My story “Tearcatcher” has been published in the Whortleberry Press anthology Strange Mysteries 6, edited by Jean Goldstrom and Tim Tobin. This is another Justin Tyme tale with the same characters from “Up on the Housetop, Gargoyle Paws” that appeared last summer. The inspriration for “Tearcatcher” was an antiques show where I encountered a mysterious silver vial. The dealer proceeded to explain that it was used during Victorian times to store the tears shed during the mourning period. I’ve encountered a lot of strange implements used by the Victorians, but this tearcatcher was new to me. So I went home and wrote a story about it, also working in a Rasputin reference because what doesn’t go better with a little Rasputin thrown in? I have one more of these antique-based Justin Tyme stories written, and a whole list of ideas that I want to eventually write with titles such as “Drapes of Wrath” and “Meissen Men.” With a main character named Justin Tyme, the puns tend to be an integral part of these stories.
Strange Mysteries 6 can be found at http://www.lulu.com/shop/http://www.lulu.com/shop/jean-goldstrom/strange-mysteries-6/paperback/product-22189159.html
