As part of the Apex Revive the Drive subscription drive campaign, I have the privilege of interviewing Apex Magazine managing editor Lesley Connor. I'll admit I haven't read every issue of Apex, but every time I dip into it, I find a new favorite, and some of my all-time favorite short stories have been published there, stories such as "Jackalope Wives" by Ursula Vernon, "Frozen Planet" by Marian Womack, "Paskutinis Iliuzija (The Last Illusion)" by Damien Angelica Walters, and of course "If You Were a Dinosaur, My Love" by Rachel Swirsky. Apex stories are always dark and gorgeous, and stay with you long after you hit the end. The Apex Subscription Drive runs until April 17, 2017, and features some very cool perks. See the full details here. Sarena Ulibarri: The aesthetic of Apex Magazine has surely changed and evolved over the years and under different editors. What are some of the stories you feel best define the current Apex aesthetic? Lesley Conner: This is a fantastic question! And also a really hard one to answer because it isn’t as simple listing personal favorites. Apex Magazine is striving to publish stories that are dark and surreal, stories that push boundaries, that blend genres—or throw genre out the window entirely. We want real human emotions in fantastical worlds. Give us outrage, desperation, sorrow, and then twist it into something new and heart-wrenchingly beautiful. We want stories that introduce us to new worlds, that stretch our imaginations. None of these are things that are easily defined. But I will give it a shot! Stories I feel best define the current Apex aesthetic:
This is a pretty fair mix of stories. Different genres, different subject matter. Authors from different backgrounds. But all of these stories have something that says “Apex!” to me when I read them and I think they’d be a good place for new readers who wanted to sample what Apex is about. SU: What's the process a story goes through between the time it is accepted and the time it is published in the magazine? LC: We are looking for stories that are pretty close to being ready to publish when we buy them. We do a light copy editing and then a second pass proofreading, but that is basically it. Saying it that way, it sounds like we should be publishing a story the issue after it’s accepted, but that isn’t the case. We typically have several issues worth of content scheduled at one time. This means when we accept a story, it can be a while before we have the chance to publish it. Which is a good thing for us as a publication, because it allows us to select stories for an issue that fit together. Rather than simply publishing all the stories that we really liked—with no thought or consideration to theme, or pacing, or all the other things that make stories work together—having a cushion of already scheduled content gives us time to make sure we’re publishing a story in the correct issue with other pieces that will compliment it. SU: Jason is editor-in-chief and Lesley is managing editor—what's the difference in your roles? LC: Jason would tell you that I’m the one in charge and he just writes the checks. This isn’t true. I manage things. I know, I know, a really imaginative way to explain what a managing editor does—way to not really say anything, Lesley!—but it’s true. I make sure we have all the pieces we need for each issue: Have the stories been copy edited? Do we have author bios? Have I gotten the interviews back? What is the nonfiction for this month? Did we sell ads for the issue? I make sure that authors have been paid, our slush readers are getting through all the submissions in a timely manner, and handle queries from writers, artists, and readers. Jason does in fact send all the checks and payments, but he does much more than that. As editor-in-chief, he has the final say on what is going to be included in each issue of the magazine. He selects all the fiction, finds nonfiction, decides which authors we should interview and which story to podcast. He also builds the eBook editions of every issue. While I’m handling all the details, he has to deal with more big picture, long term issues that come with running a digital zine. Basically, Jason makes all the decisions and I organize the shit out of everything! SU: Apex Magazine always has fantastic cover art. How do you decide what image will grace each new issue? LC: Thank you! I love hearing that people enjoy our covers! Finding cover art is one of my favorite Apex tasks. We don’t try to fit specific artwork with certain issues/stories; I’m more thinking in terms of the other artwork we already have scheduled. I want to make that I’m not focusing too much on a particular color palette or a similar focal point in the image. The last thing that I want is for our covers to become predictable. So it’s a balance of finding artwork that fits the aesthetic Apex desires, while at the same time making sure that view doesn’t become stale. Lesley Conner is a writer/editor, managing editor of Apex Publications and Apex Magazine, and a Girl Scout leader. When she isn’t handling her editorial or Girl Scout leader responsibilities, she’s researching fascinating historical figures, rare demons, and new ways to dispose of bodies, interweaving the three into strange and horrifying tales. Her short fiction can be found in Mountain Dead, Dark Tales of Terror, A Hacked-Up Holiday Massacre, as well as other places. Her first novel The Weight of Chains was published by Sinister Grin Press in September, 2015. Best of Apex Magazine: Volume 1 marks her debut experience in anthology editing. She lives in Maryland with her husband and two daughters, and is currently working on a new novel. To find out all her secrets, you can follow her on Twitter at @LesleyConner. Support Apex Magazine's Revive the Drive 2017! Get awesome rewards and support great short fiction.
