Allison Wall writes sci fi

Welcome Allison Wall and her debut self-publishing short story adventure. Allison and I met at Novel-In-Progress Bookcamp a few years ago.

Footnotes on a Space Opera: A Musical First Encounter Short Story

sci fi short story

.99 ebook

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About the story:

In the year 2026, aliens landed on Earth. But they didn't come to take our planet or to annihilate us. They came for the last thing anyone expected. They came for opera.

 

Told from the distant future, this first encounter short story imagines a reality in which opera--one of Western culture's greatest but most polarizing musical traditions--becomes planet Earth's greatest interstellar export.

 

Arrival meets Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera.

 

In Footnotes on a Space Opera, author and classically trained soprano Allison Wall fuses her love of opera with a dry, brilliant humor that will have readers laughing out loud. 

Allison, what do you love about your story?

So many things! The form. The combination of two of my favorite things: science fiction and opera. Most of all, I love the "what if" the story asks: What if aliens arrived and they were interested in the last thing we thought they'd be? Because that seems to me like the most likely option—not that real aliens would necessarily be classical music fans, but that their intentions and goals are probably nothing like what we imagine. I think that's the strength of fiction, and what interests me about speculative fiction in particular, the ability to ask a fantastical "what if" question and follow cause and effect to see what might happen in a scenario like that.

 

Introduce us to your best-behaved character.

Interesting question... Because the short story is in an unconventional format—that of a paper or a chapter in a history book—characters don't show up on the page in the way they typically would. It's not always clear who's behaving well and what people's true intentions are! I suppose I might put forward the narrator, but even she is breaking rules, though she's doing it for the right reasons.

 

What do you want readers to tell other readers after they've read the short story?

I would love for readers to compare their favorite humorous moments. There are so many to talk about. A few are classical music inside jokes, but the vast majority are very accessible. I would love for readers to talk about the treasure hunt of the footnotes, and what they revealed about what was really going on in the story. I would also love for readers to talk about opera! It's an art form that the majority of contemporary society has never learned or forgotten how to listen to, which is a shame, because, as the aliens in Footnotes on a Space Opera convince the world, it is an extremely powerful medium.

 

What are you reading now?

I just finished reading The City of Dreaming Books by Walter Moers, a German writer with a really fun, whimsical style. It's a comedic adventure novel about writers, literature, and the publishing industry, and the main character is a dinosaur named Optimus Yarnspinner. I highly recommend it.

 

What’s next for you?

I have several novels in the works! Currently, I'm editing and exploring publishing options for The Violet Tamarind, a futuristic speculative fiction novel, in which a crew of cyborg airship pirates go hunting for a legendary treasure.

 

About the author:

Allison Wall is an American writer. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Hamline University and has published short fiction and personal essays and book reviews.

Allison is trained as a classical singer and pianist, and she works as a music teacher, dissertation editor, and academic tutor.

In the general chaos of 2020, Allison found out she is neurodivergent (autism, ADHD). She is passionate about sharing her experiences, advocating for empathy, and contributing to a world in which neurodiversities are seen on an inclusive spectrum of brain differences, not pathologized as illnesses. To that end, she runs NEURODIVERSION, a monthly newsletter that centers neurodiverse news, research, and current events. Connect with Allison on her website or Twitter

 

It's time once again to enter the CWA first chapter contest

 

CWA's 6th Annual First Chapter Contest is Open for Entries

THIS OPPORTUNITY IS OPEN ONLY TO DUES-PAYING MEMBERS OF CHICAGO WRITERS ASSOCIATION. You may join CWA HERE.

Are you writing a novel? Submit chapter one of your work, up to 10 pages, to CWA's 6th Annual First Chapter Contest. First prize is a full scholarship to attend either the All-Genre Novel-In-Progress (NIP) Bookcamp & Writing Retreat on June 12-18, 2022 or the Speculative Fiction NIP Bookcamp (date to be scheduled), at the Cedar Valley Center & Spa, 35 miles northwest of Milwaukee, near West Bend, Wisconsin (value: $1385). Second and third place winners will receive cash awards of $150 and $75, respectively. The top three entries will also be published in CWA's Write City Magazine.  Please read and follow the guidelines before submitting.

A non‐refundable fee of Fifteen Dollars ($15) must be made online on the same date as the author’s entry is submitted.

Join CWA for only $25/year Contact Us

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Write Now Lit tour with James Ruvalcaba and remarkable love

Write Now Literary is pleased to be organizing a two-month book tour and $50 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway for 

The Light Through the Pouring Rain by James Ruvalcaba 

The book tour will run August 2- Sept 30, 2021.  

 Genre: Nonfiction 

 ISBN-13: 979-8575160397 

Before he started writing romance stories, James worked with the special need’s population for 10 Years. He devoted his life giving back to the population. From school's to agencies and everything in between James has worked almost every job within the community. After that, during the pandemic James decided to start writing to pass the time, but to come through on his promise he made years earlier. He devoted his life to giving back, now he devotes his life to telling his stories.  

