. The sounds seem to have disappeared, faded into background noise, dim crackling static that only…
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