Check out the latest Hot Off the Press at ConTinual’s You Tube channel.
“Hot off the Press 81 has a bit of something for everyone this Halloween season with new releases from Paige L. Christie, J.D. Estrada, John L. French, A.L. Kaplan, Gini Koch, Lucienne LeBeau, Patricia Sargeant, Marisa Wolf, and host James P. Nettles. Romance, mystery, sci-fi, fantasy, horror, poetry and short stories abound to load up your to-be-read pile!”
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.
I wrote this poem several years ago, but the sentiment hasn’t changed. It’s time to rededicate. We all live in one world, and without each other everyone loses. I support Black Lives Matter.
GLASS SWAN
Our world is like a glass swan
Beautiful and fragile
It will take all of us working together to keep it whole
End the hate
End the violence
Black Lives Matter
If you get a chance, check out STAR TOUCHED. Tatiana has to deal will a different kind of hate and bigotry.
I had intended to post a little something about mental health each day in September, but time slipped away. Excuses are easy to find, but in all likely hood, it was the gray shroud that tried to smother me again. I’ve battled depression since childhood, although I wasn’t diagnosed until my late twenty’s.
I’ve always been good at hiding my gray, showing the world my glass-half-full side. Perhaps that’s why I like the song “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile,” from Annie. That and “Tomorrow” were my go-to songs growing up. If only I’d felt that way inside as well. But I didn’t. I was more than a little sad. There were times when I’d cry uncontrollably for no reason, but I couldn’t stop.
So why didn’t I get help then? Why didn’t I talk to someone?
I had no idea who to talk to, and I was afraid of what people would say or think. A middle school run in with bullies left me hyper conscious of reactions. Besides, people didn’t talk about depression back then. They didn’t even talk about bullies. There was no internet to get information on depression or resources for help. There were no depression or suicide hotlines at school, or anywhere else that I know of.
Besides, I wasn’t that far into the darkness to consider ending my life. That meant that I didn’t need help, right?
Wrong.
No one should have to walk through life half in darkness. It took me years to figure that out and get help.
Next time you see someone without a smile, say good morning/good evening as you walk by. It may not seem like much, but sometimes that little greeting can mean the difference between gray and darkness, a small touch to let them know someone cares.
Everyone needs help at times Don’t be afraid to ask For a rope of light To pull you from the darkness Climb out of the gray Hold onto yourself Your life Your heart This world Hold onto the light
About the campaign:
#HoldOnToTheLight is a blog campaign encompassing blog posts by fantasy and science fiction authors around the world in an effort to raise awareness around treatment for depression, suicide prevention, domestic violence intervention, PTSD initiatives, bullying prevention and other mental health-related issues. We believe fandom should be supportive, welcoming and inclusive, in the long tradition of fandom taking care of its own. We encourage readers and fans to seek the help they or their loved ones need without shame or embarrassment.
Please consider donating to or volunteering for organizations dedicated to treatment and prevention such as: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Hope for the Warriors (PTSD), National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Canadian Mental Health Association, MIND (UK), SANE (UK), BeyondBlue (Australia), To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA) and the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.
Welcome to WOLF NOTES, where interview questions stray from the rest of the pack. It’s nice to know the usual stuff like where an author gets their inspiration and why they write, but sometimes we need a little fun in our lives.
Meg Eden’s work is published or forthcoming in magazines including Prairie Schooner, Poetry Northwest, Crab Orchard Review, RHINO and CV2. She teaches creative writing at Anne Arundel Community College. She has five poetry chapbooks, and her novel “Post-High School Reality Quest” is published with California Coldblood, an imprint of Rare Bird Books. Find her online at http://www.megedenbooks.com or on Twitter at @ConfusedNarwhal
Wolf: If you could be any animal in the universe, what would it be and why?
Meg: A bird. I’ve always wanted to fly.
Wolf: I like the idea of flying as well. At least as long as I’m not actually flying. (Ask my kids about me on a plane.) What is the strangest food you’ve ever eaten?