      

A remarkable love story that pulls on your heartstrings and leaves you inspired. A page turner that gives a first-hand look into the lives of a young couple madly in love and eager to start their lives together, only to have it all halted by a cancer diagnosis. With no clear road map on how to navigate their new normal, James and Anabel proceed into uncharted territory, hand-in-hand, with the love of their families and their faith in God to guide them.  

 

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1. Why do you write the kind of books you do? 

I write romance, love & loss, and inspirational books.

2. Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life? 

My happiest day was the day my book got published because it meant I came through on the promise I made to my Fiancé.

3. How has being published changed your life? 

It gave me the confidence to know that I was meant to write.

 
4. What are you reading right now? 

I am currently reading Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins

 
5. What is your current work in progress? 

I am writing my next installment in my book series.
 
6. What would be your dream vacation? 

I don’t have a particular area, but somewhere by the water so I can hear the waves at night and enjoy the over atmosphere of peace being around. 
 
7. How do you choose your settings for each book? 

I only write non-fiction books, so I pick locations within the stories, but as far as the timelines go , I think of the moments that should be relieved.

8. If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why? 

I’d say Tyler Perry. I’d love to pick his brain about why he continued to push forward to overcome the obstacles that were placed in his life. 

 

9. What three things about you would surprise readers?

I'm not very much into materialistic items

I have a phobia of holes

I enjoy listening to all types of music.. For example, I listened to Katy Perry's “ Teenage Dream” for most of my high school tenure. 
 
10. What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading? 

I enjoy going to the Gym before and after writing and I enjoy being by the beach. 
 

 

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Tour organized by Write Now Literary Book Tours 

 

What's in Your Salad?

 

Salad

Growing up in a household made up of a long line of educators and farmers was mostly fun. Words, for instance, were always on the menu. My great-uncle Fred, a farm-raised high school history teacher, has a peculiar conscience about definitions and expectations. To him, salad means green lettuce, with maybe some carrots and tomatoes and cucumbers; vegetables you could walk over and pluck from the garden. To church ladies, salad has more variety. Our favorite is gelatin salad, especially if whipped cream is one of the ingredients. Fred gets this look on face whenever someone brings one of these dishes to the table. It’s an abomination if marshmallows are involved. Naturally, Thanksgiving always includes giggles, lime gelatin, pineapple chunks, cherries, and lots of whipped cream. He has never taken it in good stride, even when we try to remind him that one dictionary definition of salad is “hodgepodge.”

What’s in your salad? My salad has expanded with the size of our garden after relocating to a farm with retirement. We like to experiment with varieties of vegetables, and trade recipes with our Amish neighbors. There are endless varieties of tomatoes! My favorite is an heirloom called Anna Russian. Zucchini, once banned in our former garden, now competes with cukes and minced purple onions, cilantro, and the most beautiful fresh dark leaves of aromatic basil you ever inhaled. Dill…who’d have thought it would go on anything but pickles and tuna…um, salad? Fresh peas, even strawberry slices. With ingredients like that, we hardly need dressing. It’s really about expanding your horizons, trying new things, spreading your wings, and having fun. Taking things in stride, lightening up…throwing whatever comes into the mix and discovering stuff like…salsify. Or maybe not. And keeping a bag of marshmallows in your baking cupboard for those great-uncle emergencies.

The 10 Win Commandments by Derrick Gray

Write Now Literary is pleased to be organizing a two-month book tour and “free e-book giveaway” for The 10 Win Commandments with by Derrick Gray. The book tour will run July 1-August 31, 2021. 

Genre: Christian Nonfiction 

ISBN-10: 1737398907 

ISBN-13: 978-1737398905

    

Derrick Gray is a Christian Minister, business owner, filmmaker and author of The 10 Win Commandments. A Long Island native and purveyor of all things hip-hop, he knows God’s not through with him yet. Derrick lives in York, Pa with his wife and family.

 

    

Author Derrick Gray has written this debut masterwork that touches the soul with reliable guidance and masterful prose. The author guides us through worldly experiences as a quintessential mentor if life. Students, administrators, CEO's and ministry leaders will find his advice nothing less than masterful. This book profoundly dives into guidance that enables you to go through life at the level in which God intended. The execution of these words of wisdom lays out how victory is achievable for anyone. It's all about self-appraisal, self-reflection, God's direction and personal growth. Everyone has a designed path and achievement is within anyone's grasp. All it takes is the correct compass, and no book maps it out better than Derrick Gray's 10 Win Commandments. 

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Tour hosted by WNL Book Tours

New Spec Fiction from Robin Fuson

 

Interruption
Robin Fuson
Inspirational Speculative fiction
July 2021
207 pp.
 
Ebook $2.99
Print $8.95
Buy on Amazon

About the Book

A Christian Speculative Fiction Novella set in the 1930s through 1950s.

Child prodigy Jacquelyn (Jackie) Carter’s life is interrupted when she dies. From the beginning of her life, her Guardian angel, Faphick, senses Jackie is remarkable. God regards all His children as special and important to Him.

