“Everyone Loses” by Charap and Colton

Everyone Loses: The Ukraine Crisis and the Ruinous Contest for Post-Soviet Eurasia Samuel Charap and Timothy J. Colton When protest and then war broke out in 2013/14 in Ukraine, many people in the US couldn’t find Ukraine, much less the Crimea or the Donbass, on a map, and for most people that’s probably still the […]

Why Aren’t You Writing VII: Pulling it All Together

Last time I talked about overcoming feelings of self-doubt. Today I’m going to finish up with a summary of thoughts on how to deal with or get around material obstacles for writing. Make a list of what your obstacles are. Then make a list of what you might do about them. They probably are not […]

Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Giveaway

I’m taking a short break from reviewing other people’s books while I proof my own next release, so in the meantime here’s another giveaway event (at which you can *also* pick up a free e-ARC of The Dreaming Land I, my next book). It’s a fun and eclectic event, which you can find here. And the […]

ARC of “The Dreaming Land I,” My Upcoming Release

Woohoo! I’m slowly grinding towards a fall release of my latest series, The Dreaming Land. This will be another little (in this case, 3 volumes, so not actually so little) mini-series within the overall Zemnian Series set of books. I currently have very, VERY early (meaning they still have another round of proofreading etc. to go through) […]

“The Midnight Sea” by Kat Ross

The Midnight Sea Kat Ross I got this book as part of a free giveaway, and approached it with the the trepidation one always does in these situations. As usual, 50-75% of the books I got in the giveaway were not really worth reading, but a couple of them stood out, with “The Midnight Sea” […]

“Bring Out the Dog” by Will Mackin

Bring Out the Dog Will Mackin Different wars generate different types of literature. This seems obvious, but it’s interesting to note the differences between wars that are happening simultaneously, and even involve some of the same countries, but nonetheless produce stories of different flavors. Case in point: Western literature on the recent war in Iraq […]

“Lyme: The First Epidemic of Climate Change” by Mary Beth Pfeiffer

Lyme: The First Epidemic of Climate Change Mary Beth Pfeiffer An ancient monster has been awakened from its unquiet slumber by the arrogant foolishness of humans, and is now coming to feed on you and your children, while scientists and government officials sit back and do nothing, or actively distribute misinformation. The plot of the […]

“Comrade Criminal” by Stephen Handleman

Comrade Criminal: Russia’s New Mafiya Stephen Handleman Have you ever wondered, sitting back on the other side of the ocean and most of a continent, and getting your news from sources that don’t actually know what they’re talking about, why Russia is the way it is today? Why corruption flourishes and Putin is so popular? […]

“The Pursuit of Endurance” by Jennifer Pharr Davis

The Pursuit of Endurance: Harnessing the Record-Breaking Power of Strength and Resilience Jennifer Pharr Davis If you enjoy reading stories of Shackleton’s attempt at reaching the South Pole, or of plucky horses like Seabiscuit who succeed against all odds, then chances are good you’ll enjoy Jennifer Pharr Davis’s “The Pursuit of Endurance.” If you are […]

Why Aren’t You Writing V: Overcoming Illness and Disability

Last time we talked about different writing tools you can use. This time we’re going to talk about something particularly close to my heart: writing when you’re dealing with some kind of physical infirmity. Even healthy people will experience physical and mental fatigue, eye strain, and neck/back/hand pain if they spend too much time writing, […]