Bay Area Queer Writers Association (BAQWA) Reading

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. I hope you’re all having a great week. As the title says, one of the author groups I’m part of; The Bay Area Queer Writers Association (BAQWA) will have a book reading from our newest anthology; BAQWA Presents: Two. The reading is set for Saturday February 25th at 3:30pm at the Lavender Library in Sacramento, CA.

We are excited to have this reading at the Library as the money raised from the book sales of BAQWA Presidents: Two will be donated to the Library. To learn more about all the great work the Lavender Library does click here.

As you can see, I’ll be there reading from my short story Nightingale’s Heart. It was such a privilege to be part of this project and I hope you’ll be able to come and join us. You can follow the event and keep up to date with all the details here. Learn more about BAQWA here. And follow us on Facebook here, Twitter here, and Instagram here.

That’s all I have for this week. Mark your calendar and come on by and say hello, it would be great to see you there. If you can’t make the reading but you would still like to support the Lavender Library you can get your copy of BAQWA Presents: Two here.

Until next time have a great week.

The Vampire’s War – Damian Serbu

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. I hope you are all having a great week. Today I’m thrilled to have author Damian Serbu here to chat about his newest novel The Vampire’s War, which is the fifth book in his The Realm of the Vampire Council. If you haven’t checked out his amazing series and you enjoy vampire books, then you are missing out on some excellent books.

Instead of having Damian come over and chat about his book, I asked him to provide something different. He wrote up what inspired him to craft this story and how he learned but the novels underlying tone actually meant to him. Let’s jump into what Damian has to say.

Quite often, when asked why I wrote a novel, I explain how the story called to me. The characters, episodes, and plot line emerge within my head over time, until I have to put them to paper. In other words, the muse dictates a lot of what I write! I was excited, however, to be asked about what inspired The Vampire’s War, because more played into its development than the muse alone.

I had hinted in other vampire novels about a rogue vampire who defies the Vampire Council. And in The Vampire’s Protégé, which introduces a completely new vampire, the defiant vampire plays a key role. By the end of Protégé, in fact, we learn a war is brewing, but there are no other details. If I wanted to return to my vampires, I was going to have to dive into this war. In other words, the war at the heart of The Vampire’s War was a slow burn coming at us over several stories.

I delayed a little while, however, because I was concerned about the scope of a vampire war and how to put that to paper. I was nervous because the concept went farther outside my typical comfort zone than most of my other tales. I was sitting on a situation where I had ideas but too much uncertainty to start putting the grand scheme to paper. However, along came the second push toward writing The Vampire’s War.

This is where the muse comes into play. Vampires have always called to me. I write other genres, but even when I take a break, I return to vampires. When I complete a novel, I think – okay, done with the vampires! Time for them to go away for a bit! They comply for a little while, until I begin to see flashes of a scene pop into my head. Then they demand more and more attention, until I jot some notes about a possible story. However, I wanted to let them rest. I had other novels in the queue within my brain that were supposed to be written first. But one after another, the vampires poked and prodded. They said shit like, “Yeah, you think you like the YA sci fi thing you’re plugging away on. But we’re cuter. And funnier. Oh! Hey! Guess what I did that you need to tell people about!” You see, vampires nag at you.

The sexual allure, power, and concept of immortality within vampire worlds has always fascinated me. I love vampires of all stripes; from the dark vampire of Bram Stoker and other evil vampires, to the universe of Anne Rice. I find the uniqueness of each author’s creation so absorbing. Plus, with my vampires and I think with other vampire writers, stripping away mortality, and in many ways fear itself, offers a platform for deep dives into other human emotions and motivations. This factor pulls me back into the vampire world time and time again. Combined with their incessant voices in my head, it was time to bring them back to life.

Fascinatingly, the third factor in what produced The Vampire’s War was dormant as I wrote this novel. I was going with these first two motivations as driving me to write The Vampire’s War, unaware that a third, and possibly more powerful force, pushed me along. Before I reveal the issue, let me share how I figured out its influence.

I was talking to a close friend about my writing. She asked what I was currently working on, so I explained how I was wrapping up The Vampire’s War. The Vampire’s War is written from Jaret’s point of view. He’s a character who first appeared in The Bachmann Family Secret, a young adult ghost story, and then blended into the vampire world in The Vampire’s Witch, where he becomes a vampire. He’s also in The Vampire’s Protégé, but never by name because he refuses to reveal his identity to the main character. However, Jaret tells about the impending war and is attempting to find help in combating it. These factors make him an ideal vehicle for watching the war. He’s young and not part of the vampire leadership, so he and the reader together discover facts about the war as they develop. And he is extremely powerful because in addition to his vampire ability, he’s a witch.

Back to the matter at hand, I explained to my friend how I realized that The Vampire’s War has two main storylines, not one. Of course, one is the war itself. But as the words hit paper, I came to realize we were also watching Jaret grow into himself as a new, confidant, and liberated vampire. There was a self-discovery component for Jaret that evolved naturally, without my intending to tell it even as it dominated much of the plot.

She then asked me, “do you think what happened to you had anything to do with how you tell Jaret’s story?” Boom! Out of nowhere I saw a major factor in why this story came into being. I had been laid off, in a very unethical hatchet job against a lot of friends, colleagues, and myself. But Paul and I had been planning for me to retire in about five years or so, and after deliberation and analysis, concluded we could take that step now, and thus I became a full-time writer! Jaret’s story had become part of how I processed what happened to me and then embraced my new life. For the first time, I don’t answer to anyone, not a parent, teacher, professor, boss – nobody but the dogs (who are still in charge). The way my friend led me to this revelation was so much fun. And I am happy to have the opportunity to share with you the fun way The Vampire’s War came to fruition!

I don’t know about you, but I love hearing about how authors come up with their story ideas and how our actual lives can seep into the stories we write, even without us knowing until someone points the fact out to us. Let me know in the comments below what you think about how our muses work. Until next time, have a great week.

Book Blurb:

War brews among vampires. Facing extinction at the hands of an ancient one, the Vampire Council plods along with a secret strategy. Jaret Bachmann, both vampire and witch, fears the Council elders move too slowly. He has the power to assist them in defeating their enemy, but the longer they keep him at arm’s length the more defiant he becomes. He’s already pushing the boundaries to assert his will when tragedy strikes, devastating him and compelling him to become even more rebellious. A young vampire alone in the world, Jaret struggles to find his true self and discover how he wants to spend the remainder of his eternal life, even as the vampire war intensifies and the rogue vampire strikes again. To compound his problems, he’s faced with the allure of a hot renegade vampire, not sure if he is friend or foe. Who will win the war, and where will Jaret’s soul-searching lead him? Find out in The Vampire’s War.

About Damian Serbu:

Damian Serbu is an author of gay horror/speculative fiction.  After over twenty years of teaching history at the collegiate level, he now writes full time.  He lives in the Chicagoland area with his husband and two dogs.  You can find him a on his website here, or keep up with his latest ramblings on Twitter here and Facebook here.

Buy Link his novel The Vampire’s War here.

