The 2020-2021 Rainbow Awards

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, what a mind-blowing week. I’m so pleased to share with you, if you don’t already know, how my books performed in the 2020-2021 Rainbow Awards. This year I entered T.A.D.-The Angel of Death (click here to learn more) and The Called (The Calling Book 2) (click here to learn more). As some of you may know, I wasn’t sure about entering the books in the Rainbow Awards this year. T.A.D.-The Angel of Death hadn’t performed as well as I had hoped and the reviews were mixed; including a DNF (did not finish) along with a scathing review of what the reader read. On the flip side, The Called had received some wonderful reviews, but again wasn’t performing as well as The Calling had. With that fresh in my mind, I decided to sit this year’s awards out.

Well, some of my readers and a few author friends weren’t having any of my worry or concern. They told me to suck it up and enter the two books and see what happens. So, I did. Then the waiting began.

During the competition, for which I was a judge again, I accepted that there were several fine books out there and prepared myself for what I believed to be the inevitable.

I was wrong and gladly so.

How did I do? You may be wondering.

This year, T.A.D.-The Angel of Death won the 2020-2021 Rainbow Awards: Gay Alternative Universe/Reality category and in the 2020-2021 Rainbow Awards: Best Gay Book category T.A.D.-The Angel of Death was a runner-up! Here are some lovely judges’ comments:

This was a wonderful story! I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the angel of death and the drag queen/hairstylist’s lives, especially when it covers an entire life span (get tissues, you’ll need them). Although it covers some very tragic events in real life, they were portrayed with care. We have TAD, the angel of death, wanting to diminish the amount of death in catastrophic events which cost him his wings and to be sent to live life on Earth as punishment. Then we have Doug, who cares so much about humanity that when he meets TAD he can’t pass by without giving the smelly, disheveled man a hand, thinking him a homeless man, which he was at the time. Bringing TAD to the salon to give him a makeover, Doug then brings him home, where TAD spends years watching Doug ruin his life with alcohol and drugs. This friendship continues throughout the decades until Doug’s final days. What a beautiful tale this was. I thoroughly enjoyed this well-written story. This is also my first MD Neu book and I’m looking forward to reading others from this author.

Drag queen befriends the Angel of Death. What a great premise! I loved this, particularly the relationship between Doug and Tad and the way it developed.

As for The Called, I racked up a wonderful, honorable mention, and the book was the 2020-2021 Rainbow Awards: Gay Paranormal Romance (Runner Up). Here is the honorable mention:

If there’s something I love reading in a story is action, mystery, drama. Add vampires to the mix and exciting plot, fantastic writing, and I’m happier than a pig in a mud pit. This book has all the above and then some. It’s the type of story that once you start reading, you can’t put it down, thus staying up until 5AM this morning and had to finish it once I got up. This is the third book I read from MD Neu and I can assure you, it won’t be my last. I loved Neu’s writing style, the world-building where it feels like you’re actually there, living the drama. The characters are amazing. The setting is simply fabulous, and the plot, well, read above. I highly recommend this story to those who love Vampires. Well done, Neu. Well done.

There you have it, T.A.D.-The Angel of Death joins Contact (A New World, Book 1) and Conviction (A New World, Book 2) as category winners and The Called joins The Calling as a Runner Up. I couldn’t be more pleased. What I learned from this entire experience is that I can’t let the negative voices drown out the positive voices. If I would have sat this year’s Rainbow Awards out, I would not have won or been runner-up and I would have continued to doubt the worth of, not only my writing, but the worth of both these wonderful books.

To celebrate, my publisher, NineStar Press, is offering 30% off all the winners and runner-up’s books in the 2020-2021 Rainbow Awards. NineStar’s Authors had an amazing showing in this year’s competition, so please click on over (click here) and check out all these wonderful books and support these authors and our publisher.

Until next time, have a great week.

Book Announcement and Happy Thanksgiving 2021

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, two quick things this week, cause I’m sure (if you are here in the US) you are busy getting ready for turkey day… or you are already exhausted and in need of a nap.

I want to wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving, no matter how you are spending this day (and the weekend) I hope you get to take some time for yourself and be in the moment. Enjoy those you have around you, or enjoy the piece and quiet. It’s been another crazy year and we all need to take these moments and be thankful for all the small things we have in our lives. An author friend of mine posts what he is thankful for each day, I thought I would barrow that idea and share a few things I’m thankful for, so here goes, these are the things I’m thankful for:

• My husband Eric, how that man tolerates me on the daily I’ll never know.

• My Family, they can work each and ever nerve I have at times, but I’m thankful for each and every one of them.

• My home, we have a nice place to live and it may not be a mansion, but it’s home and I love it.

• My job, I have a great boss who I respect and have enjoyed working with all these years. For me it’s not about the work, but the people.

• My writing, I’ve had ups and downs and there are a lot of things I would love to change about it, but my writing has given me a wonderful creative outlet.

• My health, this year has been a bit rocky, but I’m still waking up and I’m still breathing so I count that as a big win.

• Being able to travel, Eric and I love to travel and through it all we continue to take trips and I’m so blessed to be in a position where we can do that.

• All the little things, there are so many small things I’m grateful for that I can’t name them all, but I’m very grateful for all of them.

What are you thankful for? If you’d like to share below I would love read it.

Now on to the book announcement. An author friend of mine Lee Colgin, recently released a new novel: Mongrel. Here is a bit about it.

• A misfit werewolf

• A guilt-ridden vampire

• A chilling mystery…

Mongrel, a creature more wolf than man, leads a lonely life on the fringes of pack society—until the night a handsome vampire shows up with a mysterious request.

Bowie, a vampire cursed to a life of endless nights, maintains close ties with his human family. When young girls in their village go missing, he must act quickly. But to find them, he’ll need to convince the local werewolf pack to loan him their best tracker—a wolf known as the Mongrel.

Though he hates the slur, Andras is used to being called Mongrel. When Bowie refuses to refer to him by anything but his given name, Andras can’t help a flicker of unexpected trust toward the stranger. He volunteers to help Bowie, risking banishment.

Can two tenderhearted men overcome their traumatic pasts and work together to rescue the girls before it’s too late? Or will the world’s most prolific killer snuff the flames of their passion along with the lives of the captives?

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This steamy love story spans the country of Hungary as Andras and Bowie journey to right a villain’s wicked wrongs.

Mongrel features a sweetly possessive werewolf, a cinnamon roll of a vampire, and the worst killer in history. A surprisingly fluffy MM Paranormal/Historical Romance considering the subject matter.

HEA guaranteed with loads of laughs along the way and no cliffhanger ending!

Get your copy here

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That’s all for now. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and until next time, have a great week.

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What it’s like being an author in a small publishing house?

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, I hope you are all doing well, and for those of you here in the US I hope you are looking forward to the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday and the mad dash to Christmas and the New Year. With the end of 2021 fast approaching, I’m looking back at my writing career to date. I have so much to be grateful for and I’ve learned so much over the past few years. I thought I would share my experience and thoughts as an author from a small publishing house.

I started my official writing career in May 2017 with my first contract from NineStar Press. Getting that first contract was such an exciting time. I couldn’t believe the news. Someone other than my family and friends believed enough in my writing to want to publish my work. I still feel that way every time I get a new contract.

