Shout out for my new favorite author, Ruth Hogan!

She’s the best-selling author of The Keeper of Lost Things, among other works of wonder. Ruth has a truly amazing ear and eye for language, a unique “voice” to be cherished. I just finished Queenie Malone’s Paradise Hotel and am utterly smitten. It’s one of my favorite novels of the decade: hilariously funny and poignant by turns, thoroughly satisfying and endearing. Magic. If this isn’t a book that you’ll hug to yourself, I’ll be very much surprised. You can follow her at ruthhogan.co.uk.

The fitting finish to a Deathy year …

As the cover to Alternative Deathiness suggests, life is but a dance with death—a topic all of us are familiar with and too often want to avoid. This is not a volume to avoid. 

Alternative Deathiness is a fantastic selection of short stories and poetry that includes works by veteran writers such as best-selling author Alicia Hilton, James Van Pelt, Larry Hodges and more, as well as up-and-coming voices such as Jim Wright and K.G. Anderson (and also yours truly, moi). https://www.amazon.com/Alternative-Deathiness-Bob-l-Brown/dp/1949476227/ref=sr_1_2?crid=11IC34B0Y15ED&keywords=alternative+Deathiness&qid=1640791331&sprefix=alternative+deathiness%2Caps%2C158&sr=8-2

New story published

long con magazine, a Canadian journal, just published a story of mine August 31, 2021 in its Issue 8 (under my birth name): longconmag.com/issue-8. It’s an ekphrastic piece based on Degas’ painting of the same title: “The Glass of Absinthe.” Back in my UCSB days, as an art history major, the painting was one of the most intriguing we studied and became one of my favorites. Click on the bottom row, third square from the left to see my story. But also check out the other authors’ stories. Well worth it!