Monica Valentinelli

September 20, 2018

Take the Make Art Not War Challenge and Change Your World

Spiders and 8-Bit Goblins and Shiny Ships

Hello everyone! I'm back after a long hiatus from the newsletter and intermittent social media usage. I've been focusing on the back end of my writing habits, goals, and daily routine to accommodate a busy production schedule this Fall in a healthy way. To that end, I've been using Habitica; I'm "booksofm" on that platform, and I started a party called the "Taskamancers". The game-slash-to-do-list has given me insight to help me see where and, perhaps more importantly, why certain habits fall by the wayside. What I like about using it, is that it facilitates my instant gratification needs without defaulting to retail therapy. You literally get a reward every time you accomplish a task, and I'm finding that to be incredibly useful. I'd also like to mention that I'm changing which platforms I use; while I may post to Facebook, I'll be more active on Instagram @booksofm if you'd like to connect.  For fiction news, I've been attacking the short story market; this was a goal of mine this year and going forward. I have resubmitted older stories for consideration; if you have a backlist submitting reprints is a great way to get more mileage out of your work! By the numbers? I've either been contracted for or submitted 17 short stories thus far. Of those, five will be published, and I still have eight out on submission right now. As I sort through my processes, I've remembered the hard way: I don't like revising older short stories because the stories just keep getting BIGGER. LOL! But, using a spreadsheet has been great to track what I'm submitting, what the history of a title is, etc. Let me know if you'd like to send you a template; if short stories are your jam, please consider tracking your efforts.  In gaming news, DriveThruRPG.com* has been running a sale on the World of Darkness, which includes several 20th anniversary edition supplements I've worked on. On Friday, they're launching a sale on select Chronicles of Darkness titles which includes Vampire: The Requiem releases I've contributed to. Perfect for Halloween horror gaming!  This week's new releases are non-fiction; a new essay release in Hath No Fury and a pre-order for the upcoming Firefly Encyclopedia. This marks the sixth year I've been working on Firefly, and I'd really like to lend my narrative voice to write a story set in the 'verse. But, we'll see. I've got plenty of my own stuff to do, and you'll learn more about my grand schemes to create ethical cultists very soon.  Lastly, I'll be in Montana the first week of October as a special guest for Great Falls Gaming Rendezvous. I'll be participating in a haunted short story reading. Been dying to try spooky sound effects!  Hope you're all doing well in your worlds! Our city has been under water and we're fending off mosquitoes as best we can. Thrilled to see Pumpkin Spice is back at Starbucks, though!  'Til next time,  - M  * In the effort of full disclosure, that is an affiliate link that gives me a tiny kickback for any purchases you might make.  In the 09/20/2018 edition: *|MC:TOC|*

By Monica Valentinelli on Sep 18, 2018 03:47 pm

The Firefly Encyclopedia is a lavish guide to Joss Whedon’s much-loved creation. The book includes a detailed timeline of events, in-depth character studies from Badger to Zoe, a guide to the science of the show, and sections of script with accompanying notes from the author. Alongside all of this are countless images of the characters, ships, weapons, props and sets. This is a must-have item for all fans of the ‘verse.

Included in this mighty tome is a narrative re-telling of the events thus far, a new interview with Serenity novelist Keith R.A. DeCandido, an essay about the science of Firefly written by Mike Brotherton, new Mandarin Chinese-to-English translations provided by Tony Lee and a whole lot more!

The Firefly Encyclopedia will be available wherever fine books are sold, and is now available for pre-order. The book is at press, and will debut late 2018–just in time for the holidays. Shiny!

By Monica Valentinelli on Sep 18, 2018 03:38 pm

Looking for a kick ass book about fearless women to read? Hath No Fury is a collection of stories and essays edited by Melanie R. Meadors. The anthology features 21 stories and six essays about women who defy genre stereotypes. Here, it’s not the hero who acts while the heroine waits to be rescued; Hath No Fury’s women are champions, not damsels in distress. Whether they are strong, bold warriors, the silent but powerful type, or the timid who muster their courage to face down terrible evil, the women of Hath No Fury will make indelible marks upon readers and leave them breathless for more.

My contribution to Hath No Fury is an essay titled “This is Not Another Why Representation Is Important Essay”. This collection of women-as-champions is now available wherever fine books are sold.

By Monica Valentinelli on Jul 24, 2018 03:02 pm

Your Best Game Ever is not your typical RPG sourcebook. It’s not a book with adventures, spells, creatures, or magic items. It’s not a book for characters at all, but a book for players! If you play or run roleplaying games, this book is for you. Inside this gorgeous hardcover book, suitable for your coffee table or your gaming table, you will find advice and suggestions for enhancing your RPG experience at the table and away from it. This is an insider’s look at everything that goes into the hobby—finding a group, making a character, running a game, creating adventures, finding all the right ideas, hosting a game…and that’s just for starters.

If You’re an Experienced Gamer

You’ve been gaming for a while now. Maybe even years. You get the concepts, and you understand the rules. No one needs to explain the dice to you. Your Best Game Ever embraces the hobby you love, and provides real tips, immediately usable advice, and hands-on pointers you can use at your game table. You’ll find everything here from enhancing immersion, tips for running games online, creating characters with depth, worldbuilding, designing rules, dealing with personality conflicts that arise at the table, and more!

If You’re Fairly New to Gaming

Your friends play RPGs. You’ve maybe watched some streaming games, or given it a try a few times. You get the general idea, but where do you go from there? How do you really get into this hobby the way so many others have? This book will give you everything you need to learn how to choose the right game, how to fit into your game group or start your own group, and get you going on the fast track to being a great gamer.

I am pleased to announce that I am one of several consultants on this 2019 project. The Your Best Game Ever! Kickstarter has already funded, and we’re on to stretch goals.

