Monica Valentinelli's Blog: booksofm.com, page 2

Now Available! Level 1 Volume 5 2024 Anthology of Indie Games

The indie RPG scene is a diverse, fascinating, and vibrant part of the TTRPG community. With Level 1: The Indie RPG Anthology, 9th Level Games brings together choice games from the world of indie RPGs in an annual collection published in time for Free RPG Day.

The 2024 edition of Level 1 is themed around “Command Line.” This year’s designers take us to the internet, the future, and other worlds. We have abandoned Discord servers, viruses, robots, and even golems. We have hacking simulations and a simulation of hacking. You can become a god, an outer space pet, or, as predicted, a hacker.

So strap on your keyboard, and get ready to jack into the net, chummer!
Download for free Level 1 Vol 5 2024 today!

With games by Richard Kevis, Josh Feldblyum, J.D. Harlock, Null Set Tabletop, Alex Koeberl, Christian Young, Gabriel Slye, Brian Hartwig, Alex Gickler, Eden Collins, Nick Grinstead, Tim “Strato” Bailey, Glenn Dallas, Carlos Hernandez, Jon Maness, Calvin Johns, Jonathon ‘Starshine’ Greenall, Monica Valentinelli, Luckycrane, and Michael Cremisius Gibson.

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New! Online Writing Workshop at Clarion West

Are you the type of writer who loves creative exercises? Do you want to collaborate with other writers and concoct amazing plots? Then my online workshop, “How to Use Tarot for Storytellers,” is perfect for you.

This two-hour workshop will be conducted online on Sunday, September 29th and will have a seasonal theme. This experience is geared for serious writers and will include both individual and small group exercises to lean into your creative instincts and help nurture collaborative skills.

Just in case you don’t know, Clarion West is a fabulous nonprofit literary organization that runs an acclaimed six-week residential workshop every summer, online classes and workshops, one-day and weekend workshops, a reading series every summer, and other events throughout the year.

For more information and to learn how to register, visit How to Use Tarot for Storytellers on the Clarion West website.

Hope to see you there!

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New Interview! Sitting Down with Canvas Rebel

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Canvas Rebel Magazine to talk about my process and creative works.

In some ways, I am not the typical writer, because I’ve always been writing. I started submitting and entering writing contests when I was very young and had my first publication–“Ella’s Story”–when I was nine or ten in a local newspaper. Then, in college, I pursued a Bachelor’s Degree in English with a Creative Writing Emphasis, because it allowed me to have more flexibility choosing my own courses centered on the craft of writing and study of narrative.

My first, biggest struggle post-college was figuring out how to continually build my portfolio and career by completing saleable, submittable projects. Finishing “a” project is great, but finishing quality work on time, consistently, is what many career writers do. The production aspects of learning the craft is very different from learning “a” form of writing. — from “Meet Monica Valentinelli” on CanvasRebel.com

This interview will give you some insight about how I’m faring, what I hope to create, and what I’m focusing on. Enjoy!

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New Fiction Release! Go Hard or Go Home: A Car Wars Autoduel Chronicles Anthology

The big events may get most of the limelight, but that’s not where all the action happens.

This collection of fast-paced, action-packed stories highlights the road warriors who struggle to survive, without the glory of the duel. Caravan guards, gun bunnies, insurance adjusters, mechanics, reporters, scavengers, and more!

If you can’t keep up, maybe it’s time to head back to the garage…

So… what’ll it be?

Will you Go Hard or Go Home?

GO HARD OR GO HOME: A Car Warriors Autoduel Chronicles anthology includes nine high octane stories filled with betrayals, high speed chases, and so much more.

The story Monica wrote is called “Crossed for Gold,” and it’s about a desperate character named Edge who’ll do whatever it takes to save her niece, Tessa.

Here’s an excerpt about a car featured in the story:

“To cough up five grand in a day or two, I’d sell my one true love: a vintage Shelby kit car that, when assembled, was worth about 50 grand. Original or not, an ultra-rare 1965 Shelby S/C Cobra CSX Series 6000 was the kind of mid-20th century car many nouveau riche collectors would be proud to own—with or without weapons modifications. Except, kit cars were as common as algae. I needed an immediate buyer for mine.”