Cover Art

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. How is your day going? You all hanging in there? I thought today would be a good day to talk about cover art and cover design. There are some authors, and for the life of me I don’t understand, that don’t pay any attention to the covers that are used for their books. I’m not saying this is all authors. In fact, I have a feeling it’s only a small minority, but lately I’ve seen some awful covers. I don’t know if these terrible designs have to do with the sheer number of self-published books out there, but dear lord, if these books are being pushed out by publishing houses, then they should be ashamed of themselves. Especially with all the wonderfully talented graphic artists and designers to pick from.

I’m not going to share the bad covers I’ve seen, because what I don’t like someone may love.

However, consider this a public service announcement to all authors out there. If you are self-publishing your book, please pay attention to the cover. An amazing cover is one of the best ways to market and sell your book. Now, unless you are an extremely talented artist yourself, then pay to have something professionally done. Book covers tend to start at $50 (US) and go up from there. I’ve seen some wonderful covers at this lower price point. However, like with all things the more you pay the better (and more customizable) the cover can be.

One sure fire way to ensure you have a great looking cover, is to do a search for the best cover art in your genre.  It’s amazing what will pop up and give you some great ideas. When it comes to cover design, really do your homework. If you spent months and years working on your book, then spending a week or two to find and acquire the perfect cover for your book is well worth the investment. Especially since this is your introduction to new readers. Everyone will judge your book by the cover, despite what we’ve all been told.

Here is a link to a cover designer, Sleepy Fox Studio, I’ve used in the past (and I’m not getting anything for this, I only wanted to share one resource out there, but there are several artists who can do wonderful cover art for your book) click here.

What are your thoughts on book covers? Do you care what the cover looks like? Have you ever been put off from buying a book because of the cover? Or worse, have you ever bought a book based on the cover then hated the book? Let me know in the comments below. Until next time, have a great week.

Velma (HBO Max) – My Thoughts

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. I hope you are all doing well today. I’m happy to report that today is the first full day we didn’t have any rain, since, I want to say, around Christmas. I don’t mind the rain, however it’s nice to see the sun. We are actually drying out a bit, especially after the thunder, hail and downpour we had yesterday. On the flip side, that means we’ve gotten, California cold, which means our lows are in the 30s at night and the low 50s during the day. 

Don’t laugh, when you aren’t from the snow, that can be cold. Plus, I’m delicate. 

Eric and I started watching Velma, this weekend and I wanted to share my thoughts on the first two episodes we’ve seen. I want to give the writers some credit here because if this wasn’t an origin story about a popular character from a hugely successful kid’s cartoon from the late 1960s and early 1970s the show is good. The characters are interesting and different. I loved the mixed of characters and the diversity. I enjoyed (especially in the first episode) them making fun of other modern TV shows, especially nudity. Both Eric and I had a chuckle at that. 

Unfortunately, Velma is not a new show. These aren’t new and fresh characters, these are characters that several generations (from Gen X forward) grew up with. This is the issue I’m having with the show so far. They have taken these characters we all know and love, then thrown them into a blender and we ended up with this mix of… well I’m not sure what to call it.  Let me give you some simple examples: 

  • Velma Dinkely: She’s a geek/nerd who has family trauma and a really unlikeable father. She’s a know-it-all and doesn’t like anyone. She thinks they are all idiots.

  • Daphine Blake: A ‘mean girl’ who you don’t like from the start and continue to dislike (she and Velma were BFFs until Daphine made friends with the popular girls. The best part about her character is she has two moms who are detectives (and not very good detectives at that).

  • Fred Jones: Ugh… a childish freak (sorry that is the best word I have to describe him). He is a rich pampered snob (he doesn’t even remember Velma’s name at first even though they go to school together). He can’t even cut his own food for himself. He too comes from an odd (read mildly abusive) family. The most interesting part of his character so far is, for some reason, he hasn’t gone through puberty and has an underdeveloped penis.

  • Norville "Shaggy" Rogers: He’s a friend of Velma’s who has a crush on her (he’s the most likable of the characters so far). I do like that they have him creating SM content about food, I thought that was clever and interesting.

  • Scooby-Doo: MIA. We haven’t seen or heard the namesake of the cartoon yet. WTF! 

Now, don’t get me wrong, the talent is giving their acting and these characters there all, which is wonderful to see. And I really appreciate all the diversity, as it modernizes this show for a new generation. The animation is excellent as well, so they are really putting out a visually beautiful work. Honestly, this should have been called something else, and I think they would have something quite good. Instead you, the viewer, are trying to watch the show and you keep getting pulled out of it with all the differences from the original source material. 

Eric and I will continue to watch the show, because it is interesting, but this is not Scooby-Doo by any stretch of the imagination. Will the series live or die? Will we actually get Scooby-Doo? I don’t know. But if you want to watch a dark gritty adult cartoon, then give Velma a watch. If you want something fun from your childhood run the other way and avoid at all cost. 

There you have it, my thoughts on the first two episodes of Velma (2023).  Have you watched Velma yet? What did you think? Did you watch Scooby-Doo (1969) as a kid? Let me know in the comments below. Until next time, have a great week.

Queer as Folk (2022) - Review

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. I hope you are all having a wonderful day and taking care of yourselves. This week I wanted to share my thoughts on the new version of Queer as Folk (2022). Eric and I finally sat down to binge watch the drama, and since we finished the show, and since there won’t be a new season, I figured I would share my thoughts on this updated version of this innovative drama from 1999.

I was a huge fan of the British version of Queer as Folk, and I was excited to see them bring it to the US. When Queer as Folk came out, it was edgy and broke all the barriers that were in place and it was brilliant.

If you don’t know what Queer as Folk is, here is a brief summary of the show: The lives and loves of a group of gay friends living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

When I saw Peacock was planning on revamping and updating the show for 2022 I wasn’t sure if that needed to be done, but since Hollywood is all about remakes (with hits and misses) I figured I would give it a chance… then I read the reviews. Then I saw that the show wouldn’t be picked up for a second season. Because of this, we ended up waiting to watch since there wasn’t a rush.

The remake of Queer as Folk is basically this: It centers on a group of club-going friends who find support in the (New Orleans) gay community following a tragedy.

What I really liked about this show was how the writers really brought in the diversity. You want to see the rainbow, this show provides that. And there are some wonderful veteran actors who help bring credibility to the cast: Juliette Lewis, Kim Cattrall, and Ed Bagley, Jr. who all play strong supporting characters allowing the younger cast to shine. Everything about the casting was wonderful, and they impressed me. This is how Hollywood should cast our (the queer communities) stories.

Sadly, despite the wonderful cast and the strong acting, I found myself disappointed with the show. I had a hard time liking any of the characters (with a few exceptions; Bussey, Marvin, and Ali all stood out and I would have loved to see more of them and learn more of their stories). The characters we were meant to care about held no interest for me and I kept waiting for their scenes to end so we could go back to the side characters I loved. I’m not sure what the writers were trying to do with the major stars of the show. Were they writing drama for drama’s sake, because it wasn’t needed. They had so much to work with that they didn’t need to keep piling it on.

