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City of Roses @thecityofroses.com · 09/10/2026

The next two weeks, appearing Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, the 47th novelette, "June 29th," takes us back to Jo, and the coast— thecityofroses.com/chapbooks/no... (In which ice falls, a job is found, order's debated, the world is saved—again, a black dog appears, and time loops in a bottle.)

No. 47, June 29th. The showroom of a seaside gift shop, crammed with things to sell, candles and cards and books and garlands of flowers, spices and teas and more books and colorful flags on strands depended from the ceiling, and the low afternoon light, and the readiness, that is all.

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City of Roses @thecityofroses.com · 29/09/2026

“ – the Five Points – ” Jo finds what she thought she wanted, and Becker thinks he’s found what he needs. thecityofroses.com/story/?c=the... (In which selves are delineated, taxes recollected, matters of state attended to, a flower’s deployed, and donuts, and somewhere, water's falling.)

No. 43, “ – the Five Points – ”. Right up close to a stretch of cyclone fence somewhere up high, a bridge, perhaps, over a length of road far below, and trees, and what might be a car dealership, or a parking garage, and beyond, the towers of downtown, including one off to the left, alone, pinkly amber, high. In the distance the white tooth of a single mountain shines, eerily, but hung from the fence right there a single combination lock, securing nothing, the dial and body of it brightly red.

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City of Roses @thecityofroses.com · 28/09/2026

The 46th novelette, "June 24th," has begun: thecityofroses.com/story/?c=jun... (In which an arraignment is made, meat is served, genres are discussed, a lecture is propounded, and plans intemperate and otherwise are laid.) #FantasyLit #FreeBooks #Zines #CriminalHistory

No. 46, June 24th. A storefront, windows of it dusty, blank, curtained with white sheets, frames and mullions painted black, black and yellow tiles beneath the windows, along the sidewalk, and the the walls and ceiling of the foyer painted a bright cornflower. The door before us is blocked by a wrought-iron gate, though behind it a single yellow light is lit, and the angle is such we can't quite see the main door of the storefront, just the black frame of its jamb.

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City of Roses @thecityofroses.com · 25/09/2026

For the next two weeks, appearing Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, the 46th novelette, "June 24th"— thecityofroses.com/chapbooks/no... (In which an arraignment is made, meat is served, genres are discussed, a lecture is propounded, and plans intemperate and otherwise are laid.)

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City of Roses @thecityofroses.com · 22/09/2026

“ – sun, dust, shadow – ” Apprehending what has changed. Marfisa finally declares her love; Ysabel learns the bitterest of truths. thecityofroses.com/story/?c=sun... (In which anthems are proposed, a resemblance is requested, advice is offered, and history, a hand is crowned, and a gun goes off.)

No. 42, “ – sun, dust, shadow – ”. A staggeringly great iron crown, greened with a creeping patina, lies toppled on its side, the curling prongs of it reaching uselessly out over dry, scrubby grass, all before a line of demure trees back in the distance, all under a hot a cloudless sky.

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City of Roses @thecityofroses.com · 16/09/2026

Why, yes—it is my birthday! Buy my books! thecityofroses.com/books/ Read the story! thecityofroses.com/contents/ Tell someone about it! Enjoy!

Four fat paperback books on a featureless white field, stacked one atop the other with their spines facing you, and the one on the bottom is yellow, vol. 1, “Wake up…”, and then the next one is blue, vol. 2, The Dazzle of Day, and the third is pink, vol. 3, In the Reign of Good Queen Dick, and the one on top is orange, vol. 4, —or Betty Martin.

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City of Roses @thecityofroses.com · 15/09/2026

“ – arms - legs - heaven – ” Ellen seeks a second chance at something irrevocable, and Gloria does something unforgivable. thecityofroses.com/story/?c=arm... (In which omens are taken, credit is bandied, meetings are held, a promise is broken, and a challenge is made, all under an unseen moon.)

No. 41, “ – arms—legs—heaven – ”. A densely fretted criss-cross structure of iron beams and girders, interlocked but open to the air, rises silhouetted against a pitiless blue sky, as if the ghosts of every building ever to stand at this corner suddenly, fitfully overlapped.

