A Writer Reads (On the Shelf)

Episode 5: Murder Ghosts and More! With Guest October K Santerelli

This week, I ignored most of the books hanging out on my shelves (and under and around them as well) in favor of my library book haul. Sometimes, you wander the shelves and find you can't resist the covers and blurbs and titles you discover. Ah, who am I kidding--sometimes? Ha! Try every single visit... In any case, I'm still three books ahead on my Goodreads reading challenge. Just haven't made a bunch of progress on reading through the books I own! Also, for the listeners who may want to find out more about me or the podcast, you can visit me in the On the Shelf Facebook group, or come to Ret-Con next weekend (24-26 February) in Cary, NC. Hope to see you there! Links: The Consequences: Stories by Manuel Muñoz American Afterlife by Pedro Hoffmeister Uncanny Times (Huntsmen Book 1) by Laura Anne Gilman Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone Writing to Heal the Soul: Transforming Grief and Loss Through Writing by Susan Zimmerman On the Shelf Facebook Group Ret-Con 2023 About Guest October K Santerelli: October K Santerelli is primarily a fantasy author and LGBTQ+ sensitivity reader who hails from Denver, Colorado. His works span several genres and multiple forms of media, including novels, short stories, and comics. His works include CITY OF DAY, book one of the Nightfall series from Falstaff Publishing, and the novella GLIMMERS IN THE NIGHT. Being LGBTQ+ has allowed him to edit and sensitivity read for indie and traditional authors alike. Visit octoberksanterelli.com for more. October’s Links: Website: https://octoberksanterelli.com/ TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@okwrites Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/o_k_writes/ City Of Day Don't forget! If you would like to support the show, please like, subscribe/follow, and review! All of those things will help more people find us on your podcast platform of choice. If you would like to help keep your intrepid show host in caffeine and books, you can support me on Ko-Fi. You can also find me pretty much everywhere I am online using my LinkTr.ee. See you next week!

Episode 4.5 Bonus Episode with Dana J. Moore

What's better than a weekly podcast about reading? A bonus, mid-week episode about reading! One of my favorite things in the world is to meet someone who loves reading as much as I do, and then geek out with them about the books we have in common, the way we came to a love of reading, and to come away from the conversation energized to get back to my TBR pile (with maybe just a few more titles to add to the list!) Join me and Dana as we talk about how she got me into reading YA, passing our love of reading to our children, and what book she recommends that I dive into next. About Dana Dana J. Moore is a voracious reader, occasional writer, compulsive artist, moody musician, obsessive plant collector, and unabashed tea enthusiast. She has lived in 7 states and 2 countries, so far. She currently lives near Augusta, Georgia, with her husband Ray (an Army chaplain) and their small horde of wildlings (3 human children). Her home in the suburbs protects a hoard of old books, art supplies, cozy blankets, board games, and delicate teacups. She expects to read 150 books this year. Find Dana on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter @thedanaverse Her music exists at www.danajmoore.bandcamp.com Don't forget! If you would like to support the show, please like, subscribe/follow, and review! All of those things will help more people find us on your podcast platform of choice. If you would like to help keep your intrepid show host in caffeine and books, you can support me on Ko-Fi. You can also find me pretty much everywhere I am online using my LinkTr.ee. See you next week!

Episode 4: Does Roxane Gay Read Romance? With guest Nancy Northcott

This week, I decided to read a random selection from the floating bookshelves above my bed, shelves which hold a tiny fraction of my TBR pile, but from which I hadn't selected a title to read in a while. I ended up with a meaty selection of werewolf and shifter romance, as well as a collection of narrative and critical essays by Roxane Gay. My guest this week continues in the romance vein (it is Valentine's Day this week!) as I host Nancy Northcott to share her new release, an anthology of Valentine's Day romance stories set at the fictional, yet intriguing, Caynham Castle. Also, for the listeners who may want to find out more about me or the podcast, you can visit me in the On the Shelf Facebook group, or come to Ret-Con next weekend (24-26 February) in Cary, NC. Hope to see you there! Links: Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay Make Noise: A Creator's Guide to Podcasting and Great Audio Storytelling by Eric Nuzum Growl: Werewolf/Shifter Romance by Eve Langlais, Kate Douglas, & A.C. Arthur Love and Valentines at Caynham Castle by Jeanne Adams, Morgan Brice, Caren Crane, Seressia Glass & Nancy Northcott On the Shelf Facebook Group Ret-Con 2023 About Guest Nancy Northcott: Nancy Northcott’s childhood ambition was to grow up and become Wonder Woman. Around fourth grade, she realized it was too late to acquire Amazon genes, but she still loved comic books, science fiction, fantasy, history, and romance. She currently enjoys attending and volunteering at science fiction conventions. Nancy has written freelance articles and taught at the college level. Her most popular course was on science fiction, fantasy, and society. She has also given presentations on the Wars of the Roses and Richard III to university classes studying Shakespeare’s play about that king. A sucker for fast action and wrenching emotion, Nancy combines the magic, romance and high stakes she loves in the books she writes. Reviewers have described her books as melding fantasy, romance, and suspense. Library Journal gave her debut novel, Renegade, a starred review, calling it “genre fiction at its best.” Nancy’s Social Media Links: Website: www.nancynorthcott.com Twitter: @NancyNorthcott Facebook: https://facebook.com/nancynorthcottauthor Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3468806.Nancy_Northcott Don't forget! If you would like to support the show, please like, subscribe/follow, and review! All of those things will help more people find us on your podcast platform of choice. If you would like to help keep your intrepid show host in caffeine and books, you can support me on Ko-Fi. You can also find me pretty much everywhere I am online using my LinkTr.ee. See you next week!