Faphick and a host of other Beings play out their roles in the spiritual dimension that surrounds her. Although unseen by Jackie, they are critical to her life.

A visit to Heaven feels like pure bliss, and although she would like to stay, Heaven isn’t ready to keep her. She’d always thought her vocation as a dancer-entertainer defined her life. Sent back to Earth to fulfill her purpose, with no instruction book, wrenches her soul.

As pressure mounts, will she overcome enormous obstacles and find her God-given purpose? Will she accept Aunt Sherry’s help as prospects around her dwindle? Faphick wants to keep evil away and shield her from any distress. How much can he intervene?

 

My review

Fuson adds to her extensive repertoire of inspirational fiction with a tale from the other side. If you’ve wondered about the role of Guardian angels and heavenly Beings, Interruption offers a creative answer.

Jackie is a special child endowed with beautiful gifts. She’s looked after, as are all humans, by heavenly beings who don’t interfere, she’s able to make life choices both positive and inappropriate. We are all give a purpose on Earth. Some of us find it sooner than later; some of us are able to whether storms better than others. When Jackie spirals out of control, everyone from the unseen, fearsome and loving Faphick to her earthly family gathers to help. Whether she accepts it is up to her.

Told in alternating viewpoints and timelines from Faphick to Jackie, Interruption is sure to delight and provide thought-provoking questions about life and faith to readers of inspiring fiction.

 

About the Author

Robin lives in Sugarmill Woods, Florida with her husband Jimmy and their Belgian Malinois, Kenzi. She and her husband celebrate with an overflowing cup of blessings with seventeen grandchildren. An award winner for romance and flash fiction, Robin is multi-published in both fiction and non-fiction and has written well over a hundred stories on her blog for children. Two of her novellas are finalists in the 2020 Selah awards. Her historical and contemporary romances, and Christian women’s fiction, are wrapped around a twist of intrigue. The Rosita Valdez series for children lends itself to a character-building lesson through an adventure. Robin is a member of Word Weavers International, ACFW, and John316 Marketing Network. Robin loves company and challenging her young guests to discover the many giraffes in the obvious and hidden nooks and crannies of their home.

New Cozy Mystery from Susan Van Dusen

The Missing Hand
Susa VanDusen
Cozy Mystery
 
Aakenbaaken & Kent , released June 7, 2021
Paperback, ‎266 pages, $16.99
ISBN:‎ 978-1938436574
 
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About the Book
A valuable heirloom has been stolen from a member of Julia Donnelly’s Torah study group. Grievous sins of the past have pushed their way into the present. Murder, distrust, and ill-gotten gains from World War II Bohemia threaten the peaceful Jewish community of Crestfall, Illinois. Julia, wife of this small town’s mayor and mother of two young adopted sons, is pressed into service to find the bejeweled heirloom which is called a yad, a Hebrew word which means “hand” in English. It is a rod-shaped item with a bulb on the top and a hand with a pointing finger at the bottom that helps keep one’s place when reading the Torah. This particular yad is covered with a fortune’s worth of jewels. With no experience except watching TV detective shows, Julia and Torah group leader Rabbi Fine attempt to solve the mystery and address the misery it causes. After finding the yad, another mystery, much deeper, explores good and evil in the character of the man who brought the yad to America and escaped punishment for his crimes after the war by posing as a Jewish immigrant. Heady stuff for a cozy, but humor takes the sting out. The Donnelly family goes at 90 miles an hour, hollering, hugging, and loving. It all works out in the end. Remember, we all have our own michegas. As we say in Yiddish, Plotsn zolstu—May you explode from pleasure after reading this book.
 
My Review
Whether you don’t know much about contemporary Judaism, are an ardent follower, or somewhere in between, readers will learn that people take desperate risks when they must, theft is never simple, and family is family, no matter where they are on the family tree. Julia wants to explore her roots more deeply, and joins a study group at her synagogue, led by the younger and single Rabbi Fine. The women of the group come from all backgrounds, are of all ages and opinions and walks of life. Rabbi Fine has his work cut out for him, dealing with the best and nosiest Torah group. Sometimes they even study when they’re not sharing recipes and secrets. When a group member’s heirloom yod, or helpful hand for holding open scriptures while reading, goes missing, you know it’s never about the pilfered item that’s the real mystery. Join Julia and friends as they dig deep into the past to learn more about the hearts of mankind, and something about themselves as well.
 
Susan Van Dusen’s delightful adventure, the first of a series, connecting past and present underscores the value of family ties and of sisterhood that goes beyond blood. Unraveling a mystery is only a layer of this faith journey for these courageous and entertaining Torah group members.
 

About the Author

Susan Van Dusen is an award-winning writer of editorials and magazine articles. She has written three books for children on the history of Skokie, and The Synagogue: a Home for the Jewish People. The Missing Hand is the debut book in a series of cozies based on a Torah group solving mysteries using Jewish tradition. She is a member of OCWW, Chicago Writers Association and Sisters in Crime. To learn more, please visit www.susanvandusen.com