Hello! This is a really quick update, but you might have noticed that most of my energy is going towards novella and not much else. The truth is, my day job got hectic with a wave of lay-offs and then I got COVID. My energy has been super limited and, as much as I love reading and reviewing, the reviewing bit is just not with me right now. So, I’m taking a formal break.
Assuming a successful recovery, my next post will go up on Friday, March 3rd.
Freydís Moon returns to my blog today to chat about their latest release, Heart, Haunt, Havoc (HHH). Things go literally bump in the night when Colin Hart is hired by Bishop Martínez to quell the hauntings. This isn’t a simple exorcism, as it’s tied up with Bishop’s past griefs and path to his own healing. The layers in this book are heart-wrenching, with a hopeful ending, and I can’t wait for everyone to get to experience this tightly-paced mystery with genuine scares and a compelling romance.
Today, I’m celebrating Freydís by having them here to talk about drafting, their favorite scenes, and coming to the conclusion to self publish this gothic romance complete featuring two trans protagonist drawn together by more than mutual attraction.
Buy Links: Amazon | Signed Paperback
Continue readingThis is going to be a post about musing on some boundaries I’m setting in 2023 because I’m tired and creatively spent.
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The Peridot Shift trilogy, consisting of Flotsam, Salvage, and Cast-Off, comes to a close today, and I’m celebrating by having R.J. Theodore back on the blog to talk about putting this finale together. Since Flotsam, a god has died, souls can be ripped from bodies using a deadly gas, the remaining gods have the concerns of Peridot’s inhabitants elsewhere, and Captain Talis fights and works hard to keep her crew safe.
Rekka chats with us about the process of shifting a trilogy from an indefinite saga, tightly weaving loose ends for the finale, the parts they enjoyed, and what they’re working on now.
Buy Link: Bookshop
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Weird Fishes by Rae Mariz is a work of oceanic fantasy that shows great veneration to the ocean and all its inhabitants, from tiny krill to clever octopi to the massive cetaceans. Ceph, a scientist from the deep sea, discovers that the time current is slowing down and hears of these new types of fish, humans, who are wreaking havoc on the environment. Iliokai, a whale rider like a selkie, has answers of her own and works with Ceph to prevent a different marine ecological disaster going too far in the other direction. The work is compassionate, enthusiastic, full of so much love for all things beneath the sea, and full of righteous rage for ongoing climate disasters.
I’m so excited to have Rae on the blog today to talk about the lightning-in-a-bottle experience of putting this novella together, how she went about selecting the narrators, what changed in revisions, and the joy of working with venues like Stelliform and khōréō who are open to experimental works.
Buy Link: Stelliform Press
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Happy release day to R.B. Lemberg and their collection, Geometries of Belonging. As I mentioned in my review, the Birdverse is among the richest worlds I have ever been given the gift of visiting. There’s magic, there’s normalized queerness, there’s a variety of fantasy roles and occupations that aren’t rebel and ruler and mercenary, plus so much more.
I’m thrilled to have R.B. on the blog to chat about the origins of this secondary world fantasy, how they come up with stories and poems, plus a little bit of what they’re working on now.
Buy Link: Bookshop.org | Unabridged Books
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Happy release week to Empire of the Feast, an amuse bouche of delights for spacey science fiction and queer fantasy fans alike. There’s an eldritch god kept at bay by cultish sex magic, a reincarnating monarch, and plenty of conspiracy to go around. It’s fucky, it’s goth, it’s queer, and it’s here.
In today’s interview, author Bendi Barrett talks about how this novella came to be, how he crafted its tight world-building, and what he’s working on next.
Buy link: Neon Hemlock
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Happy release day to You Fed Us to the Roses, Carlie St. George’s horror short story collection. So full of love for the genre, this is a set for horror fans, by a horror fan. I’m excited to have her on the blog to talk about how she comes up with her tales, the way she plays with tropes, deciding the collection’s title, and what’s coming next for her.
Buy Link: Books2Read
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Happy release day to The Story of the Hundred Promises. When trans sailor Darragh learns that his father is terminally ill, he goes on a quest to find the Enchanter who helped him transition when he was a child. A story centering queer voices and queer optimism unfolds with all the tropes and aesthetics of classic fairy tales.
I’m so glad to have Neil on the blog today to talk about how the stories within and the overarching plot of this book came to be, the research behind it, what he’s working on now, and what he’s reading next.
Buy Links: Bookshop.org | Unabridged Bookstore | Libro.fm
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Welcome to the folkloric fever dream that is Crom Cruach. I’m so thrilled to chat with Val about how this novella-in-verse came to me. From the origins of the horrors within, the writing process, the soundtrack, what they’re working on next, this interview has it all. Crunchy, terrifying, and deeply human, this work is such a treat for horror and horror music fans alike.
Buy Links: Tenebrous Press Site | Kindle Edition | Bandcamp
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Jo Writes Fantasy 