Monte Cook is the primary writer on the book. He’s joined by a wealth of talented contributors that includes: Eric Campbell, Matt Colville, Luke Crane, Stacy Dellorfano, Tanya DePass, Ajit George, Jennell Jaquays, Eloy Lasanta, Tom Lommel, Matthew Mercer, Susan J. Morris, Alina Pete, and yours truly.

By Monica Valentinelli on Jul 10, 2018 02:40 pm

Wonderbook has become the definitive guide to writing science fiction and fantasy by offering an accessible, example-rich approach that emphasizes the importance of playfulness as well as pragmatism. It also exploits the visual nature of genre culture and employs bold, full-color drawings, maps, renderings, and visualizations to stimulate creative thinking. On top of all that, the book features sidebars and essays from some of the biggest names working in the field today, including George R. R. Martin, Lev Grossman, Neil Gaiman, Michael Moorcock, and Karen Joy Fowler.

For the fifth anniversary of the original publication, Jeff VanderMeer has added an additional 50 pages of diagrams, illustrations, and writing exercises creating the ultimate volume of inspiring advice that is also a stunning and inspiring object.

I am happy to announce that my work has been included in this stellar edition. When reviewing the existing material, there was so much great advice in the initial volume it was difficult to figure out a contribution. I opted to provide a methodology for the creation of an alien language simply and quickly; this is something game designers, authors, comic book writers, etc. can use if you get stuck figuring out how an alien species communicates.

Wonderbook (Revised and Expanded): The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction is available wherever fine books are sold. Additionally, if you haven’t checked out Jeff VanderMeer‘s work please do! He’s a very fine author in his own right, and his wife Ann is a stellar editor, too. A perfect blend of literary talents, indeed. To hire them for writing, editing, teaching, or speaking, visit VanderMeer Creative.

By Monica Valentinelli on Jul 10, 2018 02:17 pm

In churches and convents and other religious communities, sisterhood takes many forms, forged and tested by such mundane threats as disease and despair, but also by terrors both spiritual and cosmic—Satan’s subtle minions and the Lovecraftian nightmare of the Outer Gods. Sisterhood: Dark Tales and Secret Histories presents sixteen horror stories by some of the genre’s leading female voices. Their settings range around the globe and across the centuries, from 14th century Spain to 17th century Virginia to England in the present day.

Contributors include such award-winning and critically acclaimed authors as Nadia Bulkin, Livia Llewellyn, Molly Tanzer, Sun Yung Shin, Gemma Files, Kaaron Warren, Damien Angelica Walters, and Selena Chambers. With original cover art by Liv Rainey-Smith.

Table of Contents

“The Wine of Men” by Ann K. Schwader “From an Honest Sister, to a Neglected Daughter” by Monica Valentinelli “Étaín and the Unholy Ghosts” by Lisa Morton “The Barefoot Sisters of Saint Beatriz of the Mountain” by Kali Wallace “Unburdened Flesh” by Penelope Love “Only Dead Men Do Not Lie: The Trials of the Formosans” by Kaaron Warren “Jane, Jamestown, The Starving Time” by Sun Yung Shin “Dorcas and Ann: A True Story” by Molly Tanzer “The Resurrected” by S. P. Miskowski “The Low, Dark Edge of Life” by Livia Llewellyn “The Anchoress” by Lynda E. Rucker “Siūlais ir Kraujo ir Kaulų (Of Thread and Blood and Bone)” by Damien Angelica Walters “Gravity Wave” by Nadia Bulkin “The Veils of Sanctuary” by Selena Chambers “The Sisters of Epione” by Alison Littlewood “Red Words” by Gemma Files

Sisterhood: Dark Tales and Secret Histories Edited by Nate Pedersen CHA6058 SRP $17.99 ISBN 978-1-56882-464-2 272 pages Trade paperback

For pre-orders and availability, visit your local bookstore, library, or watch for it on sites like DriveThruFiction.com.

By Monica Valentinelli on Jul 06, 2018 10:40 am

Hello readers! I have been consumed with development on Hunter: The Vigil Second Edition, keeping on top of short story submissions, and proofing a brand new Firefly Encyclopedia that’ll go to approvals shortly. I’m taking a quick break to let you know I have three gaming-related releases.

Karmic Ties and Fifth Wheels is a Campaign Starter Kit for Unknown Armies Third Edition. In the kit, the player characters are the black sheep of a large, extended family based in rural Wisconsin. Brought together again for a family reunion at the behest of matriarch Maple Adams, they discover that old secrets and occult mysteries lie at the heart of everything their family has done over generations. Throughout the campaign they may learn who they truly are, and how thick their blood runs through the veins of the occult underground.

Beckett’s Jyhad Diary serves as the definitive book of setting and plot for Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition, containing 30 chapters spanning different geographical regions, encountering vampires of every clan, profiling obscure and profound segments of the mythology, and providing countless story hooks on every page.

Beckett’s Jyhad Diary is a fiction-forward supplement and is heavy on the lush lore of the Vampire setting. Though Storytellers will benefit from the material in this supplement, any fan of V20 can enjoy it. And, if you LOVE Beckett? For a humorous take, check out Paths of Storytelling!

Ring of Spiragos is the conclusion to a trilogy of Scarred Lands adventures developed by myself and Scott Holden for Pathfinder first edition* and Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition. This adventure offers a wealth of lore and possibilities and, as the adventures progressed, we offer more options for gut-punching scenes and opportunities for exploration. As the conclusion to the trilogy, I definitely encourage you to pick up Gauntlet of Spiragos (Free!), Dagger of Spiragos, and Ring of Spiragos to play in the Scarred Lands. It’s a wonderful setting!

* Links in my post are to Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition adventure versions.

Happy gaming!

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