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City of Roses @thecityofroses.com · 14/09/2026

Here we go: the 45th novelette, "June 23rd," begins today: thecityofroses.com/contents/#ju... (In which a tub is scrubbed, to no avail, drink is secured, and drugs, sex is indulged, and mayhem may, or may not, end up perpetrated.) #FantasyLit #IndieAuthors #FreeBooks #TheColor

No. 45, June 23rd. A nondescript door, discretely paneled, dark brown, perhaps, set in a frame of grimy cream in a wall of dingy beige siding, maybe, the light is dim, uncertain, the colors far from fixed.

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City of Roses @thecityofroses.com · 12/09/2026

Everyone's excited for the 20th anniversary hardcover edition, yes— thecityofroses.com/books/-wake-... —but remember, there's four volumes to the story so far, all available in fat paperback editions, as handsomely designed: thecityofroses.com/books/ (And but also ebooks, ditto!)

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City of Roses @thecityofroses.com · 11/09/2026

(Of course, the third season, the fifth volume, the 45th novelette all kick off next week—) thecityofroses.com/chapbooks/no... #June23rd #TheGreeneChapel #Summer #FantasyLit

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City of Roses @thecityofroses.com · 10/09/2026

So! For the next two weeks, appearing Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, for the first time, the 45th novelette, "June 23rd"! thecityofroses.com/chapbooks/no... (In which a tub is scrubbed, to no avail, drink is secured, and drugs, sex is indulged, and mayhem may, or may not, end up perpetrated.)

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City of Roses @thecityofroses.com · 10/09/2026

The 44th novelette, "That was the river – ", is almost done! This is the last of the novelettes previously published for free to the web: thecityofroses.com/story/?c=tha...

No. 44, “That was the river – ”. A green field of freshly mown parkland stretches away toward a line of trees, a darker green, along the far edge of the field, all beneath a cloudless cobalt sky. Here and there along the grass can just be made out small signs, close to the ground, counting out hundreds of yards, hinting that this is not a public park or the verge of a cemetery but instead the driving range of a golf course.

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City of Roses @thecityofroses.com · 09/09/2026

“ – dirty white noise – ” Running on Las Vegas time. Chilli’s done what he can't yet grasp; Jo isn’t sure what must be done next. thecityofroses.com/story/?c=dir... (In which forensics are seen to, and a beloved, a gift given, a window restored, portions are measured, and measures will be taken.)

No. 40, “ – dirty white noise – ”. The particolored façade of a mid-century office building, alternating rows of flat blank panels of window-glass with panels in colors from the 1950s, or the 1970s, avocado, fawn, kelly green, canary yellow, burnt orange, fire-engine red. Caught in one of the panels of glass the reflection of an older building, across the street, the stonework, the decorative cornice, the windows neatly hung with curtains.

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City of Roses @thecityofroses.com · 04/09/2026

Your occasional hardcover edition update:

Screenshot of a package delivery tracking website showing that the package is Out For Delivery, estimated today between 11:15 AM and 3:15 PM.

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City of Roses @thecityofroses.com · 01/09/2026

“ – Beautiful, we are – ” Practicing the accents, picking at old sutures: decisions are taken, before any implications can be known. thecityofroses.com/story/?c=bea... (In which two swords are retrieved, an interview is dodged, a memory’s restored, a necessity’s indulged, and a dog is scritched.)

No. 39, “ – Beautiful, we are – ”. Stood outside a bar at night, looking up at the neon sign, red lights that once spelled out TAVERN, but some time ago something, the top of a truck, perhaps, crumpled the one end of the sign, breaking the first two letters, so now the red light spells out VERN. Blue-white lights run along the edge of the shallow porch above the door. The street recedes into the distance, dim lights of the next block along far off.

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City of Roses @thecityofroses.com · 28/08/2026

For the next two weeks, appearing Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, the 44th novelette, "That was the river – " thecityofroses.com/chapbooks/no... In which armor’s removed, breakfast is eaten, a legacy’s announced, revenge is taken, a parade is interrupted, and deserts light where they will.

