Author of Fairy Tales, Fantasy, and Science Fiction
Today I would like to talk about the newest book release by my friend and editor of The Dragon of Ynys, E.D.E. Bell. It is titled Just Chad and collects 25 adventures of a robot named Chad, whom we got to know in the first part of the Just Duology: Just Bart.
I’m so, so honoured that E.D.E. Bell dedicated a book to me, and not just a book, but this one. Everyone, grab your copy!
Love, beeps, and boops,
Minerva
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.
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.
The Rise anthology came out yesterday!
This anthology is packed with 120 stories under 300 words each, all with a speculative element and queer characters. One of these stories is my little piece “Ace-tral Projection”, and the book also includes L.S. Reinholt’s “Flood”.
You can buy the book in ebook, paperback, AND hardcover format. Find all the info and buy links via the publisher’s website, and add the book on Goodreads here.
The winners of this edition were Aidee Ladnier’s “Getting The Proper Rise” in third place, Sorren Briarwood’s “Dead Name” in second place, and Meghan Hyland’s “So High Up We’ll Never Hear Them Shouting” in first place. Congratulations!
The winner announcement can be found here, judge’s picks were announced here, honorable mentions were announced here, and the full list of stories in the book is on this page.
And we’ll continue celebrating today, because I have great news for everyone in Belgium who wants to buy The Dragon of Ynys at an independent bookshop: it is now available at Boekhandel Grim in Hasselt!
Happy autumn, and happy Ace Week!
P.S. My postcard sets are still available! Read about them here.
Hi!
It’s that time of the year when the stories are being announced that will be part of the Queer Sci Fi Flash Fiction Contest anthology. The theme this year was “Rise”, once again prompting authors to write a story of 300 words, and I’m proud to say I submitted a story called “Ace-tral Projection” and it was selected. This is the fifth year in a row I have a story in the contest anthology! Everyone who’s friends with me on Duolingo knows I do love a good long streak.
You can read the full list of anthology picks via this link – and you may notice that my friend and co-writer LS Reinholt’s story “Flood” made it in there too! *high fives*
In other news, Fie and I posted the 359th edition of Paranatellonta yesterday—remember there’s a new post on the 1st and 15th of every month. Our next edition, on August 15, will be very special, and not just because 360 is a nice round number—we will celebrate that Paranatellonta will have existed for 10 years!!! Keep your eyes peeled. In the meantime, you can go read the latest editions via the main page (click on the “[time] ago and x notes” line under a post to enlarge both its photo and text, or click the “Random post” button at the top to be catapulted up to ten years back in time). As ever, everything Paranatellonta is free to read. Enjoy!
Love from rainy Germany, where I’ve been having a very cosy autumnish holiday in the middle of summer (but also some sunny hobbit adventures on mountains),
Minerva
Hi!
I’ve just returned from Copenhagen, where I spent a marvellous week—LS and I got to see Hannah Gadsby live!!! The show was absolutely brilliant. Other than that we also had a lot of fun, finally meeting up after such a long time, and I got united with my author copy of Skulls & Spells!
Are you also intrigued by this gorgeous full-colour publication of queer horror stories, poetry, and art? Read all about it on the Skulls & Spells page of my website.
Now, in true dragon fashion, I actually wanted to talk to you about even more treasures. Literal ones, from the house of Atthis Arts (publisher of my novella The Dragon of Ynys as well as anthologies Five Minutes at Hotel Stormcove and Community of Magic Pens). A True Travelling Treasure Trove!
What’s this all about? Well, Atthis Arts has set up a Kickstarter with the main goal of funding an audiobook for The Traveling Triple-C Incorporeal Circus by Alanna McFall. This book sounds like so much fun and has been on my to-read list literally since it came out in 2019—but since I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump, I think this will be the moment I’ll finally get to it, whether on page or in audiobook form. Either way it sounds amazing, with a road trip, theatre, ghosts, and a really fun writing style from what I’ve heard. Add to that the fact that the audiobook will be performed by C.S.E. Cooney, who hosted the Atthis Arts Reading last September, and this will be reason enough to go have a look at the Kickstarter. But. BUT!
Before you think this is just another Kickstarter, I have to tell you about these treasures. Because Atthis Arts hasn’t gone with your average rewards, but set up an entire set of actual limited-edition (metaphorical) gems to go with each of their 2022 publications. The one I’m personally most excited about is the Alia Terra colouring book—I mean, wow!!! Have you seen the Alia Terra art? Can you imagine getting to colour it yourself with whatever media you prefer? And not only that, but the colouring book will contain the original text, so you can enjoy the stories while you unleash your own creativity! I really love that this is a thing that will exist.
