Queens in Wonderland

A Semi-Sages of the Pages Interview!

Hi!

To promote last week’s release of Queens in Wonderland, LS Reinholt and I were interviewed by editor Theresa Halvorsen on the Semi-Sages of the Pages YouTube channel.

You can watch this interview, which includes the reading of a fragment of both of our stories, here:

If you’re thinking it would be amazing to watch interviews and readings from the other authors of the anthology as well, you’re in luck! The YouTube channel contains a whole list of author interviews by now, which you can find here. (If you’re reading this post sometime in the future: it might be easier to find them if you enter “Queens in Wonderland” into that page’s search bar.)

I hope you’ll enjoy watching the interviews! (Even when they sometimes contain nervously grinning Cheshire cat-dragons. I was sticking to the theme!!!)

Queens in Wonderland is a collection of short stories inspired by Lewis Carroll’s iconic books Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. It includes LS Reinholt’s “Oosh Lea in 1D Land” and my own “Good-Natured Anxiety for the Queer Creature”. All of the stories contain LGBTQIA+ characters and themes. You can now buy the book in ebook and paperback format, via Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and add it on The Storygraph and Goodreads.

Cover for "Queens in Wonderland"

Queens in Wonderland

QUEENS IN WONDERLAND out now!

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.

Cover for "Queens in Wonderland"

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 Announcement Graphic

Queens in Wonderland

Happy Unbirthday!

Hi!

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

Queens in Wonderland Announcement Graphic

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

Hotel Stormcove, Neon Horror Zine, Projects by Friends, Sherlock Holmes, Skulls & Spells

Dawn Vogel’s Co-Writing Interviews

Hello!

Author, editor, and reviewer Dawn Vogel recently edited a co-written book, which inspired her to post a series of interviews with co-writing authors. LS Reinholt and I are proud to be the first of these authors! You can read our interview here on History That Never Was, and keep an eye on that website or subscribe to its newsletter (on the left side of the page) to see the next interviews when they appear.

Enjoy!

Minerva

Projects by Friends, the dragon of ynys

Pride Month Instagram Interview

Hello everyone, and happy Pride Month!

It’s been a while since you heard from me on this blog, and a lot has changed: I moved house and stopped working as a pharmacist. It’s time to properly dive into writing and creating again!

And although, if you’re watching the news, the world isn’t making it easy to feel celebratory this month, we all do our best to find safety and joy.

Natasha aka @bibliophile.nat was so kind as to publish an interview about The Dragon of Ynys, being an author, and being queer: you can read it here! (Note that it continues in the comments below the post, due to Instagram’s character limit.) Thank you so much for having me, Natasha.

And while we’re celebrating, I’d also like to do a shout-out to my good friend and editor E.D.E. Bell: eir book Just Bart (which I recommend wholeheartedly to everyone looking for a kind, funny read) just won a Midwest Book Award!!! Congratulations, Emily!

One more thing while I’m here: everyone interested in a gritty fantasy trilogy and/or a TTRPG in the same universe should go have a look at the Grayshade Kickstarter. This is a collaboration between Alligator Alley Entertainment and Atthis Arts – so you know it’ll be good.

Talk to you soon!

Love,

Minerva

The Dragon of Ynys
the dragon of ynys

Interviewed by Jennifer Lee Rossman!

Hello!

I hope you’re all well. The world is once again looking a little scarier, but at least stories are always there to give us a relaxing means of escape.

It’s been a month and a week since my story The Dragon of Ynys came out, so of course I’ll be talking a little more about it in this blog post. I was interviewed about it by the one and only Jennifer Lee Rossman, who’s an awesome author herself and the co-editor of anthologies Love & Bubbles and Space Opera Libretti. You can read the interview here (and see a cute photo of The Dragon of Ynys with some dragon friends!).

I also saw a wonderful review accompanied by a beautiful photo on theboyandhisbookshelf’s Instagram yesterday, which I’d love to share: you can see it here. And while you’re wandering around on Instagram, you can also check out some of my baking, inspired by Ynys’ baker Juniper: for example the cinnamon rolls Sir Violet is so fond of. (They make a great breakfast indeed!)

If that made you hungry for more but you’re not able to buy the book right now, I’d like to inform you that I’m currently doing a giveaway, to celebrate one month since the release as well as the upcoming Ace Week.

Ace Week, formerly Asexual Awareness Week, is an event that will take place from October 25 until October 31, all over the world. It celebrates the asexual community and the progress we see in the awareness that asexuality exists, both in society and in media representation. You can read more about it on the Ace Week website and the organisation is also present on social media.

Sir Violet, like myself, is asexual as well as aromantic, so I felt that starting giveaways on three platforms and announcing the winners on the last day of Ace Week (October 31) would be a good way of participating in the celebrations. If you’d like to enter the contest, these are the links: TwitterTumblrPillowfort.

You simply retweet or reblog the post until October 30, 2020 at 23:59 EST. The winner will be chosen randomly on October 31; one winner per platform. That means you have one chance per platform; 3 chances if you reblog all three! (On every platform, only your first reblog will count as an entry, so while you are most welcome to keep spreading the word afterwards, this will not increase your chances.) You can also share the posts without entering the competition; simply leave a line like “not entering the giveaway but signal boosting”.