At that time, I had zero knowledge about the publishing industry. So, everything that happened after that first signing started my new education. Since then I’ve signed seven more contracts, and I’ve not only worked with NineStar Press, but with ACX (for my audiobooks) and with an additional publisher for a new short story that has been picked up to be part of a new anthology (more details on the short story and anthology coming soon). Also, I’ve worked with two different author collectives to self-publish two more anthologies. With each new contract and with each new book release, I’ve learned more and more about publishing. I’ve also created a list of things I like and I don’t like about the industry.

Being part of a small publishing house, you are expected to do a lot of work, not only writing, but you have to market your books, promote your books, advertise your books, find opportunities for you to showcase your work, spend a lot of time and money to build your following…

All these new tasks are daunting.

Everyone thinks that once you sign on the dotted line with a publisher, you are set; you get to sit back, write, and collect royalties. You get to go to a few interviews, maybe a book tour, but most of your time from then on will be you doing what you love… writing. That may be the case for some authors, but not the vast majority, including myself. Yes, I suppose you could just sit back and write, but don’t expect to make any money, unless you are lucky and hit the right mix of story and audience. As a member of a small indie publishing house you have to put in the work in or your much dreamed of writing career won't go anywhere. Small houses like NineStar Press do not have the resources for huge marketing campaigns or getting you on the speaking circuit. They don’t have people who will enter you in book competitions, get you on TV, radio, YouTube, or podcasts. In order to get into any of these things, finding these opportunities is up to you. Now they might have sources and they might point you in the right direction, but all the legwork that comes from you. Some, like NineStar, may even have a contract source for a book marketing professional, but even these services can be limited.

As an example, I was looking into going to Saints and Sinners (Saints and Sinners is a LGBTQIA literary festival held in New Orleans each year). Several authors who I’ve spoken with have said is a wonderful event and worth going to if you can. Eric and I looked into going and for the three-day event we were looking at a cost of about $3,000, and there are no guarantees that I would see any kind of return on investment, other than making contacts and getting to know people (which isn’t a bad thing). Going to this event is on hold for this year.

Keep in mind that is one event, and there are many book events throughout the year. Currently, I’m looking for literary events closer to home.

Because NineStar is a small publishing house, there is no way they could cover these costs, not only for me, but for any of the authors in their catalog, nor would I expect them to. Still, it would be nice.

What’s a small publishing house to do?

The advice all authors get is to keep writing and reading, build up your backlog of books. That is the only way to get better royalties and with better royalties comes the opportunity to afford to go to literary festivals like Saints and Sinners. Another must get those reviews. Reviews equal exposure and the exposure turns into money. This is why you’ll see authors begging for readers to review their works (myself included). When it comes to reviews, remember the author is not the only one looking for reviews. There are thousands of authors out there and there are only a limited number of reviewers. Some publishers will have a list of reviewers they work with, which is helpful. NineStar is building out that list, which will be a great help. However, finding review sites and people willing to review your work is mostly up to the author.

I have a small list of reviewers that I’ve created and with whom I contact when I have a new book out. Still, those few reviews aren’t enough. You need hundreds of reviews to be a blip on anyone’s radar.

Another avenue for authors to build a following and sell books is to get their works in all the local bookstores and libraries, this again is something the author has to do on their own, yes, the publisher will ensure your books are available for bookstores and library to buy, but as for getting your books into a local bookstore, that is up to the author. I have a list of LGBTQIA book stores I email and let know when I have a new book coming out. Some have been responsive, which is wonderful. Also, I have a list of local book stores who I contact as well, in hopes they will carry my books, or better yet, let me come and do a reading.

I’ve heard in large publishing houses they have people who will do this, which is wonderful. But again, small publishing houses don’t have that kind of capacity, which is a shame.

Being part of a small publishing house is a lot of work and with each new book title, you continue to learn more and improve on what you have already learned. As a small house author, you have to build up your network of followers and build opportunities for yourselves, because no one, not even the big five publishers are going to give you a pass on selling your work. Sure, they have more resources to do more, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t involved. I’ve heard having a book agent can help (but they will take a cut of your royalties) in all areas of marketing, but getting an agent, let alone a good, well-connected agent is challenging. I know authors who are much farther down the path of their author career with several more books out than me, who still can’t find an agent. Which is a shame because these authors are amazing.

Additionally, part of my publishing journey has included the realization that I have to spend a lot of my money to hopefully accomplish my dream of becoming a well-known career author. To date, I’ve spent more than I’ve earned… that’s right… let that sink in… as of the writing of this article, I’ve yet to turn a profit. That was something I never thought would be the case. This lack of profit is also why I have my full-time job and am lucky if I can publish one to two books a year (with the pandemic it’s been more like one book a year) which I will admit is frustrating as I have books written, but they are in the queue with my publisher.

Ah, that is another thing. As a small house published author, you have to have a lot of patience because publishing has its own time schedule. You may have two, three, five, ten books ready to go, but your publisher decides when they will be edited, proofed, have cover art created, and finally when they will be released. All decisions that are out of your hands, so patience is key. Patience is also something I’ve had to learn quite a bit of and I can admit to you all that I’m not a big fan. NineStar has offered to translate my books into Spanish, which is wonderful, however; patience. I have to wait for my turn for my books to be translated. I don’t how long this will take and I can’t even be sure having my works translated will ever happen (unless I pay for the translations myself). My problem is I’m used to working in a world where deadlines are created and we live and die by them. There are no delays. The world doesn’t stop moving for one reason or another. Work still has to be done and there are still expectation and obligations that must be met. Yes, there is some of that within these small publishing houses, but their time lines and their sense of urgency differ completely from what I’m used to or, if I’m honest, had hoped for. This isn’t one publishing house, this is the industry, even the big five, from what I’ve heard.

I don’t want you to read this and think that I’m not happy with being part of a small publishing house, because I’m grateful to them for the opportunities they have given me. I’m also grateful for the education I’ve gotten when it comes to publishing. Publishing is not as easy or as glamorous as you see in movies or TV. Being a published author means you have a lot of work ahead of you and you have to learn a lot, and become a lot if you want to make writing your career.

Given all that I’ve learned and all that I continue to learn. And all the hardships (which there have been many) being an author in a small publishing house hasn’t been bad. I can say I’ve enjoyed most of it. I’ve met great people and learned a lot. I can’t wait to see where this all goes and what else I’m going to learn. What do you think being an author for a small publishing house was like? Did you think it would be like this? Or did you have some other vision? I’d love to hear what you think.

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

Why Authors Write

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked why I write. This question comes up so often that I’ve been thinking about why I write a lot lately. Authors spend hours alone writing. They miss out on a great many things in order to create stories for the world to enjoy. Literature (either fiction or non-fiction) is often, these days, seen as a commodity, something to be consumed and moved on from. This is not the case for other artforms. Writing and by extension writers are only as good as their last story and if you don’t have something shiny and to give consumers, they will find something else and move on, forgetting all about you and your works.

Obviously, this isn’t the case for all writers, some authors move on to be legends, were their works are taught in schools and studied in university. But for a vast majority of writers (as I would assume would be the same with other artists) few reach any kind of acclaim. Most authors barely make back their advance (assuming they received one) According to Indeed (March 2021) a fiction writer can make anywhere from $15,080 to $127,816 per year, depending on experience, the writing subject matter, contract terms and book sales.

That doesn’t sound too bad, right?

