2014 was a pretty good year for me. I spent a lot of time with my family, started playing Call of Cthulhu (the RPG), and learned a lot about editing. I got to go camping and took a quick trip to Seattle, where I finally got to tour the Seattle Underground, which was just as epically weird and historical as I was hoping. [Pro-tip: Allergic to mold? Take a Claritin before you go down there! Yeesh.]
On the work front, I had some stuff come out:
Novel
Skinwalkers — This came out in April from Paizo Press’s Pathfinder Tales line. If you love adventure, you should check out this story of a retired Viking pirate mama fighting barbarians and dealing with family drama. If you read it and loved it, be sure to share a great review. It’s totally eligible for the Scribe Award for tie-in writing or the Origins award for game-related products.
Short fiction
“Bread Crumbs,” Tell Me A Fable. A. W. Gifford & Jennifer L. Gifford, ed. Dark Opus Press — this came out in February. It’s a fun Lovecraftian retelling of Hansel and Gretel, and it was a blast to write.
“Winter’s Wolves,” Pathfinder Tales — this came out in March. If you need a quick action romp with giants and wolves with frost breath, this piece will scratch that itch.
“Words of Power,” Shattered Shields. Jennifer Brozek & Bryan Thomas Schmidt, ed. Baen Books — this came out in November. If you liked my story “The Secret of Calling Rabbits,” then you’ll probably like this sweet story about a golem in an alternate history World War I. I loved the setting!
Nonfiction Editing
Women Destroy Science Fiction!, Lightspeed Magazine — This was released in June. This double (more than double, actually!) issue devoted to the work and experiences of women in the science fiction community was the work of more than 100 women, and I got to serve as both the Managing and Nonfiction Editor of the piece. NPR named it one of 2014’s best books of the year. I feel the personal essay section packs a tremendous emotional punch! Because of the incredible amount of nonfiction in this work, it stands out from an anthology, and qualifies for the Hugo for Best Related Work. (See explanatory post.)
Women Destroy Fantasy!, Fantasy Magazine — This was released in October. Another double issue devoted to the work and experiences of women, but this time focused on the fantasy genre. There are no personal essays in this one, but as the Nonfiction Editor of this one, I am incredibly proud of the nonfiction in this piece, including the in-depth discussion of women in genre illustration and design. This also qualifies for the Hugo for Best Related Work. (See explanatory post.)
I think both of these collections are amazing. WDSF is a real stand-out for the sheer quantity of material, with 7 large articles or essays and 29 short form essays, all of it ranging from work by best-selling authors to new writers just breaking into the field.
So if you’re nominating for the Hugos this year, don’t brush off the Best Related Work category. Here are two collections that deserve your attention!