June 2022 Announcements

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. Can you believe it’s June 1st? I sure can’t. The beginning of June means we start the month of Pride, and we have so much to be proud of. However, given the state of the world today, there is still so much we need to be better at. So, let’s all promise each other we will do better. We will be better people. We will treat each other with dignity and respect. We will bring light to darkness. We will support each other and be there for each other. And most importantly, we will not, under any circumstances, let the bastards bring us down. 

As part of Pride month, I’m happy to share four of my author pals who all have new projects out this month, or coming soon. I cannot stress enough how amazing these novelists are and how, if you haven’t already done so, you need to pick up their books. I’ve enjoyed each these writer’s works and say to you, today, that these are some of the finest authors out there. Let’s begin, shall we? 

Author J.P. Jackson has a new book out; Cursed, it’s the second book in his Magus Malefica - The Coven Series. If you haven’t read book one, you’re missing out. The novel is wonderful and gives you all the background you need for book two. 

Blurb: 

Cam Habersham is having a hell of a time keeping up with his fae studies in the Ancestral Lands because a certain werewolf constantly interrupts his thoughts. Everton Lilch is the wolfen beast who follows Cam around, but he pushes Cam away every time things get steamy. 

The queen of the fae has had enough and tasks Cam with an impossible feat, an undertaking only Everton can help him accomplish. 

Without his coven, Sparks Gemmell is a lost witch. In desperation, he casts a spell, hoping to reunite his brothers. But he doesn’t count on the wayward route magic often takes. He finds himself wrapped up in a mandate of the horned god and inserted into his Shadow Brothers’ relationship in order to protect his city from the darkest elements of the Shadow Realm. 

As the darkness of the Shadow Realm descends, Cam and his werewolf, along with Sparks and his coven brothers, confront wraiths, mutant werewolves, and witch law enforcement. Chaos erupts in an effort to please queens and gods. 

After all, it comes down to the ley of the land. 

Read my review here. Get your copy here.

Next up, I’m please to share with you Kevin Klehr’s newest audiobook; Winter Masquerade. The narration is spectacular, as is the story. If you don’t have time to sit down and read, but need something to get you through your workout, then this is a must get. 

Pick up the audiobook here.

In the spotlight today is Glenn Quigley (artist and author extraordinaire). This is what Glenn has to say about his newest short story: 

I want to let people know that my first short story is coming soon from Ninestar Press. It’s also my first contemporary story (I usually write Historical Fantasy), so I’m very excited for people to read it. Excited and nervous. Mostly nervous. 

Use as Wallpaper, is a story about a reporter for a seldom-watched LGBTQ+ television channel who travels to the beautiful country of Georgia to film a piece about a polyphonic choir. The reporter’s name is Stuart, he’s just past forty, and recently single. When he arrives, he discovers that the choirmaster is a stocky, gruff, obstinate man named Otar. As the two butt heads, Stuart has to learn a little bit of the Georgian language, perform in front of a crowd with the polyphonic choir, and try to mend his broken heart. Stuart better not mess up this performance. 

Use as Wallpaper is a light-hearted romp filled with sunshine, performance anxiety, and hairy chests. 

It will be released in the coming weeks, so keep an eye on my socials for the exact date and the cover! Use as Wallpaper will be available from Amazon, the Ninestar Press website, and all the usual eBook outlets. 

Find out more about the book and Glenn here. 

And bringing up the rear is author Eric David Roman and his re-released novel Long Night at Lake Never. 

Blurb: 

Welcome to Camp Horizons, where they pray all day…and get slayed all night! 

Nestled against scenic Lake Never, recently outed Tyler Wills has arrived at the secluded conversion camp, where the delusional staff of counselors believes he and his fellow camper’s queer affliction can be healed solely through the power of prayer. 

After a full day spent rallying against sadistic deprogramming therapies, the deranged camp director, and planning his escape, Tyler discovers a larger problem—a mysterious stranger has rolled into camp with a grudge to settle and a very sharp axe. 

When night falls, the terror and body count rise. And Tyler, along with his fellow campers, find themselves trapped between a brutal, unrelenting killer and their holier-than-thou prey as they desperately search for a way to survive the Long Night at Lake Never. 

Find your copy here.

These four authors couldn’t be more different in genres and writing styles, which gives you a wonderful mix of talent and stories to read and enjoy. 

For me this month, I’ll be joining QSac at Davis Pride on June 12th, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be out and about again and meeting folks. If you are in the Davis, CA area, please come by and say hello. Learn more here. Also, this month I’m wrapping up edits on Conspiracy, A New World (Book 3) find out more here. And I have a teaser for the cover art for Volaria. Get your peek here. Both books will be out later this summer and early fall 2022. Also, as I write this, my biggest supporter and harshest critic is editing/reading my new short story; Two Years, that will, hopefully, be part of the Bay Area Queer Writers Association’s (BAQWA) 2022 anthology. Keep your fingers crossed. Once I learn more, I’ll be sure to let you know. 

And I’m thrilled to share the news that The Called (learn more here) was chosen as the 2021 Fantasy Runner up for the Gay Scribe Awards, check it out here. I’m so pleased with this novel and the series. Thank you to everyone for all your love and support.

Wow. There it is. There is so much happening right now for Pride, and for the summer, that I’m sure I missed something. Some food for thought before I sign off this week. If you want to support the Queer Community this Pride month, instead of buying from large companies that slap a rainbow on their products for the month, why not support queer artists and businesses, especially when everyone is struggling economically right now. Supporting a queer local artist or business (oh and look I have a merchandise page, how convenient is that, click here) mean a lot more than buying something from a big company with a rainbow sticker slapped on their merch. With that, I hope to see you at Davis, CA Pride on June 12th, but if not, until next time, have a great week and Happy Pride 2022.

Guest Blog with Emz (Horroraddicts.Net)

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. If you’ve noticed I’ve been doing a lot of posting about Horror Addicts Guide to Life 2 (learn more here) over the last couple of weeks. Well, the reason for this is because I have an article in the publication, and I figured since they were nice enough to include my article the least I can do is support them by offering up some blog space.

So this week, I’m thrilled to have Emz here to share all about HorrorAddicts.Net with us today.

Welcome Emz

Why did you start HorrorAddicts.net? I had been podcasting my vampire novel Night’s Knights and when it was a few chapters away from the end, I didn’t want to lose all my “Biters” which is an affectionate name I made up for my vampire listeners. So, I decided to start a horror podcast that they could follow me over to. I’m so glad I did it, because otherwise I wouldn’t have all these great horror fans to chat with today. The podcast grew into a blog, a site, a publishing house, and we are still growing every year.

What is it like running your site? Busy. Hectic. Enjoyable, but a lot of work. Thankfully I have a lot of staff willing to help and in that way, it’s good because when new people come on, they bring new flavor to the site and help keep it interesting. I’m always sad, but also proud when one of my little baby bats who has learned the business from me, spreads their wings to pursue their own careers. It’s very rewarding, but can also be very lonely. My listeners keep me going with their thirst for knowledge and their love for horror.

When it comes to horror stories, who is your favorite author? I really love Anne Rice. In fact, two of my pieces in the Horror Addicts Guide to Life 2 ended up being about her. I didn’t plan it, but she was my gateway into vampires and cracked open the horror lover that was hiding inside of me. Another favorite is Andrew Neiderman, who most people know as the author of The Devil’s Advocate and the ghost writer for the V.C. Andrews series. His stand-alone novels like Blood Child, Pin, and The Need are fabulously fun. I actually got to interview him on the show way back on episode #84. That was really fun. Sadly, I never got to interview Anne before she passed, but…to be really honest, I don’t know if I could have handled it! How do you sit across a table (or Zoom screen for that matter) and ask a woman who has changed your life questions without totally passing out or having a panic attack? I’m not sure I could’ve done it. Ha!

What is it about Horror that you love so much? Horror to me is romantic. I love stories that weave both the horrific and romance together. It’s fighting the monster next to the one you love. It’s searching the haunted castle to find answers to your past—and perhaps your future. It’s proving that love endures, even after death. It’s something that calls from your soul. It’s a need you are born with. “You may as well ask Heaven what it sees; no ‘norm’ can know.” And if you know where I’ve stolen that quote from, then you are in the club.

There you go. Thank you, Emz, for stopping by today to share a little about Horroraddicts.Net. I’m thrilled to have had a small part in the publication of this newest guide to life. Pick up your copy of the Horror Addicts Guide to Life 2 here. That’s it for this week. Until next time, have a great week.