Well, I can assure you these number do not reflect reality. Not for me or any of the authors I’m familiar with. Few authors make a living off their writing most, if not all, have full-time or part-time jobs to put bread on the table. Some have a spouse that supports them and their writing dreams. Can an author make a decent living? Sure. Will it happen? If the stars align and the writer gets lucky; perhaps.

Why am I sharing all this with you?

Well, I decided to ask authors from all over the globe who write in many different genres; why they write. Here is what they said:

• Richard May (United States) – I write because I want to communicate to the reader they are worth loving. I want to show them it’s possible anywhere, anytime.

• R.L. Merrill (United States) - I write to bring people hope and make this world a better place. I write to honor the people I’ve crossed paths with in my life who have faced and overcome life-changing obstacles. And I write for myself, to help me continue learning and to find peace in my chaotic brain.

• Glenn Quigley (Northern Ireland) - I've always created art. Whether it's through paint, or pencils, or pastels, I've always felt the urge to create. Writing allows me to do that in unique and engaging ways. It lets me create whole worlds in a few lines. As an artist, what could be better?

• Jonathan Pongratz (United States) - I write because I want to share the dark stories that pop into my head with the world. I love to take an idea that may seem like it's been done before and corrupt it until it's something completely different, something harrowing and terrifying that keeps people at the edge of their seats. Sometimes the monsters win, and sometimes we're the real monsters.

• K.S. Trenten (United States) - I write because I live for story. I don’t just want to experience them as a viewer or reader. I want to create them, weave tales of my own, inspire the kind of wonder in others stories inspire in me.

• Randall Krzak (Scotland) - It wasn't until I was getting ready for early retirement when a longtime work colleague and friend suggested I try writing a novel. I had never thought of doing this, but I thought, why not? So I gave it a shot. He was right--it appears I have some semblance of ability in creating imaginary plots, although I do include as much realism as possible.

• Hans M Hirschi (Sweden) - Why do I write? I think it’s because I have no say in the matter. I kind of have to. Plus, I’ve always missed the kind of stories I write when I was a “mere” reader, the mundane, ordinary people who just so happened to be like me and my family.

• J. Scott Coatsworth (United States) - I write because I have to. Because there are stories inside me that want to come out. Because I am happier when I am writing and feel sad when I’m not. And because I read Lord of the Rings in third grade and said “I want to do that.”

• Kevin Klehr (Australia)- I write because it's one of my favorite ways to express myself, sharing personal stories and the wisdom of friends obscured with speculative fiction. I also find it therapeutic, sorting through my life both past and present, reliving entertaining moments while resolving dramas with the help of my alter egos.

• Barbara Russell (New Zealand) - I'm afraid I don't have a beautiful reason. I write because I like it.

• Tim Walker (England) - I write about things that interest me, but as fiction. I've written historical fiction stories that reflect my interest in certain sites I've visited and periods, and a children's book series with my daughter, based on her interests and ideas. Structuring a story is a fun thing to do and it never ceases to amaze me how a story can take on a life of its own and lead me in unexpected directions.

• Jane Jago (England) - I write because I don’t know how not to. It’s as natural as breathing.

• Margena Holmes (United States) - I write because I have stories to tell and like Jane, I don't know how NOT to write (I've tried). I love creating worlds (even within our own) and telling the story.

• W.C Quick (United States) - I write what I have always enjoyed reading, fantasy and science fiction. I prefer character driven stories, alternate reality fantasy and apocalyptic Sci-Fi with compassion and humor.

• Aryl Arthur Shanti (United States) - I write because it's cheaper than therapy.

• Becca Jones (United Kingdom) - I write because my head is full of stories, and I need somewhere to put them! I write all different formats, from novels to film scripts, and I love finding the best way to tell a tale. World building and character development is my favorite parts of the craft.

• J.P. Jackson (Canada) - I write stories in order to explore my darker nature. Writing allows me to create fantasies where anything and everything can happen, and I get to choose whether or not the cops are involved.

• Wayne Goodman (United States) - I like to tell stories, and, hopefully, stories that other people will find of interest.

As for me, I write because there are stories in me that need to be told. Stories that I didn’t get to read as a youth. I wanted to see myself in the stories I read, so I write. I hope with each story that people out there will find them and enjoy them seeing life from a different perspective and hopefully that new level of perspective will help to make the world a better place.

You can see, there are as many reasons for an author to write as there are authors. The important thing to take away here is that authors write for the love of the craft. So, when you pick up your favorite book, or when you wonder why an author is taking so long to come out with the next book in their series, remember they are creating a piece of art, something for the world to enjoy, and they are putting out a part of their soul for the world to view. Always try and show the authors you enjoy some love, be it a review, letting your friends and family know about their work, or simply sending the author a note letting them know that the story they created mattered to you.

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What I Look for When I’m Judging Books for Book Awards.

Happy Wednesday everyone. I hope your week is going well. Over the past several years, I’ve been a book judge for multiple contests and believe me, I’ve read some outstanding books, sadly I’ve also read some not so great novels. Based on this experience, let me share with you what I look for when I’m judging books for a contest (this is completely different from reading for pleasure or even research).

To start, each book competition will have their own criteria for judging book entries. So, my suggestions and comments will be more general, to help you win awards and ensure you are presenting your best possible work.

Categories. This seems simple, but honestly, putting your book in the wrong category is the biggest no-no I can give you. When you enter your novel in an award contest, make sure you submit your book to the correct category. For an example, if you write erotica. Enter your erotica book in an erotica category. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you can enter the novel in Romance or, say, Sci-Fi, or Fantasy, or any other category (unless there is a sub-category for erotic stories like: Erotica-Fantasy). That is the quickest way for me, as a judge, to give you low marks. There are categories for a reason, so please do this for all your novels. If I’m planning on evaluating a fantasy story and you entered your Sci-Fi story in the fantasy section, I will not be a happy judge and you will end up with low marks.

My advice: check the category, recheck your story, ask a friend if they think your book belongs in the category you want to enter. If there are no categories that fit your book, then find another competition for your work. There are plenty or book competitions each year. Basically, don’t be lazy.

Editing. Okay, here’s the thing, we all make editing mistakes. If you have been a long-time reader of this blog, you know by now; spelling, grammar, and punctuation are a major hurdle in my writing. Believe it or not, each blog post has been edited and I use editing software to help catch mistakes. Still, there are major editing mistakes all over this blog (for me my blog is casual writing so I don’t sweat these mistakes too much). Errors happen and that’s fine, but if I’m reading your book for a competition and you didn’t take the time to have your manuscript edited (and this means professionally edited) then I’m going to nail you for that when I judge your book. If I can find mistakes in your work, then you clearly did not do any editing, and that is a big issue.

My advice: Self-publishing or traditional publishing or highbred… editing is key. Nothing will be 100% but do everything you can to ensure your product (yes, your book is a product and a piece of art) is as polished as possible. I may be more forgiving if you are self-published, but I will not give you a pass. And if your work is traditionally published, I’m really not going to give any slack. Basically, there is no excuse for sloppy work. Plus, you can find professional editors on line, always ask to see a sample of their work and ask them to provide you a sample edit of your work (one page or 500 words seems reasonable).

