J. Alexander Cohen

Cozy-adjacent fantasy author

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  • Talio Rossa and the Elixir of Life (Novel, Forthcoming)
  • Talio’s Codex (Novel)
  • The Library at Eventide (Novel, Querying)
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Tag: writing

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Rethinking ‘Cozy’ Fantasy and Talio’s Codex

Posted on June 9, 2024June 9, 2024 by jalexandercohen

So I’ve been thinking… My podcast, Lavender Tavern, was cozy fantasy. My next book, The Library at Eventide, is cozy fantasy. But Talio’s Codex…? Originally, I’d categorized it as ‘cozy fantasy noir.’ But now that people are reading it and giving me feedback, I’m having second thoughts. Cozy fantasy noir may sound like a contradiction…

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“I Thought People Like That [Unalived] Themselves”

Posted on January 6, 2024January 6, 2024 by jalexandercohen

Back in the bad old days of the early 20th century, queer fiction had to have an unhappy ending in order to get published. Much like the Hays Code required movie villains to get their comeuppance, there was an unspoken rule that homosexual characters needed to come to an unhappy end – and if they…

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The Dreaded Message Novel

Posted on January 5, 2024January 9, 2024 by jalexandercohen

People don’t like messages in fiction, for some reason. They think they’re preachy and didactic. I disagree. I’ve always been fond of message-driven fiction. Some of it can be preachy and didactic, sure. But I’m thinking of stories where the messages are far subtler. Kurt Vonnegut’s Deadeye Dick, for example, showed 12-year-old me that a…

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On Being an Older Writer

Posted on January 5, 2024January 9, 2024 by jalexandercohen

I’ll be 56 this February. Wow. I’m used to being the oldest one in the room. I hang out on a few Discord servers, and for some reason there are a lot of younger people on Discord. Maybe because it started out as a gaming platform? I’m not sure. It definitely reminds me of IRC…

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Recent posts

Four Ways to Turn Your Standalone Novel Into a Series

Back to the Future was intended to be a standalone movie. When it was a huge success, the studio asked Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis for a sequel.

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 intent

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

Hooks and Pegs: The Joy of Sequels

I finished the (8th) draft for Talio Rossa and the Elixir of Life, the sequel to Talio's Codex. My first sequel! And boy did I learn a lot. One

  • Biography
  • Contact Me
  • Links
  • Newsletter Signup
  • Published Works
  • Talio Rossa and the Elixir of Life (Novel, Forthcoming)
  • Talio's Codex (Novel)
  • The Library at Eventide (Novel, Querying)
  • Upcoming Works
  • "Cozy adjacent"?

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