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REVIEW — ‘Lake Effect’ by Hillary Behrman
“All the enchantments of the place were gone.” Hillary Behrman scours the human condition with no time to slip on rose-colored glasses in Lake Effect. This debut short story collection received the 2024 Mary McCarthy Prize for Short Fiction, a distinguished award firmly rooted in the indie literary world. Its recipient is chosen by a…
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REVIEW — ‘Verity Guild’ by Mai Corland
What do you think of when someone says the word “romantasy”? Medieval worlds full of castles? Dragons and magical creatures? Warriors and queens? The popular subgenre that combines fantasy and romance has slowly become a monolith that promotes a singular aesthetic vision; yet, Verity Guild veers away and paves its own path. Written by Mai…
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REVIEW — ‘Shield of Sparrows’ by Devney Perry
Over the course of this decade, the subgenre of “romantasy” has soared in popularity. Specifically on BookTok, novels that fall under the fantasy-romance hybrid category are pushed to the forefront of viewers’ feeds and social media doomscrolling. Despite the mainstream quality of romantasy, the style itself is uniquely beloved by indie writers and young artists. …
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In conversation with ‘Beneath the Garden Magazine’: unveiling inspiration as the heart of storytelling
If you visit the website of Beneath the Garden Magazine and click on their mission statement—as most writers who are eager to submit their work do—you will meet a quote from Audre Lorde’s collection of essays, Sister Outsider: “I have come to believe over and over again that what is most important to me must…
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REVIEW — ‘Heart the Lover’ by Lily King
With no pun intended, I am a lover of Lily King. She is the ultimate indie literary darling, frequently appearing on the Indie Next List and loudly supporting independent booksellers; King provides a proud voice within the multifaceted community of indie writers. So, naturally, I needed my hands on Heart the Lover as quickly as…
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In conversation with Shrike and Thorn Productions: how a passion for creativity fosters community
Macedonia Alexis and Evan Sims were raised with stories. Growing up with access to all kinds of media, storytelling was infused into the very marrow of their existence. “We both watched the classic Pixar and DreamWorks movies growing up. Emperor’s New Groove definitely played a part in forming our sense of humor,” Sims explained, “I…
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