Rachel Manija Brown's Blog, page 85

Yuletide signups are open!

It's Yuletide, my favorite time of year! Signups are open now.

All is explained here.

Browse the tag set here.

Search for requested fandoms and bookmark intriguing prompts here. (This only covers people who wrote letters.

Who's signing up?

Is anyone considering doing it for the first time?

What excites you in the tag set?

In addition to my own requests, I am really hoping to see stories for BlackKklansman, the Watchmen TV series, The Bone Key, The Chronicles of Morgaine, Planet of Exile, Leaf by Niggle, Neverwhere, The Goldfinch, the Tillerman Cycle by Cynthia Voigt, Ancient British Stones (Characters: The Longstone of Minchinhampton, Mên-an-Tol (Penwith Moor), The Merry Maidens (Boleigh), Whispering Knights (Rollright Stones)), The Museum of Jurassic Technology, and this request for Iza & Ayla in Clan of the Cave Bear and this request for Durc & Ayla.

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Her Magical Pet: Women in love... and their adorable magical pets!

I am delighted to present Her Magical Pet[image error], an anthology to benefit OutRight Action International, which fights for the rights of LGBTIAQ people across the world. All profits will go to OutRight in perpetuity.

The anthology includes a new Liavek novelette by Pamela Dean, a novelette I wrote featuring a post-apocalyptic cat cafe, and short stories by Yoon Ha Lee, Zoe Chant, Aster Glenn Gray, Damkianna, and many more!

Have a shot of concentrated joy, with fourteen stories of women in love... and their adorable magical pets!

In this enchanting collection, a flying cat transports love letters, a fox-dog and a pair of watercats help two lonely women launch a post-apocalyptic cat cafe, a baby griffin brings unexpected love to a runaway troll woman, and much, much more!

“Deep Spring Farm,” by Romana Clifton. Can Melanie and a friendly ghost dog help a beautiful farmer protect her lettuce from spirits that stomp in the night?

“Lucky Day,” by Yoon Ha Lee. Which is harder, hiding a crush on the gorgeous woman in your role-playing game group, or hiding the unicorn figurine that just came to life?

“Beach Dirt on Bare Feet,” by Louise Long. It’s hard to trust humans when you’re a selkie, especially when a beachside ice cream date could lead to so much more.

“Cute as Hell,” by Caia Winter. You’d think two vampires would be a match for an adorable hellhound puppy, and yet...

“Watercat Cafe,” by Rachel Manija Brown. Ruthie intends to open the first cat cafe in her post-apocalyptic world, but the mysterious, wounded stranger she rescues could doom her dream--or save it.

“How to Get a Girlfriend (When You’re a Terrifying Monster),” by Marie Cardno. Trillin has no corporeal form, no mortal cultists ready to tear reality asunder in her name, and no girlfriend. It's tough being an eldritch entity.

“Pawprints in the Snow,” by Zoe Chant. A lost cat leaves a path to love for a lonely snow leopard shifter.

“As if the Sun Came to Shine,” by Damkianna. An injured baby griffin catalyzes the relationship between a lovely changeling and a troll woman in hiding.

“Uncontrolled Variable,” by Sara Joiner. It's hard to investigate magical seagrass when your mischievous teleporting cat keeps becoming part of the data.

“That Magic Touch,” by Hailey Thorne. Vanessa's ex-BFF wants to tear a hole in reality, and it's going to take all of Vanessa's magic--and the help of a gorgeous Demi-Fae with a sword, not to mention a telepathic dog--to stop her.

“Memories of Magic,” by Elva Birch. An emergency vet gets an unexpected visit from a Christmas elf (not really) with a living plastic toy pegasus (really!)

“A Dog’s Chance,” by Celia Lake. Magician Anna keeps crossing paths with the mysterious dog-walking Una while investigating a case of magical hedgehogs on Hampstead Heath.

“Five Quests and the Oracle,” by Pamela Dean. A new Liavek novelette. Dri’s first acting role in a children’s play is complicated by her obstreperous cat, a pair of menacing wizards, and another first-time actress who wants to do more together than just practice their lines.

