Ten Things About A Match Made in Spain by Rochelle Merrill

September 15, 2021 MD Neu

Happy Wednesday everyone. How is your week going? I hope you are all doing well. This week, I’m thrilled to have fellow BAQWA (Bay Area Queer Writers Association learn more here.) writer Rochelle Merrill over to share ten things about her new book A Match Made in Spain. Let’s jump in and see what Rochelle has to share.

Big thanks to M.D. Neu for sharing the news about my latest release, A Match Made in Spain. I’ve been anxiously awaiting the release of this book and hope you will all take a vicarious journey with me through this book. Here’s the blurb:

A small-town ASL teacher is reluctantly captivated by the Catalonian vintner determined to woo her across the Spanish countryside. Can a match made on a tour of Spain be a fairytale second chance for this grumpy/sunshine pair?

The ink on Cecilia's divorce papers might be dry, but she’s in no hurry to connect with another traveling businessman, especially the spatially challenged one seated beside her on a crack-of-dawn flight from San Francisco to Madrid.

Felip should be on top of the world running his family’s cava empire, however life has left him feeling unfulfilled as of late. Good conversation and a hard-won smile from his seatmate—a grumpy but lovely American hearing-impaired teacher—have him wondering if maybe fairytales are possible—or if he’s lost his mind, especially when a series of mishaps lands him in the role of the substitute tour guide for her group.

Over the course of twelve days, Felip’s irresistible charm and lust for life break down Cecilia’s carefully constructed walls as he competes with needy teenagers and pulls off a daring rescue to show her they are a good match. Will Cecilia see that their worlds are closer together than she thinks, and that faith and compromise can give them a real happily ever after?

Perfect for fans of Shipped by Angie Hockman and People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry. And those who miss the excitement of exploring a new place with a special someone by your side will appreciate the journey.

Ten Things about A Match Made in Spain:

My family and I actually took this tour in 2018 with my daughter’s school. All of the places the group visits in the story were places we went…the names have been changed to protect the innocent-ish
The first time I went to Spain was in 2001 and I fell in love with Granada, which we did not visit in 2018. The Alhambra is the most beautiful place I’ve ever been!
My daughter was most likely conceived in Barcelona.
Author Laura Bailo read the book for me and gave me lots of great tips about the culture and language, including things specific to Catalonia, which is where she’s from.
Author Kilby Blades, a good pal of mine, is a sommelier. Before writing this book I had no idea what that was. She gave me lots of great feedback on the cava industry in Spain.
Author Eva Moore was very helpful with the winery scene. She understands me and my dislike of wine. Yeah, I said it. I don’t like wine. BUT I like cava and some sparkling wines. Sangria is awesome…
We happened to be in Bilbao the day they had their Pride celebration and it was really special to be there with my family. They had about a dozen party boats decorated in rainbows and glitter and folks dancing to great music. It looked like so much fun. Someday I want to be on one of those boats.
We attended Festival San Juan in Bilbao and it was truly magic. I actually was offered my second book contract via email while standing on top of a hill surrounded by new and wonderful friends next to a bonfire while listening to Basque heavy metal.
We actually did have a medical emergency, but it was not like the one in the book. Three of us went to a clinic and we used our limited Spanish to help our colleague communicate with the doctor. It was so different than any American medical clinic I’ve ever been to.
Someday I plan to spend an extended amount of time in Spain. If I disappear, well, you know where to look for me. I just have to convince my husband…

Thank you so much for stopping by today, Rochelle. This sounds like a wonderful read and I’m looking forward to diving in.

Did you read my last Top Ten Lists, click here to get caught up:

Top Ten List: What’s Your Tribe, with Eddie Newton. Click here.

What a great piece by Rochelle Merrill. I hope you all enjoyed the top ten list. If you know folks who may appreciate this new story, go ahead and share this post and help spread the word. Until next time I hope you stay safe and have a great week.

**Learn more about A Match Made in Spain:**

For Goodreads click here.

For Amazon click here.

For iBooks click here.

For Kobo click here.

For Barnes and Noble click here.

About Rochelle Merrill:

Fun, Fresh Fiction with Feeling

If R.L. Merrill is your local hard rock/metal radio station, Rochelle is her Adult Contemporary alter ego. Spinning feel-good stories to make you laugh and swoon, Ro writes romance for grown-ups who use their words (mostly) and take care of business. She’s a mom and wife who’s on hiatus from a career in education while she explores the new terrain of mid-life adventures. You can catch her walking and gardening in her neighborhood by the Bay, spoiling her rescue pets, and dreaming of attending concerts and theaters again someday. Stay Tuned for more hits coming your way…

Where to find Rochelle Merrill:

Find Rochelle’s Website here.

Check her out on Facebook here.

Follow her on Instagram here.

See what she’s up to on Twitter here.

Top Ten List-What’s Your Tribe?

September 8, 2021 MD Neu

Happy Wednesday everyone. I hope you’re having a wonderful week. Today I’m pleased to share with you fellow NineStar Press author Eddie Newton. Eddie lives in Florida and enjoys few things more than the beach. An accomplished author, he received the Robert L. Fish Memorial Award from the Mystery Writers of America for the Best First Short Story. Eddie’s newest novel Truth to Light is available now everywhere books are sold. His new novel, Truth to Light, reveals everyone on Earth isn’t necessarily human. Many of the population live under an enchantment called the Great Dream. But the world is much wider than most people think. There are twelve tribes equally divided among the people of the planet.

What’s your tribe?

Humans: Everyone dreaming the Great Dream sees themselves as a Human. It is the easiest form to enchant. But most people are living a lie.
Angels: Winged seraphim are real enough in the Wider World. Nigh immortal with fantastic powers, they alone are allowed to procreate with another tribe. A child born of an Angel and a Human is called a nephilim.
Fauna: Talking rabbit? A tea-sipping dormouse? Grinning Cheshire cat? This isn’t Wonderland. A family of anthropomorphic animals could be living right next door to you!
Demons: They aren’t the evil entities as portrayed in fiction. This tribe of horned entities with prehensile tails and indigo skin has gotten a bad rep from historians. They simply tell the terrible truth.
Time: The rarest tribe features a patriarch named Kālá, the embodiment of history itself. He and a few offspring are all that remain of this endangered tribe.
Ghosts: These ephemeral entities flicker at the edge of agelessness. This mostly incorporeal tribe shares a special affinity with nature. They are deeply attuned to the energies of the universe.
Golems: Earthen lifeforms made of soil and detritus are rooted deeply to the land. Golems are ponderous creatures at one with the Wider World itself.
Extra-Terrestrials: This tribe has voyaged to the stars and back, nomadic explorers who push the cosmic boundaries beyond the Wider World.
Genii: With oversized craniums and wild hairstyles, the caricature of the Genii have been used to personify mad scientist characters throughout countless works of fiction. They have boundless intellect and an insatiable curiosity for new technology and invention.
Magi: The people utilizing the enchanted energies of the Wider World have been branded through history as wizards and witches. Enchantment is real, and ten percent of the world can access real magic.

So which tribe are you? Wondering what the other two tribes could possibly be? Find Truth to Light today and get ready to be enlightened!

***

Thank you so much for stopping by today, Eddie. I can’t wait to read your book and learn more. Do you have questions for Eddie? Leave them below and I’ll be sure to have her swing by and answer them.

