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A Brilliant Birthday History for the Brilliant Alexandre Dumas
July 24th, 2020
Image via Wikipedia Le Trois Mousquetaires and Le Comte de Monte Cristo, better known to the English reading world as The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, were hatched from one of the greatest creative minds of the 19th century. Alexandre Dumas wrote as indulgently as he lived.
Read Column →Flip The Script: H. P. Lovecraft
July 23rd, 2020
H.P. Lovecraft's work is immensely influential in the horror genre. Any book that takes a nihilistic, deep dive into the cosmos or mentions tentacles of any sort gets that "Lovecraftian Horror" genre-label, but here's the thing: Some readers of horror fiction haven't read any H. P. Lovecraft. *raising my hand*
Read Column →Traditional, Indie, and Self-Publishing: 15 Myths Debunked
July 22nd, 2020
Photo by Stas Knop Writing is the best thing that ever happened to me. Writing is what keeps us alive. Writing is the best gig in the world. Writing is creation, imagination given life. Writing is not publishing. Writing is art; publishing is a business. I'm not here to talk to you about writing. If you're reading this, you already decided you want to be a writer...and you probably decided you want to publish your work.
Read Column →10 Gems From 100 Years of 'The Elements of Style'
July 20th, 2020
I can’t keep a pair of pants looking presentable for more than 3 years. My body is well over 20 years old, way under 100, and it’s hit and miss with this damn thing. And somehow the same book has been assisting writers for 100 years?
Read Column →Storyville: Advanced Writing Workshop Tips, Tricks, and Techniques
July 16th, 2020
So, if you saw my previous column on Surviving a Workshop, then you have already digested my thoughts on having thick skin, what advice to take, dealing with a consensus, jerks and haters, giving feedback as good as you get, and allowing yourself to create a rough draft without freaking out. That column was written back in 2017, so let’s see what I’ve learned since then, and what advanced advice I can give you here.
Read Column →10 Books by Diverse Authors That You Should Read Right Now
July 14th, 2020
As readers, we have the choice to read outwardly. In other words, to read beyond the stories of people who are like ourselves, thus expanding our empathy and understanding. Reading books by diverse authors is one way in which any reader can begin to question the way they experience and perceive life, as well as to complement it with perspectives beyond their own.
Read Column →Why The Punisher Has No Place In The Police Department
July 13th, 2020
It is no exaggeration to say America is currently in the throes of a policing crisis. Citizens are having their rights violated and being assaulted by the very officers that have sworn to protect and serve them. Tired of a police force that brutalizes innocents and murders citizens, people have taken to the streets in protest. Some of these initially peaceful demonstrations have, sadly, resulted in violence, but not by the protesters. The police have been the ones rioting and attacking people.
Read Column →The Ladies of Horror BookTube
July 10th, 2020
Readers can discover new books in a variety of ways. Reviews of horror fiction can be found on social media platforms like Instagram (#bookstagram), Twitter, Facebook and even TikTok. Pick up one of several magazines focusing on Horror, like Rue Morgue, SCREAM, or Fangoria and there will be a section with horror book reviews. But perhaps the most interactive and personal way readers can enjoy book reviews is BookTube—readers talking about books on YouTube. As a woman writing horror fiction reviews myself, I am well aware of the growing sisterhood.
Read Column →Black Authors You Should Read
July 9th, 2020
Want to read some black authors? Good. World literature would be a fraction of what it is today without the contributions of black writers. In this short list you will find science fiction, romance, poetry, YA, horror, crime, literary fiction, and nonfiction. Dig it:
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