About Emz:

Author, artist, voice actress, and editor, Emz is best known for being the Horror Hostess of HorrorAddicts.net, an internationally acclaimed horror podcast, now its 17th season. She is the author of the Night’s Knights vampire series and has been published in over 40 fiction anthologies. She has a wide array of books available including a coloring book, a WWII letter archive, a Spooky Writer’s Planner, and a Jane Austen reboot of Northanger Abbey, published under her romance name, Emmy Z. Madrigal. Find out more here.

Spectrum Books

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. It’s been another busy week for me. I hope you saw the photos, or better yet were able to come, and visit at the Bay Area Book Festival in Berkeley, CA this last weekend. The festival was amazing, and I was so thrilled to be with my wonderful author group from the Bay Area Queer Writers Association (learn more here). It was a blast; however, the event was a big eye opener on how important our voices are. We were the only queer book group at the whole event. And the book festival is one of the largest in the Bay Area. We need to work on our visibility and ensure all our voices are heard. So, if you have book events in your area, let them know you want to see queer representation at the event. Talk to your local book store about hosting a queer author reading. All our voices matter and deserve to be heard.

In that vein, I’m thrilled to have Andrew and Carl from Spectrum Books a new LGBTQ+ publisher (find them here) with me today to introduce us to Spectrum Books. Andrew and Carl are the Managing Directors of Spectrum Books, and if you missed the news, Spectrum Books signed me on and will be releasing Volaria in the Fall of 2022 (learn more here).

Welcome Andrew and Carl

Andrew May

Thanks for including us in your blog! We’re Andrew & Carl from Spectrum Books – an independent publisher solely focused on LGBTQ+ books. We’re based in London, but work with authors all over the world, from Las Vegas to London to Australia.

We started Spectrum almost exactly a year ago. Being authors ourselves, we felt very under-represented when it came to submitting our books to publishers. Most publishers we approached either wanted us to tone down any LGBTQ+ themes in our books, or rejected it completely, we believe, because of the content. Most publishers are primarily concerned with how many books they can sell. Which is fair enough, it is business, after all. However, they also believe that books with LGBTQ+ themes or characters are worth less to them because of a smaller readership. We want to change that at Spectrum Books! Our aims are for LGBTQ+ books to not only be read by those identifying as part of the community, but by those who don’t as well. We believe that if someone loves a good romance novel, for example, there’s no reason why they can’t enjoy a male/male romance as well. A crime thriller novel with a gay character is still a crime thriller novel!

Going from being authors to setting up Spectrum Books felt really quite natural. Andrew is primarily the graphics designer and marketing expert, and has worked in both roles professionally and as a hobby. Carl is the primary editor, having spent most of his adult life editing either freelance or for various publishers. We felt that we were perfectly positioned to join our skills together and help give LGBTQ+ books the representation and quality work that they deserve. The amount of work we’ve been doing since we started is gargantuan! From reading a huge amount of submissions to working on covers, to the near endless editing process, but we love doing it! We feel that authors are putting their trust in us with their manuscripts, and we’re very grateful for it. We both have very little time for writing anymore, but Spectrum Books has ignited a new passion in both of us.

Reflecting on our first year running Spectrum Books, the hardest part has to be turning down submissions. Over the last few months, we’ve been receiving a huge amount of submissions. Some publishers will accept more submissions than they’re capable of working with and their standards end up falling behind as a result. We want to do the best for each author that we sign – and that takes time. So, we have to be realistic about how many submissions we can accept. This does mean we have to turn people away, but we always try to offer advice on what they can do to be successful in the future, with another publisher, or with us if they re-submit in the future. Also, switching off can be hard! We don’t have any set working hours, primarily because there is literally a twenty-hour time difference between some of our authors!

Our favorite part of running a publishing company is the same for both of us. The joy that authors feel when the manuscript that they’ve worked so hard on for months or years is turned into a book – and when it’s physically in their hands – is a feeling that cannot be experienced in any other way. We’ve been in this same situation, finally getting to touch, to read, to flick through, to gaze at lovingly whilst it’s sat on your bookshelf. We’ve been lucky enough to have signed eleven authors in our first year, and we’ve worked as hard as we can to provide this feeling to each one of them. Also, it has been and continues to be a pleasure to work with such a wonderful, diverse group of authors. We’ve got people from different countries, backgrounds and cultures who identify across the LGBTQ+ spectrum. We can’t be successful without the success of our authors, so we’re thrilled they’ve chosen us to share their journey with them.

We’ve been primarily finding the authors who work with us through social media and word of mouth. It’s been wonderful to have heard such great feedback from our authors so far – to have them recommend us to their author friends is a wonderful thing. I think it’s one of the best measures that we’re doing everything we can to provide the best possible experience for our authors. We’re always happy to hear from anyone who is looking to publish their LGBTQ+ book. We’ve been in your shoes and welcome the opportunity to offer advice whenever we can.

Thanks again for having us, M.D.. If anyone wants to find out more about Spectrum Books, you can find us on our website here. www.spectrum-books.com, or on Instagram here. @spectrumbookpublisher. We’d love to hear from you!

There you go. Thank you, Andrew and Carl, for stopping by today to share a little about you and Spectrum Books. I’m thrilled to be part of this new publishing house, and I’m excited to watch it grow. That’s it for this week. Don’t forget to check out my events calendar (here) as I’m adding new in-person events all the time. You never know when I’ll be in your neck of the woods. Until next time, have a great week.

Three Books and Two Events

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. It’s been a busy week and I have lots to share. Fellow Authors Lee Colgin, Kevin Klehr, and J.P. Jackson all have amazing book announcements. And I have more event news to update you all on, so let’s get started.

If you missed it, this last Saturday, me and several other members of the Bay Area Queer Writers Association (BAQWA) were at Books on B at the Hayward first annual LitHop. Renee, the owner, of Books on B, is wonderful and runs a beautiful bookstore, so please go and support the store if you can. You can find them on Instagram here. It was an amazing event. So many people showed up and we had a blast. Coming up this weekend (May 7th-8th, from 11am – 5pm) we will be at The Bay Area Book Festival in Berkeley, CA (Downtown Berkeley, Booth #23), we hope to see everyone there. This should be a lot of fun, and just like at the Hayward LitHop, we’ll be signing books, hanging out, and chatting with folks. So, come and say hello.

Here are some of the group photos from Hayward LitHop.

Next, I’m thrilled to share that fellow author Lee Colgin has a brand-new book out: Over the Emerald Valley 

Here is the blurb: 

Life as a concubine to the devious Viceroy Abasi isn’t so bad. Temaj has food, shelter, and every inch of his skin is draped in emeralds. What’s freedom worth when weighed against the luxury of the palace? 

Solon’s dutiful life earned him the rank of army general to the pharaoh. But when he’s sent on a diplomatic mission to an emerald mine rather than into battle, he senses the end of his career and a lonely retirement. 

Temaj is gifted to Solon for his stay, but the last person Solon wants in his bed is a slave sent to spy on him—even if he is a gorgeous, silver-tongued vixen of a man. 

Trouble brews when emeralds go missing. With only a clever concubine and the viceroy’s harem on his side, can Solon solve the mystery and escape with his life, or are he and Temaj destined to haunt the walls of the palace forever? 

*** 

Over the Emerald Valley is a gay paranormal romance full of snarky banter, dangerous secrets, steamy stolen moments and only one bed. It’s a standalone novel within the Immortal Jewels series and can be read first or last with no spoilers, no cliffhangers, and always a happily ever after. 

Get your copy here.

Also, this week, Kevin Klehr (follow him here) has an exciting book trailer for his new audiobook: Winter Masquerade. This is a wonderful book, if you haven’t read it, you need to. Here is the video trailer to tease you.

Also, coming soon is a new book by J.P. Jackson: Cursed – Magus Malefica – The Coven Series – Book Two.

Blurb:

Cam Habersham is having a hell of a time keeping up with his fae studies because a certain werewolf constantly interrupts his thoughts. Everton Lilch is the wolfen beast who follows Cam around the Ancestral Lands – the fae village where Cam is trying to learn how to be fae. But Everton pushes Cam away every time things get steamy. The queen of the fae has had enough and tasks Cam with an impossible feat, an undertaking only Everton can help him accomplish.

Sparks Gemmell is a lost witch without his coven. In desperation, he casts a quick spell in hopes of reuniting his brothers, but he doesn’t count on the wayward route magic often takes. Sparks finds himself wrapped up in the horned god’s mandate and inserted into his Shadow Brothers’ relationship in order to protect his city from the darkest elements of the Shadow Realm.

