Community of Magic Pens, the dragon of ynys

Big Announcement!!!

Hello!

I am very proud to announce that my novella The Dragon of Ynys will be re-published by Atthis Arts!

After lots of hard work on revisions, we’ve arrived on a completely new edition with a brand new epilogue and afterword. But don’t fear, all the elements you loved are still there, like Sir Violet the aro ace knight, Snap the dragon, and their grand fairy tale adventure.

We’ll have fun updates as we move forward, including a beautiful cover by artist Ulla Thynell—I’m absolutely smitten with it.

For now, I’d like to invite you to the Atthis Arts AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit Fantasy this Thursday March 26, starting at 11:00 CT/17:00 CET. We’ll talk more about The Dragon of Ynys and of course about the upcoming Atthis Arts anthology Community of Magic Pens, which contains my short story “Memory Malfunction”.

Don’t worry if you can only pop in later: all the posts will still be there!

The AMA is part of r/Fantasy Virtual Con and there is a Facebook Event to remind you of it here.

Fantasy Virtual Con

Community of Magic Pens, Space Opera Libretti

An Interview in Space & News about Magic Pens

Hello!

I’ve got a lot to tell!

First of all, I gave an interview in space—more specifically, on the good ship Space Opera Libretti. You can read it on Jennifer Lee Rossman’s website here. Remember that you can find more info about Space Opera Libretti here—add it on Goodreads and buy it on Amazon. I really feel like it deserves more buzz than it’s currently getting, because who doesn’t want more funny, musical stories in space?

Secondly, some news about Community of Magic Pens! The cover has been announced!!!

Cover for "Community of Magic Pens"

This beautiful, happy piece of art was made by Artistic Journey.

There is also an official list now of the stories and authors that will be included in this anthology: check it out here! My story really is in great company! Release is expected in early May and you can still preorder.

To stay up to date with news from publisher Atthis Arts, you can subscribe to their newsletter on the bottom left of their website.

I’d like to conclude this update with news from my friend Ava Kelly! Their fantasy novel Havesskadi has been re-released this week by NineStar Press. I recommend it to everyone who likes epic fantasy, dragons, and/or ace characters! Read all about it on Ava’s website.

Community of Magic Pens

Part of the Community of Magic Pens

Hello!

I received my first story acceptance of 2020!

My short story Memory Malfunction will be part of Community of Magic Pens, an Atthis Arts anthology. (You might know that publishing house from last year’s Five Minutes at Hotel Stormcove!)

I’m delighted to work with them again and to be included in what will be a collection of amazing, thoughtful stories from many different perspectives. And full of magic pens! You can already preorder the book here; release is expected in May.

The theme of magic pens is close to my heart. I remember scribbling somewhere in my school notes that “the secret of the writer is a good pen”. And it’s true: even in a time when most writing happens at a keyboard, a beautiful pen that’s fun to write with can inspire new stories or ease the brainstorming process. For many of us, pens are a tool that makes our storytelling magic possible.

And that power is definitely not limited to storytelling magic, as you’ll see in Community of Magic Pens!

 

Space Opera Libretti

Release the Space Divas!

Space Opera Libretti: An Anthology of Modern Comedic Space Opera with Arias. It’s quite a mouthful, but perfect to sing dramatically. And that’s the whole point.

More importantly, the book is out now on Kindle and in paperback!!!

Cover for "Space Opera Libretti" (2020)

The problem with space opera is that there’s not enough opera in it, and certainly a dearth of coloratura diva sopranos in the third act. This anthology sets out to fix that by placing the music front-and-center. We’ve created a glittery disco-ball of fun. 20 stories designed to amuse. Some actually take place in space. There’s even an actual opera in here. We didn’t hold back. Time-traveling cats that quote opera… Intergalactic singing competitions… An endless song that becomes the soundtrack to countless generations of rebellions… And, of course, invisible space bears made of black holes that may or may not be extinct.

The editors are Jennifer Lee Rossman (who also co-edited Love & Bubbles) and Brian McNett.

Get Space Opera Libretti from Amazon US (Kindle|paperback), Amazon Deutschland (Kindle|paperback), or from any other country’s Amazon, and add it on Goodreads.

Stars from the Stars is one of the stories I’m proudest of having written so far. When I’m reading or watching space operas, the scenes I most enjoy often take place on markets, at parties, in casinos, … where a lot of very different aliens can be encountered. Seeing all those imaginative body shapes, the varied ways in which the aliens communicate, the hints of different cultures and peculiar aesthetics… All those things make it feel like I’m properly in space, ready to immerse myself in that bubbling atmosphere of diversity and to learn about unknown civilisations. Since Stars from the Stars tells the story of a siren who competes in a universal talent show, I could explore a similarly wide range of extraordinary aliens and the acts they might perform in such a competition. Those were a lot of fun to come up with, and I hope readers will have just as much fun discovering them!