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I encountered author and editor Danielle Ackley-McPhail via Broad Universe, an organization for women working in speculative fiction, and was immediately intrigued by her "Bad-Ass Faeries" project. So she wrangled together a few of her authors and let me ask them just how bad-ass those faeries are. The authors below are all contributors to eSpec Books’ upcoming anthology The Best of Bad-Ass Faeries, which is currently funding on Kickstarter. The book is a reprint anthology featuring the highlights of the award-winning Bad-Ass Faeries anthology series, which just celebrated ten years in print. The first four anthologies are now out of print, but the Best Of is the editors’ way of preserving the series and hopefully continuing it. See what the authors have to say about their Bad-Ass Faeries, and then check out the Kickstarter here. Kelly A. Harmon, author of “Selkskin Deep” What’s bad-ass about your faeries? Cade Owen, the faerie in my story, “Selkskin Deep”, is a selkie (a seal who can shed his skin and become a man) and a Navy SEAL. You don’t get more bad-ass than a Navy SEAL! This character has both mythical powers, and is in tip-top physical shape—but in all the years he’s lived, he’s never quite understood his “human” side. It’s that curiosity about how humans live their lives that brings him to be on board the USS Livingstone at the height of the Vietnam War. Did you write your story (or stories) specifically for the Bad-Ass Faeries anthology, or had you already written a story about a bad-ass faerie that just happened to be a perfect fit? This story was written specifically for the Bad Ass Faeries series. It started off with a brief email conversation with the editor along the lines of, “wouldn’t it be cool to have a selkie who was also a Navy SEAL?” I ran with the challenge. But the story is much deeper than that. What are you working on now, and where can readers find you? I’m currently working on the fourth book in my Charm City Darkness series—an urban fantasy that takes place in Baltimore. You know that old saying, ‘No good deed goes unpunished.’? Case in point for Assumpta Mary-Margaret O’Connor. Her good deed gets her demon-marked, making her fair game for any passing demon (and a few specific ones). But she’s managed to survive—with help from angels, ghosts, and witches—through three books so far: Stoned in Charm City, A Favor for a Fiend, and A Blue Collar Proposition. The fourth book--In the Eye of the Beholder--is about Assumpta’s best friend Jo, and should be available in May. For folks who love short stories, I’ve co-edited two dark fiction anthologies with Vonnie Winslow Crist: Hides the Dark Tower and In a Cat’s Eye. We’ll be reading for a third anthology in March, Dark Luminous Wings, which should be available in October. Find Kelly A. Harmon Online: Facebook I Twitter I Amazon I Website Jody Lynn Nye, author of “Fifteen Percent” What’s bad-ass about your faeries? My faerie is not afraid to get seriously physical to get her author back to his keyboard and writing. Did you write your story (or stories) specifically for the Bad-Ass Faeries anthology, or had you already written a story about a bad-ass faerie that just happened to be a perfect fit? My story is original to the Bad-Ass Faeries anthology. What are you working on now, and where can readers find you? I'm working on three different novel collaborations, four short story assignments, a new SF series, and a new fantasy series. Find Jody Lynn Nye Online: Facebook I Twitter I Goodreads I Website L. Jagi Lamplighter, series editor and author of “A Not-So-Silent Night” What’s bad-ass about your faeries? Tom-O-Thunder is the guardian for an Irish-American family. This gives him the sort of attitude that only a Leprechaun whose charge is in danger can have. Did you write your story (or stories) specifically for the Bad-Ass Faeries anthology, or had you already written a story about a bad-ass faerie that just happened to be a perfect fit? Just for the B-A Faeries anthology. What are you working on now, and where can readers find you? The Awful Truth about Forgetting, book four of the Books of Unexpected Enlightenment. Find L. Jagi Lamplighter Online: Website John French, author of “Too Many Deaths” What’s bad-ass about your faeries? There are several kinds of bad ass fairies in my story "So many deaths." There are those who despite being tortured can still turn and attack those they believe to be their captors There's a member of the Watch who despite politics and circumstance still manages to achieve some sort of justice And there's a faerie SWAT team. It doesn’t get more bad-ass than that Did you write your story (or stories) specifically for the Bad-Ass Faeries anthology, or had you already written a story about a bad-ass faerie that just happened to be a perfect fit? I wrote my stories, there were two of them which were combined into one, at the request of Danielle who specifically asked me for a "Faerie Swat team." What are you working on now, and where can readers find you? Along with Patrick Thomas, I’m currently editing Camelot 13, due out in 2018 from Padwolf Publishing and Monsters Among Us, a new collection featuring the Baltimore Police Department Monster Hunter Bianca Jones, should be out this spring. As for finding me, I'm on Facebook, and readers are free to email me at jfrenchfam@aol.com Danielle Ackley-McPhail, series editor and author of “Within the Guardian Bell” What’s bad-ass about your faeries?
I have two sets of faeries in my story. The first is Lance Cosain, leader of a biker gang called The Wild Hunt MC. Lance is half fae, half human, and all bad-ass. He is also an ongoing character for me in all my BAF stories. The other faerie in this particular story is a road gremlin who is literally the embodiment of the road. This is relevant to the story because they say there is a love/hate relationship between bikers and the road that is kept in balance by respect. This story is about when something comes in the way of that usual respect…blood is involved. Did you write your story (or stories) specifically for the Bad-Ass Faeries anthology, or had you already written a story about a bad-ass faerie that just happened to be a perfect fit? My stories were all written specifically for the series, but they have also grown beyond the series into novels. There are two so far, The Halfling’s Court and The Redcaps’ Queen. Both are the tale of Lance Cosain and how he came to challenge the High King of Faerie without even knowing it. Needless to say there are power struggles. What are you working on now, and where can readers find you? Goodness... too many things to list here, but primary of which is Eternal Wanderings, a spin-off novella that is based on my Eternal Cycle trilogy about a whole other kind of bad-ass fae. And the third book featuring Lance and his gang, The High King’s Fool. You can find out about me at www.sidhenadaire.com and www.especbooks.com, plus on social media. I tend to stand out.
The first cover reveal I hosted on my blog last summer was for Randi Perrin's debut novel, Virtue of Death, a paranormal romance about a woman who runs a successful bakery by day and is an angel of death by night (and the handsome food critic she gets tangled up with, of course). Now, I'm pleased to hear the second novel in the Earthbound Angels series will be landing February 4, 2017. The protagonist of Promises of Virtue is Cheryl, the snarky best friend from the first book, so it's sure to be amazing.
Ready for the cover? Love has never been Cheryl Brigham’s plan. She’s not cut out for second dates, relationships, or happily ever afters.