As Cam and Sparks’ paths merge together, their lives become intertwined as the darkness of the Shadow Realm descends upon them. Confrontations with wraiths, mutant werewolves, and witch law enforcement are unforeseen consequences in an effort to please queens and gods.

After all, it comes down to the ley of the land.

Check out the amazing cover art.

Pre-orders should be available soon, so follow J.P. Jackson here so you don’t miss out.

There you go. I hope you found this update helpful. There is so much happening right now. Especially with all these wonderful authors and these upcoming events. I don’t want you to miss a thing. I hope to see you this weekend at The Bay Area Book Festival, but if not, until next time, have a great week.

Announcements Spring 2022

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. Have I got a lot to share with you today; three different book announcements and two upcoming events. These last few weeks (and months) have been busy. I’ve been doing a lot of work behind the scenes and today I’m thrilled to share it all with you. First, as you may have heard, I have an article in the upcoming book, Horror Addicts Guide to Life 2. Second, I have a short story in the wonderful anthology; Save the World. Third, this week I signed the contract for Volaria, which will be published through Spectrum Books. Last, I have two in-person events coming up: Hayward Lit Hop and The Bay Area Book Festival (in Berkley, CA) Let’s dive deeper into each of these. 

Horror Addicts Guide to Life 2 is a collection of stories and articles that has been put together by HorrorAddicts.Net. They reached out to me to share my article; When did you know? I spent some time updating the article, diving a little deeper into my personal story, which you will read more about in this coming book. The editors have put a lot of work into this publication and I’m impressed with how the product is looking. This book will make a wonderful addition to your reading library. The book is a fundraiser, so I’m not making anything from the sale of the story, but I’m pleased to be part of this effort and supporting such a great group. 

If you want to learn more and see who else will be in the book, you can learn more here.

Next up, we have Save The World. This is the second book in the series. The first book is titled, Fix the World (you can buy it here). This year I have my short story; Interview, as part of the collection. I’m pleased with this story and I’m honored to have the work included. I don’t want to give too much away about the story, because I’m hoping folks will go out and buy it. Click here for pre-orders.  

Book Blurb: 

Climate change is no longer a vague future threat. Forests are burning, currents are shifting, and massive storms dump staggering amounts of water in less than 24 hours. Sometimes it’s hard to look ahead and see a hopeful future. 

We asked sci-fi writers to send us stories about ways to save the world from climate change.  From the myriad of stories we received, we chose the twenty most amazing (and hopefully prescient) tales. 

Dive in and find out how we might mitigate climate change via solar mirrors, carbon capture, genetic manipulation, and acts of change both large and small. 

The future’s not going to fix itself. 

Next up for the week, I’m so pleased to announce that I have signed a contract with Spectrum Books (learn more here) for them to publish my latest novel, Volaria. We have set the launch for Fall 2022. I will be sharing more information as we get closer to the launch. 

Here is the official blurb: 

It’s been over a hundred years since the Earth went through The Shift. Where once almost eight billion humans lived, the population now holds at four billion. But that wasn’t the only change. Humans are no longer alone; they have been joined by Arcanes, Lycans, and Vampires. At first these new groups were thought of as genetic anomalies caused by The Shift, something to be cured, but later scientists discovered that each new generation of humans born would produce these new variances at the onset of puberty. Finally, the new species of man were welcomed. No longer studied or treated as outcasts by most. People accepted these new humans, and they integrated into society. This allowed the UN Government to focus again on the Moon and on Mars, ensuring the survival of all, as humankind became a multi-planet species. 

Tobin Corsian resides in a newly reopened district of San Jose, California, where his family’s old home stood. He lives there with his friend Mikel, a Lycan, and his dog Begger. Instead of making his mandatory monthly blood donation at the government blood bank for the vampire community, Tobin decides, with the help of his therapist, to visit Biter, a vampire spa. The spa allows vampires to feed from humans directly while providing spa and sexual services, granting the donor a three-month reprieve from their mandatory donations. However, permitting a vampire to feed from you comes with risks, shared memories among them. Tobin’s encounter at Biter 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. 

Can you believe it? We are finally going to be doing some local events in the coming weeks. April 30th join me and three other BAQWA writers at Books on B, in Hayward, CA. we’ll be there from 4pm–4:45pm. This will be a great night of short readings and your opportunity to come on by and say hello. Learn more here. 

Then on May 7th and 8th, many of the BAQWA members will be at The Bay Area Book Festival 2022, in Berkley, CA. We have a booth and will be there both days. The event starts at 11am and goes to 5pm both days. Come by, say hello, pick up a book, get a signature or two, and have your photos taken with one of your favorite authors. Learn more here. 

There has been a lot happening and there is still a lot more coming, so keep a wary eye out for more news. I hope you’ll pick up your copy of Horror Addicts Guide to Life 2 and Save The World. These books have many talented authors who contributed, so you won’t want to miss out. And please, if you are in the area, come meet us at either the Hayward Lit Hop or The Bay Area Book Festival, both events will be a lot of fun. Until next time, have a great week.

Reaper: A Horror Novella by Jonathan Pongratz

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. Today I have a creepy treat for you. Do you like horror stories? Well fellow author and wonderful friend of this author is celebrating his horror novella’s Reaper: A Horror Novella’s third birthday. This is the story that started it all for Jonathan and I can’t recommend it enough. If you like stories that go bump in the night and offer the reader chills, then you need to get your copy of Reaper: A Horror Novella by Jonathan Pongratz. 

Story Blurb:

How do you fight a monster?

Halloween night, 1992. Promised the allowance he’s always dreamed of, Gregory has to babysit his little sister Imogen and hand out candy.

That was before the basement door opened on its own. Before the strange door appeared in the basement. Before Imogen was taken from him by that terrifying monster.

Now, Gregory has to scramble to put the pieces together before it's too late. Where did the door come from? What was that creature? Can he save his sister, or is she already gone forever?

Book Trailer:

Here is a wonderful book trailer for you to watch.

Excerpt:

I shined my flashlight on the wooden steps leading below, doing my best to stay calm as a frigid chill raised goosebumps on my arms and legs. There’s nothing down here but your stupid little sister. Monsters don’t exist. You’re being a baby.

Ignoring my own thoughts, I forced myself to begin my descent. Each step on the rickety stairs gave a loud squeak that made my heart pound and skin tingle. My flashlight continued to guide me down the steps, but the further down I went, the more it seemed that the darkness was getting thicker. Was that even possible? It’s all in your head.

By the time I reached the bottom of the steps, my nerves were rattled. Imogen had better be down here, and she better be ready to go. I was done playing these stupid games.

An awful smell rose on  my left. I turned my light to it. On top of an old wooden table was an ornate black lantern. Wisps of black smoke came off it, but no light. I gave a good sniff and instantly recoiled.

Who lit this terrible thing? This was ten times worse than the stinky candles Mom lit every year. I plugged my nose and gave the contents of the lantern another glance. Inside was a grey-looking candle with weird flecks of black stuff molded inside of it. My nose crinkled. Whatever it was, I didn’t care. I needed to find Immy.

I turned back around to the rest of the basement. “Immy? Immy!” I shouted. I thought I heard a scuffle up ahead, so I shined my light that way.

Numerous toys littered the floor and old furniture covered with large white sheets took up most of the space in the basement. Something about the odd shapes the unwanted stuff created creeped me out, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave. I stood still, listening in the darkness. Was that … breathing? It was faint, but what else did I have to go off of?

I maneuvered around a cluster of covered couches, wiping my sweaty palms on my pants as I ventured towards the back. Ahead of me were small rows of sheeted items, but one stood out to me, one particularly little-girl shaped.

I smirked. Nice try, Immy.

I crept up on my toes, and as soon as I was within arm’s reach, I yanked the white sheet away. “Aha!” It was a rusty standing birdcage. But I could’ve sworn ... Damn it!  I kicked the nearest couch and wandered aimlessly to vent off my frustration.

What could I do to draw Immy out? Talking to her wasn’t working; I’d already tried that. I could try the candy route, but the bucket was all the way upstairs and she could hide again by the time I got back. I supposed I could knock stuff around until she emerged, but then I’d have to clean it all up or Mom and Dad would kill me. I walked up to an uncovered desk and wiped my finger along the top, inspecting the layer of dust on my forefinger. Maybe I could scare her out.

Suddenly, something grabbed my ankle from under the desk. I shrieked and yanked my leg back as my heart pounded.

