Seattle, Washington, 2019. Attorney and single mom Laura Holban is an immigrant herself, guiding clients through a Kafkaesque system of ever-changing rules, where overworked judges make life-shattering decisions in minutes. Laura’s newest client is Emilio Ramirez, who was arrested in front of his sons at their high school and thrown in detention.

When Laura files for his asylum, false criminal charges prevent his release. Someone is following his family, and an ICE prosecutor threatens to revoke Laura’s US citizenship. None of it makes sense—until Laura uncovers a deadly conspiracy involving ICE, stolen data, and human trafficking. Which puts her daughter and Emilio’s sons in serious danger. Not to mention Laura and Emilio themselves.

Extreme Vetting was published on February 7, 2023 by Ooligan Press (Portland State University). The story was inspired by two criminal cases prosecuted in Washington State where ICE officials were sentenced to prison for defrauding undocumented immigrants. See a list of Frequently Asked Questions here.

Signed copies can be purchased from Madison Books, 2022 finalist for Publishers Weekly’s Bookstore of the Year Award. Paperback copies are available at bookstores everywhere and can be requested from local libraries.

Hadiza kept the butt of her rifle tight to her shoulder. One eye looking through the scope. Finger hovering over the trigger.

“Joe,” she whispered, hoping she spoke loudly enough for her ear comm to pick up her voice. “Joe, I think it’s here.”

Around her, the vast blue bamboo forest swayed in the constant breeze. A never-ceasing clatter of windchimes, mixed with the rustle of the bamboo’s upper leaves and the hiss of the light rain. Her knee sank into the mud.

“Joe,” she said louder.

“Hadiza,” Joe’s voice crackled in her ear. His voice echoed her strain. “Are you sure?”

“Dammit,” Hadiza muttered, and spit rain off her lips. Her eye never left the scope. She was sure she’d seen it, weaving around the bamboo like a goddamn ghost snake. And now, she stared with every neuron straining to discern something behind the endless stalks of swaying blue. She and Joe thought they’d chased it into this forest. Now she realized it had lured them here.

— from Hunt by Jonathan Sherwood

The Odin Chronicles is a 30-chapter shared world saga that features the creative work of Roxana Arama, Gustavo Bondoni, Travis Burnham, Paul Celmer, Jenna Hanchey, Carol Scheina, Jonathan Sherwood, and Pete Wood. It was first published as a series of short stories on Page & Spine, reprinted by Stupefying Stories, and is now coming as a book from Rampant Loon Press. Edited by Jonathan Sherwood and Pete Wood.

The goal of speculative fiction has always been to examine the real world through the lens of the imaginary. By considering what could be, we gain a better understanding of what is. The Colored Lens strives to do exactly that. By publishing short stories and serialized novellas every quarter in genres ranging from fantasy, to science fiction, to slipstream or magical realism, we hope to help our readers see the world just a bit differently than before they came to us. Featuring works by Michael Haynes, Sciascia DeKay, Roxana Arama, Travis Lee, Nick Hartland, Sandra Siegienski, Christine Amsden, Andrew Najberg, Eric Fomley, and Sydney D’Orso. Edited by Dawn Lloyd and Daniel Scott. Henry Fields, Senior Editor.