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City of Roses @thecityofroses.com · 27/08/2026

“ – Ekumen ain’t everything – ” Talking that shit to the sky. Gloria spends a night with old friends, and Jo a night with new. thecityofroses.com/story/?c=eku... (In which ablutions are seen to, a carnival’s attended by various bodies, a middling blow is struck, and a number of cats is itemized.)

No. 38, “ – Ekumen ain’t everything – ”. A blue sky pierced by sunlight, criss-crossed by white support cables descending from upper left to lower right. A pole with streetlights branching off to either side and brackets to hold up streetcar powerlines, and it can be seen the pole is before some of those slanting cables, and behind others, making them suddenly much thicker and much further away than they might've seemed. A freeway bridge, the roofs of far-off buildings, a speed alert sign all can just be made out along the very bottom.

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City of Roses @thecityofroses.com · 15/08/2026

Now that we've resolved some issues, here, have a glimpse of what's coming in October:

A portion of a printing proof for a dust jacket, a field of canary yellow with the stark rose icon printed in a blue that's almost black over the words Volume 1, and the flap copy reads as follows:

City of Roses
Vol. 1
“Wake up…”

“…like a rich, dark brocade embroidered with gold thread and rare gems.”
—Web Fiction Guide
“City of Roses is an absorbing read that many fantasy fans will enjoy immensely.”
—the Guardian
Jo Maguire, a highly strung, underemployed telemarketer, meets Ysabel, a princess of unspecified pedigree, and rather unexpectedly becomes her guardian and caretaker. Now Jo must make her way through the strange new world of Ysabel’s decidedly odd family and friends (which involves rather more swordplay than she’s used to)—while Ysabel must adjust to a diet of frozen pizza and a job that requires her to call strangers on the phone and ask them how satisfied they are with their banks.
“Wake up…”, volume one of
City of Roses, collects the first eleven novelettes of the critically acclaimed ’zine serial.

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City of Roses @thecityofroses.com · 14/08/2026

For the next two weeks, appearing Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, the 43rd novelette, " – the Five Points – " thecityofroses.com/chapbooks/no... (In which selves are delineated, taxes recollected, matters of state attended to, a flower’s deployed, and donuts, and somewhere, water's falling.)

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City of Roses @thecityofroses.com · 11/08/2026

“ – and ‘thirsty wilds’ – ” This waste of material is bewailed. Christian maybe sees a ghost, and Ysabel’s unsettled. thecityofroses.com/story/?c=and... (In which rooms are secured, business is conducted, boundaries are set, a mind is changed, and you will be warned, if necessary.)

No. 37, “ – and ‘thirsty wilds’ – ”. The corner of a windowless, doorless, single-storey grey building juts forward, brightly sunlit on one side, deeply shadowed on the other, beneath a peerless blue sky with a fluffily white bit of cloud. The ground at the base of it a narrow strip of neatly swept bark mulch verging a pinkish sidewalk. All is neat, precise, orderly, composed, the loose curl of cable dangling from the roof a stochastic bedevilment adding focus to the rest.

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City of Roses @thecityofroses.com · 04/08/2026

“ – so powerfully strong – ” A cigarette taken from a jewel-encrusted hand. Ysabel gives without giving and Gloria gets some speck. thecityofroses.com/story/?c=so-... (In which beers are fetched, a game is tied, fortunes are told, various privy councils meet, light changes, and a worm does turn.)

No. 36, “ – so powerfully strong – ”. A couple of tables outside a restaurant or a bar, slathered in freshly fallen rain. The one in back a green picnic-style table, barely visible, the one in front stained a deeply unwoodlike red, and set atop it a small black plastic pot filled with fuchsia cineraria flowers and a tin ash tray, the bottom of it specked with ash, and two dry butts, one of them rimmed with a bit of red lipstick.

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City of Roses @thecityofroses.com · 31/07/2026

For the next two weeks, appearing Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, the 42nd novelette in the epic, " – sun, dust, shadow – " thecityofroses.com/chapbooks/no... (In which anthems are proposed, a resemblance is requested, advice is offered, and history, a hand is crowned, and a gun goes off.)