Episode 3: All the Dark Things with guest Mike Jack Stoumbos

This week, I span the gamut of fiction with a short story anthology, a novella, a novel, and a Kindle book on using dark feminine archetypes for shadow work. That, combined with my guest's novella, adds up to a dark, exciting week of reading. I discuss my love of the novella format, as well as why I thought I was going to fall behind in my reading challenge. (Spoiler alert--I'm still four books ahead!) Finally, I invite my fellow The Writing Tribe alum on the show to talk about his latest novella release, A Man of His Word. Hope you enjoy this week's time On the Shelf! Links The Labryrinth's Archivist: A Broken Cities Novella by Day El-Mohamed* The Book of Queer Saints, edited by Mae Murray* No Gods for Drowning by Hailey Piper The Goddess in the Shadow: Lessons from the Dark Goddesses and Shadow Work to Harness Dark Feminine Energy by Allycia Rye* *Available in Kindle Unlimited About Guest Mike Jack Stoumbos Mike Jack Stoumbos is an author and educator, living with his wife and their parrot in Richmond, VA. He is best known as a 1st-place winner of the Writers of the Future contest and for his space opera novel series THIS FINE CREW. His work appears in anthologies from Zombies Need Brains, WordFire Press, and Camden Park Press, among others. He is the lead editor of WonderBird Press, whose first anthology, Murderbirds, made 1st-day funding and was named a #ProjectWeLove on Kickstarter. Mike Jack teaches writing craft classes for teens and writing habits workshops for emerging authors. He also writes articles for TheBookBreak.com and other groups. Find more if his publications and newsletter at MikeJackStoumbos.com Links Website: https://www.mikejackstoumbos.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MikeJackStoumbos/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MJStoumbos Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mike-Jack-Stoumbos/e/B01MXI8G2X/ TFC1 Signal: https://www.amazon.com/Signal-Space-This-Fine-Crew-ebook/dp/B09N8VHGFP Don't forget! If you would like to support the show, please like, subscribe/follow, and review! All of those things will help more people find us on your podcast platform of choice. If you would like to help keep your intrepid show host in caffeine and books, you can support me on Ko-Fi. You can also find me pretty much everywhere I am online using my LinkTr.ee. See you next week!

Episode 2: Hey! I know these authors! With guest Gordon Linzner

This week, I looked up from the books I was reading to realize I had chosen volumes from authors I know, either because I published their work previously, or had connected online. In this episode, I reflect on how excited Middle-School-Me would have been to be able to talk to authors and get to know them, and how lucky I am to be able to read a book and then visit the author's platform to learn more about them (and buy more books!) Then, I get to talk with Gordon Linzner, an author who has a wide and varied bio, and who has recently released an urban fantasy detective novel he wrote in 1985, Highway of Hell: An Evelyn Slade Mystery. So, grab a cup of coffee, and sit down with some new old friends as we talk about poetry, the military brat life, horror, the human condition, and what else is new On the Shelf. Links: Synthetic Dawns & Crimson Dusks by Pedro Iniguez One Breath and Brats by Dr. Catharine Clark-Sayles Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw About Gordon Linzner: Gordon Linzner is founder and former editor of Space and Time Magazine, and author of four published novels and dozens of short stories appearing in Fantasy & Science Fiction, Twilight Zone, Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine, and numerous other magazines and anthologies. He is also a copy editor, a licensed New York City tour guide, a sound technician, and lead singer for the Saboteur Tiger Blues band, among other odd jobs. He is a full member of the Horror Writers Association and a lifetime member of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association. Highway of Hell: An Evelyn Slade Mystery Gordon Linzner's Chronological Bibliography Follow him on Facebook! Don't forget! If you would like to support the show, please like, subscribe/follow, and review! All of those things will help more people find us on your podcast platform of choice. If you would like to help keep your intrepid show host in caffeine and books, you can support me on Ko-Fi. See you next week!