W_L

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55200663-the-darkness-outside-us Happy Science Fiction Day, which falls on January 2nd. In celebration of the genre that got me into reading and writing, I spent time reading a mainstream gay science fiction book during my recovery from surgery. Published in June 2021, it had reviews comparing it to Adam Silvera’s masterful gay story, They Both Die in The End, I had to investigate this book. Personally, the book reminded me more of Arthur C. Clarke’s bril

I enjoyed this chapter and thought the intrigue thickens. Beyond just Leon being in the line of succession for the duchy, I think the Keep and its secrets may be worth far more than a kingdom. Having armies, territory, and title is important and in the context of the medieval-fantasy setting very natural aims. However, beyond those tangible things, power is reserved in the knowledge that others do not possess. Brathay has opened the eyes of these outsiders to the potential power held within Black Ice Keep, any fool would toss out concerns for ancient rites or fears of forbidden knowledge to obtain knowledge and power.

I agree it's a very good book for its characters, they feel real despite the romantic tropes. I think I'll save Cronin's Key, since it's a Vampire romance, for Halloween/October. I like NR, but she's better at modern romance than urban fantasy, in my opinion.

Thanks, it was a very interesting book. I wish more people will explore it and can find enjoyment from it just we did.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31997446-the-weight-of-it-all So, for the new year, I am going to read a gay romance book about losing weight! Seriously, I can’t imagine a more fitting book for early January as many people are getting over the holiday weight gain and indulgent happily-ever-after Christmas literature. N.R. Walker is not a new author in my reading lists, I’ve read a few of her books in the past such as Galaxies and Oceans, which I reviewed, and Cronin Key, which I have n

Plot: This is a sequel to "True as it Can Be", following Christopher Oliver Potter, aka Chip, a 13 year old orphan queer/gay boy, who has ADHD and is on the Autism spectrum. As I noted before my surgery, I am partially basing this story on Charles Dickens "Oliver Twist" for characters inspirations. In terms of the plot, I am drawing on Charles Dickens other classic "Tale of Two Cities", the two cities in question being Boston and New York (Oh my ). Old characters and villains will return, along with new faces and a more complex relationship dynamic. Genre: It will have adventure-drama and found family, along with romance. Themes: Modern 21st century- Isolation, recovery from trauma, recognizing self-identity and self-worth, love in various forms, and above all else hope. Chapter Length: 3-5K words, like my prior novel. I might go over 70K mark. There's a slight chance, I might have to break it into 2 books, if that happens expect 150K+ in words. Publication schedule: 2 Chapters per week on a standard schedule Wednesday and Sunday. I want to be at least 4 chapters ahead of before publication, granting us a 2 week window to make corrections or adjustments. We might need to go up to 6 chapters if there's planned vacation, but I think too much much preparation may make the story too inflexible for change. If you are interested in being an editor or beta reader, feel free to message me or reply to this message

Happy belated Sci-Fi Day! I hope other folks enjoyed this book as much as I did.

As a fellow gay nerd, I am glad I hit those buttons. As to your question: Ryle and a bit from the Manga/Anime "Ghost in the Shell" by Masamune Shirow I can imagine an EV stations offering, "Lubrication service for your android" Glad you picked up on the nerdy stuff, too.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46019064-the-understatement-of-the-year I’ve been pretty hard on Sarina Bowen, but she is much better as a sports romance fiction author than she has been in other genres. The HIM series, published in August 2015, was her opus with Elle Kennedy and cemented her among the best of the gay romance authors of the 2010s. However, even before HIM, we can see elements of her great storytelling involving hockey players as far back as September 2014 with this stor

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/56152409 Sarina Bowen’s entry into Vino et Veritas universe as a side story was interesting. I know not everyone will enjoy certain aspects of the main character Kieran Shipley or the story’s meandering plot in Vermont. Personally, I actually enjoyed parts of the story, I thought some of the characters were very New England-like. New Englanders from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island are generally decent people

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/57481725 Football and politics make a very interesting statement in this story, where modern relationships, perceptions, and ideals clash with traditions. Riley Hart is an author, I believe is at her best, when she is invested in her characters. It’s a trait of authors I enjoy, because while plots of many stories may be reused by other authors, how characters react and actually exist in a story and, in this case, due to successful reception of this fir

Thanks @Myr , @James K, and @Headstall These are pretty interesting, you guys are interpreting "mode" based on how you perceive characters and motivations with various elements. @Headstall To your point, I agree with you that some stories need authenticity for how plot, character, and setting relate to one another. Beyond that, there's also a frame of the story, which is the approach of the story. To me the split of the 3 modes I use are: Realism depends on authentic detail, Surrealism depends on the vivid nature of real events re-oriented into something greater than the original experience though still possible, and fantasy depends on the truth behind events with thoughts and concepts in an impossible scenario that conveys common concepts.

This really isn't a topic about the genre, so I didn't want to ask in Myr's thread. I started thinking about this stuff in the last year as I started to pick up writing again. I started considering the mode of writing when I created my newer stories. To me, "Real" mode is usually my starting point based on everything and events around me, then progress from there. Sometimes I become very prophetic when I write "real" mode stories about our society, news, scandals, and human biases. Stories like True As It Can Be fell into this category, along with earlier examples like my abandoned 2015 series 0's and 1's (I predicted Cambridge Analytics stuff before it became public knowledge because I was reading several social media psychology books). The "Surreal" mode is something like my Comforting Touch series, especially the first story Finding Warmth, I take images and memories from my past and develop them into full fleshed-out ideas with complex motivations for characters. I have started off in "Fantasy" mode too, but I can get lost in it very easily, so I have to be wary about my own creative energy when I write those kinds of stories, they can easily become full novels. Stories like Spirited Holiday Engagement fell into this mode, I enjoy writing them, but they are the hardest to create as I have to cut down complex concepts to fit. ------------- Do other writers ever think about mode when you write?