Orca publishes short stories, flash fiction, and nonfiction. We are a literary journal and we believe in the literary style of writing. We are open to almost any topic, as long as it's written in a literary style.We are committed to diversity of identities, origins, and perspectives on our pages. Many of our contributors are from other countries and cultures. But the main criterion by which we judge submissions is the quality of the writing. We seek work that is high concept: imaginative, thoughtful, even speculative, and open to possibilities. We look for deep, diverse characters, and narratives that blend genres, or connect seemingly disparate ideas. We currently pay $50 for published short stories and $25 for flash fiction.We are also committed to the intentions of our contributors. Although we often work with writers to polish their stories, we also respect their original intent, and as much as possible retain the artist's individual and local language, spelling, style, and vernacular.Orca publishes four issues per year. April and October feature literary stories, and January and July are our literary-speculative issues. Literary stories with a speculative aspect are sometimes included in the literary issues.Although we are relatively new, our fiction has already been honored with a reprint of Kristyn Dunnion's "Daughter of Cups" in the anthology Best Canadian Stories 2020. Three of our flash fiction contributors have been selected for the 2021 edition of Best Small Fictions: "July First and Last," by Stephen Ground; "Life Underground" by Avra Margariti; and "A Fall Play: In One Act and Three Scenes" by David Luntz. "A Terrible Thing Has Happened" by Natascha Graham received an honorable mention in the Rotary Club of Stratford's (Canada) 2021 Short Story Contest.Fiction published in Orca may also be nominated for anthologies such as Best American Short Stories, Best Small Fictions, the Pushcart Prize, and others.

★ “Awash in messages of love and the celebration of individuality... A rare treat for both Pride Day and everyday sharing.”—School Library Journal, starred review ★ "A good thing comes in a small, rainbow package...A joyful, affirming, pride-filled read."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review Through gentle rhymes and colorful photographs of adorable children, Pride Colors is a celebration of the deep unconditional love of a parent or caregiver for a young child. The profound message of this delightful board book is you are free to be whoever you choose to be; you'll always be loved. Celebrated author Robin Stevenson ends her purposeful prose by explaining the meaning behind each color in the Pride flag: red = life, orange = healing, yellow = sunlight, green = nature, blue = peace and harmony, and violet = spirit.

Winner of the 2021 Silver Independent Publisher's Book Award in Horror, Lacrimore is a gothic novel about the scars history leaves on a place. Sivre Sen is a spiritual medium who's lost her faith. Though it's been years since the epidemic that swept the mainland and changed her life, she has yet to find the answers-or closure-that she's looking for. When she's summoned to conduct the funeral rites for a reclusive scholar, the unusual circumstances give her hope that maybe, finally, she'll find the answers she needs.Far from the mainland, on a small island in the middle of a lake, stands Lacrimore, centuries old and wreathed in grim legends. But something much darker than legends thrives within its walls, waiting to lay claim to the house's inhabitants. As Sivre rediscovers her place in the world, she'll need all of her newfound strength to dig her fingers into the monstrous foundation of Lacrimore and expose the secrets it is built upon.

The orca, also known as the killer whale, is one of the most intriguing and mysterious animals in the world. This lavishly illustrated portrait of this almost mythical sea mammal offers visions of the orca throughout the ages and across cultures, describing its hunting techniques and refined sonar and communication abilities. Full-color photographs capture whales breaching, playing, hunting, and caring for their young. The book also discusses the ethics of captivity and the environmental threats to whale populations. A foreword by internationally acclaimed scientist and environmentalist David Suzuki is included.

In most ways, Poe is like the other kids in his school. He thinks about girls and tries to avoid too much contact with teachers. He has a loving father who helps him with his homework. But Poe has a secret, and almost every day some small act threatens to expose him. He doesn't have a phone number to give to friends. He doesn't have an address. Poe and his father are living in a tent on city land. When the city clears the land to build housing, Poe worries that they might not be able to find another site near his school. Will Poe have to expose his secret to get help for himself and his father? This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!

Holding each other up with respect, dignity and kindness.

The fascinating and heartbreaking account of the first publicly exhibited captive killer whale — a story that forever changed the way we see orcas and sparked the movement to save them. Killer whales had always been seen as bloodthirsty sea monsters. That all changed when a young killer whale was captured off the west coast of North America and displayed to the public in 1964. Moby Doll — as the whale became known — was an instant celebrity, drawing 20,000 visitors on the one and only day he was exhibited. He died within a few months, but his famous gentleness sparked a worldwide crusade that transformed how people understood and appreciated orcas. Because of Moby Doll, we stopped fearing “killers” and grew to love and respect “orcas.” Published in Partnership with the David Suzuki Institute

Drawing on interviews, official records, private archives, and the author's own family history, this is the definitive story of how the feared and despised "killer" became the beloved "orca", and what that has meant for our relationship with the ocean and its creatures

An ancient car. No driver's license. A run for the border. What could possibly go wrong?

Resourceful fourteen-year-old Odette is on the move again, traveling as a stowaway on a cheese cart with her hapless mother, Anneline. They are in Burgundy, France, in 1799, fleeing yet another calamity caused by Anneline (who is prone to killing people accidentally). At dawn they find themselves in a town called Nevers, which is filled with eccentric characters, including a man who obsessively smells hands, another who dreams of becoming a chicken and a donkey that keeps the town awake at night, braying about his narrow life. As Odette establishes a home in an abandoned guardhouse, she makes a friend in the relaxed Nicois and finds work as a midwife's assistant. She and Nicois uncover a mystery that may lead to riches and, more important for Odette, a sense of belonging. The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.