An Old Testament Space Western

My story "Live by the Ten, Die by the Gun" has been accepted to appear in the Far Orbit: Apogee anthology, due to hit bookshelves this fall. This tale is close to 10,000 words long, so I was delighted to find a home for it. 

The preferred length for most short story publications is around 5,000 words, and it's increasingly difficult to find homes for longer tales. There are plenty of flash fiction publishers out there, plenty of short story publishers, and plenty of novella & novel publishers. But novelettes? Not so much.

Here's what Far Orbit was looking for: 

Modern space adventures full of ideas, optimism, inspiration, and respect for science. We are not looking for slavish imitations of past classics. Rather, we would like to receive stories that establish a new tradition in the much maligned sci-fi adventure genera — smart, modern stories built around the classic traditions. We are looking for adventure stories that are creative, readable, and memorable, exciting stories that transport you from the everyday grind and leave you wondrously satisfied. Because adventure stories often take more space to develop, World Weaver Press is accepting stories up to 10,000 words in length.

"Live by the Ten, Die by the Gun" is about an orbital Refuge station out in the middle of deep space where, like in the Old Testament days, those who've committed involuntary manslaughter are safe from retribution by the victim's family. The main characters—Judge Lucy and Sheriff MacIntyre—are in their fifties, former lovers now in charge of a space station full of killers. The story opens with the station priest expecting a transport vessel full of cattle for the annual blood sacrifice, but what arrives instead...is a crew of bloodthirsty bandits looking for vengeance.