Meg: Coagulated pig’s blood soup in Thailand.
Wolf: Can’t say as though I’ve tried that one. If you had to pick a weapon, what would it be and why?
Meg: I always pick archers in my strategy games, so probably a bow and arrow. I love long range weapons and the idea of being able to hide in a tree instead of being in close combat.
Wolf: That’s my pick too. I love archery. What is the nicest thing you’ve ever done to your characters?
Meg: I don’t know if I’ve done much of anything nice for my characters… >_>
Wolf: Do you consider yourself a cat person, or a dog person?
Meg: I used to be all the way a dog person, anti-cat and all too, until I got married and we got a cat. Now I’m a non-discriminating animal lover J
Wolf: While walking in the woods you come across…
Meg: An abandoned theme park!
Wolf: Fun. If you could have a super power, what would it be?
Meg: Time travel! Writing is the closest I get to this, but I’d love to go back in time and watch history happen.
Wolf: The world is about to end. What is the first thing you do?
Meg: I feel like my instinct would be to pack my bag full of non-perishables like crackers and power bars. Old habits die hard.
Wolf: Which of your characters is your favorite?
Meg: Whichever MC I’m currently writing. J
Wolf: What story are you working on now?
Meg: I’m currently rewriting the novel that got me my first agent! It’s an old project that needs a lot of work, but it’s fun to see how much it’s changing and how I read it differently after all this time!
Wolf: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Meg: Playing video games and watching game playthroughs, doodling, scrollsawing, walking.
Wolf: Thanks for stopping by. You can learn more about Meg Eden at these link:
Welcome to WOLF NOTES, where interview questions stray from the rest of the pack. It’s nice to know the usual stuff like where an author gets their inspiration and why they write, but sometimes we need a little fun in our lives.
Ann Quinn’s poetry was selected by Stanley Plumly as first place winner in the 2015 Bethesda Literary Arts Festival poetry contest and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Her work is published in Potomac Review, Little Patuxent Review, Beechwood Review, Haibun Today, and Snapdragon, and is included in the anthology Red Sky: Poetry on the Global Epidemic of Violence Against Women. The daughter of a Naval Aviator who went to elementary school in Pax River, several of Ann’s poems in “Final Deployment” reflect on that time. Ann lives in Maryland with her family where she teaches music and plays clarinet with the Columbia Orchestra. Her degrees are in music performance; she fell in love with poetry in mid-life. Her chapbook, “Final Deployment,” was published by Finishing Line Press in 2018. Please visit online at www.annquinn.net.
Wolf: If you could be any animal in the universe, what would it be and why?
Ann: I would be a Galapagos tortoise. I love islands, I love the sea, and I love the slow, contemplative life.
Wolf: That sounds great. If you had to pick a weapon, what would it be and why?
Ann: Pepper spray. I hear that it is very effective, and I have no desire to kill or wound another.
Wolf: You’ve just been turned into a plant. Describe yourself.
Ann: I am a sycamore tree, 54 years old. I am tall and graceful. My skin (bark) is somewhat peeling and patchy, but this just adds to my interest and beauty. I live near a river and communicate with the other trees in the valley. I have a lot of family nearby as we all love the water so, but we also get along with our neighbors — the maples, dogwoods, etc. I proudly house families of squirrels and birds. I also enjoy my insect guests. It is wonderful being able to start over every spring with new foliage.
Wolf: That sounds beautiful. If you could have a super power, what would it be?
Ann: Flight!
Wolf: Soaring through the air is fun. It’s also good for escaping danger. There is a door at the end of a dark, damp corridor. You hear rumbling. What do you do?
Ann: Walk the other way and alert someone.
Wolf: What five items would you want to have in a post-cataclysmic world?
Ann: A large box of matches or a lighter that would last a long time. A soft blanket that dries easily. A water purifier. Another person, preferably my husband. Soap.
Wolf: What story are you working on now?