Want to read some more of my Top Ten Lists, check these out:

Top Ten List - Give Way (click here)

Top Ten List - Top 10 Facts about Concussion and Contentment (click here)

Top Ten List - Top Ten things about We Cry the Sea (click here)

Top Ten List - Top Ten List-Mr. Sticker (A More Perfect Union) (click here)

I hope you enjoyed getting to know Eddie, and learning about the wonderful new world he has created. As always like this post, so I know I’m providing you content you enjoy. If you know folks who may appreciate this new story, go ahead and share this post and help spread the word. Until next time I hope you stay safe and have a great week.

**About Truth to Light:**

What is she willing to sacrifice to hide the truth?

Sofía Hernandez has been looking for her truth all her life. She was adopted as a baby and never knew her birth parents. She was assigned male, and that wasn’t the truth either. So when she gets a phone call from someone offering to clear up the mysteries in her life, she starts on an adventure that leads to revelations she can hardly believe are true.

Sofía’s birth sister reaches out and reveals a world full of greater mysteries than Sofía ever could have imagined. A secret organization called the Illuminati created a universal lie about the population of Earth, concealing the true nature of the world. The Illuminati hides the real Wider World behind a magical glamour, concealing the existence of ghosts, aliens, monsters, angels, demons, and more.

Truth to Light is a novel that explores what it means to be true to yourself and what truth can mean to different people. Sofia is a transgender woman who must deal with changes both within and without. Her transformation will need to accommodate not only her own identity, but the very nature of the world around her.

**Buy Truth to Light:**

Get your copy at NineStar Press here.

Find the book here on Amazon.

About Eddie Newton:

Eddie Newton lives in Florida and enjoys few things more than the beach. An accomplished author, he received the Robert L. Fish Memorial Award from the Mystery Writers of America for the Best First Short Story. His previous works include Horrorfrost, a chilling tale, as well as several published short stories. Eddie spent a year traveling the continental United States and found something intriguing everywhere he went—this country is an amazing and fascinating place. His heart is his family and he couldn’t do any of this without his wife Treina and his amazing kids Kobe, Gage, Oliver, and Bennett.

Where to Find Eddie Newton:

Find Eddie on Facebook here.

Find Eddie’s Blog here.

Slipping Between Genres Guest blog by Kevin Klehr

September 1, 2021 MD Neu

SLIPPING BETWEEN GENRES

Guest blog by Kevin Klehr

First off, I’d like to thank M.D. Neu for inviting me over to talk about my new novel. But before I do, I want to discuss an issue some gay authors face.

Recently, a friend asked me what I’d been up to and I told her I’d been writing. She knew I had several books out and said, “You write erotica, don’t you?” I could feel the irritation rising inside me, but I remained poker faced and replied “No, I don’t,” then continued to calmly tell her what I’d been working on.

To be fair, I have written one dirty book. I don’t promote it. It’s not on the banner of my socials as it sells itself. But this experience with my friend highlighted once again how gay authors are often pigeonholed.

When my first novel was released, one of the reviews stated, ‘don’t expect an HEA’. I stared at these three letters, scratching my head. Healthy evening appetite? Hasty eastbound angels? Highbrow Ethiopian ants? So, I googled.

The book was Drama Queens with Love Scenes which took many drafts in just as many years to write. I worked with an assessor for the initial versions, then had a stellar editor who reworked it with me over several months.

This editor was assigned to me by the first publisher of this book. When editing was about to begin, the head honcho sent me a curt email saying ‘You call this an erotic novel? This book will never see the light of day if you don’t spice it up!’

I didn’t just scratch my head, I stared at that email for ages in disbelief. The story is about gay unrequited love in the theatre district of the Afterlife. How could anyone mistake it for erotica?

I wrote back, still in disbelief, clarifying any confusion. However, my assigned editor insisted on three sex scenes. I stood my ground initially, but as this was my first book contract, I didn’t want to be a ‘difficult author’. The scenes were added, and two editions later, I still feel they’re not needed.

When I write a book, I don’t think about genre. Probably because I’m a movie buff and spent my twenty-something years watching modern classics like ‘She’s Gotta Have It’, ‘My Life As A Dog’ and ‘Wings of Desire’. Arthouse cinema was big in inner-city Sydney in the 90s. Breaking genre is what made film relevant at the time.

But as every book of mine has lovers of some sort, I’m often mistaken as a Romance writer. I’ve even been placed on Romance panels at Literary Festivals more than once. At Saints and Sinners in New Orleans, two of us admitted we didn’t think about genre when we “wrote our book.” A representative from a queer publishing house stood up and sternly told me I should not represent myself as a Romance writer! The image of her wagging her finger at me from between the aisles still haunts me.

That was back in 2014. Fast forward to today and I’m carefully considering how to market my new book, The Midnight Man. It falls into the Urban Fantasy/Magic Realism realm, like many of my works.

Last year’s release, Winter Masquerade, is about a man in an abusive relationship finding solace in the fantasy world he’s found himself in. I sent it to my usual handful of bloggers who like and ‘get’ my work. But a Romance based site I sent an advanced copy to, wrote to me saying their reviewer didn’t ‘get into it’, so they won’t be reviewing it. I emailed back letting them know it was okay as I had several excellent reviews already. Yes, I felt a bit smug replying, but it still flaws me how many queer review sites expect everything to be Romance.

I have nothing against Romance. I’ve written two novellas in that genre and have read some great contemporary novels based around a love story. I’m using one I just read to influence the relationship aspects of one of my works in progress.

And my new book has romantic elements. Its inspiration was the Kate Bush song ‘Man With the Child in His Eyes’ – a tale of a mystical lover who appears as the songwriter is about to go to sleep.

The plot is centred around Stanley, an insecure man who’s about to turn fifty. His mother is overprotective. His relationship is on the rocks. He feels like a failure. Then he meets Asher, a twenty-one-year-old who only appears in his dreams. And with each dream, Stan is a further five years younger than the last time he and Asher meet.

And even though a romance develops, my editor put the story in perspective when she said – “I liked what the story had to say about the good and bad aspects of getting older.” She’s right. That’s the novel’s main theme. Finding comfort with where you’re at as you age.

My challenge is to extend my list of bloggers and reviewers that don’t place all queer lit in the same basket. And as Sydney has been in lockdown thanks to the Delta strain of Covid, I’ve had plenty of time to research. And they are out there. It just takes longer to find them.

SOCIALS

Kevin's Website - https://kevinklehr.com/

Kevin's Twitter - https://twitter.com/kevinklehr

Kevin's Author Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DramaQueensWithLoveScenes

Kevin's Insta - https://www.instagram.com/klehrkevin/

Kevin's YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/KevinKlehr

Kevin’s NineStar Press page - https://ninestarpress.com/authors/kevin-klehr/

If you enjoyed this guest post, be sure to check out:

Top 10 Facts about Concussion and Contentment by Liz Faraim (click here)

Witches, Fae and Werewolves…oh my! by Jeff Jackson (click here)

Top Ten things about WE CRY THE SEA by Glenn Quigley (click here)

Until next time I hope you stay safe and have a great week.

New Audiobooks Coming Soon

August 25, 2021 MD Neu

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, have I got some exciting news to share this week. As the subject says, I have, not one, but two, new audiobooks coming out in the next couple of months. First, coming out in time for Halloween is my highly received short story, The Reunion. And returning to provide his voice to this story is the wonderfully talented Steve Connor (find him here), who did the audio narration for T.A.D.-The Angel of Death (find the audiobook here and the book here). The Reunion was the very first story of mine that NineStar Press published (find the eBook here). So, having it coming out in audiobook format is thrilling. The story revolves around a group of friends who meet up once a year, in their abandoned town of Lakeview. The Reunion is a story full of unique wonderful characters that share a tragic past.

