
A Tasting Menu of Speculative Fiction Delights.
8 minute bites from 6 authors
May 1, 2026 at noon EDT
Free Event on Zoom
Featuring: Elly Bangs, Lauren Beukes, E.D.E. Bell,
A Y Chao, A.L. Kaplan, and Anne E.G. Nydam
#SWSWQR


I’ll be part of the SFWA Virtual Constellation Series On March 21, 2026
Registration is free.
Tracey Baptiste, Gabrielle Byrne, Michelle Knudsen, and I will be reading Saturday, March 21, from 2:00 to 3:30 pm Eastern Time.
One of my non-writing goals for 2025 was to work through my “to be read list.” There are still many books in that pile, but I did read 36 of them.
Here are the ones I finished in the order they were read .
You may notice some repeated authors.
Everything Changes: An Anthology of Climate fiction – Angie Dell
The Collapsing Empire – John Scalzi
Autonomous – Annalee Newitz
In Our Own Worlds: 4 Novellas by Margaret Killjoy, Ellen Klages, Kai Ashante Wilson, and Jy Yang. My favorite was Passing Strange by Ellen Klages.
Dark Touched: Book 1 of the Glass Star – Elle Lewis
A Language of Dragons – S. F. Willimson
Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy – Tui T. Sutherland
Dragonfruit – Makiia Lucier
Wings of Fire: The Dark Secret
Daughter of Darkness – Terry Brooks
Wings of Fire: The Brightest night – Tui T. Sutherland
Wings of Fire: Moon Rising – Tui T. Sutherland
Burning Down the House – Jean Marie Ward
Artificial Condition – Martha Wells
Gold Dust – Catherin Asaro
Sister of Starlite Seas – Terry Brooks
The Calling – Ken Altabet
Ink & Bone – Rachel Caine
Song of Silver, Flame Like Night – Amelie Wen Zhao
Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White – Amelie Wen Zhao
Maus: A Survivor’s Tale I – Art Spiegelman
Maus: A Survivor’s Tale II – Art Spiegelman
Wings of Fire: The Hidden Kingdom – Tui T. Sutherland
The Wings Upon Her Back – Samantha Mills
The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
Lilith’s Brood – Octavia Butler
The Study of Storms & Magic – Maria V. Snyder
Stain of a Nation – Bishop O’Connell
A School for Dragons – Amy wolf
For the Good of the Realm – Nancy Jane Moore
The Death of a Maven – Kathryn Johnson
Rogue Protocol – Martha Wells
Exit Strategy – Martha Wells
Fugitive telemetry – Martha Wells
Manufactured Witches – Michelle Rene
Network Effect – Martha Wells
I also:
Participated in 7 Conventions/Conferences.
4 Book Festivals/ Markets
1 Podcast
Published 2 books
I think that’s a pretty fine literary year.
Don’t forget to check out these books:

Sometimes it’s hard to be who you are meant to be.
Especially when your powers can get you killed.
Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers eight years after a meteor devastates earth’s population.
Her power to heal may be overshadowed by more destructive abilities. Fleeing the persecution of those like her, Tatiana seeks refuge in a small town she once visited. But this civil haven, in a world where society has broken down, is beginning to crumble.
Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends…and herself.

It’s Hanukkah, and Dragon is helping his family celebrate.
Have you ever made latkes or played dreidel? Come join the fun as Dragon makes latkes and lights the menorah. Then play the dreidel game and see where it lands!
Sometimes a blessing can be a curse.
Young Maya bears the mark of the moon goddess, a sign that would doom her to be sacrificed in her village where the death god is revered. Forced to dye her golden eyes dark, Maya lives in constant fear of discovery. To save her family and the village’s future, she must find the courage to stand up to the high priest before he can bring the death god into this world.

Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history.
One step toward understanding.
One stride toward survival.
One leap toward flying free from the past.

A Hidden Past – A Deadly Secret
Gifted with the ability to wolf-talk, Kara has lived with the wolves since she lost her memories eight years ago. Now at sixteen, snippets of her past send her searching for answers.
But the warm welcome she receives in the human village hides more danger than life with the pack.


Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a man of peace.
A man of integrity.
In light of recent events, its even more important to remember Dr. King’s contribution to our country.
“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’”
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I have a dream today!”
“Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence.”

Run on over to Bookshop.com and pick up a copy of Star Touched.

They also have Dragon’s Hanukkah and Mark of the Goddess


This is the banner on the USDA website.

“Senate Democrats have now voted 12 times to not fund the food stamp program, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Bottom line, the well has run dry. At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01. We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats. They can continue to hold out for healthcare for illegal aliens and gender mutilation procedures or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive critical nutrition assistance.”
Let’s ignore for a moment the clear violation of the Hatch act which prohibits the use of government resources for partisan ends.
Instead, I’m going to focus on the lies, propaganda, and hate mongering.
“Senate Democrats have now voted 12 times to not fund the food stamp program, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).”
In July 2025 the Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act cut about $186 billion from SNAP programs, and then in September 2025 the USDA announced it would no longer produce reports on food insecurity in the U.S., calling them “redundant, costly, politicized, and extraneous studies” that “do nothing more than fear monger.” I guess they don’t want to see reports that show how bad their bill is affecting American citizens.
Money runs out for the SNAP program on November 1, and many states are dipping into their own emergency funds to feed their constituents.
There are over 5 million dollars allocated in contingency money that can be used for the SNAP program. This administration is refusing to release the funds, a reversal of what they said in September. This administration also says they won’t reimburse states who use their emergence funds to help mothers and babies. This administration would rather people starve for their political agenda.
“…healthcare for illegal aliens…”
Illegal aliens have not ever qualified for Medicare or Medicaid. This is not something the Democrats are asking for.
What is being requested, is for the premium tax credits that support access to the Affordable Care Act marketplace for healthcare insurance to be extended so people can afford healthcare.
In their “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” of July, Republicans extended tax cuts for the wealthy and for corporations but permitted the premium tax credits to expire.
Democrats have also asked for Congress to put back into Medicaid the $1 trillion the Republicans took out of it in their One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
“…gender mutilation procedures…”
Circumcisions? That is a religiose thing. Separation of church and state are in our constitution. If they are referring to our transgender citizens, surgery and permanent changes are only done to consenting adults and only after intense consultation with doctors and therapists. If this administration plans to stop gender affirming care, they need to stop other physical alterations. That would include tattoos, body piercing, breast implants, cosmetic surgery, hair implants….Oh, don’t forget to add Viagra to that list.
Congress
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has canceled House business yet again next week, meaning that over the last 17 weeks, the House of Representatives will have worked on Capitol Hill for just 20 days. Republicans are refusing to negotiate.
In case you didn’t realize. Unlike our furloughed federal workers and the critical employees working without pay like TSA and Air traffic Controllers, Congress is getting a paid vacation. Their salary is not tied to the rest of the budget. Their health benefits are also not affected.
Think about that.