announcements – Minerva Cerridwen

QUEENS IN WONDERLAND out now!

28 February 2024 Minerva Cerridwen

Hello everyone!

It’s release day!!! The anthology Queens in Wonderland is out now: a collection of 19 new short stories, inspired by Lewis Carroll’s iconic books Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass.

Queens in Wonderland contains my story “Good-Natured Anxiety for the Queer Creature”, about the White and Red Queen who are chasing the same moth—for very different reasons. The style is closely based on Lewis Carroll’s own whimsy, and under all the absurdity, the story winds into the journey of allowing yourself to take up space as a trans and/or non-binary person, and the role community plays in that. I particularly loved playing with the White Queen’s memory, as that works in the opposite direction from most people’s memories, which makes her one of my favourite characters from the original books.

The title of my story is a direct quote from a scene of Through the Looking-Glass in which Alice is anxious that Humpty Dumpty might fall off the wall.

My friend and (in other projects) co-writer LS Reinholt also has a story in this book: “Oosh Lea in 1D Land”. The anthology was edited by Theresa Halvorsen and Chris Bannor.

You can now buy the book in ebook and paperback format, via: Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and add it on The Storygraph and Goodreads.

Are you ready to take a trip down the rabbit hole?

Embark on an enchanting journey through a Wonderland where queens reign supreme and the tapestry of love, identity, and self-discovery is woven with threads of LGBTQIA+ brilliance. Queens in Wonderland beckons you down the glittering landscape of diverse tales inspired by Lewis Carroll’s iconic books.

In this daring anthology, a young transgender man and an Indian princess teach each other their true worth, the Queen of Hearts’ executioner defies the Queen to protect the man he loves, and Alice, seeking a return to Wonderland, finds her Wendy. Every page is filled with delightful interpretations of your favorite characters, celebrating the strength, resilience, and beauty found within the LGBTQIA+ community.

This anthology is a testament to the power of storytelling, illustrating the magic that happens when queens, imagined lands, and queerness intersect in the most unexpected places. So don a crown, a top hat, or a tiara and step through the looking glass, to revel in these curious tales from Queens in Wonderland.

Queens in Wonderland

Happy Unbirthday!

8 February 20248 February 2024 Minerva Cerridwen

Hi!

Queens in Wonderland is coming out later this month – but the ebook preorders are up TODAY! Happy unbirthday, indeed!

Queens in Wonderland is an anthology edited by Theresa Halvorsen & Chris Bannor and it will be out on February 28! All the stories are based on Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-glass, with queer characters. It contains 19 stories, including my own “Good-Natured Anxiety for the Queer Creature” and LS Reinholt’s “Oosh Lea in 1D Land”.

Starting today, a new video will be posted every few days on the Semi-Sages of the Pages YouTube channel to promote this anthology. There will be lots of author interviews, episodes about the wondrous world of anthologies, a Wonderland immersive, and celebrations of the upcoming release.

Today’s video is an author interview with K.R. Cervantez: check it out!

The interview with LS Reinholt and me will be up on March 7.

And as I’m looking forward to these wonderful stories, I steadily keep working on several projects that you’ll hopefully be hearing more about soon…

Sending Hearts and Spades, Clubs and Diamonds,

Minerva

And also, Paranatellonta, Queens in Wonderland, Rise

Order a set of cards!

15 October 2023 Minerva Cerridwen

Hi!

See these cool cards?

2023 set of 10 postcards

These are ten of the designs I’ve drawn this year (plus my business card at the bottom right). I made them into a postcard set, which, if you like them, YOU can buy right now!

These are the prices for 1 set of the 10 different postcards, printed on high-quality paper, including shipping (via bpost):
to Belgium: €13 per set
to the rest of Europe: €17 per set
to the rest of the world: €18 per set

To order them, please send the correct amount to my PayPal, specifying how many sets you would like to order and to which name and address I can send them. If you have questions or would rather get in touch before ordering, please send me an email to minervacerridwen@gmail.com so I can help you out!

For a better look at some of the illustrations, I refer to the Illustrations page on my website.

