This was an unexpected delight! The Small Spec Book Awards (SSBA) have nominated Talio’s Codex for a Fantasy award. I’m so stoked and chuffed. No word until December, I think, but let’s keep our fingers crossed…. The announcement.
Category: Other
Oh Boy
In This Time
In this time of chaos On this day of reckoning I take a pause I take a breath I take the time to think To remember To set my intentions To manifest through action To love And to hope.
What My Mother Taught Me About Writing
Back in June, I wrote a post about the various things my father taught me about writing (and creative work in general). Mom turned 96 this month, and I thought it would be appropriate to do the same for her. She only ever said one thing about my writing, and writing in general. But boy…
Interview – Finding the Magic Podcast
Had a great time talking with Tricia Copeland on the Finding the Magic podcast! Not only did we talk about my current novel, Talio’s Codex, but also the sequel that I’m working on – Talio Rossa and the Elixir of Life. The sequel’s all about medical-legal court cases and ethical issues, and we discussed how…
Talio’s Codex – Deleted Scene (“Sex With Cale”) – Reader Discretion Advised
Here’s another bit I cut out of a very early draft of Talio’s Codex. Originally I deleted this scene for length, and then I decided it was better left out. First mention of ‘personal grease’ (lubricant). Cale’s original name was ‘Ched.’ This scene was intended to be a compare-and-contrast between Cale and Pazli: while sex…
Interview – The Power to Pivot Podcast
I was so excited to speak to Elizabeth Miles on the Power to Pivot Podcast about cozy-adjacent fantasy, my writing, Talio’s Codex and a whole bunch of other topics (how to introduce kids to adult topics, for example)! She’s a great interview – have a listen!
Talio’s Codex – Deleted Scene (“On the Spot at Law School”)
In this deleted scene from Talio’s Codex, Talio attends Clemente Jilani’s class, only to find himself quizzed on legal knowledge (in the final version, Jilani’s lecture is a bit more pertinent to the plot and much less technical…). This scene served a few purposes: to show Talio’s quick legal thinking, to show that Clemente is…
Guest Blog Post on John Scalzi’s “The Big Idea”
Author John Scalzi has graciously given blog space for authors to write about what inspired their novels. I’m happy to have been chosen to talk about Talio’s Codex and what it’s all about. Take a look here. “A society’s culture comes from its laws. The things that tell us what we can and cannot do….
What My Father Taught Me About Writing
My father, Sidney Jessel Cohen, died in 2019, at the age 86, after 16 years of mild cognitive impairment, dementia, and finally Alzheimer’s. It’s been almost 5 years. 4 Father’s Days. Like me, Dad was a perfectionist. Unlike me, he was very neat and tidy. His desk and filing system were always organized with precision,…