Minerva Cerridwen's Blog, page 6

How It Started

With almost $3000 on the counter (which would be a magical number to push us forward in the algorithms and general perception!), we’ve got a new update from narrator Ryan H. Reid where he is getting started on the audiobook. Ever wondered what the absolute essentials are to create an audiobook? Discover it in the new video!

At the time I write this, there are 64 hours left to preorder your The Dragon of Ynys audiobook on a “pay what you can” basis, starting from $1. And yes, offering just $1 is absolutely a legit option that helps us forward! We can’t express our thanks enough to everyone who is making this project possible and who helps us move towards the best possible quality.

The Countdown Dragons (or afteldraakjes) have all gotten their own micro-poem by E.D.E. Bell – you can see the whole thread of dragon drawings and poetry here on Twitter.

This was the latest little dragon, with 3 days to go:

If you want to know what the Dragon of Two will look like, check the thread or my Instagram this evening (European time). Feel free to show them, and of course our Kickstarter, to all your friends!

Wishing you a very nice day with delicious tea (if you like tea),

Minerva

A Project We Love – Fully Funded!

Things are moving so fast I can’t even keep up blogging about them – and I can only be very grateful for that!

We have (already!) reached the point where we can proudly say that the audiobook of The Dragon of Ynys will definitely be made. This is absolutely amazing! A big thank you to all the wonderful people who want to support us and our project. And to Kickstarter, for making us a “Project We Love” and featuring us on the main page as a “Fresh Favorite”.

Now what’s next? Well, for starters, you can still pledge to grab your own copy of the audiobook (and perhaps the ebook, paperback, or limited edition hardcover!) on the same Kickstarter page, with audiobooks starting at $1, in the next 8 days. You can even see yourself in a story in the universe of Ynys, if you select the Rainbow Catcher, or get a new story written especially for you if you select the Wish Fairy level. Moving beyond our funding goal allows us to improve the quality of the hardcover, increase the amount of new material, and of course supports Atthis Arts, which has been going through a rough time as a small publishing business – and believe me, they deserve a boost. As there are so many improvements that could be done, we don’t have any set stretch goals as yet, but of course, if we really go way beyond the goal, who knows what we’ll come up with…

For now, I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I think I speak for almost every writer when I say that getting an audiobook made of your work is a dream come true. It’s so magical to know that people who wouldn’t get to read the book in its current form will get access to it.

If you’d like to see something silly but fun, I’m making countdown dragons on Instagram: number-shaped dragons who will guide us through the Kickstarter campaign.

Again, thank you, and please keep sharing the news about the audiobook to everyone you think might be interested!

Hugs,

Minerva

What an Actual Dragon Sounds Like

Everyone!!! Our Kickstarter is live!!!

I am SO excited that everyone is finally getting to hear Ryan’s introduction video. And of course, that’s only the beginning! Hearing this, can you imagine how awesome the finished product will be?!

So… It’s real now. In the next 10 days, you can help the Kickstarter reach its minimum goal and make our The Dragon of Ynys audiobook see the light of day. Yes, the campaign is only on for ten days – so don’t wait too long! If money is tight, you can get yourself the audiobook and ebook for as little as $1. This Kickstarter works on a “pay what you can” basis. Of course, if possible, you are most welcome to give more, with recommended prices being indicated in the Pledge descriptions on the right of the page. There will also be a limited edition, one-run-only, hardcover edition of The Dragon of Ynys! This reward level starts at $100 and the hardcover edition will include exclusive content – unseen material which, in turn, you can also get as a digital add-on starting from $5. So… We think there’s something for everyone who likes to spend a little time in Ynys. Please do spread the word about this to all of your friends (and foes – they can probably use a little extra message of acceptance, or they wouldn’t be your foes, right?). I really, really hope we’ll make it – I can’t wait to listen to more of Ryan’s narration!

Click here to open the Kickstarter!

Did you never hear about my queer fairy tale novella The Dragon of Ynys before? Read more info about it here!

Thank you so much for your support!

Lots of love,

Minerva

 

Skulls & Spells Interview

In the newest update, the awesome Skulls & Spells patches are being shown off and you can read a short interview with LS Reinholt and me about queer horror and narratives that are important to us. Check it out here!

I’d also like to remind you that you can click “notify me on launch” on this page to be alerted as soon as the Kickstarter launches for the The Dragon of Ynys audiobook on December 5. Giving us this click not only helps you remember when we’re going live, but also helps us become more visible on Kickstarter right away. Thank you so much for your support!

