Book Announcements

Read more about the article Now Kickstarting: From Dream to Reality

Now Kickstarting: From Dream to Reality

Happy February! I've been enjoying the bright (yet cold) sunshine here in Portland, and am very excited about the sun not setting at 4:30pm anymore. I'm also excited because my latest nonfiction book from Microcosm Publishing is currently in the Kickstarter phase! We're about halfway through the Kickstarter, and halfway through the goal — and my editor just emailed to say the book just went off to the printer. :) Can't wait to see it! So. What's this new book, you ask? From Dream to Reality is basically a very detailed, expanded version of the spiel I'd give you if you…

Read more about the article Cursed Saint Caper! Plus Nanshe Chronicles FAQ

Cursed Saint Caper! Plus Nanshe Chronicles FAQ

Hey hey! Nanshe Chronicles 3, aka Cursed Saint Caper is officially out, which means that the Nanshe Chronicles trilogy is now complete. Good news if you're the sort of person who likes to know you'll get closure before diving into a new series. :) You can buy the print book directly from me (ebook is included!) or grab it on Amazon. If you're a Kindle Unlimited reader, all three of the Nanshe Chronicles books are enrolled — but probably only for a few months, so get on it quick. You can also grab Ghost Pirate Gambit, Blood River Blues, and Cursed…

Read more about the article [Story Sale] Happy release day to NOIR!

[Story Sale] Happy release day to NOIR!

When you write a 5-book saga with a rather large cast of characters, you're likely to hear from readers that you should have written more about so-and-so. One of those characters is Detective Timo Cho of the Bulari Police Department, who spends some time investigating our heroes and learning some truths of his own about how the seedy underbelly of Bulari works. I agree. I loved Cho, and loved being in Cho's point of view for his scenes. Because his storyline is a bit separate from the rest of the characters — he is investigating them, but not physically interacting until…

News Roundup: Short story sale, audio books, and more

I've been pretty head-down the past few months, dividing my time between finishing writing the Nanshe Chronicles, preparing for the launch of the first book in May, and working on a big book project with a new nonfiction ghostwriting client. Not to mention extracurriculars like spending time with my family and some local travel! A lot of cool things have happened over the past few months, publishing-wise. I realized that although I've been keeping my newsletter subscribers updated on all the Cool Things, I hadn't breathed a word to the rest of the world on my blog. (Guess you should…

Read more about the article Dispatches From Anarres, or Don’t Disappoint Denzel Washington

Dispatches From Anarres, or Don’t Disappoint Denzel Washington

I'm convinced Denzel Washington just wants you to live your best life. In The Equalizer, he walks into the bad guy's office with a simple offer: Take some money, make things right, and turn over a new leaf. The offer's too simple, though. Denzel's character is too unassuming — and so the bad guys laugh him out of the office. Denzel walks to the door and sighs sadly at what's about to happen. Then he locks the door, checks his watch, and proceeds to demolish every last bad guy with intense precision. Guys. Don't disappoint Denzel. I love the trope…

Read more about the article From Chaos to Creativity Powell’s Books Reading [Video]

From Chaos to Creativity Powell’s Books Reading [Video]

Last Monday, I did something that terrified me: I held a creative productivity workshop in front of about 50 people at Powell's Books. I've read from my fiction before, which is its own version of terrifying. But I'd never stood up as an expert in front of a crowd of mostly strangers and tried to impart my wisdom. And you know what? It was pretty fun. Plus, people seemed to find it inspiring and asked a lot of insightful questions. Honestly, the discussion with everyone afterwards was my favorite part. If you were there, thank you for coming! And a…

Read more about the article Creative productivity workshop! Come with your chaos, leave with a plan

Creative productivity workshop! Come with your chaos, leave with a plan

You know how sometimes every waking moment feels like chaos incarnate? Like it's a quiet Saturday morning and you're dying to work on your art, but first you really need to make yourself some breakfast. And before that you need to find the kitchen underneath all the dishes. Which reminds you that you never returned your neighbor's tupperware, and — oh right — you're out of paper towels and so you might as well pick up potting soil for your jade plant because you promised you'd make a cutting for that friend. And as you're emailing your friend you see a note…

Crossfire (Bulari Saga 2) [Excerpt]

Unlike my Durga System novellas, which are designed to stand alone, I wrote the Bulari Saga to be one overall story arc — though each book is meant to be a satisfying read on its own. Don't worry. I hate cliffhanger books, too. :) I normally share the first chapter or prologue of a new book when I launch it — but since Crossfire begins a day or so after the climax of Double Edged, I was worried I wouldn't be able to find a section that wasn't super spoiler-y. Fortunately, one of my favorite scenes made the cut. I edited…

Read more about the article Double Edged (Bulari Saga 1) [Excerpt]

Double Edged (Bulari Saga 1) [Excerpt]

Ever since I released the first Durga System novella back in 2016, I've heard the same thing from readers: "I loved it, but I want MORE!" With every Durga System novella I wrote, I got the same praise/complaint combination. Reviewers kept talking about how they could sense a larger story behind the books I was giving them. Friends texted me asking what's the deal with this character, or when they're going to get a novella with that character. Through all these years, I've been plugging away at a series of full-length novels set in the Durga System universe, and I'm…

Read more about the article Introducing Space Cocaine: an Anthology Reading

Introducing Space Cocaine: an Anthology Reading

TL;DR version:What: A reading with Jessie Kwak, Grá Linnea, Andrew McCollough, and Mark TeppoWhen: May 17th at 7pmWhere: Belmont Books (3415 SE Belmont St, Portland, OR)Why: Because it could be done A couple of months ago, my local sci-fi writer-friend mastermind group (the Tiara Club) decided we should do a reading. Mark Teppo, an overachiever, decided that we should produce a physical collection of the short stories we'd be reading in order to sell at the event. He started coming up with poignant literary covers. They were lovely. But I was starting to get a little nervous they would give…