July 9, 2020
Indie publishing (also known as self-publishing) has been around for quite a long time, and with the introduction of ebooks and print-on-demand, it is a legitimate and growing industry. Being an indie means wearing a lot of hats and shifting among different roles, all necessary to the overall job of being an authorprenuer. Last month, we talking about things to…
July 8, 2020
One of the most common questions authors face is a deceptively difficult one to answer: “Where do you get your ideas?” Yet, the answers to that common question can be almost as interesting as the resulting story. Welcome to You’re My Inspiration, a column dedicated to discovering what inspires a particular author and their work. Whether it be a lifelong…
July 8, 2020
I’ve mentioned before, I really enjoy Nicole Givens Kurtz‘s work. When the opportunity came up to get an early look at her newest book, I jumped at it! The cover is gorgeous, and the plot summary had me ready to dive into this new world! Kill Three Birds (2020) Written by: Nicole Givens Kurtz Genre: Fantasy/Mystery Series: Kingdom of Aves…
July 7, 2020
Shirley Jackson was a Sagittarius who knew that arsenic goes best with sugar when serving blackberries after dinner. She raised demons into children, wrote with a broomstick, could identify the Amanita phalloide — the death cup mushroom — and terrified the world when she published a short story titled “The Lottery” in late June of 1948. Jackson was the type…
July 6, 2020
They might not be raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens, but that doesn’t mean that we love them any less. Welcome back to My Favorite Things, the weekly column where we grab someone in speculative circles to gab about the greatest in geek. This week, we sit down with Bishop O’Connell, who is the author of the American Faerie…
July 3, 2020
At Speculative Chic, we feature a lot of authors who share everything from their favorite things to the inspiration for their work. But why not also share their fiction? Welcome to Fiction Friday, where you’ll be able to sample the fiction of a variety of authors, including those who write at Speculative Chic! Today, we’re featuring The Dragon Authors: Erin…
July 2, 2020
I had a great deal of fun with the first two books, and with the whole COVID madness thing in the world, I’d forgotten that April was the release date for the final book. Until I remembered. Then I promptly got on the library’s wait list for the eBook. I prefer to not deal in eBooks if at all possible…
July 1, 2020
Lovecraft Country (2016) Written by: Matt Ruff Genre: Dark Fantasy/Horror Host: Casey Price Discussion Date: 7/31/2020 The Premise: Soon to be a New HBO® Series from J.J. Abrams (Executive Producer of Westworld), Misha Green (Creator of Underground) and Jordan Peele (Director of Get Out) The critically acclaimed cult novelist makes visceral the terrors of life in Jim Crow America and its lingering effects…
July 1, 2020
Some months I read really chewy books that require analysis. Some months I read books that are just so excellently put together, it’s a pleasure to review them. And some months, everything is so chaotic, I just read for the simple escape of it. Some books are meals, and some are appetizers. This is an appetizer plate for your consideration.