This cover, while equally as gorgeous as the first one, has less of a paranormal feel than the first one, as does the description. Still, we know Cheryl is an angel, and who can resist a Paris-based love story? That castle in the background is beautiful.
The ebook of Promises of Virtue is available for pre-order now, and the paperback will be available in February. It's book two in the Earthbound Angels series, and I've heard Randi talk about being hard at work on the third book. I know I plan to collect all three.
About the Author
Randi Perrin has spent her entire life writing in one form or another. In fact, if she wasn't writing, she'd likely go completely and utterly insane. Her husband has learned to recognize when the voices are talking in her head and she needs some quality time with an empty Word file (the key to a successful marriage with a writer).
She lives with her husband, daughter, and four-legged children—all of which think they are people too. A pop-culture junkie, she has been known to have entire conversations in movie quotes and/or song lyrics.
My company, World Weaver Press, is participating in Small Press Week, an initiative helmed by Upper Rubber Boot Books to promote small press publishing. However, it's release day for HE SEES YOU WHEN HE'S CREEPIN': TALES OF KRAMPUS, so I'm bringing today's Small Press Week post over to my personal blog because I want to stay on Krampus's good side and let him have the spotlight. The topic for today says this: "Every Tuesday is #newreleasetuesday, but this Tuesday is for featuring all of your 2016 releases, no matter when their release date." One mistake small presses sometimes make is they forget to be small. When you have an operation run by only a few people, it can be easy to get overwhelmed. Originally, World Weaver Press was planning to release 16 titles in 2016. What we managed was 9 titles (plus one upcoming relaunch), and to be honest, I'm exhausted. It may not seem like a lot, but there are so many details that go into publication that it really adds up. (See our Small Press Week: Secrets post and my post on editing anthologies for more insight into what goes on behind the scenes in a small press.) I haven't always been able to give these books the attention and publicity I wish they could have, but I've always given them the best I could, and I'm so proud of what we've brought into the world this year. Beside each book, you'll find an excerpt. These excerpts are different from the ones available on the World Weaver Press website, so please give them a read. Maybe you'll even find a new favorite or a good holiday gift. Campaign 2100: Game of Scorpions by Larry Hodges A third party, and an alien, take on a corrupt world government.
Char by Kristina Wojtaszek An isolated fae must travel a century into the past to rewrite the book that will save her people.
Omega Rising by Anna Kyle Cass Nolan has been forced to avoid the burn of human touch for her whole life, until a sexy ranch hand changes everything.
Bite Somebody by Sara Dobie Bauer Celia thought becoming a vampire would make her perfect, but she's just as awkward as before, only now she has a craving for blood and a crush on her tasty neighbor.
Sirens, edited by Rhonda Parrish An anthology of fantasy and science fiction: 16 siren songs that will exemplify and defy your expectations.
Speculative Story Bites, edited by Sarena Ulibarri Fifteen bite-sized stories, offering a sampler platter of fantasy, science fiction, and paranormal horror.
Murder in the Generative Kitchen by Meg Pontecorvo Does your high-tech kitchen know you better than you know yourself?
The Meddlers of Moonshine by A.E. Decker Something is rotten in the town of Widget, and Rags-n-Bones knows it's all his fault. (Moonfall Mayhem #2)
He Sees You When He's Creepin': Tales of Krampus, edited by Kate Wolford Whether you want a dash of horror or a hint of joy and redemption, these 12 new tales of Krampus will help you gear up for the most “wonderful” time of the year.
Thank you for checking out all the books World Weaver Press published in 2016! Check the WWP blog for more of our Small Press Week posts, and follow the hashtag #SPWeek16 on Twitter to find more great small presses.
In case you missed my post last week, Adventures in Zookeeping is the newest MileHiCon fundraiser anthology, edited by Sam Knight and published by Villainous Press. They were nice enough to include my story "The Fourth Lemur." I asked some of the other authors about their stories, their writing, and their favorite memory of the zoo. My answers are at the bottom!
C S Peterson, "The Jeweled Black Quaver"
Describe your Adventures in Zookeeping story in one sentence.
In "The Jeweled Black Quaver" Ranger Callie Orpheo walks a thin line between paradise and hellfire to preserve a creature that prefers a post apocalyptic habitat. What's your favorite zoo-related memory? When my daughter, Keziah, was six years old she climbed into a 'bubble' window in the beluga whales exhibit at Mystic Aquarium in CT and put her forehead against the glass. Aurora, one of the whales, swam over and pressed her head against the other side of the glass. They stayed like that for several minutes, then Keziah said good-bye, crawled out of the bubble and Aurora swam away. Sadly, Aurora the whale passed away quite suddenly a few months later from a ruptured aorta. We will never forget that moment they shared. What are you working on now? Where can readers find you? Readers can find me at cspetersonauthor.com and as a contributor at fictionunbound.com, a speculative fiction blog. Right now I am working on a YA historical fantasy about a girl named Scralig who has one golden eye and one blue eye: Once, by her blue eye, she swore she saw the ravens laughing before they flew off to whisper into Odin's ear. Once, through her golden eye, she saw a thunder creature land in the upper pasture. Black smoke rolled off its wings and nets of lightning flickered along its arms. That was when she was small. Perhaps it was just her grandmother’s stories that put the visions in her head. Now Scralig is older and she knows better than to trust visions. Besides, in a Viking village, a dark-skinned girl with an evil eye has other things to worry about. Alicia Cay, "Monsters of Yesterday"
Describe your Adventures in Zookeeping story in one sentence.
