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Me Me Monday!

Me Me Monday

Welcome to M3: ME ME MONDAY at our FB discussion group – your chance to pop in and tell us about your latest success. Have a new book or short story coming out? Let us know. Just sell something? Let us know so we can cheer you on. HOW IT WORKS: I’ll pin this topic to the top of our FB discussion page for the day. –Please post your announcement as a separate post so we can comment on yours specifically –Check out the other posts and congratulate and share them too! And congratulations!!!

SPACE: Going to Mars? You Might Glow in the Dark When You Return

Mars - pixabay

There are plenty of challenges to putting people on Mars, whether you look at the rocket, the astronaut or the planet itself. New data from one of the many spacecraft at work around Mars confirm just how dangerous a round-trip human journey would be by measuring the amount of radiation an astronaut would experience. Cosmic radiation is made up of incredibly tiny particles moving incredibly fast, nearly at the speed of light — the sort of phenomenon a human body isn’t very well equipped to withstand. That radiation travels across all of space, but Earth’s atmosphere buffers us from the … Read more

REVIEW: Sinister Hunger, by Katze Snow

Sinister Hunger

Title: Sinister Hunger Series: Bloodstream #1 Author: Katze Snow Genre: paranormal LGBTQ+ Category: Gay Pages/Word Count: 213 About the Book: Vincent Hudson is a vampire hunter and his life is about to be ruined. When a hunting trip ends in tragedy, he is forced to do the unthinkable—seek refuge in Sanctuary Hope, where each family must nominate a member to the city council. It is seemingly a minor price to pay in exchange for medical aid and refuge. But it is also a dangerous trap, and unaware of the gut-wrenching reality, Vincent nominates himself to save his people. Now a … Read more

FOR READERS: Overarching Plots

plot

FOR READERS Today’s reader topic comes from QSFer Hank T. Cannon: Do you like “overplots” in your sci-fi/fantasy? Do you like your novels/series purely self contained, or do you want each book to advance a larger plot? Writers: This is a reader chat – you are welcome to join it, but please do not reference your own works directly. Thanks! This is a legacy chat. Join the chat

SPACE: Making Nuclear Pasta – Live Science

Nuclear Pasta

How to cook “nuclear pasta” in three easy steps: 1. Boil one large, dying star until it goes supernova and explodes. (This could take a billion years, so be patient.) 2. Vigorously stir any leftover protons and electrons inside the star’s shriveled core until they merge into a soup of ultradense neutrons. Apply as much gravity as necessary. 3. Scrunch the neutron stew into an airtight sphere the size of Toronto. Cover in a crystalline crust and serve at 1.08 million degrees Fahrenheit (600,000 degrees Celsius). Voila! You have just made one of the universe’s strangest concoctions — nuclear pasta. … Read more

ANNOUNCEMENT/GIVEAWAY: Soulbound, by Archer Kay Leah

Soulbound

QSFer Archer Kay Leah has a new MM/MMF fantasy romance book out: In a relationship that violates rules and expectations, Mayr and Tash have found their perfect match in each other. Despite their fears and difficult pasts, they hope for a shared future with security and a family. When Mayr’s secret first love, Arieve, proposes they create that family with her, it seems dreams could become reality. But life is complicated, and so is the delicate balance between duty and love. While Mayr protects the Dahe family at all costs, Tash is determined to succeed as a priest. Both positions … Read more

TV: She-Ra Reboot to Feature At Least Two Queer Characters

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, a reboot based on the hugely-popular 1980s spinoff character from the Masters of the Universe franchise, is set to include at least two LGBT characters. Creator Noelle Stevenson and voice cast members Aimee Carrero, Karen Fukuhara and Marcus Scribner revealed the news during the show’s panel at New York Comic Con on 4 October. Although, it seemed like they didn’t actually intend to give away such key information just yet…  So how did it all slip out? Well, the quartet was asked during the event which of the new series’ characters were their … Read more

ANNOUNCEMENT/GIVEAWAY: Aliens, Smith and Jones, by Blaine D. Arden

Aliens Smith and Jones - Blaine D. Arden

Blaine D. Arden has a new MM sci fi book out: “It’s not all about serving coffee and typing reports.” Working for a secret organisation specialising in alien cover-ups, Connor Smith is no stranger to the abnormal or dangerous. His love life on the other hand… not so exciting. Until he reluctantly agrees to a blind date and meets the perfect bloke, Jason. Things are finally falling into place for Connor, so of course that’s when he attracts an alien stalker. Noah Jones, ex-alien, has been stranded on Earth and forced to live as a human since 1648. Alone and … Read more

FOR WRITERS & READERS: What Does a Book Really Cost?

money - pixabay

FOR WRITERS & READERS Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer Denise Dechene: I’ve seen this lots of times. Readers upset by book prices. I know publishers set prices on their books but not sure how Indie authors do? I think some of the problem is we as readers have no idea how much it costs to produce a book for self pub. So I guess my question would be as a whole what are the costs leading up to publication? Join the chat