Get your copy here:

***

This is a short one this week. I hope you’ll pick up your copy of Reaper: A Horror Novella. It’s a wonderful story and will definitely make you think twice about our world and what people will do to protect it. Until next time have a great week.

eBook Short Story Giveaway - LandsEnd

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. This week I have a special offer for all my Scribblers (if you are reading this, that would mean you). I’m thrilled to offer each one of you a free eBook copy of my short story LandsEnd. The story was featured in the Bay Area Queer Writers Association anthology; BAQWA Presents: Horror Show 2021. Since the original publication, I’ve worked on the story, added to it, and in general cleaned it up a bit more. I couldn’t be more pleased with how this short story turned out, and now I can offer the novella to you, for free!

What’s the catch you might ask? Well, in order to qualify to get a free copy you have to follow me on BookBub (click here). That’s it. Anyone new who follows me on BookBub will receive this short story eBook, absolutely free. In order for me to know that you are a new member and found out about this offer by reading my blog, once you follow me, send me an email message (info@mdneu.com) letting me know. Once I verify you are following me, I’ll email you your free copy of LandsEnd.

Story Blurb:

Prom Night. The last hurrah before college. Brandon and Ed are the chaperons for the LandsEnd High School Senior Prom, hosted at the LandsEnd Yacht Club. Its a night of dreams until the ground shakes and flashes of light brighten the sky, knocking out everything electrical, casting the dance into darkness. Cut off and alone, the adults and the students have to figure out what to do and what’s happening. Worryingly, what’s that strange clicking sound off in the distance that seemed to scare off the animals?

***

This is a short one this week. Remember to follow me on BookBub to get your free eBook copy of LandsEnd. Well, that’s it. Until next time, have a great week.

Contact-A New World (Book 1) Audiobook Launch

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. It’s here! Today I’m happy to share with you my newest audiobook; Contact-A New World (Book 1), is here. This is my internationally award-winning SciFi novel that starts this exciting series. Steve Connor is here to narrate the story and bring life to all these wonderful characters (learn more about Steve here). He did an outstanding job with bringing the Nentraee characters, language, and culture to life. I can’t wait for you all to dive in and give the story a listen. 

The Story: 

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 will soon be 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. Todd Landon is one of these people, living and working in a section of the world called the United States of America. His life is similar to those around him: home, family, work, friends and a husband.

On the cusp of the greatest announcement humankind has ever witnessed, Todd’s personal world is thrown into turmoil when his estranged brother shows up on his front porch with news of ships heading for Earth’s orbit. The ships are holding the Nentraee, a humanoid race who have come to Earth in need of help after fleeing the destruction of their homeworld. How will one man bridge the gap for both the Humans and Nentraee, amongst mistrust, terrorist attacks and personal loss? Will this be the start of a new age of man or will bigotry and miscommunication bring this small world to its knees and final end?

The Cover: 

Audiobook Sample:

The Reviews: 

“I absolutely loved this book. It has a great theme, and it is so well written. I found I couldn't put the book down.” — Amazon Review 

“Riveting read! Looking forward to reading “Conviction”.”— Amazon Review 

“I generally don't read science fiction books, but this story and author may have converted me. I completely enjoyed this story from start to finish.” — Goodreads Review 

Where to buy your copy:

Audible-US click here.

Audible-UK click here.

iTunes click here.

Amazon click here.

Don’t want to listen to the story. That’s fine, the book is available in eBook and Paperback. Find your copy here. Or get a signed copy here:

***

That is all I have today. I hope you enjoy Contact-A New World (Book 1) its a wonderful audiobook that I’m proud of. If you have read the book 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.

Writing Update – March 2022

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, I hope you are all doing well. As you may have noticed, I took last week off from my blog. I was dealing with some medical issues. Nothing to worry about, and everything all worked out. Which has been a big relief. I’m happy to say I’m not going anywhere anytime soon!

This week I wanted to provide a quick update for you. Regarding my writing, I’m still moving forward with Conspiracy-A New World (Book 3). However, there has been a delay with my publisher. I’m hopeful this will not slow down the long-delayed release of the book, but I can’t say for sure. In audiobook news. Contact-A New World (Book 1) is about finished and I’m thrilled with how well Steve Connor (find him here) has done with the story. Steve really has narrated the heck out of the novel and brought my words to life. I can’t wait for you all to hear it. Along those lines, once Steve finishes with Contact, he will move on to Conviction (find both books here for signed copies and here for all other editions). I’ll keep you posted on when the audiobooks are available.

Also, on the writing front, I’m about ready to send off Volaria. I have another round of edits I want to make and then I’ll be shopping the story around to see if I can get any bites. Wish me luck.

Lastly, and I couldn’t be more pleased to share; I have in-person event news. With the restrictions being lifted and more and more events coming back. I’m happy to share some of the following in-person events I have planned:

April 2022

Hayward Lit Hop—(April 30th, 4pm) Books on B, 1014 B St, Hayward, CA 94541

May 2022

The Bay Area Book Festival 2022—(May 7th and 8th) Berkley, CA

BeastCrawl—(May 28th) Oakland, CA

June 2022

Davis Pride—(June 12th) Davis Central Park, 401 C Street, Davis, CA 95616

 

I want to say nothing will change, but you never know. So, stay tuned.

That’s it for this week. Remember to check out my events page (find it here), now that more local events are coming online, I’ll be adding more and more events. So, you don’t want to miss out. Until next time, have a great week.

Conspiracy-A New World (Book 3) Teaser

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, I hope you are all doing well. These last few weeks have been crazy with everything going on in the world and here at home. I considered not posting anything this week, however to provide some normalcy I thought I would continue to post. This week, I’m sharing the first excerpt from my upcoming novel Conspiracy-A New World (Book 3) learn more about Conspiracy here. I will also do a reading this Saturday March 12, 2022 at 4pm. (learn more here). The novel will be out later this year and final edits are sitting with my publisher.

Enjoy this teaser:

Chapter One

The Security Training area appeared ordinary, especially since the space was in a secured part of the ship. Yes the area had grass and a few shrubs outside the façade but the endless sky feeling didn’t exist here; overall this area had been built more for function and less for form. Still, Todd was glad he had access to the location, and the gym had everything they needed for a good workout. He had even managed to have the Nentraee bring up some human gym equipment for his use, as he didn’t want to risk his life on the Nentraee equipment. Sure the human machines got a few odd looks from the Nentraee security when he and Dan used them, but Vi-Narm confided in him several of the security personnel tried the pieces and used them when no humans were around.

He cracked his neck, thinking of his earlier conversation with Brad. Seeing his brother again would be a nice treat, and Brad had been correct, too much time had passed since Todd had seen Brad or the rest of his family down on Earth. The infrequent visits weren’t all his fault, so much had changed over the last year and he had a lot of work to do, especially knowing Liberi Dei continued to lurk out there; waiting. A shudder ran down his spine; the death of the leader of the Liberi Dei haunted him.

Too bad you won’t live long enough to find out. What had they been organizing? Their death was a shame really, killed by their own people before he found out what they and Liberi Dei actually wanted. However, they were still out there planning. Which added to his frustration of late, Mi’ko and Mirtoff no longer included him in anything to do with the terrorist organization, saying keeping him detached from the matter kept him safe.

Todd had no reason to doubt them, but something tickled the back of his mind and he wasn’t sure if this was the only reason they kept him in the dark about Liberi Dei.

He missed the tick of his pocket watch.

So much had changed.

He dug through his bag, pulled out his pocket watch, and checked the time.

“Where is he?” Todd huffed and put the timepiece in his gym bag, his hand brushing along the cool surface of his datapad.

Dan should have been here twenty minutes ago; at this rate Todd would barely have enough time for their workout and for him to get changed and ready for the interview.

A chirp called his attention.

Todd reached into his bag and pulled out his datapad. Now what? He tapped the pad to activate the device.

“Dan!” Todd’s voice called out louder than he had hoped, but no one around him seemed to notice. “Where are you? You’re late.”

“I know.” Dan’s expression remained flat with no Danness to flavor his words. “Listen, I’m heading to Earth, I have to see my family and take care of some things?”

“What? Is everything okay.”

“Fine.” Dan’s tone faltered and his expression sank. “They’re fine, sorry, just a lot going on and my mom isn’t getting any younger.”

“I get it, my parents–”

“Look I have to go. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“When you–”

The communications ended and the Nentraee seal appeared.

“What the hell?” Todd shook his head and dropped the pad into his bag.