Some more news:

The cover of Rise, the anthology that will include my flash story “Ace-tral Projection”, has been revealed. You can take a peek here! The book will release on October 25, in paperback, hardcover, and ebook format.
It’s the 15th today, so there’s a new edition of Paranatellonta! Enjoy number 364, titled “Autumnal Company”, here.
And last but not least: my brand-new short story “Good-Natured Anxiety for the Queer Creature” has been accepted for publication in Queens in Wonderland, the queer Alice in Wonderland-themed anthology from No Bad Books Press! I’ve seen summaries of some of the other stories that will be included (and even got to read one full story…) and I really look forward to this collection myself!

Queens in Wonderland Announcement Graphic

Have a nice Sunday!

Minerva

Ink, Projects by Friends, Skulls & Spells

Flash publication in Ink!

1 July 2021 Minerva Cerridwen

Hi!

Great news: my genderfluid flash piece “Not Alone” will be part of Queer Sci Fi’s Ink anthology! This story was my 300-word entry for the yearly flash fiction contest that also gave us 2019’s Migration and 2020’s Innovation anthology. The release of Ink is planned on August 10, 2021, and by that time, Queer Sci Fi will be announcing honorable mentions (still proud of getting one last year!), judge’s picks, and three winners. Check out the full list of stories that will be published in the new anthology here – notice the names of friends L.S. Reinholt and Ava Kelly. Congratulations to these 120 writers!

While I’m here, an update on the Skulls & Spells Kickstarter. They took a great start and are now 58% funded. Let’s hope this keeps going! Their latest update talked about a secret stretch goal, so I can’t wait to see what Jinx and Jonas have in store. And, of course, I’m extra invested, as L.S. Reinholt and I have our story “The Bound Heart” in this book. If you like magical horror from queer creators, I’ll ask you once again to please consider supporting this Kickstarter.

Two more things on the topic of Kickstarters:

Alia Terra, the illustrated book of dragon fairy tales in English and Romanian, written by Ava Kelly and published by Atthis Arts, which I kept talking about in my previous posts, is fully funded and reached its stretch goal of becoming a fully illustrated book! I’m so happy we’ll get to see all the beautiful dragon art by Matt Spencer. If you missed the Kickstarter, you can still preorder your copy via BackerKit through July. The Dragon of Ynys can also still be added to your order there!
Xenocultivars is a plant-themed speculative fiction anthology about queer growth from Speculatively Queer. I’d love to see this book happen, but with only 5 days to go they’re still a little under half funded, so they need all the help they can get. Check out their Kickstarter and their wonderful queer flag cactus stickers here!

Love,

Minerva

Skulls & Spells

Skulls & Spells launched!

22 June 2021 Minerva Cerridwen

Hello everyone!

The awesome cover above this text is that of the queer horror anthology Skulls & Spells, which will be published by Artemisia’s Axe and the Corpse’s Tongue later this year and which will contain the short story “The Bound Heart” written by L.S. Reinholt and me!

Today, the Kickstarter has launched to make this wonderful project happen. So if you’re into bright and thrilling horror stories with LGBTQI2SA+ representation, I definitely recommend checking out this link. There are ‘early bird’ rewards at a lower price, including patches, stickers, art prints and even an exclusive plushie! And of course you can pre-order the book itself, 150+ pages and in full colour – physical copies as well as pdf files. You can also use the Kickstarter to order your copy of Artemisia’s Axe’s previous anthology, Neon Horror, which ALSO includes a story by L.S. Reinholt and me! More details are, of course, found on the Kickstarter page itself.

To promote the anthology, L.S. Reinholt made the illustration below as a teaser for “The Bound Heart”, with colouring done by me. (CW: snake, human heart.)

The Bound Heart Promo Illustration

And on the topic of Kickstarters, I’d also like to direct your attention to the fact that there are only 52 hours to go in the Alia Terra Kickstarter! (To spare you the maths if you’re reading this message later, it will end on June 25 at 2:00 AM CEST.) This beautifully illustrated queer book of fairy tales WITH DRAGONS hasn’t quite reached the funding goal yet that is necessary to become a fully illustrated book, so every coin that’s added to their campaign helps!