“The Mating Call of the Teleporting Warbler,” by Aster Glenn Gray. A winged cat flies love letters back and forth between a professor and a naturalist studying teleporting warblers.

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It is available on Amazon only for three months, after which it will go into wider distribution. A paperback will be available shortly (also through Amazon.) If you can't afford a copy but want to review it, please contact me. If you want a non-Amazon copy now, please PayPal me the price of the book to Rphoenix2@hotmail.com (NOT gmail).

The companion anthology, His Magical Pet[image error], is also available!

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His Magical Pet: Men in love... and their adorable magical pets!

I am delighted to present His Magical Pet, an anthology to benefit OutRight Action International, which fights for the rights of LGBTIAQ people across the world. All profits will go to OutRight in perpetuity.

Have a shot of concentrated joy, with nine stories of men in love... and their adorable magical pets!

In this enchanting collection, supervillain husbands apply to adopt a cat, a dog with wings helps old friends confess hidden desires, a tour guide for an island of magical New Zealand wildlife falls for a visiting naturalist, and much, much more!

Includes all-new stories from Tate Hallaway, Aster Glenn Gray, Liv Rider, and more of your favorite authors.

“Chitter-Chatter,” by Riley Rivers. A chatty squirrel, accidentally given the power of speech through a spell gone wrong, tries to matchmake her two favorite humans - who unfortunately can’t stand each other.

“Catastrophe,” by Liv Rider. Matthew's new protection spell needs some workshopping. Especially since it keeps making his cat suddenly appear in his hot new neighbor's apartment.

“Care and Feeding,” by Aster Glenn Gray. Gabriel and Dmitri seem stuck as platonic friends... unless Gabriel's flying bichon frise Moppet can help them see each other in a new way.

“Throw Me a Bone,” by Elva Birch. New werewolf Lucas is forced to masquerade as his own pet when he chases his runaway collie right into the yard of his neighbor crush.

“If Not for the Rat,” by Avery Vanderlyle. A Changeling and his human lover pick up a pet rat that is much more than it seems.

“Fate and Your Average Supervillain,” by Tate Hallaway. Supervillain husbands try to craft the perfect application to adopt a cat from annoyingly picky agencies.

“Now You See Me,” by CJ Krome. A ghost bird brings a lonely ghost and a hot human together… but can they stay together?

“In a Blink,” by Mona Midnight. Alec's cabin getaway is just an excuse to work on his thesis--until a friendly cat and her sweet, gorgeous owner turn his trip into the perfect vacation.

"Gulls and Snails and Quokka Tails," by Harriet Bell. Nik wasn't keen on guiding a bunch of visitors around his family's island of magical New Zealand wildlife - but then he met the handsome naturalist who'd signed up.

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It is available on Amazon only for three months, after which it will go into wider distribution. A paperback will be available shortly (also through Amazon.) If you can't afford a copy but want to review it, please contact me. If you want a non-Amazon copy now, please PayPal me the price of the book to Rphoenix2@hotmail.com (NOT gmail).

The companion collection, Her Magical Pet, is also available!

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Dear Yuletide Writer

Thank you for writing for me! If you have any questions, please check with the mods. I am a very easy recipient and will be delighted with whatever you write for me. I have no special requirements beyond what's specifically stated in my DNWs. I'm fine with all POVs (i.e., first, second, third), tenses, ratings, unusual formats, etc.

My AO3 name is Edonohana.

I like hurt-comfort, action/adventure, domestic life, worldbuilding, evocative descriptions, camaraderie, loyalty, trauma recovery, learning to love again or trust again or enjoy life again, and animals.

( General DNWs )

( Children of Time series - Adrian Tchaikovsky )

( Finisterre: The Nighthorses - C. J. Cherryh )

( Lyra (Caught in Crystal) - Patricia Wrede )

( Star Trek: Crossroad - Barbara Hambly )

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Today I learned...

...that Toad Suck, Arkansas is a real place.

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Good news, bad news

Bad news: Yesterday while lugging a stack of heavy food books from room to room, I dropped Time-Life Food of the World: America on my left pinkie toe. I am pretty sure I broke or cracked it: it's swollen up so it's as wide as it is long, and the bruising includes a ring of darker bruising around my toe where the probable break is. OW.

