Announcing Upside Down: Inverted Tropes in Storytelling

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Apex Publications is pleased to announce the addition of a new anthology to its 2015 release schedule. Upside Down: Inverted Tropes in Storytelling is an anthology of short stories and poems that will highlight the long-standing tradition of writers who identify tropes in science fiction, fantasy, and horror and twist them into something new and interesting.

Upside Down: Inverted Tropes in Storytelling will include original contributions from Maurice Broaddus, Shanna Germain, Laura Anne Gilman, Sara Harvey, John Hornor Jacobs, Rahul Kanakia, Haralambi Markov, Sunil Patel, Kat Richardson, Nisi Shawl, Lucien Soulban, Wrath James White, Alyssa Wong, and many others.

“I am excited to be working with two fantastic, smart, and gifted editors like Jaym Gates and Monica Valentinelli,” says Jason Sizemore, the publisher of Apex Book Company. “They should only enhance the Apex reputation as one of the genre’s leading anthology publishers with the release of Upside Down.”

Edited by Jaym Gates (War Stories) and Monica Valentinelli (Haunted: 11 Tales of Ghostly Horrors), the anthology will debut in Fall/Winter 2015 in both digital and print. The anthology will be Gates’s second collection with Apex Book Company and Valentinelli’s first. A Kickstarter and open submissions period are also planned for this fall.

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

February 12, 2015
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Talking about Personas

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I was going to talk about Mary Stewart and The Crystal Cave today, but instead I’m going to talk about personas. I’ve been meaning to do this for a while as a follow-up to some posts I’ve offered in the past like this one and this one, but esteemed writer Wesley Chu reminded me of what I’ve been meaning to say. I say all of this with love and my repeated mantra: do what works for you.

I don’t care about personas any more. You know, I used to. Being in marketing and business as long as I have, I thought they were important and expected, a much-needed tool to fabricate an image to be memorable. Me? I’d rather be true to myself and worry less about how that’s perceived and received “officially” via a persona. I am a seeker of change and growth, personally and professionally, and I hope that’s reflected in not only what I do, but how, when, and what tools I use to pursue my goals–regardless of the fact that all too often the internet, in particular, never seems to forget a faux pas!

I asked myself, when thinking about personas a few years back, what I care about when I interact with fans, peers, and professionals. Being someone I’m not online takes work, because I have to remember who that persona is in real life interactions, meetings, and correspondence. That’s a helluva lot of work to play that role, and that is so anti-everything “Monica” it’s not even funny. Plus, and I ran into this quite a bit, my audiences overlap so much I couldn’t separate out Monica the Persona for TheDayAndNightJobTM versus Monica the Human Being who has friends and loved ones.

Instead, what I worry about is being a good person. Yes, sometimes, I worry about this too much. I feel terrible about it, but I had challenges remaining positive going to conventions not knowing anybody because I was intimidated and didn’t understand the differences between PERSONATM I met online and HUMAN BEINGTM in real life. That’s nothing anybody else did; that’s my issue. Anyway, to me being a good person means that I need to be someone other people want to be around, and too often personas, when not done well, can be a disillusionment, a turnoff, an extreme aspect of a personality, a permanently attached soapbox that controls the person inside, etc. I also see through them fairly easily, because of my background. Big name celebrities? Need personas. Not only is it part of their job, it’s a coping mechanism to deal with that many people. However, right now I am not a “big name” celebrity. When and if I ever get to that point, then maybe I’ll reconsider. But for now, I’m a WYSIWIG person. What you see, is what you get. Energy levels, as always, are dependent upon caffeine.

Over and out.

    Mood: In a state of zen. Wait… Are the cats up to something?
    Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: More than I care to admit and less than I’d like to believe.
    Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: Well? If my achilles tendon ever heals…
    In My Ears: Lady Crescent Moondragon’s tank, yet another pot of coffee…
    Game Last Played: Ni-No Kuni Wrath of the White Witch
    Book Last Read: The Greywalker series
    Movie Last Viewed: Sabotage
    Latest Artistic Project: Ch-ch-ch-ch-chainmaille!
    Latest Fiction/Comic Release: Last Man Zombie Standing.
    Latest Game Release: Things Don’t Go Smooth
    What I’m Working On: Primarily tie-in games work, original comics, and novels.


January 23, 2015
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365 Days of Squee Challenge. Day One!

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After seeing my cousin’s 365 Day photo challenge, I decided to come up with one of my own in the form of my 365 Reasons to Squee. Over the course of the next year, each day I’m going to find something past, present, or future–a memory, an object, an experience–that is squee-worthy to me. Squee-worthy you say? All those happy little emotions that bubble up to the surface when you say, do, or think something so awesome you can’t help but feel happy.

So instead of photos? You get my squees. And? If you’re so inspired? By all means, do the same! Attribution appreciated, as always.

To kick things off, I’m going to give you one of my happiest experiences as a kid–going to the library. Surrounded by books, by so many stories, by so much knowledge…it was total freedom for me. I read everything, losing myself in worlds I’d never seen, places I hoped I’d be able to visit one day. Being surrounded by books, tomes that people had dedicated so much time and energy into writing, it gave me hope. I was never alone in the library. Never. There was always another book to read, another story to tell, another sense of awe and wonder to feel, another human being to recognize, acknowledge, and listen to.

I’ve joked that music saved my life and writing gave me a reason to live it. Looking back, as I try to quantify those times I retreated into the confines of a book…I suppose this is the literal truth for many reasons. For me, books aren’t stagnant objects that sit on a shelf collecting dust. They are a repository of past and present human knowledge, a gift that’s freely accessible and available to everyone, a way to connect with other minds and hearts to be entertained, educated, and inspired. These feelings have roots in my childhood, in all the reasons why the library became one of the most hallowed places for me, why a book was always nearby.

