April 2021: First Novella, and Spring is Coming

Robins, always a sure sign of spring in our parts, started showing up just before mid-March. We even had an eastern bluebird popping by to check out the feeder a couple of times. So regardless what the thermometer says, I’m confident that spring is on its way.

Recent Publications

My novella To Push Back the Darkness was released by JMS Publishing March 13, 2021. The story is a f/f romance/police procedural with science fiction elements. You can find more details on the “books” page of this site. The novella, released in ebook format only, is available through Amazon and other major distributors, or from JMS Books LLC directly. Super-exciting for me, since it’s my first novella-length fiction publication.

A haiga titled “Two Heads” and a tanka, “[new clothes are hard to come by]” were published in Scifaikuest, February 2021 print edition.

A poem titled “Deck Chairs” appeared in the Norfolk Literary Prize 2020 publication, as the second-place poem in the 18 and over category.

A poem titled “Spaceport” appeared in the February 2021 issue of Spaceports & Spidersilk.

Todd Sullivan invited me to a Zoom interview talking about the poem “The ABCs of Sci-Fi Nightmares” that appeared in Polar Borealis, and more broadly about reading and writing poetry. A link to the interview, which includes a reading of the poem and is followed by questions about writing, is below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjPKoZsnJFU

My review of Luna Station Quarterly Issue 41, March 2020, was published on The Future Fire’s site March 3, 2021. Link is below:

http://reviews.futurefire.net/2021/03/luna-station-quarterly-41.html

A review of How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse by K. Eason appeared on The Future Fire’s site March 24, 2021. Link below:

http://reviews.futurefire.net/2021/03/eason-how-rory-thorne-destroyed.html#more

I posted a review of Rebecca Warner’s My Dad My Dog on Library Thing and Goodreads. I received an electronic copy of this book through Library Thing’s Early Reviewers program. My Dad My Dog is a fictional account of the challenges of providing in-home care for an elderly parent with Alzheimer’s. Though it’s a work of fiction, the book is based on Warner’s own experiences as the health care surrogate for both of her parents.

What I'm Working On

I’m putting the finishing touches on a review of Canadian science fiction and fantasy writer Julie E. Czerneda’s Spectrum, the third book in the Web Shifter’s Library series (which follows the adventures of many of the same characters introduced in the earlier Web Shifter series). I’ve read all but one of the Web Shifter books, and can say that while I’ve liked them all, I think Spectrum and Beholder’s Eye are the two I’ve enjoyed most.

I’m also planning to take on the Poetry Month challenge for April, writing a poem a day.

Coming Soon

My second romance novella from JMS Books LLC, Curtain Call, is scheduled to go live April 10, 2021. It centres about a woman’s internal struggles as she comes to grips with giving up team sports as she and her teammates age. The sporting backdrop is broomball, a quirky activity I was introduced to when I was in university, and played for a number of years. The issue of letting things go as you age is something I’ve been dealing with the past few years.