Dean Wesley Smith is the man on the moon, I’ve decided. Why? Well, first of all, he’s nocturnal. Second, he’s a force to be reckoned with. Third, he’s the editor for our latest volume in our Fiction River anthology series, aptly named Moonscapes.

Dean is known for challenging the norm, and his latest anthology is no exception. All of the stories in Moonscapes revolve around a moon, which is pretty in line with the name, but each brings its own special twist to create a very diverse anthology, indeed.

Here’s the synopsis:

We all look up at the moon and wonder. And maybe dream. For centuries, the moon filled our imaginations. Eleven professional writers took those dreams and set original stories focused on moons scattered all over the galaxy. Yet, as the dreams of centuries, every story holds a human touch. From a mythical man fulfilling a childhood wish to a fantastic addition to Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s bestselling Retrieval Artist series, this volume of Fiction River allows you to travel to eleven different moons without leaving the comfort of home.

Great stories all, and anchored by Kris’ latest Retrieval Artist novella. You won’t find that novella anywhere else, dear readers, so you might want to take note. It will transform into the next Retrieval Artist novel in what is looking to be a six-book arc called the Anniversary Day saga (Anniversary Day and Blowback are books one and two in that saga). We’ll have more on that later in the year here at WMG, but you Retrieval Artist fans will definitely want to keep an eye on Kris’ website for developments as she writes the books.

And while Moonscapes furthers the Retrieval Artist saga, it marks an ending of sorts to one of our own, which was begun many a moon ago: Year One of Fiction River. Moonscapes is the last regular volume for that year, with the Special Edition, Crime, coming out in March. It’s been a great year, and we’re already ramping up for Year Two.

Here’s the lineup you can look forward to:

Find out even more at FictionRiver.com.

Thanks for coming along for the trip. We hope you’ll again set sail with us as we launch Year Two.

In the meantime, there’s a full lunar eclipse coming on April 15. I’d better go get ready for whatever chaos that man in the moon has in store for me. <grin>

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