— from “Crossed for Gold,” a Car Wars Autoduel Chronicles story by Monica Valentinelli

If you haven’t checked out this heart-pumping anthology yet, what are you waiting for? Vrooom… VROOOOOOM!

Affiliate links will take you to Amazon. You can also pick up this collection wherever books are sold.

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GenCon: Indy Writer’s Symposium Schedule, Events, and Workshops

This year, GenCon: Indianapolis takes place Thursday, August 1st through Sunday, August 4th. I’m presenting this year at the GenCon Writer’s Symposium and am offering a couple of workshops for ten dollars along with several free-to-attend events.

In addition to these events, I’ll have some wares on hand. I’m bringing print copies of Pinching Tarts, into shadow: a poetic exploration of personal fears, and earrings I designed specifically for GenCon!

Thursday, August 1st

Rediscovering the Magic in Magic – 2:00 p.m. – Marriott: Ballroom 4

Description: Join our panel of experts as they discuss the development of magic systems in the context of the new, the fresh, the global, the invigorating, and shall we say – the magical. Featuring: Marie Bilodeau, Brandon Crilly, Brian Duckwitz, Daniel ‘Doc’ Myers, Monica Valentinelli

Using Tarot as a Storytelling Tool – 4:00 p.m. – Marriott: Ballroom 3

Description: In this Tarot for Writers workshop, award-winning author and narrative designer Monica Valentinelli will show you how to use a deck of tarot cards as a storytelling tool. From inspirational prompts to building characters and scenarios, you’ll come away with fresh ideas to help you brainstorm narrative elements ranging from character relationships to plot twists. In addition to a lecture and slides, you’ll also perform short creative exercises–so get ready to be inspired! Featuring: Monica Valentinelli

Meet the Writers – 6:00 p.m. – ICC: Wabash 1

Description: To kick off the Writer’s Symposium, you can visit with all of the amazing guests, presenters, and panelists in this three-hour event.

Friday, August 2nd

Book Signing and Meet and Greet: Monica Valentinelli and Gini Koch – 1:00 p.m. – Exhibit Hall : Author Signing Tables (Back of Hall)

Description: Swing by the back of the Exhibit Hall to meet the panelists of the Writers’ Symposium and get your books signed. Or, buy a book or game – and get it signed on the spot. Or, just stop by and say hello!

Saturday, August 3rd

How to Write for the Ear – 3:00 p.m. – Marriott: Boston

Description: Join our panelists as they discuss how the way a story is consumed changes by the way you write it, how a story written specifically for the listener is different than when written for the visual reader. Featuring: Jennifer Brozek, Daniel ‘Doc’ Myers, Jordan Jones-Brewster, Lucien Soulban, Monica Valentinelli

Squeak and Geek – 5:00 p.m. – Marriott: Boston

Description: Ah! It’s Gen Con! Join Featured Speakers of the Gen Con Writers’ Symposium for an evening session of just seriously *geeking* about books, games, manga, and whatever else is on their minds! It’s super chill – join us? Featuring: Jessica Walsh, Briana Lawrence, James Farner, Mary Fan, Monica Valentinelli

Sunday, August 2nd

Adapting Stories to Games for Authors – 9:00 a.m. – Marriott: Boston

Description: Are you an author hoping to turn your novel into a game? Have questions about how the gaming industry works with authors? Glean insights from a 20-year veteran to achieve your goal. In this business-centric workshop, Monica Valentinelli will help you navigate different pathways to show you how you can transform your stories into games. You’ll walk away with a plan and the means to navigate the space more confidently. Featuring: Monica Valentinelli

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New Release! Guard Cards for Pinching Tarts TTRPG Now Available

Guard Cards is a pay-what-you-want game aid compatible with Pinching Tarts, a Wonderland-themed PocketQuest 2024 game designed by Monica Valentinelli. The cards can either be printed out and used as half-sheets or folded in half to create cards.

Guard Cardsis a digital download available from DriveThruRPG.com. The game accessory is not playable on its own without a copy of Pinching Tarts. What it does include, are rules for all the foes you’ll encounter in the Red Queen’s Castle. It includes:

* guidance to introduce the Red Queen’s Guard
* alternate rules for Teatime! affecting guards
* cards for all foes expanding and clarifying core rules
* ranks for The Watch

The half-page guard cards include customized tracks for each guard’s hearts.

