Works by Francine Roche Kay
Retribution: A Shorty Story in The 2024 Ogham Stone
The theme for The Ogham Stone's 2024 edition is RECOLLECTION, which calls to mind the commemorative and historical purpose of ogham stones. Stories in this edition include ideas associated with reminiscence, memories, nostalgia, or any other personal interpretations related to recollection.
In "Retribution", a wizened Arthur, no longer a king, recalls a particular day in his youth when he's called upon by his father, High King Uther Pendragon, who is preparing for battle. As he helps Uther with his armour and weapons, Uther asks Arthur to bring him a special sword, the greatsword of Ambrosius, Uther's older brother. It is this sword that Uther will take to battle.
When Arthur delivers the sword to Uther, he notices writing along one side of its blade. Young Arthur had never seen anything like it before, for it was written in ogham. As Uther tells the story of the blade, it becomes clear why he decides to use Ambrosius' sword that day.
MY LAST DUCHESS and
INNER DEMONS: Two short stories featured in Drawing Blood: Tales of the Vampyr Hegemony, Volume 1
DRAWING BLOOD is an anthology series set in the world created by Brian McKinley over four novels and numerous novellas. Stories in this anthology explore different aspects of The Order, many of them from characters or viewpoints existing readers may not have seen before.
"My Last Duchess" takes the reader from Victorian England—where poet Robert Browning meets a traveler at a carriage inn— through Renaissance-era Tuscany. As Browning and the traveler get to know each other over drinks, the traveler recounts the tragic story of the young duchess of Ferrara and her mysterious death, possibly at the hands of her husband. This story becomes the inspiration for one of Browning's most well-known poems, My Last Duchess.
"Inner Demons" introduces the reader to Caroline Ludlow and Sebastian Blackwood, two of the main characters from Brian McKinley's first novel, Ancient Blood. The story, set in pre-World War II New York City, tells how Caroline and Sebastian meet, and their efforts to fight fascism and Nazism while keeping the United States out of the war. As Caroline delves deeper into this world, she realizes her feelings for Sebastian have grown, and that he may feel the same way. But Caroline doesn't know that Sebastian has secrets—that he is one of the hegemons of The Order, and that he has a dark, inner demon within him.