Constance Burris's Blog, page 3

Dark Humanity: 22 Epic Fantasy and Sci-Fi Novels for Only 99c

My novel COAL is part of the Dark Humanity Box Set due to be released on January 24, 2017. Right now, Coal is $3.99. So if you get the Box Set, you save $2, get 21 extra novels, and Coal . This is a pretty awesome deal. See below for more details.



The Dark Humanity Boxed Set is a compilation of 22 Full-Length Science Fiction and Epic Fantasy reads! We’ve spared no great discovery, with inclusion of a diverse mix of existing titles and brand new content!

The pages inside are packed with everything from faeries, dragons, and mysterious viruses to fantastical quests, frozen cities, fearless knights, ancient foes, and powerful enemies. 

With over a million words of fiction, this is your one stop shop for sword and sorcery, military and AI science fiction, dark fantasy, and mesmerizing space opera adventures from more than twenty Award Winning and New York Times & USA Today bestselling authors!

This is the stuff legends are made of. 

Scroll up to secure your Limited Edition copy with one click today!

*Estimated Total Page Count: 5,000+
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Video Game Trailer: Watch Dogs 2

 

I saw this trailer and it made me feel good. We are (were) making great strides in diversifying our media before we elected Mr. SmallHands. I’m not a gamer, but my kids are so get to see the look of excitement in my son’s eye when he gets a chance to buy diverse video games. Watch Dogs 2 is extra cool because not only does it feature a POC as the main character, but dude is a hacker. Let me repeat. A Black Hacker. A thuggish Black Hacker.

This is important because black men are usually regulated as thugs. Or sometimes, maybe token nerds (my son used the term bougie). Hardly do we get see a black thuggish nerd/hacker. So props to Ubisoft for recognizing the need for intersectionality and #diversegames. I may actually let my son off punishment early to buy this.

When the president-elect is a racist . . .

When the president-elect is a racist, A Woman of Color (WOC) taking a walk on a beautiful fall day thinks twice before crossing the street in front of a car. She never knows if the person behind the wheel is also a racist and just maybe they’ve seen one too many people of color walking that day.

When the president-elect is a racist, and you are a WOC walking alone on a beautiful autumn day, you stop in your tracks when you realize a white man is walking behind you. You make sure he is well passed and on the other side of the street before you begin to feel safe again.

When the president-elect is a racist and you are a WOC, you pass by your favorite restaurant twice wondering if you should go in because there are no other People of Color there.

When the president-elect is a racist and you are a WOC, and you live in a red state you see the possibilities of racial violence everywhere.

When the president-elect is a racist and you are a WOC, you feel like its only a matter of time before the racist president-elect will come for you and yours.

Book Three of the Presidential Chronicles

Confession: I haven’t written in weeks. I’ve been too obsessed with the presidential campaign. The rhetoric, the debates, the rage, the blatant racism and sexism had me glued to NPR, Facebook, and Twitter in fear and astonishment. It’s been a real life scripted reality television show.

My fears were realized when I woke up Wednesday morning and heard the news.

Janiera Eldridge compares the 2016 presidential election to Black Mirror Episode “The Waldo Moment”

The similarities between “The Waldo Moment” and the 2016 election are endless. Like in the episode, Waldo appeals to people’s passion for change. He does so in a manner, however, that includes shouting, foul language and slinging hateful words at the other candidates. What is unnerving is that Waldo’s words are actually nicer than a lot of the hateful words Trump said about Muslims and Hispanics. While Waldo only used his outrageous behavior towards other political candidates, Trump encouraged acts of violence against fellow Americans.

Just like in this episode, it was pretty shocking during the 2016 election when such an outrageous person was elected to such an important place in office.

The comedian behind Waldo also uses people who have personally slighted him to fuel his political campaign with devastating consequences. Donald Trump has said on numerous occasions that he will get revenge against people who have spoken out against him.

Anyways I’ve been in mourning. I’ve always felt “othered” but it didn’t stop me from being a proud American. I can’t say that any longer. I’ve finally discovered a narrative that made me feel a little bit better.  Want to hear it. Here it goes.

The Presidental Chronicles Part One (Already Written)

A Bi-racial (Black and White) man runs for office. At his side are his hella beautiful, hella educated Black Wife and two young daughters. It’s hella hard, but he has hella street game and knows how to work the media. IN the end, he defeats his enemy Hilary.