I’m also having a lot of fun seeing all the wonderful comments to the blog tour for The Dragon of Ynys! Remember you can check this post to see where we are today; the posts marked with “guest post” contain little interviews with me, if you like that sort of thing!

Sending lots of love, good vibes, and magic!

Minerva

the dragon of ynys

Preorder THE DRAGON OF YNYS now!

18 August 2020 Minerva Cerridwen

In my latest post, I announced that The Dragon of Ynys will release on September 15, BUT… If you can’t wait to read it, I have good news!

The book is now up for preorder in the Atthis Arts webshop (click!). If you pre-order the paperback, you will receive a copy of the ebook to read right away!

The webshop page contains more info about the book and also links to retailers where The Dragon of Ynys is up for pre-order. Tip: the best way to support both authors and publishers is to buy directly from the publisher. And posting reviews on different platforms is the best way to let others discover the books you love!

For a summary and more info about The Dragon of Ynys, read my latest blog post or check out the book’s page on my website.

Love,

Minerva

the dragon of ynys

Release Announcement: THE DRAGON OF YNYS

14 August 2020 Minerva Cerridwen

So, I did promise big news last week…

The Dragon of Ynys will be published by Atthis Arts on September 15, 2020!!!

The 2020 edition has been thoroughly revised and contains a brand new epilogue and afterword.

I’m very proud to reveal the new cover, created by none other than the magical Ulla Thynell (website – Instagram). I encourage you to check out her art, as it’s all beautiful.

The Dragon of Ynys book and ebook preview

Every time something goes missing from the village, Sir Violet, the local knight, makes his way to the dragon’s cave and negotiates the item’s return. It’s annoying, but at least the dragon is polite.

But when the dragon hoards a person, that’s a step too far. Sir Violet storms off to the mountainside to escort the baker home, only to find a more complex mystery—a quest that leads him far beyond the cave. Accompanied by the missing baker’s wife and the dragon himself, the dutiful village knight embarks on his greatest adventure yet.

The Dragon of Ynys is an inclusive fairy tale for all ages.

Pre-order links will start going up soon and should be available on most retailers by this Tuesday (August 18). And starting on that same August 18, you will get a downloadable copy of the e-book to read early if you pre-order the paperback directly from Atthis Arts. I will publish another blog post on Tuesday to keep you informed and to share the available links.

I’m so excited that the Dragon will be out in the world again—and better than ever, thanks to the great work of Atthis Arts.

Have a good weekend!

Minerva

Innovation anthology

Release of Innovation anthology

8 August 2020 Minerva Cerridwen

The Innovation anthology is out today!

It contains 120 pieces of flash fiction with a speculative element and queer representation, including my story “The Emperor’s New Helmet”, which I’m proud to say received an honorable mention in the contest. There are also stories by my friends E.D.E. Bell, Ava Kelly, Ether Nepenthes, and L.S. Reinholt. The judges’ choices were announced here and we also know the winners now: third place went to “Antlers” by K.A. Masters, second place to “Dragonslayer” by E.M. Hamill, and first place to “The Fleshsmith and the Metalsmith” by Devon Widmer. Click on the names to read more about the winning stories on the Queer Sci Fi website.

Congratulations to the winners, judges’ choices, fellow honorable mentions and everyone who made it into the book!

You can buy Innovation on Amazon US, Amazon Deutschland (and of course all the other Amazons), iBooks, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo—and add it to you to-read shelf on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

Queer Sci Fi is also hosting a giveaway that runs until August 21, and on the same page you can read some excerpts from the book and see the full list of authors.

IN-NO-VA-TION (Noun)

1) A new idea, method, or device.

2) The introduction of something new.

3) The application of better solutions to meet unarticulated needs.

Three definitions to inspire writers around the world and an unlimited number of possible stories to tell. Here are 120 of our favorites.