In the past week, the team behind the audiobook has been working to get everything ready for the campaign and I can tell you it’s going to be amazing. The teaser in the introduction video alone is going to be worth taking a peek once it’s up.

Have a great week!

Minerva

Is that a Dragon I hear?

No, not yet.

But it may be, soon.

With your help.

That’s right… The Dragon of Ynys will be made into an audiobook!!!

I can’t describe how exciting this is. Not only will we be able to hear the characters talk, but this also means that the book becomes more widely accessible. I can’t wait to see this happen!

Ryan H. Reid will be narrating the book. I’ve heard some voice samples and it’s going to sound absolutely amazing. Fellow fans of draconic voices, rejoice!

But to get to that point, Atthis Arts, Ryan, and I will need your help. Making an audiobook isn’t cheap, and as we all know, the past couple of years haven’t been kind to the publishing industry. So I would like to ask you to go to this Kickstarter page and click the green button saying “Notify me on launch”. Even if you’re not sure if you’ll end up supporting the Kickstarter itself, this will help us to make the campaign more visible.

The campaign will launch on December 5. Thank you so much for your support!

(No but. Listen. An actual audiobook!!! Of my story!!! Eep!)

Love,

Minerva

Dragon Biscuits!

Hello!

I have a feeling Snap will approve of this post’s title… Happy Publishiversary, Snap & co.!

That’s right – it’s already been a whole year since The Dragon of Ynys came out with Atthis Arts. If you’re new to my blog: welcome! You can read all about my queer fairy tale novella via this link!

Buy links: Publisher’s website – Smashwords – Amazon.com – Amazon.de – iBooks – Barnes & Noble – Kobo – Bookshop – Vrolijk.nu (NL) – Kartonnen Dozen (Belgium)

Add the book to your shelves: The StoryGraph – Goodreads

To celebrate the anniversary, I made real The Dragon of Ynys biscuits! I used a gingerbread recipe and Rainbow Crate’s rolling pin (which you can still find here). As it was the first time I made patterned biscuits, I still have some experimenting to do before every single sword, cupcake, and little dragon will be visible on the dough, but I already learned a lot as I went!

An unbaked biscuit with the Dragon of Ynys-pattern rolled into it.Baked biscuits, the rolling pin, and a copy of “The Dragon of Ynys”.

As you can see, my biscuits even include the spiders’ forest! (Yes, that is Minerva-speak for: “Look, there is a little tree!”)

And while you’re enjoying a biscuit, remember that the Dragoniversary story Lost in Ynys, by Ava Kelly and me, is still out there for the party.

Cheers, and thank you for being here!

Minerva

Release Day of Ink!

Hi!

The Ink anthology is out today and let me start by boasting about my awesome friends! Ink is the collection of 121 stories selected from Queer Sci Fi’s yearly flash fiction contest, and the first and second place went to no other than Ava Kelly and LS Reinholt, respectively! I’m so proud of them – and believe me, both these stories are brilliant. It was a well-deserved win for them both, so I’m glad the jury agreed! I’d also like to congratulate Emilia Agrafojo, who got the bronze medal with “Mixology”. I haven’t read this story yet, but I certainly look forward to it!

You can read all the announcements here: honorable mentions – judges’ choices – winners. Congratulations to all!

This also means that the anthology is now available for sale. There is even a hardcover available of this edition, aside from the ebook and paperback editions.

Here are some links where you can buy Ink: Amazon US – Amazon Deutschland – iBooks – Barnes & Noble – Kobo – Scribd – Thalia – Vivlio

You can also add this book to your shelves: Goodreads – The StoryGraph

And in this post you can read Queer Sci Fi’s own release announcement, with the full list of included stories as well as some story fragments (and a giveaway to celebrate the release): click.

And I’d almost forget to say: my story “Not Alone” is in this book too. Enjoy!

INK (NOUN)

Five definitions to inspire writers around the world and an unlimited number of possible stories to tell:

1) A colored fluid used for writing
2) The action of signing a deal
3) A black liquid ejected by squid
4) Publicity in the written media
5) A slang word for tattoos

Ink features 300-word speculative flash fiction stories from across the rainbow spectrum, from the minds of the writers of Queer Sci Fi.

 

Quick post-holiday update

Hello!

As I was away to be surrounded by the true fairy tale forests of Germany, I’m a little behind on sharing news and thought I’d do a quick update.