Maybe it’s the writer in me, wow can I say that? But I wanted more story and less drama. The series started with a bang and we got thrown in to all the characters’ lives, which was good, but before we even got to learn more about these people, they added more drama. Each episode kept adding to the fire (and not in a good way). They had some amazing plot points that they could have run with, especially with the diversity of the cast, but the writers chose to quickly wrap some of these large issues up with a few lines of dialogue before adding a bunch of new drama. Honestly, it was a mess and frustrating to watch in some parts.

Where the original Queer as Folk gave enough drama to keep the show interesting (while hitting on topical subjects for the time period) this new version didn’t give us a chance to meet these characters and learn about them, so we could actually care about them.

One bright spot that I loved was learning some of the back story between Ruthie and Brodie. They handled those moments so well; it made me more annoyed that they didn’t do that with everyone.

I want to call out Ryan O’Connell (who played Julian). He did a wonderful job with the few bits and pieces they gave him. Ryan was the writer and star of Special, which I adored. If you haven’t watched Special do so, as Ryan was excellent in the show and it’s a lot of fun. I also loved the scenes with him and Nyle DiMarco. I wouldn’t mind seeing the two of them in a movie or TV show together. Their chemistry together worked for me.

Despite my disappointment with the show, it’s worth watching. Eric actually really enjoyed it, so it might be a me thing. Maybe Peacock will give it another look, make a few changes and bring it back, but I’m not sure. Either way, I would watch a new season.

There you have it, my thoughts on Queer as Folk (2022). Have you watched Queer as Folk (any of the versions)? What did you think? Did you like them, hate them, or what? Let me know in the comments below. Until next time, have a great week.

2022; Year in Review

Happy New Year everyone and happy Wednesday Scribblers. It has been a crazy year, and today I thought I would do a year in review, and share all the things that brought me joy this year. I also thought I would share a few things that may or may not be on your radar, which I hope you will all check out and support.

First and foremost, as I hope you all know I’ve had two new books come out this year; Conspiracy-A New World (Book 3) (click here) and Volaria (click here), I was also part of three anthologies this year as well; Save the World: Twenty Sci-Fi Writers Save the Planet (click here), BAQWA Presents: Two (click here), and Horror Addicts Guide to Life 2 (click here). There was a lot of writing this year, which always brings me joy. I’m thrilled to be involved with all these other incredible authors. I’ve learned so much from each of them, and I believe that has improved my writing greatly.

This year, I returned to in person events and boy did I miss them. I didn’t attend too many events, but the ones I did go to were a joy to attend. This year I attended: The Hayward Lit Hop, The Bay Area Book Festival, Davis Pride, and BayCon 2022. It was so good to see people in person and get to sign books and meet fans. I absolutely love being out and about seeing folks. I’m hoping to go to more events this year (click here to see my events page).

Publishing three more audiobooks this year was incredibly special for me. In 2022 I released: Contact-A New World (Book 1) and Conviction-A New World (Book2) as narrated by Steve Connor; and, The Calling as narrated by Vance Bastian. Both these actors/narrators are exceptionally talented and made the novel come to life. I could be more pleased with all the work that went into them. Find them here, on Audible and here on iTunes. You won’t be disappointed. I know I wasn’t.

What really made my year, was getting to contribute to some wonderful online and print publications. I had two articles featured on Pen to Print (find them here and here). I was asked to provide an article for the San Francisco Chronicle which was a huge honor (find it here). The East Bay Time did a write up about me and my two novels; Conspiracy and Volaria (click here). Lastly, I was interviewed on behalf of the Bay Area Queer Writers Association (BAQWA) for the Bay Area Berkley High Jacket (click here).

Another bright spot for me this year, was getting to be interviewed on Small Publishing in a Big Universe (find it here) and WROTE Podcast did me the honor of not only allowing me to come on and chat about my writing and my books (click here), but they also had me for the entire month of December as a guest reviewer for their holiday movie reviews, which was an absolute joy. Here are the links to each of the episodes:

Gayeen Froese (12/9/22) – click here (we review Christmas at the Ranch)

Faith Mosley (12/16/22) – click here (we review Happiest Season)

Kevin Klehr (12/23/22) – click here (we review The Holiday Sitter)

2022 Yearly Wrap-up (12/30/22) – click here (we review The Christmas House 2)

Being part of all these podcasts and YouTube channel interviews really got me excited about the possibilities, and what, if anything, I could do to help support the writing community. This year I launched my Writing Tips and Tricks for Authors on my YouTube Channel (find it here). I wanted to reach out to not only authors but to readers as well and share what it’s like to be a ‘real’ indie author and all the work that goes into it. These episodes are fifteen minutes (or shorter) and it’s been a lot of fun creating them and seeing the comments and reaction from folks. I’m already up to 30 subscribers but it would be great to reach 100 or even a thousand. Who knows. But if you want to keep up with me and get to hear and learn about writing I encourage you to check out the channel and see what you think.

The last thing that has brought me massive amounts of joy this last year, is each of you. Knowing that there are folks out there who love my writing and buy my books makes me happy and gives me the desire to keep going. 2023 Promises to be another crazy year, and I’ll have a new book (or two) coming out, so keep an eye out.

There you have it, my year in review. Here’s to 2023 and all that lays ahead of us. Until next time, have a great week.

Happy Holidays 2022

Happy Holidays 2022

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, I want to take a moment and thank you all and wish you all a joyful holiday season. No matter what you celebrate, I hope you take time to rest, relax, and unwind. As with each year as it ends I want to share a simple Holiday message with you all:

Happy holidays! Sending you love, light, and laughter for good memories and a bright and healthy 2023. May you and your family stay healthful and may you see the light in a world that can be dark.

Until next time, be well, happy holidays, and have a great week.

Book Announcement: These Young Wolves by Glenn Quigley

Happy Wednesday Scribblers! I hope you are having a wonderful week. Today I’m excited to share another up and coming book from the wonderful author Glenn Quigley (he’s been a busy author with a lot of new works coming out). This week we’re going to learn about Glenn’s spin off story from the Moth and Moon trilogy, These Young Wolves – The Knights of Blackrabbit book one.

These Young Wolves – The Knights of Blackrabbit book one by Glenn Quigley

Blurb:

One year ago, Vince Knight walked away from his role as crime lord of Port Knot. In his absence, the gangs he founded went to war, and frightening new factions have risen from the ashes to tear at the town’s throat like hungry wolves.

Now Vince is back and has taken command of the Watch—working side-by-side with the very people who spent years trying to put him behind bars. Unbeknownst to him, Captain James Godgrave has been given his own team to deal with crime in the town, but while he and Vince share a common goal, they are not allies.

The murder of one of James’s crew puts Vince in a delicate position. Facing pressure from the council, the townsfolk, and the Watch itself, Vince must find the killer because if he doesn’t, James will, and Vince’s tenure as Watch Commander will be the shortest in history.

As Vince and James clash in their public and private lives, Vince starts to understand the damage caused by his abdication as crime lord, James sets about putting down the gangs once and for all, and the mysterious power behind the new factions exacts a terrifying plan that will change Port Knot forever.