Innovation features 300-word speculative flash fiction stories from across the rainbow spectrum, from the minds of the writers of Queer Sci Fi.

Keep your eyes peeled for some draconically big news next week!

Love,

Minerva

Innovation anthology, Neon Horror Zine

Release of Neon Horror and a flash fiction acceptance!

15 June 2020 Minerva Cerridwen

Hello!

So… Since my author copies were already on the way, I was going to wait a couple of days and announce the release of the Neon Horror anthology with a selfie of me holding the book. Then the postal service decided that actually delivering packages was so 2019, and subsequently it got kind of awkward to make a release post without that selfie, because the book had already been out for 2 weeks… But now I have some other news as well, so this is the perfect time to finally write this post.

And since acting as if everything is going as planned is a 2020 mood, here we go…

Wonderful news: the beautifully printed Neon Horror: an Anthology of Terrors by Creators from the LGBTQIA+ Community is out now!!!

This full-colour anthology contains art and short stories in the horror genre. The Lost by L.S. Reinholt and me (aside from having a title that the mail clearly found very inspiring) is about two travellers in space whose logs and maps have been erased. When they encounter another ship, they hope they’ve found a solution, but instead lose even more…

Buy Neon Horror in The Haunted Bouncy Castle webshop!

The same webshop also has a lot of fun and colourful queer horror objects, ranging from cups to pillows to pins to prints for on your wall, so be sure to check it out. They have a Pride sale of 10% off until the end of this month.

Then, today’s very fresh news is that my flash story The Emperor’s New Helmet is accepted in this year’s anthology of the Queer Sci Fi flash fiction contest. The theme was “Innovation” and you can see the full list of the 120 included titles here on the Queer Sci Fi website. It also includes stories by my friends E.D.E. Bell, Ava Kelly, and L.S. Reinholt!

I finished reading last year’s edition, Migration, only a few weeks ago and was surprised by the great quality of all those stories, so I look forward to reading Innovation as well. It will be out on August 8, 2020, after the honorable mentions, judges’ picks and winners have been announced. In the meantime, I certainly recommend Migration if you’re in the mood for some bite-sized stories (all under 300 words).

And for even more flash fiction, I will refer to Paranatellonta, where we posted the 284th free photo-and-story combo today for your enjoyment.

That’s all the news for now!

Love,

Minerva

Community of Magic Pens

Release of Community of Magic Pens

4 May 20202 May 2020 Minerva Cerridwen

On this May the 4th (may the force be with you), we are officially welcoming Community of Magic Pens into the world!

The anthology, edited by E.D.E. Bell, contains 40 short stories (including flash fiction and poetry) in a wide range of different genres. All of them about Magic Pens, in many imaginative shapes and forms.

My story in this book, Memory Malfuction, is about an android applying for a job as an intergalactic antiques salesman. The company bosses, however, have their doubts…

You can add the book on Goodreads and buy it on:

Atthis Arts website – Amazon US – Amazon.nl – iBooks – Nook – Kobo

If you scroll down on Atthis Arts’ website, you can also find a Magic Pens poster which you can download for free! It was designed by Ava Kelly and features the title in the languages spoken by the book’s authors.

The publisher also provides a cover description for the visually impaired on the same page.

Blurb:

Eclectic, imaginative, and unexpected, Community of Magic Pens features forty genre-spanning flash and short stories—including fantasy, humor, science fiction, romance, historical fiction, satire, and mystery—bringing together a rich group of diverse voices from a wide range of backgrounds and intersections.

Fountain pens, markers and ink, charcoals, spy pens, a braille writer, a printing press, virtual reality, and a supernatural pizza: whether revealing unspoken truths, fighting injustice, or finding friendship and love, our pens have power. Join us as a recent graduate of superhero school struggles to understand her gift, a disabled android interviews for a job, a queen’s conscripted artist must pull reality from illustrations on parchment, and a grandmother’s secret room is…better kept a secret. Tales of struggle and triumph, compassion and hope: Community of Magic Pens is a celebration of our shared story.

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I hope you’re all well!

Lots of love,

Minerva