A Thank You and a Voluntary Critique for Apex

There's a trojan on your computer

What a long, strange crazy week this has been–and it’s not even over yet! I am pumped, and feeling more like myself than I have in ages. Thank you! Yes, there has been unfortunate news shared about lags in my career which has shifted my priorities and goals for the umpteenth time in the past few years. However, looking for and finding gigs is part of being a writer and right now I have to hustle to make up that slack. Hustle, hustle.

Anyway, I wanted to pop in here on ye olde blog to say “Thank you.” I had forgotten just how supportive my friends are because we don’t see each other very often, and my attention has been closer to focusing on hearth and home. Reconnecting with old friends, and finding new readers, players, and fans has been supercharging me. It’s easy to focus on the peripheral or ancillary nonsense that has nothing to do with The WorkTM–especially in an era where we are seeing the tail end of mob rule on the internet.

Since I’m feeling all the love, I volunteered to do a short story critique for Apex Magazine as a means of giving back during their annual fund drive. I promise you it will be amazing and you’ll find a lot of value from my comments! There’s only ONE spot so grab it while you can.

UPDATE: This critique went very quickly, so it’s sold out. Maybe next time! If you’re interested in the fund drive, be sure to check out the Apex Magazine 2016 fund drive.



November 3, 2016
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Announcing our Kickstarter for a Trope-Smashing Anthology

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Today, Hugo-nominated Apex Book Company is pleased to announce the launch of a Kickstarter for Upside Down: Inverted Tropes in Storytelling. The anthology’s concept highlights the long-standing tradition of writers who tackle tired tropes or clichés prevalent in popular media and twist them to tell fresh and interesting stories.

Upside Down: Inverted Tropes in Storytelling is edited by Monica Valentinelli and Jaym Gates. Each author in this collection has examined a specific trope or cliché that includes: Chainmaille Bikini, The Black Man Dies First, Superhero Had a Crappy Childhood, Yellow Peril, and The Chosen One.

The anthology features cover art by award-winning artist Galen Dara, and includes speculative stories from Maurice Broaddus, Anton Strout, Shanna Germain, Sara Harvey, Delilah Dawson, John Hornor Jacobs, Rahul Kanakia, Alethea Kontis, Haralambi Markov, Sunil Patel, Kat Richardson, Nisi Shawl, Alyssa Wong, and many others.

In addition to fiction, planned stretch goals will further enhance the collection’s theme and presentation by adding essays about tropes and clichés. Backers may also add additional books and a subscription to Apex Magazine to further support Apex Book Company and ensure the success of this unique collection.

To find out more about Upside Down: Inverted Tropes in Storytelling, be sure to watch for milestone-related updates from the editors on the Kickstarter at Upside Down: Inverted Tropes in Storytelling Kickstarter or on the Apex Book Company website at www.apexbookcompany.com.

February 26, 2016
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Update on Upside Down: Inverted Tropes in Storytelling

Hello dear readers!

Today, I’d like to update you on the collection I’m editing with Jaym Gates. Our anthology, which is titled Upside Down: Inverted Tropes in Storytelling, is now open for submissions. The guidelines are listed on the Apex Book Company blog, and the deadline for submissions is December 31, 2015.

If you’d like to read more about this anthology, here are some links for you to read:

At the moment, we are working on wrapping up the details for the core of this collection ahead of the Kickstarter. We want to make sure that all of the details are taken care of before launch, and we’re super-excited! Until next time…

November 16, 2015
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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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