Drops of Pain and Promise: Mormon Flash

By Annaliese Lemmon

Jaredites ride on cureloms like dragons. A missionary considers giving up her ability to speak to animals. The daughters of Ishmael gather for one last night before Nephi leaves Laman and Lemuel. These short stories cover the mundane and far-fetched struggles of characters connected to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 
Includes "Curelom Riders," "Disability, Death, or Other Circumstance," "The Gift of Tongues," "Daughters of Ishmael," "Portal Friends," and two new stories. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Annaliese Lemmon
• Release date: May 29, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201161859

Annaliese Lemmon

Annaliese (rhymes with pizza) Lemmon likes to eat, play board games, and catch virtual creatures on her phone. Her fiction has been a finalist in the Mormon Lit Blitz multiple times, and has appeared in The Arcanist, Flash Fiction Press and Leading Edge. She also published a cookbook of recipes developed for her son who was allergic to gluten, dairy, and nuts (now he’s outgrown all but the nut allergies). She lives with her husband and three children in Seattle.  Contact her at [e-mail] or on twitter @AnnalieseLemmon.

Book preview

Introduction

I NEVER THOUGHT I’D write Mormon Literature.

Growing up, I read a fair amount of it, including The Work and the Glory, and Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites. But those stories didn’t call to me the way secondary world fantasy did. While I wanted to write characters with my same morals, I couldn’t have them be explicitly Mormon, since there was no Joseph Smith in these worlds. And I was fine with that.

So when my friend first told me about the Mormon Lit Blitz, I thought the entries would be fun to read, but that it wasn’t the kind of thing I wanted to enter—especially since the odds of actually getting money from it were so low. Then I saw that fantasy was welcome in this contest, and it was possible to mix my religion with fantastic beasts and absurd happenings. From that moment on, I was all in.

Out of the ten years of the Mormon Lit Blitz, I have entered nine contests, become a published finalist five times, and a semi-finalist once. Those six stories, plus one additional, make up this collection. They are presented in order of writing, with the exception of The Gift to be Healed. As it is a sequel to The Gift of Tongues, those stories are presented together.

What surprises me the most, looking back through my stories, is the common themes that run through them. It wasn’t conscious, but I was drawn to write about the pain of my trials, to recognize that not all people have joy in Zion. And yet, there are promises the Lord has provided that can get us through.

May you enjoy reading this collection.

Curelom Riders

SO, THERE’S NOTHING that can be done? Even if we marched all night? Prince Omer stood with Captain Pagag in the field with Esrah. She had given them the news of King Shule as soon as she had dismounted from her curelom.

Captain Pagag shook his head. We’re too far away. The army wouldn’t make it in time. The kingdom looks to you now.

Omer crossed his