Better news: I have broken toes before. In fact I may have broken this specific toe before. (I broke my pinkie toe a couple times but don't remember which foot it was.) So there is no need to see a plague-infested doctor who will probably tell me it's all in my head. I will buddy-tape it and/or wear supportive shoes.

Good news: The reason I was hauling around those books was to do some final research on a novelette, Watercat Cafe. It was inspired by this Original Works prompt from, IIRC, Femslash Ex: Wounded Stranger/Owner of Post-Apocalyptic Cafe. The novelette is DONE and you will be able to read it shortly.

Best news: The novelette is for Her Magical Pet, an anthology about women in love... and their magical pets!. Along with its companion collection, His Magical Pet, all profits will be donated to OutRight Action International. Both collections will be released on October 15.

His Magical Pet features stories by Tate Hallaway (Lyda Morehouse), Aster Glenn Gray, and Liv Rider.

Her Magical Pet features stories by Yoon Ha Lee, Zoe Chant, and a new Liavek novelette by Pamela Dean.

All stories are original to the collections.

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Here's what I was doing when I got screamed at by the Trumper

Glorious

Still glorious

And bonus morning glories from behind my apartment

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This Morning I Got Death Threats From a Trumper

While gardening, no less!

Don't worry, he doesn't know where I live. I wasn't at home, I was doing some work elsewhere in the neighborhood in a fenced-in lot.

So there I was, peacefully pulling weeds, when a white guy walked past with a kid I assume was his son, neither wearing masks. They looked like a totally normal white suburban family (which as we all know from horror movies, means I should have run for my life.) The kid looked about four years old and was on a scooter. Just as they were passing me, the kid took a tumble.

I looked up and said, "Are you all right?"

The kid picked himself up, the dude looked at me, and then he said in a hostile tone, "That's a Marxist organization! They're Marxists! Do you know that?!"

That seemed like a total non sequitur, so I said, "What?"

"Black Lives Matter! They're Marxists!"

It was then that I remembered that I was wearing a BLM mask. And also, taking a closer look, I saw that he was wearing a TRUMP 2020 baseball cap.

I was not really prepared for a political debate, so I just said, "No, they're not."

"Yes, they are!"

I didn't see much point in continuing the debate, so I said, "Well, I disagree."

He walked closer, I waved him back, he didn't move, so I got up and backed up. I was inside a locked lot and he was outside, with a chain-link fence between us, so I was worried about him breathing on me, not attacking me.

"It's not a matter of agree or disagree!" he yelled. "It's facts! It's on the Black Lives Matter website that they're Marxists!"

"No, it isn't," I said.

"Yes, it is!"

"No, it isn't," I said. "That's just not correct."

"Just you wait," he said. "The squatties will all get their necks squeezed."

He didn't yell, but said that in a kind of gleeful tone. It was extremely creepy. His kid was just standing there with his little scooter the whole time, watching.

I had no idea what a squatty was, but figured it was some Q-Anon or white supremacist derogatory term. When I'm hearing death threats I like to know specifically why I'm being threatened, so I said, "I don't know what that word means."

"Squatty, squatty," he said. "You know."

"No. I've never heard that before."

"The bald lady, you know... they'll all be strung up, all the Marxists! It's on the Black Lives Matter website that they're Marxists!"

"No, it isn't," I said, belatedly realizing that he meant "the squad" in Congress. "I believe in justice and equality for all. Listen, you should join, see for yourself..."

He gave a loud, maniacal laugh - seriously, it was a HA HA HA HA - and said, "When you try to take over the country, I'll be there to stop you!"

I said, "Listen, I have work to do. You have a nice day."

"You're Marxists! Marxists!" He stomped off with his kid, belatedly yelling, rather aggressively, "You have a nice day too."

That is the first time I've ever gotten a death threat as an adult from someone who was not having an obvious psychotic episode. In broad daylight, in a public place, in front of his child. I have to say that it was pretty disturbing.

(Yes, yes, technically he was threatening the Congresswomen, not me directly, but he certainly seemed to be implying that I should also be killed.)

