All posts filed under: Uncategorized

A Galaxy Too Close: Sexual Violence in Season 2 of Andor

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I’m starting to think I need to create a sub-category on this blog dedicated purely to discussions of sexual violence in media, because, here I am again. Let’s get this out of the way: there will be spoilers here. So, a little background: after watching the first three episodes of Season 2 of Andor, I was not surprised that my husband was upset and bothered by a scene of sexual violence that occurs. I was a little more surprised, however, to discover that I was not. At all. I decided that I needed to unpack why that might be, because as a general rule, I am very rarely cool with depictions of sexual assault in media. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a huge Star Wars nerd. I grew up on it. I played with the action figures. I know a truly embarrassing amount of trivia about the larger Star Wars universe. I’m still hoping that Disney’s going to give me that call someday to hang out in the writers’ room. (Seriously, Disney: call …

Your Book/Game/Project Needs Better Promotion (and so does mine)

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Hello, dear friends! So, a funny thing happened last night. Some context: every other week, I play in a Fading Suns TTRPG campaign with Bill Bridges. Yes, that Bill Bridges, the one who co-created Fading Suns and worked on little-known titles like Vampire: The Masquerade and Werewolf: The Apocalypse. (Fortunately, he’s also an incredibly gracious human being and has never once pulled the dreaded “Well, actually…” on the GM.) Anyway, last night, our GM casually mentioned that a revamped, enhanced edition of Emperor of the Fading Suns—the 4X video game that Bill and Holistic Design, Inc. originally created—is launching this Friday, April 4. Better graphics! Better sound! More empire-building goodness! It’s hitting Steam, and if you want to check it out, here’s the link. Naturally, I turned to Bill and said, “Why didn’t you mention this?” To which he replied, “I didn’t think I needed to. It’s been all over social media for weeks.” I, of course, informed him that my social media feed had not breathed a word of it. Cue much cursing of …

Wrap-around art for the Full Negative cover with the title of the book centered.

Join the Adventure: Crowdfunding for ‘Full Negative’ Launch

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I have a story to tell you. One that’s been waiting for its moment in the spotlight for a long time. It’s called Full Negative, and if you love explosive space opera with a touch of noir, betrayal, and all the high-stakes action you can handle, this is one you don’t want to miss. But first, I need your help. On March 18, I’m launching a crowdfunding campaign to bring Full Negative to life, and I want you to be part of it. What Is Full Negative? The best way I can describe it? Think X-Men meets Star Wars by way of Jason Bourne. It’s got everything you’d expect from one of my novels: This is space opera at its best—fast-paced, full of heart, and built on a universe I’ve been developing off and on for almost forty years. Why Crowdfunding? Since you’re here on my web site, you probably know me as the author of the A Chorus of Dragons series and The Sky on Fire–all best-selling epic fantasy books available from Tor. But …

Baby’s First Youtube Video

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Okay, I suppose I shouldn’t be calling myself ‘baby’ at my age, but this IS my very first youtube video. Lookie! So why am I doing this? Well, for one because I have all those opinions and because two, and more importantly, because I need to draw attention to my Patreon. Yes, I am starting a Patreon. I put it off for as long as humanly possibly, mostly out of a misplaced sense of pride. You know, that I shouldn’t *need* to have a Patreon. But I do need one. Publishing pays well only for a very few, and while I am far luckier than many, that doesn’t mean I’m pulling in enough to pay the bills. Publishing is also slow, which means that even once you have a book deal, it may take half a year or more before you see a dime. So here I am, the woman who has never considered herself especially good at social media, diving into the deep end out of pure necessity. We won’t even talk about how …

Read for Pixels Charity Event 2022 – Hey, Wanna Do Some Early Christmas Shopping?

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Earlier this year, I was asked to take part in the Read for Pixels fundraiser, which benefits The Pixel Project. The name “The Pixel Project” might make you inclined to think it’s about video games, but no. The Pixel Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to stopping violence against women. I am rather automatically predisposed toward the cause: mostly because I’ve been the victim of violence against women myself. That feels weird to say, by the way. I think of my mother as the one who was targeted for violence, but I was also in the household, and I was also a target for my stepfather’s drunken rages. I was spared the majority of the physical abuse; the emotional scars remain. This is one of those things that we as a society rarely talk about. We are not encouraged to talk about it. As such, so many women don’t understand what their options are, or how to escape a potentially life-threatening situation. That’s what The Pixel Project does: raise awareness. It’s good work. Read for …

Wandering in with a Starbuck’s Cup

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Hey, what’s up? So…it’s been uh *checks the calendar* three years. Wow, it really has been three years. Okay…so I guess I haven’t been updating, have I? All right, let’s do this. What’s been going on in my life? The obvious answer, as it has been the obvious answer for everything, is “living in the age of active pandemic.” Which has been heartbreaking on many levels, not least of which because it turns out that ‘I told you so’ stops being a lot of fun when millions of people have died. On a personal level? I finished a five-book epic fantasy series for Tor Books. Yeah, that’s right. That baby is DONE. The last book in the series, The Discord of Gods, comes out on April 26th (which means you have not missed your chance to pre-order!) It’s a tremendous accomplishment and a strange feeling of loss all the same time. Because it’s not just that I’ve written four books in the last three years (each over 200,000 words), but I have been involved with …

WorldCon Schedule

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Yes, I’ll be in Dublin in just over a week! So a few quick notes about when and where you can expect to find me: Introduction to grimdark Format: Panel 16 Aug 2019, Friday 18:00 – 18:50, Wicklow Hall-1 (CCD) Grimdark is a fantasy subgenre defined, amongst other things, by its cynical outlook and flawed protagonists. The term was originally pejorative, stemming from the Warhammer 40,000 description: ‘In the grim darkness of the far future there is only war’ – but many authors have turned the insult around and claimed it as their own. The panel will offer a brief introduction to the history and tropes of grimdark fantasy as well as reading recommendations. PLEASE NOTE: I’ve been told the printed convention schedule has me listed for a Beer Meet up at 21:00. THIS IS NOT CORRECT. Sorry, but there was a scheduling conflict. I’ll let people know if this is moved to another time. Koffeeklatch 17 Aug 2019, Saturday 12:00-12:50 Sign up in advance required. Drink coffee and ask if that certain favorite character of yours …

The Best School

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Last year this article started making the rounds on facebook and social media. Various other sources have picked it up because…well go on, read it. It’s amazing, isn’t it? The core idea is like Lord of the Flies with knowledge instead of blood as the punchline. They took one thousand tablet PCs, still in boxes, dropped them off at two villages, and left. No instructions. No lesson plans. Then…they let kids do what kids do best: get into shit they’re not supposed to be messing with. Six months later, those kids had not only figured out how to use the computer to teach themselves, their parents, and everyone around them to read and write but had taught themselves hacking in order to turn back on some of the tablet features (like the camera and internet access) that had been turned off originally. Would those kids have done all that if they’d been forced to? Marched into a school, sat down and given a strict lesson plan with at least three hours of homework? Maybe…I’m open …