Amok Anthology Release Date

Today is the release date of "Amok: An Anthology of Asia-Pacific Speculative Fiction." My contribution, "Moon Rabbit," is one of the 24 short stories in this anthology!

You can learn more about the anthology at the official website, the Goodreads page, and the Amazon page (where you can purchase it, winkwink!).

Amok Anthology News

So, back in January, while I was in Taiwan, I made the announcement that my short story "Moon Rabbit" will be in Amok: An Anthology of Asia-Pacific Speculative Fiction. The cover and summary is now on Goodreads! Publication date is April 30, 2014.

Amok cover by Jun Hun Yap

Check out the gif for the making of the cover too! :D

I'm so excited for this anthology, and so proud to be part of this. So far, we've received 5-star reviews. There's a Crowdfunding Campaign on IndieGoGo, and even though we surpassed our goal of $500, that's only the minimum. If you'd like a copy of the anthology, or any other books from Solarwyrm Press, or a t-shirt of the anthology, or a personalized story, or any other goodies, please support us and purchase something from the IndieGoGo website. I just bought my t-shirt a few days ago, and am excited to wear it!

The editor of the anthology, Dominica Malcolm, graciously accepted my offer to interview her as well about this anthology.

INTERVIEW WITH DOMINICA MALCOLM
Q: What did you see in all the stories you chose to include? Aside from good writing, obviously.

A: Haha, obviously! Still, when it comes to good writing, I actually look for a good story first; something I can connect with, which is usually human emotion within the characters. Love, loss, pain, fear, that sort of thing. I also looked at stories that had a sense of realism in them, which can include those human emotions even in the not-so-human characters, but particularly realism in the future-set stories. Possible futures I could see existing based on current happenings in the world. And, of course, one of the primary things I was looking for was diversity. The stories themselves did not need to include a great range of diversity between their characters, but the anthology did. I wanted stories about characters that are seen less frequently in Western media. 

Q:What would you like to see more of in the speculative fiction genre?

A: More diversity, which I talked about above. Characters from many different backgrounds (religious, cultural, racial, etc). Bisexual characters (bi erasure is kind of a pet peeve of mine). But where these character backgrounds aren't really a big deal. I don't need someone to make a song and dance about it. People are people. Just show me different people interacting with each other.

Q: Choose three words to describe the sensation of editing this anthology.

A: Enjoyable, educational, and pride.

Q: Any last words for the readers of this Q&A?

A: If they like diversity, they should check out Amok: An Anthology of Asia-Pacific Speculative Fiction. The racial diversity is the greatest part, but there are also characters with disabilities, a few LGBT characters, a couple of Muslims, and characters of different ages.

"Darker Edge of Desire" Cover Reveal

My short story, "Devoured by Envy," was written over a year ago. I remember planning the story in December 2012, writing it in January 2013, and kept editing and revising it on my own until I submitted it to Mitzi Szereto, the editor, last spring. I heard back about a month later that I was to be included in the anthology. Oh gosh, I don't think I'll ever get tired of acceptance emails. Well, here's a timeline:

December 2012--planning story

January-March 2013-writing, editing, and submitting story (I had no beta readers for it...everything was all on my own)

April 2013--heard back from Mitzi about story being accepted into anthology (wootwoot!)

August 2013--signed author rights and release for Cleis Press

Now it's March 2014. Cover reveal!

Look at it, isn't it a beauty? My inner-middle-school-and-high-school-baby-bat is just screaming with sheer delight. October 2014, you can't come soon enough! I can't wait to get my hands on my contributor copy and feel the glossy smoothness of the cover and creamy pages with all the wonderful stories to be read. It is now available for pre-order on Amazon!

2 Writings in Propulsion Magazine

Just got the tearsheet for my short story, "Cyanamide Resonance," and for my poem "Blood of Apples." They were published in Issue #2 of Propulsion Magazine in July.

I wrote "Cyanamide Resonance" back in September 2012, while I was studying for organic chemistry and listening to Deathstar's "Cyanide" on repeat. It's gotten a lot rejections, but I'm happy to say it found a home in Propulsion Magazine.

As for "Blood of Apples," it was written way back in high school when I was in 10th grade. Glad to see it made it into a publication 4 years later.

