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POINT OF VIEW: Diving Deeper

Diving Deeper - Deposit Photos

I’ve always said when you stop growing as a writer, your writing dies. We’re like sharks, swimming and swimming to keep that oxygen pumping through our blood. A few years ago, when I first started writing seriously and sold my first story, I was on top of the world. I felt like I had finally arrived, and knew how to do this shit. People were actually taking me seriously as a writer. That didn’t last long. I got a rejection, and another, and another. I sold a few more stories too, but then my reviews started coming in, and I … Read more

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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: J. C. Owens

J. C. Owens

Welcome to my weekly Author Spotlight. I’ve asked a bunch of my author friends to answer a set of interview questions, and to share their latest work. Today, J. C Owens – Writing has always been of the utmost importance to me, often a means of expressing frustration, anger and grief during terrible times in my life. It was also there for the joys and triumphs, a faithful companion through it all that never failed me. I do indeed love to write and have over twenty books sitting idle in my computer, waiting… Thanks so much, J. C. , for … Read more

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ANNOUNCEMENT/GIVEAWAY: Mating the Enemy, by Shea Balik

Mating the Enemy

Shea Balik has a new MM paranormal dystopian romance out in eBook and audio formats: “Mating the Enemy.” Siberian Tiger shifter, Aleksi Rykov, is amused to watch the enemy chasing one of their own, psy, Seth Tilton, until he realizes it’s his mate. Rescuing his mate isn’t difficult for the powerful Alpha but keeping his mate safe from the war raging between their races may be more difficult.  Seth is taking a chance running to the one man he knows can keep him safe, Aleksi. Seth knows the psy’s secrets and the psy will do anything to get him back … Read more

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POINT OF VIEW: Lessons Across Time

Hazel Coatsworth

My Grandma Hazel was a hoarder. I mean that in the best way. She knew from harsh experience how quickly you could lose it all, and life taught her the importance of valuing every little thing. Born in 1919 the middle of the Spanish Flu pandemic, she was ten years old when the Great Depression hit. She survived not only that perilous time, but the Second World War with its shortages and horrors. She married my grandpa John in 1942, in the midst of the war. She passed away at the grand old age of 95 in 2014, and I … Read more

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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Steven Valenti

Steven Valenti

Welcome to my weekly Author Spotlight. I’ve asked a bunch of my author friends to answer a set of interview questions, and to share their latest work. Today, Steven Valenti – Steven Valenti grew up in South Central Pennsylvania. With inspiration from his 7th grade English teacher, flourishing under her tutelage, a passion for writing developed. Thanks so much, Steven, for joining me! J. Scott Coatsworth: When did you know you wanted to write, and when did you discover that you were good at it? Steven Valenti: As far back as I can remember, I loved the act of writing. … Read more

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ANNOUNCEMENT: The Qinali Virus, By Valerie J. Mikles

The Qinali Virus

Valerie J. Mikles has a new queer sci fi book out: “The Qinali Virus.” Rage. Poverty. Disease. They’re gone. Every last one. The cost was great. The population has been devastated. But for the survivors, utopia has arrived. Then the suspicious death of a young person forces Amber to question her world like she never has before. The Contentedness Council is after her, determined to protect their perfect society. Now Amber must unbury her city’s repressed past, expose the crimes that led to their utopia, and find a way to stop the Council from killing the world… again. Join astral-projecting … Read more

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POINT OF VIEW: Making the Cover

Hey all! I’m releasing a new short story – “Chinatown” – next Tuesday, and thought it would be fun to take you on a behind-the-scenes tour of how I made the cover. I started with a search for the right images. The story takes place in a future version of San Francisco, where Chinatown is the newest part of the city, run by Chinese invaders, and the rest of the city is in ruins. So I was looking for something dystopian. it took about an hour nosing through sci fi images on Deposit Photos, but eventually I found this image: … Read more

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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Elizabeth Noble

Elizabeth Noble

Welcome to my weekly Author Spotlight. I’ve asked a bunch of my author friends to answer a set of interview questions, and to share their latest work. Today, Elizabeth Noble – Mystery, action, chills, and thrills spiced with romance and desire. ELIZABETH NOBLE lives by the adage “I can’t not write.” Thanks so much, Elizabeth, for joining me! Elizabeth Noble: Thank you, so much, Scott for having me here today! J. Scott Coatsworth: I’m thrilled to – we’ve known each other, what, for six years now? 🙂 Let’s get to it. Are you a plotter or a pantster?  EN: The short answer … Read more

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POINT OF VIEW: Moving Forward

As of today, Mark and I have been on lockdown for a full month, but I’ve been on writing lockdown for almost half a year. Regular readers of this column will recall that I submitted “Dropnauts” to Pitchwars in late September. My failure to get a single request for the full manuscript sent me into a bit of a tailspin, and as an extended round of soul searching. Over the last few months I’ve started to move on, completing two new short stories and sending them out into the sci fi magazine submissions world, and sending “Dropnauts” itself to a … Read more

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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Jess Faraday

Jess Faraday

Welcome to my weekly Author Spotlight. I’ve asked a bunch of my author friends to answer a set of interview questions, and to share their latest work. Today, Jess Faraday – Jess Faraday is an award-winning writer and editor of mystery and suspense. Her first novel, The Affair of the Porcelain Dog, was shortlisted for a Lambda Literary Award, and her third, Fool’s Gold, won the Rainbow Award for Best Gay Historical and was a runner up for Best Gay Novel overall. Thanks so much, Jess, for joining me! J. Scott Coatsworth: Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal … Read more