Q: I’ve written a story/novel that I want to have published. Can I send it to you to read and critique?
No. Sorry, but I simply don’t have the time. If you want to get feedback on your writing, I recommend joining a writers group like Critters or OWW. If you’re a new writer looking to get published, I’ve compiled a listing of some great places online geared towards helping writers get published on my Markets page.
Q: Is “Eugie Foster” your real name?
Yep. I don’t use a pen name. Although “Eugie” is not the first name I was born with. I changed all of my names—first, middle, and last—after I got married.
Q: Is there anyplace I can sample your fiction?
A number of my stories which have been published in e-zines or podcasts are available to read or listen to for free. You can also listen to me read my story, “The Archer of the Sun and the Lady of the Moon,” which I recorded as part of the promotion of the launch of my short story collection, Returning My Sister’s Face: And Other Far Eastern Tales of Whimsy and Malice.
Q: Where can I buy your fiction?
My short story collection Mortal Clay, Stone Heart is available as an ebook for Kindle, Nook, and other ebook devices.
Returning My Sister’s Face is available from online booksellers like Amazon.com and BN.com and in some brick and mortar bookstores. If you can’t find it on the shelves of your bookstore, ask your bookseller to special order it. It’s also available as an ebook for Kindle, Nook, and other ebook devices.
Some of my stories are also available as ebooks for Kindle, iPad, Nook, other ebook devices.
Still can’t find what you’re looking for? I’ve compiled an alphabetical index of all my published fiction if you’re trying to find a specific story.
Q: How can I get updates on what you’ve got coming out/your appearances/etc.?
I’m pretty good about updating this website. You can also subscribe to my updates at or friend me on LiveJournal, Twitter, Google Plus, or Facebook.
Q: You talk about hamster juggling on your blog. You actually juggle hamsters?
Goodness, no! I’m staunchly opposed to any and all acts of cruelty to animals. I would never juggle real, live hamsters. Also, I can’t juggle.
My frequent “hamster juggling” references stem from an offhand comment I once made likening writing to juggling hamsters. It may look cute and fun, perhaps a bit eccentric, but in reality, it’s work: awkward, delicate, precarious, stressful, hard work. I addressed hamster juggling in greater detail in my September, 2007, Writing for Young Readers column: “Juggling Hamsters: Tips for the Busy Writer.”
Q: You complain about wingstubs sometimes. What exactly are they?
I’ve got Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. There’s an extra set of ribs in my neck which rubs against the nerve when I overuse my arms (i.e., due to excessive typing and/or mousing) sending sharp pains and tingling shooting up and down my arms. It’s a repetitive motion thing. When we first saw the x-rays in my neurologist’s office, my husband and I had a discussion regarding whether I was sprouting wings or Cthulu-tentacles. The jury’s still out, but “wingstubs” is easier to say than “tentaclestubs.”
Q: You really have a pet skunk? Is he de-scented?
Yep, I really do have a pet skunk. I’m the sort of person who needs to have a fuzzy companion in the house in order for it to feel like a proper home, but I’m terribly allergic to cats and dogs. We had ferrets when we lived in the Midwest—which, curiously, I’m not at all allergic to—and while I loved them, they weren’t quite a perfect fit for us. Then we moved to the South, saw our first pet skunk at a convention, and after a very intensive several months of information gathering and pet skunk handling (to make sure I wasn’t allergic), we drove cross-country to a specialty breeder to get our new baby.
And yes, he is de-scented. Skunk owners are eccentric, not insane!
Got a question you want to ask me that’s not here? Drop me an email.