They also featured "Cyanamide Resonance" on their blog! http://propulsionmagazine.wordpress.com/2013/09/17/34/

I'm a Goodreads Author!

My oh my, I just received an email that I'm now listed on Goodreads as an official author! With my very own author page!

I feel kind of further validated as a writer...my "author photo" is taken by Tamara Locke

 

Since I was a contributor of Thrones of Desire, I qualified for an author page, and after emailing the Goodreads moderators, TA-DAAA!!!!! Despite the unfruitful queries of my last novel, this boosts my spirit.

I've also been receiving feedback on the draft summary of my new novel, which I will now state, is a New Adult fantasy BDSM-themed Little Red Riding Hood-inspired story. I spent the last day taking notes on the symbolisms within the story, derived from the original tale, and am now organizing the plot. I'm happy to say I'm receiving a handful of positive comments, though of course there are always going to be naysayers sprinkled into the bunch. Perhaps I shall dedicate another blog post to the feedback.

Thrones of Desire contributor photo, and Caliber Issue 7

Author of "Key to the Queen's Elixir"

Here's my author contributor photo for Thrones of Desire! I'm wearing a dress I wore to my middle school's medieval banquet when I was in 7th grade (I was 13. I'm really glad that dress still fits me!), and a coronet my dad and I made together with fake calla lilies and roses. When I was thinking of what to wear for my contributor photo, I thought that since the theme of the anthology was high-fantasy, why not bust out my medieval princess dress?

I'm not wearing any makeup, except for the very overt lipstick, which matches the book's color scheme! :P

I'm now viewable in the Thrones of Desire photo album, both on the website, and on the Facebook page.



On a side note, I've been so dead on here! I've been blogging weekly for Caliber Magazine. Issue 7 is now out--we have Robert Reich on the cover! In case if you don't know, he was Secretary of Labor under President Clinton from 1993 to 1997, and he's a renowned professor on the Cal campus. I also have an article on interviewing a visual notetaker in the print magazine.

Issue 7 of Caliber Magazine

Querying is still going on. I've received interest, and I'm hoping to receive an offer of representation soon! In the meantime, I'm still a soldier in the battlefield of academics. Back to tackling physics homework and studying for a chemistry lab report!

Monetarily Awed...

I just have to write this now...

I just got my very first check as a writer! My very very first literary check! It's for my short story "Key to the Queen's Elixir" in the anthology Thrones of Desire, coming out this September. I had written about my story months ago, which you can read in this blog post.

I'm in awe. It's just sitting on my desk, staring up at me, waiting to be opened from its envelope. Only I don't want to open it yet. I'm suspending the feeling of amazement that I'm financially validated as a writer for the first time.

 

Wednesday Addams is demonstrating how I feel...inside at least.

This was my expression when I saw my name and the return address on the envelope.

 

Oh wait, maybe I should save this Cookie Monster gif when I publish my novel in the future? Ah, I'll just include it in this post. Cookie Monster is too cute!

Published in Giuseppina Magazine

This is my second publication as a model! I'm in Giuseppina Magazine, issue #11. The photographer is BeeMarie Photography, and the makeup artist and wardrobe stylist is Roezi Rebel. I just got my tearsheet from Giuseppina Magazine yesterday, and I am so proud to be in the magazine! It is a 200-page magazine, and can be bought by clicking on this link.

And here are some of the photos that were not in the magazine. I enjoyed working with Bridgette and Roezi. They are so delightful and energetic about their work!

I feel like making this my "author photo." Doesn't this look authorly?

I've had a Facebook page for my modeling for a few months now. Come check it out if you'd like, and "likes" would be much appreciated! :D Here it is: Carmilla Jo Model Facebook Page.

"Wilting Princess" published in the April Issue of Underneath the Juniper Tree

 

Happy April, everyone! I'm proud to say that my short story and fairy tale, "Wilting Princess," was published in the April issue of Underneath the Juniper Tree! Isn't the cover beautiful? It was illustrated by Paolo Patroni, and it reminds me of Natalie Shau's works. I only wish I could purchase a hard copy of the magazine! As for my story, it was illustrated by Evan Heasman. I love seeing his artistic interpretation of my character, who is described as a "princess who wore a dress of flowers that bloomed upon her body," and "upon her head, she wore not a crown, but a great black bird cage fitted over her face."

