Books
3.19.19 9 days to go (still): An ‘Across the Universe’ spotlight on David Gerrold
In honor of our 9-days-and-counting* to either being fully funded or fully irritated that we weren’t fully funded for our speculative fiction, alternate universe book of Beatles short stories, Across the Universe, I have decided to spotlight one of our already-committed authors each day. All of our authors should be committed, but one at a…
Read More3.18.19 9 days and counting: ‘Across the Universe’ spotlight on Spider Robinson
In honor of our 9-days-and-counting to either being fully funded or fully irritated that we weren’t fully funded for our speculative fiction, alternate universe book of Beatles short stories, Across the Universe, I have decided to spotlight one of our already-committed authors each day. All of our authors should be committed, but one at a…
Read More3.05.19 Admiration: Lois Duncan, Weaponizer of Feminism
Of all the writers who left the earliest, most significant handprints in my undried childhood cement, none leap to mind faster than Lois Duncan. Her dark, young adult worlds – published in an era when YA dark fiction was more anomaly than rule – sparked a fire in me for the weird, the twisted and…
Read More2.26.19 Meet the Beatles anthology: “Across the Universe”
Words are flowing outLike endless rain into a paper cupThey slither wildly as they slip away across the universe — The Beatles, “Across the Universe” Now the story can be told: I am delighted to announce that I will be co-editing a brand-new anthology for Fantastic Books, Across the Universe: Tales of Alternative Beatles (working…
Read More2.25.19 The joys of taking books on vacation
One of the great joys of vacation, for me, is a chance to arrive at my location and dive into a book. It sounds counter-intuitive — to travel hours in order to disappear into yet another world — but I just adore traveling through a city or the countryside, finding a perfect location, and getting…
Read More12.4.18 50 Things I Can’t Stop Thinking of Since I Sent the New Novel to My Beta Reader
I forgot to do this one thing in Chapter 20. The ending could be done in a completely different way. It’s too goofy. It’s not funny. It’s not funny enough. The serious parts are seriously inane. My main character doesn’t have an arc. My beta reader hates it. My beta reader is trying to find…
Read More9.06.18 Guest Blog: J.L. Gribble on Steel Time, Siamese cats, and telling us all she knows
Happy book birthday to J.L. Gribble! This week, the fourth book in her Steel Empires fantasy/alternate history series, Steel Time, is being published by Dog Star Books, the science-fiction/adventure imprint of Raw Dog Screaming Press, and I’ve happily asked her to answer a few questions about herself, and the book, here on my blog. As she…
Read More8.28.2018 How ‘Sharp Objects’ ultimately lost its teeth and cheated viewers in the process
Warning: Spoilers. Oh, so many spoilers about the full season of Sharp Objects below. Sharp Objects, the adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s (Gone Girl) first novel just wrapped up its one and only season on Sunday. Having missed most of its original run, I blazed through it in just a couple of days, and let’s just…
Read More5.22.18 How To Review Your Friend’s Book in 5 Easy Steps, and Why Authors Keep Asking You To
A friend writes: “Someone close to me has self-published her book and asked me to write a review. I helped her with edits years ago, but haven’t read it since she published. It wasn’t really my style, but I was happy to help. I have no idea what to write for a review. We’re trying…
Read More5.17.18 9 Ways I Know ‘Book Club’ Will Stink, Based on the Poster
Last night, Dear Husband and I were talking about what we might do this weekend. (We still haven’t seen Black Panther, which is a stain on our character, and that is probably what will happen.) But then he brought up Book Club. I’m not sure if my eyes dropped out right then or a few…
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