Todd raked a hand through his hair. Well now he would have plenty of time to get ready for the interview. He made his way over to the lockers to change into his work clothes and ceremonial robe. Once Todd cleaned up he made his way out of the locker room.

“Special Envoy.” A deep familiar voice caught Todd’s attention as he left the facility.

He turned to see Vi-Narm standing there in the equivalent of workout wear: loose pants and a flowy top.

“Hi Vi-Narm.”

“Shouldn’t you be getting ready to meet with GNN?”

Todd nodded. “I planned to get in some training with Dan today, but…”

“If you would like to train I would be happy to workout with you, after your duties.” Vi-Narm tossed her long ponytail over her shoulder.

Todd picked at his deep-blue ceremonial cloak, the one given to him by Mi’ko and Mirtoff to represent his standing in Nentraee society. The cloak draped over his shoulders, and the wide embroidered collar with silver stitching sparkled as the threads caught the light. He checked the two large silver clasps with matching deep-blue stones attaching the cloak to his shoulders. The ends of the cloak fell to the floor, revealing the embroidery as the stitching continued down to each of the eight symbols representing the Nentraee clans and the one representing humans.

“Do I look okay?” Todd asked.

“You look respectable for your position and the purpose of your meeting.” Vi-Narm said.

“And with that not so shining endorsement, I’ll head off.” he winked at her. “Thanks for the offer to work out, I’ll have to take you up on the suggestion, especially if Dan keeps ditching me.”

On his way out, he gave one more glance over his shoulder to the facility and the surrounding area. Dan and he were supposed to work out twice a week, and yet over the last several months Dan had cancelled many of their get togethers, not just the workouts. Each time they met, Dan appeared more preoccupied. More distant. He shook his head. At least he still had Brad’s visit to look forward too, even if he would be here for work and not play.

He felt the tick of his pocket watch and marched on in time with each tick. Once he found a viewport he glanced out, seeing one of the Speaker General’s ship’s parks. A group of xĩmé flew by, the deep blue of their feathers a contrast to the yellow leaves of the nabutimaba tree. He chuckled and shook his head. Recent events seemed insane to him, like something out of some sci-fi series.

“What a year.” He sighed as he continued on.

***

That’s it for this week. Don’t forget about the BAQWA Reading this weekend, hope you can make it. Please keep yourself safe. Also, during these difficult times, be kind to one another. Pray for peace and keep those in harm’s way in your thoughts and prayers. Until next time, have a great week.

Creating Audiobooks – Why and How?

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. Over the last two years, I’ve taken one of my novels, T.A.D.-The Angel of Death, and two of my short stories, The Reunion and A Dragon for Christmas and had them converted into audiobooks (find them here). Typically, in larger publishing houses, this is something they will work with you on. Even my publisher NineStar Press will assist authors with turning their books into audiobooks. However, for many reasons, I went through the process alone and working through ACX I’ve launched three of my stories with three more in the works, all to be released this year. Today I thought I would share the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ as to creating these audiobooks on my own.

The ‘why’ has multiple layers, but the crucial factors to me taking on the process on my own, came down to three things; economics, timing, and choices. From the economic standpoint, if I were to have gone through NineStar Press to have my audiobooks created, there would be another party to split the already minimal royalties with: ACX, the narrator, NineStar Press, and me. That isn’t bad if you are selling thousands or tens of thousands of audiobooks. However, since my books and now my audiobooks don’t sell in those numbers yet, what I would have lost in royalties didn’t seem to make financial sense.

The next reason for me producing the audiobooks on my own is because of timing. As I’ve learned, working with a publishing house, books and audiobooks (and translations), takes time. A lot of time. And I wanted to see if I could speed up the process by publishing my audiobooks on my own. At first, I wasn’t planning on releasing my books on my own and I worked with my publisher to release them. However, because of many factors, the process dragged on and on. At first, I wasn’t getting any auditions (this took about three months) then we tried again and still no auditions (another three months). Finally, I found a narrator who would produce/narrate my story (The Calling), however there were issues. Leading to my third reason for producing my audiobooks on my own; Choice.

After searching for a year to find a voice actor to produce/narrate my first book The Calling, I found a talented, wonderful person to voice the story, however, because he couldn’t work under a Royalty Share contract (more on that later) so I couldn’t use him, if I went through NineStar Press. Disappointing for sure, as he was the only person to show any interest in doing the project. I ended up asking my publisher if I could produce the audiobooks on my own so I could use this talented person. They said yes. I took back my rights for my audiobook production and went to work on getting these audiobooks out there.

Hold up!

Stop the Presses!

Where is The Calling, you’re asking? We don’t see it as published yet, and you’ve been talking about this audiobook for what seems like years? Yes, that is correct, The Calling has taken a long time, this is for a variety of reason; first it sat waiting for auditions (about a year) and now it’s been sitting in production for a year. The reason for the delay in The Calling’s release is complicated, but the root causes have been the pandemic and other medical issues (all out of my control).

Now let’s jump over to the ‘how’. Creating an audiobook seemed, at least to me, to be a simple process. One, you find a narrator. Two, the narrator creates the audiobook. Three, you review the audiobook. Four, you launch the audiobook. Five, you collect the royalties. That isn’t quite correct. It’s not far off, but there are a lot of other steps involved.

When I started the process with The Calling using ACX (find out more here) I had the producer/narrator I wanted, which was a big help. Still, I had to figure out the basics of how to navigate ACX and what the steps were. Now, keep in mind there are other options to produce audiobooks Findaway Voices is another option (learn more here) but for me I went with ACX because they release the audiobooks on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes, which is where a majority of people get their audiobooks, plus the cost were minimal. Now, with ACX, there are four different options for production/narration of an audiobook; Pay for Production, you pay the producer/narrator for their work and you own everything once they deliver the product and you pay them (this is a costly way to go some producers charge anywhere from $200-$400[or more] per finished hour, a book that is five longs would cost you $1000-$2000 as an example, but you earn 40% of the royalties and you don’t have to share that 40% with anyone); Royalty Share Plus, you pay the producer/narrator a certain amount per finished hour and then you split the royalties (this isn’t as costly but can still be expensive say you produce a five-hour audiobook at between $100-$200 per finished hour, that five-hour book would cost you $500-$1000, however you split the royalty 20% for you and 20% for the narrator/producer); next you have Royalty Share, you pay the producer/narrator nothing up front, however you split the royalties 20% for you and 20% for them. Last, you can narrator the book yourself. You provide the audio files to ACX and you will earn the 40% royalties.

You will also need to pick whether you want to be exclusive through ACX or go wide. This will affect your royalties (typically taking them from 40% to 25% for non-exclusive, but the hope is you will sell more to make up the difference).

Okay, that was a lot, I know, but it gives you an idea of the choices you have with ACX for the production cost. For me I’ve gone two routs; I did the Royalty Share Plus (for The Calling) and I’ve done Royalty Share for T.A.D.-The Angel of Death, The Reunion, and A Dragon for Christmas.

Each of the options have their pros and cons, mainly your selection of producers/narrators. The more you pay, the more options you have in selecting a producer/narrator. I believe this held up finding a producer/narrator for The Calling, NineStar Press will only do Royalty Share, so the first two options weren’t available for me.

Once you decide on how you are going to compensate your producer/narrator, you then ensure you have the rights to create the audiobook by claiming the title in ACX. If all goes well, this should be easy. However, for me I had to contact NineStar Press and have them release the books so I could claim them under my pen name.

After you claim your books, you can post your book so it becomes available for producers/narrators to view in ACX search results. This is when the fun begins, because this is when you can select what kind of person you are looking for to produce/narrate your book. There are a lot of options.

Regarding The Calling, I wanted a younger male in his early thirties. For T.A.D.-The Angel of Death, I needed a male voice actor who could sound youngish and oldish as the story crosses a lifetime. With The Reunion, I wanted a man who could sound over the top flamboyant and serious. For A Dragon for Christmas, I needed a Latinx woman who could voice a young girl and end up as a young woman. Then, with Contact-A New World Book One, I needed an actor who had a vast range in vocals who could make three unique characters come to life and give a large group of supporting characters a set of unique voices.

After you go through these first steps, you then need to upload a script for the producer/narrator to read from. This can be the first chapter of your book, but if you have multiple point-of-view characters, create something so you can hear what the actor does with your characters. I did this for Contact-A New World Book One. I pulled a chapter from near the end of the book where all three of my point-of-view characters share a scene for the actor to audition from.

