What fun! I really didn’t know what to expect when I accepted the Author of the Year recognition from the Baltimore Faerie Faire, but there was belly dancing, big bands, folk music, a hoard of really cool/fun people… AND I was given a key to the Faerie Kingdom! It all started when I received a […]
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So, you’ve finished your manuscript, addressed the concerns of alpha readers, beta readers, your critique group, and conducted countless bouts of self-review. Now, you stand upon the parapet. Before you lies undiscovered country, all the foreign states of agency. A lush forest whispers of fruit, but carries the snarls of werewolves. A wind carries the […]
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I was recently asked to lead a workshop on humor for the Silver Spring Writers’ Meetup Group and while I’ve been lucky enough to sell my humorous commentaries on NPR or find a publisher to print my fictional riffs like any good writer, reporter, or author the first thing I did was hit the books […]
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Catherynn Valente’s works bring me joy. Her clever and intricate wordsmithing, sense of humor, and the humanity of her stories appeal to me in a big way. I’ve been a reader of hers since I worked on a piece about NANOWRIMO for NPR and almost managed to include her as one of the guests. It […]
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Last year at Mars Con I sold to a guest a copy of A Climbing Stock, telling him my novel was in the mold of Spaceballs and Princess Bride. He told me those were his two favorite movies and if the book didn’t measure up he’d find me and kick my ass. I am proud […]
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One of the benefits of an anthology or collection is that the reader is exposed to different writers and gets the opportunity to discover a new diamond. Ninth Step succeeds in this regard. There were several really compelling episodes and watching how each author took on the cast, setting, and the past details left behind […]
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Before I get to reviewing Naomi Novik’s Spinning Silver, I thought I’d share an anecdote. When I was in middle school, our chorus teacher asked me to try out for the state choir. Part of this, I’m sure, was just because my voice had changed early and I could produce a strong baritone/bass which for […]
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Marie Lu’s Rose Society picks up right where The Young Elites left off. Adelina and her sister are running for their lives and from betrayals in search of allies and a way to sate ambition. The Lead Inquisitor hunts for the Dagger Society and the path of our protagonist continues to whither from hero and […]
Continue ReadingStory ideas often pelt at me like rain drops during a spring shower. They cluster on my forehead and fingers, accumulating in a slick that cools or shivers. Sometimes, I skip through the storm to jump in their puddles. Other times, I dash towards shelter with my head bowed. You can get blinded by a […]
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It’s always difficult to review a friend’s book. Do you read it with the same eye as you do other novels? Are you more critical? More forgiving? I’m struggling a little with what I want to say about McLaughlin’s novella. McLaughlin calls this book “Beauty and the Beast, but with dragons.” I think it’s a […]
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