Ann: I have been working on a set of poems about my grandmother, who was born in a tiny farm community in Illinois in 1914 and thought she would always live there, but in 1949 she moved to St. Petersburg, FL, where she spent the rest of her life. Some of these poems have found their way into my graduate thesis, which is due at the end of April. I will graduate with my MFA in poetry from Pacific Lutheran University in August.
Wolf: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Ann: Make dinner, clean the kitchen, organize my stuff, read the NY Times—you know, procrastinate. I’m not a TV watcher but have enjoyed “Stranger Things” lately with my 13-year-old daughter. I also do yoga and practice clarinet (which I teach).
Wolf: Feel free to come to my house next time you need to procrastinate. Thanks for visiting.
Welcome to WOLF NOTES, where interview questions stray from the rest of the pack. It’s nice to know the usual stuff like where an author gets their inspiration and why they write, but sometimes we need a little fun in our lives.
J.A. Grier is a speculative fiction writer and poet whose work is closely informed by her formal background in planetary science and astronomy education. More than three dozen of Dr. Grier’s poems and stories have appeared in venues such as Mad Scientist Journal, Eternal Haunted Summer, Eye to the Telescope, Liquid Imagination, Mirror Dance, and an anthology of the Maryland Writer’s Association entitled “Life In Me Like Grass On Fire – Love Poems.” Other writing credits include the textbook “The Inner Planets” published by Greenwood Press. Dr. Grier teaches workshops in poetry, and has served on panels and offered presentations at conventions including BaltiCon, HallowRead, and the Tucson Science Fiction Convention. Dr. Grier is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association, and the Horror Writers Association. She is currently seeking homes for two speculative novels, as well as finishing a book of childhood horror poetry.
Wolf: Welcome to Wolf Notes. If you could be any animal in the universe, what would it be and why?
J.A.: Of course I’d be a cat-dragon. But another interviewee already mentioned cat-dragon because cat-dragons are amazing. I have a cat-dragon in one of my novels, and it is so cool. But I’ll move to plan “B” here and say I’d be a couatl, which is a creature from the original AD&D. It’s a beautiful rainbow-winged serpent – highly intelligent, noble, and virtuous. A couatl is magical, has psionic powers, and keeps treasure. It destroys demons in its righteous wrath. It’s also occasionally worshiped as a deity which seems like a nice perk.
Image Credit: My pic of a couatl and stats from the hardcover AD&D book sitting right here on my shelf.
Wolf: What is the strangest food you’ve ever eaten?
J.A.: I’m very timid about trying new kinds of food, but a few possibilities come to mind. Octopus maybe? Black squid ink pasta? Bear? Not sure which to pick. One person’s strange is another person’s everyday.
Wolf: If you had to pick a weapon, what would it be and why?
J.A.: That would be my razor-sharp wit. No wait. This woman appeared out of a lake and gave me a sword. She was saying something like I’m supposed to rule something or other but I wasn’t really listening. It’s awesome for cosplay.
Wolf: What is the meanest thing you’ve ever done to your characters?
J.A.: So, one character was captured by the bad guys and tortured. It was nasty. Husband says he’s never going to be the same after reading that scene, so I guess the scene works? But really the meanest thing I’ve done is to have one of my characters win the war for cosmic supremacy. Now she’s stuck ruling the universe and the job sucks.
Wolf: You’ve just been turned into a plant. Describe yourself.
J.A.: I’m an ocotillo blooming in the desert. I’m strange but somehow compelling, and my flowers are used to cure ailments of all kinds. The full Moon touches the tips of my spines like Sleeping Beauty’s finger on a spindle. A coyote hunts the javelina snuffling at my roots. I understand the speech of the moths. I dream of rain.
Wolf: That sounds really cool. Do you consider yourself a cat person, or a dog person?
J.A.: Cat person. You might have guessed that from the whole cat-dragon thing. I mean, dogs have an amazing history and relationship with humans – they can predict seizures and detect cancer, just for starters. But cats … cats purrrrrr.
