It’s been more than four years since I updated this page. I’ve mainly been writing romance as of late, and you can find me at AnnaZabo.com or on twitter at @amergina.
I’ve also come out as trans masculine non-binary and use they/them pronouns now. I’ve changed the about page to reflect this.
I’m still keeping this website, because I will eventually return to fantasy, though under what name, I have no idea. But hey, I have a site for it when I do!
So, some time ago, in 2012, my contemporary fantasy short story, Missing Persons, was accepted for publication as part of the Trust and Treachery anthology. It’s a story of family secrets, art, and magic.
The anthology was release yesterday!
Dark Quest Books and editors Day Al-Mohamed and Meriah Crawford are proud to announce the release of Trust and Treachery: Tales of Power and Intrigue.
This long-awaited book will be a part of the Dark Quest Books launch at the upcoming Balticon science fiction convention (www.balticon.org), where several of the authors and editors will be in attendance.
Trust & Treachery: Tales of Power and Intrigue
This anthology contains some extraordinary stories that will linger in your mind long after you close the book’s cover. The contributors to this anthology explore the delicate dance between trust and treachery across a sweeping variety of genres, time periods, and universes.
What happens when you’re betrayed by the person you should be able to trust above all others? The one you love. Maybe even the one who has promised to love, honor, and cherish you. Or even the person who gave you life.
What happens when you’re betrayed by the supposedly benevolent institutions that are supposed to protect you? Your government. Your ruler. Your god.
What if it’s your own mind that you can no longer trust?
Read on and find out!
– Bestselling author Donna Andrews, winner of the Agatha, Anthony, Lefty, and other awards
Contents
Foreword / Day Al-Mohamed
Introduction / Donna Andrews
Sanctified Ground /Beth Cato
Live Free or Die / Joyce Reynolds-Ward
Infinitas /David Taub Bancroft
Terrible Lizards / Demetrios Matsakis
Listener / Kelly Horn
The Peculiar Testimony of Dok Oculus / Eric A. Howald
A Real Produce Guy / Thomas Livingston
Camp Why / D.G. Bracey
When Shakespeare was in Vogue / Stephen Pohl
Plan B / John M. Floyd
Short Dark Future / Marian Allen
Lunar Epithalamion / Calie Voorhis
Oathbreaker / Kate Marshall
Missing Persons/ Ann L. Kopchik
Restraint / Bruce Pratt
Almost There / Al Nash
Assent/ J.R. McRae
Cheat the Hangman / Kris Dikeman
Sweetest, Senseless Death / Mark Mills
Her Majesty’s Executrix / James Daniel Ross
Neighbour from Hell / Edoardo Albert
Perfect Memory / Jonathan Shipley
Survival / Edward Folger
Bad Boy / Ray Succre
Blind Spot / Michaux Dempster
The Wrong Shoes / Chang Terhune
The House on the Lake / Patrick O’Neill
1612 / Richard Smith
Afterword / Meriah Crawford
Bios
Travel by Moyan_Brenn
All over the place, it turns out. I’ve added an Appearances page, but here’s the list:
May 13th – 18th: RT Booklovers Convention, New Orleans, LA
June 26th – 29th: In Your Write Mind Workshop, Greensburg, PA
Jul7 17th – 20th: DetCon1 (NASFiC), Detroit, MI
July 25th – 27th: Confluence, Mars, PA (Greater Pittsburgh)
August 14th – 18th: LonCon3 (WorldCon), London, England
September 26th – 28th: Context, Columbus, OH
October 16th – 19th: GayRomLit, Chicago, IL
November 6th – 9th: World Fantasy, Arlington, VA (Washington DC)
Fireworks over Pittsburgh. Photo by daveynin
Well, my first resolution is to blog more often. As you can see, I’ve rather neglected my poor blog. So, to that end, I’ll be getting back involved in SFF Saturdays. I’ll also be blogging my module on Worldbuilding for non SF/F writers. And just randomly posting about how my writing is going.
2013 had ups and downs. One of the biggest ups was becoming a client of Jennifer Udden at Donald Maass Agency. I’m in the middle of revisions with her at the moment. Hopefully, 2014 will see these books out on submission!
