Ask any successful author how they got their start, and they'll tell you that when they were young they loved reading. One of the foundational goals of Ember is to foster the next generation of great writers by providing them with excellent reading material now. We believe that people who learn to love reading at an early age are more likely to seek knowledge in science, technology, engineering, and math. Those who then learn to love writing often go on to apply creativity and problem solving to those same critical disciplines—underscoring the importance of solid reading and writing skills. But we're not just looking at writers who may have talent someday. Many adolescents and teens already show genuine imagination and talent not just potential, but real mastery of language and storytelling. While we love great writing from contributors of all ages and experience levels, we're especially eager to purchase and publish stories and poems from younger writers in order to provide a professional experience and a platform from which to launch their careers. Our inaugural issue is beautiful inside and out, with amazing contributions like: Cover art by James R. EadsIllustrations by Sean GreenbergStone Showers The PrecipiceTodd Walton HoneyJC Hemphill Dead DogBC Flinton MimeographJeff Suwak The Familiar and his AlchemistKacey Vanderkarr DistractionAndrew Kaye Roots and BranchesMelissa Shaw The Astronaut* Sho Sho Leigh Ho Splitting the Seams of My PantsB L Draper The Great Garden HeistBert Lowe Cat TailLaura M Kaminski Dim* Sylvia Hicks Fleeing from FireJeffrey Beck OutlawEdward Ahern Puzwuk the Orphan Boy and the Starving TimeGerri Leen They Just Don't MixDavid Neilsen The SéanceCathleen Cohen Stealing ColorsBo Balder She Waxes While We Wane* Young contributors (age 14 and under)