Here is the blurb:

It’s been twenty years since the quiet Midwestern town of Lakeview was struck by tragedy. But every year, on the anniversary of the tragic event, Teddy returns home for ‘The Reunion’. Lakeview, like Teddy, has secrets and not all mysteries should come to light.

If ghost stories aren’t your thing, then coming out in audiobook in time for Christmas is my number one ranked Queer Holiday Reads, short story A Dragon for Christmas (click here to see the stories listing). This holiday classic revolves around Carmen as she struggles to get a dragon for Christmas. This is a sweet story involving growing up, love and, yes, dragons (find the eBook here). I will share more details about the brilliant narrator latter, but trust me, she is the voice of Carmen and I can’t be more excited for you to hear her work.

Here is the blurb:

Carmen is eleven years old and wants to get her dragon. Since she was seven years old, she understood two things. One, she was going to be the strongest Dragon Keeper there ever was. The second was that she was going to marry her best friend, Mattie.
As Christmas approaches, the magical charms Carmen has to use to fight off her curse are taking a toll on her health. But that can’t stop her from taking her final test to become a Dragon Keeper. If she passes her test, she gets her dragon, if not, she has to start all over relying on different magical charms to fight the curse for her. That is something Carmen doesn’t want to have to go through. The testing is difficult and charms make her sick. Carmen has decided that if she doesn’t get her dragon, this Christmas, she’s not going to go for a third attempt, even if that means she can’t marry Mattie when she grows up.

Well, that is my quick update for today. Until next time, have a great week.

NineStar Press

August 18, 2021 MD Neu

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. I realized this week that I talk a lot about writing and the writing process, but I have spoken little about the publishing house that publishes a majority of my novels. Today I want to talk about my publisher, NineStar Press.

About NineStar Press (taken from their webpage):

Count the first nine stars you see on nine consecutive nights, and on the tenth day, you will find your love…

Welcome to NineStar Press. We’re a boutique publisher of quality LGBTQA romance, erotica, and literary fiction, and we’re located in New Mexico, USA.

NineStar Press is an LGBTQA publisher owned and managed by LGBTQA people. We adore romance and erotic romance, but we also have an enormous interest in showcasing amazing literary works about characters less represented in fiction: ace, aro, trans, nonbinary, genderfluid, bi, pan, etc. We also like genre-bending fiction, fusion genre, and stories that don’t quite fit into a particular category.

This is who they are and what they are about. But there is so much more to this publisher than the above. Here is my story:

I can’t say for sure if I found NineStar Press, or if they found me. I had submitted my debut novel, The Calling, to NineStar back in 2017. As I had submitted this story to several publishers with little success, I figured not much would happen, but as with all authors, I kept trying. As it would happen, NineStar Press had recently picked up one of my good friends and now fellow author. He sent me a note asking if I have submitted anything to them as they were looking for additional works. I told him I had. And he said he would let his editor know. No promises, of course.

As luck would have it, his editor liked my manuscript, and I received my first contract with NineStar Press. I still remember that day as Eric and I were driving home from Southern California.

That is how I got into NineStar Press, but that isn’t why I’m still with them.

NineStar Press is a small publishing house with hundreds of authors and if I were to guess thousands of books, still that doesn’t take away from the quality work they do. Each manuscript goes through several rounds of editing and proofreading to ensure the work is as good of a story as the novel can be (sure you may find the odd typo here and there, but even the big publishing houses have that happen). You also get to work with some of the best cover artists around. I’m not joking. Check out the work of both Natasha Snow Designs and Sweet ‘N Spicy Designs they are both incredible and their covers have won many awards.

One of the other benefits of working with NineStar Press is that they have a Marketing and Promotions contract with IndiGo Marketing & Design who can assist all the authors with launching services (at a discount) as well as additional marketing material designs and collateral. This is especially helpful, if you are like me and don’t have a strong graphics design skill set.

Even though NineStar Press is a small publishing house, they do offer additional publishing services. They can assist you in getting your book(s) turned into audiobooks and recently they are working with a Spanish Translator to get their authors books translated into Spanish.

All of these services take time and nothing happens overnight (as I mentioned, they are a small publishing house) but it’s good to know that NineStar Press offers several of the same services as the large publishing houses. As authors we are always looking for ways to make our jobs easier, so all the efforts NineStar Press takes in that direction are greatly appreciated.

One of my favorite things about NineStar Press is that when I have a question or concern, they are there to respond and answer my questions and assist me when they can. Obviously they can’t do everything or make miracles happens but I appreciate all the work they do for me (and for my fellow authors).

Also, NineStar Press isn’t only all about their authors, they are also all about their readers. If you preorder your books through the NineStar Press website, you will typically get the book a couple days early, which is amazing! They also have a rewards program where you receive points for leaving reviews and buying books. These points can be used to receive discounts on other books, which is a great perk especially since the points save you money when you buy direct from the publisher.

Are there other publishing houses out there? Yep. Will I possibly submit future stories to these other publishing housing? Perhaps, however, as for my current plans, I’m thrilled to call NineStar Press my publisher and I’m excited about what’s coming next. If you want to learn more about NineStar Press, including their submission guidelines, find out more here.

These are a few of the amazing authors who have books published by NineStar Press and are authors you should check out. Click on their name to learn more:

Liz Faraim – Contemporary Fiction Author

J.P. Jackson – Urban Fantasy and Horror Author

Glenn Quigley – Historical Fiction Author

Valentine Wheeler – Contemporary Fiction Author

Ava Kelly – Fantasy Author

B. Rourke – Romance Author

SA Collins – Fantasy and Contemporary Fiction Author

Matt Doyle – Speculative Fiction Author

L.A. Ashton – Fiction Author

Kay Doherty – Romance Author

Andrew J. Peters – Romance Author

Casey Wolfe – Urban Fantasy Author

Schuyler L’Roux – Romance Author

Damian Serbu – Urban Fantasy Author

Sarah Elkins – Horror/Thriller Author

K.S. Trenten – Fantasy Author

Sara Codair – Young Adult Author

Riina Y.T. – Romance Author

Todd Smith – Contemporary Author

Gillian St. Kevern – Contemporary and Urban Fantasy

That’s all for today. Until next time have a great week.

More Vloggers I Follow (Part 2)

August 11, 2021 MD Neu

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. Today I thought I would follow up my Top Ten Vloggers I Follow with More Vloggers I follow. These are shared in no particular order.

Minty Comedic Arts: As a lover of Cinema and general Pop Culture I peel back the layers of some of our most well-loved movies and try to discover secrets laying behind films that we would otherwise think we know everything about to bring a new love and appreciate to all those movies we grew up watching. Buckle up and get ready for my Top 10’s as I do a check list of things that you may not know about the movies. Click here to check it out.

Peter Hollens: Peter Hollens is an American entrepreneur, educator best known as a classically trained vocal artist specializing in a cappella music on Youtube and Facebook. With over 5 million followers and subscribers on his content and over a billion total views since. Hollens has collaborated with some amazing artists, including Brian Wilson, Jason Mraz, Hunter Hayes, Lindsey Stirling, George Watsky & The Piano Guys. In 2010, he was featured on NBC’s The Sing Off! Check him out here.

