EMAIL CUT OFF? CLICK HERE TO OPEN IN BROWSER.
Any errors seen below such as typos, miss-labeling of genre or category, wrong link, wrong person mentioned, etc. please state the error in the comments and I will update immediately. Mistakes can happen. I am only human.
The Lady and the Lake by The Man Behind the Screen of Tales of Calamity and Triumph
[Short Story | Fantasy]
Marcos Leopold Claudius was a devil of a man, a charming dandy whose penchant for breaking hearts and marriages saw him run out of Vida Lucaris before his twenty-first birthday. (Any Line)
Housebreaker by Fionn Flynn of The Strangeness Kit
[Short Story | Literary Fiction]
It was a heist within a heist. (First Line)
Deadwater Inn by Leo Vaughn of Deadwater Inn
[Short Story | Speculative Fiction]
Harlan set two cloudy glasses of scotch on the table and slid into a rickety chair. (First Line)
Dawn Has No Mercy [City of Saints, Ch. 4] by Gerardo Manzo of The Historical Novelist
[Short Serial | Historical Fiction]
âDo you really need to do this?â Frederick asks the executioners. (Any Line)
The Doublet Soliloquies by Sharron Bassano of LEAVES
[Micro/Flash Fiction | Literary Fiction]
How longâs she gonnae put up wiâ these numpties? (Any Line)
The Dark Orchard [Vastland, Ch. 52] by Bryant Callahan of Vastland: A Novel
[Serial | Science Fiction]
The moment Emélie came through the Gate, she understood two things: first, that she had been here before. (First Line)
Crossing the Bridge by Hamish Kavanagh of The Sudden Walk
[Short Story | Speculative Fiction]
In every memory I leave the man on the bridge behind, though in some versions I do work up the nerve to stay and chat a little longer. (Any Line)
Battle Blue by Laura Thompson of BoomerSpeak
[Short Story | Historical Fiction]
The ship pulled slightly to the right as a gentle wind caught her sails and nudged the Ulfich closer to the shoreline. (First Line)
Redcaps and White Knights by Randall Hayes of Doctor Eclectic
[Short Story | Fantasy]
âWhy am I pretending to have a toothache?â groused Quetzal, my dinosaur best friend and salsa-dancing partner. (First Line)
Last Shot by Ricardo A. MartagĂłn of In Search of Last Time
[Micro/Flash Fiction | Literary Fiction]
I brushed the unwashed curtain aside and went in. (First Line)
WALL OF SERIALS (New Section)
Check out our Wall of Serials where we have a dedicated page showing you ACTIVE stories:
The TiF Library is a comprehensive list of all stories recommended each week!
Over 2,000 stories to search and choose from!
Use it to find even more fiction to read!
Top in Fiction News
With January nearly complete, the first Monthly Recap of 2026 is happening next week Wednesday. Till then, enjoy the 10 stories for this week.
FOR WRITERS - Make sure youâve got TiF Notifications turned ON because announcements about how to participate in The Murder Room will be coming soon.
FOR READERS - Pre-orders for our Eye See You Anthology should be ready by late February!
QUESTION OF THE WEEK
What authors are your favorite? Prove it! Do you own all of the books they ever wrote? Have you read their books over and over again? Maybe you own multiples of the same book?
Iâll share my answer in the comments and you should too!
Do you have a question youâd like to ask the readers/writers in our little fiction community? Let me know in the comments and I just might select it for a future weekly issue!
- Erica Drayton, Editor-in-Chief đ
If you enjoyed any of these stories, please consider sharing this post everywhere:
Thanks for the mention!
Appreciate the mention! Hope everyone enjoys Deadwater Inn and all the fine work represented here. Cheers!