Message from the Editors We hope you have all recovered from the sickly-sweet candy heart love of Valentine's Day - 'cuz you won't see any of that in this quarter's issue of Electric Spec. Sure, we've got some great love stories and even a story with a healthy dose of sex appeal, but they've all got that spec fic twist you've come to expect from us. In "Seasonal Fruit" by Kathryn Board, a botched "date" turns into an adventure involving a goddess, a stomach pump,and some super-enhanced sex appeal. Colum Paget's "Love in a Time of Bio-Mal" is a cyber-punk tale that bring a whole to meaning to the word "love." For those looking for something on the more humorous side, we present "The Pageant, a Battle Maiden's Cunning Stunt" by Krista Wallace, which shows just how far a woman will go to look good while gutting the enemy. "Stiltskin" by Samantha Boyette is a tale that explores just how far a father will go to preserve his family in a bleak future, and Simon Kewin's "Slieau Whallian" explores a similar theme: are we willing to allow an injustice go unchallenged to preserve or own skin? We're also excited to present an interview with author j.a. kazimer, author of CURSES! A F***ed Up Fairy Tale. Finally, our own Betsy Dornbusch shares the first two chapters of her new novel, Sentinel: Archive of Fire. We hope you "love" this issue as much as we do!