Justin Scarred: Welcome to Randomland, hosted by Justin Scarred. From Roadside history and Attractions to theme park history and updates, our adventures and episodes are extremely varied and can sometimes feel, well, Random. But life is a symphony an isn't meant to be one note! Randomland is dedicated to a positive and interested approach to the world, blurring the line between entertainment, education, and exploration. This channel is all viewer funded, and we appreciate everyone who watches and interacts in a positive way. Click here to learn more.

Laura in the Kitchen: This is where I share my passion for cooking with the world. I started Laura in the Kitchen in 2010 as a way to help share the love of the kitchen with anyone willing to watch and learn.

I had no idea that so many of you would tune in and love to cook with me! I've shared over a thousand recipes here on YouTube, all of them are super yummy, and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

I'm not here to turn you into a perfect chef, just help you navigate the kitchen and make food everyone will love! Find her here.

Theme Park Express: Theme Park news, reviews and vlogs! Learn more about them here.

Lost in the Pond: I'm on a quest to uncover all of the memos that Britain and America Lost in the Pond. Check him out here.

Cruise with Ben and David: Ahoy there, we’re Ben and David. We upload a brand new video every Sunday. Our channel is jam-packed with cruise videos for you to enjoy, from Cruise Ship Tours to Cruise Tips, Hacks, and Cruise Vlogs. We've cruised over 40 times so we know what we are talking about, it doesn't matter if you are a first-time cruiser or cruised hundreds of times, our channel is for you.

We want you to come along on our cruise adventures, and experience everything with us! Check them out here.

Theme Park Obsession: Hey, my name is Dylan and welcome to Theme Park Obsession! Dedicated to bringing you valuable information on some of the parks here in Southern California. Weekly updates and vlogs, reviews and of course fun, do you have a Theme Park Obsession too?

Let’s Dive Right In! Find him here.

DSNY Newscast : DSNY Newscast is a news channel that covers everything to do with The Walt Disney Company. Explaining construction of the latest projects at Disney parks around the world to analyzing and reviewing Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars movies. DSNY Newscast aims to deliver the best coverage of news to adults who love The Walt Disney Company. Click here for more.

Nobody Reads Short Stories: LIVE weekly literary podcast. Join our hosts Jeremy Ray and Megan Morrison as they guide you through a new short story each week, followed by an interview with the author. Tune in every Monday at 6PM Pacific/9PM Eastern! Learn more here.

If you enjoyed this list, be sure to check out: My Top Ten Vloggers I follow here.

Have you check out this other posts yet:

My Favorite Reader Groups on Facebook (click here)

My Summer Writing Update (click here)

The International Queer Authors and Readers Uniting Stories Con 2021 (click here)

My Media Update 2021 (click here)

Rainbow Space Magic Con 2021 (click here)

That’s all for this week. So, who are your favorite vloggers on Youtube? Are there any I should check out? Let me know in the comments below. Until next time I hope you stay safe and have a great week.

My Favorite Reader Groups of Facebook

July 28, 2021 MD Neu

Happy Wednesday everyone! I hope your week is going well. As you can see, I missed last week. Eric and I took some time off to take care of some family business and to celebrate Eric’s birthday. We would have liked to have gone away and done something fun, but that wasn’t in the cards for this year. However, we have something amazing planned for next year, but no spoilers as I don’t want to jinx things.

I don’t have a lot to share this week. However, I wanted to suggest you look at some of these great Facebook Groups you might want to join (I know. I know. Facebook can be hit or miss and if I’m honest it’s not my favorite social media platform, but these are some great groups worth looking into):

Bay Area Queer Writers Association - Welcome to Bay Area Queer Writers Association. We are a group of local writers who support and encourage each other. The goal of the group is to create a strong visible writing community here in the Bay Area. We are based in Silicon Valley, but we have members from all over the Bay Area. This group is open to anyone who loves to read and wants to help support area authors. You don’t have to live in the Bay Area to be a member, you just have to love Queer books and enjoy reading. Join to meet authors and find your next favorite book.

Find them here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/950913525288861

Queer SciFi - A page for LGBT folks who write or read sci fi, fantasy, or paranormal.

Find them here: https://www.facebook.com/queerscifi

Queer Romance Ink - This group is for discussion of queer romance and related topics.

Find them here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/queeromanceink

The NineStar Niche - A group dedicated to the readers, reviewers, and authors of NineStar Press books. Discussions about books and tropes and characters are encouraged.

Find them here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/NineStarNiche

Paranormal Romance Guild - Where the pursuit of extraordinary love, romance and passion is first and foremost.

Find them here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/PRGgroup

Queeromance Ink - This group is for discussion of queer romance and related topics.

Find them here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/queeromanceink

Science Fiction and Fantasy Books - This is a virtual book club of fans of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible (or at least non-supernatural) content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities. Exploring the consequences of scientific innovations is one purpose of science fiction, making it a "literature of ideas".

Find them here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/scififan

Liminal Fiction - Liminal Fiction (lim fic for short) is a new, progressive, inclusive group for speculative fiction readers and writers that pushes the boundaries of what sci fi, fantasy, paranormal and horror can be, encouraging inclusion of characters and creators from across the spectrum and stories that go beyond the speculative fic of yesteryear. Perfect for Sci Fi Readers, Sci Fi Writers, Fantasy Readers, Fantasy Writers, Horror Readers, Horror Writers, and Paranormal Readers and Paranormal Writers.

Find them here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/limfic

Book Place - A discussion group for anyone who likes books or is in any way connected with books, including readers, authors, librarians, editors, agents, publicists, illustrators, and more. This includes both print and electronic forms.

Find them here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bookplace

That’s all for now. Have a great week and see you next time.

50 Amazon Reviews

July 14, 2021 MD Neu

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. Today I wanted to ask for your help. I’m trying to increase the number of reviews my books have on Amazon. Believe it or not, 50 reviews is a magic number for Amazon. But before I jump into that let me share a little something about book reviews and why they are so important.

Why are reviews so important to authors?

Many people believe that reviews for books (and reviews in general are not important or that no one actually cares about what you think of a product). That isn’t the case.

When you write a review, you are helping others to decide if a product, or in my case my books, are something they will be interested in. They get to hear from someone other than the author or the publisher. They may not know you, but because you took the time to sit down and take a few minutes to talk about a product, they might buy they will trust you, because you are a non-interested party. You have nothing to gain or lose by leaving the review.

Leaving reviews provides honest feedback. For good or for ill, your voice matters. Research shows that people are more likely to write a review when they’ve had an ‘extreme’ experience (negative or positive). In these moments you can take the time to provide suggestions or feedback you get to say what you loved or didn’t like and ways to improve it. That said, we shouldn’t only write reviews when we feel strongly. We should take this time to share our thoughts no matter what, because if the feedback is constructive they will appreciate the review.

Think of a review as giving the product or author some love (sometimes tough love). We all want to know if our art is enjoyed, respected and appreciated. Sometimes what we’ve created hits the mark. So, let us know. Sometimes our works are way off base. Letting us know that too is important and shows you care. The only way for us to learn what works and what doesn’t is by our reviews. The more reviews we have, the better understanding we have as to what our fans and readers want from us.

Last, when you leave a review for a product (even a lukewarm review) you help get the products noticed given the work a chance to be seen by more people, and hopefully enjoyed by more people.