But it’s not just that: Gigi Ganguly has provided the campaign with actual-treasure tassels from a market shop in Delhi to represent her book One Arm Shorter than the Other (very much recommended to sci fi fans!), there’s an enamel pin of the assassin’s dagger from Gregory A. Wilson’s Grayshade, an exclusive scarf for the 2022 Origins Game Fair anthology Rogue Artists, scented candles for E.D.E. Bell’s own Night Ivy, and huggable squid friends matching Brandon Crilly’s Catalyst. (I wasn’t going to buy more plushies for myself, but we all know that when they have tentacles, I’m going to have to break that promise.) And, of course, you can also add the books themselves to your rewards (there will be an add-on window after you’ve picked your pledge level). There are also some digital jewels for those who are now, understandably, gritting their teeth at international shipping and duty.
And for those of you who think “sure, that all sounds fun, but have you noticed it’s 2022 so where would I get the money for all that?”, mind that the audiobook & ebook combo starts at $1 (!). So, really, go have a look, and please consider supporting the publishing house where I would very much love to get some of my future projects published! (👀) Extra link to the Kickstarter so you don’t have to scroll up: CLICK!
Good luck picking your treasures, and have a nice Sunday!
Minerva
P.S. Those of you who have been following my Inktober attempt on Instagram may have noticed that I missed a week of drawings. Some of the ones I did make took a little longer than a quick Inktober sketch. Feel free to leave a reply if you can spot which ones! But I am planning to do a catch-up sketch this week to represent the missing days (19 and 26-31), so stay tuned for that. Thanks for following along on this journey!
The Clarity anthology is out today!
This anthology is packed with 120 stories under 300 words each, all with a speculative element and queer characters. One of these stories is my little piece “Secundum Artem”.
You can buy the book in ebook, paperback, AND hardcover format, via: Amazon – Apple – Barnes & Noble – Kobo – Smashwords – Scribd – Vivlio, or add it on The StoryGraph or Goodreads.
Congratulations to the winners, judges’ picks, and honorable mentions of Queer Sci Fi’s Annual Flash Fiction Contest!
The winner announcement can be found here, judge’s picks were announced here, honorable mentions here, and the full list of stories in the book is on this page.
Enjoy all the queer flash fiction!
Love,
Minerva
P.S. Inktober is going well! I managed to draw something every day so far, and am happy with my result today, so I’m throwing it in here as a little extra:
Hi!
Not long now before the Clarity anthology will come out – Wednesday, the 5th of October is the day! That means I’ll put up another post to celebrate that day – but for now, I want to show you all the cover.
You can preorder your copy via the links on this page. The winners of the contest have also been announced: short summaries of the winning stories can be found here!
And if you want a little flash fiction appetiser, you are of course most welcome at Paranatellonta, where we’ve posted the 339th photo + story combination today.
Now it’s time for me to go draw something – happy Inktober to all of you who are joining the challenge! If all goes well, my first sketch of the month will appear on my Instagram by tonight.
Have a great weekend!
Minerva
Queer horror anthology Skulls & Spells is out now from Artemisia’s Axe!
Order it directly from the publisher in Hardcover or Ebook format, and add it to your to-read list on The StoryGraph!
Here’s a Tiktok video from the publishers, showing off the gorgeous full-colour hardcover edition:
Aside from lots of other great stories, poems, and beautiful art, this book contains short story “The Bound Heart”, written by LS Reinholt and me. It’s a fantasy horror story with a witch main character, xyr snake familiar, and horrible things happening in the woods. If you’re into creepy and bloody stories, it’s a pretty cool one, if I say so myself. Mind the content warnings in the book’s table of contents!
This is the teaser art we did to promote the successful Kickstarter (illustration by LS, colouring by me):
And if you’d like to hear another co-written story from LS and me (no horror, only fantasy!), remember to attend our reading on September 11! Read all info here, or reserve a spot for free right away.
P.S. Happy September 1st! Here’s the 337th edition of Paranatellonta, freshly posted.
Hi!
Good news: my flash story “Secundum Artem” will be part of the Clarity anthology! That is the book resulting from this year’s Queer Sci Fi flash fiction contest, and I’m very proud to say it’s the fourth year in a row my story made it into the anthology. The book will contain 120 stories of 300 words or less, and is set to release on October 5, 2022.
You can see the full list of included stories in this Facebook post.
If you can’t wait to read a book of speculative flash fiction, find all the info about the previous editions Migration, Innovation, and Ink here on my website!
In other flash news (pardon my bad jokes), there will be an update about Skulls & Spells soon, and as on every 1st and 15th day of the month, Fie and I posted a new edition of Paranatellonta yesterday. The 335th already! I realise now that I’m writing this that we started the project in August, so we’ve been going for a whole 9 years – happy birthday, Para!
Enjoy the summer and stay hydrated!
Minerva
Minerva Cerridwen 