Spotlight to support Authors of Color

The world's on fire. We went silent last week at the SFF Seven to give space for the voices that needed to be heard, and now we all need to be on the same page. Because after the fire's out I hope the world is changed and stays changed. As James stated earlier in the week; Black Lives Matter and Black Authors Matter. 

Writing a book is hard. Publishing is hard. And if the deck is stacked against you before you even begin? It's even harder. So this week we're spotlighting some of our favorite reads by Authors of Color, particularly African American writers.

With the pandemic I've gone back and binged on some comfort reads, some series that I know well (have read multiple times already). One of them was:

Dragon Kin Series by G.A. Aiken (A.K.A. Shelly Laurenston)
This paranormal romance series is about dragon shapeshifters and those who fall in love with them. Book one has always been, and still is, my favorite. Annwyl's mouth makes me laugh out loud!


Earthsinger Chronicles by L. Penelope
This fantasy romance series has GORGEOUS covers! Which was what originally drew me to them in the first place. Then on Jeffe's First Cup of Coffee she started talking about L. Penelope's podcast, My Imaginary Friends, they both cross-reference each other in streaks. And after that, I had to crack open the first book. The series has magic and war...I was swept away! Cry of Metal & Bone comes out in August and might be my fave cover of the series so far!


MEM by Bethany C. Morrow
This art deco historical fiction has an exciting, sci-fi twist: scientists have discovered how to extract memories, and the result is a clone copy of the person! But one clone begins to have her own memories... It blew. My. Mind. It's definitely one of the novels I believe everyone should read. I'm eagerly waiting for news that Morrow has another sci-fi release coming. *crossing-fingers*

Have you read any of these? If not, seriously...check out the covers!! I'm such a sucker for a good book cover. 

Alexia's top blogs and podcasts!

With so many social media options out there it can feel like you're searching for a needling in a haystack to find an entertaining, informational account, blog, or podcast. But have no fear, dear reader! This week we've got you covered!

I regularly stop by these blogs. And as a result, my TBR pile continues to grow at an alarming rate. Click on their buttons to visit with caution:

    The Fantasy Inn

During my lunch break I like to tune into these podcasts:

     First Cup of Coffee  My Imaginary Friends The Manuscript  Writing Excuses

     by Jeffe Kennedy       by L. Penelope          Academy

                                             

The Manuscript Academy and Pub Crawl were two podcasts that I listened to early on. They were very helpful when I began querying for an agent, so if you're at this stage I recommend them! Pub Crawl hasn't done a new podcast for a year, but their website is fabulous and their authors and publishing professionals put up some great blog posts.      

And then there's all the book bloggers and publishers in Instagram. So many pretty covers and so little time to crack them all open. 

Who did I mis? Any blogs or podcasts you've found helpful or ones that are simply fun?                                                                           

Jeffe's Favorite Podcasts

Our topic at the SFF Seven this week is our favorite blogs and podcasts.

I must be a child of my era - or current fashion - because I don't really have any blogs I follow regularly. The only times I read blog posts are when I read the daily (mostly) posts here at the SFF Seven, or if I see something go by that looks interesting.

I do listen to a number of podcasts regularly. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention my own podcast, First Cup of Coffee. You can also see all episodes here, along with the various podcast services. I post four days/week - on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings - and chat over my first cup of coffee of the day. I try to give a real-world glimpse of what it's like to be a career author. That naturally leads into thoughts on writing, publishing, living, coping with the world, and wrangling cats.

I was inspired to do this by Nathan Lowell's Talking on My Morning Walk. Nathan is CFO of SFWA and an amazing author of SFF, particularly known for space opera. He takes a 20-minute walk every morning and talks about, well, writing, publishing, living, and coping with the world.

Another podcast I enjoy is L. Penelope's My Imaginary Friends. She was, in turn, inspired by my podcast (so flattered!), though she's been a successful vlogger from way back. She posts weekly about her writing, process, etc. I very much enjoy her short (key for me!) and engaging podcasts.

Leslye also turned me onto Writing Excuses. Notably, these podcasts are also brief - 15 minutes - and feature a number of guests along with the standard team of regular hosts: Mary Robinette Kowal, Dan Wells, Brandon Sanderson, and Howard Tayler. They've been going since 2008, so have a pretty established and polished presentation. They also delve deeply into craft discussions, which can be very interesting for writers.

Finally, I should also mention that both my podcast and My Imaginary Friends are part of the Frolic Podcast Network, which is a network of romance-themed podcasts. I've listened to them all and it's a great round-up of discussions on books, sex, love, and associated topics.

What about you all? I'm looking forward to getting some great recs this week!