Michael La Ronn: Finding Kickstarter Necromancy

By Angelique Fawns

Michael La Ronn has launched a Kickstarter for his “The Good Necromancer” Urban Fantasy Series and is off to a magical start. His modest goal of $200 funded in fourteen minutes! How do you practice the dark arts and remain a good man? La Ronn’s series explores this very question.

Here is a blurb from his first person protagonist. “So here I am, back in the game. You know, making deals with grim reapers, casting dark spells, binding souls to dead bodies for protection. Typical necromancer stuff. But I’m channeling my powers for good this time. When I’m done, this demon will beg me for mercy.”

La Ronn, writing under the pen name M.L. Ronn, has published over 90 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. I met him at the Superstars Writing Conference this February and was immediately drawn to his quiet confidence and knowledge. 

He’s running his very first Kickstarter and I sat down with him to learn more.

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Jonathan Maberry: Keeping us in suspense!

By Angelique Fawns

Jonathan Maberry’s thrilling creations cross genres and entertain us on many platforms. His V-War series on Netflix had me binge-watching episodes late into the night until the final bite was delivered. That was my gateway drug. Now I am a ravenous fan with an insatiable appetite. Good thing Maberry is prolific. He is a New York Times best-seller with countless novels, anthology editor, comic book writer, executive producer, playwright, magazine writer, teacher, and mentor. Not to mention a tireless champion of helping other writers and creatives navigate the genre world. 

I attended a workshop with Maberry at the beginning of the year called “Pitch & Sell Novels, Comics, Short Stories, and More!”  It was frankly amazing. I wanted to know more about this giant in the industry.

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Hart Seely, Captaining AHOY Comics

by Angelique Fawns

You know what I find as satisfying as a bite of chocolate cake and a comfy couch? An hour spent with an AHOY Comic. In these pages you’ll find a place where the weird and the sublime rule. Created and promoted by industry experts, (Marvel, National Lampoon, etc) these professional, imaginative, and highly artistic offerings are the perfect bite-sized reading material. Some of the series include: Acid Chimp vs. Business Dog, Second Coming, Justice Warriors, Ash & Thorn, Billonaire Island, and Edgar Allen Poe’s Snifter of Terror.

I met Hart Seely when he purchased my comedy short “The Dead Seller’s Market” which you can find in Project Cryptid #4. In a past life he was an award-winning reporter for the Syracuse Post-Standard and sold satire and articles to The New Yorker, The New York Times, National Public Radio, and National Lampoon. Now he publishes AHOY Comics, and you can buy these mags on Amazon’s Comixology, or find them in some local comic stores. He agreed to answer a few of my questions about his comics and career journey.

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Mary Robinette Kowal & The Spare Man

By Angelique Fawns

Hugo, Locus, and Nebula Award winner Mary Robinette Kowal is one of my favorite author/teachers in the speculative world today. I’ve taken a few of her courses and been blown away by her insightful approach to storytelling and unique ways of dealing with hiccups in the creation process. She agreed to talk to me about her book, The Spare Man, a 2023 Hugo Award Finalist sci-fi mystery. 

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James Davies: Winning Writers of the Future

By Angelique Fawns

James Davies had some big news to tell his family – four feral humans and fourteen well-mannered hens – he is a winner in the Writers of the Future Contest, and his story “Ashes to Ashes, Blood to Carbonfiber” will be published in L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 40.

This means he is off to Hollywood for a gala this April, and winning this contest should be a big boost to his writing career!

Davies is a member of the Wulf Pack and one of my writing cohorts. Wulf Moon’s writing group is specifically geared to helping authors win this contest.

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Max Blood’s Mausoleum: A New House for Horror

By Angelique Fawns

Max Blood is creating a new home for horror, and this venue is not squeamish.

“We’ve read it all before and will read it all again, so send us something that will really set us back on our heels. Terrify us. Make us squirm. Send us the best of your worst.”

Max Blood’s Mausoleum is a paying market, offering $30 per piece, and is planning to publish quarterly issues.

Max Blood says he “specializes in the weird, the cosmic, and the monstrous. With a passion for turning cryptid stories into positively horrific monsters, he has created many tales of monster horror. He has also dabbled in ghost stories and body horror.”

I’m working on a Halloween-themed story with Max Blood called “The Matron of Hawthorne Hall”, that will be used in his third issue which should be published around Halloween 2024.

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James Martin & Tickling Boundaries with his Eggplant Emoji 

By Angelique Fawns

James Martin is putting something refreshing and funny into the world. He just released Eggplant Emoji Volume 3: A Wealth of Comedy, a literary anthology that’s not afraid to make you laugh. These books are full of stories that are shocking, surreal, sexual, and full of giggles. 

My story, “The Social Media Hunk” is one of the off-kilter inhabitants of the third issue, and Martin’s main goal is to showcase the best comedic fiction he can find. I sat down with Martin to learn more about this cutting-edge (and edgy) project. 

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Marie Whittaker & The Adventures of Lola Hopscotch

By Angelique Fawns

Marie Whittaker has a message of kindness to spread and Lola Hopscotch is her adorable conduit. Each book tackles social issues for children, and Halloween is the perfect time to sample Lola Hopscotch and the Spookaroo. 

“When Lola and her friends hear scary sounds beyond the pumpkin patch they’re frightened. But when they see who’s doing the rustle-crunching they come to the rescue and help find a lost Mommy. Festive fall fun with friends is the best reward for helping others!”

Not only a children’s author, Whittaker also ventures into the darker worlds of horror, urban fantasy, and thrillers. Her supernatural thriller, The Witcher Chime, was a finalist for the Indie Book Awards in 2017.

I had a chat with Marie Whittaker about her career and future plans.

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