Take a look behind the curtain at DIY MFA

I'm thrilled to announce that I have joined the DIY MFA crew as a regular columnist! DIY MFA offers advice on writing, reading, community-building, and more. They feature writing prompts, podcasts, and soon there will be a DIY MFA book. 

I'll be writing each month about book publishing, editing, and other aspects of the industry. If you have a book you're considering pitching, or want to learn what it's like on the other side of the writing process, check back for new posts from me and from the rest of the DIY MFA team. 

My first column, "A Walk-through of the Book Publishing Process (part 1)" is up now. Here's a clip from the intro. 

Writers everywhere dream of getting their novels published, but I would wager that when you picture that most anticipated of events, you imagine getting that congratulatory email from your agent/editor and then fast-forward to the black tie launch party a la Richard Castle. The truth is even after the contract is signed, your work as author isn’t quite done yet. In the editorial department alone there are a number of steps between acquisition and publication, and unfortunately, almost all of them require something for the author to do. So let me take you through the process that turns a manuscript into a beautiful, shiny (or matte) new book.

Read the full article here, and if you find it helpful, leave a comment or share on Facebook and Twitter. Enjoy! 

Enter to Win A FREE Advance Copy of SONGS OF MY SELFIE!

You too could have a shiny new copy of SONGS OF MY SELFIE. 

To celebrate a quick end to winter, I'm holding another GoodReads giveaway! Enter to win one of five FREE Arcs of Songs of My Selfie.  

Songs of My Selfie: An Anthology of Millennial Stories is hailed as:

The book you want to read if you are curious about who'll be driving the truck in a few years.  —Ethan Rutherford, The Peripatetic Coffin and Other Stories

Even Cracked.com has something deliciously snarky to say:

 If you want a preview of some writers with brighter futures than the newspapers anticipate, well, here you go. —JF Sargent, Editor, Cracked.com

Enter to win your copy today, and be among the first to discover the freshest voices of the new generation!  Already won a copy? Rate it and review on GoodReads. Help us reach our goal of being among the top books of April 2016!

And follow us on Twitter @SongsOfMySelfie or like us on Facebook for additional updates, giveaways, events, and more.

Publishers Weekly Reviews THE BLACK ORCHID

The Black Orchid (Skyhorse Publishing; March 2016) received a great review in this week's issue of Publishers Weekly. The new thriller by Vaughn Hardacker, author of Sniper and The Fisherman, follows Hardacker's newest detective Ed Traynor as he searches for the crew that brutally murdered a New England heiress for a Hollywood snuff film. 

PW lauds:

Hardacker keeps the action flowing all the way to the violent climax. 

Read the full review here. Preorder your copy on Amazon today, and keep up to date with news about The Black Orchid on Facebook.

Open Mic Nite in the Parlor - New Year's Edition!

The Merchant's House Museum is kicking off the New Year with a celebration of the most modern of arts! Join us for a night of poetry, comedy, prose, music, old sea shanties, and more, at our first Open Mic Nite of 2016. Bring a friend or two and no more than five minutes of material; sign up at the door. Tickets are $13 ($8 for students/seniors; FREE for members). 

In the 19th century, literary salons gathered great thinkers, artists, and writers under one roof for a night of socialization and “improving conversation.” In that same spirit, the Merchant’s House celebrates the works of today’s new writers, performance artists, and musicians. Come to share your work or simply enjoy. Wine & light refreshments will be served. Writer and Three Rooms Press editor Constance Renfrow will host.

Merchant's House Museum. 29 East Fourth Street (between Bowery and Bleecker), New York. RSVP on Facebook.

 

Our First Songs of My Selfie Gathering

In December, contributor and first place winner of the Quarter-Life Crisis contest, Angus McLinn ("Baby Teeth") and I ("The Edge of Happiness") read from our short stories at 3RP's Prose! Poetry! Party! at Cornelia Street Cafe. Guest judge Meagan Brothers was also a featured reader, sharing a short prequel to Weird Girl and What's His Name!

Afterward, I met contributors Jared Shaffer ("Use Without Pity") and Carolyn Drake ("Pill Pusher") and we spent half the night talking books, literature, and of course, Victorian literature. I'm so excited for this little family of writers and collaborators!

To learn more about Songs of My Selfie, follow us on Twitter @SongsOfMySelfie or on our Facebook page. Preorder your copy of this groundbreaking anthology on Amazon today!