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CALL: WhimsyCon 2019 Anthology

steampunk - pixabay

Shiny Garden is seeking short fiction for its 2019 WhimsyCon Anthology. Steampunk, science fiction, fantasy, and other spec fiction is preferred. While this will not be a queer anthology, queer submissions are requested and welcomed. Submissions should be: Written in English Written for a PG-13 Audience (no explicit sex or violence) Between 5,000-15,000 words Typed and double spaced Include the author’s name, address, phone number and approximate word count at the top of the first page. Print ready. (please don’t send first drafts, send it through an editor for grammar ect.) Saved as a .doc or .docx file Also do … Read more

ANNOUNCEMENT: Transcendence

Transcendence

QSFer A.M. Burns has a new MM fantasy book out: In a world torn between magic and science, he was created to be a servant, but the power of love gave him the strength to break his chains and save the world. Names have power. That simple statement defines Jaxon’s life. Without a name he would be nothing. He was created by the Mage Lord of Denver, Robart Hasslan, as a spiritual servant. His life is a series of duties for Hasslan until Hasslan takes an apprentice, Xedric Collins. Xedric stirs feelings in Jaxon he never knew existed. When Xedric’s … Read more

SCIENCE: Flies With Frickin’ Laser Beams

Robotic Fly

A new type of flying robot is so tiny and lightweight — it weighs about as much as a toothpick — it can perch on your finger. The little flitter is also capable of untethered flight and is powered by lasers. This is a big leap forward in the design of diminutive airborne bots, which are usually too small to support a power source and must trail a lifeline to a distant battery in order to fly, engineers who built the new robot announced in a statement. Their insect-inspired creation is dubbed RoboFly, and like its animal namesake, it sports … Read more

Review: “No Enemy But Time” by Angel Martinez

Title: Open for Business (No Enemy But Time) Series: Brandywine Investigations Author: Angel Martinez Genre: Urban Fantasy LGBTQ+ Category: M/M, Cis Publisher: Mischief Corner Books, LLC Pages: 488 Blurb When humans forsake the temples, the gods need to find other employment. Hades opens Brandywine Investigations after his divorce and his subsequent move to the modern world. If he was hoping for boring infidelity cases and lost dogs, he’s sorely mistaken as murder and mayhem find his agency and his extended family at an astonishing rate. Includes: Canines, Crosshairs & Corpses: Brandywine Investigations #1 No Enemy But Time: Brandywine Investigations #2 … Read more

ANNOUNCEMENT: Twenty-One Arrow Salute, by Kasia Bacon

Twenty-One Arrow Salute

QSFer Kasia Bacon has a new MM fantasy book out: Verhan Tŭrryés of Black Mountain is a handful. Freshly enlisted in the Highland Regiment, he does all he can to steer clear of responsibility and commitment. Just not his cup of mead, that. Loose of tongue and even looser of morals, he rarely misses an opportunity to get into trouble—and into the other archers’ knickers, too. In a unit composed almost entirely of Dark Elves, Hernan Seinnés, with his green eyes and auburn hair, is an outsider. When Verhan, up the creek again, is blackmailed into helping Hernan, he never … Read more

FOR WRITERS: Managing My Brain and My Writing

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FOR WRITERS Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer Sheena J. Himes: Managing depression/mental health issues while still maintaining a decent writing schedule. Tips? Suggestions? I’m balancing a fine line but I’m failing more than succeeding at this point, and my production divebombs during the winter. (My current self-care routine is adequate for maintaining my equilibrium but not at all helpful in staying productive.) Join the chat

WEIRD NEWS: Hairy Beast Washes Ashore in the Philippines

hairy sea monster

It came from the depths of the ocean and has since mystified onlookers: the decaying, truck-size body of a hairy sea monster. What it is, no one can yet say. But the beast, which washed ashore on a beach in the Philippine province of Oriental Mindoro on May 11, is likely the remains of a whale, fishery law enforcement officer Vox Krusada told The Sun. However, DNA testing is needed to pinpoint the exact species, Krusada said. [13 Bizarre Things That Washed Up on Beaches] Until the species is officially identified, people are calling the 20-foot-long (6 meters), grayish and … Read more

“Transcendent 2,” review. Jeff Baker, Boogieman in Lavender.

Transcendent 2

                                       Transcendent 2 a Review By Jeff Baker               As this column was going to press, (read; as I was getting off my lazy behind and typing it up) word came that “Transcendent 2” won for best Transgender Fiction at the 2018 Lambda Literary Awards. Congratulations to all involved, starting with editor, Bogi Takacs. Those who want some specifics about just how good this book is, read on. —J.S. Baker “Transcendent 2,” Lethe Press’ second annual collection of Transgender themed speculative … Read more