Once you post the script (and any additional details about the story for the actor to help them with the narration) you wait. This is also the place where you share with the producer/narrator how you plan to market the audiobook. This information helps you find the right person and hopefully someone who will also help market the finished product.

Auditions may take time to arrive, but you can speed this process along by going searching for ACX producers/narrators and sending them a message (assuming you like their samples) to audition for you. With the auditions you receive, you decide who you want. For me, this was pretty easy. I had specific voices in mind for my characters, so I waited to find the right voice (or a voice close to what I imaged) and went from there.

With your narrator selected you make them an offer (this is all the contract information that I’m not going over), but this is where you both sign your life’s away (or at least seven years, depending on which type of production you chose, i.e. Pay for Production, Royalty Share Plus, Royalty Share, or Do It Yourself). This is also where you agree on the timeline for the audiobook.

After the contracts are agreed on, this is when you upload the story and create your chapters and sections (if you are lucky ACX can typically pull this information from the book posted on Amazon). All you’ll have to do is verify the information is correct and maybe add or delete something that is wrong or missing.

Part of the contract includes a 15-minute sample, which gives you the option to see if the producer/narrator and you agree on the performance and you like what they are doing. This is also the time when you and actor work out all the kinks in character development. I found this fun. I spent a lot of time with my narrators on the characters and the story.

Chapter reviews come next. After each chapter is uploaded by the producer/narrator, you get to review the section, ensure the work sounds good, and there are no mistakes. This is a step you do not want to skip, as I’ve found several minor mistakes not only in the narration but in the writing. Now is the time they get fixed, so the story, when being told, sounds good. This also gives you and the actor a chance to hammer out character moments and voice nuances.

Are you still with me?

We’re almost finished.

Once all the chapters are loaded, do another review of the whole audiobook to ensure it sounds the way you want and flows smoothly from chapter to chapter. This is also the time to upload your cover art. You can do this at anytime once the audiobook is under contract, so the sooner the better, because ACX has to approve the cover design. Here I made the choice to go with my current covers (to keep the branding the same) which means I needed to pay NineStar Press for the updated audiobook covers (sadly you can’t use the same format cover you already have for your eBook or paperback, plus you need to include the narrator’s name, so for me having NineStar Press do this made sense) the cost was minimal and, for me, worth it.

As you roll to the finish line, if you haven’t been already thinking about the audiobook launch, you need to. Once you and the producer/narrator complete the audio files and once you pay the producer/narrator (assuming you did Pay for Production or Royalty Share Plus) the audiobook goes to final review by ACX. This can take up to a month (or so they say). Unfortunately, you don’t get a heads up when the audiobook is released, they will send you an email letting you know the book is now live this makes planning the launch a challenge, but what I did was contact some different marketing folks and set up launches after the fact, which worked out pretty well. I also contracted several reviewers. ACX gives you promo codes you can share with reviewers, which is helpful. You get 50 promo codes (both US and UK) per title and you can get more once you sell a certain number of audiobooks.

Here are a couple of places you can get audiobook reviews, but read their policy and procedures carefully:

Free Audiobook Codes: https://freeaudiobookcodes.com/

AudioFile: https://audiofilemagazine.com/contact/

Audiobook Reviewer.com: https://www.audiobookreviewer.com/abr-services/expedited-revew-lk74b

The Audiobook Blog: https://theaudiobookblog.com/contact/

Dab of Darkness Book Reviews: https://dabofdarkness.com/about/

Audiobook Promos – For Authors & Readers of All Genres: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1014732691885069

Now that you have the audiobook finished, launched and out there, finally you get to sit back and collect the royalties. Assuming the audiobook sells, which means you need to keep up the marketing.

I hope this information helps with any questions you may have about the audiobook process. Keep in mind this isn’t everything and there are a lot more details that I didn’t dive deeper in. Overall the process, for me, has been positive and pretty cost affective. That’s it for this week. Until next time have a wonderful week.

$.99 Short Story – A Tended Garden

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. This week I’m thrilled to share that my author buddy J.P. Jackson has a new short story out. It’s $.99 so you can go wrong, and this is a wonderful way to get to know J.P.’s writing. Here is the blurb:

Alyssa is a natural witch whose thoughts have a way of coming true. Her coven is the only one around – well, the only one she’ll practice her beliefs with – but her high priestess, Rachel, is particularly difficult to please.

But Rachel has a secret she hasn’t told anyone in her coven – one that her ancestral witches before her kept from their covens too. If Rachel’s to hold on to her traditions and the immortality she’s been promised, she’ll have to keep the women in her coven returning to the sacred grove, and that includes Alyssa.

But secrets have a way of being revealed, and when Alyssa stumbles across Rachel’s violent and horrifying history with the trees of the grove, the pact between the sacred grove and Rachel’s family may have a price too steep to pay.

Download your $.99 copy here.

You can learn more about J.P. Jackson here on my blog, click on the title to check out some of our conversations:

Witches, Fae and Werewolves…oh my!

Interview with author J.P. Jackson.

Magic or Die.

2020 Interview with author J.P. Jackson.

That’s it for this week. Until next time have a wonderful week.

Bay Area Queer Writers Association – Spring 2022 Reading

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. I hope you are all doing well today. A quick announcement this week. Me and several members of the Bay Area Queer Writers Association will be holding a virtual reading on March 12th at 4:00pm (PST). You can find out more here:

Click the link to get more information and RSVP. https://bit.ly/363JJWp

This is a free online event. We hope to see you all there. The readings should be varied and enjoyable.

Until next time, have a great week.

From Art to Pin: Newman is here!

How exciting is this! Newman who has been my mascot since I started can now be yours. The talented Glenn Quigley (who is both a fellow author and brilliant artist) created the artwork for Newman, which is amazing. Find Glenn here. As of this week, you can pick-up your own pin version of Newman to show off. Find him on my website (click here), and have Newman sent right to your doorstep (available in the US only). This is a great way to show your support for me and my writing. With luck, I will add to the Newman collection.

Banning Books in 2022?

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. In case you missed it, the month is February, and the year is 2022 and yet here we are talking about banning books in libraries and schools. What the actual heck are we doing?! Are we sure this isn’t 1822 or 1922? I understand that not all books are for everyone. I understand that we all like and enjoy reading different things. Believe it or not, there are books I don’t like. There are books I had to read that I didn’t enjoy. There are books I run across today wondering how these works of literature ever made into print. But never, and I mean ever, have I thought we should ban a book. Never! That is insane.

You want to control a population start by controlling the media. Guess what folks; books are media. And I’m not pointing a finger at one party or another. Banning Books happens on both sides of the cultural divide. People are going to say and do things we don’t like. We don’t have to agree with them and we sure don’t have to like them. However, it’s not up to us to squash them and destroy them. It’s up to us to educate them and ourselves. Listen to their concerns and fears and try, as hard as it may be, to understand them. We do not give them a pass and we sure don’t let them ban books or censor our media. Look into history and see how well that has worked out for everyone in the past.

A quote from Stephen King sums up my thoughts on the entire Book Banning perfectly:

When books are run out-of-school classrooms and libraries. I’m never much disturbed. Not as a citizen, not as a writer, not even as a schoolteacher… which I used to be.

What I tell kids is, don’t get mad, get even.

Don’t spend time waving signs or carrying petitions around the neighborhood. Instead, run, don’t walk, to the nearest non-school library or the local bookstore and get whatever it was that they banned.

Read whatever they’re trying to keep out of your eyes and your brain, because that’ exactly what you need to know.

I think what Stephen King says sums it all up perfectly, and I’m thrilled to see Maus on the New York Time’s Best-Selling list, because that shows we are voting with our wallets and sending a loud message to those who want and support censorship, aka Banning Books.

In short, don’t let them control you. Don’t get angry or protest, do what Stephen King suggests, go out, buy the book and read it, see if you agree or disagree, but the choice of what you like or don’t like should and always be with you. The Reader.

Until next time, have a great week.

Writing Process and How Writing Works… For me Now.

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, I hope you are having a pleasant week. Over the last several weeks, I’ve been working on several writing related projects. I’ve been doing auditions for my next audiobook. I’ve been listening to a current audiobook in production. I’ve been writing a couple of different articles that have been requested of me from some different online sites. I’ve been working with my author groups on planning some events for 2022. I’ve been finalizing some new promotional pieces. And the list goes on.

It’s an odd thing when you are working on unique items and see how your time splits between them, and it got me thinking about how things were at the start.

