International Queer Authors and Readers Uniting Stories 2021

May 12, 2021 MD Neu

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

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

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

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

Alix Starr book on floor with yellow background.png

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

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

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

Guests: Ava Kelly, Sera Trevor, Kellie Doherty

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Website: http://iqarusbookcon.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/IqarusC

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

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

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

IQARUS Book Con This Saturday (May 8, 2021)

May 5, 2021 MD Neu

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

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

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

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

Here is the Agenda for the Day:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

IQARUS Book Con – May 8, 2021

March 24, 2021 MD Neu

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, I hope your week is going well and you are all doing what you need to, to stay safe and be well. Today I’m thrilled to share with you an upcoming Book Con I will be part of. IQARUS: International Queer Authors and Readers Uniting Stories is a new international book con that me and several other authors have been working on for the last several months. I’m excited to share with you the details of the con.

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

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

Here is the Agenda for the Day:

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

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

We are continually updating the site with more and more details so check back often.

And lastly, you can register for the con here. You aren’t going to want to miss out.

Am I doing too much, or not enough?

February 24, 2021 MD Neu

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, here we are another week into 2021 and these last two months feel so 2020, but you know what we are making progress and things are getting better. We need to keep our spirits up because we’ve got this. Look how far we’ve come and what we have already survived. Now if you recall, last week I shared with you some announcements (click here for the blog post) and that got me thinking. Am I doing too much, or not enough? I really don’t know.

This last week I was a guest on WROTE Podcast, if you haven’t checked out the interview here it is for you to listen to, and really you need to listen to it. We had a blast. However, Baz asked me a question that stopped me dead in my tracts; when do you sleep?

For a second, I froze, I didn’t realize until that moment how much I’ve been doing. Let me break it down here, so you have some context:

I work full-time, Monday -Friday 7:30am – 4:30pm (that’s my day job)
I write part-time. Currently I have the following: The Called will be launching April 2021. I have Conspiracy-A New World, Book 3 with my Editor. I’m in various stages of three different works in progress: A Sci-Fi/Urban Fantasy mashup (55,000 words or 205 pages), an Alternate World Urban Fantasy (8,000 words or 33 pages), and an alternate world story (nothing written yet, but characters and story ideas laid out and set to paper).
I’m currently involved with two virtual cons; Rainbow Space Magic(RSM) happening March 12th – March 14th, which is an LGBTQIA Sci-Fi and Fantasy Con for readers and authors, check out the information here. IQARUS Book Con is a conference that features all kinds of genres of books and is open to anyone who wants to learn more about great authors, books and writing (happening May 8th) find out more here.
Then I’m part of a writers group Bay Area Queer Writers Association (BAQWA) that meets once a month, and we host virtual readings and other book related activities. You can find the group here on Facebook.
And for my writing, I manage my website and blog, a Twitter account, a Facebook Page, an Instagram account and now my YouTube channel. All of which take time to provide and create content for.
This doesn’t include any other virtual events (or public events when aloud)

So, yes there is a lot going on, and yes, I’m busy. But here is the rub, what does all this translate to, honestly, not much. If I’m being completely honest, book sales are stalled out and a lot of the time I feel like I’m spinning my wheels; not getting anywhere.

Another author buddy of mine, commented, “with all you’re doing, your book sales should be through the roof.” My response was, “not so much.”

I guess, what this got me thinking is that maybe I’m not doing the right things. Maybe, I’m spreading myself too thin. I’m not sure. All the books and videos I’ve read and watched about being an author and engaging with people say to make it easy for people to find you, to engage with readers where they are. Well, my audience is everywhere. Readers have found me from all the places I’ve mentioned.

What do you think? Am I doing too much? Or, not enough. Do you have suggestions or ideas? Of everything I mentioned above what resonates with you? Do you enjoy the book readings I post on YouTube? Do you enjoy my blogs? What about the content I share on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook? Would you rather I not do any of that and focus on pumping more stories out, keeping in mind that I’m at the will of my publisher so even if I wrote a new story every six months the books are still going to take a year or more to publish.

I will admit, I get tired and I seem to be going every day. In fact, today, I have two zoom meetings, one about RSM and the other my BAQWA group. Then tomorrow I have a meeting with the folks who are working on IQARUSBookCon. However, on the flip side I know several other authors who do way more than I do. They are amazing. These authors pump out the books, engage everyone on social media, have huge followings which leads to great sales. They are incredible and that would be an excellent goal to have.