"Monsters of Yesterday" takes you to where the monsters, creatures, and myths of imagination end up when they are no longer remembered. What's your favorite zoo-related memory? When I was much younger I got to visit the zoo on a school field trip. Two things about that trip remain memorable for me. I got to ride on an elephant, which by the way, is super uncomfortable. Seriously, those pachyderms have spines like butter knives. The second was having an animal toy made for me in one of those machines where you put in a dollar or two and get to watch a plastic animal molded right before your eyes. I had seen some girls use the machine on our way into the zoo, and I had to wait the entire day when we were leaving, to pass the same machine and have one of my own made. I wanted one of those things so badly! And in fact, I ended up keeping that plastic, yellow lion for years afterwards. But do I remember seeing the actual animals? No. It's hilarious the stuff that sticks with us. What are you working on now? Where can readers find you? I continue to hone my abilities by writing short stories, then for fun I enter them in contests. All of my entered stories have 'placed', but none have yet won. Our legion of adoring fans can find me on my blogsite: aliciacay.com. Links to my Facebook, Twitter, and a few other places can be found there. Carolyn Kay, "The Corpse Flower"
Describe your Adventures in Zookeeping story in one sentence.
In "The Corpse Flower", a rare African flower breaks out of its enclosure, causing mayhem at the Steam City Zoo, and it's only a matter of time before it eats someone. What's your favorite zoo-related memory? I got to see Shamu at Sea World when I was 7. It started me on the path to a science career. What are you working on now? Where can readers find you? I'm currently working on a steampunk/fantasy novella that should be out in early 2017. People can find me at www.bewitchinghips.com Ashley Vasquez, "Bound by Death"
Describe your Adventures in Zookeeping story in one sentence.
In "Bound by Death", havoc ensues when the newest attraction in a zoo in the afterlife realizes that she's dead, and the rules of the zoo (like enclosures) don't apply. What's your favorite zoo-related memory? My favorite zoo trip was in Belize, where the zoo is made up of local animals from the country. Because it's a small country, and a lot of the animals are hunted for food, I spent part of my time horrifying tourists by talking loudly about the creatures in the zoo that I had eaten during my time there, such as deer, picary, gibnut, and iguana. What are you working on now? Where can readers find you? I'm currently working on a Steampunk Noir novel set in the 1940's. People can find me at facebook.com/ashleyvasquezauthor Susan Adams, "Sanctuary"
Describe your Adventures in Zookeeping story in one sentence.
"Sanctuary" is a safe haven to outcasts from all walks of life, but that safety is threatened when some one starts sabotaging the sanctuary's protective spells. What's your favorite zoo-related memory? My Uncle Denny, to whom this story dedicated, was an enthusiastic conservationist and had a small, private zoo, specializing in large cats. He obtained a Siberian tiger, named Boomer, when Boomer was just a cub and trained him to accept commands. In spite of Boomer's obedience, he was not my uncle's pet. Uncle Denny kept Boomer in an enclosure surrounded by a double fence. When I was about fifteen, Uncle Denny let my younger sisters and me into the outer fence; Boomer laid down against the inner one. And that's how I got to pet a tiger. What are you working on now? Where can readers find you? My current work in progress is a mainstream fiction novel, much of which takes place in a zoo. I can be found on Facebook at: Facebook.com/Scadamsauthor and on Twitter at: @adams226sc. Sarena Ulibarri, "The Fourth Lemur"
Describe your Adventures in Zookeeping story in one sentence.
A disgruntled zookeeper thinks she's turning into a were-lemur, but the truth is even weirder than that. What's your favorite zoo-related memory? During the 2014 Clarion Workshop, several of us took a break from the non-stop writing and critiquing to go explore the labyrinthine San Diego Zoo. We wandered until our feet were sore, and then it took us another hour to actually find our way out. I was sure all the workshop stories for the coming week would be about being lost in a Gothic menagerie. My friend Vida Cruz blogged about this zoo trip in much more depth here. What are you working on now? Where can readers find you? You've found me! I hope you'll poke around, read some other blog entries, and, of course, grab your copy of ADVENTURES IN ZOOKEEPING from the link below!
Last weekend was MileHiCon, one of my favorite local SFF conventions. I was on a couple of panels this year, but the real highlight of the convention was the release party and reading for ADVENTURES IN ZOOKEEPING, an anthology that includes my story "The Fourth Lemur." This is the second of the charity anthologies (all proceeds go back to MileHiCon) put together by Sam Knight that I was lucky enough to be included in. In fact, last year after releasing SIDEKICKS, Sam Knight asked for suggestions for the next anthology, and I was the one who suggested the title/theme "Adventures in Zookeeping."
On Saturday, we gathered in the ConSuite for a dual release party along with the contributors of another anthology, DOMESTICATED VELOCIRAPTORS, and then we ventured downstairs to one of the panel rooms where we had the chance to read our stories to the room. For many of the authors, this was their first time doing a public reading, but everyone did a fantastic job. I tried to break the tension a little bit by standing up on my chair to read, rather than going up to the front like everyone else. Ever wonder how much fun it would be to be a zoo keeper if your wards included the strange, the supernatural, the not-of-this-earth? This collection of speculative fiction ranges from were-lemurs to a breeding program for a Lovecraftian horror. Edited by Sam Knight. This anthology evolved from a panel at MileHiCon in Denver, Colorado, titled "So You Want To Be in an Anthology?" The stories contained within were contributed by attendees of that panel. All net proceeds are donated to support MileHiCon.
So those "were-lemurs" mentioned in the book description? Yeah, that's my story. Except, maybe it's not that simple. Maybe there's more to that weird, somewhat human-looking lemur that shows up in the zoo, maybe that bite the zookeeper got isn't doing exactly what she fears it's doing.
Next week I plan to interview some of the other authors from this fun anthology, so please stop by to learn more about their stories, and pick up a copy of ADVENTURES IN ZOOKEEPING when you have the chance. It has some very fun stories in it, and it helps support an excellent science fiction and fantasy convention that has always made me feel at home.