About the Story:

This is an historical fiction story, set in the late 18th century. It’s also a spin-off from The Moth and Moon trilogy. It is not necessary to have read that series before this book, however those who have read it will recognise former villain Vince Knight, who is now trying to make up for past mistakes.  From the moment Vince Knight first walked onto the page in The Lion Lies Waiting, I knew there was something special about him. Some characters require a degree of finessing and moulding to reveal their true selves. Not so with Vince. He appeared on the page fully formed and ready for action. It is a genuine thrill to be able to bring you this, the first in his adventures as head of the Port Knot Watch.

The Knights of Blackrabbit series is set in the Pell Isles–a group of islands situated off the coast of Cornwall. The isles and their inhabitants have been heavily influenced by the Cornish language and culture. As such, you will see words such as backalong and bleddy crop up in the dialogue. These are Cornish words which have been adopted by everyday Pellans. Backalong means in former times and bleddy is simply the word bloody in the local vernacular. Other words and phrases have been rewritten to make their meaning clearer, but I felt it important to leave some elements of the local dialect intact. I hope that Cornish people will forgive me for any little errors!

It’s worth noting that in this world, an event named “The Illumination” coincided with the fall of the Roman Empire and ultimately led to the abandonment of religious practices across the world. In England, in the year 1141, Queen Matilda passed a law declaring women equal to men with no restrictions placed on their education or the roles they could hold within society. The dearth of religious doctrine led to those who experienced life outside of the traditional to blossom and become accepted as simply another part of life. Prejudice based on gender, race, or sexuality became almost unheard of. If only our world had taken a similar path. When I started writing my first novel, The Moth and Moon, I wanted to create a world where no one would face any hardship because of their sexuality. The Illumination was my way of explaining that. It isn’t the focus of the story, and is only mention in passing during the second book in the trilogy, The Lion Lies Waiting, but I felt some kind of explanation was warranted.

This story begins on 23rd October 1781, the day after the events of We Cry the Sea (the third in the Moth and Moon trilogy). It is not essential to have read that book, nor the rest of the Moth and Moon trilogy, though doing so will provide a more detailed insight into how Vince Knight came to arrive at his current position in life.

You might be interested to know that there is a free story that acts a little prequel to These Young Wolves. It is available to my newsletter subscribers (there had to be a newsletter plug in here somewhere!). You can sign up for it here.

This new series is more action-packed and faster paced than my previous works and I hope that readers will enjoy it. If nothing else, it’s got big, burly, bearded men sleeping with each other and that’s gotta be worth a look, right?

These Young Wolves – The Knights of Blackrabbit book one will be available in paperback and eBook, and will be released on 20th December 2022 by Ninestar Press. You can pre-order the eBook version here and get it four days early.

Glenn will be selling signed copies with bookmarks and limited-edition art prints, and these will be available worldwide. You can find out more on his Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

The Moth and Moon trilogy is on sale for the month on December on Amazon and the Ninestar Press website.

Well, that’s all for this week. Go out and preorder These Young Wolves – The Knights of Blackrabbit book one. You won’t be disappointed. Until next time have a great week.

Author Bio:

Glenn Quigley is an author and artist originally from Tallaght in Dublin, Ireland, and now living in Lisburn, Northern Ireland with his partner of many years. His first novel, The Moth and Moon, was published in 2018. When not writing, he paints portraits in watercolours and tweets too many photos of lighthouses. He maintains a website of his latest work at www.glennquigley.com.

 

Where to find Glenn online:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/glennquigleyauthor

Twitter: @glennquigley

Instagram: @glennquigleyauthor

Mastodon: @glennquigley@mastodon.online

Website: www.glennquigley.com

A Review of First Born Sons

Happy Wednesday Scribblers! I hope you are having a wonderful week. Today I bring to you my review of Vincent Traughber Meis’s (learn more about Vincent here) novel First Born Sons. I’m please I got to read this book and I’m happy to share it here with you all today.

Frist Born Sons by Vincent Traughber Meis

Blurb:

A group of coastal Californians battle wildfires, racism, and their own demons in five distinct narratives set in late 2019 and 2020.

First Born Sons is populated by a cast of LGBTQ+ individuals and their allies who struggle to find love, comfort, and fulfillment. As the novel progresses, characters interact across the separate narratives and are brought together for a birthday and a disastrous Black Lives Matter demonstration. A man returning to the horrors that made him leave Mississippi, a blind gay man flirting with love, an FTM transgender starting hormone therapy, a woman struggling to protect her sons from her ex-husband’s surge to right-wing politics, and a teenager with two gay dads searching for his Black surrogate mom paint a disturbing tableau of modern-day America.

My Review:

There is a lot to unpack from this novel. First, I came into this novel not having read anything from Meis. So, that may have had me at a disadvantage. First Born Sons has several characters that we follow through out the story, which can be distracting at times, but overall all the characters are handled well, which I liked. Also, all the characters are related and intermingle through out the story, which made it much easier to follow. And I found that I liked each of the characters and felt like they were real people.

Typically, I don’t read contemporary novels (I prefer something fun to help me escape from reality) so this novel would not have been my first pick. That said, I’m glad I did read it. I found a lot of the characters easy to relate to and enjoyable to read about. I can’t pick out a favorite, because I don’t feel close to any of them, but I did enjoy learning about them. If you haven’t figured out from the blurb, this book takes place right before the pandemic and ends while the pandemic is still going, but things are opening back up and everyone is learning to deal with our new reality. Given the nature of the story, I had to wonder if the novel would stand the test of time, but then I figured that people could read this story to learn a bit about what the pandemic was like during this time.

First Born Sons, is well written and the tail is engaging overall, however I’m not a big fan of being hit over the head with a writer’s message or opinion. I prefer to have the message be vague and open to interpretation as well as come about naturally and organically, sadly First Born Sons is all about the message the author wants you to learn, which bothered me. I also, felt the book could be heavy handed at times with the message. Despite sensing what was coming I was disappointed to be proven correct. I think there may have been another way to achieve the author’s goal. I will say that I agree 100% with the message of the story, which made the constant beating of the drum bearable and, for me, forgivable. Perhaps this is my own bias and privilege speaking, so take it for what it’s worth.

In total if you enjoy gay contemporary stories that touch on a variety of lives with a clever weaving narrative, then this is the book for you. I highly recommend it.

Well, that’s all for this week. Go out and pick up your copy of Frist Born Sons (buy it here). You won’t be disappointed. Until next time have a great week.

Book Announcement and Happy Thanksgiving 2022

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. I want to wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving (for those here in the US), and I want to share all the things I am thankfully for. Also, today I want to share my good friend, Glenn Quigley’s, newest holiday short story coming out on December 20, 2022; The Great Santa Showdown.

I want to wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving, no matter how you are spending this day (and the weekend) I hope you get to take some time for yourself and be in the moment. Enjoy those you have around you, or enjoy the piece and quiet. As with this same time last year we all need to take these moments and be thankful for all the small things we have in our lives. This year I want to share all the things I’m thankful for:

  • My husband Eric, it’s hard to believe this year will be 24 years, but it is and I couldn’t be more pleased that we have had all these wonderful years together.