When I first started writing, I had the luxury of sitting back and working on a single story at a time. Once that one was finished, I would move on to the next one, while I put the first story through my writing group for critics and comments. That wasn’t quite how it always worked out. Sometimes I worked on a couple of manuscripts at once, but mostly, I worked on one story at a time. Now… that’s not how things work.

As an author, now with five books, two short-stories, three audiobooks, and two anthologies out, my writing time seems to drip away. Because you have to focus on addition writing related tasks. You have to work on editing. You have to work on marketing and PR. You have to work on getting your books turned into audiobooks (which I have four, five and six on the way). You have to engage with readers, plan reading events, work with other authors to grow your community. The list goes on. Everything I mentioned in one way or the other affects my writing process. Where I could once sit down and write a couple of chapters a week. I’m lucky if I get a chapter in a week. Sometimes it takes me a couple of weeks or even a month to get a chapter finished.

I’m not complaining and I love working on my author business and brand, but I miss the days of having characters come forward and say hello and start telling me their stories. It still happens, just not as much.

Additionally, and much to my dismay, I haven’t been adding general characters to my trunk of characters for future stories, which is a shame because I love that process. If you don’t understand what I mean. There was a time when I could sit down and write general characters bios and save them for later use. When I would need a character for a story, I could go to my ‘trunk’ and pull one out for use. It was a great way to have characters ready to go when I need them.

I still have characters packed away, but not near as many as I once had, and I haven’t added any in years.

These days, I have to schedule my writing times. I have to sit down with purpose and focus… okay, who am I kidding? I still get up in the middle of the night to write. Or I’ll get up early on the weekends and pump out a few thousand words. Then sometimes all I want to do is sit and work on my writing and my current story, letting everything else fall to side.

I love these days.

In the end. I still have novels coming out. I still manage to create and write whenever I have a free moment. And my characters still come and talk to me and tell me their tales. These characters of mine continue to even play nice when they aren’t getting the attention they deserve.

I think they understand better than I do. And they are a lot more forgiving than I am as well.

Overall, my writing process has both grown and changed over the years. Do I long for how simple things were at the start. Sure. That was a time of writing innocence for me. Now I’ve grown… dare I say matured, as has my writing and my author life. Perhaps someday, when I have a catalog of books out there as long as my arm, I’ll be able to pass on some of these more mundane tasks to an assistant or marketing professional and focus solely on my writing and creating new worlds for people to visit. That would be lovely. However, until that time, as I grow and move forward, so does my writing process and how it all works itself out. I guess it all a matter of juggling, where once it was only two balls, I seem to now have five or six. Who knew I could juggle?

Until next time, have a great week.

How and When did you know?

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. A few years back I wrote this article about my coming out and how that has affected my writing. Today, after so many years, I thought I would revisit the post and see if there is anything I want to add or change, because as we all know, time has a way of changing our perspective on life. Especially with how my journey has influenced my writing.

People ask and are curious about my coming out. I get this question a lot from my straight co-workers and friends. The query is kind of funny because if you flip the question ‘when did you know you were straight?’ it’s silly. Anyway, I don’t mind sharing my story, so here it is.

As a kid, I always understood I was different, at least on some level.

I grew up in the 80s, so yep, I’m old. Anyway, I never gave much thought to my sexual feelings or identity in middle school. Sure, I was ‘sensitive’, but I had a wonderful group of ‘nerd’ and ‘stoner’ friends, so I never suffered from any personal angst. I never understood what the big deal about girls was. Sure, they were pretty, and some were friends, but I wasn’t interested in kissing them or anything like that. I never was ‘girl crazy’ and found that I enjoyed their company and we had fun together, but I wasn’t interested in anything else. Friendship was fine with me.

Where there any girls that liked me. Maybe. I suppose there were a few girls who liked me, but honestly, I had no clue.

I wasn’t supper popular in school, but I wasn’t an outcast either. If I had to describe my school experience; you know, in the movies, you see all the kids in the background that are there and appear to be having a good time and aren’t the center of attention. That would have been me. Don’t get me wrong, I had a good time in school, so it wasn’t bad and I have some great friends who I’m still in contact with today (thank you, social media).

Anyway, I didn’t really deal with my sexual identity until my later teens and early twenties. I had a few girlfriends and even was engaged to be married, but something didn’t seem right. Again, I didn’t really know, clueless as I was, what the ‘it’ was. I found guys so much more attractive than girls, but I still thought I was ‘normal’.

Once, my engagement fell apart (her doing and not mine) that was when everything crashed in around me. I realized I had all these fake walls and barriers up. For the first time, I had to take an honest look in the mirror and accept that I spent my younger years in deep denial. At one point, I even remember my sister Dawn and I talking. She told me she thought I was homophobic, not mean or cruel or anything like that, just not as friendly or as open-minded as she thought I would be. Thinking about it now, I guess I was trying to hide who I was and didn’t want to come across as ‘gay’, which of course is stupid, because I was in fact gay. Live and learn, I guess.

As I got older, I remembered I had major crushes on guys and I denied it… hid it. I had even fooled around with a few friends, but again, these experiences were all pushed behind these walls I created, and this life I wanted to live—I needed to live in. For me, this pressure wasn’t so much from an outside source, but internal ones. No one told me to be one way or the other. Those rules and thoughts all came from me. Anyway, when all the walls crashed down, I fell to pieces. It wasn’t until I thought about killing myself that I figured something needed to change. I couldn’t be like this anymore. I had to pull myself together if I were to have a happy and healthy life.

No one realized I was going through any of this because, by my early twenties, I was amazing at hiding my drama.

I found a therapist and spent about a year going to treatment once a week. She helped me face who I was and where I needed to be. After therapy, I could come out to everyone. Keep in mind this was in the early 90s, so AIDS was still a big thing and society wasn’t nearly as open and welcoming as now. First, my friends. Then my sister. And finally, my parents.

I was lucky, very lucky, because I was my own worst enemy. Everyone in my life supported me and was there for me. And those that weren’t quickly dropped from my life. I was the hurdle. I was the one that created all my problems. I tried to make myself fit into this perfect image I had in my head.

The journey wasn’t always easy. I lost a couple of friends, made friends with some of the wrong people, and I even lost a job because of who I was, but I never blamed them, I knew I was better without them and bigger and better things were waiting for me.

I guess what this journey boils down to, for me, is that I always realized I was gay. I always understood, but I wasn’t willing to face it. Still, I never blamed society or anyone (as I said my family and friends were way more accepting than I was) and I don’t judge it as a failing of the time I grew up in, it was more what I was willing to accept. Maybe, if there were more positive gay male figures when I grew up things would have been different, I honestly don’t know, but like I said for me, it wasn’t so much the outside influences, but my internal thoughts that caused me the most trouble.

Part of what I write is to provide positive LGBTQ characters with a voice because I do agree we need more of them. My goal is to show them without this ‘queer struggle’ I want my characters to face other issues. That doesn’t mean they live in a world filled with sunshine and rainbows. They have a past, as we all do, that affects them and their lives. All my characters carry a little of me in them and their internal journey may differ from mine, but if you look into them deep enough, you will see my journey there as well. Telling honest stories with believable, imperfect queer characters is my goal. The LBGTQ thing is a part of them and not the focus. My opinion is that the more people/society can see us, all of us, and relate to us on a non-sexual identity level, the better.

I share this because people ask about my ‘gay struggle’ and how it affects my writing. My experience is unique to me and this personal journey is different for everyone. As I say, I was lucky.

There you have it, my coming out journey and how it affects my writing. I hope you got something helpful from this. Until next time, have a great week.

Who Invited Them? by Eric David Roman

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. This week I’m pleased to welcome Eric David Roman to my blog to chat about his experience as an author and what it’s like writing and finding your balance in the middle of our current planetary event (aka COVID-19). Eric hits on several authorly fears and anxieties that remind us we are all going through this together and we need to stop listening to those uninvited voices in our head. Whether or not you're an author, this is a wonderful article that I hope you enjoy.

***

If you ask any Golden Girls’ fan, they’ll tell you the best moments, the best episodes, in fact, are those with our fab four gathered around their iconic kitchen table late one night. It’s not ideal for us to be around a table to laugh, eat, and discuss life while we share stories that help us get through the days. But if you’d permit me this indulgence, I’d like you to take a moment to visualize their cozy kitchen (or any kitchen really, theirs is the safest space I can think of). And see us around a table covered with cookies, cheesecake, chips, a side of pork if you like—I never judge a food kink. We’re comfy in our robes, we have our coffee, our tea, or our cannabis.