This printer-friendly title is a game accessory for Pinching Tarts, a caucus game of tart-stealing nonsense inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865).

Download Guard Cards from DriveThruRPG.com!

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New Releases! Pinching Tarts RPG and Creature Sheets Accessory

Pinching Tarts is a caucus game of tart-stealing nonsense inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) that offers players multiple options to win. You and your friends play Wonderland creatures who infiltrate the Red Queen’s castle to steal Her Majesty’s tarts while protecting what you hold most dear-your heart.

Pinching Tarts is a GM-less game that uses 10 six-sided dice in two colors (five of each). It includes:

standard rules, tips, and rule summariescharacter rules, characters, and character creationrules for Teatime, “Eat Me” cakes, and “Drink Me” potionsoptional rules to stash and eat tartssample rooms in the Red Queen’s castlerules for antagonists including the Knave of Hearts, the Cook, and the Red King and Queena recipe for fruit-a-licious mini-tarts…and more!

Your mission? Pinch tarts. Drink tea. Escape… With your heads tarts!

Suitable for two or more players, childlike adults and children, this tartacular game from veteran game designer Monica Valentinelli is her PocketQuest debut. Whether you play a duck, a dodo, or a dormouse it matters not, for each creature has their own talents, specialty, and heart. Gathered together, you form “les pièces de résistance,” a ragtag band of thieves who have targeted none other than the head-chopping Red Queen.

“I had a lot of fun designing ‘Pinching Tarts’ for my first PocketQuest, so much so I devised a fun origin story for the game’s development and layout,” writes Monica. “I pretended I ‘found’ this vintage game in a secondhand book store, but several pages were torn, missing, and scribbled on in crayon. So, I reconstructed the original game and now present it you as a found artifact full of sticky notes, parchment, scrap paper, etc.”

This title includes a full color and printer-friendly greyscale version. The printer-friendly version of Pinching Tarts has a full color cover, but the interior has been modified to be less art-intensive.

For more about Monica’s process designing Pinching Tarts, you can read:

February 23, 2024 announcement
February 28, 2024 Pinching Tarts cover reveal
March 12, design essay
March 21, 2024 Creature Sheets cover reveal
April 1, 2024 Preview, Essay, and Links on FlamesRising.com

Pinching Tarts is available exclusively on DriveThruRPG.com.

Also Available on DriveThruRPG

Creature Sheets is a pay-what-you-want game aid compatible with Pinching Tarts, a Wonderland-themed PocketQuest game designed by Monica Valentinelli. The creature sheet is not form-fillable by design for two reasons: some of the fields are subject to change during gameplay, and there’s a rule in the game that gives players the ability to swap character sheets. For this reason, it is strongly recommended that you use pencil to fill out the sheets.

Creature Sheets is a digital download that includes:

creature sheet instructionsguidance for descriptive Wonderland-appropriate traitssample creature sheet for a puppyblank, printer-friendly creature sheets

The two-page creature sheets include tracks for hearts as well as optional tracks for tarts stolen, eaten, and foes defeated.

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New Release The Dagon Collection Available for Pre-Order

The Dagon Collection is a unique anthology edited by Nate Pedersen that debuts early this year from PS Publishing.

The Dagon Collection is a companion book to “The Starry Wisdom Library. Once again, the new anthology is presented as a fake auction catalogue, however this time it is 1929, shortly after the events in “The Shadow Over Innsmouth.” The feds have just raided the Esoteric Order of Dagon Lodge. Now they’ve contracted with Pent & Serenade, Occult Auctioneers, to sell the items secured in the raid.

In addition to books, this auction also features weaponry, art, jewelry, nautical items, textiles, and objects both strange and prosaic once owned by the Dagon cult. The design skills of Andrew Leman of H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society have brought the catalogue to life in all its 1920s period glory.

