Raven Oak's Blog, page 13
June 29, 2023
Liminal Fiction reviews Dragon Springs & Other Things
The great folks over at Liminal Fiction gave Dragon Springs & Other Things a 5-star review, stating:
I loved this collection of short stories, and can’t imagine anyone not finding some that are just their cup of tea. Every tale held my interest and I loved the fact that the author explained how each one came to be.”
You can read the full review here: https://www.limfic.com/2023/06/29/review-dragon-springs-and-other-things-raven-oak/
The post Liminal Fiction reviews Dragon Springs & Other Things ...
June 14, 2023
“…Big-Hearted Collection…”
Australia’s oldest science fiction magazine, Aurealis, reviewed Dragon Springs & Other Things in Issue #161 and called it a “…big-hearted collection….” They had more to say about it as well. Here’s a bit of the review by Aurealis‘s Eugen Bacon.
Featuring six new offerings together with earlier stories, the collection opens with ‘Mirror Me’, a detective noir of sorts—serial deaths around a homeless encampment. ‘Water the Fire’ unburies a first-person house exorcism, and a lady mercenary comes to...
June 8, 2023
Pride was a Riot
And surprise, surprise, I’m angry. I’m fired up and fed up. I didn’t know that asking to exist was like asking someone to find a needle in a haystack.
I had my annual with my primary care physician—a woman who I *thought* was a good physician, but today I am reminded of why Pride Month exists, and of why it began as a riot.
Today, my doctor erased me, and after that, she grew angry that I advocated for myself and my wife. She made several critical mistakes that have earned her ...
Autographed Copies!
If you’re wanting autographed copies of Dragon Springs & Other Things and/or Space Ships & Other Trips, you can grab both over on my store site at:
https://ravenoak.square.site/Snag them now!
The post Autographed Copies! appeared first on Raven Oak.
June 2, 2023
Launch Party Link!
Do you need it?
Here it is! 6 PM PST!
See you there!
The post Launch Party Link! appeared first on Raven Oak.
May 30, 2023
Reviews rolling in!
Reviews are starting to roll in on Dragon Springs & Other Things: A Short Story Collection Book I and wow! All 4/5 or 5/5 stars and the comments the reviewers are leaving… The stories are definitely connecting with people, which is what every writer wants.
Also, I know I tend to write very diverse characters (lots of LGBTQ+ and people of color protagonists) but I don’t think I realized how much until reviewers were pointing it out (in a positive manner). So if that’s your bag, you’ll definitely ...
May 24, 2023
Visions!
If you remember, my short story “Scout’s Honor” was a part of Jeff Sturgeon’s anthology The Last Cities of Earth a few years back. Its Kickstarter did so well that the book was picked up my WordFire Press for a full run. Well, Jeff’s back, but this time with an art book featuring decades of award-winning SF/F art, which will be edited by yours truly!
Since this is my first large, pro editing job AND because Jeff’s work is so beautiful, I’m going to sing this fro...
May 17, 2023
Book Launch Event!!
We’re approaching June 1st, and that means it’s time to get the book launch party for Dragon Springs & Other Things on your calendar!
6/2/23 @ 6 PM PSTIt’s currently not safe for Raven to do in-person bookstore events, so this event will be virtual. However, there will be loads of fun as Raven attempts to make this event all that and more! We’ll have:
be a brief reading from the collectionlive Q&Avirtual cookiesprobably catsparty prizesautographed booksand more!While the event will be ...
May 3, 2023
There’s Beauty in the Breakdown
If you know me at all, you know that music is life for me. So is writing and art, but music makes up my personal triad in the pieces that make up me.
One of my favorite lyrics ever comes from musician Imogen Heap by way of her other group Frou Frou. It comes from the song “Let Go” and the line says that “there’s beauty in the breakdown.” One of my favorite people, The Bloggess aka Jenny Lawson, said something similar in her book Broken (in the Best Possible Way)–makes me wonder if she’s an Imoge...
December 14, 2022
The Saga of House
We bought our current house in the Pacific Northwest in 2016, four years after moving up here from North Texas. Because the seller is a wanted criminal (which we didn’t know until after closing, of course), we started our first week in the house spending close to $20K to replace the main circuit breaker, the sub-breaker in the basement, and about ½ the interior wiring. We knew coming in that the place needed a new driveway and some paint, but we didn’t expect the oof of the electrical ...
