by M.D. Neu Writing is a demanding and often solitary profession. As authors, we spend countless hours crafting stories, developing characters, and perfecting our works. While the creative process can be incredibly rewarding, it can also be mentally and physically exhausting. This is why self-care is essential for writers. Taking the time to care for … Read more
We’re getting ready to go to SacAnime on August 30th right here in SacTown, so I thought this would be a great time to go over the steps we take to get ourselves ready for a con. So psych yourself up. You’re about to go meet some of the people who make what you do … Read more
by BJ Sikes I am curious what makes people decide that a book is worth reading. After all, there’s something like a million new books published on Amazon every month (or is it every day?), which sounds like an apocryphal number really. Let’s just say LOTS. I am a voracious reader but there is a … Read more
by J. Scott Coatsworth It was a dark and stormy night in the heart of winter… Scratch that. Actually, it was a pleasant afternoon in mid-October in 2016. Three of us – me, Pat Henshaw, and Christopher Koehler – met at the Tower Café for a spot of lunch and a plan for world domination. … Read more
Today I’d like to talk about own voice writing. Own voice writing refers to books or stories that are written by authors who share the same identity or experience as the characters they write about. An example is a novel about a transgender person written by a transgender author, or a book about a refugee … Read more
We’ve all been to book conferences or conventions (at least we had prior to the pandemic). These events have moved to virtual settings and for the most part they are good substitutes until we can get back to face-to-face events (remember to get the vaccine shot). However, I have a feeling virtual cons will still … Read more
After the pandemic hit, our lives moved online with surprising speed. All of a sudden, all those work meetings, gatherings with friends, and other social activities that we used to drive to were taking place in the virtual world, and we had to learn a new word. Or at least, a new meaning for an … Read more
Normal. Such a deceptively boring word. Before 2020, I wanted to be anything but normal. Normal was boring. Normal meant being just like everyone else. Normal was for losers. What a difference a pandemic makes, and what a beautiful word normal turned out to be. On March 18th, 2020, Mark and I made our last … Read more
Oh, it’s been an “interesting” year, hasn’t it? If an author wrote this year’s events in a novel, she’d be universally panned for her lack of realism. Oh, c’mon, people would say, all that horrible stuff couldn’t happen in a decade, let along twelve months. Well, ha. Right? I’ve been very fortunate in that I kept my job(s), … Read more
Windows are my gateway to the world. Ever since childhood I have been a daydreamer and window watcher. Train windows, airplane windows, waiting room windows, classroom windows, car windows. Looking back at all of the places I have lived over the years, my desk has always been near a window. 2020’s desk placement is no … Read more