I do want to make one thing clear, I’m not trying to complain or whine, well maybe a little, I understand how blessed I am. I only want my books to be read and enjoyed. I want to know that there are people out there who love my work as much as I do. I really don’t do all this for me (well I write the stories for me). I do all the social media, the events, cons, etc. for you and to help others like you find my novels, so everyone can, hopefully, enjoy the works and see themselves reflected in the stories. After all, everyone wants to be seen and heard. And we all want to be the hero of our own story.

There you have it, Scribblers, that is my writing world in a nut shell this week. Thank you for taking the time to read this and to continue to support me. I’m curious, what do you think about all this? Let me know in the comments below. Please consider sharing this post on your social media sites, it really does help, as does clicking on this little heart below. Until next time have a great week.

Writing Update and Book Announcement – The Called

February 17, 2021 MD Neu

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, I hope you all had a great Valentine’s Day and President’s Day. Reminder if you can get the vaccine please get it. In the mean time I hope you are wearing your mask, washing your hands, practicing your social distancing, and more importantly staying safe. I have been so encouraged hearing that the US has passed the 50 million vaccine mark and that hospitalization are going down. There is still a long road ahead of us, but we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

Enough about that. Today I wanted to share my book announcement and a couple of writing updates.

Like the title says, The Called is on it’s way. This is the sequel to my internationally award-winning debut novel The Calling. The Called is schedule to be released on April 19th and I can’t wait. Here is the blurb from the book… so spoilers if you haven’t read the first book The Calling (and why haven’t you read The Calling yet? You really need to, buy your copy here or get your signed copy here.):

The world is changing quickly for Chris now that he’s part of the Immortal Community. With the events of his past finally behind him, he’s still having visions and true magic is gradually taking hold in our world. There are new challenges that the Immortals must face, but Chris is still new and has no real standing in the immortal community. Learning that nothing in the Immortal community is what Chris thought and now having to face new threats, how will his new world unfold? Old enemies must work together and longtime friends may not be trustworthy. Who is lurking in the shadows? Why are they here? What does this mean for witches, immortals and humans?

Can Chris’ visions even be trusted given recent events, and how easily his mind is manipulated? With Juliet, Amanda, and Kirtus by his side they have to prevent the immortal and witch community from being exposed. Can they trust the local witches that are there to assist them? Can they trust their fellow Immortals? New friendships are made, and longtime alliances are called into question. How will The Called defeat these latest threats, and what does it mean for our world?

This story is going to pick up right at the end of book one. In fact, the last chapter of The Calling, is the first chapter of The Called (Find out more about both books here). So, there will be no time jump. I’m proud of this duology and I can’t wait for folks to be able to pick up their own copy and enjoy. Also, in The Called we are going to expand on some popular characters from The Calling and introduce some fantastic new characters in The Called, which I’m thrilled to finally add into the story.

Here is a beautiful graphic that will give you an idea of the feel of The Called :

Also, as I hope many of you have seen by now I’ve been working on my YouTube channel, click here. I’ve been cleaning up the channel, making it more user friendly, organizing it, updating content, and adding the various engagements I’ve had: including appearances on OUTLook Video, LocalLit 2020 as well as some other fun readings and events that I’m able to share.

To celebrate my revamped channel, I’ve set up a challenge, if I can get 250 subscribers (clearly a lofty goal) by April 19th I have something really fun planned. The surprise will coincide with the launch of The Called. Help me spread the word and meet this goal. I know with all your help and support we can reach 250. In the meantime, I’m going to be adding more readings and other content to my channel so I hope you will follow me there, plus you get to see me in my natural habitat, my home.

As a reminder on March 12th – 14th I will be participating at the Rainbow Space Magic Conference. This three-day virtual event is packed full of great content for readers, writers, and anyone who loves books. Learn more about it here.

Also, on May 8th I and several other amazing authors will be holding the first ever virtual IQARUS Book Con. This international event is open to everyone. We will have panel discussions about writing, marketing/social media, podcasts, vlogging, editing, etc. Also, we will host both live and video readings from authors of romance, horror, sci-fi, contemporary, all sorts of genres, so there is something for everyone. Check it out here.

Well, Scribblers, that’s all for this week. If you want to learn more about what I have coming up next check out my events page here. I love hearing from folks so please drop me a line in the comments below. Please consider sharing this post on your social media sites, it really does help, as does clicking on this little heart below. Until next time have a great week.

Buy my books here. If you want a signed copy click here (signed copies only available in the United States for now).

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