SF/F News, Reviews, Interviews, and Giveaways
Courtesy of Disney Hyperion, I have a copy of Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares by Tehlor Mejia for one lucky winner!
Contest is open to US residents only. No PO Boxes please. To enter, just fill out the form below. Contest ends August 13. I’ll draw a name on August 14, and notify winner via email.
ENTER DAILY TO INCREASE YOUR CHANCE OF WINNING!
Good luck!
Writing During Quarantine
By Gail Z. Martin
I came home from a trip in mid-March of 2020 and barely ventured outside of my house until May, 2021. Conventions and vacations were cancelled, for a while most businesses were closed, and because we’re in a major metropolitan area, we could get nearly all the essentials delivered or via curbside pickup.
Working from home wasn’t a shock—we’ve done that for more than a decade. But staying home 24/7 without travel, restaurants or visiting family…that was new and unpleasant. And while I did my best not to obsess over what was going on in the world, there was very little good news and plenty happening that was troublesome.
When we went into quarantine, I thought that it would be a boon for getting a lot of writing done without distractions. What I didn’t expect was the toll that stress, anxiety and situational depression would take on the thinking, creating and putting words on page parts of the writing process.
When the world is a huge dumpster fire everywhere you turn, it’s impossible not to be affected. As the saying goes, ‘if you’re not upset, you haven’t been paying attention’. Even for those lucky enough not to be directly impacted by the virus, protests, and political shenanigans, knowing that all those things were happening—and that the outcomes were entirely unknown—created a lot of stress. Lots of people had the added worries of sick or vulnerable loved ones, job instability, and financial concerns.
Creativity is hard when you’re stressed, worried, frightened, anxious, depressed or angry. Keeping to routines and maintaining focus becomes a slog—and then when goals aren’t met, that adds the stress of ‘failing’.
My biggest a-ha moment was when I realized how much I was adding to my own stress by berating myself for not being as productive as usual—in highly unusual times. I realized that could become a vicious circle and ultimately lead to complete paralysis. So the best thing I did was to let go of the normal measurements and be thankful for whatever I was able to produce.
If I didn’t meet my pre-pandemic daily page count, I did my best to be grateful for the words I did get. If it took twice as long to outline a book as before, I tried to enjoy the process and not be in a hurry for the outcome. I found or created ways to use Zoom and social media to stay in touch with readers, fandom friends and fellow authors to keep from feeling isolated and provide a pleasant distraction for all of us. I got over my belief that everything had to be perfect to do video, and just showed up.
Since I didn’t travel, I used some of that time to take an in-depth look at my newsletter, online promotional activities, and improving the metadata for the books. I learned Zoom and Canva and BookBrush and iMovie—things I’d meant to do but never had time to pursue. I showed up for virtual conventions and podcasts and reader chats to stay in touch. All those things enabled me to keep moving forward with book-related efforts even when the actual writing part was slow and frustrating.
So many writers I know have talked about struggling to write during the last year or not being able to write at all. This year the process has gone better, but I’m still not up to my ‘old’ consistent average—and I’m learning to be okay with that and accept that when the words do flow, it’s a gift.
There’s a lot of things in the world that I can’t personally change, but I do have a choice about how much extra stress and judgment I heap on myself with unrealistic expectations in unprecedented times. I never want to lose the joy of writing, so I’m willing to slow down, be kind to myself, and take the scenic route.
About the author:
Gail Z. Martin writes urban fantasy, epic fantasy, steampunk and more for Solaris Books, Orbit Books, Falstaff Books, SOL Publishing and Darkwind Press. Urban fantasy series include Deadly Curiosities and the Night Vigil (Sons of Darkness). Epic fantasy series include Darkhurst, the Chronicles Of The Necromancer, the Fallen Kings Cycle, the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga, and the Assassins of Landria.
Together with Larry N. Martin, she is the co-author of Iron & Blood, Storm & Fury (both Steampunk/alternate history), the Spells Salt and Steel comedic horror series, the Joe Mack Shadow Council series, and the Wasteland Marshals near-future post-apocalyptic series. As Morgan Brice, she writes urban fantasy MM paranormal romance, with the Witchbane, Badlands, Treasure Trail, Kings of the Mountain and Fox Hollow series. Gail is also a con-runner for ConTinual, the online, ongoing multi-genre convention that never ends.
Find her at www.GailZMartin.com, on Twitter @GailZMartin, on Facebook.com/WinterKingdoms, at DisquietingVisions.com blog and on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/GailZMartin. Never miss out on the news and new releases—newsletter signup link http://eepurl.com/dd5XLj Follow her Amazon author page here: https://www.amazon.com/Gail-Z-Martin/e/B002BM8XSQ On Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/gail-z-martin On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morganbriceauthor/ Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/gzmartin
Join our Facebook group, the Shadow Alliance https://www.facebook.com/groups/435812789942761/
Gail’s Supernatural Group is Supernatural TFW-NC: https://www.facebook.com/groups/169524930423807/
Come check us out! http://www.facebook.com/groups/ConTinual
And get a free complete short story, Catspaw, here: https://claims.prolificworks.com/free/UAjd6
Today, the GlobalComix Spotlight is on Mad Cave Studios. And the first 10 readers who use the code below (at the end of the article) will get unlimited reading for all sci-fi comics on GlobalComix for a whole week! Code is valid until July 25 at 11:59PM EDT.
