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Unbound Ink_1.jpg

Unbound Ink: Of Mercy and Madness

$16.00

Written in confinement. Unbound by imagination.

Unbound Ink: Of Mercy and Madness (Volume I) is the debut anthology from the Writers Guild Beginners class at Mabel Bassett Correctional Center. Nine incarcerated women prove through these very stories that even in the most overlooked places, extraordinary literature can take root. Here, every genre becomes a doorway into resilience, vision, and the unbreakable pulse of human creativity.

Inside this collection, you’ll discover:

  • Science fiction that asks what mercy costs when survival is on the line, from starships orbiting blue worlds to shapeshifting species desperate for a safe home.

  • Humorous fiction that cuts close to the bone, where the truth lurking in institutional kitchens is more unsettling than anyone dares admit; where a maggot seeks her purpose amid discarded dreams; and where survival often requires laughing in the face of the absurd.

  • Dark whimsy and gothic humor, where suburban vampires reckon with transformation, protection, and the monsters we’re willing to become for the people we love.

  • Romantic suspense and intimate emotional journeys, where danger collides with longing, forgiveness, and the persistent hope that hearts can endure more than they fear.

These stories could not have been written anywhere else, by anyone else. Each author writes from confinement, yet every narrative pulses with fierce resolve and imagination. Together, they carve open a space where their voices—and their stories—can finally stand unbound.

This anthology claims space for those written off and calls on the world to make room for their brilliance.

All proceeds support Crime & Compassion Inc., advancing our mission to uplift incarcerated writers and ensure their stories reach the readers who need them most.

Unbound Ink is not just a title. It’s a promise. And this is only volume one.

Featured authors:

  • Kristie Evans: The Garden of Eatin’

  • Lissa Dee: Higgledy-Piggledy

  • Crystal Avilla: A Home for the Nooni

  • Ashe Marks: For Inmate Consumption Only

  • Susan White: The Mercy Protocol

  • April Lovell: My Secret Vampyre and Fae Life

  • Alyssa Bonnell: Snapped

  • Shauna C. McGuire: Southern Bite

  • Kelly Baker: What the Heart Can Take

Writers Guild Beginners authors retain all rights to their short stories. All book sales go right back into our program to help our students.

BONUS: Each book order comes with a Crime & Compassion silicone bracelet that says “SHOW COMPASSION. CHANGE LIVES.” and two stickers.

Written in confinement. Unbound by imagination.

Unbound Ink: Of Mercy and Madness (Volume I) is the debut anthology from the Writers Guild Beginners class at Mabel Bassett Correctional Center. Nine incarcerated women prove through these very stories that even in the most overlooked places, extraordinary literature can take root. Here, every genre becomes a doorway into resilience, vision, and the unbreakable pulse of human creativity.

Inside this collection, you’ll discover:

  • Science fiction that asks what mercy costs when survival is on the line, from starships orbiting blue worlds to shapeshifting species desperate for a safe home.

  • Humorous fiction that cuts close to the bone, where the truth lurking in institutional kitchens is more unsettling than anyone dares admit; where a maggot seeks her purpose amid discarded dreams; and where survival often requires laughing in the face of the absurd.

  • Dark whimsy and gothic humor, where suburban vampires reckon with transformation, protection, and the monsters we’re willing to become for the people we love.

  • Romantic suspense and intimate emotional journeys, where danger collides with longing, forgiveness, and the persistent hope that hearts can endure more than they fear.

These stories could not have been written anywhere else, by anyone else. Each author writes from confinement, yet every narrative pulses with fierce resolve and imagination. Together, they carve open a space where their voices—and their stories—can finally stand unbound.

This anthology claims space for those written off and calls on the world to make room for their brilliance.

All proceeds support Crime & Compassion Inc., advancing our mission to uplift incarcerated writers and ensure their stories reach the readers who need them most.

Unbound Ink is not just a title. It’s a promise. And this is only volume one.

Featured authors:

  • Kristie Evans: The Garden of Eatin’

  • Lissa Dee: Higgledy-Piggledy

  • Crystal Avilla: A Home for the Nooni

  • Ashe Marks: For Inmate Consumption Only

  • Susan White: The Mercy Protocol

  • April Lovell: My Secret Vampyre and Fae Life

  • Alyssa Bonnell: Snapped

  • Shauna C. McGuire: Southern Bite

  • Kelly Baker: What the Heart Can Take

Writers Guild Beginners authors retain all rights to their short stories. All book sales go right back into our program to help our students.

BONUS: Each book order comes with a Crime & Compassion silicone bracelet that says “SHOW COMPASSION. CHANGE LIVES.” and two stickers.

 
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-Reviews-

“These stories were well written and you could tell the authors wrote their hearts out to make them happen!
Each one had a unique voice, engaging characters and an interesting tale to tell. I'm not typically a short story reader, but found the premise of this compilation something I wanted to check out and support. I really enjoyed them and am so glad these women got the opportunity and support to create.”

— BookSirens Reviewer

“There were some interesting ideas and good short stories in this collection. Worth the read.”

— Helen, BookSirens Reviewer

“I absolutely love the premise of the short story collection and what it stands for as a whole. Working with  incarcerated women and giving them not only a voice, but a means to channel it into something tactile is absolute beautiful.”

— Sarah, BookSirens Reviewer

“In "The Garden of Eatin’" by Kristie Evans, Evans allows the reader to completely transform into the maggot with them. You feel you are part of the movements, the process of eating, and evolution. All of the ways the Evans uses descriptive language to talk about the textures of various foods and classifying them and ranking them in favor. She goes so far as to strip down the intricacies of what may be too much for the maggots to devour. It is incredible writing.”

— Sarah, BookSirens Reviewer

“From the first story I was intrigued by the writings of these various authors. I can tell that many of the writers are still learning how to piece together their thoughts into cohesive stories. Since most of these were short stories, it was refreshing to see several different viewpoints and thoughts turned into stories.”

— A. Bailey, BookSirens Reviewer

“These short stories and the bios of each writer reminded me that, no matter where life leads us or the decisions we make, we are all human beings with a story to tell.

From the allegory of the maggot holding onto hope and searching for a higher purpose beyond the waste she's always known, to the shapeshifting species that's learned compassion secretly living among the human race, and the social worker and young mother both struggling through their own hardship while subconsciously seeking connection—these stories made me feel joy, shock, hope and sadness while encouraging me to ponder on the resilience of the human spirit.”

— Kati, BookSirens Reviewer