S.D. Grimm is another of the amazing writers I know from PitchWars, a mentorship and agent-pitching program I participated in a couple of years ago. She managed to snag a publishing deal with Gilead Publishing for her young adult fantasy novel Scarlet Moon, which was just released. She's stopping by my blog today to talk about her book and her path to publication.
Sarena Ulibarri: What was your inspiration for writing Scarlet Moon? S.D. Grimm: I love animals. The novel I wrote prior to this one (which sits in a proverbial dark, secret drawer) was about animals. All the characters were animals. And one day I decided to get serious about publishing. Then I decided I was going to write about people. I still wanted animals to be a big part of the story so I chose to write about a race of people who can commune with nature. These people basically get certain talents or abilities from animals—and they reciprocate, giving animals certain abilities too. Then I researched some really cool animals, including mythological ones, and the story world really grew from there. SU: What has your journey to finding an agent and the road to publication been like? SDG: Hard. Crazy. The thing about this business is it’s not for the faint of heart. You better your craft all the time. You build your social media presence. You try to send the right work at the right time to the right people. You attempt to stay ahead of the curve without knowing where the curve is. You survive getting your heart broken again and again and again. You don’t give up. You make connections. Friends. Partners in writing who help and encourage you. You have fun. You learn a lot about writing and about yourself. And when something good happens and you take another step forward down this path, all those people celebrate with you. You find community. You work your heart out and wear it on the pages of your work. People will crumple it up, step on it, and some will even use it wipe the snot off their own faces. And then there will be those who feel what you’re trying to say. They’ll cherish it, and they’ll recommend that others read it. Some will misunderstand it. Others will get it. And still that journey—probably on the road less traveled—is just beginning. SU: How many books did you write before being published? SDG: Three. They’re each part of a trilogy I started when I was in middle school. It’s about a dog of magical heritage who’s supposed to save the world, except he got hit by a car and now has amnesia. They live in a proverbial drawer and who knows, maybe someday they’ll see the light of day, but I’m not holding my breath.
SU: What kind of things did you learn from your PitchWars mentor when you were getting your PitchWars manuscript ready to query?
SDG: So much. Molly Lee was my awesome mentor, and she was amazing with big-picture edits. She took knowledge from her critiques with agency sibling writers and applied those tips to my story so I could see what was working and what wasn't. She was fabulous at brainstorming and always let me bounce ideas off of her. I loved that not only was she willing to help me fix what wasn't working, she was also quick to tell me what was working and why. The why part was invaluable. I actually learned a lot about my strengths as a writer from her. I would say the most helpful thing I took away from her advice will be applied to all my future stories is don't try to force something into the story that's not working. I had this relationship planned between these two characters and it just ended up being uncomfortable. On paper, for my plot outline, it worked. But once those characters actually had personality and were interacting, it flopped. So be flexible and willing to change what's not working in the story instead of trying to force it because it looks good on paper. SU: I loved seeing the video by your cover artist about all the work that went into creating the cover art! Did you have any input on the cover design, or did you just see it in its beautiful final form? SDG: It was amazing wasn't it? My cover artist, the amazing Kirk DouPonce, actually read the story so he could get a feel for the cover and characters. He then talked with me about the idea he had. I was over-the-scarlet-moon excited because I wanted Jayden (my main character) to be in the woods with daggers and a wolf. And that was exactly his vision. And then he said he was going to make the dagger glow with the blue mist and I was jumping up and down, because it was so perfect. So he asked me what Jayden looked like and I sent him some awesome photos (taken by my dad) of my sister wearing a costume my mom made that portrayed my character. He loved the costume and asked me to mail it to him for a photo shoot! So the costume the girl on my cover is wearing? Yeah, my awesome mom made it. Cool right? I was really excited to have that much brainstorming input into the cover. And guys, I've seen the cover for book two already. And can I just say SQUEAL! That is all.
S. D. Grimm’s first love in writing is young adult speculative fiction. She is represented by Julie Gwinn of the Seymour Agency and her debut novel, Scarlet Moon, is slated to be published in October 2016. When she’s not writing or editing, Sarah enjoys reading (of course!), making clay dragons for her Grimmlies store on Etsy, practicing kickboxing and Brazilian jiu jitsu, training dogs, and doing anything outdoorsy with the family. Her office is anywhere she can curl up with her laptop and at least one large-sized dog.
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I've been pining for this book ever since I first heard it announced, and I was lucky enough to win an advance copy. It definitely lived up to all the hype! A Shadow Bright and Burning is like a Lovecraftian Harry Potter, with some shades of a not-as-graphic version of Penny Dreadful (it is YA, after all). It's dark and beautiful, with characters who will haunt your thoughts long after you set the book down.
Jessica Cluess was a year ahead of me in the Clarion Workshop; she attended in 2013 and I attended in 2014. Clarion has a history of turning out amazing and successful writers, and it's always exciting to see writers from recent classes making a name for themselves. Jessica was nice enough to talk with me today about her novel, her influences, and her favorite Clarion experiences.
Sarena Ulibarri: In a nutshell, what was the path from manuscript to publication for A SHADOW BRIGHT AND BURNING?
