fiction
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In conversation with Sophie Riley: self-publishing and character-driven storytelling in ‘It’s Not the End of the World’
Writers get inspiration from a variety of sources: their personal lives, the news, movies, television shows, or even writing prompts. Sophie Riley got hers from a 2014 Tumblr post. “I had saved that [post] so long ago and just put it in my brain,” Riley said. “I just got this idea for a book about…
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In conversation with Mike Chick: turning mistakes into meaning
It all started with a gifted cake—and a misspelling. A small yet thoughtful gesture from family after Yawn Mower released their album To Each Their Own Coat. But instead of “congrats,” the icing read “congarts.” It was the kind of mistake most people would get mad over and soon try to forget, but Mike Chick…
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REVIEW — ‘Murder at the Hotel Orient’ by Alessandra Ranelli
Alessandra Ranelli’s debut novel, Murder at the Hotel Orient, delivers sex, humor, mystery, and intrigue all bottled up like top-shelf champagne about to pop. The flirty fever dream opens the night that two guests are murdered at the Hotel Orient, one of Vienna’s most mystifying attractions. Sterling Lockwood is the alluring and ever-loyal concierge at…
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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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REVIEW — ‘Canticle’ by Janet Rich Edwards
We are living in a period swamped with literary fiction. The stocked shelves of bookstores and BookTok doom-scrolling all point to its dominance, specifically in the cult of superiority fostered through its dry intellectual engagement riddled with irony and realism. To be a cool and well-rounded reader is to be a reader of “lit fic.” …