So thanks and a huge round of applause to all the librarians and teachers who cheered me on to keep writing and reading, who encouraged my reading/writing level to increase despite my age, and who always greeted me with kindness.

1/365

    Mood: Grateful
    Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: I’ve had two cups so far. Trying to limit myself to that.
    Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: I took a nap instead. BAD WRITER!
    In My Ears: Lament of the air conditioner.
    Game Last Played: Age of Reckoning: Kingdoms of Amalur.
    Book Last Read: Re-reading His Dark Materials trilogy by Phillip Pullman
    Movie Last Viewed: Lucy
    Latest Artistic Project: Um…
    Latest Fiction/Comic Release: Last Man Zombie Standing. See also: need to write more flipping comics and exercise my art skillz again. Feh.
    Latest Game Release: Hunter the Vigil: Mortal Remains
    What I’m Working On: Primarily tie-in games work, original comics, and novels.


September 1, 2014
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So About That T-Shirt

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You know how it goes. You think you’ve got a MASSIVE BRAIN with THOUSANDS OF NEURONS and you’re going to IMPRESS EVERYONE with your AWESOME BLOG POST and your BRAIN POWAH! Nada. Giant brains are meh and so 1890s…and this makes me die a little. Well, a lot but so it goes.

I posted a selfie (this was a feat in and of itself, as I suck at taking selfies and almost always get an elbow all twisted or squinchy face) and got lots of compliments on earrings, T-shirt, and smile. Yes, I have teeth and shockingly–not pointy! Hair is non-existent as I have a bad hair day at least six times a week. It’s a sentient being that has a mind of its own–at least it’s not vampiric. Because vampiric hair would be very messy. GAH. Have vampires on the brain again. Must stop now while I’m a head. *You may groan now.*

Here it is:

Bad Hair New Glasses

To give credit where credit is due<---muy importante---the T-shirt is from the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, of which I am a PROUD supporter. Spotted the awesome T on Twitter (I believe it was a photo opp with the illustrious Neil Gaiman) and was pointed to the store. Ergo? One of these is now in my possession. I wore it to the grocery store and people smiled back at me. Kind of freaked me out. See also: Things You Should Know About Introverts numbers 2, 5, and 8. That day, anyway.

NEXT!

The enamel earrings I made from a shaggy chainmaille kit by Unkamen Supplies. (They also have an Etsy store). Chainmaille, as it turns out, is the one type of jewelry making that my feline overlords will not mess with and it’s fairly therapeutic in a non-habit forming way. Well, provided I can bend the loops right anyway. They F-bomb with e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. Bastards.

That’s it for today’s edition of Life in the Writer’s Lanes, otherwise known as Mundania. Peace out.

    Mood: Caffeine… CAFFEINE…
    Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: Caffeine… I needs it. I wants it. My presshusssss…
    Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: There were stairs. I did them.
    In My Ears: That shocked sound you make when you realize you left the air conditioning on all night.
    Game Last Played: Age of Reckoning: Kingdoms of Amalur. Hot on the heels of these crazy-ass beasty looking things with crystals coming out of their backs.
    Book Last Read: Re-reading His Dark Materials trilogy by Phillip Pullman
    Movie Last Viewed: Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit
    Latest Artistic Project: Been touching up things around the house. Does that count? And technically, you’re looking at it. No not the post, the earrings I mean.
    Latest Fiction/Comic Release: Last Man Zombie Standing. See also: need to write more flipping comics and exercise my art skillz again. Feh.
    Latest Game Release: Mortal Remains
    What I’m Working On: Primarily tie-in games work, original comics, short stories, and novels.


August 1, 2014
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Yes, I’m working on a COMIC!

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I’ve mentioned my desire to write more comics before; right now I have two floating around in my head. One is definitely a webcomic/comic; the other is a dark science fiction story that I’m adapting into a novella. (Partly, because the latter doesn’t have a home in a script format, and it’s the kind of tale that’s better as a screenplay/comic. I have a better chance of selling it in prose, actually.) I’ve also said, however, that writing comics requires something else — an artist, letterer, inker, etc. The creating good art part of my brain has long since fallen into disrepair; art direction is no problem for me, mind, but all those skills associated with drawing and graphic design are now rudimentary at best. I make stick figures cry.

Enter my friend Mark Stegbauer. Mark volunteered to partner with me, and I’m giving him a co-creator share. I may be bubbly about this comic and whatnot, but as I’ve explained to Mark, I’d prefer not to make any announcements until we’ve got content down. The business side of the equation is sorted, but with comics? If the creative aspect isn’t done and we’re not ahead of the game? No point in getting folks excited — even if it’s ONE fan — and have nothing to show for it. Not cool.

Yes, that is a more conservative tack. Especially since everybody’s aggressive about announcements and whatnot. Thinking long-term, as a newbie coming into the field, however, I’d prefer to take the freelancer’s approach and do-as-I-say rather than say-and-maybe-do. After all, this is my original work and my paying projects do take precedence. Right now, this is a hobby that I hope will turn into something way cool. Either way — EXCITING!

Be sure to check out Mark’s website: steg-art.com. Wooo-hoooo!

    Mood: I [F-bomb’ing] hate moving.
    Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: *coughs*
    Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: I went for a walk.
    In My Ears: Ummm…
    Game Last Played: Tetris
    Book Last Read: Love is the Law by Nick Mamatas
    Movie Last Viewed: Captain America: the Winter Soldier.
    Latest Artistic Project: National Craft Month
    Latest Fiction/Comic Release: Last Man Zombie Standing
    Latest Game Release: Firefly RPG corebook
    What I’m Working On: Primarily tie-in games work and novels.
April 18, 2014
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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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