Jessica Cluess: After I finished editing, I queried the book for five months. One week after sending my query to him, the man who became my agent offered me representation. After that, we polished the manuscript for several months before finally putting it on submission. That was nerve-wracking, but I’m glad we worked on it for so long, because it hugely paid off. We had an offer after less than two weeks on sub, and went to auction after that. All told, it was nearly two years from the first day I sat down to write the book to the day we got the offer to publish. It seemed long at the time, but now it feels like a whirlwind. SU: What advice do you have for young writers who are struggling through the first draft of a fantasy novel? JC: Beyond anything else, especially when it’s fantasy, I say this: it’s better to write a galumphing, messy, weird draft that has something passionate and exciting on every page than it is to write a clean, perfectly constructed draft that you don’t feel anything for. It’s actually easier to edit the weird one, because at least you know the feelings you want to evoke. Bottom line: just get it done. You can’t edit until you’ve written. SU: What books, authors, or films most influenced you when writing A SHADOW BRIGHT AND BURNING? JC: My biggest influence was Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. I describe it as Jane Austen’s Lord of the Rings, and it really is that. If you love a comedy of manners mixed with an outrageously interesting magical system, you’ll dig it. SU: What’s your favorite memory from the Clarion Workshop? JC: The water gun fight we had with Robert Crais and Kim Stanley Robinson. There is a picture of me shooting Stan in the back while he runs away that is among my top five favorite pictures of anything. SU: How many stories did you write at Clarion, and what became of them? JC: I wrote five stories, because during week one we reviewed one of my submission stories. The truth is, nothing much has yet come from those stories, largely because I’m not really a natural short fiction writer. A lot of the people in the program were already masters of the short story, so I had a lot of catching up to do. One of them has already won a Nebula for her short fiction! I may see if I can get a novel out of some of them; my stories always ran on the long side. SU: Do you have any readings or signings coming up? Where can readers find you? JC: Yes! I’ll be on tour the last week of October, in San Francisco, Denver, Salt Lake City and Austin. It’s going to be a whirlwind week! About the Author
Jessica Cluess is a writer, a graduate of Northwestern University, and an unapologetic nerd. After college, she moved to Los Angeles, where she served coffee to the rich and famous while working on her first novel. When she’s not writing books, she’s an instructor at Writopia Lab, helping kids and teens tell their own stories.
Website * Twitter * Goodreads
I first met Dianna Sanchez through the extended network of the Clarion Workshop, and was thrilled to learn her novel was coming out soon from Dreaming Robot Press, a small press located in New Mexico (where I live and where I run my small press). I had the chance to chat with both Dianna and her editor last month at Bubonicon, Albuquerque's local science fiction convention.
If you're unfamiliar with the Clarion Workshop, it's a six-week intensive writing boot camp taught by some of the finest writers and editors in the field of science fiction and fantasy. It's a grueling experience of non-stop writing and critiquing, bad food, watergun fights, making lifelong friends, and questioning everything you ever thought you knew. I recommend it wholeheartedly. Dianna attended in 1995; I attended in 2014. Dianna was nice enough to talk with me today about her new novel A WITCH'S KITCHEN, her path to publication, and her Clarion workshop experience.
Sarena Ulibarri: It was great to meet you this year at Bubonicon! How was your Bubonicon experience? Had you attended it in the past?
Dianna Sanchez: Despite having grown up in Albuquerque, I had never been to Bubonicon before. I didn't find out about the existence of science fiction conventions until I'd gone off to college in Boston, and even then, I didn't attend one until after I'd graduated. It seems downright absurd that I waited this long. Bubonicon is a pleasant, small, well-run con, with some good panels. I love that the gaming room is right in the thick of things, instead of shoved into a distant corner somewhere. I could just wander in and grab a pick-up game between panels. SU: In a nutshell, what was the path from manuscript to publication for A WITCH’S KITCHEN? DS: Nov. 2013 - Started writing what I thought would be a 10-page story as a Christmas present Dec. 2013 - Three chapters later, realized it was a novel Jan. - Feb. 2014 - Took an Odyssey Online course, Powerful Dialogue in Fantastic Fiction with Jeanne Cavelos Mar. 2014 - Completed first draft Summer 2014 - Joined Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Jan. 2015 - Attended Arisia in Boston, did a pitch session with N.K. Jemison Apr. 2015 - Attended the New England SCBWI conference in Springfield, MA. Won the Pitchapalooza. May 2015 - Started up a critique group of folks I met at the conference June 2015 - Started querying the novel, exchanging manuscripts with other SCBWI authors Aug. 2015 - Dreaming Robot Press expressed serious interest. Called in my Pitchapalooza prize, an agent consult. Sept. 2015 - Began revising per DRP's developmental editor's request Fall 2015 - Took Writing MG/YA Novels with Holly Thompson, learned plot structure Nov. 2015 - Committed to completed revision by January 31st Jan. -Feb. 2016 - Took Odyssey Online course Getting the Big Picture (novel revision) with Barbara Ashford Jan. 31, 2016 - Turned in the revision Feb. 2016 - Met with Corie and Sean Weaver of Dreaming Robot Press in Albuquerque and negotiated contract. Signed a week later. Mar. 2016 - Completed final revision (v.11.5) April 2016 - DRP launched Kickstarter campaign for A Witch's Kitchen and The Demon Girl's Song by Susan Jane Bigelow. We funded the same day, in the middle of our Facebook author party. June 2016 - Got the ARCs, started pushing for reviews, readings Sept. 25, 2016 - Launch day!
SU: If you could go back in time and give young-Dianna one piece of writing advice, what would it be?