  • My Family, they can work each and ever nerve I have at times, but I’m thankful for each and every one of them.

  • My Friends, friendship is so important and I’m so blessed to have so many good friends in my life. It’s been great reconnecting with so many of them over the last few months. It’s been wonderful.

  • My home, it may not be the best place in the world but I like it and I’m thankful we have it.

  • My job, I have a great boss who I respect and have enjoyed working with all these years. For me it’s not about the work, but the people.

  • My writing, with each year that passes I find I love my writing more and more and I can’t imagine my life without it.

  • My health, I’ve lost about 70 pounds (or about 32kg). I can’t say I’m feeling any different then I did before I lost all the weight, but I look a lot better, so that is a big win.

  • Being able to travel, it has been so nice to travel again. We haven’t traveled as much as we used to, but we still take our trips and I’m looking forward to doing more in the coming year.

  • All the little things, there are so many small things I’m grateful for that I can’t name them all, but I’m very grateful for all of them.

What are you thankful for? If you’d like to share below I would love read it.

Now on to the book announcement. My good friend Glenn Quigley (learn more here), has a new holiday short story coming out: The Great Santa Showdown. The short story is up for preorder now (find it here) and will be out on December 10, 2022. Here is a bit about the short story.

 

A little town needs a big Santa, and both John and Gregory are ready to prove they’ve got what it takes. This Christmas, it’s time to sleigh the competition!

It's two weeks before Christmas and the official Santa Claus of the small town of Yuleboro is retiring. Bookstore owner Gregory has long dreamed of taking over the role. However, he's not the only one, as tree farmer John has been waiting his whole life for this opportunity. Alongside a host of other competitors, they’ll battle their way through a tournament designed to test the skills of any would-be Kris Kringles, and find it takes more than a belly and a beard to wear the red suit. And as Gregory and John go head-to-head in the first-ever Great Santa Showdown, it's not just the competition that heats up!

THE GREAT SANTA SHOWDOWN is a cozy short story inspired by watching way too many Hallmark movies and wondering why nobody ever falls for the gorgeous, cuddly Santa Claus. Gregory and John are in their sixties, both are bearded, burly, single, and gay. The setting is the small, all-American town of Yuleboro, where they do the holidays right. From Dasher’s Diner, to Sinterklaas Square, to Santa’s Jolly Olde Lodge, the whole town is a festive wonderland. So pull on your favorite sweater, pour yourself a cup of hot chocolate, and settle in for one great big bear hug of a story!

That’s all for now. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and until next time, have a great week.

Sorrow's Drive: A Quartet

Happy Wednesday Scribblers! Have I got a new story for you. This story is from one of the authors in my writing group the Bay Area Queer Writers Association (BAQWA) Michael Alenyikov. I’ve loved getting to know Michael and learning more and more about his writing and his newest novel. The book will be hitting the shelves on December 10, 2022, so mark your calendars.

Here are the details about Sorrow's Drive: A Quartet:

From a UN Peacekeeper searching for meaning in East Timor, to a lonely boy in San Francisco bonding with his dying bohemian grandmother as she recounts her last trip to Italy, to a middle aged man from Boston looking back on his first trip to pre-AIDS San Francisco, to a retired history professor in San Francisco driving cross country to the Boston of his youth, remembering his early struggles with being gay, while a star baseball player in high school and college in the 40s and 50s’s, these novellas sweep across continents, decades, and memories, capturing the aftermath of the loss of innocence.

Here is what one advance reader had to say about the collection of stories:

“These four stunning novellas have an almost magical effect as Alenyikov masterfully weaves together disparate lives and universal themes into something approaching the sublime. He evokes the common goodness of people, as well as the common heartbreaking challenge that we all face and feel compelled to understand. Each story complements and clarifies the others in their exploration of family, of displacement and loneliness, of trying to find a way forward by looking back.”—Trebor Healey, two time winner of the Ferro-Grumley Award, author of A Horse Called Sorrow.

You can get your copy here.

Learn more about Michael and what other books he has on offer here.

Well that’s all I have for now. Until next time, I hope you have a great week.

Guest Post - Three Ghosts by Kevin Klehr

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. Today I’m happy to have Kevin Klehr back to talk about crafting stories and how what might be a great idea may not work for your story. No matter how many times you rework the tale. Kevin uses the example of from his newest short story Three Ghosts. Which is out now.

My new short story, Three Ghosts, took four drafts to write. This is partly because I’m a perfectionist, and partly because an idea my husband suggested really appealed to me.

I’m one of those authors who loves to include plot twists. I’m a plotter and carefully work through my outline to throw my readers off course. So, when my husband, Warren, suggested a uniquely weird ending to this story, I naturally weaved his idea in. And as this is no longer the ending to the story, I can share it with you.

The story is about a ghostly couple, Tim and Carol, and their spirited gay friend, Alexander. Every time a shooting star is scheduled, they choose a house with the best vantage point to haunt, always making sure the residents aren’t home. But this time the inhabitants return unexpectedly, and they just happen to be Alexander’s ex-boyfriend and the ex’s new lover.

Toward the end of the second draft, Alexander is on Carol’s psychiatrist’s couch relaying the story we’ve just read. Neither are ghosts, and Alexander is under the illusion his other analyst is Carol’s husband, Tim. Carol tells him yet again she is not married. We also find out the story which was just presented has other twists.

The final scene features Alexander being analysed by Tim who also points out he is not married because Carol doesn’t exist, and that he is the only psychiatrist Alexander is seeing. Then more twists are uncovered.

In the third draft, I ditched the scene with Tim as the analyst and worked the final twists into the previous scene with Carol.

The problem was any version with characters suddenly turning into psychotherapists would have infuriated readers. I really wanted to make my husband’s idea work, and in a novel it could have. I would have dropped in moments where the real world would break in, leaving the reader guessing. But in a short story, playing with genre is risky.

The fourth and final draft has a sweet ending in line with this comedic short. Alexander is no longer suffering from delusions. And so far, one reviewer made a comparison to Noel Coward, and another loved the twists which are still in this story.

That’s the thing with storytelling. Readers come on a journey with you, and any detour you throw in must be carefully considered.

Thank you Kevin for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. I can and will admit that I’ve had similar ideas for stories I’ve worked on, however, I agree Readers would not be happy no matter how clever we think we are as writers. you can pick up Kevin’s new short story here. To learn more about Kevin and his writing you can find him here. Until next time have a great week.

Conviction-A New World (Book 2) Audiobook Now Available!

Happy Wednesday, Scribblers! I hope you all had a safe and fun Halloween. It was so good to see people out and about this year, and we had a bunch of Trick-or-treater’s. Luckily we didn’t run out of candy to pass out. Here are a couple of pictures of the house. It’s not as decorated as we have done in years past, but I’m still happy with how it looks.

Today I’m excited to share with you; Conviction-A New World (Book 2) joins my growing collection of audiobooks.