The worst event of 2103 was not writing related. In October, lost my 14-year-old cat Jon to complications with diabetes. Jon was a European Burmese and a sweetie-pie. Full of purrs and cuddles and love. Animals crawl right into your heart and it’s hard when they’re gone. But I’m grateful for the time we did have.
Also in 2013, my pen name published a short story and the novel published in 2012 came out in Paperback. It’s currently a finalist in the EPIC awards for Best Paranormal Romance. The winner will be announced in March.
As far as writing goals for 2104:
What are your goals for 2014?
So here’s the letter I wrote to John Scalzi in his role as President of SFWA about the continuing problems with sexism in the SFWA Bulletin. It’s not nearly as eloquent as some of the letters out there, but I figure I should post it, least I be accused of being an anonymous voice. I’m not.
If you’re not familiar with the issue, Jim Hines has a darn good list of links.
Dear Mr. Scalzi and Mr. Gould,I’m not a member of SFWA, but I thought I should write to you about the continuing issues with the SFWA Bulletin and how these problems look to someone from the outside.
Membership in SFWA is one of my career goals. It’s part of the reason I worked to get an agent for my fantasy novels. It’s part of the reason I strive to write better short stories. It’s one of the reasons I only submit short stories to pro markets. It means something.
SFWA is also an organization that does things I admire, from supporting Writer Beware, to working for better contract terms (as with the recent Random House digital imprints) to helping authors get paid what’s due to them.
But the continuing problems with blatant sexism in an official publication of SFWA makes me wonder if I’ll be treated as an equal when I do meet the requirements to join SFWA. I know there are jerks in every organization. And certainly, I know SFWA can’t deny membership to folks for being sexist jerks. But SFWA can refrain from giving them an official platform from which to spew their rhetoric, especially when it is in opposition with SWFA’s statement on sexual harassment. By allowing Mike Resnik and Barry Malzberg a SFWA-sanctioned platform so they could call those who took umbrage with their sexism liberal fascists, SFWA condoned their behavior and their statements.Resnik and Malzberg can blog like everyone else. They don’t need to be paid by SFWA to state their opinions, especially when it runs counter to SFWA’s own policy.
Mr. Scalzi, I know you’ve taken responsibility and have apologized and have put in steps to remedy the lack of oversight that lead to these problems. And I thank you for that.I hope things do change, because when I am eligible for SFWA membership, I’d like to be fully a of SFWA, and not relegated to some sort of minor ladies axillary.That’s what SFWA looks like from the outside at the moment: You get to be a Writer if you have a penis. If you don’t, you’re a “lady writer” and no one listens to your concerns. Or they take the mike from you. Or tell you you’re being too sensitive. Or wax on about how wonderful it was in the old days before women ruined everything.
I’ve seen many positive sides of SFWA, but when the problem of blatant sexism continually returns, it obliterates quite a lot of that.I’m a writer. I’m a human being. I’d like an organization that should be future-looking to pull itself out of the 1950s and into 2013. Please continue to work to make this happen.
Thank you,Ann L Kopchik
I had the chance to travel to Israel on business a few years ago. This is a photo I took while walking around the old city of Jaffa with my co-workers. Jaffa is the ancient port for Jerusalem, and is just north of Tel Aviv. There’s a very medieval feel to the place.
I’d thought I’d share a random photo from my journeys. Here’s a landscape that’s a bit on the alien side.
These are the fairy chimneys of Kapadokya (Cappadocia), Turkey.
Fairy chimneys in Turkey, Photo taken in 2002 by me.
I recently received (and sent back) edits for my short story Missing Persons. So, hopefully, Trust and Treachery, the anthology it’s in, will be coming out soon!
I’m proud of the story as it has a rather long history. I drafted the piece in 1993 and rewrote it in 2010, so it’s been with me quite some time. I’ll be glad to finally get it out into the public.
However, editing it reminded me that once upon a time I was able write a short story that was under 5,000 words. Lately, I can’t seem to write under 8,000!
Just a quick post to note that I’ve blogged over at Five Scribes recently. I talked about some of the things I learned while revising my latest book:
Just a quick post to note that I was interviewed for the Trust and Treachery anthology, and that post has gone live.
It can be found here.
And I promise that I’ll post more about deep POV soon. I also have some other writerly news, as well.
Ann Laurel Kopchik 