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City of Roses @thecityofroses.com · 28/07/2026

“ – many Christian eyes – ” Such benefite in good Example dwels. Jo leaves, but doesn’t get far, and Christian plants a roof. thecityofroses.com/story/?c=man... (In which a pan is properly seasoned, a body is found, and an anomaly, turmut is hoed, and a conspiracy is gathered.)

No. 35, “ – many Christian eyes – ”. Looking through the front window of a fast-food restaurant in the middle of some sort of remodel or restoration. A confusion of reflections in the glass, of the trees behind and above, of the upper storeys of the brick building across the street, tangle and overlap with the lit fluorescent ceiling panels within. Stainless steel islands of kitchen equipment have been wheeled out to mingle with the tables and bussing stations in bright primary colors.

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City of Roses @thecityofroses.com · 23/07/2026

“ – up and stand.” Yes. Say it stands. What happens next? thecityofroses.com/story/?c=up-... (In which the sun does shine as night does fall, coffee is served, compromises are made, walks and meetings are taken, and an understanding’s reached.)

No. 34, “ – up and stand.” Looking down from just above a curb, a grassy verge, a small toy horse, a prancing bay with white fetlocks, is tied with a thin steel tether to a hitching ring embedded in the concrete.

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City of Roses @thecityofroses.com · 21/07/2026

Reruns are up to no. 41, but here, the most recent novelette, no. 47, June 29th, is now available for purchase as a paper zine, or one of those electronic book formats— thecityofroses.com/chapbooks/no... thecityofroses.itch.io/no-47-june-2... #Zines #SelfPublished #BookSky #OneTrueOnly

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City of Roses @thecityofroses.com · 18/07/2026

(Don't never let it be said I didn't give you nothing.) thecityofroses.com

City of Roses novelettes in zine form, scattered haphazardly across a table, each cover a colorful glimpse of the magic of life in the City: a City of Roses motel sign, abandoned above a wild bush of roses; a welter of overlapping posters and notices illegibly stapled to a telephone pole; a mechanical sun shining against a cloudless sky of blue; gem-like nodules of broken glass on pavement; and more besides.

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City of Roses @thecityofroses.com · 18/07/2026

Forty novelettes—40!—of acclaimed urban fantasy, available to read, on the web, for free! thecityofroses.com/contents/#di...

A selection of City of Roses novelettes in paper zine form, arrayed in a grid on the table, each with a quickly magical snapshot of a colorful glimpse of the City: a pair of sling-back pumps, hung forlornly from a power line; a chalk drawing of a bird and a woodsy figure on a column face; a crepuscularly lavender view of a reservoir, and a lone streetlamp; an Oregon Lottery sign, cheerfully bright; and more besides.

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City of Roses @thecityofroses.com · 17/07/2026

The 40th novelette is almost done, which means the 41st novelette, " – arms - legs - heaven – ", is about to begin... thecityofroses.com/chapbooks/no... (In which omens are taken, credit is bandied, meetings are held, a promise is broken, and a challenge is made, all under an unseen moon.)

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City of Roses @thecityofroses.com · 02/07/2026

The next two weeks, on Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays, the 40th novelette of the epic, " – dirty white noise – " thecityofroses.com/chapbooks/no... (In which forensics are seen to, and a beloved companion, a gift is given, and a window restored, portions are measured, and measures will be taken.)

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City of Roses @thecityofroses.com · 02/07/2026

The 39th novelette in City of Roses, " – Beautiful, we are – ", is almost done: thecityofroses.com/story/?c=bea... (In which one sword is retrieved, and another, an interview is side-stepped, a memory’s restored, a necessity’s indulged, and a dog is scritched.) #WebSerials #FantasyLit #IndieBooks

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City of Roses @thecityofroses.com · 19/06/2026

For the next two weeks, appearing Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, the 39th novelette: " – Beautiful, we are – " thecityofroses.com/chapbooks/no... (In which one sword is retrieved, and another, an interview is side-stepped, a memory’s restored, a necessity’s indulged, and a dog is scritched.)

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City of Roses @thecityofroses.com · 13/06/2026

Prolegomenon – Fidessa – Zoobombing – a-Hunting – Freeway – Anvil – Gin-soaked – Beauty – Giust – Surveilling

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