Novels, Novellas, and Short Stories. Know the difference. Pay attention to the length of your story. Novels are 50k words to 100k words, or 200 to 400 manuscript pages. Novellas range from 17,500 words to 40k words, or about 100 to 200 manuscript pages. Short Story length is always between 1,000 and 10,000 words, or roughly 3 to 30 manuscript pages. Why this is important is because as a judge I have certain expectation, if I’m reading Sci-Fi, mystery, fantasy, or urban fantasy stories I’m planning on something close to 100k words, if I’m reading romance I’m good with 50k – 70k words. I don’t want to read a Sci-Fi story that is only 10k words, unless I know ahead of time it’s a short story (which should be its own category). Submitting a short story or novella in a category that is clearly meant for longer books is a fast way to receive low marks.

There is nothing wrong with novellas and short stories. In fact, I love them, but they need to be entered in the correct categories and it’s up to the author to ensure that is the case.

My advice: Make sure you know what you are entering and what the expectations are. If you wrote a beautiful short story, enter your work in a short story contest, don’t enter the book in a category where you are up against full-length novels, chances are you won’t win. If the competition you want to enter doesn’t have a short story category, then look for another contest (there are plenty out there). You can also check in with the folks running the contest and see if they will add a short story category. They might not, but asking doesn’t hurt.

Write your story. There is nothing worse than reading a story that has been written solely for the mass market, but wants to be put up against other works that were created to tell a unique and different story. There is nothing wrong with mass market stories (again, I love them and I’ve judged several) and many of them are well worth an award. But if you’re writing a book for market, enter that novel in a contest designed for mass market books (there are several). Not all authors write the same thing, and many authors write stories reflecting their lives and their experiences. These works, in my opinion, are held to a different caliber in my mind, especially when I’m judging said works. We know the difference between a mass market book and something else, and I can assure you mass market books are judged differently and often much harder.

I don’t want to read about generic and interchangeable characters having generic and interchangeable stories. I want to read your story, something you created out of love. Mass market novels up against other works will get you nothing but low scores from me.

My advice: There are so many competitions out there why spam one contest with your work. If you write for market great, but maybe when looking for book award contests, find appropriate contests to enter. Personally, own voice stories rate and score so much better when I judge. Also, ask your friends, ask your publisher, ask your editor if they think your book would be a good entry for the competition you want to enter.

Know your audience: This is so important. If you write, as I do, LGBTQIA books, make sure you enter your queer fiction books in the correct contests. And conversely, if you write other types of stories, make sure you have entered your novel in the write category, don’t count on the contest organizers to sort this out. Many times, the organizers will kick back your book, or worse, enter the novel and let it fail. Yes, I’ve seen both. So, don’t risk putting your book in the wrong place.

My advice: Simple, pay attention to what you enter and don’t set yourself up to fail. Don’t rely on the contest organizers either, because they are busy and may miss something (it happens). As I’ve said, there are hundreds of book competitions out there. You can find the right fit for you and your masterpiece.

Here are a few lists of contests to look at (2021):

Reedsy. Click here.

The Novel Factory. Click here.

For LGBTQ books, do a Google search for: LGBTQ book competitions

Wrapping this up. Keep in mind there are no right or wrongs when you write your story, but there are a lot of do’s and don’ts when it comes to a book award competition. Everyone believes their book is an award winner, and that may be the case, but if you want to save yourself a world of hurt (and plenty of money in entry fees) pay attention to what contest you enter. The most important piece of advice I can give you, and I hope you will take it to heart, is the ‘editing’. Nothing will do your work more harm than sloppy editing. Yes, professional editing isn’t cheap, however, you and your book are worth the investment. Good luck with your writing and your next book contest. I hope this information is helpful.

Well, that is all for this week. I hope you have a wonderful day and see you next time.

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My Favorite Reader Groups of Facebook

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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50 Amazon Reviews

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

Why are reviews so important to authors?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A More Perfect Union click here.

Contact (A New World Book 1) click here.

Conviction (A New World Book 2) click here.

The Calling click here.

The Called (The Calling Book 2) click here.

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

A Dragon for Christmas click here.

The Reunion click here.

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

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

Until next time, have a great week.

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Writing Update - Summer 2021

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

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

A little blue world, the third planet from the sun. It’s home to 7 billion people with all manner of faiths, beliefs and customs, divided by bigotry and misunderstanding, who have been told they are not alone in the universe. Anyone watching from the outside would pass by this fractured and tumultuous world, unless they had no other choice.

It’s been a little over a year since Todd Landon’s life has been changed by the arrival of the nentraee. Continuing his duties as Special Envoy for Terran Affairs, Todd is finally feeling at home with the aliens; gaining more responsibility and influence with both races. Plans are underway for two Interplanetary spaceports and additional solar exploration. It’s an exciting time for both the humans and the nentraee.

Not everything is as it seems. Speaker General Mirtoff and Vice-Speaker Mi’ko of the nentraee are worried that Liberi Dei plot more terrorist attacks and may have inside help. Threats are clear, but who can they trust? Is it possible Todd is helping them unknowingly or worse covertly? Will these new space endeavors continue to bring the human and the nentraee together or will a conspiracy hiding in the shadows fracture an already shaky alliance?

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

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

Here is a teaser for Volaria:

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

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

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

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

Until next time, have a great week.

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Summer 2021

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

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

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

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

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

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

Until next time, have a great week.

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Pride 2021

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

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

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

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

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

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

And now, here we are.

What a great feeling. Right?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Until next time, have a great week.

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Happy Pride Month 2021

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That was well done and appreciated.

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

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

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

The choice is yours.

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

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

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International Queer Authors and Readers Uniting Stories 2021

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.

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.

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Am I doing too much, or not enough?

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.

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Interview with Ava Kelly

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, can you believe that we are only a little over two weeks from leaving 2020 behind us. I can’t say I’m going to miss this year. Also, I want to wish you all a very merry Christmas. I hope you enjoy the holiday season however you celebrate. This week I would like to welcome Ava Kelly to my Scribbles page for a chat about their newest novel.

Welcome Ava, thank you for taking the time to drop by and chatting with us. We have your bio below, by way of introduction, why don’t you share with us something that isn’t in your bio.

Hello, everyone. Thank you for having me. One thing not on my website is that I’m Romanian. Around the world, this word means different things. As a people, we are seen through a sort of translucent glass scratched over by the sway of mass-media projections. Growing up Romanian, though, I’ve had a unique cultural perspective. This is a nation that endures. Not without costs, not without sacrifice, but always with a drive to keep going. Prevalent throughout our folklore, our customs and literature, is this very spirit that you can find in my writing. Everyday paganism, the deconstruction—or better said reconstruction—of the Romanian myth… and garlic.

You are one of the more interesting creative types I’ve had on my blog. Firstly, you’re an engineer. Then, you’re an artist specializing in conceptual photography. But wait there’s more, you’re also working on artificial intelligence and robots. And on top of that you’re a writer, with five books, ten anthologies, and other short stories all out in the world. Where do you find the energy? Of all your endeavors which is your favorite?

Where does all that energy come from—starting with the hard questions! I’ve been asked that before. “Do you ever sleep,” someone once said, incredulous. While this is a tremendous opportunity to claim cryptid status, truth is that I do sleep. Once a century! No. There is no magic, however. We do things at our own pace. In my life I’ve been driven by three forces—curiosity: the knowing of new things, exploring the limits of my knowledge, pushing past the boundaries of what is familiar; an overflowing desire to reach out into the ether with stories of kindness, to make voices like my own heard, loud and clear; and the petty determination to not let the world of malice tell me I’m unworthy. I will continue to stand.

