Azrael is waiting for you to book your first recreational suicide package now.

Looking for beta readers! My advanced reader copy of Bitter Suites is ready for anyone who would like to get a preview. Illustrations by Kyra Starr.

Not all the art is finished yet and the cover on it now is just a placeholder, but the story is all there. The plan is to have it up on Amazon for pre-order, and reviews, by July 1.

I’ll be glad to send it to you as a pdf asap. Just email me at angelayurikosmith@gmail.com.

Here’s an excerpt from chapter six: Mochi and Ume.

“The blades are called tanto,” said Ume. “We’re supposed to slice our stomachs from left to right.” She read on, and then bent over to pick up the cord.

“We are supposed to tie our knees together with this so we can die in a ladylike position.” She raised her eyebrows and looked at her sister’s reflection, holding it up. Mochi giggled.

“That’s dumb. I thought we’d get something exciting, not some lame, traditional death.” She rolled her eyes. “Leave it to lame, traditional parents.” She turned away from the mirror and walked to the table to pick up the blade.

“I should just kill you. That would be exciting. Why do we have to kill ourselves?”

“I had the same thought before we even came upstairs,” said Ume. A whisper of a smile played at the corners of her mouth. She dropped the card and picked up the other knife.

By Angela Yuriko Smith

Angela Yuriko Smith is a third-generation Ryukyuan-American, award-winning poet, author, and publisher with 20+ years in newspapers. Publisher of Space & Time magazine (est. 1966), two-time Bram Stoker Awards® Winner, and HWA Mentor of the Year, she shares Authortunities, a free weekly calendar of author opportunities at authortunities.substack.com.

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