If you’re interested in the book but would rather bypass the competition altogether, these are the buy links:

Publisher’s websiteSmashwordsAmazon.comAmazon.deiBooksBarnes & NobleKoboBookshopVrolijk.nu (NL)

Add the book to your shelves: GoodreadsThe StoryGraph

And one more thing I’d like to call attention to: my publisher, Atthis Arts, is currently doing a Kickstarter for a project called In This Moment. I am not directly involved with this, but they have put together a mindblowing team of people who’ll be working on this collection of short works, both fiction and non-fiction, documenting this moment that will be described in history books as the time of the Black Lives Matter movement and the global pandemic. As they focus on important marginalised voices, I think it’s incredibly important that this book can be made – but the Kickstarter still has quite a way to go before the funding will be complete. Take a look at it here if you can find the time, and please consider contributing.

That’s all for now!

I hope you’ll have a great Ace Week, and please stay safe!

Love,

Minerva

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.

Sherlock Holmes: Adventures in the Realms of Steampunk Banner
Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes Interview!

Hi!

Great news on the front of the Sherlock Holmes: Adventures in the Realms of Steampunk Kickstarter! We’re currently over $3000, tripling the minimum goal! Let’s keep it going!

To promote the Kickstarter, L.S. Reinholt and I did an interview which you can read here. We talk a little about our story and about our process writing together while living in Denmark and Belgium respectively. Enjoy!

darkling's beasts and brews, the dragon of ynys

An Interview with Snap

Hello!

A new character interview was published today, this time with Snap, the dragon of Ynys himself! You can read it here: http://candidceillie.com/character-interview-snap-the-dragon-of-ynys/

I also realise I haven’t shown off my absolutely awesome phone cover yet, here on the blog. And a friend made this brilliant keychain for me! My eternal thanks to her, and of course to Kirby Crow for the design of The Dragon of Ynys‘ cover.

Phone cover 040618-1And some not-Dragon-related news:

The publication of Darkling’s Beasts and Brews: Poetry with a Drink on the Side is expected in October 2018, ready to provide some Halloween goodness. You can find its cover and table of contents here on Facebook.

I also rearranged my website a little, mainly making the Stories page a lot neater than it was. Have a look around and let me know what you think!


The Dragon of Ynys is now available at:

Less Than Three Press (Publisher; 20% off in June for Pride month!) | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | Kobo | Amazon (US) | Amazon (Canada) | Amazon (UK) | Amazon (De)

and you can add it on Goodreads.

the dragon of ynys

Blog Tour Links

As promised, you can find all the direct links to the blog tour posts about The Dragon of Ynys below!

Review via Let’s Fox About It: https://letsfoxaboutit.com/review-the-dragon-of-ynys-by-minerva-cerridwen/
(Coming soon, from the same blogger: there will be a character interview with Snap at http://candidceillie.com/; I’ll make a separate post for this once it’s published. Thanks, Ceillie!)

Review via Barely a Blogger: https://barelyablogger.wordpress.com/2018/05/15/2018-dragon-ynys-minerva/

Review via Jennifer Lee Rossman: https://jenniferleerossman.blogspot.be/2018/05/the-dragon-of-ynys-blog-tour.html

Review & interview via Crimson Talks Books, Mostly: https://crimsontalksbooks.wordpress.com/2018/05/16/review-and-author-interview-the-dragon-of-ynys-by-minerva-cerridwen/

Review via Ava Kelly: http://avakellyfiction.com/review-the-dragon-of-ynys-by-minerva-cerridwen/

Character interview via Archer Kay Leah: https://archerkayleah.wordpress.com/2018/05/22/the-dragon-of-ynys-by-minerva-cerridwen-blog-tour-character-interview/

YouTube interview via Amphibian Press: https://youtu.be/W3aUDqduIcQ
(That’s right, you can see me babble in English for 30 minutes. I wasn’t nervous at all… *ahem*)

A very big thank you to all of these bloggers! If you have the time, be sure to check out the rest of the websites and channel of these awesome people as well.

I’d also like to thank everyone who’s been writing reviews outside of the blog tour! In the past week I’ve gotten the question whether it’s important to buy the book from one specific retailer in order to get its sales numbers up, and as far as I know, that’s not important at all. But something that does help massively is to leave reviews on both Goodreads and Amazon (even if you didn’t buy the book there). Books with more than 50 reviews (that’s text reviews, not just the star ratings on Goodreads) get promoted more on those websites. So if you’ve read the book, I really appreciate it if you post a review! It doesn’t have to be long at all, as long as there are some words 😉

With that, the blog tour is officially over and my book is really out there in the world. I hope many people will enjoy the story. To my great joy, the reactions have been great so far, and someone even made a calligraphy artwork inspired by The Dragon! Things like that are, in my opinion, the greatest honour an author can get. ❤

The Dragon of Ynys is now available at:

Less Than Three Press (Publisher) | Amazon (US) | Amazon (Canada) | Amazon (UK) | Amazon (De) | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | Kobo | Bookstrand | Bol.com

and you can add it on Goodreads.

(edit 24/08/2019: disabled links removed)