My favorite and so far most satisfying endeavor has been writing fiction. It allows for a multidimensional one-on-one channel to be open between me and the reader. A book, a story in words, creates an intimate dialogue. As I write, I whisper parts of myself in between letters, carried upon alliterations and metaphors. It is not a finite yelling into the void, but something that grows with each new story. It is the sort of connection that can only come from sharing experience and thoughts. Not being explicit shelters it from consumption, instead turning it into a precious singularity to be cherished away from prying eyes. Somewhere, out there, is at least one person who read my words and understood me and felt what I did when writing. And that is marvelous.

Okay, I have to ask about the AI and robots. Are you working on Skynet? Are you going to be one of the engineers that causes our AI overlords to come to be? What is it like tinkering around with such things? Do you worry we might take the technology too far?

It’s interesting. Engineering, I keep saying, is an artform—based on creation, on imagination, on using existing tools to build something new. But the thing about technology is that, in itself, tech is neither good, nor evil. It doesn’t have an intent or a purpose derived within itself. Tech is only as dangerous as the people wielding it.

We are nowhere near enough to the artificial intelligence seen in fiction. The systems around us have functionalities that make them appear smart, some of them even learn from us and surprise us with their knowledge. A lot are vulnerable, and it isn’t a good idea to trust the tech, not yet. But let’s ask ourselves, why are they vulnerable? Because it is humans that attempt to exploit other humans. Quite a few intelligent algorithms were proven to be biased and racist. But why? Because the data generated by humans was such. These systems are like pets that learn from us, so it is our fellow humans we should be wary of.

Things aren’t as gloomy. Ever since the gross violations of privacy by certain big-name systems, the AI community at large has risen to these challenges and a new paradigm has issued a call to arms. Explainable AI, where we can account for every decision such a system makes, so that exploitation, manipulation, and bias are removed. It’s a baby field, and I, as many others, am working toward this goal.

If we fail it is because we—humanity—have done it to ourselves (arguably, we’d deserve it). Maybe our second evolution will do better.

Let’s move over to your photography, what about photography do you love? Is it the balance of colors, light, subject matter, etc. what is it?

Photography was one of my earliest mediums of self-expression. I wanted to tell stories and the challenge of capturing an entire narrative into one or a handful of frames was enticing. Most of all, I wanted to see if I can tell stories with inanimate objects instead of characters with implicit sentience. Here, a work titled Kiss of Life. What does it tell you? Is it the story of a futuristic doctor hunting down an alien lifeform to cure their ill child? Is it a necromancer preparing potions? Or is it the last drop of blood of someone fallen in battle, preserved for eternity, so that one day their ancestor could fight a curse? You decide.

Now that we’ve gotten to know more about you, let’s talk about your writing and your latest book Catch a Falling Snowflake, tell us about it. Why did you feel this story needed to be told?

Catch a Falling Snowflake is a story of—I like to call it—not being ready. Queerness, especially in this allocishet world, means reinventing family. The bonds we build with other people are not necessarily driven by a biological connection, but by belonging. It is why the found family trope is so popular among queer people—and I must admit a mighty weakness for it. In less open societies, though, the pressure to become an adult, to “matter” in a palpably perceived way, is often reduced to procreation. Relatives, friends, and even complete strangers demand that one produces progeny. I’ve been telling people for over two decades that I don’t want children, and the condescending answer is that I’ll change my mind one day. If a child were to drop in my life suddenly, would I be able to care for it? I don’t know.

Some people are ready for kids, others are not. And that’s okay. We should have a right to choose without stigma or being shunned, and definitely without having to explain ourselves. In Catch a Falling Snowflake a couple struggles with this when one of them wants a child while the other realizes he doesn’t. He’s not ready. Society might demand we grit our teeth for the sake of our young, but… we must also recognize when we are unable to parent. A life is a precious responsibility.

You mention representation matters (which I agree 100% with) so tell me what does representation look like to you. Why does it matter so much?  How would you like to see representation grow in the coming years?

Humans are not one-dimensional. They have facets and layers and depth. It is not all about skin color or orientation, but also about culture and background and mental diversity. This is the sort of representation we need. A wide array of variety, on more than one front. An infinitely-sided coin. I want to see characters who are not reduced to one characteristic, but groups in which intersecting dimensions converge to build a reflection of the world. Or at least how the world should be, because I want to see this diversity—of identity and the self we choose to share—be met with immediate and unconditional acceptance. With respect.

Representation matters because knowledge matters. Whether we recognize it or not, what we know shapes our beliefs and values. We draw conclusions from what we learn, we apply them to ourselves and our behavior. Seeing examples of diversity in media (movies, shows, books, music, art at large) allows us to better understand ourselves. To explain inner tumult, to accept and cherish what we are. The alternative is happening all around us: internalized phobias, self-hatred, fear that leads to anger and more, even violent, hatred.

Humans, for all the ways in which they are the same, are different. In complex systems theory, diversity is one of the driving forces behind emergence, adaptation, and ultimately evolution. Recombination from the same gene pool only leads to degradation. This is valid for cultural advance as well. When similarity is enforced, unyielding rejection brews systemic oppression, long-term denial of human rights, violence. Yet, these are not the markers of civilization. 

Understanding the ways in which others vary can only mitigate fear. Fostering respect for diversity can only improve the exchange of cultural genes so that, as a whole, we reach forward instead of sliding back into the mud. 

What can you tell us about the characters of your book? What can you tell us about Nick and Leon?

Catch a Falling Snowflake is the fourth story in its series. There are three couples and two children at the front, but Nick and Leon are the focus. Leon is black trans man with a positive outlook on life. Nick has a long history of struggling with trauma and mental illness. Neither is perfect, they have their flaws, but they thrive on communication. Their relationship is built on a sort of understanding of each other that allows them to recognize when that communication falters. They enjoy trying things for each other, but ultimately their want to see the other happy can lead them to forgetting about themselves, which is just as important in a relationship. So, the question we ask is, can they meet in the middle? If so, what does this middle look like

What do you want people to get from your stories? Is there a message that you want readers to walk away with?

Celebrate—normalize—healthy relationships. Address trauma. Sometimes softness is what we need from a story instead of violence, and I wish this to be recognized more and more. Happy endings are possible, we should aim for them. And stories with queer identities aren’t always about “the struggle,” aren’t meant for educating the allocishet society, but for queer people being queer while doing ordinary or heroic or villainous things.

What can we see coming out from you next?

Right now I’m working on a sequel for Havesskadi, a high fantasy novel that won the Rainbow Award in 2019. It has dragons, a quest, magic, and a lot of Dacian and Romanian folklore-inspired elements. 2021 will see another series of twelve monthly stories—the 2020 collection is free to download on my website, called Aegis Alight.

A surprise—with dragons!—is coming soon, so keep an eye out on my social media channels.

Thank you for having me today. Hope you have a relaxing end-of-the-year!

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Ava thank you so much for stopping by today and chatting with us. I’ve enjoyed getting to know you over the last few months and I’m excited about your newest books.

Want to meet some other interesting authors check out:

Meet author Randall Krzak, Randy had a rich career working for the US Government before he retired in 2011. Learn more about Randy here.

Get to know author Trin Carl, Trin writes YA and Literary fiction and enjoys contemporary dance. Meet Trin here.

