[Now Available] Hath No Fury Anthology

Hath No Fury Anthology

Looking for a kick ass book about fearless women to read? Hath No Fury is a collection of stories and essays edited by Melanie R. Meadors. The anthology features 21 stories and six essays about women who defy genre stereotypes. Here, it’s not the hero who acts while the heroine waits to be rescued; Hath No Fury’s women are champions, not damsels in distress. Whether they are strong, bold warriors, the silent but powerful type, or the timid who muster their courage to face down terrible evil, the women of Hath No Fury will make indelible marks upon readers and leave them breathless for more.

My contribution to Hath No Fury is an essay titled “This is Not Another Why Representation Is Important Essay”. This collection of women-as-champions is now available wherever fine books are sold.

[New Release] Wonderbook (Revised and Expanded): The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction

Wonderbook (Revised and Expanded): The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction

Wonderbook has become the definitive guide to writing science fiction and fantasy by offering an accessible, example-rich approach that emphasizes the importance of playfulness as well as pragmatism. It also exploits the visual nature of genre culture and employs bold, full-color drawings, maps, renderings, and visualizations to stimulate creative thinking. On top of all that, the book features sidebars and essays from some of the biggest names working in the field today, including George R. R. Martin, Lev Grossman, Neil Gaiman, Michael Moorcock, and Karen Joy Fowler.

For the fifth anniversary of the original publication, Jeff VanderMeer has added an additional 50 pages of diagrams, illustrations, and writing exercises creating the ultimate volume of inspiring advice that is also a stunning and inspiring object.

I am happy to announce that my work has been included in this stellar edition. When reviewing the existing material, there was so much great advice in the initial volume it was difficult to figure out a contribution. I opted to provide a methodology for the creation of an alien language simply and quickly; this is something game designers, authors, comic book writers, etc. can use if you get stuck figuring out how an alien species communicates.

Wonderbook (Revised and Expanded): The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction is available wherever fine books are sold. Additionally, if you haven’t checked out Jeff VanderMeer‘s work please do! He’s a very fine author in his own right, and his wife Ann is a stellar editor, too. A perfect blend of literary talents, indeed. To hire them for writing, editing, teaching, or speaking, visit VanderMeer Creative.

Announcing the Table of Contents for Sisterhood: Dark Tales and Secret Histories

Sisterhood: Dark Tales and Secret Histories

In churches and convents and other religious communities, sisterhood takes many forms, forged and tested by such mundane threats as disease and despair, but also by terrors both spiritual and cosmic—Satan’s subtle minions and the Lovecraftian nightmare of the Outer Gods. Sisterhood: Dark Tales and Secret Histories presents sixteen horror stories by some of the genre’s leading female voices. Their settings range around the globe and across the centuries, from 14th century Spain to 17th century Virginia to England in the present day.

Contributors include such award-winning and critically acclaimed authors as Nadia Bulkin, Livia Llewellyn, Molly Tanzer, Sun Yung Shin, Gemma Files, Kaaron Warren, Damien Angelica Walters, and Selena Chambers. With original cover art by Liv Rainey-Smith.

Table of Contents

“The Wine of Men” by Ann K. Schwader
“From an Honest Sister, to a Neglected Daughter” by Monica Valentinelli
“Étaín and the Unholy Ghosts” by Lisa Morton
“The Barefoot Sisters of Saint Beatriz of the Mountain” by Kali Wallace
“Unburdened Flesh” by Penelope Love
“Only Dead Men Do Not Lie: The Trials of the Formosans” by Kaaron Warren
“Jane, Jamestown, The Starving Time” by Sun Yung Shin
“Dorcas and Ann: A True Story” by Molly Tanzer
“The Resurrected” by S. P. Miskowski
“The Low, Dark Edge of Life” by Livia Llewellyn
“The Anchoress” by Lynda E. Rucker
“Siūlais ir Kraujo ir Kaulų (Of Thread and Blood and Bone)” by Damien Angelica Walters
“Gravity Wave” by Nadia Bulkin
“The Veils of Sanctuary” by Selena Chambers
“The Sisters of Epione” by Alison Littlewood
“Red Words” by Gemma Files

Sisterhood: Dark Tales and Secret Histories
Edited by Nate Pedersen
CHA6058
SRP $17.99
ISBN 978-1-56882-464-2
272 pages
Trade paperback

For pre-orders and availability, visit your local bookstore, library, or watch for it on sites like DriveThruFiction.com.

[New Releases] Scarred Lands, Unknown Armies, and Vampire: The Masquerade!

Hello readers! I have been consumed with development on Hunter: The Vigil Second Edition, keeping on top of short story submissions, and proofing a brand new Firefly Encyclopedia that’ll go to approvals shortly. I’m taking a quick break to let you know I have three gaming-related releases.