Rebecca Baumann of the University of Indiana provided the cataloging of the objects. Liv Rainey-Smith and Eduardo Valdes-Hevia contributed illustrations. Leading voices in horror and Lovecraftian fiction again contributed stories, including F. Paul Wilson, Jesse Bullington, John Langan, Gemma Files, Livia Llewellyn, Michael Cisco, Nick Mamatas, Ramsey Campbell, Selena Chambers, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Monica Valentinelli and, in a bittersweet note, Joseph S. Pulver, Sr. (to whom the book is dedicated), in what may be his final unpublished story.

Pre-orders for The Dagon Collection are now available. Visit PS Publishing to learn more!

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My Year-End Summary and 2023 Publications

Last year, I wrote in my 2022 year-end review that: “Reflecting on 2021, this year was a time to start shedding everything that wasn’t working for me.” If 2022 was a year of shedding, 2023 was a time of restoration in many, many ways.

This year has been a time to heal, laugh, dance, and revel in my peace while reconnecting with old friends and peers. I am extraordinarily grateful for a wonderful year filled with the kinds of memories that last a lifetime.

Career-wise, my future is still a question mark and yet that beautiful whiteboard of art I want to make regardless is still full. So, I grab my scythe and cut a new path while producing evergreen content and revisiting my hobbies. (I’ve been experimenting more with watercolors, knitting, gardening, and vegetarian cooking. And, I definitely want to return to beadweaving in 2024 pending a restructure/reorganization of supplies.)

2023 didn’t incorporate a ton of publications—and that’s okay! I’m happy to share that I’ve already received word of new publications next year for both fiction and games. Onwards. Woooo!

In this spirit, I’d like to share my releases with you. They are affiliate-linked to pages where you can purchase or find out more information about them. Yep, affiliate links. Because I am an artist and I enjoy food. Hah!

Published Books in 2023

I’ve had a ton of wonderful experiences with my debut poetry collection. Thanks to the indomitable Lao poet, Bryan Thao Worra, I had a great experience reading from this collection at a poetry reading. And, the collection has been discussed by a few poetry groups as well. Was the time and effort to create this collection worth it? Yes, absolutely.

into shadow: a poetic exploration of personal fears, 2023, BookOfM

Published Games in 2023

The 2022 Level 1 Volume Three Anthology from 9th Level Games I contributed to last year was nominated for the Best Free Game/Product in the 2023 ENnie Awards. Huzzah! And, I returned to GameHole Con 2023 to celebrate the 10th year anniversary as a special guest. I had a fabulous time.

LEGIONS OF CARCOSA, The Yellow King, 2023, Pelgrane Press

NOBLES: THE GOLDEN MANDATE, Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn, 2023, Crafty Games

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New! Gaming Release! Legions of Carcosa Available Now!

Have your The Yellow King Roleplaying Game players grown complacent battling gargoyles, vampires, and riot dogs? Do you have a reality horror mystery crying out for a fresh and bizarre villain to drive it?

Legions of Carcosa: The Yellow King Bestiary solves your problems by helping you create some for your Belle Époque art students, Continental War soldiers, alternate reality ex-insurgents, and ordinary people trapped in unraveling normalcy.

From alien parasites to warped human conspirators, from hungry buildings to incarnations of drought, from gods torn from the pages of myth to war machines that hunt in wolf-like packs, Legions of Carcosa: The Yellow King Bestiary presents 86 new Foes to mystify, haunt and menace your investigators.

Throw icewater into your player’s veins with 100 brand new Shock and Injury cards. The book also includes all the preexisting cards you need to run these adversaries and beasties without reaching for any other volume.

Foe descriptions key themselves to one of the game’s four twisty sequences. Each entry also includes hooks inspiring you to repurpose the Foe in the other three settings.

With this book in your feverish hands, the investigators can:

* Tremble in aesthetic unease when confronted by the Living Portrait!
* Flee the blazing weapons fire of the Angel of Mons!
* Shudder at the razor teeth of the hinge-jawed Flip-tops!
* Open their apps to fall into the validating, concerned clutches of the Chirpers!
* And much much more…

Whatever hole opens up in your reality today, an antagonist from The Yellow King Bestiary is ready to slither out of it, through your mind and into your heart.

Legions of Carcosa: The Yellow King Bestiary was developed by Robin D Laws and includes the works of John Harness, Daniel Kwan, Kira Magrann, FlamesRising.com contributor Monica Valentinelli, and Sara Saltiel.

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