Check out author JB Reynolds, JB lives in rural Northland, New Zealand, where he raises children and chickens. Learn more about JB here.

Well, Scribblers, that’s all for this week. If you have questions for Ava please drop them in the comments below. If you could please share this interview it really does help, as does clicking on the little heart below. Until next time have a great week.

About Catch a Falling Snowflake:

The previous winter, Leon followed his twin sister Sara to a new town where she could be with her partner, Amber. There, Leon’s boyfriend Nick, friends Jeff and Daniel, and their nine-year-old daughter Abby, swiftly swept him up into their lives, a newfound family.

After a year of growing their relationship, Leon is ready to take it to the next level. Nick, however, has been stalling. When Ben, Abby’s best friend, is suddenly abandoned, Leon is excited to finally care for the children he’s always wanted. Haunted by the mistakes of his past, Nick attempts to reconcile his feelings of inadequacy as a parent with Leon’s wishes.

Against the backdrop of winter holidays filled with traditions from around the world, it is up to Leon to decide if he’s willing to stand by Nick, or if he should find his happiness elsewhere.

Catch a Falling Snowflake, the fourth story in the Snow Globes holiday series, can be read as a stand-alone, but greater enjoyment will come with reading about these characters in the order written.

Find out more about Catch a Falling Snowflake at the following:

Ninestar Press here.

Amazon here.

Barnes and Noble here.

Apple Books here.

Smashwords here.

Kobo here.

About Ava Kelly:

Ava Kelly is an engineer with a deep passion for stories. Whether reading, watching, or writing them, Ava has always been surrounded by tales of all genres. Their goal is to bring more stories to life, especially those of friendship and compassion, those dedicated to trope subversion, those that give the void a voice, and those that spawn worlds of their own.

Ava’s publication history began over two decades ago. Starting with poetry and flash fiction, Ava has gradually moved toward lengthier works. Today they are partial to ownvoices stories. Representation matters!

In another life (and under the pseudonym Vel), Ava is an artist specializing in conceptual photography. Vel has had various live VJ performances, several art shows, and their words have been immortalized as song lyrics. From 2007 to 2012 Vel has been the co-editor of the N-Sphere Art Magazine and curator of the Spheres Virtual Art Gallery.

In the other another life, Ava is tinkering with artificial intelligence, robots, and all sorts of systems; this work has been made available to researcher peers in over 40 publications across the world.

Where to Find Ava:

Find Ava’s website here.

Find Ava on Patreon here.

Find Ava on Twitter here.

Find Ava on Goodreads here.

Find Ava on Instagram here.

Find Ava on Facebook here.

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Virtual Readings, Virtual Events, Anthology Coming Soon

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, I hope you are all having a wonderful week.  Can you believe we are little over a week away from Christmas and fifteen days from the start of the new year? What an insane 2020 we’ve had and I would be lying if I said I’m gonna miss this year. Despite the long road ahead, there is a light at the end of the tunnel and 2021 will be a good year, fingers crossed. Despite 2020 being a less than stellar, there have been some high points. My publisher NineStar Press has picked up two more of my books; The Called and Conspiracy-A New World (Book 3). Also, this month has been busy for me and my writing. Let me share the highlights with:

December 4, 2020 started my month off with a virtual reading with the gang from Queer Sacramento. It was a wonderful virtual event with some fantastic authors. I’m happy to join these great writers, we always have a blast.  Here is where you can find the whole group of readings:

J. Scott Coatsworth - Wonderland.

Amy Lane - School of Fish.

Kim Fielding - Teddy Spenser Isn't Looking for Love.

M.D. Neu - A Dragon for Christmas.

D.L. Kent - Confessions of St. David.

S.A. Collins - Hallet’s Cove and the Embers Across a Tewakenonhnè Sky.

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On December 6, 2020, I was invited to take part in the 8th annual LocalLit 202 event jointly hosted by the San Jose Public Library and San Jose State University. You can find out more about the event and all the other authors here . I was asked to be part of the SciFi and Mystery Panel. You will be able to view the whole event on YouTube here once they upload the video.

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Then on December 12, 2020, the amazing authors of the Bay Area Queer Writers Association (BAQWA find out more about the group here), celebrated their one-year anniversary with a virtual reading event.  You can check out the readings here.

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Up next on December 14, 2020, my short story, A Dragon for Christmas (check it out here) was selected by Nobody Reads Short Stores (learn more about them here) to be their end of year reading performance. After the reading by the amazing cast, I was part of a live Q&A. It was so much fun.  Check out the video performance here.

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Lastly, this December, 2020 A More Perfect Union Anthology (A Voting-Themed Romance Anthology benefiting Fair Fight learn more about Fair Fight here.) will go up for preorder, with a release date of January 18, 2021. A More Perfect Union is a series of short stories that has been put together to benefit Fair Fight in Georgia all funds raised from the sale of this anthology will go to Fair Fight. I was honored to be asked to provide a story for the anthology. My short story is called: Election Night.

Election Night – Blurb

Elections are stressful enough, and none more than this one. With so much riding on the vote this year, Sammy needed involvement to get her candidate elected and into the Whitehouse. Now on election night she’s had a terrible day, but plans to work until the bitter end. Already late for her volunteering, Sammy rushes for the ancient building elevator, mercifully being held for her by an attractive stranger. More than an election is held in the balance when the elevator gets stuck between floors and Sammy finds out that the woman stuck with her works for the enemy camp. Who will win the election, and how will these two women make it out of the elevator in one piece?

Learn more about the anthology and the authors here. You can learn more about the short story I contributed to the anthology here. You can preorder the new novel here.

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Well Scribblers, that has been my month, so there has been a lot going on. Thank you all for continuing this journey with me. Without your love and support I wouldn’t be able to keep going.

Do you want to learn more about my two novels coming out in 2021? Check out The Called here and Conspiracy-A New World(Book 3) here.

That’s all for this week. If you have questions or want to learn more about what I have coming up next check out my events page here. If you have any questions please drop them in the comments below. Please consider sharing this post it really does help, as does clicking on this little heart below. Don’t forget you can buy signed copies of my books here (at this time I can only ship in the US). Until next time have a great week.

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Tips for Getting Online Sites to Publish Your Work by Patrick Bailey

Happy Wednesday everyone. This week I welcome Patrick Bailey to my blog to share his tips for getting online sites to publish your work. If you have an idea for a blog post that you would like to share, contact me and let’s chat about it. I’m always open to guest bloggers.

Check out one of my other guest blogs by Thao Nguyen on The 10 Best Covers of 2020 (So Far).

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So, you want to get published online. You’re in good company. According to some estimates, nearly 200 million people want to publish. The chances of publishing a book seem like they’re one-in-a-million, but those odds are substantially better for those looking to publish your writing to online sites or portals.

The difference between a successful online writer and aspiring one can involve a few very simple tips. Here are some tips that could give you a fighting chance in the submission and online publication process.

Follow the submission guidelines.

One of the easiest ways for online publishers to weed through the onslaught of submissions is to quickly verify whether the writers have followed the publishers’ submission guidelines. The guidelines often encourage you to download a sample of the publication to see the type of articles it publishes, but the publication might also request you to incorporate specific formatting and stylistic features.

Note if the publication only accepts submissions during certain times of the year, or if it’s requesting submissions based on scheduled themes throughout the year. For example, if the publication is accepting submissions about inpatient alcohol rehab, the editor will not accept submissions covering other topics or subject areas.