For those folks that love to listen to audiobooks, well this week, it gives me great pleasure to share that Conviction-A New World (Book 2) is now available on Amazon, Audible, and iTunes. Conviction joins my other marvelous audiobooks (find them all here); The Reunion, A Dragon for Christmas, T.A.D.-The Angel of Death, The Calling, and Contact-A New World (Book 1). The amaizing Steve Connor continues his narration from Contact and continues to impress with his talented and creative take on the characters and the story.

Enjoy this audio sample here:

Get your audiobook version of Conviction-A New World (Book 2) here.

To wrap up this week, I would like to ask if you have read and enjoyed any of my books or audiobooks to please consider leaving a book review. This is so important and you don’t have to spend a lot of time writing it, you can simply leave a star rating or if you want to leave a comment, it can be as simple as: This is a good book, I recommend it. Book reviews really help and lets other readers know this novel or audiobook are worth picking up and reading. Lastly, don’t forget to check out my Book Reviews (click here) and find yourself something exciting to read. Until next time, I hope you pick up one of my newest books and, most importantly, have a great week.

Five Tips on Character Creation

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. I hope you are all having a wonderful week despite all the bad news. It seems things keep getting darker and darker. I have to believe the light will come soon. I hope we can all hang in there until then. This week I wanted to share a new writing tip with you. I realized I haven’t shared any writing tips in a while and I figured today would be a good day to do so. This week I want to share my five tips on character creation. Keep in mind this is going to vary for everyone, but these are my tips that I use for all my characters, when I’m starting a new story. Or, sometimes, I discover I need an additional character in the story I’m working on.

Let’s jump into it:

  1. Create a bio for your character. Think about all the general things that are important for your character. Name. Date of birth. Age. Astrological sign. Where they work. What their education was like. How old they are? What do they do in their free time? What scares them? What is their religion? Are they religious? Did they have a terrible experience with their faith? Do they have any goals? Giving your characters some goals is always a good thing. It makes the character more three dimensional and gives you an opportunity to either help them with their goals throughout the story, or makes them reevaluate the importants of their goals. Is your character likeable? Are they kind?

  2. What do they look like? Often what I will do is find an image on line of what I think the character may look like. An actor. A model. Even a cartoon character (I know weird, but true). If you don’t want to find an image, then describe the characters and write it all down; eye-color, hair-color, height, weight, do they wear glasses, are they fat, are they thin, etc. The more details you can write up about your characters appearance, the more real that character will become to you. This also has the added benefit of giving you actions you can do with your character as you write. If they wear glasses, you can have them take them off, put them on, etc. If they are thin or overweight, you might have them play with their clothes as they may not fit right. If they are tall, you might have them hit their head. If they are short, they might not reach things.

  3. Describe their family. Are their parents alive? Are their parents dead? Do they have siblings? Do they have an extended family? What about Grandparents? Is their family religious? Does the lack of faith or too much faith cause tension in the family?

  4. Where are they from? What is their race/nationality? This will help you figure out how they speak and if they have any kind of accent. This will also tell you how the world responds to them. People don’t always treat foreigners very well. So, if your character isn’t a local, then you have that to play and work with. Also, when it comes to how they speak, if they have an accent this will give you a chance for variation in your dialog.

  5. This last one may not be hugely important for everyone, but I find it helpful with my character's creation. What is your character’s sexual orientation and identity? It may never come into play, but it is another opportunity to learn about your character and figure out how the world interacts with them.

Bonus: I find it helpful to create a character sheet for each of my main characters. That way I can easily pull it up as I’m writing the story. I can also, quickly, add to it as the need arises.

Those are my five tips and one bonus tip on creating and getting to know your characters in your story. I hope this helps. Also, if you are looking for more writing tips, check out these past blogs. I chalked them full of advice and helpful tips and tricks:

Events (What you didn’t know, you need to know)

Creating Audiobooks – Why and How?

Writing Process and How Writing Works… For me Now.

What it’s like being an author in a small publishing house?

What I Look for When I’m Judging Books for Book Awards.

Book Editing; Overly Used Words, Filtering and Filler Words.

Word Police and Word Censorship.

What is the Hardest part about Writing a Book – The Marketing.

Well Scribblers that is all I have for now. I really hope you found this all helpful. Let me know if you have any character creation tips in the comments below. Until next time have a great week.

October 2022 Events. Not to be Missed!

Happy Wednesday, Scribblers! I know, I’m a day early, but that is for a very good reason. This week I will be taking part in two different virtual events that I wanted to tell you about. The first event is on Wednesday (October 19th) and the second event is on Saturday (October 22nd).

On Wednesday (October 19th), I’ll be over with the folks from Perfectly Queer. Perfectly Queer Readings presents its Fall Fiction reading Wednesday, October 19 online from 7pm to 8pm Pacific. Hear Louis Flint Ceci, Cary Alan Johnson, and M.D. Neu read from their new novels via Zoom. Get the link by emailing perfectlyqueersf@gmail.com. Books are available at Fabulosa Books (find them here) in San Francisco or from your local bookstore.

On Saturday (October 22nd), I’ll be helping my buddy J.P. Jackson (learn more here) celebrate his birthday. Come join The Demon Horde in celebrating author J.P. Jackson’s Birthday with a massive Author Takeover Party!!

I’ll be speaking live (or in the group discussion depending on how the technology works that day) about my writing and my books. I’ll have a giveaway and other funs bits going on. I’ll be live starting at 2:30pm (MST) or 1:30pm (PST).

The event will be hosted on J.P. Jackson’s Facebook Page here.

Another event I’m excited to share, is that some of the amazing authors from BAQWA (The Bay Area Queer Writers Association, click here to learn more) will be in Benicia, Ca. celebrating Pride (just when you thought all the Pride events were over, nope, Benicia is hosting one). I won’t be at this event, but some great authors will be. So, if you are in the area, please stop by and say hello and check out their books. They will also be selling BAQWA’s second anthology: BAQWA Presents: Two (find more about the book here). This is a wonderful anthology and all the proceeds from the sale of this book go to support the Lavender Library in Sacramento, Ca. (learn more here).

Don’t forget to help the members of BAQWA support the Lavender Library this year, with it’s new anthology, BAQWA Presents: Two

Sit down and kick your feet up with your favorite warm beverage for fall. It's time for you to enjoy stories and poetry that reflect the number two.

The Bay Area Queer Writers Association is proud to present this year's collection of short stories and poetry featuring authors: M.D. Neu, R.L. Merrill, Liz Faraim, K.S. Trenten, Wayne Goodman, Richard May, Gar McVey-Russell, Vincent Traughber Meis, Michael Alenyikov, and Kelliane Parker. Sometimes you need to be able to sit back and let the words from the pages wash over you. See how these amazing authors spotlight the number 'two' in each of their works.

All proceeds from this limited-time anthology will be donated to the Lavender Library and Archives in Sacramento, California.

Get your copy here and don’t forget to leave a review here on Goodreads.

I hope I get to see you at one of these fantastic virtual events! It should be a lot of fun. Until next time, I hope you pick up one of my newest books (click here) and, most importantly, have a great week.