DS: Writing is not just a hobby. Writing is not less important than physics. Writing is what you love to do, and it's what you do best. Stop apologizing, to everyone else and to yourself, for spending so much time writing. Just write. SU: What’s your favorite memory from the Clarion Workshop? DS: Oh, man, that is so hard. It was such a blast from beginning to end. Was it playing Assumption (the card game from instructor Tim Powers' novel Last Call)? Watching Bruce Glassco playtest an early version of his board game Betrayal at House on the Hill? Boffer weapon battles with Lucy Snyder? Making an enchilada casserole in Chip Delany's oven? Congratulating Kelly Link on her first sale to Asimov's? Hmm... okay. I think it was shouting in the hall. We'd be up in our (totally not air conditioned) dorm rooms, pounding away on our stories, and someone would open their door and yell something like, "Hey, anyone know how long the day is on Mars?" Because it was 1995, and Google did not yet exist. AND SOMEONE WOULD KNOW. Every single time. I miss that so much, the collective gestalt of it, the marvelous feeling of being in my tribe. SU: How many stories did you write at Clarion, and what became of them? DS: I have it in my head (though my head is often wrong) that I wrote nine stories, and that this was a record at the time, promptly broken the following year. I think, though, that they were counting my submission stories, and I really only wrote seven during Clarion. And I also think that I may have actually written more and not submitted them all. I'm a quick writer; I can churn out 1000 words per hour. I learned at Clarion that some people just don't write that quickly, and we wouldn't always have three stories to critique the next day. So I took to just writing stories on the fly and then, if we didn't have enough stories, I'd pull one out. Mind you, most of them were complete and utter crap. I think that by the end of the workshop, people were ready to strangle me if I pulled out one more horrible story. Guys, I hope you've forgiven me by now. Alas, all the stories are in the Clarion archives. Only one, "A Recipe for Martian Enchiladas," eventually turned into a saleable story, "Weeds," which is appearing in the 2017 Young Explorers' Adventure Guide. SU: Do you have any readings or signings coming up? Where can readers find you? DS: I have two book launch parties coming up: Sunday, September 25, 2-3pm Remember Salem 127 Essex St., Salem MA A kid-friendly event with a costume contest, bad joke contest, and raffle! I will read from A WITCH'S KITCHEN and answer questions from the audience. THERE WILL BE COOKIES. Saturday, October 1, 7-9pm Pandemonium Books and Games 4 Pleasant St., Cambridge MA Together with my Kickstarter buddy Susan Jane Bigelow. We will read from our novels, A WITCH'S KITCHEN and her YA fantasy THE DEMON GIRL'S SONG. No word yet on whether I can bring cookies. ; ) Readers can check my web site, diannasanchez.com for more appearances, subscribe to my newsletter, and contact me on Facebook or Twitter. About the Author
Dianna Sanchez is the not-so-secret identity of Jenise Aminoff, whose superpower is cooking with small children. She is an MIT alumna, graduate of the 1995 Clarion Workshop and Odyssey Online, active member of SCBWI, and former editor at New Myths magazine. Aside from 18 years as a technical and science writer, she has taught science in Boston Public Schools, developed curricula for STEM education, and taught Preschool Chef, a cooking class for children ages 3-5. A Latina geek originally from New Mexico, she now lives in the Boston area with her husband and two daughters.
Recently, Black Mirror Press released the anthology Snowpocalpyse: Tales from the End of the World, including my story "Breath Over the Mouth of a Bottle." I asked some of the other writers in this anthology to answer a three question interview about their story, their writing, and the worst snowstorm they've ever experienced. Turns out they're all witty and well-published, and their snowstorm memories will give you the chills. My own answers are at the bottom.
S.B. McCauley, "The Snow Woman"
1. Describe your SNOWPOCALYPSE story in one sentence.
Trapped in a mummified body for decades, the spirit of Yuki-onna is set free and unleashes her winter wrath upon the world. 2. What's the worst snowstorm you can remember? I live in Houston, Texas now — so snow storms don’t really happen here. However, I spent some time living in England and Virginia where I experienced some true snow. The worst snow and ice storm I can remember was when I lived in Virginia. Everything was shut down for a few days and the branches on the trees were so heavy with snow that huge branches broke and fell across our sidewalks. And the ice, which collected behind my car, was a few feet thick and couldn’t even be removed with an axe. We had to wait until it thawed to get my car out. I don’t miss the ice! 3. What else are you working on, and where can readers find you? In addition to writing short stories, which are mostly supernatural and psychological horror, I’m working on longer works of middle grade fantasy. My current novel, entitled The Breaking, which was recently nominated for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Joan Lowry Nixon Award, is about a 12-year-old boy who has the power to break his entire world apart, but he wants nothing more than to save his non-magical family from slavery. Find S. B. McCauley Online: Website * Twitter * Facebook *Amazon * Wattpad Jennifer Loring, "The Wind Whispers, 'Witiko'"
1. Describe your SNOWPOCALYPSE story in one sentence.
The disappearance of a man's unstable wife into the wilderness leads him to a legendary monster and the reason why the snow won't stop falling. 2. What's the worst snowstorm you can remember? We've had some bad ones in the nine years I've lived in Philadelphia, but one of the worst happened just after my husband returned home from a trip with his friends. He had an allergic reaction that required a hospital trip — we lived close enough to walk, but all non-essential vehicles had been banned from the streets. It was eerie to walk through the city in the middle of the day in complete silence, with everything covered in white. We had to make our own paths through knee-deep snow that seemed like it was never going to end. 3. Where can readers find you? Find Jennifer Loring Online: Website * Twitter * Facebook * Amazon Walt Socha, "Let There Be Light"