Now, why 50 reviews on Amazon? Here’s the thing with Amazon they are huge and they use logarithms to promote items, in order for these logarithms to kick in books need at least 50 reviews (click here for the article from HuffPost). What I’m asking is that, if you have read any of my books, please leave a review on Amazon even if you don’t want to give my books 5-stars. The process is straightforward and makes an enormous difference. Book reviews on Amazon are essential to building my brand as an author. The more reviews my books get on Amazon, the more people potential readers will see them.

I can’t stress who important leaving a review is, so I hope you will take a minute and help me out.

To assist you in leaving a review, here is a link to each of my books. First you will need to be signed into your Amazon account. Then all you have to do is scroll down and click on ‘write a customer review’ (the button will be under the ‘Customer Reviews’ in gray). Once there, simple leave a review, save the review and you are finished. Here are the links:

A More Perfect Union click here.

Contact (A New World Book 1) click here.

Conviction (A New World Book 2) click here.

The Calling click here.

The Called (The Calling Book 2) click here.

T.A.D. (The Angel of Death) click here.

A Dragon for Christmas click here.

The Reunion click here.

I can’t offer any incentives to you for providing a review, but perhaps I will come up with a special offer in my winder newsletter if all my books each have 50 or more reviews. Also, you don’t have to write an actual review you can rate the book (give the novel stars 1–5) so that makes the reviewing process even easier. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking a moment to help me reach at least 50 reviews for each of my books. One more nugget about your reviews, they help me market my books, I will often pull customer reviews and use them as part of my marketing. I often create graphics along with the reviews, so by leaving a review you are a major part of my marketing effort, which is kind of cool.

One last note, for you this week. If you haven’t seen the news, this month Smashwords is offering 50% off on all my e-books. This is a great deal that you don’t want to miss out on, especially if you are short on cash and still need some summer reading and are missing a couple of my books. Find all my novels here.

Until next time, have a great week.

Writing Update - Summer 2021

June 30, 2021 MD Neu

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, for those suffering from the heatwave, I hope you are all making it through and staying safe. Today I wanted to share a quick writing update with you all, especially since I haven’t done one in a while.

What’s new and exciting? Well, this week I’ve been working on editing up Conspiracy-A New World Book 3. The novel has been under contract with NineStar Press since July 2020, but with the pandemic and everything else going on, I’m getting back to the novel and hopefully the book should come out later this year (fingers crossed). Here is the blurb for Conspiracy to wet your appetite:

A little blue world, the third planet from the sun. It’s home to 7 billion people with all manner of faiths, beliefs and customs, divided by bigotry and misunderstanding, who have been told they are not alone in the universe. Anyone watching from the outside would pass by this fractured and tumultuous world, unless they had no other choice.
It’s been a little over a year since Todd Landon’s life has been changed by the arrival of the nentraee. Continuing his duties as Special Envoy for Terran Affairs, Todd is finally feeling at home with the aliens; gaining more responsibility and influence with both races. Plans are underway for two Interplanetary spaceports and additional solar exploration. It’s an exciting time for both the humans and the nentraee.
Not everything is as it seems. Speaker General Mirtoff and Vice-Speaker Mi’ko of the nentraee are worried that Liberi Dei plot more terrorist attacks and may have inside help. Threats are clear, but who can they trust? Is it possible Todd is helping them unknowingly or worse covertly? Will these new space endeavors continue to bring the human and the nentraee together or will a conspiracy hiding in the shadows fracture an already shaky alliance?

That is the blurb for the book. As I’ve been going through the work, I’ve gotten more and more excited for people to get their hands on this next installment and see what is happening with our cast of characters. Keep your eyes posted as I’ll be sharing more information as we get close to launch day.

Also, on the burners I have finished Volaria. This book is my vampire, lycan, witch, and space mash up. The story was a lot of fun to put together and I love the characters. Currently, I’ve finished writing the book, and will send the story off to my Beta Readers for them to go through and provide feedback. Once I’ve finished with the Beta reads, I’ll be deciding how I want to release the book. There are a lot of publishing options and with this novel I may explore those options and see where they take me.

Here is a teaser for Volaria:

Tobin lives in a newly reopened district of San Jose, California. Instead of making his mandatory monthly blood donation for the vampire community, he visits Bitter, a vampire spa. The spa allows vampires to feed from humans directly. However, permitting a vampire to feed from you comes with risks, shared memories among them. Tobin’s encounter opens a window to his past and an experience he had as a child on the moon. Questions abound as he tries to unravel his past and make sense of his life.

I haven’t limited my writing to these two books. I’ve also put together two short stories: LandsEnd and The Old Road. Both stories have a creepy vibe to them, which has been fun to create. However, I’m not sure where these stories will end up. They are both finished and currently waiting for me to decide what to do with them. We’ll see. No teasers for these, since I’m not sure what will happen with them, but keep your eyes posted as you never know where they may end up.

Also, I’ve worked on some flash fiction. This isn’t typically in my wheelhouse, but I wanted to give it a go. I’m happy with how both works turned out and they hold a lot of meaning for me, but again, I’m not sure where they will land or what I will do with them.

Well, there you have it, my summer writing update. As you can see, there is a lot happening, especially with the two finished novels. I’m excited to get both works out for you, for you to soak up and enjoy.

Until next time, have a great week.

Summer 2021

June 23, 2021 MD Neu

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, we made it to summer. Happy Summer Solstice to you all. How wonderful to be back to a time when we can actually make summer plans and enjoy? It’s time to appreciate the warm weather and plan some summer vacations. I know there is still a lot happening in the world right now, and the weather isn’t great for many people (thanks to global warming), but I don’t want to focus on the negative. We’ve all been doing too much of that. I want to think about all the positives and getting out there and having a good time this year.

If these last sixteen months have taught us anything; it’s take nothing for granted. So, this is what I would like to recommend for the coming months. If you are of the mindset, go out and see friends, family, and neighbors. Spend some of your summer catching up with people you love face-to-face. Give them a hug (if you both are inclined) and enjoy each other’s company. You don’t have to do anything fancy, just meet up and have some quality time.

Another idea is to go away for a few days. Take a drive. Get out of the house. Get out of town. Just get out. Do something. Go somewhere. A change of scenery will do you, me, and all of us some good.

As I said, I’m not blind to what’s going on in and around us, however, we need to make the best of things and enjoy. Shut down the computer, tablet, smart phone, whatever you are connected to and disconnect. Get out of your own head, out of your own space and really take in what’s around you. See the world for all the beauty it has.

For my part, my hubby and I have gotten to meet up with some dear friends who we haven’t seen in person since COVID. We’ve actually eaten inside a restaurant again. And we’ve made plans to go away for a couple of days in July, just to get away. With each of these activities I’m feeling more like myself than I have in over a year.

Whatever you decide to do this summer, enjoy. Take a deep breath and have some fun… we deserve it.

Until next time, have a great week.

Pride 2021

June 16, 2021 MD Neu

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, how’s everyone doing? I hope this post finds you all in good spirits and having a wonderful week. As you may have noticed there was no blog post last week. There was a lot going on, and I ran out of time. So, instead of slapping something together, I took the week off. This week I wanted to talk to you and share some thoughts. I hope that’s okay.