October 2022 Announcements

Happy Wednesday, Scribblers! I hope you are all taking care and having a good October so far. Can you believe it’s already the second week of Halloween? Today I have several exciting announcements to share with you. Author pals S.E. Smyth and Kevin Klehr both have new books coming out in the coming days that you absolutely can’t miss, and I’ll be doing a virtual reading of Volaria later this month. Let’s jump into the details, shall we.

First up, author S.E. Smyth has a new sapphic f/f dual narrative crime drama out titled; Criminal by Proxy. Here is the blurb:

Christine is on the hunt to find out more about her great aunt, Rose, hoping to decipher their severed relationship and the murder Rose committed, for which June is in prison. With a stroke leaving Rose incapacitated, it’s a rush against time to find the truth.

Things are doubly complicated when Christine’s girlfriend Terrie is accused of assaulting someone. Nervous about what she might do next, Christine and her friends avoid Terrie. With everything at stake, Christine must stick to the cold hard facts, reminding herself not to let her emotions get in the way.

Christine must evaluate everything happening in her life. The weight of the events buried by her aunt so many years before and the shame of the actions of the love of her life rest squarely on her. If the eyes of the law are always 20/20, how do love, emotion, and insecurities distort fact?

Who is guilty in the eyes of the law and those of a lover?

Doesn’t that sound fantastic? And what about that cover, isn’t it beautiful? I really like the color scheme. You can preorder it here.

Where to find S.E. Smyth:

Find her on Twitter here.

She can be found on Facebook here.

Check her out on Instagram here.

She’s on Goodreads here.

And of course, her website here.

Next up, is good friend and fellow author Kevin Klehr, he has a new short story, Three Ghosts. This short story is just in time for Halloween so you’ll definitely want to grab your copy. Here is the exciting blurb:

Every time a shooting star is scheduled, Arthur, Carol and Tim choose a house with the best vantage point to haunt, carefully making sure its residents are not home.

But this time Arthur recognizes the decor. The furnishings belong to his ex-boyfriend, Alexander, a man he never got over. And judging by the happy snaps in the photo frames, Alexander lives with a new lover.

Just as the ghosts settle in to watch the celestial event, the occupants return home early.

This story sounds like it’s going to be terrific. And of course, it’s another beautiful cover, order your copy here.

Where to learn more about Kevin Klehr:

He’s on Twitter here.

You can also find him on Facebook here.

And his website is here.

Lastly for the week, I’ll be joining Perfectly Queer Readings (learn more here) as they present its Fall Fiction reading; Wednesday, October 19 online from 7pm to 8pm Pacific. Hear Louis Flint Ceci, Cary Alan Johnson, and M.D. Neu read from their new novels via Zoom. Get the link by emailing perfectlyqueersf@gmail.com. Books are available at Fabulosa Books in San Francisco or from your local bookstore.

This is going to be thrilling as I’ll be reading from my newest novel Volaria (click here for more information). I hope you can join us for the reading as it should be a lot of fun.

Until next time, I hope you pick up one of these great books and, most importantly, have a wonderful week.

Volaria- Out Now! The Calling Audiobook Now Available!

Happy Wednesday, Scribblers! I hope you are all hanging in there and taking care of yourselves. There has been so much happening in the world with hurricane Ian, the protests in Iran, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and not to mention all the political drama happening here at home. I think sometimes we need a break from all that is happening, and I’m glad I can provide a brief respite from the outside world for you. Today I’m excited to share two big announcements with you; Volaria is out now in eBook, paperback and hardback (you heard that right hardback) and the audiobook version of The Calling (Book 1) joins my growing collection of audiobooks. Let’s get into it.

This week, I’m pleased to announce that Volaria is out and has been getting some wonderful reviews (click here). Volaria is a wonderful story and I’m thrilled that folks can pick up their own copy to enjoy. Spectrum Books (who is the publisher for Volaria) offers their novels exclusively through Amazon, so that is where you can grab your copy of Volaria. How this benefits you, is that, you can take advantage of Kindle Unlimited, you can read the book through that service using your credits, which is amazing.

Here is the blurb:

Humans are no longer alone; they have been joined by Arcanes, Lycans, and Vampires. It’s been over a hundred years since the Earth went through The Shift. Where once almost eight billion humans lived, the population now holds at four billion. But that wasn’t the only change. No one anticipated the branching of human DNA to produce new species of humans. Arcanes, Lycans, and Vampires are hidden throughout the genome, awaiting puberty before they manifest distinctly unhuman abilities. Finally, the new species of man were welcomed. No longer studied or treated as outcasts by most. People accepted these new humans and they integrated into society, albeit not easily. This allowed the UN Government to focus on colonizing space, in order to secure a future for all.

Risks remain however, permitting a vampire to feed from you can cause shared memories. Tobin Corsian took such a risk. He resides in a newly reopened district of San Jose, California, where his family’s old home stood. He lives there with his friend Mikel, a Lycan, and his dog Begger. Instead of making his mandatory monthly blood donation at the government blood bank for the vampire community, Tobin decides, with the help of his therapist, to visit Biter, a vampire spa. The spa allows vampires to feed from humans directly while providing spa and sexual services, granting the donor a three-month reprieve from their required donations. Tobin’s encounter at Biter opens a window to his past and an experience he had as a child on the moon. Questions abound as he tries to unravel his past and make sense of his life.

Find Volaria here.

For those folks that love to listen to audiobooks, well this week, it gives me great pleasure to share that The Calling (Book 1) is now available on Amazon, Audible, and iTunes. The Calling joins my other marvelous audiobooks (find them all here); The Reunion, A Dragon for Christmas, T.A.D.-The Angel of Death, and Contact-A New World (Book 1). Getting The Calling in audiobook format has been a long journey, but I couldn’t be more pleased with the results. Vance Bastian has done an amazing job of bringing the characters and story to life.

Enjoy this audio sample here:

Get your audiobook version of The Calling (Book 1) here.

To wrap up this week, I would like to ask if you have read and enjoyed any of my books or audiobooks to please consider leaving a book review. This is so important and you don’t have to spend a lot of time writing it, you can simply leave a star rating or if you want to leave a comment, it can be as simple as: This is a good book, I recommend it. Book reviews really help and lets other readers know this novel or audiobook are worth picking up and reading. Lastly, don’t forget to check out my Book Reviews (click here) and find yourself something exciting to read. Until next time, I hope you pick up one of my newest books and, most importantly, have a great week.

Colombian Drug Lord, what could go wrong?

Happy Wednesday Scribblers! Have I got a Crime Thriller for you to read this week. Personally, I’m not a big crime or thriller reader, however there are authors I make exceptions for, and Randall Krzak is one of them. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Randall and his writing over the last several years, and this book of his (which I finally finished) is amazing.

