Sarena Ulibarri's Blog, page 4

Interview with Rosalyn Eves, Author of Blood Rose Rebellion

Blood Rose Rebellion is the debut novel by Rosalyn Eves, and it landed on shelves March 28, 2017. The first in a new YA trilogy, Blood Rose Rebellion is historical fantasy set "in a world where social prestige derives from a trifecta of blood, money, and magic, one girl has the ability to break the spell that holds the social order in place."

Rosalyn Eves is another of the amazing writers I met through PitchWars, along with others such as Hayley Stone and S.D. Grimm, whom I interviewed last ye...

Wings of Renewal Book Review, Part 3

This week, I'm wrapping up my reviews for the stories in the anthology Wings of Renewal: A Solarpunk Dragon Anthology .

Did you see parts 1 and 2 of my Wings of Renewal solarpunk book review? You can click here and here to see my reviews of the first 15 stories.

I definitely have favorites, and I definitely have criticisms, but overall, this book has been an enjoyable read. With so few options out there for books and stories that identify as solarpunk, this is a good place to start, and to gathe...

Wings of Renewal Book Review, Part 2

This week, I'm delving into the middle stories in the book Wings of Renewal: A Solarpunk Dragon Anthology , edited by Claudie Arseneault and Brenda J. Pierson.

Did you see the first part of my Wings of Renewal Book Review? If not, click here for reviews of the first eight stories.

Not sure what "solarpunk" means? Check out my blog post on the World Weaver Press site called "The Brighter Futures of Solarpunk," as well as the comprehensive "Solarpunk Reference Guide."

And that is all the ado I shal...

Wings of Renewal Book Review, Part 1

The first time I ever heard the term solarpunk was in the call for submissions for the Wings of Renewal "solarpunk dragons" anthology. I've already blogged about how solarpunk gave a name to something I was already deeply craving in my science fiction, and the darker the world gets, the brighter I want my fiction to be—both what I write and what I read. I tried my hand at a solarpunk dragon story for this anthology, but the Wings of Renewal editors politely (and rightfully) declined it. I bou...

Three Years Out of a Three Year MFA

English department convocation, CU Boulder, May 2014. I graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder, with a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing on May 9, 2014—three years ago exactly. It was a three year MFA program, so I have now been out of the MFA as long as I was in it. I thought this would be a good chance to reflect on my MFA experience in general, and on what I've done (and not done) since finishing the program.

A few people have asked me whether I recommend getting an MFA, a...

Contributor Copies! Biketopia: Feminist Bicycle Science Fiction Stories in Extreme Futures

My contributor copies of Biketopia have arrived! Or, more accurately, I have managed to track down my contributor copies of Biketopia. See, my story "Riding in Place" was accepted for this anthology at the tail end of 2015, and I moved in the spring of 2016, and apparently forgot to update my address with the publisher. I realized this after it had been shipped. I considered using an expensive interception service, but figured the package would just be returned to sender and then resent to my...

Cover Reveal: Sunvault: Stories of Solarpunk and Eco-Speculation

Last year, Upper Rubber Boot Books ran a Kickstarter for an anthology of solarpunk stories, and backers (like me!) got to see the cover art before the rest of the world. If you saw my announcement last Monday, you'll understand that I have a very strong interest in this emerging science fiction subgenre.

There's a lot of discussion about what solarpunk is or isn't, but the truth is there just hasn't been enough written to set the tropes and expectations yet. Some of what has been called "clima...

Six Step Sequence for Submitting Short Stories

A few weeks ago, a friend asked me for some advice about how to submit short stories to magazines and anthologies, so I'm sharing the advice I gave her with the world. If you're a new writer who's just stepping a toe into the world of publishing, or if you've gotten lucky with a few markets but don't really understand how the whole thing works, then this article is for you. This advice about submitting short stories is primarily for those writing fantasy and science fiction, as some of the d...

Interview with Apex Magazine Managing Editor, Lesley Conner

As part of the Apex Revive the Drive subscription drive campaign, I have the privilege of interviewing Apex Magazine managing editor Lesley Connor. I'll admit I haven't read every issue of Apex, but every time I dip into it, I find a new favorite, and some of my all-time favorite short stories have been published there, stories such as "Jackalope Wives" by Ursula Vernon, "Frozen Planet" by Marian Womack, "Paskutinis Iliuzija (The Last Illusion)" by Damien Angelica Walters, and of course "If Y...

The Places I Find My Dogs During the Day

One of the great things about working from home is I get to hang out with my dogs during the day, and occasionally take random belly rub breaks or dog walks. (When it's cooler, at least. No daytime dog walks during the scorching New Mexico summer.) Usually, though, they're just lazing around. But, since they're corgis, they're never lying in a normal position. I'm much more likely to find something like this:
No, she didn't fall off of my desk, that's just how she's hanging out.

The plac...