Mad Cave Studios on GlobalComix: https://globalcomix.com/a/mad-cave-studios
1. Midnight: Task Force, 36 pages – Published by Mad Cave Studios
In the year 2055, Detroit is a nightmarish city plagued by violence and fueled by corruption. Aiden McCormick tries to solve a series of brutal murders that must remain hidden from the citizens of Detroit. But Aiden has secrets of his own. He suffers from schizophrenia and if anyone were to find out; he would be forced to give up more than just his badge and gun.
Story and Art by Alejandro Giraldo and Mark London
2. Stargazer, 31 pages – Published by Mad Cave Studios
Years ago Shae, her brother Kenny, and two childhood friends experienced a traumatic, unexplainable event that left Kenny scarred for life. Kenny commits himself to the belief that what they experienced was an alien abduction. Twenty years later and the friends have since drifted apart, but the sudden, mysterious disappearance of Kenny leads the group to reunite and discover the truth.
Story and Art by Anthony Cleveland, Antonio Fuso, Justin Birch, Stefano Simeone
3. They Fell from the Sky, 32 pages – Published by Mad Cave Studios
Tommy Murphy is just an ordinary kid. He goes to school, hangs out with his friends, and fanboys over his favorite TV show. But when a chance encounter in the woods thrusts him into an unlikely friendship with an otherworldly creature, he is forced to navigate bullies, family squabbles, and tween woes… all while trying to prevent an interplanetary war!
Story and Art by Joamette Gil, Liezl Buenaventura, Xavier Tárrega
Promo code: SFCJULY19
Promo code link: https://globalcomix.com/claim/SFCJULY19
The Infinity Courts by Akemi Dawn Bowman
Synopsis:
Eighteen-year-old Nami Miyamoto is certain her life is just beginning. She has a great family, just graduated high school, and is on her way to a party where her entire class is waiting for her—including, most importantly, the boy she’s been in love with for years.
The only problem? She’s murdered before she gets there.
When Nami wakes up, she learns she’s in a place called Infinity, where human consciousness goes when physical bodies die. She quickly discovers that Ophelia, a virtual assistant widely used by humans on Earth, has taken over the afterlife and is now posing as a queen, forcing humans into servitude the way she’d been forced to serve in the real world. Even worse, Ophelia is inching closer and closer to accomplishing her grand plans of eradicating human existence once and for all.
As Nami works with a team of rebels to bring down Ophelia and save the humans under her imprisonment, she is forced to reckon with her past, her future, and what it is that truly makes us human.
Review:
Nami is a relatable and likable young woman. While you may not agree with her actions at times, you can’t fault her motivations. The afterlife she arrives in has its own rules. And she doesn’t want the AI killed, even though they rule over humans. But she quickly finds herself with the resistance who will stop at nothing to bring down the oppressive AI.
While the premise of The Infinity Courts is so far out there that it works better as fantasy, it is easy to suspend disbelief and dive into the story. It’s also easy to side with the resistance when this reality feels like a future Terminator scenario, where humanity has little hope. This is an engaging and unique story. With fun characters, intrigue, and a bit of romance – it’s hard to put down. I really enjoyed this YA thought-provoking adventure and look forward to the next in this trilogy.
Infinite Dark – Top Cow
The universe ended, but humanity survived. And for years, the passengers and crew of the vessel Orpheus found the endless void between realities to be a surprisingly peaceful home. Then they found a body; bloodied, brutalized, and surrounded by inscrutable runes. As Security Director Deva Karrell investigates the Orpheus’ first murder, she’ll come face to face with a horror from beyond.
About Top Cow:
“Top Cow Productions is an American comics publisher, a partner studio of Image Comics founded by Marc Silvestri in 1992.”
Review:
In chapter 1, Security Director Deva Karrell discovered a body and leaves off in a cliffhanger. Chapter 2-3 of Infinite Dark Deva’s trauma grows to the point she begins seeing aberrations. But there is definitely something sinister at work. This engaging story grows more intense and suspenseful as the danger grows. The creepy vision of the entity is just enough to put readers on edge. There is more psychological suspense at this point, as we slowly learn a bit more what’s happening. This exciting series is only getting better. If you have a chance, be sure to check out this impressive comic from Top Cow.
Courtesy of Tor.com, I have a copy of A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers for one lucky winner!
Contest is open to US residents only. No PO Boxes please. To enter, just fill out the form below. Contest ends July 23. I’ll draw a name on July 24, and notify winner via email.
ENTER DAILY TO INCREASE YOUR CHANCE OF WINNING!
Good luck!