It’s been strange for all of us now that life, and the world, seems to returning to some kind of new normal I feel like the flowers in our back garden, like I’m coming to life again. Over the last couple of weekends, we’ve seen some dear friends who we haven’t seen since COVID-19 started. Seeing them and hugging and chatting and being together felt amazing and I believe the togetherness did wonders for my mental health. You don’t realize how much you miss people until you see them again. We all found that by the end of the night, none of us wanted to say goodbye. That sensation is going to be, I guess, the way we all feel for a long while, because before the ‘rona’ we took spending time with friends and family for granted. We always believed there would be a ‘next time’, or a ‘see ya real soon’, but then in March 2020 that didn’t happen. Everything closed and our lives and our world such down.

To me, the sensation felt like dying. Weird, right?

How strange to think back on those first few weeks and remember who nervous and scared everyone was. You didn’t know who would get it, how bad it would be, if you would make it. Were you going to be next? Were you going to be another number on the nightly news?

Now fourteen months later we can see our family and friends again. We can eat out, go to the movies, go to concerts, museums, sporting events, all those things that were taken from us, by a virus that we can’t even see, but can feel the effects of.

Yes, people are still getting sick. Yes, people are still dying. We aren’t out of this yet, but we are close, the like the flowers in our back garden they along with the rest of us are blooming.

And now, here we are.

What a great feeling. Right?

I don’t know. Parts of me feel empty, damaged, sad, not about what happened over the last fourteen months but for what we lost during that time, time we’ll never get back. Time away from dear family and friends. Moments we are going to be missing for the rest of our lives.

Again, everything we’ve been through reminds me of when someone passes on. The time is gone, the future moments have vanished and the ‘see ya real soons’ are no more.

This month is June, and that means we are amid Pride and these last few days I find my thoughts falling on all the LGBTQIA family we’ve lost, not because of this pandemic, but because of violence, bigotry, hatred, and another pandemic that wiped out a generation of people. For those of us, over a certain age, we remember AIDS in the early days and what it did to a community of people that everyone felt were disposable and worthless. There was a time when no one cared, and still many don’t. So, many people died (as of 2018; 700,000 people have died of Aids in the US alone).

I spent several years working as a volunteer here in Santa Clara County with persons with HIV. I did nothing extraordinary: I helped plan social activities, and I volunteered as a ‘buddy’ for people who had HIV or full-blown AIDS. During that time, I went to several funerals and said last goodbyes to some amazing folks. Some of these wonderful folks were my age, a few older. Being a volunteer was rewarding and difficult and affected me greatly. I never really understood how so many people could die of some awful decease that so few understood or even cared about.

Now, like COVID-19, HIV is no longer the death sentence it once was. There are treatments and with COVID, there is a vaccine. I’m sure someday soon there will be a vaccine for HIV as well, but I have to wonder, if HIV had attacked the straight community as vehemently as it struck the LGBTQIA community would we have a vaccine by now?

I can’t say for certain, but I have a feeling the answer would be yes.

As we move forward, beyond COVID-19 and beyond HIV we need to count ourselves lucky and not take our family and friends for granted, because tomorrow is not a promise or a guarantee. Tomorrow is a hope and a dream. One that so many people will never see or get. As we all start marching our ways back to life, to family, and to our friends, remember what we lost and what we almost lost. Remember, these last fourteen months have showed us how important we all are to each other and to the greater community. We all have value and we all make the world a better pace.

Until next time, have a great week.

Happy Pride Month 2021

June 2, 2021 MD Neu

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, are you all having a wonderful week? This week launches World Pride Month. A time to celebrate our differences and our uniqueness. This time of year can bring joy to so many as well as uncertainty and fear for others.

Pride started as the Stonewall riots in New York back in 1969. They weren’t out dancing and celebrating; they were fighting for their lives. These pioneers fought to be recognized as humans who had a right to live and love as they chose. So much has changed since those hot summer nights. But the struggle, not only here, but worldwide, is ongoing for many on the queer spectrum.

This struggle is real for every queer person, even today.

As each generation of queer youth takes up the charge, let’s not forget all those who fought for us. They were not perfect (none of us are) remember they lived in a different world. Don’t forget that because we cannot isolate ourselves or fight amongst ourselves. There are others waiting for us to show our underbelly. We, as a queer community, need to lift each other up. Respect each other. Learn from each other. The world continues to change and grow, but casting aside those who came before us, because their views of the world might be different, or they might not fully understand the new generation of queers. Or because they might not be fashionable. No, that is wrong. Remember, these past generations lived in a world that would sooner see them dead on the street than recognize them as human. And this vile sentiment is alive and well today.

So, this year as you celebrate, remember those who came before and their sacrifice. Remember they weren’t perfect. Remember you aren’t perfect. Remember in a few years, you’re going to be seen as out of date. Out of touch. Outdated and old. The next generation of queers may even want to cast you aside. Don’t let them do that to you and don’t do that to those who fought before you. We are all one queer family. We put the ‘fun’ in ‘disfunction’. We are the light people gravitate to when the world is at its darkest because we know how to fight. We know how to love. We know how to be one family. We know what Pride means. We are strong and they all know it. Don’t be the reason for other queers to be uncertain or fearful. We fight best when we fight as one.

No matter where you land on the queer spectrum, remember you are loved, you are valued, you are beautiful, and the world wouldn’t shine as bright if you weren’t in it. Let me know in the comments below how you celebrate (or don’t celebrate Pride). Please consider sharing this post on your social media sites, it really helps, as does clicking on this little heart below. Until next time, have a great week and Happy Pride!

T.A.D.-The Angel of Death Audiobook launch

May 26, 2021 MD Neu

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. What a great few weeks it’s been. Today I’m excited to share with you, that my first audiobook is here; T.A.D.-The Angel of Death. The narration is done by the talented Steve Connor (find out more here). Steve does an incredible job bringing the characters to life and giving them a voice.

The Story:

Tad loves bouncing around in time and watching mankind grow and change. He loves humanity and helping when he can. However, his job isn’t conducive to helping people. He’s an Angel of Death.

Doug is fun loving and a drama queen. Despite his witty exterior, he has a dark history and is prone to self-destruction. He’s also an amazing drag queen and hairstylist with big dreams.

When Tad pushes the boundaries of his duties too far, his angel wings are stripped away from him, and he is sent to New York City to live as a human. Lost and alone he ends up meeting Doug, and the two start a friendship that will shape them both and last a lifetime. But nothing is simple when you’re dealing with a former Angel of Death and a Drag Queen. Could these two cause the fabric of our world to collapse or will they manage to keep the future as it should?

The Cover:

The Reviews:

“This was one of those books that will stay with me, marvelous characters!
Loved the ending. The narrator was excellent. Certainly makes you think!.” — Audible Review

“The friendship and the way the author portrays humanity (from the eyes of the Angel of Death: TAD) is amazing and inspirational.”— Audible Review

Where to buy your copy:

Get your audiobook from Audible US here.

Get your audiobook from Audible UK here.

Find the audiobook here on Amazon.

Have iTunes, you can get the audiobook here.

***

That’s all I have today. I hope you enjoy T.A.D.-The Angel of Death it’s a wonderful audiobook and book and I’m proud of the story and the narration. If you’ve read the book or listened to the audiobook please, I encourage you to leave a review. Reviews make a world of difference not only to us authors, but to future readers. Well, that’s it. Until next time have a great week.

The Stand, The Stand, The Stand 1994 Miniseries, and The Stand 2020 Limited Series

May 19, 2021 MD Neu

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, are you all having a wonderful week? How do you feel about all the changes from the CDC and of course our Federal, State, and Local Government? I can’t believe it’s been fourteen months. I’m sure we still have a ways to go, but here’s to hoping we all stay safe and healthy.