Karmic Wheels and Fifth Ties | Unknown Armies 3rd Edition Karmic Ties and Fifth Wheels is a Campaign Starter Kit for Unknown Armies Third Edition. In the kit, the player characters are the black sheep of a large, extended family based in rural Wisconsin. Brought together again for a family reunion at the behest of matriarch Maple Adams, they discover that old secrets and occult mysteries lie at the heart of everything their family has done over generations. Throughout the campaign they may learn who they truly are, and how thick their blood runs through the veins of the occult underground.

Beckett's Jyhad Diary | Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition Beckett’s Jyhad Diary serves as the definitive book of setting and plot for Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition, containing 30 chapters spanning different geographical regions, encountering vampires of every clan, profiling obscure and profound segments of the mythology, and providing countless story hooks on every page.

Beckett’s Jyhad Diary is a fiction-forward supplement and is heavy on the lush lore of the Vampire setting. Though Storytellers will benefit from the material in this supplement, any fan of V20 can enjoy it. And, if you LOVE Beckett? For a humorous take, check out Paths of Storytelling!

Ring of Spiragos | Scarred Lands Ring of Spiragos is the conclusion to a trilogy of Scarred Lands adventures developed by myself and Scott Holden for Pathfinder first edition* and Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition. This adventure offers a wealth of lore and possibilities and, as the adventures progressed, we offer more options for gut-punching scenes and opportunities for exploration. As the conclusion to the trilogy, I definitely encourage you to pick up Gauntlet of Spiragos (Free!), Dagger of Spiragos, and Ring of Spiragos to play in the Scarred Lands. It’s a wonderful setting!

* Links in my post are to Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition adventure versions.

Happy gaming!

My 2017 Publications

Hello everyone,

It’s that time of year! Today, I take a look back at what I’ve published in 2017. This year, I’ve had a busy but rewarding schedule. Let’s see how this year shook out for stories, games, and comics!

This year, my summer travel was pretty intense. Thanks to the fine and upstanding individuals at RopeCon in Helsinki, Finland, I was able to travel overseas to talk about my work and chat with fans. Plus, I was at CONvergence, GenCon, and Geek*Kon as well. I’ve already put together a tentative 2018 schedule that wraps around a few conventions I’ve never been to before, but the shows will be further apart for sure.

As luck would have it, my 2017 list of publications wound up with a stronger emphasis on gaming publications than fiction or non-fiction. That said, there’s a lot happening behind-the-scenes. My agent, Jennie Goloboy, recently announced she’s switched from Red Sofa Literary to the Donald Maass Literary Agency, and I have recently signed a new contract. I’m excited despite (what I feel) has been a lower productivity year for multiple reasons, and it’s something I am holding on to as I move forward.

Games Released in 2017

This year, role-playing game material was the bulk of my publications. Here’s a list of what was released in 2017 thus far–with the caveat that I may be missing a few short adventures.

  • LEGACY OF LIES, Vampire: The Masquerade Dark Ages 20th Anniversary Edition, 2017, Onyx Path Publishing/White Wolf Entertainment AB (Developer)
  • OVER THE EDGE, Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, 2017, Wizards of the Coast
  • RUSTED VEINS, Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition Playtest, White Wolf Entertainment AB (Consultant)
  • DAGGER OF SPIRAGOS, a Scarred Lands adventure for D&D 5E and Pathfinder, 2017, Nocturnal Media/Onyx Path Publishing (Developer)
  • DARK ERAS COMPANION, Geist: Sin Eaters “Forboding Lands”, 2017, Onyx Path Publishing/White Wolf Entertainment AB
  • UNKNOWN ARMIES 3rd Edition Books 1, 2, & 3, 2017, Atlas Games

Of Note

Though my releases were sparse in other forms, I did move forward on fiction and non-fiction, both behind-the-scenes and in unique ways. For fiction, I kept busy promoting Upside Down: Inverted Tropes in Storytelling which launched late 2016. I also managed to kick off a serial work called Diary of an Aspiring Alchemist, which is available for free on WattPad.

In non-fiction, I self-published eBook called Make Art Not War Challenge: Rules, Essays, and 31 Creative Prompts. The latter is a continuation of this year’s blog initiative and posts linked to my Make Art Not War Challenge.

I also sold two original short stories which will debut next year, a cool bit I’m doing for a card game, and an essay to an upcoming anthology. I do have more news to announce, but for the time being I’m holding off until long after the ink is dry. There’s more to come!

If I’ve learned anything this year, it’s that I’m human after all. (That realization incurs two eyebrow raises and a sip of tea!) Many thanks to friends and family for being so supportive during an interesting and turbulent year.

I’ve left comments open on this post if you’d like to share your news. Hope you’ve fared well, and your future is everything you hope it could be.

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Looking for Monica’s books and games that are still in print? Visit Monica Valentinelli on Amazon’s Author Central or a bookstore near you.

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