I’ve always been fascinated by things that used to be illegal but no longer are (or better yet, still are but are no longer enforced). I’ve heard of some strange laws over the years. For example, in Mobile, Alabama, it’s illegal to possess confetti. In Alaska, it is illegal to intentionally avoid walking on the cracks in the pavement. In Arizona, it is illegal to sing in a public place while wearing a swimming suit. It is illegal to see a UFO in Connecticut. In Florida, it is illegal to fart in a public place after 6 p.m. on a Tuesday. In Oregon, the law dictates that dishes must drip dry.

The list goes on, but you get the idea. If you want to see them all, click here.

So, why am I telling you all about these weird, still-on-the-books laws? Well, to illustrate that laws that someone thought important enough to pass in the past don’t always make sense to us in the future. And because today marks the release of Fiction River: Hidden in Crime, which is all about historical crimes.

Here’s the synopsis:

Imagine paying a fine for walking across town. Or hiding an illegal marriage. Or losing your life for playing the harp. Strange crimes, dangerous activities, some from the not-so-distant past, return to life in Hidden in Crime. See why Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine says Fiction River’s crime volumes have “high quality throughout,” and why Publishers Weekly states “… fans of the unconventional will be well satisfied.” Join some of the best authors in the business as they uncover once-hidden crimes.

Table of Contents
“The Color of Guilt” by Annie Reed
“Hiro’s Welcome” by Patrick O’Sullivan
“The American Flag of Sergeant Hale Schofield” by Kelly Washington
“Combat Medic” by Kris Nelscott
“Night of the Healer” by Tonya D. Price
“The Quality of Mercy” by Michele Lang
“Daughter of Joy” by Cindie Geddes
“Democracy” by Mario Milosevic
“Sisters in Suffrage” by Debbie Mumford
“Knocked Up” by Elliotte Rusty Harold
“O Best Beloved” by Angela Penrose
“Sunshine” by Michael Kowal
“The Harper’s Escape” by Anthea Sharp
“As the Berimbau Begins to Play” by Paul Eckheart
“Death of the Turban” by Bill Beatty
“On the Edge of the Nations” by Dan C. Duval
“Window Frame, Handprint, Bloodstain” by M. Elizabeth Castle
“The White Game” by Ron Collins

So, be sure to check out this fantastic volume of Fiction River, edited by the incomparable Kristine Kathryn Rusch. These compelling stories will make you think twice about what’s legal and what’s not and why.

Allyson Longueira is publisher of WMG Publishing. She is an award-winning writer, editor and designer.