Karyne (00:00:07) - Hi fantasy readers. This is Karyne Norton, your fellow book binger, and you are listening to the Finding Fantasy Reads podcast where you can test out a new fantasy story every single week to find your next favorite author.

Today, you get four stories instead of one, because we're featuring some Havok flash fiction from Beka Gremikova. Beka writes folkloric fantasy and science fiction from her little nook in the Ottawa Valley, Ontario. Her passions include traveling, folklore and myth, and nerding out over anime, manga, and the Legend of Zelda. When she's not reading, writing, or drawing, she can be found climbing mountains and slaying monsters, in the virtual realm, of course. In real life, she prefers cuddling cute animals and eating delicious foods of all kinds. This first story has a mix of humor and horror, as a young girl goes up against a gorgon. Please enjoy Perdita Danville, Gorgon Slayer by Beka Gremikova.

Karyne (00:01:14) - Perdita Danville, Gorgon Slayer is read by Karyne Norton. Due to copyright, the full transcript of the story cannot be included here.

Karyne (00:08:38) - I hope you enjoyed listening to Perdita Danville, Gorgon Slayer by Beka Gremikova, narrated by Karyne Norton. You're going to notice a bit of a trend with all of these stories touching on darker sides of fantasy, but while the last one held more humor, this next one carries loss and grief mixed with threads of hope. Please enjoy Viper's Den by Becca Gramakova.

Karyne (00:09:06) - Viper's Den is read by Karyne Norton. Due to copyright, the full transcript of the story cannot be included here.

Karyne (00:16:42) - I hope you enjoyed listening to Vipers Den by Beka Gremikova, narrated by Karyne Norton. This third story addresses grief once more, but it returns to a bit of the humor and adds in some mystery. Please enjoy Magpie Boy by Beka Gremikova.

Karyne (00:17:04) - Magpie Boy is read by Karyne Norton. Due to copyright, the full transcript of the story cannot be included here.

Karyne (00:24:37) - I hope you enjoyed listening to Magpie Boy by Beka Gremikova. This last one is probably my favorite because it's a mermaid story with an eerie melancholy feel. Please enjoy The Mercy of the Currents by Beka Gremikova.

Karyne (00:24:59) - The Mercy of the Currents is read by Karyne Norton. Due to copyright, the full transcript of the story cannot be included here.

Karyne (00:33:22) - I hope you enjoyed listening to The Mercy of the Currents by Beka Gremikova. If you want to read more by Beka, go to bekagremikova.com to find more of her books. Her next book, The Edge of a Knife and Other Stories, will be releasing at the end of the month. It's for fans of dark fantasy and science fiction with a healthy balance between tragedy and hope, and a side-helping of sweet, swoony romance. I'll have the pre-order link in the show notes.

We're currently booking for February and beyond, which is hard to believe because it feels like we just started Season 3. So if you have a short story you'd like to hear featured on the podcast, whether it's your own or someone else's, you can go to findingfantasyreads.com/contact to find the application form for authors or to recommend a story as a reader on our contact form.

And don't forget about this month's giveaway, where you can win four audiobooks and a three-month audible subscription. You can enter at findingfantasyreads.com/giveaway. Thank you all for listening, and happy reading!