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Announcement: Amber Moon, by Hurri Cosmo

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Hurri Cosmo has a new fantasy out from Amber Quill: Logan has a past he doesn’t want to talk about, and after tonight, he intends to leave everything behind, including his all-consuming and unrequited love for Ryder. Uncertain of his future, he stumbles upon a bar oddly named Logan’s Intoxicating Fantasy. Unable to curb his curiosity, he enters the establishment. Soon, he drinks the Amber Moon cocktail a wise old bartender named Solomon puts in front of him and finally walks into a new future. Maybe even to find a new love. But is that what Solomon had in mind … Read more

Where Are the FF Speculative Fiction Stories?

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Today’s topic comes from QSFer Anastasia Vitsky: “I’d like a day specifically focused on F/F in the genre.” It’s a good point. I know there are such stories and novels out there – our own Angelia Sparrow has published quite a few – but the field is dominated by MM fiction. So here are my questions today: Why aren’t there more FF stories in speculative fiction? What can we do to change that? And what stories would you like to see told in this subgenre?

Have We Domesticated All the Werewolves?

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Today’s paranormal topic comes from QSFer Beth Brock: “Frederick and Jamie are always talking about bringing the scary back to werewolves. “Not a shifter story. There will be no cuddles, no chewing on the furniture, getting housebroken, or weird mpreg. Werewolves: claws, teeth, growls, howls, BLOOD. What’s with all these good bad guy stories anyway? “Or the bad good guys for that matter? Misunderstood vampires, cuddly shifters, and anti-heroes. Are we pansies in the 21st century? I say give me blood, give me violence, and bring me death!” LOL… Beth said it better than I could. So is there a … Read more

Announcement – A Curse on the Mountain – Missouri Dalton

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Missouri Dalton has a new MM fantasy out: In the cursed city of Var Eldore, perched on a mountaintop surrounded by a frigid swamp, the rain never stops. Former pleasure slave Myr lives in hiding, trying to stay a step ahead of his captor. But there’s more to Myr than he realizes, and destiny has other plans for him. Soon, he counts soldiers, spies, nobles, and wizards among his allies. Their goal is to oppose the king and those who perpetuate slavery, and fight for the freedom of their land. As they uncover secrets and conspiracies, each more tangled than … Read more

Is LGBT Fiction Inherently Different?

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Hey all, Bit of a philosophical question today. Most of the folks here read or write (or both) a lot of LGBT fiction – from MM romance to transgender urban fantasy. It got me thinking/ I know there are some obvious differences between these works and mainstream fiction – ie: the protagonists are LGBT. But does it go deeper than that? For instance – if we took a seminal work of mainstream fantasy, like The Wheel of Time – and changed all of Rand’s women to men, would it suddenly be a “gay fantasy” work? And if not, why not? … Read more

Announcement: Twist of Wire, by James Comer

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QSFer James Comer has a new free story posted at PlanetaryStories.com: The monk Charthat was locked in a burning jail- and the trouble outside was worse! As the city of Gunkashar fell into madness, he had to find his partner. If he lived that long. Excerpt hree men crouched in a prison cell. The cell was dug-and-walled in a sunken courtyard. Ironwood bars were cemented into the floor and ceiling. A bar closed the cell, its handle beyond reach. Locked? How to get out? thought Charthat. Where was his partner? He could saw through the lignum vitae with true-steel; he … Read more

Is It a Series?

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Today’s topic comes from QSFer Shira Anthony: “This general topic comes from my experiences writing both fantasy/sci fi series and single books, and really can apply to either genre. What are readers’ and authors’ perspectives about writing series vs. one-off stories. Do you like to invest in more than one book? What about writers?” It’s an interesting question. As a writer, I like the idea of extending my characters beyond the original premise, and in some cases (especially fantasy), of planning a multi-book arc. As a reader, I also like getting invested in series – the idea that I can … Read more

Announcement: Quinn’s Gambit, Bellora Quinn and Angel Martinez

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QSFer Angel Martinez and Bellora Quinn have a new fantasy book coming out: AURA – the Agency for Unnatural Resettlement and Assimilation It’s a weird job, but somebody’s got to do it. A magical catastrophe tears the fabric of reality, causing unpredictable holes between worlds through which anything might fall—elves, centaurs, trolls, yeti. The brave officers and employees of AURA struggle daily to help the lost and injured, and contain the irretrievably violent while their research staff scramble to find a way to reverse the effect. Anything can and does pop through into the human world, sometimes with disastrous and … Read more

The Lowly Blurb

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Today’s question comes from QSFer Hank T. Cannon: “What goes into a good blurb? Are there different types of blurbs? What kind should be used for promotion? What kind should be used for submissions?” I hate writing blurbs. I hate writing summaries. Blurbs and summaries are like the Muzak of the fiction world. They take a (hopefully) vibrant, living story and wring out every last bit of life and color from them to create a sad approximation of a plot. When I have to write a blurb or summary, I always end up feeling like my story is the saddest, … Read more