Image Credit: My childhood cat “Crayon” hiding in the ivy. Adored this kitty.
Wolf: If you could have a super power, what would it be?
J.A.: Probably teleportation, otherwise I want the power to choose the perfect wine to go with any meal. Actually, I do have a super power – I get to decide the order in which the Christmas presents are opened.
Wolf: The world is about to end. What is the first thing you do?
J.A.: After I stop screaming I contact my scientist colleagues. Fortunately, we’ve been studying asteroid hazard mitigation strategies, so we know just what to do. We launch a specially designed explosive that should change the asteroid’s orbit. The world watches, unable to breathe, as the asteroid approaches closer and closer to the Earth. The explosive detonates. The asteroid … sweeps by harmlessly! We all change our pants and celebrate! (Little do we know that we’ve now altered the orbit of the asteroid so it hits … well … that’s another story.) Wolf: Thanks for saving the world. I could have used your help to stop the cataclysm in my novel, STAR TOUCHED. What story are you working on now?
J.A.: I can’t work on just one thing. I have poems, stories, and novels all going at the same time. One work in progress is a book of poetry that I’ll call ‘childhood horror.’ It explores the fears of childhood, both real and imagined. It has some poems with speculative elements like magic or monsters. Other poems could be considered literary poems with themes like illness, grief, and war. I’ve published several of the poems separately in various journals and other venues. However, the full book completes an emotional journey as it flows from beginning to end. You’ll have to read it to find out more, so keep your eyes peeled for when I finally get this thing out!
Until then try some of my other published stories and poems that are free to read online:
Wolf: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
J.A.: Well, no doubt I should be reading if I’m not writing. But instead I’m probably thinking about writing, or planning writing or blogging about writing … okay I’m probably playing video games like Mass Effect, Dragon Age, or Skyrim. Or I’m going wine tasting. I am also a paper artist in a form called ‘Quilling’ so you might find me working on art projects (my quilling blog is at storiesstonesandspirals.blogspot.com) Barring any of those I guess I’m working at my day job in which I’m researching impact craters on other worlds or sharing planetary science with the general public.
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. Will Tatiana flee or stay and fight for the new life she has built? Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends…and herself.
“A unique and finely crafted debut novel, the characters touched my heart as I was drawn into their plight and compelled to finish!”
— New York Times bestselling Author Maria V. Snyder
PARK FOR FREE in the Anne Arundel County employees’ garage at
19 St. John’s St. (GPS/Mapquest the address)
The garage is OPEN AND FREE on the weekends. It is about a five-minute walk from the 49 West Coffeehouse.
The garage is right across from the St. John’s College auditorium. Turn on to St. John’s St. off of College Ave., OR come straight down Rowe Blvd. from Rt. 50, then turn left at the light at Calvert St., and then left on St. John St. Here’s a link with the St. John’s St. garage’s location and the walking route to 49 West Cafe.
And don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter so you don’t miss out on announcements and giveaways.
From May 27 – 30, I’ll be part of, Balticon 50, a fantastic convention in Baltimore, Maryland at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel. There will be four days ofMulti-Track Programming featuring authors, publishers, editors, artists, scientists, musicians and much more. Everything Science Fiction and Fantasy in one huge package.
On top of this year’s guest of honor, George R. R. Martin, past guests of honor were invited back to celebrate Balticon’s 50th anniversary. Here’s a list of Alumni that are coming.