In honor (or dishonor) of our coming out of the Pandemic, this past weekend Eric and I finished watching The Stand 2020 Limited Series on Paramount Plus (formerly CBS All Access), both Eric and I have read both versions of Stephen King’s novel (including the short story for which The Stand is loosely based on) we watched the television miniseries in the 90s, and now we concluded the 2020 remake series. We spent quite a bit of time talking about the book and the shows, so today I thought I would share with you our thoughts about The Stand and its various versions.

First, lets talk about the book (actually books because there are two versions a shorter version and the ‘uncut’ version) I’m going to forego the short story that the book is loosely based on but if you want to read the short, you can find the story in Night Shift and the short story is titled Night Surf. Because the short is its own thing, there is no need to go into the story here, so I’ll leave it at that. Okay, now about the books. If you aren’t familiar with The Stand, here is the blurb:

A patient escapes from a biological testing facility, unknowingly carrying a deadly weapon: a mutated strain of super-flu that will wipe out 99 percent of the world’s population within a few weeks. Those who remain are scared, bewildered, and in need of a leader. Two emerge—Mother Abagail, the benevolent 108-year-old woman who urges them to build a peaceful community in Boulder, Colorado; and Randall Flagg, the nefarious “Dark Man,” who delights in chaos and violence. As the dark man and the peaceful woman gather power, the survivors will have to choose between them—and ultimately decide the fate of all humanity.

That is the basic blurb, and it sums up the story nicely, what the book boils down to is good verses evil, and the side we end up on has as much to do with who we are in our soul, as to the choices we make. Honestly, The Stand is a great story with several interesting ‘flawed’ characters.

The difference between The Stand and The Stand, uncut versions, is additional backstory on several characters, more character development, more details overall, and a wonderful epilog. Basically, the uncut version is what Stephen King wanted to publish originally, but his publisher told him no, believing the story would be to long and no one would read it.

When it comes to the story, like most things, you can’t go wrong with the books (yes, they are a little outdated, but mostly they hold up well). And it doesn’t matter the version you read (however I would go with the longer edition) you really get to dive into, not only the characters, but the world. It’s not an easy read as some scenes are scary as hell. If you can get past the gore and the creepiness, as you read you feel who these people in the book are and what leads them down the pass they take. You even get to spend time with Kojak, Glen Bateman’s dog (in all the adaptations dogs also die and are affected by the Super Flu) so it’s an interesting choice and makes for an interesting POV character.

Both Eric and I agree the books are far superior to the TV version, but that shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone as books are often far better than the movies and TV shows that come later.

Regarding the television versions I want to say from the start that both are well done and both have their merits. The miniseries from 1994 followed the book as presented and showed the characters, mostly, as they were outlined in the books. The best part about the miniseries was that we followed the story in chronological order and the viewers were introduced to the characters as the story progressed, as in the books. For this story, in my opinion, this is the right call for the story.

Unfortunately, for the 2020 limited series the writers and director didn’t present the show in chronological order. The writers started in the middle of the story, then did flashbacks which is frustrating and annoying as I want to get to know the world see it slowly crumble. Also, I wanted to get to know the (new) characters, especially these characters which sadly they made some big personality changes too.

When it comes to the characters from the book and translating them to television, I appreciate the desire to want to make the characters your own. I also appreciate that times change and so must these characters. You can’t simply have a ‘good guy’ or a ‘bad guy’ they need to be more nuanced especially these days. The problem is, that when you make a character and twist them so they are in the moral grey area, do that for all the characters, but with the limited series that didn’t happen, they only changed some characters, like Frannie Goldsmith, they made her nasty and a less likable character, which is a shame, because in the books and the miniseries, Frannie was a bright spot in the story much like Tom Cullen, these characters showed goodness in a world full of evil.

Stephen King did an excellent job creating a mix of characters (except for any major or interesting LGBTQIA characters) and I don’t believe the writers needed to mess with the character make-up. In the end Eric and I found few of these updated characters interesting or likable at least for the limited series.

That all said, the limited series had some wonderful characters; Tom Cullen was great (I wish we had more of him), Stu Redman, Randall Flagg, Julie Lawry, and Joe (who really had limited time in the 1994 miniseries and I don’t remember much of him from the books, however he was there). One of the biggest improvements made in the new limited series, when it came to the characters, was the level of diversity, which was an excellent choice.

That was well done and appreciated.

There were of course other updates that were addressed in the limited series. Most of these came in the form of how they treated Las Vegas. In the 1994 miniseries the writers did little. Yes, the people weren’t nice and you could tell that Vegas was not the place you wanted to be, but they avoided all the darkness. Unlike the 2020 version the writers showed Las Vegas in all its potential nastiness with gladiator battles, slaves, people doing drugs and having sex everywhere. It was debauchery at its worst (or best). One thing that was consist in both versions were people crucified on the sides of road leading into Vegas. Additionally, when it came to the virus, they made it much nastier, but that has more to do with special effects and budget. Still, the visuals in the 2020 version were impressive and nightmare inducing.

One item I enjoyed about the 2020 version was the last episode, it was written by Stephen King and the episode does something that the 1994 miniseries didn’t do (I won’t spoil it here), which I enjoyed and redeemed a lot of the 2020 version in my eyes.

Here’s the thing when it comes to The Stand. No matter whether you read the books or watch the 1994 miniseries or the 2020 limited series, they will give you chills and have you wondering who’s side you would end up on. Would you go to Mother Abagail in Hemingford Home, Nebraska (not a retirement home in Boulder… sorry that was pure sloppy/lazy writing) or would you meet up with the Walkin’ Dude himself, Randall Flagg, in Las Vegas?

The choice is yours.

Well, there you go, my thoughts on The Stand. If you have the time to spend read the longer version, it’s well worth the read. If you don’t want to read the book, but you want to see how the book would translate visually, watch the 1994 miniseries (it holds up well). If you don’t care, and want to see what all the fuss is, watch the 2020 series, because when all is said and done, all the versions tell the story and are, for the most part, enjoyable. I’m curious, have you read The Stand? Seen the adaptations? What do you think? Who is your favorite character(s)? Let me know in the comments below. Please consider sharing this post on your social media sites, it really helps, as does clicking on this little heart below. Until next time, have a great week.

P.S. Yes, I know there was a comic book adaptation, but I didn’t feel the need to dive into there here, but if you’ve read them and want to chime in, please feel free.

International Queer Authors and Readers Uniting Stories 2021

May 12, 2021 MD Neu

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, I hope your week is going well. Have you gotten your vaccine yet? Eric and I got ours. Thank goodness! We are Team Moderna. No side affects, only a bit sore and tired, so really nothing to complain about. If you haven’t gotten your vaccine yet, I encourage you to really think about it, and get the vaccine if it’s right for you.

As many of you know, this last weekend (May 8, 2021) was part of the International Queer Authors and Readers Uniting Stories Book Con (IQARUS for short). What a wonderful event. It was an extremely long day for many of us, but the payoff was worth it. For those of you that don’t know what IQARUS Book con is, here is a short description:

A series of author readings, discussion panels, and workshops designed to introduce, promote and support outstanding queer genre fiction and related enterprises.

If you weren’t able to attend the event, or you were watching a panel or reading and missed a discussion you really wanted to see, not to worry you can find all the panels and readings on the IQARUSbookcon YouTube channel. Click here.

