"Things that are and are not, she thinks, and the dog is a snake."In this fantastic and fantastical debut, C.J. Lavigne concocts a wondrous realm overlaying a city that brims with civic workers and pigeons. Led by her synesthesia, Verity Richards discovers a hidden world inside an old Ottawa theatre. Within the timeworn walls live people who should not exist—people whose very survival is threatened by science, technology, and natural law. Verity must submerge hers...

Award-winning novelist C.J. Lavigne returns with a strange and startling new vision of the future…Naia never wanted to be a goddess. But the legend of her as the miracle child of the ocean and a drowned man who washed up on the shore has overtaken her life, forcing her to lie to survive. Desperate to escape from the stalwart adoration of the people she loves, Naia longs to leave the island. But the ocean, filled with deadly mer, and the mainland, filled with noxious moss that drive...

The first issue of Heartlines Spec contains the challenges, and joys, and frustrations that come from long-lasting connections. It’s a mother you never understood, a friendship that’s fierce but changing, the quiet gratitude of sipping champagne with someone you love. All the stories and poems within feature partners, families, lovers, and friends. The relationships between them are varied but strong.Editorial by Rebecca BennettShort FictionRedline b...