John Varley – Balticon 15, 1981,
R. A. MacAvoy – Balticon 19, 1985
Nancy Springer – Balticon 20, 1986
Michael F. Flynn – Balticon 26, 1992
Compton Crook Award 9, 1991,
BSFS Heinlein Award 2003
Donald Kingsbury – Balticon 26, 1992
Compton Crook Award 1, 1983
Allen Steele – Balticon 27, 1993,
BSFS Heinlein Award 2013
Harry Turtledove – Balticon 32, 1998
Phil Foglio – Balticon 36, 2002
Kaja Foglio – Balticon 36, 2002
Steve Miller – Balticon 37, 2003
Sharon Lee – Balticon 37, 2003
Steve Barnes – Balticon 39, 2005
Larry Niven – Balticon 41, 2007,
BSFS Heinlein Award 2005
Peter Beagle – Balticon 41, 2007
Connie Willis – Balticon 42, 2008,
BSFS Heinlein Award 2011
Charles Stross – Balticon 43, 2009
Jody Lynn Nye – Balticon 46, 2012
Joe Haldeman – Balticon 47, 2013,
BSFS Heinlein Award 2009
Jo Walton – Balticon 49, 2015
BSFS Heinlein Award 2009
Check out the website to see the full list of participants and activities.
It seems that good news comes in happy little clusters. My poem, “Midnight Dance,” won honorable mention the Balticon 49 poetry contest and was published in this year’s BSFAN magazine. I had the pleasure of reading my poem at this year’s convention. Balticon is run by the Baltimore Science Fiction Society. (BSFS) See my recommended links for more details.
Earlier in the week I receive notification that my poem, “Aware,” was accepted for publication in Dragonfly Arts Magazine 2015. Dragonfly Arts Magazine is published by Hope Works. (Howard County Maryland Domestic Violence Center.) Check back soon for the link to a free copy.
After so much good news, how could there be more? Well, there is. Indies Unlimited 2014 Flash Fiction Anthology, which contains four of my short stories, is now available on Amazon as an E-book. A print version is forthcoming.
A fuzzy face and small pink tongue
Little tail swishing back and forth
Joyful exuberance at every greeting
New friend with the trusting eyes
Chasing tails and squirrels alike
Barking, yapping all night long
Scattered papers and chewed remotes
Trash strewn and shredded slippers
Piles and puddles on the floor
Drool and fur even on the door
Stealing food from highest hight
Sickness, always at midnight
Enormous vet bills, headaches, stress
Restless nights with no rest
Endless panting, jumping and yet…
Unconditional love in those trusting eyes
Always glad to see you even on your grumpiest day
Greeting as if you’ve been gone an eternity
Even after only a moment
Lifting you up when sadness abounds
Running in the park and chasing balls
Catching Frisbees
Tongue hanging in joy
Happy days splashing in the lake
Snuggling close into soothing fur
Slowing down
The table’s too high
Silver fur replacing dark
Soft eyes,
A swishing tail
I understand
It’s time to say goodbye
Letting go with a heavy heart
It’s only a dog
Yet so much more
I had intended to post a little something about mental health each day in September, but time slipped away. Excuses are easy to find, but in all likely hood, it was the gray shroud that tried to smother me again. I’ve battled depression since childhood, although I wasn’t diagnosed until my late twenty’s.
Welcome to WOLF NOTES, where interview questions stray from the rest of the pack. It’s nice to know the usual stuff like where an author gets their inspiration and why they write, but sometimes we need a little fun in our lives. 
Meg Eden’s work is published or forthcoming in magazines including Prairie Schooner, Poetry Northwest, Crab Orchard Review, RHINO and CV2. She teaches creative writing at Anne Arundel Community College. She has five poetry chapbooks, and her novel “Post-High School Reality Quest” is published with California Coldblood, an imprint of Rare Bird Books. Find her online at 
Ann Quinn’s poetry was selected by Stanley Plumly as first place winner in the 2015 Bethesda Literary Arts Festival poetry contest and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Her work is published in Potomac Review, Little Patuxent Review, Beechwood Review, Haibun Today, and Snapdragon, and is included in the anthology Red Sky: Poetry on the Global Epidemic of Violence Against Women. The daughter of a Naval Aviator who went to elementary school in Pax River, several of Ann’s poems in “Final Deployment” reflect on that time. Ann lives in Maryland with her family where she teaches music and plays clarinet with the Columbia Orchestra. Her degrees are in music performance; she fell in love with poetry in mid-life. Her chapbook, “Final Deployment,” was published by Finishing Line Press in 2018. Please visit online at 
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