We’ve been laughing and jovial, but try as we might, we cannot steer our convo away from the topics of the outside world. We all know it’s damn near impossible lately to even say hello without current events being the next topic. Eventually, rolling belly laughs dim into faint chuckles as the memory of the amusing comment fades, and the conversation eases into one of its natural lulls. One of us sighs and another laments about life never returning to normal, and we wonder aloud how we’ll face the challenges ahead of us. I’m itching to be chatty, so when its asked what’s the most challenging aspect of writing now, I jump in:

From the moment we writers pick up a pen and feel it glide along the paper as smooth as figure skater Surya Bonaly zipped across the ice, we’re hooked—okay, yes, maybe for some of you it was a keyboard or a tablet that popped your writer cherry, I’m trying to be poetic dammit. But from that moment there’s no getting off this ride. It’s a deep emphatic love which binds us to the words, and then we’re caught in this gig for the long haul. And truthfully, it’s not fun a lot of the time, even during the best of times being a writer is an arduous trek; the rejection, the crippling self-doubt, that pesky internal Critic always pulling double shifts to make us feel like the absolute worst.

Picture it, during what we can all agree is nowhere near the best of times, I got my first offer from a publisher, my first Yes (goal achieved). A writer’s life is often filled with rejection and harsh critiques, so one develops a proficiency at popping back up like a tweaked-out whack-a-mole hungry for more. Immediately, however, I found myself unsure what happens after the Yes. When does the instant fame kick in? (pimp book here). And I’ll venture to say that it’s not unfamiliar to anyone at this table to get bitch-slapped with a what the hell am I doing? moment so hard it freezes you in place. I was having such a monumental event occur concurrently with a once-in-a-lifetime global issue. The timing was a bit much.

I dove into the final polish of my book but found nothing I wrote seemed good enough, nothing I tried to convey in my writing was coming through. It felt like every character was one-dimensional, every plot device was contrived. Everything was muddled and filtered by the ever-evolving events happening outside in the world. A lot of creative frustrations began showing up to the party, which if you’re a writer, you’re nodding along cause you know. I was hounded by intrusive thoughts. Who’d want to read about the fake horrors I’d concocted when our own true-life horror show played out every day in real-time? Self-doubt weighed heavier than normal, and baby, that threatens the delicate creative ecosystem; listen it takes a certain degree of delusion to keep a writer going (yes, we are going to make it).

Anxieties from the global stuff slogged the creative process. And because the Critic, I guess, was lonely or whatever, they called a friend. And this ‘heffa’, Imposter Syndrome, showed up to tag-team me like no one’s business. It’s not a fun three-way. Plus, the Critic amped up their nonsense past the normal, You’re not good enough shtick, and started hitting on deeper levels: Why publish at all? The oceans are burning and you’re a joke. Who’s going to read you when the world is slowly crumbling around us? It’s a mistake, the publisher is going to email you that they were wrong. You’re a hot mess and everyone’s exhausted. The world’s running out supplies. They’re just going to watch Netflix and chill and ignore your scribbles. The Critic doesn’t play. And Imposter Syndrome, well, that hoe is still trying me; like who am I to ramble on about this for 1500 words?

Feeling extremely low and straddled with a deadline to turn in the final draft, the Yes was not the glamourous champagne popping moment I’d envisioned. I realized everything I’d worked for hinged on what I did next, so you know, no pressure or anything. I could spiral out or step my pussy up as the kids say and forge forward. I spiraled out. Sure, it’s messy, but it’s easier.

It took a minute, longer than I’ll admit, to realize I’d lost my creative equilibrium because I’d lost faith in my creative self. I’d gotten a yes; I was getting published and still didn’t believe I’d earned it. Nonsense really, as it’s since come out and been a huge hit (remember…delusion). A hard lesson along any healing journey is learning to trust the Universe, or your Higher Power of choice of course, but even more so, yourself—your intuition, your gut.

My healing story intersects with my creative one here, so, we’re going to get spiritual for a moment. But don’t worry, I’ll keep it lowkey, not really my vibe to preach about aligning chakras and waving crystals around like a loon—though meditation would save the world if we gave it a chance.

Despite the negativity in my head, the pulsing madness of the world, I focused my meditations on my creative self, and it took a minute, but I realized I was where I was supposed to be. Regardless of the outside world, I knew my book, the story I wanted to tell, did have a place in the world. That there was something to say even in a sea of loud voices. I trusted I had everything I needed to move forward, that I was safe as could be, considering. And my Yes, wasn’t a giant fluke they were going to take away. I did affirmations solely about rising above the self-doubt and defeating the Critic. They won’t ever be fully gone, they’re like a bad horror franchise, they keep coming back—but you can shut them up for a while. And I’d love to tell you I did the affirmations every day for months in an impressive, even inspiring display of tenacity, but no. And that’s okay, and I’ll continue to tell myself and you that.

I found assisting the other writers in my life with their own creative path helped my own creative confidence. I mean, that’s not groundbreaking stuff as any soul in recovery will tell you helping others and stepping out of self, helps them remain sober. I like to believe that idea applies to writing as well since my own words were flowing again. And the more I flowed with the Universe, the clearer they appeared. We, as a collective, experienced several rapid life-altering changes in a microsecond’s worth of time, learning to simply flow with those changes helped (still helps) me get through the mess. We can’t control what’s happening in the rooms we aren’t ever going to be invited into, try to not let it consume you. I know, easier said than done, but maybe it’ll help.

There was more of course: Journaling, physical exercise, seventeen broken vows to quit and go do anything else, three and a half mental breakdowns under my desk, but that’s all the boring stuff. The hardest part of regaining my equilibrium was remembering to trust in my creative self despite the Critic and Imposter Syndrome; they’re just noise in that complex and mysterious grey matter floating within our skulls, so why are we even listening to them? Why do we have to be reminded to not listen is what makes me scratch my head. And it can be hard to remember they aren’t the truth.

I was in a whole other headspace when I turned in the final draft; my creative ecosystem balanced with all the functional delusions back in their place (we are going to make it). I felt confident and knew my novel would carve out its place in the world, that its message, though wrapped in blood and gore, would seep through. That hopefully it would become someone’s favorite book. I felt pretty good sending the final draft off, and when I got another Yes from my publisher for a second book, I knew I was where I was supposed to be. I mean, of course, I repeated everything I described to you all over again, but this time it didn’t take so long, and I got this round down to only two meltdowns and ten broken vows that I was done with writing, so, yeah…progress.

About author Eric David Roman:

Eric David Roman spent twenty years wandering the wrong paths; he tends to get lost a lot (he’s from Florida). He worked the wrong jobs (as it turns out, streetwalking is not a profession for just anyone) and avoided his true passion—writing, or as he refers to it, shotgunning sleeves of gluten-free Double Stuff Oreos in a dark closet whilst crying. After hitting a low point while trapped in retail management hell (a harsh rock bottom), he rearranged his thinking (now with 75% less anxiety and depression), got a little spiritual (but isn’t all in-your-face about it), and switched his focus to writing; well, as much as his gAyDD allows. And now, you’re reading his bio, so things are progressing nicely. He is the author of the outrageous novella Despicable People, the new novel Long Night at Lake Never, and the upcoming short story collection: Pirate Station N.G.H.T. Eric remains socially distant in Northern Virginia (don’t stalk him, you’d just be disappointed), where he lives, writes, loves all things horror, campy, and queer. He spends the days with his adoring husband and loveable cat (both of whom remain indifferent to his self-proclaimed celebrity).

Where to Find Eric David Roman:

Facebook: Www.facebook.com/ericdavidroman

Instagram: @themwritervibes

Twitter: @themwritervibes

Website: https://ericdavidroman.com/

About Long Night at Lake Never:

Welcome to Camp Horizons, where they pray all day…and get slayed all night!

Nestled against scenic Lake Never, recently outed Tyler Wills has arrived at the secluded conversion camp, where the delusional staff of counselors believes he and his fellow camper’s queer affliction can be healed solely through the power of prayer.

After a full day spent rallying against sadistic deprogramming therapies, the deranged camp director, and planning his escape, Tyler discovers a larger problem—a mysterious stranger has rolled into camp with a grudge to settle and a very sharp axe.

When night falls, the terror and body count rise. And Tyler, along with his fellow campers, find themselves trapped between a brutal, unrelenting killer and their holier-than-thou prey as they desperately search for a way to survive the Long Night at Lake Never.

Where to buy: Long Night at Lake Never:

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/longnightatlakenever/