Where Angels Dance Published

My humorous poem, "Where Angels Dance", has just been published in the December 2025 issue of  Lighten Up Online, a quarterly e-zine I heartily recommend to fans of humorous verse.

(The phrase "heartily recommend", quoted from Art Linkletter's endorsement of the LIFE board game, has been permanently imprinted on my brain like any unforgettable movie quote).

In other publishing news, I'm working on the final stories for what I hope to be my first collection of short stories, tentatively titled, "The First Star is Always the Farthest: Science-Fiction Short Stories by Shawn M. Klimek".

I hope to follow up with a collection of fantasy stories within six months. Should I use the same title, and make it a volume 1 and 2? It might help with subsequent sales to market them as a pair. (The title is admittedly rather hefty, so that begs careful consideration).

Anyway, here are some ChatGPT rendered book cover mock-ups, generated strictly for inspiration.

 (I would never publish an AI book cover).

Rejections and Acceptances

It's been a while since I updated this site.  Not only has "ALONE" been long since published, I've already ordered and received my own copy. 

So, what's new in creative writing?

Not a lot, publishing wise. It's been a long time since I submitted anything.

A few weeks ago, I finished my very untraditional superhero story, Token Heroes, and submitted it to Clarkesworld, earning a one-day form-rejection. (Totally expected, but their quick turn-around is one of the reasons I started there). Next, I submitted it to The Colored Sky, for another one-day rejection—this one personal, and with some useful feedback. 

"...I thought this was an entertaining, dynamic story, but I think I might have liked a little clearer understanding of the motives of the aliens. Additionally, I think I would have liked a little more character development..."

Having received such useful feedback, it only makes sense to rewrite it before sending it out again.

To keep up the momentum, I submitted Mercury is a Hellscape and Survival of the Humblest to Star*Line Magazine, who had personally rejected some poems back in 2020 (thus, a good experience despite the rejections). I subsequently realized that Survival of the Humblest was among those rejected in 2020. Based on their usual response speed, I should find out whether both have been rejected in the next few days.

I submitted three poems to a U.K. based online publication, "Lighten Up Online", and they asked to publish one of them, "Where Angels Dance," in their December issue (or else their March issue, if they run out of space).

So, a single win, thus far, though unpaying. Hopefully, not the last acceptance before this year is out.