The Presidental Chronicles Part Two (Just Released)

The end of his term is over. For this book, Obama and his arch enemy must team up to defeat Drumpf. It’s a hard pill to swallow. Obama and Hilary were bitter enemies in Book One. Esp since Hilary is entitled, Hilary and her minions have passed  laws that hurt POC and contributed to the school to prison pipeline many brown and black men and women have had to endure. However, she is tough, she is experienced, and most of all, she ain’t outwardly racist.

Obama does his best to stump for the woman who used to be his arch enemy.

Climax: Hilary wins the popular vote but loses the electoral college. Hillary, and therefore Obama the first black president, is defeated.The whole world stands in disbelief.

POC and (non racist, non-sexist) white women suddenly feel fear like they have never experienced in their life. Since many of use didn’t live through the race riots of 1950’s and 1960s, we believed that America was greater than what it was. We belived that racism was delegated to the videos we saw during Black History month,  even through there was video proof of black men and women geting gunned down by police officers and random crazies with no repurcussions. Even though we had proof that racism was alive and strong, we still belived most Americans were good, non-racist MOFOs. Now Today that belief is shattered. From here on out, when a POC meets a white person they don’t know, we have no choice but to believe they are racist. We must not trust this person. We have to assume that when they see us, they see our skin color and want to see us dead or gone. To assume other wise, would only put our life and our families lives in danger.

 

The Presidential Chronicles Part Three (In Progress)

This book isn’t written yet. I know the ending I want: That racist mother fucker ousted from his presidency. Now I gotta outline all of the ways to make this shit happen. I’m a writer and my specialty is plot, so these are the story beats so far.

Find out what the hell happened? Is America truly that scared, racist, stupid, does not giving a fuck about their fellow American citizens of color? What the fuck is really going on? But keep in mind though, no matter the answer, every single person that voted for a racist, sexist, authoritarian commited a racist act.


Protect yourself. By having an unrepentant racist as president, it gives other racists the reason, the fuel, and the spark they need to display their racist tendencies openly.
Buy a damn gun, a nice small cheap one.

get a license and concealed carry for said gun.
Yes, shooting a mofo in self-defense isn’t a strong defense when your black, but at least the racist mofo will be dead or, at the very least, in a lot pain.




Can’t afford a gun, carry a knife and learn how to use it. There are youtube videos.

hmm… now that I think about it. A knife might be better. It’s cheaper, and I’m cheap. It’s probably easier to defend in a court of law also.




Gather your allies.

You and said allies come up with a plan.

possible plans:

boycott Black Friday. Money talks. POC spend a lot of money. If every white person and POC who voted for Hilary chose not to shop on Black Friday or the entire shooping period except for minority-owned stores that would send a message.

Beat the bastard at his own game:

Can we find someone equally as idiotic, vain, and loud-mouthed to challenge drumpf and engage  millennials and the disenfranchised POC and whites. I think Kanye has volunteered. (BTW, Kanye when are coming to Oklahoma so I can come to your concert?)

That’s all I have for now…. I’ll think of more plots points later.  Hmm… Maybe i can do this NaNoWriMo

 

Grab your plastic Halloween jack-o-lanterns, and get r...

 

Grab your plastic Halloween jack-o-lanterns, and get ready to do some trick-or-treating! Grab FREE Dark Fantasy & Horror books via

Instafreebie! More than 50 authors are offering perfect Halloween reads for FREE for a limited time!

Get these FREE books and over 50 more!

 

Pre-Order Dark Humanity Today

 

My fantasy novel COAL is part of Dark Humanity: A Science Fiction and Epic Fantasy Boxed Set featuring 21 Science Fiction and Epic fantasy full-length novels.

COAL is currently $3.99 but you can get it and 21 other novels for $0.99.

The release date is January 24, 2017, but you can pre-order the awesome set now!

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2dK5wXf

Kobo: http://ow.ly/BoTg305zDbR

 

 

Author Interview: Dariel Raye

Update: Please help us spread the word about our Black Speculative Fiction giveaway and join our Thunderclap Campaign.

Our next Black Speculative Fiction author spotlight is Del Raye author of the Orlosian Warriors series.

Speculative Fiction is an umbrella term for Science fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal, et al. What is your genre of choice and why?

My writing is a combination of paranormal and urban fantasy because my characters never stay in one place, and I love the infinite possibilities the sub-genres offer.

Which author inspired you the most to write your own stories? 

I am a life-long fan of the late, great Octavia Butler.

