What's in a Week - Vol. 63
Pretty epic set of news!
This week was a bizarre one. Difficult at times, for reasons I won't get into here. I'm okay! It was just spiked with stress occasionally. Then things started to turn around...
I'm a Guest of Honor at AuthorCon V for Scares That Care!
It's been really hard keeping this a secret for five months! I was invited personally by Brian Keene to be one of the guests of honor at AuthorCon V, benefiting Scares That Care! Every year, Scares That Care gives a gift of $10,000 to three individuals: a breast cancer patient, a burn victim, and a sick child. Here are the recipients for 2024:
Scares That Care
I will be at AuthorCon V at the end of March, 2025, in Williamsburg, Virginia. I am incredibly honored to be one of the guests of honor, and for this to be my first guest of honor invitation is even more special, given the cause.
Atacama Cover Reveal!
If you missed my super secret newsletter, I'm doing a "soft" reveal of the cover for my 2025 novel, Atacama. There will be an official one soon. For now, read all about it and see the glorious cover art, learn about the artist, and hear about my own interior illustrations, etc.!
Jendia Gammon
Western North Carolina Charity Auction and Anthology
To help my fellow Appalachians, one of the things I'm doing is offering up both signed books and I donated a science fiction and fantasy short story full of Appalachian beauty, warmth, and charm.
Here's info on the anthology:
0
Here is a link for the two signed books I donated the charity auction (ends TODAY, 11:30 PM EST, 8:30 PM PST):
Awards Eligibility Post for 2024
It's once again time for me to showcase my fiction published in the past year, for awards consideration for science fiction, fantasy, horror, and fiction generally. This year, everything is short fiction. You can see it all listed in my dedicated post. There might be some stories you missed, so do take a look! Thank you.
Jendia Gammon
Amazing Pitch Session
This past week, I had a pretty great online call as a pitch session for a property I always thought it would be fun to write for. Nothing is promised, but the meeting went very well. This coming week, I will hone in on three of the many pitches and make them official. Fingers crossed that I get this gig, which would not only be insanely fun, but would be a step up in my writing career!
On the Screen
In addition to watching sitcoms like the new Frasier and That 90s Show, I have been watching season 3 of Into the Badlands, which I love.
I also continued the spooky season movie watch by revisiting Peter Jackson's The Frighteners from 1996, starring Michael J. Fox and Trini Alvarado. If you're looking for a spooky movie that isn't too scary, and is kind of silly, humorous, and touching, this might fit the bill for you. There is violence, given the context of the plot, so bear that in mind.
Fox portrays Frank Bannister, who can see spirits, trying to solve a supernatural murder mystery upon the living by a creature stealing people's souls. Accompanied by two wisecracking ghosts from different eras, at first the trio are con artists helping Bannister some income by haunting people's homes, so they pay him to get rid of the ghosts. But someone else in the spirit world embarks on a murderous rampage, which implicates him. This movie features some classic genre actors like Jeffrey Combs (completely over the top in this) and Dee Wallace, among many others. Co-written by Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, this is one of the films that proved they could nail multiple genres with heavy special effects, leading to their magnum opus production, The Lord of the Rings movies.
On the Page
I'm part of a book club that discusses ecology and wildlife books, and this month's choice is The Accidental Ecosystem: People and Wildlife in American Cities by Peter S. Alagona. As part of the jacket text reads, "Why have so many cities grown rife with wildlife, even as wildlife has declined in non-urban areas? And what odes the paradox mean for people, wildlife, and nature on our increasingly urban planet?"
So, a couple things. I have a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. On that level, this of course appeals to me. But I also live in Los Angeles, one of the largest metro areas on Earth, and if you didn't know, it is also a wildlife bonanza, with mountain ranges in city limits, canyons, beaches, watersheds, and so many microclimate and niches. Also, in my own neighborhood alone, there are four species of wild parrots, wild peacocks, many other species of birds, coyotes, skunks, raccoons, squirrels, gophers, rabbits, lizards of all kinds, and insect varieties aplenty. (In addition to domestic cats and dogs, who I greet on my walks.) Once in a great while, bears and mountain lions will wander down from the mountains, although I have never seen any locally. It's great fun to live here! (And if you want to dig further into Los Angeles as a wildlife haven, I recommend Wild L.A.)
This book is perfect for those of us fascinated by the intersections and interactions of 21st century urban wildlife.
Writing Update
I submitted the science fiction and fantasy short story for the anthology donation above, and I think you'll all enjoy it!
Also this week, I added a couple of new chapters to The Secret of the Sapphire Sentinel, now beyond the 1/3 mark. This and a shorter work (to be announced soon) will become my primary writing projects through the end of 2024.
The Week Ahead
October 24 marks the one-year birthday for my book, The Inn at the Amethyst Lantern (written under my J. Dianne Dotson name), which is now the first of a trilogy. This little book that could was a Nebula Award finalist, a BSFA award finalist, was longlisted for the Lodestar Award (associated with the Hugo Awards since they don't have awards for younger fiction), longlisted for a British Fantasy Award, and was considered for the Ursula K. Le Guin prize. I'm proud of this fun book, which is great for teens to infinity, and perfect for long nights, or for escaping into a night-living future filled with adventure, wonder, thrills, and friendship. Order it from your favorite bookseller.
Read more about the book here:
Jendia Gammon
Other than that, I have book writing, science writing projects, and the goal of increasing my outdoor time on deck.
Wishing you all a gorgeous week.
Write on!
Jendia
