Leah R Cutter started life as a writer. Eventually, she became a founding member of Uncollected Anthology back in 2014, as well as co-founding Boundary Shock Quarterly, in 2017. But that wasn't enough, so she moved on to editing her own anthologies and magazines.

She's edited issues of Fiction River, as well as curated Storybundles. She has her own anthology series called Cutter's Final Cut which publishes genre-pushing fiction once a year. She also edits Mystery, Crime, and Mayhem, an award-nominated quarterly mystery magazine.

Leah works as the CEO of Knotted Road Press, Inc. She writes fantasy, science fiction, mystery, literary, and horror fiction. Her short fiction has been published in magazines like Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, anthologies like Fiction River, and on the web. Her long fiction has been published both by New York publishers as well as various small presses.

Read more books by Leah Cutter at www.KnottedRoadPress.com.

Follow her blog at www.LeahCutter.com.

Crones edited by Leah R Cutter

Maiden. Mother. Crone.

This third phase of a woman's life is arguably as important, if not more so, than the previous two.

But what does it mean to be a crone? Particularly one with magic?

Come explore the lives of these older women, and take inspiration from their journeys.

You, too, may reach this age one day...

Issue Five of Cutter's Final Cut: dedicated to pushing the boundaries of genre fiction.

Be sure to pick up the entire series today!

CURATOR'S NOTE

I edited this collection of stories about older women as part of Cutter's Final Cut, an annual anthology series that I publish. The stories are all contemporary fantasy about older women and the magic they have or bring to the world. They're almost all upbeat as well. I was delighted with the stories I received for this anthology, and I think you will be too. – Leah R Cutter

 
 

BOOK PREVIEW

Excerpt

Introduction to the anthology:

Welcome to the next edition of Cutter's Final Cut!

CFC is an annual anthology series edited by me, Leah R Cutter. I'm a professional writer and editor. In addition to CFC, I also put out a quarterly mystery magazine called Mystery, Crime, and Mayhem.

Why an anthology series, and why this theme?

I love short stories. I grew up reading both short fiction as well as the longer stuff.

Since the technology now exists that makes it relatively easy to publish anthologies and magazines, I'm doing both. I enjoy the entire process, from reading new short fiction to figuring out the puzzle of putting together all these stories into a cohesive emotional flow.

There are many ways of putting together an anthology or a magazine. In this one, I'm trying to entice you with fun, bring you in for the ride, take you up and down on the emotional roller coaster a couple of times, then leave you with hope. (And the hope that you'll buy the next anthology as well!)

As for this theme, as an older woman, I find myself seeking out stories of older women. The crones may not be respected or listened to in our current culture, but they can be powerful figures. I wanted to bring them out of the shadows, and show off what they can (or cannot) do.

The stories I received run the gambit from fun and cheery to a bit darker. But in the end, one of the main themes that ran through the stories is the wealth that crones bring to the world. Not just knowledge, though these older women have been around the block and know a few things. No, it's all about the connections they have.

Crones aren't cowboys, coming into town, saving the prince, then riding off alone into the sunset.

Instead, they have daughters and nieces and friends who they help, who also help them. It's connections and relationships that matter.

And in the end, I think that's a powerful message, not just for the older women out there, but for the younger ones as well.

Enjoy!