Do you think we need a black speculative fiction month? Why or why not?

Definitely! Despite the fact that love is love, our unique challenges are too often invisible, and our unique voices are too often lost in the crowd.

As a reader, what would you like to see more of from black speculative fiction authors?

I would like to see more YA and NA works starring strong, intelligent, educated heroines. I’m talking to myself, here. LOL I am slowly working on a NA series right now.

Do you remember the first time you encountered your first black character in a work of speculative fiction? How old were you? How did it affect you?

I was 9 years old, and even at that age, finally seeing a young, Black girl as the heroine was like an epiphany! It opened doors that might have seemed out of reach, otherwise. I can remember sharing the story with my Dad, an avid reader and Black History scholar.

Author Bio

Dariel Raye is an animal lover, animal rights activist, musician, and author of powerful paranormal romance and dark urban fantasy with IR/MC (Interracial/Multi-cultural) alpha male heroes to die for, and strong heroines with hearts worth winning. She is a mezzo-soprano who fell in love with books and started reciting stories at the age of 3. She also plays over 11 musical instruments. Her stories tell of shifters, vamps, angels, demons, and fey (the Vodouin variety). Dariel is currently writing three series: “Dark Sentinels” (wolf shifters), “Orlosian Warriors” (Vampire-like Nephilim), and “Gateway” (a crossover erotic paranormal suspense with romantic elements). For more about Dariel, follow her blog or visit her website.

You can find more info about Dariel here: http://darielraye.com

Come Party With Me

Join me and loads of other authors for the 2nd Annual Colors in Darkness facebook event on Friday October 28th at 6pm, I’ll be giving  away at $10 Amazon Gift Card, and signed copies of all my books.

You can RSVP here: https://www.facebook.com/events/556099164577536/

Don’t forget to answer the poll and saying I invited you.

Author Interview: Cerece Rennie Murphy

Update: Please help us spread the word about our Black Speculative Fiction giveaway and join our Thunderclap Campaign.

 

Next we have Cerece Renee Murphy. I got a chance to hear her speak at the State of Black Science Fiction Convention. She is a wonderful speaker with a beautiful voice.

Which author inspired you the most to write your own stories? 

My favorite writer of all time is Toni Morrison. I’ve been reading her books since I was maybe 16. When I discovered Octavia Butler’s Wild Seed, she blew my mind. I’m often asked if their examples inspired me to write and I always give the same answer – Of course not! Who reads an Octavia Butler or Toni Morrison book and thinks, “Yes! I can do that!” LOL! Those women are geniuses. I’m just Cerece.

I really got up the guts to write my own stories through the fan fiction community. Some of the best writers I’ve ever read are fan fiction writers. Back in the 90s, I remember reading literally thousands of pages of X-files fan fiction. Some of those stories have stayed with me until this day. I remember thinking, these are ordinary people just like me who have the courage to write and put themselves out there just for the love of a story. I was so inspired by their humility and courage. It made me think that maybe I could try to do the same.

Do you think we need a black speculative fiction month? Why or why not?

Sure. I think the demand for unique stories is out there. Yet, the knowledge about where to find them is seriously lagging behind that demand. Authors of Color in sci-fi broaden the scope of how, why and who tells a story and that is always an interesting place to be. I love reading a story that challenges my notions of how things have to be. I think a lot of sci-fi readers do. So, whatever we can do to raise awareness about the full spectrum of stories being told out there, I’m up for.

Last month, I had the privilege of participating on an Afrofuturism panel at WorldCon. To be honest, I really didn’t know how many people would show up, given the Mad/Sad Puppy contingent, but to my utter joy the room was PACKED with people, ALL kinds of people, trying to learn and understand more about Afrofuturism, where they could find it and what it meant. So I know the demand is there.

As a reader, what would you like to see more of from black speculative fiction authors?

As a reader, I love the uniqueness of place and context in so many of the stories that I see coming out of the Black Speculative Fiction space. What I want to see more of from Black Speculative Fiction Authors is a belief in our stories and their relevance beyond the Black community. I would love to see more authors market their work more widely without apprehension, not for approval, but with the belief that ALL people NEED to read the stories we are creating. I want to see us take our stories directly to the readers in a powerful and intentional way. We have nothing to fear. We are the future.

Do you remember the first time you encountered your first black character in a work of speculative fiction? How old were you? How did it affect you?