Gay Apparel

A surprise for the holidays: Gay Apparel

‘Tis the season to be jolly!

I have a brand new publication in Gay Apparel: A Queer Holiday Flash Fiction Anthology!

Gay Apparel: A Queer Holiday Flash Fiction Anthology (2019)

A queer holiday anthology project collecting stories from all over the world. Includes contemporary, historical romance, space epic, weird western, post-apocalypse, gay, lesbian, trans, ace, neurodivergent, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Solstice, New Years, and some new holidays, too.

With 24 stories, it can be read as a fun advent calendar with one story every day running up to Christmas, or all at once to bring you fully in the holiday mood.

You can add it on Goodreads here.

My story is called Invite a Creature. No Christmas trees were harmed in the writing of this piece…

Other authors in this anthology include Rachel Sharp, Rose Sinclair, Amy Michelle, Ether Nepenthes (who were all part of 2016’s Unburied Fables), Jennifer Lee Rossman (co-editor of upcoming Space Opera Libretti), Ava Kelly (who was also in 2019’s Migration and will be in 2020’s Neon Horror), and L.S. Reinholt (my co-writer in several projects, including 2019’s Five Minutes at Hotel Stormcove).

As you see, the holidays are very much a family affair even in the book world! Or perhaps this is what happens when a project comes to life on Twitter, where we’re all huddled together like penguins in the cold. Big thanks to Rachel Sharp for coming up with the idea and editing all the stories. The cosy cover was made by Rose Sinclair.

Of course your big question is now: where can I get this book?!

Well, Gay Apparel is not being sold at any of the traditional places. Instead, you can get it through me.

How does that work?

Please send an email to minervacerridwen at gmail dot com with subject “Gay Apparel”. Show me proof that you have made a recent donation to an LGBTQIA-supporting charity of your choice. By recent, I mean less than a week before the email. Also tell me if you prefer epub, pdf or mobi format.

If you can’t donate (e.g. because you need a credit card but you don’t have one, or you don’t know any suitable charities, or any other kind of reason) but you still want a copy, please contact me anyway so that we can find a solution together.

There’s also a Twitter hashtag where you can see people talking about the stories and where you can find where to donate if you’d prefer to get your copy from another author: #GayApparelStories. Feel free to use it when you talk about the book and join the fun!

Happy holidays!

Minerva

Neon Horror Zine

Neon Horror Zine

Hello!

I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween!

Yesterday was also the start of the crowdfunder campaign of Neon Horror Zine, a magazine full of bright and colourful LBTQIA+ horror stories, comics, and art. It will contain a short story co-written by L.S. Reinholt and me. Aside from printing costs, the campaign funds will be used for paying the creators and to support the charities Mermaids in the UK and The Tie Campaign.

Take a look here for more info and a chance to support this project! There’s a list of the other creators as well—friend Ava Kelly has a story in it too!

Campaign banner

Our story, The Lost, shows the log of Siek de Void. The agender, pansexual captain of spaceship The Kenophobe is lucky to be accompanied by their more competent, non-human partner and pilot Giri. But with the logs and maps erased, will that luck be enough to keep them safe when they encounter the abandoned ship The Alfaragh?

You’ll find out in Neon Horror Zine!

P.S. It’s the first day of the month, so of course there’s also a new edition of Paranatellonta today. Enjoy!

Sherlock Holmes

Suddenly, Sherlock Holmes is Everywhere!

The publication of this book went a little bit faster than expected! It’s undeniable that the great detective works efficiently and wishes to be everywhere at once.

Sherlock Holmes is Everywhere cover

Sherlock Holmes is Everywhere! contains 40 essays talking about what it is about Sherlock Holmes that makes him such a popular character all around the world, what he means to the queer community, and how he continues to inspire new stories. One of these essays is Chasing Words by L.S. Reinholt and me, where we talk about the way Sherlock brought us together and influences even our non-Holmes-related stories.

The book is a charity collection for the Beacon Society, a scion society of the Baker Street Irregulars which provides scholarships to schools, libraries, and Sherlock Holmes groups for educational purposes. It was published by Belanger Books.

You can buy it on Amazon and read more about the project on this page. Enjoy!

Migration anthology, the dragon of ynys

Migration release; The Dragon of Ynys out of print

Hi!

After an awesome holiday in Paris, let’s start with the happy news: Migration came out on July 24! Woohoo!

Migration Cover

Aside from the gorgeous cover, you’ll find 120 flash fiction stories with a speculative element and queer representation, one of them written by me (titled Not How We Planned It).

Buy it on Amazon US, Amazon Deutschland (and all other Amazons), iBooks, Barnes & NobleKobo – and add it on Goodreads.

