Author to Author with Sarena Ulibarri (Another Life)

Happy release day to Another Life by Sareena Ulibarri, a piece of solarpunk climate fiction about Otra Vida, a post-capitalist society that offers a way of life and governance that’s more egalitarian than the previous version of the world. It’s a novella grappling with past lives and offers a compassionate and forgiving approach to working through the sins of humanity’s past and how personal mistakes don’t necessarily doom the present.

I’m excited to have Sarena on the blog to talk about how this novel turned into a novella, what she’s working on next, and how slush reading influenced her approach to her own work.

Buy Link: Stelliform Press

Continue reading

Author to Author with Terry J. Benton-Walker (Blood Debts)

Blood Debts is a Black queer YA fantasy steeped in magic and the type of family feuds that would make Game of Thrones proud. Despite having opposite relationships with their generational legacy, Cris and Clem come together to solve a thirty years’ old mystery while the other powerful families have no limits on the things they’ll do to stop them from inheriting a throne upon which they belong.

I am so honored to have author Terry J, Benton-Walker on my blog to talk about the origins and evolution of this debut which will delight fans of epic fantasy, contemporary fantasy, and young adult books in equal measure.

Buy Links: Bookshop.org | Unabridged Books | Libro.fm

Continue reading

Author to Author with Freydís Moon (Heart, Haunt, Havoc)

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 reading

Author to Author with R.J. Theodore (The Peridot Shift)

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

Continue reading

Author to Author with Rae Mariz (Weird Fishes)

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

Continue reading

Author to Author with R.B. Lemberg (Geometries of Belonging)

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

Continue reading

Author to Author with Bendi Barrett (Empire of the Feast)

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

Continue reading

Author to Author with Carlie St. George (You Fed Us to the Roses)

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

Continue reading

Author to Author with Neil Cochrane (The Story of the Hundred Promises)

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

Continue reading

Author to Author with Valkyrie Loughcrewe (Crom Cruach)

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

Continue reading