I remember seeing Lt. Uhura on Star Trek (my Dad is a big fan.) and I thought it was normal. It made sense to me. I didn’t think that it was a big deal, at all. When I saw Lando Calrissian in Empire Strikes Back, I also thought is was normal and right that he should be there and I thought George Lucas was a very smart man for casting the perfect actor for the role. LOL! But then again, I grew up in DC in the 80s, when it was truly Chocolate City. Being Black was so prevalent and normal that I took it for granted that Blacks were, could and should be everywhere. Seeing a Black person in a pioneering, leadership role was normal to me.

Author Bio

Cerece Rennie Murphy fell in love with writing and science fiction at an early age. It’s a love affair that has grown ever since. In addition to working on the release of the 2nd book in the Ellis and The Magic Mirror children’s book series with her son, Mrs. Murphy is developing a 2-part science fiction thriller set in outer space. Mrs. Murphy lives and writes in her hometown

of Washington, DC with her husband, two children and the family dog, Yoda. To learn more about the author and her upcoming projects, please visit her website at www.cerecerenniemurphy.com.

You can find more info about Cerece here: www.cerecerenniemurphy.com

 

#BlackSpecFic Author Interview: GL Tomas

Update: Dear Reader, please help us spread the word about our Black Speculative Fiction giveaway and join our Thunderclap Campaign.

Which author inspired you the most to write your own stories? 

Honestly, an author named AN NA. She wrote a YA contemporary I read a few years back about a Korean American girl (the author is also Korean American) and how she struggled with eurocentric beauty standards and it was the first book I’d ever read that made me realize that that’s a thing most girls of color struggle with. In my head, it always seemed like East Asian girls had it all. They’re always the most desired, and while I know many times it’s for the wrong reasons, I didn’t know that that was something some East Asian girls battled with. So naturally, that book made me understand that white supremacy is something that’s affected us all. All my life I thought it was just darker skinned people.

Do you think we need a black speculative fiction month? Why or why not?

I wish we didn’t need one but my sister and I are happy that it’s here. I think it’s great to celebrate Black Speculative Fiction stories and authors and you’d never hear the words, “we don’t need one”, leave my mouth. I think as authors we’d love to reach a point where we didn’t need a month dedicated to Black Spec Fic writers, but the truth is, we’re just not there yet. If we don’t celebrate our own accomplishments, who will? Until we get to a level where Black Speculative Fiction is grouped up with mainstream Speculative Fiction, we need to recognize our own community and it’s accomplishments!

As a reader, what would you like to see more of from black speculative fiction authors?

More queer representation. More gender identities and I’d love to see portrayals we’re not used to seeing. Like black heroes who aren’t always indestructible. I know it’s important to see black men as “strong” and impenetrable but I’d love to see more black heroes who are sensitive and make room for love and pain and everything else in between!

Do you remember the first time you encountered your first black character in a work of speculative fiction? How old were you? How did it affect you?

Guin: I was a tween(11 maybe?) and it was IT by Stephen King. I was just super glad there was at least one black person. I wasn’t sure I totally over-analyzed it like I’d do now in my 30s.

Libertad: Honestly, I think for me it wasn’t until my 20s. Really when I avidly started reading again. It wasn’t a great representation. The girl actually died in the first or second chapter but it’s weird when I realized she was black I was just okay with the scraps. She was nothing but a stereotype but I was so excited she was there. Now I know I was happy over something not meant to be positive but that’s how important representation is. When everything is meant for you, you don’t understand the joy someone can feel when they actually relate to a character in a book that’s positive!

Author Bio

Guinevere and Libertad go by many superhero aliases. Whether you know them by G.L. Tomas, the Twinjas, or the Rebellious Valkyries, their mission is always the same: spreading awareness of diversity in books. Oh, and trying to figure out the use for pocketless pants! They host other allies and champions of diversity in their secret lair in Connecticut.

You can find more info about Guinevere and Libertad Tomas here: www.lynnemery.com

Giveaway

The Twins are giving away free samples of The Mark of Noba for Black Speculative Fiction Month. You can enter below, or go here for instant access.

A call of souls. Union of power. Transcendent of time.

Sterling Wayfairer has one goal for his senior year: make his mark. But things don’t go as planned when he starts to encounter his mysterious classmate Tetra.

Tetra not only has answers to the recent disappearances, but Sterling will soon find, that making his mark isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Sterling discovers he shares a spiritual bond with Tetra, and that only their power has the ability to stop the malevolent evil they face. They must work together or risk the destruction of their world.