Coffee & Ideas
Nick Mamatas has newly released an anthology called 120 Murders. A nod to an old MTV show in title, the stories collectively bleed thematically deep into the alternative rock scene of the 1990s, with touches of noir here, fantasy there, and universal transgressive fiction with characters that tell the truth about life as they perceive it. … Continue…Episode 215 – 120 Murders with Nick Mamatas
Jim C. Hines is a Hugo-award winning author of a series of princess fairy tales reimagined. Jim has taken the whole fairy tale Princess trope to a new and darkly glorious confection, combining multiple versions into a new saga where the women band together to solve their problems. Come listen as we delve into folklore retelling and cunning new ideas. Damn the Narrativium, full speed ahead! … Continue…Episode 214 – Interview with Jim C. Hines
K.M. Herkes writes across multiple genres, from Science Fiction and Fantasy to straight up good contemporary literature. She started as a novelist first, oddly enough, then moved to short stories. We read and squeed over her new book “Relics from a Traveling Show”, and dug gleefully through the wide variety of stories in this, her first collection. … Continue…Episode 213 – Interview with K.M. Herkes
I hope you all remember Richard Sparks, author of New Rock, New Role. We’re here to squee with enthusiasm at the next in the series that just dropped in November, called New Rock, New Realm. We pick up right where the first book ended, so join us! … Continue…Episode 211 – Rocking Out with Richard Sparks
We welcome back Martin Treanor to ask that most interesting of questions: what do fairies want? In his new book, Curiosity and the Cat, a girl who finds herself without much adult influence commits a crime that makes her feel guilty, but happy. But what has she unleashed? What is that cat, really? … Continue…Episode 209 – Martin Treanor’s Cat
We have chatted with many memoirists, but this vision of the past is new and startlingly original. Alma Alexander’s newest book takes us through her life in stages via the description of the written word that impacted her so profoundly over the years. From childhood to adult, she describes the books she was reading with a glorious review, taking the reader either back to their own experience reading the author or poet, or sending them right out to the library to find a new delight. … Continue…Episode 207 – The Literary Memoirs of Alma Alexander
The Queen of Swords Press is “an independent small press specializing in swashbuckling tales of derring-do, bold new adventures in time and space, mysterious stories of the occult and arcane and fantastical tales of people and lands far and near.” Which really sums up why we love all the books they’ve put out, without even mentioning their wide variety of protagonists that increase representation for all of us. But how does an indie press work? Constantly, as this interview with Catherine Lundoff demonstrates! … Continue…Episode 206 – Indie Publisher focus – The Queen of Swords Press
Dawn’s first novel, “Pono & Aloha vs the Zero-Sum Game”, was just released and available on Amazon — and we’re delighted to meet her to chat about it! It’s a fascinating coming of age story of a young girl in Hawaii who discovers the spirit world and her place in it while trying to solve the historically challenging conundrum of saving the past vs helping the present and future. It is a novel of examining the unintended consequences of all our actions, whether we mean them for the best or no. There are trigger warnings, but it’s a very worthy book that many women of all ages can relate to. … Continue…Episode 204 – Interview with Dawn Akemi
Cat Rambo is the early-rising, indefatigable writer of multiple stories, games, MUD administration, and novels – and we’re delighted to chat about the upcoming crown of their Disco space opera series called “Rumor Has It”, coming out next month! Join us as we chat about the intrepid crew and chef running the ship You Sexy Thing as they lay a course for Coralind station and fight off pirate kings. … Continue…Episode 203 – Cat Rambo’s Rumors
Richard Sparks may have started his career as a comedy writer, lyricist, librettist, and director, but since moving to California and picking up gaming he’s started writing fantasy novels – and we love them! He combines his comedic wit, honed over a long career, with high fantasy and a soupçon of science fiction. For lovers of gaming, fantasy, or laughter, this book is for you! Plus he already has 4 more books in the series written… … Continue…Episode 199 – Interview with Richard Sparks