What's in a Week - Vol. 46
New award nominations! New short story! And more...
New award nominations! New short story! And more...
Two British Fantasy Award Nominations!
In case you missed the news, I've been nominated twice for the British Fantasy Award! Read more here:
Jendia Gammon
Half Year in Review
No sooner did I publish this post on my blog than I received the nomination news above, and so had to update it. Head here to read all that has happened this year in my writing (and some art!) life.
Short Story Acceptance
In more good news, my short story, "Upon the Gloaming Hour," was accepted by Seaside Gothic, and will publish in their July issue! While I don't see a preorder link for the issue, do support the magazine with a subscription if you can. Supporting magazines helps ensure writers have homes for their work, and keeps magazine editors doing what they love as well.
Flash Fiction Night Online Reading
You can now watch three of us speculative fiction authors read short stories from Space Cowboy Books' Flash Fiction Night! Mine is a very short but chilling sci-fi story. Eliane Boey and Jonathan Nevair also read from their stories.
Anthology Update - 40% Funded!
In case you missed the news, my husband Gareth L. Powell and I making our own publishing imprint! Our first book is a cross-genre anthology. Announced authors : Adrian Tchaikovsky, Cynthia Pelayo, Ai Jiang, T.L. Huchu, Paul Cornell, Bonnie Burton, David Quantick, Eugen Bacon, Peter McLean, Ren Hutchings, Renan Bernardo, Greg van Eekhout, Pedro Iniguez, KC Grifant, Jonathan Maberry, Dennis K. Crosby, D.K. Stone, Cavan Scott, Sarah L. Miles, J.L. Worrad, Antony Johnston, Mya Duong, Helen Glynn Jones, Alice James, Khan Wong, Kali Wallace, Stark Holborn, Laurel Hightower, Gemma Amor, and Lizbeth Myles!
....and there may be a few more! We are nearing completion of the roster.
We are crowdfunding this endeavor for our cross-genre anthology (tentatively publishing February 11, 2025). Currently, we are 40% funded! You can help us reach our fundraising goal. Read more at this link below. Rewards for your donations start from $5 on up, higher tiers offer books, and still higher tiers include classes from both me and Gareth and other perks!
Money donated goes directly to paying our authors and for expenses in the making of the book.
We've already been editing stories from some of our authors, and we've seen the drafts of the cover art. It's gorgeous! Just a few details and the cover will be finished by the artist. More news to come.
We are debuting the website, name, cover art, and all other imprint-related goodies in mid-July, deliberately a week before San Diego Comic-Con, which I will attend. I have had several consultations with the web team and I have seen an early framing of the website. It's professional, because that's what the design firm specializes in.
Do follow me at Ko-fi above to receive updates on our publishing imprint and the anthology! And thank you for spreading the word.
I'm Going to San Diego Comic-Con!
I'll be on a panel at San Diego Comic-Con, the biggest fandom convention in the U.S., in late July this year! I can share that the panel is called "It All Starts with a Word". From the moderator: "This panel will be about how to start writing the novel that's in your head, what challenges you can expect, the best advice on how to push through them, and dispelling some of the myths and misconceptions about publishers and agents, peppered with some stories and anecdotes from the trenches."
More details as I can share them. SDCC tends not to release its official schedules until closer to the event.
On the Screen
This week's Doctor Who episode, "The Legend of Ruby Sunday," was terrific, taking us in the wayback machine (and not just via the TARDIS!) quite literally to feature some Fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith nods, specifically "Pyramids of Mars." Also, it was great to be back at UNIT with Kate Lethbridge-Stewart and to see Rose Noble again! I think both Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor and Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday were just fabulous in this episode, both encompassing the full spectrum of emotions from joy, to grief, to outright terror. LOVED it. And I also love that a whole new generation of Whovians are going to watch a classic Fourth Doctor episode as well! Can't wait to see what happens next. I have my theories for who Ruby's mother could be...
I also watched all of Bridgerton's third season within a few days' time.
Season 3 shines a light primarily on Penelope Featherington, who of course sports a secret identity, like all great superheroes. Penelope's superhero power is WRITING! I've always loved her. I also love how Colin Bridgerton also dreams of becoming a writer. Ultimately this might be the most satisfying season in my book (pun intended), with all the court drama, undulations of friendship and family, and love–seeking, achieving, or dreaming of it–being the guiding thread. This show is complete escapism, and even Doctor Who gave it a nod in last week's episode, "Rogue." Both series have left their marks on culture and even my own work.
You can absolutely see Doctor Who's influences throughout my books and short stories (The most obvious being "Void Mage" in The Shadow Galaxy collection; and yes, I'm writing more about him, but also enigmatic characters such as Aeriod in my Questrison Saga often remind folks of the Doctor. Aeriod, however, is far more complicated and mercurial; you never know if you can quite trust him.). But there's also a Bridgerton nod or two in The Inn at the Amethyst Lantern, in which there is a society ball early on (leading to a Pandora's box situation), and a secretly published but highly degradable (literally) newspaper called the Biolumen Pen.
I've not yet revealed who the author of that is, but hopefully I will get a chance in a sequel.
On the Page
I'm still enjoying an advance review copy (ARC) of Stark Holborn's latest book, NINTH LIFE. This one is taking some interesting narrative structure turns, meaning there's never a dull moment no matter what's happening in the story. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next!
Writing Update
Earlier this week, I wrote over 10,000 words within a couple of days. That was a dam burst, as two conferences and family celebrations and tough memorials all made the last few weeks less than ideal for writing.
I wrote and submitted short stories, worked on a weird horror novella, and wrote more on a space opera novel.
The Week Ahead
This coming week, after a science writing deadline, I'll pivot back to putting as many words on the page as I can. I'll be working on my Summer List, planning on how to celebrate the season. It's not my favorite, but it brings me three months closer to my beloved autumn.
Wishing you all a lovely week ahead.
Write on!
Jendia
