Favorite Nooks

On the road today, so I'm sending out a quick little post with some of my favorite nooks and crannies from across the web - all favorite blogs of mine, that have become my frequent haunts over the last few weeks (and months, some of them):

Yearning for Wonderland:  Snarky, spleen-eating, Downton Abbey-loving, can't-remember-where-she-parked-her-Barouche-Box-and-in-which-century Anna Meade has a wonderful blog full of fairies, fiction, whimsy, yearning for yesteryear, and snark. Love this girl. You will too.

Amanda McCrina: Poli Sci student, movie aficionado and soon-to-be published author, Amanda writes concise, thoughtful posts on a host of topics. Having been privileged to be one of her beta readers for His Own Good Sword, I can also vouch for her giftedness as an insightful and incisive writer. Look for more about this savvy lady on my site in the coming weeks as she approaches her May publication date.

The Surly Muse: Keep Daniel Swensen's blog on speed dial for insightful articles and some of the most original flash-fiction I've ever read. (Don't believe me? Check out this one. Or maybe my personal favorite over here.) He writes phenomenal longer works too, as this happy beta-reader can tell you. Wish you could read them for yourselves...hopefully you will, and soon.

Going for Coffee: I wish I did live close enough to meet this gal for coffee in person. Jo-Anne Teal is one of the kindest, encouraging, most sweet-hearted writers I've met since joining Twitter*. Her blog exudes her natural sweetness and sincerity, and her flash fiction - though entirely hers and in that same calm tone - carries an extra edge that will surprise you at every turn. Go for coffee at her blog and sip some of her writing - you won't be disappointed.

Kristen Lamb: I discovered Kristen's website just the other day, and let me tell you: Kristen Lamb is sharp. She knows the publishing business. She's made mistakes and learned from them. Nor is she afraid to tell you about them, or which side of the prickly Mistake Fence you've fallen on. This lady has a LOT to share - including some great writing, the #MyWANA hashtag - and even some morbid hints about The Pants of Shame.**

* No, I was not paid to say that --- I mean it whole-heartedly! Seriously.

** Not for the faint of heart. Trust me.

Enjoy these stellar blogs - and then join them! Follow these savvy people on Twitter.

Then enjoy the knowledge that your Coolness Quotient just went through the roof.

You're welcome. :-)

Fanfare

'Tis the first workday of the new year, and with it the task of easing back into everyday "normalcy". In terms of this blog, "normalcy" means looking ahead to the next several months, and shaping up the direction of where I go from here.

I intend, of course, to continue my usual posts on all things connected with writing, as well as the Agent Tweets series that debuted last week. But with the recent success of several writer friends, I also see where this blog will become much more active in promoting writers whose work I admire highly. Today, I would like to acquaint you with three writers whose recent successes deserve a wider audience.

(NOTE: Names are hyperlinked to their Twitter page - follow them if you haven't already!) 

The Sauder Diaries: By Any Other Name

Michel R. Vaillancourt - Through the wonders of Twitter, I came across Michel's name and his steampunk novel,  The Sauder Diaries: By Any Other Name, recently published through Trestle Press. I've tried the steampunk genre before, but really wasn't sold on it, as I couldn't find anything that really grabbed me. All that changed when I  downloaded The Sauder Diaries on a whim and devoured it over Christmas - as in, stayed-up-till-4am-and-lost-precious-sleep-because-the-book-wouldn't-let-me-go, kind of devouring. Rest assured, I will post a detailed five-star review of this book here in the very near future.
     Check out Michel's pirate-infused steampunk world for yourself on Amazon's Kindle menu, or on the Barnes & Noble website. The $5 price tag is very generous - it is worth far more than that. You can also visit his fan page on Facebook and his official website at http://michelrvaillancourt.com/.

His Own Good Sword

Amanda McCrina - I've been privileged to know Amanda personally for many years. We frequently meet at the local coffeehouse to talk books, writing, and publishing, so I was ecstatic when she called me up a few weeks ago to say she had been offered a book contract with Winter Goose Publishing. Her novel, His Own Good Sword, is set in an alternate antiquity and follows a young nobleman whose integrity exiles him to a violent outpost on the borders of his empire. Set to publish in May, this is a richly textured narrative rooted in a deep love and intricate familiarity with the ancient world. Since I was fortunate enough to be a beta reader for this novel, you can expect me to serve up a detailed pre-launch review on this one as well. In the meantime, check out Amanda's blog, Fly Casual and extend your congratulations on her big announcement!

Goddess of Death ~ Man's Best Friend

John Hansen - Another literary cohort from Twitter, John is a high school student who is already making inroads in the publishing industry with the recent acceptance of an urban fantasy short "Goddess of Death" into Dark Light Anthology and horror short "Man's Best Friend" to Untreed Reads. He also has a blog, which can be found here. Congratulations, John!

What other good news have I missed? Let me know!