Here is my review of Colombian Betrayal:

This is another wonderful Thriller from Randall Krzak. I’ve been getting caught up on all my reviews and TBR list. This one, I’m sorry I didn’t finish and post sooner. What I love about this novel are the characters. Randall has taken the time to create a diverse cast with wonderful representation, which I personally enjoy (although I’m still waiting to see some LGBTQIA characters). The character that took this story to the next level for me was Olivia, she’s a no-nonsense woman who reads like a woman, which can be difficult when men write strong female characters. I really enjoyed getting the story from her end. It’s nice, is that the right word, reading about a woman Drug Lord who could also be your favorite aunt, sister, or parent’s friend and you would have no idea. That might sound a bit odd, but once you read the story, you’ll see what I mean.

As with all Randall’s books there are twists and turns that you don’t see coming and make the story a great read. Of all his books (I’ve read to date) this is one I can see as a Hollywood Blockbuster. I’m not saying the others won’t make great films, however, if I had to pick one, this would be the one… right now.

As I’ve mentioned several times Crime Thrillers are not typically my go too, but Randall is definitely turning me into a Crime Thriller fan.

You can get your copy here.

Learn more about Randall and what other books he has on offer here.

Well that’s all I have for now. Until next time, I hope you have a great week.

The Calling (Book 1) Audiobook

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. As some of you may have seen, this last weekend I was at my family reunion. It was nice to spend the time with my aunts and uncles and to meet some family who I’ve never met before. I’m so grateful to get to spend these moments with them, especially since none of us know how many tomorrows we have. As typical for a Neu Family Event there was way too much good food, a lot of laughs, and a few card and dice games. My aunt and uncle even played the piano and sang for us, which was a wonderful treat.

So, on the cusp of such a great weekend. Today, I’m very excited to share the news The Calling (Book 1) is with ACX and will be available on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes as soon as they approve the files. As you all know this has been a long road, over a year and a half. However, I couldn’t be more pleased with the work that Vance put into the narration and how the audiobook sounds. Since the audiobook isn’t out yet, I thought I would wet your appetite with a sample from the book.

Give it a listen here.

Here is the book blurb:

Being nobody isn’t Duncan Alexander’s life goal, but it’s worked for him.  He has a nondescript job, a few good friends, and overall he’s content.  That’s until one fateful trip to San Jose, California, where he is ‘Called’ to meet the mysterious Juliet de Exter.  Juliet is a beautiful, wealthy, powerful Immortal who is undertaking ‘The Calling’ – a search for a human to join her world of Immortals.  Inexplicably, Duncan’s calling is more dangerous than any of the Immortals, even Juliet, ever thought it would be.

There is more to this nobody, this only child of long deceased parents, than anyone thought.  When Duncan experiences uncontrollable dreams of people he doesn’t know and places he hasn’t been, Juliet and the other Immortals worry. Soon, his visions point to a coven of long dead witches. The dreams also lead Duncan to his one true love. How will Duncan navigate a forbidden romance with an outcast Immortal?  How will he and the others keep the balance between the Light and Dark, survive vicious attacks, and keep the humans from learning who they truly are?  More importantly, who is this implacable foe Duncan keeps seeing in his dreams?

I will keep you all posted on when the audiobook comes out, and don’t be surprised if Vance and I share some fun little snippets here and there, because we have a few things planned.

A nice short update this week, until next time have a great week.

Sundowners by R.L. Merrill

Happy Wednesday Scribblers! This week I’m so excited to share with you author R.L. Merrill’s (learn more here) newest novel Sundowners (find the book here). This is a new vampire story that is set in one of my favorite places, Santa Cruz, California. I can’t begin to tell you all the wonderful times I’ve had in Santa Cruz, from a kid playing on the beaches to running around the Boardwalk, spending weekends in Aptos and Capitola, fishing in the bay and off some of the many piers, and going to the bars in downtown. I even got lost at UC Santa Cruz when I was meeting someone for a date… ugh, date did not go well. Anyway, this novel and story were something I’ve been looking forward to sharing with you.

Blurb:

Vampire Creed Lowell drifts from town to town working with the elderly as a night nurse and looking to avenge his harrowing past. His youth and vitality make him a favorite of his patients and his gifts bring them peace. At long last he’s arrived in the place where he hopes to find the truth about those who betrayed him…but first he finds an unexpected love with a man who might understand him—or end him.

Grad student Roman San Angelo is struggling to handle his courses, teaching schedule, and research for his dissertation on an obscure cult. He spends every spare moment with his beloved yet demanding grandmother Frances who’s recently moved to an assisted living facility—and he’s fascinated by her night nurse, who is able to bring out the inner light which had faded during her battle with dementia. Something about Creed doesn’t add up, however, Roman finds himself fighting an undeniable attraction. His concerns multiply when Roman discovers a connection between Creed and a bizarre series of vampire-wannabe assaults in the area. A moment of weakness leads to a night of passion between them, and the promise of something more, and yet Roman can’t shake his concern that Creed is not what he seems.

Creed knows better than to bring a mortal into his world, even one who could help him find the link between the pack of violent vampires preying on the people of Santa Cruz and Creed’s past. When he discovers Creed’s secret, Roman is ready to step outside his comfort zone and accept everything a life with a vampire entails, and when Creed disappears, Roman will go to the ends of the earth to find the man who brought the light back to his grandmother and the warmth back to his own heart.

My Review:

Vampires in Santa Cruz…again

Hear me out. Sundowners is about vampires in Santa Cruz, CA. If you are thinking that sounds familiar you’d be right… the Lost Boys took place in Santa Cruz, CA back in the late 1980s, but don’t think this is some kind of retelling or some fanfiction story, because it’s not. The author, R.L. Merrill, addresses the Lost Boys several times in the story as a wink and nod to the readers. So, R.L. Merrill is fully aware that she knows, we know. Which helps with the charm of the story.

These vampires however, are not the vampires of lore and are an exciting fresh take on the genre. I loved that the author used locations and places most people would be familiar with, (the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, UC Santa Cruz, etc.) and if you live in Santa Cruz or the surrounding locations you’ll recognize many of the more local places, which makes the story that much better and grounds it all in reality. There are a lot of plot points in the first book. We get to spend a lot of time with our main characters getting to know them as their relationship begins. As I mentioned we also get a lot of new vampire lore in this story which I enjoyed.

The two main characters Creed and Roman are what you would expect for characters in a vampire romance story (which is my only complaint. They are both young, attractive and intelligent with baggage. This kind of bummed me out, but didn’t stop me from enjoying the story and enjoying the characters, because R.L. Merrill made them interesting and unique enough to allow me to put my pretty boy biases to the side.) I won’t get into the characters a lot because I don’t want to ruin things for you, plus you can read the blurb and learn all you need to know. I will also add, that the secondary characters are as interesting as the main characters, which really helped to bring this story to life.

If you enjoy vampire stories that are set in unique locations then this is the story for you. Be advised this story is book 1 so there will be more to come. The ending works, however it sets things up for the next book and the series. So, keep that in mind.

You can get your copy of Sundowners here at Amazon or buy it at your local bookstore or anywhere books are sold.

That’s all I have for this week. I invite you to check out my book recommendations here, as I’ve been getting caught up on my reading list, and I have several new books I’m recommending. Until next time have a great week.