Proofread.

Another common reason why editors reject work is that the submissions have problems with grammar, spelling, and/or usage. When a submission is riddled with errors, the editor or reviewer may assume that there are deeper, more systemic problems with the submission.

Beyond accuracy, the submission could have issues with clarity or coherence. The messy work could point to lapses in understanding or judgment and could hint at a relationship that could be thorny and unproductive from an editorial point of view. If it’s impossible for you to proofread your own work, ask a friend or colleague who can honestly and thoroughly review your work prior to submission or hire the services of a professional editor.

Target Your Audience.

Yet another important part of reviewing the submission guidelines is determining your audience. Who are you writing for and to?

Your target audience may be a person in his or her forties who is planning a great adventure. Or it could be a 20-year-old individual who is looking for addiction treatment options or other medical assistance. The audience you’re writing for could be your best friend or your worst enemy. It’s essential to know your audience so that you can craft your writing style in a way that will meet the needs and desires of that demographic.

Polish Your Query.

For many submissions, your query letter is the first impression the editor or reviewer will receive regarding your writing. Until they read your query, you are just one of the many writers who are hoping to capture their attention. So, try to do that.

You need to carefully incorporate tidbits from the submission guidelines to demonstrate that you know what editors and reviewers want, but then you must show them that you have the level of expertise that makes you the best person who can deliver on the topic.

Hook Your Reader.

Hooking your reader is part of the query, but you must take that compelling force of words through to the submission. You must inspire your reader to sit up and take notice, but you also need to make your case so intriguing that he or she is enticed to read to the very end.

It’s like hooking a fish. After you’ve caught it, you have it where you want it. Then, you have to reel it in and close the deal with your words.

Make the Organization Clear.

You’ve probably seen all sorts of clever techniques that relate to organizing your writing. That might be great when you’re an established writer with a string of editors who are waiting for your next submission. But when you’re making your first submission, the organization has to be clear and concise.

Instead, focus on making sense. Yes, the editor and reviewer might guess what you’re up to when you take poetic/creative license, but to make your submission stand out, make your organization clear. Your editors will thank you.

Speak with Your Own Voice.

Here, too, you might have a wonderful sense of mimicry and inspired creative diction, but when you’re submitting a piece for publication, write it in a straightforward way. Let your own voice shine.

Let your editors know that you have something to say and say it. Don’t leave the editor or reviewer guessing what you’re trying to do. Worse yet, don’t let them think that you’re trying to steal another’s voice.

Be Honest with Yourself.

How would you assess your article? It’s sometimes easy to be so relieved when you’ve finished a submission that you send it in right away. You don’t let it sit for a while. You don’t review the guidelines. You might even neglect another round of proofreading.

Remember, though, that writing is not something that can be rushed. It takes time and effort. Sometimes you need to take a step back and be honest with yourself. Is this submission something that you’d like to read? Is it good, maybe even great? How could it be better?

If you were the only person in the world who was submitting your work for publication, you might not really have to worry about quality. You may not even care what people think. You’d be a shoo-in.

But, you’re facing steep competition to have your work published. You’re competing against some of the most brilliant and creative minds in the world. Your work can’t just be good. It has to be great. Is your submission up to par?

Sources

lunchticket.org - On the Importance of Following Submission Guidelines

emeraldgrouppublishing.com - Proofreading Your Manuscript

umgc.edu - Online Guide to Writing and Research

stlcc.edu - Hooking Your Reader

unr.edu - University Writing & Speaking Center

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Happy Thanksgiving 2020

Happy Thanksgiving Scribblers! I want to wish you all a very restful, safe, and peaceful Thanksgiving. Remember to take a moment out of your busy schedule and reflect on all the things you have to be thankful for. You all know I’ve done several posts on gratitude and thankfulness if you need a remember or pick-me-up please check them out:

Being Thankful, click here.

Kindness, click here.

Also, something I’m very thankful for. I have several virtual events coming up in December:

Dec 4th 7pm – I will be participating in a virtual reading with the amazing author over at Queer Sacramento. For more info click here.

Dec 6th 2pm – I will be part of the San Jose Libraries LocalLit 2020 – Pandemic Edition. For more details click here.

Dec 12th 4pm- The great group over at the Bay Area Queer Writers Association will be hosting a virtual holiday reading. Find out more here.

Dec 14th 6pm – Nobody Reads Short Stories will be having me over to talk about my writing and my short story A Dragon for Christmas. Click here for more information.

Check out my events pages for past, present and upcoming events. You can find it here.

Remember to be kind to each other and yourself. Until next time have a great Thanksgiving!

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Being Thankful

Happy Wednesday Scribblers I hope you’re all doing well today. Since US Thanksgiving is coming up next week (can you believe it) I thought I would spend some time sharing all the things I’m thankful for. I also, thought doing this would be a good reminder, especially for myself, given all that has been happening in the world and here at home these last several months.

To start, I’m thankful for is being healthy. Given everything that has happened with COVID-19 I’m grateful that I’ve remained healthy, not only me but Eric and my dad as well. I’m hopeful we will continue to remain in good health as we continue down this crazy path that has been 2020 and into whatever will come our way in 2021.

Continuing on, I’m thankful that Eric and I have been able to work and our jobs have been stable during this time. A lot of people have not been so fortunate, so even though there are days were work can be insane I’m grateful. I’m also grateful for the work I do, my agency has helped thousands of people during this awful time and we will continue to do so. Knowing this makes me doubly blessed.

This is a two-for-one, I’m grateful to have both a safe place to live and plenty of food to eat. It’s something many of us take for granted and I definitely want it to be known how grateful I am.

Tying into the first one on my list, I’m thankful that a majority of my family and friends have also remained healthy during this. Sadly, this is not 100%, we lost a few people to this terrible pandemic and they will be missed. However, a majority of everyone we know remain healthy. Which I’m very thankful for.

Next up, is that I’m thankful to have published six books with two more coming out next year. This has been incredible and I’m so blessed to have this experience. Oh and if you haven’t read all my books, you can find them here or anywhere else you buy books from.

Fitting in with having these amazing books published is that I’m thankful for all of you who continue to support me and my writing. These last several years have been amazing and I couldn’t be prouder to have gotten to know you all and hear from you. I look forward to this pandemic being behind us so I can get out there and meet folks face-to-face again.

And last on my list, is meeting so many fellow authors (both members of and nonmembers of the Queer Community) they are all wonderful and supportive. They really have been a joy to get to know and learn from.

That’s my list. I’m sure there is a bunch of stuff I’m missing, but I believe this covers the big stuff. If you enjoyed this week’s post check out some of my other posts that are positive and uplifting in case you need the pick-me-up:

The Week Before Thanksgiving. In this blog post, I focus on all that is good as I work through my preholiday funk. Check it out here.

Stop Being Negative and Don’t be a Jerk. Really, it’s all about being a better human being. In this Memorial Day post, I share my thoughts on not being a jerk (something I still struggle with). Check it out here.

Thank you all for stopping by and taking a few minutes to show your support. It really does mean the world to me. What are you thankful for? Have you taking the time to count your blessings? Please remember to drop me a heart/like letting me know you stopped by. If you found my insights interesting think about sharing it. Got a question or want to share what you are thankful for feel free to leave it in the comments below. Until next time I hope you stay safe and have a great week.

