The Cookout is open for submissions until April 30th . We're eager to read your Black speculative works, be it science fiction, fantasy, horror, or related genres. In addition to the cookout theme, we want stories that are uplifting, that celebrate joy and all the way wer embrace our Black cultures and traditions. Yes, I did say "horror," "uplifting," and "joy," all in the same paragraph. Horror can be cheery, lighthearted, and other positives. This is particularly noticeabl

The second part of my George Kunz inspired article series. Diamond Made of pure carbon, diamonds are born underground through tremendous heat and pressure. Since ancient times, the stone was known for its exceptional hardness. Its name originates from the Greek “adamas,” meaning unbreakable. From the 17th century onward, diamond cutters started faceting the jewel to achieve brilliance within the stone, leading to the diamond's reputation for shine.   The first known diamond c

The Cookout Anthology is still accepting submissions. We are still looking out for the tastiest Black science fiction, fantasy, horror, and other speculative fiction you have to offer. We're looking for joyous, celebratory elements in your stories! The cookout is a time to enjoy food, company, and being unapologetically Black. Drama can happen. Think of the uncles who are always arguing over best recipes. There may be conflict. Think of the cousin who was dragged to the cooko

I'm reposting a series of articles I wrote years ago, inspired by George Kunz's 1913 book " The Curious Lore of Precious Stones ." Preamble Jewels are items, usually minerals, that humans cut, polish, and use to adorn themselves. Gemstones come in a broad spectrum of colors, may be opaque, translucent or transparent, and interact with light in a number of ways. Some jewels are so hard that almost nothing can scratch them, while others are able to withstand powerful blows. Sti

Resposting my old article. Due to technical issues, I couldn't edit the original post. This is my first paid published article, originally published in Your Wardrobe Unlock'd. Enjoy! Introduction As fun as planning, drafting and creating costumes are, it’s so satisfying to put on your finery and show it off to like-minded people. Getting asked to have your picture taken is also gratifying. To spend a day or weekend surrounded by others who enjoy so many of the same things as

The Cookout's Kickstarter has surpassed $7,000 in funding! With this milestone, we are now open for submissions. For those who don't know, we are looking for science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories centered around Black cultures and our cookouts. We are looking for joy in these stories, not works centered around hate, microaggressions, or aggressions against any marginalized groups. Submissions are for Black authors only. This includes anyone from the African diaspora,

I kicked off Black History month on January 31st, with my first ever conference lecture. It was part of Costumers of Color's first CoCo Noir symposium. My talk was the intersection of several of my nerdy passions, including dolls, fashion, and sewing. This started when I saw Costumer's of Color's call for lecturers for their new symposium. I had several ideas, most of which I've already forgotten. In the application form, I filled out the one that most interested me. Addy Wa

Link is here Our Kickstarter hasn't even been active a week, and we've already made strong headway. I hope this is a sign of full funding and achieved stretch goals to come.

Circa 2016, I joined an online writing group. The idea was we'd take turns reading and critiquing each other's work, and help each other grow as authors. This is not what happened in my case. At this point, I was trying to write more often, after a lifetime of sporadic fiction writing. In addition to my completed yet still novice manuscript, I was working on one short story after another. I wanted to get better, but for that to happen, I needed fresh eyes on my work. This wri

After a year and a half of preparations, plotting, and reaching out, the Kickstarter for The Cookout Anthology is here! There are reward tiers ranging from $20 to $125, though people are welcome to give what they're comfortable with. We've also gotten Kickstarter's "Project We Love" badge of approval. Please check out our Kickstarter page , spread the word, and watch our video hungry, if you dare! Artist's dramatization of our anthology.

Last year, writing down my plans and posting them in a public place gave me extra motivation to get stuff done. I wasn't always successful, but that extra encouragement felt good. Without further ado, here's what I want to accomplish. Writing: Publish The Cookout Anthology Publish at least one short story Publish 40 blog posts Reach at least 40,000 words in my romantasy Bonus: Reach at least 52,000 words in my cozy fantasy Reading: Finish at least 52 books Reduce my to-read p

Back in January, I wrote some goals I hoped to reach this year. Let's see how I did. 1) Reach at least 52,000 words in my novel draft I have 45, 112 in one novel draft, and 5,581 words in a different novel. This puts me in at around 50K total. I'm not thrilled at my progress here, but making any headway is good. 2) Finish at least 1 short story I wrote and presented one short story back in May, completed the final draft of a second, and finished the first draft of a third. G

For two and a half years, I dated fellow writer Franca.* Though we'd both started manuscripts and short stories, we were still very much beginner authors. We knew little to nothing about SFFH writing groups, literary guilds, or other places to find support or hone our interests. In theory, we had one another, and could help each other grow as authors. Franca told me to quit writing. My struggle to transform thoughts into text must be a sign I was unsuited to the craft. I also

Reposting an old article of mine, originally posted on Your Wardrobe Unlock'd. Please note this article references images that aren't in this repost. Introduction for Part 2 In the first half of the article, we examined the origins of the sailor suit and how Victorians adapted the style to meet a variety of wearers and occasions. The 20 th  century played even more with the idea of the sailor suit, finding even more ways it could be used.  The sailor aesthetic was still used

Reposting an old article of mine, originally posted on Your Wardrobe Unlock'd. Please note this article references images that aren't in this repost. Introduction Looking through fashion plates form the Victorian era onward, one may find the occasional outfit which sports a V neckline, a large collar or an oceanic theme. The sailor aesthetic may appear on apparel for boys, girls and even adult women. Depending on the era and type of garment, the style may fade in and out of u

Here is another repost of an article I published back in 2017. Introduction People come in different sizes, abilities and other traits. This extends to how we experience the world. What is comfortable to one person, like a radio playing, may be inadequate to another person and dreadful to a third. Finding a balance where one is getting enough input isn’t always easy. While certain conditions are known for their effects on the senses, this is a concern that impacts everyone. A

I get newsletters from Draft2Digital . I usually read the articles up top, but don't scroll all the way down. I'm happy I did this time. At the bottom are the top 10 bestsellers of different categories: fiction ebooks, nonfiction ebooks, fiction print books, and nonfiction print books. I saw a familiar cover in the fiction print bestsellers. Walk on Grey Ruins was #9 on October's list! I'm a one person operation with a low publishing output. Promotions are tough, especially

Reposting an old article of mine, originally posted on Your Wardrobe Unlock'd. The Question of Bulk No matter what era we choose, costuming requires large amounts of research. With the internet and interlibrary loans, information is plentiful, easy to access and often cheap. The mountains of data also mean that there is a lot of data to process, with some details that are hard to understand at first or third glance.   Articles and sewing diaries are popular ways to learn abou

This week, I got hit with a new hyperfocus. My brain is determined I will write a detailed outline for a romantasy tale, with all the...

I have a soft spot for two sentence horror stories, both the TV show and the medium. The show is enjoyably creepy, and balances social...