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My New Zoe book, Defender Hellhound

If anyone wants a free copy or wants to buy one from me directly, email me with your preferred format (mobi or epub). My email is Rphoenix2@gmail.com. My PayPal is Rphoenix2@hotmail (hotmail! not gmail!).

He's the only one who can save her.

And only she can save him from himself.

Ransom's out-of-control hellhound has made his life, literally, a living hell. His beast can reveal any secret to him, but Ransom can't make it stop. He's barely holding onto his sanity, drowning in a deluge of the worst moments of other people's lives. It even got him kicked out of his last refuge, the bodyguard agency Protection, Inc: Defenders.

But it finally brought him something good: a vision of a woman in danger that led him to her.

His one true mate has only a year to live.

After an accident damaged Natalie's heart, any excitement, from a car chase to a scorching hot kiss, could make her drop dead. But a life without joy is no life at all, so she embarks on a road trip to tick off every item on her bucket list before her time runs out. Natalie's more than happy to drag a smoking hot bodyguard (not to mention a pair of adorable teleporting puppies) along with her. Even though acting on her desires could give her a literal heart attack ...

From a theme park called Tomato Land (it's exactly what it sounds like) to a terrifying reckoning with Ransom's inner beast to a showdown with a deadly enemy, it'll be the road trip of a lifetime. But he's not the only one with secrets. It's hers that just might save--or doom--them both.


Defender Hellhound (Protection, Inc: Defenders Book 3)[image error]

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King of Exchanges Reveals and Recs

Thank you so much to everyone who participated! I love this little exchange.

I wrote three stories.

The Stand.

Stop, Hey What's That Sound. The Tattered Remnants' final tour.

I think this could possibly be read without fandom knowledge. It's about the world's worst international band tour.

This story was for maidenjedi , who had absolutely fantastic prompts - I really regretted only having time to write one. This one was for "What if Flagg engineers the end of the world some other way, and the Tattered Remnants are along for the ride?" sholio and scioscribe helped me come up with assorted disasters - the cobra, the rabies outbreak, the biker gang security, and the football hooligans were theirs. I had a slightly disturbing amount of fun writing this story.

Doctor Sleep (Movie). A pair of short fics. Warning, both are EXTREMELY dark.

Eat Well. Rose the Hat, through the years.

Smudges. Rose the Hat/Danny Torrance. Blood shines at night.

I really liked the movie, which riffs cleverly on the Kubrick The Shining and has an astonishing performance by Rebecca Ferguson as Rose the Hat that gave me all sorts of disturbing new kinks.

Recs

The Stars Did Wander Darkling, by maidenjedi - The Stand. A gorgeous, haunting story of survivors after the plague... and their dream. This was my gift and I absolutely loved it.

Lower Animals., by scioscribe - The Stand/Salem's Lot Susan Delgado/Susan Norton. A beautifully written crossover in which the two Susans meet.

Misery Redux, by cyphomandra - Misery. Absolutely amazing metafiction on Misery and Misery, complex and clever and beautifully plotted.

can't start a fire without a spark, by scioscribe - Dark Tower. Roland/Eddie. I can't do better than quote the synopsis: I have not forgotten the songs of my junkie boyfriend. A Time Life Collection, only $9.99.

fears that I may cease to be, by stripysock - The Long Walk. McVries/Garraty. Great McVries voice, lots of excellent turns of phrase.

As Blue, by ninetysixtears The Shawshank Redemption. Andy/Red. A lovely, serene post-movie get-together.

I need you next to me then I'm gone, by janie_tangerine - It. Ben/Beverly, the no-forgetting happy ending we all needed.

Moments in Time, by reeby10 - Doctor Sleep (Movie). Danny Torrance/Billy Freeman. A heartwarming get-together.

I didn't read these as I'm not familiar with canon. But the writers are really good!

Dark Stripes, by scioscribe - The Talisman. Years later, the weight of the events of The Talisman catches up with Jack, and this time it's Richard who has to find something in the Territories that will help ease his pain.

Wanderlust, by cygnes - Castle Rock (TV). Every so often, the Devil comes out of the woods by Castle Lake. He never comes to stay.

Or: Henry Deaver learns about doorways between worlds, and how to open them.

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