Melody Graves

My short story, "The Looking Glass," is part of a new genre anthology called Coach's Midnight Diner. This collection of hardboiled crime, mystery, and paranormal stories represents a new vision for the world of faith-based fiction.

The publishers of the Diner founded a literary magazine called Relief Journal about a year ago with one goal in mind--to provide an artistic venue for Christian writers to express themselves freely, to write stories about real life in all its gritty complexity, without the many restrictions on content, theme and language found in more traditional Christian publishing circles. Coach's Midnight Diner is an extension of that vision, to publish cutting-edge genre stories that serve the story, while also reflecting who the authors are and what they believe as people of faith.

The sell sheet for Coach's Midnight Diner can be downloaded here. If any of you would like to take one to your local bookstore to ask them to carry a copy of the Diner on their shelves, I'd be much obliged.

Read a blog interview with Coach Culbertson, editor of Coach's Midnight Diner, here. Includes Coach's report on his book signing last October at Chicago's Gothicfest, as well as more insights into the driving forces behind the Diner and Relief Journal concepts.

The Looking Glass
from Coach's Midnight Diner

A gothic story involving a priest, an opera house, and a glass of absinthe. 

Read an excerpt by clicking here (requires Acrobat Reader to view).  

Behind the Story

This particular piece started out as an experiment in language. I had just finished reading a short, very dark novel by Joyce Carol Oates and wanted to see how well I could create atmosphere with language. The characters came out of one of my languishing novel projects, and, to my amazement, they took on new life within the context of a seamy Victorian landscape. Although it did gain some recognition in national contests, it took a while to find a home for it. I'm happy to see it finally in print.