Four of the funniest people in the industry, full stop, star in the film: Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones, Melissa McCarthy and Kate McKinnon. There appears to be some flirting with McKinnon’s edgy, short-haired, slightly off-kilter character, Jillian Holtzmann, and Wiig’s straight-laced scientist Erin Gilbert… Full story from Gay Star News
Marijane Meaker isn’t a household name, but she should be. A literary pioneer many times over, she wrote the 1952 novel Spring Fire, one of the first lesbian “pulps,” giving thousands of Americans their first glimpse of a sexually compatible same-sex couple, even if the rules of the genre required that the relationship end badly. Her books about lesbian life in New York City, which appeared between 1955 and 1972, were indispensable guides to a hidden world. And beginning in the 1970s, she was one of the first authors to write for young adults, often telling stories of underdogs and … Read more
QSFer Asta Idonea has a new paranormal book out: Book One: 21st Century Demon It should have been an easy job: a contract signed and a new soul earmarked for Hell. But when suave demon deal-maker Saul chooses nerdy Thomas Ives as his next target, events take an unexpected turn. The lines between business transaction and pleasure blur, and Saul must decide whether he cares more for his professional reputation or the soul he just condemned to eternal damnation. Book Two: Hell To Pay Synopsis The contract was destroyed and Tom’s soul saved from Hell. Or so they thought. Demon … Read more
One of the things that came up during our recent visit to the Dreamspinner retreat was the use of tropes, especially in romance. There’s a great list of general romance tropes here: http://www.mindyklasky.com/index.php/for-writers/romance-tropes/ I especially like “secret baby”. Yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like, if you aren’t already familiar with it. As Angel pointed out to me, tropes aren’t bad, per se, although they can become clichés. They can be used to build a story, and many readers seek out their favorite tropes to find new stories to read. Even Amazon has books categorized by them. The other thing … Read more
QSFer Arthur Griffin has a new fantasy book out: The myth of Theseus and the Minotaur has never been quite this steamy! Handsome Theseus journeys to Athens to claim his birthright as heir to the throne, and along the way he meets the roguish Pirithous, who teaches him all about matters of the heart—and body. When they reach the city, Theseus is shocked to discover that his father, the king, has a tradition of sacrificing youths to the Minotaur, the monster that inhabits the island nation of Crete. Theseus and Pirithous set out to slay the Minotaur. After learning Crete … Read more
QSFer Voss Foster has a new dystopian sci fi book out: 12 Contestants 20,000,000 Dollars 1 Survivor Two years and two victors later, Evenstad Media’s murderous reality show carries on strong. The fans are more rabid than ever, and the detractors more determined to shut it down. How many more deaths will the public take, and how many more murderers lauded for their victory? Only time will tell. Niels Evenstad, the show’s creator, is dying. Some say it’s a ploy for attention, others say it’s a tragedy. Whatever the reality is, it’s brought a new problem out of the woodwork: … Read more
QSFer Kora Knight has a new sci fi book out: Astrum Industries’ newest charted planet. Freshly discovered. Wholly unexplored. But that won’t be the case for long. Led by Captain Alec Hamlin, a team of explorers make an emergency landing and are soon confronted by their first Niran native. A huge male Kríe packed with muscle, baring small, black horns and fangs. Fortunately, he’s friendly. Or so he lets them believe. With the help of his pack, the Kríe takes Alec’s team captive, intending to sell them for profit. But these Nirans aren’t just shrewd, they’re arrogant and domineering. And … Read more
QSFer TM Smith has a new sci fi book out: Appearances can be deceiving. It’s time to learn the truth about what happened that day in The Cellar. Taryn and Thanos are the formidable Ambassadors of House Orion. Taryn was born into power, bred from birth to lead the people of Greece along with his sister Theresa, Thanos was never a part of his mothers’ plan. The son of a fisherman was not a suitable match for the son of Greece as far as their mothers’ were concerned, but Taryn usually gets his way. The Cellar is the story of … Read more
QSFer Mario Kai Lipinski has a new sci fi book out: Dr. Jakob Feldmann is a renowned German geneticist at Research Hospital Essen… and a recluse par excellence. Ivo Andersson is a male nurse working at the same hospital as Jakob. His outgoing personality and good looks have earned him the nickname Sir Grin-a-lot. They both have a crush on each other that everyone except the two of them seems to know about. But when the German Federal Police shows up with two patients suffering from a suspected alien infection, their voluntary exile in the high security research complex shifts … Read more
QSFer FT Lukens has a new sci fi book out: Ren grew up listening to his mother tell stories about the Star Hosts—mythical people possessed by the power of the stars. Her beloved stories caused Ren to dream about leaving his backwater planet to nd his place among the neighboring drifts. But when soldiers for a despotic Baron capture and enslave him, Ren must plan his escape under the nose of a general who suspects that he is something out of one of his mother’s stories. He nds companionship in the occupant of the cell next to his, a drifter … Read more