Alix Starr book on floor with yellow background.png

As one of the organizers of the event (learn more about the organizers here) I hosted five panels and readings (in total). I even managed a reading in the Sci-Fi Reading. Below I’m presenting five panels and readings for you to check out. The conference presented eighteen various panels and readings covering everything from Cover Art Creation to Book Editing (for authors) and Contemporary book readings to Horror book readings (for readers). There really is something for everyone.

Here are the panels and readings I was involved with. I encourage you to check them out, not because I hosted these panels and readings, but because I found each of them engaging, diverse, enlightening, and enjoyable. Here you are:

The Trope Cake: Queer Frosting and Subverted Sprinkles, hosted by M.D. Neu | This is a conversation about creating queer stories and avoiding common tropes. Not all tropes are bad, but learning when and how to use them in writing is important. This panel is a discussion so bring your questions.

Guests: Ava Kelly, Sera Trevor, Kellie Doherty

Science Fiction and Fantasy, hosted by M.D. Neu | Come and check out our authors and their current Science Fiction and Fantasy stories. This is your opportunity to hear from some great authors who write Sci-Fi and Fantasy. After the reading there will be a Q&A with the authors.

Guests: M.D. Neu, Ava Kelly, E.D.E. Bell, Sera Trevor

Modern Works set in Modern Times: Contemporary, hosted by M.D. Neu | A set of wonderful authors sharing their contemporary works. It’s a mixed bad filled with wonderful stories set in our contemporary world. After the reading there will be a Q&A with the authors.

Guests: Hans M Hirschi, Rick R. Reed, Kevin Klehr, Petrina Binney

Podcasting and Vlogging: The Current Frontier, hosted by M.D. Neu | Want to start a Podcast or a Vlog, come and learn from those that are already doing it. Our panelists are a mix of seasoned professionals and newer content creators. They will be sharing their background and expertise, bring your questions.

Guests: The producers of WROTE, Books that Burn, DIY Writer, Queer Words, Nobody Reads Short Stories

Romance, Part II, hosted by M.D. Neu | Get cozy and prepare for all the feels as some of the best queer romance authors in the business read from their works. After the readings, there will be a brief Q&A with the authors.

Guests: Ada Maria Soto, R.L. Merrill, Erica Cameron

Keep in mind, these were the panels and readings I hosted, there are plenty more to check out, plus there is the opening and the closing of the event. The planning committee is already talking about next years con. I suggest, if you haven’t already, find IQARUS Book Con on the following and follow them:

Website: http://iqarusbookcon.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Iqarusbookcon

Twitter: https://twitter.com/IqarusC

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iqarus.bookcon/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpVDTXMR9eAQseOncfPd1Ew

As I mentioned those of us who were there had a great day and I, for one, learned a lot. I managed to pop into several panels and those that I missed I will be watching them in the coming days to get all caught up. Please consider sharing this post on your social media sites, it really does help, as does clicking on this little heart below. Until next time have a great week.

IQARUS Book Con This Saturday (May 8, 2021)

May 5, 2021 MD Neu

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, can you believe we are in May already. Where has the time gone? Today I’m thrilled to share with you that this Saturday May 8, 2021 will be the IQARUS: International Queer Authors and Readers Uniting Stories book con that me and several other authors have been working on for the last several months. There is so such happening at the book can that I hope we’ll see you all there (well virtually speaking of course).

What is IQARUS Book Con. Let me share. IQARUS Book Con is a series of author readings, discussions panels, and workshops designed to introduce, promote and support outstanding queer genre fiction and related enterprises.

IQARUS Book Con is run by writers who want to showcase the amazing content our community has to offer.

We pledge to build an event that allows our participants to build wings and fly high. This is for fans of all ages, ethnicities, genders, abilities, and orientations in a safe, supported community.

Here is the Agenda for the Day:

As you can see we have a packed day filled with a little bit of everything. Want to learn more about the agenda click here. You can learn more about our guests here. Also, you can find out more details about out panel discussions here and our reading here.

Also, I encourage you to check out our bookstore (click here) and find some amazing new books and support the authors that are going to be participating in the con.

We also are excited to offer our registered guest a chance to win some great prizes in our scavenger hunt. learn more here.

By the way, have you met Alix Q. Star yet? They are the con mascot (and you will see them everywhere). Learn more about them here and check out all the wonderful blog posts so you can get to know our participants, readers, and panelists.

We have some wonderful sponsors, who you will want to learn more about here. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to have put on this event.

And lastly, you can register for the con here. You aren’t going to want to miss out and if you register not only can you participate in the scavenger hunt, but you get our electronic swag bag (filled with all kinds of goodies including; eBooks, discount codes, and other wonderful things), and access to our after-panel and after-reading chat rooms. Really, you don’t want to miss out.

So, there it is, the upcoming IQARUS Book Con. I hope you can make it for the day or even a session. Oh, and did I mention this is a free con? It is, but if you chose to provide a donation to one of our selected charities you’ll be eligible for some exclusive free offers. Please consider sharing this post on your social media sites, it really does help, as does clicking on this little heart below. Until next time have a great week.

Stitches and Sepsis by Liz Faraim

April 28, 2021 MD Neu

Happy Wednesday everyone this week I want to say a big hello to fellow NineStar Press Author Liz Faraim. Liz is an amazing author of Lesbian fiction and her latest novel Stitches and Sepsis (A Vivian Chastain Novel- Book 2) has just come out. Today I want to share a little about this wonderful book and author.

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Book Blurb:

Adrenaline addicted veteran, Vivian Chastain, confronts the man who has been following her for days, only to find he has a message of dire consequence for her. Spurred into action by his news, she barrels head on into a tumultuous and violent series of events. Stoic and stubborn as always, Vivian lands in the hospital, fighting for her life.

During Vivian’s lengthy recovery, her partner is released from jail and the two reconnect, stoking up the flames of their toxic union all while Vivian dives into a blossoming relationship with a new love interest who offers fulfillment and love, if only Vivian can figure out how to allow it all in.

Vivian learns that the coast is not clear as former threats return and continue to endanger her. While she cannot rest easy; friends, her work crew, and customers at the night club where she tends bar provide her with much needed fun, comradery, and support.

Vivian wrestles with her temper, her penchant for physical violence, and her overwhelming emotional baggage. Struggles from within and without threaten her existence, and in the moment when death is just a breath away, Vivian’s brother shows up and changes everything.

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There you have it, something new to add to your reading list. Also find Liz Faraim on social media and keep up to date with everything he is up to. Until next time I hope you stay safe and have a great week.

About Liz Faraim:

Liz is a recovering workaholic who has mastered multi-tasking, including balancing a day job, solo parenting, writing, and finding some semblance of a social life. In past lives she has been a soldier, a bartender, a shoe salesperson, an assistant museum curator, and even a driving instructor.

Liz lives in the East Bay Area of California, and enjoys exploring nature with her son.

Where to contact Liz Faraim:

Find her on Twitter here.

Reach her on Facebook here.

Check out her website here.

Where to buy Liz’s books:

Find them on Amazon here.

Get your copy from Ninestar Press here.

The Called - Book Launch

April 21, 2021 MD Neu

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. It’s here. Today I’m happy to share with you, that my newest book; The Called, is here. This is the highly anticipated sequel and conclusion to The Calling. So many people have been waiting for this book to come out and finally it’s here. Today I’m sharing all the details about The Called with you.