Here is an excerpt of my story: 

          Long ago, there lived a princess who wore a dress of flowers that bloomed upon her body and swayed with her every waltz-like step. Upon her head, she wore not a crown, but a great black bird cage fitted over her face.. Despite her idiosyncrasies, all who lay eyes upon her found her beautiful. Children and adults were drawn to her, for she was a feast for the eyes, with her porcelain skin, sunrise-rosy cheeks, and rosebud lips.

          Yet, when the princess turned her gaze upon them, they felt an unexplained jolting chill. Yes, she was comely, but there was a quality in her eyes that frightened them. They were dark, oh-so-black, like ink staining white silk, like a hollow pit down a murky well with no way of climbing out. It was worse when the princess smiled. She smiled the way any other girl would—wide and giddy—ready to laugh and sing with friends. But when others saw her smile at them, they felt as though she emitted a monstrous aura, as if she possessed fangs as long and sharp as the blade of daggers and viscous blood dripping from her mouth, threatening to stain their clothes and skin.

Read the rest of the story on pg. 35 in the April issue!

To be Published in Thrones of Desire

I found out a few weeks ago from editor Mitzi Szereto that I'm going to be one of the authors of the fantasy short story anthology Thrones of Desire! I'm afraid I cannot post the cover art here because, although warranted by the erotic theme of the anthology, the cover is not...G-rated. However, for the illustrative purpose of this blog post, here is an alternative image I decided to use, a painting by Josephine Wall, which I feel, although not representative of my Snow Queen character, captures the essence of my story, Key to the Queen's Elixir.

Polar Princess,  by Josephine Wall, painted in acrylics

 Key to the Queen's Elixir is the tale of a snow queen who lives alone in eternal winter and kills every intruder who dares to enter her realm. One intruder, a feverish and weakened knight, dares to step into her world on a quest for an elixir to heal an epidemic that is killing the children in his hometown. Although the snow queen sentences the knight to death, she discovers that he wears a familiar silver key around his neck. This key he wears convinces the queen to delay his death and question his identity.

Way back when I had my story posted on Deviantart to garner feedback (it is no longer up there, now that I have been accepted into the anthology), here are some of the reviews I was proud to receive. I hope this means that future readers will enjoy my story as well!

~A-Shadow-Rose Nov 22, 2011

<sub>I absolutely LOVE this! This is such a beautiful story. The ending nearly brought me to tears; it reminded me of the original Little Mermaid, how Ariel turned to foam in the sea and wash washed away...

I loved when things got hot and heavy. ^^ I'm too young, but that was intense. XD Don't worry, I'm not getting any funny ideas. It was beautifully written in my perspective.

Very well done!</sub> 

 

*tanafeyroyale Nov 13, 2011

Love it, love it, love it! It had such a sad ending, but sometimes that makes the best story.

 

~NyaHime Nov 9, 2011

this is really nicely written :3 bit like a fairy tale for adults ^^ its a bit sad ending, but when you think about it, its just the perfect one for them... its a bit like the original little mermaid, not the disney-fied one where everyone lives happily ever after. job well done <3

Here is the list of all of the wonderful contributors. A lot of them have been published multiple times. I feel so honored to see my name here with them.

 Hot as a Dragon’s Blood – Eric Del Carlo
Of High Renown – Janine Ashbless
At the Sorcerer’s Command – Kim Knox
Silver – Anna Meadows
In the Kingdom of Roz – Madeline Moore
Key to the Queen’s Elixir – Jo Wu (it's me! Hehe!)
Here There Be Dragons – Ashley Lister
Flesh and Stone – Sacchi Green
Saints and Heroes – M. H. Crane
Escape – Mitzi Szereto
Eyekeeper – Aurelia T. Evans
The Widow’s Man – Nyla Nox
Jericho – Megan Arkenberg
The Last Sacrifice – Zander Vyne

If you want to view the cover art, here is the book available for pre-order on Barnesandnoble.com. Rated PG-13 for nudity. Don't say I didn't warn you!

And, to bring this post to a conclusion, here is a beautiful wintry song called "The White Queen" by one of my favorite neoclassical bands, Nox Arcana, from their album Winter's Eve.