I want to congratulate the winners of this flash fiction contest, and everyone who got an Honorable Mention (like my friend Ava Kelly)! Third place went to Siri Paulson, second place to Bey Deckard, and first place to Die Booth. Click on the names to read more about the winning stories.

Then… The sad news.

The Dragon of Ynys (2018)

Unfortunately, my Tiptree-longlisted novella The Dragon of Ynys will no longer be in print after July 31, 2019. Less Than Three Press is ending its activities as a publishing house. You can read their full announcement here.

I’m very sorry to see them go, as are many, readers and writers alike. LT3 was an awesome home for so many queer stories. I want to send a giant thank you to their team for giving my debut novella a chance in the world. This publishing house will always hold a special place in my heart, even when it’s gone.

Now, what does this mean?

If you still want to buy The Dragon of Ynys or any other of LT3’s ebooks, be quick, as their Book Market is closing on the 31st. You can still find the buy link here (click). As far as I know, the link will stop working after Wednesday, July 31, 2019.

You can find more information (like the blurb, reviews, etc.) about my book here.

Currently I am still considering my next step with The Dragon. I’m pretty confident that it will return to the published market eventually, but first I want to take my time looking into its options. I will, of course, make announcements on my blog and on other social media as soon as I know more.

Migration anthology, Neon Horror Zine, Sherlock Holmes

Two covers, a Kickstarter, and more good news

Last week I said I wouldn’t blog again until I was back from holiday. At that moment, of course, everything started happening at once, so here I am after all with more news!

Let’s start with the pretties. Both the Migration anthology and Sherlock Holmes is Everywhere! have revealed their covers!

Migration cover   Sherlock Holmes is Everywhere cover

Migration can be preordered on Amazon Kindle, iBooks, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. It will release on July 24 and contains my flash story Not How We Planned It.

The Sherlock Holmes is Everywhere! Kickstarter is launching today. The book is expected to release in October of this year, and supporting this project means supporting the Beacon Society, a scion society of the Baker Street Irregulars which provides scholarships to schools, libraries, and Sherlock Holmes groups for educational purposes.

The anthology contains the essay Chasing Words by L.S. Reinholt and me, about how we met and started writing together thanks to Sherlock Holmes. It’s a Belanger Books publication, just like Sherlock Holmes: Adventures in the Realms of Steampunk, in which our story The Adventure of the Purloined Piston Valve appeared earlier this year.

The blurb for Sherlock Holmes is Everywhere!:

What makes Sherlock Holmes so special? Why is he one of the most recognizable characters in all of literature? How do people throughout the world connect to the character? Why is Sherlock Holmes embraced by the LGBTQ+ Community? Why do people collect Sherlock Holmes memorabilia? Why do people experience Sherlock Holmes in everything from Science Fiction to Martial Arts?

Find out the answers to these questions and many more in Sherlock Holmes is Everywhere! a collection of essays on how people throughout the world embrace the great detective.

I’m excited about this book! I really look forward to reading the other writers’ essays, and the flag at the centre of the cover made me very happy.

Be sure to take a look at the Kickstarter and feel free to leave any questions you have.

L.S. Reinholt and I also got another acceptance this week! Our queer horror story The Lost will be published in The Haunted Bouncy Castle‘s upcoming Neon Horror Zine. More info will follow!

Migration anthology, Sherlock Holmes

Flash fiction and essay publication

Hi!

Time for some news about future publications!

My story Not How We Planned It was selected for publication in the Migration anthology by Queer Sci Fi. The book will contain 120 flash fiction stories that have 300 words or less, all with a speculative element and queer representation. As there were over 250 entries for the flash fiction contest this year, I’m honoured that my story was chosen to be part of the book! You can see the full list of published stories here. Note that my friends Ava Kelly and Ether Nepenthes are in there too! *high fives*

The Migration anthology will be out on July 24, 2019. On that day the contest winners will also be announced, so if you’re curious about that part, keep an eye on the Queer Sci Fi website. (But don’t be afraid to miss anything; I’ll blog about the book release as soon as I’m back from my holiday.)

And then, a first: the publication of a piece of non-fiction! I know, it’s shocking, but I promise it won’t be boring.

L.S. Reinholt and I will have an essay in the Sherlock Holmes is Everywhere! anthology from Belanger Books. It’s going to be a charity collection for The Beacon Society. In the essay, we talk about how we met thanks to Sherlock Holmes, and how the great detective shaped the way we work together. We had a lot of fun writing the essay, and we look forward to reading the stories about how Mr Holmes influenced other writers’ lives. As soon as there’s any news about the release date and where you’ll be able to buy the book, you’ll hear from me.

But first I’ll be counting down a little longer to a holiday in Paris! I hope you’ll all have a great summer full of wonderful stories.