It’s been a wild and wacky October, and at Speculative Chic, we decided that our devoted Weekly Round-Up Editor Kristina deserved a vacation, so we shooed her off into relaxation! With Kristina gone, it’s up to your Editor-in-Chic to catch you up on all of the goodies you might’ve missed this past week, so settle in and take a quick peek! You don’t want to miss a thing!
Monday
Mondays aren’t complete without getting to celebrate someone’s Favorite Things, and this week, we’re joined by Michael Rowe, whose latest release, October, came out in — you guessed it — October from ChiZine! What does Michael love when he’s not writing what award-winner Lee Thomas calls a “terrifying story of social persecution, black magic, and desire gone horrifically wrong”? Spoiler alert: a great number of classic ghost stories that will leave you craving more, another ghost story that speaks to his roots as a horror writer, and everyone’s favorite season (and if it isn’t, it should be!). Curious? Read on to learn more!
Edit 2/17/2020: Michael Rowe’s MFT has been removed at the request of the author.
Tuesday
It’s been a long time, but we finally lured Keyes out of hiding to review Alex Shvartsman’s debut epic fantasy, Eridani’s Crown. What did it take? Well, the promise of reviewing an epic fantasy that might be on par with A Song of Ice and Fire and other gritty, political fantasies. What did Keyes think of this story of revenge? You’ll have to find out here.
Wednesday
On the day before Halloween, what everyone needs is a sweet, cozy review of a children’s picture book. Wait, what? Oh, I’m absolutely serious, and you should read Kendra Merritt’s review of Zombie in Love and its sequel, Zombie in Love 2 +1 and tell me you don’t agree that zombies actually do belong in picture books!
And then, we welcomed Adria Laycraft to share the inspiration behind her debut space opera novel, Jumpship Hope. Tanya Huff, author of the Federation of Valor and the Peacekeeper Series, says, “Jumpship Hope is adventure with heart.” To learn more about what imbued Jumpship Hope with so much heart, hear what Adria has to say in “Space Opera Daydreams.”
Thursday
I hope everyone had a fun, safe, and sugar-filled Halloween. At Speculative Chic, Kelly McCarty shared her thoughts on Charlaine Harris’ follow-up novel to The Southern Vampire series. What did Kelly think of Midnight Crossroad, the first book in the Midnight Texas series? Come find out!
Friday
November is here, and you know what that means? Thousands upon thousands of fingers typing frantically on keyboards, all for the shared glory of National Novel Writing Month! Are you participating in this year’s NaNoWriMo? Have you participated in the past? Our writers share tips, tricks, and even suggestions about whether or not you should participate! Read their thoughts here, and please, share your own in the comments!
And then, the moment you’ve all been waiting for! We’re re-launching the Speculative Chic Book Club in January, and we’re revamping the entire thing! If that’s not enough, we have the first three books selected and ready for you to read! Come find out what’s new and how you can participate. Please know we would absolutely love to have you!
The Kasturi/Files
Believe it or not, but October is over, which means our daily dose of horror movies, scary books, and spooky cocktails has come to an end. Many thanks to the intrepid and awesome Sandra Kasturi and Gemma Files for entertaining us every day in October with The Kasturi/Files! I don’t know about the rest of you, but my horror movie watch list has grown, my wallet is cringing at the weight of my book wish list, and my liver is having nightmares over the number of cocktails I want to try!
Just because it’s over doesn’t mean we didn’t have some awesome discussions this week. Check out the episodes and what drinks you should pair with them!
- October 27: Episode 27: A Doom Spiral of Witchery featuring Robert Eggers’ The VVitch as well as Cyril Frankel’s The Witches + Witches’ Brew Cocktail
- October 28: Episode 28: The Devil’s Backbone featuring Guillermo del Toro’s The Devil’s Backbone + Red Ribbon Cocktail
- October 29: Episode 29: Mummies Dearest featuring Karl Freund’s 1932 version of The Mummy and the 1999 reboot + The Mummy Cocktail and Rummy Mummy
- October 30: Episode 30: A Stopped Ghostwatch is Still Correct Twice a Day featuring BBC’s “live broadcast” of Ghostwatch + Poltergist South Side Cocktail
- October 31: Episode 31: The Exorcistses featuring William Friedkin’s The Exorcist and its sequels and television adaptations + Exorcist Cocktail
With October over, have you recovered from the sugar-rush of Halloween? Are you typing away for NaNoWriMo? If you’re in the United States, are you prepping for the next big holiday? Remember, don’t burn the candles at both ends. Eat good food, get plenty of sleep, and be sure to catch the sun every once in a while. Otherwise, all that stress could leave you looking a little, well, green around the gills….
Linda Blair in The Exorcist
No Comments