 

Rolling pins

Rainbow Crate’s The Dragon of Ynys fandom item from their April 2021 box, the adorable rolling pin with the dragons, cupcakes, swords, and hearts print, is now available via their website until stock runs out. Shipping from the US, you can find the link here.

 

Skulls & Spells

Queer horror anthology Skulls & Spells had a successful run on Kickstarter and is fully funded! Celebrations! It even reached two stretch goals. A big thank you to everyone who supported it!

 

Ink Anthology

The cover for Ink has been revealed here. The book will release on August 10, 2021 and you can preorder your copy via Amazon, Apple, and Kobo.

 

Paranatellonta

It’s August 1, so Fie and I just posted a new photo and story combination! It’s our 311th edition and this month marks the 8th anniversary of the project. Read the newest Paranatellonta here.

Thanks for reading! Have a great day.

Flash publication in Ink!

Hi!

Great news: my genderfluid flash piece “Not Alone” will be part of Queer Sci Fi’s Ink anthology! This story was my 300-word entry for the yearly flash fiction contest that also gave us 2019’s Migration and 2020’s Innovation anthology. The release of Ink is planned on August 10, 2021, and by that time, Queer Sci Fi will be announcing honorable mentions (still proud of getting one last year!), judge’s picks, and three winners. Check out the full list of stories that will be published in the new anthology here – notice the names of friends L.S. Reinholt and Ava Kelly. Congratulations to these 120 writers!

While I’m here, an update on the Skulls & Spells Kickstarter. They took a great start and are now 58% funded. Let’s hope this keeps going! Their latest update talked about a secret stretch goal, so I can’t wait to see what Jinx and Jonas have in store. And, of course, I’m extra invested, as L.S. Reinholt and I have our story “The Bound Heart” in this book. If you like magical horror from queer creators, I’ll ask you once again to please consider supporting this Kickstarter.

Two more things on the topic of Kickstarters:

Alia Terra, the illustrated book of dragon fairy tales in English and Romanian, written by Ava Kelly and published by Atthis Arts, which I kept talking about in my previous posts, is fully funded and reached its stretch goal of becoming a fully illustrated book! I’m so happy we’ll get to see all the beautiful dragon art by Matt Spencer. If you missed the Kickstarter, you can still preorder your copy via BackerKit through July. The Dragon of Ynys can also still be added to your order there!Xenocultivars is a plant-themed speculative fiction anthology about queer growth from Speculatively Queer. I’d love to see this book happen, but with only 5 days to go they’re still a little under half funded, so they need all the help they can get. Check out their Kickstarter and their wonderful queer flag cactus stickers here!

Love,

Minerva

Skulls & Spells launched!

Hello everyone!

The awesome cover above this text is that of the queer horror anthology Skulls & Spells, which will be published by Artemisia’s Axe and the Corpse’s Tongue later this year and which will contain the short story “The Bound Heart” written by L.S. Reinholt and me!

Today, the Kickstarter has launched to make this wonderful project happen. So if you’re into bright and thrilling horror stories with LGBTQI2SA+ representation, I definitely recommend checking out this link. There are ‘early bird’ rewards at a lower price, including patches, stickers, art prints and even an exclusive plushie! And of course you can pre-order the book itself, 150+ pages and in full colour – physical copies as well as pdf files. You can also use the Kickstarter to order your copy of Artemisia’s Axe’s previous anthology, Neon Horror, which ALSO includes a story by L.S. Reinholt and me! More details are, of course, found on the Kickstarter page itself.

To promote the anthology, L.S. Reinholt made the illustration below as a teaser for “The Bound Heart”, with colouring done by me. (CW: snake, human heart.)

And on the topic of Kickstarters, I’d also like to direct your attention to the fact that there are only 52 hours to go in the Alia Terra Kickstarter! (To spare you the maths if you’re reading this message later, it will end on June 25 at 2:00 AM CEST.) This beautifully illustrated queer book of fairy tales WITH DRAGONS hasn’t quite reached the funding goal yet that is necessary to become a fully illustrated book, so every coin that’s added to their campaign helps!

I’m also having a lot of fun seeing all the wonderful comments to the blog tour for The Dragon of Ynys! Remember you can check this post to see where we are today; the posts marked with “guest post” contain little interviews with me, if you like that sort of thing!

Sending lots of love, good vibes, and magic!

Minerva