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Kindness

Happy Wednesday Scribblers I hope everyone is doing well today and you are all taking good care of yourselves. This week I want to talk about kindness…

Ugh. I hear you all saying.

But, being kind is something in short supply these days and has been in short supply for quite some time. Given everything that has happened the last several years and especially the last several months I’m asking people to be kind to one another. Kindness doesn’t cost anything and is pretty easy.

I’m not asking you to do anything else, you don’t have to embrace your abuser, you don’t have to be passive, you don’t have to hide your hurt, you don’t have to hide your anger. You don’t have to hide your glee. You aren’t being asked to tone done the celebrations. All you need to do is be kind.

Why do I keep saying this? Why do I keep asking you to be kind to one another?

Here’s the thing. I remember as a kid all the awful and horrible things that were said about me and too me. I remember being bullied, I remember crying and wondering why no one liked me. I remember someone threatening to throw me into a fire because no one like me and everyone wanted me dead (yes this really happened).

As I got older, I remember being called more names and having people threaten me to the point where a sheriff had to follow me home for several days to ensure I wasn’t attacked or beaten up…or worse.

As I got older still, I was lucky and I was able to melt into the background of High School I wasn’t picked on too much, which was a relief. After school, once I came out and started going to clubs with my friends, the name calling, the threats, the bullying, etc. started back up.  A friend and I were attacked one night and, on another night, we were harassed by the police.

Once I joined the working world (with a real job), I had a boss who was a bully. He would hover over me not saying anything and watch me. The abuse got so bad that I ended up in therapy for a while. It got so bad, that when I went to the big boss, I was told I should quit because they weren’t going to do anything about it. I resigned at that point and went to a lawyer to see what could be done only to find out there was nothing that they could do. The Lawyer would be happy to file suit, but the odds of me winning were less than zero and it would cost me a fortune. They also said that any media attention would ruin my chances of getting hired anywhere.

I was in my mid-twenties.

Why am I sharing any of this, most of which I haven’t thought about in years, because through all this, I tried to remain kind to people. I smiled, I laughed, I lived my life as best I could. I figured the only thing I had any control over was how I reacted. I didn’t come by this realization alone, it took therapy. Anyway, I could have been angry. I could have been cruel. I could have been petty. I could have treated them just as badly as they treated me.

And, yes, there were times I did all of that.

The company that forced me to quit, made the mistake of telling me I could still attend the company Christmas Party. Oh, and did I attend. I called one of my best friends at the time, who happened to be gorgeous and asked if he would help me in a little pay back. He jumped at the idea. We showed up at the party all decked out, and we put on a show. The boss who asked for my resignation was there of course and so was my bully. I ignored them both and turned my back on them and walked off when they came up to greet us. The rest of the night my buddy and I danced, made out, and made sure that this last work event I went to went down in the history books. I was so proud of myself for the way I handled it. I showed them. I gave them a taste of all the BS they had forced on me and they had to take it. Every bit of it.

I felt vindicated.

Then a couple days later I heard, that no one cared. That I looked petty. I looked childish. All I had done was reinforce their opinions about me. Not only had I burned that bridge, but I blew it up, salted the Earth and nuked the surroundings.

Was it a personal victory? Sure.

Am I proud of what I did and how I acted? Not really.

Despite this being what I would call a victory it meant nothing to them. They could point to me and how I acted and say, “That’s what we dealt with daily. That’s why he’s not here anymore.”

None of true. But it didn’t matter. I had made such a show of it, that people believed them.

I didn’t make a point. I didn’t make a statement. I played the fool and looked the part.

I wonder what would have happened if I showed up and was kind. Thankful for all the wonderful people I met there. If I held up my head and treated them the way I always wanted them to treat me. What if I shook their hands, smiled and thanked them? Could I have done it? I would like to think so, but I can’t say for sure, because I was so hurt and angry.

The reality is I’ll never know.

I believe 100% that what I should have done, is been kind at the very least. I could have smiled. Talked to my friends and been polite to my former boss and not turned my back on them and walk way. Then they would have had nothing negative to say about me, and they would have looked like idiots when people asked why I wasn’t there anymore.

Ah well. A lessoned learned I suppose.

What I want you think about is this, what does it cost you to be kind? How does it make you look? Why should you take the high road? What will people in your wake of nastiness say about you? Because trust me there will be a wake, people won’t forget. They may understand and agree but in the back of their minds they will always questions when you are going to blow up or act up again and are they going to be on the receiving end.

That is the cost that hinds behind cruelty and hate.

For me I’m not kind for any of them. I do it for me. I do it so I can hold my head high and know that despite all the awful, horrible things that are done and said to me. I didn’t let them win. I showed them that they can’t pull me down. That at the end of the day I was the better person. I did what was right. Even though it hurt and was hard as hell, I passed the test of being a decent human being.

You don’t have to embrace your enemy to be kind. You just have to show them that they have no power over you. You aren’t giving them space in your mind or in your emotions. Despite all the crap they put you through, here you are; strong, powerful, in charge, and living your best life. They didn’t win. You won.

You won!

You won, because they mean so little to you that nothing they did affected you. Even if you go home and need to cry, or whatever you have to do to heal. When it comes down to it, when you are petty, nasty, and mean. You are validating the worst that they pointed out in you, and not only did you show them, but you showed the rest of world too.

Be kind. It costs you nothing.

Being kind isn’t giving up. It’s not condoning their behavior. Being kind is you keeping your power and your strength. Kindness shows the world that you can go out and fight for all that is good in the world. You can fight for the change you want to see and at the end of the day, you can still be a kind and good person. Your victory won’t be built on cruelty or nastiness, but on a smile and a kind word.

Some of you won’t agree with me. Some of you are still hurt and angry by so many things. I know nothing anyone will say will change that and I’m sorry.

I’ll tell you all this truth about me. There is a lot I’m still hurt and angry about. I still think people don’t like me. I still live in the world where someone is trying to push me into a fire because no one could ever like or care about me. Sometimes, I still hear my former boss standing over my shoulder breathing, watching me work, just to torture me. When I see a sheriff’s vehicle my mind flashes to when I had to have an escort home from school so nothing would happen to me. When I see a police car I often think is this person going to pull me over and harass me. When Eric and I are out on the streets or somewhere public I look over my shoulder to see where he is and to see if anyone is watching us or going to say or do something to us. Those hurts and fears never go away, they are there, at least for me.

But I don’t let them make me bitter and angry.

At the end of the day. I’m still going to be kind, or at least try to be. Because out of everything, that is what I can control.

That’s all I got for you. If you are still reading and want a bit more from me. Check out some of these past posts you might enjoy:

Where has all our Mutual Respect Gone?

This is another piece about how we treat each other and why at the very least we need to have some kind of mutual respect (much easier said than done). Click here.

Where has all our Mutual Respect Gone?

Want to hear my thoughts on “Polite Society” and how I don’t always agree with it. Check out this post here.

 All about San Jose, California.

This is a fun post about my home town. Where I grew up and where me and Eric live. Click here to learn more, especially since it’s the location where most of my books are set.

I hope you enjoyed, or at least got through this and understand a bit more about me. Please remember to drop me a heart/like letting me know you stopped by. If you found this information interesting think about sharing it. Got a question feel free to ask in the comments below and I’ll do my best to answer it. Until next time I hope you stay safe and have a great week.

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