1. Describe your SNOWPOCALYPSE story in one sentence.
After a technical fix to global warming fails and plunges the world into a snow-covered apocalypse, a small band of ex-NASA survivors frantically search for a solution while under the scrutiny of their dystopian overlords. 2. What's the worst snowstorm you can remember? I can’t remember any particular snowstorm, but I grew up in eastern Ohio (properly pronounced by us former natives as “Ah-hi-oh”) where several feet of snow is normal during the winter. But now-a-days, I live in the Pacific Northwest (Portland, OR) where a half-inch of snow brings civilization (and traffic) to a complete stop! 3. What else are you working on, and where can readers find you? I’m a bit of a history buff, especially with regard to the factors that enable one civilization/culture to dominate others. In my first novel (Conflict coming out November 1st), I explore what happens when the knowledge of “guns, germs, and steel” (Yes, that is a spoiler reference to Jared Diamond’s famous non-fiction book) is introduced into 11th century North America. My elevator blurb for Conflict: While working on a dude ranch in present day Montana, Joe Kuruk saves a young girl from a club-wielding warrior. His confusion is intensified when he realizes that the girl, Alta, has crossed over from another time and place. And the only way to reunite her with her family is to cross back with her. Accompanied by a few friends, Joe crosses into Alta's world only to find her home destroyed by a savage war chief. Then the gate closes behind them. Stranded in the Eleventh Century, in the lands around the present day Susquehanna River, Joe and his band fight to create a safe home for the refugees they've gathered. And to prepare for future European contact. This is the first of a five book series. The second book, Contact, is due out February 1st, 2017. Find Walt Socha Online: Website * Twitter * Facebook * Newsletter Eddie Newton, "White"
1. Describe your SNOWPOCALYPSE story in one sentence.
My short story, "White”, is about driving on an endless wintry road, tense with dread, surrounded by blizzard in every direction, when one slide of tire or slip of steering wheel can be the difference between two very different futures. 2. What's the worst snowstorm you can remember? The winter of ‘96-‘97 in Fargo, ND was like one long snowstorm, a record eight feet of fluff accumulating over the season. Every time I drove down the streets of the city, I marveled at white walls cut into caverns like alabaster trenches as tall as trees. Every time I drove anywhere, I felt like an X-wing pilot on a mission to destroy the Death Star: “Stay on target. Stay on target!” 3. What else are you working on, and where can readers find you? If you like political thrillers check out my e-novel, American Herstory, available on Amazon. Have you ever wondered what it would be like if women ran the world? (I mean officially. I know they already REALLY run the world.) It follows a D.C. cop in 2016 as she tries to prevent the assassination of the first MAN to run for President of the United States of America. John Palisano, "All These Things We Didn't Believe"
1. Describe your SNOWPOCALYPSE story in one sentence.
In "All These Things We Didn't Believe," a father must beat near impossible odds, and a nearly unbeatable trio of creatures, to find his son. 2. What's the worst snowstorm you can remember? I was very small, but in the winter of '78 my hometown of Norwalk, Connecticut had so much snow my grandfather and father and uncles made us massive tunnels through the snow drifts. I still hear echoes of their voices and our laughter. 3. What else are you working on, and where can readers find you? Working on getting the next novel, as it always seems to be. Just released a Halloween mini-collection. Lots more coming out soon. www.johnpalisano.com DJ Tyrer, "Dead England"
1. Describe your SNOWPOCALYPSE story in one sentence.
The final survivor of a nation consumed by winter is left wondering if there is anywhere to run to and, if he's alone, who's out there? 2. What's the worst snowstorm you can remember? I remember winters as a child when the drifts were deep and the insides of the windows were covered in ice. Wonderful! 3. Where can readers find you? Find DJ Tyrer Online: Website * Facebook Matthew Shoen, "The Last Winter Buck"
1. Describe your SNOWPOCALYPSE story in one sentence.
"The Last Winter Buck" essentially asks what if winter never ended in my hometown and what would my father do in that situation? The answer is he would stay, cut wood and make a living out of the inhospitable circumstances. 2. What's the worst snowstorm you can remember? The worst snowstorm I remember was the Ice Storm of 1998 which left my house without power for two weeks and killed 35 people. 3. What else are you working on, and where can readers find you? Readers can find some of my published works in anthologies published by ACA Books, Sixfold Magazine, and an upcoming Cryptid anthology published by Bards and Sages Publishing. Ron Wade, Cover Designer
1. Describe the SNOWPOCALYPSE cover in one sentence.
The cover is more a question than a story, what lies down that path, past the snow, beyond the trees? (The real stories of course; literally and metaphorically). 2. What's the worst snowstorm you can remember? The worst (and best) snowstorm was the blizzard of ’78. I lived on my parent’s farm, only went to school about 5 days the entire month of February, and spent days either digging through the huge snow piles that had accumulated from clearing the LOOOONG driveway to the house or sledding the hill that fronted the house. The nights, well reading some of the stories in the book brought back memories (at least in my 14 year old imagination) of the nights. 3. What else are you working on, and where can readers find you? I am working on a couple projects, I have another cover for Ian page set, and waiting for release, have been talking to Clint Collins [of Black Mirror Press] about a couple of projects. Aside from covers I have a line of zombie targets that just released, each zombie with their own unique backstory, and am working on motion graphic pieces that dovetail into those products. You can see what I am up to at: ourzombieapocalypse.com Sarena Ulibarri, "Breath Over the Mouth of a Bottle"
1. Describe your SNOWPOCALYPSE story in one sentence.
Aliens from a snowy planet are trying to terraform Earth, and a girl trapped in a snow-buried house with her dysfunctional family is the last human holdout that might be able to stop them. 2. What's the worst snowstorm you can remember? I've spent a lot of my life in Colorado, and it used to be that they never cancelled school or shut anything down until the snowplow got stuck. (Now, well, every storm gets called a snowpocalypse.) The worst I remember was probably in the early 2000s during Spring Break, when my dad, my cousin, and I got snowed in with no power for several days. Though the characters and conflicts are different, I pulled quite directly from that experience for my Snowpocalypse story. 3. What else are you working on, and where can readers find you? You've found me! I hope you'll poke around and read some of my other blogs, and check out my other published stories and the small press I run. I'm always working on several short stories in various stages of disarray, and there's that science fiction novel I keep giving up on and coming back to. Thanks for reading these three question interviews!
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